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Twins’ Willi Castro Worthy Candidate for 9-Positions Game

Posted on July 20, 2024July 20, 2024 by David Shama

In September of 1968 the Twins were headed to a 79-83 seventh place finish in the American League standings. With the club out of pennant contention, owner Calvin Griffith okayed a gimmick to boost local fan interest in his team.

Versatile Cesar Tovar, then 28, agreed to play all nine positions in the field. Tovar, who played at least 175 games or more at third, short, second and the three outfield spots in his 12-year MLB career, got the tough work out of the way early in the September 22 game against the Athletics at Met Stadium by pitching a scoreless first inning and then catching in the second.

Tovar is one of only five players in MLB history to have manned all nine positions in a single game and the Venezuelan native, who died in 1994, is the only Twin to have pulled off the feat. Tovar, who played his most games in the outfield for the Twins, ranks with the best multi-position players in franchise history but probably none can compare in versatility and fielding prowess to current super utility man Willi Castro.

Asked about Castro one day joining the list of nine position performers on the single game list, club president Dave St. Peter replied that would be in the “purview” of manager Rocco Baldelli. With the Twins among the American League favorites to be in contention for a spot in the playoffs until the closing days of the season, don’t expect Castro and Baldelli to have a you-know-what discussion this year.

The Twins, 54-42 and five games behind the Guardians in the AL Central Division, resume their post-All-Star Game break schedule tonight at home against the Brewers. Castro is the only Twin to have played in all 96 games this season. He has appeared in 30 games at second base, 24 at short, 23 in left field, 21 at third base and 20 in center while committing only 10 errors.

Castro, who has hit .265 with 10 stolen bases in 2024, has already become the only player in MLB history to have played at least 20 games at second, short, third, left field and center field in a single season. His versatility, skills and durability have stood out in a season where the club has seen stars Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton sidelined. No wonder St. Peter told Sports Headliners Castro is “arguably” the team’s MVP so far.

Castro, whose best position in the field is probably shortstop, has even pitched for the Twins this season. To save bullpen arms, Castro has pitched in two games and given up no hits or runs. He took the mound in a 2023 game for the Twins, too, reportedly throwing pitches under 50 MPH.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rico native, who made the 2024 All-Star team as a late addition to the roster, played for the division rival Tigers, the organization that decided in the fall of 2022 he wasn’t worth retaining after four seasons with the club. The Twins, though, including baseball boss Derek Falvey, saw things differently.

St. Peter said Falvey, who was with the Indians organization when Castro started his pro baseball career, deserves “lots of credit” for seeing the potential and value of their super utility player. In today’s baseball that puts a premium on multi-positional talent, the Twins hit it out of the park with Castro.

Castro, whose Mr. Versatile profile includes being a switch hitter, signed with the Indians in 2013 as an international free agent. He was traded by Cleveland in 2018 to the Tigers who ultimately decided they didn’t want to enter arbitration on his contract and let him go.

Worth Noting

Mauer photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins.

Joe Mauer, the former Twin who goes into the Baseball Hall of Fame tomorrow, would make the top 10 of all-time catchers from many authorities. Best ever? No consensus choice, but Johnny Bench from the Reds is a clear top five if not No. 1.

Roy Campanella, who played for the minor league St. Paul Saints in 1948, had his MLB career with the Dodgers cut short by a tragic car accident that left him paralyzed. His talent teased at being named the best ever.

Jordan Addison, the Vikings 22-year-old wide receiver who in about 12 months has two serious incidents with law enforcement, is probably in a zero tolerance spot with the organization going forward.

Vikings rookies, quarterbacks and select players report to training camp Sunday at Twin Cities Orthopedics Center in Eagan. The remaining players report Tuesday for the Vikings who have their first of three preseason games (lone appearance in Minneapolis) on August 10 against the Raiders.

All three games will be telecast in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market on Fox 9.

