Championship Subdivision Football | FCS Football | Stadiums | Blogs | Forums

Just before last weeks blizzard, Joe Mauer got his 2000 hit. An yes, they did play the Prince hit, Party Like It's 1999, when he got 1999. Will Mauer make it to Cooperstown? The biggest knock against him is his salary, but wouldn't have taken the money.

First 10 years of his career he hit .323 avg/.405 obp/.468 slugging as a catcher.
Since switching to first base in 2014 .277/.361/.390

Starting off good this year, see if he keeps it going.

The Athletic’s Jayson Stark notes, Mauer’s combination of 2,000-plus career hits, a .300 or better batting average, an OBP above .390, an OPS above .800, and three batting titles has been equaled by just eight other players in MLB history: Ty Cobb, Tony Gwynn, Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Honus Wagner, Carew, Ted Williams and Wade Boggs. Those aren’t just Hall of Famers—they’re inner-circle Hall of Famers. Mauer isn’t in that class, but he’s plenty worthy of a bronze plaque when it’s all said and done.

Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system—which measures a player against enshrined Hall of Famers by Wins Above Replacement over his career and seven-year peak, then averages them out—has Mauer solidly in. His totals—54.5 career, 39.0 peak, 46.7 JAWS—are all above the average for the 15 catchers in the Hall, albeit just barely in all three cases; overall, his numbers would rank seventh among the backstops, sandwiched between longtime Yankees stars Yogi Berra at No. 6 and Bill Dickey at No. 8. As a catcher, he’s Hall of Fame material.

SI.com Link

Who? Does he play for the Astros?

89Hen wrote:Who? Does he play for the Astros?

The team formerly known as the Washington Nationals.

He won't be a slam dunk obviously. Only been an all-star 6 times in a 15 year career, has no power in an incredibly live-ball era, numbers dropped off in the post-season the few times he even played in the post-season, and he played his entire career in Minnesota when that franchise didn't make a lot of noise. His election will likely depend more on the other guys on the ballot than on him.

I think he's going to need another thousand hits to get in....

His #’s were very good for a catcher. Mediocre for a first baseman. Everything I’ve read says nope...he’s on the outside looking in.

Mauer might not be good enough to make the Twins Ring of Honor, never mind "The Hall"



They had some of the all time greats
and Mauer is going to have a tough time cracking that

I'd be willing to give Mauer some HOF love if the Twins' fans were more solidly behind him as a candidate.

Mauer's peak was short but, to me, that is not fatal to his case because he was so good at his peak and he did it at one of baseball's most difficult positions.

But baseball fans in general don't have an "X" factor to support him.

Let's face it. Jack Morris eeked in because his very good career numbers -- unworthy in their own right -- were enhanced by a superlative performance one night in the World Series. That memory made all the difference for Morris. Twins fans were behind him and, because of that night, baseball fans got behind the Twins fans on that one.

Twins fans have got to rally around Mauer and create some buzz other fans can get behind.

Then again, give Mauer four more years and 600 more hits. Then he might sneak in as a compiler.

JoltinJoe wrote:I'd be willing to give Mauer some HOF love if the Twins' fans were more solidly behind him as a candidate.

Mauer's peak was short but, to me, that is not fatal to his case because he was so good at his peak and he did it at one of baseball's most difficult positions.

But baseball fans in general don't have an "X" factor to support him.

Let's face it. Jack Morris eeked in because his very good career numbers -- unworthy in their own right -- were enhanced by a superlative performance one night in the World Series. That memory made all the difference for Morris. Twins fans were behind him and, because of that night, baseball fans got behind the Twins fans on that one.

Twins fans have got to rally around Mauer and create some buzz other fans can get behind.

Then again, give Mauer four more years and 600 more hits. Then he might sneak in as a compiler.

Good perspective on Mauer. Morris is a discussion for another day.

