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Sonny Gray Could Be in Last All-Star Game for Twins

Posted on July 11, 2023 by David Shama

Sonny Gray’s spot on the 2023 American League All-Star team prompts a question about his future with the Twins?

Gray, 4-3 this season with one of the better ERAs of any MLB starter, is an All-Star for the third time in his career but if he sees action in tonight’s All-Star Game in Seattle it will be a first for him. He was also an All-Star in 2015 (with the Athletics) and 2019 (with the Reds). An unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season, this could be Gray’s last All-Star Game representing Minnesota.

At age 33 Gray is the third highest paid Twin in base salary, earning $12.7 million, per Spotrac.com. In the offseason Gray is likely to be looking for a multi-year deal approaching $20 million per year or more. The man nicknamed “Pickles” (reportedly for his fondness for the popular condiment) should be searching for the richest and most secure contract of his career and one that could take him to retirement.

The Twins have benefited from Gray’s often dominant pitching but seem unlikely to offer the best deal to keep the right hander in Minneapolis. Twins’ front office boss Derek Falvey could be willing to extend a one- or two-year deal, and significant raise, but three years at big money seems like a Twins deal breaker for an aging arm. But don’t bet against teams less budget conscious than Minnesota offering Gray a contract he can’t turn down (even if it’s for two years at bigger money than the Twins offer).

Fans may speculate if Gray will be dumped before the MLB trading deadline August 1, but that seems very unlikely. The Twins are a contender to win the AL Central and advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. A mediocre team playing in a soft division, the Twins would turn off their fan base and media big time if they traded away their best pitcher in the next couple weeks.

Gray has been a major contributor to the Twins having the third best team ERA in baseball. He is a thinker on the mound, capable of delivering a variety of pitches and being effective against right and left-handed batters. In today’s power prioritized baseball, he has given up only three home runs, while striking out 101 batters in 99.2 innings.

Glen Taylor Reserved about NBA In-Season Tournament

This fall the NBA In-Season Tournament debuts involving all 30 league teams. The tournament starts November 3 and ends with the semifinals on December 7 and championship game December 9 in Las Vegas. All games, except for the championship, count as part of the regular season results and standings. Teams will continue to have 82-game regular season schedules, with the playoffs to follow as in the past.

There is more detail than that involved, and fans may find it all confusing. “Well, it’s something they want to try,” Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners. “I am not as enthused about it as the league is. I think it’s going to be kind of complicated.”

Taylor said the league has been talking about the tournament for six years. It’s a potential revenue generator for the NBA, and something that will bring more attention to the league during football season.

Taylor believes the NBA is committed to the tournament and growing its popularity for years to come. There will be a learning curve about not only how it works but why it’s happening early in the season. “…I think it’s confusing to understand, what is the importance of it,” Taylor said.

Many of the NBA’s best players are committed to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup including Wolves star guard Anthony Edwards who is on the U.S. team. While Wolves fans mostly cheer Edwards’ participation, there are concerns about center Rudy Gobert playing for his native France in the tournament that starts August 25 and runs through September 10 (close to the start of Minnesota’s training camp).

Gobert, 31, played for his national team last summer in EuroBasket 2022 and at times seemed lethargic during the NBA season. He had a lingering back issue in the playoffs last April and the hope from Wolves fans and probably the front office was the 7-1, 258-pound defensive specialist, who reportedly earns $41 million in base salary next season, would not put extra stress on his body by playing in the FIBA tournament.

Taylor considers the decision by NBA players to participate in the FIBA Basketball World Cup as something best left to each individual. He recognizes the national pride involved for many players and takes a supportive approach to Gobert’s decision making.

The Wolves’ 82-year-old owner is upbeat about the recent NBA Draft where his team didn’t have a first-round pick but managed to select two players in the second round that management is optimistic about in forward Leonard Miller and guard Jaylen Clarke. Miller and Clarke were two of four players on basketball boss Tim Connelly’s wish list right from the “very beginning” as the Wolves prepared for the June draft, Taylor said.

