Twins – Page 169 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Sooners Interested in U RB Target Jones

Posted on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by David Shama

Oklahoma is the latest school to show interest in Washburn High School running back Jeff Jones. Washburn coach Giovan Jenkins told Sports Headliners the Sooners contacted him last week about Jones, the Rivals.com four-star running back who remains verbally committed to the Gophers.

“The Gophers will always be No. 1 until someone else shows something different that he can’t get at home,” Jenkins said. “He is a hometown kid who loves the thought of being a superstar in his home state. He loves the idea of being the next guy having the whole state on his side.”

The senior running back, who Rivals.com reports is the only four-star player to commit so far to the Gophers for the class of 2014, scored seven touchdowns last week to increase his season total to 24. “He’s having a phenomenal senior year,” Jenkins said. “He‘s on track for over 40 touchdowns.”

Jenkins believes Jones’ statistics, that include a career best 28 touchdowns as a sophomore, may have been what first prompted interest by national power Oklahoma, a program whose former great running backs include Adrian Peterson. “He probably reminds them of No. 28,” Jenkins said.

Jones spoke with Oklahoma assistant coach Cale Gundy on Monday night. Jenkins said the Sooners want to review Jones’ academic records before making an offer. Jenkins said his star running back is “on track to graduate.”

Worth Noting

The other Minnesota prep named Jones who is being highly recruited is Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones. It’s speculated Jones will make Duke his college choice but maybe not. Jones is likely to keep his pact to attend the same school with Jahlil Okafor, the Chicago Whitney High School center. But does Okafor want to accept a scholarship to Duke where forward and former Chicago prep rival Jabari Parker is already a freshman?

Speculation is Okafor likes the Kansas coaches and perhaps leans toward a November commitment to the Jayhawks. But does Jones want to play in the Big 12 Conference where the Jayhawks’ rivals will include Baylor? The Bears’ coaching staff includes Jared Nuness who is a friend and relative of Jones.

Okafor and Jones might have their reasons for cancelling out Duke and Kansas. Could Baylor be the compromise choice?

Rivals.com rates Okafor the No. 1 national recruit in the class of 2014. Jones is No. 5.

Last Sunday games involving the Twins (Fox Sports North) and Vikings (WCCO TV) were televised in the local marketplace with dramatic differences in viewership. The Twins, ending a 66-96 season, had a 0.8 rating while the Vikings number was 33.

Byron Buxton, named this week by the Twins as the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year, backs up the hype about his extraordinary speed. He led all of minor league baseball in triples this year with 18 and was 12^th in stolen bases at 55. Buxton, who played in 125 total games with Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers, was also selected by Baseball America as its Minor League Player of the Year.

Sports Headliners’ Big Ten football power rankings: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Northwestern, Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Penn State, Minnesota, Indiana and Purdue.

NHL authority Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners he’s taking a wait-and-see approach with the Wild who open the regular season tomorrow night at Xcel Energy Center against the Kings. Whether the Wild improve over last season’s 26-19-3 record depends on how young players “produce,” Nanne said. He mentioned 21-year-old forwards Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter, and defenseman Jonas Brodin, 20, referring to Coyle and Brodin as potential stars.

Nanne, a University of Minnesota alum, is involved with the new fundraising campaign to raise $190 million for Gophers facilities. He said a campaign announcement could come in three weeks.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino said yesterday he has 13 players practicing and is looking to add one or two walk-ons. He also said the NCAA hasn’t informed the Gophers yet whether Drake transfer Joey King will be eligible this season or have to sit out a year.

Pitino on former Gophers coach Tubby Smith: “He is one of the better teachers of fundamentals in the game.”

Local high school basketball authority Chris Monter describes Seattle prep Josh Martin as a “physical player” who can score inside. “He’s not a great athlete but a good athlete,” Monter said about the power forward who verbally committed to the Gophers this week.

ESPN.com dropped Martin, who makes only about half his free throws, from a four-star to two-star player. “His AAU team did not have a good summer,” Monter said.

News conference overload: The Gophers men’s hockey team will have a news conference this afternoon to preview the coming season. That will be the last of six local news conferences that started late Monday morning with the Timberwolves and included the Twins, Vikings, and Gophers football and basketball.

Comments Welcome

Bowl Prospects Dim for Golden Gophers?

