Welcome to the Monday edition of The Cooler, where sometimes you have to just tip your cap. Let's get to it:
*Plenty of people have already said what a perfect ending Sunday was for Joe Mauer if, indeed, that was the final game of his career. What struck me, in particular, was the emotional catharsis that seemed to be taking place throughout the day — and particularly in the ninth inning, when Mauer donned catcher gear one last time for one pitch.
When Mauer came out to catch the first pitch of the ninth, touching off a five-minute ovation that had Mauer fighting back tears, the full scope of what was taken away by concussions finally came into view.
We've tended to think of his transition to first base — brought on by concussions, with the last game he caught coming on Aug. 19, 2013 — in the context of the cold calculus of wins above replacement and other such things.
For Mauer, the emotion Sunday reflected how much losing that piece of himself meant to his identity — and that perhaps neither he nor fans had ever fully and properly grieved what that loss meant.
Someone like Mauer — who was 30 when he caught his final full game — had lived a life to that point with very few, if any, limits. Everyone who knows him swears he's the best athlete they've ever met — as amazing and competitive at baseball, football or basketball as he is at ping-pong and other hand-eye games.
Suddenly, he was not just facing the erosion of skill because of concussions but also he was being told there was something he should no longer do: play catcher, the physically demanding thing he had always done, and had always done exceptionally well.
Mauer in the catcher gear one more time was a reminder of all that — and maybe a way for he and Twins fans to finally heal.