Mauer to compete in HR Derby
Posted on July 10th, 2009 – 2:27 PMBy Joe Christensen
Twins catcher Joe Mauer has accepted an invite to compete in Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby in St. Louis.
Cretin-Derham Hall baseball coach Jim O’Neill will be Mauer’s pitcher.
Justin Morneau, the event’s defending champion, declined an invite to compete this year, but he’ll be on hand, too, at Busch Stadium.
Mauer has hit a career-high 15 home runs this year.
90 Responses to "Mauer to compete in HR Derby"
There must be a lot of AL hitters turning them down if they’re asking Mauer
Wow great news. Come on now hof4t. Mauer is one of the best hitters in the game. Why wouldn’t they want him?
This has to be a sick joke. Not only will he now run the risk of messing himself up like Morneau did last year but the last time I checked they aren’t awarding points for nice line drives down the left field line for a solid single.
Good luck Joe! I hope you hit 10 straight singles to left.
well tex and morneau already have. and vlad and arod aren’t in the game so they wouldn’t be in it either.
Longoria, Inge are 2 others I could see.
the NL lineup is stacked
Who will throw to him? Vavra? He did a great job throwing to Morneau last year so I imagine Vavra will pitch Mauer so it’s perfect for his swing.
so who else is the AL putting out there?
Koopa,
JC said that Joe’s High School coach will pitch to him.
I’d rather Mauer take the day off and rest.
can you imagine entire crowd shift from right to left field when Mauer is announced as the next hitter!
I’d guess Bay and Hunter might get invites.
one word “stupid” imo.
have to admit this is like inviting Wade Boggs back in his prime to a HR Derby(there wasn’t one back then)
maybe noone from AL wants to do it?
SweetOne…sorry..how embarassing to miss that in such a short story.
Will the HR derby ruin Mauer for the rest of the year, like it always did Mouneau?
As far as Freddy Sanchez goes, he’s really a third baseman, just like Harris.
People sitting in the first 5 rows of the left field stands better bring their gloves 
1st row of left field is going to be STACKED!! Watch the scalpers drool…
For the first time in history, someone will ground into an inning-ending doubleplay in a HR Derby.
Id bet anything he wins EASILY. Maybe you guys dont understand how much raw power it takes to hit the ball out to left field routinely. He puts the barrel on the ball on almost every swing.
Here are the players in the ASG that have hit more home runs than Mauer:
Morneau, Teixeira, Bay, Hill, Inge, Granderson, Hunter, and Longoria.
Morneau and Teixeira turned down the invite and Hunter just went on the DL and will miss the game.
So the out of the Top HR hitters in the ASG that leaves Bay, Hill, Granderson and Longoria with more HRs than Mauer. It isn’t too much of a stretch that Mauer would get an invite.
The two hrs he pulled this year were BOMBS and that is what he will do in the derby. Do you really think he is gona try go oppo in the HR Derby?
Mauer will get run up for STRIKE THREE!for watching ball after ball waiting for his perfect pitch!
Also if you look at HRs/GM played, Mauer is actually leading the league.
I’m sure ESPN wanted him also. He is becoming (if he already isnt)a National star.
If Morneau isn’t competing he’s not a defending champion.
Think he can win with opposite-field squeekers?
This is a smart move by Mauer. It only increases his publicity nationally and if he does well it will show teams what he still has to come when he negotiates his next contract.
that’s entertaining news, which is good, because you know, the ASG is about entertainment. I love the idea that Morneau put him up to it. I also wouldn’t bet against Joe.
By the way, anyone else notice the ads for the HR derby featuring Howard and Hamilton? Too bad Jason Morneau didn’t make the cut for the ad.
bob i don’t know about EASILY but I’m more inclined to agree with you than the others. the type of hitter mauer can be at a derby is completely different from who he is during regular at bats. i’m a little worried about his swing post-allstar game, but i think he’s got a chance to win it AND hit some deep flies and i’m pretty intrigued by it.
Luis Castillo used to be the batting practice home run king for the Twins. He didn’t practice choppers off the plate in BP. He hit bombs just for fun.
Like Delmon Young says, “Anyone can hit home runs in batting practice.”
