Baseball Youth - The Nation's Baseball Magazine for KIDS

National News: Hometown Hero

December 17, 2009

A Twins fan from the day he was born, Joe Mauer is living his ultimate fantasy

By Steve Hunt

It’s safe to say baseball was in Joe Mauer’s blood from the beginning. The two-time American League batting champion doesn’t remember when he first picked up a ball but knows it was pretty early.

“I had two older brothers that I would follow around and try to do the same things they were doing,” he said. “There are pictures of me in diapers running around with a bat. It was just something we always enjoyed doing. I really enjoyed competing and playing baseball but not just baseball, anything. I just liked baseball a little more I guess.”

Growing up in suburban Minneapolis, the Twins were his team. His first-ever big league game was at the Metrodome. He might not remember exactly when that was, but Mauer remembers the players he looked up to … Twins greats Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek and Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr.

Baseball wasn’t the only sport Mauer played. In high school, he was an all-state player in basketball and football and turned down a football scholarship from Florida State in favor of his preferred sport.

“I miss football, and I miss basketball too,” he said. “I always wanted to play in the big leagues, and now I get a chance to do that.”

In high school, Mauer first appeared in Sports Illustrated as one of the Faces in the Crowd. He has now appeared on the cover twice and has signed hundreds of those covers for fans.

Since his 2004 big league debut, he has been living every kid’s dream of playing for his hometown team. His grandparents still come watch him play, and in his sixth season they have only missed a handful of his games.

Next year, the Twins move into a brand new outdoor ballpark, Target Field, in downtown Minneapolis. For Mauer, who has only seen his team play its home games indoors, it will be a welcome change.

“It’s going to be neat,” he said. “I just remember the Twins playing in the Metrodome. The first big league game I saw outdoors was one that I played in. Baseball is meant to be played outside, and we’ll get to do that next year.”

Like many big leaguers, he has kept various mementos from his career. Mauer admits he doesn’t know what he has but will take inventory in the off-season. He does have his first hit, the bat he used and his first home run ball. His first home run actually hit off the football press box and bounced back on the field, which made it easier to collect.

Being a two-time batting champion and one of baseball’s top catchers, Mauer is a frequent target of autograph seekers who want their own mementos signed.

“I don’t mind it, especially for kids, signing gloves at the ballpark and things like that,” Mauer said. “I like to personalize a lot of items. When I was younger and did get a couple of autographs, I thought it was cool they did take the time to do that. Kids that want their hat signed or something like that, I’ll sign all day.”

He wouldn’t trade being a big leaguer for anything but Mauer admits there are things most fans don’t realize.

“You don’t get weekends off or things like that,” he said. “It’s a pretty hectic schedule but we get to do a pretty neat thing in playing big league baseball against the best players in the world. There are a lot of positives that outweigh the negatives."

0 Comments

Log in to add your comments.