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Grandpa Mauer Values Phone Calls
After
the Twins finish a game, Jake Mauer anticipates a telephone
call. Grandson Joe calls Jake after most
games, a ritual that’s been going on since the Twins catcher was playing
in the minor leagues.
“I
give him all the credit (for the calls),” Jake told Sports Headliners
late last month. “He makes me the happiest grandpa in the United
States. When he calls it’s just something that I believe that cannot be
explained because he can do anything he wants. But grandpa, he wants
grandpa.”
Jake,
78, and Joe, 24, are close, of course, because of more than bloodlines.
Jake tutored Joe in baseball while growing up in St. Paul. They both
love the sport and Joe’s performance is often a focus of their post game
conversations.
Jake
knows his grandson so well he recognizes when Joe is waving his bat too
much, or perhaps his stance is too wide open to effectively hit
left-handed pitchers. In four plus seasons in the major leagues
left-handed hitting Joe has
become a batting champion, valued catcher and a player that some in
baseball management would choose as the first player to build a team
around. But all of that doesn’t mean grandpa occasionally can’t offer
constructive criticism.
“There’s not much advice to give him,” Jake said. “You know, he’s a .300
hitter and he’s a natural hitter. But they (exceptional hitters) do get
into little flaws like moving the bat around and that makes the bat go
slower and it doesn’t come through. …”
Critics say that Joe takes too many pitches at the plate. “He thinks
that he can hit anybody, no matter what,” Jake said. “Everybody tells
me, ‘Why does he take that first pitch?’ And he tells me, ‘You know,
Grandpa, I am a much better hitter with two strikes on.’ I can’t believe
that but that’s what he says.”
Joe
is soft spoken, easy going and Minnesota nice. Late last month when the
Twins had lost seven of their last 10 games and woke up on a Saturday
morning in Cleveland to find themselves in free fall in their chase for
the Central Division championship, Joe called Jake. The younger Mauer
reported the Twins locker room was like a “tomb.”
“I
said, ‘Joe, why don’t you say something? Pick them up. You’re one of
the leaders.’ …He said, ‘Well, Grandpa, you know the regulars like
Torii Hunter and the older ones should do that.’ I said,
‘bull…maybe if they see you doing it, it will give a spark. You should
be one of the leaders.’”
Joe,
who earlier this year signed a four year contract reportedly worth $33
million, is living a dream playing baseball in his home state. “He is
dedicated to the Twins,” Jake said. “…He won’t go anywhere (else). He
will stay right with the Twins, love or money, and money is not the
problem. He believes in Minnesota and he believes in the Minnesota
people and that’s the way it should be.”
Joe
will never play elsewhere? “If he were on the trading block now he
would probably give up baseball right now and go to football (star
quarterback in high school),” Jake said. “But as far as going on the
trading block he will not go anywhere else and that’s true.”
Last
season Joe won the American League batting championship with a .347
average. He also had 13 home runs and 84 RBI. Jake predicts these
final numbers for his grandson in 2007: .330 to .335 batting average,
80-90 RBI and about 11 homeruns. “What really hurt him was the five
weeks off,” Jake said. “He got so far behind. It was just a tough break
and it takes a long time to come back.”
Joe
missed 29 games with a left quadriceps injury. He also had surgery on
his left knee in 2004. How is Joe’s health now? “He has no problem with
his quad or his knees, and he’s feeling great,” Jake said.
Jake
said the telephone calls from his grandson are about the most important
thing in his life. Still, Jake values his time in Florida, too.
In the winter Joe gives his grandfather free use of his condo.
Both the condo and Joe’s house are in the Fort Myers area.
Not much need for phone calls because grandson and grandpa play golf together.
Baseball? “I watch him workout every morning,” Jake said. “He goes
down to that batting cage. That’s in January before the spring
training. …” |
“He will stay right with the Twins, love
or money, and money is not the problem."
Jake Mauer talking about grandson Joe
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer
Jake predicts these final numbers for his
grandson in 2007: .330 to .335 batting average, 80-90 RBI and about 11
homeruns.
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Wolves Sensitive to Ticket Holders
The
Timberwolves have renewed about 78 percent of their season tickets so
far, according to president Chris Wright.
That’s on a base of about 7,000 sold last season.
Even
before superstar Kevin Garnett was traded to
Boston, the Wolves were challenged to maintain and grow their season
tickets. Three consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs and poor
personnel decisions lessened the appeal of the Wolves’ brand in this
highly competitive sports market.
