Hey, DJH....(The Joe Mauer Memorial Thread)

[dbackjon]

You Mauer boys are missing Tom's point.

If the Twinkies were the Yankees, and had a $250 million payroll, then no problem.

But the Twinkies have a $97 million payroll, and Mauer is getting $23 million of that.

For that kind of percentage of salary, Mauer needs to hit .450, with 300 RBIs, 100 HR's, 50 SB's and Pitch a few no-hitters on his catcher's rest days.

[clenz]

The Twins have as much money as the Yankmees, belive it or not.


Sadly the owners are too damn stingy to spend it on the complete team.

[dbackjon]

The Twins have as much money as the Yankmees, belive it or not.


Sadly the owners are too damn stingy to spend it on the complete team.

The owners may be rich, but the Twin don't generate anywhere as close to the amount of revenue the Yankees do.

The Yankees can spend $250 Million and still make money.

The Twins could spend $250 Million and lose $150 Million

[clenz]

10 richest owners in baseball


10. Robert Nutting (Nutting Family)
Estimated net worth: $1.1 billion
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Spoiler: show

The 10th-richest owner is the chairman and principal owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Robert Nutting. According to Wealth-X, the net worth of Nutting and his family comes to $1.1 billion, with a majority ($630 million) arising from their ownership of Ogden Newspapers, which owns papers in 13 states, according to the company’s website. Other assets include an estimated $250 million stake in the Pirates, a $95 million stake in Pennsylvania’s Seven Springs Mountain Resort and approximately $130 million in liquid assets.

Chairman of the board since 2003, Nutting took over the Pirates in early 2007, replacing another newspaper man, Kevin McClatchy, who had controlling stake in the team since 1996. Since becoming the Pirates’ principal owner, Nutting has developed the team’s spring training complex as well as its farm system and founded the team’s philanthropic arm, Pirates Charities, in 2010.

9. Jim Pohlad
Estimated net worth: $1.1 billion
Team: Minnesota Twins

Spoiler: show

One of the most economically influential families in the Minneapolis area, the Pohlads have invested in everything from real estate, banking, insurance and aerospace, in addition to the Twins. After the 2009 passing of his father, Carl, Jim Pohlad inherited control of the organization and serves as CEO. Jim Pohlad was involved in his father’s purchase of the Twins in 1984, working on a financial analysis of the $44 million deal. More recently he worked on the deal with local authorities that led to the construction of a new, $545 million venue for the Twins, Target Field, for which the Pohlad family contributed $185 million.

According to Wealth-X, Pohlad’s ownership stake of the Twins comes to approximately $170 million, or about 15 percent of his $1.1 billion net worth. Among his other large holdings are an estimated $600 million in liquid assets, a $350 million stake in Pohlad Family Companies and a $6 million home in Aspen, Colo.

8. John W. Henry II
Estimated net worth: $1.15 billion
Team: Boston Red Sox

Spoiler: show

Wealth-X says John W. Henry II’s share of the Red Sox through his ownership in the Fenway Sports Group is worth approximately $840 million. The group also owns the English Premier League football club, Liverpool F.C. Aside from his stake in sports franchises, Henry has $170 million in liquid assets, a $34 million luxury yacht named the Iroquois and $25 million in holdings of the John W. Henry Co. (JWH).

Henry generated his wealth after founding JWH in 1982. An asset management firm, JWH focuses on futures trading using proprietary trend-following techniques developed by Henry. According to the company’s 2012 disclosures, the firm currently has $162 million in assets under management.

Henry has always had a love of sports and began purchasing and selling stakes in minor league and semi-professional teams in the late 1980’s. He graduated to MLB ownership when he took a 1 percent share of the New York Yankees in 1991 and eventually became the sole owner of the Florida Marlins in 1999, purchasing the team from Wayne Huizenga for $158 million. After selling the team in 2002, Henry led the purchase of the Red Sox, along with Tom Werner and The New York Times.

7. Mark Walter
Estimated net worth: $1.3 billion
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Spoiler: show

The biggest off-season shuffle in baseball this year was not a trade for a star player, but the sale of the storied Dodgers. Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten broke records with their winning bid of $2.15 billion, easily surpassing the record $1.47 billion paid for England’s Manchester United in 2005. As part of the Dodgers deal, controlling ownership of the team rests with Mark Walter through Guggenheim Baseball Management. Although the sky-high purchase price was immediately questioned and the new owners have several hurdles ahead, the purchase shook up valuations for other teams, with some suggesting that the Yankees' value could be pushed to as much as $2.85 billion.

