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.

Trivia Therapy for Twins’ Slow Start

Posted on April 13, 2015April 13, 2015 by David Shama

The Twins are off to a slow start this season and might be on their way to another 90-plus loss season—but, hey, cheer up! Today is the club’s home opener at Target Field and the weather forecast encourages fans to leave their parkas at home. To perk you up even more, Sports Headliners is serving up a 20-questions Twins trivia column.

Answer 15 to 20 questions correctly and you can draft the next trivia column. Anyone answering only a couple of questions correctly needs to sign up for Twins Trivia School at my house (free tuition but lodging costs are exorbitant).

Here are the questions, with answers at the bottom of the column. No peeking or cheating of any kind. Fines are double for transgressions involving more difficult questions.

1. What was the first season the Twins played at Target Field?

2. The Twins haven’t won a regular season opener for awhile. How many consecutive opening season games have the Twins lost? Be sure to count last week’s opener in Detroit.

3. Who was the Twins designated hitter on opening day in 2014? (Hint: he was in the minors before summer officially began.)

4. The coldest temperature ever for a Twins opener was 33 degrees on April 14, 1962. Who was the opponent?

5. In Twins history the franchise has been owned by two families including the Pohlads. Name the other family. (No hints on this gimme.)

6. Before Joe Mauer earned a $184 million contract from the Twins he was the American League’s Most Valuable Player. What year did he win the award?

7. Much has been written about Torii Hunter rejoining the Twins—the franchise he played for regularly from 1999-2007. Who are the two teams Hunter played with before returning to the Twins?

8. Who was the Twins general manager before Terry Ryan took the job for a second time in 2011? (Note: this is a “lay-up” so don’t mess it up.)

9. The Twins coaching staff includes a former Minnesota high school basketball player who long ago won the state’s Mr. Basketball Award. What is his name?

10. This Twins regular is a Mississippi native just like Elvis Presley and Brett Favre. Who is he? (If you never heard of Elvis and Brett, proceed to the next question.)

11. The Twins track their franchise records back to 1901 when the club was in Washington, D.C. before moving to Minneapolis-St. Paul after the 1960 season. What was the nickname of the Senators Hall of Fame pitcher who won 36 games in a single season?

12. In 2014 the Twins hosted the MLB All-Star Game at Target Field. What other years have the Twins hosted the game?

13. This Twins great was on the cover of Time Magazine in the 1970s. Who was the cover boy?

14. Who was the Twins pitcher who started and won the final game of the 1991 World Series? (No, it wasn’t Bert Blyleven—or Pedro Ramos.)

15. Everybody (?) knows Harmon Killebrew hit the most career home runs for the Twins. Some trivia experts even know Kent Hrbek hit the second most. Who is No. 3 on the all-time list?

16. Name the Twins player who led the team in home runs and RBI during spring training this year. (Hint: he was acquired in a 2012 trade involving Francisco Liriano.)

17. What was the name of the Twins message board at the old Met Stadium? (No, it wasn’t the “Jumbotron.”)

18. Who is the Twins player that holds the franchise record for scoring the most runs in a single season? (Need help? He played in the 1990s.)

19. Name the only person to “play” for the Twins and Vikings? (Hint: this is a trick question. Honest.)

20. Who was the Twins losing pitcher in yesterday’s game against the White Sox? (How much easier can I make these questions?)

And the Answers to Today’s Trivia Questions Are…

1. Target Field opened to rave reviews locally and nationally in 2010, and has been a hit with fans and media ever since.

2. After losing last week’s season opener to the Tigers in Detroit, the Twins have now dropped seven consecutive openers. If you’re counting, that’s the longest streak in club history dating back to 1961.

3. Chris Colabello terrorized American League pitchers in the early days of the 2014 season but was playing in Triple A Rochester before Minnesota schools adjourned for summer.

4. It must have been a shock to the Los Angeles-based Angels to play baseball in 33 degree football weather at Met Stadium on April 14, 1962.

5. The Griffith family moved the Senators from Washington, D.C. to Minneapolis-St. Paul after the 1960 season and the club became known as the Minnesota Twins. Franchise president Calvin Griffith was a character and sometimes more entertaining than his team.

6. The stars aligned for Mauer in 2009 when he had career highs in batting average (.365), home runs (28) and RBI (96), and was voted American League MVP. The next year he received a new $184 million contract.

7. Hunter played five seasons for the Angels after leaving the Twins, and then joined the Tigers for two more seasons before coming back to Minnesota this year. Although he is 39 years old, Hunter has played in 140 or more games the last five seasons.

