Author: David Shama

Fargo native Chris Coste (pronounced Coast) has become a fan favorite in Philadelphia.  Coste, 35, has been catching regularly for the Phillies and is hitting .330 with five home runs and 16 RBI.  Fans have saluted him with a “Coste Guard” sign, Gene Allen said via e-mail.  Allen, now a TCF Bank executive, is the former founder and owner of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the Northern League, a team that Coste once played for.  Coste has a book about his 11 year struggle to make the major leagues, “The 33-Year-Old Rookie.”  He made his major league debut with Philadelphia in May of 2006 and hit .328 for the season.  Last spring he was injured and played in the minors before joining the Phillies in May, hitting .279 for the season.

Newly acquired Twins left-handed pitcher Craig Breslow has only pitched in eight games and 10 innings this season.  He was picked up by the Twins off waivers from Cleveland last week to provide another left handed arm in the bullpen.  In his one appearance for the Twins so far he pitched one and two-thirds innings on Saturday night against the Yankees, giving up no hits and striking out three batters.  The former Yale student majored in biophysics and biochemistry.

Cristie Kerr will draw attention at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open coming to Interlachen Country Club June 23-29, and not just because she’s the defending champion. A Google search lists her among the “sexy women of sports.”  Kerr, 30, is admired, too, for her work in raising funds to fight breast cancer, a disease that struck her mother.

Kids 17 and under are admitted free to the Open with a ticketed adult.  An adult may bring up to nine children free of charge.  More information about the Open is available at www.2008uswomensopen.com.

For the second time in franchise history the Timberwolves will have the third pick in the NBA draft.  With that position in 1992, the Wolves chose Christian Laettner.  Minnesota hasn’t had a top-five draft pick since selecting Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen with the fifth picks in the 1995 and 1996 drafts.

Among the most famous all-time NBA selections is Michael Jordan who was the third overall pick in 1984.  Wilt Chamberlain, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale and Dominique Wilkins were also No. 3 selections.  This year’s runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting, Al Horford, was a third overall draft pick, as were current stars Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol and Deron Williams.

St. Thomas senior outfielder Chris Bullis and senior pitcher Lonnie Robinson were recently included on the ABCA/Rawlings All-America team.  Bullis was joined by teammate Matt Pexa (senior catcher) and Hamline’s Dan Kacrowski (junior shortstop) on the D3baseball.com All-America team named earlier this spring.

Three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference athletes recently won national championships at the 2008 NCAA DII National Outdoor Track & Field Championship in Walnut, Calif.  Bemidji State’s Joe Remitz and Wayne State’s Katie Wilson won their first national titles, both in the shot put, while MSU Moorhead’s Jennifer Hensel repeated as national champion in the pole vault.

Tarvaris Jackson was asked by Sports Headliners earlier this week if he expects major improvement in his performance next season.  “Exactly,” he replied.

The Vikings’ quarterback finished two weeks of OTA’s with his teammates earlier this week.  The Organized Training Activities allowed the Vikings and outsiders to make some observations.  Among those with an optimistic outlook is Jackson who was asked if he’s ready for a big year.  He replied with a team answer. “The team, we’re just ready for a big year,” he said. “…Just go out there and show that we can do it.”

Whether the Vikings keep company this fall with the NFL’s best teams after finishing 8-8 last season and missing the playoffs for a third consecutive season depends on many elements but vital among them is Jackson.  After two seasons of highs and lows, Jackson knows he must be more consistent.

That word, consistency, represents a goal for the 25-year-old quarterback who started 12 games last year, throwing 12 interceptions and nine touchdown passes.  Jackson said he thinks about being consistent in practices, games and the playoffs.  Each week he wants to be “accurate with the football” and make good decisions.

Experience makes Jackson believe he’s more confident and ready for this season.  He said he’s better now than the last game of the 2007 season and that his comfort level with being an NFL quarterback is “night and day” improved from 12 months ago.

Jackson’s knowledge and confidence now allows him to help others.  “I am not just thinking about, well, I gotta do this, I gotta do this,” he said.  “I am thinking about trying to give the offensive linemen tips in the huddle.  Trying to give wide receivers tips. …”

The Vikings added 36-year-old backup quarterback Gus Frerotte to the roster in the off-season.  His presence presumably will assist Jackson’s development, too.  “He’s helped me a lot,” Jackson said.  “Just watching him out here on the field.  The way he thinks about things. …”

The process for Jackson continues in several days when the team’s mini-camp for  veterans takes place June 6-8 at Winter Park.

Nicolas Platter knows about patience.  The 26-year-old Californian waited two-plus seasons to become the Minnesota Thunder’s starting goalkeeper.  Platter told Sports Headliners he learned patience during his high school and college soccer careers when he waited for opportunities.

Platter didn’t play regularly in high school until his senior year.  In college at Cal-Davis he waited awhile to play, too.  The exercise in patience even included last season with the Thunder when Platter had to recover from an off-season ligament injury to his right thumb.

Eventually he won the starting goalkeeper position with the Thunder.  He played in 18 games, finishing fifth in saves among goal keepers in the USL.  The year before, 2006, he had played in only five games.  He played in just two games with the Thunder in 2005.

The season is early but Platter has been a major contributor to the Thunder’s success.  His statistics include four shutouts (tied for second in the USL) and a 0.714 goals against average (tied for third best in the league).  The Thunder’s record is 4-2-1 and the team is tied for third place in the USL.  The Thunder has only scored more than one goal in a game once this season, more evidence of Platter’s importance to the team’s successful start.

Last season the Thunder was 5-12-11, finishing next to last in the standings.  The roster has been improved and Platter likes what he sees. “We believe we can win,” he said.

The Thunder won for the first time in 11 years at Vancouver in late April, Platter said.  Now second place Vancouver plays here tomorrow night (Saturday) at the National Sports Center in Blaine.  Platter described it as a “big game” and a hoped for point in the standings.  “Any time we play Vancouver it’s always a struggle,” he said.