Author: David Shama

Gophers linebacker Mike Rallis played at Edina High School and said his brother Nick, a junior safety at Edina, has verbally committed to Minnesota.

So, too, has Edina senior wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts.  Mike Rallis said that although other schools are pursuing Crawford-Tufts he believes the verbal commitment is “solid.”

Gophers coach Tim Brewster predicts true freshman starting safety James Manuel will become one of the Big Ten’s best safeties.  “I can’t be more pleased with the progress of James Manuel,” Brewster said.

Gophers placekicker Eric Ellestad, a senior from Armstrong, began attending every Minnesota game when he was five years old, according to Brewster.

Jim Thome is on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated with the headline: “Prairie Homer Companion: Jim Thome has the power to bring October magic to Minnesota.”

Manager Ron Gardenhire, who has won six division titles in nine seasons, will have even more leverage in contract negotiations if his Twins can advance to the American League Championship Series for the second time under his direction.  Gardenhire’s contract expires after next season and his past salary has been published at $2.5 million by Cot’s Baseball Contracts, https://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/minnesota-twins_17.html.

In the regular season the Twins’ records against potential AL playoff rivals New York, Tampa Bay and Texas are 2-5, 3-5 and 7-3.

The Timberwolves, who open training camp in Mankato tomorrow, will hold media day today at Target Center.  Life Time Fitness has become the first-ever naming rights partner for the Timberwolves practice facility. The Timberwolves and Lynx practice facility, located within Life Time Fitness Target Center, has been re-named the Life Time Fitness Training Center.

The training center naming rights deal is part of a new multi-year corporate partnership agreement between the Timberwolves and Life Time Fitness.  Life Time Fitness will have its logo on the front of Timberwolves practice jerseys and other details of the agreement include signage, discounts on Wolves tickets for Life Time Fitness members, and championship recreation basketball games involving Life Time members will be played at the practice facility.

The 25^th annual Roy Griak Invitational will be tomorrow at the Les Bolstad Golf Course.  The cross country event is named after former Gophers track and cross country coach Roy Griak who will be 87 next month.  Griak is now an administrative assistant for track and cross country.  He will be at the course before daylight tomorrow helping to prepare for the event.

Legendary Romanian coach Bela Karolyi will meet with local gymnastics club leaders at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday.  The St. Paul arena hosts USA Gymnastics’ annual national event – the Visa Championships – in August of next year.

The Vikings lost their opening regular season game to the Super Bowl champion Saints in New Orleans.  Then Sunday at home the Vikings lost to a Miami team that before the season was judged average by NFL standards.  The 0-2 start for a Vikings team with a Super Bowl goal in its business plan has upset the players.

All-Pro Vikings defensive end Jared Allen didn’t hold back earlier this week when he talked to Sports Headliners about the team’s disappointing start.  “It’s early in the season,” he said. “There’s 14 games (remaining), but it’s gut check time.  It really is.  You can say what if about the Super Bowl champs.  You lose to them.  You can justify that in some way, but we don’t.  But people will justify it.

“This one (Miami) is hard because I feel like Miami is a good team.  They do some things, but we were ready for them.  We had a hell of a week of practice. …This is a game at home we gotta win. …

“So I think everybody kind of needs to take a little look in the mirror and realize we have an opportunity here.  We have a good team, and even when we’re not playing our best we’re still in every ball game.  (When) we’re firing on all cylinders I really think we have a chance to do some great things, and hopefully no one will remember this.”

Allen said the Vikings’ veteran roster is an asset during difficult times.  On a team with younger players, adversity can cause things to “spiral fast” in the wrong way.

Allen also said that “to a man” everyone needs to consider what he can do better to team performance.  “It’s plain and simple as that,” he said.  “And when you get everyone working like that, the wins will start coming, and then they will start coming in bunches.”

The first opportunity comes Sunday at home against the 0-2 Lions, a franchise that has lost 21 straight road games.

The Twins’ annual off-season to-do list has included this task in recent years: find a third baseman.  Scratch that assignment for the fall of 2010.

Rookie Danny Valencia, who turned 26 on Sunday, looks like he will own the third base job for years to come.  He joined the Twins after the season started, playing in his first game on June 3.   Since then he’s done nothing but impress in the field and at bat.

Valencia has made four errors in 71 games.  His fielding range is big league and although he’s had some throwing errors, Valencia is likely to make his strong arm even more accurate with experience.

It’s hitting, though, where Valencia has really turned heads.  He has the best average among American League rookies, hitting .337.  At Target Field Valencia is hitting .439.  In home and away games he has five home runs and 35 RBI (including 12 this month).

Former American League batting champion Tony Oliva said the Twins organization watched Valencia improve in the minors.  The 6-2, 210-pound Valencia hit .300 in the minor leagues and with two different teams in 2007 totaled 17 home runs.

Oliva told Sports Headliners last week he likes Valencia’s skills including his home run potential.  Since the time that conversation took place Valencia has hit three home runs in his last five games.

“If you see him hit in batting practice, you can see…he have a lot of power,” Oliva said.  “I think a some day when he get comfortable, he learn more about the pitchers, he probably will able to hit the home runs, too.”

The power surge maybe coming faster than Oliva expected.