Timberwolves – Page 103 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Mauer Can Send Message for 2014

Posted on September 18, 2013September 18, 2013 by David Shama

The Twins have the wrong kind of “circle it date” coming up: September 30.

That’s the first day after their 2013 schedule ends and a time to look back on another disappointing year. The team will finish with one of the worst records in MLB for a third consecutive season.

The offseason questions (again) will be what to do about all the losing?

There are mostly no easy answers and quick fixes. A talented group of minor league prospects needs more time in the farm system. The big league club’s loudest plea for help is starting pitching but it’s a monster problem demanding a rebuilt staff. The Twins’ standard approach in the past has been not to sign big buck, long term deals with free agent players—including free agent starting pitchers—so it will be interesting if management takes a new approach this winter.

Managers who finish in last place two consecutive seasons and then move up one spot in the standings during a third year are often asked to move on. But the Twins are a different breed of organization with DNA loyalty seldom seen in professional sports. It just might be that when the Twins decision makers gather in October the guy who decides whether Ron Gardenhire returns as manager is Gardenhire.

Another manager might strategize and energize the Twins to more wins but until the talent is upgraded, particularly the starting rotation, even a miracle worker like Joe Maddon of the Rays could only do so much. Changing managers, though, is one way for the organization to say the leadership on the field is part of a new start for the Twins.

The value of that approach could be more of a marketing tool than a baseball resource. Twins fans are restless and at least one ticket holder described the last few weeks of the season as a “death march.” The organization needs to show fans leadership is serious about rebuilding the franchise and winning. Placing Minnesota baseball legend Paul Molitor in the dugout as manager will fire up some of the team’s more passionate fans and ticket holders. At least in the minds of some fans and media, Molitor has been considered for awhile the most attractive replacement for Gardenhire.

There’s another Minnesota baseball legend who can do something to help the franchise at least take small steps toward a better future starting in 2014. Joe Mauer is the face of this team and the best paid employee in the history of a franchise that started operating here in 1961.

Mauer’s $23 million salary would make original Twins owner Calvin Griffith’s head spin. That kind of money could also provoke Calvin to say what he thought and if still alive he might tell Mauer: “Get your butt out to first base next spring.”

Yeah, we all know Joe loves to catch and the position is the “quarterback spot” on a baseball field. But on a team starved for run production, the Twins can no longer place an aging Mauer behind the plate where he’s another foul ball away from a concussion or sprained finger.

Every indication is the Twins will let Mauer, a three-time American League batting champion, continue catching next season. Mauer should reach a decision long before that and hold a news conference announcing his intent to play first base.

At first base Mauer would fill a position left open by the summer departure of Justin Morneau to the Pirates. Playing first base will be much easier on Mauer’s 31-year-old legs than squatting behind the plate. A revitalized and healthier Mauer at first base could be a small but significant improvement for the club.

It’s a change that Mauer should seize—an opportunity for the soft-spoken Minnesotan to increase his leadership role with the team and in the clubhouse. By doing so he sends a message to his teammates that playing first base isn’t his preference but this is a “team first” move.

It’s a move that among all the possibilities for a better Twins future seems the easiest to implement. We’ll see soon whether Mauer catches on.

Worth Noting

Josmil Pinto, the rookie catcher who would be a candidate to take over for Mauer next season if he moves to first base, is hitting .356 with two home runs and seven RBI in 45 at bats with the Twins.

Third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who might already feel the possibility of super prospect Miguel Sano taking his job in a year or two, has hit .324 in his last 10 games.

Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 the Vikings are tied with the Cowboys for the fourth most wins at home, 222. The Vikings, 0-2, play their first home game of the season on Sunday against the Browns, also 0-2.

Outside rookie linebacker Barkevious Mingo of the Browns has been turning heads. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote that Mingo was the “best rookie I saw in camp this year” when the magazine published its September 2 NFL preview.

Writing for Cleveland.com (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Tom Reed said last Sunday that Mingo’s first regular season game left the Ravens “trying to find ways, legal and otherwise, to slow down the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft.” Reed reported Mingo had a sack on his first snap, “deflected a Joe Flacco pass and drew two holding penalties in showcasing his speed and athleticism.”

Minnesota-based prep football authority Zach Johnson knows it’s too early to evaluate the Gophers 2014 recruiting class but he’s impressed with players who have verbally committed so far including Texas offensive lineman Connor Mayes, Washburn running back Jeff Jones and Chicago defensive tackle Steven Richardson.

