Joe Mauer announces retirement: HOF? Make Your Case:

[nolemmings]

Forgot to mention: Congrats to Joe and Maddie Mauer, who celebrate the birth of their third child and first son, Charles Joseph Mauer. Fantastic post-season award for Joe!

[packs]

You keep talking about his batting titles but he won those within the first 5 seasons of his career. He was pretty pedestrian after even with a few more 300 seasons. I don't think his peak surpassed Nomar's and Nomar is nowhere near the HOF. Nomar won 2 batting titles while playing a premium position. It was equally rare for Nomar to win an AL title as a shortstop. Only A-rod had won at the position before, unless I'm mistaken.

But Nomar isn't a serious contender for the HOF. Joe Mauer was a catcher. What he did with his bat was unusual but except for one single season, never otherworldly.

Piazza changed the position with his bat, as did Campanella and Pudge. Joe Mauer had a nice average but still only hit 306 over his career. I don't see that getting you into the HOF.

[Pat R]

All the debate and no cards.

Here are a few of his T206 rookie cards.
Mauer.jpg

[nolemmings]

"Mauer was a fake catcher. More than half of his games were at positions other than catcher."

More idiocy. He put up his numbers as a catcher. He could have been hit by a bus after the 2010 season and we would be talking about his numbers as a catcher. Had he put up his "pedestrian" remaining seasons as a catcher he still would have shone as a catcher. A real one-- gold glover and defensive stud who could throw out baserunners and frame pitches; cf. Jorge Posada.

Ernie Banks played fewer games at shortstop than at 1b, although he won 2 MVPs and was an All-Star in eight seasons at short. Is he a HOF first baseman?