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Joe Mauer Career Timeline

June 2001: A star is born

Twins select hometown kid, Joe Mauer, with the 1st pick in the 2001 Draft

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April 5, 2004: MLB debut, 1st hit

At just 21-years-old, Mauer made his debut on Opening Day against Cleveland. He laced a single up the middle and finished the day 2-for-3.

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June 6, 2004: 1st career homer

Mauer rocketed a three-run shot for his 1st HR. The milestone came against division-rival Detroit, and gave the Twins a 6-5 victory.

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2006: All he does is hit

Mauer finished the 2006 season with a .347 BA, winning the batting crown. He became the first catcher in AL history to win the award. He won the title two more times in 2008 and 2009.

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May 17, 2009: A diving tag

While known for his bat, Mauer made impressive plays behind the plate. One of his best came in the Bronx, where he beat speedster Brett Gardner to the plate. Mauer won the Gold Glove Award three times, from 2008-2010.

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2009: AL MVP

The catcher led the majors in BA (.365), OBP (.444) and SLG (.587), the first catcher to ever do so. He was the first AL player to lead all three categories since George Brett in 1980.

2010: Twin for life

Mauer and the Twins agreed to an eight-year, $184 million extension, the richest contract for a catcher ever

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June 8, 2013: A neat trick

Mauer made a nifty pick off the carom in Washington, and not one person on the field acknowledged it. Legendary.

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May 5, 2017: Never too late for a 1st ...

Joe Mauer gave the Twins a 4-3 win in the bottom of the 9th as he crushed his 1st career walk-off HR into the bullpen in left-center.

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April 12, 2018: Career hit No. 2,000

Mauer joined Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett as the only Twins to reach the 2,000-hit mark. The lefty earned this milestone on a single off Aaron Bummer.

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Sept. 30, 2018: The final hit

In his final game, Mauer went the other way for a double. He finished his career with 2,123 hits, 143 HRs and a .306 BA.

June 2019: No. 7 retired

No. 7 is hung up in the rafters, as the organization honors Mauer.

Mauer's big day

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Jan. 23, 2024: Mauer gets the call

After spending only one year on the ballot, Mauer is voted in on his first go with 293 votes (76.1%). He becomes the 7th player to wear a Twins cap in Cooperstown.