Twins – Page 47 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikes Earn an “A” for Persistence Today

Posted on September 25, 2022September 25, 2022 by David Shama

Let’s get right to the grades after the Vikings’ last minute 28-24 win over the Lions today at US Bank Stadium.

The Vikings, now 2-1, trailed 24-14 going into the fourth quarter. In its previous games Minnesota hadn’t produced a touchdown in the second half. But when today’s game was over the Vikings had scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, including a 28-yard strike from quarterback Kirk Cousins to wide receiver K.J. Osborn in the last minute.

Minnesota had never led in the game until the Osborn touchdown with 25 seconds remaining. Give the Vikings an A team grade for persistence.

Lions’ coach Dan Campbell gets an F for late-game strategy. It was his fourth down decision to go for a failed field goal of 54 yards that allowed the Vikings, trailing 24-21, to start their winning TD drive from their own 44-yard line. A Detroit punt sending the Vikings back near their own goal would have been a savvy option and no-brainer for most coaches.

Cousins and his offensive line deserve B- grades. A popular target for not delivering in pressure situations, Cousins threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns today. The Lions were blitz crazy but his offensive line and own awareness helped him avoid interceptions and he was sacked just once.

Kevin O’Connell photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

The offense didn’t have much of a day for explosive plays but got two big ones at the end when Osborn preceded his winning reception with another 28-yarder. Running back Dalvin Cook had his best game of the season with 96 yards on 17 carries before apparently injuring his shoulder. Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said on the KFAN Radio postgame show he didn’t think the injury was serious.

The Vikings’ defense stopped the now 1-2 Lions in the closing seconds, ending the game with a Josh Metellus interception of a Jared Goff pass. Hard to give that unit better than a below average grade for its work today, though. The Lions consistently opened running holes and Goff’s repetitive completions over the middle were an embarrassment. The Vikings didn’t come up with a single sack and Detroit’s time of possession was 34:04, while Minnesota’s was 25:56.

The last four games in the series between the two NFC North Division rivals have been decided by four points or less. When the Vikings and Lions play again, December 11 in Detroit, the days will be counting down to Christmas. The Vikings better plan on playing better because they can’t expect another “gift” from Campbell.

Worth Noting

It’s believed the University of St. Thomas will soon announce plans to build an on-campus hockey facility after considering other sites in St. Paul. To meet CCHA guidelines the facility will have to seat at least 3,000 fans.

The Gopher football team, dominant in a 34-7 win over Michigan State Saturday, has outscored opponents 183-24 in four games. Minnesota has punted three times all season.

Minnesota is No. 21 in the Associated Press top 25 poll out today. It’s the first time this season the Gophers have been in the AP top 25. Haven’t been ranked by the AP since 2020.

U marketers are promoting the first ever Stripe Out in Huntington Bank Stadium next Saturday for the Purdue game. Fans in various sections are asked to wear maroon or gold clothing.

Former Gophers head coach Jerry Kill earned his first win at New Mexico State last night with a 45-26 home victory over Hawaii.

Often injured Byron Buxton hasn’t played in a Twins game since August 22 and will finish the year appearing in 92 games. That ties the 92 games he played in 2016 for the second highest total of his eight-year career. In 2017 the Twins’ MVP played in 140 games.

The best hope the Twins may have in retaining Carlos Correa for next season is if he and representative Scott Boras decide the less crowded free agent market for shortstops a year from now is their best strategy for a mega contract deal.

Without splashy offseason moves, including possible retention of Correa, the Twins will find it difficult to retain and grow their disappointed fanbase.

It was 10 years ago this fall that St. Paul native Tim Tschida, now 62, retired from umpiring MLB games. The affable Tschida enjoys tending bar at Mancini’s Char House.

Long before home run king Aaron Judge and hockey immortal Wayne Gretzky wore No. 99, Minneapolis Lakers great George Mikan popularized the number. He was voted Mr. Basketball of the first half of the 20th century by Associated Press.

BTW, although way overdue, the Los Angeles Lakers will retire Mikan’s number in a home game October 30 against the Nuggets.

Oddsmakers have the Timberwolves, who have their first training camp practice Tuesday, finishing second in the Northwest Division behind the Nuggets.

