Add another one for Joe! 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Joe Mauer was honored last weekend by the Minnesota Twins. On August 3rd, in a game against the Chicago White Sox, a packed house at Target Field celebrated long-time catcher Joe Mauer’s Baseball Hall of Fame induction.
We learned from a few fans who attended the game that a special commemorative logo baseball was made for the occasion and purportedly used in the game. There were plenty of images of the new-in-cube retail ball. But there has been no evidence of game-use after extensive research. So we’re considering this to be just an official ROMLB-grade commemorative ball that didn’t quite make it into gameplay in the Big League.
I waited a long time to post this article (despite the publishing date stating a week after the game). I did so to be 100% certain we got the info right. What we’ve learned since: These baseballs were sold at the game, albeit in very limited numbers and for quite a hefty price (though not nearly as pricey as those Jim Leyland Detroit Tigers Number Retirement game balls.)
More info direct from the Twins about Mauer’s HOF induction and the celebratory event:
“Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Induction ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, July 21 at 12:30 p.m. CT on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York. The Twins and their fans will also honor Mauer’s induction with an in-ballpark celebration prior to Minnesota’s Saturday, August 3 game vs. the Chicago White Sox at Target Field; more details will be announced at a later date.
Mauer, 40, joins Harmon Killebrew (1984), Rod Carew (1991), Kirby Puckett (2001), Bert Blyleven (2011), Jim Kaat (2022) and Tony Oliva (2022) as the seventh player to go into the Hall of Fame as a Twin, as well as the third Twin (Carew and Puckett) to be elected on the first ballot. He also becomes the 13th person in Twins/Senators franchise history (1901-present) to have a plaque in the Hall, including the Washington Senators’ Walter Johnson (1936), Clark Griffith (1946), Sam Rice (1963), Heinie Manush (1964), Goose Goslin (1968) and Bucky Harris (1975). Next summer, Mauer will join Dave Winfield (2001), Paul Molitor (2004) and Jack Morris (2018) to become the fourth St. Paul native to be enshrined into baseball’s most distinguished group.
“The Pohlad family and entire Minnesota Twins organization would like to congratulate Joe Mauer on his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “Few people have embodied the values and beliefs of the Minnesota Twins like Joe Mauer; from the moment his name was called on draft day in 2001, Joe has been a true hometown hero and a cornerstone of our organization. His humility, leadership, kindness and care for others, paired with his unparalleled excellence on the diamond, have made him a role model for generations of youth across our region.
“Today is a special day – for the Mauer family, for the Twins and for all of Twins Territory.”
Now for the ball.
Look at that giant logo! What a beast! This makes me feel nostalgic for the old Selig days of Rawlings special event game baseballs. Before Major League’s Manfred era disgraced collectors with puny little logos and wordmarks, we were spoiled. We got big, bold and often more detailed artwork stamped on official MLB game balls. We even had several ink color options beyond that bland corporate navy blue!
We were quite lucky to snag one of these beauts from a collector buddy months ago. If you check eBay, you may find a few. They initially went for absurd prices, but the market quickly cooled. These can probably be found for $100-150 now. One last note, this Mauer Hall of Game Celebration logo is very similar to the Twins Number Retirement Joe Mauer Game ball and its retail variant. Compare:
