I chatted up Joe Mauer before the game. His brother, Jake, told me over at the minor league complex a few days ago that his brother was talking about how this camp has been the best he’s felt during a spring training.

Joe downplayed it a little bit when I relayed what Jake said to him, but we both still knocked on wood afterward. He’s batting .357 with two doubles this spring.

Soon, Justin Morneau, Mike Redmond and Michael Cuddyer joined the discussion. Cuddyer is the union rep and Mike Redmond is his assistant. But Michael and Mike have employed Mauer and Morneau as associate reps. Their duties are to go to the mailbox and pass out documents. Now the M & M boys are looking to add their own assistants. Talk about passing the buck.

Then we started talking about bats. Morneau likes maple bats with thin handles. The others prefer ash bats with thicker handles. Cuddyer is in the middle of a ten-year contract with a certain bat maker and swings nothing else. Mike Redmond, who swings his bat like he’s playing cricket, doesn’t have a deal.

Mauer then handed me a couple bats. Morneau’s handle really is thin, but has a big barrel. I preferred Mauer’s because it felt more balanced and easier to swing.

I know. This is really, really deep stuff. But that was the mood in the clubhouse this morning….

Lineups:

Rays: 1. Elliot Johnson, 2B. 2. Willy Aybar, 3B. 3. Johnny Gomes, DH. 4. Eric Hinske, 1B. 5. Joel Guzman, LF. 6. John Rodriguez, CF. 7. Dioner Navarro, C. 8. Reid Brignac, SS. 9. Justin Riggiano, RF. Pitching: James Shields. I’m buying if you can pick the four everyday players out of this group of camp fodder.

Twins: 1. Span, CF. 2. Punto, 2B. 3. Young, LF. 4. Morneau, 1B. 5. Monroe, RF. 6. Kubel, DH. 7. Redmond, C. 8. Buscher, 3B. 9. Everett, SS. Pitching: Livan, then Perkins, Nathan, Rincon, Gomez and Cali.

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