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Upbeat Outlook for Twins 2018 Season

Posted on March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 by David Shama

A Tuesday notes column leading off with the Twins.

Optimism characterizes the outlook for the Twins’ 2018 regular season. Minnesota opens the season in Baltimore Thursday afternoon against the Orioles and Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners earlier this month he is “bullish” about the team.

After last season’s club unexpectedly made the playoffs, the early offseason outlook for 2018 was hopeful for more success, but a series of promising personnel acquisitions, including during spring training, has left observers even more upbeat.

“I think we feel very good about our team,” St. Peter said. “We believe we have closed the gap to some extent with the Cleveland Indians at the top of our division. We certainly look to our club to be not just in the hunt for the division (title) but certainly the Wild Card going deep into the 2018 season.”

St. Peter spoke before Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco was suspended by Major League Baseball for the first 80 games because of a drug violation, but that shouldn’t reduce the optimism by much about the team. Veteran Eduardo Escobar, 29, provides experience at the position and playing a utility role last season produced career highs in home runs with 29 and RBI, 71.

Sports Illustrated’s preview issue has the Twins finishing 86-76 after last season’s 85-77 record. The magazine likes the club but reminds readers the pitching staff needs an ace in the starting rotation. S.I.’s candidate is Jose Berrios and his emergence could mean the Twins “will flirt with 90 wins,” according to the magazine.

For now, though, the publication believes the Twins will fall just short of taking the last wildcard spot in the playoffs. That position will go to the improved Angels with a predicted 89-73 record.

Berrios, 23, was impressive last season, with a 14-8 record and 3.89 ERA. He is scheduled to start Sunday in Baltimore in the finale of the three-game series against the Orioles.

Vegasinsider.com reported last Friday odds are 25/1 Berrios will win the 2018 American League Cy Young award, per the Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook. No other Twins and only nine other pitchers had better odds.

Newly signed Jake Odorizzi will be the Twins’ starting pitcher Thursday. The No. 2 starter for the Rays last season, Odorizzi is making his first MLB Opening Day start. Kyle Gibson starts for Minnesota Saturday in Baltimore, after Friday’s off day.

The Twins are opening on the road for the seventh time in nine seasons dating back to the first season at outdoor Target Field in 2010.

The weather forecast in Baltimore for Thursday is for 70 degrees and cloudy around game time, according to Accuweather.com.

Members of the U.S. gold-medal winning curling team will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Target Field for the Twins’ home opener April 5. Minneapolis rapper Dessa will perform the National Anthem.

The IDS Building, Nicollet Mall, and the Target Corporate Building will be lit in Twins colors the week of April 2. The Lowry Avenue Bridge will be lit April 4 and 5, and the 35W Bridge April 5.

Minnesota’s home opener was announced as sold out on Monday. In eight home openers at Target Field the Twins have averaged 39,096.

Creativity in candidates is likely to be a priority when Gopher athletic director Mark Coyle searches to replace Don Lucia as hockey coach. Just look back at Coyle’s hiring of football coach P.J. Fleck who is skilled at promoting his program externally and internally including through social media, television and community volunteerism.

Gopher hockey fan Kirk Detlefsen bought 14 new season tickets for 2018-2019 last Tuesday after it was announced Minnesota will have a new coach. “I am optimistic ‘Pride on Ice’ will be back,” said the Lakeville resident who purchased four lower bowl season tickets and four club seats in 2017-2018.

Detlefsen, who has bought season tickets for more than 20 years, is renewing his tickets from last year along with buying the 14 new ones. He will gather with friends before next season and do a “ticket draft” to divide up the tickets. He had been doing that in the past too but found interest lacking. “Nobody wanted to go to games anymore,” he said.

Fleck will speak at the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association’s Clinic April 6 at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park. There will also be a panel discussion that evening with former Gopher coach Glen Mason, Vikings executive Kevin Warren, and former Vikings and Ravens center Matt Birk. More at Mnfootballcoaches.com.