Gophers basketball player Parker Fox has a podcast called “Double Down.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X25lkiCNXM

For the first time ever Minneapolis will host Big Ten Basketball Media Days. The event October 11 and 12 at Target Center will include coaches and players from all 28 men’s and women’s basketball programs. Minnesota coaches Ben Johnson and Lindsay Whalen will speak October 12.

Nolan Winter, the Lakeville North basketball recruit who has verbally committed to Wisconsin, will be a nice fit in the Badgers’ offense that features outside shooting by its bigs, but his decision to turn down the Gophers is painful for local fans who over the years have watched a “parade” of Minnesota preps travel to Madison.

Apple Valley’s Tre Jones, a reliable playmaker but able to make just 19.6 percent of his three-point attempts last season, could emerge in training camp as the starting point guard for the NBA Spurs. Jones, 22, is starting his third NBA season.

The USHL Fall Classic in suburban Pittsburgh this weekend is attracting about 300 scouts and college coaches including former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher now in the same role with the Flyers. All 16 USHL teams are playing their first games of the season.

Budding superstar Kirill Kaprizov, who probably would be targeted for military conscription if still in his native Russia, played with teammates and others in the Wild’s inaugural golf tournament last Monday at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo. The course opened in 2018 but is up for sale with a possible purchase price of $8 million, per a September 20 story from Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

Bally Sports North will televise three Wild preseason games: October 2 and 6 against the Blackhawks, and October 8 with the Stars.

Oddsmakers have the Wild, who started preseason practices last Thursday, finishing second to the Avalanche in the Central Division.

Some Wild preseason practices at TRIA Rink are open to fans who must pre-register. http://www.wild.com/openpractices

St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso speaks to the CORES group November 10 at the Bloomington Event Center. Former North and Henry basketball coach Larry McKenzie will be the January 12 speaker. More information about CORES is available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

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Vikings Earn ‘A’ Grade in Opener

Posted on September 11, 2022September 11, 2022 by David Shama

Describe the first game of the Kevin O’Connell era a rousing success. The Vikings dominated the Packers today in their NFL opener, 23-7, and deserve high marks for their performance.

O’Connell, the new head coach, called an impressive game in a new offensive scheme that included motioning wide receiver Justin Jefferson before the ball was snapped. The Vikings offense played with tempo and aggressiveness against a Packers defense considered one of the NFL’s best. Even the suspect offensive line exceeded expectations, providing time for quarterback Kirk Cousins to throw and also opening holes for Dalvin Cook.

Jefferson, heading into his third NFL season, showed why his NFL peers consider him one of the league’s elite players. He had 186 receiving yards on nine catches, an impressive 20.4 yards per reception. He scored both of Minnesota’s touchdowns during an explosive performance that included his second quarter 36-yard TD reception. It was an A+ day for No. 18 who befuddled Packer defenders in the first half when he scored both of his touchdowns.

Wreaking havoc on the Packers and setting a tone for a physical defense was outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith. He was part of a gang tackling effort in the third quarter that caused Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to fumble. The Vikings turned that opportunity into a 56-yard Greg Joseph field goal to extend their lead to 20-0.

Smith and teammates came up with the defense’s biggest play of the day in the second quarter with the Vikings ahead 7-0. Green Bay had fourth down on the Minnesota one-yard line but couldn’t get in the endzone. Smith, Jonathan Bullard and Harrison Phillips stopped AJ Dillon’s run and a 79-yard Packer drive.

Smith, the former Packer signed by the Vikings in the offseason, not only earned high marks for his day but is worthy of a game ball along with O’Connell and Jefferson. When those three and the other Vikings and coaches weren’t frustrating the Packers, the boys from Green Bay were doing it to themselves.

On Green Bay’s opening play of the game, rookie wide receiver Christian Watson ran past defenders in the secondary and Rodgers delivered a pass into his hands. Those hands didn’t secure the ball, though, and an almost certain 75-yard touchdown.

The Vikings went on to build a 17-0 halftime lead and the Packers never came closer than when they scored a third quarter touchdown to trail 20-7. Rodgers showed frustration and anger as his depleted offensive line allowed pressure by the Vikings and his inexperienced receivers let him. Give the defending NFC North Division champions a D grade in their opener.

It was smiles all around by Vikings players and their delirious fans who did their best to disrupt Green Bay communications. Yeah, let’s give an A+ to the Purple Patrons, too.

Worth Noting

Don’t worry Gopher fans. Nebraska isn’t going after P.J. Fleck for its next football coach. Hiring coaches away from another Big Ten member school is a “no-no” in the conference.

