Twins – Page 166 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Wilfs Don’t Know GM’s Draft Favorite

Posted on May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 by David Shama

Rick Spielman knows who the Vikings’ likely first round pick will be on Thursday night in the NFL Draft but no one else in the organization does yet.

At a news conference to discuss the draft this afternoon the Vikings general manager said he knows who he favors with the No. 8 selection but not even the owners know his preference yet. The final decision on that player will be Spielman’s.

On Thursday night what communication will there be with owners Zygi and Mark Wilf? Spielman answered the Wilfs will sit next to him that evening and be told prior to the selection. They are already aware of draft options.

Spielman accepts his leadership role and the accountability that comes with this week’s three day, seven round draft. He also accepts responsibility for drafting controversial quarterback Christian Ponder at No. 12 during the first round of the 2011 draft.

“I take full responsibility for Christian Ponder. Is he a bust? Or is he not a bust?”

Spielman said he wouldn’t consider trading Ponder during the 2014 draft because the former Florida State star is along with Matt Cassel one of only two quarterbacks on the roster. “But Christian is still a very young quarterback,” Spielman said. “He showed flashes but he just hasn’t been as consistent as you wanted yet.”

Spielman gave every indication the Vikings will draft at least one quarterback before the draft ends on Saturday. But, of course, he offered no clues who the Vikings will choose at No. 8. “You guys (the media) are missing some names on our spot (in mock drafts) at eight,” he said.

The Vikings could move down in the first round, trading their No.8 for multiple draft positions in the early rounds. Spielman said he’s already received calls from teams interested in acquiring the Vikings second and fourth round picks. “Everybody is just starting to lineup their dance partners.”

Spielman has shown a willingness not only to be accountable but aggressive in the draft. He believes taking risks is mandatory in the process to improve a team. Part of his preparation and for those who work with him is spending hours anticipating different draft board scenarios. “You’ve already kind of experienced the worst thing that can happen to you on draft day and how you would react,” Spielman said.

There are plenty of variables throughout the three days including who other teams will choose and trades that will shake-up the best of plans. It sounds like this is to Spielman’s liking.

“I love to be active on draft day.”

Worth Noting

ESPN and the NFL Network will both televise the NFL Draft Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The first round will be Thursday starting at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time. Rounds two and three are Friday beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday’s draft starts at 11 a.m. and consists of rounds four through seven.

NFL Network will offer a record 51 live hours of draft coverage starting Thursday, according to a story yesterday on Cynopsis.com. Programming will include reports from a minimum of 15 team “War Rooms.”

At noon today StubHub.com listed 515 tickets, starting at $103.65, being available for tonight’s 8 p.m. game between the Wild and Blackhawks at Xcel Energy Center.

The Wild, trailing 2-0 in the series, practiced this morning. The starting time for game four on Friday night at Xcel Energy Center will be8:30 p.m.

Sportsmedianews.com reported yesterday that last Friday night’s telecast of the Wild-Blackhawks game had an 11.1 household rating in the Minneapolis area, best ever in this market for the Wild on NBCSN. Sunday’s game had a 12.8 rating here, the best ever in Minneapolis for the Wild on NBC, according to the website.

Seldom has a potential Wild off-season acquisition been more anticipated than Thomas Vanek signing with Minnesota. The Wild need an upgrade in goal scoring but Vanek turns 31 in January. He has three goals and two assists in six playoff games for the Canadiens this spring, the kind of production the Wild could use. However, given a choice including payroll considerations, the Wild might be better off spending money on a quality goalie.

Kyle Gibson, the Twins starting pitcher with the best ERA, has already won more games than last year as a rookie. Gibson, who joined the Twins on June 29 last year, was 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA in 2013. This season he is 3-2 with a 3.50 ERA.

Last night Gibson pitched seven innings while giving up only two hits and no runs in a 10 inning 1-0 win against the Indians. Twins starters have only allowed six earned runs in their last five games and Minnesota has won three consecutive games.

Second baseman Brian Dozier, who was hitless last night, has hit safely in 19 of his last 23 games. Close observers have to wonder how much longer the Twins will have Dozier, who leads the team in home runs with eight, batting leadoff.

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GM, Coach Bios Give Vikes Draft Clues

Posted on May 2, 2014May 2, 2014 by David Shama

Anyone who claims to know for certain who the Vikings will draft first next week is hallucinating.

The Vikings have eight picks in the NFL Draft next Thursday, Friday and Saturday including the No. 8 choice in the first round. The team’s personnel decision makers have extensive information on prospects and know who they prefer and what their needs are going into next week’s seven round draft.

But locked and loaded on who to choose first? No chance.

