Author: David Shama

Outfielder Joe Gaetti, acquired by the Twins two weeks ago from Oakland, hit a home run in his first game with Double AA New Britain last Thursday and then tore his Achilles tendon.  He’s the son of former Twin third baseman Gary Gaetti.

In a Sports Illustrated players poll (August 11 issue) former Twin David Ortiz, now with Boston, had the most votes as “the most dangerous clutch hitter in baseball.”   Ortiz’s former teammate with the Red Sox, Manny Ramirez now with the Dodgers, was second.

In the magazine’s August 18 issue the Twins’ Joe Mauer was second in a players poll to determine the “best all-around catcher in baseball.”  Russell Martin of the Dodgers had the most votes.

Through the first two games of preseason the Vikings’ Tarvaris Jackson completed 15 of 22 passes (68.2%) for 200 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions and hasn’t been sacked.  Jackson’s quarterback rating of 127.1 is an improvement from his 2007 preseason rating of 70.6.  Last year Jackson finished preseason 20 of 38 (52.6%) for 225 yards and no touchdowns.

Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier talking earlier this week about how the chemistry is developing between newcomer Jared Allen, and returnees Kevin Williams and Pat Williams on the defensive line:  “I think it’s really come along faster than I thought it would.  He’s a guy who has achieved a great deal in this league in a short time, but Kevin and Pat are real established in the National Football League as premier defensive tackles so you’re always wondering how that’s going to mesh and how it will fit and if it will create some tensions with egos and so on.  But that hasn’t been the case. Those guys really respect one another’s games, and they’ve really gelled very well.

“Now it’s just a matter of playing together and seeing each other in adverse situations as well as positive situations to see how guys react. You find out a lot about people when things don’t go well, and that’s part of growing as a group.  We’re going through that in the preseason.”

Coming to the Vikings in anonymity as a center seems like a pretty good beginning.  The guy who played center longer than anyone for the franchise, Mick Tingelhoff, signed as a free agent.  Current starting center Matt Birk was drafted on the sixth round 10 years ago and became a Pro Bowl player.  This past spring the Vikings started looking ahead by drafting John Sullivan, also a sixth round pick.  Both Birk and Sullivan are similar in size, about 6-4, 300 pounds.  They’re also known as intelligent guys who attended highly regarded schools, Birk at Harvard and Sullivan at Notre Dame.

Free 24 by 36 inch posters of Adrian Peterson will be given to all fans as they depart the Metrodome following the Vikings-Steelers preseason game on Saturday night. The image, taken from an original painting by St. Paul native Robert Blehert, features Peterson breaking free for a touchdown.

Three former Gophers are on the Steelers’ roster: safety Tyrone Carter, running back Gary Russell and tight end Matt Spaeth.  Another Steeler running back is former Viking Mwelde Moore.

There are two NFL roster cut down dates next week: 75 players by Tuesday and 53 by Saturday.

Gopher coach Tim Brewster hosts his second annual football clinic for women tomorrow night (Friday).  The free event is from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.  The clinic will cover the rules of the game, play demonstrations, position instruction, as well as offense, defense and special teams strategy sessions.  More than 500 women attended last year’s Gopher Nation Women’s Football Clinic.  To R.S.V.P for the clinic, contact Meghan Potter in the Gopher football office, potte128@umn.edu or 612-624-3826.

The Wild and Swarm will share a booth on the second level of the main Grandstand at the State Fair.  Players, team personnel and local hockey celebrities are scheduled to appear and sign autographs.  Among those scheduled are Wild players Kurtis Foster from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night, Danny Irmen 3 to 4 p.m. August 29, and Benoit Pouliot 3 to 4 p.m. on August 31.  

Jordan Nuness, who played for the Gophers before transferring to UMD where he was a standout for the Bulldogs, has decided not to pursue opportunities in European pro basketball, according to his father.  Al Nuness, a former Gopher captain, became president of the Golden Dunkers in June, a volunteer support group for Gopher basketball.

Just four points separates five teams in the competition for the seventh and final playoff position in the USL First Division standings.  The Thunder, with 27 points, is one point behind Portland and Montreal, both tied for seventh.  The Thunder play at home tomorrow night in the National Sports Center stadium against Carolina, tied for last in the standings with Miami at 24 points each.  The Thunder’s last regular season game is September 20.

With apologies to New Age thinkers, it’s difficult to stay in the present moment and not look ahead to the September 23-25 Twins-White Sox series in the Metrodome.  Go ahead and label it the “might be, could be, will be the series” of the season for the two teams.

