Author: David Shama

Danny Valencia drove in the winning runs with the bases loaded in last night’s 2-1 Twins’ victory over Cleveland.  He is a career .500 (8-for-16) hitter with the bases loaded (21 RBI).  He has 29 RBI this season in the seventh inning or later.

Joe Mauer is batting .373 (28-for-75) in 21 games since June 25.  He is hitting .571 (12-for-23) during this home stand and .750 (6-for-8) in the Cleveland series. Mauer made his third start at first base last night.  He is batting .583 (7-for-12) as a first baseman and has yet to commit an error in 33 chances.

St. Paul native and former Viking Matt Birk, now with Baltimore, turns 35 on Saturday.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien reports that Eastview’s Joey King will accept a scholarship from Drake.  He also said Wofford has offered a scholarship to Cretin-Derham Hall’s C.J. Neumann and that the South Carolina school is also interested in Zach Stahl from Hopkins.  Duluth East’s Johnny Woodard has Minnesota, Wisconsin, Marquette, Tennessee, Utah and other big name schools interested in him, Lien said.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self attended the Best Buy tournament at Bloomington Jefferson last week looking at players.

The WNBA All-Star game will be televised by ABC on Saturday and the roster of players includes Lynx forward Maya Moore, the first rookie voted to start in the game since 2002.  The Lynx has a franchise record four players in the game (Moore, plus three reserves).  Game time is 2:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

Running back Duane Bennett, quarterback MarQueis Gray and linebacker Mike Rallis will represent the Gophers and be among 36 players participating in the 40^th annual Big Ten Conference Kickoff Luncheon on July 29 in Chicago.  The day prior, July 28, fans can watch Big Ten media day featuring conference coaches starting at 10 a.m. on the Big Ten Network.

June Stoll, the wife of former Gophers football coach Cal Stoll, passed away earlier this month.  The two were passionate breeders of boxer dogs.  Cal Stoll, who is also deceased, coached the Gophers from 1972-78 and had a .500 career record.

Dave and Linda Mona’s grandson Camden Mona has cystic fibrosis and the grandparents are involved with Camden’s Concert II, a benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The event is scheduled for August 17 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts and features entertainers Evans & Doherty. Ticket and other information are available at www.camdensconcert.com.

NHLers Taylor Chorney (Oilers), Derek Stepan (Rangers) and Jeff Taffe (Wild) have a charity hockey game that begins at 7 p.m. tonight at the Cottage Grove Ice Arena to benefit the Cottage Grove Hockey Association, the Hastings Hockey Association and Defending The Blue Line.  Players scheduled to participate include: David Backes (Blues), Brent Burns (Sharks), Alex Goligoski (Stars), Matt Hendricks (Capitals), Phil Housley (U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer), Erik Johnson (Avalanche), Jamie McBain (Hurricanes), Ryan McDonagh (Rangers), Kyle Okposo (Islanders), T.J. Oshie (Blues), Zach Parise (Devils), Dan Sexton (Ducks), Drew Stafford (Sabres) and Blake Wheeler (Jets).

Players are available for autographs from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  Autographed game jerseys will be auctioned off after the game. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at the Hastings Ice Arena and the Cottage Grove Ice Arena.  For more information visit www.hastingshockey.com or www.defendingtheblueline.org.

“One person isn’t going to turn this thing around,” new Gophers coach Jerry Kill told Sports Headliners.

Kill sat in his office on Friday and talked for more than one hour about what’s needed to make Gopher football special again.  The program hasn’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1962, was 3-9 last season, and is a landslide favorite to finish at the bottom of the Legends Division standings in the Big Ten this year.

Long suffering Gophers fans often look east to Wisconsin for hope.  Years ago Badger football was awful until Wisconsin president Donna Shalala and coach Barry Alvarez arrived.  Camp Randall Stadium went from half empty to full and in Alvarez’s fourth season the Badgers were in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1963.

