\n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","thumbnail_url":null,"type":"oembed","width":550,"contentType":"rich"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"In having his number retired, Mauer joined former manager Tom Kelly (10), Bert Blyleven (28), Kirby Puckett (34), Kent Hrbek (14), Tony Oliva (6), Rod Carew (29) and Harmon Killebrew (3), along with the 42 retired league-wide in honor of Jackie Robinson.\n\n? [Twins' retired numbers](/twins/history/retired-numbers \"undefined\")\n\n\"The first number I wore on my back is going to be hung alongside the very players I pretended to be as a child,\" Mauer said. \"I was fortunate enough to have met each one of those seven players, and each one has personally impacted me and my career in some way. Those men are some of the best to have played this game, and to say it's an honor to get my number next to theirs would be an understatement.\"\n\nOn the field, Mauer has undeniably earned his place in the upper echelon of Twins lore.\n\nMauer was the only catcher ever to have won an American League batting title -- and he did so three times. He was the AL Most Valuable Player in 2009, a six-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He was second in Twins history in games (1,858), hits (2,123) and walks (939) and is Minnesota's franchise leader in doubles (428).\n\nAlong with Oliva, Mauer was one of only two players in franchise history to play a career of at least 15 years exclusively with the Twins.\n\nFrom the moment that he was drafted first overall in the 2001 MLB Draft by the Twins out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, the pressure on Mauer -- the hometown kid, \"The Natural\" -- was immense. But throughout his rapid rise through the organization and all his subsequent success, he remained grounded in the measured, generous personality that endeared him to fans and teammates alike.\n\n\"For all that Joe Mauer accomplished on the field, he never lost sight of who he was or where he came from off of it,\" said longtime friend, teammate and roommate Justin Morneau. \"He just thought of himself as a kid from St. Paul that was honored to play for his hometown Twins. He carried himself with grace and humility no matter how intense the pressure.\"","type":"text"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2019-06-16T01:16:39.408Z","preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\"preferredPlaybacks\":\"mp4AvcPlayback\"})":"https://cuts.diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2019/2019-06/15/a2a9c043-8436e02b-b514506f-CSVM-DIAMONDTMP-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","type":"video","description":"Twins great Justin Morneau discusses how Joe Mauer was able to achieve a legendary career on and off the field","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:01:13","slug":"morneau-talks-mauer-s-career","tags":[{"__typename":"GameTag"},{"__typename":"TeamTag","slug":"teamid-142","title":"Minnesota Twins","team":{"__ref":"Team:142"},"type":"team"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-408047","title":"Justin Morneau","person":{"__ref":"Person:408047"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-408045","title":"Joe Mauer","person":{"__ref":"Person:408045"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"interview","title":"interview","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"in-game-highlight","title":"in-game highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"eclat-feed","title":"Eclat feed","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"international-feed","title":"International Partner feed","type":"taxonomy"}],"thumbnail":{"__typename":"Thumbnail","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/bcbf1dp582ptk7q6ybad"},"title":"Morneau talks Mauer's career","relativeSiteUrl":"/video/morneau-talks-mauer-s-career"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"\"There was no better teammate, no finer gentleman that carried himself how you're supposed to carry,\" said former teammate Jim Thome. \"But also, a big competitor that would get fired up, and we all fed off of each other. I played here a very short period, but to get to know guys like Joe and the rest of, obviously, those teammates, Joe will go down for me right there as one of my top five teammates ever.\"\n\n\\* \\* \\*\n\nMauer did live up to his billing as \"The Natural,\" and for all the natural athletic talent, there was always plenty of hard work behind it all -- stemming from a quiet, intense competitive spirit in everything he did, whether in baseball, or whatever else he put his mind to, as those around the Twins organization will all attest.\n\n\"It's kind of that -- he's talented, and there's a lot of people who are talented in a lot of different things, but I think he was willing to put his work into something that really interested him,\" said Joe's brother, Jake.\n\nNate Dammann, the Twins' longtime bullpen catcher and current replay coordinator, has been close with Mauer since 2007, and chuckled as he remembered a time during Spring Training in 2010, when the Twins had a ping pong table at their facility in Fort Myers, Fla.\n\nMauer started the spring as one of the worst in the clubhouse, but by the end of an intense spring of work, he had eclipsed J.J. Hardy (who had a \"professional paddle\" from \"some guy in Germany,\" Dammann says) for supremacy on the team.\n\n\"It seemed like he had always done everything,\" current Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson said. \"I'm sure he had stayed active. Played every sport. He probably would beat us all on the basketball court, as well. It just seemed like as a family, I'm guessing they just did a lot of stuff as kids. If it was anything outdoors or anything like that, he probably was good at that, too.\"","type":"text"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2019-06-16T01:06:16.123Z","preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\"preferredPlaybacks\":\"mp4AvcPlayback\"})":"https://cuts.diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2019/2019-06/15/61b4bb15-da9fae2c-fbd60bb0-CSVM-DIAMONDTMP-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","type":"video","description":"Twins legend Joe Mauer joins the broadcast to discuss the team retiring his number, throwing out the first pitch and more","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:09:21","slug":"mauer-on-number-being-retired","tags":[{"__typename":"GameTag"},{"__typename":"TeamTag","slug":"teamid-142","title":"Minnesota Twins","team":{"__ref":"Team:142"},"type":"team"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-408045","title":"Joe Mauer","person":{"__ref":"Person:408045"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"interview","title":"interview","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"in-game-highlight","title":"in-game highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"eclat-feed","title":"Eclat feed","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"international-feed","title":"International Partner feed","type":"taxonomy"}],"thumbnail":{"__typename":"Thumbnail","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/ta2oe5nayayhckdtzwji"},"title":"Mauer on number being retired","relativeSiteUrl":"/video/mauer-on-number-being-retired"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"That rare combination of natural talent and determination -- and the associated results -- were something that fans in Minnesota may have grown to take for granted at times throughout Mauer's 15-year tenure. Even those close to him, like Dammann, could feel that at times.