Author: David Shama

It’s not breaking news but Twins catcher Joe Mauer is going to be a great “catch” for a young woman.  The 24-year-old hometowner with the good looks and long sideburns was featured as one of America’s Most Eligible Bachelors on the “Extra” TV show last Friday.   

His nature is shy and modest but Mauer admitted on the show that “fans have come to the park” asking for marriage.  No deals yet but he’s an unbiased scout who likes blondes and brunettes, and might even go for someone who doesn’t like baseball.   

“Extra” listed his specs including 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, “dimpled smile, baby blues” and “super cute.”  Throw in his $4 million salary and four houses and this guy becomes an easy sell.   

Values?  “Extra” reported that Mauer has a “humble heart” and wants to be married.  “I think I’ll be a great husband,” he told viewers.  “I am pretty easy going.  I am a big family guy.  Family comes first for me.” 

Mauer applicants can go to www.extratv.com and “pen” their thoughts as to why they rate a date with the local hero.  Although you might hit a “home run,” there’s no guarantee you’ll get to “first base.” 

His parents, Jake and Teresa, told Sports Headliners on Sunday that their son doesn’t have a steady girl friend.   

Mauer, who signed a $33 million contract earlier this year, recently informed his parents they can retire from their jobs.  Jake and Teresa said they are targeting late summer or fall to begin retirement. 

Mauer’s focus now is on recovering from a strained left quad muscle that has him unable to play for at least two weeks.  He’s among the American League batting leaders hitting .353.

Joe Mauer’s grandfather, Jake, Sr., has macular degeneration but he’s participating in an experimental program at the University of Minnesota and his sight is improving.   Grandpa is back for another year at Canterbury Park selling his tip sheet.

Collector card authority Dave Mona reports the following sports trading cards are the most popular nationally:  Daisuke Matsuzaka, Sidney Crosby, Alex Rodriguez, JaMarcus Russell and Adrian Peterson.

Matsuzaka, the Red Sox pitcher, was the first choice in a Sports Illustrated players poll to win American League Rookie of the Year honors.  The Twins’ Matt Garza, currently in AAA with Rochester, was the fourth choice (one percent of the vote).

The Gopher football team will play four of its seven home games at night, including three of its four Big Ten Conference home games. Those games are Bowling Green, September 1; Purdue, September 22; Ohio State, September 29 and Illinois, November 3.  The Purdue game starts at 8 p.m., the others at 7 p.m. 

KARE 11 meteorologist Belinda Jensen, who is expecting a baby in late July, remains interested in tennis and participates in weekly drills. 

FSN North hockey analyst Kevin Gorg predicts Buffalo will defeat Anaheim in seven games to win the Stanley Cup.

The Minnesota Twins have exceeded the 10,000 mark in season tickets for only the second time in franchise history and are close to breaking the record set in 1993, according to team president Dave St. Peter.  He told Sports Headliners yesterday that counting full and partial season tickets the Twins have sold about 10,500 tickets.  The record of 10,700 was established in 1993 following World Series championships in 1992 and 1987. 

The Twins’ new ballpark and status among the better teams in baseball has sent interest to near record levels.  “We’re pushing to have a season ticket base north of 15,000 by the time we go in the new ballpark in 2010. …Hopefully, we can push it close to 17,000 to 20,000,” St. Peter said. 

He’s projecting three game attendance of 110,000 to 120,000 for the Red Sox series starting tonight at the Metrodome.  The largest crowd is likely to be for Saturday night’s game, probably more than 40,000 but not necessarily capacity (46,632). 

Cover boy Daisuke Matsuzaka won’t pitch in the series, having started last night in the Red Sox game against Seattle.  St. Peter was asked if Matsuzaka would have pushed a game here to a sellout. 

“I think there would be some impact,” St. Peter said.  “Whether it would go to sellout, I am a little bit skeptical of that.   I think some of the mania has subsided a bit.  He’s got hit around a little bit.”    

The rookie right hander’s record is 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA. Although no one is ready to hand him the Cy Young award, fans would like to see him pitch here.  Of course, many customers would like the American League schedule to bring the Red Sox and Yankees to town more than once per season, too. The Yankees made their only appearance here last month. 

Are the Twins pushing for a change from the league’s unbalanced schedule that will bring these teams here more than once per season every year?  “One of these years we’ll get the Yankees twice (the White Sox do this season),” St. Peter said. “We’ll rotate around. …Be careful of what you ask for.  From a competitive standpoint, I don’t want to play the Yankees and Red Sox more than once.  I appreciate the fan (interest) piece of it. …You asked the question if we’re actively lobbying baseball (for a schedule change) and the answer is no.” 

St. Peter highly values the quality of competition and rivalries in the AL Central.  He said schedules build rivalries and rivalries sell tickets. “My sense is the best teams in baseball are in the American League Central and the beauty of that is we get to play those teams 18 times,” St. Peter said.  “The true test of this will be look at what our attendance will be the following week for the White Sox and Tigers (May 8-13).   

“There are tremendous rivalries being developed here between (the) Twins-White Sox, the Twins (and) the Tigers, the Twins (and) the Indians. …We saw that last year as demonstrated by what happened the second half of the season against both the White Sox and the Tigers. …”