Author: David Shama

David Shama is a former sports editor and columnist with local publications. His writing and reporting experiences include covering the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Gophers. Shama’s career experiences also include sports marketing. He is the former Marketing Director of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He is also the former Marketing Director of the United States Tennis Association’s Northern Section. A native of Minneapolis, Shama has been part of the community his entire life. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he majored in journalism. He also has a Master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas. He was a member of the Governor’s NBA’s Task Force to help create interest in bringing pro basketball to town in the 1980s.

Mauer Puts Off Possible New Deal

Posted on August 22, 2018August 22, 2018 by David Shama

Questions have hovered over Joe Mauer’s future this summer as the Twins’ 35-year-old first baseman plays out the final season of his contract.

Does Mauer want to continue his now 15-year major league career with his hometown Twins? Might he prefer another team with more potential to earn its way into the 2019 postseason?

Does he even want to play beyond this season? Will he choose retirement?

Do the Twins want Mauer on their roster in 2019?

The answer to the last question is yes. Club president Dave St. Peter made it clear how much the front office values the Minnesota native during an interview with Sports Headliners on Monday. “I think if Joe Mauer wants to play—and we expect him to make that decision sometime in the early part of the offseason—I would expect Joe Mauer would be back with the Twins. But Joe Mauer has indicated that he would prefer that dialogue to take place in the offseason. We are fully supportive of that. We’ll have that dialogue at the appropriate time.”

The Twins made Mauer the first pick in the first round of the 2001 MLB Draft after a legendary athletic career at St. Paul’s Cretin-Derham Hall High School. He has played his entire professional baseball career in the Twins organization.

Mauer is finishing the last season of his eight-year, $184 million contract. With a career history of injuries, a young family and all the money he could ever need, he might decide to retire.

The flip side? Mauer is still able to play major league baseball better than many of his peers. The desire to continue competing on the field may still be in place during the months ahead.

St. Peter describes it as “speculation” as to what Mauer will decide regarding his career this fall. What St. Peter does believe is not having Mauer in a Twins uniform would be a significant loss to the franchise.

“You lose a very good player, somebody who is still playing at a high level,” St. Peter said. “Still taking great at bats. Still one of the more difficult guys to get out with runners in scoring position late in the game.

“He (also) turned himself into a Gold Glove caliber first baseman. So you lose a lot. That’s not to be taken lightly in terms of that decision and how it impacts your baseball team. …”

Before switching over to first base in 2014, Mauer could be mentioned in the same breath with baseball’s greatest catchers ever. He is the only MLB catcher to win three batting titles and the only one ever among American Leaguers. He won the 2009 American League MVP Award and also received three consecutive Gold Glove awards for his work behind the plate.

“This is a player that our young players look up to,” St. Peter said. “He leads in I’d say a very quiet, very steady manner inside of our clubhouse. I think he leads by example. I think he models the type of behavior in terms of preparation that you want your young players to mimic…to learn from.”

Mauer has been hitting better of late, batting about .300 in recent games and knocking two home runs over the fence. Will how he finishes the season impact the decision on his playing future?

“If he were to get hurt, I think that could have some impact,” St. Peter said. “I think Joe is healthy today. He feels good. Assuming that remains the case, I really don’t know the on field stuff is going to have a huge impact. Joe knows he can still play. He’s demonstrated that. I expect him to have a strong final six weeks.”

Worth Noting

St. Peter didn’t offer details yet but expect the Twins to make offseason improvements to Target Field as has become their custom.

Augsburg baseball alum and Minneapolis native Mike Gallagher is in his second year as a radio play-by-play announcer for the Elizabethton Twins. The Johnson City (Tenn.) Press had an online story last Friday featuring Gallagher and another Minnesotan, Andy Fisher from Hutchinson who is a Minnesota-Crookston graduate. Fisher is a statistical data caster for the Twins minor league team in Elizabethton, Tenn. Data casters enter all the information from a game into a computer so viewers can follow developments on the Internet.

