No. 7

The Twins announced Tuesday that they will officially retire the number 7 in honor of Joe Mauer during the 2019 season, specific date undetermined. This is not a surprise.

Yep it was just a matter of time until my #7 was going to be retired. Just another milestone in my a lustrous career in the Twin Cities https://t.co/lkrMDWuHuw

— Denny Hocking (@bigleagueswings) December 18, 2018

Mauer and Hocking are far from the only No. 7s in Twins history, of course. Baseball Reference lists 17 players as having worn 7 for the Minnesota Twins, 35 including the Washington Senators years. (One of the Senators bearing the number is a Hall of Famer -- Al Simmons, who wore it in 1938, well after his prime seasons.)

The Twins' No. 7s include some notable names in Twins history -- such as Greg Gagne, Frank Quilici and Jimmy Hall -- and at least as many who-dats -- Greg "Boomer" Wells, Dave Meier and Paul Ray Powell.  

The Star Tribune's Phil Miller pointed out on Twitter that the Twins are a shortstop away from a lineup with the retired numbers. Getting there requires playing a few guys at suboptimal defensive positions, but they are all positions they had considerable time at, so it's legit:

C: Mauer (7)

1B: Kent Hrbek (14)

2B: Rod Carew (29)

3B: Harmon Killebrew (3)

SS: vacant

LF: Jackie Robinson (42)

CF: Kirby Puckett (34)

RF: Tony Oliva (6)

P: Bert Blyleven (28)

Mgr: Tom Kelly (10)

Basically, the Twins retire two kinds of numbers:

• Cooperstown inductees who are chosen for their Minnesota accomplishments (Killebrew, Carew, Blyleven, Puckett)
• Really distinguished figures who spent their entire career with the Twins (Oliva, Hrbek, Mauer, Kelly)

Robinson's in a different class, of course, and Puckett fits in both groups. Someday, I expect, Mauer will fit in both also.