Twins – Page 206 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Worth Noting

Posted on December 19, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Within about 48 hours approximately 4,000 tickets were sold for TwinsFest last week, according to Patrick Klinger, Twins marketing VP. In addition, season ticket holders receive complimentary tickets and crowds could total over 30,000 for the three-day event at the Metrodome January 27-29.

Klinger said most of the players on the Twins roster, including Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, are expected at TwinsFest. In addition, former players are likely to include Rod Carew, Kent Hrbek and Tony Oliva. Among the attractions will be Bert Blyleven’s Hall of Fame plaque.

Tickets for adults and children under 14 are available at a discount if purchased in advance. Tickets are sold at the Twins Pro Shops, by telephone or via the team’s Website.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill said yesterday on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle he’s optimistic senior cornerback Troy Stoudermire will be given a medical redshirt and allowed to play again next season.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who threw five touchdown passes to help defeat the Vikings yesterday, was seen dining at McCormick & Schmick’s in Edina Saturday night.

Vikings long snapper Cullen Loeffler and former Gophers wide receiver Eric Decker, now with Denver, are among 26 NFL players selected by USA Football for its third annual USA Football All-Fundamentals Team. The team honors NFL players who exhibit exemplary techniques for youth players to emulate.

The Timberwolves will have a free scrimmage at Target Center open to the public starting at noon today.

The Timberwolves FastBreak Foundation, Minnesota Adoption Resource Network (MARN), and Minnesota Department of Human Services will host the seventh annual “Holiday Shopping for Kids” event late today at Seven Restaurant and the downtown Target store. Thirteen local foster children from MARN waiting for adoption have been invited.

Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson and his wife Landyn will host a holiday party tomorrow for young patients and their families (about 100 people) at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital. The Hutchinsons purchased gifts for every young patient at the hospital. Players joining them will include Patrick Brown, Caleb King, Tyrone McKenzie, Sage Rosenfels, John Sullivan and Kerry Taylor.

Legendary former St. Louis Park High School athletes Jim Petersen and Bob Stein periodically schedule breakfasts with former Orioles assistant football coach Cliff Bombach, now 94.

Harvey Mackay, Minneapolis businessman and former Gophers golfer, said his new book, The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World, climbed in the first 10 days of sales to No. 1 among business books on the Wall Street Journal list and No. 2 on USA Today.

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Worth Noting

Posted on December 14, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Joe Mauer’s fiancé is a nurse in the Twin Cities. He and Madeline Bisanz have known each other since high school at Cretin-Derham Hall. The two have been in Florida but will be back in Minnesota for the holidays. No wedding date has been set for Madeline and the Twins catcher who once dated the 2005 Miss USA, Chelsea Cooley.

Next season needs to be a comeback year on the field for Mauer but it’s even bigger for his buddy, first baseman Justin Morneau. Injuries have slowed Morneau for two seasons and production has been far below his best years (in 2011 four home runs, 30 RBI and a .227 batting average). He turns 31 in May and 2013 is the last year of his contract with the Twins.

Joe’s brother Jake Mauer will return for a third year as manager of the Twins Single-A affiliate Ft. Myers Miracle (Florida State League).

The Saints franchise that comes to Mall of America Field on Sunday to play the Vikings beat Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game on January 24, 2010. Since then the Saints are 21-8 in regular season games, the Vikings 8-21.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association’s annual clinic with the Gophers is March 29-31. Coaches interested in attending can learn more at www.mshsca.org.

New Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has only four teams in 20 seasons of NBA coaching who didn’t make the playoffs. Twice his teams have been in the NBA Finals.

In five seasons playing in the Spanish ACB League, new Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio made .374 percent of his field goals and .314 of his three point attempts. Although he’s only 21, Rubio’s shooting and defense will be scrutinized in the early weeks of the NBA season.

Last summer Rubio treated a north Minneapolis family, who had been impacted by tornadoes, to an afternoon at the Mall of America.

Saint John’s head coach Jim Smith has 731 career wins, the 21^st best total in college basketball history. Smith is 10 wins behind former Temple coach John Chaney.

The Wild will never have a better goalie storyline during the first months of the season than this year. Training camp opened with the comfort of having six-year veteran and regular goalie Niklas Backstrom on the roster. But backup Josh Harding has probably been the team MVP while supporting roles have been played by 51-year-old “emergency” goalie Paul Deutsch and Matt Hackett who didn’t make his first start until December 8. On Monday Hackett was named by the NHL as its Second Star for the week after a 2-0, 1.01 goals against average last week.

The Wild’s Devin Setoguchi is scheduled to sign autographs at the Maplewood Mall Hockey Lodge store on Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. The store is located at 3001 White Bear Avenue in Maplewood.

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Worth Noting

Posted on December 8, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Although not popular with the masses, Matt Capps might be of more help to the Twins next season than anticipated. He was targeted by boo-bird fans last season (4-7, 4.25 ERA), but he had a sore right forearm. Capps has sometimes achieved impressive numbers as a big league closer. He had ERA’s of 2.28 and 3.02 with Pittsburgh and 2.74 for Washington before joining the Twins.

The Twins have acquired right-handed pitcher Daniel Turpen from the Rockies as the player to be named later in the Kevin Slowey trade. Turpen, 25, had a 2-4 record and 4.83 ERA with 11 saves in 48 appearances (one start) at Double-A Tulsa last season. He will be assigned to Triple-A Rochester’s roster.

With a 7-2 record and goals against average of 2.14 and save percentage of .932, Josh Harding is probably the Wild’s MVP so far. Harding has seven of the team’s 18 victories and helped the Wild to the most wins and points in the NHL. He’s been given the most extensive playing time in his career by new coach Mike Yeo.

This team is building confidence by the week, receives scoring from various players and has shown a franchise-rare ability to come from behind in wins. The Wild have won five straight games and play the Kings in Los Angeles Thursday night.

At home the team has sold-out only two games, the opener and the day after Thanksgiving game, according to a Sports Headliners source. Past disappointments, high price tickets, and even HDTV are reasons the franchise that used to automatically post sell-out signs is no longer doing so. The Wild haven’t made the playoffs for three years.

Coach Don Lucia’s Gophers hockey team, 13-4-1, is the only team in the country with 13 wins. Minnesota has 20 WCHA points for the first time in 12 games since the 2006-07 season. The Gophers, 10-2 in the WCHA, host Michigan Tech on Friday and Saturday nights.

Ch. 23 will show Saturday afternoon’s St. Thomas-UW-Whitewater Division III football semifinals playoff game from Whitewater, Wisconsin. The telecast will be produced and shown nationally on the ESPN3.com Website. The game can also be heard on WCCO Radio.

Tommies coach Glenn Caruso is a Division III finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award. This is the first time in St. Thomas history the football team has advanced to the Division III semifinals.

Concordia, St. Paul senior offensive left tackle Tyler Hendrickson is a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. Last year Hendrickson, from St. Paul, finished third in the voting which recognizes the top junior or senior offensive and defensive linemen in the nation. The winner will be announced on January 22.

Defending Class 4A champion Hopkins plays Cretin-Derham Hall starting at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday in one of many games that are part of the Breakdown Tip Off Classic at Minnetonka. That game is on the Main Court while at 7:45 p.m. Tartan and Apple Valley on the West Court.

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