Posted on September 30, 2013September 30, 2013 by David Shama

What now for the Golden Gophers?

Passionate Gophers fans had a disappointing day on Saturday when Iowa defeated Minnesota 23-7. It was a game many thought was a likely win because Iowa was coming off a 4-8 season and had lost its opening game to Northern Illinois.

Wrong assumption.

It was suggested here last Friday the Hawkeyes have better personnel than the Gophers. Correct analysis.

The Hawkeyes dominated Minnesota starting with the line of scrimmage where Iowa’s superiority in offensive and defensive linemen was evident from the opening minutes of the game. But the Hawkeyes were better in other positions, too, including linebackers, running backs, quarterbacks and wide receivers.

The Gophers came into the game 4-0 and need two more wins to be bowl eligible. Iowa was supposed to be win No. 5, with the Hawkeyes projected among the most likely victims on Minnesota’s Big Ten Conference schedule. Now, with seven league games remaining, all Gophers fans can do is cross their fingers the team can find a couple more wins.

Except for the November 2 game at Indiana, the Gophers will send inferior personnel onto the field in the weeks ahead. And the Hoosiers might be Minnesota’s equal in talent, and will have home field advantage. Assuming a victory against the Hoosiers is a mistake.

The Gophers play at Michigan on Saturday where the shaky but undefeated Wolverines are difficult to defeat. Michigan has had two weeks to prepare for the game. Then the Gophers have their own bye before playing in Evanston on October 19 against one of the best Northwestern teams in years.

Nebraska comes to TCF Bank Stadium on October 26 and the Gophers might have a chance for an upset against a Cornhuskers defense that can be clueless. But don’t count on a win and for sure the Gophers face long odds against Wisconsin at home on November 23 and at Michigan State November 30. A declining Penn State program (the Nittany Lions are at TCF Bank Stadium on November 9) might provide the best opportunity for a win among the remaining opponents.

Reality is the Gophers may fail to qualify for a bowl game. The four wins leading up to the Iowa game were nice but came against the softest nonconference schedule in the Big Ten. UNLV, New Mexico State, Western Illinois and San Jose State — a combined 7 wins and 12 losses for four teams without much personnel. Nobody in the Big Ten had it easier than Minnesota.

That’s the kind of schedule Gophers coach Jerry Kill wants. He’s trying to reshape the talent-poor program he was given in 2011. The plan calls for winning all the nonconference games, finding a couple of league wins and going to a lower level bowl. Extra practices have value but just as important is using a bowl game for a sales tool with recruits, part of the patter the program is improving and will be a winner.

The Gophers are better than two years ago. This is not the same program Kill inherited. The talent is superior, the players are bigger and stronger. They play hard but are often overmatched and out-executed.

It takes time to construct a more competitive roster. Kill has only had two recruiting classes that were the work of him and his assistants. Building a football program is an exercise in not only acquiring skilled players but also increasing total numbers on the roster and putting those players through a process of becoming stronger and more experienced.

The Gophers might surprise their disappointed fans and find a couple more wins this season but even the most optimistic scenario won’t have Minnesota doing much better than last year’s 2-6 Big Ten record. Minnesota hasn’t won half of its conference games since 2005 when the Gophers were 4-4.

Put down 2015 as a possibility for climbing to .500 in the Big Ten. Kill knows what he is doing and the Gophers will be better next year, and the year after. For disappointed Gophers fans that might not represent much encouragement but could be reality.

If you want to rant, don’t direct your comments to Kill. Send them to the school administration. Tell them you want the Gophers to have more resources comparable to the better college football programs including improved practice, academic and training table facilities.

And if you want a little encouragement look at undefeated Northern Illinois’ record this season. The program Kill helped build — led by quarterback Jordan Lynch who Kill recruited and developed — is 2-0 against Big Ten teams. The Huskies are the first Mid-American Conference team in history to have two wins against Big Ten teams in one year.

Just ask Iowa and Purdue.

Worth Noting

A source with knowledge about the Twins organization told Sports Headliners he expects the club to announce today Ron Gardenhire won’t return as manager for 2014. The same source said Paul Molitor could be the team’s new hire.

