Twin's Mays back in the saddle after long absence

By ANDY KENT
Naples Daily News

FORT MYERS — No, it wasn't the Metrodome in the middle of another September push for the playoffs, but for Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mays, Friday afternoon's start at Hammond Stadium was just as important.

The 29-year-old right-hander pitched two scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his first live game since Aug. 31, 2003. He struck out three batters, walked one and allowed one hit before walking off the mound, confident that his arm was just about where it should be after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his elbow in September of 2003 that caused him to miss all of last season.

"Being back in spring training, being healthy, getting a chance to get back out there in spring training games, that was one of the goals on the list, and we'll just keep marking them off as I reach each one," Mays said in the clubhouse after he iced down.

The Twins went on to lose, 5-2, in their home opener in front of 6,862 fans on a beautiful sunny day, dropping them to 0-2 in the Grapefruit League. Left-handed reliever J.C. Romero gave up four earned runs on three walks, two hits and a hit batsmen in the third inning.

So when Mays, manager Ron Gardenhire and general manager Terry Ryan described the afternoon as a positive step with Mays' performance and the return of 21-year-old catcher Joe Mauer behind the plate, it puts spring training in perspective. Mauer missed most of last season with a left knee injury and had surgery to repair the torn cartilage.

In his last two outings before being shut down, Mays struggled badly. His last start on Aug. 28, 2003 at Texas, he gave up five earned runs on five hits, including a home run, two walks, and a strikeout in just three innings of an 8-5 loss. Three days later he pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief in an 11-10 loss, also at Texas.

"I was as happy for Joe Mays and Joe Mauer as I was for anything that we viewed today," Ryan said.

"When you see Mays out there you know he's finally relieved that he can go out and at least compete and help this club. And Mauer back behind the plate, that's certainly a nice thing to see him in the crouch position and not worried about what that knee's doing."

But without a doubt, Friday was Mays' day and he had been thinking about it for a long time. After going through an entire year of rehabbing and throwing in simulated games, all the while feeling like he wasn't part of the team, the one-time All-Star (2001 when he went 17-13 with a 3.16 ERA) couldn't keep the smile off his face.

Gardenhire called watching Mays throw as well as he did, "the highlight of the day for me." It had been something he and his coaching staff had been anxious to see since the club reported to Fort Myers on Feb. 20, and it didn't take long to see good things.

Mays sent the Jays down in order in the top of the first, striking out leadoff hitter Reed Johnson looking, getting Russ Adams to fly out to deep left and getting Orlando Hudson swinging. In the second inning he gave up a leadoff single to Eric Hinske, then got Alex Rios to ground into a double play at third.

He walked Frank Menechino and struck out Eric Crozier swinging to end the inning and his day.

"I think I was trying to guide it a little too much in the first inning, trying to being a little too perfect with it and that is why I was kind of rushing a little bit," Mays said. "The second inning I felt a little bit more like myself. I stayed back a little bit better and I was able to execute my pitches."

The only pitch he didn't get to throw was his slider, which Mays described as the pitch that takes the hardest toll on the elbow. He has only thrown it six times thus far in spring training, but admitted he wanted to throw it to Menechino in the second. He said he's not sure if Mauer knew he had one in his repertoire and that's part of the communication the two will nail down as the season progresses.

"But as of right now, that bump out there in the middle of the field feels a little foreign to me, it doesn't feel like home yet," he added. "That's going to come in due time, but again, that's what spring training's for."

There is still the rest of the month to go before the Twins break camp and head out to Seattle to begin the 2005 season against the Mariners. Mays is looking to that as being the true pot of gold at the end of his journey, although Friday is a very close second.