Joe Mauer and B.J. Surhoff: A Comparison

The quote sticks in my mind:

"A couple years down the road it might be scary what he'll be able to do."

This was University of North Carolina pitcher Scott Bankhead's assessment of his battery mate in 1984.

He was talking about B.J. Surhoff.

At the time that Sports Illustrated magazine was profiling Bankhead and Surhoff, the University of North Carolina was sitting at No. 3 in the college rankings. They were riding high. So, too, was Surhoff. He was batting a crisp .416 with 11 home runs and 50 RBI.

At least one Major League team agreed with Bankhead's assessment.

The Milwaukee Brewers made Surhoff their No. 1 pick in the 1985 draft.

By all accounts, Surhoff, at that stage of his career, could do it all. He possessed a strong, accurate throwing arm. He was not only fast for a catcher; he was just plain fast. He could play several positions, but, most of all, he could hit.

Before the start of the 1987 season, Larry Bowa was moved to remark, "He (Surhoff) has a magic wand."

Surhoff showed off his spellbinding ability with the stick that year in his first full Major League season. He hit .299 with seven home runs and 68 RBI, as a catcher for the Brewers.

Two mediocre seasons followed. In 1988, Surhoff slumped to .245 with five home runs and 38 RBI. In 1989, he hit for a .248 batting average with five runs and 55 RBI.

Over the next three seasons, Surhoff produced good numbers at the plate for a catcher, (.276 batting average, six home runs, 59 RBI; .289 average, five HR, 68 RBI; and .252 average, four HRs, 62 RBI) but they fell far short of the success that was predicted for him.

In 1993, the Brewers moved Surhoff to third base, and the former No. 1 pick began to show his true offensive potential, hitting .274 with seven home runs and 79 RBI.

Surhoff was on pace for a 20-plus home run season when he was injured in 1994. Through 40 games, he also had 22 RBI.

From 1995 to 2001, when he was primarily an outfielder, Surhoff enjoyed his finest seasons at the plate, averaging double-digits in home runs. He drove in 82 or more runs on four different occasions.

He enjoyed a career year for Baltimore in 1999 with a .308 batting average, 28 home runs, and 107 RBI—at the advanced age of 35.

Was Surhoff a late bloomer?

Or was Surhoff's offensive prowess unleashed when he was finally released from the rigors of catching?

Segue to 2009.

The Minnesota Twins, in Joe Mauer, have an athlete who is every bit as offensively gifted as Surhoff and perhaps a little bit more. After all, he already owns two American League batting crowns.

Yet, the Twins organization is reluctant to move him to a position other than catcher, where he constantly faces the threat of getting nicked by foul balls or getting involved in a home-plate collision.

The Minnesota Twins' main rationale against the move is that Mauer, in addition to being an offensive terror, is one of the finest defensive catchers in the game.

General Manager Bill Smith and Manager Ron Gardenhire should take a minute or two to leaf through the Minnesota Twins record book.

Who was the primary receiver when the Twins captured a World Series title in 1987?

The answer is Tim Laudner, who batted a robust .191 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI.

The Twins should take a page from the "Milwaukee Brewers' Guide to Treating No. 1 Draft Picks." The Brewers made a sensible, albeit belated, move, when they shifted Surhoff from behind the plate to another position.

Mauer's latest injury is a wake-up call. If the Twins don't make a similar move this time, they may not get another chance.