\n\n\"I think I took it for granted,\" Dammann reflected. \"I never really sat back and said, 'Wow, this is something to watch.' Him hitting a baseball or a golf ball -- I guess, I just assumed he should be doing that.\n\n\"I was more surprised when he couldn't do something, like see him miss a three-foot putt, or almost trip on a base or not pick a ball. I was more surprised by that than what he could do. That's a bad thing for a friend to say, but it also speaks to what he could do. Because he could do so, so much. So when he couldn't do something, it's like, 'Oh. He's human.'\n\n\"I wanted him to be perfect. God willing, if he goes to Cooperstown, I want to be in the front row cheering him on. Yeah. I always assumed that he could do anything.\"\n\nPressed if whether there's anything that Mauer, in fact, can't do well, Dammann does perk up with an answer.\n\n\"He's a terrible driver,\" Dammann says. \"Slow. Typical Minnesotan slow. Just real cautious. It's tough sitting in there, because it's like, 'Let's go.' He would drive how you'd think he would. Fifty-five \\[miles an hour\\], do everything by the book.\"","type":"text"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2019-06-16T02:33:20.709Z","preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\"preferredPlaybacks\":\"mp4AvcPlayback\"})":"https://cuts.diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2019/2019-06/15/30659c1e-51a2edb4-c83cd606-CSVM-DIAMONDTMP-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","type":"video","description":"Former Twins closer Joe Nathan talks about the relationship he established with Joe Mauer as a dominant battery","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:00:28","slug":"nathan-on-pitching-to-mauer","tags":[{"__typename":"GameTag"},{"__typename":"TeamTag","slug":"teamid-142","title":"Minnesota Twins","team":{"__ref":"Team:142"},"type":"team"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-408045","title":"Joe Mauer","person":{"__ref":"Person:408045"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-150274","title":"Joe Nathan","person":{"__ref":"Person:150274"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"interview","title":"interview","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"in-game-highlight","title":"in-game highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"eclat-feed","title":"Eclat feed","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"international-feed","title":"International Partner feed","type":"taxonomy"}],"thumbnail":{"__typename":"Thumbnail","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/q2hmoofsvn7pkfdj532a"},"title":"Nathan on pitching to Mauer","relativeSiteUrl":"/video/nathan-on-pitching-to-mauer"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"For now, that competitive itch that drove Mauer's career and success from the time he was a little kid -- the youngest of three brothers who would compete in everything from baseball to golf to floor hockey or just about any endeavor -- is taking a back seat in his life as he transitions to life outside of baseball.\n\nBut Jake Mauer doesn't think that will last.\n\n\"I think he'll be back in some capacity, whether -- I don't know if he ever wants to coach,\" Jake said. \"Maybe he does down the road. But he's got a lot of knowledge and experience, obviously, that would -- I'm sure there will be a lot of people that'd be interested to hear what he'd have to say about a lot of different things.\n\n\"I think, down the road, maybe when he kind of settles into the family life and gets that itch to go, whatever capacity that is, I think he'll definitely be involved.\"\n\n\\* \\* \\*\n\nThese days, Mauer passes his time enjoying the little things he couldn't make time for as a ballplayer -- being a father to his three young kids, going on a fishing trip with his brother for the first time or playing pickup basketball with old friends at the field house bearing his name at Cretin-Derham Hall.\n\nBut for just one June afternoon, the Twins turned back the clock.\n\nOther Twins greats in attendance -- from Johan Santana, Joe Nathan and Brad Radke, to Torii Hunter, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer -- were certainly as significant a part of many of those winning Twins teams of the early- to mid-2000s. But none of them are as uniquely part of the history of the Twins -- or of Minnesota sports -- as Joe, the lifelong Minnesotan and Twin.","type":"text"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2019-06-16T02:17:38.291Z","preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\"preferredPlaybacks\":\"mp4AvcPlayback\"})":"https://cuts.diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2019/2019-06/15/72dfdaa5-fd38f5d5-3f7e61ff-CSVM-DIAMONDTMP-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","type":"video","description":"Twins star Torii Hunter discusses how Joe Mauer's personality and attitude shines both on and off the field","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:00:20","slug":"hunter-talks-mauer-s-personality","tags":[{"__typename":"GameTag"},{"__typename":"TeamTag","slug":"teamid-142","title":"Minnesota Twins","team":{"__ref":"Team:142"},"type":"team"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-408045","title":"Joe Mauer","person":{"__ref":"Person:408045"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-116338","title":"Torii Hunter","person":{"__ref":"Person:116338"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"interview","title":"interview","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"in-game-highlight","title":"in-game highlight","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"international-feed","title":"International Partner feed","type":"taxonomy"},{"__typename":"TaxonomyTag","slug":"eclat-feed","title":"Eclat feed","type":"taxonomy"}],"thumbnail":{"__typename":"Thumbnail","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/zfu48lg4kag0imqhc3qo"},"title":"Hunter talks Mauer's personality","relativeSiteUrl":"/video/hunter-talks-mauer-s-personality"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Surrounded by his former teammates, mentors, family and friends, Mauer choked back tears as he received the heartfelt support of a sellout crowd that had formed lines snaking through the streets of downtown Minneapolis hours before the Target Field gates opened for the opportunity to cheer on their hometown hero one more time.\n\n\"Wearing the number 7 for the last 15 years has been my absolute pleasure, and being able to play my entire career in that number in front of my family, friends and fans here at home means more to me than anything I've ever known,\" Mauer said, his voice cracking.\n\n\"I hope that everyone here tonight sees that number 7 hanging on the rafters, and you all know that you played a role in getting it up there. I know when I see it, I'll think of all of you and be forever grateful.\"\n\nWhen the sheet covering the round plaque affixed to the facing of the second deck of the foul territory in left field was finally lifted by Jim O'Neill, Mauer's high school coach at Cretin-Derham Hall, the big, red number \"7\" officially became enshrined in Twins history.","type":"text"},{"__typename":"OEmbed","html":"

