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.

Sporting News Makes Twins Prospect POY Candidate

Posted on October 19, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Jim Rantz has worked in the Twins farm system since 1970 but in four-plus decades has never seen a Twins 18-year-old prospect with the power of Miguel Sano. Word has spread quickly about the Dominican Republic native since the Twins signed him to a contract as a 16-year-old in 2009.

The October 10 issue of Sporting News Magazine lists Washington’s Bryce Harper and Sano as the publication’s top candidates for Minor League Player of the Year in 2012. Rantz, senior director for Twins minor league operations, hadn’t heard about the prediction but sounded more pleased than surprised when told by Sports Headliners.

Sano hit 20 home runs for the Elizabethton minor league team last season and Rantz said Baseball America ranked the power hitting third baseman the best prospect in the Appalachian League. He hit .292 with 59 RBI in 267 at bats in that rookie league.

So how good can Sano become? “I don’t want to go out on a limb and put a monkey on his back and jinx him,” Rantz said. “Let’s put it this way. If he does not get hurt and progresses like he has been, he is a can’t miss guy.”

Rantz said the 6-3 Sano has put on about 35 pounds in the last “couple years,” increasing his weight from 195 to 230. “There is no fat on this kid,” Rantz said.

Sano started out as a shortstop with the Twins organization and might play the position again, according to Rantz. He made 26 errors in half a season with Elizabethton playing, both shortstop and third base. Rantz rates the teenager’s speed only average but Sano does have a strong arm. “He’s got some work to do on defense,” Rantz said.

The Twins are pleased with Sano’s progress in learning English. Rantz believes one day Sano could be a leader on the field.

For now Sano is back in the Dominican Republic but won’t play winter baseball because many of the players are major leaguers. The Twins want to protect his development and won’t bring him to the major league camp in 2012. Rantz expects Sano, who won’t be 19 until next May, will be assigned to the organization’s Class A Beloit team.

“He is something else, especially with the bat,” Rantz said.

That’s what Sporting News believes, too, forecasting that Sano will be in the majors with the power hungry Twins “by the end of 2012.”

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Worth Noting

Posted on October 19, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Rantz, a St. Paul native and former high school baseball player, signed with the old Washington Senators in 1960, a season before they became the Twins. In 1965 he began working for the public relations staff and later moved into the farm department. He has no plans to retire.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Jimmy Williams on Monday in his lawsuit against the University of Minnesota. Litigation has been ongoing for several years in the case with the possibility of a large financial settlement for Williams. He was an assistant Gophers coach in the 1980s and had wanted to again work for the University after Tubby Smith was hired as Minnesota coach in 2007. An appeal to the state Supreme Court seems likely.

Gophers sophomore basketball guard Chip Armelin was all-state in high school football back home in Louisiana. Armelin told Sports Headliners he was seriously considering trying out for football with the Gophers this summer but coach Tubby Smith discouraged him. “I really miss it (football),” Armelin said. “…I just love basketball more than football.”

Armelin was a wide receiver in high school and would have pursued that position for the Gophers. He said it’s “possible” he may talk to Smith again next summer about playing football. He averaged 11.1 minutes per game and 4.4 points as a freshman. He hopes to become a starter at shooting guard.

Junior college transfer Julian Welch said “he’s just a ball player” and can play both guard positions for the Gophers, point or shooting guard. “I love givin’ guys the ball,” he said. Welch’s college choices among major schools were the Gophers and UNLV.

Gophers senior center Ralph Sampson III, who admitted it was “definitely tempting to make the jump” to the NBA after last season, said this year’s team has a “lot of great players.”

The Gophers volleyball program ranks No. 3 nationally in home attendance average at 4,659 per game. Hawaii is No.1 at 6,625 while Wisconsin, where the Gophers play tonight, is fourth at 3,615.

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Notes Plus

Posted on October 19, 2011November 27, 2011 by David Shama

Vikings receiver Greg Carmarillo told Sports Headliners the team has a choice now regarding its response to the discouraging 1-5 start. “I’ve got faith in the team that nobody will give up,” he said. “There are a lot of determined people that will keep fighting.”

It’s possible there will be more Nebraska fans than Gophers supporters inside TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday. Minnesota coach Jerry Kill was asked yesterday at his news conference about the possibility of not having home field advantage and what he might say to his players.

“I’m not going to talk about it (with the team),” Kill said. “That’s something I can’t control. I don’t worry about it. Only thing I can control is if we know who to block, what to do and those kind of things. … If you’re a focused football player and you’re really a good football player, good coach, you never hear anything anyway, okay. …”

Kill said Lamonte Edwards, who recently moved from running back to linebacker, will remain on defense despite a shortage of running backs.

The Wild, who swept the Oilers last season, are at Edmonton tomorrow night. Pierre-Marc Bouchard led the Wild in scoring against the Oilers last season with nine points while Mikko Koivu had eight.

The Wild have tickets available for every home game on the 2011-12 schedule.

As of Monday, the presale was over 1,000 tickets for Saturday night’s Minnesota Stars NASL Championship Series game against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at NSC Stadium in Blaine. Stadium capacity is about 11,000, according to an email from a Stars spokesperson.

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