Joe Mauer set goals of a .300 batting average, 20 home runs and 100 RBI before the season began, according to grandfather Jake Mauer. Slowed by a bruised left knee recently, Mauer has seen his average drop from over .300 to .286. He has only one home run and 15 RBI.
“He’ll hit .300,” Jake told Sports Headliners on Monday. “Definitely. I hope he hits 20 home runs and I hope he hits about 90 RBI. I think he will. I think he’ll have a good season from now on because he’s healthy. He’s strong. He has no pains. No aches except the knee. He’s ready.”
Mauer’s left knee was hit by a foul ball while catching in a game on April 30. His grandfather said Joe had swelling and has not been able to place normal weight on his back foot while hitting, but Joe expected to return to normal during the team’s homestand that started Monday.
“He just got dizzy like he got a left-handed hook (from) a boxer,” Jake said. “He just got staggered and it (the knee) swelled up.”
Jake is hoping Joe will have a May something like 2009 when his grandson hit 11 home runs with a .414 average and 32 RBI. That kind of production would not only help Mauer reach his season goals, but help the run-hungry Twins create more offense. Last night in a 5-0 win over the Angels Mauer had two hits in a game for the first time since April 29.
Jake is a former baseball player and passionate Twins fan. “The Twins this year are feeble,” he said. “They cannot hit the ball. They have no pitchers that can go over seven innings. Their bullpen is not bad.
“It doesn’t look good. It really doesn’t. I hope they beat last year’s standings as far as wins and losses.”
The Twins were 63-99 last season. In 2012 they are 8-21 so far and Mauer told his grandfather players are stressed. “He says, ‘Everybody is trying too hard.’ …They should try to do what they can do and that’s it.”
The Twins all-star catcher has to be frustrated with all the losing this season after playing on four division title teams. “He wants to win the World Series so God damn bad,” Jake said.