8. Bill Smith was the Twins general manager from 2008-2011. Ryan, who had been the GM from 1994-2007, agreed to a second round of duty in succeeding Smith.

9. Twins third base coach Gene Glynn, the pride of Waseca, Minnesota, won the 1975 Mr. Basketball Award. He was the first person to win the award.

10. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, who was second in the American League last season with 112 runs scored, grew up in Mississippi and was drafted by the Twins out of the University of Southern Mississippi.

11. Walter “Big Train” Johnson was one of the most dominating pitchers ever—hence his nickname. He won 417 games for the Senators from 1907-1927.

12. The Twins hosted All-Star Games in 1965, 1985 and 2014. The American League lost the first two games in Minnesota but won last year when Twins reliever Glen Perkins earned the save in the 5-3 win.

13. In 1977 Rod Carew was making a run at becoming baseball’s first .400 hitter since Ted Williams in 1941. Carew graced the cover of Time Magazine and went on to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award. His final batting average that season was .388.

14. Jack Morris pitched a 10-inning, seven-hit 1-0 shutout against the Braves in Game Seven of the 1991 World Series to give the Twins their second world championship in five years. The game is remembered as one of the most exciting in World Series history.

15. Bob Allison, the Twins left fielder in the franchise’s early years in Minnesota, hit 256 home runs in his career with Minnesota. That ranks third behind Killebrew with 559 and Hrbek at 293.

16. Eduardo Escobar, acquired by the Twins from the White Sox in 2012, hit four home runs and drove in 20 runs to lead the club in those categories during spring training.

17. The Twins-O-Gram seemed high tech back in the day at Met Stadium when it delivered brief messages to liven up the ballpark experience. (Sorry, no visuals on the Twins-O-Gram).

18. Chuck Knoblauch set a single season franchise record for runs scored in 1996 with 140. Knoblauch, who played seven seasons with the Twins from 1991-1997, was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2014.

19. Okay, I have used this question in the past and it’s a tricky one, but a few readers might recall the answer is the organist who “played” and pepped up the crowds at Twins and Vikings games at Met Stadium. Get it?

20. The Twins’ season record dived to 1-5 with a loss to the White Sox yesterday, and Minnesota’s Phil Hughes was the losing pitcher in the game.

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Advice to Tyus Jones: Stay at Duke

Posted on April 10, 2015April 10, 2015 by David Shama

Bill Fitch coached the Celtics to a world championship and is among the winningest coaches in NBA history. His advice for Tyus Jones is stay at Duke and not declare for the NBA Draft as a college freshman.

The 2015 NBA Draft will be held June 25 and college underclassmen must declare for the draft at least 60 days prior. Jones—chosen the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after leading Duke to the NCAA title last Monday night—will in the days ahead counsel with family members and others about whether to leave college after one season.

Mock NBA drafts have Jones listed as a first round pick. Draftexpress.com projects the former Apple Valley High School point guard being selected No. 21. First round draft choices receive guaranteed money, and the NBA’s predetermined compensation scale results in the No. 21 pick receiving $1,210,000 as a rookie, according to Draftexpress.

Fitch, who coached the Gophers before a long NBA career that ended in 1998, still closely follows college and pro teams. He didn’t hesitate when asked about Jones’ future. “Mentally and physically he’s better off where he’s at (Duke),” Fitch told Sports Headliners.

Jones is only 18 years old and turns 19 in May. Although the Duke website lists him at 6-1, 190-pounds, he is probably smaller. Another year or two of college basketball won’t make him taller but a weight program can make the Blue Devils point guard stronger and eventually better equipped to deal with the grown men in the NBA, some of whom are nine inches taller and 100 pounds heavier. A strong and more mature body can also help any player deal with the physically demanding pro schedule of 82 games.

The mental challenges for Jones and other young players come both on and off the court. There’s a lot to learn about basketball, including a new system of X’s and Os, and adjusting to teammates, and probably sitting on the bench instead of starting. Off the court, there are the temptations of the NBA life that can include too many social interactions with the wrong kinds of people.

Fitch said Jones faces a backlog of NBA talent that the Minnesota teenager would have to compete with for playing time. He implied there are young players who are already waiting for court time, or guys starting that shouldn’t because they’re not ready. His advice for Jones is don’t get caught up in grabbing the NBA money too soon. “A guy is always going to be worth what he is now, or more,” Fitch said.

It’s been Jones’ dream to play in the NBA but Fitch doesn’t think there is a single league team that will use him immediately as a starter. “There are too many (players) sitting in the league that have talent at that position,” he said.

