Golden Gophers – Page 147 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Twins Not Focusing on Pitching Ace

Posted on November 3, 2019November 3, 2019 by David Shama

Minnesota Twins president Dave St. Peter acknowledged to Sports Headliners in a telephone interview the starting pitching staff is without an ace, but finding a No. 1 stopper isn’t how he and front office decision makers Derek Falvey and Thad Levine are defining offseason plans.

“We don’t think about it that way,” St. Peter said. “We don’t talk about it as a goal to get a staff ace. We talk about upgrading our pitching. There’s all kinds of ways to do that. …We need to find ways to get better and put ourselves in a position to be better in postseason environments. That’s the focus.

“There’s a limited number of, quote on quote, true staff aces so we’re not going to define our offseason success on whether we’re…able to get one of those guys. We think there are pitchers that are going to be available that are going to make us better, or put us in a better position to compete.”

Because of free agency with present Twins starters, last season’s starting staff figures to look dramatically different in 2020. Jose Berrios is the only certain returnee in the starting rotation and at 25 years old he might be ready to assume the label of staff ace next season.

Berrios won 14 games last season for the second time in four big league years. With his 14-8 record he had a career best 3.68 ERA. St. Peter said Berrios needs to be more consistent but the Twins remain bullish on his future.

The Twins could fix their starting pitching with trades, free agent signings and promotion of personnel from within their system. St. Peter said his franchise wants to compete for world championships and he anticipates a busy offseason for Falvey and Levine dialoguing with other clubs about potential trades.

One rumor already out there is the Twins might move fan favorite Eddie Rosario, the 28-year-old left fielder who had career highs of 32 home runs and 109 RBI last season. Regarding the Rosario rumor St. Peter said, “It’s speculation.”

Worth Noting

The Twins and Target Field hosted college football games in 2017 and this year, but for certain there won’t be a game in 2020. St. Peter said there have been discussions about future games but there is no timeline for an announcement. Such a game must come when the football Gophers aren’t in town.

St. Peter said a number of upgrades will be made at the ballpark for next season including an improved Wi-Fi network, renovations to suites, and changes to make the stadium more comfortable for players.

Busy broadcaster: that was Twins radio play-by-play voice Cory Provus doing the Kansas-Kansas State football game for FS-1 on Saturday, and he will be working Big Ten basketball games for BTN this coming season.

Path to the Rose Bowl: If the undefeated Golden Gophers football team can win its last four regular season games, and then play competitively in the Big Ten championship game, Minnesota is all but certain to make its first trip to Pasadena since 1962—assuming Ohio State remains unbeaten and advances to the college football playoffs.

Two-time All-American, Outland Trophy winner and Big Ten MVP Bobby Bell, who played on Minnesota’s last Rose Bowl team, will be the celebrity guest at Friday’s Goal Line Club lunch at Jax Café where Gophers running backs coach Kenni Burns will also speak. “I love the way they play,” Bell told Sports Headliners about the 8-0 Gophers. “I just want to be alive when they go back to the Rose Bowl.” More at Goallineclub.org.

University of Minnesota alum Harvey Mackay wrote about overcoming adversity in his syndicated business column last week, and he referenced Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck. Fleck likes to recruit players who have experienced difficulties in their young lives.

Mackay also quoted former Gophers coach Lou Holtz: “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”

The Timberwolves did more than improve their record to 4-1 last night in a 131-109 win over the Wizards. The victory ended a run of 20 consecutive games between Minnesota and Washington that alternated wins and losses, the longest such streak in the history of the NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL. The Wolves have now won the last two games versus the Wizards dating back to a March 9, 2019 win at Target Center.

Condolences to friends and family of retired St. Paul Pioneer Press sportswriter Jim Wells who died recently. A celebration of life will be held this afternoon (Sunday) at Canterbury Park where Jim is part of the race track’s Hall of Fame.

Comments Welcome

Thielen, Mahomes Return on Sunday?

Posted on October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column:

It could be that top playmakers Adam Thielen and Patrick Mahomes return for Sunday’s game in Kansas City between the Vikings and Chiefs.

Wide receiver Thielen, recovering from a right hamstring injury, didn’t play last Thursday in Minnesota’s win over the Redskins. By Sunday he will have both rested and undergone treatment, making a return to the lineup perhaps likely.

Mahomes, the Chiefs’ starting quarterback and 2018 NFL MVP, dislocated his right knee cap more than 10 days ago and he didn’t play Sunday night against the Packers. But that evening NBC TV reporter Michele Tafoya said Mahomes told her that if the Chiefs were facing a playoff game he would have played against the Packers.

The 6-2 Vikings and 5-3 Chiefs have postseason ambitions just like 50 years ago in 1969. Minnesota and Kansas City played in Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970. The Vikings were about a two touchdown favorite but lost 23-7.

Chiefs coach Hank Stram loved the limelight and was “miked for sound” during the game. He is famous for this quote about a Vikings defensive back: “(Karl) Kassulke: was running around there like it was a Chinese fire drill.”

Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall played in that Super Bowl but many fans remember him for a gaffe 55 years ago this month. Playing against the 49ers, he scooped up a fumble and ran 66 yards the wrong way and into the end zone. The 49ers were rewarded with a safety.

Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, now a sideline reporter on the team’s radio broadcasts and TV analyst for college football games, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, November 14 at the Bloomington Event Center, 1114 American Blvd. Reservations are accepted until Monday, November 11 by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Ben Utecht, the Hastings native and former Gophers star tight end now a brain health advocate, speaker and entertainer, is the latest guest on the “Behind the Game” Twin Cities cable TV showed hosted by Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. The Utecht episode is also on YouTube.

In the latest A.P. and Coaches polls the Gophers are ranked No. 13 nationally, while Penn State is No. 5. The last time Minnesota was ranked in the top 25 and played another ranked team was in October of 2004 when the No. 13 ranked Gophers lost to No. 14 Michigan.

If Minnesota defeats Penn State a week from Saturday the Gophers will almost certainly be ranked in the top 10 in polls. The Gophers haven’t finished a season in the top 10 since 1962,

Minnesota connections: An October 19-20 Wall Street Journal article lists the five best sports scandals books ever and includes Foul: The Connie Hawkins Story, and The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino. The Hawkins biography details how the former ABA Minnesota Pipers star was blacklisted for years from the NBA following gambling allegations while in college. Pitino, the former Louisville basketball coach and father of Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino, fell from grace after two sex scandals.

Willie Burton, the former Gophers basketball player who will have a banner raised in Williams Arena to honor his legacy January 26, was recruited out of high school in Detroit by Minnesota head coach Jim Dutcher who said Burton turned down Michigan and Michigan State. “He could have gone wherever,” Dutcher told Sports Headliners.

Dutcher resigned as Minnesota coach before Burton enrolled in 1986 and he played four seasons for coach Clem Haskins. The third-leading career scorer in program history, Burton played on two NCAA Tournament teams including a group that made the Elite Eight.

Dutcher’s son Brian Dutcher, head coach at San Diego State, has a team that is picked by the media to finish second in the Mountain West Conference behind Utah State.

The 3-0 Timberwolves have shown unity and hustle in their early regular season games, but face their biggest challenge so far Wednesday night in Philadelphia against a 76ers team that could win the NBA title. Give Wolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns credit for organizing a team bonding trip to the Bahamas prior to training camp.

Towns is the Western Conference Player of the Week for NBA games played October 22-27. As of Monday afternoon Towns ranked third in the NBA in scoring (32 points per game), sixth in rebounds (13.3), second in steals (3.00) and second in three-pointers made (5.0).

Gorgui Dieng, the Wolves backup center, speaks five languages.

An S.I. online story last week listing baseball’s top 50 free agents ranked Astros’ starting pitcher Wade Miley at No. 40 and suggested the best fit for him could be the Twins. The October 24 article ranked Twins pitchers Serio Romo No. 44, Kyle Gibson No. 42, Michael Pineda No. 27 and Jake Odorizzi No. 14. S.I. said best fits for them are with other teams.

Comments Welcome

High Time to Appreciate U Football

Posted on October 24, 2019October 24, 2019 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers football team is 7-0 for the first time since the 1960 national championship team started the same way. But let’s clear this up right now:

The 2019 team is not even close to as talented as coach Murray Warmath’s bunch that tied Iowa for the Big Ten title and played in Minnesota’s first Rose Bowl. Yeah, I know athletes are better today. I am just saying if you compare the 2019 and 1960 teams against their peers, there is no comparison in talent.

As a kid I watched all the home games of the national champs, a team loaded with good players and pushed to the top by a few great ones including Tom Brown. He won the 1960 Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s best interior lineman and is among the most dominating defensive nose tackles to play in the Big Ten Conference. Brown was a senior in 1960, while quarterback Sandy Stephens was a junior and would be All-American the next year and recognized as the Big Ten’s MVP. Tackle Bobby Bell was a stud sophomore in 1960, and the next two seasons would be an All-American, winning the Outland Trophy in 1962 and Big Ten MVP, and finishing third in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

The 2019 Gophers aren’t going to win the national championship. I will also take any wagers they will beat No. 3 nationally ranked Ohio State in a possible December matchup in Indianapolis for the Big Ten title. But before you get the wrong idea about intentions in this column I want to also be clear regarding something else:

Let’s appreciate all the positives about the Gophers so far. Dating back to last year Minnesota has won nine straight games (the program’s first-nine game winning streak since 1941-42), which is tied for the fourth longest winning streak in America. The Gophers are ranked No. 16 and 17 in two major national polls.

What an improvement over most of the Minnesota teams since the program last won a conference title in 1967. The 2019 team combines good talent, with a few superb playmakers, a motor that will not quit when things get difficult, and a determination to compete every Saturday. Minnesota has found different ways to win, sometimes rallying late in games, while other times jumping to early leads and even dominating against an old nemesis like the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The coaching has been, ah, elite. Boss man P.J. Fleck and his assistants have encouraged an environment where not only do the coaches lead, but also the players. This has helped create the focus and consistency with which this team has performed. The coaches time and again have put the players in position to make the right plays. After timeouts the Gophers have immediately scored touchdowns in the red zone. At other times they have made adjustments during games to solve a defensive problem.

