Sony Computer Entertainment has announced today that the incredibly talented Mr. Joe Mauer will once again be gracing the cover of their annual baseball franchise with MLB 11 The Show. It's not really any surprise; this kid is amazingly good. A home-grown hero, he's a 3-time Gold Glover, 3-time AL batting champ, and was the AL's Most Valuable Player back in 2009, just to name a few of his many accomplishments. The Minnesota Twins have had some of their best years since he joined up, despite losing some of their other great players, like Johan Santana and, more recently, Justin Morneau.

"I'm extremely honored to return as the cover athlete for MLB 11 The Show," said Joe Mauer.  "Serving as spokesperson for The Show is a thrilling experience, and partnering once again with the best baseball game available was an easy decision and one that I'm very excited about."

While I wouldn't describe myself as a sports fan, I am a native Minnesotan, and come from a long line of Twins fans. My family has season tickets to the new stadium, and my brother even operates his own Twins-centric blog. I realize that this might not be the greatest place to pronounce my Twins fandom, considering my co-writers are primarily New Yorkers, and probably Yankees fans.

Anyway, MLB 11 The Show will be out for Sony consoles on March 8, 2011. Pick it up, then try to knock a few out to my seats in Target Field. They're right above the bullpen.