Will Joe Mauer be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown?

Will Joe Mauer be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown?

  • Yes, he did enough in his career and will be a Hall of Famer in Cooperstown.

    Votes: 15 55.6%

  • No, he had a great career, will be a Twins HOFer, but not in Cooperstown HOF.

    Votes: 12 44.4%
  • Total voters
    27
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BleedGopher

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Now that #7's career is over, let the debate commence.
 

If the MLB HOF was like the NFL, he would be a slam dunk. But it's 50/50 with MLB.
 



Yahoo Sports weighs in: Joe Mauer retires with a fascinating Hall of Fame case

Hall of Fame case for Joe Mauer
Mauer definitely checks a lot of the necessary boxes as a Hall of Famer. His career 54.9 bWAR ranks him as the seventh-best catcher of all-time. Every catcher ahead of him is in the Hall of Fame. On Hall of Fame expert Jay Jaffe’s JAWS list, which analyzes and dissects players’ Hall of Fame standing, Mauer also ranks as the seventh best catcher in MLB history.

Mauer had a strong and extended peak. From his rookie season in 2004 until 2013, when injuries really started to impact his career, Mauer hit .323/.405/.468. The batting average was second only to Miguel Cabrera during that span. Power was never Mauer’s game, but he did hit 29 homers during his lone MVP season in 2009. During that stretch he earned six All-Star selections.

Mauer’s body of work is very solid. He finished with a .306 career batting average and a .388 on-base. He finished with 2,123 career hits, which is a nice milestone to have under his belt. And don’t overlook his defense. Mauer has the sixth-best fielding percentage for all catchers and the fifth best for all first baseman. He was never a liability with the glove even as his health began to limit him.

Still, Mauer is far from a lock because his career path didn’t follow the same path of other Hall of Famers, in particular those who were catchers.

Case against Joe Mauer in the Hall of Fame
Many experts believe if Mauer had finished his career as a catcher and put up the same career numbers, he’d be a Hall of Fame lock.

Unfortunately, his injuries forced a move to first base for his final five seasons, which might make it difficult for him to garner enough support.

Defense aside, Mauer never measured up as more than an above-average player at first base. The question then becomes should he be judged by what he was, an all-time great catcher, and what he should have continued to be before concussions derailed his career, or should he be judged on becoming a first baseman who rarely gave his team an advantage at the plate.

Over his final five seasons, Mauer hit .278/.359/.388 while at first base primarily. There’s not a lot wrong with that. But, again, we’re making a Hall of Fame case, and voters might need more meat on the bone to push Mauer through. Perhaps the good news for Mauer is that he figures to hang around on the ballot for a long time even if he doesn’t get in right away. That could allow time for a change in perspective or even a change in how the Hall of Fame is voted.

https://sports.yahoo.com/joe-mauer-retires-fascinating-hall-fame-case-232031038.html

Win Twins!!
 


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Win Twins!!
 

I voted no but wouldn't be surprised if he did get in. If he had played two more seasons at catcher then I think he gets in easily.
 


Sid: Is Joe Mauer the most successful athlete from Minnesota?

The first time I asked Joe Mauer about the possibility of his joining the Twins was in February 2001. Mauer was a 17-year-old senior at Cretin-Derham Hall and had just completed one of the best prep football seasons in state history.

Then-Twins General Manager Terry Ryan, who was holding on to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB draft, told me, “There is a good chance we would take him No. 1. He is the best prospect I’ve seen since I joined the Twins here.”

Mauer was told about the quote, and asked about his options between playing football at Florida State, where he had a full-ride scholarship from legendary coach Bobby Bowden, and playing baseball for the Twins.

“Well, if that’s what they’re saying, first pick or whatever, I probably wouldn’t play football,” Mauer said. “But if things didn’t work out [in baseball] I’d have something to fall back on.”

Mauer never needed to fall back on anything.

Over 17 years in the Twins organization, he put together a career that matched the greatest players who ever wore a Twins uniform, players such as Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett. That career officially came to an end with Friday’s announcement that Mauer will retire.

But there is an argument to be made that the combination of Mauer’s performance for the Twins and his performance as a prep athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall makes him the most successful athlete in state history.

Sure, you had great in-state prep athletes such as Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. and Kevin McHale who went on to Hall of Fame careers, but most or all of their professional lives were spent playing outside of Minnesota.

Then you have the all-time pro greats such as Puckett, Carew, Killebrew, Torii Hunter, Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss, Carl Eller, Fran Tarkenton, Ron Yary, Cris Carter, Carl Eller, Alan Page and Mick Tingelhoff, but of course they weren’t born and raised in Minnesota.

http://www.startribune.com/is-joe-mauer-the-most-successful-athlete-from-minnesota/500216112/

Win Twins!!
 



Shooter chimes in:

Charley Walters: Joe Mauer will make hall of fame, eventually

Next for Joe Mauer is the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. That’s my opinion. But it will take a while, maybe 15 years.

Mauer, 35, who made his retirement from the Minnesota Twins official this weekend, won’t become eligible for hall of fame voting for five years. Then Baseball Writers Association of America voters will consider that Mauer, as a catcher, won three American League batting titles, a league Most Valuable Player award, three Gold Gloves and was a six-time all-star.

Mauer is the only catcher in baseball history to win three batting championships. He ended up with 2,123 career hits and a .306 lifetime batting average.

Had concussions not driven Mauer to first base for his final five seasons, there would be little doubt he would be joining fellow St. Paul natives Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor and Jack Morris in Cooperstown.

