MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer says he is “healthy and happy” and ready to begin preparations for spring training.

Mauer spoke to reporters Friday in hopes of easing the concerns of Twins fans about his health.

Mauer was limited to 82 games last season because of various leg ailments and illnesses. That caused some fans to worry that the 28-year-old All-Star was facing more serious health problems.

But Mauer says that no such issues are present, and he plans on being ready to hit the diamond when the Twins open spring training in February.

Mauer says he understands the frustrations with his lack of playing time, but says no one was more frustrated than he about being sidelined.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer says he is “healthy and happy” and ready to begin preparations for spring training.

Mauer spoke to reporters Friday in hopes of easing the concerns of Twins fans about his health.

Mauer was limited to 82 games last season because of various leg ailments and illnesses. That caused some fans to worry that the 28-year-old All-Star was facing more serious health problems.

But Mauer says that no such issues are present, and he plans on being ready to hit the diamond when the Twins open spring training in February.

Mauer says he understands the frustrations with his lack of playing time, but says no one was more frustrated than he about being sidelined.
 

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Twins started the 2011 season looking for their third straight division title and hoping to establish themselves as one of the elite teams in the American League.

With a nucleus of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and a beautiful new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, the Twins seemed like the class of the division.

Six months later, the Twins really don’t know who they are after the single most disappointing season in franchise history. Mauer, Morneau and virtually every player that matters missed major time with a significant injury and the Twins went 63-99, narrowly avoiding becoming just the second team in franchise history to lose 100 games in a season.

“It’s hard to find any positives in this season. For myself, there’s nothing positive I can take out of it,” said Morneau, who missed 93 games with symptoms from a concussion lingering as well as neck, knee and foot injuries. “Disappointing is probably an understatement.”

How bad did it get? Mauer became the target of the kind of criticism from fans and the media that once was believed to be unthinkable for the hometown hero. He played just 82 games and missed most of the first two months because of an injury the team described as “bilateral leg weakness.”

The All-Star catcher’s inability to play through injuries, and his unwillingness to openly discuss what was bothering him, prompted questions about his toughness in the first year of an eight-year, $184 million contract extension. He also missed the last two weeks of the season with pneumonia and finished with a .287 average and just three home runs.

“There’s no question that we have a good ballclub here,” said Denard Span, who missed 92 games with a concussion. “But we’ve got to dig deep for next year. Everybody should go home in the offseason with a chip on their shoulder. Nobody in this clubhouse should leave feeling good. That’s from the top spot to the coaching staff, Joe Mauer, myself, Justin Morneau, everybody in this clubhouse ought to go home for the season with something to prove next year.”

Frustration was rampant throughout the clubhouse. It started when Kevin Slowey resisted taking a spot in the bullpen after losing a competition for the starting rotation in spring training, then spread to Mauer, Morneau, Span, Jason Kubel (foot), Scott Baker (arm), and several other key players.

Even the highlights of the season were short-lived. Jim Thome hit his 600th career homer in a Twins uniform, but was traded to Cleveland 10 days later after the team faded from contention.

Francisco Liriano threw a no-hitter against the White Sox, only to land on the disabled list again with arm trouble.

The Twins also parted ways with Delmon Young, shipping him to Detroit, and one of general manager Bill Smith’s biggest decisions – trading shortstop J.J. Hardy to Baltimore for a pair of minor league relievers and signing Japanese import Tsuyoshi Nishioka to take his place – blew up. Nishioka broke his leg in the first series of the season and then looked overmatched the rest of the way while Hardy hit 30 home runs for the Orioles.

Now Smith will be faced with more difficult decisions. The Twins’ payroll reached $115 million this season, and after watching the results on the field, it could be a tough sell to ownership to get to that number again.

“I think we pushed it beyond where we should have,” Smith said. “Ownership let us go with it in an attempt to win and it didn’t work. It backfired a little bit. All of the injuries made it tough.”

“We want to win and ownership wants to win. We also have to be somewhat responsible. Payroll becomes a function of revenues. We’re going to have plenty of money. We’re going to win with players not money.”

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he would like to see Cuddyer, Kubel and closer Joe Nathan return, but that seems unlikely.

“Walking out of the clubhouse, whether it’s today or tomorrow after I come in and pack up the locker and stuff, it will definitely be a different feeling with the uncertainty of not knowing whether I’m coming back,” Cuddyer said.

While most teams head into every offseason knowing they have holes to fill, the Twins are in the unfortunate and somewhat powerless position of having to hope. They hope changes in Mauer’s offseason workout routine will help him report to spring training strong enough to endure the challenges of catching for a full season.

They hope that Morneau will finally be able to put the concussion symptoms that have lingered for more than 18 months behind him and also have to hope that Span will report clear-headed as well.

“There’s issues we have to address, and there’s things we’re going to have to fix, and add some people and get some people healthy all at the same time, and go from there like a lot of ballclubs,” Gardenhire said. “But we start with the first issue, and that’s the health. We have to have these people back on the field.”

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The Minnesota Twins started the 2011 season looking for their third straight division title and hoping to establish themselves as one of the elite teams in the American League.

