Twins – Page 197 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Put the Lynx near Your Heart

Posted on May 2, 2012May 2, 2012 by David Shama

If you only reserve your money and emotions for winning teams, then invest in the Lynx. That’s the advice of Sports Headliners after contemplating likeability rankings of the major local pro sports franchises along with the Gophers.

Season outlooks for Minnesota teams are often dreary as real estate values. The April start by the Twins is the latest evidence of our “Losers Club,” but as we look toward the next 12 months we aren’t without hope.

Here are Sports Headliners’ rankings as to who is most and least likely to make us happy:

Love those Lynx. The 2011 WNBA champs brought the first pro title to town since the 1991 World Series Twins. The Lynx opened training camp last Sunday and have their star players returning, including three who will play for Team USA in the Olympics. Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen are winners, and that’s what these rankings are all about. No guarantees but it will be no surprise at all if the Lynx win the WNBA title again.

The hockey Gophers played in the NCAA semifinals where they lost to eventual national champ Boston College. Minnesota goalie Kent Patterson had a great season but is a senior and will have to be replaced. If the Gophers don’t see young talents like Nick Bjugstad leave for the pros during the off-season, or somehow experience other important personnel losses, Minnesota might be even better next winter than last. The Gophers could certainly start the season ranked among the top college hockey teams in the country.

Before Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio tore his ACL and was sidelined, the Wolves were approaching unprecedented recent popularity. Injuries later hit other teammates and the team’s collapse was as attention demanding as the wonderful start to the season led by Rubio and star forward Kevin Love. What’s next for this franchise isn’t easy to answer. Rubio might not be the same player next season as last, and the complementary pieces to Rubio and Love aren’t in place yet.

The Gophers basketball team looks good on paper. We’ll wait and see how they look on the court in February before moving them higher in the rankings. Academics, off-court behavior issues and injuries have wrecked past Tubby Smith teams. Like their predecessors, this Gophers team will not be deep in talent but Minnesota does have three exceptional starters in forwards Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe, and point guard Andre Hollins. Pray for good fortune.

Jerry Kill has more admirers than any coach or manager I can remember who won just 25 percent of his games in a first season. Maybe all these admirers know something. I think they do. Kill’s second year team could win half its games and earn a bowl game invitation. More important, the Gophers just might look pretty good even in games they play against the better teams in the Big Ten. Put your money and emotions on Kill’s Gophers in 2014 and 2015.

The Wild has off-season personnel acquisition intentions like the Wolves. The franchise had a fast start under first year coach Mike Yeo who looks like the right guy on the bench for this team. But the Wild faded miserably during the season and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season. Too many injuries and too few goals. This is a franchise that has shown it can draw fans, but not win many games. We’re waiting.

Maybe it’s the optimism of the off-season and the glitz of last week’s NFL draft, but we’re nudging the Vikings ahead of the Twins in the rankings. Yeah, the 3-13 record of last season will be remembered for a long time but this club has some playmakers. Like they say, on a lot of Sunday afternoons running back Adrian Peterson or wide receiver Percy Harvin can be worth the price of admission. And don’t you just feel better about yourself when Jared Allen does his calf-roping celebration after another franchise record sack? Come on downtown to see the Vikes before they head west. (Just kidding. I think).

It’s not all bad news about the Twins. I am still smiling after that acrobatic double play turned last week by shortstop Jamey Carroll and second baseman Trevor Plouffe against the Red Sox. New left fielder Josh Willingham can even hit balls over the fence at anti-home run Target Field. So far the starting pitching is probably the worst in the franchise’s 51 season history but there’s a way around that. The Sports Headliners method is to watch the half innings when the Twins bat. When the Twins pitchers are throwing, tune in the Golf Channel. Both your mood and golf swing will improve.

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Worth Noting

Posted on April 23, 2012April 24, 2012 by David Shama

The Twins open a three-game series tonight at home against Boston. The Twins haven’t won the season series between the two teams since 2006 when Minnesota won five of six games.

Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano has pitched a total of 16.1 innings in four starts this season for the Twins, never going beyond five innings. He is 0-3 with a 11.02 ERA and has walked 13 batters. After yesterday’s game against Tampa Bay, Liriano might be headed to the bullpen or minor leagues.

Former Twins infielder Tim Teufel is in his first season as the Mets’ third base coach.

Congratulations to Sean Gothier, Todd Fultz and other organizers of last night’s sold out awards dinner for the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation held at the University of St. Thomas. Among the many awards presented was the Courage Award to Derek Klinkner who had his football career ended at Southwest Minnesota State because of a farm accident.

The Gophers paid tribute to the late Gary Tinsley with a video rememberance before the spring game on Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Among the players who have impressed coach Jerry Kill is sophomore defensive back Derrick Wells who has added about 20 pounds since last year. “He looks like what you’re supposed to look like,” Kill said.

Ex-Gophers in attendance at the spring game included Bobby Bell, Judge Dickson, Jim Brunzell, George Adzick, Matt Spaeth and Eric Decker.

Junior Tim Cornett, who led UNLV in rushing the last two seasons, ran for touchdowns of 57 and 17 yards in the Rebels spring game last Friday. The Gophers open on the road against UNLV, 2-11 last season, on August 28.

Former Star Tribune journalist Jay Weiner is a speech writer for University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler.

Former Gophers point guard and Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders speaks to the C.O.R.E.S. group on Thursday, May 10 in Bloomington. C.O.R.E.S. members can make reservations by contacting Jim Dotseth.

It will be Fan Appreciation Night on Thursday when the Wolves play their last game of the season at Target Center. Upper level tickets are available for $5. A free pregame party headlined by the Urban Myth Band will be held on the Target Plaza from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Is Target Center trying to secure the annual National Collegiate Hockey Conference Tournament starting in 2015?

The Big Ten Men’s Hockey Tournament will be played at Xcel Energy Center in 2014 and 2016. Big Ten Conference men’s hockey begins with the 2013-14 season and participating teams are Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

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Twins GM Not Worrying about April

Posted on April 20, 2012April 20, 2012 by David Shama

Fans fret about what the Twins record will be at month’s end but not general manager Terry Ryan. The Twins opened the regular season on April 6 and after last night’s loss to the Yankees have a 4-9 record. Ten more games remain in April.

“I’d be more worried about where we’re at September 1^st,” Ryan told Sports Headliners last week. “We play a demanding schedule. We might have all we can handle, but regardless it matters more about September 1^st, and that’s usually a measuring stick. Nobody worries about anybody on May 1^st. For me that’s a tad early.

“But we have some of the requisites to have a decent club here. No one is counting us in, I can tell you that. On paper nobody is talking about us at all, except for us, and that’s all that counts.”

The Twins’ April schedule includes 17 games against some of the American League’s best teams. On the list are the Rangers, Yankees, Rays and Red Sox, ranked No. 1, 4, 8 and 15 in ESPN.com’s power ratings of major league teams. Also on the April schedule are the Angels, off to a slow start but projected to win the World Series by Sports Illustrated.

The Twins so far have one win in each of their meetings with the Angels and Rangers, and two against the Yankees. Ryan was asked if playing baseball’s best can have a positive aspect.

“Sometimes you can get them (best teams) early,” he said. “Sometimes clubs take awhile to settle in, and hopefully we’ll settle in sooner than later than some of these demanding teams that we’re facing. …”

If not, the Twins could set or tie a record for fewest club wins in April. The poorest record was 4-6 in 1966 but a fairer comparison is to start with 1977 when the Twins have played 18 games or more in April. The low mark in that period is 6-12 in 1981. The Twins were 9-17 during April last year.

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