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Twins Unknowns for 2025 Move into Historical Territory

Posted on November 16, 2024November 16, 2024 by David Shama

This is a historical offseason for the Twins, one with questions and uncertainties at a level not seen since more than 20 years ago when it appeared the franchise could dissolve via MLB contraction.

The fanbase is justified in scrutinizing the Twins on multiple fronts. These include ownership, front office leadership, personnel on the field and home options for watching games.

That’s a lot and the fanbase has patrons who are either angry, puzzled or apathetic about the franchise’s status. There are also customers who are pretty much on board no matter what’s going on because, win or lose, they embrace the nostalgia, charm and experience of the “grand old game” when played in Target Field—one of baseball’s great ballparks.

The Pohlads, to the applause of some fans, are exploring selling the franchise the family has operated since 1984. What interest and quality of ownership can the Pohlads attract? A new owner is always a roll of the dice for fans.

New ownership comes with no guarantee that things will be better than in the past— or even as good. Nor is there any certainty the best interests of fans will be a priority.

It’s believed the Pohlads will ask more than the $1.7 billion agreed upon by new ownership for the Orioles earlier this year. That doesn’t mean the Pohlads won’t settle for less but there’s certainly a bottom figure the family is willing to accept. And fans should be prepared to have them own the franchise indefinitely.

The average fan isn’t losing any sleep over who the next owner will be, but diehards are restless about the quality of the club that takes the field next season. The Twins looked like a certainty to make the playoffs last summer but plunged late in the season to a 82-80 record.

There were too many players who faltered in August and September. Their performances, whether veterans or inexperienced, raise questions going into 2025 as to whether they can perform well enough to help turn the Twins into a postseason club.

The Twins’ present roster doesn’t look complete enough as it is. Minnesota likely needs starting pitching help in the fourth or fifth spots, or both. Right-handed hitting from corner outfielders will also have to come from either another team or within the farm system.

Those personnel decisions will still receive attention from Derek Falvey, but newly promoted Jeremy Zoll now takes a larger role as the general manager. His success is needed to help shape whether the Twins can contend for a Central Division title in 2025. Fans wonder how he will do and also why former GM Thad Levine is no longer with the club.

Falvey will not only continue to lead the baseball department but also will head business operations replacing Dave St. Peter as president in 2025 as part of a gradual transition. Falvey has been president of baseball operations since late 2016 and the Pohlads think he can do both jobs. He is well liked within the organization and is a collaborator. St. Peter will stick around indefinitely as a consultant and point man on the pending sale of the franchise.

One question that fans feel is already answered is the 2025 budget to pay players which reportedly will remain about $130 million. That figure was down from a reported $156 million budget in 2023, cut at least in part because of declining local TV revenue.

For 2025 MLB will be taking over production and distribution of Twins games. A source told Sports Headliners he didn’t know how much less revenue this will result in for the franchise, but described it as significantly less than in 2023 and further back.

Fans will have to figure out what’s best for them regarding how to watch the team. Games will be available via television and streaming. New cable and satellite channels will offer games in the Twins’ market area. At least some subscribers will need to pay more than when the 2024 season began.

Some fans couldn’t watch games on cable for a couple of months this past season because of a contract dispute between Comcast Xfinity and Bally Sports North.

Worth Noting

St. Peter, who announced this week he is transitioning from Twins president to an advisory role, is a Horatio Alger story. The University of North Dakota alum had a humble start in the Twin Cities including internships with the NHL North Stars and the Twins. He impressed Twins leaders early on, including when he managed the team’s pro shop in Richfield in 1991. Eleven years later he became the franchise’s fourth president.

St. Peter’s legacy includes his leadership in the drive to build Target Field, now recognized among the premier baseball stadiums in the country. Just his knowledge of stadiums seemingly positions him as a potential consultant to cities hoping to attract a MLB franchise.

The 7-6 Timberwolves are 4-1 when Anthony Edwards scores 30 or more points. He had 36 in last night’s overtime win against the Kings in Sacramento.

Gopher forward Parker Fox, now in his eighth season of college basketball, is worth a listen on Mondays in the 11 a.m. hour when he joins the Paul Allen program on KFNX-FM.

A Sports Headliners reader emailed to report that among those witnessing last Wednesday’s 14-point first half debacle by the basketball Gophers at Williams Arena was Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle. The Gophers, 2-1, lost 54-51 to North Texas, 3-0.

