Joe Mauer gets engaged to girlfriend Maddie Bisanz

Joe Mauer, the Minnesota Twins catcher, got engaged to girlfriend Maddie Bisanz on Saturday. The 28-year-old most eligible bachelor of Minnesota Twins reportedly proposed to the Cretin-Derham Hall graduate over the weekend and she said “yes,” leading to the subsequent engagement of the two. The wedding date, however, has not been decided yet.

"I was hoping for a yes and she said yes," Mauer told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I'm getting to marry my best friend."

Maddie Bisanz presently works as a St. Paul nurse, in Sanibel, Florida, and has been classmate of Mauer at high school. They did not date in high school, but reunited around a year and a half ago.

When asked if marriage will impact his career, Joe Mauer said “no.” He said Maddie Bisanz is going to make him even better.

"No. (Maddie's) the one who got me through last year," Mauer said. "If anything, she's going to make me better. We were really close (friends) in '09, too."

Hailing from St. Paul, Joe Mauer has virtually turned into a fan favorite and most desired, especially among ladies, sportsman. He has been playing for the Twins for the last eight years.

He told his father and mother about his engagement plan one week ago. Mauer’s father said he and Joe's mom were too excited about the engagement.

"He told Teresa (Joe's Mom) and I, a week ago that he was going to do it. He told her parents too. We're real excited. She's a good girl," said Joe's father Jake.

When local reporters asked Mauer earlier this month about rumors of his engagement, the Minnesota Twins catcher rejected them right away. However, he wasted no time in popping up the question to Bisanz.

Joe Mauer, who was the 2009 American League MVP, missed several games in 2011. He underwent many incidents of injuries and illnesses. The past season he played just 82 games, besides battling a career low 0.287 with 30 RBIs and three home runs.

Mauer, who is finally fit and healthy, wants to bounce back in 2012.

"I wanted to say, 'Hey, I'm here, this is what's going on. I'm healthy,'" Mauer told reporters earlier this month. "That's the biggest thing. The fans are kind of like, 'What's going on with this guy?' I'm ready to go. I'm excited."