Twins – Page 159 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Fans Await Word on Twins’ Leaders

Posted on September 24, 2014September 24, 2014 by David Shama

A local sports source told Sports Headliners he believes the Twins will change managers after the season ends on Sunday. “Something has to be done,” he said.

But other sources aren’t so sure the status of manager Ron Gardenhire will change after a fourth consecutive 90-plus loss season. The Twins have demonstrated a remarkable loyalty to Gardenhire who is finishing up his 14th season as manager and he has one year remaining on his contract. He is popular within the organization, and considered a “good soldier” and baseball man.

Gardenhire managed the Twins to first place finishes six times but the angst of Twins followers the last four years has raised speculation about not only Gardenhire but his coaches and the front office baseball decision makers including general manager Terry Ryan. Will Gardenhire be replaced? If he returns will he be told to replace some coaches? Will Ryan, who is recovering from cancer, be encouraged to return as the baseball boss?

Twins president Dave St. Peter and owner Jim Pohlad are silent about the future. However, it seems more likely that Gardenhire returns if Ryan is still around. Ryan is a Gardenhire admirer and the Twins don’t like to make changes. A new general manager, though? That could prompt changes everywhere—from the manager to coaches to front office talent evaluators.

If Gardenhire doesn’t return but Ryan does, the source mentioned above believes the club will look within the organization for a replacement. The candidates he mentioned are Twins coaches Paul Molitor and Terry Steinbach, and farm system managers Gene Glynn and Doug Mientkiewicz.

To many fans and media, Molitor is the most intriguing. “I think he would be a terrific manager,” another local sports source said. “They (the Twins) understand the status quo is not acceptable. I believe some change has to be made at the managerial level or beyond that.”

As a Cooperstown Hall of Famer and Minnesota native, Molitor is not only a sexy hire but one with a high baseball IQ. In the Edina resident’s first season as a Twins coach, he’s been hands-on helping with players and strategies.

Authorities like Gophers assistant head baseball coach Rob Fornasiere have long been impressed with Molitor, a former University of Minnesota All-American. He once spent four hours talking to Molitor about one subject—base running. “I admire Paul Molitor and feel that he’s one of the smartest baseball people I’ve ever met,” Fornasiere said.

Conversations among Twins fans during the winter could be interesting following a Molitor promotion. Already there is speculation that if hired, Molitor will bring former Brewers teammate and Hall of Famer Robin Yount to Minneapolis to work along side him as a coach.

Until the Twins put better players on the field—particularly quality starting pitchers—they’re not going to win division titles again but a change in managers and coaches would boost the optimism of some disgruntled fans. Target Field attendance is the lowest since the club moved into its new outdoor home in 2010. TV ratings suffer when the Twins slog their way through last place division finishes and ratings were down a month ago about 25 percent from 2013, according to a source. The Twins marketing leaders have to be concerned about future attendance, ratings, and corporate involvement by advertisers, sponsors and suite holders.

The Twins won’t be in the playoffs this October but it looks like an interesting month that will set the tone for 2015—status quo versus change. “I don’t think they’re going to let it (a decision) linger,” a source said. “I think it starts with Terry and then if Terry stays he will have the opportunity to decide on the manager. If it’s a new GM, then he will have that right.”

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Vikings Put Big Playmakers in the Mix

Posted on September 8, 2014September 8, 2014 by David Shama

Analysis and news about the Vikings 24 hours following their surprising and impressive 34-6 win over the Rams yesterday.

An ongoing complaint during last season’s 5-10-1 fiasco was the coaching staff didn’t take advantage of its playmakers. There was no moaning about that in St. Louis Sunday afternoon when the Vikings opened the regular season against the Rams.

The team’s franchise face, Adrian Peterson, was handed the ball on three of the first four plays of the game. After four quarters the All-Pro running back had 21 carries for 75 yards. He also was used as a pass receiver, catching two balls.

But that’s hardly where the story ended. Cordarrelle Patterson had three runs for a 102 yards, setting a rushing record for a Vikings wide receiver. The second-year man-child stunned observers, including the Rams, by lining up as a tailback in the I-formation and running 67 yards for a touchdown. Patterson, who seemed under utilized as a rookie last season, also caught three passes for 26 yards, and was a potential touchdownmaker running back kickoffs.

Veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings, who joined the Vikings as a free agent for the 2013 season, also seemed left out last season. Not so yesterday when he was the team’s leading receiver with six catches for 58 yards and one touchdown.

Tight end Kyle Rudolph, another man-child talent, only had a couple of receptions but one was for a touchdown pass from Matt Cassel. The Vikings veteran quarterback, who the old coaching staff started in only six games in 2013, had a good day completing 17 of 25 passes with no interceptions for a rating of 113.8.

With plenty of contributors, Peterson didn’t mind sharing the glory. “I am all about wins,” he told KFAN Radio after the game.

