Twins – Page 80 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Zimmer: Vikes “Uncharacteristic” Today

Posted on September 13, 2020September 14, 2020 by David Shama

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer—known for his no nonsense ways—was in character while making his postgame comments today after his team lost its opening game of the season to the Green Bay Packers, 43-34.

“We did a lot of things that were uncharacteristic,” Zimmer said on KFAN Radio. “We jumped off side three times. We had three penalties that extended drives. We let the quarterback get out of the pocket.

“We gave up a safety and then we throw an interception right before the half. …Our time of possession the first half was really lopsided—ended up for the game the same way. There’s a lot of things we gotta get better at, that’s for sure.”

The 43 points is the most scored on a Minnesota Zimmer team. In 2014, Zimmer’s first season, the Packers earned a 42-10 win in Green Bay. The Packers are the only team to put up 40 points against Zimmer during the last seven seasons. He has, of course, earned a NFL reputation (as both a coordinator and head coach) for being a gifted defensive instructor and schemer.

When asked about the record at his postgame press conference, Zimmer said: “It’s not the best thing. We didn’t play very well defensively. We didn’t make enough plays. Guys got out of position a couple of times. So we’ll just get back to work. We’ll be all right.’’

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was flawless directing the Green Bay offense. He looked cerebral in the pocket throwing pinpoint passes and was never sacked despite playing with an offensive line that in the second half was without three starters. The future Hall of Famer threw four touchdown passers, had a passer rating of 127.5 and deftly managed both the offense and the game clocks.

“I thought Rodgers was outstanding,” Zimmer said via radio. “He made some great throws. He did a nice job of checking out of things, and throwing the ball when we had pressure in there. He got us to jump offside three times, I think it was, with a hard count. Typically, you’re not going to get the hard count at home like that when you’ve got (noisy) fans here, but that’s no excuse.”

The Vikings played with several new starters on defense including inexperienced cornerbacks 24 years old and younger. They missed their departed 2019 mainstay pass rushers, Everson Griffen (now in Dallas) and the injured Danielle Hunter. Offensively, with star wide receiver Stefon Diggs traded to Buffalo in the offseason, the passing game was mostly quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Adam Thielen who combined for two passing touchdowns.

Zimmer indicated he and his players won’t panic or make too much out of one game and a loss. “There’s a lot of football left to be played, but we gotta get better quick,” he said at his press conference.

The Vikings came into the game as a 2.5 point favorite, with the over-under at 44.5.

The Vikings’ investment in Dalvin Cook’s new five-year contract announced Saturday can be viewed as more of an investment in the now than in the future. By signing Cook to a reported $63 million deal, with $28 million guaranteed, the Vikings avoid having a disgruntled potential team MVP in the locker room playing out the last year of his contract.

The Vikings are not in rebuilding mode and think they can be a playoff team in 2020. Their offense is built for running the football and the intent is for Cook to repeat his 1,135 yards rushing season of 2019. Even though Cook has a history of injuries and the average NFL RB lasts less than three years, the Vikings had little choice but to sign the fourth year playmaker to market rate money.

Remembering Max McGee: It will be 13 years next month that the Minneapolis area businessman and former great receiver for the Packers died from an unexpected accident at age 75. McGee was also a longtime radio commentator on Packer games.

Twins in MLB’s Tightest Division Race

The Twins have the opportunity to take over first place in the AL Central in their four-game series that starts tomorrow night in Chicago against the first place White Sox. The Sox lead the division race by one game over the second place Twins and the third place Cleveland Indians are 4.5 games behind.

Minnesota’s Jose Berrios, 4-3, 4.40 ERA, and Chicago’s Dylan Cease, 5-2, 3.33 ERA, are the expected starters tomorrow night. Tuesday night’s Twins starter is yet to be announced, but staff ace Kenta Maeda, 5-1, 2.43 ERA, pitches the series finale Wednesday afternoon.

The Twins swept their three-game series at home against the Indians today with a 7-5 win. Minnesota hit 11 home runs in the series and is 21-5 at home, but 9-13 on the road, with manager Rocco Baldelli noting a few days ago the club plays with confidence in Minneapolis.

Twins reliever Trevor May (mild back cramps) and outfielder Eddie Rosario (left elbow contusion) left the game today with injuries. Both are listed as day-to-day.

Cleveland closer Brad Hand, the Chaska native, is the club’s nominee for the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award that recognizes character, community involvement, philanthropy and other positive contributions, both on and off the field.

Hand is one of baseball’s best closers and pitched a hitless eighth inning for the Indians today.