Andrew DePaola, 35, is the oldest Viking; the youngest is Andrew Booth, Jr. at 21. Harrison Smith has played the most seasons with the team, 11. Blake Brandel and Brian O’Neill are the tallest Vikings at 6-7; Dalvin Cook is the shortest, 5-10. Dalvin Tomlinson is the heaviest at 325 pounds, while Chandon Sullivan the lightest at 189.

Ken Mauer, Jr., the St. Paul native with 37 years of NBA officiating experience, received a two-sentence letter from the league earlier this month notifying him of his termination. The letter wasn’t a surprise after he was suspended without pay all of last season for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID.

Mauer and other referees who took the same anti-vaccine position are suing the NBA in federal court. The league allowed players to decide whether to be vaccinated but mandated referees use the vaccine. “I just don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s fair,” Mauer told a luncheon group in Bloomington last Thursday.

The power of the National Basketball Players Association apparently made the league take a different stance with the players than it did with the officials. Mauer is prouder of the stance he is taking in litigation than the NBA career he loved. ”What I am going to win (in court) is that it’s wrong to take anyone’s civil liberties,” Mauer told his audience. “You should be allowed to decide for yourself whether or not you want to put a needle in your arm. …”

A practicing Catholic, Mauer has a strong religious faith. However, he doesn’t criticize others who choose to take the vaccine or wear masks.

Mauer, 67, was hired by the NBA before the 1986-87 season. At 30 years old he was on his way to achieving his life’s dream. He started refereeing in grade school and continued on from there including while on a baseball scholarship at the University of Minnesota. Others scoffed at his ambition to become the first NBA ref from Minnesota.

“Well, they’re doing JV games and I refereed 37 years in the NBA,” Mauer said. “They don’t laugh at me anymore. I am a little bit proud of that.”

Despite physical challenges like broken ribs, Mauer never missed a game during his career including 19 NBA Finals that he worked. He spoke to the CORES group at the Bloomington Event Center. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Bruce Feldman’s August 31 story for The Athletic on 37 college football assistant coaches to watch this year included Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi (“one of the most underrated coaches in college football”) and running backs coach/assistant head coach Kenni Burns (“recruiting skills and ability to have all his guys ready to perform”).

Former Gophers basketball public address announcer Dick Jonckowski is battling his third round of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and will learn Tuesday whether treatment has made him cancer free.

Steve and Dortothy Erban’s locally-based Creative Charters is offering transportation to all Gophers football away games starting with Michigan State September 24. That game will have customers flying out and back to Minneapolis the same day. The next road game, October 15 at Illinois, will have travelers Amtrak bound for Chicago and Champaign, and then returning home via plane. https://creativecharter.com/about.html

Among reasons to like the chances for the Guardians to win the AL Central Division is they close the season at home with six games against the Royals, a team that is 27 games under .500.

Ouch: Since 2002 the Twins are 38-98 against the Yankees. Since 2027 they are 2-16 at Yankee Stadium.

Word is Pete Najarian, the former Gopher and pro football player who is known nationally as a stock market guru, will continue indefinitely on WCCO Radio’s Sunday “Sports Huddle.”

All five of the Timberwolves preseason games will be televised. Bally Sports North will have the October 4, 9 and 14 games against the Heat, Clippers and Nets. ESPN will televise October 6 and 12 games against the Lakers.

At Cincinnati, where former Gopher administrator John Cunningham is the athletics director, the Bearcats’ home football games are sold out for the season.

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NFL Peers Vote Vikings’ WR Elite Status

Posted on August 28, 2022August 28, 2022 by David Shama

Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson will hear his name announced tonight on the NFL Network and find himself in elite company. The network has been on a countdown of the league’s 100 best players and names of the top 20 will be announced starting at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time.

This will be a milestone for the third-year star who ranked No. 53 in last year’s annual voting done by league players to recognize the best of their peers. In 2020 the explosive pass catcher was among the NFL’s headline making rookies (Pro Football Focus Offensive Rookie of the Year) and in 2021 Jefferson was even better in key categories including 1,616 receiving yards, the second most in the NFL. He has twice been named AP second team All-Pro.