The Vikings had playmakers on defense too, including safety Harrison Smith who returned an interception 81 yards for the team’s last score. Smith also had a sack after head coach Mike Zimmer placed him near the line of scrimmage.

An observer had the impression that unlike a season ago the Vikings were correctly positioned on defense. Certainly Smith was yesterday and so were others including rookie linebacker Anthony Barr who applied pressure on the quarterback and was second to safety Robert Blanton in solo tackles.

Last year the Vikings seemed predicatable on defense but the team’s alignments yesterday were effective including mostly man-to-man work in the secondary. The Rams, who played the second half with their third team quarterback, weren’t the kind of offensive challenge the Vikings will face in the coming weeks but it was a praise worthy beginning. The Rams were held to 273 yards passing and 72 rushing.

At Zimmer’s news conference this afternoon he was pleased having won his first game as an NFL head coach but he wasn’t dwelling on yesterday. “We’ve got so many things we have to work on,” he said. “Our whole focus is about us getting better.”

Zimmer said because of injuries defensive starters Sharrif Floyd (tackle) and Xavier Rhodes (cornerback) are “day-to-day.”

Worth Noting

Patterson will be a guest on Paul Allen’s KFAN Radio show tomorrow morning, live from the Vikings new stadium preview center downtown. Fans that have passes will be able to attend.

The Vikings’ Scott Studwell, who has taken on a reduced scouting role as a regional college scout, said he will evaluate 200 to 300 players for next year’s NFL Draft compared with about 700 in the past.

The Vikings used a Valpak mailing last week with an insert headlined: “Don’t Get Left Inside.” Single game tickets for 2014 were promoted in the insert and also a pitch that “the only way to guarantee your seat in the new stadium is to become a season ticket member.”

Adam Thielen, the former Minnesota State-Mankato wide receiver who made the Vikings roster after being on the team’s practice squad last year, said the Gophers and then head coach Tim Brewster showed no interest in him coming out of Detroit Lakes High School. Thielen attracted almost no following from colleges while in high school and he recalled at Mankato State he received about $250 in financial assistance his freshman year. “It was real partial,” he said.

Thielen became a starter at wide receiver during his redshirt sophomore season. He was an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2013.

A source who spoke anonymously said former Gopher Marion Barber III who was reportedly in a hospital last June for a mental health evaluation is okay now and living in the Dallas area.

Barber’s former teammate Laurence Maroney, also one of the Gophers’ greatest running backs ever, lives in the St. Louis area where he is in the music business, according to the same source.

Gophers athletic director Norwood Teague said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” yesterday that his department no longer owes any money to coaches who have been terminated. He also said $40 million has been secured toward the $190 million goal for improved facilities.

The Big Ten office issued a statement this afternoon announcing the reinstatement of Penn State’s eligibility starting now for the conference’s championship football game and a postseason bowl.

Fans will relive Twins memories when they work through the pages of an impressive new book from Nodin Press in Minneapolis. Twins historian Stew Thornley, franchise curator Clyde Doepner and photographer Jerry Stebbins have collaborated on a 96-page book that includes photos of championship rings, gloves, jerseys, pennants, signed baseballs, ticket stubs and other items—even a photo of organist Ronnie Newman’s bench. There are also photos and descriptions about historic achievements by Twins greats including Harmon Killebrew’s 573rd home run and Kirby Puckett’s Silver Slugger Award. The Minnesota Twins Through Memorabilia is like visiting a museum.

Twins relief pitchers have an 8.13 ERA in their last eight games. The club has lost four consecutive games and plays at Cleveland tomorrow night where the Twins starter will be Trevor May, 1-4 with a 9.38 ERA.

In case you want to wish him a belated happy birthday, former Timberwolves star Kevin Love turned 26 yesterday.

Rochester, Minnesota 16-year-old Ingrid Neel played in her first US Open Junior singles match last week in New York, losing in three sets. She and a partner lost in the second round of junior doubles in New York. Neel made news a few years ago by deciding to play boys’ tennis for Rochester Mayo High School, prompted by her belief girls couldn’t offer enough competition. She trains in Florida, with a pro career possible.

Indian Horse Relay will be at Canterbury Park September Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Twelve teams from various Native American nations compete in high-speed bareback riding, exchanging thoroughbred horses on the run. These non-wagering races feature riders in traditional Native American dress competing in qualifying races before determining a champion on Saturday. Known as America’s first sport dating back about 400 years, IHR remains culturally important to Native Americans today. IHR is co-hosted by Canterbury Park and Mystic Lake.

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Jerry Kill Not Backing Off New Facility

Posted on August 18, 2014August 18, 2014 by David Shama

I know Jerry Kill well enough to tell you he has a philosophy about priorities. The Gophers football coach says what’s important gets emphasized.

