Vikings – Page 181 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Joe Mauer Re-Do on Contract Now Due?

Posted on August 31, 2015August 31, 2015 by David Shama

The opinion here is Joe Mauer should consider restructuring his contract with the Twins in a meeting with club officials after the season ends.

Mauer has three years remaining on a deal he signed in 2010 that pays him $23 million annually through 2018. His $184 million eight-year contract is the richest in Twins history, making him one of the best paid major league baseball players ever.

Mauer presumably has so much money from his current deal, plus earnings prior to his 2010 contract, he can take care of not only his immediate family but future generations. At a season-ending exit interview he and the Twins could propose adding three more years to his contract with no change in compensation. Instead of paying Mauer $23 million annually in 2016-2018, Mauer would make $11.5 million each year from 2016-2021.

My proposed change in contract benefits both the Twins and Mauer. The club’s annual payroll decreases with a revised Mauer deal, enhancing the possibility of the franchise adding more quality players to help the already revitalized team push toward championships in the years ahead. Even more practically, the organization can be better positioned to re-sign its nucleus of best contributors on the present roster.

A contract re-do would allow Mauer to demonstrate leadership and willingness to sacrifice for a franchise that has won four division titles during his 12-year career, but never a pennant or World Series, and has struggled through 90-plus loss seasons in 2011-2014. News about a revised contract would be a public relations coup for the Minnesota native who has heard plenty of boos and criticism during the last couple of years. He hit .277 with four home runs and 55 RBI during a disappointing season in 2014 that included a 15-day stretch on the disabled list. This season the health has been better but it’s more of the same statistically with a .271 average and eight home runs and 55 RBI.

With Mauer being 32 years old and coming off a concussion in 2013, doubts grow stronger about whether he will ever again be the player who started this season with a .319 career batting average—the seventh best in major league baseball since 1950. But Mauer’s numbers during the last two seasons for a first baseman and someone who usually hits No. 3 in the batting order are out of whack for what’s expected.

The Twins awarded Mauer his extraordinary contract because of his three batting titles, MVP season in 2009 and immense popularity in Minnesota as the club prepared to move into its new ballpark, planning to maximize ticket sales and other revenues at Target Field. Given those realities, paying Mauer a mega-sum was appropriate. But now circumstances and reality are different, and even if Mauer approaches past performance next year or in 2017, his past compensation and proposed earnings of $11.5 million through 2021 would be fair for a player who will be nearly 40 when that contract expires.

Mauer is known as a quiet figure in the clubhouse. He’s a good role model for teammates, though, because of his character and midwestern values. In the past he’s mostly made his statements with on-field performances at the plate, and also catching and now at first base. By re-doing his contract, he could make another statement and contribution to the organization.

And one other incentive, Joe. The taxman figures to go easier on you at $11.5 million per year than $23 million.

Worth Noting

The nonconference schedule for coach Richard Pitino’s team was announced this afternoon. Highlights include the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament in San Juan where the Gophers will play three games in four days starting with Temple on November 19. Clemson plays at Williams Arena on November 30 as part of the 2015 Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

After home games December 5 and 8 against South Dakota and South Dakota State, Minnesota will play Oklahoma State in Sioux Falls on December 12 in a neutral court matchup at the Sanford Pentagon. The Gophers open their Big Ten schedule on the road at Ohio State on December 30. Minnesota’s first Big Ten home game is January 2 against Michigan State.

The Twins have won eight of their last 10 games and remain in contention for a wild card spot in the American League playoffs. Among the interesting storylines before the season was that starting pitchers Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco and Ervin Santana were thought to be key figures in determining the team’s chances of playing meaningful games in August. Hughes has struggled this season and been on the disabled list much of the month. Nolasco hasn’t pitched since May 31, and has also been on the disabled list. Santana missed the first half of the season because of a suspension and has been mostly disappointing since his return, although he was impressive yesterday giving up no runs in seven innings against the Astros while striking out 10 batters.

Before the season neither third baseman Miguel Sano nor center fielder Byron Buxton had played higher than Class AA in the minor leagues. The hope was at least one of the two super prospects would play for the Twins this year. Both are making major contributions to the big league club after recalls from the minors. After less than 200 at bats, Sano has hit 13 home runs with 45 RBI and has a .287 average. He has been invaluable for a team that sometimes struggles to score runs.

