Author: David Shama

Despite Francisco Liriano’s lack of major league experience and history of arm trouble, Twins president Dave St. Peter didn’t express surprise about the Sporting News Magazine’s prediction that the 25-year-old left hander will win the 2009 Cy Young award.

That’s a gutsy call since Liriano has yet to pitch a full season in the majors and never won more than 12 games.  Liriano had a phenomenal rookie season in 2006 and at times was even better than teammate Johan Santana who won the Cy Young award that year.  But before season’s end Liriano injured his elbow and off season surgery for ligament replacement kept him out of baseball in 2007.  Then the 2008 comeback season was characterized by early season frustration, a sentence to the minor leagues and a late season return during which he had a 1.23 ERA in August.

In the Twins opener on Monday Liriano gave up four runs on four hits in seven        innings as part of a 6-1 loss to Seattle.  Although he was the losing pitcher, St. Peter approved of his no walks, three strikeout performance and said the Sporting News prediction is “wonderful recognition for Francisco.”

What are the expectations for Liriano? “We think that he has a chance to be one of the best pitchers in the game,” St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “Certainly a guy who has the stuff.  I think he’s worked very closely with (pitching coach) Rick Anderson to become a better pitcher.  We’re very optimistic. ..  Again, it starts with his health.  I think that’s the thing we’re most excited about is that he’s healthy.  We think he’s 100 percent.  We expect that he’s going to have a big season.”

The surgery has compromised Liriano’s ability to throw consistently in the mid-90s and wisdom dictates he no longer pitch with the violent motion that produced a nasty slider.  But if he’s less a wonder child now, he has become more of a thinker.  “He still has the ability if he needs to throw those devastating sliders,” St. Peter said.  “I think he’s much more of a balanced pitcher in terms of fast ball, change up, slider.  …He’s  learned a lot since his big league debut.  I think he has a chance overall to have a very, very long successful career by just frankly being more balanced and not being so reliant on the slider.”

St. Peter praised Liriano for passing up a chance to play for his native Dominican Republic in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, making a commitment to the Twins a priority. “Francisco is a good man,” St. Peter said.  “He certainly is somebody that we believe we can count on.  We think he has the maturity to do that. …”

St. Peter said the franchise is making plans to honor former third baseman Corey Koskie with an on-field ceremony prior to a game this spring.

He also said details aren’t finalized for the last baseball game ever played in the Metrodome on September 20, but the club plans a celebration with Twins alumni and possibly removing home plate.

Former state senator Dean Johnson, who was a legislative leader for the new Twins’ ball park, believes the Vikings may ultimately accept a renovated Metrodome as the answer to the franchise’s stadium dilemma.  He also told Sports Headliners there might be a special session called later this year to address the stadium issue.

A Wild source who requested anonymity believes the franchise may yet sign Marian Gaborik to a short contract extension.  He said team president Doug Risebrough wants Gaborik here.  The source also said the relationship between Gaborik and coach Jacques Lemaire is okay.  There are knowledgeable observers who don’t believe the 63-year-old coach will return but the source said that after each season Lemaire reviews his situation and this year will be no different.

The Wild, frantically trying to make the playoffs, plays its last home game tomorrow night against Nashville.  A win and another victory on Saturday against Columbus would give the Wild its third straight 40 win-season.  The Wild is 5-0-4 in its last nine home games.

Carlos Gomez saved 16 runs for the Twins last season, the most of any big league center fielder and 20 more than his predecessor, Torii Hunter.  That’s according to last week’s baseball preview issue of Sports Illustrated which included an in-depth article on contemporary defensive statistics.

Referring to a defensive metric by a man named John Dewan, the magazine reported that the 33-year-old Hunter, perhaps once the game’s best center fielder, is average and below average in various defensive aspects.  Hunter, though, didn’t know about Dewan and others who scientifically crunch defensive numbers when interviewed for the article “Baseball’s Next Top Models” and when asked he wasn’t about to rate Gomez ahead of him.

“Dude is quick but he also goes from points A to B to C to D when he should be going A to B,” Hunter told the magazine.  “And he’s too aggressive with his throwing. Just look at his errors. (Gomez had eight).  I had none.  Zero.”

Former Twins pitcher Carlos Silva, who was Seattle’s losing pitcher pitcher here last night giving up six runs in five innings, had a 10.45 ERA in three spring training games while pitching 10.1 innings.  Silva is in the second season of a $48 million contract, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts Website.  Last year Silva was 4-15 with a 6.46 ERA.  General manager Bill Bavasi signed Silva to his contract after leaving the Twins following the 2007 season.  Bavasi is no longer employed by the Mariners.

The Michigan State basketball team that lost to North Carolina on Monday night in the national championship game relied on only two seniors.  The Spartans will be a Big Ten heavyweight again next season led by sophomore guard Kalin Lucas who was the conference’s player of the year.  Minnesota native Isaiah Dahlman participated in 16 total games, averaging 1.8 minutes and 0.8 points per game.

The Wolves’ Kevin Love needs two more rebounds and two more double-doubles to set franchise records for a rookie.  The team is 7-24 since center Al Jefferson was injured on February 4.

Wolves owner Glen Taylor has been much criticized since his group bought the franchise in 1995 but his Minnesota roots and loyalty probably ensure continued operation here indefinitely despite losing money, with short term prospects not much better given both the state of the team and economy.

The Vikings Draft Party tickets are on sale through www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling the team’s ticket office, 612-33-VIKES. Tickets for the Saturday, April 25 event at the Winter Park Fieldhouse are priced at either $15 (general admission), or $70 including preferred seating, private autograph session, food and beverage coupons and prize giveaways. The Vikings, with the No. 22 pick, are expected to draft at about 6:30 p.m.  The draft party, the same day as the Gophers spring football game, will be from 1:30 to 7 p.m.

The Gophers and 11 other schools will be competing in the NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships April 16-18 at the U’s Sports Pavillion.  The Gophers, ranked No. 7 in the country, participate in the evening pre-qualifier on April 16 (starting at 7 p.m.).  No. 1 Stanford is in the afternoon session that day (1 p.m. start).