Author: David Shama

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.

Jake Mauer told Sports Headliners his grandson Joe Mauer is healthy and the nine games he missed in late September because of an injured left knee provided the rest the Twins catcher needed for the playoffs.

”He’s ready,” Jake said.  “I think he’s going to tear them up because this rest is what he needs. … He was all bruised.  You should have seen his body, just terrible, but now it’s all healthy. He says, ‘Grandpa, I don’t have a pain in my body.’ …”

Mauer was the designated hitter last night in the Twins’ home game against Toronto.  Jake expects Joe to play in the remaining three regular season games and then be set for the playoffs beginning on Wednesday.

Jake said if the Twins play the Yankees, it will delight his grandson.  New York has dominated the Twins during the regular season and playoffs in recent years but Jake said Joe has no lack of confidence in facing the Yankees and badly wants to defeat them.  “They should control those Yankees and I think the Twins got a chance to win the World Series,” Jake said.  “I am not kidding ya.  I look forward to it.”

Mauer is a three time American League batting champion and this season is hitting .328 but Jake said his grandson’s ability to call pitches and handle the pitching staff will be important in the playoffs, too.  “Behind the plate he can tell every hitter by their name and…what they can’t hit,” Jake said.  “He can go through every lineup (in the league) and tell me, ‘Grandpa, this one doesn’t like the inside part, this one doesn’t like the high ball, this one doesn’t like the low ball, (and) can’t hit a changeup.  Every man he names by their names, and that’s incredible.”

Jake believes the results of the Twins abysmal road trip, losing five of six games and giving up 48 runs ties back to Joe’s absence.  “I hate to say it but I think they really miss Joe because of him catching and knowing the hitters,” Jake said.  “What they like, what they don’t like. …”

It looks like a healthy Mauer will be around now to help the Twins.  He will have the personal support at home and away playoff games from 10 people including Jake. “Joe’s going to pick up the tab,” Jake said.

What’s the cost of airfare, lodging and everything else?  “I have no idea,” Jake said.  “It’s just mind boggling.”

Pat Fitzgerald brings a program with momentum to Minneapolis this week for the game tomorrow between his Northwestern Wildcats and the Gophers.  Fitzgerald, 35, is coaching a 4-0 Northwestern team and dating back to the start of the 2008 Big Ten season the Wildcats have won a league best nine road games.

Northwestern was on any list of the nation’s worst football teams for much of three decades before Gary Barnett took over as head coach in 1992 and players like Fitzgerald started arriving in Evanston.  Fitzgerald was a superb linebacker on Northwestern’s Big Ten championship teams in 1995 and 1996.  His heroics helped send the Wildcats to their first Rose Bowl since 1949.

Fitzgerald, who is in the College Football Hall of Fame, became an assistant coach with the Wildcats in 2001.  No one could have known then that at age 31 he would succeed head coach Randy Walker after Walker died form a heart attack in June of 2006.

Fitzgerald didn’t have to come home to take the job.  A native of the Chicago area and member of the coaching staff who once had been the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Fitzgerald bled Northwestern purple like few people ever will.  It may have taken the Northwestern administration five minutes to figure Fitzgerald was the perfect fit to succeed Walker.  The passionate Fitzgerald might have needed all of five seconds to say yes.

If a have not football program like private school Northwestern, with limited resources including facilities and fan following, ever hired the right coach it’s Fitzgerald.  He’s demonstrated he can coach and because of his passion is much less likely to wander off to a highfalutin job some place else.

Fitzgerald, who has coached the Wildcats to four bowl games in the last five years, has a 31-23 record.  He is the first Northwestern coach in almost 50 years to be eight games over .500!

The Fitzgerald era has been characterized by efficient but underrated quarterbacks and the team’s ability to win close games.  The latest project, new starter Dan Persa, leads all Division I quarterbacks in completion percentage at 80.2.  The Wildcats have won two of their four nonconference games by five points or less.