Hockey lost a wonderful contributor, and I am mourning the passing of friend and mentor Frank Jirik who died last Thursday. Frank’s successful sports and entertainment management career included the position of vice president of marketing and building operations for the Met Center and the Minnesota North Stars in the late 1980s. He fought a courageous battle against cancer for several years. Visitation will be tonight from 4 to 8 p.m. at White Funeral Home in Apple Valley. Services are tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Risen Savior Catholic Church in Burnsville.
The Wild were 12-9-2 overall against NHL teams that remain in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Minnesota was 5-0-0 versus the East (Carolina, Boston, Pittsburgh and Washington) and 7-9-2 versus the West teams (Anaheim, Chicago, Detroit, Vancouver) remaining.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Awards banquet will be Thursday in St. Paul. Among those honored will be Hobey Baker recipient Matt Gilroy from Boston University and also Don Roberts from Gustavus, the Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey award winner.
Harmon Killebrew (see story at top of page) said it was only during the last few years of his career that players began to lift weights. Killebrew, whose career was from 1954-1975, grew up in Idaho and as a young man lifted bales of hay and 10 gallon milk cans.
“To me those were the golden years of baseball, 50’s, 60’s and early 70s,” Killebrew said. “I think there was more great players during that era than any other era in the history of the game. Just look at the guys that played during that period. …” Killebrew played with and against many of baseball’s greatest names including Twins teammate Rod Carew, plus Henry Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Stan Musial, Reggie Jackson, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan, and Sandy Koufax.
Gophers cornerback Marcus Sherels missed all of spring practice after shoulder surgery. His brother Mike Sherels, a formers Gophers linebacker, said Marcus should be ready for the 2009 season. He said Marcus was one of the Big Ten Conference’s best cornerbacks last season and can play in the NFL. He also likes the team’s other starting cornerback, Traye Simmons, a senior too. “I don’t see there’s any reason why those two won’t get a lot of recognition this year,” Mike said.
Tommy Valentini, a native of Duluth, has been named the head men’s tennis coach at Gustavus. Valentini, who has been an assistant coach for the Gusties for the past three years, will replace Steve Wilkinson who is retiring after serving as the head coach for the last 39 years. Steve is one of the great college tennis coaches of all-time and has liver cancer.