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Paul Feiner is his name and staking claim to a strikeout of Joe Mauer is his fame.
Feiner, now a veteran digital marketer for Minneapolis-based Go-Kart Labs, was a senior right-hander for Elk River High School in 2000. The Elks reached the state tournament that season, but after a first-round loss they were sent to the consolation bracket for a date with the high-powered Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders, where Mauer was a budding superstar.
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Mauer was a dominating baseball player, at one point setting the national prep record by homering in seven straight games, according to KARE.
- Mauer’s first at-bat against Feiner: home run
- Mauer’s second at-abat: single
- Mauer’s third at-bat: a tale for the ages
Feiner got Mauer to whiff on a “12-to-6” curveball – a moment that will last a lifetime for Feiner, who now runs a popular social media account called “I Love Minnesota Sports.” The Facebook page for I Love Minnesota Sports has more than 17,000 fans and is a fun, informative venue filled with engaged sports fans.
https://twitter.com/ilovemnsports/status/605371821907689473
Mauer, who hadn’t struck out before and didn’t after that pitch, led the Raiders to a win on that day, ending Feiner’s playing career.
Fifteen years after he was Mauer’s master, if only for a moment, Feiner finally got the chance to meet the former All-Star.
“Obviously there’s been a lot of stories written about that over the years. It was nice to meet him,” Mauer told Fox Sports North. “He seemed like a nice guy, humble guy. I don’t think he likes all the attention. It was nice. It’s kind of weird how it ended up us meeting.”
Feiner wasn’t alone when his baseball career ended that day, but he’ll forever be one-of-a-kind in Minnesota baseball lore.
