Joe Mauer prefers to stay with the Twins and will accept less money on his next contract to do so, but wants negotiations to begin this fall, according to a local source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mauer becomes a free agent after next season and the source said if the Twins don’t have a new contract done by January 1, 2010 it could mean losing the All-Star catcher and three time batting champion. “The Twins could be completely out (from future negotiations),” the source said.

Under baseball rules only the Twins are allowed to negotiate with Mauer until after next season.  Mauer wants to see what the Twins have to offer and may accept a seven year, $150 million deal (with potential extra compensation) to keep him with the home town team, according to the source who also said that another organization might offer 10 years, $270 million. The Twins offer could include financial incentives for winning a batting title or playing in so many games.

The figure of $270 million would make Mauer, 26, close to the highest paid player in baseball history.  Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees earns $27.5 million per year.  Mauer is finishing up a four year, $33 million contract, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

The source said Mauer and a family member returned to Minneapolis from Baltimore on Friday after meeting with agent Ron Shapiro.  That meeting is believed to have established off season negotiating strategy before Mauer heads to his winter home in Florida.

Mauer won the American League Outstanding Player Award recently in a vote by players and later this month could win the AL MVP award.  Mauer is not only near the top on any list of baseball’s best players, he’s also extraordinarily popular in Minnesota where his departure would be a mega public relations and box office problem for the Twins.

The source believes, however, that the right offer, not necessarily the highest among all teams, will keep Mauer here.  “I think it will because he really wants to stay with the Twins,” the source said.

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My friend Bob Werness, 78, died from cancer on Friday.  A Bloomington resident, Bob loved athletics and started the Mr. Basketball program.  He also was a leader in establishing the Minnesota prep all-star basketball game.

Director of athletics Joel Maturi announced this morning that junior forward Trevor Mbakwe will not play for the Gophers basketball team until his pending legal matter has been resolved in what a University of Minnesota statement described as a “satisfactory manner.”  Maturi said that Mbakwe will continue to attend classes, be a part of the team, and practice with the Gophers.  He will not dress for home games nor travel to away competition, according to Maturi.  The Gophers have an exhibition game scheduled at home against the University of Minnesota Duluth on Thursday night.

According to earlier news reports, a woman alleges Mbakwe attacked her earlier this year in Florida.  A trial is anticipated regarding a felony aggravated battery charge to further address the allegation.

As usual, there are many numbers to look at after a football game but none more important than the Vikings’ 7-1 record following yesterday’s 38-26 win over the Packers in the Green Bay.  The Packers’ record is 4-3 and the message coming from the game is this: for now the Vikings have separated themselves from Green Bay and Chicago (also 4-3) in the NFC North Division title race.

A Vikings defeat would have left the Packers and Bears only one game behind Minnesota in the loss column and announced a typically tight mid-season division race.  Instead, the Vikings have a comfortable lead and take next Sunday off.  When they resume playing, three consecutive home games are coming up against Detroit, Seattle and Chicago.  The Vikings’ bye week after eight weeks of games is perfectly positioned for them in their 16 game schedule.

An injury to a vital player like Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen or Kevin Williams could change the outlook for the title march, but for now the Vikings have sent an in-your-face statement to their NFC brethren.

Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams owns a $400,000 Rolls Royce.

The Gophers received a verbal commitment for the 2010 recruiting class on Saturday from four-star running back Josh Huff of Aldine, Texas, according to https://minnesota.rivals.com/.

Former Gopher Arland Bruce III is a wide receiver for Hamilton in the Canadian Football League.  He is third in league receptions, fourth in receiving yards and second in reception touchdowns, according to: https://www.cfl.ca/statistics/league/stat/Receiving/year/2009.

Nathan Jawai, the Wolves 23-year-old 6-10 center, is from Australia where he’s been referred to as “Aussie Shaq,” or “Baby Shaq” because of his facial resemblance to Shaquille O’Neal.  Jawai is way behind O’Neal in on court performance, though, averaging 0.9 points per game in seven NBA games since being drafted in 2008.  However, he’s competitive with O’Neal in employment with league teams. Jawai’s NBA rights have been held by four teams in his career.  O’Neal, at 37, has been with five teams.  Jawai actually resembles former NBA center Darryl Dawkins more than he does O’Neal.

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis likes Jawai’s athleticism. “We see him, like a lot of players on this team, as a project but he’s an exciting project,” Rambis said.

A media representative joking with Rambis after he described how his players can improve playing against better players: “You’ve come to the right place.”

The Timberwolves have only four players on their 14 man roster who were drafted by the organization.  The senior member of the group is Corey Brewer, drafted in 2007.  The others are Kevin Love, drafted in 2008, and Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington from this year’s draft.

Former Gopher Matt Koalska is now an assistant coach for the men’s hockey team at the University of St. Thomas.

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That’s part of the greeting quarterback Brett Favre will receive on his return to Lambeau Field on Sunday when the Vikings play his former team, the Green Bay Packers.  The Green Bay Press-Gazette is publishing the slogan in tomorrow’s paper so readers can cut it out and bring it to the game.  https://greenbayhub.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20091023/GPG05/91013103

The newspaper promoted voting on welcome home slogans and the message above was the winner, capturing 28.5 percent of the votes. “We have 12-reasons to 4-Get you” was runner-up at 21.4 percent and refers to Favre’s successor with the Packers, No. 12, Aaron Rodgers.

Various emotions will be experienced by those watching the game at Lambeau and on TV, ranging from hatred to love for Favre who played 16 seasons in Green Bay.  There are those, too, who are so conflicted they root for both Favre and the Packers.

The Vikings don’t need Favre’s first trip back to Green Bay as incentive.  There are more than enough motivating elements without that storyline.

The Vikings lead the NFC North with a 6-1 record, while the Packers are 4-2.  Green Bay lost the first game with the Vikings this season and certainly doesn’t want to make it two straight.  And the historic rivalry between the two franchises is almost always a motivation for the teams and a contributing reason why the series of wins and losses is so close. (The Packers lead 49-47-1).

“You take this storyline (about Favre) out of the game (and) it’s a huge game for them, a huge game for us just in the division, because the only way to assure a shot at the Super Bowl is to get in the playoffs, and the best way to do that is win the division,” said Ryan Longwell, the Vikings kicker and a former Packer. “It’s a big tough game beyond Brett going back.”

Longwell, a Vikings captain, is even more convinced that the Favre storyline doesn’t matter because of the loss last Sunday to Pittsburgh, the Vikings first defeat. “I think guys are really focused (and) understand what’s at stake,” he said.

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