Twins – Page 13 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings Remain on Clear Path to Build Support for J.J.

Posted on April 25, 2025April 25, 2025 by David Shama

Updated at 4:03 p.m. April 25, 2025

Enjoy a Friday notes column.

A former NFL team executive who follows the Vikings closely texted Sports Headliners with the following evaluation about Minnesota’s decision to use the No. 24 spot in the first round of last night’s NFL Draft to take an offensive lineman. (The authority asked that his name not be published).

“The Vikings selection of Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson is all about J.J. McCarthy and giving him great protection along with establishing a dominant running game to support him.

“After the interior O-line’s struggles against the Lions and Rams late last season, the Vikings were determined to upgrade this area, and they have in free agency with center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, and now with Jackson who is a solid pick as a fine pass protector and excellent run blocker.

“There were defensive backs who surely tempted them at No. 24, and I expect them to pick a corner or safety in round 3, and probably try to obtain another pick or two via trades beyond the three remaining picks they have in this draft.”

The Vikings have a league low four total selections in the draft which continues with rounds two and three today, followed by four through seven on Saturday. Their three remaining draft spots are in the third, fifth and sixth rounds.

McCarthy has yet to play a snap in an NFL regular season game after getting hurt as a rookie in preseason in 2024. It’s evident head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to give McCarthy the strongest supporting cast possible. Jackson could start as a rookie in place of veteran Blake Brandel at left guard.

It’s to Jackson’s advantage that his teammates on the offensive line are gifted and experienced. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw has played four NFL seasons, Kelly nine, Fries four, and right tackle Brian O’Neill seven. They block for a roster of skilled playmakers including wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and running back Aaron Jones. The Vikings are loaded on offense but won’t reach their potential if McCarthy is mediocre or worse.

The Vikings wouldn’t have selected Jackson if they didn’t believe his character and talent met their standards. His evaluation on NFL/prospects.com this winter predicted the 6-4, 315-pound lineman “will eventually be (a) plus starter.”

In mock drafts this month Chad Reuter of NFL.com had the Chiefs selecting Gopher offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery in the first round. Ersery wasn’t picked by any team on opening night of the draft but still figures to be the first of several Gophers with draft hopes to be selected.

The 2025 NFL Draft should have an economic impact of $20 million for Brown County and $90 million for the state of Wisconsin, per an Associated Press story earlier this week that sourced information from Beth Jones Schnese, Greater Green Bay Chamber vice president of marketing/member engagement. The article said that equates to the amount generated by three consecutive Packer home-game weekends.

The NFL, honoring the tradition of pro football in Green Bay, awarded the draft to the area knowing it had logistical challenges with direct flights and number of hotel rooms. The 2025 draft is a driving destination for many fans who are travelling from places like Milwaukee and Madison, two hours or so away.

For those who follow the Golden Gophers football team to road games, the 2025 away schedule is the most intriguing in memory. All five destinations are attractive including West Coast trips to the Bay Area (Cal) and Eugene (first time at Oregon), plus border rival Iowa, Northwestern (at Wrigley Field) and defending national champion Ohio State. Creative Charters, the Stillwater-based company, has been serving roadies since 1993 and has details on 2025 packages.

Derek Burns, president of Dinkytown Athletes, texted that a recent matching campaign hit $400,000 to benefit Gopher men’s basketball NIL (name, image and likeness).

The Timberwolves will enter tonight’s Game Three against the Lakers favored by a couple of points by oddsmakers. The opinion here is the Wolves should be favored by five points or more in their first home game in the best of seven playoff series. The Wolves have the better overall roster talent and depth.

A couple of things to watch: In splitting the first two games in Los Angeles, the Wolves were behind after one quarter both times so a better start will be an improvement. Also, the Lakers, lacking depth and relying on 40-year-old LeBron James, looked fatigued and just able to hang on to a big fourth quarter lead Tuesday night. Lacking depth, and relying on a Big Three of James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves playing extensive minutes, the Lakers could be gassed late in all remaining games.