It's official. Number 7 is retired!#RESPEC7 #JM7 pic.twitter.com/O6COHsjOiS

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 15, 2019
\n\n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","thumbnail_url":null,"type":"oembed","width":550,"contentType":"rich"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"And in the shadow of that number, Mauer threw a pitch to his father, Jake -- just like in those backyard games of catch in St. Paul, all those years ago.","type":"text"}],"relativeSiteUrl":"/news/twins-honor-joe-mauer-with-retirement-ceremony","contentType":"news","subHeadline":null,"summary":"MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer had never worn the No. 7 in his life -- in any sport -- before he found a jersey with the number hanging in a locker in Elizabethton, Tenn., as an 18-year-old playing rookie ball.\n\"To be honest, it wouldn't have mattered to me what number","tagline({\"formatString\":\"none\"})":null,"tags":[{"__typename":"InternalTag","slug":"season-2019","title":"Season 2019","type":"season"},{"__typename":"TeamTag","slug":"teamid-142","title":"Minnesota Twins","team":{"__ref":"Team:142"},"type":"team"},{"__typename":"PersonTag","slug":"playerid-408045","title":"Joe Mauer","person":{"__ref":"Person:408045"},"type":"player"},{"__typename":"ContributorTag","slug":"do-hyoung-park","title":"Do-Hyoung Park","type":"contributor"},{"__typename":"GameTag","gamePk":566994,"slug":"gamepk-566994","title":"2019/06/15 kc@min","type":"game"}],"type":"story","thumbnail":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/pks97p84a6nnsn1htx77","title":"Twins honor Joe Mauer with retirement ceremony"},"getHeaderFromForgePath({\"contentSource\":\"MLB\",\"headerPath\":\"/_navs/header/mlb/global-nav\",\"paletteKey\":\"mlb-base-palette\",\"propertiesKey\":\"mlb-global-properties\"})":{"__typename":"Header","navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"align:right;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"MLB.TV","linkUrl":"/tv?&affiliateId=mlbMENUtv","placement":"right","visible":"true","subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Buy MLB.TV Offseason Package","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games/subscribe?&affiliateId=mlbMENUtv","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Watch & Listen","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games?&affiliateID=mlbMENUtv","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB.TV Partners","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games/partners?&affiliateId=mlbMENUtv","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Link Account","linkUrl":"live-stream-games/partners?&affiliateId=mlbMENUtv","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Help Center","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games/help-center?&affiliateID=mlbMENUtv","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"align:right;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Tickets","linkUrl":"/tickets","placement":"right","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"All-Star Tickets","linkUrl":"/all-star/tickets","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":"expires:1721167200;"},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB at Rickwood Field","linkUrl":"/events/rickwood/tickets","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":"expires:1718924400;"},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Spring Training","linkUrl":"/tickets/spring-training","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":"expires:1711511940;"},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Postseason Tickets","linkUrl":"/tickets/postseason","linkTarget":null,"visible":"false","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Buy on SeatGeek","linkUrl":"https://seatgeek.com/mlb-tickets?aid=15994&pid=integration&rid=1&utm_medium=partnership&utm_source=mlb_sponsorship&utm_campaign=integration","linkTarget":"_blank","visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Sell on SeatGeek","linkUrl":"https://seatgeek.com/sell/mlb-tickets?aid=15994&pid=integration&rid=15&utm_medium=partnership&utm_source=mlb_sponsorship&utm_campaign=integration","linkTarget":"_blank","visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Season Tickets","linkUrl":"/tickets/season-tickets","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Single Game Tickets","linkUrl":"/schedule","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Group Tickets","linkUrl":"/tickets/group-tickets","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Special Ticket Offers","linkUrl":"/tickets/fan-value","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Speedway Classic","linkUrl":"/events/speedway-classic/tickets","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"VIP Ticket Packages","linkUrl":"/tickets/on-location-experiences","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Students","linkUrl":"/tickets/students","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Tourism","linkUrl":"/tourism","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB World Tour","linkUrl":"/international/events","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Ticket Terms & Conditions","linkUrl":"/tickets/terms-and-conditions","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"align:right;","icon":"shopping-cart","linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Shop","linkUrl":"https://www.mlbshop.com/?