I'm not crying, you're crying...

Actually, that's not true at all. I teared up watching this almost immediately:

It's the end of an era in Minnesota Twins baseball. There's no other way to put it. Since he was drafted in 2001, and later called up for his first professional season in 2004, you knew Joe Mauer was destined for greatness in a Minnesota Twins uniform.

Here's just a few of his career highlights according to Wikipedia:

  • 6× All-Star (2006, 2008–2010, 2012, 2013)
  • AL MVP (2009)
  • 3× Gold Glove Award (2008–2010)
  • 5× Silver Slugger Award (2006, 2008–2010, 2013)
  • 3× AL batting champion (2006, 2008, 2009)

But as I stated on my Facebook page last night, I’ve had my fair share of bitch sessions about his recent lack of playing time due to injuries, his massive yearly salary & lack of production on the field the past few years... But having said all that, he is one of us as a kid from Minnesota, and should go down as one of the best Twins ever.

Love him, or dislike him (because how can you really "hate" him?) Joe Mauer exemplifies class and he always played the game the right way. He never got in trouble, he always treated his fans great, and he's just a super good guy who grew up and got to play professionally for his hometown team.

If Sunday was indeed his last game as a Twin, I'm proud to say I got to watch his entire career playing for my favorite team.

Thank you, Joe Mauer, for one incredible career!

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