Joe Mauer

They were Harry Stuhldreher, Jim Crowley, Don Miller and Elmer Layden, but you probably know them as Notre Dame's Four Horsemen of the 1920s. "Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again," Grantland Rice wrote after a 13-7 upset of Army. "In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. Those are only aliases." We bring you a baseball version of these literary horsemen of the Apocalypse. They are Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez.

With the Orioles limping toward the finish line of another lost season, the small victories that can be had in late August revolve more around the future than anything involving 2011. Case in point: left-hander Zach Britton, the rookie who took the American League by storm in April only to make dubious baseball history in July. On Monday, in a 4-1 victory against the Minnesota Twins that broke the Orioles' five-game losing streak, Britton was back pitching in the majors after a stint on the disabled list with a strained left shoulder.

While some of the usual names appeared among the victors when the results were announced on Thursday — including Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and Twins catcher Joe Mauer — there were only five repeat winners from 2009, tying the record low for the amount of turnover for the 30-year-old award. The low was previously set in 1982. The Rangers' Vladimir Guerrero won his eighth award overall but his first since he moved from the outfield to DH. He was joined on the AL squad by Rangers teammate Josh Hamilton , who made it for the second time as an outfielder.

Only once in franchise history have the Twins had as much trouble scoring runs starting the season as they have this year. That was in 1909, and that group of Washington Senators lumbered through a 42-110 season, averaging 2.5 runs per game. That team opened the season with 18 games in which it scored five or fewer runs before busting out with a 6-2 victory in the 19th game. The 2011 Twins entered Saturday at 7-12, still looking to score more than five runs for the first time. "I'd be lying to you if I said the dugout has been as peppy as it's always been.

Joe Mauer literally went through a growth spurt after winning his first batting title in 2006, climbing from 6-4 to 6-5 at age 23. In a lighthearted moment the following spring, Mauer acknowledged that he's actually 6-6 "wearing shoes. " "I don't want to get too big," Mauer said, "or I might have to move [positions]. " The growth spurt stopped, but at 6-5, Mauer is as tall as any catcher in baseball history. Questions about his future at the position keep returning, especially now that he's back on the disabled list with what the Twins have called "bilateral leg weakness.

Twins hitters are becoming more unhappy about the dimensions and winds of Target Field. They had hoped balls would sail farther as temperatures climbed, but it remains a pitcher's park. Joe Mauer (above) looked stunned Thursday when a blast to center went off the wall, not over it, in the ninth inning of a 9-8 loss to the Royals. … Bobby Valentine has a better chance of being hired by the Orioles than interim manager Juan Samuel has of making his stint permanent. No one wants the job more than Rick Dempsey, the former Orioles catcher who has worked in a plethora of capacities in Baltimore.

The Twins breathed a sigh of relief that the Pirates were the only other team to offer Carl Pavano a two-year deal, allowing them to re-sign him and partially salvage a shaky offseason. But catcher Joe Mauer's raise from $12.5 million to $23 million has cut into the team's depth, with the rebuilt bullpen a major concern. The Twins are suddenly a fragile team, with much invested in successful returns by Justin Morneau (concussion) and Joe Nathan (elbow surgery). … Infielder Nick Punto is a good signing for the Cardinals.

A passenger injured in the car crash that killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two friends was taken off the critical list Saturday. Jon Wilhite was upgraded from critical to serious condition but remained in intensive care at UC Irvine Medical Center, hospital spokesman John Murray said. Wilhite's uncle said in a statement that the family's thoughts were with the families of Adenhart and the other two people killed in Southern California. "We are also overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we have received ... and ask for your continued prayers for Jon's recovery," Charles Wilhite wrote.

Brian Matusz looked visibly shaken, pausing several times to collect his thoughts before delivering what was painfully obvious on this night. "I just didn't have it today," Matusz said after lasting just 1 1/3 innings and allowing four earned runs, five hits and three walks in the Orioles' 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins tonight at sold-out Hammond Stadium. "You're never happy with an early exit like that. I'm not happy, and a little frustrated. I'm upset at myself, but at the same time, it's nice to get this out [of the way]

Only once in franchise history have the Twins had as much trouble scoring runs starting the season as they have this year. That was in 1909, and that group of Washington Senators lumbered through a 42-110 season, averaging 2.5 runs per game. That team opened the season with 18 games in which it scored five or fewer runs before busting out with a 6-2 victory in the 19th game. The 2011 Twins entered Saturday at 7-12, still looking to score more than five runs for the first time. "I'd be lying to you if I said the dugout has been as peppy as it's always been.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter made it clear in his pre-game comments Thursday that his focus was on the Minnesota Twins, not the challenges that his club has ahead of it over the next seven days. But with the first-place New York Yankees coming to town followed by the Boston Red Sox, and the short-handed Twins leaving, the 3-1 loss in front of an announced 16,769 at Camden Yards screamed of a missed opportunity for the Orioles to set themselves up for a decent homestand. The Twins, depleted by injuries and illness, got seven shutout innings from Orioles nemesis Scott Baker and walked out of Camden Yards with a split of the series despite not having Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Tsuyoshi Nishioka for any of the four games and Delmon Young for just one. Thursday night, all they needed were a couple of swings from Jim Thome and a dominant Baker, who out-dueled an effective Jeremy Guthrie to improve to 6-0 with a 2.17 ERA in eight career starts against the Orioles.

