Author: David Shama

If the Twins had retained Jason Bartlett, Torii Hunter and Johan Santana, they might have tied or broken the franchise record this year for most players in the All-Star game.  In both 1964 and 1965 the Twins had six representatives in the game.

Bartlett, who is on the disabled list, is leading the American League in hitting at .373.  The former Twins shortstop, who was traded to Tampa Bay after the 2007 season, is a likely reserve behind Derek Jeter for this year’s All-Star game (in St. Louis on July 14).

Hunter, who accepted a richer contract to play center field for the Angels following the 2007 season, is fifth in the American League with 43 RBI and also has 12 home runs.  Along with those stats, his reputation as a Gold Glove winner and former All-Star make him a legit candidate to be a reserve on the American League team.

Santana, who is leading the National League with a 2.00 ERA, is a cinch for the All-Star game.  The former Twins Cy Young winner, who reportedly left here to accept a six year, $137.5 million contract with the Mets in 2008, might be the National League starter.

The Twins figure to have one starter in the All-Star game, catcher Joe Mauer.  Fan balloting determines the eight starters at the positions in the field and earlier this week Mauer was leading all catchers in votes.  Players and managers vote on pitchers and reserves.

First baseman Justin Morneau is third in RBI in the American League with 50 and is also hitting .338.  He’s among baseball’s best players but does face All-Star roster competition from Boston’s Kevin Youkilis and New York’s Mark Teixeira, both of whom lead him in fan balloting.  All three are deserving of All-star membership this season.

Joe Nathan, with 10 saves, is only four behind the league leaders.  An All-Star in three previous games, Nathan is worthy of consideration as is Twins starting pitcher Kevin Slowey, who is tied for second in wins among American League pitchers with eight.

Bartlett, Hunter, Santana, Mauer, Morneau, Nathan and Slowey.  Seven all-stars would have broken the record, six tied it.  Even five would have been a bit historic since that’s the third best total in franchise history (1971).  In 2009 the best the Twins might do is four.

The top four batters in the Twins lineup (Denard Span, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel) were 10-for-15 with all 11 runs scored and produced 10 RBI in yesterday’s 11-3 win over Cleveland.  Kubel, who hit two home runs and drove in six runs, had been 0-17 at the plate until he got a fourth inning hit in Wednesday night’s game.

Vikings’ coach Brad Childress said yesterday that unlike past years, his team will not have a scrimmage this summer in River Falls, Wisconsin against the Chiefs.

The Monter Draft News describes the needs of each NBA team for the June 25 draft, with the Wolves’ to-do list focusing on small forwards and point guards.  Chris Monter’s top three small forwards are DeMar DeRozan, Earl Clark and Austin Daye.  He rates Ricky Rubio, Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans as the three best point guards.

Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson III is among 17 players invited to participate in the tryout for the USA under-19 national team competing this summer in New Zealand. Sampson, a 6-11, 220-pound center who recently completed his freshman year with the Gophers, will take part in a three-day tryout camp from June 16-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  The final roster will consist of 12 players and compete in the world under-19 junior championships in New Zealand from July 2-12.

That was St. Paul native Ken Mauer Jr. who was one of the officials working last night’s opening NBA Finals game between the Lakers and Magic.

The Lakers, playing in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, have won 14 NBA championships in franchise history.  That total is second to Boston’s 17.  The Lakers are making a record 30^th NBA Finals appearance.

The Big Ten Conference has named 22 student-athletes Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2008-09 academic year.  Representing the Gophers are basketball’s Jamal Abu-Shamala and track’s Ladia Albertson-Junkans. Recipients were chosen from a group of 276 student-athletes honored throughout the academic year who had displayed positive sportsmanship.

The first 2,500 fans through the gates tomorrow night for the Lynx’s home and season opener at Target Center will receive a Lynx magnet schedule.

Grant Potulny told KFAN’s Paul Allen on Wednesday that he expects coach Don Lucia’s Gophers to compete for a national championship next year.  Potulny, a former Gopher standout, was recently named a volunteer assistant coach for the Gophers who were 17-13-7 last season.

Scott LeDoux, the former boxer who is battling ALS, will be inducted into the UMD Sports Hall of Fame on October 3, according to his friend Mike Woodley who wrote via e-mail that LeDoux played three years of football for the Bulldogs.  Woodley helped with an ALS benefit concert in April that featured LeDoux and nationally known rock artists.  Woodley has concert DVD’s and t-shirts for sales with proceeds helping LeDoux renovate his home to accommodate his needs.  Woodley can be contacted at mike@broitlight.com.

The NFC North could be a quarterback soap opera this fall with major story lines developing in not only Minneapolis and Chicago, but Detroit and Green Bay, too.

The Lions, 0-16 last season and in worse shape than General Motors, appear headed for a showdown between former Viking Daunte Culpepper and rookie Matthew Stafford.  Since 2005, Culpepper, 32, has played nothing like the Pro Bowl player who was outstanding here in the early years of this decade, but reportedly he’s been impressive during the off season.  He will compete with Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

Watching over it all is new Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehean, the same guy who had that title with the Vikings when Culpepper was most productive (and healthy).  While Linehan may favor starting Culpepper early in the season because of his experience, he’s impressed with Stafford.

“He gets it out so quick, and with so much velocity,” Linehan said in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune.  “And he’s more accurate than I thought he was.”

In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers is surrounded by the ghost of Brett Favre.  Rodgers was last year, too, but in his first season as the Packers’ No. 1, Favre was based in New York with the Jets.  If Favre decides not to retire and play for the Vikings (seems likely), he will be perched on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, waiting to stir things up between two teams and zealous fans from both states.

The 2009 Packers and Vikings games could be historic events, not football games.  The first game is Monday, October 5 in Minneapolis; the second on Sunday, November 1 in Green Bay.  The value of tickets for those games will go up like the hottest of stocks the day Favre signs on with the Purple.  The border war goes nuclear in interest and emotion.

It’s possible Favre and Rodgers will emerge from the season as heroes with their local fan bases.  But then again, they might not even be welcomed back for another season.  The only thing for sure is that Favre won’t be a god with many cheese-heads in Green Bay, and Rodgers will draw applause here only if he throws about four interceptions in each game.

And the happiest soap opera script in the division could be down in Chicago where new quarterback Jay Cutler just might be better than any of his rivals.  The quarterback- poor Bears took a gamble with a big offering, acquiring Cutler by giving Denver two first round picks, a third round choice and quarterback Kyle Orton.

Cutler’s resume says he might be worth it.  He made the AFC Pro Bowl roster after last season, his third in the NFL.  Among his numbers: 4,526 yards passing and 25 touchdown passes.  He joins a Bears offense that in past seasons has often looked like it was playing with 10 guys, not 11.