Chicago and the Twins are tied for first in the Central Division standings.  It’s been that sort of coziness, and now anticipation about more of the same, that can make the three game series in late September the get together of the season for the White Sox and Twins, a headline-making national sports story.

Home field has been a comfy feeling so far in 2008.  The Twins won just twice in nine games at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.  The White Sox are 1-5 so far in Minneapolis.

The Twins know the hitting background, lighting, and field surface in the Metrodome, plus they can feel the juice of a large and noisy crowd.  That home field advantage figures to help the Twins’ including the defense led by players like catcher Joe Mauer, infielder Nick Punto and outfielder Denard Span.  Limiting a team to singles, doubles and triples is always a good idea, but particularly against the homer happy White Sox who lead the major leagues with 178 home runs.

For all the complaining about the dome over the years, it’s been a highly successful place for the Twins who have won two World Series, four division titles since 2002 and are 44-22 at home this season, 26-31 on the road.  “As undesirable a facility as it is for baseball, when you put 40,000 to 50,000 in it, the Metrodome becomes a unique place,” said Patrick Klinger, vice president of marketing for the Twins.

Klinger said there’s already a “buzz” among fans about the September series and  advance ticket sales are about 20,000 for each game.  If the series meets present expectations, crowds are certain to exceed 30,000 and certainly could be higher.  Right now the franchise has drawn 30,000 or more for 18 consecutive games.

The games will be played on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.  Week night crowds trend smaller than weekends and having schools back in session limits attendance.  Klinger said the Wednesday game will be Student Night, a season long promotion that offers tickets for $4 each, plus all fans can buy hot dogs for $1 a piece.

No cheerleading towels or other series promotions are scheduled yet, but Klinger said that could change.  He and the Twins just hope the opportunity presents itself.

There’s a classic story about Memorial Stadium, the on-campus home of the Golden Gophers from 1924-1981.  A group from Notre Dame visited Memorial Stadium in its early days as part of a tour to learn about building a new football facility for the Fighting Irish.  Legend has it that a member of the group reviewed the Minnesota stadium and announced:  “Gentlemen, this is how not to build a stadium.”

Old timers become nostalgic talking about Memorial Stadium but the truth is its faults included mediocre sightlines, too many seats in the far away bowl end and archaically crowded rows, ramps, concourses and rest rooms.  By 1982 the old facility, named after the state’s World War I heroes, was in need of major upgrades and school leaders opted to leave campus for the new Metrodome.

Starting in 2009 the Gophers will be playing on a piece of property within a pitching wedge shot of the old Memorial Stadium site, now home to the McNamara Alumni Center. If a tour last week of the still under construction new TCF Bank Stadium is a reliable indicator, there won’t be anyone coming to town from Notre Dame or other colleges to knock the new place.

TCF Bank Stadium will be distinctive in its newness.  Only two other campus stadiums have been built by major colleges in the last 27 years.  When the Gophers play in the Metrodome, they’re in the newest stadium in the Big Ten Conference by 22 years.  When the Gophers are in TCF Bank stadium their home will be the newest by 48 years.

With much of the structure in place, it’s easy to grasp a feel for the stadium and environment.  The seats are in close proximity to the field, creating an intimate atmosphere much different than Memorial Stadium which for much of its existence had a running track between the stands and the field.

There are 25,000 seats between the goal lines in the new stadium that will have backs and armrests.  The remaining 25,000 will be benches, like the seating in typical major college stadiums.  Among those having bench seating will be University students who will have a spectacular view of downtown from the stadium’s bowl end.

The capacity can be expanded by 30,000 if there’s demand for an 80,000 seat stadium.  The expansion will be achieved by adding a third deck to the stadium’s north side, according to Paul Kitching, construction executive for Mortenson Construction who led the tour last week.

The larger of the two video boards will be 108 feet by 48 feet, the second biggest in the country on a college campus after the University of Texas, according to Gene Allen, director of University relations for TCF Bank.  Allen said the video board surpasses anything similar in the Metrodome.

Size made a major impression on the tour group, too, when we stopped in the Gopher locker room.  Kitching said it’s 60 yards long and has 120 lockers.

The brick exterior and arched entrances are similar to Memorial Stadium, providing a nostalgic feel.  The names of all 87 Minnesota counties being placed around the exterior will help provide a connection for state residents to the stadium and Gophers.

On September 12, 2009 coach Tim Brewster’s Gophers will run out on the field through the bowl end of the $288 million horseshoe shaped stadium to play Air Force.  The Gophers will be back on campus and flying high.