Author: David Shama

ESPN.com grades only seven high school football players in the nation’s class of 2008 higher than Cretin-Derham Hall wide receiver Michael Floyd whose college choices will include Notre Dame, Ohio State and Minnesota. 

Ken Lien, who for 31 years has been a committee member or chair of the Mr. Basketball Committee, includes the following players on the watch list for the 2008 Mr. Basketball award:  Armond Battle, Jordan Taylor, Dakota Tidd, Terrel Clark, Sedrick McBounds, Cody Schilling, Trent Johnson, David Hanson, Anthony Tucker, Jerry Swezzy, Nick Haugen, Jared Berggren and Andrew Brommer. 

Dan Vandervieren, the former Hopkins center who left Purdue earlier this year, might be headed for Colorado State’s basketball team.  

Legendary vendor Wally the Beerman has been selling beer at local baseball games for 37 years.  The new Minneapolis baseball stadium opens in 2010 and Wally could celebrate 40 years of selling.  “I’ll be there for at least one game,” he said.

Joe Mauer’s left quad injury that has sidelined him since May 5  is “tearing his heart apart,” according to grandpa Jake Mauer.  Jake said Joe’s family members feel bad because the Twins catcher is “climbing the walls” he’s so frustrated.

Jake also said his grandson has been to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and also seen doctors in Cleveland but so far no one has been able to explain the injury or offer a guaranteed remedy.  The quad has been sore and Jake said there’s been internal bleeding after Joe runs.   Jake said his grandson suffered the same injury in high school and at that time also had bleeding in the leg.   

Now assigned to the Twins’ Class A farm team in Fort Myers, Mauer has been told to not run but jog on balls hit to infielders, according to Jake.  He will also catch for the Miracle and be with the team for an indefinite period. 

The injury prompts talk again that Mauer, 24, should move to another position.  Mauer, manager Ron Gardenhire and general manager Terry Ryan have consistently expressed no interest in such a change.  Mauer, a former high school quarterback, likes being a leader and working with pitchers. 

“We’re going to keep him behind the plate,” Ryan told Sports Headliners earlier this year.  “That’s where he’s always played, that’s where he wants to stay and there’s no reason to move him. …” 

Mauer was batting .353 through his last game on May 4.  He had only five hits in his last 22 at-bats.  He won the American League batting title last season with an average of .347.

Joe Nathan, who became one of baseball’s best relievers beginning in 2004, will be free to join another team after this season if Minnesota doesn’t pick up the option on his contract.  Even with the option, Nathan can leave the team after the 2008 season if a new multi-year contract isn’t agreed to.  He told Sports Headliners last week that although there were past discussions about keeping him here, there’s no communication now between his agent and team management. 

The Twins face major contract decisions regarding Nathan, Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and Torii Hunter.   Nathan could be seen as the most expendable of the five because Santana is arguably baseball’s best pitcher, the other three are every day star players and the Twins have a history of developing bull pen stoppers.

Nathan would welcome more contract talks (currently “leaving here is the furthest thing from my mind”) but team precedent has been to deal with contracts before and after the season, not during.  However, the closer Nathan comes to free agency the more likely he will want to listen to other clubs.  Coming into this season he had 123 saves during the last three seasons, second in the major leagues to Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera (130 each).   His salary is $5,250,000 according to espn.com.  The Web site lists Hoffman’s at $7 million and Rivera at $10,500,000. 

Nathan said his new contract doesn’t have to be the richest among major league relief pitchers. “I don’t want to say I am only going to take that (the highest), but it’s something where you are compared to guys and it’s got to be at least in the ballpark. …”

A possible willingness to take a “little less” than market price could be influenced by multiple factors including bonus money, contract length and the team’s commitment to winning.  Not only does Nathan express a desire to stay here but he’s appreciative of how the Twins have showcased him as a top reliever and used restraint in not over working him.  He said his career has been lengthened by the team’s bullpen depth. 

Although he will be 33 in November, Nathan doesn’t think his next contract is necessarily the last.  “I am still young,” he said.  “I am 32 but I feel like I am younger than that because I haven’t been pitching that long so I feel like I’ve got plenty of good innings in my arm.  I haven’t shown any signs that would be different. …”