Look for the Twins to temporarily unretire the No. 29 jersey of hall of famer Rod Carew this spring.

 

That's because Carew has accepted an invitation from general manager Terry Ryan and manager Ron Gardenhire to return to the field in uniform as a member of the club's instructional staff for a week during spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.

 

* Hall of famer Paul Molitor also has been invited to participate in on-field spring training, but the Twins still haven't heard whether the St. Paul native will accept.

 

Molitor's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque will be shipped from Cooperstown, N.Y., to the Metrodome for display at TwinsFest on Jan. 28-30.

 

* The Twins are mailing offers to season-ticket holders this week for 140 padded seats that will be constructed for next season behind home plate at a cost of $85 per game. The "Dugout Box Seats" will include concierge service and more leg room than regular Metrodome seats.

 

* Twins catcher Joe Mauer continues to work out at Concordia-St. Paul during the holiday break without pain in his tender left knee. He will resume workouts in Fort Myers, Fla., next week.

 

* Bill Fanning, 49, who became the St. Paul Saints' first general manager 12 years ago and remained in that capacity until leaving last April, is involved in real estate investing in the Twin Cities.