Taylor is also encouraged by the performance of his other team, the WNBA Lynx. The team started slow losing eight of the first 10 games. “Those first few games, they played like they were going to tank,” Taylor said chuckling. ”There was no intention (to do that for better draft position). They just couldn’t hit a shot no matter what.”

But the Lynx, 9-10 on the season, have been playing winning basketball since early June and won five of their last six games. One reason for the success is that often the defense has been dominating, “doing everything right,” Taylor said.

The Lynx, who have started two rookies in Dorka Juhász and Diamond Miller, are a possibility for the playoffs but are not in the class of the league’s elite teams. “We still are building,” Taylor said.

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Fun Tales Include Confusion over North and South Dakota

Posted on June 27, 2023July 13, 2023 by David Shama

I can confirm I’ve never heard so much complaining from friends and readers about the Twins. Maybe the state of the Twins has you down, or perhaps the grass is two feet high, and the lawn mower won’t start, or your first born was snatched off the deck last night by a swarm of giant mosquitoes.

Whatever, I get it. You’ve got the summertime blues.

But try looking at things this way: the sky is falling but at least we won’t have to deal with smoky skies the rest of the summer.

Speaking of weather, there once was a novice TV weather lady who upon arriving in this market got North Dakota and South Dakota mixed up. Couldn’t get them right on the air. I swear to Belinda Jensen, Chris Shaffer and Ken Barlow it’s true.

Day brighteners or memories to cheer us up? For starters, I can call a friend whose voice mail message (borrowed from the late Dark Star) always prompts a chuckle:

“If it’s good news or money, leave a message.”

Memories of the late Sid Hartman are amusing. On his Sunday radio show Sid was once relating information about an athlete with a knee issue. Sir Sidney described the problem as an injured “Khrushchev.”

I miss attending news conferences with Sid. One time he nudged me and asked that I open a bag of potato chips for him.

The Lord only knows how Sid is doing in heaven. I wonder if he beckons people as he did here on earth by yelling, “Hey genius.”

Maybe you have young children or grandchildren who can spark your spirits. My five-year-old granddaughter has inquired a couple times whether I know her grandmother, my ex-wife. “Do you know Gaga?” she asks.

Her father, my youngest son, had a classic observation when he was five or six that amuses me to this day. I worked at a place he heard me complain about. One day he was in the car when we drove by the office building where I was employed.

“Dad, look there’s the place that gives you nightmares,” he said.

Summer is picnic weather and I sometimes think about my mother who hated to waste food (and never desserts). One day we packed a picnic lunch in the trunk near the outboard motor. Arriving at our destination we saw gasoline had spilled out from the motor—some of it near the chocolate cake and other food. Yup, we ate around the smelly parts of the cake and threw the rest out.

Death by chocolate. Almost.

Only a new body and brain can save my golf game. I could probably exhaust disk space in my computer with all the tips I’ve acquired through the years. I am still a hacker, but I can write a book about how you can break 90.

Tennis? I haven’t played in years. My Achilles is suspect, my foot hurts and my wife would waive her finger in scorn if I took to the court. Bottom line? I just might do it sometime between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Watch for headlines on TMZ.

So even if you’re in a summer funk, smile, darn it. Harvey Mackay wrote in his syndicated column earlier this month that smiling makes you happier, reduces stress, helps you live longer and can even help with work promotions. “The world always looks brighter from behind a smile,” Mackay wrote.

Mackay is a close friend of former Gophers and Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz who is known to many for his wit as well as his coaching. The following is a favorite Holtzism:

Don’t tell your troubles to others because 80 percent of people are glad you have them, and the other 20 percent don’t care.

Baseball fans should watch the new Yogi Berra documentary on Netflix or other platforms. The former Yankee Hall of Fame catcher had so many quirky malapropisms they could fill this column. A few favorite Berra quotes courtesy of a December 2021 MLB.com story:

“Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”

“I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.”

“I really didn’t say everything I said.”