Don’t expect the Twins to name a successor today if an announcement is made regarding Gardenhire leaving the franchise. If interested, the well-liked Gardenhire is almost certain to be offered a position within the organization if he is no longer the manager. You can be sure Gardenhire’s Twins colleagues and bosses feel bad he finished the season two wins short of 1,000 career victories.

The Twins completed their 2013 season yesterday with a loss to the Indians and a final record of 66 wins, 96 losses. The Twins were also 66-96 last year and 63-99 in 2011. The three year cumulative record, 195 wins, 291 losses, is the worst in Twins history dating back to 1961.

What’s next? Well, from 1997-2000, the Twins’ record was 270 wins, 376 losses. Breaking that record is in play unless the club unexpectedly improves its starting pitching — by a lot.

Average home attendance declined by about 4,000 per game. The season per game averages since Target Field opened in 2010 are: 39,798, 39,112, 34,512 and 30,588.

Adding to the frustration for fans is seeing the success of Twins alums with other teams. Among the achievers in 2013 were outfielder Michael Cuddyer who won the National League batting title with a .324 average and pitcher Francisco Liriano who tied for third in the NL with most wins, 16.

Relief pitchers and ex-Twins Joe Nathan and Grant Balfour were top six finishers in AL saves. Slugger David Ortiz hit 30 home runs and drove in 103 runs, while Carlos Gomez hit 24 home runs and stole 40 bases — painful reminders the Twins had less productive players at designated hitter and center field.

Sports Illustrated offers an NHL preview including power rankings in its September 30 issue. The Wild is ranked No. 6 in the 14 team Western Conference. The Penguins are No. 1 in the Eastern Conference with the Blackhawks No. 1 in the West and the magazine’s choice to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

S.I. chose Wild second year defenseman Jonas Brodin as its “Breakout Player” in the Central Division. “Polished beyond his years in the defensive zone, look for the 20-year-old Brodin’s offensive game to blossom this season,” S.I said.

The new Robbinsdale High School Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its first honorees from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, October 18 at Robbinsdale Middle School. The inductees are Dennis Claridge, Don Dale, Verne Gagne, Tom Heinonen, Julian Hook, Len Lilyholm, Tom Loechler, Irv Nerdahl, Larry Peterson, Cindy Sneddon, Randy Sonenfeld and H.W. “Doc” Spurrier.

Robbinsdale High closed in 1982 but the building is still used by the middle school. More information about the hall of fame is available by calling 763-537-3317.

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Mauer Can Send Message for 2014

Posted on September 18, 2013September 18, 2013 by David Shama

The Twins have the wrong kind of “circle it date” coming up: September 30.

That’s the first day after their 2013 schedule ends and a time to look back on another disappointing year. The team will finish with one of the worst records in MLB for a third consecutive season.

The offseason questions (again) will be what to do about all the losing?

There are mostly no easy answers and quick fixes. A talented group of minor league prospects needs more time in the farm system. The big league club’s loudest plea for help is starting pitching but it’s a monster problem demanding a rebuilt staff. The Twins’ standard approach in the past has been not to sign big buck, long term deals with free agent players—including free agent starting pitchers—so it will be interesting if management takes a new approach this winter.

Managers who finish in last place two consecutive seasons and then move up one spot in the standings during a third year are often asked to move on. But the Twins are a different breed of organization with DNA loyalty seldom seen in professional sports. It just might be that when the Twins decision makers gather in October the guy who decides whether Ron Gardenhire returns as manager is Gardenhire.

Another manager might strategize and energize the Twins to more wins but until the talent is upgraded, particularly the starting rotation, even a miracle worker like Joe Maddon of the Rays could only do so much. Changing managers, though, is one way for the organization to say the leadership on the field is part of a new start for the Twins.

The value of that approach could be more of a marketing tool than a baseball resource. Twins fans are restless and at least one ticket holder described the last few weeks of the season as a “death march.” The organization needs to show fans leadership is serious about rebuilding the franchise and winning. Placing Minnesota baseball legend Paul Molitor in the dugout as manager will fire up some of the team’s more passionate fans and ticket holders. At least in the minds of some fans and media, Molitor has been considered for awhile the most attractive replacement for Gardenhire.

There’s another Minnesota baseball legend who can do something to help the franchise at least take small steps toward a better future starting in 2014. Joe Mauer is the face of this team and the best paid employee in the history of a franchise that started operating here in 1961.

