Joe Mauer has never been one to seek attention, it has just tended to find him since he was a three-sport star at Cretin-Derham Hall in the late 1990s. But he ran toward it on Saturday, answering questions from fans — and taking photos with them — in Woodbury.

Mauer’s appearance was part of the grand opening of Public Lands, an outdoor sports outlet in the Woodbury Lakes shopping district, an indication of how years in the spotlight have made the former Twins all-star and 2009 American League MVP more comfortable in a crowd.

He talked to fans about his favorite opposing ballparks — Fenway and the old Yankee Stadium — and his favorite highlight moment — a three-run, ninth-inning home run in Boston that sparked a come-from-behind, 6-4 victory in August 2012.

“I haven’t really done many of these, but it was good,” he said after posing for photos with more than 100 fans inside the store.

He also, of course, spoke about his impending induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Asked about whether he expected to be a first-ballot electee, he told an inquisitor that the Hall gives nominees a 30-minute window in which they can expect a call informing them of induction.

“If they call, you’re in.” Mauer said. “If they don’t, you wait till next year. In the words of Bert Blyleven, he said, ‘Have a beer and wait till next year.’ ”

But Mauer didn’t have to wait. Joined by a small group of family members, he received the call on Jan. 23. His career will achieve its apotheosis when he is officially inducted on July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“Right now, it’s just buildup,” Mauer said. “We have to check things off the list before we actually get out there.”

That includes writing his speech, which Mauer is constructing with a team of undisclosed aides he described as “a few people who have opinions to kinda hear what it sounds like.”

“It’s a work in progress,” he added.

The sad part of the story is that Mauer will be inducted without his father, Jake, who passed away on Jan. 17 at the age of 66, a year before his youngest son learned he would be a hall of famer. Joe Mauer and his brothers, Billy and Jake, all played and/or coached in the Twins organization.

When Mauer described the experience of getting the call from Cooperstown, he said he “had my parents” there until correcting himself. His mother Teresa was there with his brothers Jake and Billy, his wife Maddie and their three children, and his in-laws.

“It’s been tough, just because they did everything together. That’s just how it was. It was ‘the parents,’ ” Mauer told the Pioneer Press.

In some ways, Mauer said, it still hasn’t completely sunk in.

“The kids will do something, and I’ll catch myself as I go to call him,” he said. “It’s been hard. A lot of things happening, and the kids are growing — different milestones. You want to pick up the phone and call him, but you can’t. It’s tough.

“I wish he could see this (happen) this summer. I know he will, just from a different perspective.”

Until then, Mauer has more preparation ahead of him — mostly that speech. It was a 15-year career, all with the hometown team, that included a .306 career batting average and three AL batting titles. And then there are the people who helped him get there.

It’s a lot to synopsize.

Unlike Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, those enshrined in Cooperstown don’t pick who enshrines them. Mauer and fellow inductees Adrian Beltré and Todd Helton will be introduced by a master of ceremonies.

“Then I go up and I think I have 8-10 minutes to get it all in there,” he said.

Related Articles

Joe Mauer and Hannah Brandt immortalized by Catholic Athletic Association

 

 

 

The Professional Women’s Hockey League released a statement on Saturday acknowledging  that Natalie Darwitz has been removed as Minnesota’s general manager. One bit of clarity that came out of the announcement is that head coach Ken Klee and his staff will be making the team’s selections in Monday’s PWHL draft.

Minnesota will pick third in all seven rounds, with the drafted order determined by the final standings in the regular season.

Assuming Klee will be back as coach next season — possibly with the added title of general manager — he will have the opportunity to handpick players who mesh with his coaching philosophy.

Natalie Darwitz speaks to the media at the U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame Induction on Dec. 12, 2018, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Klee spoke during the season about a shortage of physical forwards on the roster when discussing how Abby Boreen emerged as a key player after she was inserted into the lineup off the reserve list. Boreen will be a full-time player next season and as a result will be in this year’s draft.

While it seems unlikely that Minnesota would use the third overall pick on Boreen, she would appear to be a candidate to be picked in the second round. Teams also will be able to make trades involving draft picks for the first time, so that is an avenue Minnesota could explore as well.

Speaking prior to her departure, Darwitz acknowledged that the PWHL game proved to be more physical than she had anticipated.

