Joe Mauer: the 2012 star for Minnesota Twins - MLB Feature
The Minnesota Twins campaign in 2012 was a disappointing one. The team ended up at the bottom of the table in the American League Central. They had a 66-96 win-loss record in 2012 Major League Baseball which was almost a complete opposite of the amazing
record they had only two season’s back.
There weren’t many positives for the team this year that continued to slide. Amid all the gloom around the team, one person performed above all others and was a shining light for his team. This player is none other than Joe Mauer, who thoroughly deserves
all the accolades that are coming his way.
Called as the ‘Face of Minnesota Twins’ by some, the hitter from St. Paul is truly amazing. He has been showing is ability both as a hitter and a catcher for many years now. He is the only catcher to win three batting titles in MLB’s history. The fact that
he won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2008 to 2010 speaks volumes of his catching abilities. In 2009, he was the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The 29-year-old was certainly the star hitter for his team this season and the most valuable player without any doubt. He was the best batter for the team by a proverbial mile. During the course of the season, he managed an impressive batting average of
.319 in 545 at-bats. The left-handed hitter went long 10 times and managed 85 RBI’s in 2012. He managed to steal eight bases as well. He ended up with an amazing .416 on-base percentage, hitting more when it mattered. He managed 174 hits with 35 extra base
hits.
He is the only Twins name in the list of top 40 batters in 2012 MLB season and one of four in the American League’s list this year. Finishing seventh overall in MLB as a hitter was no mean feat. He was fourth in the American League. The next best Twins’
batter this season was Ben Revere who had a batting average of .294 in 511 at-bats.
The 6ft 5in player is also the opening catcher along with being the frontline hitter. His job as a batter certainly gets tough due to the extra responsibility of catching. There have been some suggestions to move Joe from the catcher’s position to reduce
the burden he has to carry, a move that may help the hitter in improving his batting further.
Some have criticised him for inability to hit home-runs though in 2009 season, he managed to go long 28 times. His consistent hitting means that he still gets the job done for his team even if he is not hitting too many home-runs.
He is a true asset for the Twins and rumors earlier about him being released by the club were to every fan’s disbelief. There are still rumors that he may be on his way to Boston Red Sox soon but it is highly unlikely that such an occurrence will take place.
It would be great for the Minnesota Twins if other hitters in their line-up can find hitting form similar to that of Joe Mauer. The team has struggled in the last two years after a tremendous 2010. Should the team be able to get its hitting abilities back
to their best, they will certainly be having a great chance of putting up a tough fight and obtaining better results in the next year's Major League season.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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