Posted September 16, 2009    

•Rod Carew

•Nate Triplett

•Adrian Peterson

•Todd Richards

•Don Swanson

Dream Series: Two All Time Twins Teams

The Twins will introduce the members of their all-time Metrodome team at the stadium’s last major league baseball game on Sunday, October 4.  But what if this group could take to the field against an all-time Met Stadium Twins team? 

The Twins, who had relocated from Washington D.C. following the 1960 season, played at Met Stadium from 1961 through the 1981 season, then moved to the dome.  Included among the players in that 20 year span is a wrecking crew of three hitters who could give a pitcher from any era heart palpitations. 

Sports Headliners consulted with Twins historian Dave Mona who reported on the franchise as a baseball writer for the Minneapolis Tribune in the late 1960s.  He has followed the club closely over the years as co-host of the WCCO Radio Sports Huddle program on Sunday mornings. 

With Mona’s input on players and my decision on batting order, here’s how the lineup looks: Cesar Tovar (center field); Rod Carew (second base); Tony Oliva (right field); Harmon Killebrew (first base); Bob Allison (left field); Jimmie Hall or Larry Hisle (designated hitter); Zoilo Versalles (shortstop); Earl Battey (catcher); Rich Rollins (third base).  

Carew was a seven-time American League batting champ and had a .328 lifetime average.  Oliva won three batting titles, had a career average of .304 and in his best power year hit 32 home runs.  Killebrew slugged 573 home runs, a total that ranks as 10th best in baseball history.   

The all-Metrodome team has four starters and we’ll go with the same number--sort of.  Bert Blyleven is on both teams.  “Circle Me Bert” won 80 games for the Twins from 1970-74, including his only career 20 game win season (1973).  The other starters are Jim Kaat, Jim Perry and Camilo Pascual. 

Two relievers?  Right-hander Al Worthingon and left-hander Ron Perranoski provide balance and were top closers in the franchise’s early years.   

Managing this group is battling Billy Martin.  In his one year (1969) as Twins manager the team won a division title.  In 1965 Martin was the team’s third base coach and his tutoring of Versalles and Carew contributed to an American League pennant and World Series appearance.  

The all-Metrodome team features manager Tom Kelly, catcher Joe Mauer, outfielders Kirby Puckett and Torii Hunter, first basemen Kent Hrbek and Justin Morneau, DH Paul Molitor and pitchers Johan Santana, Frank Viola and Joe Nathan.  More at http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090728&content_id=6110794&vkey=pr_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min 

Who would win a game between the all-Met Stadium team and the all-Metrodome club? “Good question.  Never thought about that,” Mona said initially.   

Mona asked where the game will be played.  Outdoors at the Met where the Twins lost the 1965 World Series to the Dodgers, or indoors at the dome where the big top was a factor in the franchise winning two game sevens in the 1987 and 1991 World Series? 

We gave into our PR backgrounds and came up with a diplomatic decision.  We decided on a seven game series where the winner would be the team with four games in its ballpark.   

A final note: the all-Metrodome team is superior in the field.  That group is clearly better defensively at first base, third base and in the outfield, and probably at a couple other positions, too.  

But never sell a Billy Martin motivated team short, particularly one with a “Killer.”   (There goes the diplomacy again).

 

 
 Joe Mauer
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Never sell a Billy Martin motivated team short, particularly one with a Killer.
 

 Justin Morneau
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Triplett Performance Receives National Attention 

Two games is hardly a season but it’s difficult to imagine a more spectacular start for a linebacker than what Nate Triplett is experiencing.  In the Gophers’ first game the senior from Delano High had nine tackles and intercepted a pass in the end zone during overtime to end a Syracuse scoring drive.  Last Saturday in the Gophers’ first game ever in TCF Bank Stadium he had a career high 17 tackles and ran 52 yards with a fumble to score the decisive touchdown against Air Force in Minnesota’s second win of the season. 

Triplett’s heroics earned him recognition as the Walter Camp National Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week.  He was also named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week by the football writers association. Triplett, who  had 12 solo tackles against Air Force, is the co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, too.  Triplett’s 17 tackles are a conference high so far this season. 

For a guy who only started one game last season and saw most of his playing time as a special teams player, Triplett’s 2009 start is a surprise to many and a source of pride for Gopher coach Tim Brewster.  He said Triplett has been the conference’s best special teams player the last two years and described his development as "amazing.' 

