Twins – Page 148 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Twins Season Ticket Sales on Rise

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016 by David Shama

The Twins are ahead of a year ago on new season ticket sales and renewals, which could end at 95 percent. “We’re expecting to see growth in our overall season ticket base for the first time…since we moved into the new ballpark,” Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “That’s exciting.”

Season tickets in 2015 were roughly half of the 24,000 the club sold in 2010, the franchise’s first year in Target Field. After a comeback year on the field in 2014, St. Peter is talking about a season ticket total of more than 14,000 in 2016.

New at Target Field this spring will be an extension of protective netting to shield fans in lower level seats from wayward baseballs and bats. St. Peter said the dugouts at Target Field are closer to home plate than any ballpark in major league baseball. Netting will extend from the existing home plate area to behind the dugouts.

“The netting decision impacts a relatively small number of fans,” St. Peter said. “I wouldn’t say that’s a widespread concern (of patrons). It’s a very serious concern for some fans but I would not classify that as a big concern for the overall fanbase. I think it will be viewed ultimately as a positive for the overall fanbase.”

Major League Baseball recommended in December that teams lengthen safety netting in their stadiums to protect fans seated near the field from balls and bats. The initiative will be welcomed by some customers but will annoy those who want a clear view of the field without looking through netting. St. Peter said the change at Target Field will impact “several hundred season ticket accounts.” The netting will be a height of about six to seven feet above dugout level and in place for the club’s home opener on April 11.

St. Peter said netting has been part of the ballpark layout for a long time and has been in place for some of the Twins’ most sought-after seating. “Fans have adapted to it,” he added.

The Twins have a reinvigorated fan base that is optimistic about the club’s winning season in 2015, the first in five years. Part of that enthusiasm will be on display at TwinsFest January 29-31 at Target Field. Tickets are still available for the annual event that allows fans to meet present and past Twins players.

Fans will be introduced to South Korean newcomer Byung Ho Park, the 29-year-old DH the club signed in the offseason. Park is working out with his former South Korean team in Arizona where that club has annually held spring training.

Miguel Sano (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins)

After Twinsfest, Park will go to the Twins’ training complex in Fort Myers where he will be joined by 2015 rookie slugger sensation Miguel Sano who is transitioning from third base to right field. Twins manager Paul Molitor prefers to try Sano in right field rather than left field because that is a more expansive area to defend at Target Field.

Twins legend Rod Carew, still recovering from a near fatal heart attack last year, may attend TwinsFest. “(He is) getting stronger at home,” St. Peter said. “Still hopes to potentially get to TwinsFest. In addition, Rod is very focused on getting to Fort Myers for spring training.”

Torii Hunter, who retired after last season, will attend the team’s fan festival. The Twins hope he will accept a future role with the club. “I am optimistic Torii will be involved with the Twins over the long-term,” St. Peter said.

Michael Cuddyer, recently retired from the Mets, reportedly remains under contract with that club. St. Peter said his organization may one day want to talk with Cuddyer, a former Twin, about a non-playing role. “Longer-term, by all means, we have interest in Michael Cuddyer ultimately being part of our organization.”

Worth Noting

Bret Bielema, who angered Gophers fans when he was head coach at Wisconsin, will be a headline speaker on Friday, April 1 for the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park. Bielema, now at Arkansas, irked Minnesota coach Tim Brewster and Gopher nation by opting for a late game two-point conversion in the Badgers’ lopsided 41-23 win in 2010.

The annual clinic is attended primarily by Minnesota high school football coaches and last year had a record 1,267 registrations. The Gophers are among the clinic organizers and it was ex-Minnesota coach Jerry Kill (who replaced Brewster in 2010) that helped book Bielema awhile ago as a featured speaker. Kill and Bielema are friends.

Jim Dotseth, one of the clinic administrators, has met Bielema and described him as “amenable” and a regular guy. “I think they (clinic attendees) will be excited about having him speak,” Dotseth said. “He’s a pretty successful coach at the Division I level.”

Bielema defeated the Gophers eight times as Wisconsin’s head coach and led the Badgers to three consecutive Big Ten championships and Rose Bowls. He is rebuilding an Arkansas program that closed last season by winning six of its last seven games including a Liberty Bowl victory. (See the YouTube trailer on “Being Bret Bielema.”)

The MFCA Clinic will be March 31-April 2. Other headline speakers will be head coaches Tracy Claeys from Minnesota, P.J. Fleck of Western Michigan and John Stiegelmeier from South Dakota State. More at mnfootballcoaches.com.

