Just My Type

The Interview

Joe Mauer

TWINS FRANCHISE PLAYER

The catcher and former All-America quarterback at Cretin-Derham Hall High in St. Paul just made his fourth All-Star team.

Dan Patrick: You signed an eight-year, $184 million deal with Minnesota in March. Did you understand what LeBron James was thinking, and how difficult would it be for you to leave your hometown team?

Joe Mauer: I'm flattered to be put in that same group [as LeBron]. We did have similar situations. He opted to get to free agency. I was still a year away. I knew I'd be happy at home. A big part of that, too, was the chance of winning. I truly believe we can win in Minnesota, and there's nothing more I want to do than to bring a World Series ring back to the Twin Cities. I could understand his decision, but not the way it all went about. But he had to do what he thought was best for him and his career, and I wish him the best of luck.

DP: I hear you're an aspiring rapper. Is that true? Do you have a studio in your house?

JM: [Laughs] Definitely not. It's a funny story. A couple years back, down at spring training we had this team barbecue. I just wanted to get a couple laughs out of the guys and have a good time, so I threw a couple songs on there that I had made in the off-season. It was pretty funny.

DP: What were the songs?

JM: Well, they're just remakes to some other rap songs that were out there at the time. I haven't done that in a long time, and I hope they never get out. I think I'm going to delete them when I get home.