A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words: Why Pujols Deserves More Money Than Teixeira and Mauer, But Not A-Rod Money

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Even if you look at cumulative WAR by age, the difference between A-Rod and Pujols by age remains constant (compare the area differential for the age 21 to 29 seasons). That's not to say Pujols age 31-40 seasons will not be comparable to A-Rod's, however...just a commentary on equivalent-aged production.

Joe Mauer is more popular than God

Story from the Minnesota Star Tribune reports that the city of Minnesota is planning on placing 50 statues of Joe Mauer all across downtown. Each statue has a worth of $13,000. Do all 50 have to be of Mauer? How about spreading the wealth and putting up a Morneau, Liriano, or Span statue every couple blocks? Maybe honor the history with a Puckett, Killebrew, or Santana Cy Young memorial? But no, all 50 have to be Joe Mauer. I hope Joe Mauer likes seeing himself everywhere he goes cause thats what he's gonna get. Maybe he had it written into his contract?

Joe Mauer Wins MVP Unanimously, Minus 1 Moron

Mauer led the American League in average, on-base, and slugging - the true triple crown while playing catcher. Some moron voted for Miguel Cabrera, cause boozing and beating your wife before the most important game of the season really spikes your grindiness per nine (g/9)

Joe 'F-ing' Mauer

The Big Lead had a great post on Joe Mauer and why he is better than you in every single way possible. My favorite line is that Mauer has won 3 of the last 4 batting championships (he was hurt in 2007).

Adding False Logic To Joe Mauer

Can someone please explain how the fact that just because Joe Mauer is on base and moving that that equates to him telling Jason Kubel what pitches Verlander is throwing?

Is Joe Mauer having the best catcher season of all time?

This questions is fairly difficult to answer for a number of reasons

1) Mauer missed a month of baseball and may only play 120 games
2) Most great catcher seasons have most likely been influenced by steroids: Piazza, Pudge, Javy Lopez, Todd Hundley(drunk)
3) Catcher defense is very hard to quantify for any given season

For this I will not evaluate the great catcher seasons of the past and focus entirely on the greatness that is Joe Mauer.

The former 2 time batting champion is currently leading the american league in average, on-base, and slugging percentage as a catcher. Batting .378 in mid-august, he has a realistic chance of touching 400. If he does end up hitting in the .390 range, we may have to consider this the best season of any player in the history of baseball.

At his current rate, Mauer would amass 33 homers, 65 XBH, 104 runs, 110 RBI and a 1:1 K/BB ratio. He has amazing plate discipline and an even greater ability to make contact given his 79% contact rate on pitches outside the zone. His career win value per pitch type shows that he destroys all pitched besides the split finger, which just so happens to be his most valuable pitch to hit this season. He is a line drive, ground ball machine who has developed opposite field power with a otherworldly 23% HR/FB rate. He is also a gold glove catcher with a great arm and averages just 3 errors per season. If it was any other player, the conventional wisdom would be assume he would regress to the MLB mean, but Mauer has proven to be a baseball freak that not even a spinal cord injury can stop.