It didn’t take long for Minnesota Twins to honor their former catcher Joe Mauer, who retired back in November and recognize the things he did for the franchise. Twins announced on Tuesday that they would retire Mauer’s No.7 jersey at the start of the next season.
The news was revealed at Mauer’s alma mater, Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, during an all-student assembly celebration.
No other Twin will wear 7. #JM7 pic.twitter.com/TIuSmqC2F4
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) December 18, 2018
During their franchise’s history, Minnesota Twins only retired seven jersey numbers of their former players and managers: Harmon Killebrew (3), Tony Oliva (6), Tom Kelly (10), Kent Hrbek (14), Bert Blyleven (28), Rod Carew (29), and Kirby Puckett (34). Twins’ also retired Jackie Robinson’s No.42 jersey, which was retired by all MLB teams in 1997.
Joe Mauer debuted in Major League Baseball in 2004 after the Twins selected him first overall in that year’s draft. He ended up playing 15 years in Minnesota, earning six All-Star appearances while being named AL MVP in 2009.
Mauer’s career stats include .306 batting average, 143 home runs, and 923 RBIs. H decided to retire after the end of the 2018 season.
“After much consideration, I have decided to retire from playing baseball,” – wrote Mauer in the letter to Twins’ fans announcing his retirement. “The decision came down to my health and my family. The risk of concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season after missing over 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball.“