Here is that list again from Jayson Stark
Is Joe Mauer a Hall of Famer? How about this:

2,000+ hits, 3 batting titles, .300+ AVG, .390+ OBP, .800+ OPS

Cobb
Gwynn
Hornsby
Musial
Wagner
Carew
Williams
Boggs
Mauer

If Mauer had retired after he was finished catching, he would be high on the list for the hall of fame candidates. For players changing positions, during their career, his stats are very similar to Rod Carew, except for the stolen bases.

Gil Dobie wrote:

JoltinJoe wrote:I'd be willing to give Mauer some HOF love if the Twins' fans were more solidly behind him as a candidate.

Mauer's peak was short but, to me, that is not fatal to his case because he was so good at his peak and he did it at one of baseball's most difficult positions.

But baseball fans in general don't have an "X" factor to support him.

Let's face it. Jack Morris eeked in because his very good career numbers -- unworthy in their own right -- were enhanced by a superlative performance one night in the World Series. That memory made all the difference for Morris. Twins fans were behind him and, because of that night, baseball fans got behind the Twins fans on that one.

Twins fans have got to rally around Mauer and create some buzz other fans can get behind.

Then again, give Mauer four more years and 600 more hits. Then he might sneak in as a compiler.

Good perspective on Mauer. Morris is a discussion for another day.

Here is that list again from Jayson Stark
Is Joe Mauer a Hall of Famer? How about this:

2,000+ hits, 3 batting titles, .300+ AVG, .390+ OBP, .800+ OPS

Cobb
Gwynn
Hornsby
Musial
Wagner
Carew
Williams
Boggs
Mauer

If Mauer had retired after he was finished catching, he would be high on the list for the hall of fame candidates. For players changing positions, during their career, his stats are very similar to Rod Carew, except for the stolen bases.

It's a little falsely one-sided when you only list the HOF'ers that he's similar to. For a more complete interpretation, you need to include how he compares to guys not in the HOF. Baseball Reference is pretty decent (not a bible but decent) and they list the 10 players, through age 34, who Mauer is similar to:

Michael Young
Marty McManus
Craig Biggio (HOF)
Ray Durham
Arky Vaughan (HOF)
Tony Lazeri (HOF)
George Kell (HOF)
Julio Franco
Bill Madlock
Alan Trammell (HOF)

5 in the HOF, 5 not in the HOF.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... jo01.shtml

GannonFan wrote:

Gil Dobie wrote:
Good perspective on Mauer. Morris is a discussion for another day.

Here is that list again from Jayson Stark
Is Joe Mauer a Hall of Famer? How about this:

2,000+ hits, 3 batting titles, .300+ AVG, .390+ OBP, .800+ OPS

Cobb
Gwynn
Hornsby
Musial
Wagner
Carew
Williams
Boggs
Mauer

If Mauer had retired after he was finished catching, he would be high on the list for the hall of fame candidates. For players changing positions, during their career, his stats are very similar to Rod Carew, except for the stolen bases.

It's a little falsely one-sided when you only list the HOF'ers that he's similar to. For a more complete interpretation, you need to include how he compares to guys not in the HOF. Baseball Reference is pretty decent (not a bible but decent) and they list the 10 players, through age 34, who Mauer is similar to:

Michael Young
Marty McManus
Craig Biggio (HOF)
Ray Durham
Arky Vaughan (HOF)
Tony Lazeri (HOF)
George Kell (HOF)
Julio Franco
Bill Madlock
Alan Trammell (HOF)

5 in the HOF, 5 not in the HOF.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/play ... jo01.shtml

It's a list of players with 2,000+ hits, 3 batting titles, .300+ AVG, .390+ OBP, .800+ OPS

The biggest stat missing from those players is the 3 batting titles as a catcher. Biggio was temporarily a catcher and Madlock won the batting titles. That, plus an MVP award, might be the tipping point getting Mauer in the Hall.

Michael Young really faded fast.