Author: David Shama

The Twins’ starting foursome for the post-season has pitched a total of seven games in division playoff games.  Carl Pavano has four games, with one each for Franciso Liriano, Brian Duensing and Nick Blackburn.

Pavano is the only one with experience in league division and championship games and the World Series.  He had one start in each during the 2003 season with Florida.

Liriano is 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in his last three starts.  He has given up five home runs in those games.

Twins reliever Brian Fuentes, acquired in August, has an ERA of 0.88 in 30.2 innings pitched during 30 games since June 22.  He has yet to allow a run with the Twins.

Although the Yankees will play here twice in the division championship series (starting Wednesday at Target Field), they won’t be back again until August 18-21 for their only regular season appearance in Minneapolis during 2011.

Justin Morneau is a clutch hitter and the Twins will miss his bat in the pressure filled- division playoff games.  In 29 at bats during division playoff games Morneau has a .310 batting average with two home runs and four RBI.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said Target Center needs about a $100 million remodeling.  He said it’s important that a renovation project receive financing from the state or city.  The arena, which opened in 1990, is one of the oldest in the NBA.

Tom Brokaw, the much admired television journalist and author of The Greatest Generation, was the keynote speaker Thursday evening for the Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund.  The nonprofit has raised about $11 million since its inception and provided approximately 12,000 grants to soldiers and their families.  https://www.thankmntroops.org/

Brokaw, who grew up in South Dakota, met Metropolitan Sports Facilities Chair Roy Terwilliger when both were students at the University of Iowa and they remain friends.  Brokaw is a passionate sports fan and a boyhood hero was former Gophers All-American football player Paul Giel.

Sports Illustrated predicts the Wild will finish 14^th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference.  In its October 4 issue the magazine writes that the local NHL team is committed to a better start than last year’s 3-9.  The publication quotes coach Todd Richards as saying the disastrous start “did us in mentally.”

It will be Washington over Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Big Ten Conference leadership will probably sell its TV rights for the annual football division championship game (starting in 2011) to the highest bidder among networks and perhaps command a deal of $20 million to $30 million.

Trivia answers: Carl Pavano shutout the Yankees for six innings but was the losing pitcher in game No. 3 in the playoffs last year, a 4-1 New York win.  (Pavano is expected to start game No. 2 on Thursday against the Yankees at Target Field.)  Dan Gladden had seven RBI in 1987 to help the Twins win their first ever World Series.

The football Gophers, off to a 1-4 start, look like they’re headed for a final record of 3-9, 2-10 or 1-11.  Going back to last season Minnesota has lost seven of its last nine games.

The Gophers will bus to and from Madison for Saturday’s game against Wisconsin.  Minnesota last won at Madison in 1994.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said yesterday that senior Ryan Collado, who has played at both safety and cornerback, won’t start on Saturday.  True freshman James Manuel and senior Kyle Theret will start at the safeties, with sophomores Michael Carter and Kyle Henderson at the corners.

Wide receiver MarQueis Gray, who has been troubled with plantar fasciitis, is healthier and will play on Saturday, Brewster said.

Was the University of Washington the marquee BCS school the Gophers were planning to have replace Texas on their schedules in 2015 and 2016?  Plans for filling the void are on hold until next year when it’s expected the Big Ten will decide if each league team will eventually play eight conference opponents, or nine.

Bobby Bell, whose jersey number was retired in a ceremony last Saturday during the Minnesota-Northwestern game, is arguably the greatest player in Gophers history, although the best of historians might prefer Bronko Nagurski.  Bell was a two-time All-American defensive tackle who was a fierce pass rusher for the Gophers in the early 1960’s.  Nagurski, who played for the Gophers from 1927-29, was named an All-American at both tackle and fullback.  Bell was a high school quarterback and could have played multiple positions for the Gophers.

St. Thomas, 5-0 and ranked No. 4 in the D3footbal.com poll, ended 12 years of frustration with its overtime 27-26 win against Saint John’s on Saturday.  To view the final seconds of the game in Collegeville played before a record Division III crowd, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDbHysKxGG4.

Tommies coach Glenn Caruso told Sports Headliners via email he doesn’t expect an emotional let down for this week’s game against Augsburg. “It’s not too hard to stay focused when you still have five games remaining in the regular season,” Caruso wrote.  “This was a big one, sure, but what I love about our kids is that they understand that each week is an opportunity to re-prove ourselves, and that this opportunity is a privilege, not a right. …”

St. Thomas running back Ben Wartman, who rushed for 154 yards, was chosen the MIAC’s Offensive Player of the Week.  St. Thomas Cornerback Ryan Deitz, who had a timely interception to force overtime and 10 tackles in the game, is the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

UMD’s Isaac Odim is the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week after he rushed 11 times for 169 yards (15.4 yards per carry) and caught one pass for another score in a 56-7 road win over MSU Moorhead Saturday. The five-touchdown game, Odim’s second this year, increased his total to an NCAA Division II leading 17. The 169 yards rushing put him at 4,077 career yards on 566 carries, a 7.2 yards per run average.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is about “90 percent” certain that a year from now his team will have Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio in training camp and preparing for his first ever NBA season.  In a telephone interview with Sports Headliners, Taylor also said he isn’t interested in purchasing the Vikings if the local NFL franchise becomes available.

Several years ago Taylor was interested in owning the Vikings and was asked about a scenario where the Wilf family, discouraged by lack of progress in approving a new stadium, might put the team up for sale.  “No, this wouldn’t be a time for me to do this,” Taylor said.  “At my age I’ve got enough to do.”

Taylor, 69, is still involved with his business empire and owning the Timberwolves.  He and wife Becky are in Europe where the Wolves have exhibition games against the Lakers and Knicks.

While in Europe Taylor hopes to meet with Rubio’s parents.  Rubio was drafted with the No. 5 pick in the 2009 NBA draft but so far has remained in Europe where he has continued to impress teammates, rivals and other observers with his playmaking skills even though he is not yet 20 years old.

Taylor said Rubio has told Timberwolves basketball president David Kahn he plans to play here next season.  “Yes, I am very confident we will have him,” Taylor said.  “I would say in my mind it’s like 90 percent.”

Following their stay in Europe, Taylor and Becky will go to South Africa and help with the distribution of hearing aids for about 5,000 youngsters.  He’s made a $100,000 donation to the Starkey Hearing Foundation to help those kids.  This is the sixth year that Taylor has been involved with such a project.