Minnesota president Eric Kaler started on the job July 1 and has a reputation for being positive about big time college athletics including football.  Asked by Sports Headliners whether a president is important to a college football program, Kill never blinked and said: “Absolutely important.  Uno important.”

Why?  Because in Kill’s view, results in football, business and life are all about emphasis and priority.  “If the boss at the top wants it important, it’s going to be important,” he said.

Kill hasn’t met with Kaler yet but will soon along with athletic director Joel Maturi.  The two will present a “vision” of what they believe Gophers football should be.

Asked specifically what that vision includes and how the school’s administration can help, Kill said the football program must have continuity with its people.  He said Minnesota has had 10 different defensive coordinators in the last 20 years and changed offensive systems each of the past three seasons.  But the revolving door of changes extends beyond coaches to support personnel in areas like academics and strength training.

“When you can’t keep your continuity, it’s hard to win,” Kill said.  “It’s no different than (with) your top companies.  Usually those top companies are going to keep their key players (employees).”

Kill said “we need to do whatever it takes to keep” coaches and other personnel in the football department regardless of whether that requires money, providing security, showing patience or appreciating their work.  Kill has had winning teams at his previous coaching stops including Northern Illinois and it’s remarkable in the job-hopping world of college football to see the longevity of relationships between him and his assistants.

“I have taken care of our coaches where we’ve been,” he said.  “I will take a cut in pay to keep our coaches.  I want to win.  I know one thing.  We will not win here without stability in those areas.”

Kill’s encounters with Kaler have been minimal so far including a five minute telephone conversation before Kill accepted the Minnesota job late last year.  Still, he’s been impressed with the new University boss who has succeeded Bob Bruininks.  “My first impression is that we’re very fortunate to have Dr. Kaler,” Kill said.

“…I would not have come here if I didn’t feel like we could get it done (turning Minnesota into a winner).  Why would I?  I could have stayed at Northern.  We would have won forever.”

Kill left an 11-3 team at Northern Illinois after three seasons in DeKalb.  The Huskies are No. 34 in the country in Sporting News Magazine’s preseason college football rankings and Kill thinks Northern could be a top 25 team this fall.  The Gophers are ranked No. 77 by Sporting News.

Why come and coach here?  Kill likes challenges and believes Minnesota has the resources to have a special college football program.  Previous challenges on his resume include Southern Illinois where there was once talk of abandoning the football program but Kill went 50-14 there his last five seasons and now the school has a new stadium.

Minnesota can be successful, too, and Kill scoffs at the pessimism surrounding the program.  It’s his job to find solutions to problems, not reinforce excuses.  Rather than problems, Kill prefers to hear about the school’s strong academic offerings, renovated campus, huge alumni base, vibrant local business community, educated workforce, quality of life reputation in Minneapolis-St. Paul, state-of-the-art football stadium and the recruiting advantages of being the only Division I football program in the state.

To be successful Kill said the state must embrace his program.  Part of his mantra is that if everyone ─ from the football office to the president’s office, from the Minneapolis business community to the small town coffee shop ─ believes Gophers football is important than it will be a winner.  What’s emphasized produces results.

Kill believes the fans will respond.  He won’t buy into the notion that the Vikings own the football marketplace here and that the Gophers can’t develop a passionate following.

“That’s our fault,” he said.  “Everybody blames the Vikings, that we’ve lost fans.  Let me tell you. …Fans are frustrated because the team (Gophers) is not winning.

“We gotta put a good product on the field.  That’s our job and (my) responsibility as a coach.  I think if we put a good product on the field I think we’ll get the support.

“We can’t blame all the things why we can’t be successful.  We gotta find a way to be successful.  We gotta find a way to get the people excited about college football.  We can’t use a pro town all the time as an excuse.

“That’s like the weather.  What the hell?  Am I gonna talk to God to make sunshine 365 days a year so we can recruit better?  Embrace what you have.  …”