Twins' Mauer stars for team he grew up rooting for
Photo credit: Getty/Jim McIsaac | NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Joe Mauer #7 of the Minnesota Twins looks on during batting practice before Game One of the ALDS against the New York Yankees during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 7, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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ALDS Game 1: Yankees 7, Twins 2
As a Twins fan growing up near Minneapolis, Joe Mauer was 8 in 1991, just old enough to fondly remember the team's last world championship. But, the Twins catcher said yesterday, he also has some bad memories from that October.
"My aunt and uncle came up with four tickets to Game 6 in '91," Mauer said yesterday. "They were going to take my parents, but my parents felt like I needed to have a baby-sitter or something for the game.
"So my aunt and uncle took my two older brothers and I had to stay home and watch with my parents. So I was - I was pretty upset about that."
Mauer missed out on one of the greatest moments in Twins history, Kirby Puckett's walk-off homer off Charlie Leibrandt in the 11th inning that evened the series with the Braves.
The leading candidate to win the American League MVP Award is still plotting his revenge. "I always say the only way they can make up for that is if I'm playing in a Game 6 and we win it," Mauer said.
And . . .
"I may not leave them tickets."
The overriding opinion is that Mauer and the Twins won't make it past this Division Series, let alone to a Game 6 of the World Series.
But a few hours before Game 1 against the Yankees last night, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "I know we're not supposed to win. But we weren't supposed to be here either."
It's especially easy for the Twins to feel as if anything's possible when they have Mauer catching and batting third. He missed the first month of the season with back problems, but you wouldn't know that from his remarkable statistics. Mauer still played in 138 games, hitting 30 doubles and 28 home runs and driving in 96 runs. He led the league with a .365 batting average, .444 on-base percentage and .587 slugging percentage.
The 6-5, 225-pound Mauer showed a glimpse of his lethal bat in the third inning last night by lining a two-out double to left-center. Michael Cuddyer followed with an RBI single against CC Sabathia, and Mauer scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead.
The Twins are carrying three catchers, so Gardenhire has the flexibility to use Mauer as the designated hitter if he feels the need. But Gardenhire knows the competitor in Mauer probably will shoot that idea down.
"As we went along toward the end of the season, Joe was every day saying, 'I got this,' " Gardenhire said. "So I have to believe that Joe will probably catch every game."
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