The beginning, the journey, the triumph and the defeat are all parts of the tragic hero, whether he is one of Shakespeare’s tragic heros or the hero of the world’s first epic poem. Gilgamesh, a Babylonian King, sowed the seeds of his own destruction, defied the Gods and came to a tragic end.
Joe Mauer is not Gilgamesh and has not come to a tragic end. However, his life has the elements of a tragic hero. He was born into an accomplished family. His mother was a fine basketball player. His grandfather played pro ball and his brothers before him were athletes.
Joe did everything extremely well athletically whether it was football, basketball or baseball. He had his choice of football scholarships when he graduated from high hchool. He chose to play baseball and was drafted No. 1 by the Minnesota Twins.
It was just a matter of time until Joe joined the Twins. In fact, many believed he could have been a Twin almost from day one. His time with the Twins prior to last year was a hero’s tale. He played very well and on one occasion when he was injured, came back and got nine hits in his first 10 at-bats. Joe was voted MVP and looked to be a player in the mold of Stan Musial or Johnny Bench — perhaps the best catcher of all time.
Joe became a free agent and Minnesota fans rose as one in their desire to see Mauer remain in Minnesota and lead the Twins to a World Series win. Mauer signed a contract second only to Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. Minnesota looked at Joe and felt we were big time. No one was going to get Mauer away from us. Not the Yankees, not the Boston Red Sox, not anyone. We sat back to await the inevitable World Series. It didn’t happen. We were sure the Twins would win their division, but the Evil Empire or some other dark force overcame our hero and his teammates.
Then the Twins, with the help of their new stadium, decided to give Mauer additional support and provided the team with the fifth-highest payroll in baseball. The Twins would be the heros of baseball. They kept Joe Mauer and would win it all. The Yankees and the Red Sox would look at the Twins with envy. Again it didn’t happen. It not only didn’t happen, our $115 million payroll finished with the second-worst record in baseball.
Hero Joe Mauer was injured and didn’t play that well when he wasn’t injured. And what was considered a coup when they signed Mauer was now considered a drag on the team. “Too much money for a soft player,” was the cry. And Joe went from hero to goat. In literature there are two kinds of heros: tragic like Gilgamesh and epic like Hercules.
Joe Mauer is at the point in his life where he is looking at tragic hero status if he continues his downward path. He failed to meet expectations last year, but he may still be the Twins’ epic hero if he can turn his play around. An epic hero fights on and provides bravery, instincts and skills. He is the leader that those around him need.
Joe has always been laid back and let others lead. He has let others talk for him and the Twins’ public relations department did him no favors last year.
Joe Mauer has led a charmed life until last season. That’s pretty much over and he must now show the way for the Minnesota Twins. If he does, he has a chance to fit the definition of an epic hero.
