Golden Gophers – Page 289 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Joe Mauer Push to .300 Will Be Telling

Posted on July 27, 2015July 27, 2015 by David Shama

The Twins pursuit of their first year in the playoffs since 2010 will be a major storyline between now and the season’s end October 4, but controversial Joe Mauer’s final batting numbers will be news, too.

Mauer hit .277 last season, the lowest average of his big league career. After yesterday’s game against the Yankees, he is batting .277 with six home runs and 43 RBI. What’s encouraging for the Twins’ top paid player is that during his last 30 games the batting average is .327. He has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games.

“When the smoke clears I think he’ll be close to that .300 and get his 80, 90 runs driven in,” said Jim Rantz who years ago scouted Mauer for the Twins. “I don’t know where he’ll be with the power numbers. He’ll get his doubles (and singles). Obviously we’re all looking for some extra power, the home runs and so forth.”

With 64 games remaining on the schedule, Mauer will have to hit about .333 the rest of the season to pull the final average up to .300. A reason for optimism is although Mauer’s career has frequently been impacted by injuries—including his famous concussion in 2013—he is healthy this season, according to various sources. “I think that concussion stuff is in the past,” said Rantz, who retired in 2012 after several decades as an executive in the Twins farm system.

Mauer came into this season with a lifetime batting average of .319. That was the seventh highest among players in major league baseball since 1950. Before switching over to first base last season, Mauer could be mentioned in the same breath with baseball’s greatest catchers ever. He is the only catcher to win three batting titles and the only one ever among American Leaguers. He won the 2009 American League MVP Award and also received three consecutive Gold Glove awards for his work behind the plate.

But at 32 and coming off his struggles in 2014 and this year, doubts persist about Mauer’s best days being over. His slugging percentage used to routinely better .400 and even .500, but it’s now under .400 for a second consecutive season. His onbase percentages are way down from the glory days, too. Rantz referred to Mauer’s lack of power, and for sure his six home runs aren’t what is expected from the No. 3 hitter in a major league lineup, and from someone who commands one of baseball’s highest salaries at $23 million per year.

Maybe Mauer is just an old 32 with diminishing reflexes. His 63 strikeouts already this season are trending way higher than his three batting championship seasons.

Could Mauer have more high level production left than skeptics believe? Rantz has admired the Minnesota native’s “sweet swing” since Mauer was in high school. “He’s got the potential to be that hitter like he was,” Rantz said.

Perhaps there is a year or two coming where Mauer can duplicate what his buddy and ex-teammate Justin Morneau did last season with the Rockies. Morneau, too, has a concussion history and after three consecutive disappointing seasons with the Twins won the National League batting title playing for the Rockies in 2014.

Whatever happens with Mauer in the near future, the results will be newsworthy.

Worth Noting

Rantz will participate in this weekend’s reunion of the 1965 Twins World Series team. In 1965 the St. Paul native and former Gopher had just finished managing the Twins’ St. Cloud minor league club when he was asked prior to the World Series to help the Twins public relations department.

“That was (a) pretty good time to join them,” he laughed. Rantz was the club’s assistant public relations director for a few years before moving to the Twins farm department as an executive.

Reunion activities will be attended by many players who were part of the 1965 club that won the American League pennant before losing to the Dodgers in the World Series. Activities will include a ceremony on the field prior to the Twins-Mariners game Saturday. Maria Versalles, granddaughter of 1965 Twins shortstop Zoilo Versalles, and Rick Oliva, son of Twins outfielder Tony Oliva, will sing the National Anthem at Target Field prior to the game.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Twins make a deal soon for 38-year-old catcher A.J. Pierzynski from the Braves. The club needs catching and hitting help. Pierzynski, a former Twin who is hitting .286 with six home runs and 30 RBI, is affordable with a reported one year contract paying him $2 million in 2015.

Twins center fielder Aaron Hicks is a quiet success story, hitting safely in 13 of his last 17 games for a .339 average. He is hitting .271 after batting .192 and .215 in his first two seasons with the Twins.

