by On Target Field Plaza, hundreds of fans gathered to watch the unveiling of a new statue, some from close range, some from far.
Onlookers, including statues of Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett, watched as a statue of Minnesota-grown former Twins player Joe Mauer was unveiled by his family.
Mauer made his Major League Baseball debut in 2004 after being drafted first overall by the Twins. He played his entire 15-season career with Minnesota.
He played catcher, currently the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles and the only one in the American League to win a batting title.
With the 2009 MVP Award, three Gold Gloves, five Silver Sluggers, and the title of three-time All-Star tucked under his catcher gear, Mauer was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
“It was one thing I remember my mom, my dad and my grandpa told me when I was in high school. I was always the shortstop growing up. And they told me, they said the quickest way to the big leagues is to play catcher. So what did I do? I went out and got some pitcher gear,” Mauer said. So, it was one thing that I look pride in, work really hard and, one of my favorite things to do on the field was to throw runners out. And I’m looking at this right now. It looks like I’m gonna throw someone out.”
Mauer joined the Twins Hall of Fame in 2023. His former teammate Justin Morneau said Mauer inspired kids all over the state to keep playing baseball, even in the offseason.
“It’s one thing to go up there and play for your team and be a guy that, ‘Hey, he’s from Minnesota and a cool story,’ but the fact that he was the best player in the league really inspired so many kids and let them see, ‘Hey, even though it’s seasonal baseball in this state, you can be a Major League Baseball player, you can play for the Minnesota Twins, and you can be a Hall of Famer,” Morneau said.
The bronze statue is based on the 2009 Mauer and is 125% life-size, meaning the statue is 8 feet tall. Twins fan Christopher Thompson said he followed Mauer through his career.
“I always loved and respected Joe and how he handled the game and, you know, he just had a great career. I was there at a lot of Twins games at the Metrodome and also here at Target Field. I got to see when he was got his first batting title as a catcher. Was pretty awesome to see. But, a lot of history here. So Joe’s been a big part of my life. Obviously, the sideburns have also stayed.”
