Joe Mauer's career culminates in the Hall of Fame this weekend

• The state has watched him grow from a baby-faced high schooler who dominated in three sports 25 years ago into one of the best catchers in history (still with a baby face).

State of play: Mauer, who retired in 2018, will become the seventh player who spent most of his career with the Twins to make it to Cooperstown, New York.

Zoom in: He will also be the fourth native son of St. Paul, a city of 300,000 inhabitants, to join the exclusive club of 346 members, an incredible tally that is not lost on Mauer.

• "It's pretty crazy," the retired athlete, who is not one for juicy quotes, told reporters recently.
• He said he plans to mention Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, and Jack Morris in his speech: three men he watched as a kid who made him dream of making it big.

By the numbers: Mauer played in six All-Star games, won three batting titles, and took home the 2009 MVP award, all while playing the brutal catcher position.

• Some fans almost forgot how good he was during his first 10 years as a pro because the latter part of his career was marred by injuries.

The big picture: Mauer enters the Hall of Fame alongside sluggers Adrián Beltré and Todd Helton, as well as manager Jim Leyland.

• Mauer and Leyland's Detroit Tigers teams had a couple of memorable battles for the AL Central Division, including the epic Game 163 in 2009.

How to watch: The 12:30pm Sunday ceremony will be streamed live on mlb.com.