 “What he’s done is he’s carried that over to linebacker,” Brewster said. “Right now he’s playing at an extremely high level.”  

Triplett said he wasn’t worried about what kind of season his last would be, but he was determined.  “This is my senior year,” he said.  “It’s all I have left.”   

Determined to make this a “memorable season,” Triplett said he’s been willing to “stay 10 minutes after practice” and “watch 30 more minutes of film” to improve.  

He’s also living with two of the Gophers most productive players, quarterback Adam Weber and wide receiver Eric Decker.  That kind of company can’t hurt either.   

   

Worth Noting 

Nick Punto had his 16^th multi-hit game of the season last night as the Twins beat Cleveland 5-4.  It was his second three-hit game of the season.  He’s played in 107 games and is hitting .232.

Joe Nathan saved his 40^th game. The 40 saves this season are the most since he had 43 in 2005. It was his 240^th career save and he is 40 for 45 in save opportunities this year.

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, who has been in the NFL since 1997, said Adrian Peterson’s 64-yard touchdown run in which he broke several tackles and stiff armed a defender was the “greatest” he had seen.  Longwell called home after the game to his family in Orlando to tell them they had to see that run. 

On Monday, the Vikings had about 1,000 tickets remaining for their home opener on September 27, according to a team spokesman.  The game is expected to be available on local TV.  The Vikings have tickets remaining for all eight home games.  

Former Vikings coach Jerry Burns, 82, said Fran Tarkenton and co-author Jim Bruton sent him an autographed copy of their new book, Everyday Is Game Day. 

Burns ranks Tarkenton among the five greatest quarterbacks of all time and thinks the 1961 Vikings’ third round draft choice had the athleticism to play in the modern era including the shotgun formation.  Burns was the Vikings offensive coordinator when he and Tarkenton were part of three Super Bowl teams in the 1970s. 

Gophers' athletic director Joel Maturi said the Athletic Department will lose a minimum of $1 million as a result of changes made to accommodate customers because of the Legislature’s decision to stop the University from selling alcohol in premium seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena.  Maturi said recently that several full refunds have been made to premium seating customers at the stadium while discounts of 10 percent have been made to others. 

Maturi doesn’t know if the unexpected reduction in income means the athletic department will operate in the red during this fiscal year.  “Well, we don’t know because much depends on what our revenues will be, too,” he said.  “We know it’s going to be a challenge.”  

New Wild coach Todd Richards admitted that before the start of training camp last week he was nervous.  He told Sports Headliners his biggest early season concern is getting in enough teaching time before preseason games this week.   

Retired Patrick Henry football coach Don Swanson, for decades a strong leader and advocate for prep football in the state, passed away from cancer yesterday.  Beloved by his friends and colleagues, “Swannie’s” projects included befriending the Minneapolis football programs, assisting with the high school all-star game and coordinating a popular coaching clinic each spring.  His passing is a huge loss for our community.  Funeral arrangements are pending.

Edina High School will recognize legendary coaches Billy Bye and Stav Canakes on Thursday night during halftime of its home game against Washburn.  Bye, who had gained fame as a Gopher running back, coached at Edina from 1958-1960, with his last team recognized as mythical state champions.  Canakes, was head coach from 1961-89, compiled a 203–69–1 record (.755 winning percentage) with 16 Lake Conference championships and five state titles. 

Bye and Canakes passed away in recent months. Their families will be on the field tomorrow night when announcements about the careers of Bye and Canakes will be made.  The Edina football team will be on the field with the families and the captains will present each family with an Edina helmet.  The team is honoring Bye and Canakes this season with two football shaped stickers with the names Billy and Stav that are on the back of all helmets.  

The Gustavus and Saint John's men's golf teams have been honored by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) for their academic performance during the 2008-09 academic year.  Gustavus was also named as the GCAA Academic National Champions for Division III.  Coach Scott Moe's group was the only team in Division III to have a cumulative team grade point average above 3.50.  Saint John's, coached by Bob Alpers, was the only Division III team to earn All-Academic team honors and finish in the Top 10 at the NCAA Division III Championship last May.

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Fran Tarkenton

Joel Maturi

Todd Richards