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

Craig Leipold’s House Dodges Dorian

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

Enjoy a Thursday notes column with news about the Wild, Twins, Gophers and Vikings.

Dorian, the hurricane that has ravaged parts of the Caribbean this week including the Bahamas, didn’t damage Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas where Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold has a home. Abaco Island in the Bahamas, located about 200 miles from Leipold’s home, was devastated. Leipold was told there was a lot of rain in recent days on Great Exuma, but no property damage.

“We were lucky we dodged it,” Leipold told Sports Headliners yesterday. “The next one, who knows?”

Leipold is looking forward so much to the start of the Wild’s 2019-2020 season he has decided to postpone his fourth hip replacement until January. He was scheduled for September surgery on his right hip but with the doctor’s approval decided to wait until next year.

The Twins have a Cleveland stopper in right-hand starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi. He is 2-0 this season against the Indians who come to Minneapolis for a three-game series starting Friday. He has a 1:04 ERA in 17.1 innings pitched versus the Indians, who as of this morning are 5.5 games behind the Twins in the race to win the American League Central Division title. The Indians lead the season series so far 7-6.

In Odorizzi’s last Cleveland start he pitched 5.2 shutout inngs with six strikeouts. That August 10 win at Target Field was pivotal because it broke a first place tie with the Indians and provided Minnesota a one game lead in the division.

Odorizzi has a career high 14 wins (14-6 record) and will make a Saturday start in the upcoming series. In his last seven starts, he is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

A spokesman in the Twins ticket office said yesterday only ballpark access tickets ($25) remain for Saturday night’s game, with greater inventory available for Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.

The Twins will make an announcement Monday regarding playoff tickets for the general public. Details have already been provided to season ticket holders. The club is also renewing season tickets for 2020 and selling to new account holders.

The football Gophers are 1-6 in games on the West Coast (in California, Oregon, Washington) during the last 50 years. The only win came at Oregon State two years ago in coach P.J. Fleck’s first season. Saturday night Minnesota plays at Fresno State, with a 9:30 p.m. Minneapolis time kickoff and temps expected in the 80s.

Talking on his weekly KFAN Radio show Tuesday, Fleck said he will keep his players on Central Daylight time and not reset watches while in California. For preparation, the heat has been turned up in the Gophers’ practice facility.

Fresno State is one of the best teams in the Mountain West Conference, a league that experienced an impressive opening weekend several days ago. Fresno State lost but was competitive at USC (31-23), while rival power Boise State defeated Florida State from the ACC in Tallahassee. The Mountain West’s Hawaii, Nevada and Wyoming staged upset wins over three Power Five teams, Arizona, Purdue and Missouri respectively.

Minnesota has been one of the least penalized teams in the nation dating back to the 2017 season, Fleck’s first with the Gophers. In the past 26 games the Gophers have been penalized 93 times for 888 yards. In 2016 Minnesota was penalized 88 times for 743 yards in 13 games.

SI.com’s NFL power rankings of 32 teams posted on Tuesday offered this top 10: Patriots, Chiefs, Saints, Rams, Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, Falcons, Steelers and Chargers. The Vikings ranked No. 14, with the Bears at 11. NFC North rivals the Packers, Bears and Vikings made the top 15, with the division’s fourth team, the Lions, at No. 22.

The Vikings, 8-7-1 last season, start their regular season Sunday at home against a Falcons team that also disappointed in 2018 with their 7-9 record. The Falcons have perhaps the NFL’s best unit of wide receivers led by the great Julio Jones, but quarterback Matt Ryan, 34, doesn’t have a strong arm and that may cue the Vikings safeties to play nearer the line of scrimmage and more easily stop the run.

Not much is being said about it, but the Vikings seem likely to often use a two tight ends formation this season with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. Such a scheme changes the technique of defensive linemen and makes them wonder whether the offense will attack with a run or pass.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is counted on to have a breakout season after being held back by injuries in 2017 and 2018. Statistics support his reputation as a playmaker. He has a career rushing average of 4.7 yards, with nine runs of 20-plus yards or more. As a pass receiver he is averaging 7.7 yards, with six receptions of 20-plus yards.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer after being asked what needs to happen for this season to be a success: “I would say the biggest thing is…if we go out and we play really smart football, (and) we don’t beat ourselves. We control the explosive plays in the game, on both sides of the ball. We have them and they (opponents) don’t. …I think if we are effective in the last 10 minutes of the fourth quarter in ball games, I think we’ll be good.”