Knowledgeable sources still don’t know of a favorite for the Gophers athletic director opening other than interim boss Beth Goetz.

Minnesotans who love to bash the Iowa Hawkeyes might be looking with jealous eyes toward “Baja Minnesota.” The Hawkeye football team won the Big Ten West, played in the Rose Bowl and finished with a 12-2 record. The men’s basketball team is 5-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since the 1996-1997 season. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 9 nationally in both the A.P. and coaches polls—the highest ranking for the program since November of 2001 when Iowa was No. 7.

Mike Mularkey, the former Vikings tight end named the Tennessee Titans head coach a few days ago, started his coaching career in 1993 as an assistant at Concordia, St. Paul.

It’s a big week for the nationally-ranked MIAC-leading St. Thomas men’s basketball team. Coach John Tauer’s 13-1 Tommies are on a nine game winning streak and play at Carleton on Saturday afternoon—the only team to defeat UST so far. The Tommies’ conference record is 8-1 while Carleton is 7-2, the same record as the St. Olaf team that plays at St. Thomas tonight.

Tyus Jones, two years ago a high school All-American at Apple Valley, hasn’t played in the last eight Timberwolves games, according to stats from ESPN.com. The 2015 first round draft choice was recalled from the NBA Development League on December 22. After coming back to the Wolves, the 19-year-old point guard played in the team’s next seven games. With the Idaho Stampede, Jones averaged 24.7 points and five assists in six games. He is averaging three points and 1.6 assists with the Wolves this season.

Jones’s brother, sophomore point guard Tre Jones from Apple Valley High School, is being recruited hard by Texas Tech and former Gophers coach Tubby Smith.

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Write It Down: Vikings 24, Seahawks 17

Posted on January 8, 2016January 8, 2016 by David Shama

Bob Lurtsema is a sage about the Vikings. Better listen to him when he predicts a win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

Lurtsema, 73, played for the Vikings in their last outdoor playoff game when the temperature at kickoff was about 12 degrees. At Met Stadium on December 26, 1976 the Vikings beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-13 in the NFC Championship game and advanced to the Super Bowl.

This Sunday the 11-5 Vikings play the 10-6 Seattle Seahawks in one of four first round NFL playoff games. With temps around zero forecast for the outdoor game at TCF Bank Stadium, Lurtsema believes the Vikings have a home field advantage, just like they did almost 40 years ago against another West Coast team. The Rams weren’t used to anything like the cold weather they found in Minnesota. Lurtsema said “it was brutal” what the Rams experienced.

Lurtsema predicts a low scoring game this Sunday. The cold is likely to encourage running the football and the passing for both teams could focus on short routes. “It might be 24-17 at the max, Vikings,” Lurtsema said.

Before this season started the Vikings weren’t a popular choice to be in the playoffs. Their regular season record in 2014 was 7-9 (Lurtsema predicted 8-8). Last summer Lurtsema told Sports Headliners the Vikings’ final record in 2015 would be 10-6—and good enough to qualify for the playoffs.

The Seahawks dominated the Vikings last month in Minneapolis, winning 38-7. The lone score for the Vikings came on a Cordarrelle Patterson kickoff return for a touchdown. Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater passed for only 118 yards while Adrian Peterson rushed for just 18 yards.

The Seahawks’ defense and offense are formidable. Their defense gave up an NFL best 17.3 points per game. The offense is led by quarterback Russell Wilson who is one of the league’s most elusive and statistically impressive quarterbacks. In Seattle’s win over the Vikings he completed 21 of 27 passes while throwing three touchdown passes.

The Seahawks have played in the last two Super Bowls and are coming off a 41-7 win over the 13-3 Cardinals last Sunday. “Seattle is close to being the best,” Lurtsema said. “No doubt about it.”

But, according to Lurtsema, the Seahawks won’t be good enough to defeat the Vikings because of the weather, and because Minnesota’s “defense is playing better” than when the two teams last met. The Vikings’ defense gave up only 18.9 points per game this season, fifth best in the NFL, and was stellar last week in a 20-13 win over the Packers.

“We don’t make mental mistakes,” Lurtsema said. “It’s a lot like Bud Grant’s teams.”

Lurtsema raves about head coach Mike Zimmer’s defensive prowess and knows the coach won’t tolerate mistakes by his players, just like Grant for whom Lurtsema played. Lurtsema said avoiding mental errors is particularly crucial in playoff games where one or two mistakes can decide games.

