Thursday, June 25, 2009

My so-called man-love for Joe Mauer


A couple of years ago my nieces gave me a present. It was a poster of Twins catcher Joe Mauer. Somehow they’d gotten the impression I had a crush on Mauer.

They giggled hysterically when my wife, Kristin, joked I was going to hang the poster next to our bed so that every night I could give Mauer smooches before going to sleep. At least I think she was joking.

In any event, the poster is not in the bedroom. I haven’t even found a place to hang it, actually. So it remains rolled up, waiting for its chance to join the rest of my Twins memorabilia on display in our TV room and guest room/office.

Just to set the record straight, though: I do not have a crush on Joe Mauer. But even if I did, I certainly wouldn’t be alone. Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci penned a pretty nice love letter to Mauer in this week’s SI.

That marks the second SI cover story on Mauer. Kelli Anderson wrote a pretty fawning article of her own three years ago.

Then there was this piece I found written by Teddy Mitrosilis, a staff writer for Around the Majors. In it Mitrosilis writes:
"There’s a guy in Minnesota who is making the leap from special to legendary, and it’s time we take notice. My money says in fifteen years, we won’t be thinking of Mike Piazza as the greatest offensive catcher in baseball history."
Like these writers, I appreciate Mauer and his ability. He's simply my favorite player on my favorite team. I have no desire to smooch his poster before I go to sleep. But I do keep those two SIs on my nightstand.

2 comments:

  1. Will Percy Harvin ever make an SI cover? One that's not his mug shot, that is.....

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  2. Harvin will have to wait his turn. I'm predicting a Viking will be on the cover very shortly. One who might be wearing a No. 4 jersey.

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