Twins closer Glen Perkins signed a contract extension on Friday that could keep him in Minnesota as long as Joe Mauer is in Minnesota.

Mauer has been the face of the team for quite some time for natural reasons. He is the former No. 1 overall draft pick, he is a fantastic hitter with three batting titles plus an MVP award to his credit, and of course he has that $23 million-a-year contract.

But Perkins has officially entered "face of the franchise" territory. The homegrown Twins player with the most visibility is increasingly shifting from the St. Paul kid to the Stillwater kid. And I don't imagine either of them minds.

well done Credit to gopherhole.com poster SelectionSunday, who correctly predicted all 68 NCAA tournament teams.

whoops On Jan. 19, as the Hawkeyes were dismantling the Gophers, I tweeted, "Is Iowa the best team in the Big Ten?" Answer: Not even close.