Twins – Page 205 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on January 27, 2012January 27, 2012 by David Shama

It will be a “who’s who” of players at TwinsFest this weekend but long travel distances will keep pitcher Francisco Liriano (Dominican Republic) and infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka (Japan) away. The three-day event at the Metrodome begins today and continues through Sunday.

The Twins will issue wristbands in various colors to fans seeking autographs from catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau. Fans with the “winning color” will be able to obtain autographs from the popular twosome. Patrick Klinger, Twins marketing vice president, said the system will eliminate the long autograph lines for the two stars seen at past TwinsFest events.

Klinger said although single game tickets for next season go on sale February 25, the April 9 home opener against Albert Pujlos and the Angels won’t be included. Season ticket holders will be able to purchase extra tickets for the home opener and have priority for that game. Some tickets for purchase by the general public will be available through a random drawing, Klinger said. Details will be available at TwinsFest and the team website.

Mauer, Morneau, pitcher Carl Pavano and broadcaster Bert Blyleven will make TV commercials today. Klinger didn’t disclose details but said the commercials will be “typical Twins humor, offbeat and fun.”

Twins pitcher Glen Perkins will be on the Pro-Alumni & Legends team playing the Gophers starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 4 at the Metrodome. Third baseman Jack Hannahan from the Indians will also play in the game. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor will manage the alumni team.

Matt Birk recently told media outlets he’s undecided about retiring from the Ravens. The former Vikings center just finished his 14th season of pro football.

Birk is one of three finalists for the 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The others are Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers and Bears cornerback Charles Tillman. The award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities and onfield excellence.

Rich Kallok, Birk’s coach at Cretin-Derham Hall, said the St. Paul native did volunteer work even when he was in high school. “All of our kids do community service of some sort,” Kallok said.

He said Birk played soccer as a ninth grader at St. Thomas Academy. Friends influenced Birk’s decision to transfer to Cretin-Derham Hall and Birk played defensive end and offensive tackle on the football team.

Progress on the football field has characterized Birk’s career in high school, at Harvard and in the NFL. “He’s improved a lot all the way through,” said Kallok. “He’s intelligent and a good athlete. There are no shortcuts with Matt.”

It was 20 years ago yesterday that Minneapolis hosted its only Super Bowl. Washington defeated Buffalo 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI on January 26, 1992.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association chose Mike Grant from Eden Prairie as Class 5A Coach of the Year. The other coach of the year winners are: Mike Rowe, ROCORI, Class 4A; Carl Lemke, St. Croix Lutheran, Class 3A; Brent Schroeder, Caledonia, Class 2A; Cory Larson, Dawson-Boyd, Class 1A; Andrew Fleischman, Edgerton/Ellsworth, Class 9M.

At the request of Sports Headliners, Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien yesterday provided his rankings of the best prep boys teams in 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A. His top five in big school 4A are Eastview, Hopkins, Wayzata, Osseo and Lakeville North. Benilde-St. Margaret’s is No. 1 in 3A followed by Minneapolis Washburn, SpringLakePark, DeLaSalle and Blake. The top five in 2A are Perham, Braham, Redwood Valley, St. Peter and Watertown-Mayer. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa is No. 1 in 1A followed byBattle Lake, MACCRAY, Southwest Christian and Dawson-Boyd.

The 17-9-1 Gophers hockey team has lost seven of its games by one goal. Gophers sophomore Nick Bjugstad has 20 goals and 32 assists. He’s the first Minnesota player to have 20 or more goals and 30 or more assists since the 2008-09 season. The Gophers play at home against St. Cloud State (10-12-4) tonight and in St. Cloud tomorrow night.

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Worth Noting

Posted on January 9, 2012January 9, 2012 by David Shama

Maturi is excited about the Gophers hockey team, that after finishing with a 16-14-6 record last season, has made a comeback. Minnesota is among the nation’s top ranked teams and is 15-7-1 overall, and 11-3 in the WCHA, although the Gophers have lost two straight nonconference games by one goal each.

Maturi sees a “hunger” among returning players who want to have this season be special. “I think we have a good team, and I think we have a hockey team that potentially could be great, but there’s a lot of factors that go into being great versus good,” Maturi said. “And that remains to be seen.”

Those factors can include a team playing effectively at tournament time and having a “hot goalie.” But for now the Gophers are impressive—a talented team with size and speed that plays with energy and is entertaining to watch.

Maturi’s contract as athletic director ends in June and he said his status beyond then is to be determined. Maturi repeated comments made months ago that both he and new University president Eric Kaler need to be comfortable with one another. Maturi said no meeting with Kaler is planned for this month to discuss his future.

Maturi has been Minnesota’s athletic director since 2002 and he said at this stage of his career it’s important to be happy with his job and who he is working with. “Those decisions are still ongoing and will be made in due time,” he said.

Timberwolves Michael Beasley, Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio are on the NBA All-Star game ballot. The 61^st All-Star game will be played on February 26 in Orlando.

Love was quoted in the January 9 issue of Sports Illustrated about those who think his rebounding numbers might be inflated: “…I tend not to listen. I let my game do the talking.”

Twins pitcher Franciso Liriano has been given permission by Twins management to pitch 20 innings of winter baseball in the Dominican Republic.

The Gophers baseball team will play 39 home games including 38 at the Metrodome and a May 5 game against PennState at Target Field. The Minnesota schedule has the team playing 27 straight home games—the longest consecutive home stand in program history. The Gophers open their schedule with the 18th annual Pro & Legends Alumni Game at the Metrodome on February 4.