“I think the first couple games were a good step in the right direction,” she said. “They allowed the rub-out and things along the wall. Then it turned into open-ice hits, and a few scary moments. And we addressed that and I felt they curbed that a little bit.

“But then I felt it ramped up again in the playoffs — the physicality and the extra hit when the puck was already gone. I’m an advocate of keeping our game clean and keeping it skill-based.”

Darwitz said that in phone calls that took place among general managers during the playoffs there was some confusion over what was and wasn’t allowed when it came to body contact. In that regard she anticipates some clarification from league officials prior to next season.

Darwitz said when she put together the team she did not expect the physical play to be as much of a factor as it proved to be.

“But I feel we adapted really well to it,” she said. “I wouldn’t call us the most physical team; I think we played the right way, where for some other teams it was their No. 1 game plan. For us, it wasn’t.”

Darwitz relied heavily on Minnesotans and players with Midwestern ties in building the first roster, and it will be interesting to see if that continues. Having the likes of Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle and Lee Stecklein on the team — all Minnesotans and former Gophers — added to the local interest.

ELMONT, NEW YORK – MARCH 03: Corinne Schroederm #30 of New York makes the third period stop on Abby Boreen #24 of Minnesota during PWHL play at UBS Arena on March 03, 2024 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

In a league that is focused on building its brand and building an audience, Darwitz felt Minnesota would be well-served to feature local talent.

Among forwards who figure to go early in the draft are Princeton’s Sarah Fillier, Colgate’s Danielle Serdachny and Cornell’s Izzy Daniel, who won the Patty Kazmaier Award. Daniel, who attended The Blake School, was a finalist for the Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award in 2019.

A trio of Big Ten forwards also are expected to hear their names called early: Hannah Bilka and Jennifer Gardiner of Ohio State and Britta Curl of Wisconsin.

Former Gophers standout Amanda Kessel has put her name in the draft after sitting out last season due to her obligations as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins front office.

Among defenders, Canadian Claire Thompson and Cayla Barnes of Ohio State are sure to be near the top of most of the teams’ lists. The same holds true of a couple of European players, Daniela Pejsova of Czechia and Finland’s Ronja Savolainen.

The Gophers’ Maddie Wethington will draw interest, as will Hudson’s Anna Wilgren, who began her collegiate career at Minnesota State Mankato before transferring to Wisconsin.

 

Here is a roundup of area standouts at the Class 2A state track and field meet Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville High School:

Naomi Moore, Simley

The junior took home the title in the 100-meter dash after falling short the two years prior, and she set a new class record of 14.49 seconds. She credits her team and support system for getting over the hump this time around.

“I’ve been pushing really hard to get first this year, and it feels really good achieving that,” Moore said. “My main head coach was the one who helped me start hurdling; she really inspired me to keep going… (All my coaches) have really kept me motivated to keep going.”

Thomas Lamkin, Red Wing

Thomas, a senior and Boston University commit in track field, won the 100-meter dash in 10.76 seconds for his second consecutive title. He was unsure whether he’d even compete in the section meet as he dealt with nagging injuries that worsened throughout the season.

“I honestly just thought my season was over,” Lamkin said of his injuries. “I told my coach, ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a good season like I did last year.’ But I managed to get second in both (the 100 and 200) somehow and qualified.”

“My senior year has really just been plagued with injuries. … I strained my groin, my hamstring, and it just kept on moving. Champions season was coming up and you just got to go regardless, healthy or not, because they’re not going to give you a free pass to state. You got to go qualify for it,” he added.

Lamkin placed third in the 200 (22.12), which was won by Parker Peterson of Hutchinson in 21.68.

Carter Reckelberg, Becker

The junior has been involved with track and field since he was 8 years old competing in summer competitions for USATF and in AAU meets. The years of work paid off after he secured the long jump state title. His winning jump of 23 feet, 3/4 inches was over a foot longer than the next best jumper. Four of his six jumps either tied for or surpassed the second-place jump.

“I’ve done track all the way up until now,” Reckelberg said. “It’s my ninth year… It feels good with all the hard work and preparation I’ve put in the offseason, working with Antoine Holly from Minnesota Triathlete, just a lot of jumping.”

Brooke Hohenecker, Providence Academy

A varsity track athlete since the seventh grade, the senior capped off her high school career with a sweep in the 100 (12.07), 200 (24.52), and 400 (56.35). The University of St. Thomas commit recently came across a journal from when she was little, and one of the goals written in it was to win three events at state by the end of her high school career.