The Athletics’ NBA player survey came out Tuesday and the Wolves’ Anthony Edwards finished second in voting (13.8 percent) to the Spurs Victor Wembanyama (54.3) on the question of who will be the face of the league five years from now.

In the annual poll where players can answer questions anonymously, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert was second at 10 percent behind the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, 14.4, for most overrated.

The Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov is now only two behind Zach Parise’s franchise record of 16 playoff goals. Last night Kaprizov scored two goals to help the Wild win 5-2 in Game 3 of their best of seven opening playoff series against the Golden Knights.

The Wild, leading 2-1 in the series and hosting Game 4 Saturday afternoon, hasn’t advanced past the opening series in the playoffs since 2015.

If reserve Marc-Andre Fleury of the Wild plays in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring it will be for an 18th postseason. That would break a tie with Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy (17 postseasons) for most total playoff years among NHL goalies.

The Twins Byron Buxton is 31 and has fought off injuries for years, but he still has his speed. Twins media notes recently said his 30.2 miles per hour speed leads all MLB players.

Gopher basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit, whose team recently won the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament title in her second season, will speak to the Capital Club breakfast group May 1 at Mendakota Country Club. Another program will feature Minnesota sports columnists Chip Scoggins, LaVelle E. Neal and Charley Walters on May 14. More information about the Capital Club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

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Could Vikings Target ‘One of Us’ in Draft’s First Round?

Posted on April 10, 2025April 18, 2025 by David Shama

Updated April 18, 2025

Enjoy a Thursday notes column:

Will the Vikings take “one of us” next Thursday with the 24^th selection of the first round in the 2025 NFL Draft from Green Bay?

Well, Nick Baumgardner, with his mock draft this week for The Athletic, thinks the Vikings will go for a parochial pick. He predicts Minnesota will choose Grey Zabel, a center-guard prospect from North Dakota State whose hometown is Pierre, South Dakota. He was an All-American left tackle for the FCS champs, but Baumgardner said the 6-6, 305-pound athlete is better suited to the interior line.

Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports has the Vikings opting for East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. in his April 8 mock draft. Other mock draft sites believe the Vikings will trade the No. 24 pick to accumulate more draft choices than the four they now have.

Chad Reuter in his April 4 mock for NFL.com has the Vikings receiving third and fourth round selections from the Chiefs, while giving up their first and sixth round picks. And Reuter has the Chiefs selecting Gopher offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery with that first rounder. The Vikings, of course, could really go home region in the first round by taking Ersery.

The Vikings are short on draft slots right now, owning four selections currently in the first, third, fifth and sixth rounds. That status not only prompts speculation about trading the first rounder for more picks, but also that Minnesota could emphasize bringing in a lot of free agents just out of college.

The Gophers had a program record six players invited to the NFL Combine earlier this year. Ersery is all but certain to be drafted in the early rounds. He projects eventually as an NFL starter.

The other five, at worst, are almost assured of at least free agent tryouts. Quarterback Max Brosmer, defensive lineman Jay Joyner, linebacker Cody Lindenberg and cornerback Justin Walley may have a more realistic chance of being selected in the seven round draft than wide receiver Daniel Jackson.

Jackson has the lowest cumulative score from NFL.com/prospects among the University of Minnesota prospects. He has route running and ball catching skills, but his ability to get open against NFL defenders is a concern and so is his lack of speed.

Brosmer, lacking a big arm and mobility, might not hear his name during the April 17-19 draft either. But his confidence, high football IQ and quick release could intrigue a club looking for a developmental quarterback willing to take on any role for multiple seasons.

New Gophers assistant men’s basketball coaches Brian Cooley and Armon Gates will earn $300,000 and $400,000 respectively, per a Discovery request made to the University of Minnesota by Sports Headliners. Dave Thorson, the holdover assistant from coach Ben Johnson’s staff, will remain at $341,423.