Despite criticism about the price tag, Walter is no stranger to investing. His track record has helped him amass a $1.3 billion net worth. Walter is currently the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a private financial firm focusing on asset management, investment banking and capital markets services as well as investment advisory for organizations. Of Walter’s $1.3 billion net worth, approximately $1.1 billion is composed of his stake in Guggenheim Partners, while he has an estimated $70 million in liquid assets and a home in Chicago worth $2.5 million, according to Wealth-X. If the sale goes through at $2.15 billion, Walter’s slice of the Dodgers will be worth about $130 million.

6. Arturo Moreno
Estimated net worth: $1.5 billion
Team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Spoiler: show

Arturo “Art” Moreno bought the Angels from the Walt Disney Co. in 2003 for $183 million. With the purchase, Moreno became the first Hispanic owner of a major U.S. sports team. He quickly became a fan favorite, and boosted attendance, by signing big-name players like Vladimir Guerrero while slashing prices for tickets, concessions and souvenirs. However, he lost favor with some fans and was even sued by the city of Anaheim after spearheading the team’s name change in 2005 from the Anaheim Angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Moreno’s wealth consists mainly of stock in CBS Corp., worth an estimated $760 million, $120 million in liquid assets and an estimated $590 million stake in the Angels. Moreno’s wealth began when he was hired by billboard company Outdoor Systems, now a subsidiary of CBS. After rising to president and CEO of Outdoor Systems, he expanded the business exponentially, taking it public in 1996 and selling it to Infinity Broadcasting in a multibillion dollar deal two years later.

5. Ray Davis
Estimated net worth: $1.6 billion
Team: Texas Rangers

Spoiler: show

In 2010, the Texas Rangers emerged from bankruptcy after a group led by former player Nolan Ryan and sports attorney Chuck Greenberg won a $385 million cash bid for the team. Since the purchase, Greenberg has stepped down and Ryan has become CEO, with Ray Davis and Bob Simpson sitting as co-chairmen of the team’s board.

With Ryan handling day-to-day operations, Davis has been content to be a hands-off owner, telling MLB.com after Greenberg’s resignation that "neither Bob or I expect ever to do another press conference." But according to Wealth-X estimates, Davis's financial stake in the Rangers stands at $200 million.

Davis’ fortune arises from his participation in the energy sector, where he was an executive in Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners between 1996-2007, serving as co-CEO between 2004-07. He owns $865 million in Energy Transfer stock and has an estimated $510 million in liquid assets, according to Wealth-X.

4. Hiroshi Yamauchi
Estimated net worth: $2.1 billion
Team: Seattle Mariners

Spoiler: show

The majority owner of the Seattle Mariners, Japanese-born Hiroshi Yamauchi, is believed to own the unique distinction of being the only MLB owner to never attend a game played by his or her team. Even recently, when the Mariners traveled to Tokyo to play the first official games of the regular season, Yamauchi was not in attendance, according to AOL's SportingNews. Yamauchi gained control of the team in 1992 in a move that helped open up the MLB to Japanese players.

Yamauchi, who ran Japanese-based Nintendo for over half a century, eventually transferred direct ownership of the Mariners to the company’s U.S. operations. However, Yamauchi remains the company’s largest shareholder and chairman emeritus and is considered to be the team’s owner, with his majority stake represented by the Mariners’ current CEO, Howard Lincoln.

Unfortunately for Yamauchi, his fortunes have taken a dive in recent years along with Nintendo’s stock, which has fallen by over 42 percent in the last 12 months. Most of his $2.1 billion net worth is tied up in Nintendo, while he holds approximately $60 million in liquid assets, according to Wealth-X.

3. Mike Ilitch
Estimated net worth: $2.4 billion
Team: Detroit Tigers

Spoiler: show

Ilitch spent four years serving in the Marines after graduating high school and upon returning home signed a three-year deal to play in the Detroit Tigers’ minor league system. A knee injury ended his professional career, but Ilitch went on to found the Little Caesars pizza chain in 1959 in the suburbs of Detroit.