Look at last year’s draft when general manager Rick Spielman made trades that gave his franchise three first round picks, not one. In 2012 Spielman maneuvered to secure two choices in the first round and extra picks in later rounds.

Spielman’s past willingness to make trades and shuffle his team’s draft order is a clue about what might happen next week. So, too, is the background of new head coach Mike Zimmer who made his reputation in the NFL as defensive coordinator of the Bengals. He will take his best shot at upgrading Minnesota’s defense as fast as possible. That could mean a preference in this draft for aggressive and rangy defensive players.

While the Zimmer file provides some draft clues, remember the offense looks like it will be at least partially entrusted to new coordinator Norv Turner. A former head coach and veteran quarterback authority, Turner’s views on offensive personnel figure to weigh heavily in the draft.

Opinions about the potential of the top quarterbacks are varied and controversial but if Turner is enamored with one or two prospects that could mean the Vikings stay at No. 8 in the first round, or even try to move up in the draft. Chris Burke’s mock draft in this week’s Sports Illustrated has the Vikings choosing Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles. At 6-foot-5 with a strong and accurate arm, Bortles not only has classic NFL quarterback attributes, but his intelligence also seems like a good fit for Turner’s complex offense.

Spielman has scored in the past with some quality players in the draft including tight end Kyle Rudolph and wide receiver-kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson but his reputation with fans is tarnished because Christian Ponder, his No. 12 choice in 2011, hasn’t developed into a franchise quarterback. But because Spielman was burned with Ponder doesn’t mean the Vikings won’t risk another high draft choice on a quarterback.

It’s possible the Vikings could trade up in the draft to find their quarterback, or fill a linebacker spot with highly regarded Khalil Mack from Buffalo. To do that the Vikings might trade with the Rams who have the No. 2 pick. The Vikings could offer extra lower round draft choices to the Rams, plus their No. 8 first round spot.

Probably more likely, though, is a move by the Vikings to boost their total number of picks from eight to 10 or more for what is considered a draft deep in talent. The Vikings need help at so many positions, particularly on defense, that increasing the number of draft choices makes sense. Then, too, Zimmer is expected to work effectively with players who are regarded as projects and could be lower round selections.

The 49ers, a team in need of a personnel adjustment or two to perhaps return to the Super Bowl, might be a trade partner for Minnesota. The 49ers have the No. 30 pick in the first round but they have 11 total draft choices. Burke predicts the 49ers will take Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby at No. 30 but wrote the 49ers have the “ammo for a leap up the board.”

The 49ers have six picks in the top 100 while the Vikings own four. Those are attractive numbers for both franchises. The stuff of trades but until draft day comes nobody knows for certain what’s next including those who are paid to make the moves.

Worth Noting

Burke’s mock draft for Sports Illustrated has defensive end Jadevon Clowney from South Carolina going No. 1 overall to the Texans. He predicts Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel will be the first quarterback drafted at No. 4 by the Browns.

Here’s what Burke forecasts for Vikings NFC North rivals in the first round: Lions at No. 10 choose UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr; Bears, No. 14, pick Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald; Packers, No. 21, take Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier.

Burke’s second round includes the Vikings choosing BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy at No. 40.

Gerry DiNardo said on the Big Ten TV Network Monday night Iowa and Nebraska are the teams most likely to win the Big Ten Conference’s new West Division next fall. His choices in the East are Michigan State and Ohio State.

DiNardo said the Gophers, a member of the West, need to improve their offense. In eight Big Ten games last season Minnesota was 8^th in rushing, 12^th in passing and 10^th in scoring.

The Wild, who open a second round Stanley Cup playoff series tonight in Chicago against the Blackhawks, will have tickets for Minnesota’s home games going on sale tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m. at Xcel Energy Center and Ticketmaster. Single game tickets range in price from $49 to $146.

It will be interesting to follow the local TV ratings in the series. Wednesday night’s game seven first round finale between the Wild and Avalanche was the highest-rated telecast ever in Fox Sports North history. The telecast had a 16.4 household rating in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous record, a 15.3 rating, was in August of 2010 for a Twins-White Sox game.

In the Minneapolis–St. Paul market, 17,280 households represent one rating point. That means over 283,390 households tuned in Wednesday night. The telecast received a 32 share, signifying 32 percent of the viewing audience in the Twins Cities area watched the game. During overtime the telecast reached its peak viewing audience with a 18.3 rating and 49 share, indicating nearly half of Twin Cities households were tuned in.

Coach Richard Pitino’s 2014 six-man recruiting class includes one Minnesota native, shooting guard Zach Lofton who attended Columbia Heights High School and is transferring to the Gophers from Illinois State. Lofton will sit out next season as a transfer and junior forward Joey King from Eagan will be the only scholarship Minnesotan on the roster.

