User:TCN7JM/Joe Mauer

Joseph "Joe" Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American baseball catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins. He is 6 ft tall and weighs 220 lb. He bats left-handed, and throws right-hanged.

Mauer was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul and played three sports, including baseball. Mauer was a stand-out in baseball; he recorded a batting average higher than .500 in every season he played at Cretin-Derham Hall, and he struck out only once in his four-year career. The Twins selected him with the first overall pick of the 2001 draft, and he reached the major leagues in 2004.

Mauer is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles. He has also won three consecutive Gold Glove awards (2008–2010), and the 2009 American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.