Author: David Shama

Former Gophers and NFL receiver Ron Johnson is working with the Colts and helping coach the wide receivers.

NFL players, past and present, who have already been in TCF Bank Stadium, praise the new facility at https://www.play4brew.com/umFinal.html.

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said NFL legend Jerry Rice told him the FieldTurf playing surface at the stadium is the best in America.

Freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray dazzled at the spring game and Brewster said the Gophers will have a package of plays for him in each of their 12 games this season.  But junior Adam Weber is definitely the starter.  “We’ve got no quarterback controversy,” Brewster said.

Randy Ruiz, who played briefly with the Twins in 2008, is second in home runs (25) while playing for Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League.

Trent Oeltjen, a 27-year-old outfielder from Australia who originally signed with the Twins, was called up from the minors last week by Arizona and hit a home run in his first game.

Boston Celtics assistant general manager Dave Wohl and former Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak (fan chatter, Wolves website) are names mentioned for assistants to Kurt Rambis as the Wolves new head coach.

Based partially on summer play, DeLaSalle High School could have an exceptional team next season with a roster expected to include guards Jalen Jaspers and Bretson McNeal (son of former North High star and Mr. Basketball Brett McNeal).

Dennis Alfton, director of operations for the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, is one of 12 employees being permanently laid off due to the departure of the Twins and Gophers from the Metrodome.  Their employment ends next February.  Alfton has been with the commission for 33 years and wants to continue working in the event industry.

Is it time to give up on the 2009 Twins?  Depends on the goal.  American League pennant? Yup.  Central Division title?  Not yet.

Even Norman Vincent Peale would be challenged to cheerlead the Twins’ pennant prospects.  The pre-season concerns about the starting pitching and middle inning relievers not being experienced and proven were justified.  The team ERA is 4.63, 10^th among 14 AL teams.  Collectively the staff (18 pitchers have been on the roster) has given up 126 home runs, third most in the league.

A troubled situation has been made worse by the season ending loss of starter Kevin Slowey.  The remaining starting staff of Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Anthony Swarzak could wear the same “name” on the back of their jerseys: “Mr. Inconsistent.”

The front office couldn’t acquire pitching help prior to the July 31 trade deadline.  It appears the Twins are waiting for reinforcements next spring when recovery from injuries is expected to allow the return of starters Slowey and Boof Bonser, and eighth inning set-up reliever Pat Neshek.

The Twins are 4.5 games back of first place Detroit in the Central Division, and 2.5      behind Chicago.  It requires optimism to see the Twins winning the division but they do have all-stars in catcher Joe Mauer, first baseman Justin Morneau and closer Joe Nathan, and solid help from players like newly acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera, and also outfielder Michael Cuddyer and designated hitter Jason Kubel.  Plus, the coaching staff is proven and capable, led by manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson.

Then, too, the Twins have 10 of their 54 remaining games against Detroit (starting tonight in Motown) and six with the White Sox.  The Twins are 6-2 against the Tigers so far.  They’re 7-5 versus the White Sox.

The Twins have nine games left against Cleveland (46-62) and even that doesn’t look so good after losing two out of three with the Indians earlier this week.  The Twins are 5-4 versus Cleveland this year.

But the pennant? That will require a mega dose of optimism to predict a league title because the Twins don’t compare on paper and on the field with the AL’s finest.  The Yankees and Red Sox are the best in the East.  The Twins are a combined 2-11 against those two clubs.  The West Division leading Angels produced 35 runs in a three game sweep in Minneapolis last weekend.  For the season the Angels won the series, 6-4.

There’s no doubt Joe Mauer and the Twins will one day look at moving the superstar catcher to third base.  At 26, there’s no chance of that happening next season but a Mauer move to third in 2010 could set up an intriguing infield.  Mauer at third, Orlando Cabrera at shortstop, Justin Morneau at first base and prize third base prospect Danny Valencia converted into a second baseman.  Then move sweet hitting Jose Morales (.343 average in 32 games with the Twins) behind the plate.

ESPN The Magazine’s August 10 issue claims Yadier Molina of the Cardinals is baseball’s best catcher but the publication also says Mauer is among the most difficult to steal bases on.

Former Minneapolis Lakers coach John Kundla, who won five pro basketball championships, was among a panel asked by the Sporting News magazine to rank the 50 greatest American coaches ever.  Former Gophers football player Bud Wilkinson ranked No. 29 because of his coaching career at Oklahoma, and Herb Brooks was listed at No. 50 in an article in the August 3 issue.  Brooks was a coaching genius and deserved a better listing than last after a career that included the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” and three national championships with the hockey Gophers.  Bud Grant, who coached the Vikings in four losing Super Bowls, and Tom Kelly, who won two World Series as Twins manager, didn’t make the list.  Top five were UCLA’s John Wooden, Green Bay’s Vince Lombardi, Alabama’s Paul Bryant, Los Angeles’ Phil Jackson and Miami’s Don Shula.

Official capacity for TCF Bank Stadium is 50,805.  All seven home games during the first season are considered sellouts but tickets are expected to be available on the Monday preceding some games.  That’s because visiting teams are allocated 3,000 tickets and not all schools are expected to use the full inventory.

A Gophers spokesman said 9,185 block M’s are displayed in various parts of the stadium.

The Gophers public relations department will, as usual, produce a printed media guide but Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin will have electronic versions only.  The NBA told its franchises they have the option for next season of electronic only, too.  The Timberwolves will opt for electronic only.

It was eight years ago this month that Vikings’ tackle Korey Stringer died from heatstroke complications.  His widow, Kelci, works with the NFL on a heat prevention illness program.

As of Wednesday, a Vikings spokesman reported single game tickets remain for all 2009 home games including Green Bay and Chicago.

Don’t be surprised if John David Booty becomes a serious option at quarterback this season for the Vikings.