Golden Gophers – Page 158 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Humble Baldelli Makes Big Impression

Posted on July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 by David Shama

As Major League Baseball pauses this week for its annual All-Star Game break, the Minnesota Twins are the surprise team of the American League with over half of their 162-game schedule completed. At 56-33 the Twins have the third best record in the AL and lead the Central Division by 5.5 games over the Cleveland Indians.

Before the season began no one thought the Twins, who finished with a 78-84 record last season, would have more than 50 wins at the All-Star break. If there was such an honor as Mid-Season American League Manager of the Year, the award would likely go to Minnesota’s Rocco Baldelli.

Last fall at age 37 he became the youngest manager in the majors. Twins front office executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine gambled their reputations last year by firing Paul Molitor, a Minnesota sports icon and the 2017 AL Manager of the Year. Baldelli had four previous years as a coach for the Tampa Rays but no managerial experience on any level.

Falvey didn’t hesitate when asked if Baldelli would receive his vote if there were a contest to name a Manager of the Year in July. “In my opinion, of course,” Falvey told Sports Headliners. “He’s been everything we could have asked for and more.

“And I think he’d be the first person to tell you there’s five other guys (managers) he’d vote for…because that’s his humility. That’s what he cares about. …What I get to see inside (of Baldelli) is even more special than what he does on the outside. I am really proud that we have him.”

Falvey, the Twins chief baseball officer, was aware of Baldelli’s humility before he hired him and saw that attribute among several that would make the former big league outfielder an outstanding leader. “I (also) saw…a guy who had done a lot of things in baseball. He hadn’t managed yet but he’d been an All-Star player, he’d been a key prospect, he’d had his career cut short by adversity.

“This guy had faced some challenges in his life, but he was also a great coach. He had impacted young players, he had impacted veteran players, and he does it all with an intense humility. So I think that what I saw in him more than anything was just a true leader. Someone who has all the leadership capabilities that in my mind you could see translating into the role of manager, even though he hadn’t done it yet.”

The Twins are a diverse group with players from the United States and other places. They are a mix of young and older players, many of whom are new to the organization. And yet collectively the Twins appear to be an all-for-one bunch that has rapport and celebrates each other’s success. Player leaders like 39–year-old DH Nelson Cruz have played important roles in the culture, but of course Baldelli has as well.

Falvey knows his manager not only relates very well to his players, but to everyone else in the organization including scouts, analysts and front office personnel. “He can interact with anybody but he also has the strength of his convictions,” Falvey said. “I think he believes in certain things around the game, the way it needs to be played. I think it (Baldelli’s convictions) lines up really well with our organization and what our collective views are in terms of our values for our baseball team, and I couldn’t be happier with what he has done.”

Baldelli played seven seasons in the majors, six with the Rays and one with the Boston Red Sox. In 2003 he finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. The first-year outfielder hit .289, the highest average of any rookie in the league.

Baldelli missed the entire 2005 season due to elbow and knee surgeries. Injuries limited the rest of his career and he retired as a player at age 29 in 2010.

The Twins play with the fight and determination Baldelli demonstrated as a player–persevering through injuries and winning close games. That kind of character prompts Falvey to be optimistic his club can continue its success in the second half of the season.

“We play every game like it’s our last,” Falvey said. “We try and win every night. We’re not going to win them all. We know that, but I truly believe that if we continue to play the way we’ve been playing, we’re going to put ourselves in a great position late in the season.”

Worth Noting

Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco represents the Twins as the starting American League shortstop in tonight’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. Polanco, who turned 26 last week, is having the best start yet to his still brief MLB career, and he ranks fifth in AL batting average at .312.

Former Twins manager Paul Molitor gave Polanco opportunities to establish himself as the club’s starting shortstop in 2017 and 2018. Molitor also worked in the Twins organization prior to managing and he has been familiar with Polanco’s potential for about a decade.

“I knew that there was a chance that he was going to do some special things offensively,” Molitor told Sports Headliners. “You know, when we signed him as a 16-year-old kid, everyone talked about his defense, and his hands, and all those type of things. But as it has turned out, he has been more than adequate defensively…(and) one of the elite players offensively in the American League.”

It will be a surprise if Tyus Jones is on the Timberwolves roster by week’s end. Gersson Rosas, the club’s president of basketball operations, must soon match a reported qualifying offer of three years and $28 million from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jones, or lose the restricted free agent. The Wolves, who likely believe $28 million is too pricey for the Minnesota native point guard, seem likely to let Jones leave Minneapolis after four years with the NBA club unless they sign him with intentions of packaging him in a trade.

Wolves head coach Ryan Saunders has known Jones since he was in high school at Apple Valley. Although Jones has been a backup in the NBA with the Wolves, it seemed possible that his role could expand under Saunders, partially because of their solid relationship. But it’s Rosas, not Saunders, who is making the ultimate decisions regarding personnel.