Joe Mauer literally went through a growth spurt after winning his first batting title in 2006, climbing from 6-4 to 6-5 at age 23. In a lighthearted moment the following spring, Mauer acknowledged that he's actually 6-6 "wearing shoes. " "I don't want to get too big," Mauer said, "or I might have to move [positions]. " The growth spurt stopped, but at 6-5, Mauer is as tall as any catcher in baseball history. Questions about his future at the position keep returning, especially now that he's back on the disabled list with what the Twins have called "bilateral leg weakness.

Heading into this season, the Orioles, to a player, were excited about the revamped offense that included a new foursome that had hit 950 career homers. After Monday's 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins -- their eighth consecutive defeat -- the Orioles are desperately close to passing the Twins for the fewest runs scored in the American League this season, closing the gap to 54-50. It is starting to seem like old, tough times at Camden Yards, where an announced 13,138 watched the home team get 12 base runners and score just three runs, all on solo homers.

Brian Matusz looked visibly shaken, pausing several times to collect his thoughts before delivering what was painfully obvious on this night. "I just didn't have it today," Matusz said after lasting just 1 1/3 innings and allowing four earned runs, five hits and three walks in the Orioles' 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins tonight at sold-out Hammond Stadium. "You're never happy with an early exit like that. I'm not happy, and a little frustrated. I'm upset at myself, but at the same time, it's nice to get this out [of the way]

The Twins breathed a sigh of relief that the Pirates were the only other team to offer Carl Pavano a two-year deal, allowing them to re-sign him and partially salvage a shaky offseason. But catcher Joe Mauer's raise from $12.5 million to $23 million has cut into the team's depth, with the rebuilt bullpen a major concern. The Twins are suddenly a fragile team, with much invested in successful returns by Justin Morneau (concussion) and Joe Nathan (elbow surgery). … Infielder Nick Punto is a good signing for the Cardinals.

While some of the usual names appeared among the victors when the results were announced on Thursday — including Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and Twins catcher Joe Mauer — there were only five repeat winners from 2009, tying the record low for the amount of turnover for the 30-year-old award. The low was previously set in 1982. The Rangers' Vladimir Guerrero won his eighth award overall but his first since he moved from the outfield to DH. He was joined on the AL squad by Rangers teammate Josh Hamilton , who made it for the second time as an outfielder.

When the Twins reached the playoffs a year ago, they started Brian Duensing against CC Sabathia in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. How much different would they be this season — both for a stretch-run battle and the playoffs — if they can turn to Cliff Lee ? Because the Twins were extended to a 163rd game, manager Ron Gardenhire didn't have the luxury of setting up his rotation to face the Yankees. If he had, he would have chosen between Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn , neither of whom could be picked out of a lineup by most baseball fans.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter made it clear in his pre-game comments Thursday that his focus was on the Minnesota Twins, not the challenges that his club has ahead of it over the next seven days. But with the first-place New York Yankees coming to town followed by the Boston Red Sox, and the short-handed Twins leaving, the 3-1 loss in front of an announced 16,769 at Camden Yards screamed of a missed opportunity for the Orioles to set themselves up for a decent homestand. The Twins, depleted by injuries and illness, got seven shutout innings from Orioles nemesis Scott Baker and walked out of Camden Yards with a split of the series despite not having Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Tsuyoshi Nishioka for any of the four games and Delmon Young for just one. Thursday night, all they needed were a couple of swings from Jim Thome and a dominant Baker, who out-dueled an effective Jeremy Guthrie to improve to 6-0 with a 2.17 ERA in eight career starts against the Orioles.

When the Twins reached the playoffs a year ago, they started Brian Duensing against CC Sabathia in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. How much different would they be this season — both for a stretch-run battle and the playoffs — if they can turn to Cliff Lee ? Because the Twins were extended to a 163rd game, manager Ron Gardenhire didn't have the luxury of setting up his rotation to face the Yankees. If he had, he would have chosen between Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn , neither of whom could be picked out of a lineup by most baseball fans.

Twins hitters are becoming more unhappy about the dimensions and winds of Target Field. They had hoped balls would sail farther as temperatures climbed, but it remains a pitcher's park. Joe Mauer (above) looked stunned Thursday when a blast to center went off the wall, not over it, in the ninth inning of a 9-8 loss to the Royals. … Bobby Valentine has a better chance of being hired by the Orioles than interim manager Juan Samuel has of making his stint permanent. No one wants the job more than Rick Dempsey, the former Orioles catcher who has worked in a plethora of capacities in Baltimore.