Best guess is Jefferson was voted into a 10-20 ranking for 2022. At least two wide receivers are certain to be ahead of Minnesota’s late first round draft choice in 2020, Davante Adams from the Raiders and Cooper Kupp of the Rams. Other wide receivers on the top 20 list are Tyreek Hill from the Dolphins and Deebo Samuel of the 49ers, per a Thursday story from NFL.com that didn’t reveal ranking of the players but listed them alphabetically.

Justin Jefferson image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Interestingly WR Stefon Diggs, who the Vikings traded away in the 2020 offseason and Jefferson replaced as the team’s big play receiver, was voted No. 26 after being at 11 a year ago. Also of note, WR Ja’Marr Chase, who played at LSU and set Bengals records as a rookie in 2021, was voted No. 24 on the list of top NFL players. Chase claims to be better than his former college teammate.

With new coach Kevin O’Connell known for his offensive expertise, Jefferson is now likely to be even more of a focal point for the Vikings, who had two other players announced in the top 100 voting. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was voted No. 99 after not making the top 100 a year ago. Running back Dalvin Cook was No. 31 after being No. 20 in 2021, a decline due in part to missing four games.

A year ago four Vikings made the NFL players’ top 100, Jefferson, Cook, linebacker Eric Kendricks at No. 70 and WR Adam Thielen, No. 80.

Worth Noting

It will be interesting to see if WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” show continues. Station owner Audacy has been making financial cuts in Minneapolis and with other properties. The Sunday program, featuring Sid Hartman and Dave Mona, aired for about 40 years before ending during the pandemic. It was the longest running program in station history. Then last October the show was revived with new hosts Mike Max and Pete Najarian.

Jerry Kill turned 61 last Wednesday but the week didn’t end well with an opening game loss to Nevada last night. The former Gophers coach, now in his first season at New Mexico State, saw his team lose, 23-12.

The Gophers will practice tonight and Monday evening at Huntington Bank Stadium to acclimate to the 8 p.m. start time for Thursday’s season and home opener against New Mexico State.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said there is still a three-way competition to win the offensive right tackle position between Quinn Carroll, JJ Guedet and Martes Lewis. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we rotate those guys,” Fleck said.

Look for an announced crowd of 40 to 45,000 for Thursday night’s game.

Jay Sawvell, a former Kill assistant at Minnesota, is defensive coordinator at Wyoming. The Cowboys lost yesterday to Illinois, 38-6.

The struggling Twins, who have lost 12 of their last 21 games and are in second place three games behind the AL Central Division leading Guardians, held first place for 106 days this year. Injuries have been an issue all year and the club has used 56 players, including 32 pitchers.

Former Nationals and Reds front office executive Jim Bowden, now writing for The Athletic, has one Twins’ prospect on his latest top 50 MLB prospects list, while the Guardians have three. Brooks Lee, who the Twins drafted No. 1 earlier this year, is No. 27 with the comment the switch hitting shortstop could proceed “relatively quickly” to the big leagues.

The Hutchinson community will dedicate Rostberg Stadium at S.R. Knutson Field on September 23 prior to the high school football game between Hutchinson and Becker. The father-son coaching duo of Grady and Andy Rostberg have combined for an overall record at Hutchinson of 455-116-1, a 79.6 winning percentage.

Grady coached from 1970-1999, winning three state titles. Andy succeeded his dad and is still coaching the Tigers who have also won three state championships under his direction.

A hockey source, speaking anonymously, believes former Gophers star Sammy Walker received about $1 million in signing bonus to join the Wild. He predicts that Walker, a center, could spend a year or two at the Wild’s Iowa farm team before becoming a 20-goal per season NHL scorer.

Steve LaCroix, president of the esports entertainment company Wisdom Gaming and former marketing boss of the Vikings, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game.” The program is seen on local cable markets and YouTube. It is co-hosted by Agile Marketing owner Patrick Klinger and USHL commissioner Bill Robertson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K083w0Y6NE&t=3s

Baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. will be the featured speaker at the September 10 Morrie Miller Athletic Foundation banquet in Winona. The foundation’s mission is to support and sustain youth sports in the Winona area.

Word is Hazeltine National Golf Club has renewed interest in hosting more of golf’s biggest events, including the Presidents Cup and U.S. Open. The Chaska facility has the 2029 Ryder Cup booked after hosting the event in 2016. Hazeltine will be the first American site to ever host the event twice.

Belated happy birthday wishes to former wrestling coach Paul Ehrhard who is in five halls of fame and coached state championship teams at Albert Lea High school. He turned 89 years old on August 18.

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