Bob McNamara, an All-American halfback for the Gophers in 1954, died last July and his legacy in Minnesota included fundraising. Among his endeavors for many years was an annual luncheon in Minneapolis where sports legends helped him raise money for the St. Anthony Athletic Club. Tonight the Bob McNamara Memorial Legends Dinner will be held at TCF Bank Stadium with proceeds benefitting the Gophers football scholarship in his name. Former Wayzata player Brandon Lingen, now a tight end with the Gophers, is this year’s scholarship recipient. Jerry Kill will receive the Bob McNamara Memorial Legends Award because the Gophers head coach exemplifies qualities that characterized McNamara including work ethic, loyalty and generosity.

It’s a common prediction among publications that the Gophers’ football record in the Big Ten this fall will be 4-4 but Collegefootballnews.com projects 5-3. In its Big Ten predictions last Thursday the website forecast an overall record of 8-4 with a nonconference loss to TCU and league losses to Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Jessica Plant

Gopher swimmer Jessica Plant has been selected as the Big Ten Conference co-honoree for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year. The award recognizes graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. Plant, who is the Big Ten’s honoree along with Kimberly Dinh from Wisconsin, completed her undergraduate career at Minnesota with a 4.0 GPA and earned degrees in both art history and classical civilizations. She plans to pursue graduate work at Cornell University in art history and archaeology in the fall. She was a three-time All-American for the Gophers. The NCAA Woman of the Year national finalists will be announced in late September with the winner to be recognized on October 18 in Indianapolis.

City Council President Barb Johnson said Minneapolis hopes to have a deal in place for a soccer stadium in the Farmers Market area by sometime in August. The deal would be with the Bill McGuire ownership group and involve privately financing the stadium. The plan might include a commitment by the city to ask the state Legislature next year for property tax and sales tax exemptions involving the stadium.

Johnson also told Sports Headliners she and other leaders from the city have been talking with Hennepin County representatives about helping with a stadium deal. The county, like the city, has a vested interest in tax revenue growth and is a big supporter of the rail system in the area.

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Vikes Rudolph Knows NFL Demands

Posted on July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 by David Shama

Playing professional football looks glamorous to the naïve but the start of Vikings training camp this weekend reminds close observers about the physical demands of the NFL.

The Vikings and Steelers will be the first to open training camps this summer because the two teams play on August 9 in the NFL Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. That means both teams will play five preseason games in 2015, not four like other NFL clubs. While players play limited minutes during exhibition season, a fifth game does add to the risk of injuries.

The additional preseason game could help the Vikings better prepare for the 16-game regular season, a football marathon lasting until early January. Then 12 of the NFL’s 32 teams (the Vikings, of course, hope they’re included) are in the playoffs. The two franchises making it to the Super Bowl put their players through a survivor experience that can total up to 25 games including exhibitions.

Kyle Rudolph (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has missed 16 games during the last four seasons. In 2014 he played in nine regular season games. He dedicated the offseason to being on the field in 2015, not the sidelines, and expressed optimism about his health this week.

“Everything is good,” Rudolph told Sports Headliners. “Training camp is an opportunity for me to just get better and stronger to prepare myself for September when we get started.”

With Rudolph’s injury history he’s certainly qualified to voice an opinion about ongoing speculation the NFL will add more games in the near future. That speculation includes expanding the regular season schedule to 18 games.

“Sixteen games is a lot of games,” he said. “To play much more than that…I think right now we’ve got it right. And I don’t see a reason that we would need to change that, to add more games.

“Even when you go through a 16-game season completely healthy, it’s a long year. To add many more games than we already got, I think it would just be difficult with the limited numbers of players that we have available.”

The NFL could increase revenues by dropping two preseason games for each team and adding two regular season games. The league could also more quickly grow revenues by adding teams to the playoffs. The NFL is a cash cow, reportedly generating a minimum of $7 billion per year and perhaps over $10 billion. There are projections of doubling or tripling revenues in the not too distant future. That would not only enrich owners but also provide bigger paychecks for the players as part of the league’s revenue sharing agreement.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith said “it wouldn’t surprise” him if more games are coming soon. If so, he suggested NFL rosters be increased to add depth and help with the challenge of getting through more games. He acknowledged the 16-game schedule and playoffs are physically demanding. “It takes a toll on you,” he said.