_s=bm-mlbcom-hp","placement":"right","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Online Shop","linkUrl":"https://www.mlbshop.com/?_s=bm-mlbcom-hp","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":""},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Auction","linkUrl":"https://auctions.mlb.com/iSynApp/showHomePage.action?sid=1101001&isynsharedsession=9mislq-18JnZhOEp-FeGzvUB3G6zxwkeKqwX99MKAttEdaSACl02r4aCDzYhNvUm","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Gift Cards","linkUrl":"https://www.mlbshop.com/gift-cards/x-462351+z-94899005-3509039474?_s=bm-mlbcom-Home","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":""},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB NYC Flagship Store","linkUrl":"/shop/nyc-retail-store","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"European Shop","linkUrl":"http://www.mlbshopeurope.com/stores/mlb/en?portal=MLTS66FS&CMP=PSC-MLTS66FS","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":""},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Photo Store","linkUrl":"https://photostore.mlb.com/","linkTarget":null,"visible":"false","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"amp:true;mobile:true","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"News","linkUrl":"/news","placement":"mobile","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Rule Changes","linkUrl":"/rule-changes-2023","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Probable Pitchers","linkUrl":"/probable-pitchers/","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Starting Lineups","linkUrl":"/starting-lineups","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Transactions","linkUrl":"/transactions","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Injury Report","linkUrl":"/injury-report","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"World Baseball Classic","linkUrl":"/world-baseball-classic","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Draft","linkUrl":"/draft/2024","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"All-Star Game","linkUrl":"/all-star/","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Life","linkUrl":"/fans/mlb-life","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Pipeline","linkUrl":"/pipeline","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Postseason History","linkUrl":"/postseason/history","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Great Stories","linkUrl":"/news/topic/longform","linkTarget":null,"visible":"false","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Podcasts","linkUrl":"/fans/podcasts","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":null,"icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Watch","linkUrl":"/tv?&affiliateId=mlbMENU","placement":null,"visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":"Video","navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Search","linkUrl":"/video","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Statcast","linkUrl":"/video/topic/statcast","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Network","linkUrl":"/network","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]},{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":"MLB.TV","navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Buy MLB.TV Postseason Package","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games/subscribe?&affiliateId=mlbMENU","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Watch & Listen","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games?&affiliateID=mlbMENU","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Help Center","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games/help-center?&affiliateID=mlbMENU","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"mobile:true;amp:true;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Scores","linkUrl":"/scores/2025-02-20","placement":"mobile","visible":"true","subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"amp:true;mobile:true;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Schedule","linkUrl":"/schedule/2025-02-20","placement":"mobile","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"2025 Spring Training","linkUrl":"/schedule/2025-02-20","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"2025 Regular Season","linkUrl":"/schedule/2025-03-18","linkTarget":null,"visible":"true","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"2024 Regular Season","linkUrl":"/schedule/2024-03-20","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"2024 Postseason","linkUrl":"/postseason","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Events","linkUrl":"/events","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Team by Team Schedule","linkUrl":"/schedule/team-by-team","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Sync Schedules","linkUrl":"https://mlb.ecal.com/","linkTarget":"_blank","visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"National Broadcasts","linkUrl":"/live-stream-games/national-broadcast-schedule","linkTarget":null,"visible":"false","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"mobile:true;amp:true;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Stats","linkUrl":"/stats","placement":"mobile","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Statcast