Author: David Shama

The Sporting News Magazine issue of March 28 picks the Twins to finish third in the Central Division behind the White Sox and Tigers.  The publication rates the Twins’ defense best among the three teams, but the bullpen the worst.

Joe Mauer, Delmon Young and Francisco Liriano are on the magazine’s all-division team, while Ron Gardenhire is the choice for best manager.

The magazine picks the Red Sox over the Phillies in the World Series.

Friday’s season opener between the Twins and Blue Jays will be played with the roof closed at the Rogers Centre.  The Toronto weather forecast includes a daytime high in the upper 30’s and possible snow.

Stubhub.com reported yesterday 382 tickets remain for the game.

Despite a shaky spring training ERA of 9.72, Joe Nathan will likely be the choice to close early Twins’ regular season games.

Gophers’ athletics director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners that the University will try again this year to win state legislative approval to serve alcohol in suites and other preferred seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena.  Such a policy is the norm at some other major colleges, while legislative opponents argue that if alcohol is made available at U sports venues it should be sold to all adults in attendance.

Former Gopher Zeb Howell was an assistant coach for the Columbia Heights team that lost to Orono in the championship Class 3A state tournament boys basketball game.

Hopkins coach Ken Novak, Jr. has won three consecutive Class 4A state boys basketball titles but probably doesn’t receive enough praise for his work and that of the staff.  The Royals annually have outstanding talent, but knowledgeable observers recognize how Hopkins spreads the floor on offense and moves the ball, while playing consistent and aggressive defense.  Players work hard and perform with discipline.

Hopkins junior point guard Siyani Chambers looks like a major college prospect with his quickness and ball handling.  He’s a distributor, not a scorer.

Apple Valley freshman point guard Tyus Jones is the only Minnesotan named to the 24 player USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team for youth 16 and under. Jones, who turns 15 in May, is the youngest player on the roster posted by usabasketball.com.  Two teammates were also born in 1996, with the other players born in 1995.

Hall of Fame community college basketball coach Jay Pivec will have his Dakota County Technical College team playing an NJCAA Division II schedule next season.  “Our recruiting has been off the charts,” Pivec said.  “As coaches, our biggest problem will be having to turn away a lot of really good kids. Our new program at DCTC has made a big impact throughout the basketball community.”

As of Monday morning Wolves shooting guard Wes Johnson ranked fifth in the NBA among rookies in scoring at 9.1 points per game, seventh in assists at 1.9 and 10^th in rebounding, 3.1

Wolves coach Kurt Rambis, who had 15 wins last season as a rookie coach, has 17 now with eight games left including tonight against Eastern Conference leader Chicago.

It may not be Todd Richards’ choice to continue as the Wild’s coach, while former Wild bench boss Jacques Lemaire apparently is in charge of whether he will return to coach the Devils for another season.

The estimated value of the Twins franchise has increased by more than 100 percent in five years.

Forbes.com released its annual guesstimated valuations of major league baseball teams recently and valued the Twins at $490 million.  The estimated value in 2006 was $216 million.  That calculates to a 126.8 percent increase.

It was five years ago when the state legislature approved funding by Hennepin County and the Twins to build Target Field.  The downtown stadium, recognized nationally among the best baseball venues in the country, opened last year to record franchise attendance for a single season.

It has been a change in stadiums, not winning, that jump-started the franchise’s value. The club won a division championship in 2006 while playing in the antiquated Metrodome.  Three of the four previous seasons the Twins had been Central Division champions so winning was nothing new in 2006 when Forbes ranked the franchise the 29^th most valuable among 30 teams in major league baseball.

Forbes assigned the Twins a No. 12 valuation this year after a season of outdoor baseball in Target Field, a ballpark that emphasizes fan friendly features.  That valuation has the Twins ahead of such historic franchises as the Braves, Orioles, Pirates and Tigers.

The Twins’ operating income (pre-tax, pre-interest profit) has increased from $7 million in 2006 to $26.5 million, according to Forbes.  That income and the appreciation in franchise value are big payoffs for the Twins’ ownership that reportedly invested $195 million in the $545 million ballpark.

In the years ahead the Twins will need to continue winning if the ballpark in going to be full and revenues are to increase.  The perennially losing Pirates, operating in a ballpark similar to Target Field, ranked No. 30 in value on the 2011 Forbes list.

Call me giddy because of possible 50 degree temps later in the week, but there is a dugout full of reasons to be optimistic about the Twins’ season that opens on Friday in Toronto.  Let’s not suggest the Twins will—gulp—beat the Yankees or Red Sox in the playoffs but this team can win 90 games or more and wear another Central Division crown.

Here’s why:

This is a not too young, not too old team.  Key players are mostly between 25 and 30, guys with experience but years away from retiring.

The mix of talents looks promising with at least okay pitching, strong defense and outstanding run production.

The Twins are built for success in their home run unfriendly ballpark.  A perhaps mediocre pitching staff benefits from the dead air and deep fences of Target Field.  Speedsters Denard Span, Alexi Casilla and Tsuyoshi Nishioka can steal hits from opponents when not swiping bases themselves.  Joe Mauer and other Twins hitters can hit the ball into the outfield gaps, if not over the fence at Target Field where Minnesota had the best home record in the American League last year.

Nishioka’s bat control is a nice addition to the No. 2 spot in the batting order.  His nifty bunting will advance runners for Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Unlike last spring when fans were in a panic over Joe Nathan’s impending Tommy John surgery, the ballclub got through spring training with no major injuries.

Count pitchers Francisco Liriano and Brian Duensing and outfielders Delmon Young and Span among Twins who could have career years, boosting the team’s chances for success.

The Twins will have seven off days during September to stay fresh late in the season.