Former Twins Cy Young award winner Johan Santana, now starting his second season with the Mets, is the most valuable pitcher in major league baseball, according to Sports Illustrated. In its baseball preview issue last week the magazine listed a PVR (Player Value Ranking) for big league players. Francisco Liriano, who starts for the Twins tonight and is the hoped-for new Santana, has a PVR among pitchers of 55.
Among everyday Twins players, Justin Morneau (49) and Mauer (59) have the best PVR’s.
The Carol Fitzgerald Community Celebration will be Saturday at Martin Luther King Park in Minneapolis. The event celebrates the life of the deceased wife of media personality Larry Fitzgerald Sr. and son Larry Jr. Among those expected to attend the 1 to 4 p.m. event are NFL stars Larry Jr., Tommie Harris, Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen.
On Friday American Idol winner Jordin Sparks will perform for the Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Fund Benefit, an event to be held at the Metropolitan from 6 to 9 p.m. For information on Friday and Saturday activities, call 612-305-2959.
The Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic last week had about 1,000 attendees including exhibitors and outstanding speakers like former Super Bowl coach Brian Billick. Congratulations to clinic leaders Don Swanson, Ron Stolski, Jim Dotseth and Dave Nigon.
Billick could coach again in the NFL but is facing a trend where jobs go to assistants instead of former head coaches. Billick, who was the Vikings offensive coordinator before being head coach of the 2001 Super Bowl champion Ravens, has vacationed at Lake Vermillion in northern Minnesota.
Here’s a guess as to Tubby Smith’s early season starting lineup next fall: forwards Damian Johnson and Trevor Mbwake, center Ralph Sampson III, and guards Lawrence Westbrook and Al Nolen.
St. Cloud Tech’s outstanding guard, Nate Wolters, has a scholarship offer from Colorado State, according to a prep basketball source.