The NFL is facing issues regarding the health of current and former players. Their mental and physical health has become an ongoing national story, and a threat to the league’s image. Increasing the number of games “would go in the opposite direction” of health concerns, Smith said.

The league has taken steps to increase player safety and financially assist former players with health problems. The NFL, if it does expand the schedule, will present the change in positive terms for not only fans but also for players who likely would see a reduced number of preseason games, larger rosters and bigger salaries.

“…At the end of the day it’s a business and they’re going to make as much revenue as possible,” Smith said. “That’s not a bad thing. It’s just you kinda gotta weigh your options out.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings report to training camp in Mankato tomorrow and will be there through August 13. The team practices for the first time on Sunday. All regular practices are free and open to the public. The Vikings will have night practices beginning at 7:30 p.m. on August 1 and 4 in Blakeslee Stadium.

More than 64,000 fans passed through the Vikings Village last year. The Village offers refreshments, memorabilia and fan activities as part of the training camp experience. More fan camp information at Vikings.com.

Gophers practices at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex are open to the public on August 10, 11 and 14 starting at 10:25 a.m. The team’s scrimmage at TCF Bank Stadium beginning at 10:10 a.m. on August 15 is also open to the public.

Frank Ragnow, the offensive lineman from Chanhassen High School who made the Coaches All-SEC team as a freshman last season playing for Arkansas, could be one of the Razorbacks breakout players in 2015 under former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema. Ragnow was in on more than 200 snaps last season and only had one penalty.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said his team interviewed five prospects prior to taking forward-center Karl-Anthony Towns with the NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick last month. The other four were guards Emmanuel Mudiay and D’Angelo Russell, center Jahlil Okafor, and forward Kristaps Porzingis.

Taylor, the Mankato-based billionaire and owner of different companies including the Star Tribune, isn’t planning a summer vacation. In addition to business responsibilities, Taylor and wife Becky spend time most weeks with grandchildren—a group that totals 26.

The Minnesota United is averaging 9,200 fans per game and ranks third in attendance in the 11-team North American Soccer League. The United’s average is about 3,000 better than last season and a big increase over 2013 when the team was drawing 4,500 fans per game.

United president Nick Rogers told Sports Headliners the franchise’s marketing and anticipation of a possible Major League Soccer team in future years have contributed to more interest. Rogers said there was a “spike” in interest in March when news broke about a potential MLS expansion team in Minnesota. Within a week 1,000 season tickets were sold.

The United has 4,000 season ticket holders and those customers will have priority on buying season seats if Minnesota is granted an MLS team. The team’s 9,200 per game average attendance includes tickets sold and promotionally distributed. The average ticket price is $15 to $16.

It’s believed that despite the increase in attendance, the United—as has been true in the past—will not be profitable this season. The United’s majority owner is Dr. Bill McGuire who is leading the effort to acquire an MLS team and build a soccer stadium in either Minneapolis or St. Paul.

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No Contract Talk for Harrison Smith

Posted on July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 by David Shama

Harrison Smith could become a near consensus All-Pro safety in 2015 but the Vikings, who open training camp in a few days, haven’t locked him up long term. He played a major role in improving the Vikings defense from 31st in 2013 to seventh last season.

Smith told Sports Headliners on Monday there is no “timeline” for getting a deal completed. He was a No. 1 draft choice in 2012 and had an impressive season in 2014 including being named to the PFWA All-Pro team. This offseason the Vikings exercised an option on his expiring contract in 2015—meaning that he is bound to the team for 2016.

But a long-term agreement seems only a question of when, not if. Smith, though, isn’t spending time dreaming about a rich payoff. NFL contracts don’t guarantee all the money for the deal’s duration and he, of course, knows it.

Harrison Smith (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

“You see all these guys sign these big contracts—which is awesome—but it’s still a year-to-year contract when you really break it down,” Smith said. “You see guys sign five-year deals and then get cut after the first year or the second year. You gotta play your best every year, so that’s all I am worried about is just playing my best this year.”

Smith reportedly is finishing up a $7.14 million contract he signed as a rookie. He said the Vikings will pay him more in 2016 than 2015 but he didn’t specify the amount. He could make a persuasive argument for a big money deal with an All-Pro and Pro Bowl year in 2015, and if the Vikings become an elite team.

