With the exception of Mobile, Ala., St. Paul boasts more native sons in the National Baseball Hall of Fame than any other mid-sized American city.
When former Minnesota Twin and Cretin-Derham Hall grad Joe Mauer takes his place in Cooperstown later this month, he’ll be the fourth major league ballplayer from the Saintly City to do so, following in the footsteps of Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor and Jack Morris.
Through the years, the Pioneer Press chronicled each of their careers from the sandlots of St. Paul to big league immortality in the Hall of Fame, and we’ve compiled the best of our coverage into a new hardcover book that celebrates the legendary baseball legacy of Minnesota’s capital city.
With a foreword by longtime sports columnist Charley Walters, “From St. Paul to the Hall” features more than 50 articles and dozens of archival photos that tell each player’s story as it originally appeared in their hometown newspaper.
The 160-page coffee table book begins with Winfield, maybe the most gifted all-around athlete St. Paul ever produced, who was inducted into the Hall alongside Twins legend Kirby Puckett in 2001.
Like Winfield, Molitor joined the rarified ranks of the 3,000-hit club during his time in a Twins uniform, earning a spot in Cooperstown in 2004 before going on to manage Minnesota for four seasons.
A frequent opponent of Molitor’s in St. Paul’s youth leagues, Morris thrilled Twins fans in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, pitching a 10-inning masterpiece to help his team win its second championship title in five years. Morris waited more than two decades for his bid to the Hall of Fame, which arrived in 2018.
Mauer grew up in the shadow of these three local giants, drawing frequent comparisons to Molitor and Winfield as he built his own legacy as a standout multi-sport athlete from a young age.
Mauer spent his entire career in a Twins uniform, earning him a special place in the hearts of many Minnesota sports fans.
“From St. Paul to the Hall” is now available at a discounted presale price in our online store. Presale orders are expected to ship in August.
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