News
Mauer power reaches new heights in May
Players, coaches ponder catcher's record-book month
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
06/02/09 2:00 AM ET
MINNEAPOLIS -- During a game against the Brewers at the Metrodome last month, a group of Twins starting pitchers sat together on the bench and, just like they do every day, they began discussing the game and how to face various hitters. But the question on this night was not about an opposing batter. Rather it was, "How would you try to get Joe Mauer out?" Nick Blackburn was the first to answer the question, saying that he would throw inside to Mauer since he hadn't seen the catcher really turn on the ball. Just then, Mauer jerked a changeup that was left inside by Brewers starter Dave Bush and deposited it in the upper deck of right-center field. Kevin Slowey suggested that he might try to throw Mauer two early curveballs to get him behind in the count and try to force Mauer to get himself out. In Mauer's next at-bat vs. Bush, he took two curveballs for a count of 2-2. Mauer took a high fastball for ball three and then on the third curveball from Bush, he flared a single to left field. So Glen Perkins joked that both Blackburn and Slowey are now 0-for-1 against Mauer. "I haven't come up with my plan yet," Perkins said with a smile. The Twins' starters aren't alone. Figuring out just how to pitch the hottest hitter in baseball over the past month is a question plaguing every opposing pitcher who faces the Twins right now. Since coming off the disabled list on May 1, Mauer has hit 11 homers with 32 RBIs. His .414 batting average, .500 on-base percentage and .838 slugging percentage were the best in May among any player in baseball who recorded at least 75 plate appearances. "That's high school numbers," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Mauer's May output. "That's not professional baseball numbers. Really, if you think about it ... that's not normal for Major League Baseball. And he's a catcher? That's pretty amazing." Record booksMauer's month has not just been impressive, it's been historic. The 32 RBIs by the catcher set a club record for the month of May, besting Harmon Killebrew's 29 RBIs in 1961. He also became the first Twins player ever to hit 11 homers and 30-plus RBIs in a month. "I [had] the opportunity to play with Killebrew for many years while he hit a lot of home runs in a month, and I saw Rod Carew, who batted .400 or better for a month, but never like that -- where you hit so many home runs and hit the ball close to .500," said Tony Oliva, a three-time batting champion himself. "It's unbelievable. He's very hot. I've never seen something like that." In earning two batting titles in 2006 and 2008, Mauer has put together impressive stretches before. There was the time back in June 2006 when he went 11-for-13 (.846) during a three-game series against the Dodgers. But none of those, Mauer said, felt like this. "The field seems a little bit bigger right now and the ball slows down," Mauer said. "I've been feeling good and I've been trying to hold onto that feeling as long as I can. I know it's not going to last the whole year or anything like that. I'm just trying to hold onto it as long as I can." Over the past month Mauer's cell phone has been buzzing with text messages from guys he's played with earlier in his career, remarking on the numbers he's putting up. He said his teammates keep teasing him that "it can't be that easy." "I tell him all the time, 'Man, you are setting the bar way too high for yourself. People are going to expect you to hit 11 home runs every month,'" backup catcher Mike Redmond said. "I don't know if he can keep that pace up, if that's even possible. But if anybody can do it, it's him." Power jump
Mauer has always hit for average, proven by the fact that he's only the second catcher in Major League history to win two batting titles. But what has opened the eyes of the league this past month was the catcher's surge in power. In 99 at-bats, Mauer has 11 homers. That's more homers than he hit in all of last season (9) and two shy of his career high in the big leagues. Mauer averaged one home run every nine at-bats over his first month back with the Twins. Entering this season, Mauer had averaged a homer in every 46.8 at-bats in the Majors. When asked whether he can remember a streak like this in terms of home runs, Mauer couldn't pinpoint a time. "Maybe in high school," he said. So what's been the difference? Mauer said there has been no change in his swing or his approach. He credits the fact that he's been able to see the ball well since his return and he now better understands what pitchers are trying to do to him now in his sixth Major League season. His teammates, like Justin Morneau, believe the increase is due to Mauer, 26, finally growing into his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame. Torii Hunter used to joke that once Mauer developed into his "man muscles," opponents better watch out. Hitting coach Joe Vavra won't discuss any possible changes in Mauer's swing either, just saying that there have been some small tweaks to what's been described by many as one of the sweetest swings in baseball today. To some scouts and other observers, Mauer's swing appears to be not quite as long as it was last year. By staying shorter to the ball, it could be part of the reason for the increase in power. Still, there has been no definitive answer. But while many are surprised by the power surge, Mauer doesn't count himself as one of them.
"I knew I always had enough power to hit home runs," Mauer said. "I didn't think this ballpark [the Metrodome] was that conducive for me, especially early on in my career."
The winter of no activityMauer's performance in May is unique in just his numbers alone. But the fact that his monstrous month came right after his return from the DL makes it a little more unusual. Rather than his usual offseason of conditioning and lifting weights for the start of Spring Training, Mauer spent the winter trying to determine the cause of the problems in his back. He spent the weeks leading up to Spring Training recovering from a late-December surgery to eliminate a kidney obstruction. The surgery didn't fix Mauer's back problems. Instead he was finally diagnosed with inflammation in his right sacroiliac joint, which kept him off the field for all of Spring Training. His preparation for the '09 season was limited to about 10 Minor League games in late April. "Heading into this year I was pretty worried about just keeping my strength up, having not being able to work out in the offseason," Mauer said. "Knowing how long of a season it is, I was a little nervous about this year and how physically it was going to go for me. I still have work to do, but everything has been going well so far." From All-Star to superstar?
Mauer has long been respected as one of the best catchers and young hitters in the game. But this past month has left opposing players and managers heaping even more praise on the 26-year-old than in the past. "Offensively, as a catcher, he's had no peer to me," Rays manager Joe Maddon said this past weekend. "And that includes Pudge [Rodriguez]. "He's an incredible hitter. He's really young. He's going to keep getting better. He's quite a force. He's definitely a franchise-changing kind of player." Maddon sees Mauer just a handful of times a year, but White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has gotten to watch the Twins' All-Star catcher more often during their AL Central matchups. And he said that with the power that Mauer has added, he now presents a different kind of threat to opponents. "Now, he's more dangerous," Guillen said. "Those back-to-back punches [Mauer and Morneau] are unbelievable. This kid is so dangerous now. Most of the time you say, 'We are going to pitch to him and not to Morneau because Morneau can hit the ball out of the ballpark.' Now you get caught up in that situation and it's not easy." So can this sort of streak continue for Mauer? He is one who doesn't believe it can, but his teammates say he might be just the player to keep it up. Whatever the case, everyone seems to just be enjoying watching Mauer and waiting to find out what he might do next. "It's pretty interesting to see the evolving of a really good player," Vavra said. "It's fun to be a part of it right now."
Kelly Thesier is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
