Joe Mauer Takes Center Stage With MLB 10 The Show

Joe Mauer the 2009 American League MVP, and currently the starting catcher with the Minnesota Twins, will grace the cover of the award-winning PlayStation baseball video game series The Show.

Before Mauer, David Wright of the New York Mets, Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox also had face time on the cover.

“I was excited about the opportunity,” Mauer said. “They first asked me about it a little while ago, and growing up, I guess I wasn’t a huge video gamer, but basically the games I would play would be baseball or football and things like that. I thought it was pretty cool to be in a video game the first couple years, and now to be on the cover, it’s definitely an honor.”

This year’s edition is set to launch in March of 2010, just as MLB Spring Training is set to get underway.

Mauer, 26, who batted .365 with career bests in home runs (28) and RBI (96) despite missing the first month of the season, is best known for his unlimited potential and ability that is beginning to rival some of the best the game has ever seen.

Sony's venture in to baseball has been a success to say the least. The “Show” has been called one of the most realistic baseball games of this or any generation. From graphics, to the minute details that one sees on the field of play, including GM Mode, make it the front-runner in baseball games today.

Mauer on the cover signifies a shift in his popularity, which now reaches the mainstream.

According to Chris Munson, product marketing manager for MLB 10 The Show, Mauer was exactly the type of player they were looking for.

“Joe is one of the best players in baseball today,” Munson said.

“The things that he’s done in a short time already at the age of 26 are almost unrivaled in the history of baseball...Joe is also just reaching into the mainstream with people understanding and appreciating the skill that he brings to baseball. The amount of stuff that he does on the field, it links very well to what our game, The Show, really encapsulates, which is the deepest experience we can bring to your living room short of you actually putting on the equipment and playing baseball.”

We all know about the "Madden Curse," but this endorsement is quite possibly just the beginning for Mauer and his rise to ranks of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.

Joe Mauer breathes a life of fresh air into a sport that has seen enough bad press over the last couple of years. Instead of steroids and performance enhancers, talk of a well-rounded athlete on the cover of a video game is the best publicity one could hope for.

This article can also be found on the GM's Perspective.