The Big Ten Network TV football crew including Gerry DiNardo and former Gophers coach Glen Mason attended Minnesota’s practice last Thursday. DiNardo said on the show devoted to analyzing the Gophers that redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan and true freshman Zack Annexstad look like better quarterbacks to him than last year’s twosome of Demry Croft and Conor Rhoda.

Mason likes the throwing accuracy of Morgan and Annexstad, who has been named Minnesota’s starter for the opening game August 30 against New Mexico State. “If I was going to say a negative thing about it, I am not sure if they have got the strong enough arm to throw the deep ball,” Mason said on BTN.

The offensive line lacked numbers and quality last season. Mason sees improvement in both areas. “They’ve got some big dudes in there now. Now they’re young. B-i-g doesn’t spell good but…in time they’re going to be good offensive linemen.”

Mason still lives in the Minneapolis area and said he is asked “all the time” how the Gophers, 2-7 in the Big Ten last year, are going to be in 2018. He answers “average at best” and said that’s a good thing because the roster of players is so young and inexperienced. “Down the road they’ve got hope here,” Mason said.

Annexstad is a walk-on and sure to earn a scholarship next year if he becomes a key contributor to Minnesota’s success this fall.

The Gophers may have about 6,200 University of Minnesota freshmen using free tickets for the opener August 30 at TCF Bank Stadium. Freshmen are annually given free tickets as an introduction to Gophers football.

Jim Brunzell, the former Golden Gopher football player and one-time partner with Greg Gagne of The High Flyers wrestling tag team, recalls this directive from Minnesota football coach Murray Warmath: “Brunzell, you can jump like a kangaroo but your blocking will kill us!”

It will be interesting to see how the Gophers volleyball team, ranked No. 4 nationally in a preseason poll, draws in its Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Target Center Friday and Saturday. Minnesota was 28-6 last season and has 12 returnees including three All-Americans—Alexis Hart, Stephanie Samedy and Samantha Seliger-Swenson.

The Gophers’ home matches at Maturi Pavilion were a popular ticket last season. Multiple matches at the Pav are likely sellouts this season including against Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. In the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s preseason poll Nebraska is No. 2, Penn State No. 6 and Wisconsin No. 9.

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QB Cole Kramer to Enroll Early at U

Posted on August 20, 2018August 20, 2018 by David Shama

Quarterback Cole Kramer told Sports Headliners he has the academic credits to graduate early from Eden Prairie High School and he has finalized plans to start classes in January at the University of Minnesota.

Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant learned of the news last week. “Well, I think it’s a good idea for a quarterback to do it,” Grant said. “Him and I have talked about trying to do that, and get in there early. Then he goes through a spring practice, and that’s beneficial.”

Cole will be able to sign paper work for his scholarship in December, along with other high school football players throughout the country. He was the first player in Minnesota’s 2019 football recruiting class to verbally commit.

Cole drew interest from Iowa and Michigan State before committing to the Golden Gophers. Is there a possibility he will flip his verbal commitment and not attend Minnesota? What circumstances could cause that to happen?

“Nothing. I am committed fully to the Gophers, and that’s where my heart is and that’s where I will stay,” Cole said.

What if the Gophers had a dreadful record in 2018? “I don’t care what will happen (with the record) this year,” Cole said. “I love the coaches. I love everything that they’re doing. They’re going in the right place (direction). With what coach (P.J.) Fleck did with Western Michigan, how he went from a poor season all the way to 13-0, I totally believe we can do that, too.”

Other schools have backed away from pursuing the Eden Prairie senior who is “100 percent” on Minnesota. “They (other schools) kind of know I am set in stone with the Gophers,” Cole said.

Cole has “always known” he wanted Minnesota. He sees the U as the whole package for him—his hometown school, with an “unbelievable coach” in Fleck, a program moving upward and one that is showcasing new facilities. And, of course, there are his family ties with the Gophers and the impact the U had on their lives.

Grandfather Tom Moe played end for the Gophers and was team MVP in 1959. He also was an outstanding hitter on the 1960 national championship Minnesota baseball team. He became a prominent attorney in Minneapolis and was named interim athletic director at his alma mater from 1999-2002.

