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Author: David Shama

David Shama is a former sports editor and columnist with local publications. His writing and reporting experiences include covering the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Gophers. Shama’s career experiences also include sports marketing. He is the former Marketing Director of the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. He is also the former Marketing Director of the United States Tennis Association’s Northern Section. A native of Minneapolis, Shama has been part of the community his entire life. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota where he majored in journalism. He also has a Master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas. He was a member of the Governor’s NBA’s Task Force to help create interest in bringing pro basketball to town in the 1980s.

Retirement Big Change for Terry Ryan

Posted on January 9, 2023January 9, 2023 by David Shama

 

Terry Ryan is about a year into retirement.  When a sportswriter called to ask how the adjustment from a lifetime in baseball was going, the first question that came up was TV soap operas.

Ryan, the former Twins general manager, stepped down from that position after the 2007 season. Although he remained with the club as an advisor, he wanted a break from the high stress environment demanded of a GM leading a team positioned to win championships.  It wasn’t long after finding himself at home, that Ryan joined wife Karilyn in watching soap operas.

These days? Ryan said he isn’t tuning into the soaps, although Karilyn remains a fan.  “I have plenty to do without watching too much of that kind of stuff,” he told Sports Headliners.

The Ryans are settled in Eagan, not far from their son Tim, and daughter Kathleen, who are also Twin Cities residents.  There are occasions when Terry and Karilyn take care of their two grandchildren. The pull of family had a lot to do with making Minnesota their retirement residence.

Ryan, of course, has friends here and occasionally he will see them on the golf course.  He plays a couple of times per month when weather allows. “I am still trying to play golf the right way,” he said.

A proven scoring strategy for senior golfers is an efficient short game including on the green where Ryan admits he struggles. “If you can get that putting stroke down, you’re probably going to take five strokes off your round every time you play. …”

Ryan, 69, is a Janesville, Wisconsin native.  The Twins drafted him in 1973 as a left-handed pitcher out of Parker High School.  He pitched in the minor leagues for four seasons but never made the big show.

Ryan photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Ryan’s route to the majors came via scouting and administration.  In the early 1980s he joined the Mets as a scout and worked several years for them.  Then the Twins hired him as scouting director in 1986 and that saw him oversee drafts of players like Chuck Knoblauch, LaTroy Hawkins and Brad Radke.  He was Minnesota’s VP of player personnel from 1992-1994 before his first stint as GM from 1994-2007. He returned as GM from 2012-2016 before the franchise parted ways with their longtime leader.

Then it didn’t take long for the Phillies to sign Ryan up as a special assignment scout.  Phillies GM Matt Klentak gushed about his team’s good fortune.  “I have known Terry for more than a decade and have enormous respect for all that he accomplished during his tenure with the Twins,” Klentak said via MLB.com. “Terry’s work ethic, loyalty and track record as a talent evaluator are simply unparalleled in our game.”

Ryan said that now he probably wouldn’t accept even a part-time offer to get back into baseball, although he admits to missing the game and the people. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made it clear over a year ago how he felt about Ryan.  “He wanted me to stay, and I just told him it’s time, when you’ve been at it this long.”

Ryan’s connection to baseball now is as a board member of the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.).  The nonprofit organization helps financially distressed former minor league players, scouts, and front office people. Ryan’s been involved for about five years.

“It’s a very worthwhile board to be on,” Ryan said.  “I am proud to be a part of that.”

Ryan’s comfortable and flexible schedule now is in sharp contrast to the life he led for about 40 years.  The pressure from responsibilities and travel are a lot different than being able to do about whatever he wants now.

Part of Ryan’s gratitude for his life includes being cancer free.  About nine years ago he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in a lymph node in his neck. Ryan was told the cancer was curable, but treatment would change his life.  He had to go through physical therapy to learn how to swallow (keeping water down was a huge challenge) and to this day he has a compromised sense of taste. “It took me about a year to get back to somewhat normalcy,” he said.

Over the years Ryan has experienced highs and lows in his personal life and on the baseball field.  MLB voted to contract the franchise, along with the Montreal Expos, in the 2001 offseason.  But the franchise survived and from 2002-2010 the club won six Central Division titles.