Leaders","linkUrl":"https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statcast_leaderboard","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Statcast","linkUrl":"/statcast","linkTarget":"","visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Baseball Savant","linkUrl":"https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Top Prospect Stats","linkUrl":"/prospects/stats/top-prospects?type=all&minPA=1","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"amp:true;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Standings","linkUrl":"/standings/wild-card","placement":null,"visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":null,"icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Youth","linkUrl":"/youth-baseball-softball","placement":null,"visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Play Ball","linkUrl":"/play-ball","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Youth Baseball & Softball","linkUrl":"/youth-baseball-softball","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"","icon":"group","linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Players","linkUrl":"/players","placement":null,"visible":"true","subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Prospect Rankings","linkUrl":"/prospects","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Depth Charts","linkUrl":"/team/roster/depth-chart","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"MLB Players Association","linkUrl":"https://www.mlbplayers.com","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Negro Leagues","linkUrl":"/history/negro-leagues","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":null,"icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"MLB Play","linkUrl":"/play","placement":null,"visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Beat the Streak","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=BeatTheStreak2022","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Immaculate Grid","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=ImmaculateGrid2024","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Trivia","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=SporcleTrivia2024","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Pickle","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=Pickle2023","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"By the Numbers","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=ByTheNumbers2022","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Diamond Decisions","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=DiamondDecisions2024","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Bingo","linkUrl":"/play?gameId=Bingo2023","linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":null}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"expires:1720022400;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Vote","linkUrl":"/all-star/ballot?affiliateId=asb-topnav-mlb-2024","placement":null,"visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"amp:true;module:teammodule;align:right;","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"Teams","linkUrl":"/team","placement":"right","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"Team Module","linkUrl":null,"linkTarget":null,"visible":null,"icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":"module:teammodule;"}]}]},{"__typename":"NavItem","customPropertiesString":"align:right;lang:es;label:Espa?ol","icon":null,"linkTarget":null,"linkText":"ES","linkUrl":"/es","placement":"right","visible":null,"subNav":[{"__typename":"SubnavColumn","title":null,"navigation":[{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"ÈÕ±¾ÕZ","linkUrl":"http://www.mlb.jp/","linkTarget":null,"visible":"false","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":"lang:ja"},{"__typename":"NavItem","placement":null,"linkText":"???","linkUrl":"https://www.mlbkor.com/","linkTarget":null,"visible":"false","icon":null,"tooltip":null,"customPropertiesString":"lang:ko"}]}]}],"cfPalette":{"__typename":"CF_Palette","headerMastheadBackgroundColor":"#002D72","headerMastheadTextColor":"#ffffff","headerNavigationBackgroundColor":"#041E42","headerNavigationBorderColor":"#057AFF","headerNavigationTextColorHover":"#ffffff","headerNavigationTextColor":"#ffffff"},"cfWebProperties":{"__typename":"CF_WebProperties","urlLogo":null,"headerMastheadTagline":null,"headerPrimaryLogo":{"__typename":"CF_Asset","url":null,"description":null},"headerMastheadSponsorImage":{"__typename":"CF_Asset","url":null,"description":null},"headerMastheadTaglineContainerWidth":"512px","headerMastheadTaglineContainerHeight":"56px"}},"getTeamsBySportId({\"ids\":[1]})":[{"__ref":"Team:133"},{"__ref":"Team:134"},{"__ref":"Team:135"},{"__ref":"Team:136"},{"__ref":"Team:137"},{"__ref":"Team:138"},{"__ref":"Team:139"},{"__ref":"Team:140"},{"__ref":"Team:141"},{"__ref":"Team:142"},{"__ref":"Team:143"},{"__ref":"Team:144"},{"__ref":"Team:145"},{"__ref":"Team:146"},{"__ref":"Team:147"},{"__ref":"Team:158"},{"__ref":"Team:108"},{"__ref":"Team:109"},{"__ref":"Team:110"},{"__ref":"Team:111"},{"__ref":"Team:112"},{"__ref":"Team:113"},{"__ref":"Team:114"},{"__ref":"Team:115"},{"__ref":"Team:116"},{"__ref":"Team:117"},{"__ref":"Team:118"},{"__ref":"Team:119"},{"__ref":"Team:120"},{"__ref":"Team:121"}]},"Team:142":{"__typename":"Team","id":142,"division":{"__ref":"Division:202"},"name":"Minnesota