3M Open boss Hollis Cavner speaks to the Twin Cities Dunkers on Tuesday, with Gophers head football coach P.J. Fleck talking to the group August 1 at Interlachen Country Club. Fleck will be joined by Floyd of Rosedale.

With the Big Ten expanding to 18 schools, the conference’s football media preview in Indianapolis has been expanded from two to three days. Fleck is up on Thursday, speaking at 10:45 a.m. Minneapolis time. The Big Ten Network will televise the appearances of all 18 coaches Tuesday-Thursday.

Shari Ballard, who became the first female CEO in Major League Soccer in 2021 when she was hired by the United, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game.” Ballard shares her story, including her path from small town Michigan to top executive at Best Buy, with co-hosts Patrick Klinger and April Seifert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH0E3l5x6-Q&t=112s

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NBA Oracle Likes Wolves in Playoffs

Posted on March 8, 2022March 15, 2023 by David Shama

The Timberwolves could not only make the playoffs with more than 45 regular season wins, but be a spoiler in the postseason. That’s the view of a former NBA scout who still follows the Wolves and other teams in the league.

Minnesota figures to be a lower seed but could win its opening series. “I don’t think there are a lot of teams that want to see them in the playoffs,” the authority said while speaking anonymously.

With a 37-29 record, the Wolves have 16 games remaining in the regular season before the schedule ends April 10. The team is 8-2 in its last 10 games and making a bid for the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Minnesota is a vastly improved team over last season when the record was 23-49.

The ex-scout believes the unpredictable but gifted D’Angelo Russell is the key to how successful the Wolves will play this spring. “When (Russell is) under control and playing steady…they’re tough to beat,” he said.

The Wolves’ point guard excels at playmaking, but he can be too prone to poor decisions and turnovers. His skillset tempts him to be too creative.

Center Karl-Anthony Towns and shooting guard Anthony Edwards are the other two players who make up the team’s big three. Towns is “out of his funk” and playing at a high level, while Edwards can some day be a top 10 NBA talent, per the source.

He raved about coach Chris Finch, who took over the team in February of 2021, and has the Wolves playing some of their best basketball in the new millennium. “He’s a communicator,” the authority said while talking about how Finch has the players understanding what is expected of them.

Neither Russell nor Edwards played last night but the Wolves still crushed the Trail Blazers at Target Center, 124-81. Towns, coming off his Western Conference Player of the Week honor, had 27 points and 13 rebounds. As of yesterday morning he was the only player in the NBA averaging 20-plus points per game, shooting 50% or better on field goal attempts and 40% or better from three point range.

The crowd of 16,035 continued the trend of large and noisy fan turnouts. Finch described the new atmosphere at Target Center as “awesome” and said his team can continue to connect with fans by playing at a high level.

“…I think it’s a team that a lot of people like to watch play,” Finch said after the game. “We play hard, we share the ball. It’s pretty exciting. Even our mistakes are interesting. It feels like we got something growing here, and we’ve just got to keep building on it. It’s our responsibility to keep giving ‘em performances that they can cheer on.”

Worth Noting

With the Wild losing eight of its last 10 games, the local NHL club is prompting speculation it could be among the most likely franchises to make a trade prior to the league trade deadline of March 21.

Doug Risebrough, the Wild’s former GM, is a consultant for the Rangers team that plays Minnesota tonight at Xcel Energy Center.

Anonymous hockey authority talking about the Big Ten champion Gophers who start postseason play Saturday at home against Penn State: “They have a legitimate chance to win it all (NCAA title). They have that kind of depth.”

Two spring practices open to the public to watch the football Gophers will be at 4 p.m. April 5 and 11 a.m. April 16. Admission is free, with locations announced soon.

The annual spring game is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 30 at Huntington Bank Stadium.

An outcome of spring practice that could be telling for the fall is the physical condition of running backs Mo Ibrahim, Trey Potts and Bryce Williams. All had their 2021 playing time severely reduced by injuries.