At about 6-feet and under 200 pounds, Jones is undersized as a pro and defense certainly isn’t his strength. But among his attributes is making big plays when games are about to be decided. It’s the same ability he showed in high school and college at Duke. In the right organization, like the San Antonio Spurs who are legendary for their team concept or the Los Angeles Lakers where he could be a complementary piece to superstars, Jones would be valuable.

The University of Minnesota sent emails yesterday introducing the Gopher Pass for home football games. Priced at $28.56 per game, the all-mobile ticket allows “viewpoints” in TCF Bank Stadium for each of Minnesota’s seven home games. If a game is sold out, Gopher Pass purchasers will not have a seat in the stadium but will have access to a standing room only area. Four monthly payments of $49.99 are offered for what is being promoted as the “most flexible ticket ever” for Gophers football fans.

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City Fighter Seeks Bigger Spotlight

Posted on June 25, 2019June 25, 2019 by David Shama

Jamal James of Minneapolis is the No. 5 ranked middleweight by the WBC and is positioned for more notoriety. He headlines the July 13 pro boxing card at the historic Minneapolis Armory that will include nationally-televised bouts.

James, 25-1, fights Mexico’s Antonio DeMarco, 33-7-1, in a 10-round bout that will be seen on FS1. James has 12 career knockouts, DeMarco, 24. DeMarco is a former world lightweight champion.

James fights in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. His bout with DeMarco is listed as a welterweight matchup, but middleweight is where he could make an even bigger name for himself. A local boxing insider emailed this prediction about James: “…Definitely in the global conversation for a title fight.”

The middleweight division is loaded with talent including WBA title holder Manny Pacquiao, 61-7-2. He fights Keith Thurman, 29-0, next month. IBF, WBO and WBC are other organizations where James might have a path to title opportunities.

Professional boxing has found a home at the Armory and continues to generate awareness in this marketplace. The building was once the site of Minneapolis Lakers and city high school basketball games. Renovated now and being used for corporate events and entertainment, three previous boxing cards have attracted announced attendances of 3,149, 3,320 and 3,417.

Attendance of more than 3,000 is expected again in July and as of late last week 1,678 tickets had been sold. Ticket prices range from $25 to $250, with the average at $115.

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions is the promoter for the July 13 card. PBC fights are seen on Fox and FS1, with recent cards being watched in approximately 1.5 million homes.

Boxing has been struggling for decades to regain its foothold with the American public. In the first half of the 20th century boxing was one of the most popular sports along with baseball, horse racing and college football.

Worth Noting

The Minnesota Wild’s 2019-20 regular season schedule was released today. The Wild opens the season in Nashville on October 3, the first of three straight road games. Minnesota has its home opener on October12, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild plays 17 of its first 26 games of the season on the road (October 3 thru November 30). The nine home games in October and November are the fewest in franchise history.

Charlie Danielson, the 25-year-old Osceola, Wisconsin native accepted a sponsor exemption into the 3M Open today. The Illinois alum and 2016 Big Ten Player of the Year recently qualified for the U.S. Open. The new PGA Tournament begins next week at TCP Twin Cities in Blaine.

The Twins, who split four games on the road with the Royals in their most recent series, hold the No. 3 spot in yesterday’s Yahoo.com power rankings of MLB teams, trailing the No. 1 ranked Dodgers and No. 2 Yankees.

Cbssports.com dropped the Twins from No. 2 to No. 3 in its rankings that came out yesterday. The Yankees are first, the Dodgers second.

The Twins, who start a home series tonight against the Rays, are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing by displaying a full-sized statue of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit at Target Field. The statue is accessible to all fans, and is located outside the Bat & Barrel entrance on the Delta SKY360° Club level.

A Forbes.com June 11 article lists the top 100 wealthiest athletes in the world, with $25 million the cutoff figure to be ranked. Lionel Messi, with $127 million in earnings in the last 12 months, leads the list. He is followed in the top 10 by Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Canelo Alvarez, Roger Federer, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. The top three in earnings are all soccer players, followed by boxer Alvarez.

The Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins is No. 91 with a reported $26.1 million in pay. He is the only Minnesota athlete to make the list.

Romain Metanire, the Minnesota United defender who will play in the July 31 MLS All-Star Game in Orlando, reportedly earns $305,000 in base salary, according to multiple news sources.

The United has seven of its next 10 matches in St. Paul at the much acclaimed Allianz Field that includes the Brew Hall with its many local beers. Unlike soccer venues in Europe, fans fan consume beer in the seating areas at Allianz.

Ex-Gophers Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy will have tryouts respectively with the NBA’s Clippers and Timberwolves. They could eventually play in the NBA’s development league. During the 2018-19 season, players with G League contracts earned base salaries of $7,000, or $35,000 for five months.

Prior Lake five-star forward Dawson Garcia continues to attract impressive scholarship offers, with news yesterday Kansas hopes he will be part of its 2020 recruiting class.