Jamal Mashburn Jr., who played one season for the Gophers and three at New Mexico, is in his final year of college eligibility at Temple where after four games the 6-2 guard is averaging 23.5 points per game.

The Minnesota Old Timers Hockey Association holds its annual November luncheon November 25 at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. Minneapolis native, former Gopher and ex-Red Wings player Reed Larson will be the speaker, with Dick Jonckowski the emcee.

Jonckowski, who turned 81 last month, no longer drives because of family concerns but gets rides from others and is still working events. Don’t bother to ask for the Polish Eagle’s email address, he’s never had a computer and doesn’t plan on buying one.

Erich Martens, executive director of the Minnesota State High School League, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game.” Martens talks about the MSHL providing a fun, fair and safe environment for all concerned including athletes and coaches. Co-hosts are Patrick Klinger and Dave Boden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57tys0YUBHY&t=22s

Longtime professional wrestling fans were saddened to learn of Al DeRusha’s passing away at age 88 earlier this month. The Twin Cities native made a living behind and in front of TV cameras promoting shows for Verne Gagne (AWA) and Vince McMahon (WWF). A career highlight was DeRusha’s 2015 induction into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Carson Hansen, who was the A.P. Minnesota Player of the Year when he was at Lakeville South, leads the Iowa State Cyclones in both rushing yards, 495, and touchdowns, eight.

Chase Thompson, at 6-8 among the tallest quarterbacks in Minnesota prep history, is one of 10 finalists for the Mr. Football Award that will be announced December 15. The Alexandria athlete has committed to Clemson’s basketball program. He is the younger brother of former Gopher basketball player Treyton Thompson who is now at Stetson.

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Indiana Hoosier Envy? Go Ahead Big Ten Football Fans

Posted on November 11, 2024November 11, 2024 by David Shama

The Indiana football team has cast a shadow over much of the Big Ten this fall. The Hoosiers are historically among the most putrid of college football programs but not in 2024 with their 10-0 record, shot at a Big Ten championship and in solid contention for a spot in the 12-team college football playoffs.

Their success stands in contrast to not only the school’s bottom-feeding past but many other Big Ten programs who seldom deliver elite results including top 10 national rankings. Among those programs are the Golden Gophers who ironically won their last conference championship in 1967 when they finished in a three-way tie for the title with the Hoosiers and Purdue. That was Indiana’s last league title, too.

What’s happened at Indiana? The Hoosiers’ surreal success has been fueled by coaching, player transfers, health and scheduling. Those are the reasons the Hoosiers are a lofty No. 5 in the Associated Press national college football rankings.

First-year head coach Curt Cignetti, 63, is extraordinary. The college football world is seeing what others observed when Cignetti was on a smaller stage at places like James Madison. He is a football savvy, confident, demanding, ambitious and determined leader who refuses to accept the expected and knows how to deliver the results he wants.

Cignetti and his staff have taught their players to execute assignments with consistency and at a high level. Mistakes, including turnovers, are minimum. The Hoosiers also play with purpose and robust energy. They sometimes also play with an edge in strategy provided by their coaches, including when they successfully disguise the pre-snap intentions of their defensive linemen.

Coaches, of course, no matter how gifted, can’t win without talent. The Hoosiers, although not loaded with four and five-star recruits, have players who are physically and mentally able to perform at a high level in their systems. Offense, defense and special teams, it’s evident that the Indiana coaching staff found players who fit what they demand.

Indiana has 28 players who transferred into the program for the 2024 season, per 247Sports last week. Many of them are key contributors and came from a lower level of college football including James Madison where the Cignetti-led Dukes of 2023 went 11-2. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who was at Ohio U, is the marquee transfer name and is even a dark horse candidate to win the Heisman Trophy.

Rourke, who is one of the few Hoosiers likely to be drafted by an NFL team next spring, hurt his right thumb in the October 19 Nebraska game. He missed the second half of the game, and the following week was out against Washington. In Rourke’s absences the do no wrong Hoosiers didn’t flinch behind the play of backup quarterback Tayven Jackson.

After surgery, Rourke came back to help keep the Hoosiers’ Hollywood story rolling. His injury is one of the few significant ones sustained by the Hoosiers. The team lost left guard Drew Evans last week for the season due to an Achilles injury, but the roster has been remarkably healthy. Player availability, or durability as coaching legend Bud Grant used to say, is so significant in determining outcomes of games and Indiana has been fortunate.

