Joe Mauer makes emotional exit from baseball

Minnesota Twins great Joe Mauer struggled to hold back tears Monday as he addressed for the first time publicly the retirement he made official late last week.

"I think the best place to start today is with my family. Mom and Dad, thank you so much for always believing in me," he said at a news conference at Target Field, where he was joined by family, former teammates, coaches and Twins officials.

In his final, late September appearance at Target Field, Mauer donned his old catcher's gear for one final pitch, generating an enthusiastic standing ovation from a crowd that sensed it was the end to a remarkable era.

To the hometown team that drafted him, the St. Paul native offered thanks for a career that included three Gold Gloves, three American League batting championships, and the 2009 AL Most Valuable Player award.

"I'm so thankful you had the confidence in me. And it means more to me than you'll ever know," he said. "I never wanted to play anywhere else, and it's been a true honor to wear one jersey all these years."

A standout in baseball, football and basketball at St. Paul's Cretin-Derham Hall, he was drafted by the Twins in 2001 and made his way to the big leagues in 2004, where he turned into a phenomenon. By 2006, he'd won the American League batting title, the first catcher ever to do so. After being named the league MVP, he signed an eight-year contract for $184 million, the richest contract ever for a catcher in Major League Baseball.

"When he was hitting, he was as special a hitter as you could watch. And I had the best seat in the house, the on deck circle," said former teammate Justin Morneau, a fellow AL MVP. "Not chase pitches. Never swing at a pitch he doesn't want to hit, have a good at-bat every single time he went up there, and then find the barrel every single time he swung the bat. It was just amazing to watch."

But there were low points in his career, as well, Mauer acknowledged. Back and head injuries plagued him and eventually forced him from behind the plate and over to first base — and raised some questions among fans about his passion for the game. Despite six trips to baseball's All-Star Game, he also remained among the most soft-spoken stars in the league.

His final manager, Hall of Famer and fellow Cretin alum Paul Molitor said no one should ever have doubted Mauer's passion or dedication to the game.

"Things that I used to hear about, which used to burn me, was that he was kind of passive and non-emotional. And Joe's fire was as deep and burned as furiously as any athlete I ever played with," Molitor said.

Both Molitor and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Morris said they're sure he's a shoo-in to join them among the game's most honored players.

Mauer said that he feels he can still play at an elite level, but that recent developments convinced him it was time to leave. He cited a concussion he suffered in May and worried that he risked more head injuries, and possibly permanent damage, if he kept playing. His wife, Maddie, is also about to give birth to their third child.

"I'm excited to be there, be around for the girls, be around for my wife, be around for this baby," he said.

And while he said he isn't sure what role he might play, he won't be leaving Minnesota or the Twins behind.

"I don't see this, like I said, as a farewell. I'm going to raise my kids here," he said. "I was a Twins fan before I was a Twin. And I'll be a Twins fan after I'm done as a player. I don't plan on going anywhere unless you guys don't want me."