The Timberwolves, despite losing to the Bucks Tuesday night, are fortunate to have two of their last three regular season games against softies as they compete to avoid the Western Conference play-in-tournament. After tonight’s game in Memphis against the Grizzlies the Wolves finish the regular season at home against the Nets, with a 26-53 record, and the Jazz, 17-63. Both franchises are presumably more interested in positioning to win the NBA Draft lottery and select Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg.

The hitting and pitching have been spotty, and there’s no excitement about the 4-8 Twins. But while the verdict by many fans may already be in on what kind of season the Twins will have, franchise Hall of Fame manager Tom Kelly used to say a team can’t be fairly judged until 50 games.

The Twins try for a win this afternoon in Kansas City and a four-game series split with the Royals. Minnesota has won 195 games in Kauffman Stadium, the most in any road ballpark.

Murray’s Restaurant owner Tim Murray is a passionate baseball fan who attended his 45^th consecutive Twins home opener last week.

Happy birthday next week to Jim Dutcher who coached the Golden Gophers to the Big Ten championship in 1982. Dutch turns 92 on April 17 and is healthy. He recently renewed his driver’s license and eats what he wants.

Dutch told Sports Headliners he does have arthritic knees and uses a walker to help his mobility and prevent a fall. His brother Norman is 96 and lives in Alpena, Michigan.

Former Gophers football head coach Glen Mason turned 75 yesterday.

Minnesotans are naïve if they think Dallas might trade its No. 1 draft spot to the Lynx who then could grab hometown hero Paige Bueckers. The WNBA Draft is Monday with the Wings all but certain to take Bueckers, the former Hopkins High School legend. But don’t rule out Bueckers eventually coming home via trade or free agency.

Bueckers was coached at Hopkins by Brian Cosgriff who was asked if there is another Bueckers on the horizon in Minnesota. “You don’t know about Maddyn Greenway (prep senior next season). I mean she’s doing some spectacular things here. Won four state championships. Scored over 4,000 points. She was very, very good this year. I look for Maddyn to be an amazing college player (at Kentucky) as well.”

The Lynx, BTW, had little to no financial worth in their early years after starting as a expansion franchise in 1998, but a fair estimate now is the club is worth $80 million to $100.

The Minnesota Minute Men Amateur Athletic Foundation has awarded its 2025 Scholarship to Sophia Anderson of Liberty Classical Academy in White Bear Lake. She captained her varsity track and field, and basketball teams, and also earned a state championship and a fourth-place finish nationally with USA Powerlifting. A Magna Cum Laude student, she will attend Dallas Baptist University with a biology major and compete in track and field.

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Tears from Tampa to Minnesota after Bueckers Win

Posted on April 7, 2025April 7, 2025 by David Shama

A Minnesota hero earned a storybook ending to her college career on Sunday when Connecticut defeated South Carolina to win the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball National Championship in Tampa.

Paige Bueckers, one of the most dominant women’s college basketball players ever, was pivotal in the Huskies winning the national title in her last game as a collegian while scoring 17 points and grabbing a team second best six rebounds in the 82-59 victory. It was her first college national title and the end of a journey for the former Hopkins High School superstar that prompted intensive emotions in both Tampa and Minnesota.

In the closing seconds Bueckers came out of the game and hugged head coach Geno Auriemma. “I love you. That’s all I could say,” Auriemma told an ABC TV audience after the game talking about Bueckers who was overcome with emotion yesterday just like her coach.

The Huskies’ do-everything point guard said the feeling of winning the title was “unreal.” She also told TV viewers, “I love that coach.”

Bueckers’ coach at Hopkins, Brian Cosgriff, watched the game in Minnesota and last evening talked to Sports Headliners. “I was in tears when she came off the floor and was hugging coach Geno. That’s when it hit me. That’s when I got chills and I was like, holy crap. This is something this young lady has wanted since I’ve known her.

“And knowing Geno the way I do, he was moved. You could see emotionally, he was really moved by their relationship and the magnificence of what was taking place.