The home run derby is just a modified version of batting practice. If the pitcher does his job, all Joe has to do is make contact. He does that better than most. I think he will win it.
And the winner is……Jason Mauer!
Geez, with all these comments about double plays, strike threes and feeble grounders, you’d almost think we weren’t talking about the league’s should-be MVP, who’s leading the AL in average, OBP, SLG and OPS. Where do you idiots come from?
I recall Mauer being asked about one of his home runs, and how it barely cleared the fence. Joe, in his Minnesota nice guy way patiently explained, “It doesn’t matter how far a home run goes”.
Classic sy, classic.
I love this. I was sad when Morneau didn’t want to return to defend his championship, but this makes me excited again.
By the way, I don’t think the HR derby screwed up Morneau last season. The fact that he hadn’t had a single day off all season just caught up with him in the last month. Even pro athletes need a break once in awhile.
He stole that line from Kent Hrbek. Hrbek said something like you don’t score extra runs for hitting a home run farther.
chances are all they’ll talk about during the entire derby is jason?, justin?, joe? hamilton from last year.
All the negativity in this town sucks! Good luck Joe. Pull some bombs to left
Some of you people really are morons.
1) Joe Mauer is one of the best hitters in the world.
2) He will be hitting batting practice type pitches
3) He is 6′-5, about 225 lbs
Do you really think he can’t hit a homerun just about whenever he wants, if that’s what he’s trying to do during batting practice.
Some of you people just don’t get the game of baseball. Please don’t have offspring.
I’m not convinced the HR derby was the cause of Morneau’s late-season slump last year. He just got tired down the stretch. For that reason alone I’m glad he is skipping the derby and taking the day off this time around.
“He stole that line from Kent Hrbek. Hrbek said something like you don’t score extra runs for hitting a home run farther.”
That quote probably predates Hrbek by 100 years.
Good one sy. I don’t understand the people out there that say the HR derby screws up your swing or has anything to do with a bad second half. People that know the game and have played baseball know that is not true. Guys go for homeruns all the time during a specific round of batting practice. Morneau had a decent second half last year. He slumped for the last three weeks of the season. That had nothing to do with the HR derby. Twins fans should be thrilled we will get to see one of our own in the derby. Good for you Joe!
No evidence exists that the HR derby hurts a player’s swing/game.
Mauer in the HR derby, I gotta admit that is shocking to me. Worst case scenario for the TWins is that he wins. They can hardly afford his next salary right now (or, they are hardly willing to afford it, more accurately).
Anyone who thinks Mauer doesn’t posses power is a fool. If he was willing to be a sub-.300 batter, he most certainly has the power and ability to be a league leader in the HR category. Might be fun for him to swing for the fence for a change. Quit raining on the guys parade. Have fun and good luck Joe.
I agree with saam: Morneau didn’t fade until later on after the ASG. He played in 163 games last season, it’s inevitably going to take its toll on a guy.
As far as Mauer goes in the ASG: The guy had an INSANE power surge this season, matching his career high in HRs in the first two months he played. he’s also the top hitter in the Majors right now.
Why NOT put him on national TV. Even if he’s not a proven power hitter over his CAREER he’s starting to become one of the more recognizable and (if he maintains his image) marketable players in the game.
mike says;
(or, they are hardly willing to afford it, more accurately).
post of the week!!!!
Mauer will be a Twin for life. This has no affect on him staying or going.
ANDY THANK YOU its nice to know somebody on this page has swung a bat as hard as they could 50 times, and understand it wont do a DAMM thing to that persons swing.
I thought the idea of the derby screwing up a player, was ridiculous also. I’m not so sure it always is.
Morneau is known as a very superstitious guy. There have been stories written about it. If it starts working on a players mind, I think it can hurt him. Not every player, but some.
If you can convince youself it has messed you up, it probably has.
I think Mauer will surprise a lot of people…. people don’t understand that when he’s playing for keeps he’s not trying to hit homers. The guy knows how to make contact and put the ball where he wants, even if that’s over the fence.
I hope this does not mess with his swing. There is a reason so many players turn down a chance to do the home run derby, it may take a month or more to correct your swing after participating.