Pitino’s 2015 recruiting class could be led by two Minnesotans, DeLaSalle point guard Jarvis Johnson and Grand Rapids forward Alex Illikainen. Both have been ranked as top 100 recruits by Rivals.com but neither has made a college commitment.

New Gophers women’s basketball coach Marlene Stollings is working on completing her staff.

The Twins lost a doubleheader with the Dodgers yesterday as part of a three game interleague series. The Dodgers won all three games in the series including the extra innings finale last night, the longest in Target Field history at 5 hours, 11 minutes.

Aaron Hicks, who has seen his playing time reduced recently, started in center field in both games. He was hitless and his average for the season dropped to .178. Last year as a rookie he batted .192. Hicks left the second game after suffering concussion-like symptoms. If healthy, and not on the injured list, it seems probable that when Twins outfielders Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia return from injuries Hicks will be demoted to Triple-A Rochester.

The National League Dodgers have a history here. The Dodgers not only played the Twins in the 1965 World Series but during the 1950s had their American Association farm team in St. Paul. The Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958 but before that tried to convince the New York borough to build major league baseball’s first domed stadium. The New York Giants, who operated the Minneapolis Millers farm team here, joined the Dodgers in California in 1958 by moving to San Francisco. Before deciding on California the Giants seriously considered moving to Minneapolis.

KARE TV’s Randy Shaver will speak at the Thursday, May 8 CORES luncheon at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington. Shaver, who is well known for his work in raising money for cancer research and patient aid, was a sportscaster at the station for almost 30 years before becoming a weeknight news anchor. Reservations for the lunch and program should be made by next Monday or sooner. Contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Gustavus Adolphus men’s tennis team won the MIAC regular season championship for the 26th consecutive season. This year’s title is the 47th for the program since 1940 and the fifth for head coach Tommy Valentini since taking over the program in the 2009-10 season. Within their run of 26 straight league titles, the Gusties won 242 consecutive MIAC matches.

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Advice to Vikings: Get Johnny Manziel

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

Who says Johnny Manziel isn’t worth risking a high draft choice for?

“Draft experts” ranging from sportswriters to seamstresses, that’s who. But “experts” from sportswriters to Sunday school teachers also say he is worth the gamble.

Here’s the point: there’s no sure draft prospect. Never has been. Quarterbacks who became Super Bowl champions had doubters going into the draft and later. Roger Staubach, a 10^th round pick, had to shake off the rust of a U.S. Navy stint before joining the Cowboys. John Elway, it was said, couldn’t put enough finesse on his passes but he sure made the Broncos a champion. Tom Brady played in the shadows at Michigan and was a sixth round draft choice before helping the Patriots become an NFL power.

Manziel, at 6-foot (maybe), is too short to play in the NFL. He’s more interested in being a celebrity than a winning quarterback. He’s not worth the risk to a team like the Vikings who have the No. 8 pick in the May 8 NFL Draft.

That’s the kind of stuff you hear. Maybe you endorse the chatter. Everybody has an opinion about Johnny Football who combines a strong and accurate arm with the athleticism and vision to dart around the field as if Fran Tarkenton stepped out of a time machine.

“Nobody really played like I played. This kid plays like I did more than anybody else,” Tarkenton told Jim Corbett in a March 11 Usatoday.com story. Tarkenton also said he would like to know more about Manziel’s off-field activities like leaving the Manning Passing Academy early.

Now everybody, please admit this much: Manziel has made the build-up to the 2014 draft more interesting than the usual prelude.

Some mock drafts have had Manziel being drafted by the Vikings, potentially adding a quarterback who will improvise on plays and perhaps stir memories of Sir Francis. The opinion here is the Vikings would be fortunate to find him still available after seven other teams drafted. It’s no cinch the Texans, with the No. 1 pick, will take South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. That franchise needs a quarterback and maybe it will be fate that Manziel, a Texas native who captured the nation’s attention at Texas A&M, ends up playing in Houston.

The Vikings probably will have to move up in the draft to secure Manziel who could be the first quarterback taken or the second after Central Florida’s Blake Bortles. Both have impressed in workouts for NFL scouts.

But do the Vikings, also quarterback hungry, really want Manziel? New head coach Mike Zimmer reportedly values character in his players. In a March 31 Nfl.si.com story by Josh Sanchez, the Vikings coach talked about the importance of a quarterback’s work ethic and leadership.

“We asked him all kinds of questions. …There are some flags that come up,” Zimmer said of Manziel.

