Posted April 12, 2010    

•Joe Mauer

•Royce White

•Ron Gardenhire

•Bill Lester

•Prep Scholar-Athletes

Twins Back in Power Business 

When the Twins hit nine home runs last week in their opening regular season series against the Angels, it sent a message that this baseball team has the potential to rank with the best home run clubs in franchise history.   

The 1963 Twins hit a franchise record 225 home runs and the 1964 ball club produced 221.  The 1986 and 1987 teams hit 196 home runs each season, the third best totals in Twins history.   

Sports Headliners researched the Twins 2010 roster and found 10 players that, based on recent major league performances, are candidates to hit 10 or more home runs.  Collectively, those 10 could hit 196 home runs, plus perhaps another four homers from power challenged hitters Alexi Casilla, Drew Butera, Jose Morales and Nick Punto. 

A 200 total would rank third in franchise history and put the Twins among the leaders in major league baseball.  Last year the Yankees led all teams with 244 home runs.  The 2009 Twins hit 172 home runs, 61 more than in 2008.  After a week of baseball this year the Twins are second in the American League to Toronto in home runs with 10.  The Blue Jays have hit 11.

The Twins' power surge last season was led by Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel who had career highs in home runs with 28 each.  Justin Morneau led the club in home runs with 30, four under his career best.  This season the upward trend should continue with new power acquisitions in J.J. Hardy and Jim Thome. 

Here are the projected totals for the team’s 10 best potential home run hitters:  Mauer, 34; Morneau, 33; Kubel, 25; Michael Cuddyer, 24; Hardy, 20; Thome, 15; Delmon Young, 15; and Brendan Harris, Orlando Hudson and Denard Span, all with 10 each.  

The projected total of 200 team home runs seems achievable, perhaps it could be 10 higher or lower, but in that range.  What seems unlikely, though, is a total of 220 or more.  To reach that level the Twins need a slugger like Harmon Killebrew who hit 49 home runs in 1964 and 45 in 1963.  The 1963 Twins also had Bob Allison who hit 35 home runs and Jimmie Hall with 32.  In 1964 Allison and Tony Oliva both homered 32 times.

 

Advisers Hope Royce White Talks to U 

Frank White told Sports Headliners he doesn’t know what his grandson Royce is planning for his future.  Speculation is that White, who dropped out of school at Minnesota earlier this year, might return to the Gophers and coach Tubby Smith. 

Frank, who has been an adviser to Royce, said he hasn’t spoken to his grandson in recent weeks.  “I don’t know anything,” Frank said. “My hope is Royce gets over (to Minnesota) and talks to Tubby.  This is the best place for Royce to be. Tubby is one of the best basketball and life coaches in the country, second to none.” 

White is the 2009 Minnesota Mr. Basketball who didn’t play for the Gophers this past season as a freshman because of suspensions involving off the court incidents. .  Reports that White and the Gophers might have a mutual interest in reuniting included an article last week by Nadine Babu on GopherHole.com. 

Babu wrote that former Gophers basketball player Willie Burton contacted GopherHole to communicate that White is interested in talking with Smith about a return to the program.  Her article also said the Gophers coaching staff might be open to White's return.  Burton, who was a star forward for the Gophers in the late 1980s, has known the White family for years.  

Frank White tried to arrange a meeting involving himself, Royce and Smith the week of February 28.  But at that time the younger White wasn’t ready to meet. 

White is a 6-7 power forward who has the rebounding and physical skills the Gophers missed last season, and still have a need for.  The team’s front court depth was further reduced last week when junior forward Paul Carter announced he was transferring. 

Frank said earlier in the year he believes his grandson has learned from his mistakes.  He’s also said “Royce is a very smart kid” who is capable of excelling in his school work.

 

Worth Noting 

Frank White is the curator of an exhibit at the Landmark Center in St. Paul that pays tribute to African-American baseball history in Minnesota.  On Thursday, April 22 beginning at 6:30 p.m. there will be a panel discussion titled “The Way We Played the Game” and it will include former black players and be moderated by local sports historian Kwame McDonald.  There’s no admission charge to attend.  

White said that among his research findings is the discrimination in Twin Cities housing many years ago.  Deeds stated that houses were not to be sold to Negroes and Jews.  He also said that in the 1930s and 1940s blacks had to sit in the balconies of local movie theatres.   

Yesterday StubHub.com listed a ticket range of $74 to $3,000 for today’s historic Target Field opener between the Twins and Red Sox. 

FOX Sports North will begin live Target Field pregame coverage at noon today.  Pregame programming, including batting practice, continues until game time at 3 p.m.

From 2002 through 2009 the Red Sox had the second best winning percentage in major league baseball.  The Yankees were No. 1 with a .605 percentage followed by the Red Sox at .581.  The Twins were sixth at .547.  Ron Gardenhire has been the Twins manager and Rick Anderson the pitching coach since 2002.

Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission executive director Bill Lester told Sports Headliners “we have to remove the uncertainty” to convince the NCAA to book another Final Four in Minneapolis. With the future of the Metrodome in doubt and the uncertainty of a new covered stadium to replace it, this area won’t have any more Final Fours for awhile. 

The Metrodome has been the site of two Final Fours and many earlier round tournament games.  A new downtown Vikings stadium with a retractable roof will undoubtedly interest the NCAA in a return here.   

Indianapolis was the site of this year’s Final Four.  Lester said the NCAA has a contract with Indianapolis to play host to the Final Four every five years until 2039.  The NCAA is interested in downtown sites like Indianapolis and Minneapolis where the game and other activities can be more closely coordinated than in the suburbs.  

Bobby Bell, the best player on the Gophers' 1960 national championship team and the Rose Bowl teams of 1961 and 1962, will be in town for Minnesota’s spring football game on Saturday, April 24.  The former All-American tackle is a good friend of Gophers coach Tim Brewster.  The University will recognize the 50^th anniversary of the 1960 team at a home game next season.  

The Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will honor brothers Bob and Pinky McNamara for their contributions to Minnesota football at the chapter’s annual awards dinner on Sunday, April 18 at the University of St. Thomas.  Other award recipients will be former Gophers' trainer Jim Marshall who worked 42 years for the University of Minnesota and John Lieser who has almost 100 years of combined experience officiating football and basketball games.   

Eight high school football players will be recognized as outstanding scholar-athletes at the dinner: Marshal Ash (Milaca), Dan Freund (St.Thomas Academy), Jacob McHenry (Henry Sibley), Gabe Mezzenga (Totino-Grace), Anthony Osifuye (Woodbury), Alexander Richelsen (Holy Family Catholic), Jason Schneider (Andover and Kristopher Wensmann (Melrose Area).  To purchase tickets to the event, or become a member of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation, visit www.nffmn.org. 

Canterbury Park re-opens its card club on Wednesday following a renovation costing more than $2 million.  The Shakopee racetrack hopes to have the legislature approve slot machines for its card club operation.  That would significantly improve revenues for Canterbury, celebrating its 25^th anniversary this year.  The track opens for live racing on Friday, May 14.

 

 Ron Gardenhire
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
 

Rick Anderson
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
 

 Tim Brewster