Some of those teams were among the most talented in franchise history.  Perhaps no club teased the notion of winning a world championship more than the 2006 team that was 96-66 during the regular season. That was the breakout season of electrifying left-hander Francisco Liriano who for a stretch was probably the most dominant pitcher in baseball.  And that is saying a lot because  teammate Johan Santana won 19 games.

Ryan acquired Liriano in a 2003 trade with the Giants that sent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to San Francisco and also brought reliever Joe Nathan to Minneapolis.  Liriano’s success was cut short here by arm problems, but Nathan became a Twins Hall of Famer and vital contributor for many seasons.

Twins talent was everywhere five years or so into the new millennium.  The roster had a third pitching ace in Brad Radke, .347 hitting catcher Joe Mauer, slugging first baseman Justin Morneau, multi-tool center fielder Torii Hunter, versatile outfielder-infielder Michael Cuddyer and others.  “We had tremendous personnel,” Ryan said.

The acquisition of players was aided by trades, but you can hear the satisfaction in Ryan’s voice when he talks about the roster Minnesota built in the 2000’s with player development and scouting. “…You gotta have luck, you gotta have skill.  You have to do due diligence on character make up.

“Injuries weren’t a huge part of that crowd.  They all played, most of them for a long time. Cripes, LaTroy Hawkins and Hunter and Pierzynski, and all those guys, are playing 20 years.  I am not sure you could have even imagined that at the time (the 2000’s), but we had a lot of good things going. They’re athletic and they were accountable, and I am proud of most of those guys. …They were good human beings off the field.”

The frustration of not advancing far in the postseason will hang over those great Twins teams forever.  The club had pitching, fielding, speed and power but only once advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs after winning division championships. “There’s no excuses,” Ryan said. “We just didn’t get that far, and unfortunately there were players there we thought we might be able to do it with.”

Mauer photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins.

As the years pass, the names of players fade in the public view but not so for Mauer.  He will be eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame next year.  The Twins great who Ryan saw play at Cretin-Derham Hall a dozen times or more and who scouting director Mike Radcliff insisted the Twins take with the No. 1 MLB overall pick in 2001 is not a lock for first-year induction.

“I am hoping like heck he does, but you know how that voting goes,” Ryan said.  “You never know what some of those guys (voters) treasure.  Obviously if Joe had stayed behind the plate he’d go in without any question.  But he ended up over at first and now you’re going to decide how many years was the majority of his career behind the plate versus over at first.

“Obviously I am a Mauer fan. He did anything and everything you could ever hope for when you take a guy first in the country.  Between the MVP  and all-stars (All-Star games), and running a pitching staff, and then making the transition because of his health–concussions–he went over and played darn good at first.  Batting titles, he’s got a strong case.  I don’t know if he’s going to get in on the first ballot but eventually I suspect he’s going to get in.”

Comments Welcome

Grass Field Likely X-Factor for Vikings

Posted on January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by David Shama

 

The Soldier Field playing surface will be a focus Sunday in Chicago where the Vikings will try to not only win and improve their playoff seeding against the 3-13 Bears but avoid injuries to key players and ensure their availability in the postseason.

The safety of the natural grass surface was harshly criticized in August by the president of the National Football League Players Association.  Then shortly before the season began new sod was installed, switching from Kentucky blue grass to Bermuda grass.

The Vikings are more than aware they’re likely to be playing on a slippery surface Sunday at the multipurpose stadium owned by the Chicago Park District. When players can’t maintain their balance, they’re even more vulnerable to injury in the violent game of football. “Yeah, 100 percent,” said T.J. Hockenson.

With new sod and months of use in varying weather conditions, the Vikings’ tight end anticipates a “pretty bad” playing surface Sunday when he and other starters hope to avoid misfortune.  Does he consider the field dangerous?

“You just never know,” Hockenson said.  “I think it probably could be dangerous if you look at it that way.  You just have to make sure you’ve got your feet under you and you’re ready to go.”