About a St. Louis restaurant: “No one goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”

“Never answer an anonymous letter.”

“It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.”

Seems like baseball has some of the best stories. Dave Mona remembers being a reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune when he decided to name all-Polish and all-Italian teams. Twins manager Billy Martin, a proud Italian, offered his assistance. He got stuck, though, finding a catcher.

Then Martin came up with Roy Campanella, the great African American catcher. While others protested Campy’s eligibility, Martin snapped, “His name ends with a vowel. He’s Italian. What else do you need?”

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Jim Kaat Not Picking a Favorite in American League Central

Posted on June 25, 2023June 25, 2023 by David Shama

Jim Kaat is one of the more intelligent baseball minds on the planet. The Hall of Fame pitcher was in the big leagues from 1959-1983 and a broadcaster for 25 years after that while delighting audiences with his knowledge, insights, and honesty.

Kaat, 84, pitched for the Senators-Twins from 1959-1973 and still follows his old team that is struggling in the mediocre American League Central Division. “Teams are lucky to be in the Central Division in both leagues,” Kaat said while also referring to the National League Central where the Reds have the best record at five games over .500.

The Twins are 39-39 and one game ahead of the Guardians. Kaat, who spoke to Sports Headliners a few days ago from his summer home in Vermont, isn’t forecasting the AL Central Division winner at season’s end.

“I don’t know if I would put money on anybody right now. …I still think the Twins have the personnel to win the division. They have good starting pitching. But they’re not (the whole team) performing up to what their potential is so far.”

Here was Kaat’s evaluation of the Twins last week: “Well, they have great starting pitching but they’re not maximizing their starters. They take them out so early to go to the bullpen—and they’ve had a couple guys done well—but for the most part the bullpen has not been consistent in terms of nailing down the wins. They’ve got five very capable starters.

“They developed into a team that if they continue (at) this current pace they’ll strike out more times than the (MLB record setting) 2021 Cubs. But the information they get from on high tells them go ahead and keep swinging for the fences because it’s easier to hit a home run than it is to hit three singles. But if you look at what (former Twin) Luis Arraez is doing right now over in Miami, you think, boy, you’d love to have him in that leadoff spot setting the table. So they’re kind of a one dimensional (team).

“They (also) make a lot of mistakes on the bases. As you can see from just looking at the scores every day…they don’t do those little things—advancing runners, and making productive outs to put up an extra run or two on the scoreboard—and they’re losing those close games.

“It’s not an interesting team to watch their players. I (do) love to watch (rookie third baseman) Royce Lewis. I think he’s going to be a star. I like to watch (eight game winner) Joe Ryan pitch. But as far as the team, it’s just like home run derby for the most part.”

The Twins’ struggles to score runs are lamented in living rooms and taverns across the state. Veteran right fielder Max Kepler, now in his ninth season with Minnesota, is hitting .207, while slugger Joey Gallo, an offseason acquisition, is at .186. Shortstop Carlos Correa and DH Byron Buxton, the team’s highest paid stars, are hitting .220 and .207 respectively. The team batting average of .231 is better than only five other MLB teams and Minnesota’s 799 strikeouts is No. 1 among the 30 teams.

The home run craze is in vogue across the major league landscape so the Twins aren’t alone, but Kaat wishes the team had “table setters,” guys who frequently can get on base. Any wish list starts with Arraez, who the Twins traded away in the offseason for pitcher Pablo Lopez.

Kaat winced when Minnesota gave up the 2022 American League batting champion. “Yeah, I really did. I was really shocked at that, and I like Pablo Lopez. …I understand they didn’t think he had a set position to play. But boy, he was very much like Rod Carew.”

Carew, of course, was a Hall of Fame hitter and former teammate of Kaat with the Twins. Carew was an okay second baseman but a better fielder later in his career when he played first base. Arraez has settled in at second base for the Marlins.

Arraez, 26, is hitting a gaudy .401 for the Marlins after batting .316 last season. Carew had a lifetime average of .328. Neither one is or was a swing for the fences or strike out hitter. Just the opposite.