Mauer’s $23 million salary would make original Twins owner Calvin Griffith’s head spin. That kind of money could also provoke Calvin to say what he thought and if still alive he might tell Mauer: “Get your butt out to first base next spring.”

Yeah, we all know Joe loves to catch and the position is the “quarterback spot” on a baseball field. But on a team starved for run production, the Twins can no longer place an aging Mauer behind the plate where he’s another foul ball away from a concussion or sprained finger.

Every indication is the Twins will let Mauer, a three-time American League batting champion, continue catching next season. Mauer should reach a decision long before that and hold a news conference announcing his intent to play first base.

At first base Mauer would fill a position left open by the summer departure of Justin Morneau to the Pirates. Playing first base will be much easier on Mauer’s 31-year-old legs than squatting behind the plate. A revitalized and healthier Mauer at first base could be a small but significant improvement for the club.

It’s a change that Mauer should seize—an opportunity for the soft-spoken Minnesotan to increase his leadership role with the team and in the clubhouse. By doing so he sends a message to his teammates that playing first base isn’t his preference but this is a “team first” move.

It’s a move that among all the possibilities for a better Twins future seems the easiest to implement. We’ll see soon whether Mauer catches on.

Worth Noting

Josmil Pinto, the rookie catcher who would be a candidate to take over for Mauer next season if he moves to first base, is hitting .356 with two home runs and seven RBI in 45 at bats with the Twins.

Third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who might already feel the possibility of super prospect Miguel Sano taking his job in a year or two, has hit .324 in his last 10 games.

Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 the Vikings are tied with the Cowboys for the fourth most wins at home, 222. The Vikings, 0-2, play their first home game of the season on Sunday against the Browns, also 0-2.

Outside rookie linebacker Barkevious Mingo of the Browns has been turning heads. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote that Mingo was the “best rookie I saw in camp this year” when the magazine published its September 2 NFL preview.

Writing for Cleveland.com (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Tom Reed said last Sunday that Mingo’s first regular season game left the Ravens “trying to find ways, legal and otherwise, to slow down the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL Draft.” Reed reported Mingo had a sack on his first snap, “deflected a Joe Flacco pass and drew two holding penalties in showcasing his speed and athleticism.”

Minnesota-based prep football authority Zach Johnson knows it’s too early to evaluate the Gophers 2014 recruiting class but he’s impressed with players who have verbally committed so far including Texas offensive lineman Connor Mayes, Washburn running back Jeff Jones and Chicago defensive tackle Steven Richardson.

Johnson said Mayes could have chosen many other college programs including those in Texas. Jones is the only four-star recruit among the six high school players Rivals.com lists as part of the 2014 Minnesota class. “Definitely one that everyone should be excited about if he sticks with that commitment,” Johnson told Sports Headliners about Jones.

Richardson is the only two-star recruit among the six verbal commitments, with four others labeled three-stars. Johnson said Richardson is “a little undersized at 5-11” but he likes the Mount Carmel High School lineman. “One of those guys who will just be a solid plug on the defensive line up the middle,” Johnson said.

The two FBS opponents the Gophers have defeated in nonconference games this season are a combined 1-5. UNLV (1-2) defeated Central Michigan last Saturday after losses to Minnesota and Arizona when the Rebels were outscored by 73 points. New Mexico State (0-3) has lost to Texas, Minnesota and UTEP by a total of 99 points.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill indicated yesterday running backs Donnell Kirkwood and Berkley Edwards have recovered enough to perhaps play in Saturday’s final nonconference game at TCF Bank Stadium against San Jose State. He wouldn’t say whether Philip Nelson (hamstring) or Mitch Leidner will start at quarterback. The guess here is if Nelson isn’t near 100 percent he won’t play unless Leidner is injured or plays ineffectively.

Columnist Phil Taylor writes in last week’s issue of Sports Illustrated that Jason Collins, who announced earlier this year he is gay, has not been offered a contract by a NBA team. Collins, a 34-year-old 7-foot center, has played for seven NBA teams including the Timberwolves. Although Collins is an aging player who will demand a higher salary than some other players, Taylor writes that it’s “impossible to ignore the obvious question” of whether sexual orientation is a reason NBA clubs aren’t interested. Taylor reports that Collins doesn’t think so.

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