Lurtsema believes Bridgewater and the offense will make enough plays to help Minnesota win. “Teddy will just play so much better,” Lurtsema said.

Worth Noting

Lurtsema is a believer in Bridgewater and brought up a game earlier this season when the Vikings quarterback saw the opposing team had 12 players on the field.

“That is a tremendous plus for a quarterback to have that type of awareness,” Lurtsema said. “That type of peripheral vision where he can actually tell, have everybody on the opposing defense accounted for (is impressive).”

The game on Sunday in Minneapolis will be televised nationally by NBC, with Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya reporting. Collinsworth played in the second coldest temp ever recorded for an NFL game when his Bengals won the 1981 AFC Championship game against the Chargers. The temperature at kickoff in Cincinnati was -9 degrees (-59 degrees windchill). The famous 1967 “Ice Bowl” in Green Bay between the Packers and Cowboys had an NFL record low temp of -13.

The Twins will sort through their centerfield options in spring training because it’s uncertain 22-year-old Byron Buxton can win the position. Former Twins centerfielder Denard Span was a free agent until he signed this week with the Giants. He was probably too old and expensive for Minnesota management to consider. Span’s 32nd birthday is next month and while he has hit over .300 the last two seasons he had injuries in 2015.

Span was traded to the Nationals in 2012 for pitching prospect Alex Meyer who never has seized a prominent role with the Twins. Meyer, who turned 26 last Sunday, seems most likely to have a relief role if he makes the club.

No doubt a lot of Gophers boosters want to see the University of Minnesota explore job options with Jerry Kill. The popular ex-football coach will likely finalize his next career plans in the coming months.

New offensive coordinator Jay Johnson and offensive line coach Bart Miller will be introduced to the media today by Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys.

The Gophers, who have never won the Big Ten West Division title, could be a dark horse pick next fall but certainly not a favorite. Iowa, the 2015 West Division champ, returns seven players on offense and eight on defense.

Penn State has only been playing men’s major college hockey since 2012 but the Nittany Lions are No. 14 in the USCHO.com national poll. PSU, with a 12-3-3 record hosts the Gophers, 8-9-0, tonight and tomorrow afternoon for Big Ten Conference games. The Gophers aren’t in the USCHO.com poll of top 20 teams but St. Cloud State is No. 4, Minnesota State No. 18 and Minnesota Duluth No. 19. The Gophers lead the Big Ten standings with a 3-1 record while PSU is 2-0.

The Golden Gophers women’s basketball team had a special game last evening in a 106-75 win over the Illini. Rachel Banham scored 39 points and set a program 3-point record as Minnesota won at Illinois for the first time in six years. Banham made 10 of her 15 3-point attempts and her 39 points tied a career high. Minnesota (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) tied the conference team record for 3-point field goals by converting 19. Coach Marlene Stollings‘ team made 50 percent of its field goal attempts, including 19 of 39 3-pointers (48.7 percent). Minnesota’s point total was its second-highest ever in a conference game.

Wednesday night’s Timberwolves-Nuggets score was more like what NBA teams produced in the 1950s before the league instituted the 24-second shot clock. The two teams combined for just 21 fourth quarter points in the Nuggets’ 78-74 win at Target Center. It was the seventh Wolves game in franchise history in which neither team reached 80 points, and the first since 2006.

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Timberwolves Not Pursuing Kevin McHale

Posted on December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 by David Shama

Quoting Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor in today’s column, and also Twins president Dave St. Peter.

Kevin McHale was fired as coach of the Rockets last month after leading the team to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals in the spring. McHale hasn’t announced his future plans but Minnesota basketball fans who watched him play for the Gophers and later hold both executive and coaching positions with the Wolves wonder if the Hibbing native might work again for Taylor.

The Wolves owner remains friends with McHale but the two haven’t spoken since he was let go in Houston. Taylor has no plans to pick up the telephone right now and call McHale who after his playing career with the Celtics was named one of the NBA’S 50 greatest players ever.

Taylor doesn’t want to send the wrong messages to his Timberwolves basketball employees including interim coach Sam Mitchell. “I’ve made a point of not doing it (calling McHale) just because I want to be careful,” Taylor said.

Glen Taylor (Photo courtesy of Timberwolves)

Mitchell, a former NBA Coach of the Year with the Raptors, has been told his status will be evaluated at season’s end. Taylor has no plans to change that timeline.

