MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Twins announced today that former Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been elected to the club’s Hall of Fame. He will become the 38th member of the Twins Hall of Fame when he is inducted on Saturday, August 5, as the Twins host the Arizona Diamondbacks at Target Field. Additional details on Twins Hall of Fame Weekend (August 4-6) will be announced at a later date.
The Twins Hall of Fame, which honors players, managers, coaches and off-field personnel who have contributed to the organization’s growth and success since Minnesota broke into the major leagues in 1961, was created as part of the club’s 40th Season Celebration in 2000. The inaugural class of Twins Hall of Famers — Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett and Calvin Griffith — was inducted on August 12, 2000. Other inductees include: pitcher Jim Kaat and broadcaster Herb Carneal (2001); pitcher Bert Blyleven and manager Tom Kelly (2002); longtime public address announcer Bob Casey and outfielder Bob Allison (2003); catcher Earl Battey (2004); pitcher Frank Viola (2005) and owner Carl Pohlad (2005); shortstop Zoilo Versalles (2006); third baseman Gary Gaetti and farm director Jim Rantz (2007); pitcher Rick Aguilera (2008); pitcher Brad Radke and farm and scouting director George Brophy (2009); shortstop Greg Gagne (2010); pitcher Jim Perry (2011); pitcher Camilo Pascual (2012); pitcher Eddie Guardado and director of media relations Tom Mee (2013); second baseman Chuck Knoblauch was elected in 2014 but not inducted; outfielder Torii Hunter and radio broadcaster John Gordon (2016); outfielder Michael Cuddyer and former general manager Andy MacPhail (2017); pitcher Johan Santana (2018); pitcher Joe Nathan and former club president Jerry Bell (2019); first baseman Justin Morneau (elected in 2020 and inducted in 2021); and former manager Ron Gardenhire, former outfielder and current radio broadcaster Dan Gladden and former infielder/outfielder César Tovar (2022).
“Few players are as synonymous with Minnesota Twins baseball than Joe Mauer,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “Joe’s incredible on-field career has been well documented while his impact on our community, state and region has been heartfelt and powerful. We are truly proud to see Joe inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame and believe it’s the next step to his eventual induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.”
The St. Paul native ranks first on the Twins all-time list in doubles (428) and times on base (3087), while he is second in games (1858), hits (2123), walks (939) and at-bats (6930); third in runs scored (1018) and total bases (3040); fifth in RBI (923); and 12th in home runs (143). His jersey number seven was formally retired by the Twins on June 15, 2019; he is one of only nine players or managers in club history to have his number retired and the only catcher to be so honored.
Mauer was selected first overall by the Twins in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Paul’s Cretin-Derham Hall High School and made his major league debut on April 5, 2004. He played all 15 of his major league seasons with the Twins, joining National Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Oliva as the only player in club history to do so. Mauer hit .306 (2123-for-6930) for his career with 428 doubles, 30 triples, 143 home runs, 923 RBI, 1018 runs scored, 939 walks and a .388 on-base percentage. Primarily a catcher from 2004-13, he played 921 of his 1858 career games at the position, the most in Twins history among backstops.
The 2009 American League Most Valuable Player was named to the AL All-Star team six times, earned three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards at catcher, earned the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award five times and won three AL Batting Titles, the only catcher in AL history to have done so. He was also a three-time winner of the Most Valuable Twin Award and the 2008 winner of the Carl R. Pohlad Award for Outstanding Community Service, as voted on by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund Board of Directors.
Mauer and his wife, Maddie, have been very active in the community since the beginning of his major league career. They have been longtime supporters of Gillette Children’s, hosting the Mauer and Friends Kids Classic event in some form every year since 2016. The Mauers also donated a playroom at Gillette Children’s St. Paul hospital, which provides a welcome break from medical treatment for the pediatric patients. The room is called Gillette Field and has sports-themed items and decorations encompassing all sports, not just baseball.
Mauer also serves as a spokesman and annually hosts a bowling fundraiser for the Highland Friendship Club, an organization dedicated to providing work and recreation opportunities to people with developmental disabilities. The bowling event, which includes multiple local celebrities, brings awareness to the organization and provides needed funds for their work.
Additionally, Mauer has spent countless hours, both during his playing days and after his retirement, signing autographs at TwinsFest and helping raise money for the Twins Community Fund. He has also participated in the Twins’ Winter Caravan since the beginning of his career, visiting with community groups and connecting with fans across Twins Territory and the Upper Midwest. For these ongoing efforts, Mauer won the 2021 Kirby Puckett Award for Twins Alumni Community Service.
The Twins Hall of Fame membership is permanently displayed in the Hall of Fame Gallery on the UnitedHealthcare Suite Level at Target Field, as well as on Target Plaza and in the Minor League Clubhouse at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida.
