Juliet Mortenson talks like a proud grandma as she lays out photos, newspaper clippings and post cards from her favorite. She says things like, “I admire him so much. He’s quite a gentleman for being that young. And he is handsome.”
But today she’s not gushing about a grandkid—but Minnesota’s favorite son—Joe Mauer.
“I like them all,” says Juliet as she rattles off a roster of Twins players past and present. “But I admire him because of his attitude. He never gets mad or throws down his bat like some others do.” Here she pauses and asks if you saw the Angels game the other night. “Tori Hunter—he got nailed—and then got thrown out. I wasn’t too happy to see that,” says Juliet (this woman even keeps an eye on former Twins. Just like grandchildren—you can move away, but grandma always knows.) “Joe,” continues Juliet. “He doesn’t talk back.”
Such are the virtues that are considered by an older generation.
And Juliet who’s dad was scorekeeper for the Kilowatts for years and whose husband played baseball with “that Richter gang”, is not alone in her reverence for Minnesota’s golden boy. The whole state from loyal grandmothers—like Juliet—to the youngest of the Twin’s faithful, breathed a sigh of relief when Mauer signed an eight-year $184 million extension to remain with the Twins. Juliet calls Mauer signing his extension ‘noble’ and it affirms for her that “money isn’t everything”. Sure, $184 million isn’t everything, but it is a whole lot of something. And Juliet who worked for the Granite Falls Superintendent for 26 years will tell you that “player’s contracts are ridiculous. Nobody’s worth that much money.”
But talking to Juliet, you get the sense that if someone has to take all that money it might as well be Joe.
Yet, unlike the multitude who have been engaging in Mauer-palooza, Juliet has received a personal note of thanks from the Twin’s star catcher.
It all started this Christmas when Juliet gave her kids and grandkids (about 25 of them) tickets to the Twins game at the new Target Field against the Orioles on May 8. The family would use the event to also celebrate Juliet’s 82nd birthday.
Juliet’s daughter, Jeri Manthei, then wrote Joe to tell about their planned excursion to Target Field.