“It’s been a part of my life since forever,” Hohenecker said. “It’s just been such a fun ride with all my coaches and stuff, supporting me and pushing me to be the best version of myself.

“I’ve always had the goal in mind to make it to state and hopefully win all my events, and I feel very proud to say that I’ve been able to do that. It’s just an unreal feeling.”

Lorenzo Hampton III, Fridley

Hampton became a standout hurdler after one of his coaches recommended he give it a try as an eighth-grade varsity athlete. Three years later, he was the only sophomore competing against a field of juniors and seniors in the 300-meter final, and he won in 37.66 seconds, edging Alexandria’s Otto Anderson by .34 seconds.

In last year’s prelims, Hampton fell coming off the curve and finished eighth. He said the incident was “devastating” but knew he’d be back.

“I try not to think about it too much because being there in the ninth grade, it was really, really scary,” Hampton said of his mindset coming into this year’s state race. “It’s a huge comeback. … It makes me feel way better, and as a sophomore, it’s a dream. It’s only up from here.”

Grazina Troup, Minnehaha Academy

Troup, a junior, went through a phase of trying many different events in hopes of finding the right one for her. She eventually found peace in the triple jump last season. Now, she’s a state champion in just her second year competing in the event, with a winning jump of 38-5 1/4. Ayisat Adebayo of Simley was runner-up at 38-4 1/2.

“I didn’t know what I was going to be best at,” Troup said. “I tried a bunch of different running events. Eventually, I was about to find an event that suits me the best, and I feel like triple jump and jumping in general has been my best spot. … I’m very proud of myself.”

Parker Peterson, Hutchinson

The senior began running track just three years ago and instantly fell in love with it. Through all the training he puts into his craft in the summer, along with pushing through injuries he sustained during football season, he capped off his short career with a state title in the 200 (21.68), edging Mound-Westonka’s Jack Markstrom by .22 seconds.

“I’ve just been fighting to increase my times and to get better,” Peterson said. “I trained all summer. Every day I was running just to get that high speed, and it takes a lot but it’s worth it.”

“I suffered an ankle injury during football that I’ve been kind of ignoring. I was really worried about being able to maintain and increase my times, but it’s been a fight, and I’m happy with how it turned out.”

Austin Rivers couldn’t believe what he was watching.

Dallas reserve guard Jaden Hardy had the ball at the top of the floor in the final 10 seconds of the third quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Hardy was being guarded by Kyle Anderson.

And Dallas ran a ball screen to get Anthony Edwards switched onto Hardy.

“They were looking for Ant on switches,” Rivers said last week on The Ryen Russillo Podcast. “And I had to (sit) back in my seat like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, there’s no way they’re calling Ant up for a pick-and-roll switch. He’s one of the best defenders in the league on the ball.’”

It took Hardy all of a couple dribbles to get past Edwards and to the basket for a layup.

“They knew he was tired and gassed and trying to hide, and they called him up,” said Rivers, who was a teammate of Edwards a year ago and now is an NBA commenter. “There’s no way they should ever be picking on Ant on defense. Should never happen. He’s too good of a defender, and I saw that multiple times (in Game 4). And we’re not even talking about Kyrie (Irving) and Luka (Doncic). We’re talking about like their fourth guard, trying to find Ant on a switch to go by him. That can’t happen.”

A day after Minnesota was eliminated from the West finals by Dallas in five games, Anderson was speaking to his father, who told him it looked like the Wolves simply “hit a wall.” The forward concurred.

“Just felt like we didn’t have the same juice that we had in the Denver and Phoenix series, and sometimes you don’t even realize it,” Anderson said. “You try to stay away from that, think I got energy or I’m ready to go. We just didn’t have that same pop on both sides of the ball as a unit too in the Dallas series, as we did in Denver and as we did all season, as we did in Phoenix. Tough.”

That starts with Edwards, Minnesota’s best player and barometer for success. When he’s playing with a certain vigor, the Timberwolves are awfully tough to stop. But he just didn’t seem to have it throughout the West finals.

After lighting the NBA world on fire through his first six postseason bouts this spring, Edwards’ gas tank started to wane. At points in the Dallas series, he appeared to be teetering toward “E.”

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch noted after the series that the value of fitness was a lesson learned for Minnesota in its playoff run.