Thank the Lord offensive coordinator, quarterback whisperer and superb play-caller Kirk Ciarrocca changed his mind early this year about taking a job with West Virginia. Thank Fleck for firing defensive coordinator Robb Smith after the Illinois embarrassment a year ago and immediately replacing him with Joe Rossi. Since the 55-31 Illini loss, Minnesota is 9-1 and has allowed 10 points or less in five of those games. In the last five games the defense has not given up more than 300 yards, while Ciarrocca’s offense has produced four straight games of 400 yards or more.

The Gophers have five games remaining on their regular season schedule but are already bowl eligible. With a 4-0 league record, Minnesota is in first place in the Big Ten West Division. One more conference victory will ensure the Gophers a winning league record for only the fourth time since 1999.

The town is (gasp) starting to talk about Gophers football, including knuckleheads in the media. For decades the program has often been buried in apathy, but last Saturday’s game at Rutgers drew a peak BTN Network audience of 921,644 viewers. I guarantee most folks watching weren’t sitting on the couch to track hapless Rutgers. Fan speculation includes daydreaming about ESPN College GameDay coming to Minneapolis before season’s end. What’s next? Larger home crowds and perhaps even a rise in the pathetic student attendance?

Maryland is the opponent Saturday and the Terps, despite a 1-3 Big Ten record, might have as much talent as the Gophers. They defeated and outscored their first two opponents 142-20, including an upset win over top 25 ranked Syracuse. Maryland’s team speed and athleticism is worrisome to opposing coaches. The Gophers are likely to win Saturday but don’t bet your Halloween costume on it!

Go to Saturday’s game and fill up those empty seats in one of the Big Ten’s smallest football venues, TCF Bank Stadium (capacity 50,805). For too many Minnesota home games weather plays a factor in ticket buying decisions, but temps will be favorable for this Saturday. Too bad the Gophers weren’t under a roof for the October 12 Nebraska game played in rain and cold temps—they would have drawn 55,000 or more fans.

Rain or dry, this is a team to identify with. No passionate Gophers fan will forget the embrace between Casey O’Brien and Fleck last Saturday. The four-time cancer survivor was named this week’s Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after being the placeholder on Minnesota’s last three extra point conversions in the Rutgers game.

O’Brien gave the keynote address on behalf of the conference football players at the Big Ten Football Kickoff Luncheon in July. He spoke about being thankful and how football helped him while he was battling cancer. O’Brien, who is a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, was featured on ESPN College GameDay earlier this year and his story has inspired others across the country.

O’Brien is a Minnesota kid whose dad, Dan O’Brien, coached for the Gophers a few years ago. Casey is part of a legacy group the football public has followed even before they arrived in Dinkytown, including linebacker Thomas Barber who is the fourth member of his family to play for the Gophers. Defensive end Carter Coughlin’s dad and grandfather both played for Minnesota. Linebacker Kamal Martin, and wide receiver Tyler Johnson played at Twin Cities high schools, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has a name known locally because of his father’s fame in the NFL including with the Vikings.

Local ties add to the fun in watching the Gophers, but there are so many other players, too, that have contributed mightily to this 7-0 start including quarterback Tanner Morgan and wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Their recruiting stories are much different. Morgan is one of the Big Ten’s most efficient and gutsy quarterbacks today but didn’t have big time suitors coming out of high school in Kentucky. Just the opposite for Bateman, a four-star recruit, who was chased by SEC powerhouse Georgia but came North from his home in Tifton, Georgia, where he is making highlight reel catches for the Gophers.

Bateman is a candidate to win the Biletnikoff Award honoring the nation’s best receiver. Johnson is on the list, too. Fleck is being considered for the Paul Bear Bryant and Bobby Dodd coach of the year awards.

There is a lot to like about these Gophers, and the admiration goes beyond the field. There are over 110 players on the roster but Fleck has said none are in academic difficulty. The team’s cumulative GPA of 3.20 last fall was the highest in program history. And then there is the community service work the players and coaches do including visiting hospitals where they reach out to others.

None of this is to guarantee nothing bad is going to happen in the days, weeks and months ahead. Maybe a player will do something foolish and become part of a police report. If so, he should have known better because the program puts a big emphasis on being a good citizen—accountability, serving and treating others with respect.

The Gophers have navigated the first seven games with minimum injuries. That could change and lessen their chances before the season ends. They also have benefitted from a favorable schedule that is back-loaded with difficult opposition including top 25 ranked Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin. It could also be that Maryland will be a handful and so will playing at windy Northwestern where the Wildcats, last season’s West Division champs, are struggling but coach Pat Fitzgerald will not allow his team to play soft.

But the whole point here is not to get ahead of ourselves. This has been a cool couple of months for Gophers football. Enjoy it for today.

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