In 1982, Ilitch purchased the struggling Detroit Red Wings for $8 million, turning the franchise around, making it one of the most consistently successful hockey teams in the NHL, winning four Stanley Cups under his ownership. In 1992, Ilitch purchased the Tigers from fellow pizza entrepreneur, Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan. Unlike the Red Wings, the Tigers initiallly flopped under Ilitch's ownership, failing to make the playoffs for over a decade and setting the American League record for most losses (119) in a season in 2003. In 2006, the team finally returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1987.

Most of Ilitch's wealth arises from his ownership of Little Caesar’s Pizza ($1.5 billion), followed by investments in Motor City Casino ($710 million), approximate value of holdings in the Tigers ($380 million) and Red Wings ($310 million), as well as $45 million in liquid assets, according to data provided by Wealth-X.

2. Theodore Lerner
Estimated net worth: $2.9 billion
Team: Washington Nationals

Spoiler: show

After the Montreal Expos went into league ownership in 2002, MLB went through a multi-year process to select a new home for the team, eventually moving them to Washington and renaming them the Nationals. With a final sale price of $450 million, Ted Lerner and Lerner Enterprises gained ownership in July 2006.

The majority of Lerner’s wealth was generated by Lerner Enterprises, the real estate firm he started in 1952. The company is the largest private landowner in the Washington area, with a wide portfolio of commercial, retail, residential and hotel properties, as well as Chelsea Piers in New York. According to data from Wealth-X, Lerner holds approximately $2.2 billion of equity in Lerner Enterprises, a $155 million stake in the Nationals, a $3.5 million home in California and has some $630 million in liquid assets.

1. Charles Bartlett Johnson
Estimated net worth: $4.9 billion
Team: San Francisco Giants

Spoiler: show

This year, the wealthiest owner in Major League Baseball is Charles Bartlett Johnson, who became the team’s largest stakeholder after Bill Neukom retired as managing general partner and CEO. Johnson reportedly increased his stake in the team to 25 percent through purchases from other partial owners.

Johnson’s wealth was generated from his share of Franklin Resources (also known as Franklin Templeton Investments, ticker BEN) the investment firm founded by his father, Rupert Johnson Sr., in 1947. Charles is the firm’s chairman, while his brother Rupert Johnson Jr. is vice chairman; Charles’ son Gregory is president and CEO. Franklin Resources is valued at $4.1 billion, according to Wealth-X. Johnson's other major holdings include $730 million in liquid assets, an estimated $160 million stake in the Giants and a $6 million home in Indian Creek Village, Fla.

[clenz]

The Twins have as much money as the Yankmees, belive it or not.


Sadly the owners are too damn stingy to spend it on the complete team.

The owners may be rich, but the Twin don't generate anywhere as close to the amount of revenue the Yankees do.

The Yankees can spend $250 Million and still make money.

The Twins could spend $250 Million and lose $150 Million

If the twins spend 250 million and had the success the Yankmees have (even with the lack of a title the last 10 years) they'd make money too.


The problem is the Twins ownership is cheap as fuck...Can't blame Joe for that.

[Grizalltheway]

Z...we all know you base your view of how good a player is only on HR's.....

Answer me this: is there any other slap-hitting catcher in MLB making $23 million a year?

Hell, is there any other slap-hitting player at ANY position making $23 million per year?

Be completely honest with yourself and admit that the Twinkies gave Mauer that monster contract based on his 2009 season where he actually might have EARNED $23 million....I guarantee you the upper management is sitting there wringing their hands wondering if the guy who signed that contract will EVER show his face again.

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

[clenz]

Answer me this: is there any other slap-hitting catcher in MLB making $23 million a year?

Hell, is there any other slap-hitting player at ANY position making $23 million per year?

Be completely honest with yourself and admit that the Twinkies gave Mauer that monster contract based on his 2009 season where he actually might have EARNED $23 million....I guarantee you the upper management is sitting there wringing their hands wondering if the guy who signed that contract will EVER show his face again.