It will be interesting to follow the Washington State football program the next couple of seasons. Head coach Mike Leach is known as an offensive master but for years the Cougars have often struggled defensively. Now with former Gopher head football coach Tracy Claeys in Pullman, Leach has one of the best defensive minds in college football as his coordinator.

Eric Musselman, who nearly coached Nevada to the Final Four this year, might have been the Gopher coach had Richard Pitino turned the job down in the spring of 2013. It’s believed that Musselman was athletic director Norwood Teague’s next choice before hiring Pitino. At that time Musselman, who had never been a college head coach, was an assistant at Arizona State.

The Timberwolves (42-33) looked panicky in the closing minutes of last night’s 101-93 loss to the Grizzlies (20-54). The Wolves scored only 11 fourth quarter points in a loss that could contribute to not qualifying for the playoffs.

Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns has double-doubles in 62 games this season—the most in the NBA. Last night Towns had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Becky Cantellano, who was the Executive Director for St. Paul Urban Tennis, left that organization this month to become ED at the United States Tennis Association Northern Section which promotes the sport in this region. She had been Director of Tennis Programs and Services at USTA Northern prior to joining St. Paul Urban in 2012.

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Kirk Cousins High Reward or Risk?

Posted on March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 by David Shama

A Tuesday notes column:

Reports that quarterback Case Keenum will sign with the Broncos this week add credibility to rumors the Vikings are targeting Kirk Cousins as the NFL moves into its free agency signing period tomorrow. Acquiring Cousins looks like the kind of personnel decision that could either help the Vikings to a Super Bowl, or put general manager Rick Spielman in a bad spot with ownership.

The Vikings recently sent a message to Keenum by not making him a franchise player and providing a lucrative contract. The Broncos need a quarterback and Keenum could certainly be impressed by joining up with John Elway, the former Denver hall of fame quarterback and now a team executive.

Keenum was 11-3 as a sub for the Vikings last season and was popular in the locker room. However, he wasn’t outstanding in the NFC title game loss to the Eagles and it appears the Vikings think Cousins is more talented.

Acquiring Cousins could cost $90 million, with a sizeable portion guaranteed money. That’s a big financial commitment for a player who the Vikings will gamble can fit their system and change his image to that of a winner.

Rich Cimini, writing on ESPN.com February 25, said the 29-year-old quarterback has a 4-19 record against winning teams (based on final season records). Cousins has set franchise passing records for the Redskins during his six seasons with them.

Karl-Anthony Towns told ABC television Sunday he wants to become the greatest basketball player ever. To do so the Timberwolves third-year center has to one day move past an extraordinary and long line of players, but his career goal is nothing to laugh at.

At 22 years old, the 7-foot, 248-pound Towns is already an NBA All-Star but certainly not the best player in the league. His size, skills and versatility do give him a chance at one day replacing a LeBron James or Kevin Durant as the top player on the planet. Forget the all-time stuff, that alone is lofty goal setting. But remember, too, that a preseason poll of NBA general managers named Towns the player they would most want to start a franchise with.

Towns made the general managers look prophetic Sunday during ABC’s nationally televised game when he led his team to a 109-103 win over the defending NBA champion Warriors. He scored 31 points (the Warriors’ Durant had 39) and grabbed more rebounds, 16, than anyone on the court. Towns, as usual, scored inside and out including two of five three point shots. He earned praise “as a very versatile offensive player” from Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

After the game Towns had a league-leading 57 double-doubles (171 career). It was his ninth 30+ point performance of the season, and he has 10+ rebounds in 16 of the last 18 games.

The win over the Warriors ended a three-game losing streak for the Wolves. With 14 games remaining in the regular season the team is competing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. If the season ended today the Wolves would qualify but with a 3-3 record since team MVP Jimmy Butler was injured, Minnesota is in must-win status in the weeks ahead including tonight on the road against the Wizards.

With his team pursuing a playoff assignment, and Butler’s return uncertain for anytime soon, this is an opportune time for Towns to take another step in building his resume. He told ABC he knows a lot of work will be involved if he wants to fulfill his biggest ambition. The present moment and leading the Wolves to the playoffs is the best place to start.