New this year at U.S. Bank Stadium is having a young Vikings fan push the button that opens the massive doors and allows fresh air into the facility. The facility opened in 2016 and late last month was ranked No. 1 among NFL stadiums by Dan Graziano writing for SI.com.

Former Viking Adrian Peterson, now with the Redskins, is tied with Jim Brown for the fifth most rushing touchdowns in NFL history, 106 each. The all-time leader is Emmitt Smith with a 164.

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Vikings May Face Kickers’ Revenge

Posted on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 by David Shama

In two of their first three regular season games the Minnesota Vikings could see two former field goal kickers and kickoff specialists who they gave up on, Blair Walsh now with the Atlanta Falcons and Daniel Carlson from the Oakland Raiders.

The Falcons, who play the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in the season opener September 8, signed Walsh a few days ago because of preseason frustration with kicker Giorgio Tavecchio. Walsh, 29, hasn’t kicked in the NFL since the 2017 season with the Seahawks. He spent four-plus seasons with the Vikings before being cut in 2016.

Walsh, a Vikings sixth round draft pick in 2012, had a terrific rookie season. He converted 92.1 percent of his field goals, making 35 of 56 attempts. He was perfect on extra points, 36 of 36. He is infamous in Purple Nation, though, for his missed field goal in January of 2016 that cost the Vikings a playoff win against the Seahawks.

While there is no guarantee Walsh will win the Falcons’ kicking job and have the opportunity to take revenge on his old team, Carlson is all but a lock to be swinging his leg for the Raiders when they come to Minneapolis for the third game of the season September 22. Only an injury will prevent Carlson, who the Vikings waived after the second game of the season last year, from potentially making a winning kick at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Carlson, 25, was 1 of 4 on field goals for the Vikings who hastily gave up on their fifth round draft choice after the rookie had a bad day against the Green Bay Packers, missing three field goals. The Raiders gave him a second chance, and he produced making 16 of 17 field goals in 10 games last season. In preseason he is a perfect 4 of 4 on field goals, including the game winner against the Packers last week.

In a soap opera that could be referred to as how the “Kicking Tee Turns,” the 2019 Vikings will have their fourth new kicker to start a season in four years. After Walsh, for part of 2016, came Kai Forbath, who stayed on through 2017. Then Carlson started off 2018 only to be replaced by Dan Bailey. Bailey, 31, made a mediocre 75 percent of his field goals last season and is facing competition in training camp from rookie Kaare Vedvik who the Vikings acquired August 11 from the Baltimore Ravens by sending a 2020 fifth round pick to them.

Vedvik, 25, missed two field goal attempts last Saturday in the Vikings’ preseason game against the Cardinals. Asked after the game about his level of concern regarding the misses, head coach Mike Zimmer offered a one word answer, “High.”

Two of the Vikings’ three NFC North Division rivals also have fans on edge about who will be kicking field goals and probably also handling kickoffs. The Packers aren’t signaling yet that veteran Mason Crosby who has been the guy since 2007 will return. The Chicago Bears may be settling on Eddy Pineiro after bringing in a puzzling nine candidates at one time for tryouts in the offseason, including former Golden Gophers kicker Emmit Carpenter.

Cody Parkey, the Bears regular kicker last year, was released in March after he had a Walsh-like miss in the playoffs. That 16-15 loss to the Eagles was one of three playoff games in 2019 decided by three points or fewer. Six of the 11 postseason games were decided by six points or fewer.

The coming and going of kickers offers drama, but that’s nothing like the difference they can make in helping to win championships.

Worth Noting

In its NFL Preview issue out last week, Sports Illustrated predicts the Vikings will win the NFC North with an 11-5 record, defeat the Packers in a Wild Card playoff game and then lose to the New Orleans Saints who will advance to the Super Bowl, losing 27-23 to the New England Patriots.