In March of 2010 the Gophers, playing against Louisiana Tech, hosted the first baseball game at Target Field. The game drew the second largest crowd in collegiate baseball history, 36,056.

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NHL Outdoor Game Possible Here

Posted on January 6, 2012January 6, 2012 by David Shama

Minneapolis-St. Paul remains a possibility to host the NHL’s New Year’s Day Winter Classic, according to a hockey source who asked that his name not be used.

Five outdoor games have been played, with Chicago being the farthest west of the sites so far. “A lot of factors enter into the NHL’s decision about hosting the game,” the source told Sports Headliners.

He said those factors begin with what NBC wants and the potential for TV ratings. Other factors are the on-ice reputation of the host team and having a natural rival to play against, plus high profile players and a “glamorous market,” according to the source.

The Wild haven’t even been a playoff team since 2008. The franchise has been searching for a high profile scorer since the departure of Marian Gaborik to New York. The best rival for the Wild in a Winter Classic game here is Chicago. Minneapolis-St. Paul can’t match the glitz of some American markets but in this area’s favor is a national reputation for both playing and watching hockey.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is on record saying Minnesota will one day host a Winter Classic. No announcement has been made about the 2013 site but the source said Detroit may host the game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. “The league is receiving flack for not getting western teams involved,” he added.

The Cleveland baseball park will host the Ohio State versus Michigan outdoor hockey game on January 15. Tomorrow Boston’s Fenway Park will be the site of a college hockey doubleheader.

Target Field potentially could host a Minnesota Winter Classic. Although the stadium has fewer seats than TCF Bank Stadium, the venue can sell alcohol while the University’s facility does not.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners his organization has made its interest known in having Target Field be the site of a Winter Classic, and also he is considering a college-high school showcase. “We’ve always felt Target Field would be a fun venue for hockey,” he said.

While there’s nothing definitive to announce, St. Peter said he’s “pretty confident” that in the next 60 to 90 days the Twins will further detail plans for hockey at Target Field. Any hockey at the baseball stadium would be played in January or early February, he said.

Love Contract Talks Face Deadline

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners he will be meeting with Kevin Love and his agent Jeff Schwartz this month regarding a new contract for the All-Star forward. “It’s our intention to make every attempt to sign Kevin,”Taylor said.

Under NBA rules, the Wolves have until January 25 to negotiate with fourth-year players like Love. If a deal isn’t made by then, contract talks have to wait until after the league season.

Love will be a restricted free agent following this season. That means the Wolves could match any deal from another league team and retain him.

Speculation is Love could command a multi-year new deal paying him more than $60 million. Love, 23, has become one of the league’s elite offensive forward, averaging 25.7 points and 15 rebounds per game.

Taylor hopes to keep both Love and rookie point guard Ricky Rubio for many years. He reports “good talks” with both players. “I think and hope their main goal will be wanting to be on a winning team,”Taylor said.

The Wolves were 17-65 last season but are dramatically improved, already playing competitively despite a difficult early schedule. Taylor is hoping a nucleus of Love and Rubio will produce a lot of wins for many years.

Taylor also told Sports Headliners his franchise, despite a renaissance in public interest, will lose money again this season — perhaps $15 million. About $10 million, Taylor said, is because of the shortened pre-season and regular season caused by the NBA labor dispute.

Worth Noting

The Winter Classic this year — like the college football bowl games — was on January 2 and played during unusually mild temps in Philadelphia. Dan Craig, a River Falls native and the NHL’s ice guru, is credited for his work in having the surface ready to play.

The Wild might be looking to trade goalie Josh Harding, perhaps hoping to secure young prospects and gain payroll relief. Harding’s contract ends after this season and the team’s other main goalie, Niklas Backstrom, has an estimated salary of $6 million. The Wild probably doesn’t want to have several million dollars tied up in salaries for two goalies next season. Harding reportedly earns less than $1 million this season but figures to command a lot more in 2012.

Marian Gaborik is having an impressive season with the Rangers. He ranks second in NHL goal scoring with 23. At 29, Gaborik has entered his peak years. The native of Slovakia once spoke no English but has taught himself the language.

Former South St.Paul High School and Notre Dame hockey coaching legend Lefty Smith passed away in South Bend earlier this week. He was a St. Thomas college graduate.

Wolves second year guard Wayne Ellington remembers his rookie hazing. He had to bring center Al Jefferson a bottle of 5-hour Energy before each game. “Sometimes I would forget and…be scrambling out to try to find him one,” Ellington said last week.

This year Ellington said Wolves rookies Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams had to find baby oil for all the players. “It just goes on throughout the season,” Ellington said. “They haven’t even tasted any (major hazing) yet. They’ve had it really good so far as rookies.”

Ellington said Rubio, a native of Spain, is making progress with his English. “He’s a great guy,” Ellington said. “He’s pretty funny. He’s learning our slang pretty fast so it’s funny listening to him.”

Wolves veteran guard J.J. Barea said he’s never seen a player come into the NBA that can pass like Rubio. “…He can control the game, he can pass the ball,” Barea said recently. “He likes to play defense, he likes to play hard. So I think he’s doing a good job.”

Could Rubio one day be the league’s best point guard? “At some point definitely,” Barea said. “He keeps getting better, (and) keeps working like he’s doing. Keeps getting better on offense. Shooting wise I think he’ll be good.”

Barea’s girlfriend, 2006 Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera, is expecting a baby boy on March 5. No name decided on yet.

ESPN’s John Hollinger analyzes stats and rates former Orono prep Jon Leuer, now with Milwaukee, as the seventh most efficient rookie in the NBA. The Wolves’ Rubio is No. 10 and Williams No. 17.

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