Vikings’ wide receiver Adam Thielen said pregame field conditions can be deceiving, with things changing once the game starts.  “I think it’s just going to have to be something (Sunday) where you just have to figure it out on the fly.”

The Vikings played on a natural surface last Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and had difficulty with their footing.  “Yeah, for sure,” Hockenson said.  “The grass in Lambeau wasn’t very good.  It was fine in warmups and then once we got out there (to start the game) it was not good at all. It was just a learning experience for everybody and we’ll be ready to go this week.”

Many Vikings are expected to wear shoes with extra cleats at Soldier Field. A shoe with seven cleats provides extra bite into the grass.  Thielen made the switch during the Green Bay game.  “…It was perfect and once I put those bad boys on, it felt great.”

Worth Noting

Kevin O’Connell photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Kevin O’Connell is a rookie head coach as he prepares to lead his Vikings into the playoffs.  But lessons learned about a year ago as Rams offensive coordinator, when that team delivered a Super Bowl win, should be helpful.

Minnesota offensive coordinator Wes Phillips also had a valuable experience with the Rams while serving as the team’s passing game coordinator/tight ends coach. Viking quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara was an offensive assistant with the Rams during their big season.

The 12-4 Vikings are 2-2 in their last four games and have an opportunity to win their first NFC North Division road game of the season on Sunday in Chicago.  The January 8 regular season game is the latest in franchise history.

The Bears lead the NFL in rushing yards per game at 181. The Bears were held to 88 yards rushing when Minnesota defeated Chicago 29-22 earlier in the season. The Vikings rank No. 20 in rushing yards given up.

A coaching authority and Sports Headliners reader suggested the 3-4 base defense adopted by the Vikings this season is vulnerable to outside runs because defenders more easily lose containment.

O’Connell, talking recently about his rookie defensive lineman and former Gopher Esezi Otomewo: “His energy and athleticism shows up. He’s flying around out there, has shown to be incredibly coachable for a young player as he gets more and more snaps.”

Ryan Connelly, the Vikings’ practice squad linebacker who played at Eden Prairie High School, will be a free agent later this year.  He told Sports Headliners going to the Canadian Football League to play doesn’t interest him. His salary is $317,000 this season, per Overthecap.com.

It just could be the injuries situation for the football Gophers coming out of their bowl win over Syracuse is worse than reported.

Former Gophers football coach Jerry Kill has agreed to a contract that keeps him with New Mexico State through 2027.

Former Twin Nelson Cruz, 42, had eye surgery this offseason and is on the market as a free agent.  He hit .294 for the Twins in 2021 but .234 for the Nationals last season.

Probably no Twins interest in Cruz, but the front office is known to sign veteran pitchers.  Right hander Zack Greinke, 39, is available after pitching 137 innings last season for the Royals with a 3.68 ERA.

Classy Barry Fritz, the only crew supervisor of off-ice officials the Wild has ever had, will retire after this season.  Fritz, who turns 77 in February, has never missed a home game while overseeing statistics and press box responsibilities of the support personnel.  He also worked for many years as a Twins official scorer.

Former Wild executive Bill Robertson, now commissioner of the USHL, hired Fritz in 1999. “Mr. Barry Fritz is one of the most organized and detailed people I have ever worked with and always does it with a smile on his face,” Robertson wrote via email.  “He has a can-do attitude every day at the rink or ballpark. He was so easy to work with on every level and always looked out for his support crew.”

There’s talk the NCAA may expand “March Madness” from 68 to 90 teams.  If so, most of the Big Ten teams will be in the tournament.

Star Tribune columnists Patrick Reusse and Chip Scoggins speak to the Capital Club January 18 starting about 7:30 a.m. at Mendakota Country Club.  The two collaborated on the recent book Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline.  More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com

Boys basketball high school coaching legend and community leader Larry McKenzie speaks to the CORES lunch group January 12 at the Bloomington Event Center.  McKenzie coached teams at Henry and North to six state tournament titles in 10 appearances.  For reservations contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.  CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Comments Welcome

Vikings Fans: It’s Time for Gratitude

Posted on January 3, 2023January 3, 2023 by David Shama

 

The Vikings close out their regular season Sunday in Chicago against a feeble Bears team.  Purple worry warts (as usual) have much to fret about including a Vikings hangover from their dismal showing against the Packers, the health of key players, a possible loss to the Bears Sunday, and potential injuries on a slippery grass field at Soldier Field, seeding for the upcoming playoffs and whether their favorites can march all the way to the Super Bowl.

