No smoking in the Metrodome

Mauer bestowed third consecutive Gold Glove

Twins catcher led American League with .996 fielding percentage

Mauer committed just three errors in 733 chances for a .996 fielding percentage, while nailing 26 percent of would-be base stealers. This award marks the 10th straight year the Twins have won at least one Gold Glove as a team and marks the 41st Gold Glove in franchise history.

Jim Kaat leads all Twins with 11 career Gold Gloves, followed by Torii Hunter (seven), Kirby Puckett (six), Gary Gaetti (four) and Mauer as the only organization members with three or more Gold Glove wins. This win marks the fifth time a Twins catcher has won a Gold Glove, with Mauer joining Earl Battey (1961-62).

(Source: mlb.mlb.com)

Should Twins Fans Be Worried About Joe Mauer?

mightyflynn:

sbnation:

A back injury kept Mauer sidelined for the beginning of 2009, and that, combined with hip pain and the rest of his ailments, would certainly cast a pall on Mauer’s ability to earn that $184 million contract he signed. Mauer, the tight-lipped, industrious type, will probably just play through the pain, and deal with the diminished production. The Twins, however, might not get what they paid for.

Mauer’s home run total last year was an aberration. As the SB article correctly points out:

It’s important to note that Mauer’s 2010 line isn’t all that different from his pre-2009 numbers—his career high in homers had been 13—and a catcher who can produce a .303/.377/.478 is no slouch.

In fact, in the years other than 2009 in which Mauer played more than 100 games, he hit 9, 13, 7, and 9 HRs. What people seem to overlook is that Mauer is producing quite well this season in other statistical categories. His OPS is .835, the 3rd best of his 100+ game seasons, and he’s already raked 32 doubles (just 4 short of his best season in that category).

While I agree that Mauer’s nagging injury issues are a concern, I don’t think they’ve affected his play as much as the homer-happy public seems to think. Baseball players play hurt from April through October, and catchers are always banged up more than any other position. More to the point, there is absolutely no question the Twins’ investment of $184 million was (and is) a solid business decision. Nobody means more to a team or the city where it plays than Joe Mauer. His presence on the roster has already paid off through a huge new TV and radio deal for the Twins and, coupled with Target Field, Mauer’s long-term contract reenergized a fan base that had been mired in a mid-1980s baseball experience. Mauer and Target Field brought the franchise forward together. There’s also Mauer’s skills as a public relations spokesman, team leader, and caller of games to consider.

The Pohlad family, who own the Twins, didn’t acquire more private wealth than any of their MLB peers by making poor business decisions. They knew what they were getting, and they knew he’d make them even wealthier. One need only walk around Target Field on any game day to see how much stronger the Twins brand has become in the past year. You’ll see it in the full shopping bags toted out of the numerous shops inside the stadium, and you’ll see it in the 7s and MAUERs stitched and screenprinted onto the backs of t-shirts and jerseys in every row of every section of the ballpark. $184 million was a bargain.

True story. I was going to reply to this earlier.  I’m glad I didn’t because I definitely wasn’t going to articulate my thoughts as well as mightlyflynn has done.