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Posted June 14, 2007
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Choose Mauer to Build Team
When
Joe Mauer went back to work late last week after missing 29 games
with a left quad injury he was the focus of a flattering story in the
Sporting News magazine naming him THE player to start with in
building a team. “The Twins’ Mauer is not only the game’s best catcher
but the guy most of our evaluators—six of the 12—would choose as the
player to build a franchise around,” the Sporting News said.
The
evaluators included four general managers, six major league scouts, an
assistant general manager and a “Hall of Fame writer.” None were
identified by name in the article.
The
Sporting News praised Mauer for his offense and defense,
describing him as baseball’s best catcher. “His only weakness is his
height because, at 6-5, he can make calling low strikes difficult for
the umpire trying to see over him,” the article said.
That
comment annoyed Twins’ general manager Terry Ryan. “I don’t
think much of that,” he told Sports Headliners. “That’s the biggest
crock I’ve ever heard. I don’t believe that at all. …Carlton Fisk
caught in the big leagues and he’s in the Hall of Fame, and he’s
6-feet-5, and about twice as wide as Joe. I don’t know who is kidding
who here.”
Ryan
explained why baseball people would choose to build a team by taking
Mauer as their first player. “You’re always looking for a quality
catcher, a left hand hitting catcher that’s got offense,” Ryan said.
“That’s why people would pick Joe. Not only that, he’s got his better
days ahead of him. He’s only 24 years old. When you’re going to start a
club…you build from the middle and catching. …That’s why I am sure all
the evaluators decided he’d be the right guy to start a club with.”
Mauer
led the American League in hitting last season with a .347 average. He
became the first American League catcher ever to lead the American
League in hitting and the first catcher in the majors to win a league
hitting title since Ernie Lombardi did so with the Boston
Braves in 1942. Mauer’s career average is .321. |
“You’re always looking for a quality
catcher, a left hand hitting catcher that’s got offense.”
Terry Ryan on Joe Mauer
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer
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Mauer to Stay Behind Plate
Mauer’s valuable hitting often prompts discussion about moving him to
another position such as third base or left field, positions where his
body wouldn’t be subjected to constant crouching. That speculation
comes from outside the organization and was commonplace this spring when
Mauer missed nearly the entire month of May. Plus, Mauer didn’t play
for almost two months of the 2004 season because of a knee injury, and
he had a quad injury in high school.
But
Ryan is adamant about Mauer remaining a catcher. “It’s very difficult
to find a good catcher, first off,” Ryan said. “Secondly, it’s
difficult to find a guy that can lead a pitching staff. Third, there’s
no doubt when you can find an offensive catcher, you’ve got one of the
few assets in the game, in the industry in general, because everybody’s
looking for catching. …And then on top of it, Joe can run.
“So
it’s very difficult for me to hear and respond to people that just want
to get him out from behind the plate. The reason he’s so good and
valuable and talented is because he can do everything that a catcher is
supposed to do. Consequently we’re blessed with having one of the good
ones in the game.”
The
complexities and challenges of baseball leave any player with
opportunities to improve. “It’s always a little bit of a transition
every year for a catcher to get comfortable with a pitching staff, but
you know there are a lot of things that Joe is learning as he goes,”
Ryan said. “There’s no question in my mind that he’s got his best days
ahead of him. He’s just scratching it right now to the point where it’s
situations moving runners, and when to pull the ball, and when to try to
loft a ball, and when to hit a ground ball.
“All
that stuff comes. He’s just a kid. …Like everybody there are all kinds
of things to learn in the game. …This is a tough racket here, and there
aren’t any shortcuts here. …”
In a
hypothetical exercise the Sporting News selected Mauer to build a
team around. In the 2001 free agent draft the Twins chose Mauer as the
first player taken by any major league team. Ryan said it wasn’t an
easy decision as management evaluated who to choose including super star
high school pitcher Mark Prior, the oft-injured Chicago Cub. But
Mauer was the pick and six years later it looks right on to a lot of
people. |
"The reason he’s so good and valuable and
talented is because he can do everything that a catcher is supposed to
do. "
Terry Ryan on Joe Mauer
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
Terry Ryan
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Worth Noting
With the advantage of playing one game per week and
football’s great popularity, the NFL is likely to be the first American
pro sports team with a franchise in Europe. On Sunday, October 28
Wembley Stadium in London will be the first site of a regular season NFL
game played outside North America. The New York Giants, a natural
favorite for English fans, will play the Miami Dolphins. The NFL has
committed to playing up to two regular season games outside the United
States for the next five years, according to the NFL Report
publication.
Brad Childress and the other Vikings’ coaches start vacations late
next week and will resume work in mid- July. The first date the public
can watch the team practice in Mankato will be Friday, July 27.
Former Gopher and Viking football player Pete Najarian, now a
stock trader, became a regular panelist earlier this spring on CNBC’s
financial investment show Fast Money. Najarian “is
ranked one of the top 100 traders by
Trader Monthly
magazine, is co-founder of optionMONSTER.com, a
news and information site for options traders,” according to cnbc.com.
Fast Money airs Monday-Friday at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time.
Don’t be surprised if Hopkins recruit
Blake Hoffarber, a shooting guard, is given an opportunity to fill
the Gophers’ need at point guard next fall. His basketball decision
making is exceptional and the Gophers played all last season without
identifying a permanent point guard.
The Twins’ Justin Morneau (second)
Joe Mauer (fourth) and Torii Hunter (fifth) all rank within
the top five vote getters at their positions for next month’s All-Star
game in San Francisco, according to a news release from major league
baseball. Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriquez is the leading
vote getter at over 1.4 million so far.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on
his KSTP weekly radio show earlier this week that he doesn’t know when
to expect left fielder Rondell White’s return to the team. White
has been disabled with a right calf muscle injury since early April.
Scott Baker
talking about inexperienced fellow pitchers Boof Bonser, Kevin
Slowey, and Pat Neshek all of whom are either in their first
or second seasons with the Twins, and how they offer support to one
another: “Maybe not so much mechanically or pitching wise, but more so…
a word of encouragement, or something (like) …'you know what, I’ve seen
you do this and I know you can do it.’”
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Brad Childress
John M. Williams, DDS
Cosmetic & Family Dental Care
612-521-7611 |
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