Tom’s son Mike Moe was a quarterback for the Gophers in the 1980s. Tom’s daughter Jennie played tennis at the U from 1989-1992 and made all-conference. Her husband, Bob Coughlin, played football for Minnesota from 1986-1990. The two are the parents of Carter Coughlin, Minnesota’s starting defensive end from Eden Prairie who is a cousin of Cole.

Tom’s daughter Jackie and her husband Steve are the parents of Cole. Jackie, like her sister Jennie, was a great tennis player at Edina High School and went on to play collegiately at Texas where she was an All-American and part of the 1993 national championship team.

“I think Fleck made a great decision (recruiting Cole) with the pedigree and the history of that family, the Moe family,” Grant said. “…I’ve known the Moe family for 40 years, and they’ve been nothing but champions and winners. So it was a great decision to bring another of the Moe clan in under the Gopher umbrella.”

Cole has been Eden Prairie’s starting quarterback since the third game of his sophomore season. “I don’t think he has any weaknesses,” Grant said. “He’s got a great arm. He’s a very, very good athlete.

“What you see now is the command and leadership of the huddle. When he was a sophomore, he wasn’t the leader of our team and even last year there were seniors that probably were (more of) the leaders. …”

Although Cole has thrown about 250 career passes, none have been intercepted. He said Grant calls the plays and he trusts his coach’s judgment. He credited Grant for avoiding interceptions.

Cole is 6-foot-1 and about 190 pounds. He has worked since last season to become stronger. He is considered a “dual-threat” quarterback and he has 4.6 time in the 40- yard dash. He is ranked as a three-star QB by 247Sports and along with Jacob Clark from Texas is one of two quarterbacks who have verbally committed to the Gophers for 2019.

Grant has won 11 state titles at Eden Prairie. Part of the success formula has been great quarterbacks, including Jason Kapsner who went on to Michigan. Can Cole be the best Eagles QB to play for Grant?

“I don’t know but the standard is pretty high,” the coach said. “You can’t even claim to be the best unless you’ve won two state titles and been back-to-back undefeated.”

Well, Cole’s Eagles lost the state title game in 2016 but they won it last year with an unbeaten team, 13-0. Cole said he is “super excited” to get a second straight 6A state championship.

Making this fall even sweeter could be throwing passes to his brother Cade, just a sophomore who is trying to establish a roster spot. Cole offered a promising scouting report.

“He’s probably got the best hands I’ve ever thrown to, no matter what level it is. I’ve rarely seen him drop a pass.”

Wouldn’t that be something if the two brothers shared success this fall and then in a couple of years had some big moments together in Dinkytown? We already know Cole is going to arrive there in just a few months.

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Answers Coming on Dalvin Cook

Posted on August 17, 2018August 17, 2018 by David Shama

Dean Dalton, the former Vikings running back coach, was asked about Dalvin Cook’s comeback. The second-year running back has been arduously working his way back into game readiness after a serious left knee injury suffered after playing just four games in 2017.

Dalton said the surgery for a torn ACL is so state-of-the-art, that part isn’t a concern in the recovery process for Cook who could emerge even this season as one of the NFL’s elite rushers. The obstacles for Cook, or any NFL runner who has the surgery, are regaining the physical efficiency of the knee and the confidence to move the same way as in the past and not be fearful of re-injury, and also getting in game shape.

Can Cook be what he was before the injury? “That’s all about Dalvin. I believe he will be fine,” Dalton told Sports Headliners.

Cook didn’t play in the Vikings’ first preseason game last Saturday. Head coach Mike Zimmer said awhile ago he expects Cook to receive some preseason playing time and that his former second round draft choice will be ready for the regular season opener next month.

What about tomorrow’s home preseason opener at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Jaguars? “I don’t know if he’s going to play this Saturday or not,” Zimmer said on Wednesday. “The only thing we’re trying to do is each day we’re trying to stack on a few more plays, (a) few more days in a row. That’s really what we’re…trying to do, is trying to get him in game ready shape.”

Cook said yesterday he can be ready for the regular season opener on September 9 against the 49ers without preseason game action. “Yeah, one hundred percent (sure about that),” he said. “I’m ready to go. Ball is ball, and when that ball rolls out, I’m going to go one hundred percent, I’m going to fly around, and I’m going to do me. …My knee is ready to go, I’m ready to play, and it’s just football now.”