Jones scored 23 points, including 19 in the second half, to lead Duke to a 68-63 win over Wisconsin on Monday night. He showed in the championship game and during other big moments this season he delivers when the pressure is the biggest. He’s an extraordinary playmaker and more accurate outside shooter than often given credit for, but he needs to become a better defensive player and could have a difficult time against taller and more physical NBA point guards.

Jones will no doubt seek the counsel of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski about leaving school early. Coach “K” has coached five national championship teams at Duke and two Olympic gold medal teams led by NBA players. He is the right man to give Jones advice. Before coaching Jones this season at Duke, he watched him play in high school and AAU ball. Jones and other top American high school players scrimmaged against the 2012 Olympic team so Krzycewski knows his freshman point guard well.

Jones is part of a super freshmen group at Duke that includes center Jahlil Okafor and forward Justise Winslow. Okafor is likely to be the first or second player taken in June’s NBA Draft, while Winslow is projected in the top 10 for sure. Those teammates are close friends, dating back to AAU days. Okafor has declared for the draft and Winslow could soon. Their decisions will influence Jones and his thinking about the future. The three played so much together for different USA national basketball teams that they are far from your typical freshmen when it comes to experience.

The first 14 players chosen in the NBA Draft are known as lottery picks because of the lottery system determining the order of first round selections. Lottery picks receive guaranteed money that can be three to four times more than late first round choices get. Lottery picks are also likelier to receive more playing time than late selections who can one day find themselves riding a bus in the NBA Development League.

A back road bus experience in the basketball minors is a long way from Duke and the glory of a national championship.

Worth Noting

Jones was surrounded by family while leading Duke to the national championship in Indianapolis on Monday but unfortunately Dennis Deutsch, his mom’s father, died last year. Jones revered his grandfather and it would have meant so much for Dennis to be in Indianapolis.

Minnesota-based Jostens will certainly be a contender to secure the order for Duke’s national championship rings. The company provided the 2010 national title rings for the Blue Devils. Former Gophers captain Al Nuness secured that order working for Jostens and will be involved again this spring soliciting business from Duke. Nuness and Krzyzewski knew each other as high school basketball players in the Chicago area.

Fitch thought highly of three Final Four teams—Duke, Kentucky and Wisconsin. “I think if you played it over any one of the three teams could win it (the title),” he said. “Kentucky without a doubt had a little more talent. Duke a little more coaching.”

Although the Spurs have struggled this season, Fitch likes the chances of the defending NBA champions emerging from the Western Conference playoffs and advancing to the Finals. That championship matchup could be Spurs versus Cavs.

David Cobb, the Gophers record setting senior running back last season, will have his Pro Day at the University of Minnesota on Monday. Cobb had a quad injury and missed the Gophers Pro Day last month attended by some of his former Minnesota teammates and NFL personnel evaluators.

Tanner Oakes Photo courtesy of Augsburg College. — Tanner Oakes
Photo courtesy of Augsburg College.

The Oakes family from Jordan, Minnesota can be described as the state’s “first family” of pitching. Patriarch Todd Oakes is in his 17th season as Gophers pitching coach. Oldest son Tyler pitched for the Gophers and is now pitching coach at North Dakota State. Middle son T.J. also pitched for Minnesota and is head baseball coach at Legacy Christian Academy in Andover. Youngest son Tanner, a senior at Augsburg, is one of the best pitchers in the MIAC and Division III.

The Wild set home franchise attendance records this regular season, drawing 779,974 for 41 games with average attendance of 19,024. All games sold out, with 31 exceeding 19,000 in attendance. Official Xcel Energy Center capacity for hockey is 17,954 but standing-room-only tickets allow for additional capacity.

Draftsite.com projects 6-5 center Amanda Zahui B. will become the second player selected in the WNBA Draft next Thursday. Tulsa has the second pick but the Lynx no doubt would like to move up from No. 11 and choose Zahui B., who announced earlier this week she will enter the draft and give up her final two seasons of eligibility with the Gophers. The Lynx are looking for more size behind backup center Janel McCarville, the ex-Gopher. Any franchise in the WNBA will welcome Zahui B. who twice last season approached 30 rebounds for coach Marlene Stollings’ team.

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Coach to Watch: Twins Neil Allen

Posted on April 8, 2015April 8, 2015 by David Shama

The Twins opened their 162-game regular season Monday at Detroit and among the storylines to follow in 2015 will be the impact of new pitching coach Neil Allen from the Rays organization. If the Twins are going to improve on last season’s 70-92 record, the step forward has to start with pitching.

