MINNEAPOLIS -- A line of fans stretched nearly 40 yards behind Joe Mauer, following the Twins catcher as he tried to weave his way through the crowd on the Metrodome field on Friday night.
The fans in attendance on the first day of TwinsFest were eager to catch a glimpse of the 2009 American League MVP and also to perhaps find out the answer to the team's most pressing question: Will the catcher be signing a contract extension with the Twins?
The answer is one that all Minnesotans, and perhaps all of baseball, want to know.
Mauer mania has appeared to have reached its peak following the catcher's MVP-worthy 2009 season, and as he prepares to enter the final season of his four-year deal with the Twins, his contract status is being watched throughout baseball. And Mauer is well aware of the situation, even if his answer to the question about his future in Minnesota hasn't changed much in recent months.
"I feel like a broken record," Mauer said. "People want to know what's going on and to find things out when they can. I keep saying, 'I sound like a broken record right now,' but it all happens when it needs to happen. You just have to try to let it happen. That's what we're doing."
Negotiations on a contract extension have begun between Mauer's agent, Ron Shapiro, and the Twins. Nothing appears to be imminent in terms of a deal, but the two sides have been reluctant to discuss any details of the situation publicly.
"We're not looking to talk about it," Twins general manager Bill Smith said when asked about the status of talks on Friday.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he hasn't gotten involved in the process, but he's optimistic that the club will ink Mauer to a contract extension. His belief is that something will get done before the team reports for Spring Training.
"I don't sit and fret about it," Gardenhire said. "I think the right thing is going to happen. I think we all know the ramifications if something weren't to happen and it were to go the other way. That wouldn't be a good thing for anybody, except for maybe some clubs out East.
"I think everybody knows what needs to get done here. From our owners to our general manager to our fan base, we all know what everybody wants. It is right out there for us ... and I think they'll make it happen."
Mauer, who will turn 27 on April 19, has not wanted to put a timetable on discussions. He'll be eligible to enter free agency in the fall if there is no deal in place by then. When asked on Friday if he'd like to see something get done before the spring, the catcher made one thing clear.
"I just don't want [the contract situation] to be a distraction for what we're trying to do as a team for 2010," Mauer said. "I just want to prepare for that season and hopefully not be the focus of everything. We've got a great lineup coming in. I'm really excited about Jim Thome and J.J. Hardy coming in, and Carl Pavano is back. We're looking pretty good heading into 2010 and I hope this doesn't take away from any of that."
As Mauer stood talking to reporters in a hallway at the Metrodome on Friday night, his teammate and good friend Justin Morneau walked by and yelled, "14-year extension, 20 a year!"
A deal is unlikely to be that long, but Gardenhire and many others like Morneau are optimistic that the Twins will find the right numbers to keep Mauer.
"I'll be happy when he does sign. He can buy me a beer. Probably two," Gardenhire said with a laugh.
There is no question that Twins fans would like nothing better than to see the beloved hometown star locked up to a deal that would keep him in Minnesota for the foreseeable future. Nearly 4,000 people turned out at his high school, Cretin-Derham Hall, in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday night to listen to Mauer talk about his life story. The event was for a taping of the ESPN series "Homecoming" with host Rick Reilly that will air in early April.
It's one of the many things that the catcher has done lately to put him in the national spotlight. Mauer wore a microphone and was followed around by ESPN cameras during the first night of TwinsFest for an upcoming segment on the show E:60. Mauer is also slated to appear on the cover of ESPN the Magazine this week, having earned the title of "America's Fan-Friendliest Athlete."
Early in his career, this type of attention on his life outside of baseball might have been a tad much for the modest, soft-spoken catcher. Mauer admits he's still adjusting to this kind of spotlight, but he's now beginning to look more comfortable sharing more of his personal life as he did during the ESPN taping on Wednesday night.
"I don't really like it, but I kind of see it as a part of the gig I guess," Mauer said. "It's getting easier the more and more you do it. I'm still the same guy who likes to go about his business and play the game of baseball. I don't think that's going to change."
After a busy offseason thanks in large part to winning the MVP Award, Mauer certainly appears ready to get back to baseball.
Unlike last winter, when he was hampered by back problems, which forced him to miss all of Spring Training and the first month of the regular season, Mauer said he is feeling great now and he's eager to get started on the 2010 season. But after seeing how he felt when he returned to Minnesota last May following his own abbreviated Spring Training of sorts, Mauer is trying not to push things this winter.
"I think last year taught me that sometimes less is better," Mauer said. "I'm kind of fighting myself to pick up the baseball and the bat. I started to pick it up last week. I think that's going to be a good time to start moving around and getting ready for the season."
Mauer has also tailored his workouts, focusing on his core muscles and doing a lot of his cardio work in the pool to limit the pounding on his joints. He seemed excited to see many of the upgraded facilities at the club's new home, Target Field, which includes training tools such as a hydrotherapy pool with an underwater treadmill.
"I'll probably be like a fish in that pool every day," Mauer said. "I think that will help out a lot. Just the space [at Target Field], getting upgraded is definitely nice. We're moving in the right direction."
Twins fans can only hope that the right direction for the club involves keeping Mauer for the long-term as well.
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