Twins","shortName":"Minnesota","teamName":"Twins"},"Person:408045":{"__typename":"Person","id":408045},"Person:408047":{"__typename":"Person","id":408047},"Person:150274":{"__typename":"Person","id":150274},"Person:116338":{"__typename":"Person","id":116338},"Division:200":{"__typename":"Division","id":"200"},"Team:133":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:200"},"id":133,"name":"Athletics","shortName":"Athletics","teamName":"Athletics"},"Division:205":{"__typename":"Division","id":"205"},"Team:134":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:205"},"id":134,"name":"Pittsburgh Pirates","shortName":"Pittsburgh","teamName":"Pirates"},"Division:203":{"__typename":"Division","id":"203"},"Team:135":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:203"},"id":135,"name":"San Diego Padres","shortName":"San Diego","teamName":"Padres"},"Team:136":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:200"},"id":136,"name":"Seattle Mariners","shortName":"Seattle","teamName":"Mariners"},"Team:137":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:203"},"id":137,"name":"San Francisco Giants","shortName":"San Francisco","teamName":"Giants"},"Team:138":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:205"},"id":138,"name":"St. Louis Cardinals","shortName":"St. Louis","teamName":"Cardinals"},"Division:201":{"__typename":"Division","id":"201"},"Team:139":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:201"},"id":139,"name":"Tampa Bay Rays","shortName":"Tampa Bay","teamName":"Rays"},"Team:140":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:200"},"id":140,"name":"Texas Rangers","shortName":"Texas","teamName":"Rangers"},"Team:141":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:201"},"id":141,"name":"Toronto Blue Jays","shortName":"Toronto","teamName":"Blue Jays"},"Division:202":{"__typename":"Division","id":"202"},"Division:204":{"__typename":"Division","id":"204"},"Team:143":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:204"},"id":143,"name":"Philadelphia Phillies","shortName":"Philadelphia","teamName":"Phillies"},"Team:144":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:204"},"id":144,"name":"Atlanta Braves","shortName":"Atlanta","teamName":"Braves"},"Team:145":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:202"},"id":145,"name":"Chicago White Sox","shortName":"Chi White Sox","teamName":"White Sox"},"Team:146":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:204"},"id":146,"name":"Miami Marlins","shortName":"Miami","teamName":"Marlins"},"Team:147":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:201"},"id":147,"name":"New York Yankees","shortName":"NY Yankees","teamName":"Yankees"},"Team:158":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:205"},"id":158,"name":"Milwaukee Brewers","shortName":"Milwaukee","teamName":"Brewers"},"Team:108":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:200"},"id":108,"name":"Los Angeles Angels","shortName":"LA Angels","teamName":"Angels"},"Team:109":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:203"},"id":109,"name":"Arizona Diamondbacks","shortName":"Arizona","teamName":"D-backs"},"Team:110":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:201"},"id":110,"name":"Baltimore Orioles","shortName":"Baltimore","teamName":"Orioles"},"Team:111":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:201"},"id":111,"name":"Boston Red Sox","shortName":"Boston","teamName":"Red Sox"},"Team:112":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:205"},"id":112,"name":"Chicago Cubs","shortName":"Chi Cubs","teamName":"Cubs"},"Team:113":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:205"},"id":113,"name":"Cincinnati Reds","shortName":"Cincinnati","teamName":"Reds"},"Team:114":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:202"},"id":114,"name":"Cleveland Guardians","shortName":"Cleveland","teamName":"Guardians"},"Team:115":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:203"},"id":115,"name":"Colorado Rockies","shortName":"Colorado","teamName":"Rockies"},"Team:116":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:202"},"id":116,"name":"Detroit Tigers","shortName":"Detroit","teamName":"Tigers"},"Team:117":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:200"},"id":117,"name":"Houston Astros","shortName":"Houston","teamName":"Astros"},"Team:118":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:202"},"id":118,"name":"Kansas City Royals","shortName":"Kansas City","teamName":"Royals"},"Team:119":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:203"},"id":119,"name":"Los Angeles Dodgers","shortName":"LA Dodgers","teamName":"Dodgers"},"Team:120":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:204"},"id":120,"name":"Washington Nationals","shortName":"Washington","teamName":"Nationals"},"Team:121":{"__typename":"Team","division":{"__ref":"Division:204"},"id":121,"name":"New York Mets","shortName":"NY Mets","teamName":"Mets"}}} window.adobeAnalytics = {"reportingSuiteId":"mlbglobal08,mlbcom08","linkInternalFilters":"mlb"} window.globalState = {"tracking_title":"Major League Baseball","lang":"en"} window.appId = '' /*-->*/

