Twins – Page 88 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

No Twins Are Trade Untouchables

Posted on December 15, 2019December 17, 2019 by David Shama

MLB’s Winter Meetings have come and gone with no big moves by the Minnesota Twins to improve their roster. This doesn’t come as a surprise since the organization under the Pohlad family ownership has consistently been deliberate in making outside personnel changes, whether by free agency or trade.

While some teams used the gathering at the Winter Meetings to improve their clubs, there is still a lot of time to see what develops in Major League Baseball before next season including with the Twins. In an interview with Sports Headliners, team president Dave St. Peter spoke about the ongoing process to improve his roster. “We are obviously open-minded as to how we get better,” St. Peter said while indicating the possibility of acquiring players via free agency or trade.

The Twins improved so much last season they transformed themselves from mediocre into one of MLB’s better clubs. The Twins can court potential newcomers with a storyline that not only includes a talented team but also features a players manager in Rocco Baldelli.

“We think our story has gotten incrementally better over the course of the last 18 months,” St. Peter said. “We think that we have a great, compelling ball club for 2020 and beyond, and we are optimistic that one way or another we’re going to be able to add pitching.”

St. Peter mentioned pitching without being prompted, an indication of how Minnesota has prioritized finding offseason help on the mound. The Twins reined down home runs last season, setting a MLB record with 307. Every off season story on how the Twins will get better in 2020 and go beyond AL Central champs to a successful postseason run has Minnesota needing to improve the starting staff.

Who will the Twins offer up in trades for either pitchers or other players? St. Peter said the club doesn’t so much target specific individuals in their organization for potential trades as it does looking at where the organization has strength and depth. Although he didn’t mention left fielder Eddie Rosario as trade bait, Sportingnews.com reported three days ago other teams are asking about Rosario, and the Twins do have a terrific minor league prospect and possible replacement in outfielder Alex Kirilloff. It appears sooner (perhaps next year) or later Minnesota will need to make room for the 22-year-old Kirilloff who has a .317 minor league career batting average.

When asked, St. Peter couldn’t think of any Twins currently under contract who have no-trade clauses in their contracts. Does he believe any Twins are untouchable? “No, I don’t think so,” he answered. “…The reality of it is, there’s probably some players that practically speaking you’re just probably not going to move because I’m not sure that another team could offer us enough.”

Twins front office personnel decision makers Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have won St. Peter’s confidence since being hired in 2016. St. Peter said their relationships with other front office leaders are so important to the Twins as they search to make a team with 101 wins last season even better.

Although, loaded with offense a rumor is the Twins will sign free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson who hit 37 home runs last season for the Atlanta Braves. His acquisition would presumably send Miguel Sano from third base to first base and improve the infield defense.

Not referencing Donaldson, St. Peter was asked about the idea of moving Sano to first base. “It’s a possibility. We have not made that decision,” St. Peter said. “Right now Miguel is still penciled in at third base and we will be fine with that if we go to spring training. He is a difference-maker…particularly at that position. Yeah, we have to be open-minded for ways to get better. We talked about our infield defense maybe being an area that we could shore up. …”

Worth Noting

Tickets are on sale for TwinsFest at Target Field Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25. The annual event has typically been three days but next year will be held over two days. The Twins will be celebrating their 60th season of play since moving to Minnesota as the Washington Senators.

St. Peter is a college football fan and enjoys travelling to games. This fall he saw a game at Mississippi and last year was at Georgia.

LSU’s Joe Burrow won the famed Heisman Trophy last night, the award annually honoring college football’s best player. Bruce Smith is the only Golden Gopher who ever won the Heisman, doing so in 1941. In 1953 Minnesota’s Paul Giel finished second in Heisman balloting and seven years later the Gophers’ Tom Brown also was voted runner-up. In 1962 balloting Minnesota’s Bobby Bell finished third in the voting.