Gophers’ football marketers are trying to improve ticket sales in 2019 after last season’s announced average attendance of 37,914 for seven home games. That figure was reportedly the lowest since 1992. Season tickets in 2019 are offered for as low as $35 per game. Mini-plans starting at $60 (three games) went on sale yesterday.

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Enjoy a Few Father’s Day Laughs

Posted on June 16, 2019June 16, 2019 by David Shama

If someone suggested to my late father that he was working too hard, or just not taking care of his health, he might reply like this: “I will get enough rest when I am buried at Fort Snelling (National Cemetery).”

That was pure dad. A mostly serious and bright guy, he had a few favorite expressions like the one above. Another spoke to his willingness to try most any type of food or beverage, and then speak nonsensical about it. “It will do you a lot of good—if it helps you,” dad liked to say while hoping for a laugh from family or friends.

My father, also Dave Shama, was 44 years old when I was born. I can remember being about five or six years old when he was huffing and puffing while running by my side as I learned to ride my first bicycle. Dad was pudgy, out of shape and much more comfortable at a contract bridge table than in a gym. His preferred recreational options definitely were not long walks, jogging, dumbbells and exercise bikes.

Dad enjoyed eating somewhat unusual things like sardines or a smelly piece of calf’s liver, drinking a beer or two most days, and flooding the air with smoke from his almost ever-present cigar or pipe. Even when the cigar wasn’t lit, he was chewing on the thing like a persistent rabbit attacks garden plants.

The number of times my dad played sports with me in the backyard or at a park was minimal. He did, however, convey his interest and knowledge of athletics by offering companionship in front of the TV and radio. Many were the nights we watched the Twins on television, or dialed into radio broadcasts of National League teams.

Dad was a law school graduate of the University of Minnesota. He loved the football Golden Gophers and he took me to my first game when I was eight years old. Sitting at old Memorial Stadium, I couldn’t imagine enjoying anything more than those games. I reveled in every minute of the experience starting about 90 minutes before kickoff when the loudspeakers blared out John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

When I came home from a game I was so jacked up I invited neighborhood kids to play tackle football in our backyard. What a disadvantage they were at after spending the earlier part of the afternoon making model airplanes or catching a nap. I was ready to toss my friends to the ground, pretending I was a Golden Gopher and playing for the glory of winning the Little Brown Jug, Paul Bunyan’s Axe or Floyd of Rosedale.

That affection for the University and the Gophers has benefitted me in countless ways throughout my life including friendships I have made. It seems like almost daily I hear from someone with U connections, and they usually brighten my day. One friend has been going through weekly challenges with a flooded basement this spring, while resorting to not only sandbags and 13 fans, but also four industrial dehumidifiers. He apologized via text recently for not promptly answering my email invitation to set up a breakfast, and he explained to me the flood misery he has experienced.

“If we can get a couple of weeks without rain, or a small amount, then we can dry out,” he wrote. “Otherwise, I will be changing my name to Noah.”

Getting back to Father’s Day, I think my own sons are better dads than I ever conceived of being. It’s like they almost studied my behaviors and realized they should do the exact opposite.

Maybe they acquired their strategy from the Seinfeld episode when career vagabond George Costanza interviewed for his dream job with the New York Yankees. George decides that whatever thoughts come to mind, he will do the opposite. (His lament: “My life is the complete opposite of everything I want it to be.”)

Sitting in front of team owner and world-class curmudgeon George Steinbrenner, Costanza seemingly breaks every rule for job interviewing. He even insults Steinbrenner. Stunned by Costanza’s bravado, Steinbrenner turns his attention to one of his underlings and says: “Hire this man.”

I hope I am making you laugh—even if only slightly. I confess to having close family tell me for years, “You’re not funny.”

Well, I don’t give up easily.

Sometimes advice from those closest to us is spot-on. I can still hear my dad talking to me about a great job I turned down with a prominent newspaper.

“They won’t offer you again,” he said.

You were right, Dad.

My father didn’t deluge me with a lot of advice. Maybe it’s better that way, just observing our role models. I learned about integrity and honesty from him. His example made me interested in politics and world affairs. He also imparted a deep appreciation for America and love of patriotism.

My mom had great devotion to our country and her ancestors fought in the American Revolution. She was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution organization.

Before I knew about the DAR, I remember her brother used to say in front of me that mom had been a nurse in the Revolutionary War. I was about five or six when I heard that. I remember trying to sort it out in my noggin as to whether she really was a nurse in that long ago war I could hardly relate to.

My father served in the Army during World War II. He was stationed in Panama and hated the stifling heat. “If I ever get home, I will go kiss the pavement on Hennepin Avenue,” Dad said in Panama while longing for Minneapolis.

Not that my father regretted serving his country, even if he was far away from the European and Pacific battle fields and oceans where the outcome of wars with the Germans and Japanese were decided. “The enemy never took the Panama Canal,” Dad quipped.

Happy Father’s Day. I hope and trust you have memories to laugh and smile about.

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