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Football Likely Topic Now for U Regents

Posted on September 10, 2020September 10, 2020 by David Shama

The University of Minnesota Board of Regents meets today and tomorrow, and discussion will certainly include the Big Ten’s decision to cancel or postpone the 2020 football season. The group has not had a regularly scheduled meeting with school president Joan Gabel since the league announced last month the season would not start with scheduled games in September.

There has been a firestorm of criticism not only about the decision but also the absence of details that led to it. It’s believed that even governing bodies such as the regents at Minnesota and other boards throughout the 14-member Big Ten haven’t been privy to what’s going on.

“I haven’t been told anything about how the decision was made, or if there was a vote,” Minnesota regent Michael Hsu told Sports Headliners. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”

Hsu said he has listened to contradictory information from Gabel. “So president Gabel told media that there was no vote per se in terms of the Big Ten decision to postpone or cancel football for the fall. However, some weeks after she said that, the Big Ten…put out the news that the vote was 11-3. I don’t understand how if you didn’t have a vote, how you have an 11-3 vote.”

A spokesman for Gabel declined an interview opportunity yesterday, citing her busy schedule including preparation for the regents meeting and the opening of school this week. The agenda for the two-day regents meeting includes a “report of the president” Friday morning.

The opinion here is the Big Ten rushed its decision in halting football and other fall sports, and made the call without enough transparency. The August 11 announcement came when there was still time to see how COVID-19 protocols would play out and what medical advances could make things safer. In late August a new $5 test that gives fast results regarding COVID was announced, and news like that bolsters the decision of the ACC, Big-12 and SEC to play football and not sideline the sport like the Pac-12 and Big Ten.

Rumors are numerous the Big Ten will have a football restart including speculation last weekend that conference presidents were taking a vote. Nothing has been documented regarding an approved plan to play again in the fall, winter or spring, but in the meantime there are a lot of players who want to play, coaches who want to coach and fans who want to watch.

Things have heated up politically, too, with Midwest Republican legislators, including from Minnesota, calling on the Big Ten to play football. That could come up at the regents meeting this week as should discussion of the financial hit to Minnesota’s athletic department with no revenue from football. Collectively, Big Ten athletic departments are projected to see red ink in the billions of dollars. Minnesota and other athletic departments face the possibility of cutting programs and turning to the outside for loans.

The U regents gathering this week is part of a regular schedule of meetings during the calendar year. Some regents are expected to attend in-person at the McNamara Alumni Center, while others will participate via Zoom.

Worth Noting

With no verbal commits of late, and with other programs adding quality players, the Gophers have fallen to No. 27 in the class of 2021 football recruiting rankings by 247Sports. Minnesota has been in the top 20 for most of the year.

Condolences to friend and former Gophers linebacker Pete Najarian whose father John recently passed away. Pete’s mother Mignette died last year and he lost his brother Paul in 2014.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the NFL is allowing teams to have practice squad players available on game days. Dan Bailey is the only kicker on the Vikings’ regular roster but if he was unable to play, coach Mike Zimmer could promote Chase McLaughlin from the practice squad.

The team doesn’t have a punter on the practice squad but Bailey has some experience in that role. Regular punter Britton Colquitt, by the way, is the oldest Viking at 35. Rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the youngest, turning 21 in June.

Greg Jennings, the former Viking and Green Bay receiver, will be part of the Fox TV crew describing Sunday’s game between Minnesota and the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Minnesota Twins had an off day yesterday and while their schedule doesn’t resume until Friday manager Rocco Baldelli said the team will have a “light workout” today.

With 15 games remaining on the regular schedule for the Twins, the three-game series with the Cleveland Indians that starts tomorrow night at Target Field will be pivotal in deciding who wins the AL Central Division. Minnesota is 18-5 at home, while the Indians are 14-7 on the road. This will be the last series between the two division contenders during the regular season.

That’s Alex Tuch, the former Minnesota Wild forward who Vegas acquired in the 2017 expansion draft, leading the Golden Knights in playoff goals with eight in 17 games. Vegas and the Dallas Stars (originally the Minnesota North Stars) are tied at 1-1 in the Western Conference finals.

The Golden Knights, who have already played in one Stanley Cup final, are the most successful expansion franchise in modern sports history.

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Donaldson Impact about Zip So Far

Posted on August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 by David Shama

The Twins took the field yesterday in Detroit without four everyday regulars and proceeded to lose their fifth straight game. Missing because of injuries were center fielder Byron Buxton, third baseman Josh Donaldson, catcher Mitch Garvin and left fielder Eddie Rosario.

