Joe Mauer knew he was going to face Joe Nathan in the batting cage Sunday, so he decided to have a little fun.

Mauer told the guys in his hitting group he would take a rip at the first pitch (very un-Mauer like), figuring he’d get a fastball, and if he launched one over the fence, he was going to leave the cage immediately, forgoing the rest of his five pitches.

As in, “This stuff is too easy.”

Sure enough, Mauer got a first-pitch fastball, and he ripped Nathan’s offering to deep left field, nearly hitting an opposite-field home run. The rest of the hitters were oohing and aahing, and the ball landed just short of a home run. It would have been extra bases, for sure.

Not to be outdone, Nathan later came back and jammed Mauer with a two-seam fastball, breaking his bat. Nathan always has thrown a four-seam fastball, a pitch that is easier to control. The two-seamer is a work in progress because it has more movement.

Mauer later signed the broken bat with the words, “Nice two-seamer, thanks. Joe Mauer #7.”

“He’s been one of the best closers in baseball, and he’s still trying to get better,” Mauer said later, marveling.

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