Whew!

I know I missed somethings (uh, leaky defense) but take a deep breath, Purple Nation.  “Doctor Shama” offers the following advice:

Be grateful for what the 2022-2023 Vikings have already put in place.  And consider that even if they fail Sunday in Chicago against the Bears and flop in the playoffs, the Vikings have gone far beyond expectations and probably delivered the most theatric season since the franchise started in 1961.

Kirk Cousins

Remember the 2022 offseason last winter and a new decision-making group taking over in the front office and on the field?  Were the Vikings going to clear out their roster and rebuild? Dump Kirk Cousins and start over at quarterback? Say adios to other veterans, too?

Instead, new GM Kwesi Adopho-Mensah and new head coach Kevin O’Connell committed to tweaking instead of tearing down.  They retained the veteran corps and added a few key contributors like tight end T.J. Hockenson, while changing schemes and culture.

Want to see what a rebuild looks like?  Read up on the Bears, who under their new general manager, Ryan Poles, are 3-13 this season.  That’s the worst record in the NFC.

Last summer Purple Nation thought an optimistic outlook for the Vikings would be a 10-7 finish while perhaps backing into the playoffs, and likely with no home field advantage in the postseason.  Instead, the playoff-bound Vikings will finish the regular season with no worse than a 12-5 record and probably 13-4.  They could also host multiple playoff games at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Either 12-5, or 13-4 is a franchise best number of wins since 2017’s 13-3 record (when NFL teams played 16 games).  The Vikings are NFC North Division champions for the first time since the 2017 season.  Minnesota last qualified for the playoffs in 2019.

The Vikings have outdone themselves and all the other NFL teams in playing dramatic and entertaining football.  They have won 11 games by eight points or fewer.  Five times the victory margin has been three points.  “Comeback” Cousins has led eight fourth quarter rallies and in the process changed his image from loser to winner.

The 2022 Vikings have triumphed in games worthy of best-selling fiction, and this club belongs on a short list of the most memorable teams in franchise history. Two memories for the ages:

The overtime win in Buffalo was improbable for several reasons including that the Bills were positioned to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter but fumbled at their own goal line. Minnesota’s Eric Kendricks recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown and a 30-27 lead.  In one of the NFL’s wildest games in the new millenium, the Bills managed a field goal with time expiring in the fourth quarter. The Vikings broke a 30-30 tie with a Greg Joseph field goal in overtime.

The Bills are among the NFL elites.  Not so the Colts who a few weekends ago in Minneapolis held a 33-0 halftime lead over the Vikings.  Even during a season of good fortune unlike any in Vikings’ history, few observers in U.S. Bank Stadium that day expected the Purple to rally and win. The 39-36 win was the biggest comeback in NFL history.  In disbelief, the Purple worry warts switched from lusty boos to triumphant cheers.

Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Cousins has prompted whispers of being NFL MVP worthy.  Not so with wide receiver Justin Jefferson whose name has been shouted out with the thunder of a Gjallarhorn. No NFL wide receiver has ever won the award so Jefferson’s candidacy says something special about his 2022 season that has him setting franchise and league records.

Neither Cousins nor Jefferson would be experiencing special seasons without the presence of O’Connell.  He is an offensive whiz with schemes, adjustments and play calls.  His leadership style has minimized fear among players and created a player-friendly culture without sacrificing discipline.

O’Connell is a good dude, a human being who is welcome in any “Minnesota nice” neighborhood.  I’ll guarantee his competitive spirit wants to drive the Viking bus all the way to a franchise first Super Bowl victory.  I strongly suspect at this moment he is also grateful for the success of his first season as an NFL head coach and all that he, his staff and players have accomplished.

Vikings fans should say amen to that, while still rooting for more success.

Comments Welcome

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