Johnson said Mayes could have chosen many other college programs including those in Texas. Jones is the only four-star recruit among the six high school players Rivals.com lists as part of the 2014 Minnesota class. “Definitely one that everyone should be excited about if he sticks with that commitment,” Johnson told Sports Headliners about Jones.

Richardson is the only two-star recruit among the six verbal commitments, with four others labeled three-stars. Johnson said Richardson is “a little undersized at 5-11” but he likes the Mount Carmel High School lineman. “One of those guys who will just be a solid plug on the defensive line up the middle,” Johnson said.

The two FBS opponents the Gophers have defeated in nonconference games this season are a combined 1-5. UNLV (1-2) defeated Central Michigan last Saturday after losses to Minnesota and Arizona when the Rebels were outscored by 73 points. New Mexico State (0-3) has lost to Texas, Minnesota and UTEP by a total of 99 points.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill indicated yesterday running backs Donnell Kirkwood and Berkley Edwards have recovered enough to perhaps play in Saturday’s final nonconference game at TCF Bank Stadium against San Jose State. He wouldn’t say whether Philip Nelson (hamstring) or Mitch Leidner will start at quarterback. The guess here is if Nelson isn’t near 100 percent he won’t play unless Leidner is injured or plays ineffectively.

Columnist Phil Taylor writes in last week’s issue of Sports Illustrated that Jason Collins, who announced earlier this year he is gay, has not been offered a contract by a NBA team. Collins, a 34-year-old 7-foot center, has played for seven NBA teams including the Timberwolves. Although Collins is an aging player who will demand a higher salary than some other players, Taylor writes that it’s “impossible to ignore the obvious question” of whether sexual orientation is a reason NBA clubs aren’t interested. Taylor reports that Collins doesn’t think so.

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Tamp Down Hype on Gophers Speedster

Posted on August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 by David Shama

Don’t get too excited too soon about Gophers freshman running back Berkley Edwards. The advice is targeted at the most rabid Gophers fans who are looking hard for players to be passionate about.

Edwards has for months been advertised as a breakaway runner and he provided the most electrifying play of the day in a recent scrimmage when he ran up the middle for a 70-yard touchdown. Coach Jerry Kill said on National Signing Day back in February that Edwards was one of the top track sprinters in the country and the type of runner the Gophers could hand the ball to and say, “Goodnight.”

But there are reasons to tamp down expectations for now about Edwards (not highly recruited by other Big Ten schools) and his first-season impact for Minnesota. While Kill likes Edwards’ toughness, the Novi, Michigan native doesn’t have big legs, or a lot of size at 5-9, 190 pounds. In last Saturday’s scrimmage he didn’t have much success moving tacklers when his holes were minimal.

The coaching staff is likely to use Edwards in spot situations. His breakaway speed is an effective contrast to last year’s top backs, Donnell Kirkwood and Rodrick Williams, both of whom are power runners figuring to play much more than Edwards.

Edwards might see the field in early games similar to how the Gophers sometimes used 5-10, 197-pound speedster KJ Maye last season when he was a freshman. Maye, now a full-time wide receiver, saw spot duty in the backfield during 2012. He had four carries against New Hampshire and six versus Syracuse during the nonconference season. Look for Edwards to far exceed the 17 total carries Maye had as both a receiver and running back last season.

The Gophers could make good use of Edwards’ speed on draw plays, pitchouts, swing passes and reverses. More limited duty of that kind will also give him time to better understand the responsibilities of a college running back that range from pass protecting to having the playbook down cold.

Kill is optimistic about the learning curve. “He’s a pretty quick learner,” Kill said.

Edwards is part of an intriguing class of newcomers that includes freshmen and junior college transfers. It’s only Kill’s second full recruiting class. “We got some good young talent. We just gotta develop them and coach them,” Kill said.

First impressions include the running ability of many in the group. Freshmen quarterbacks Chris Streveler and Donovahn Jones are athletic and fast enough to break off long runs. Either or both might have an opportunity to do that as wide receivers before they play quarterback in a game.

The speed factor is noticeable even in bigger players like 6-5, 251-pound defensive end Hendrick Ekpe. “Hank can really run but he’s just raw,” Kill said. “He’s done some good things. I am excited about seeing how he matures over the next couple weeks because he’s a big physical specimen.”

Worth Noting

Oddsshark.com has the Gophers as 14 point favorites to defeat UNLV on August 29 at TCF Bank Stadium.

