Author: David Shama

With major league baseball’s trading deadline coming on Saturday, here are five facts worth knowing about the Twins.

The franchise needs not only pitching help and another productive right-handed hitter, but also more depth among position players.  The Twins are having a hard luck season with all their injuries, and the spare parts are suspect.

If the Twins are unable to make a trade or two before the end of the week, don’t give up hope.  Following the trading deadline last year general manager Bill Smith acquired relief pitcher Jon Rauch and starter Carl Pavano via waivers from other teams.

The Twins are only one game out of first place in the Central Division so they want to help themselves in their push for the post-season.  But there are 13 other teams in major league baseball that are within eight games or less of first place in their divisions.  Translation: there are a lot of “buyers” in competition with the Twins for personnel moves.

The front office likely won’t address the subject now but it’s worth the concern of Twins fans to wonder whether the club will be able to re-sign Pavano after this season.  He is 12-6 with a 3.26 ERA, and he devours innings like few pitchers in the majors.  Pavano, 34, will be of interest to other clubs in the offseason if he continues to pitch like he has been doing.  He reportedly earns $7 million this season with the Twins and his contract ends in 2010.

Odds are there’s no high impact help available to be found at AAA Rochester.  Former Twins pitchers Pat Neshek and Glen Perkins, infielder Brendan Harris and outfielder Jacque Jones are trying to recapture the skills they once knew.  Best bet could be shortstop Trevor Plouffe who has discovered the long ball and now totals 15 home runs in Rochester, most on the team.

Here’s a prediction on the Gophers’ starting lineup for next season:  guards Al Nolen and Devoe Joseph, center Ralph Sampson III, and forwards Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe.  If Mbakwe isn’t available because of his legal situation, then Rodney Williams starts.

The Gophers host Virginia on Monday, November 29 in the opening game of the 12^th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.  The other challenge games are November 30 and December 1.

The Gophers haven’t announced their schedule for next season but season ticket holders paid for tickets last month.

Congratulations to Jay Pivec on being named the new men’s basketball coach at Dakota County Technical College.  He will be starting the basketball program at the Rosemount-based school after making a national reputation for excellence at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

“Hiring Jay to lead our new basketball program was the obvious choice,” said Cam Stoltz, DCTC’s athletic coordinator.  “He has an unsurpassed track record of mentoring his players and pointing them in the right direction. …”

The University of Minnesota Athletic Department sent out a mass email offering two-game home ticket packages for Gophers football.  The Maroon package consists of the South Dakota and Northwestern games while the Gold package offers Northern Illinois and Penn State.

The Big Ten Network will provide live coverage of the news conferences next Monday for all 11 Big Ten football coaches.  Programming begins at 9 a.m. Minneapolis time as the network previews the upcoming Big Ten football season.

The Wild might have been able to trade backup goalie Josh Harding during another offseason when there weren’t so many NHL goalies available.  But a league source told Sports Headliners the team was interested in keeping Harding, too, to see what kind of a beginning to the season starting goalie Niklas Backstrom experiences.

Harding, 26, played in 25 games last season and had nine wins, the second highest totals of his career.  Backstrom, 32, has played better in the past than he did last season.

The 6th annual Cully’s Kids Celebrity Weekend fundraiser held July 16-17 in Fargo generated over $385,000.  The Cullen Children’s Foundation was founded in 2003 by Moorhead native and Wild center Matt Cullen.  The foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial resources to organizations that support children’s healthcare needs.

Concordia University, St. Paul has seven 2010 inductees for its Athletics Hall of Fame. They are: Renae (Brehmer) Fox (women’s basketball), Dennis Hilken (football/baseball/basketball), Scott Hollingsworth (baseball), John Hunter ( football/baseball), David Johnson (baseball), Roger Lind (baseball/football) and Howard Patten (basketball/track & field/golf).

Adam Weber has impressed former roommate Eric Decker this summer with his preparation for the upcoming season.

“He’s hungry this year,” Decker said of the Gophers senior quarterback.  “I can see it …in his work ethic and his eyes, that he really wants it this year.  I was down in his room and he’s got some good goals set in mind as far as how he wants to lead this team, how he wants to go out as a Golden Gopher. …He’s gonna get what he deserves.”

Decker, who was Weber’s favorite receiver in past seasons before being drafted last spring by Denver, believes that Weber is determined to work through adversity to be successful.  Last season the school-record setting quarterback struggled along with the rest of the offense.

Weber found himself playing in a new offense for a new coordinator.  His offensive line and receivers faltered more often than anyone in Dinkytown wanted.  “He’s got a lot of criticism but he keeps his head up and he’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Decker said.  “You want to be friends with him, you want to follow him because he does things the right way.  …I think it will work out for him this year.”

Decker made a reputation at Minnesota for not only being a sure-handed wide receiver but also having an exemplary attitude.  That attitude was part of what attracted  Denver to draft him on the third round.  It appears that sooner or later Denver is looking for leadership from players like Decker and rookie quarterback Tim Tebow, guys who will be warriors on the field, role models off.

“My teammates so far realize they love the game,” Decker said.  “They’re giving all they’ve got on the field, and then off the field they’re just down to earth simple people that give back and do the right thing.”

Decker said he’s physically recovered now from the left foot injury that made him miss five games in 2009.  He and other Denver players are scheduled to start practice next week.