No Twin has been a bigger disappointment and more absent from the field this summer than Donaldson who makes a team-leading $21 million in base salary, per Spotrac.com. Acquired in a splashy winter free agent signing, Donaldson went on the Injured List August 7 with a right calf strain after appearing in seven games during this COVID-19 shortened season that began in late July. His minimal stats include a .182 batting average with one home run and two runs batted in.

Minnesota gave Donaldson a four-year $92 million deal, the largest free agent contract in club history. Twins front office leaders Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took a calculated risk the 34-year-old could produce as in the past. Since 2013 Donaldson has been among baseball’s most productive home run hitters and also a standout in the field.

After an impressive start to the season, the Twins have lost 11 of their last 21 games. They were 3-6 on the road trip that ended against the Tigers on Sunday, and the club struggled to score runs. Minnesota is no longer leading the AL Central Division standings, and Donaldson, known as “Bringer of Rain,” has missed 25 games during the 60-game season.

Given the type of injury that sidelined Donaldson, it’s been a head scratcher as to why he has been sidelined so long. However, manager Rocco Baldelli said the former AL MVP could return sometime during the club’s eight-game home-stand that begins tonight against the White Sox.

It’s likely to take Donaldson awhile to find his stroke at the plate—perhaps in the closing weeks of the season in late August and on into September. That would mean ROI for the Twins: Return on Investment.

Worth Noting

Paul Molitor was a first-ballot Hall of Famer following his great playing career and in 2017, while leading the Twins, was named American League Manager of the Year, but the Minnesota native acknowledges watching baseball is a test of patience for many fans.

During the most recent segment of the Twin Cities cable TV program “Behind the Game” (also available on YouTube), the personable Molitor was asked about the length of MLB games which typically last over three hours and sometimes longer. His view is the impact on fans goes deeper than the duration of games. “It’s that the action is not there,” he told program hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson.

Among the culprits in causing slow action is the increase in frequency of hitters striking out and also drawing more walks than in Molitor’s day when he played in the big leagues from 1978 to 1994, ending his playing career with his hometown Twins. “I just think the fact that there is a lack of flow to the games really makes people check their watch more than you would like to get them watching a baseball game,” Molitor said.

Molitor was known both as a player and manager for having a high baseball IQ. During his playing career the game of baseball was more varied with hitters striving to place the ball in play, while managers strategized about advancing runners with the hit and run, or bunts, and base stealing. Today’s players and managers are focused on power baseball with launch angles and home runs. “It’s not as entertaining for me to sit back and wait to see who outslugs who,” Molitor said.

This summer the 64-year-old Molitor has been biking, golfing and coaching his son in Edina youth baseball. He was a career .306 hitter and had a lofty total of more than 3,000 hits.

The Twins check in at No. 5 in S.I.com’s latest power rankings of MLB teams, trailing the Dodgers, low budget Rays and Athletics, and Yankees. Minnesota’s Central Division rivals rank like this: Indians, No. 8; White Sox, No. 9; Tigers, No. 24 and Royals No. 26.

The Twins have played 23 of their 35 games against the Tigers, Royals, No. 21 ranked Brewers and No. 30 Pirates. Minnesota has a 12-11 record versus those teams.

The MLB trade deadline is today and seemingly the Twins’ biggest need is a return of their own injured position players and pitchers.

There has been a lot of hype about Minnesota natives being selected in this fall’s NBA Draft and S.I. com had an interesting take in its mock draft late last month projecting first and second round picks (contracts guaranteed to first rounders only). Tyrell Terry, the guard from DeLaSalle who played one season at Stanford, is predicted as the only Minnesotan going in the first round, at No. 19 to the Nets.

S.I. projected the Timberwolves will use the No. 1 overall choice on Georgia guard Anthony Edwards, with Minnesota also picking Memphis forward-center Precious Achiuwa at No. 17 in the first round. The Wolves will take hometown favorite and point guard Tre Jones, who played at Apple Valley and two seasons for Duke, with their No. 33 choice early in the second round. Zeke Nnaji, the forward-center from Hopkins who played one season at Arizona, will go No. 34 to the 76ers, per S.I.

I strongly disagree but S.I. has Daniel Oturu, formerly of Cretin-Derham Hall and the Gophers not being drafted until the Wizards take him at No. 37. He averaged more than 20 points and 11 rebounds last season while showing he can play inside and out, but his collective draft predictions have been far ranging for months.

That was ex-Viking Herschel Walker, former Gophers football coach Lou Holtz and ex-Gopher defensive back Jack Brewer appearing as speakers at last week’s Republican convention.

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