Sano has hit a home run every 13.2 times at the plate. Twins Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew homered at a rate of 14.2. He hit 573 career home runs.

Former Gophers athletic director McKinley Boston is retired from the same position at New Mexico State. Boston continues to live in New Mexico where his grandson Jaylon Boston, playing for Centennial High School, was second team all-state as a sophomore running back last season.

The Vikings placed veteran cornerback Josh Robinson on the physically unable to perform list today. They also cut offensive tackle Carter Bykowski, the Eden Prairie native who has two years of NFL experience after playing at Iowa State.

The Vikings have about 12 acres of land at Winter Park where the club has offices and practice facilities. The organization needs more room and about the only way to expand at the present site is vertically. The Vikings have a purchase agreement in Eagan for 185 acres on the former Northwest Airlines site. A Vikings spokesman said the club is performing due diligence on the property now.

Names to speculate as candidates for the Gophers athletic director vacancy include at least two from the West. Tina Kunzer-Murphy is one of the few female athletic directors at a major school. Murphy, the wife of former Gophers quarterback Greg Murphy, has been the athletic director at UNLV since midway through the 2013-2014 school year. She has held high level administrative positions in athletics at UNLV and Pacific.

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson is from Redwood Falls, Minnesota and is a University of Minnesota journalism graduate. He has been commissioner of three college conferences including the Mountain West since 1998 and has extensive relationships in college athletics. He’s a known innovator and creative thinker with a high regard for academics and sportsmanship. He’s served on more than two dozen NCAA groups addressing issues such as playoffs, licensing and officiating.

Congratulations to Albany High School football coach Mike Kleinschmidt who won his 100th career game last Friday night with a 38-7 win over St. Cloud Cathedral. He has been a head coach for 13 years, all at Albany, and his overall career record is 100-33.

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Gophers Coaches Praise QB Leidner

Posted on August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 by David Shama

Gophers head coach Jerry Kill said quarterback Mitch Leidner is the “best I’ve seen him” during the most recent weeks of practices. Offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the redshirt junior starter looks “sharp” as Minnesota counts down the days to the opening game on Thursday night at home against national title contender TCU.

Kill and Limegrover remarked about Leidner’s confidence at a news conference this afternoon. After they spoke, Leidner told Sports Headliners his passing has improved from when he was a part-time starter as a freshman in 2013 and last year as the No. 1 quarterback.

“I feel like I am throwing the football as best as I ever had—accurate, consistent everyday and throwing with more velocity as well,” Leidner said.

Kill said he has noticed a difference in Leidner since preseason camp opened August 7. “Well, I think for the first three or four days of camp Mitch wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be, but I can tell you the last two weeks he’s been unbelievably sharp,” Kill said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him look since I’ve been here. I mean, he’s done a really, really good job.”

Leidner struggled and so did the entire offense last year in a 30-7 loss to the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. He passed for 151 yards, with 12 completions in 26 attempts while throwing three interceptions. Backup quarterback Chris Streveler produced the only Minnesota score, throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Maxx Williams.

Leidner had a troublesome knee prior to the TCU game and there was some question about his availability. He played much of the game, though, and he certainly wasn’t pleased with his performance or an offense that came up with just 14 first downs and 99 yards rushing.

Limegrover said it “eats” at his quarterback when he and the team struggle. “I know that’s been something he’s wanted to rectify (the TCU loss)—the way he played, regardless of whether he was injured up or not,” Limegrover said. “He didn’t feel very good about his performance and the way things went. He is feeling good (now). He’s been looking sharp.”

Limegrover acknowledged that how Leidner performs has everything to do with the success of the offense this season. The quarterback is aware of the questions continually asked about his passing skills last season, in the spring and even now as the team prepares for the 12 games ahead. He said it would be “huge” if he excels on Thursday night and the Gophers win. “I am just hoping all this preparation will payoff,” he said.

Worth Noting

As of today, approximately 200 tickets remained on sale for Thursday night’s game. When those tickets are gone, standing-room only will be sold and will contribute to an attendance that will be the largest for a Gophers game in TCF Bank Stadium history.

The University of Minnesota’s decision to give men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino a $400,000 increase is certainly controversial. The increase was the decision earlier this year of the now departed athletic director Norwood Teague. Defenders of Teague’s decision will say Minnesota needed to boost Pitino’s compensation because of Alabama’s interest in hiring the second-year Gophers coach. But after Pitino coached a 6-12 season in the Big Ten and didn’t qualify his team for postseason play, the increase is difficult to accept under any circumstances.