Tributes abound as Mauer's No. 7 is retired

June 16th, 2019

MINNEAPOLIS -- had never worn the No. 7 in his life -- in any sport -- before he found a jersey with the number hanging in a locker in Elizabethton, Tenn., as an 18-year-old playing rookie ball.

"To be honest, it wouldn't have mattered to me what number that was hanging in my locker that day," Mauer said. "I just couldn't believe I had a locker in a professional clubhouse with a jersey to hang in it."

But over the course of a 15-year Major League career with the Twins, that No. 7 grew almost synonymous with baseball in Minnesota -- the number that scores of fans around the upper Midwest proudly wore on their backs as a testament to their catcher, their MVP, their hometown kid.

And on Saturday, Mauer's No. 7 became the ninth number to be retired by the Twins in a nearly hour-long pregame ceremony featuring more than 30 Twins alumni, including 15 members of the Twins' Hall of Fame, five inductees of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and taped messages from the likes of Ron Gardenhire, Ichiro, Buster Posey, Albert Pujols and even hip-hop artist T.I. -- who recorded Mauer's longtime walk-up song, "What You Know."

In having his number retired, Mauer joined former manager Tom Kelly (10), Bert Blyleven (28), Kirby Puckett (34), Kent Hrbek (14), Tony Oliva (6), Rod Carew (29) and Harmon Killebrew (3), along with the 42 retired league-wide in honor of Jackie Robinson.

"The first number I wore on my back is going to be hung alongside the very players I pretended to be as a child," Mauer said. "I was fortunate enough to have met each one of those seven players, and each one has personally impacted me and my career in some way. Those men are some of the best to have played this game, and to say it's an honor to get my number next to theirs would be an understatement."

On the field, Mauer has undeniably earned his place in the upper echelon of Twins lore.

Mauer was the only catcher ever to have won an American League batting title -- and he did so three times. He was the AL Most Valuable Player in 2009, a six-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He was second in Twins history in games (1,858), hits (2,123) and walks (939) and is Minnesota's franchise leader in doubles (428).

Along with Oliva, Mauer was one of only two players in franchise history to play a career of at least 15 years exclusively with the Twins.

From the moment that he was drafted first overall in the 2001 MLB Draft by the Twins out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, the pressure on Mauer -- the hometown kid, "The Natural" -- was immense. But throughout his rapid rise through the organization and all his subsequent success, he remained grounded in the measured, generous personality that endeared him to fans and teammates alike.

"For all that Joe Mauer accomplished on the field, he never lost sight of who he was or where he came from off of it," said longtime friend, teammate and roommate Justin Morneau. "He just thought of himself as a kid from St. Paul that was honored to play for his hometown Twins. He carried himself with grace and humility no matter how intense the pressure."

"There was no better teammate, no finer gentleman that carried himself how you're supposed to carry," said former teammate Jim Thome. "But also, a big competitor that would get fired up, and we all fed off of each other. I played here a very short period, but to get to know guys like Joe and the rest of, obviously, those teammates, Joe will go down for me right there as one of my top five teammates ever."

* * *

Mauer did live up to his billing as "The Natural," and for all the natural athletic talent, there was always plenty of hard work behind it all -- stemming from a quiet, intense competitive spirit in everything he did, whether in baseball, or whatever else he put his mind to, as those around the Twins organization will all attest.

