The diehard Twins fans have been on the edge of their seats this whole off season. Will they sign the home town hero Joe Mauer, or let the big paying teams snatch him up? Reportedly, he has not signed a contract, but one is in the mists. A contract of $200 million for 10 years has been described. But, some are questioning is it worth spending 20% of the team's payroll on one player?
In the past it hasn't worked out well for teams that have one player making that much money. That player never usually leads the team to the playoffs or to the World Series. But, this player who has already won three batting titles, two golden gloves, an American League MVP, and hasn't even turned 27 yet could be different. A player that is a star on offence and defense, and plays the most demanding position in the game has got to be worth it.
I think it would be a gigantic mistake if the Twins didn't resign Mauer. He is the home town hero of the Minneapolis/St. Paul region and is an all around great guy. If the Twins let him slip through their fingers, like they have done in the past with the big names, I don't think they would ever hear the end of it.
Many fans and thousands of dollars would be lost if Minnesota let Mauer get picked up by another team. Yes, they might have to shovel out a large sum of money for him. But, they will make a lot of that back in ticket sales, concessions, and merchandise just from having him on the team. It used to be just the guys going to the ballgames. Since Mauer, the guys are still going to the game, but now their girlfriends and wives are coming along to watch him play. He has brought in so many new fans that the Twins would have never gotten before.
Just to prove that he is the best and everyone's favorite guy, he will appear on "MLB 10 The Show " cover. If having your star player be pictured on a popular video game cover isn't enough for the Twins to keep Mauer, I don't see any hope in the future.
He may or may not be a Twin after this year and he may or may not lead them to a World Series championship. But, I as a Twins fan and as a Joe Mauer fan would sure love Joe to stay in Minnesota for his major league career.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Honestly, I have difficulties justifying spending that much money on one man. However, Mauer would likely bring in the fans and thus the ticket sales to the Minnesota Twins. I tend to also be a bit worried when a larger paycheck is handed to one player, simply because jealousy can come about from it and ultimately baseball is meant to be a team effort, with team members support. Is Mauer a 'good enough guy' for the differences in paychecks to neither go to his head nor bred jealousy throughout the rest of the team? Only time will really answer that, provided the Twins do sign him again.
ReplyDeleteMauer is one heck of a baseball player, but he isn't worth the $200 million rumored they are throwing at him. He has been in the leg for like 5 years now and has been healthy for just one of those. The Twins are a small market team that plays as a family, as teams like the Yankees or RedSox go out and play as individuals. Mauer has said from the beginning it isn't about the money.
ReplyDeleteJoe Mauer is definately worth the twenty million dollar a year contract that he signed, but I get worried about the whole 10 year deal. Joe doesn't have the best knees in the world, and takes just as many days off from catching as most guys do when they get injured for part of the season. I really hope that he will remain healthy so that he is worth the money! I am a huge twins fan and I am definately looking forward to this upcoming season in the new stadium!
ReplyDelete