Condolences to family and friends of former Gophers and South St. Paul hockey coach Doug Woog, who passed away Saturday afternoon. A beloved hockey leader for decades, the 75-year-old Woog had been dealing this year with health care issues including Parkinson’s disease.

Former Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett “is a central figure” in a new Adam Sandler movie, according to a story in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. In the film Uncut Gems Garnett seeks to acquire an Ethiopian black opal.

No one seems to know when, or if, former Lynx star Maya Moore will resume her career. She didn’t play last season and continues to focus on helping others via criminal justice reform.

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Leber: Need More from Vikings Defense

Posted on December 12, 2019December 12, 2019 by David Shama

A Thursday notes column starting with candid quotes from Ben Leber, the former Vikings linebacker who offers expert analysis during games on the team’s radio network.

Minnesota is 9-4 with intentions of winning its last three regular season games and advancing to the playoffs. With quarterback Kirk Cousins and others either meeting or exceeding expectations on offense, Leber is most concerned about the defense. “I just think they got to start generating more difference-making plays,” Leber said.

Leber wants the defense to force more turnovers and even turn those mistakes by opponents into points. Minnesota hasn’t been consistent enough with that this year and in the recent past, per Leber.

The defense is yielding 19.2 points per game, with only six of 31 other NFL teams doing better. The Vikings have given up only five rushing touchdowns but allowed 22 passing. Leber has a concern with the defensive secondary, not the line or other defenders.

The Vikings have to stop playing what he calls “safe” pass defense. “They need to go out there and take control of the pass defense and get their hands on the football,” Leber said. “Then it’s up to the offense to score some points off the turnovers.”

A focal point in the secondary remains cornerback Xavier Rhodes who is paid like an All-Pro but has been inconsistent this season and last. His misjudgments have placed him in hot water with head coach Mike Zimmer. As of late, Rhodes has sometimes been subbed out during games.

In the locker room yesterday Rhodes told reporters he doesn’t know how much he will play in Sunday’s game in Los Angeles against the Chargers. “I just gotta make plays when I’m in games,” he said. “That’s my mindset.”

Leber thinks the 29-year-old Rhodes can still play at a high level as the schedule closes but isn’t sure he will. “He has the ability to do it,” Leber said. “I’m guessing that taking some reps off of him (during games) will help him play a little bit faster.”

Rhodes has contended with an ankle injury this fall. He doesn’t expect the ankle will keep him out Sunday. “The ankle is pretty good,” he said. “It’s getting better day to day.”

Since week five of the NFL season Cousin has an NFL best 120.0 passer rating and he’s thrown a league high 21 touchdown passes. The nine-year veteran’s passing is in sharp contrast to what he has done in much of his pro career including a disappointing first season with the Vikings in 2018.

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema, a close observer of the team, praises the work of the coaches including assistant head coach Gary Kubiak who was added to the staff during the last offseason. Lurtsema believes a change in philosophy has caused a Cousins turnaround, with the offense adjusted to prioritize the quarterback’s strengths. Lurtsema said he’s never seen the 31-year-old Cousins play so relaxed.

“I must give the coaches a lot of credit because they are coaching to the strength of the player and a lot of coaches coach to the strength of their system,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “They are giving Cousins the flexibility to play to his strengths. “

Lurtsema also praised Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter for not only his physical skills but saying “his work ethic is second to none.” Hunter’s long arms enable the 25-year-old to keep blockers at a distance. “He plays the game smartly but more importantly he’s got a motor on him,” Lurtsema said.

Hunter was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week yesterday for his performance last Sunday against the Lions in Minnesota’s 20-7 win. He had three sacks and seven total tackles. He is the youngest player to reach 50 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

Chargers special teams coordinator and assistant head coach George Stewart was the Vikings wide receivers coach from 2007-2016.

Regis Eller, son of legendary former Vikings defensive end Carl Eller, is assistant director of pro scouting for the Chargers.

Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Stillwater-based Creative Charters has sold out two Boeing airplanes for the Outback Bowl in Tampa and is looking at adding another plane based on demand.

No word from sources yet on which, if any, senior Gophers football players may sit out the Outback Bowl game against Auburn to protect their health and professional prospects. Linebacker Blake Cashman skipped Minnesota’s Quick Lane Bowl game last year.

Not many coaches can put on their resumes the achievement of taking teams to January bowl games prior to turning 40 years old. Among those who can is Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck who has Minnesota in the January 1 Outback Bowl and three years ago led Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl.

ESPN.com’s ranking this week, of the 150 greatest college football coaches ever, listed former Gopher player Bud Wilkinson No. 6 for the dynasty he built at Oklahoma. The Minneapolis native was listed after Paul Bear Bryant and Nick Saban, both from Alabama, Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne and Grambling’s Eddie Robinson.

An ESPN panel of media, administrators, and former coaches and players, ranked St. John’s coach John Gagliardi No. 16, with Lou Holtz (multiple schools including Minnesota and Notre Dame) No. 23, Fritz Crisler (Minnesota, Princeton and Michigan) No 42. Former Gopher player Biggie Munn, who gained coaching fame at Michigan State, ranked No. 47, and Minneapolis native Sid Gillman (Miami of Ohio and Cincinnati) No. 54.

Bernie Bierman (multiple schools including Minnesota) was ranked No. 65. He won five national championships at Minnesota and his ranking is too low. Henry Williams, for whom Williams Arena is named, is No. 106 based on his coaching career at Army and Minnesota. Left off the list was former Gophers coach Murray Warmath, who had a career record at Minnesota of 87-78-7, but won a national championship and had two co-Big Ten title teams. He was also a pioneer in his commitment to using black players in big time college football.

Jashon Cornell, the Minnesota native from Cretin-Derham Hall and fifth-year Ohio State defensive tackle, was named Big Ten honorable mention last week in voting from league coaches.

ESPN’s Sunday night baseball schedule for the first half of next season not only didn’t include the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins but also passed on the World Series champion Washington Nationals.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli got engaged to girl friend Allie Genoa this fall at Yosemite National Park.

Although seven schools in the 10-member men’s Western Conference Hockey Association plan to form a new league to start play in two years, it’s possible the WCHA may reorganize with new teams, perhaps including St. Thomas if the Tommies are successful in gaining approval of Division I status in athletics.

Illinois remains a possibility to some day join the Big Ten in hockey.

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Wild Close on 2021 NHL Winter Classic

Posted on December 5, 2019December 5, 2019 by David Shama

Target Field could be the playing site for the 2021 NHL Winter Classic. The Twins and Wild would host the prestigious annual game that has never been played in Minnesota, and a January 1, 2021 date could help commemorate the 20th anniversary of the local NHL team.

Wild owner Craig Leipold acknowledged to Sports Headliners yesterday that his franchise is competing with one other NHL city for the Winter Classic, but the league has yet to inform him of its decision. An announcement of the 2021 playing site for the outdoor game is likely to come January 1, 2020.

Known as the “State of Hockey,” the NHL Winter Classic seems overdue for a Minnesota date. “It should be us,” Leipold said. “We think that we’ve got exciting players. We think that we have a good team, and a very competitive team, and we have a great market. No one will ever question that. Our fans are fantastic. So I think we check most of the boxes, and…we hope it’s our time.”

Local interest in attracting the nationally televised event has been ongoing for a long time by the Twins and Wild. Twins president Dave St. Peter spoke of his interest in the game as recently as August of this year. The Wild hosted a successful NHL Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium in 2016, but that event is less coveted than the Winter Classic that last January was played at Notre Dame Stadium, and January 1, 2020 lands in the Cotton Bowl.