Sunday’s Timberwolves-Warriors game at Target Center was Minnesota’s second consecutive sellout and 13th of the season—the team’s most since 2003-04 (15 sellouts).

Dick Jonckowski is co-writing a book about his life with local sports author Jim Bruton. “It’s All about Me—Dick Jonckowski a Minnesota Treasure” is due out in May. Jonckowski hopes to sell copies at two venues where he became famous, Williams Arena and Siebert Field. Known to generations of Minnesotans as the Gophers public address announcer for men’s basketball and baseball games, the 74-year-old Jonckowski has enjoyed a career that also includes radio and banquet emcee assignments.

ESPN2 will televise the Gopher-Green Bay first round women’s NCAA Tournament basketball game starting at 4 p.m. CDT Friday from Eugene, Oregon. Minnesota is the No. 10 seed in the Spokane Region while Green Bay is No. 7. The team that advances will play Sunday against the winner of the first-round game between No. 2 seed Oregon and 15th-seeded Seattle. Minnesota earned its second NCAA Tournament spot in four years (first since 2015) and the 10th in program history.

Among teams Minnesotans will follow with interest in the men’s NCAA Tournament are the underdog South Dakota State Jackrabbits who play their opening game Thursday afternoon as a No. 12 seed against No. 5 Ohio State in the West Region. Twelve seeds are famous for upsetting fives.

Jackrabbit forward Ian Theisen started five of 30 games and averaged 4.7 points and is the lone Minnesotan on the South Dakota State roster. He graduated from Osseo High School as the school record holder in points, 1,590, and rebounds, 1083.

Guard Owen King from Caledonia will join the Jackrabbits next season as a scholarship freshman. King is one of five finalists for Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball Award and last December was also a finalist for the state’s Mr. Football.

Award winning comedian and actor Bill Murray, a part owner of baseball’s Saint Paul Saints, is the father of Luke Murray who is an assistant coach for Xavier, the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the men’s NCAA Tournament. The younger Murray, a 2007 graduate of Fairfield, is known as an outstanding East Coast recruiter.

The city of Cincinnati has two teams in the tournament, Xavier and No. 2 South Region seed Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the Big Ten managed to send only four teams to the tournament—Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue.

If you’re keeping score, the U men’s program has produced five tournament teams since 2000.

Xavier senior guard J.P. Macura is no longer projected to be selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft, per Nbadraft.net who had the former Lakeville North all-stater at No. 55 back in December.

Duke freshman guard Gary Trent Jr., a former star at Apple Valley, is predicted to be the No. 15 pick in the first round.

Club president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners yesterday about 1,000 tickets remain for the Twins’ home opener April 5 against the Mariners. As of now, none of the franchise’s 2018 home dates are sold out but the opener soon will be.

St. Peter said the season ticket total has surpassed last year, although he declined to provide figures. It’s believed the club’s total in 2017 was about 12,000.

A friend who saw last night’s Twins 2-1 exhibition win over the Yankees in windy Tampa said Minnesota catcher Bobby Wilson impressed not only with a two-run homer but in catching foul balls. Not so good were four plate appearances and four strike outs by center fielder Byron Buxton.

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Gopher Great Given National Honor

Posted on March 4, 2018March 4, 2018 by David Shama

Jerry Noyce, the retired Minneapolis business executive and former Gophers tennis coach who years ago should have been named the University of Minnesota’s athletic director, was honored recently when the The National Fitness Foundation announced its inaugural Honorary Board.

The Foundation is the official charity of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. The Honorary Board that was announced last week honors Noyce and 26 other former members of the Council—spanning the administrations of eight American presidents. Other honorees include track great Jackie Joyner-Kersee and legendary college wrestling coach Dan Gable. The Foundation said in a statement that “the new Honorary Board is designed to commemorate the dedicated service of proven health and fitness leaders.”

Noyce is humbled by the recognition. “It is really a wonderful honor and caps off my career in sports, health, fitness and athletics,” he said in an email.

Noyce served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport from 2006-2008. He was named to the volunteer organization by then President George W. Bush while heading up a nonprofit promoting health and wellness. Noyce was the first health and fitness industry representative appointed to the Council. In his Council membership role, he appeared at events and spoke on behalf of the President and Department of Health and Human Services.

