Golden Gophers – Page 253 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Walsh Not Dwelling on Seahawk Miss

Posted on August 17, 2016August 17, 2016 by David Shama

Vikings, Gophers, Twins and Canterbury Park notes:

Fans might still be stewing over the Vikings’ 10-9 playoff loss to the Seahawks last January but field goal kicker Blair Walsh insists he has moved on. It was Walsh’s 27-yard missed field goal that ended the Vikings’ goal of reaching the Super Bowl.

“We’re not going to talk about that anymore,” Walsh said Monday. “We’re so far past that. This is a new week for our team. A new season for our team. I’ve addressed that multiple times in the past so I think we’re just going to move past it.”

Sounds like when the Vikings are in Seattle for tomorrow night’s preseason game against the Seahawks Walsh doesn’t plan to be thinking about the first round playoff loss at TCF Bank Stadium. Walsh said he worked hard during the offseason and is looking forward to another successful year after leading the NFL in field goals last season with 34.

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway said he doesn’t expect to have memories of the playoff game on the trip this week. “Not really. Your job as a player is to wash those things away and just continue to try to focus on what’s next. …We have to move on to the next thing which is the (2016) season.”

Greenway, who is headed toward his 11th and perhaps final season with the Vikings, has the experience to judge how the defense is playing in its four exhibition games leading up to the season. “I look at the little things like how we run to the football, how we attack as a team,” he said. “Make sure we’re trying to strip the football and get turnovers, and then how we’re doing in situational football (game circumstances).”

The wins and losses of preseason games are usually regarded as meaningless, but it must say something that since Mike Zimmer became head coach the Vikings’ record is 9-1 in exhibitions. How to explain it? Zimmer demands effort from his players—starters to scrubs. The Vikings may sometimes outwork the opposition in preseason games.

It will be interesting to see how many times Teddy Bridgewater is sacked during preseason and the regular season that follows. The Vikings third-year quarterback was sacked 44 times during the 2015 regular season. Only five other NFL quarterbacks were sacked more times. His quarterback rating of 88.7 ranked 35th in the NFL.

The offensive line had issues with pass protection last season but the criticism of Bridgewater is he sometimes holds onto the ball too long. Although Bridgewater played only briefly in last week’s preseason opener against the Bengals, he was sacked on the second play of the first offensive series.

Bridgewater impressed with a pass in tight coverage to Adam Thielen in the first quarter, with Zimmer saying later, “I don’t know if Teddy makes that throw a year ago.”

The opening of U.S. Bank Stadium has prompted extensive media coverage both locally and nationally. Vikings spokesman Jeff Anderson said media interest includes varied sources such as Maxim, Popular Mechanics, Sports Business Journal, USA Today and The Weather Channel.

Last Friday night the television household ratings in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market were generally higher for the Olympics than the Vikings-Bengals preseason game. The Vikings game had a slight edge in the early evening but later the Olympics ratings were about seven points higher. Both the Vikings and Olympics had much larger ratings than the Twins-Royals game (example: at 9 p.m. the Olympics had an 18 while the Twins were 1.7).

Sports Illustrated’s August 15 college football preview issue includes four Big Ten teams in its rankings of the nation’s top 25 teams, and the Gophers only play one this season, Iowa. Michigan is No. 4, Ohio State No. 9, Michigan State No. 13 and Iowa No. 14.

Gophers linebacker Jack Lynn talking about college football publications predicting his team will finish fifth in the seven-team Big Ten West Division: “It’s just fuel in our fire. We know in the locker room what we have to do to be successful. You just take it from there.”

Lynn, a senior and one of the Gophers leaders on defense, mentioned running back Kobe McCrary first when asked about offensive players who have impressed during August practices. He likened the junior college transfer to former Gopher power runner Rodrick Williams.

McCrary, a junior, could be the Gophers No. 2 running back for their September 1 home game against Oregon State. Redshirt sophomore Rodney Smith, who was second on the team in rushing yards last year, looks certain to be No. 1.

“Some of the things I’ve seen Rodney do in camp so far have been unbelievable,” said Gophers senior quarterback Mitch Leidner. “The cuts he’s made, the catches he’s made. …He’s a tough physical runner. I think really the rest of those running backs can really look up to Rodney…what he’s doing right now.”

