Mauer’s backup, Drew Butera, hit .167 this season ─ an average that tied him with Jerry Zimmerman for the lowest in franchise history for players with at least 230 at-bats. Butera hit safely in four of his last six games.
Twins rookie first baseman Chris Parmelee reached base in 19 of the 21 games he played. His impressive performance included a .355 average and four home runs.
This season Twins first basemen combined to hit .303 with 18 home runs and 91 RBI.
The Twins open next season on the road, April 6 in Baltimore.
Vikings defensive end Jared Allen played his first four NFL seasons in Kansas City so Sunday’s game against the Chiefs will be a homecoming. He said yesterday his current contract is “10 times more” than the one he was considering while in Kansas City. He’s happy with the Vikings after he parted with Chiefs football boss Carl Peterson under less than ideal circumstances.
Allen said the outdoor tailgating experience at Arrowhead Stadium is memorable. “You can smell the barbeque from like a mile away,” Allen said. “The smell of the coals burning, it just gives you chills because you know this is football. …I am excited to go back there and play, and go get a ‘W’.”
The Vikings need down the field playmakers and it wouldn’t be surprising if rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph receives more playing time soon. His 6-6 size and athleticism, including speed, make him an exceptionally mobile tight end. He averaged 11.5 yards per reception at Notre Dame
The Vikings are 0-3 and have blown three double digits halftime leads but former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton expects head coach Leslie Frazier’s calm approach to be a major asset in attempting a turnaround. “Don’t panic and cause a bunch of anxiety in the building,” Dalton said.
Is the overall Vikings personnel just average? “That’s a fair assessment of the talent,” Dalton said. “They’ve got some holes where they’re below average, and then they’ve got some places where they still maintain Pro Bowl caliber players. So across the board it’s not an outstanding football team.”