Fortunate, too, has been the schedule that included nonconference cream puffs Charlotte, FIU and Western Illinois. The Hoosiers play No. 2 ranked Ohio State in Columbus on November 23 but overall their Big Ten schedule has been friendly. They don’t play the league’s two other top teams, undefeated Oregon, ranked No. 1 in the nation by the A.P., and once beaten Penn State, ranked No. 4.

But give the Hoosiers credit for manhandling most of their opposition. Until last Saturday’s 20-15 win over defending national champion Michigan, Indiana’s narrowest victories were a pair of 14-point triumphs over Maryland and Washington.

Indiana’s record last season under Tom Allen was 3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference games. The Hoosiers’ success is the best story in college football this fall but it’s not the only one of “Davids” rising up against “Goliaths.”

Vanderbilt is a graveyard for college football but has commanded respect this fall with its 6-4 record including an upset of then No. 1 ranked Alabama on October 10. The Vandy revival is led by quarterback Diego Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State who happened to land in Nashville along with Jerry Kill who is a senior advisor and chief consultant to head coach Clark Lea.

Colorado, nationally ranked and 7-2 on the season, has been transformed from one of the nation’s worst programs by coach Deion Sanders’ obsession with the transfer portal. The 2024 Buffs have a nation-leading 49 transfers, per On3.com.

The transfer portal has brought more parity to college football. Immediate eligibility at a new school is appealing to players who might be sitting on the bench at a traditional powerhouse school, or players who want to try competing at the Power Four level.

The portal brought Max Brosmer to Minnesota after his All-American quarterback career at New Hampshire. Brosmer’s performance this fall has him in the discussion of the better quarterbacks in Gopher history. And he’s not alone on the list of Minnesota transfer contributors including defensive back Jack Henderson, cornerback Ethan Robinson, running back Marcus Major and wide receiver Elijah Spencer.

Revenue sharing with players is on the horizon, likely to come next year. Speculation is Power Four schools will have budgets to pay players in the range of $20 million. A chance to play right away via the portal and make more money will give the Indianas and Minnesotas an opportunity to acquire talent that was unlikely years ago. (And traditional have nots who can provide significant Name, Image and Likeness rewards for players will only strengthen their ability to recruit personnel.)

A jump in collegiate football parity has arrived and should continue indefinitely. The Big Ten football standings show that. The Gophers, 4-3 in league games, sit in a traffic jam with 10 other teams that have three or four losses.

Minnesota, winners of four straight before a disappointing loss at Rutgers last Saturday, has two games remaining and a muddled outlook regarding a bowl destination. Fans cringe at the thought of returning to Detroit but in the unpredictable world of college football something better may await including Charlotte, Nashville or Florida.

Indiana has certainly proven how wacky things are. Upon arrival in Bloomington after being hired, Cignetti boldly listed a few programs that suck, including Michigan. The Wolverines may have used that as motivational bulletin board material last week but once again the clock didn’t strike midnight for the “Cinderella Hoosiers.”

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Koi Perich ‘Big Fan of NIL,’ Will be Endorsing Gushers

Posted on October 29, 2024October 29, 2024 by David Shama

Koi Perich, the Gophers freshman phenom, is going to be working with General Mills and promoting Gushers as part of his Name, Image and Likeness activities that include clothing. https://athletesthread.com/collections/koi-perich

Blake Baratz, the Minneapolis-based sports agent, told KFAN’s Paul Allen yesterday morning that Perich has “something coming up with General Mills and Gushers.” He didn’t provide details about Perich’s endorsement of the fruit-flavored snack.

Perich, whose football success as a true freshman has drawn national attention, was also on Allen’s program and talked about multiple subjects including NIL that allows college athletes to be compensated for various roles including endorsing products and personal appearances. “I am a big fan of NIL,” Perich said. “I don’t have a lot to say on it, but, yeah, anything that can help me, and I’ll use anything I can…to help other people. That’s a big thing and awesome what they’re doing with it.”

NIL played a role in the 19-year-old Perich wanting to become a Gopher. He and those around him know that with his performance on the field, likeable personality and Esko, Minnesota roots, the opportunities with NIL can keep growing.

With his generational talent, Perich could enrich himself more at some other schools, but he expressed his confidence in head coach P.J. Fleck and the Gopher program yesterday. “I feel like in the next couple of years we’re just going to keep improving and improving, and it’s going to be really fun,” he said.

