Joe Mauer -- St. Paul scion, reigning American League Most Valuable Player and highest-paid Twin ever -- on Wednesday will catch the first pitch in the first playoff game in Target Field, against the Twins' enduring nemesis.
This will be a Minnesota moment to remember. Whether there will be more than one this week could depend on whether there are more Mauer moments to remember, whether our Shruggin' Superstar can seize the day like the rightful inheritor of Paul Molitor's grit and Kirby Puckett's karma.
Whether Mauer is yearning to play a leading role, is yearning to beat the Yankees in what would mark the biggest achievement in franchise history since the 1991 World Series, we'll never know.
Trying to discern Mauer's deepest thoughts is like staring into a dark well. The guy wears sideburns the way hunters wear camouflage. He displayed more personality during a video game commercial shot last winter than at any time since.
Now is the time for him to show a little fire, to take command of what has become indisputably his team.
Mauer enjoys all the trappings of stardom: a huge contract, national marketability, hero status in his hometown, the admiration of teammates, the respect of opponents and a slew of awards and achievements proclaiming him one of the greatest ever to play his position.
In the past year, he has signed a franchise-record $184 million contract, won an MVP award that eluded even the great Puckett, led all of baseball in All-Star votes and anchored a lineup that won a division title without his buddy Justin Morneau.
Beginning Wednesday night, we'll find out whether Mauer's shyness, his unwillingness to embrace the role of team spokesman the way Puckett, Torii Hunter and Morneau did, is emblematic of his attitude toward the role he must play in this series.