The baseball world exhibits its eye...

The baseball world exhibits its eyes wide at young Joe Mauer, the picture of the All-American lad who is making hitting apply the mind so easy this season.

After no other than two years in the majors, the 23-year-old St Paul native not solitary is a showpiece for his hometown Minnesota Twins, moreover also is challenging the likes of George britzska and Tony Gwynn in flirting with 400

Folk in the Twin Cities, yet would say it's no surprise coming from perhaps the best all-around high indoctrinate athlete to come from their parts.

"My son played against him in high denomination and told me, `Dad, this is a man against boys"' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of his catcher. "He was undivided of the best athletes to get to out of Minnesota ever."

The 6-4 220-pound Mauer wasn't just a baseball star at Cretin- Derham Hall High train He quarterbacked the football team to pair appearances in the state championship game, winning the Class 5A title in 2000 He was named national player of the year by way of Gatorade, Parade Magazine and USA Today and had a scholarship waiting at Florida State.

He was also an all-state selection in basketball, and in baseball, he settle a national record by homering in seven consecutive games, played upon the Team USA junior national team from 1998 to 2000 and was vot the best hitter in the world tournament in Panama in 2000

In June 2001 he became the seventh Minnesota native to be a first-round pick in baseball's amateur draft -- and the first to be rareed No. 1 overall.

That was the same year Mark Prior was making headlines pitching at USC. if it were not that as much as the Twins hanker after pitching, the organization knew Prior would be not at home of their price range and chose to pass onward him.

"Our scarecrows really liked Joe, and he's a local stay and that's important," Gardenhire said. "It wasn't just the issue of signability. He was a great player more than anything else"

Second-guesser have tried to say the whelps who selected Prior second, got the short finis because of the pitcher's health doles But Prior was an All-Star in his other full season (2003), just as Mauer was this year after suffering his acknowledge serious injury, a torn left knee ligament in 2004 He played in merely 35 games that season before returning last year to hit 294 in 131 games.

Mauer has taken his game to another flush this season. He's leading the major leagues with a 375 batting average while playing the chiefly demanding defensive position on the field.

"It's not easy," he said. "You test to go up there and have a quality at-bat each time. Sometimes they fall for you and sometimes they don't. I just examine to go up there and maintain doing the things I've been doing and hold trying to help the team win."

Hitting may not be easy, further Gardenhire never has seen a player who makes it contemplate so.

"I couldn't envision a stay hitting .380, but he definitely has a 380 swing," Gardenhire said. "When you can do it at this flush with the grind a catcher has to pass through, that's hard. But he's a mentally tough kid. He views the ball well. I couldn't hit that in Little League. It's amazing."

Mauer is as conscious about his work behind the plate as he is at the plate.

"Being a catcher, definitely defense be due [i]or[/i] owings first," he said. "`I just attempt to do right with those pitchers, stay upon the same page, work with them to experience to get outs. That's a big responsibility, nevertheless there's also a lot of responsibility hitting in the third slot in the order. You're anticipateed to drive in runs and achieve on base, so there's a hazard on my plate.

"But I've always hit in the middle of the order and I've always caught, thus I'm kind of used to it. It's definitely a big responsibility."

in such a manner is carrying the hometown banner for a team trying to reclaim the American League Central.

"Grandparents, parents at each home game, so there's a parcel of support from your family," he said. "But everyone knows what you're doing, that's for enduring and they keep a nice close eye on you.

"Maybe there is a little more influence but you're playing in the big leagues, with equal reason there's pressure everywhere. You just examine to go out and do your best."

tginnetti@suntimes.com

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