Author: David Shama

Star Tribune Vikings writer Kevin Seifert will be leaving the newspaper as of Friday.  He’s accepted a position with espn.com.

Manager Ron Gardenhire is concerned about his pitchers being injured when the Twins play interleague games.  Because of the designated hitter rule in the American League, the only experience his pitchers normally have in hitting and running the bases are in games played at National League parks.  None of the Twins’ pitchers were injured during last weekend’s series at Colorado.

Twins pitcher Joe Nathan talking late last week about the possibility the American League Central Division champion may only finish 12 games over .500: “It’s possible. I mean you look at it right now, it’s very possible.”

As of this morning, Chicago led the division four games over .500.  The Twins, 23-22, are the only other team playing over .500 baseball.

Two baseball players local fans ask about but won’t be coming this way to join the Twins’ roster are home run king Barry Bonds and former Twin Jacques Jones.  Bonds is unemployed and Jones is in the Florida Marlins’ minor league system.

Bloomington Jefferson’s Moses Alipate, who has verbally committed to the Gophers’ recruiting class of 2009, is rated by scout.com as the 14^th best prep quarterback in the country.  Earlier this spring Michigan was hoping to sign Terrelle Pryor of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, considered by many the nation’s best prep quarterback for the class of 2008.  Instead he signed with Ohio State but Michigan now has commitments from two four-star quarterbacks for 2009, according to rivals.com, plus four-star wide receiver Bryce McNeal from Minneapolis (Breck School).

Because Big Brown won the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Canterbury Park’s attendance could double on Saturday, June 7 for the Belmont Stakes.  Local horse racing fans (devotees and the casual) will be at Canterbury to wager on the Belmont Stakes from Elmont, New York where Big Brown will attempt to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

NBA dates to put on the calendar include May 27-June 2, NBA pre-draft camp; June 5, first game of NBA finals; June 16, draft withdrawl date for early entrants; June 26, NBA draft; July 1, free agent negotiation period begins; July 9, first day to sign free agent contracts; July 11-20, NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Minnesota Thunder’s announcement last week that the local USL team will play its remaining home schedule at the National Sports Center in Blaine doesn’t mean the management won’t continue to consider a new soccer-only stadium in St. Paul.  Thunder president Manny Lagos told Sports Headliners that long range the franchise will look at the possibility and is even now reviewing sites, costs, etc.

The Thunder’s decision to leave Griffin Stadium in St. Paul two games into the home schedule surprised many observers but Lagos said the club had been considering moving out of the municipal football stadium since last fall.  Reality is that the other 10 teams in the USL play in soccer stadiums and the NSC, while not built for soccer, is a better fit than Griffin.

Lagos is excited about the removal of the track at the NSC, meaning that fans will be much closer to the field than the previous distance of about 80 feet.  He said capacity will be about 8,500 and easily expandable to over 12,000.  With a favorable lease, he’s hopeful the team can make money this season.

The Thunder, who plays its first home game at the NSC on Saturday beginning at 7:35 p.m. against Miami FC, has a four year lease to host future home schedules there.

Four MIAC men’s golf student-athletes have been named Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars for Division III by the Golf Coaches Association of America.  The four All-America Scholars from the MIAC are Saint John’s University junior Joe Daly, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Jordan Hawkinson, Gustavus Adolphus College senior Mark Stuckey, and University of St. Thomas senior John Treacy.

Twins third baseman Mike Lamb was talking about the challenge of hitting in the major leagues.  Pitchers routinely master multiple pitches like the fast ball, curve, slider, cutter and others.  In a typical game, three or four pitchers make appearances, keeping fresh arms in front of batters and often throwing a high volume of 90-plus miles per hour fast balls.

Despite an environment like that (you can add the challenges of travel and playing day after day without a break in the schedule) how does a player like Joe Mauer achieve or flirt with batting averages of .350 or beyond?  “It’s unbelievable,” Lamb told Sports Headliners.

Lamb, in his first season with the Twins but his ninth in the majors, is a career .279        hitter.  He’s been struggling this spring and his numbers include a modest .225 average with no home runs and 16 RBI.

Mauer has a career batting average of .313.  In 2006 he led the American League in hitting with a .347 average.  This season he’s hitting .316, among the best averages in the American League.  During the month of May he’s hitting .354.

How does Mauer hit like that?  “I don’t know,” Lamb said with a smile.  “I wish I did, then I’d try to steal some of it.  It’s a gift.

“He’s got a great eye.  He doesn’t swing at too many bad pitches. He’s got an inside out swing that keeps his bat in the zone a long time. So even if he’s fooled, he has a chance of getting the barrel (of the bat) on it.

“He’s not afraid of getting jammed (by pitches).  He uses the whole field.  Stuff I try to do but I don’t do it as well. …

“Obviously he sacrifices power (Mauer has no home runs so far this season).  Maybe because I don’t hit many home runs, I am not a believer in the almighty home run.

“But ultimately, it’s a gift (how Mauer hits).  You just watch him and you’re just jealous, man.  Why can’t I do that?  He’s good.”

When a team loses a leader like Torii Hunter, it’s to be expected that fans will ask where does the leadership come from now?  Hunter is not only a seven time gold glove winning center fielder and power hitter, but a commanding locker room presence who will give advice to teammates, and both entertain and inform reporters who regularly gather around him.

Joe Nathan, who has been on Twins teams since 2004, didn’t deny that Hunter, now with the Angels, was a leader but told Sports Headliners the team has had and continues to have multiple leaders.  He mentioned Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, players who have been with the team in the past, and also Livan Hernandez, Adam Everett and Mike Lamb, newcomers this season.

“It’s a team where it’s not really like we need that one guy… to step up for the whole team,” Nathan said. “We have a pretty good group of guys and everybody kind of knows their roles. If something needs to be said, everybody can speak up. …There’s a number of guys who can kind of be that leader role, and…do that if we have to.”

Nathan is perhaps baseball’s best closer.  This season he is 0-0 with a 1.59 ERA. He ranks second in American League saves with 13.

How does he see himself in regard to leadership this season?  “I am not trying to do anything different…than I’ve always done,” he said.  “I am not so much of the vocal leader (type) guy.  I think for our bullpen, we’ve got guys that have been around here for a number of years and pretty much know what we need to do down there. …”

Nathan is certainly willing to answer questions from teammates.  “As far as me just coming out and talking, it’s not really my style,” he said.

Nathan, 33, has been a starting pitcher, early reliever, set up man and closer.   Those roles have provided various experiences he can share with others.