But Smith said he isn’t into formulating strategy right now. “I don’t worry about leverage,” he explained. “All that stuff doesn’t matter (now). Just go play football and play well. That’s all that matters.”

Smith played in all 16 regular season games last season, setting career highs in interceptions with five and sacks with three. He had 71 tackles, only three fewer than 2012 when he was an All-Rookie selection. The 26-year-old former Notre Dame player is regarded highly within the Vikings organization as both a player and person.

Worth Noting

Gophers coach Jerry Kill expects junior defensive end Hank Ekpe, who started one game last year, to have a “breakout season.” Kill made that prediction on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle Sunday and said the 6-5, 244-pound Texas native has the speed to run with the team’s secondary players.

Kill also said junior quarterback Mitch Leidner returned this summer from the famous Manning Passing Academy with more confidence. Kill noted that several years ago then Gophers quarterback Adam Weber benefitted from his camp experience.

Despite the team’s popularity and the small seating capacity of TCF Bank Stadium (52,525), the Vikings are still promoting season tickets. The Vikings used a Valpak advertising insert pitching “great lower level seats are available.”

Darrell Thompson caught a pass from Brett Favre in the flag football celebrities game on Sunday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. The Packers Legends team defeated the NFL Legends group that included former Vikings quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Sage Rosenfels. Thompson, the Gophers all-time leading career rusher, was a teammate of Favre’s for three years with the Packers. Last weekend Favre returned to Wisconsin where he was honored by the Packers organization and the team’s fans.

Condolences to family and friends of Paul Faust who died recently. The former Edina High School football player was captain of the 1965 Gophers.

Glen Perkins saw his 28 consecutive saves streak end against the A’s last weekend. The A’s didn’t exactly rock the Twins All-Star closer with an infield hit and bloop single to the outfield. Perkins made a wild pitch that put a runner in scoring position and instead of protecting a 2-1 Twins lead in the ninth inning, the A’s were able to tie the score and force extra innings where they won the game. Perkins told Sports Headliners earlier this month that the pressure of the saves streak didn’t bother him.

“I go into it (relief pitching) knowing that I am going to fail because you can’t expect to be perfect,” he said. “The hitters on the other teams are too good, and at some point you’re going to fail. And you just have to be able to move on from that. …”

Saints owner Mike Veeck will speak at the next CORES luncheon on September 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Former Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher will talk to the group November 12. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. More information about CORES is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

NHL players Derek Stepan and Jordan Schroeder will host the fifth annual Charity Face-Off Golf Classic on August 3 at Indian Hills Golf Club in Stillwater. The scramble event is a fundraiser for the Friends of Saint Paul Hockey nonprofit that helps youth in the city participate in hockey. More information on playing and sponsorship opportunities is available by contacting Robert Smith, rsmith.forslind@comcast.net.

“Jumpin Jim Brunzell” recalled in his self-published book that 30 years ago the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association was deteriorating financially. Before deciding to join the upcoming World Wrestling Federation, he asked for a $95,000 annual guaranteed contract from the AWA where he had become one of the organization’s stars. Brunzell writes in his new book Matlands that AWA owner Verne Gagne turned down the request. “Verne said I wasn’t worth that much money and told me to go,” the former University of Minnesota and White Bear Lake High School athlete wrote. “I was heartbroken to leave Minnesota, but I had to for the future of my family.”

Brunzell wrestled professionally from 1972-1999. For the last 16 years he has worked for Dalco Enterprises, a Minneapolis-based janitorial supply company. More on his book at: www.blurb.com/b/6298514-matlands.

WCCO sportscaster Mark Rosen is Grand Marshall for tonight’s Minneapolis Aquatennial CenterPoint Energy Torchlight Parade. The downtown event is the largest nighttime parade in the state.

The Twin Cities Dunkers have now contributed over $250,000 in four years to assist Minneapolis and St. Paul public high schools with their athletic programs. Funding for uniforms, equipment and fees has impacted thousands of athletes, and every sport offered by the schools.

Volunteers working at the 2016 Ryder Cup are asked to work four-hour shifts and asked to pay a $205.85 volunteer/uniform fee. The Cup will be played next September and October at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska.

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