Brian Murphy: A whiff to remember on an unforgettable night for Mauer

Joe Mauer’s relief was palpable Saturday night as St. Paul’s sandlot hero reflected on his 15-year Twins career and the emotionally charged speech he finally delivered to 34-plus thousand friends, relatives, teammates and fans at Target Field.

Plus one long-lost high school archnemesis.

The newest Twins Hall of Famer had touched all the familial bases and struck all the poignant notes in his17-minute acceptance speech before Minnesota played host to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He choked up describing the sports and life lessons given by his late father and grandfather – The Two Jakes. And he made sure to bestow MVP caretaking honors on his mother, Teresa, and wife, Maddie.

Watching twin daughters Maren and Emily, 10, throw out ceremonial pitches along with their 4-year-old little brother Chip had Mauer grinning on the field like a split watermelon.

But you could have knocked over Mauer with a feather when he saw Paul Feiner amble onto the diamond to deliver the baseballs his kids would throw to him at home plate.

Feiner has the distinction of being the only prep pitcher to strike out Mauer during the three-time American League batting champion and 2009 most valuable player’s high school career at Cretin-Derham Hall.

It was the 2000 state tournament during Mauer’s junior year. Feiner was pitching for Elk River. He whiffed Mauer on a 12-to-6 breaking ball, the only time in 222 high school at-bats Mauer was forced to grab pine.

“A curveball,” Mauer recalled, like a master poker player who remembers their toughest beats. “He told me I had a better at bat the one before. I don’t remember that. But I do remember swinging and missing, obviously upset.”

Twenty-three years later, the war story made for a cool reunion as the former competitors embraced and reminisced on a night Mauer and his family will never forget.

Mauer officially became the 38th inductee into the Twins hall of fame when former “M & M Boys” teammate Justin Morneau and Rod Carew helped him pull on the requisite baby-blue blazer and welcomed him to the club.

Team royalty was everywhere on the field, from Tony Oliva, Jim Perry and Jim Kaat to Kent Hrbek and Greg Gagne in between Dan Gladden, Eddie Guardado and Johan Santana.

Ex-managers Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire were in the house. And a host of clubhouse piranhas like Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe and Nick Punto.

There was a golf outing Friday, dinners throughout the weekend and stories. Lots of chops-busting stories. Along with mad respect.

“We knew we were better because you were on our team,” Morneau told Mauer and the crowd. “You were a generational talent, a once-in-a-lifetime-type player. Or, simply put, a hall of famer.”

Mauer’s legacy is well-chronicled, and it figures to take broader shape as the great debate about his hall of fame bona fides intensifies now that he is eligible for Cooperstown.

Baseball’s No. 1 overall draft choice in 2001 left a football scholarship to Florida State on the table to sign with the Twins. He debuted in 2004 and became a six-time all-star and three-time Gold Glove winner at catcher – the only AL receiver to win a batting title, let alone three.

Mauer was on a glide path to Cooperstown before concussions forced him to shelve his mask, shin guards and chest protector for a first baseman’s glove, a position that saved his career but could not salvage several injury-marred and unproductive seasons that followed.

He finished with a .306 career batting average, plus an OPS of .827. He ranks first in Twins history in doubles (428) and times on base (3,087) while he is second in games (1,858), hits (2,123), walks (939) and at-bats (6930).

“Cooperstown, that’s out of my hands,” Mauer told reporters. “Obviously, it would be an unbelievable call to receive some day, and I hope I do. I did everything I could to set a resume. It’s up to other people to think if it’s worthy or not. I hope it is.”

Mauer’s vanilla affability belied a fierce competitor who respected baseball’s nuances, who hated losing and maintained a stiff upper lip against critics who bemoaned his waning production.

Rarely did Mauer show emotion on or off the field. But five years after he retired, Mauer is taking a victory lap that allows him and his family to bask in the warm afterglow of a unique story in Minnesota sports history.

There is much more salt than pepper in Mauer’s close-cropped hair and famous sideburns. The man of few words knew the lump was coming in his throat when he memorialized his father, who died in January at age 66 after an illness.

The patriarch of the three baseball-playing Mauer boys – Jake, Joe and Billy – was a constant presence during the ’90s on ballfields, basketball courts and football gridirons around the Saintly City.

All Joe really wanted to do was made dad proud and share the old man’s wisdom with his own children.

“I tip my cap to you, dad, for always being there and for being one of the main reasons I’m standing here today,” he said.