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

lower career BA, ops, slg, OBP, and HR... salaries by year

2001 27 Seattle Mariners $5,666,667 4/6/01 USA Today
2002 28 Seattle Mariners $3,696,000 4/3/02 AP
2003 29 Seattle Mariners $4,666,667*
2004 30 Seattle Mariners $6,500,000*
2005 31 Seattle Mariners $12,500,000
2006 32 Seattle Mariners $12,500,000
2007 33 Seattle Mariners $12,500,000
2008 34 Seattle Mariners $17,102,149
2009 35 Seattle Mariners $18,000,000
2010 36 Seattle Mariners $18,000,000
2011 37 Seattle Mariners $18,000,000
2012 38 Seattle Mariners $17,000,000
2013 Status Signed, Earliest Free Agent: 2013
Career to date (may be incomplete) $129,131,483 Does not include future salaries


Joe

2004 21 Minnesota Twins $300,000 4/7/04 AP
2005 22 Minnesota Twins $325,000
2006 23 Minnesota Twins $400,000
2007 24 Minnesota Twins $3,750,000
2008 25 Minnesota Twins $6,250,000
2009 26 Minnesota Twins $10,500,000
2010 27 Minnesota Twins $12,500,000
2011 28 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2012 29 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2013 30 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2014 31 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2015 32 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2016 33 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2017 34 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
2018 35 Minnesota Twins $23,000,000
Earliest Free Agent: 2019
Career to date (may be incomplete) $57,025,000 Does not include future salaries

[Gil Dobie]

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

Ichiro isn't catching.

[clenz]

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

Ichiro isn't catching.

You're right...he plays a position where actually producing HR, RBI, etc... is viewed as important.....

Catchers who put up any real offensive numbers of any kind are just a plus.

[Gil Dobie]

The number 2 highest paid catcher is Brian McCann at $11.5 million

Hits Mauer 102-65
Runs Mauer 48-31
2b's Mauer 19-10
HR McCann 14-6
RBI McCann 48-44
AVG Mauer .329-.240

[AZGrizFan]

Answer me this: is there any other slap-hitting catcher in MLB making $23 million a year?

Hell, is there any other slap-hitting player at ANY position making $23 million per year?

Be completely honest with yourself and admit that the Twinkies gave Mauer that monster contract based on his 2009 season where he actually might have EARNED $23 million....I guarantee you the upper management is sitting there wringing their hands wondering if the guy who signed that contract will EVER show his face again.

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

Yeah. Never mind the 436 stolen bases. Or the 7 times leading the league in hits. Or the "ironman" status, particularly when compared to Brittle Joe. If Ichiro is worth the $18 million he's making, Joe is worth about $6.

[clenz]

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

Yeah. Never mind the 436 stolen bases. Or the 7 times leading the league in hits. Or the "ironman" status, particularly when compared to Brittle Joe. If Ichiro is worth the $18 million he's making, Joe is worth about $6.

Brittle Joe?
05:131 games
06: 140 games
07: 109 games
08: 146 games
09: 138games
10: 137 games
11: 82 games (yep struggled with injuries)
12: 83 of 92 games thus far


Catchers who have played the same number (rougly) of games as Joe since 05....I'll bet the only ones that come close are AJ Pierzynski (Joe had better stats everywhere except HR and RBI), Yadier Molina (Joe with better stats all around except HR), Posada (through 11...Joe with better stats everywhere but HR), Jason Kendall (through 10...Joe with better stats all around).


Much easier to play everyday in RF than catcher. With that being said, Ichiro deserves Iron-man status. He's also had less HR and RBI than Joe almost every single year. Lower career BA than Joe as well....

[DJH]

Mauer's numbers continue to rise, as he is pretty much back to old form as being one of the best players in baseball, ain't no doubt about it.

There's lots of "doubt" about it. Mauer is the 3rd highest paid PLAYER in baseball...yet there's 21 other CATCHERS that have more HR's. 7 CATCHERS that have more RBI. He might have gotten the biggest hometown-hero salary bump EVER.

1. Mauer is not a power hitter, never has been (except for the MVP year), and doesn't need to be. He's a catcher, first and foremost. Its one of the most important positions on the field day in and day out. Typically any good offense that you get out of your catcher is a bonus rather than a necessity. Catchers that have tremendous offensive ability like Joe Mauer come around almost never.

2. A given player's worth to a given franchise is not about stats. Its about their value. Mauer is incredibly valuable to the Minnesota Twins. Marketability, the home state kid, moving into a new stadium, ect. The fact that he is actually a great player (MVP, multiple time batting champ) is just a huge bonus. When healthy (pretty much every single year of his career other than last year) he is worth, to the Twins, what he is getting paid.

[DJH]

There's lots of "doubt" about it. Mauer is the 3rd highest paid PLAYER in baseball...yet there's 21 other CATCHERS that have more HR's. 7 CATCHERS that have more RBI. He might have gotten the biggest hometown-hero salary bump EVER.