Cook’s return is a key piece to the team’s plan to reach the Super Bowl. Dalton refers to him as a complete back with skills that include being an “excellent receiver.” Catching the ball out of the backfield can certainly be another tool for the offense but it’s Cook’s ability to take a handoff in the backfield and break long plays that has tantalized Vikings coaches and scouts even before he arrived in Minneapolis from Florida State.

Vikings talent evaluator Scott Studwell said this last year about Cook: “He is an exceptional athlete. He can do everything. He catches it extremely well. He’s got great feet, he’s got really good eyes. He plays probably faster than he times . He’s got game speed. He’s got exceptional inside run ability. He’s pretty much the entire package.”

The 5-10, 210-pound Cook is only 23 years old, with potentially a lot of productive seasons ahead. He set a Vikings’ record last year for most rushing yards by a rookie through the first three games, 288 yards.

Worth Noting

Dalton is president of the NFL Alumni Pro Day Experience. The first event nationally was scheduled for this month at Eden Prairie High School but will now be held November 10 and 11. The event is for boys and girls ages 13-18, who will have an experience similar to the NFL Combine, and also participate in a Microsoft technology workshop. More at Nflalumniproday.com.

State football coaching legends Mike Grant from Eden Prairie, Dwight Lundeen of Becker, and Ron Stolski from Brainerd, will be recognized at the November event as “honorary coaches.”

Dalton was a Vikings assistant coach from 1999-2005 and since then has been involved with various career experiences in health and wellness, media and technology.

The Vikings, who play the Jaguars tomorrow at U.S. Bank Stadium, are no longer using hard tickets or printed PDF’s. Tickets are accessible via the Vikings app or the online My Vikings Account portal and can be saved to fans’ mobile devices.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins turns 30 on Sunday. Wide receiver Adam Thielen will be 28 next Wednesday.

Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarroccha told the Big Ten Network late yesterday it’s head coach P.J. Fleck’s decision on timing, but the Gophers might announce their starting quarterback over the weekend for the August 30 opener against New Mexico State. Redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan and true freshman Zack Annexstad have never played in a college game but have impressed with their leadership in August training camp.

Ciarroccha said 6-4, 240-pound Seth Green, a quarterback last year who was switched to tight end, is now a wide receiver. Minnesota coaches like the redshirt sophomore’s athleticism and size.

Among verbal commits for the Gophers’ class of 2019 is four-star defensive end Jason Bargy from Momence, Illinois. His pass rushing ability might be superior to anyone on the Gopher roster currently.

Bargy is the only four-star player on the Gopher list of verbal commits, per 247Sports who as of yesterday had Minnesota’s 2019 class ranked No. 26 nationally and No. 7 in the Big Ten.

It will be one of the more emotional nights in Lynx history Sunday when the team and fans celebrate Lindsay Whalen’s career following the regular season ending home game against the Mystics. All fans in attendance will receive a Whalen commemorative card. Whalen’s retirement announcement was well-timed earlier this week, allowing the team and fans to recognize her legendary career in Minnesota basketball.

It will be interesting to see the size of the crowd on Sunday, with Target Center capacity at 18,978. In franchise history the largest regular season crowd is 17,933, a record set on July 7 of this year. The all-time attendance record came at a playoff game in October of 2016, 19,839.

Gustavus Adolphus football coach Peter Haugen speaks to the CORES lunch group September 13 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Haugen, a Bethel graduate, is starting his 10th year at Gustavus after 15 years as head football coach for Washburn High School where he compiled a 76-8 record in city league games. For lunch reservations and other information, contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Gary Smith, the athletic trainer for the fabled 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, is in his 21st season with the Eden Prairie football team. Smith has 51 years of experience as an athletic trainer, including working for the Gophers.

Classy move: Ex-Twin Brian Dozier’s full page advertisement headlined “Thank you, Minnesota” in the August 9 Star Tribune. The second baseman, now with the Dodgers after being traded in July, will be remembered as one of the classiest Twins ever.

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