The Gophers need breakthrough help at wide receiver and Lynn has been impressed with redshirt sophomore Melvin Holland Jr. “He’s looking good,” Lynn said. “He’s coming out and competing every day. He’s gotten a lot better since even this spring.”

Former Gopher linebacker Mike Rallis is working on a career in the WWE and wrestling under the name of Riddick Moss. Brother Nick, a senior linebacker for the Gophers, said he’s considered a pro wrestling career but wants to pursue college coaching.

Max Kepler (photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins).

A Bleacher Report website story August 11 projected where all 30 major league baseball teams will rank three years from now. The Twins ranked No. 16 with a predicted batting order of centerfielder Byron Buxton, shortstop Nick Gordon, right fielder Max Kepler, third baseman Miguel Sano, DH Adam Walker, first baseman Byung-Ho Park, left fielder Eddie Rosario, second baseman Jorge Polanco, and catcher Mitch Garver. Starting pitchers listed are Jose Berrios, Kyle Gibson, Steven Gonsalves, Phil Hughes and Kohl Stewart.

Twins first baseman Joe Mauer, who had three hits including a homerun in the club’s win over the Braves last night, is batting .436 in his last 15 games.

Eduardo Nunez, who hit over .300 at times for the Twins, is struggling since being traded to the Giants last month. He is hitting .214 with the pennant contending Giants and instead of playing his former position of shortstop has been at third base.

Ricky Nolasco, also recently traded by the Twins, isn’t compiling stats much different with the Angels. His record in Minnesota was 4-8 with a 5.13 ERA and in Los Angeles he is 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA.

Canterbury Park’s Minnesota Festival of Champions is Sunday afternoon, and a highlight of the racing season at the Shakopee track. The annual event is only for Minnesota-bred thoroughbreds and quarter horses, helping to showcase the state’s breeding industry.

Comments Welcome

Big Dip in U Football Season Tickets

Posted on August 13, 2016August 13, 2016 by David Shama

As of yesterday the Gophers had sold 22,706 football season tickets, according to an email from an athletic department spokesman. Those are season tickets that don’t include student sales and the figure represents a major decline in season sales from last year’s final total.

The spokesman also reported that nonstudent season tickets last year totaled 27,885. With less than three weeks to the start of the Gophers season, the athletic department is off about 19 percent from last year’s final sales.

The last few years the public season ticket total is believed to be in the 27,000 to 30,000 range. If the Gophers didn’t sell any more tickets in 2016 they would be down 5,179 tickets from last year at TCF Bank Stadium (with a capacity of over 51,000). The department will expect to boost its total of 22,706 but time is growing tight.

A drop-off of 15 to 20 percent is a significant loss in ticket revenue. The decline has the attention of athletic department leaders who have reportedly cancelled a 2017 price increase. They may have done so not only because of push back from ticket buying customers but also because of media reports earlier this year the Big Ten Conference has negotiated a rich TV deal for its schools. The Gophers’ future TV revenue share reportedly will be over $44 million annually and that would make it easier to hold steady with ticket prices.

A price increase in 2017 was scheduled to be part of a three-year escalation in pricing announced in late 2014. Late this week the athletic department sent emails to ticket holders announcing the freeze in prices, according to a Sports Headliners source. Joe Christensen wrote about the change in pricing in today’s Star Tribune.

Many seats at TCF Bank Stadium have increased in cost by hundreds of dollars because of built-in donation fees attached to ticket prices (also labeled and reported as “scholarship seating fees”). At the time of the 2014 announcement the department explained the necessity for creating more revenues to counterbalance rising costs and to increase the operating budget for Gopher athletics.

However, there is a lot of pushback from unhappy season ticket holders, even though many realize expensive tickets have become common with football programs across the country. One source told Sports Headliners this summer he heard Gophers football season ticket sales for 2016 were off about 20 percent. Another source estimated 10 to 15 percent.

The Gophers were coming off a 8-4 regular season and 5-3 Big Ten record in 2014 when athletic director Norwood Teague announced changes in pricing. Minnesota was headed toward its first New Year’s Day Bowl game since 1962, and Jerry Kill was building his popularity as head coach. By season’s end last year the Gophers had finished 2-6 in the Big Ten and 6-7 overall after a Quick Lane Bowl win against Central Michigan. They also played the last part of the season without Kill who resigned in October because of health concerns.