28% of team payroll

So what? The Twins have money. If they want to spend more, they can and will. Mauer's contract is not stopping them from getting other talent.

Don't hate the player, hate the game. That's the market system that MLB operates under.

[DJH]

The Twins have as much money as the Yankmees, belive it or not.


Sadly the owners are too damn stingy to spend it on the complete team.

The owners may be rich, but the Twin don't generate anywhere as close to the amount of revenue the Yankees do.

The Yankees can spend $250 Million and still make money.

The Twins could spend $250 Million and lose $150 Million

Common misconception. Take a few minutes and browse through this article from 2010. It goes in depth as to how even the New York Yankees have trouble making money spending as much as they do, and have often reported losses.

http://itsaboutthemoney.net/archives/20 ... 99-budget/

By my estimate, the Yankees broke even this year. The 2010 Yankees … with roughly $600 million in revenues and a post-season run falling two wins short of the post-season … may not have turned a profit.

Is this possible? Of course it is possible. According to Forbes, the Yankees consistently lost money prior to 2009: $4 million of losses in 2008, $47 million lost in 2007, $25 million of losses in 2006, $50 million of losses in 2005, $37 million of losses in 2004, and $26 million lost in 2003. Excluding 2009, Forbes last showed the Yankees turning a profit in 2002. Between 2003 and 2008, the Forbes numbers show the Yankees losing a total of about $200 million. We need to keep in mind that the Forbes numbers are only estimates. Still, Forbes is not the only publication that thinks the team loses money – see here, for example. The Yankees themselves claimed for years that they’ve been losing money. Brian Cashman said so here in 2005; Randy Levine said so here in 2008. According to one report in 2007, the Yankees at that time had not distributed profits to its ownership in 10 years.

[DJH]

Ichiro is the ultimate slap hitter, and he's making 18 million this year, at age 38. I'm sure he made more in the past when his numbers were better.

Yeah. Never mind the 436 stolen bases. Or the 7 times leading the league in hits. Or the "ironman" status, particularly when compared to Brittle Joe. If Ichiro is worth the $18 million he's making, Joe is worth about $6.

So a batting title is viewed as a plus for Ichiro to you, but brushed off as nothing for Mauer? Never mind the fact that Mauer is playing fucking catcher, while Ichiro is burried in defensive irrelevancy in RF for 15 years.

Tell me, how many times does Ichiro sell out Safeco Field in Seattle?

[AZGrizFan]

There's lots of "doubt" about it. Mauer is the 3rd highest paid PLAYER in baseball...yet there's 21 other CATCHERS that have more HR's. 7 CATCHERS that have more RBI. He might have gotten the biggest hometown-hero salary bump EVER.

1. Mauer is not a power hitter, never has been (except for the MVP year), and doesn't need to be. He's a catcher, first and foremost. Its one of the most important positions on the field day in and day out. Typically any good offense that you get out of your catcher is a bonus rather than a necessity. Catchers that have tremendous offensive ability like Joe Mauer come around almost never.

2. A given player's worth to a given franchise is not about stats. Its about their value. Mauer is incredibly valuable to the Minnesota Twins. Marketability, the home state kid, moving into a new stadium, ect. The fact that he is actually a great player (MVP, multiple time batting champ) is just a huge bonus. When healthy (pretty much every single year of his career other than last year) he is worth, to the Twins, what he is getting paid.

And, despite all that, he is the one single reason the Twins will never be a contender as long as they have his contract. All that proves is the owners don't care about WINNING, they care about $$ and butts in the seats.

[DJH]

1. Mauer is not a power hitter, never has been (except for the MVP year), and doesn't need to be. He's a catcher, first and foremost. Its one of the most important positions on the field day in and day out. Typically any good offense that you get out of your catcher is a bonus rather than a necessity. Catchers that have tremendous offensive ability like Joe Mauer come around almost never.

2. A given player's worth to a given franchise is not about stats. Its about their value. Mauer is incredibly valuable to the Minnesota Twins. Marketability, the home state kid, moving into a new stadium, ect. The fact that he is actually a great player (MVP, multiple time batting champ) is just a huge bonus. When healthy (pretty much every single year of his career other than last year) he is worth, to the Twins, what he is getting paid.

And, despite all that, he is the one single reason the Twins will never be a contender as long as they have his contract. All that proves is the owners don't care about WINNING, they care about $$ and butts in the seats.