Were those the words of a coach throwing up a smoke screen? Or was it a pronouncement the Vikings don’t want the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner who found himself answering to the NCAA about an autograph controversy after that season?

Manziel is a brash self-promoter and this off-season made a cameo with LeBron James in a McDonald’s commercial. But lots of athletes have run their mouths and lined their pocketbooks while winning championships.

Manziel supporters will argue he is all about the team. He was often the hero at A&M, delivering big plays in close games. After an A&M turnover, he even chased down a Louisiana Tech defensive player who was running toward the end zone.

Staubach knows a lot about doubters and character. He served in the Navy for five years before joining the Cowboys. He ended up a Hall of Fame quarterback. Appearing on the NFL Network’s “NFL AM” program on April 9, Staubach said he would take Manziel over Clowney as the No.1 pick. “I just think there’s something about this kid,” he said.

Staubach compared Manziel with Russell Wilson, another short-statured quarterback who the Seahawks chose in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson is the starting quarterback now for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Former Gophers quarterback Adam Weber has been in NFL camps trying to make a career in pro football. His experiences include time on the Broncos’ practice team. Weber talked about the adjustment Manziel and his NFL team will need to make.

“His size (about 6-feet, 205) and the way he plays can get him exposed,” Weber said. “As a quarterback in the NFL, your job is to stay healthy and stay on the field. …Whoever takes Johnny is going to get a very talented quarterback—kind of a lightning-in-a-bottle type, but I think they’re gonna have to learn to kind of bring (rein) him in a little bit and keep him from exposing his body to big hits because the guys are a little bit bigger and faster in the NFL than they are in college.”

Weber, though, believes Manziel is worthy of a team’s high draft choice. “He goes out there on his pro day when everyone is watching him, and he puts together one of the best pro days that any quarterback had this year. I don’t know what else you would want.

“The only thing I see is questionable is his size,” said Weber who mentioned smaller quarterbacks like Drew Brees have been effective. “… I would take him.”

Maybe Manziel will end up in Houston. But Internet stories this month have Manziel applying for a trademark to protect the phrase, “The House That Johnny Built.” While the slogan is reportedly a tie-in with the renovation of Texas A&M’s Kyle Field, it’s a match with the Vikings’ new stadium opening in 2016.

And there you have it about the most polarizing quarterback prospect in the 2014 draft. There’s even controversy about how best to market the slogan “The House That Johnny Built.”

Twins Notes

Stats and impressions about the Twins after almost three weeks of regular season play:

Minnesota is 8-7 after yesterday’s doubleheader wins against the Blue Jays. The Twins have been swept by only the A’s this season. Minnesota swept the Royals, won two of three games from the Indians and Blue Jays, and won a single game in the season opening series against the White Sox.

The team’s run production has been a pleasant surprise, including scoring runs with not a lot of hits in some games. Off-season and spring training personnel decisions appear to have improved the sputtering offense from last year. Management and coaches can feel good about adding the bats of catcher Josmil Pinto, and outfielders Chris Colabello and Jason Kubel. Also, the club’s long time patience with second baseman Brian Dozier and third baseman Trevor Plouffe seems to be paying off.

Kubel is hitting .340 while Colabello is the American League RBI leader with 19. Pinto, with a designated hitter role, is second on the Twins in home runs with three while Dozier, the team’s leadoff hitter, leads the club with five—tied for second in the majors. Plouffe is hitting .309 with 11 RBI—second best on the team.

Personnel decision makers reshuffled the starting pitching rotation in the offseason. Results have been disappointing, although rookie Kyle Gibson has been impressive with a 3-0 record and flashy 0.93 ERA. The bullpen has been more reliable than the starters with Glen Perkins ranking with the league’s best closers.

The Twins appear to be a better club than the team that was 66-96 last year. The guess here is they can win 10 more games than in 2013, perhaps more.

What would it take to push the record closer to .500 or even above? The starting pitching has to improve a lot and the anemic offensive production from shortstop Pedro Florimon and center fielder Aaron Hicks is problematic, although both are superb in the field.

Among the franchise goals entering the season was eliminating last year’s habit of being out of one-sided games by the middle innings. The 2014 Twins have been almost perfect in avoiding early blowout losses. That represents progress and puts some air into their hopes.

Former Twins pitcher LaTroy Hawkins is pitching for the Rockies and has a 1.59 ERA with four saves as a reliever. The 41-year-old Hawkins has been in 949 MLB career games. “My goals this year are to reach 1,000 career appearances…and to win my first World Series,” Hawkins wrote as a guest columnist in the March 31 issue of Sports Illustrated.

His Rockies teammates include ex-Twins Michael Cuddyer and Justin Morneau who have .317 and .346 batting averages.

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