Is it baseball season yet?

Cabin fever is definitely setting in for many of us.  I know it's been an easy winter so far, but I think many of us are longing for those warm days at the ballpark.

The Minnesota Twins did something special last year winning their first playoff game and series in nearly 20 years (2004).  This really excited the fan base about this team again with a lot of young talent and hopefully a bright future ahead of them.

A former Minnesota Twins great just did something NOBODY has ever done before.

Kansas City Royals v Minnesota Twins
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
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Former Twins catcher and first baseman Joe Mauer was given baseball's greatest honor.  He is now a first-ballot Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member.  But wait, there's even something more extraordinary about what the hometown kid just did.

Joe Mauer is the first professional player in all of the 4 major professional sports (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA) in history to do the following:

According to OptaSTATS, to be drafted Number 1 overall by a team from his birth state/province, play 15 plus seasons for that team, and reach the Hall of Fame.  WOW!  That is extraordinary if you think about it.

Joe Mauer of course was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1983 and played his entire career with the team he grew up cheering for.

Arizona Diamondbacks v Minnesota Twins
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As a lifelong fan of the Minnesota Twins, I also grew up cheering for the Minnesota Twins and specifically for the M&M boys, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.  I'm so glad, I was fortunate enough to see Joe play live several times.  A constant professional and now a Hall of Fame legend.

 

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