Author: David Shama

Bert Blyleven’s election to the Baseball Hall of Fame last week gave the Twins four players at Cooperstown and it’s not difficult to guess who will be No. 5.  Catcher Joe Mauer looks like a lock, perhaps even if he never played another game.  Hall of Fame voters are a choosey bunch, but even at 27 Mauer might have enough achievements, including batting titles and an AL MVP award, to earn enshrinement.

With the Twins having retired the jersey numbers of Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett, it seems certain Blyleven will be accorded the same honor.

With trades last year that sent Jose Morales and Wilson Ramos elsewhere, the Twins have invited six catchers among 19 non-roster players to training camp.  Two have previous major league experience, Steve Holm (San Francisco) and Rene Rivera (Seattle).

In addition to manager Ron Gardenhire’s regular staff and minor league staffers, the Twins will have instructors Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Tom Kelly, Paul Molitor, Tony Oliva and Terry Steinbach at spring training.  Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers February 17, with other players coming in on February 22.  The Twins, who have a 29-game Grapefruit League exhibition schedule, will open their spring home season on February 27 against Boston.

Twins radio broadcaster John Gordon, 70, will reduce his schedule to 90 regular season games and has made it known this is likely his last year before retiring.  Gordon, who has been broadcasting Twins games since 1987, makes his home in Fort Myers and likely finds the prospect of playing more golf and travelling appealing.  Bob Kurtz, Ted Robinson and Kris Atteberry will sub for Gordon.  “John can broadcast as long as he wants to,” said Patrick Klinger, Twins vice president of marketing.

Former Gophers quarterback Adam Weber is training for what he hopes will be a pro football career.  His intelligence, personality and values ensure a successful career regardless of the direction his life takes.  Although Weber could end up in business, his contributions in coaching or sports administration would be significant, too.

Gophersports.com reports that the Fellowship of Christian Athletes selected Gophers coach Jerry Kill as the 2010 FCA Grant Teaff Coach of the Year.

Not only did Auburn’s win this week give the SEC five straight winners in the national championship game, but Ohio State (2002) is the only football program from the north or east to win the BCS title game since it began in 1999.

Trevor Mbakwe’s reported arrest earlier this week for allegedly violating a harassment restraining order is yet another disappointment in the Tubby Smith era of coaching Gophers basketball.

Is it time for Smith, athletic director Joel Maturi and other University officials to review this program, announce their findings to the public and make recommended changes? Since being hired by the University in 2007 Smith’s program has been involved with a series of problems.

Even assembling the staff led to a problem.  Jimmy Williams charged that the University misled him about being hired as an assistant coach and he filed a lawsuit that was settled in his favor last year.

Mbakwe was recruited here out of junior college but soon found himself facing a felony battery charge by a Florida woman.  The charge was settled without a trial last summer with Mbakwe agreeing to perform community service, but he didn’t play last season while awaiting resolution of his legal matter.  Mbakwe didn’t admit guilt in the case.

Another prize recruit, freshman Royce White, also didn’t play a minute last season because of legal problems including an incident at the Mall of America.  White transferred to Iowa State last summer.

The Mbakwe incident this week follows news last week that junior Devoe Joseph was leaving the program.  He had been suspended for undisclosed reasons earlier in the season.  Smith has been criticized for not offering an explanation about the transfer.

Following last season another experienced player, Paul Carter, left the program and is playing for Illinois-Chicago.  The stated reason he transferred was to be near his ill sister but were there other reasons?

There are too many problems occurring too frequently with this program, but interestingly the University has been negotiating a contract extension with Smith and looking at building an expensive new practice facility.  Today those don’t seem like priorities.  Not for a program with a series of off court problems and one that has produced about a .500 record in Big Ten games during the last three-plus seasons.

The 1-3 Gophers have a much anticipated game tomorrow night at home against 4-0 Purdue.  The fans supporting the Gophers program were excited about the game until the latest problem came to Dinkytown.  Even before tipoff you can be sure a lot of them won’t be happy.