Would you buy a car from the Mauer family?

According to a story earlier today in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Twins' star catcher Joe Mauer bought Southview Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights for $4.5 million. Who used to run that? Denny Hecker, of course.

UPDATE: Jon Austin from J Austin and Associates, who has been working with Joe's brother Bill on the project, says that while the Mauer family is involved, Joe is not a player in this deal. After our post went up, he left a voicemail and this e-mail after being in contact with Bill Mauer:

Joe Mauer is not an investor in the Southview Chevrolet property. He has no involvement in the redevelopment project currently underway at that location or with the plans its future uses. The Southview project is owned by Bill Mauer and a partner. Bill has worked in the automotive industry for six years including time at the Southview location. Bill and his partner have sufficient capital and managerial expertise to successfully undertake any of the plans they are currently considering for the Southview property. Those plans are not yet completed and Bill and his partner do not feel it appropriate to comment on them at this point.

The Business Journal had cited Joe Mauer's grandfather, Jake, as a source indicating Joe Mauer was the purchaser. From that initial report:

Mauer has purchased the site of Southview Chevrolet in Inver Grove Heights for about $4.5 million, according to his grandfather, Jake Mauer. Denny Hecker used to operate Southview Chevrolet, but closed it earlier this year as his auto empire collapsed.

TBJ put up a new story this afternoon after speaking with Bill Mauer.

On Friday, Bill Mauer said he is the sole owner of the property. He declined to comment on where he got the money for the deal. "I'd like to keep my finances private," he said.

Sorry for the confusion ... in any event, it sounds as if the Mauer family is certainly involved in the project. If we could somehow get Brett Favre and Tom Petters involved in the headline as well, we could make the Internet explode.