Author: David Shama

The Twins front office is preparing for its groundbreaking event at the new baseball stadium site on August 2. “We’re still obviously planning,” said team president Dave St. Peter.  “I think that it will be certainly bigger in scope than your traditional groundbreaking and I think it should be.   I think it’s a chance for the community to come together.” 

St. Peter told Sports Headliners that a concert will be part of the event and VIP’s may include baseball commissioner Bud Selig, governor Tim Pawlenty, Twins catcher Joe Mauer, first baseman Justin Morneau and team alums Tony Oliva, Paul Molitor  and Kent Hrbek.  Up to 25 current and former Twins are expected to attend the event which begins at 5 p.m. with the groundbreaking ceremonies at 7 p.m.

Carlos Silva, 6-8 after winning yesterday against Toronto, is 3-1 in his last four starts with a 2.90 ERA in those games.  The Twins stole three bases in three attempts yesterday and have now made good on 85 percent of their steals.

Tim Ryan, son of Twins general manager Terry Ryan, is pitching this summer for the Mankato MoonDogs of the Northwoods League.  Tim, who also plays for the Gophers, had a 0-0 record with a 5.06 ERA in about 10 innings of work, according to stats listed earlier this week on the Mankato team’s web site. 

Gopher athletic director Joel Maturi, who resides near downtown, said basketball coach Tubby Smith will live across the alley from him but hasn’t move into his residence.

The Minnesota Lynx web site lists a 13 player roster and a source reports the team has a $700,000 player payroll.   

Sixty-three U.S.-born players, representing a record 30 percent of the total, were selected in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft last week.  The previous high was 28.2 percent in 2006. 

Over the last three-plus decades the Minnesota High School All-Star Football game has had 57 players who have gone on to play in the NFL including former Gophers Ben Utecht and Marion Barber III.  This year’s game will be played tomorrow starting at 7 p.m. at St. Cloud State University. FSN North will televise the game live.

Age and money are compelling reasons to trade Kevin Garnett.  At 31, Garnett might play a couple more seasons at or near All-Star level but once players are in their 30’s it’s anyone’s guess how healthy and effective they will be.  Garnett is the NBA’s top salaried player at over $20 million per season.  He is over paid because other players like Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and LeBron James are more valuable.  Plus, the guess is Garnett will still be looking for big bucks on his next contract when the current agreement ends in 2009.  

If I am Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor I am scrambling to move Garnett. Garnett understandably could lose his passion for playing here when the franchise is mulling over how to show him the door.  I doubt that Taylor, Garnett and vice president Kevin McHale are planning any summer outings where the three will gather around the campfire singing Kum Ba Yah.

Garnett has been frustrated here while playing for mostly mediocre teams.  There’s a common plea among national media and fans to send him to a place where an NBA championship isn’t a long shot.  The notion that the Wolves owe him this is nonsense.  Garnett has been rewarded with record basketball compensation by the Wolves and treated with respect.  What is likely to dictate a trade to a contender, though, if there is any deal, will be Garnett’s insistence on a championship destination.

Without a championship ring, Garnett will be remembered as another Karl Malone or Charles Barkley, two forwards who achieved similar NBA greatness.  When the league rolls out its list of the 75 greatest players of all-time in 2021, Garnett will be on the roster and will be less favorably compared with fellow power forward Tim Duncan who has been a leader of four NBA championship teams.

Garnett’s greatness as one of his era’s best players is exemplified by his league record stats of most consecutive seasons (six) averaging 20 plus points, 10 plus rebounds, and five assists; his four consecutive seasons leading the NBA in rebounds; selection to 10 all-star games and recognition eight times on all-NBA teams.  As perhaps the most versatile 7 footer ever to play basketball, Garnett accomplished all of that over a 12 year period. 

The next several years will not be nearly as productive and unless some extraordinary veterans are about to drop out of the sky, land at Target Center and help KG, it’s time to find a travel ticket for the Big Ticket. 

Wyatt McCoy, the Mounds View eighth grader who recently won the state boys class AA tennis championship, will play for the Mustangs again next year but after that may be expanding his borders.   His father, Brian, told Sports Headliners his son may start playing against international competition in various countries after the next school year.   

Brian said “’there’s no doubt about it” that his son dreams of being a professional player.  The move toward international competition, playing against the world’s best juniors, is likely to provide the most effective path to that goal. 

Wyatt, who will turn 15 on August 13, has been playing tennis since he was six.  His father, a teaching pro for Lifetime Fitness, didn’t start playing until he was 17 and later competed for Hamline.  Brian said Wyatt’s game is too good for him and that his son plays other teaching pros and college players to push him. 

Wyatt is already drawing comparisons to Minnesota tennis legend David Wheaton who once was ranked No. 12 in the world during a 13 year pro career that saw him excel in singles and doubles in every Grand Slam tournament.

Wheaton told Sports Headliners he hasn’t seen Wyatt play but it’s “really impressive to win the high school tournament as an eighth grader.” 

Wheaton left his Minneapolis area home as a 15-year-old to attend the Nick Bollettieri tennis school in Florida.  “It really helped from a tennis stand point tremendously,” Wheaton said.  “Playing outside for fours each day couldn’t be replicated in Minnesota.”

Wheaton played one year at Stanford before turning pro in July of 1988.  Brian said college is definitely a possibility for his son, depending on Wyatt’s readiness for the pro circuit as a teenager.

Brian expects to know more within about two years as to how promising Wyatt’s career could be.  His 5-foot-8, 135-pound son “has hit his growth spurt,” although he probably will grow a couple more inches and add weight.

Wyatt, who has been ranked in the 30 to 35 range among 16 years olds nationally by the United States Tennis Association, will play national clay and hard court tournaments this summer.  He plays or practices six days a week.