It isn't just that Joe Mauer is the best player on the team—an "off" 2010 produced a .327 batting average, along with Silver Slugger and Golden Glove awards—it's that he is the face of the small-market franchise that can compete with the big boys from New York, Boston, and Chicago. It's Mauer's face that has graced the cover of baseball video games over the past two seasons, not Derek Jeter's. And when it came time to explore the market when his contract was up, Mauer—unlike a certain superstar from Ohio—decided to stay with his hometown team. On the field, he plays catcher, certainly the most difficult position in baseball, both mentally and physically, with the enthusiasm and joy of a boy heading to the park to hit some fly balls on a summer afternoon.