The long and successful career of Minnesota Twins great Joe Mauer has come to an official end as he announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday.

The 35 year old played 15 seasons in the majors, all of them with his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins.

For most of his career, Mauer played catcher, only switching to first base and DH over the last few seasons as he dealt with injuries issues including concussions.

Mauer will be remembered as a true pro, a guy who stayed with one team his entire career and a guy that was ultra consistent at the plate.

In addition to his excellence on the field, he was a fan favorite and he held himself with class, making him the epitome of what a role model should be in professional sports.

He ends his career with 2,123 hits, three gold gloves, three batting titles and a MVP.

According to ESPN, he is one of 22 players to win an MVP and play with only one team his entire career and those other 21 are all in the Hall of Fame.

Mauer will be a fringe Hall of Famer, but you take into account all that is mentioned above and there should be a spot in Cooperstown for Joe.

He announced his retirement with a letter on Friday that was released by the organization and will run in both papers in the Twin Cities this weekend.


 

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