Kill wants a culture at the University of Minnesota where school leaders inside and outside the athletic department make football a priority. If football isn’t going to be important at Minnesota, don’t be surprised if some day the Gophers are looking for a new head coach. Kill, a Kansas native, might end his career at a school where football is emphasized—maybe in Manhattan, Kansas coaching for Kansas State.

A new football practice facility is considered a must-have by the Gophers. Minnesota is at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference in football facilities, with other schools able to dazzle recruits with their amenities. Meanwhile the Gophers get along with an indoor venue that has a roof so low punts hit the ceiling, and after practices players eat at temporary tables set up in a lobby area near their indoor and outdoor fields.

A new facility, perhaps costing $70 million, is part of a $190 million facilities fundraising plan announced last year by the Athletic Department. Campaign officials have been mostly silent regarding fundraising progress and no official announcement of a date to break ground on a football practice facility has come forward from department authorities.

But Kill sent a message on Saturday when Howard Griffith from the Big Ten Network asked him on a Gophers season preview special what’s next for a program that in the last three years has gone from three wins to six to eight? “…There’s no question I am looking forward to the new facility,” Kill answered. “We have to have that. That’s been kind of a deal in recruiting, and so Coach Kill has put a lot of pressure in that situation. That’s going to come through. So all those things help move the program forward.”

But that wasn’t all Kill said on Saturday. BTN writer Tom Dienhart tweeted that “Jerry Kill says ground will be broken on new football complex in Spring 2015.”

The coach knew he was talking to a national audience including potential recruits when he brought up the practice facility to BTN sources. He was also sending a message to school officials about how important the facility is to him.

Kill has earned the respect and trust of many Gophers loyalists since starting here as head coach in 2011. His skills as a football leader, and compassion for people inside and outside the program, have made him popular with school supporters including those with influence and money. There is no question he is the face of the Athletic Department and it wouldn’t be surprising if big money donors have assured him they will help fund the new facility—and soon.

Worth Noting

Derrick Wells, a senior and likely starter at cornerback, is one of several talented defensive backs for the Gophers, a group that makes Kill anticipate his secondary will rank with the best in the Big Ten Conference. The 6-foot, 201-pound Wells was injured last year and played in 10 of 13 games, starting five of them.

“He’s a big corner,” Kill said. “He’s a very, very good player.”

Wells has also played safety during his college career and said he could see spending time at that position in 2014. “I like both, actually,” he said. “I think I like safety a little more than corner.”

Gaelin Elmore, the true freshman from Somerset, Wisconsin, has been moved from tight end to defensive end. Kill said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle yesterday that Elmore has played the position in high school and the Gophers need depth on the defensive line. He also said the 6-foot-6 Elmore weighs 265 pounds and will probably add 20 pounds. “He is going to play (this season) for us,” Kill said.

TCF Bank Stadium, Target Field and Target Center, located within several miles of one another, had combined announced attendance of 96,843 fans for their games in Minneapolis on Saturday night. The Twins audience watching their win over the Royals was 35,575. The Vikings attendance was 51,763 to see their exhibition win against the Cardinals. The Lynx had 9,505 fans and defeated the Shock. Combined with crowds watching Saints baseball, Minnesota United soccer and horse racing at Canterbury Park, well over 100,000 fans were entertained by sports in the metro area on Saturday night.

Murray’s Restaurant owner and baseball fan Tim Murray saw games last week at the home stadiums for the Astros, Marlins and Reds. With those trips he has now visited each of Major League Baseball’s 30 stadiums.

Here is his top 10: 1. Fenway Park; 2. Wrigley Field; 3. PNC Park; 4. Camden Yards; 5. Dodger Stadium; 6. Coors Field; 7. Target Field; 8. Safeco Field; 9. Kauffman Stadium; 10. Busch Stadium.

Murray made judgments not just on a ballpark’s architecture but on the “whole experience” of attending games. This included ease of entry and exit from the ballpark, food and beverage offerings and service, and restrooms.

Murray said despite not having great sightlines and food, Fenway Park is special. MLB’s oldest stadium has a special charm with its architecture, intimacy, field layout and “quirky Green Monster” wall, he explained.

Murray’s bottom five parks? Tropicana Field is ranked No. 30, then O.com Coliseum, Chase Field, U.S. Cellular Field and Yankee Stadium.

When the Twins play the Royals tonight, Josh Willingham has an opportunity to increase his total career home runs at Target Field. The former Twin has the most home runs ever hit at Target Field, 35. Now with the Royals, he homered yesterday.

Last Saturday was the 60th anniversary of Sports Illustrated’s first issue when Eddie Mathews of the Braves was on the cover. Here is a trivia question: Who is the only Golden Gophers football player ever on the cover?

It was Bobby Cox in 1957. The caption: “Best college quarterback.”

Bidding started earlier this month on Gophersports.com for the Goal Line Club’s online auction to support the football program. More than 70 items are part of the auction including memorabilia, travel and fan experiences. The auction goes until August 24.

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