Jason of the baseball blog IAATB, on the ridiculous idea that Joe Mauer "deserves the big stage of New York":
That’s the last thing this guy deserves. He deserves to remain in his backyard, with family and friends and being the face of a very good, talented and competitive Twins franchise for the next decade a half. Why does Silva think that Mauer deserves New York? Because it’s bigger, more crowded, can afford to pay him more? It’s a dangerous word, deserve.No city DESERVES any player. And I couldn't be more excited for neither Joe Mauer or LeBron james to ever play for a New York team.Deserves”. This one word gets Yankee fans in so much trouble. It implies a God-given right. We tend to think that we, the Yankees, deserve the best players because we’re New York, because we have the most money to spend, because we’ve won 27 World Series titles, etc… We don’t deserve anything more than what we go out and earn. Wins, respect, whatever. Joe Mauer doesn’t “deserve” New York anymore than New York “deserves” Joe Mauer. This is exactly the sort of sentiment that gives Yankee fans the reputation they have (well, along with the cast of Jersey Shore and guys like this, to the right).
You know who deserves Joe Mauer? The fine people of Minnesota.