The Iron Man of Minnesota (One Sixty-Two: Day 19)

Writer’s note: One Sixty-Two is a season-long series of blog posts connecting baseball’s major-league players to life’s universal themes. Just as there are 162 games in a season, so there will be 162 posts in this series. Let’s play some ball.

Day Nineteen: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

I’m not a big movie-sequel guy, and Amy’s not really into comic books. So I doubt we’ll go to see “Iron Man 2” when we head out for our date night on Friday. We’ll probably choose either a romantic comedy (her choice) or a critically-acclaimed, independent film (mine) – just as we’ve been doing for years. We’ll flip a coin.

From what I’m reading, “Iron Man 2” is doing just fine at the box office without us. It’s a bona fide blockbuster, with more than $320 million in worldwide sales so far. And the film has only been out for a few days. It’s no wonder Disney recently bought Marvel comics. Comic-book heroes rake in the cash.

Baseball games don’t have the same kind of action as summer blockbusters, but they do feature some iron men on the field every night. These iron men don’t look quite as cool and high-tech as Robert Downey Jr. does in his red and gold costume, but they do all right. Some leg guards, a chest protector, a face mask, a helmet, and a mitt. These, of course, are the catchers, and they take a pounding every day. Fastballs in the dirt, foul tips off the thigh, backswings to the side of the head, and runners diving at them, shoulder first, as the catchers stand between these runners and home plate. Catchers work in a crouching position for nine innings, they peer out through a metal mask, and they try to catch 98-mile-per-hour fastballs in their mitts. They call the pitches and help the pitcher keep his cool, all while quarterbacking the defense for their teams.

They are superheroes all right, these catchers. Any player will tell you that his team’s defense begins and ends with that man behind the plate. Nowadays, most catchers are either really good at defense or excellent at hitting; only a select few excel at both. In 2010, the Twins have developed a homegrown catcher who is truly the complete package. At just 27 years of age, Joe Mauer has won three batting titles, a Most Valuable Player award and two Gold Glove awards. He is the most complete catcher baseball has seen in years, ever since the Cincinnati Reds introduced Johnny Bench to the world more than 40 years ago.

This past winter, Minnesota decided to make sure Mauer does not depart for a higher-revenue team anytime soon. With a $184 million, eight-year extension to his contract, Joe Mauer became baseball’s blockbuster catcher. The Twins have centered their future around this St. Paul native, and they’re willing to pay him handsomely to lead the way. Mauer’s contract may pale in comparison to “Iron Man 2” revenues, but it’ll do just fine for him.

Mauer was recently injured for a few days, but he’s back behind the plate again for Minnesota. The St. Paul superhero has his gear on, and he’s ready for all comers. And hey – after a few more seasons like this, they might have to make a movie about the guy. Downey Jr. is ready for the script.