Twins – Page 4 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ads, Interview & Golf Put KOC in News Prior to Camp

Posted on July 14, 2026July 14, 2026 by David Shama

The Vikings don’t open training camp until July 26 (rookies and quarterbacks) but head coach Kevin O’Connell is making news.

O’Connell will be filming TV commercials this week for Blaze Credit Union as part of his new endorsement partnership with the Minnesota-based, member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative. The ads will be seen around the time the Vikings’ regular season begins in September.

The coach will also make radio commercials and be seen on billboards. A Blaze spokesperson wrote that there is also a “charity component” to the partnership but no community events are scheduled yet.

“We chose to partner with O’Connell, because of his character and reputation,” Dan Stoltz, Blaze CEO and president, said in an announcement statement. “He is a genuine person who knows what it takes to lead both on and off the field. He treats every individual with sincerity and respect which aligns with Blaze to the core.”

Blaze (a Sports Headliners advertiser) is known for working with prominent and high character local sports figures including Brock Faber, Tony Oliva and Lindsay Whalen. Before leaving the Vikings, quarterback Kirk Cousins was a celebrity endorser for Blaze.

O’Connell was a guest last week on the “Dan Patrick Show” seen and heard nationally on TV and radio. He reiterated he’s not ready to commit to a starting quarterback in the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. He again stressed the goal of the competition for the job elevating the quality of quarterback performance on his team.

O’Connell is entering his fifth season as the team’s head coach. He pointed out on the show that in the two years his starting quarterback was able to play full seasons the team has won 13 and 14 games respectively in 2022 and 2024.

O’Connell is a high level amateur golfer and is back in town after participating in the American Century Champion Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort golf course in Nevada. He finished No. 81 among 90 entrants in the annual tournament that includes athletes and entertainers and ended Sunday, according to results from Nbcsports.com.

The Wild’s Matt Boldy was ninth in the field. Former Viking Adam Thielen tied for 16^th,, while another former Viking, Patrick Peterson, was 20^th. Minneapolis native and NFL great Larry Fitzgerald Jr. tied for 22^nd. Twins Hall of Famer Joe Mauer tied for 51^st.

Edina-born and former pro tennis player Mardy Fish won the tournament for a third time having previous triumphs in 2020 and 2024. He won $150,000 in the $750,000 tournament.

Worth Noting

Minnesota natives and pitchers Louie Varland and Max Meyer were chosen for the 2026 American and National League All-Star rosters respectively. They are first-time all-stars representing the AL Blue Jays and NL Marlins.

The most memorable year for native Minnesota All-Stars was probably 1985. St. Paul’s Paul Molitor, Jack Morris and Dave Winfield were chosen for the All-Star Game representing the Brewers, Tigers and Yankees respectively. Fittingly, the game was played at the Metrodome with the National League winning 6-1.

Derek Shelton, a coach for the American League in tonight’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, is among the wagering favorites to win American League Manager of the Year. To do so the Twins, 48-49, will have to make the playoffs. No manager in either league has won the award since 2006 without skippering a postseason club.

Other betting favorites for the award include two Central Division rivals, Will Venable from the White Sox and Stephen Vogt (2025 winner) from the Guardians. Dan Wilson, the former All-American catcher for the Golden Gophers, is also a favorite for his work with the Mariners.

Wilson played for John Anderson, the now retired Gopher coach who will receive the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award next January from the American Baseball Coaches Association. The annual award is presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to baseball locally, nationally, and internationally.

Referred to affectionately as “14” by admirers (his unform number), Anderson was known for his success in not only winning games, but also the classy way he impacted the Gopher program including his players. He became Minnesota’s coach in 1981 and retired after the 2024 season as the winningest baseball coach in Big Ten history.

Anderson texted the following regarding the award: “Humbling honor that is an achievement by an army of people that contributed to the program’s success during my leadership of the Gopher baseball program. Nothing is accomplished by one individual. I am grateful for all those special relationships that I shared over the years.”

Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck speaks to the Capital Club on July 21 at Mendakota Country Club. Going into his 10^th season leading the Gophers, the personable Fleck is now the second longest tenured Big Ten coach at his school after Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (28^th season leading the Hawkeyes). For more information on the breakfast program, contact Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketing.com

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Best of Gurus See Eight Wins for Vikings 2026 Season

Posted on July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 by David Shama

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column.

Get used to the number 8, Vikings fans.

A search of the most authoritative annual prognosticators of NFL team records turns up a lot of eights for the 2026 Vikings season. Here’s a sample of the usually most accurate swamis.

NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund: 8.7 wins.

Public analytical database Nfelo: 8.5 wins.

FanDuel Sportsbook: 8.5 wins.

ESPN’s Football Power Index: 8 wins.

Sports Headliners: 10 wins.

Why 10?

To make you feel better.

There was an Arizona Cardinals airplane parked at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last Wednesday. Perhaps it was in town relative to Minneapolis-born and raised Larry Fitzgerald Jr. being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.

Fitzgerald was a Vikings ball boy in his youth and idolized Randy Moss who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. Fitzgerald played his entire 17-year NFL career with the Cardinals where his pass catching skills ranked with the best in NFL history.

Bill Guerin, named NHL General Manger of the Year last week, is believed to earn “north” of $2 million with the Wild. NHL GM jobs don’t pay the kind of money their NBA counterparts make. The Timberwolves’ Tim Connelly reportedly makes $8 million annually.

Guerin was hired in August of 2018, and his work has helped create a Stanley Cup contender. A former NHL player, he prioritizes communications.

Wild GM Bill Guerin — Guerin photo by Marshall Tanick

“…Because I feel now, like more than ever, the coach, the general manager we’re not so much in a position to say, do this, do that. It’s how can we help you get better? What can we do for you to help you carry out our game plan? We’re here for them,” he told Sports Headliners last year.

The annual Big Ten Football Media Days will be held July 28-30 in Chicago and televised by the Big Ten Network. The Golden Gophers will be one of the programs focused on July 29 at the Hilton Hotel. The three-day event allows media members to meet with coaches and student-athletes prior to the season.

Minnesota opens its season September 3 at home against Eastern Illinois. Peacock will televise the 7 p.m. kickoff nonconference game.

Sources disagree on who is the tallest goalie ever to play in the NHL, referring to 6-7 or 6-8 goalies. Either way the Wild has a solid entry in the competition with 2026 fifth round draft choice Filip Ruzicka from Trinec, Czechia. He is listed at 6-8 and 229 pounds and will certainly be noticed if he ever plays in the NHL.

“Filip is an extra-large goalie with athletic abilities,” said Wild goaltending coach Frederic Chabot in a club statement. “He has good hands for a guy that big and had a nice progression last season after taking over the No. 1 job in Brandon (Wheat Kings of the WHL).”

Before last night’s game against the Astros, the Twins had played 26 games in June. Their slugging percentage of .476 ranked second-best in baseball to the Rockies at .492. The Twins had homered in all but four of their last 23 games since June 4, hitting 42. Since that date, Minnesota ranked second in homers, trailing the Athletics (43), going into last evening.

Last Sunday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine Golf Club, South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu took home $1,950,00 for winning her first major title. Scottie Scheffler, the men’s No. 1 in the world, will try to win $1,584,000 at the 3M Tournament July 23-26 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine.

The Lynx announced today star forward Napheesa Collier, after undergoing surgeries on both her right and left ankles during the offseason, has returned to team practice and continues to progress as expected.

Medical research confirms spectators watching events like the emotion-stoked World Cup experience cardiovascular issues and even deadly heart attacks.

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LaMelo Ball’s Injury History Casts Shadow on Wolves Trade

Posted on June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by David Shama

High risk and high reward.

That’s the only way to look at the Timberwolves acquisition of All-Star guard LaMelo Ball in a trade that sends fan favorite and forward Naz Reid to the Hornets.