Without the face of the program in Kill and coming off a disappointing season, it’s not surprising there is a major drop-off in season ticket sales now. The 2016 price increase is no doubt part of the cause. Also, adding to the problem is a home schedule that is less attractive than 2015 when marquee names Michigan, Nebraska, TCU and Wisconsin came to town. The best draws on this fall’s home schedule are Iowa and Northwestern. Next year is better with the main attractions lining up as Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Worth Noting

Best wishes are welcome for Gophers linebackers coach Mike Sherels who has had multiple hospitalizations and surgeries the last couple weeks including Thursday, according to a source. Sherels, 31, has been visited by Gophers players and is likely to remain hospitalized for awhile.

It appears likely Shannon Brooks, the Gophers leading rusher in 2015, will miss the opening game against Oregon State after surgery this week for a broken bone in his foot, according to another source. Speculation is Brooks might be out three to five weeks. Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys is expected to provide details about Brooks early this evening.

After Oregon State September 1, the Gophers play a tune-up game September 10 versus Indiana State and then have a bye before their final nonconference game against Colorado State September 24. A Brooks return for that game might be probable. Brooks, a sophomore, rushed for 709 yards and was a surprise impact player last season.

Redshirt sophomore Rodney Smith, the team’s second leading rusher last season with 670 yards, probably will become the team’s main ball carrier. His backup, junior college transfer Kobe McCrary, seems likely to receive major playing time, too.

McCrary, 6-2, 235 pounds, led the nation’s junior college players in rushing touchdowns last season with 22. Competing at Butler Community College in Kansas, and playing in one of the premier JC leagues in the nation, the Florida native rushed 225 times for 1,190 yards.

Ryan Burns, publisher of Scout’s GopherDigest.com, said McCrary is similar to Brooks in his ability to break or slip tackles. He also told Sports Headliners that while redshirt freshman James Johannesson had an eye-catching spring game for the Gophers and remains a promising player, McCrary “was brought in for a reason.” As Burns knows, Claeys isn’t likely to recruit junior college players with their limited years of eligibility unless they can help the team immediately. McCrary will have two seasons of eligibility at Minnesota.

Burns thought the Gophers had a potential breakthrough freshman in former Marshall High School receiver Drew Hmielewski but he will miss the 2016 season because of shoulder surgery and will be a medical redshirt. “At some time he will probably start practicing this fall,” Claeys said. “I don’t know when.”

Claeys definitely expects Hmielewski to participate in spring practice. Coming out of high school Scout ranked him as the No. 9 wide receiver in the Midwest.

This afternoon’s 4:45 p.m. Gophers practice at TCF Bank Stadium is the last one open to the public.

Comments Welcome

Musical Chairs for Twins Lineup

Posted on August 10, 2016August 10, 2016 by David Shama

The Twins are experimenting with players at different positions as they close the last months of a disappointing season, while looking ahead to 2017 and beyond.

Is this Twins-version of musical chairs a big problem?

Or is it a positive the Twins are developing players who can play multiple positions, while rebuilding a roster for future seasons?

First base exemplifies the sorting out process club officials face in coming seasons. Joe Mauer, the $23 million per season local hero, has two years remaining on his contract and is the regular first baseman. Mauer, 33, switched to first base from catching after the 2013 season and his concussion history won’t allow a return behind the plate.

First base is often the favored position for a good-hit, not-so-skilled player in the field. If that sounds like a fit for second-year slugger Miguel Sano, pat yourself on the back. Sano has faltered defensively this year in both right field and at third base. Mostly a third baseman during his minor league career, Sano could improve in the future but his huge frame (6-4, 262) and potential as a 40 home runs guy per season makes him a natural for first base. He has homered in four of his last five games.

Miguel Sano (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

Sano is only 23—far too young to be mostly a designated hitter. His path the next couple years might be a mix of third base, DH work and test drives at first where he could replace Mauer as the starter in 2019.

Then there is Byung Ho Park. Remember him? The Twins made headlines last offseason by signing the South Korean slugger to a contract through 2019. Besides being a DH, Park’s position in the field is first base. Park has been a flop in his debut big league season and was demoted to Triple-A Rochester earlier this summer. But at 30 years old with a reported $12 million commitment, the Twins aren’t going to give up on him yet.

