MLB
Joe Mauer Set to Retire After 15 Seasons with Twins
After 15 years manning the backstop for the Minnesota Twins, Joe Mauer is calling it a career. Mauer made his announcement in a letter to the Twins faithful. In the letter, Mauer stated, “After much consideration, I have decided to retire from playing baseball. The decision came down to my health and my family. The risk of concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season after missing over 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball. Thank you, Minnesota Twins, and thank you, fans, for making my career as special and memorable as it was. Because of you, I can leave the game I love with a full and grateful heart.”
Joe Mauer Career Resume
Mauer grew up less than 10 miles away from downtown Minneapolis and made his Major League debut in April of 2004. He finished off his MLB career with a .306 batting average, with 2,123 hits, 143 homers, 923 RBIs, 52 stolen bases, and scored 1,018 runs. Mauer also finished with a career WAR of 55.1. He also has a place in the top five in most Twins offensive categories. Mauer is the Twins all-time leader in doubles, and second in hits behind Kirby Puckett.
Mauer was also selected to six All-Star teams, won three Gold Glove Awards, won five Silver Sluggers, won the batting title in 2006, 2008, and 2009, and finally, Mauer won the AL MVP in the 2009 season. Similar to David Wright, health was one of the major issues at the end of Mauer’s career. Injuries began to plague his performance, and Mauer decided it was time to step away from baseball and spend time with his family. Mauer spent all 15 seasons with the Twins and has built a strong resume for Cooperstown.
Congratulations to Joe Mauer on a tremendous career!!!
Photo Credit to Keith Allison via Flickr