Ibrahim, a 2021 preseason All-American candidate and recovering from Achilles surgery, will receive extra focus from fans even though he isn’t expected to participate in scrimmages. It could be that his quickness and speed is compromised. “Even if he’s 90 percent of what he was, that’s still a pretty good college running back,” said Minnesota authority Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated.

It might be that the now Division I St. Thomas athletics program, in need of upgraded athletic facilities including its own hockey arena, will turn to the former Ford plant area in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood. Land acquisition and development, arena construction and other facilities could come with a $100 million cost, per a source. Remember, though, the school’s roster of benefactors is deep and wealthy.

Alabama coach Nick Saban, perhaps the GOAT, has been added to the list of speakers for the Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s Clinic. Saban will speak to attendees via Zoom starting at 1 p.m. April 1. In-person speakers will include Gopher coach P.J. Fleck. Link

Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry will receive a happy birthday call later this month from Dick Jonckowski, the former Gophers’ basketball public address announcer and Shakopee-based event speaker. The two met years ago in Minneapolis and annually exchange birthday greetings, with Barry’s birthday March 28 and Jonckowski’s October 22. Barry turns 78 this year, Jonckowski, 79.

Barry, BTW, is one of the most under appreciated superstars in NBA history. He would fit seamlessly into today’s game, including blowing a fuse in the scoreboard with three-point conversions.

Jonckowski will be doing public address duties again for both the girls’ and boys’ basketball state tournaments in March. This year will be a return to years ago when all the boys’ games are played at Williams Arena. “I am glad I get to work in Williams Arena. That’s good,” Jonckowski said.

Tom Hoge from Fargo, who has three top 10 finishes on this season’s PGA Tour and has won about $3.2 million, is a name to watch at The Players Championship this week and the Masters next month. He is expected to be a headliner at this summer’s 3M Open in Blaine.

Front Office sports reported yesterday because of the delay in spring training baseball, communities in Arizona and Florida are missing out on about $1.3 billion in economic activity.

Very sorry to learn Mark Davy passed away recently. A superb fundraiser, Davy’s varied career included assistant athletic director at the University of Minnesota and director of the M Club. He had a close relationship with the late Pinky McNamara, the former Gopher football player who is among the University’s most generous donors ever.

Sean Sittnick and Yunus Masood are the latest guests on the “Behind the Game” program seen on local cable markets and YouTube. Sittnick is a Minnesota United soccer executive, while Masood is a cricket advocate who wants to see the sport grow on all levels in Minnesota. The show is co-hosted by Agile Marketing owner Patrick Klinger and USHL commissioner Bill Robertson. Link

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Vikings & NFL Finishes Parrot NBA

Posted on December 14, 2021March 15, 2023 by David Shama

This fall the NFL has made news with dramatic endings and must-see TV for four quarters. The Vikings are more than doing their part with 12 of their 13 games decided by one possession (eight points or fewer).

And in seven of the games the outcome could have, or was, decided on the final play.

With four games remaining on the schedule, the 6-7 Vikings might tie or break the NFL record for most one-possession games in a season. The 1994 Giants and 2015 Ravens hold the record with 14 each.

Dalvin Cook (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

NFL rosters are loaded with gifted playmakers including Viking wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, and running back Dalvin Cook. The league likely has never offered more extraordinary athletes including at the skill positions of quarterback, pass receiver and running back. NFL rules favor the offense (holding could probably be called on most plays) and teams stretch defenses until they break with sophisticated schemes and quick strike pass plays.

The NFL show seems like basketball on grass, remindful of the NBA and its blueprint for games decided in the closing minutes. That’s long been part of pro basketball’s formula for entertainment success, and now similar drama is present on the football field.

This season the NFL has 28 games decided by a game-winning score on the final play. That’s the most ever through Week 14.

There have been 39 games with a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or in overtime. That’s the fourth-most at this point of a season all-time (tied with 2003).

Worth Noting

A Vikings executive, speaking anonymously after being asked for a scoop: “I don’t have anything.”