The Wolves haven’t made the playoffs since 2004 and last season their record was 16-66. This season the team is 8-12 heading into tonight’s home game against the Lakers. Taylor likes the talent and promise of a young roster whose core is built around a pair of 20-year-olds—second-season guard-forward Andrew Wiggins and rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns.

How will Taylor evaluate Mitchell at season’s end and decide about the veteran coach’s future? “We’ve never really put up goals exactly that I was going to measure him on, but I think what I would measure him on is seeing how far the team has progressed,” Taylor said.

The owner’s goal is to see his club eventually become an “elite team for quite some time.” Taylor isn’t overly concerned about seeing his team make the playoffs this season, although he would certainly welcome that achievement. He’s most interested in seeing how the players develop and how Mitchell contributes to their improvement.

Mitchell has shown a commitment to use young players and go deep into his bench, even at the expense of having veterans on the floor late in games. Sometimes that has not worked but Taylor is supportive. “I don’t get into that (who he plays),” Taylor said. “I want to win, he wants to win. I am not going to second-guess him.”

The late Flip Saunders rebuilt the Timberwolves roster in two years with savvy personnel moves. He and Taylor were close friends. The unexpected death of Saunders this fall dramatically changed the franchise’s leadership because he was the coach, top player personnel executive and part-time owner.

“When I see us play, and we do really well, it just breaks my heart that he’s not at least on the floor here watching them, rather than from heaven watching them, because he put so much effort into it and he was so enthused about what was going to happen,” Taylor said.

Tonight Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who has announced this will be his final NBA season, plays in Minneapolis for the last time. Taylor hopes to reach out to the 37-year-old superstar shooting guard who has secured a place among the NBA’s top players ever. What will Taylor say?

“Basically, thanks for sharing your career with us. We really appreciate the opportunity to watch somebody like you that worked so hard to do so well. All of us either got to either yell for you or against you, but either way we appreciated it. Something like that.”…

St. Peter said Rod Carew is improving by the week following his open heart surgery earlier this fall. He talks on a regular basis to the Twins legend who had a massive heart attack in September.

“His spirits are good,” St. Peter told Sports Headliners. “He’s been (buoyed) by the outpouring of support from a variety of people both inside and outside of baseball. He’s really enjoying spending time with family right now, and hopes to get back to his home in Orange County I think soon. (He) has not given up on coming to Minnesota at some point during this offseason but also may be coming to Fort Myers for spring training.”

Carew is convalescing in a private home in the San Diego area. He suffered his heart attack while on a golf course and twice was near death before medical professionals saved his life. “We’re lucky he’s still here,” St. Peter said.

Carew, 70, had thought he was in good health and was feeling well prior to his heart attack. “He didn’t see this one coming,” St. Peter said. “That’s part of his motivation toward really trying to get engaged with the American Heart Association to tell his story and ultimately build awareness of heart health, and get incremental checkups.”

A career.328 hitter, Carew played 19 seasons in the major leagues including 12 with the Twins. He won all seven of his American League batting championships in Minnesota. He is a special assistant to the Twins along with other franchise legends such as Kent Hrbek and Tony Oliva.

St. Peter said Miguel Sano, the 2015 Twins rookie sensation who hit 18 home runs in 279 at bats, is practicing in the outfield this fall while playing in the Dominican Winter League. In games, however, Sano is playing at third base, his longtime position. The Twins plan to have Sano play the outfield next season but St. Peter said the club sees Sano’s long-term position as third base.

The Twins had a surprise season in 2015, finishing with a winning record for the first time in four years. St. Peter likes the club’s core of players who led the team to an 83-79 record, and moves have been made to strengthen the roster this offseason. “We’re not afraid to make trades,” he said.

St. Peter said “ideally” the team wants to improve its bullpen. Starting pitching could be a trade target too, of course. While the Twins don’t want to “shake up” their roster after last season’s success, he said the club doesn’t have a “lot of untouchables” that would be excluded from trade talks.

St. Peter recently vacationed in London. He expects MLB games could be played in the U.K. as soon as next year or in 2017. Commissioner Rob Manfred has international ambitions for his sport and future games might also be played in Germany and Latin America.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for TwinsFest, scheduled January 29-31 at Target Field. St. Peter said most of the 40-man roster will attend the event. Fans can also meet top prospects Jose Berrios (pitcher) and Nick Gordon (shortstop) who aren’t part of the 40-man group. Tickets could sell out in advance and total attendance is projected at 15,000 to 17,000.

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