Star Tribune Vikings writer Kevin Seifert will be leaving the newspaper as of Friday. He’s accepted a position with espn.com.
Manager Ron Gardenhire is concerned about his pitchers being injured when the Twins play interleague games. Because of the designated hitter rule in the American League, the only experience his pitchers normally have in hitting and running the bases are in games played at National League parks. None of the Twins’ pitchers were injured during last weekend’s series at Colorado.
Twins pitcher Joe Nathan talking late last week about the possibility the American League Central Division champion may only finish 12 games over .500: “It’s possible. I mean you look at it right now, it’s very possible.”
As of this morning, Chicago led the division four games over .500. The Twins, 23-22, are the only other team playing over .500 baseball.
Two baseball players local fans ask about but won’t be coming this way to join the Twins’ roster are home run king Barry Bonds and former Twin Jacques Jones. Bonds is unemployed and Jones is in the Florida Marlins’ minor league system.
Bloomington Jefferson’s Moses Alipate, who has verbally committed to the Gophers’ recruiting class of 2009, is rated by scout.com as the 14th best prep quarterback in the country. Earlier this spring Michigan was hoping to sign Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, considered by many the nation’s best prep quarterback for the class of 2008. Instead he signed with Ohio State but Michigan now has commitments from two four-star quarterbacks for 2009, according to rivals.com, plus four-star wide receiver Bryce McNeal from Minneapolis (Breck School).
Because Big Brown won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Canterbury Park’s attendance could double on Saturday, June 7 for the Belmont Stakes. Local horse racing fans (devotees and the casual) will be at Canterbury to wager on the Belmont Stakes from Elmont, New York where Big Brown will attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
NBA dates to put on the calendar include May 27-June 2, NBA pre-draft camp; June 5, first game of NBA finals; June 16, draft withdrawl date for early entrants; June 26, NBA draft; July 1, free agent negotiation period begins; July 9, first day to sign free agent contracts; July 11-20, NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Minnesota Thunder’s announcement last week that the local USL team will play its remaining home schedule at the National Sports Center in Blaine doesn’t mean the management won’t continue to consider a new soccer-only stadium in St. Paul. Thunder president Manny Lagos told Sports Headliners that long range the franchise will look at the possibility and is even now reviewing sites, costs, etc.
The Thunder’s decision to leave Griffin Stadium in St. Paul two games into the home schedule surprised many observers but Lagos said the club had been considering moving out of the municipal football stadium since last fall. Reality is that the other 10 teams in the USL play in soccer stadiums and the NSC, while not built for soccer, is a better fit than Griffin.
Lagos is excited about the removal of the track at the NSC, meaning that fans will be much closer to the field than the previous distance of about 80 feet. He said capacity will be about 8,500 and easily expandable to over 12,000. With a favorable lease, he’s hopeful the team can make money this season.
The Thunder, who plays its first home game at the NSC on Saturday beginning at 7:35 p.m. against Miami FC, has a four year lease to host future home schedules there.
Four MIAC men’s golf student-athletes have been named Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for Division III by the Golf Coaches Association of America. The four All-America Scholars from the MIAC are Saint John’s University junior Joe Daly, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Jordan Hawkinson, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Mark Stuckey, and University of St. Thomas senior John Treacy.