Author: David Shama

Late last week Twins general manager Billy Smith said “we’ve got a good bullpen.”  He singled out spring training performances by bullpen pitchers Joe Nathan and Denny Reyes.  He said Jesse Crain, coming back from shoulder surgery, has been “fantastic.”

The Twins announced yesterday they have optioned left-handed pitcher Glen Perkins to their Triple A Rochester farm team.  In seven spring appearances (two starts), Perkins was 1-2, with a 7.50 ERA, allowing 19 hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster isn’t pleased with a new NCAA rule that prohibits head coaches from visiting high schools during the spring recruiting evaluation period.  “That’s a disappointing rule change, particularly for me,” he said.  “I enjoy being out so much.  It limits my effectiveness. …”

Brewster thinks the rule was pushed through by coaches who aren’t ambitious evaluators and that the policy may be changed next year.

He and his family moved into their home in a western Minneapolis suburb late last week.  Brewster had been living in an apartment in St. Paul.

Brewster, whose Gophers begin spring practice on Thursday, said he expects nine of the 11 Big Ten Conference teams to run spread offenses this fall.  Iowa and Wisconsin are the two programs that won’t.

Vikings’ coach Brad Childress heads for the NFL owners meetings in West Palm Beach next week.  Childress said he and Viking owner Zygi Wilf typically talk a couple of times per week but declined to identify the topics.

The Metrodome will be the site of first and second round NCAA® Division I men’s basketball games on Friday, March 20, and Sunday, March 22, 2009. Ticket packages go on sale today and are priced at $192 and $147.  Both ticket packages include four games on March 20 and two games on March 22.  Fans interested in purchasing tickets may do so online at www.ncaa.com/tickets.

The 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker award are Nathan Gerbe, Boston College; Ryan Jones, Miami University; Lee Jubinville, Princeton; Simon Lambert, RIT; Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, North Dakota; Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State; Jeff Lerg, Michigan State; T.J. Oshie, North Dakota; Kevin Porter, Michigan; and Kevin Regan, New Hampshire. The public can vote for candidates to determine college hockey’s top player from now through March 30 by visiting www.hobeybaker.com.  Fans’ votes account for one percent of the total ballot, with the balance determined by a selection committee of 25 members from across the country.  Three final candidates will be announced April 2 with the winner revealed April 11 on ESPNU at 6:30 p.m. Minneapolis time.

Brad Childress, 51, is one of those adventurous guys who doesn’t want to reach the end of his life and lament a lot of things he wanted to do.  The Vikings’ coach told Sports Headliners yesterday he will fly with the Navy’s Blue Angels in Duluth in July and thereby check off another item on his “bucket list.”

Childress said he started with about 50 items on his want-to-do list and has completed “32 or 33” including parachuting out of an airplane.  Also on the list is a visit to the moon, if the trip is available and not too costly.

For now, however, Childress has most of his focus on the Vikings.  “I can’t think of anything I would rather be doing,” he said.

The Vikings gave him his first NFL head coaching opportunity two years ago and he’s produced records of 6-10 and 8-8.  While saying it’s always a “tough discussion” to define what fans’ expectations should be for the next season, he’s anticipating having “the best” of his three teams this fall.

That optimism is based on such factors, Childress said, of how the offensive and defensive lines have improved, plus added experience for younger players and the anticipation of upgrading the talent pool through off-season free agent acquisitions.   The Vikings, of course, have the 17^th pick in the first round of the April college draft and figure to improve even more.

Childress said he would “take darn near any position” with the 17^th pick including a running pick.  That was a way of stating he believes it’s a “mistake” to blindly draft for need, instead of using a value philosophy that says choose the best player available.

Memo to the Timberwolves: make a note to acquire Joel Przybilla in the off-season.  The former Monticello High School and Gopher star is potentially a nice fit for the Wolves who are in need of a center who specializes in rebounding and blocking shots.

Those skills are highlighted on Przybilla’s resume and the Wolves know it.  They saw him twice last week in the Portland Trailblazers’ two wins against the Wolves.  In the game in Minneapolis he helped lead a fourth quarter rally, effectively defending Wolves’ star Al Jefferson.  Although he missed part of the game because of a foot injury, Przybilla had 10 rebounds and a timely fourth quarter blocked shot.  In a game in Portland, Przybilla had 13 rebounds and two blocks in an 11 point Blazer win after his team had won by seven in Minneapolis.

The 7-foot-1 Przybilla is an exemplary teammate with the Blazers and figures to be the same here.  He unselfishly accepts a role of setting high post screens and seldom receiving the ball near the basket where he could shoot.  His offensive skills are good enough to average more than his current 4.7 points per game if he had more opportunities to score.

The 28-year-old Przybilla, now in his eighth NBA season, willingly offers advice to teammates, including to Greg Oden, the guy who will have his job next season.  Oden, the No. 1 overall NBA pick last season, is sitting out the season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee.  The Blazers will not only start Oden next season, they will give him more opportunities to score than Przybilla even though both have similar and limited low post offensive skills.

The Wolves could help themselves and give Przybilla more playing time by bringing him here.  Jefferson has the marvelous scoring ability of a low post center but he needs another big body (Przybilla is about 255 pounds) to help the team’s interior defense.  Acquiring Przybilla would allow Jefferson to move from center to his more natural position of power forward.  Immediately the Wolves become better defensively and rebounding at both ends of the floor.  Those are improvements the Wolves, 17-50, should have at the top of their off-season shopping list.

Although his average minutes per game are about 23, Przybilla ranks in the NBA’s top 32 in rebounding (averages 7.9) and blocked shots (1.2).

Memo to the Timberwolves: make a note to acquire Joel Przybilla in the off-season.  The former Monticello High School and Gopher star is potentially a nice fit for the Wolves who are in need of a center who specializes in rebounding and blocking shots.

Those skills are highlighted on Przybilla’s resume and the Wolves know it.  They saw him twice last week in the Portland Trailblazers’ two wins against the Wolves.  In the game in Minneapolis he helped lead a fourth quarter rally, effectively defending Wolves’ star Al Jefferson.  Although he missed part of the game because of a foot injury, Przybilla had 10 rebounds and a timely fourth quarter blocked shot.  In a game in Portland, Przybilla had 13 rebounds and two blocks in an 11 point Blazer win after his team had won by seven in Minneapolis.

The 7-foot-1 Przybilla is an exemplary teammate with the Blazers and figures to be the same here.  He unselfishly accepts a role of setting high post screens and seldom receiving the ball near the basket where he could shoot.  His offensive skills are good enough to average more than his current 4.7 points per game if he had more opportunities to score.

The 28-year-old Przybilla, now in his eighth NBA season, willingly offers advice to teammates, including to Greg Oden, the guy who will have his job next season.  Oden, the No. 1 overall NBA pick last season, is sitting out the season because of microfracture surgery on his right knee.  The Blazers will not only start Oden next season, they will give him more opportunities to score than Przybilla even though both have similar and limited low post offensive skills.

The Wolves could help themselves and give Przybilla more playing time by bringing him here.  Jefferson has the marvelous scoring ability of a low post center but he needs another big body (Przybilla is about 255 pounds) to help the team’s interior defense.  Acquiring Przybilla would allow Jefferson to move from center to his more natural position of power forward.  Immediately the Wolves become better defensively and rebounding at both ends of the floor.  Those are improvements the Wolves, 17-50, should have at the top of their off-season shopping list.

Although his average minutes per game are about 23, Przybilla ranks in the NBA’s top 32 in rebounding (averages 7.9) and blocked shots (1.2).