The Winter Classic was first played in 2008 to evoke the outdoor roots of hockey. The event uses football and baseball stadiums, with one game drawing over 100,000 fans to Michigan Stadium. A Sports Headliners hockey source said the NHL and TV rights holder NBC prefer historic league teams from the United States like the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Planners also want winning teams that can attract a large TV audience.

The Wild has been a mediocre team for years and that’s been a factor in the NHL not granting the Winter Classic to Minnesota. But the team has been impressive of late and with the franchise’s 20th anniversary looming since its inception for the 2000-2001 season, and the fact so many other cities have already hosted the game, Minnesota’s lobbying efforts could finally pay off.

The Wild’s opponent might be the Blackhawks because of the rivalry between the two teams and the size of the huge Chicago TV market. The Dallas Stars, the team once based in Minnesota as the North Stars, may well be another possibility. Activities surrounding a Minneapolis Winter Classic could include an alumni game between former Wild and Blackhawks or Stars players.

The Wild is undefeated in its last 10 games, going 7-0-3. Leipold said the team is showing skill and depth, referring to the third and fourth lines as playing “fantastic.” With three goalies and a sound defense, he is excited after the Wild had a slow start to the season. “We don’t have any weaknesses,” he said.

New general manager Bill Guerin has had time to evaluate the personnel but Leipold doesn’t think there are any trades in the works right now. “But I think the next month, and month-and-a-half, is going to tell a lot as to where we think this team can go,” Leipold said.

Worth Noting

It will be interesting to see if Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle is rewarded with increased compensation this month, or shortly after the first of the year. Coyle’s work since being hired in 2016 is highly regarded, but his annual compensation of $850,000 remains unchanged from the original contract—although he did receive a three-year extension last October taking his deal through 2024.

There are many major college athletic directors earning well over $1 million including some of Coyle’s colleagues in the Big Ten. An increase of $150,000, taking Coyle to $1 million, could make sense to new University of Minnesota president Joan Gabel after the breakthrough season in football under the direction of coach P.J. Fleck who Coyle hired in 2017.

The University regents meet December 12 and 13 in Minneapolis but the agenda for the meeting is as yet unknown. Possibly blocking a Coyle increase is this week’s announcement of faculty layoffs at UMD. Although Coyle’s compensation comes from the largely self-supporting Gophers athletic department, a University system perception problem could arise because of the fiscal challenges at UMD.

Coyle’s success at Minnesota, including popular hires of hockey coach Bob Motzko and basketball coach Lindsay Whalen, is noticed by other universities. There was speculation earlier this fall USC was interested in Coyle for its AD opening. Coyle, an Iowa native who first worked for the U athletic department about 18 years ago before taking AD jobs at Boise State and Syracuse, has often expressed his liking for working at Minnesota and living in the Twin Cities with his family.

Sid Hartman’s 100th birthday will be March 15 of next year, and that day just happens to be a Sunday. It’s perfect timing to celebrate the milestone on WCCO Radio where Hartman has been heard for decades on the Sunday morning “Sports Huddle” program.

Show co-host Dave Mona told Sports Headliners the station will do a “Sidtennial” celebration. A list of about 50 potential celebrity guests for telephone interviews is being reviewed to reach a smaller total. The Sid salute March 15, Mona said, will continue during a WCCO Radio Twins spring training broadcast in the afternoon and on into the evening with more interviews, stories and tributes to the legendary radio personality and Minneapolis newspaper columnist.

The Twin Cities Dunkers organization that supports Minnesota professional and amateur sports has provided $690,500 in combined gifts to the athletic departments of the Minneapolis and St. Paul high schools over the past eight years. The organization was originally known as the Minneapolis Dunkers and dates back to 1948.

Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman was named the Big Ten’s wide receiver of the year Wednesday (Richter-Howard Award). Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck raved about Bateman recently, describing him as “incredibly talented.” But Fleck also praised the sophomore for his work ethic and selflessness. “When you start combining the skill with that, that’s an inferno, that’s a bonfire, instead of the fire in your fireplace with one log,” Fleck said.

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