Among the NFL’s 32 teams, the magazine ranks the Vikings defensive backs fourth best. Receivers are No. 5; defensive line and linebackers No. 12; quarterback No. 16; offensive line No. 23; and running backs a surprisingly low No. 26 considering Dalvin Cook’s breakaway talent.

Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the unexpected appearance of a squirrel at Target Field during two recent games could prompt some retail opportunities for the club, or worked into game presentations, but he doesn’t expect the critters to become a “dominant theme.”

The squirrel capers don’t have Target Field maintenance on high alert. “I don’t know how many home games we’ve played at Target Field but we’ve had two nights where we’ve had a squirrel. … I am not sure we’ll see a squirrel here in a long time,” St. Peter said.

The Twins are committed to hosting events other than baseball at Target Field including a hockey game, and St. Peter said his first preference is to work with the Minnesota Wild in staging the NHL Winter Classic at the downtown Minneapolis stadium.

After this Saturday’s North Dakota State-Butler football game at Target Field, head groundskeeper Larry DiVito has five full days to ready the grass field for the Twins’ big series with the Indians that begins September 6. St. Peter is confident the field will be fine when the Indians, who are trying to overtake the Twins for first place in the AL Central, come to town. “We wouldn’t be playing football if we weren’t supremely confident in our ability to do it,” he said.

Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday MLB staged Players’ Weekend where players chose nicknames to appear on the backs of jerseys. A weekend Wall Street Journal story said the newspaper analyzed 832 nicknames that the players chose, and the national publication wasn’t impressed: “The results were like the 2019 Detroit Tigers: completely forgettable.”

While bringing up classic names of the past like the Sultan of Swat, or Shoeless Joe Jackson, WSJ said nicknames from 2019 players like Smitty or Goldy mostly didn’t cut it. Willians Astudillo, the Twins roly-poly utility man, inexplicably used his last name on the jersey instead of his recognizable nickname, “La Tortuga,” the Journal reported.

The WSJ didn’t take on the subject of the weekend’s either all-black or all-white uniforms MLB teams wore.

Bill Robertson, the longtime Minnesota hockey executive, has known new Wild general manager Bill Guerin for years including dating back to Olympic hockey days in 2002. “His leadership, instant credibility as a former standout NHL All-Star performer, and use of modern technology, will be keys to his success,” said Robertson who is men’s commissioner for the Bloomington-based WCHA. “His relationship building abilities will also assist him with the front office staff and in the community. I wish him nothing but success.”

Thoroughbred trainer Francisco Bravo, the late Ralph Strangis, who served as Minnesota Racing Commission chairman, and thoroughbred owners and breeders Joni and Barry Butzow will be honored at Canterbury Park Saturday as the newest members of the racetrack’s Hall of Fame.

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Ex-Coach High on 2019 Vikings

Posted on August 18, 2019August 18, 2019 by David Shama

The Vikings host an exhibition game tonight against the Seattle Seahawks. The outcome is meaningless but the opportunity to evaluate players as part of the preseason is valuable for general manager Rick Spielman, head coach Mike Zimmer and others with the organization. The pressure on Spielman, Zimmer and the players is considerable after last season’s 8-7-1 season when Minnesota didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

The prevailing thought is the Vikings have the talent and coaching to rebound from last year and play closer to the level of 2017 when Minnesota was 13-3 during the regular season schedule, and then nearly earned its way to the Minneapolis Super Bowl. While there are skeptics about whether the 2019 edition can do better than eight wins again, you can count Dean Dalton among those with a rosy view about the coming season.

“I think they’re very, very poised to be a strong team,” said Dalton, who was an assistant coach with the Vikings from 1999-2005. “I think offensively we’re going to be excited. They’re going to be fun to watch because they’ll be explosive, yet consistent. Defensively, I think they’ll be able to rise up and keep people off the scoreboard. The variable is special teams, and if they get that group in the upper echelon of the NFL, this is a playoff team with no limitations.”