The Twins have no choice but to be patient with DH/first baseman Park, and the same is true with Kennys Vargas who is also limited to the same roles as Park. Another guy with a classic first base body, Vargas, 6-5, 289, is in his third try with the Twins. He shows slugger potential but isn’t consistent. After a productive stretch following his recall from Rochester, the 26-year-old Vargas is hitting .218 in his last 15 games.

Deciding who plays where in the infield and outfield is a puzzle Twins management must figure out. Brian Dozier, the team’s leading home run hitter and an American League All-Star in 2014, owns second base. Team president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners Trevor Plouffe is considered the regular third baseman when healthy (which he hasn’t been), but trade speculation is persistent about the 30-year-old whose departure from Minneapolis would open more playing time for Sano. The last couple of seasons Eduardo Escobar has had a lot of starts at shortstop, but Eduardo Nunez took his job for the first half of the season and now rookie Jorge Palanco might claim it. Palanco, whose best position might be second base, has also played third with the Twins.

Center fielder Byron Buxton’s inability to hit big league pitching got him demoted again to Rochester. That outfield position has been unsettled for years and the Twins are now trying to fill the spot with left fielder Eddie Rosario. Danny Santana, a converted shortstop who the Twins turned into a centerfielder, has now been playing left field. And, yes, Santana has played in the infield this season.

St. Peter expressed a positive view regarding players at multiple positions. He talked about how the 25-man rosters of major league teams are top-heavy with pitchers, making it important to have versatile position players.

“There’s no question,” St. Peter said. “I think it’s absolutely critical that a manager has players who are versatile, that can play multiple positions. …Give the manager flexibility over the course of a season to deal with injuries, give opportunities for players to get rest (and) to deal with different pitching matchups, and ultimately just to have more options late in the game to pinch-hit, to pinch run, to put in defensive specialists. All those need to come into play.”

It’s certain, though, that if the Twins are to move forward in the standings in future years, they will need established players at various positions in the field—individuals who can excel and play 150 games or more at their spots. Star players like the Twins had years ago with Mauer catching, Justin Morneau at first base, and Torii Hunter and Michael Cuddyer in the outfield.

“There’s a lot of young guys who are looking to establish their footing in the big leagues and to earn that opportunity, that privilege to be penciled in every day at a certain position. We’re just not quite there yet,” St. Peter said.

Perhaps it will all work out for the Twins. The club has played over .500 baseball since July and won nine of its last 13 games.

Worth Noting

The 35-year-old Morneau, signed in June by the White Sox, is hitting .300 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI in 70 at bats.

St. Peter said he has daily conversations with Korn Ferry regarding the team’s search for a head of baseball operations. The firm was retained earlier this summer to assist the Twins in replacing dismissed executive and general manager Terry Ryan.

St. Peter said “the interview process will commence soon, but we’re not there yet.” The organization is still defining what it is looking for in a candidate. The goal is to hire a person by season’s end.

Despite all their winning in recent weeks the Twins still have the worst record (46-67) in the American League. The Twins are the lowest ranked American League team in ESPN’s rankings of the 30 major league clubs. The Twins are No. 27, while the Cubs are No. 1 and have been for the last three weeks.

Talented junior Gophers defensive tackle Steven Richardson could be All-Big Ten after this season. “It’s definitely one of my biggest goals,” he said. “I definitely wanted to get it last year and obviously I fell short due to injury. I felt like if I wasn’t injured, I definitely could have been a contender for it.”

Richardson is short, admitting to 5-10 without his football shoes, but he is exceptionally strong and difficult to block. He missed playing time in 2015 with a reported calf injury. He said this offseason the defensive linemen spent more time than in the past on preemptive training including abdomen workouts to prevent back injuries.

Richardson wasn’t the only defensive lineman injured last season and he expects the collective health of the unit to be better this year. “(Expecting) to have a much more durable D-Line because we were dropping like flies out there (last season),” he said.

Gophers senior quarterback Mitch Leidner did some offseason bonding with his receivers when he took them to the family cabin near Cromwell, Minnesota. “It was a great time, just to get to know people,” said senior receiver Eric Carter.

Comments Welcome