Author: David Shama

Minnesota tennis legend David Wheaton likes Roger Federer or Andy Roddick to win the men’s singles at the US Open in New York.  The women’s winner?  “It’s very hard to pick (someone) this year,” he answered. 

With Andre Agassi retiring, Anna Kournikova fading from the scene and John McEnroe long past his prime, who has star power in the sport that still misses the marketing appeal of Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, McEnroe and Billie Jean King?  “Rafael Nadal has a lot of cache in him,” Wheaton said.  “He brings a lot of energy.  On the women’s side, (Maria) Sharapova.” 

In 1990 Wheaton lost in the US Open singles quarterfinals to McEnroe, his best showing ever at America’s Grand Slam.  In recent years he has been playing in the 35 and over doubles at the Open but is no longer eligible because of a new rule limiting participation to players who once were champions or runner-ups in Grand Slam events.  Wheaton, 37, and partner T.J. Middleton won the 35 and over doubles championship at Wimbledon in 2004 and finished second the last two years.   

A devout Christian, the Tonka Bay resident is the author of the book “University of Destruction.”  He writes about the “three pillars of peril students face in college: sex, drugs/alcohol, and humanism (secular or religious).”

The annual Trent Tucker Youth Program fund-raiser has a new event to complement the celebrity golf tournament.  A celebrity poker tournament, with scheduled guests that include Michael Jordan and poker star Phil Ivey, will be held at Canterbury Park on Friday, September 8.  On Saturday, September 9, Rush Creek Golf Course will be the site for a celebrity golf outing including you-know-who.

Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano talking about going back to his native Dominican Republic for the winter:  “I was here in the winter this year for the Twinsfest.  Pretty cold, man, I don’t like that.  That’s not the way that I am used to it, you know.”   

Former Gopher football coach Lou Holtz is promoting his new book, “Wins, Losses, and Lessons.”  He said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle:  “I am the only guy who has written more books than he has read.”  Holtz told the local radio audience he would have stayed at Minnesota and not gone to Notre Dame if the University had extended his authority in the athletic department. 

Gopher junior safety Dom Barber visited his older brother, Marion III, in Dallas during the off-season.  Marion, whose Dallas Cowboys play the Vikings Thursday night, spent time with Dom bowling, eating pizza and staying around the house and swimming pool.  Dom, who played running back in high school, will play defense for the Gophers and not follow the running back tradition set by his father, Marion II, and his older brother, two of the school’s best runners ever.  Another Barber runner may be coming, though.  “Little Thomas, he’s eight now, and some day may be he will the next one to carry the tradition of running backs,” Dom said. 

Matt Spaeth, recently named a Gopher co-captain, talked earlier this month about how the team must learn from the past and not give away games (see 2005 versus Wisconsin):  “I think as a team we look at some of our games where we’ve had let downs.  Fourth quarter letdowns or just stupid mistakes. Things like that that will cost us the game.  We definitely (have) got to get rid of those.”

Former Viking coach Mike Tice’s son, Nate, and nephew, Mike, are both playing football for Edina High School.

It was early June and the Twins were in Seattle for a series against the Mariners.  Justin Morneau, who had teased the Twins with his power and RBI potential during two previous seasons, was hitting .241 with 11 homers and 38 RBI.  A native of British Columbia, Morneau had some Canadian buddies in town ready to have a good time.

Manager Ron Gardenhire decided to have a “baseball talk” with his 25-year-old first baseman. “His focus has got to remain on the field,” Gardenhire said recently.  “They (Morneau’s buddies) don’t have anything to do at night.  They don’t have to get up in the morning and go to the ball park and compete against some of the best players in the world.  He does.  And that’s what we talked about.  Give yourself an opportunity.  Understand, ‘Hey, boys, I gotta go to bed.  I have a job to do.  It’s not off season for me. It’s off season for you.’”

As the team heads toward September and a possible playoff position, Morneau is enjoying a Twins MVP season for a franchise desperate for power.   His numbers are dramatic since early June with a streak from June 9 through August 22 that looked like this:  .383 batting average, 20 home runs and 69 RBI.

Gardenhire said the talk in June encouraged Morneau to focus and give him the opportunity to be productive. “He’s really dedicated himself to the game,” Gardenhire said.  “I think he will be fine.”

Morneau, as with other young players, has learned from his struggles.  Two seasons ago, playing in 74 games for the Twins, he hit .271 with 19 home runs and 58 RBI.  Last season, in 141 games, the numbers were .239, 22 and 79. 

Gardenhire said Morneau has learned he doesn’t have to hit a home run on each at bat.  He’s learning to “stay within himself and not do too much.”  A lesson in handling pressure occurred recently when Morneau was flirting with breaking through to the 30 home run and 100 RBI totals.  “He went a few days without being able to really do anything,” Gardenhire remembered. “I think he set back and thought about it and then he relaxed a little bit and it just came natural.”

Gardenhire praised Morneau as a hard worker and as a hitter “who can carry a ball club for long periods of time.”  Morneau seems likely to finish among the American League leaders in home runs and RBIs.  At this writing he was third in the league in RBI and Gardenhire admires his ability to drive runs across the plate. 

At 25 and already the first Twin to hit 30 or more home runs since Kent Hrbek in 1987, Morneau may not even be near his peak.  Can he hit 40 or 50 home runs?  “He can definitely do that,” Gardenhire answered.  “No doubt.”