“They (the Huskies) walked through this tournament. They were playing really good basketball, and it wasn’t just Paige. I mean Azzi Fudd was amazing. Sarah Strong was amazing (both players had 24 points yesterday).

“They came off the bench with players that were outstanding. It was a complete program victory. No question about it.”

A part of the satisfaction from yesterday for Cosgriff comes from what he’s seen through the years from his “tough as nails” former player. “This was a goal of hers from day one and it finally came to fruition after experiencing many setbacks and a lot of adversity along the way in terms of injuries and those kinds of things.

“She overcame a lot and showed her resilience as a person and a player, and I couldn’t be happier for her. She’s just an amazing basketball player but even a better person.”

Bueckers and Cosgriff, now the girls coach at Minnetonka, have remained close over the years. Last summer Bueckers was in town and used the coach’s rental condo downtown while she saw friends and family, threw out the first pitch at a Twins game and enjoyed the state fair. “You always take care of your former players,” Cosgriff said.

Bueckers, who is among the most prolific winners of women’s college basketball awards ever including National Player of the Year, first joined Cosgriff’s program as a seventh grader playing for the sophomores and junior varsity. A member of the varsity in eighth grade, she and the Royals made the state championship game every year except her last in 2020.

That year the Royals and Farmington advanced to a date for the final game only to see it cancelled by the State High School League because of COVID. Hopkins and Bueckers were primed to win a second consecutive state title with a 62-0 win streak that dated back to 2019 when they had earned the title of Class 4A champs. Cosgriff describes the last-minute decision to cancel the game and not compete for a championship in 2019 “as quite a kick in the pants.”

“The entire program was in tears,” he said. “We were in a mess. Absolute mess.”

But there were different tears yesterday as Bueckers fulfilled a goal she once talked about via SLAM on Instagram back in her Hopkins days. She spoke of “winning a national championship” in college and hoping after that to be the first pick in the WNBA Draft.

Now the 6-foot, 23-year-old Bueckers is considered the likely No. 1 WNBA pick in the league draft next Monday.

Storybook ending.

Worth Noting

In a move to generate more revenue, the U Athletic Department is exploring potential naming rights for Williams Arena. With or without a corporate name, the facility will still be referred to by many fans as “The Barn.”

While many find the nickname appealing, I don’t.

Do you wonder why the historic building that is nearing its 100^th birthday is labeled a “dump” now days? Yes, the men’s urinals are troughs and other enhancements are needed, but it hasn’t helped the venue’s image that for years the arena is called “The Barn.”

To me there’s nothing appealing about the disparaging connotation of a barn being home to a Big Ten basketball team. It’s a marketing mistake by the U to have played into the narrative for a long time.

Other college basketball historic venues aren’t labeled as such. Cameron Indoor, Allen Fieldhouse and The Palestra are examples. The latter two facilities have flattering nicknames: “The Phog” and “The Cathedral of College Basketball.”

Twins Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven, who used to have fun as the Twins TV analyst promoting his birthday, turned 74 yesterday.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in Minnesota. The April 6, 1982, attendance of 52,279 for the first-ever regular season game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome set a record that still stands. Rookie Gary Gaetti had four hits, including two home runs, but the Twins lost 11-7 to the Mariners.

Gulp: $25 to park in Ramp A for the Twins-Astros game last Saturday.

The first of 10 free Twins over-the-air games on Fox 9 is a week from Tuesday, April 15, against the Mets from Target Field.

The Twins don’t have the most attractive home schedule for summer weather. They have 15 home games each in April and May, with 13 in June, August and September, and just 12 in July.

The “Hit It To Win It” contest will draw attention at Target Field this season. If a Twins’ home run hits the Winnebago brand RV parked in right field area on the fly, a lucky fan’s entry will be drawn to win an outdoor recreational vehicle or boat of his or her choice from Winnebago Industries (up to $200,000 in MSRP value). To enter the sweepstakes, visit the area inside Gate 34 at the stadium to connect with a Winnebago Industries brand rep, scan the QR code on the stadium RV, or visit www.hitittowinit.com and complete the entry form.

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