To quote Gardy from earlier this week:
He’ll win it all. You know it, and I know it!!!
Go Joe!
I like it because now there’s a reason to watch again. I’m with Matt E i think Joe wins this easy.
Mauer will not embarass himself as Texeria did a few years ago. At least we know Joe has the guts to compete whereas Texeria wimped out and will not play again because he is scared to embarass himself.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
it doesnt mess up your SWING IDIOTS IDIOTS IDIOTS. They try hit bombs every day during batting practice. The guys that slump in the 2nd and have been in the derby simply use it as a crutch to explain poor play.
Guaranteed he’ll be playing it smart too. Peppering just enough over the wall to get to the next round. Then pour it on. Dude, the guy sees the ball better than anyone in the game. And now take off 15 mph to maybe an 80mph meatball down the middle. Seeya!!
I don’t know whether this would change whether Mauer is retained or not. It certainly could increase his market value. It puts him on a national stage. A good derby showing and a good game could bump his market value immensely.
American League National League
Joe Mauer(MIN) Ryan Howard (PHI)
Jason Bay (BOS) Prince Fielder (MIL)
Evan Longoria (TB) Adrian Gonzalez (SD)
Brandon Inge (DET) Albert Pujols (STL)
Doing good in the HR dirby and ASG is irrelevent in regards to his market value. He’s already considered the best cather AND all around hitter in the game. I think his Gold Glove and 2 batting titles have already bumped his value. Besides, he’s already in the national spotlight. Has been since his 1st batting title. Add on another one 2 years later to boot! Dudes market value is already sky high!
I think growing a mustache would help his market value.
If somebody had told me this a year ago…
If he gets a stache, the only one he should be thinking about is a handle bar stache.
Mauer has had a near flawless swing since high school so I do have a hard time believing that this would “mess up his swing”. Morneau was probably fatigued after last year’s derby due to normal wear and tear. Throught Morneau’s career his OPS has dropped after the break every year.
Mauer will not mess up his swing. Don’t you know how good he is yet? Would not be suprised if he makes a run at it! GO JOE!!
Every one of the guys in the HR dirby are professionals. The only thing that might change from the dirby to live play is their timing, but again, no different than batting practice. Swing is still the same. He’ll be swinging for power during the dirby, just like when he’s trying to drive in a run when he sees a sweet one during a game, he’ll change his approach. No different than 0 or 1 out w/ a guy on 3rd trying to pull the ball to get the guy home or at least on a tag. The approach is the same, trying to swing for the fence.
I think the fact that Joe said he wanted to do it says a lot about the type of competitor he is. He’s going to show the whole baseball watching world how good he is.
Regardless of how Joe does in the derby this year, his value is going to sky rocket. He has a chance of winning the derby, but it’s going to be a tough one to win. As for him “leaving” after next year, the Twins won’t have it. They will see a HUGE increase in revenue starting next year, and if they’re smart, they will design new jerseys to boost revenue even more. With those two factors, and Mauer jerseys being one of the hottest jerseys in sports, the Twins will have enough revenue to pay him what he wants, and I firmly believe that he will take less money to stay in his hometown, as long as the Twins keep his buddy Morneau and bring in some young, fresh talent to stay in the hunt.
This is where Baby Jesus will part the seas, and hit 50 homers and then demand a 10 year 30 million a year contract as the true second coming…
All Hail the mighty Vavra.
I’m not saying any one of us knows what Mauer wants in regards to a contract, but do you really think if he wanted to be with the Twins he’d handicap them by asking for 18-20 million/year? I have no idea what he’ll do, but you haev to believe that it goes through their mind that maybe just a tad less allows the team to get someone else on the team to help compete, because ultimately that’s what he wants.
Any of you guys golf? You hit the ball farther with smooth swings and proper technique than you do swinging from your ass. Joe’s got the technique and smooth swing. As long as he doesn’t go for the tape measure shots it will have no effect on his swing and he will have a great shot at winning it.
I don’t usually get too interested in either the game or the derby but this definitely has me intrigued.
Weekend calls. I’m out. Good luck to the Twins tonight!! Here’s to pouring on runs against Danks. Payback…
I agree with Saam that I don’t think the derby messed up Morneau’s swing last year. He was fine just after the break - it wasn’t until September that he slumped.
