It can’t hurt the Twins’ pursuit of a new contract for Minnesota native Joe Mauer if they improve their personnel but a source speaking on condition of anonymity told Sports Headliners that won’t be a deal breaker.  “He’ll sign here for anything reasonable,” the source said.

His heart may belong to Minnesota despite speculation that he might receive a 10 year, $160 million contract after 2011 to play elsewhere.  The Twins are likely to start working on a new contract with Mauer and his agent Ron Shapiro after this season.  Other clubs will have to wait until Mauer’s existing contract expires after the 2010 season.

The 26-year-old Mauer, who has won two batting titles and is moving toward a third, is one of baseball’s most attractive talents not only for his once in a generation hitting but also his ability to catch including handling pitchers and throwing out base runners.  While some superstars can be demanding, Mauer is shy and easy going.

The source said Mauer won’t become so frustrated with the Twins that he will try to tell ownership and management how to run the ball club.  The Twins, who have a 45-44 record after 89 games, haven’t played in a World Series since 1991, although they have won four Central Division titles this decade (the last in 2006).

The Twins are a team that’s formidable enough to win the mediocre Central after finishing just a game back last year.  But they need a few talented acquisitions to thump chests with the big boys of baseball (see their 6-19 record against the AL East).

General manager Bill Smith and others who make the personnel decisions need to improve the starting and relief pitching, plus find a couple better bats at the bottom of the order.  Give them credit during the off season for bringing in free agent third baseman Joe Crede who has hit 14 home runs so far.

But there are other holes to fill.  And wouldn’t it be something if in 2011 the needs list started with catcher?

Talk about inaccurate predictions.  Before the season Sporting News Magazine predicted the Twins’ Francisco Liriano will win the 2009 Cy Young award. The 25-year-old left-hander has struggled to keep his spot in the team’s so-so starting rotation.

At the All-Star game break, Liriano is 4-9 with a 4.47 ERA.  He’s walked 46 batters      in 102 innings, the most on the staff by 17.  Kevin Slowey, who is 10-3, has pitched 11.1 fewer innings but given up 31 fewer walks.

Learning to pitch with smarts, including throwing the ball over the plate, is still on the former phenom’s to-do list.  Liriano isn’t the same pitcher physically he was before major arm surgery but based on a comeback season last year, including a strong August, a better performance was expected in 2009.

Liriano was brilliant in 2006 before injuring his arm.  During that partial season he was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA.  But even last year there was rumor of Minnesota trading him and that has to be considered a possibility, particularly to a National league team where if he did become a standout he wouldn’t be facing the American League Twins on a regular basis.

The Twins are only four games out of first place in the Central Division.  There’s been frequent complaining about the team’s relief pitching and anemic hitting at the bottom of the order, but the starting pitching will probably be the most important factor in how the Twins finish.

Not only has Liriano disappointed but so, too, has starter Scott Baker who received a new four year contract before the season.  Baker’s numbers are 7-7 with a 5.43 ERA.  His performance, like Liriano, has at times frustrated manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson.

Twins starters Slowey, Nick Blackburn and Glen Perkins have records of 10-3, 8-4 and 4-5.  Their respective ERA’s are 4.86, 3.06 and 4.71.  Those three have graded out better than Baker and Liriano, neither one of whom needs to pitch like a Cy Young winner, just a lot better to move the Twins to a Central Division title.

Not only will watching Brett Favre be a late summer treat for Vikings fans, but seeing rookie Percy Harvin scramble around in the Wildcat formation should be the cherry on the sundae.

The Vikings likely are planning extra personnel to handle crowds at training camp in Mankato anticipating Favre joining the team.

The Vikings have re-launched the team’s web site, www.vikings.com, making it easier for viewers to consume media of all types, including videos and news.  Fans will continue to stream live video of coach Brad Childress’ press conferences and other team functions, plus links to the Vikings’ Facebook and Twitter pages.

The mid-July issue of Sports Illustrated includes profiles of 14 extraordinary young teenage athletes in various sports.  Among them is Patterson, Louisiana running back Kenny Hilliard, who according to the magazine, has offers from Alabama, Louisiana State, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas A&M.  As a sophomore last season he rushed for 2,377 yards and 34 touchdowns, per S.I.

Projection on Tubby Smith’s starting lineup for the Gophers next fall:  forwards Damian Johnson and Trevor Mbwake, center Ralph Sampson III, and guards Lawrence Westbrook and Al Nolan.

Among the Gopher freshmen, point guard Justin Cobbs might be the most ready to play in the fall.  Seems like a no brainer to redshirt forward Rodney Williams, letting him develop his basketball and academic skills during his first year of college.

ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons didn’t like the decision making the Wolves used selecting back-to-back point guards in last month’s draft.  He’s part of the mainstream view that after drafting Ricky Rubio at No. 5 the Wolves should have opted for Stephen Curry, an extraordinary college scorer, instead of Jonny Flynn.  Simmons wrote: “That pick was transparent — Flynn clearly was a ‘here’s our backup plan if we don’t sign Rubio’ selection.”  See the full analysis at: https://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090710

Five women’s hockey players with University of Minnesota ties have been selected to compete at the 2009 USA Hockey Women’s National Festival August 18-24 at Blaine’s National Sports Center.  Participating will be the Gophers’ Anne Schleper and U alums Natalie Darwitz, Rachael Drazan, Gigi Marvin and Erica McKenzie. Forty-one players have been invited to the camp, which will assist USA Hockey in selecting its U.S. National team.  From the camp, 23 players will make the roster and prepare for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.