If you want to know why Minnesotans, myself included, get a little defensive when people talk about Joe Mauer leaving for, well, anywhere else, it comes from something beyond the "favorite son" notion. Mauer's been a story in Minnesota for much longer than the six years he's been with the Twins.
He burst onto the Minnesota sports stage in 2000 when he quarterbacked Cretin-Derham Hall to an undefeated season and a state title. Later that year, Mauer was named Gatorade's Player of the Year in both Baseball and Football, and became the top recruit in the nation in football before committing to Florida State, but also making himself eligible for baseball's amateur draft.
The Twins were criticised for taking Mauer ahead of Mark Prior in that 2001 draft, with many in the national media believing ...
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Article written by Dan Wade
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