As for Mauer though, I am a little concerned. I’ll be very curious in the derby whether he tries to hit them to left or right. If he tries to pull them, I think it could mess up his swing. If he doesn’t, he could be the first player in history to try to win a home run derby by hitting opposite field home runs.
I was kidding about the contract thing.
dont worry, mauer will be fine, the HRderby wont effect his swing. he’ll just go hit the quickswing hard on wednesday and get his grove back!
I have to agree with sy. And Gardy.
Jason Mower will win it all.
You know it and I know it.
The only thing that concerns me is Joe is taking his high school baseball coach to pitch to him. Half of winning the derby is the pitching. The pitcher needs to get into a groove, as well as the hitter.
And to think this would screw up Mauer’s swing is just assinine. Does practicing opposite field hits, bunts, inside out swings, hitting off a tee, or the many other things hitters do each and every day in batting practice “screw up” their swing?
Even though Mauer isn’t known for his power I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win this thing. He’s just that good at hitting. He won’t hit the longest balls but I can see him consistently getting the ball up and just out.
I hope Joe wins it. He’d increase his chances if he had Slowey or Baker pitching to him though…
Good one Fargo!!!
Hope his old HS coach ices up his pitching arm real good, you know Joe won’t swing at any pitch before his time!!! I loved the earlier comment that they might have to call strike 3 on him before his 10 “out” hits are reached. Stock up on the beer and popcorn…it’s going to be a long night.
I was skeptical several days ago when he was first asked about the Derby but now I’m looking forward to it. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people. And who knows, he might get so happy with pulling the ball to rf that he might look for more opportunities to do that post-ASG. And definitely Joe is way smarter than the average bear as far as everthing he’s doing this year to position himself for the big talks coming up with Billy S.
Oh and Joe better bring plenty of towels to dry himself off at the ASG happenings. You know the FO’s of the Nation, the Bombers, Dodgers, Cubbies, Kenny Williams, Arte Moreno and any number of teams are already just drooling over this guy as a potential FA.
I think Fargo’s was post of the day… That made me laugh.
I’ll say one thing, I’m not looking forward to Berman drooling over his swing for 40 minutes while Mauer bats.
I really hope he tones it down. Doubt it though.
Back back back back GOOOOONEEE
Guys did you see that swing? It’s a thin…back back back back GONEEEE
Just look at how smooth his follo…back back back back GONEEE!
It’s just so effortle….back back back GONNEEEEE
…..45 minutes later
Joe Mauer could do this all day with that amazing swing of his. Guys be right back I have to go…..relieve…. my self after watching that swing.
Book it Dan-o. It’s going to happen.
Just what the Twins need with Mauer’s past back problems. However, it does put him in the national spotlight…and he’ll get a lot of pub with mention of his upcoming free agency…he is positioning himself with the national media…smart move on his part.
Right on, NICK!
This is funny, check it out:
hot4t, he’s got 15 homers in 2 months, why wouldn’t he be asked?
is anyone that talks bad about Mauer or Morneau on these blogs serious? Shut your ****** mouths. These are two of the best Twins hitters in history, and even if you disagree with that, both of them are unarguably very good. find something productive to do with your time
If the HR derby is such a good idea….why are Morneau and others begging out ? Ask Jack Hamilton what that show last year did for his season…before the break,21 Homers..after 11. You can believe he WON’T do it this year.
Hey none other than Ichiro once won a Home Run Derby in Japan. Somehow I doubht the HR derby is fully responsible for guy’s slumps. I’ve watched batting practice and seen guys hit more HRs than some do in the HR derby.
By all rights Joe should not win the home run derby, but with his skills he’ll proably do just that.
To “invite” is a verb. The noun is INVITATION.
I don’t think anyone ever said the Derby was “fully” responsible for a guy’s slump. But some are downright adamant that it “cannot” mess up your swing in any way. I think the Derby and the All-Star game itself can put you in a slump and mess you up. Many many things can happen during the “break”, which isn’t much of a break, both physically and mentally. I don’t think the game helped Dan Uggla much last year.
