The Real Joe Says It's So

From Twins.Com:

Joe Mauer joined an elite group of players when he won his third American League batting title this past season.



Now the 26-year-old Twins catcher has become a member of another illustrious club -- that of MVP winners.

Mauer was named the American League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America for the first time in his career on Monday, receiving 27 of the 28 first-place votes to easily beat out the Yankees' duo of Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter for the honor.

Mauer finished with 327 points, well ahead of Teixeira, who had 225, and Jeter, who had 193. Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who received the only other first-place vote, was fourth with 171 points.



Mauer became the fifth player in Twins history to win the MVP Award. He joined teammate Justin Morneau, who took home the honor in 2006, as well as Zoilo Versalles (1965) Harmon Killebrew (1969) and Rod Carew (1977).

He also became just the second catcher in the past 33 years to be named MVP. Texas' Ivan Rodriguez (1999) is the only backstop besides Mauer to take home the honor since Yankees catcher Thurman Munson won it in 1976. The last catcher to win National League MVP honors was Cincinnati's Johnny Bench in 1972.

Way to go, Joe! What an accomplishment.