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 80th 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.