Mauer's preference curves, not spirals

AL notebook

Baseball Week

Maybe Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden regrets the decision.

The Minnesota Twins certainly don't.

And neither does their second-year catcher, Joe Mauer, who doesn't really think about the Seminoles unless someone mentions them.

"My friends will joke around about it as soon as football season comes around," Mauer said.

Four years ago, Mauer graduated from a St. Paul, Minn., high school with a full football scholarship to powerhouse Florida State. There was talk he would start at quarterback as a freshman, meaning he could have been a senior heading into the 2005 NFL draft.

Instead, he chose his ultimate dream over Sports Dream 1A.

The Twins, whose stadium is eight miles from his high school, selected Mauer with the first overall pick in the 2001 amateur draft.

"You can't write a better story, going No. 1 with your hometown team," Mauer said. "So, it's pretty unbelievable."

The storybook selection was fueled partially by economics. Mauer was considered the nation's top high school baseball player his senior year, but he wasn't the consensus best player in the 2001 draft.

That title belonged to Southern California pitcher Mark Prior, considered one of the most polished college pitchers ever. But everyone knew Prior wanted break-the-bank money.

And he got it - from the Chicago Cubs, who selected him second overall and signed him to a five-year, $10.5 million contract.

The Twins, instead, made the safe and sentimental pick. They gave Mauer a $5.15 million signing bonus, and he agreed to drop football.

Four years later, Prior is one of the majors' best pitchers. And Mauer is the top young catcher in the game. He has power and speed, can hit for average and has an outstanding arm.

Mauer batted .308 as a 21-year-old rookie last season but was limited to 35 games by a left-knee injury that still bothers him some. He went into last night hitting .324 with four homers and 16 RBIs and looks like a budding star. That makes it easier for him to forget about football, and what might have been.

Pena fallout

It's not shocking that there was a managerial change in Kansas City after the Royals began the season 8-25, but those close to Tony Pena had no idea the former Manager of the Year would resign Tuesday night.

"I don't know what's in Tony's head right now," shortstop Angel Berroa said the day after the resignation. "I respect his decision, but he surprised me."

Pena, 47, told reporters the losing made it difficult for him to sleep and eat. He's been replaced on an interim basis by bench coach Bob Schaefer.

Plenty of names have been tossed around as Pena's successor, including those of ex-Philadelphia Phillies manager Larry Bowa and former Royals stars George Brett and Frank White.

Quick hits

Three Texas Rangers relievers - Frank Francisco, Carlos Almanzar and Ryan Bukvich - have undergone Tommy John surgery in two weeks. ... The Chicago White Sox's Orlando Hernandez hasn't pitched more than 200 innings in a season since 1999, but he's on pace to eclipse that mark this year.

League notebooks are complied from interviews, wire services and reports from other newspapers.