Joe Mauer once said, "It frustrates me when I'm not good at something, so I do it until I become good at this. » (Kepner 03/27/14) Joe Mauer has accomplished a lot and set many new records. Joe Mauer's accomplishments allowed baseball's wide receivers to try different ways of hitting and catching. He is a very influential person and has made major contributions in the world of baseball. Joseph Patrick Mauer was born on April 19, 1983 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Joe was the youngest of three brothers. Jake III and Billy are his older siblings, they all had baseball in their genes. (Wacholtz p. 8) Ironically, Joe's parents met on a baseball field. They raised their sons in a house less than twenty minutes from the Metrodome. (Weekly Reader Senior Edition, p. 2, December 14, 2001) To Joe's parents, Teresa and Jake Junior, it seemed like their three sons were meant to play on the diamond. One of Joe's earliest memories was of his father handing him a baseball bat and swinging it. (Wacholtz p. 8) Their family joke was that he had a major stroke while still in diapers. Joe once said, "For me, it's always been baseball, it's what I've always wanted to do." » (Wacholtz p. 11) Joe grew up a Twins fan. Each year, the Mauer boys could be found outside throwing, hitting, running and fielding until the Minnesota winters drove them indoors. Their father gave them as many baseball lessons as possible. After mastering regular launchers, Jake Jr. invented a new one, which dropped balls directly into the strike zone. (Weekly Reader Senior Edition, p. 2, December 14, 2001) Joe enrolled at Cretin-Derham High School on September 1...... middle of article ......rsn=127&locID=naal_athens&failover= 0&sgcmd=MAIN&srchtp= basic&c=1&sub=%2522Mauer%2C+Joe%2522&ste=35&tbst=tbasic&tab=2&txb=Mauer%2C+Joe&docNum=A223277587&bConts=62. Kepner, Tyler. "The twins' face drops its mask." The New York Times. The New York Times, March 22, 2014. Web. April 24, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/sports/baseball/face-of-the-twins-surrenders-his-mask.html?_r=23. Kepner, Tyler. "Mauer ready to reinvent himself as a first baseman." . New York Times, January 1, 2014. Web. April 24, 2014. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=6FPTS2014032728403330&site=src-live4. “4 Minnesota Twins.” - 03.26.12. Sports Illustrated, nd Web. April 24, 2014. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1196319/index.htm5. "Outta Here! Major League Baseball plans to cut two teams." . weekly reader body, nd Web. April 25. 2014.