An Illinois native, Noyce was an outstanding tennis player for the Gophers in the 1960s. As Minnesota’s men’s tennis coach from 1973-1988, he directed a program from last to first place in the Big Ten and saw all but three of his players earn degrees from the University. He established the Gophers as a conference power and in 1986 was recognized as Division I college tennis coach of the year.

Through the years Noyce had various business experiences including CEO and President of the Northwest Health Clubs. The clubs were founded by former Timberwolves owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner. Noyce helped turn those Minneapolis-area facilities into one of the largest health club chains in the country.

With a resume of excellence in athletics and business, Noyce was a favorite more than once of Gopher loyalists to become Minnesota’s athletic director. He not only had career skills but also the charisma and personal relationships to become a power broker AD who saw the potential in Gopher athletics including the long floundering high profile sports of football and basketball.

Back in the 1990s it looked like Noyce would be hired as his alma mater’s athletic department boss. He had big plans for the department including resurrecting the football program that slumped badly after the departure of miracle-worker coach Lou Holtz in 1985. Noyce was planning to make a great coaching hire in football and he had the downtown Minneapolis business connections to help with any money that was needed to run a championship program. Although Noyce was a finalist for the AD job back then, he wasn’t hired.

In 2011 University regent Dave Larson was promoting Noyce’s name as the successor to athletic director Joel Maturi who was retiring. Instead, the U administration hired Norwood Teague who made questionable hires in the department, clashed with head football coach Jerry Kill, struggled with fundraising and resigned in 2015 amid sexual harassment complaints.

A favorite slogan in the athletic department these days is “Row the Boat,” but those that know will tell you the Gophers missed the boat when they didn’t hire Noyce who might have become the school’s best AD ever.

Worth Noting

Renewal notices have been sent out for Gopher basketball season tickets. It seems likely that even with some new sales, the public season total will be down next fall after the team’s disastrous 4-14 Big Ten record in 2017-2018. The athletic department sold about 7,100 public season tickets for this last season, including over 950 new tickets.

The Gophers averaged 11,850 fans per game in 17 home dates in 2017-2018, ranking 10th among 14 schools in the Big Ten. The prior season Minnesota averaged 10,308 and ranked 11th in Big Ten attendance. Minnesota’s Williams Arena has a capacity of 14,625.

Minneapolis-based Jostens, or Tiffany & Co., are expected to make the Super Bowl rings for the Eagles who defeated the Patriots last month at U.S. Bank Stadium. Jostens has produced most of the past rings including all of the Super Bowls won by the Patriots. “It’s a beauty contest,” an industry source said about the competition to design the most attractive ring and win the bid for production.

Jostens produced the new Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship Trophy to be awarded annually to the league’s postseason tournament winner starting this month. The trophy replaces the Broadmoor Cup and is named for Sauer, a Minnesota native and USA Hockey Hall of Fame coach. Sauer coached at two WCHA schools, Colorado College and Wisconsin, and is the league’s all-time winningest coach with 665 wins. Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup is the corporate sponsor of the trophy that is more than three feet tall when on its base.

The roster for the Vegas Golden Knights, who early last month set an NHL expansion team record for wins, has been put together by general manager George McPhee who won the Hobey Baker Award in 1982. At that time the award was presented by the Decathlon Athletic Club in Bloomington and McPhee, a forward from Bowling Green, was recognized as the nation’s best college hockey player.

“One of the smartest hockey players I have ever been around,” said John Justice, a longtime local hockey enthusiast and in 1982 director of operations for the Hobey Baker Award.

Star Tribune columnist and WCCO Radio personality Sid Hartman will be 98 years old March 15.

Ervin Santana’s injured right finger has him out indefinitely, but with a lot of open dates in the first part of April the Twins might get away with using a four-man starting rotation for awhile.

Among the Twins’ promotions at Target Field this season will be June 8 Prince Night. Co-branded Prince-Twins caps will be given away in recognition of the Minneapolis entertainer who died in 2016.

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