Klinger also said no decisions have been made regarding an increase in ticket prices for games at Target Field next season. “Any increase will be surprisingly modest,” he said. “There aren’t going to be radical changes in ticket prices.”
The average ticket cost went up by about $12 this season, an increase Klinger attributed to the change in stadiums for the Twins. He said the majority of seats at the Metrodome were in the upper level (more modest pricing) while the majority of seats at Target Field are in the lower level (more expensive pricing).
After last night’s victory over Chicago the Twins have won nine consecutive games at Target Field. Minnesota has 24 wins since the All-Star break (July 12-14), the most in baseball.
Joe Mauer is batting .446 (50-for-112) since the All-Star break, the best average in baseball (minimum of 100 plate appearances). Fourteen of Mauer’s 28 games since the All-Star break have been multi-hit games. Eight have been three hits or more and three have been four hits or more. He hit his first home run at Target Field last night.
Three of the most prominent sports publications in the country are pessimistic about Gophers football. Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and ESPN The Magazine circulated their college football issues last week and made forecasts that included the Big Ten Conference race.
Sports Illustrated predicts the Gophers will finish last in the Big Ten with a 1-7 record (2-10 overall). Sporting News forecasts the same conference and overall records as S.I. and believes Minnesota coach Tim Brewster won’t be brought back for 2011. ESPN has the Gophers ninth in the 11 team Big Ten but makes no prediction about records.
Michigan State senior linebacker Greg Jones, who is one of the most publicized preseason players in the country, changed his commitment while in high school from Minnesota to the Spartans after Gophers coach Glen Mason was fired. The Gophers, though, might have a linebacker who becomes the equal of Jones in Florida transfer Brendan Beal who will be eligible to play for Minnesota next year.
Randy Shaver’s preseason all-metro football team includes two players who reportedly have made verbal commitments to the Gophers, offensive tackle Tommy Olson (Mahtomedi) and Peter Westerhaus (Holy Family). www.kare11.com