Joe Mauer plans to pay homage to St. Paul in Hall of Fame induction

Joe Mauer's literal storybook career, from the little league fields of St. Paul to the bright lights of Target Field, culminates on Sunday when he joins the Baseball Hall of Fame .

Why it matters: A whole generation of Minnesotans feel like they know Mauer, even if they've never met him.

• 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 .