Last season opponents hit .280 against the Twins, the highest batting average yielded by any team in Major League Baseball. The club’s 4.57 ERA was second only to the Rockies’ 4.84. Allen, 56, has never been a major league pitching coach but he comes from an organization renowned for developing pitchers and having success. Despite a miniscule payroll, the Rays have consistently been among baseball’s best pitching teams. Last season the Rays held opposing batters to a .234 batting average, third best among the 30 teams in MLB.

Allen, who joined the Tampa Bay organization in November of 2006, was the Rays Triple A coach at Durham last season. He wasn’t going to be promoted to the top job with the Rays because Jim Hickey is so revered. An informal poll last year of baseball authorities by the Boston Globe ranked Hickey as the No. 1 pitching coach in the majors.

Allen knows the Rays’ curriculum for pitchers that includes emphasis on throwing changeups to keep batters off balance. The Rays are big too on the importance of getting ahead of batters in the strike count, according to a lengthy April 1, 2013 Sports Illustrated article titled “The Rays Way.” That story talked about the organization’s success, too, in addressing the mental approach to pitching. Twins fans will learn this season how much of the Rays’ success can come north to Minneapolis.

Twins president Dave St. Peter was aware of Allen and the Rays’ reputation before Minnesota hired its new pitching coach last fall. “We were very impressed with Neil’s work and have great admiration for the Tampa Bay organization’s development of pitching,” he told Sports Headliners. “Beyond his ability to teach, his enthusiasm and passion are impressive.”

St. Peter cautions, though, instruction can only contribute so much to success on the field. “I am a believer that managers and coaches can have some impact but at the end of the day it’s up to the players (and their talents),” he said.

Allen replaces longtime Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson. St. Peter pointed out that Phil Hughes, who was so impressive in his debut season with the Twins last year, gives credit to Anderson for helping him experience a turnaround year and win 16 games.

St. Peter said he isn’t aware of Anderson working in baseball at this time. The former coach under ex-Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is living in Florida.

Worth Noting

The Gophers spring football game at TCF Bank Stadium starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday and admission is free. After the game fans can meet players and coaches and receive autographs. Coach Jerry Kill is expected to run an offense versus defense scrimmage on Saturday. The spring game will be telecast live on the Big Ten Network.

The Twins home opener next Monday against the Royals is sold out but tickets remain for the franchise’s other 80 dates at Target Field. “I always say I worry less about the home opener and more about the other 80,” Dave St. Peter said.

The Twins president also said 2015 season tickets will total between 13,000 and 14,000 after being at about 17,000 last year.

Joe Nathan, now 40, didn’t get much of an endorsement from an anonymous scout in Sports Illustrated’s March 30 preview of MLB teams including the Tigers. “Nathan is real hittable right now,” the scout said about the former Twins’ closer. “You lose your fastball when you get older, there’s not anything you can do about it. Now he can’t get away with the same pitches in the same area because he doesn’t have the velocity he used to.”

The Twins, who lost their opening regular season game on Monday to the Tigers, are winless in their last seven openers. The Tigers stole three bases and hit two home runs in the 4-0 win. Nathan, who was booed by Tigers fans in spring training, earned a ninth inning save.

Joe Mauer, who struck out a career high 96 times last season while batting .277, fanned once on Monday. The Twins first baseman, who turns 32 on April 19, had one hit—a ground ball up the middle—in four at bats.

Former Twins pitcher and now team TV analyst Bert Blyleven turned 64 on Monday.

The Gophers are recruiting Menomonie High School shortstop Terrin Vavra, the son of Twins bench coach Joe Vavra. Terrin’s brothers Tanner and Trey were drafted by the Twins in 2013 and 2014 and are in the organization’s minor league system.

How much do the struggling Gophers miss not having the Metrodome available for baseball? Well, eight of the first nine weekends the Gophers have been on the road. That doesn’t change this weekend with Minnesota playing at Nebraska Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Gophers, 10-17 in nonconference games and 2-7 in the Big Ten, have postponed today’s home nonleague game against St. Thomas.

Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Stillwater-based Creative Charters has openings for its annual Kentucky Derby Experience. The seven day, six night trip package to Kentucky includes farm tours, a visit to the Churchill Downs backside and box seats to the May 2 Kentucky Derby in Louisville. The Erbans are thoroughbred horse breeders. Steve is a former thoroughbred trainer. More about the Derby trip at Creativecharter.com.

The schedule for Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is expected to be announced on Sunday. Last night the Wild clinched a playoff spot for a franchise record third consecutive season.

St. Thomas senior goalie Drew Fielding was named the Sid Watson Memorial winner as Division III men’s hockey National Player of the Year. Fielding’s 52 career wins are the most in the MIAC during the last 12 years, and his 19 career shutouts are third most in Division III history.

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