Joe Mays

Joe Mays

Joeseph Emerson Mays (born December 10, 1975) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher.

Mays is a 1994 graduate of Southeast High School in Bradenton, Florida. He also attended Manatee Community College in Bradenton. He and his wife, Melinda (née Rogers), have two children.

Mays began his major league career with the Twins on April 7, 1999. He missed all of the 2004 season to have Tommy John surgery performed on his pitching arm. Through 2003, he posted a 42-55 record with a 4.70 ERA. Mays successfully bounced back from his surgery to rejoin the Twins' starting rotation at the beginning of the 2005 season, and recorded his first win since the 2003 season on April 27, 2005 against the Kansas City Royals.

Due to his losing record and disappointing ERA, on August 26, 2005, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire demoted Mays to the Twins bullpen and called up Scott Baker from AAA Rochester to replace Mays in the pitching rotation.

On October 7, 2005, the Twins chose not to renew Mays' contract for 2006, making him a free agent. He signed with the Kansas City Royals on December 23, 2005.

Mays' Royals career was short-lived, as he was released on May 16, 2006 after posting an 0-4 record in 6 starts with a 10.27 ERA. On May 19, 2006, Mays signed a minor league contract with the Louisville Bats. On June 6, Mays had his contract purchased by the Reds. However, Mays was designated for assignment on July 26, ending his short stint with the Reds.

Mays would spend a good deal of time as a free agent before signing a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on February 7, 2007. The contract included an invitation to spring training, where Mays failed to make the big league roster. Mays requested and received his release on May 16, 2007.