“Mentally, physical fatigue becomes a real thing the deeper you go. The number of minutes you’re playing, the load, the intensity. Everything goes up,” Finch said. “I think, over time, it probably took its toll on us a bit more.”

It’s a challenge, for sure. It’s not easy to outlast the defending champions in a seven-game series — with four of the contests played at altitude — and then turn around 72 hours later and play another top-tier team.

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t be in better shape or frame of mind for it,” Finch said. “Yeah, every step you go it gets harder and harder. That’s what makes it so special. Your level of detail, execution and all that stuff has to continue to go up.”

On Thursday, Finch told Paul Allen on KFXN-FM 100.3 that Edwards now knows what deep postseason runs are going to look like.

“I think the physical and the mental fatigue that he needs to overcome as the series go on and on,” Finch told Allen. “The playoffs, in many ways, are kind of a war of attrition — whether it be injuries or stamina.”

Edwards is asked to carry a heavy load for Minnesota. He often has to take on a difficult defensive assignment while also supplying the bulk of the offense. That’s a lot, but it’s his reality. And if the Wolves are to push for a title, he has to be able to deliver night in and night out for two straight months.

Immediately after the Game 5 loss to Dallas, Edwards acknowledged exactly that.

“I’ve never played this deep into a basketball season. So now I know, like, OK, in order for me to be dominant in the third round and if we get past this and finally go to the Finals, I’ve got to train like I’m going to go to the playoffs,” he said. “So I can’t be missing training days, I can’t take days off, you know what I mean? I’ve got to be ready.”

Edwards said he didn’t train the previous offseason as though he was going to make a deep run with Minnesota. He plans to train this summer in the same way he did when he was entering his freshman year at Georgia, which he said was “the best shape of my life.” That period of time included different types of training that made him uncomfortable.

That’s all well and good, but perhaps what’s more valuable than the work done  in July to prepare for 11 months from now is the work done in January and February. There’s no better way to brace your body to go at a high intensity every other day during the playoffs than to do so in the regular season.

That’s something Edwards hasn’t done to date. Certainly, he always makes himself available. The guard — who will turn 23 in August — played 79 games in each of the past two regular seasons. But he does give some contests far more of his attention than others. You can circle games on the calendar when the schedule comes out that Edwards will likely downshift for.

For much of the past two seasons, Edwards simply wouldn’t compete at full throttle against cellar dwellers. He admitted as much late in the regular season.

“Usually these games I come out and don’t have no energy and look like I don’t want to be here, and Finchy been gettin’ on my (butt) about that the last couple games,” Edwards said during the regular season.

To his credit, Edwards turned it around in such contests, including a 51-point outing against Washington in the final week of the regular season. But those types of efforts — not outputs, but efforts — may need to become more of the norm if Edwards is to properly prepare his body for what’s to come when the season is on the line.

For the best teams, the regular season is about building habits that can carry them through the playoffs. Over his first six healthy NBA seasons, Michael Jordan scored below 15 points on just three occasions. Edwards did it 10 times this season alone on nights he was available for the whole game.

Scoring output isn’t always an indicator of anything, but for Edwards it often speaks to his mindset. Jordan may be too high of a bar for anyone else to be held to, but his nightly approach is one to which all — including Edwards — should aspire.

“I say this with respect, because I know (he was) in the conference finals — one (series win) away from the finals, and I know he has a lot on his shoulders — I think there’s a different level of stamina Ant can reach,” Rivers said to Russillo. “We had those comparisons to Mike and Kobe (Bryant)  and some of these guys that we’ve already thrown at Ant, and those are some heavy names. The one thing that we knew about those two guys is they did not get tired consistently. Their stamina was at an all-time high, whether that’s because of mental toughness, whether that’s because they lived in the gym. … There’s a different level of stamina with Ant.”

And, if he can find it within himself to reach it, look out.

“I know what it takes,” Edwards said, “and I’ll be ready.”

Related Articles

Michael Bloomberg joins Marc Lore-Alex Rodriguez group for in-dispute purchase of Timberwolves

Timberwolves’ roster next season will be expensive; basketball brass wants ownership to pay the bill

St. Paul native Sean Sweeney says ‘it was special’ to help lead Dallas past Timberwolves in West Finals. Now, he’s focused on a title

The Timberwolves’ offensive approach won’t change next season — the execution will have to

Kyle Anderson wants to be back in Minnesota. But can the Timberwolves afford him?