When asked, Ryan and Molitor say they could see Joe Mauer hitting .300 again

[bleedspeed177 [enjin:6603232]]

http://www.1500espn.com/twins-2/2016/02/when-asked-ryan-and-molitor-say-they-could-see-joe-mauer-hitting-300-again/

After reading that I feel like the guy is babied way to much. Seriously I get baseball is a grind, but it is not physically demanding for the most part. They guy is still fairly young for a baseball player.

[JasonIsDaMan [enjin:7981157]]

I can absolutely see him hitting .300 again...with a .300 slugging percentage. And if he walks enough to get to a .400 OBP, that's a .700 OPS, which is awesome if you are a 2nd baseman or backup catcher, but horrible for your primary first baseman.

There is a belief in the Twins F/O that fans have a special attachment to Mauer. I am not in MIN, but the people I talk to back home have no such attachment, especially after he blocked that trade to BOS.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I can absolutely see him hitting .300 again...with a .300 slugging percentage. And if he walks enough to get to a .400 OBP, that's a .700 OPS, which is awesome if you are a 2nd baseman or backup catcher, but horrible for your primary first baseman.

There is a belief in the Twins F/O that fans have a special attachment to Mauer. I am not in MIN, but the people I talk to back home have no such attachment, especially after he blocked that trade to BOS.

I don't remember this. Refresh my memory for me.

PS: Joe Mauer, along with Torii Hunter, is a huge reason why I'm even a Twins fan, and I'd like to see him finish his career in Minnesota, but I'm not as attached as I once was. He's easily the most overpaid player in the league, IMO, and he's never going to be anything close to what he was before.

[AbeVigodaLive]

One of the most classic and obvious contract year guys of all time?

Yet that still gets overlooked.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

One of the most classic and obvious contract year guys of all time?

Yet that still gets overlooked.

Mauer was pretty damn good before his contract year as well, not sure what your referring to

[AbeVigodaLive]

One of the most classic and obvious contract year guys of all time?

Yet that still gets overlooked.

Mauer was pretty damn good before his contract year as well, not sure what your referring to

True. But he was never as good as that season. His contract year remains the outlier... and he got paid HUGE based on his MVP season with a lengthy contract because the team thought he could continue to be among the best players in the game.

He's never even hit 1/2 as many HRs as that season. It was his best season for BA, OPS, SLG, RBIs, OBP, WAR et al. And he hasn't come close to replicating any of those stats in almost every category.

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

One of the most classic and obvious contract year guys of all time?

Yet that still gets overlooked.

Mauer was pretty damn good before his contract year as well, not sure what your referring to

True. But he was never as good as that season. His contract year remains the outlier... and he got paid HUGE based on his MVP season with a lengthy contract because the team thought he could continue to be among the best players in the game.

He's never even hit 1/2 as many HRs as that season. It was his best season for BA, OPS, SLG, RBIs, OBP, WAR et al. And he hasn't come close to replicating any of those stats in almost every category.

Oh well yea, if that season was his norm, we'd be talking about the greatest player of all time, I'm not quite sure that's fair. Before that season though, he was still considered the best catcher in the league and one of the top players in baseball.

So yea he had an historic season, but even if he was still around his normal production, he would of probably still got the same deal

[AbeVigodaLive]

One of the most classic and obvious contract year guys of all time?

Yet that still gets overlooked.

Mauer was pretty damn good before his contract year as well, not sure what your referring to

True. But he was never as good as that season. His contract year remains the outlier... and he got paid HUGE based on his MVP season with a lengthy contract because the team thought he could continue to be among the best players in the game.

He's never even hit 1/2 as many HRs as that season. It was his best season for BA, OPS, SLG, RBIs, OBP, WAR et al. And he hasn't come close to replicating any of those stats in almost every category.

Oh well yea, if that season was his norm, we'd be talking about the greatest player of all time, I'm not quite sure that's fair. Before that season though, he was still considered the best catcher in the league and one of the top players in baseball.

So yea he had an historic season, but even if he was still around his normal production, he would of probably still got the same deal

Maybe. Maybe not. But I do know his production has plummeted since and that he's averaged only 8 HRs since that anomaly of a 28 HR season.

Whether his previous track record was worth the contract... at the very least, I think we can agree that Mauer rested on his laurels after getting that big contract much like NBA guys like Vin Baker. and Glenn Robinson. Right?



[Note: Slightly facetious... while pointing out the obvious white-washing the media gives certain players. Literally.]

[alexftbl8181 [enjin:6648741]]

One of the most classic and obvious contract year guys of all time?

Yet that still gets overlooked.

Mauer was pretty damn good before his contract year as well, not sure what your referring to

True. But he was never as good as that season. His contract year remains the outlier... and he got paid HUGE based on his MVP season with a lengthy contract because the team thought he could continue to be among the best players in the game.

He's never even hit 1/2 as many HRs as that season. It was his best season for BA, OPS, SLG, RBIs, OBP, WAR et al. And he hasn't come close to replicating any of those stats in almost every category.

Oh well yea, if that season was his norm, we'd be talking about the greatest player of all time, I'm not quite sure that's fair. Before that season though, he was still considered the best catcher in the league and one of the top players in baseball.

So yea he had an historic season, but even if he was still around his normal production, he would of probably still got the same deal

Maybe. Maybe not. But I do know his production has plummeted since and that he's averaged only 8 HRs since that anomaly of a 28 HR season.

Whether his previous track record was worth the contract... at the very least, I think we can agree that Mauer rested on his laurels after getting that big contract much like NBA guys like Vin Baker. and Glenn Robinson. Right?



[Note: Slightly facetious... while pointing out the obvious white-washing the media gives certain players. Literally.]

Mauer got his deal for 2 reasons
1. He was a top player in baseball
2. He was Minnesota born and the Twins were moving into a new stadium. To be cheap with Mauer's contract would of got them destroyed by the fans.

If he wasn't getting that deal from the Twins, a team like the Red Sox would of gladly of given him that deal.

Guys like Vin Baker just got fat and lazy. I think injuries just did him in for the most part. I think his MVP year was just a a time where he got super hot and played the best he could possibly play. Kinda like Joe Flacco in his Superbowl run.

Mauer's personality certainly doesn't help him seem like a guy who works hard which also hurts him. Kinda the anti-Rubio in that aspect.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Mauer left money on the table to play here. The Yankees were going to offer him the farm because he was the best catcher in baseball at the time which was their biggest weakness on a pretty good team. He was gonna have a big deal on the table regardless of the HR's because he was a .300+ catcher who was also good defensively. They don't really make those any more.