That game begins at 6:07 p.m. on a weekday night and fans will encounter challenges with traffic and parking. School won’t be in session at the University but there will be the usual rush hour and construction hassles, plus the Vikings play that evening at Mall of America Field and the State Fair will be in day eight. The Twins have a game the afternoon of August 29 at Target Field, adding a third event within a short drive of TCF Bank Stadium.

Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague said on WCCO Radio’s Sid Hartman show this morning that his department is working on making a telecast of Minnesota’s game at New Mexico State on September 7 available in this market. As reported earlier by Sports Headliners, the game is already scheduled for airing in parts of the Southwest including New Mexico.

When Vince Taylor was an assistant coach to Tubby Smith with the Gophers, Taylor had a strong recruiting relationship with former Robbinsdale Cooper shooting guard Rashad Vaughn who will play his senior season for Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. Taylor is now an assistant to Smith at Texas Tech and a high school recruiting authority told Sports Headliners Taylor is recruiting Vaughn but doesn’t think the Minnesota native will sign with the Red Raiders.

The Gophers, with an average attendance of 12,580 per game, finished No. 23 in the nation and No. 7 in the Big Ten in college basketball attendance last season, according to figures recently made available by the NCAA.

Minnesota Mr. Basketball president Ken Lien emailed that Matt Fletcher, who has coached at Anoka High School and Bethel University, has accepted an assistant’s position at Upper Iowa University.

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders welcomed new shooting guard Kevin Martin to town this week. Saunders said Martin is not only an outstanding three-point shooter but goes to the foul line “seven-plus times per game.”

Martin is admired for his professionalism, including how he trains. “He’s in phenomenal shape,” Saunders said.

Martin reached out to Shabazz Muhammad following the rookie’s incident where he reportedly had an unapproved female guest in his hotel room while attending an NBA seminar to teach new players proper behavior.

Saunders, a part owner in the Timberwolves, didn’t have an update on when the deal between the franchise and the city to renovate Target Center will be finished.

Saunders talking about ongoing contract negotiations with restricted free agent Wolves center Nikola Pekovic: “Every player, when you’re not signed, you want to be signed. You’re walking around without a contract. It’s like having a powerball in your pocket. You don’t want to throw your jeans in the washer and all of a sudden you don’t have it (powerball ticket) anymore.”

Stillwater-based Creative Charters is offering a five-day, four-night trip to London to watch the Vikings and Steelers in a regular season game on September 29. Former Viking Bob Lurtsema is the travel host. More at creativecharter.com.

Creative Charters is selling packages covering transportation, lodging and more but if you’re wondering what a bargain rate is just for a good hotel room in London, try $320 per night.

Francisco Liriano is tied for second in the National League for most wins with his 12-5 record with the Pirates. Traded by the Twins last season to the White Sox, Liriano’s success with the Pirates is an embarrassment to both Minnesota and Chicago. Liriano has reportedly changed his mix of two-seam and four-seam fast balls to help turn his career around.

Rookie center fielder Aaron Hicks, sent down by the Twins on August 1 to Triple-A Rochester after hitting .192 for the season, is only batting .209 in 12 games with the Red Wings. Pitcher Scott Diamond, also demoted to Rochester on August 1, is 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA.

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Shabazz Gets Musselman Endorsement

Posted on June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 by David Shama

Among the assumptions about Thursday night’s NBA Draft is the Timberwolves will select a shooting guard with their No. 9 pick in the first round. What might be far more clandestine is their interest in UCLA swingman Shabazz Muhammad.

While public conversation has frequently included the possibility of selecting Indiana’s Victor Oladipo, the Wolves almost certainly have to make a trade with another team and move up in the draft to obtain the Indiana junior shooting guard. There’s no guarantee the Wolves want to or can make such a move.

In the June 24 issue of Sports Illustrated the magazine predicts the Wolves will select Muhammad at No. 9 after Oladipo is chosen at No. 5 by the Suns. The publication includes a feature on Muhammad who played only as a freshman at UCLA, averaging 17.9 points per game and finishing his career in a 20 point first round NCAA Tournament loss to the Gophers last March.

Among Pac-12 rivals who watched Muhammad play was Arizona State associate head coach Eric Musselman, a friend of Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders. “If there were an NBA game tomorrow, you could put him in your rotation,” Musselman said in the magazine. “There are probably less than 10 guys in this draft you can say that about.”

While Muhammad is stereotyped as a shooter-scorer, a one dimensional player, Oladipo has all-around abilities including a stingy defensive skill set. The Wolves’ glaring need, though, is someone who can hit open jump shots while joining a team already built around forward Kevin Love and point guard Ricky Rubio.

