Twins first baseman Joe Mauer played host to his second annual Mauer and Friends Kids Classic on Friday at Target Field, an event benefiting Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. Mauer's reach in Twin Cities sports was on display, as local stars Zach Parise (Wild), Kyle Rudolph (Vikings) and several current and former Twins teammates participated. Mauer chatted at the event with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand:
Q Is this event becoming even bigger than you might have imagined it would?
A Yeah, to be honest it is. The response we've been getting from volunteers and special guests is really overwhelming and humbling. I don't like to ask for a lot of things, but asking for Gillette and such a great cause, I was really pleasantly surprised at the response.
Q I saw you were chatting with old friend Justin Morneau, who was here for the event. How has that relationship and friendship grown over the years?
A It's great. He's a really good friend of mine, and ever since we met back in 2001 we've really just clicked. He's a really great guy and obviously great ballplayer but better person off the field. He does a lot of charity work of his own. He was available and jumped at the opportunity to come here, and I can't thank him enough.
Q Do you ever miss the days when you and Morneau were roommates?
A Ah, yes and no [laughs]. We had a lot of fun. We had a lot of the same interests and loved to play the game. We had some fun.
Q A lot has been written about the defense for this year's Twins. You've been on plenty of good defensive teams, but is this one different or special?