I am amazed by the Mauer angst. Is he the classic power laden 1B, no? But he has saved quite a few IF from throwing errors, his fielding on GB is solid, and the Twins have far more problems at the plate than Mauer. He lost both his natural position, and at least a couple years to concussions. As for his salary, that was based on the new stadium, promises made to keep players, and a fortitious last year in the dome. It's a sunk cost. He's a local boy, with a good gig, who likely is not going anywhere. I know I wouldn't. And yes, he would have rocked in Boston. One one other topic. I hate soccer, but if I was the Twins I wouldn't overlook its impact. There are zillions of people playing it, and it is a world wide sport. Whether one likes it or not, it ain't going away! Ten years ago, who amongst us would have contemplated 7,000 plus for women's professional basketball in summer?