Given that roster need, Jim Dutcher wouldn’t advise Saunders to move up in the draft to take Oladipo. “If you’re looking for a shooter I would say no,” said Dutcher. “He’s more of an all-around athlete than he is a pure stroker. He’s not like a Klay Thompson or those kind of players that can just knock down (shots). Stephen Curry, those great shooters.

“That’s one of the question marks. Is he (Oladipo) a quality outside shooter? And I am not sure. I think his better game is a penetrator, a guy who gets to the basket. One thing he does do is he finishes at the basket.”

Dutcher, the former Gophers’ coach whose players at Minnesota included Saunders, labels Oladipo a “great physical talent” with good character who will be a solid pro.

“The one thing that would be concerning to me is as you watched Indiana play, there were large periods where Oladipo kind of disappeared. He’s out there and then he would do something spectacular. And maybe it’s because Indiana had a balanced team. …I would be concerned that he wasn’t their go-to guy at the end of games. Sometimes he would be and a lot of times he wouldn’t be involved.”

Basketball fans in this town will be intrigued by Thursday night’s draft not just to see what the Wolves do with two first round picks and two second rounders. There will also be interest in the futures of former Gophers Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams.

Mbakwe led the Big Ten in rebounding at 8.7 per game. His instincts for rebounding and physical strength at 6-8, 245 are NBA level but there are holes in his resume including a limited offensive game. Williams, 6-7, 205, can put himself on ESPN SportsCenter with world-class dunks, but it seems like there are almost as many questions about his overall skill set as inches he can jump.

“I think on Trevor you gotta evaluate where you are going to play him,” Dutcher said. “He’s strong around the basket but he does not have a refined inside game. If he can’t dunk it, he can’t make it a lot of times.

“He’s not big enough to play a full-time center in the NBA. You gotta be able to make that face-up jump shot and there were games that he did that, and he was probably the premier rebounder in the Big Ten Conference which says a lot, but everybody evaluates Trevor based on one game. The Indiana game where he out played (Cody) Zeller and the Gophers upset Indiana who was then the No. 1 team in the nation.

“But you gotta look at the whole picture where he got out played at Nebraska and Northwestern. Some of the lesser teams…where he didn’t have great games. The Michigan game here (facing a top 10 team) I thought he got badly outplayed by Michigan’s big men.”

Dutcher believes Mbakwe is probably a second round NBA draft choice at best. “He’s not a sure fire NBA player. Probably going to end up playing in Europe would be my guess unless somebody has a spot for a guy that can go in and get you a key rebound or two.

“He does have some down things. He’s older (24). His age is not in his favor. The off the court baggage, I think Trevor has dealt with that pretty well. I don’t think that is a major concern but…when they evaluate a player they evaluate everything.”

While Mbakwe had serious issues off the court during his college career, Williams won’t have to answer such questions from NBA teams. The signature question about Williams is how did he miss doing more with all his athleticism?

“People that watched Minnesota waited four years for Rodney to have a break-out year and he never did,” Dutcher said. “Not a consistent outside shooter. Not a great defender. He does the spectacular. He can go up there and dazzle you with a slam dunk but at the end of the year when you look at the stats he doesn’t average great scoring. He doesn’t average even great rebounding, and doesn’t have impressive statistics. But you gotta be impressed with his leaping ability. ….

“I doubt that he gets drafted. Somebody will take a chance on bringing him to (an NBA) camp or putting him in the D-League, or doing something just because of his physical jumping ability. But you evaluate the all around game and Rodney…is probably not an NBA player.”

Worth Noting

The year’s draft will feature more Big Ten players likely to be selected in the first round than any in recent memory. The list consists of Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, Michigan’s Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr., and could include Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas.

The Timberwolves will host a free draft party for fans at Target Center starting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday night. The draft begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be telecast by ESPN. Wolves center Greg Stiemsma is scheduled to be in attendance for a portion of the party.

Former Gophers assistant coach Jimmy Williams is no longer an assistant at the University of Memphis and has interest in NBA coaching. Williams is living in Houston.

The Wild have eight picks in next Sunday’s NHL Entry Draft but none in the first round. A trade may change that. The draft begins at 2 p.m. Minnesota time and will be televised by the NBC Sports Network.

Miguel Sano, the super prospect who some observers think could be playing for the Twins as early as next year, is off to a slow start after being promoted from Class A Fort Myers to Class AA New Britain. In 11 games the 20-year-old third baseman is hitting .171 with two home runs and eight RBI.

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