Celebrating Mauer

The Twins wrap up this homestand tonight against the Yankees, then trundle off to Kansas City, Detroit and Oakland before returning home for their final six games of the season.

Which will be the final six games of Joe Mauer's contract, and perhaps the final six games of his illustrious career.

Mauer on Tuesday hit the fifth grand slam of his career. His career batting average with the bases loaded is .378. That is a fact. Also a fact is that Minnesota has a vocal set of Mauer haters, fueled by a popular but cynical set of media voices (radio and print) that are adverse to facts. They are, at least for the moment, drowned out by the public embrace of the hometown hero who may be on his way out.

Nobody knows, perhaps not even Mauer, what his future holds. He could retire, he could return. He could even sign elsewhere, although nobody appears to think that likely.

We've toted up before reasons for him to keep going and reasons for him to hang it up, and all of them still hold. Neither decision should surprise anybody.

Meanwhile, there is this: seven more games in Minnesota for Joe Mauer. There may be more, but there may not. Cherish them.