Pitino could have achieved a public relations coup by turning down the $400,000 while noting this is a challenging time for the University because of the Teague scandal. Further, he might have said the money was better directed toward the school’s $190 million athletics facilities project that will include a new basketball practice facility benefitting him.

Among Pitino’s contract bonus incentives is one paying him $25,000 for an annual cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher. His players had a GPA of 2.73 (low B range) for spring semester.

The Vikings play tonight in Arlington, Texas against the Cowboys in another preseason game expected to draw a large TV audience in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The Vikings had a 35 average share for preseason games last year and in the first three exhibition games this summer the shares have been 38, 35 and 34.5. A share is the percentage of households watching a specific program at a specific time.

AT&T Stadium in Arlington was designed by HKS, the same company providing much of the vision for U.S. Bank Stadium that opens in Minneapolis next summer. The retractable roof stadium is among the most acclaimed sports venues anywhere, and a facility with similar features to the Vikings new home.

Both stadiums allow the home team to take the field at the 50-yard line adjacent to turf suites (bunkered in AT&T but field-level at U.S. Bank Stadium). The Arlington venue has a retractable window while the new Vikings home features five pivoting doors that at their peak are 95 feet tall. AT&T Stadium houses an art collection and U.S. Bank Stadium will have artwork depicting Vikings and other Minnesota sports history, plus culture of the state.

Vikings second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater makes his fourth preseason start tonight. Bridgewater was asked to contrast his first preseason start as a rookie in 2014 with now. “Last year, that preseason game, my head was spinning,” he said. “My head was everywhere. My mind was everywhere. First off, trying to get the play call correctly in the huddle. Then coming to the line of scrimmage, trying to make the right calls at the line of scrimmage. Then post-snap trying to figure out what coverage the defense is running. I think my coaches did a great job last year preparing me for that first game and this year, having a year under my belt playing in this system, I’m even more comfortable.”

Vikings second year head coach Mike Zimmer, who is 7-0 in preseason games in 2014 and 2015, was the Cowboys defensive backfield coach from 1994-1999 and defensive coordinator from 2000-2006. Zimmer remains friends with the Jones family who own and operate the Cowboys. Steve Loney, the former Gophers and Vikings offensive line coach, is the assistant o-line coach for the Cowboys.

The Timberwolves are selling a “3-Pack on a Stick” multi-games ticket package at the Minnesota State Fair. The games are the home opener November 2 against the Trail Blazers, November12 with the NBA champion Warriors and December 9 versus the Lakers. The ticket offer is available exclusively at the Timberwolves’ exhibit at the fair. Buyers also receive an Andrew Wiggins cutout on a stick.

Defending champion Saint John’s is the MIAC football coaches choice to win the league title again. In their annual poll the coaches voted teams in this order following the Johnnies: St. Thomas, Bethel, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus, Augsburg, Hamline, Carleton and St. Olaf. D3football.com ranks Saint John’s No. 9, St. Thomas 14th and Bethel 20th in its national preseason top 25.

Former Gophers tennis coach Jerry Noyce is a new member of the Evanston (Illinois) Township High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Noyce played on the undefeated Evanston state doubles championship team in 1962. He was part of two state championship tennis teams playing for the suburban Chicago school. He is also a member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame and the Gophers “M” Club Hall of Fame.

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Seniority Ends for Vikings Cullen Loeffler

Posted on August 24, 2015August 26, 2015 by David Shama

The Vikings released the longest-tenured player on their roster today. Cullen Loeffler, who had played in 171 career games dating back to 2004, was let go because competing long snapper Kevin McDermott performed better as the Vikings prepare this month for the 2015 season.

“He (McDermott) was faster with his snaps,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “He was more accurate with his snaps. We charted every one.”

The Vikings have two more preseason games to play before the regular season begins on September 14. Zimmer wants to use the coming days and weeks to get the “timing down” between McDermott and other specialists involved with placekicking and punting. The coach indicated the Vikings are committed to McDermott who was signed in the offseason as a free agent, and they don’t plan to fill the roster with a second long snapper. He also said a disappointing performance by placekicker Blair Walsh last Saturday night (see Worth Noting section below) had nothing to do with releasing Loeffler.

