Author: David Shama

When his career ended in 1974 Mays had hit 660 home runs and today ranks fourth on the all-time list behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.  He led the National League in home runs four times and in four seasons also was tops in stolen bases.  He was an 11-time Gold Glove winner and played in the All-Star game every season from 1954 through 1973 when he was 42 and finishing up his career with the New York Mets.

Now think about the career home runs and realize that Mays didn’t play during the 1952 and 1953 seasons because he was in the Army.  Give Mays 80 more home runs and his total is 740, close to Bonds at 762 and Aaron at 755.   Who knows how many home runs Mays might have hit during those two missed seasons?

But Mays was never defined just by numbers.  He was an entertainer, too.  The “Say Hey Kid” swung from his heels and sometimes drove the ball further than most players ever thought about.  On the bases he took huge leads and might be as likely to steal third base as second.  In the outfield (often using his famed “basket catch”) he not only ran down most balls, but his powerful arm and quick release made hitters sorry they took chances on the bases against him.  And he did much of the above with his hat flying off while showing an exuberance for life seldom seen on ball fields before or since.

Mays turned 80 on May 6.  You wonder if when he celebrated the birthday with wife Mae Mays he reflected for a moment about those weeks in Minneapolis 60 years ago.

If so, he’s not the only one who remembers.

Joe Mauer could return to the Twins lineup in two weeks, according to his grandfather Jake.  “He’s shooting for the first of June,” Jake told Sports Headliners.

He also said Joe could catch a game now, but would need to “rest for five” games and that doesn’t help the team.  The former AL MVP has “two lumps” on his injured right shoulder and that remains a problem as does regaining strength in his body, according to Jake.

“His right shoulder is getting better,” Jake said.  “He’s down from 235 (pounds) to 218 or 219.”

The lumps are from the rigors of catching earlier in the season when he played in several games before going on the disabled list, according to Jake.  He also said his grandson is struggling to replace the weight he lost after being severely weakened last month by the flu.  Although much has been written about weakness in Joe’s legs, Jake insisted the legs “are good.”

Although Joe is known for being mild-mannered, his physical problems and not playing since April 12 have made him grumpy.  “He’s not fit to live with,” Jake said. “It’s just been murder.  He says, ‘Grandpa, I just don’t want to talk about it.’ ”

Joe attended his charity golf tournament last week but didn’t play except to accompany his grandfather on a few holes and putt on the greens.  This week he is at the Twins’ training complex in Fort Myers, Florida continuing to rehab.

Mauer has played in nine games this season.  He has a .235 average with no home runs and four RBI.

Don’t expect all the weeks on the disabled list and the injuries from past seasons to persuade the 28-year-old three-time batting champion to move to another position in the field where the physical demands would be minimized.  “I know Joe will just play catcher,” Jake said.  “He won’t go to any other position.  He’s determined to play there.”

Jake’s opinion is Joe’s absence behind the plate is a major factor in explaining the dismal performance of the Twins’ pitching staff.  He believes Joe’s knowledge of American League hitters and experience in calling pitches can’t be matched by three catchers who have filled in for him.  “Without the catcher, the pitcher isn’t much,” Jake said.

The Twins, losers in nine of their last 10 games, have the worst team ERA in the major leagues at 4.96.  They have scored 123 runs, lowest among the 30 big league teams.

Although Jake is a loyal Twins fan, he describes the team’s awful spring start as a “nightmare” and admits there are games he can’t watch all nine innings.  “They (the opponent) get seven or eight runs, I don’t even want to watch it, and I am an ardent fan,” he said.  “It eats your stomach.”

Jake, a former baseball player himself, celebrated his 80^th birthday last month.  He’s a horseracing enthusiast who predicts Dialed In will win Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.  The horse was a Kentucky Derby favorite earlier in the month but disappointed.  “He is overdue,” Jake said.

Jake has been selling his tip sheet at Canterbury Park since 1985 and will work a reduced schedule this year.  He will be greeting customers in his flamboyant way on Saturdays and Sundays through September 4.

The Shakopee race track opens for live racing on Friday night.