Kaat understands the frustrations of Twins fans when they often see their favorites struggle to score even a couple runs in games. “…You can’t get excited about just watching a team and hoping they hit enough home runs to beat the other team. There’s just not enough action there.”

Baseball has become a power game where hitters not only swing for the fences but also pitchers throw as hard as they can. Analytics and radar guns have convinced baseball authorities this is the best way to win. The power style appeals to some fans, probably younger followers in particular.

Analytics dictate decisions before, during and after games. Kaat sees some value in the new age way of doing things. “I think all the information can be very helpful in sort of evaluating players. …I think it’s valuable in developing players and in training players. But once the game starts, I think they have to throw those numbers out the window because everybody feels differently every day.

“…(A hitter) might be 0-10 against this pitcher but if you’re watching that pitcher maybe he’s not the same today. And this hitter that’s 0-10 today, he’s on a hot streak, he’s been really hitting well. So, I am going to leave him (the hitter) in there but they go so much by the statistical sheet that they see 0-10, (and decide) well we’re going to take him out. They don’t use the eye test to really make their judgements.”

A lot of Twins fans are perplexed at decisions dictated by analytics. They’re not on board with pinch hitting for Lewis, or the team’s other promising young hitter, Alex Kirilloff. Starting pitchers are told to call it a day after five innings or so, and fans not only push back but so too has veteran Twin Sonny Gray. He’s made his opinion known about pitching deeper into games.

The Twins defeated the Red Sox last Thursday in a game that typified who they are but also had an outlier performance. Correa got one hit, a home run. Buxton hit two moon shots over the fence, his only hits in the game. Those home runs accounted for three of the team’s runs in the 6-0 win. It was Ryan, though, who delivered the unexpected, pitching Minnesota’s first complete game in five years. He threw 112 pitches and held the Red Sox to three hits.

In Kaat’s era starting pitchers frequently completed nine innings and didn’t blink at throwing over 100 pitches in a game. In Kaat’s three 20 win seasons he pitched 46 complete games. During Kaat’s long career his sturdy arm allowed him to pitch in 898 games and log 4,530.1 innings.

Regardless of whether he was starting a game, Kaat threw every day. Over the years he built up his arm strength while not jeopardizing his health by trying to throw too hard. He could throw fast balls, but he mixed up his pitches and threw with control.

Kaat and other authorities know a lot of teenage pitchers are being “ruined” by the strain placed on their young arms trying to throw the ball so hard. Elbow surgery is epidemic. “They’re not teaching them to pitch,” Kaat said. “They’re just teaching them to throw.”

Kaat is critical also of how during the season MLB teams bring up pitchers to the bigs and then send them back to the minors over and over. “…They never really get a chance to develop into as good a pitcher as they possibly could be. Today it’s so wrong headed the way they’re training and using pitchers, it just makes me sick.”

Teams not only turn over their pitching rosters frequently because of injuries and poor performance but also use a marathon of pitchers in a typical game. Analytics warn against leaving a starter in the game to face the other team’s batting order a third time. Then a parade of relievers begins.

“No, I think they’ve dumbed down pitching,” Kaat said. “It’s just shameful. …We weren’t superhuman and pitched 300 or 250 innings, a lot of complete games. We were trained to do that, and the pitchers today are so much bigger, faster, stronger. I think more athletic ability and yet they (the decision makers) think they’re preserving their arms by limiting their innings and pitches, and actually what they’re doing is…(not getting) the maximum out of the talent that they have. It’s just sad as a former pitcher to see that. …”

Kaat pitched as both a starter and reliever over his long career. As a starter he pitched on as little as three days rest and went deep into games but that’s not the mantra in MLB now. “Throw as hard as you can and when you can’t throw any more, we’ll bring somebody else in,” Kaat said.

Kaat stopped broadcasting games after last season but doesn’t refer to the decision as a retirement—saying he just walked away from the game he has loved for so long. He “just couldn’t deal with the way the game has turned into a science project.”

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