Huh? The Twins re-signed maybe the best catcher in the game, reigning MVP, that happens to be beloved and from Minnesota, and you are telling me they don't care about winning? LOL...Don't tell me that you believe the organization would be lauded for making a "winning" decision if they let the MVP go to the Red Sox.

His contract ain't stopping them from getting anybody. They choose to spend as much as they want to spend.

[AZGrizFan]

Yeah. Never mind the 436 stolen bases. Or the 7 times leading the league in hits. Or the "ironman" status, particularly when compared to Brittle Joe. If Ichiro is worth the $18 million he's making, Joe is worth about $6.

So a batting title is viewed as a plus for Ichiro to you, but brushed off as nothing for Mauer? Never mind the fact that Mauer is playing fucking catcher, while Ichiro is burried in defensive irrelevancy in RF for 15 years.

Tell me, how many times does Ichiro sell out Safeco Field in Seattle?

What an assinine argument. Go look at the attendance figures. Mauer's been playing since 2004, yet magically the Twins don't start drawing 10,000 more people a game when they move to Target Field? And you credit MAUER for that? His first five seasons in Minnesota? 23k, 25k, 28k, 28k, 28k. Oh and, BTW, Target field seats 55,000 and the Twinkies average 39,000. Is that your definition of a "sellout"?

Now go check Seattle's attendance figures in the first 5 years Ichiro was there: 43k, 43k, 40k, 36k, 31k.

You won't win an attendance argument against Ichiro. Hell, he has an entire NATION watch his every move. Mauer is irrelevant outside of Minneapolis.

[clenz]

Target Field seats less than 40k you dumbfuck


So yes id call 39k at Target Field a sell out
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

[AZGrizFan]

Much easier to play everyday in RF than catcher. With that being said, Ichiro deserves Iron-man status. He's also had less HR and RBI than Joe almost every single year. Lower career BA than Joe as well....

Yeah. Mauer's is .324 and Ichiro's is .323.

[clenz]

.324 as a catcher is more impressive than .323 as an OF....


Just like an era if 3 is a hell of a lot more impressive from a starter than a closer

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

[AZGrizFan]

Target Field seats less than 40k you dumbfuck


So yes id call 39k at Target Field a sell out
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

OK, YoungTerrier.

Should have clicked on the link...it was the Metrodome that seated 55,000. Doesn't change my point one iota. So HE apparently sells out Target field but couldn't get those extra people to the Metrodome? Something tells me it might be the lure of a shiny new ballpark and not watching a punch-and-Judy catcher that's drawing those folks to the ballpark.

[AZGrizFan]

.324 as a catcher is more impressive than .323 as an OF....


Just like an era if 3 is a hell of a lot more impressive from a starter than a closer

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2

Really? Do Mauer's hits count more?

You said Mauer had a higher batting average. I proved you wrong. Just admit it and move on.

[DJH]

So a batting title is viewed as a plus for Ichiro to you, but brushed off as nothing for Mauer? Never mind the fact that Mauer is playing fucking catcher, while Ichiro is burried in defensive irrelevancy in RF for 15 years.

Tell me, how many times does Ichiro sell out Safeco Field in Seattle?

What an assinine argument. Go look at the attendance figures. Mauer's been playing since 2004, yet magically the Twins don't start drawing 10,000 more people a game when they move to Target Field? And you credit MAUER for that? His first five seasons in Minnesota? 23k, 25k, 28k, 28k, 28k. Oh and, BTW, Target field seats 55,000 and the Twinkies average 39,000. Is that your definition of a "sellout"?

Now go check Seattle's attendance figures in the first 5 years Ichiro was there: 43k, 43k, 40k, 36k, 31k.

You won't win an attendance argument against Ichiro. Hell, he has an entire NATION watch his every move. Mauer is irrelevant outside of Minneapolis.

You want to compare stats from the Metrodome? Have you ever been to the fucking Metrodome? Its a hellhole for baseball, its a GD miracle that they drew as well as they did in there. Every single one of Mauer's seasons in the dome the Twins averaged more than the Mariners did in the last 5 years in their beautiful stadium in Seattle.

Target field's capacity is 39K you stupid mother fucker, LOL.--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Field

Target Field has averged 35K per game this year to watch a shitty team, and averaged 39K each of the previous two years. Safeco hasn't been above 30K since 2007, and hasn't been above 35K since 2004. Get the fuck out of here retard.