With a nucleus of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and a beautiful new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis, the Twins seemed like the class of the division.

Six months later, the Twins really don’t know who they are after the single most disappointing season in franchise history. Mauer, Morneau and virtually every player that matters missed major time with a significant injury and the Twins went 63-99, narrowly avoiding becoming just the second team in franchise history to lose 100 games in a season.

“It’s hard to find any positives in this season. For myself, there’s nothing positive I can take out of it,” said Morneau, who missed 93 games with symptoms from a concussion lingering as well has neck, knee and foot injuries. “Disappointing is probably an understatement.”

How bad did it get? Mauer became the target of the kind of criticism from fans and the media that once was believed to be unthinkable for the hometown hero. He played just 82 games and missed most of the first two months because of an injury the team described as “bilateral leg weakness.”

The All-Star catcher’s inability to play through injuries, and his unwillingness to openly discuss what was bothering him, prompted questions about his toughness in the first year of an eight-year, $184 million contract extension. He also missed the last two weeks of the season with pneumonia and finished with a .287 average and just three home runs.

“There’s no question that we have a good ballclub here,” said Denard Span, who missed 92 games with a concussion. “But we’ve got to dig deep for next year. Everybody should go home in the offseason with a chip on their shoulder. Nobody in this clubhouse should leave feeling good. That’s from the top spot to the coaching staff, Joe Mauer, myself, Justin Morneau, everybody in this clubhouse ought to go home for the season with something to prove next year.”

Frustration was rampant throughout the clubhouse. It started when Kevin Slowey resisted taking a spot in the bullpen after losing a competition for the starting rotation in spring training, then spread to Mauer, Morneau, Span, Jason Kubel (foot), Scott Baker (arm), and several other key players.

Even the highlights of the season were short-lived. Jim Thome hit his 600th career homer in a Twins uniform, but was traded to Cleveland 10 days later after the team faded from contention.

Francisco Liriano threw a no-hitter against the White Sox, only to land on the disabled list again with arm trouble.

The Twins also parted ways with Delmon Young, shipping him to Detroit, and one of general manager Bill Smith’s biggest decisions — trading shortstop J.J. Hardy to Baltimore for a pair of minor league relievers and signing Japanese import Tsuyoshi Nishioka to take his place — blew up. Nishioka broke his leg in the first series of the season and then looked overmatched the rest of the way while Hardy hit 30 home runs for the Orioles.

Now Smith will be faced with more difficult decisions. The Twins’ payroll reached $115 million this season, and after watching the results on the field, it could be a tough sell to ownership to get to that number again.

“Walking out of the clubhouse, whether it’s today or tomorrow after I come in and pack up the locker and stuff, it will definitely be a different feeling with the uncertainty of not knowing whether I’m coming back,” Cuddyer said.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he would like to see Cuddyer, Kubel and closer Joe Nathan return, but that seems unlikely.

While most teams head into every offseason knowing they have holes to fill, the Twins are in the unfortunate and somewhat powerless position of having to hope. They hope changes in Mauer’s offseason workout routine will help him report to spring training strong enough to endure the challenges of catching for a full season.

They hope that Morneau will finally be able to put the concussion symptoms that have lingered for more than 18 months behind him and also have to hope that Span will report clear-headed as well.

“There’s issues we have to address, and there’s things we’re going to have to fix, and add some people and get some people healthy all at the same time, and go from there like a lot of ballclubs,” Gardenhire said. “But we start with the first issue, and that’s the health. We have to have these people back on the field.”

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Among factors Joe Mauer considered important before he would agree to a $184 million, eight-year contract with the Minnesota Twins last year was that the team be a championship contender.

This year, the last-place Twins (59-84) are the third-worst team in baseball. Only the Baltimore Orioles (56-85) and Houston Astros (48-95) have worse records.

But, Mauer said Tuesday, he hasn’t changed his mind – he believes the Twins will become contenders again.

“Absolutely,” he said. “It’s been frustrating mentally, and I’ve had my personal things going on with my health. But we’ve had a lot of other things that have led to where we’re at. Hopefully, we can make those adjustments and get back where we need to be.”

With 19 games left in the season, the Twins catcher is hitting .288 with two home runs and 29 RBIs in 77 games. He said he hopes to finish the season strong, then rest the first part of the offseason.

“Last offseason was tough – I had (knee) surgery (in December) late and never was able to get after it in the gym like I wanted to, and it kind of dragged into the year,” he said. “The most important thing right now is just rest. Obviously, I’m going to get after it (work out) like I always have. But last offseason, and a couple offseasons before that, it’s just been dealing with injuries.

“I’m excited about having an offseason to be able to do the things that I want to do and that I need to do.”

Mauer, 28, said he might make some offseason workout

adjustments, “but nothing out of the norm. The biggest thing I think is just to be able to have a healthy time to just work out and gain the strength I need for the season.”

Mauer said he wasn’t able to get into the shape he wanted to start the year.

“I’ve just tried to get out there and grind it out,” he said. “Looking back, maybe I would have done a lot of things different. But I’ve done the best that I could and given it everything I could.”