Before Perich left the KFAN studios Fleck joined Allen as he normally does on Monday mornings. The host teased that it was “student show” day and someone with the initials “K.P.” had a question for the coach.

The student asked: “Why don’t you blitz your safeties more?”

Not sure if the ultra-competitive Perich, who is confident he can do a lot of things on the football field, was serious or teasing, but Fleck kind of poked back with this answer:

“If you don’t like catching interceptions, I can blitz you a little bit more. You’re not going to be on KFAN as much (without those interceptions).”

At that point, Perich was like, Row the Boat. Whatever for the team.

Perich has been impressive returning punts for the Gophers but it’s been his interceptions from the safety position that have led to honors. He leads the Big Ten with five interceptions including two that closed out wins over USC and UCLA. He has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week and the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week.

Koi Perich photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Before Perich’s career is over at Minnesota, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a role on offense, perhaps as a receiver with limited snaps. “I can play a lot of positions,” Perich said on KFAN. “That’s what I’ve done my whole life. I feel any time, any position they put me there I can play it. It will just take me a little time and I can master it.”

Fleck admires the focus and commitment of how Perich lives his life. …”You’re talking about a kid, whatever he does, he is fully committed. He’s no nonsense. He just wants to compete and be fully committed and help make teams better. …

“He’s only been on campus for about five months, so he’s got a long career ahead of him. And a lot of work to do and he’ll just keep doing it better.”

Baratz’s company, IFA, represents other Gophers, too, including sophomore running back Darius Taylor. He burst on the scene last year as one of the nation’s premier runners. His emergence also prompted Fleck to say about 12 months ago the Gophers could lose players to other schools without NIL support from the public and the program would deteriorate.

Asked about where NIL is now, Fleck said this at his news conference yesterday: “It’s always a work in progress. It always will be. Always has been.

“We’ve had some very generous donors step up big time for us, and continue to do and work with Dinkytown Athletes and the collective. It’s really special to see what these people are doing for our student-athletes. I think everybody sees the importance of it. …That goes a long, long way in building football programs in 2024 and beyond.

“I’m really excited about where we are and the progress we continue to make every single day. The job of the head football coach is even more important now in fundraising. Not just for facilities and stuff, but for your student-athletes and getting out there and making sure people are really, really aware of what’s going on in college football. …So, I think people are really becoming more aware of it, especially our fans, our donors, our boosters, our supporters. And I can’t thank them enough. …”

NIL isn’t going away, even as revenue sharing with college athletes waits in the wings. It’s believed the Gophers football team has at least two players earning six-figures in NIL income. That number will increase and will be made possible by more individuals and businesses in the state supporting NIL for football and the other 21 sports at the University of Minnesota.

Dinkytown Athletes, the official NIL collective of Gopher athletics, recently announced a “million-dollar match campaign.” Mark Pearson’s Twin Cities-based financial services company, Nepsis, is matching dollar for dollar donations, new memberships or upgraded memberships to DA through November 10. The proceeds will go to Gopher football and volleyball.

Worth Noting

The Gophers have answered critics of their game management this fall. In the UCLA game Minnesota was trailing 17-14 with 2:20 remaining. The Gophers went on a scoring drive that ended with 27 seconds left in the game for a 21-17 win.

Against Maryland the Gophers got the ball on their 35-yard line with 28 seconds remaining in the first half. In six plays they moved down the field to kick a field goal with two seconds left in the second quarter boosting Minnesota’s lead to 34-13.

Gopher quarterback Max Brosmer was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week yesterday for his performance against Maryland, a 48-23 win. Brosmer completed 26-of-33 passes (78.8 percent) for season-highs of 320 yards and four touchdowns.

The Gophers are surprisingly about 3-point favorites to win at Illinois Saturday. That would not only make Minnesota 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten games, but also end a 0-10 record against head coach Bret Bielema (3-0 as with the Illini,, before that 7-0 at Wisconsin). The Illini are No. 24 in the AP national rankings, and are 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten games.

Fleck wasn’t biting yesterday when asked what a win over Bielema and a bowl eligibility sixth win would mean for his team.

“This is going to bore you—1-0 (winning the game). It’s all we’re worried about. I have a lot of respect for coach Bielema and what he does. He always has a hard, smashed mouth, tough football team. No matter where he was, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Illinois. It’s his DNA. We gotta play our best football, playing a ranked opponent on the road. We gotta DIB, man. Do it better.”

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