Over the years, including last summer, I asked baseball’s greatest catcher, Johnny Bench, about Mauer’s hall of fame potential.

“It takes 10 years to be in the hall of fame, for sure, as a catcher,” Bench said. “The batting titles, the MVP will help a whole lot. There will be people who will vote and say, well, he was a very good player and they’re not necessarily going to vote for him, or they’re going to vote.”

I’m a voter — he’ll get my vote.

How about this extraordinary stat from MLB.com: “If Mauer continued playing and made an out in every one of his next 1,050 at-bats, he would still finish with a higher on-base percentage than hall of fame catchers Johnny Bench, Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk.”

What seems unjust is that during his 15-year career with the Twins, Mauer played in just 10 postseason games — none with a victory.

https://www.twincities.com/2018/11/10/charley-walters-joe-mauer-will-make-hall-of-fame-eventually/

Win Twins!!
 

Souhan chimes in: Let the Joe Mauer Hall of Fame debate begin

Joe Mauer’s Hall of Fame candidacy will test the power of last impressions.

He spent the 2010s recovering from injuries, changing positions and failing to maintain a level of excellence that might have made him the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history. He finished his career as a first baseman whose greatest asset was the ability to draw walks.

Anyone wanting to dismiss him as a potential Hall of Fame inductee need only activate their short-term memory.

Should Mauer’s resume be that easily discarded?

A look at Twins history reveals the difficulty and unpredictability of judging players whose careers were damaged by injuries.

Should Mauer be voted into the Hall? Should he receive the benefit of the doubt — like Puckett and unlike Oliva?

The numbers say yes, and numbers are more trustworthy than our short-term memory.

http://www.startribune.com/let-the-joe-mauer-hall-of-fame-debate-begin/500218452/

Win Twins!!
 

If I had to guess, I would say he falls short in the writers' vote. Maybe, 15+ years from now, he gets in through the old-timers vote.
 

So much of this always depends on whether a long, productive career is a must or whether an injury-shortened career can warrant inclusion. They let Puckett in even though he didn't check many of the statistical boxes, but Oliva hasn't been given the same consideration.

One way or another, the best statistical case for inclusion right now is Johan Santana. It's almost spooky how his stats compare with Sandy Koufax's. Johan's are even a touch better in some categories.
 



Will he? Eventually. Should he? No. Winning wasn’t that important to him (IMO) and he cane across as stat stuffer. HOF should be reserved for special players who gave their all and IMO Joe was only special as catcher and he didn’t give his all. He only gave what he was willing to give...if that makes sense.


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None of his counting stats are worthy and his WAR isn't worthy. He was an all-star player. That's damn good. Injuries ruined his shot at Cooperstown. He isn't the first, and won't be the last to have injuries ruin his chance at Cooperstown. Ask Tony O.
 


TruthSeeker said:
None of his counting stats are worthy and his WAR isn't worthy. He was an all-star player. That's damn good. Injuries ruined his shot at Cooperstown. He isn't the first, and won't be the last to have injuries ruin his chance at Cooperstown. Ask Tony O.
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Of the players that have played catcher for a good part of their career, Mauer ranks 8th ever in WAR. Baseball reference has a stat where they take the top 7 WAR seasons of a player's career. Mauer is 5th all time for catcher behind Bench, Carter, Piazza, and Pudge. If he gets just two more seasons as mainly a catcher, he easily gets in.
 

Mauer is a borderline or below HOF by the numbers. But, the media loved him. This gives him a better shot than Jack Morris and Morris eventually got in.
What Mauer will not be, imo, is a first ballot HOF winner.
 

GophersInIowa said:
Of the players that have played catcher for a good part of their career, Mauer ranks 8th ever in WAR. Baseball reference has a stat where they take the top 7 WAR seasons of a player's career. Mauer is 5th all time for catcher behind Bench, Carter, Piazza, and Pudge. If he gets just two more seasons as mainly a catcher, he easily gets in.
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And JAWS, he sits ahead of HOF catchers. His WAR, WAR7 and JAWS averages all sit high enough to get in.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_C.shtml
 


Maybe I'm just too big of a homer but I think he gets in.
 



Some really good articles on Mayer on The Athletic website, including one today that went into some detail on some of the troubles he had with the concussions. I hadn’t read much on it before and I found it really interesting.
 

MennoSota said:
Mauer is a borderline or below HOF by the numbers. But, the media loved him. This gives him a better shot than Jack Morris and Morris eventually got in.
What Mauer will not be, imo, is a first ballot HOF winner.
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Zero chance on the first ballot. He will wait at least 5-10 years if he makes it.
 

Not enough years as a catcher and he’s not a self promoter like Blyleven. I don’t think he gets in.


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jamiche said:
Not enough years as a catcher and he’s not a self promoter like Blyleven. I don’t think he gets in.


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Blyleven made his wait longer. He was an @ss to most writers as a player. His self-promotion didn't help.
 

Paul Molitor chimes in:

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Brian Murphy chimes in:

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Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Some really good articles on Mayer on The Athletic website, including one today that went into some detail on some of the troubles he had with the concussions. I hadn’t read much on it before and I found it really interesting.
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There are still fans who think the concussions weren't a big deal and are just an excuse. Even recently saw someone say they think it was just made up.

I get the last part of his career wasn't what we all wanted but some people go to ridiculous lengths to try to rip on him.
 

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