Earlier this fall sources believed the Vikings had interest in Lincoln Riley as their future head coach. At that time Riley may have been curious about his next move from head coach of Oklahoma. Since then he has taken over at USC.

The Big Ten Network’s football Signing Day coverage will be live from 1 to 4 p.m. Central Time Wednesday, with the show repeating that night.

The Goal Line Club will hear from Gophers coach P.J. Fleck about his 2022 recruiting class at a Huntington Bank Stadium luncheon Wednesday. In the evening the club hosts a Happy Hour at the stadium featuring Minnesota recruiting authorities Ryan Burns and Luke Buer. https://www.goallineclub.org/

Minnesota Mr. Football winner Emmett Johnson from the Academy of Holy Angels had no power five offers until a few days ago but now is expected to sign a national letter of intent with Nebraska. In June the Gophers promised Zach Evans from Rockwall, Texas that he would be the only running back offered a scholarship for the class of 2022, per Burns.

Running back Max Grand, from Ellsworth, Wisconsin, will be a preferred walk-on in the class of 2022.

Arriving Friday at Target Field: A 53-foot trailer housing ice-making and ice-monitoring equipment to create an NHL-caliber skating surface for the January 1 Winter Classic between the Wild and Blues. It’s billed as the world’s largest mobile refrigeration unit.

Condolences to the family of Jack Lanza who died earlier this month at age 86. The Minneapolis-born and longtime Minnesota resident is a WWE Hall of Famer. The DeLaSalle High School alum briefly played football for the Gophers, and first wrestled using the name “Cowboy Jack Lanza.” Then he switched to the villainous role of “Blackjack Lanza” and later was a producer for the WWE. Despite his stage presence as the “world’s meanest wrestler,” Jack was a private and kind man.

Here is a trivia question that will stump just about everyone (no Google): Who was the first Northwoods League alum to make the majors? Answer at the bottom of the column.

New York Times best selling author and former University of Minnesota golfer Harvey Mackay is a COVID-19 “long hauler” but his health is improving. He will be in attendance at Minnesota’s December 28 Guaranteed Rate Bowl game against West Virginia in Phoenix (his second home, along with Minneapolis).

Britt Robson, the elite Timberwolves writer, resonated with many fans when he Tweeted this Monday about controversial D’Angelo Russell: “As an ex-DLo ‘hater,’ I get it’s hard to give him credit for elevating his team at both ends this year. But the game is dynamic—your mind is supposed to be changed if you watch honestly. If DLo reverts to his matador D+coach-killing indifference, I’ll start ripping him again.”

Former Wolves head coach and U alum Ryan Saunders attended the Gophers’ stunning basketball upset over Michigan Saturday night in Ann Arbor. Saunders’ next job could be either in the NBA or college.

The 8-1 Gophers (1-1 in the Big Ten) have three nonconference games before resuming league play at home against Illinois Sunday, January 2. If Minnesota wins the next two, the Illini game might be the first sellout of the season at Williams Arena.

Gabe Kalscheur, the former Gopher who transferred earlier this year to Iowa State, is the second leading scorer for the AP No. 11 ranked Cyclones, averaging 11.6 points while making .319 percent of his field goals (.245 of three pointers). The 10-0 Cyclones were 2-22 last season.

TJ Presthus, the promising freshman soccer player at Yale, is the son of Edina High School alum Tom Presthus who is a former MLS All-Star. Grandfather Paul Presthus captained the 1966-67 Gopher basketball team.

Shari Ballard, the new Minnesota United CEO who came out of retirement from Best Buy, joins a growing list of women leading MLS franchises.

The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll out today has undefeated Big Ten programs Iowa, Penn State and Michigan at the top, with the 1-1 Gophers ranked No. 14.

Trivia answer: Jeff Weaver, a former Dubuque Mud Puppy pitcher, became the first Northwoods League alum to make the majors when he started for the Tigers against the Twins on April 14, 1999.

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