Acquiring five players from Boston and two draft picks in exchange for
Garnett last week hasn’t excited many season ticket holders and other
fans. The Wolves held a news conference on Tuesday and season ticket
holders were invited along with the press to hear from club officials
and new players Al Jefferson, 22,
Gerald Green, 21, Sebastian Telfair, 22, Ryan Gomes,
25, and Theo Ratliff, 34.
The
event gave Wright and his staff an opportunity to sample the attitudes
of season ticket holders. He told Sports Headliners the front office is
taking a patient approach with season ticket holders. The Wolves will
not require final payments on season tickets until September 1.
At
the news conference season ticket holders offered a “well, we’re getting
there” view on the new look Wolves, according to Wright. “What we’re
going to do is we’re letting the market settle in on the deal (trade),”
he added.
Wright talked about the impact of giving up Garnett who had played here
since 1995, was the most high profile athlete in town and one day will
be inducted into the basketball hall of fame. “We really feel when you
lose a player of the stature of Kevin it takes awhile to get over the
shock of that,” he said. “The fact (is) that he’s no longer here and
that we will have a new identity around this team going into next
season. But we also think that days like today gives us a great
opportunity to introduce what we think are five incredible NBA players.
…As the market warms to them…then the healing will begin. …”
I
believe a final renewal rate of season tickets in the 90 percent range
will be a success for the Wolves who have shown a lot of expertise in
the past selling season tickets, plus single game and group tickets.
The Wolves regular season home opener is November 2 against Denver.
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Kevin Garnett
“We really feel when you lose a player of
the stature of Kevin it takes awhile to get over the shock of that."
Chris Wright on Kevin Garnett
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Worth
Noting
The
Boston Celtics Home Page features a picture of Kevin Garnett and
these words: “We’ve Got The Big Ticket (Time To Get Yours).”
Timberwolves vice president Kevin McHale
after being asked what Celtics executive director of basketball
operations Danny Ainge told him about the five players he was
acquiring from Boston. “They were all quality kids and I was really
going to enjoy them. That they were a lot more mature than their ages,
and they worked hard, (and) will do whatever you ask them to do. The
little bit that I’ve gotten to know them they’ve all proven that being
the case. They want to move up here as soon as they can. They can’t
wait to get going so it (the future) will be fun.”
After
the Twins' 4-0 loss to the Indians on Monday, Minnesota had been shutout
a major league leading 10 times. The Twins averaged 2.4 runs (17 runs)
during their last home stand that ended Monday.
Xcel
Energy Center general manager Jack Larson told Sports
Headliners he considered a
tennis exhibition between Pete Sampras
and John McEnroe but decided not to after seeing modest interest
in other markets where the two played. Larson isn’t considering
other exhibitions at this time.
Whitney
Taney leaves for the University of Michigan late this month where
she will be one of four incoming freshmen players on the Wolverine tennis team that starts practice on September 15. Although difficult to
predict, Whitney may play No. 3 singles, according to her father, Ted
Taney. The last several weeks have been rewarding for the former
Edina High School superstar who had a career prep record of 166-0. She
recently won a prestigious tournament in Ann Arbor for college players.
Her tournament wins included a semi-finals victory over Andrea
Remynse, the nation’s top college recruit in 2007 and a player
headed to UCLA, according to Ted. Also, Whitney was named the national
girls prep tennis player of the year by the National High School Coaches
Association.
Three
MIAC football student-athletes are on preseason All-America teams.
Bethel University senior safety Brandon Carr is a first team
choice for the D3football.com All-America team and a second team
selection by Lindy's magazine. Saint John's junior defensive tackle
Nick Gunderson is a first team pick by D3football.com and Lindy's, while senior teammate Andrew Salvato
is a second team choice by both sources on their pre-season teams.
Saint
John's and Bethel are ranked in the D3football.com, Street & Smith's
magazine and Lindy's national polls. The Johnnies are third in the
D3football.com top 25 while the Royals are 24th. St. Olaf is 35th in
the D3football.com poll. In the Street & Smith’s poll, Saint John's is
second while Bethel is 11th. Lindy's has the Johnnies
seventh and Bethel 10th.
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Whitney Taney
John M. Williams, DDS
Cosmetic & Family Dental Care
612-521-7611 |