Wolves’ front office leader Tim Connelly has been searching for a quality point guard to lead his team and take the playmaking burden off superstar Anthony Edwards. Ball is a spectacular playmaker that can have teammates and fans marveling at his showmanship performances.

The concern is availability. Since being drafted by the Hornets in 2020 (he went No. 3 overall and Edwards No. 1), he has missed a lot of games. Last season he played a near career high of 72 out of 82 games but previous seasons the totals were: 47, 22, 36 , 75 and 51.

Ankle injuries have been troublesome. That’s a worrisome history for a 24-year-old, with logic suggesting lower body injuries can become more frequent and last longer as an athlete ages.

Connelly is banking on Ball continuing the trend of the 2025-2026 season. Playing most of the season, he averaged 20.2 points per game and 7.1 assists. The 6-7 veteran also averaged nearly 5 rebounds per game.

The acquisition of Ball gives the Wolves an athletic and young starting core, other than 7-1 center Rudy Gobert who turns 34 tomorrow. Guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward Jaden McDaniels, ages 24 and 25 respectively, would be part of the starting five if Minnesota were to play a game today. Edwards, one of the league’s top players, is also 24.

As the roster is constructed now, Connelly is taking the risk that by trading two power forwards this month in Reid and Julius Randle, the Wolves will still have enough size to rebound and defend effectively. Right now McDaniels, listed at 6-9 and 185 pounds, looks like the new power forward while the 6-4 Edwards may slide into the small forward position.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves player — Anthony Edwards photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

A basketball insider told Sports Headliners he didn’t think the transition would be a problem for Edwards and that he can benefit from the presence of an elite point guard. “No question he’s the guy that stirs the drink for them,” he said speaking anonymously.

The source faulted the Wolves for not playing hard enough and lacking togetherness in the playoffs last spring as they won an opening series but then lost to the Spurs in the next round. “They had to make some (personnel) moves,” he said.

With Connelly in power there could be other transactions coming. He showed from his first months on the job in 2022 a willingness to make bold moves when he made the blockbuster trade bringing Gobert to Minneapolis while sending a boatload of players and draft choices to the Jazz.

Worth Noting

Ari Peterson, the basketball player who is transferring from Minnetonka High School to a national prep power in New York, has the admiration of former Skippers coach Brian Cosgriff who raves about her athleticism. Peterson, the daughter of Vikings legend Adrian Peterson, will be a junior next school year at Long Island Lutheran in Brookville.

The school plays a national schedule and produces McDonald’s All-Americans. Peterson may flourish in her new home, but she will face challenges. “I am a little nervous for her because I hope she goes on to do great things,” said Cosgriff who coached Peterson as a ninth grader. “It’s risky to some degree, in my opinion. …”

Maddyn Greenway, daughter of former Viking linebacker Chad Greenway, recently was named the 2025-2026 MaxPreps Female National Athlete of the Year. At Providence Academy she won 13 state titles in three sports including basketball and this fall will be at Kentucky on a basketball scholarship.

Cosgriff, retired from coaching after winning eight girls basketball state championships at Hopkins and Minnetonka, knew Greenway as a seventh grader at Providence Academy where he was a teacher. He said she could have been a “great receiver” in football. “I had her in gym class and when we played football, she was the best player out there, boys or girls.”

Congratulations to Mr. Baseball and Ms. Softball Award winners Connor Finn, the left-handed pitcher from Mahtomedi High School (committed to Texas Tech University) and Avery Muellner, the right-handed pitcher and first baseman from Forest Lake High School (committed to the University of St. Thomas). They were honored after the Minnesota Twins Community Fund and Minnesota All Sports Alliance had announced 16 finalists for the awards earlier in the month.

Fox 9 sports reporter and anchor Dawn Mitchell will have a feature on Minnesota sports icon Dick Jonckowski starting at 10:30 p.m. on July 3.

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