"It's kind of that -- he's talented, and there's a lot of people who are talented in a lot of different things, but I think he was willing to put his work into something that really interested him," said Joe's brother, Jake.

Nate Dammann, the Twins' longtime bullpen catcher and current replay coordinator, has been close with Mauer since 2007, and chuckled as he remembered a time during Spring Training in 2010, when the Twins had a ping pong table at their facility in Fort Myers, Fla.

Mauer started the spring as one of the worst in the clubhouse, but by the end of an intense spring of work, he had eclipsed J.J. Hardy (who had a "professional paddle" from "some guy in Germany," Dammann says) for supremacy on the team.

"It seemed like he had always done everything," current Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson said. "I'm sure he had stayed active. Played every sport. He probably would beat us all on the basketball court, as well. It just seemed like as a family, I'm guessing they just did a lot of stuff as kids. If it was anything outdoors or anything like that, he probably was good at that, too."

That rare combination of natural talent and determination -- and the associated results -- were something that fans in Minnesota may have grown to take for granted at times throughout Mauer's 15-year tenure. Even those close to him, like Dammann, could feel that at times.

"I think I took it for granted," Dammann reflected. "I never really sat back and said, 'Wow, this is something to watch.' Him hitting a baseball or a golf ball -- I guess, I just assumed he should be doing that.

"I was more surprised when he couldn't do something, like see him miss a three-foot putt, or almost trip on a base or not pick a ball. I was more surprised by that than what he could do. That's a bad thing for a friend to say, but it also speaks to what he could do. Because he could do so, so much. So when he couldn't do something, it's like, 'Oh. He's human.'

"I wanted him to be perfect. God willing, if he goes to Cooperstown, I want to be in the front row cheering him on. Yeah. I always assumed that he could do anything."

Pressed if whether there's anything that Mauer, in fact, can't do well, Dammann does perk up with an answer.

"He's a terrible driver," Dammann says. "Slow. Typical Minnesotan slow. Just real cautious. It's tough sitting in there, because it's like, 'Let's go.' He would drive how you'd think he would. Fifty-five [miles an hour], do everything by the book."

For now, that competitive itch that drove Mauer's career and success from the time he was a little kid -- the youngest of three brothers who would compete in everything from baseball to golf to floor hockey or just about any endeavor -- is taking a back seat in his life as he transitions to life outside of baseball.

But Jake Mauer doesn't think that will last.

"I think he'll be back in some capacity, whether -- I don't know if he ever wants to coach," Jake said. "Maybe he does down the road. But he's got a lot of knowledge and experience, obviously, that would -- I'm sure there will be a lot of people that'd be interested to hear what he'd have to say about a lot of different things.

"I think, down the road, maybe when he kind of settles into the family life and gets that itch to go, whatever capacity that is, I think he'll definitely be involved."

* * *

These days, Mauer passes his time enjoying the little things he couldn't make time for as a ballplayer -- being a father to his three young kids, going on a fishing trip with his brother for the first time or playing pickup basketball with old friends at the field house bearing his name at Cretin-Derham Hall.

But for just one June afternoon, the Twins turned back the clock.

Other Twins greats in attendance -- from Johan Santana, Joe Nathan and Brad Radke, to Torii Hunter, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer -- were certainly as significant a part of many of those winning Twins teams of the early- to mid-2000s. But none of them are as uniquely part of the history of the Twins -- or of Minnesota sports -- as Joe, the lifelong Minnesotan and Twin.

Surrounded by his former teammates, mentors, family and friends, Mauer choked back tears as he received the heartfelt support of a sellout crowd that had formed lines snaking through the streets of downtown Minneapolis hours before the Target Field gates opened for the opportunity to cheer on their hometown hero one more time.

"Wearing the number 7 for the last 15 years has been my absolute pleasure, and being able to play my entire career in that number in front of my family, friends and fans here at home means more to me than anything I've ever known," Mauer said, his voice cracking.

"I hope that everyone here tonight sees that number 7 hanging on the rafters, and you all know that you played a role in getting it up there. I know when I see it, I'll think of all of you and be forever grateful."

When the sheet covering the round plaque affixed to the facing of the second deck of the foul territory in left field was finally lifted by Jim O'Neill, Mauer's high school coach at Cretin-Derham Hall, the big, red number "7" officially became enshrined in Twins history.

And in the shadow of that number, Mauer threw a pitch to his father, Jake -- just like in those backyard games of catch in St. Paul, all those years ago.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com