Author: David Shama

Although there was talk to the contrary, Gopher basketball coach Tubby Smith told Sports Headliners yesterday that no other school spoke to him in recent weeks about leaving Minnesota.  Smith has only been the Gopher coach for one season and has made a commitment here including to incoming players.  Regarding a one and out departure Smith said, “You don’t do that kind of stuff.”

A new area can be an adjustment for a coach and spouse. Smith said his wife Donna “loves” the city and its amenities including downtown shopping.  “She’s more happy than I am,” Smith said with a smile explaining he wanted a better record than 20-14.

Smith estimated he’s attended “eight or nine” of the last 10 Kentucky Derby races, including Saturday’s.  He described Big Brown’s dominant win last Saturday as “amazing” and predicted the horse will win the Preakness Stakes on May 17.

Gophers football coach Tim Brewster said junior college transfer Traye Simmons will be eligible to enroll next month at Minnesota.  Simmons was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 4 junior college defensive back in the country.  Projections are that Simmons will be a starting cornerback for Minnesota.  “We recruit junior college players expecting them to start,” Brewster said.

Kevin Whaley, the incoming freshman running back from Virginia Beach, Virginia who was the victim of a random shooting in March, “is doing great”, according to Brewster and will be able to play for the Gophers beginning in August.  Brewster praised him as a student-athlete.  “He’s an excellent student,” Brewster said. “He’s a kid who was offered scholarships by Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Michigan  State.  He’s a great football player. …”

Derek Smith, a defenseman for the Minnesota Thunder who has been part of the team’s spring advertising campaign, had sports hernia surgery and is a couple of weeks away from joining the team.  Coach Amos Magee said Smith, who is from Hopkinsville, Kentucky and has yet to play a game this season, has athleticism and toughness.  Magee has been pleased with the Thunder’s defense in three games (two goals allowed) and said Smith will have a challenge earning a regular position in the lineup.

The Thunder, 2-1, play the Montreal Impact at Griffin Stadium in St. Paul beginning at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow night (Saturday).  Montreal, 2-2, prepared for the USL season with games in Italy and Portugal.

Local media personality Larry Fitzgerald interviewed ESPN baseball commentator Joe Morgan in Phoenix recently.  Among the subjects he quizzed Morgan on were American League superiority and the decline in the number of African-Americans in the big leagues.  You can read the article by visiting Fitzgerald’s Web site (www.larry-fitzgerald.com) and selecting Journals/Articles on the home page menu.

New York Times best selling author Harvey Mackay recently delivered the commencement speech at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix where he was given an honorary doctorate degree.  Mackay, who played golf for the Gophers before building his successful envelope company in Minneapolis, is working on a new book that could be ready for distribution within six months or so.

Joe Mauer, who won the American League batting title with a .347 average in 2006, will try to win the championship again this year for grandfather Jake Mauer.  “He said, ‘I’ll try to get it for you a second time, grandpa, this year.’  I said, ‘That’s all I want to hear,’” Jake told Sports Headliners on Monday.

The two Mauers are close and have spent time together since Joe was a baby.  Jake started instructing Joe on how to hit when he was a pre-schooler and still gives his opinion.

Jake claims earlier this year the Twins organization was filling Joe’s ears with advice about positioning the bat, pulling the ball and hitting home runs.  Jake said Joe was confused but now his approach is like the past when he built a career average of .313 in three-plus major league seasons.  “He’s back in the groove, I’ll tell you that,” Jake said.

Mauer has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games. He’s hitting .429 in his last 10 games and last night had the Twins’ only hit against Gavin Floyd in a 7-1 loss to Chicago. He is third in the American League with a .337 batting average.

Injuries have been part of his big league career including last season when he played in only 109 games after appearing in 140 the year before.  Last season he hit seven home runs with 60 RBI and his average slipped to .293.  He had 13 home runs and 84 RBI in 2006.

Is Joe healthy now? “You know he’s very healthy, and I’ve got to say if he stays healthy, there’s no question he will be another Ted Williams,” Jake said.  “I know he will. …”

Williams, a Jake Mauer favorite, is considered by some baseball authorities to be the greatest hitter of all-time.  He was the last major leaguer to hit over .400, batting .406 in 1941.  Williams’ career average was .344 and he hit 521 home runs.

The Mauer critics talk about his modest home run totals.  He has 35 home runs in three-plus seasons, with a career high of 13 in 2006, and zero this year. Jake predicts that when Joe is 27 or 28 years old (he just turned 25) he will hit 30 per season.  This year Jake predicts 15 home runs.

Joe is passionate about remaining a catcher.  He enjoys the role of being so involved with the game while in the field.  And some think he’s baseball’s best at what he does.

He has two errors in his last 157 games as the team’s starting catcher. So far this season he has just one error.

That’s pretty much perfect play and just about the way Jake looks at his grandson.

Every good organization has a succession plan.  Looks like the Vikings may have one with the drafting of sixth round pick John Sullivan, 23-year-old center from Notre Dame.  Matt Birk, 31, made the Pro Bowl for the sixth time last winter, but he’s in the last year of his contract and not participating in volunteer training activities this spring.

Birk and the Vikings may work out a contract that keeps him here for several more seasons.  He’s a popular local figure, a St. Paul native who owns two Twin Cities restaurants and has played his entire NFL career with the Vikings after being drafted on the sixth round in 1998.  Birk’s skills and image have been assets to the Vikings.

Whatever Birk’s longevity with the Vikings, his name looks like it will be associated with Sullivan who is considered a solid prospect and potential backup or replacement.  Being around Birk is something Sullivan is looking forward to.

“…Any time I have a question, I certainly won’t be afraid to ask him,” Sullivan said.  “I am sure there’s a ton of stuff that he knows about the game of football, especially playing on this level that I have never been exposed to and I plan on taking advantage of that resource.”

What questions will he ask?  Sullivan said examples could be why Birk chose a certain offensive line call, or used a specific footwork.

Sullivan also said he’s already been watching plays involving Birk and techniques that the Vikings use.  Sullivan has had questions for offensive line coaches Pat Morris and Jim Huber, but has other questions to ask Birk.

Sullivan is already an admirer of the man he may one day replace.  “He’s a very physical player,” Sullivan said. “He’s seems to be very smart.  He’s in the right place at the right time.  It’s not by accident.”