In exciting news for fans of the Minnesota Twins, to commemorate former star Joe Mauer for getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, he will also be honored by the team with a statue at Target Field. There is no doubt that it is well deserved since Mauer has been a staple to the Twins franchise from 2004 to 2018 where he thanked the fans before Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox.
“I want you all to know that I never once took for granted the honor that it was to play here at home, in front of you,” Mauer told the fans via MLB.com. “Every time I put on my uniform and stepped onto this field, I wanted to make you proud and I wanted to give you the best version of myself. You showed up for me, and I wanted to show up for you as well. I wanted you to know how much it meant to me to be a Minnesota Twin.”
“Tonight, I want to thank all of you — the incredible fans of this game who have been here with me since Day One,” Mauer continued per The Star Tribune. “I have always been proud to be from Minnesota and proud to play for this team, but the love that I have felt these past few months and seeing so many Minnesota Twins out in New York for my induction has only deepened my appreciation for this fanbase and my sense of pride in being a Minnesotan.”
Mauer's legacy as a Twins star will live on forever
The statue outside of the park will be unveiled some time in 2025 as announced by another former Twins player in Paul Monitor. Minnesota's executive chair Joe Pohlad would release a statement talking about the impact Mauer had on the organization and how he was as a person rather than just a baseball player.
“Joe Mauer is a Hall of Fame player and person, and one of the best to ever wear a Minnesota Twins uniform,” Pohlad said in the statement. “Joe is one of us, and we all went along for the ride as the kid from St. Paul earned his rightful place in Cooperstown as the best-hitting catcher in baseball history.
“The memories he created for a generation of his fellow Minnesotans will always be cherished,” Pohlad continued. “And it is only fitting that our ballpark has a permanent celebration of our hometown baseball hero.”
Mauer speaks about the love he's received from Minnesota
There's no doubt Saturday was an emotional day for Mauer since besides being celebrated with his plaque being brought to the park he thrived in, his legacy will further be cemented with the statue, which his will be the eighth.
“I have always been proud to be from Minnesota, and proud to play for this team,” Mauer said. “But the love that I have felt these past few months and seeing so many Minnesota Twins fans out in New York for my induction has only deepened my sense of appreciation for this fanbase and my sense of pride for being a Minnesotan.”
At any rate, the current iteration of the Twins are 61-48 which puts them second in the AL Central as they try to sweep the White Sox Sunday afternoon.
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