KARE 11 had the top rating among U.S. markets during Olympic programming from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday of this week, according to a station official. Minneapolis’ 27.5 rating bested second place Salt Lake City at 26.9. (A rating point is a percentage of households watching a particular program.)
Former Twins’ starter Carlos Silva, now with Seattle, starts tonight in the Metrodome against his old team and he has eye-catching numbers: a 4-13 record with a 5.93 ERA.
After winning two of three games against the Yankees earlier this week, the Twins are now 25-8 at home since June 1, 41-22 for the season.
Twins left fielder Delmon Young hit home runs on Tuesday and Wednesday, making it the first time in his three-year major league career that he’s homered in consecutive games. He’s hit all of his seven home runs this season since June 1 (stats from that date through August 14 include a .315 average and 37 RBI). He has six RBI in his last two games.
Murray’s restaurant co-owner Tim Murray and five friends are on their annual baseball trip this weekend. They will see games in Yankee Stadium (closing after this season) today and tomorrow, then visit Nationals Park, the Washington Nationals’ new stadium that opened last spring.
Paul Giel, the grandson of the late Gopher athletic director and All-American athlete by the same name, will attend Wabash Valley College after starring as a center fielder for Minnetonka High School, according to John Sherman, sports editor for the Sun Current. Sherman said Wabash, located in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, is a junior college that had five players chosen earlier this year in the major league baseball draft.
Beyond the Sports Huddle, Dave Mona’s new book, will be sold at the WCCO Radio booth at the State Fair and is available in local bookstores. Mona said that Amazon.com reported earlier in the week that Beyond the Sports Huddle was the top selling Minnesota book.
Jim Holden will be talking about his new book, Tennis in the Northland, beginning at about 7:35 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) on WCCO Radio with Charlie Boone. The former Northfield tennis coach has written a comprehensive history of boys’ high school tennis in Minnesota. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow, Holden will be autographing books at the Sectional USTA League Tournament at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus. https://www.jim-holden.com/
Edina Country Club tennis pro Greg Wicklund, a former Gopher from Roosevelt High School, writes a popular news and names column for Tennis Life magazine, the USTA publication. Wicklund has been writing that type of column in local publications for about 15 years and also is a teaching pro for Lifetime Fitness. A history major at Minnesota, Wicklund took some journalism classes and thought about a career in the profession.