McDermott, 25, was a teammate of Vikings punter Jeff Locke for five years at UCLA. He snapped the ball to Locke for the Bruins during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The 49ers signed McDermott as a rookie free agent in 2013 and he played in 16 regular season games and three playoff games that season. Last season he played in seven games with the Ravens.

Loeffler, 34, played in all 16 regular season games during 10 of his 11 seasons with the Vikings. He has been a popular player with teammates and off the field with fans where his volunteer focus has sometimes been on military veterans.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman admires Loeffler. “These types of decisions are the hardest part of our jobs. Cullen was outstanding in the community and on the field for the Vikings. He handled his business with class, and his impact in the locker room and on the franchise were second to none. We wish him the best in the future.”

Worth Noting

Walsh, who missed three field goals and one extra point on Saturday night in the preseason win over the Raiders, also struggled at times last season—his third in the NFL. Walsh made a career worst 74.3 percent of his field goals in 2014. An Associated Press All-Pro as a rookie in 2012, Walsh had a big junior year in college at Georgia, but missed 14 of 35 field goal attempts as a senior.

Chase Ford had a touchdown catch on Saturday evening but Zimmer wouldn’t say today how many tight ends the team plans to keep on its final 53-man roster. “I am just out there trying to get better everyday. That’s up to them (the coaches) and Rick (Spielman) who they want to keep on the squad,” said Ford who during both the 2013 and 2014 seasons has been promoted to the roster from the Vikings practice squad.

Christian Ponder anticipated being booed and he was when the former Vikings quarterback played on Saturday night for the Raiders at TCF Bank Stadium. He had thought about taking a bow but said he “wimped out.”

PGA Tour Golf Course Properties is promoting discounts at golf courses when Vikings fans travel to games in California and Arizona this year. More at TPC.com/football.

Gophers coach Jerry Kill had several interesting observations about his team and its August practices while talking yesterday on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle. He said 6-10 redshirt sophomore tight end Nate Wozniak is “maybe the most improved” player on the roster, and redshirt sophomore linebacker Cody Poock is having an “unbelievable” preseason camp. Kill identified true freshmen who will not redshirt including running back Shannon Brooks, defensive lineman Colton Beebe and offensive lineman Tyler Moore. As Kill did earlier this month, he raised the possibility of gifted runner Chris Streveler playing at a position or two other than quarterback this season.

Today is Kill’s 54th birthday.

The Gophers-TCU game on September 3 will be televised nationally on ESPN with Dave Pasch providing play-by-play and Brian Griese doing analysis.

Mike Grant is now the fifth coach in Minnesota high school football history to achieve 300 career wins. Grant’s record in 33 seasons is 300 wins and 66 losses after Eden Prairie defeated Totino-Grace on Saturday night. Other members of the 300 club are Ron Stolski (Brainerd), Mike Mahlen (Verndale), Dwight Lundeen (Becker) and George Larson (Cambridge).

Zach Zenner, from Eagan High School and South Dakota State, is an undrafted rookie running back with the Lions who is making news. Zenner rushed four times for 22 yards and caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in a preseason game last Thursday against the Redskins. In two exhibition games he has rushed for a team-best 77 yards on 17 carries.

Saints owner and “fun is good” specialist Mike Veeck will speak at the next CORES luncheon on September 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. Reservations must be made by September 7 or sooner. 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.

It looks almost certain 2015 will be remembered as the season the Twins’ highly-hyped minor league prospects began to change the franchise. Coming into this season Baseball America’s top 10 Twins prospects included No. 1 Byron Buxton, No. 2 Miguel Sano, No. 9 Trevor May and No. 10 Eddie Rosario. All four are making a difference for the Twins including run producers Buxton, Sano and Rosario, and the relief pitching of former starter May. Right-handed pitcher Jose Berrios, ranked No. 3 in the listings, seems likely to join the Twins from Triple-A Rochester on September 1 when major league rosters can be expanded.

Twins right fielder Torii Hunter, who turned 40 on Saturday, is hitting .174 in his last 30 games. Hunter’s season average is .235, or 42 points lower than his career average. Despite his locker room leadership, it’s questionable whether he, or the Twins, will want a return year in 2016 unless his hitting picks up between now and season’s end.

Amanda Zahui B., the former Gopher who left school with two seasons of eligibility remaining, is averaging nine minutes per game as a rookie for the WNBA’s Shock. The 6-5, 250-pound native of Sweden is scoring 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

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