The Vikings were frequently disappointing on offense last season, with new quarterback Kirk Cousins sometimes unable to make big fourth quarter plays and the running game often absent. Dalton, though, is enthusiastic about the changes in offensive coaches since a year ago, including the addition of Gary Kubiak, the new assistant head coach with a Super Bowl pedigree. Dalton, who lives in Eden Prairie and follows the team closely, told Sports Headliners the 2019 Vikings will have a newfound balance between the run and pass, and success will follow.

The Vikings lost some defensive mystique last year. Opponents scored 24 or more points seven times and there were fourth quarter struggles to make big plays. Yet Minnesota ranked fourth best in the NFL in total yards given up per game at 309.7. Dalton believes the unit this season will be “excellent,” and worthy of top five status when compared with the NFL’s 32 other teams.

Dalton said it was “not a good decision” cutting 12-year veteran defensive end Brian Robison last year. It was an emotional move for many with the organization. The defense missed Robison’s leadership and wisdom, Dalton said. This year, Dalton believes, other members of the defense are ready to fill the leadership void.

What Dalton hopes for and believes is realistic for the Vikings is to become a top 10 or 15 offense, top five defense and rank among the best 15 special teams. The latter is the team’s biggest unknown of the three units, with Zimmer working with new special teams coaches and players. It’s not known who will return punts and kickoffs, who will be the place kicker and who will punt. Even the holder status is TBD, and the preseason will be used, too, to sort out the impact guys covering punts and kickoffs.

Zimmer is shaking things up on special teams. The club has a revolving door history with placekickers but Spielman keeps trying with the latest move making a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to acquire kicker-punter Kaare Vedvik. With new faces instructing and likely newcomers playing key roles, maybe the Vikings can achieve at least middling status among NFL special teams and help the club live up to Dalton’s optimism.

Worth Noting

Dean Lombardi, the former executive with NHL teams including the North Stars, is living in Sonoma, California, and I am told he isn’t interested in the Wild’s GM vacancy.

Bill Guerin, the Penguins assistant general manager, could be the choice for the job and a source said he has the experience and people skills that might attract Wild owner Craig Leipold.

New St. Thomas athletic director Phil Esten told Sports Headliners it’s likely his school will have a decision by the first part of next year regarding where the Tommies will compete after leaving the MIAC following the 2020-2021 school year. Esten is spending “about 75 percent” of his time sorting through options for a new conference home and determining whether the Tommies remain a Division III sports program, or target another level.

It’s an unusual partnership for a Division III program, but St. Thomas football games will be heard for a ninth consecutive year on WCCO—also the radio home of the Twins and Timberwolves. Dave Lee, the station’s early morning show host, again will provide play-by-play on Tommies broadcasts. Eric Nelson also returns as the analyst working in the booth with Lee.

Pete Fiutak, writing on the Internet last Tuesday for College Football News, included the Gophers in a story about five promising teams from the Power Five conferences drawing minimal attention. Fiutak wrote “that while Nebraska is considered the Big Ten West’s hot thing, it might just be the Gophers who steal the show.”

Fiutak’s other choices in a story headlined “Five Dangerous Teams No One is Talking about” were Washington State (Tracy Claeys defensive coordinator), Missouri, TCU and Virginia Tech.

Badgerofhonor.com offered predictions about Wisconsin’s 12-game football schedule last Tuesday, with writer Christian Borman forecasting the Badgers will reclaim Paul Bunyan’s Axe from Minnesota. “This is the game I think the Badgers are looking most forward to,” he wrote.

Former Golden Gophers basketball coach Jim Dutcher talking about the quality of high school basketball in the state: “Proportionally (by population in the U.S.), Minnesota turns out more Division I players than any place in the country.”

Gary “Cookie” Holmes, a contributor to Dutcher’s 1982 Big Ten championship team, oversees charters for Delta Airlines in Minneapolis including Twins flights.

Although Twins prime talents Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff are not hitting up to expectations this season, Bleacher Report placed the shortstop and outfielder at No. 11 and 13 respectively on its top 50 MLB prospects list posted last Thursday. The other Twins prospect on the list is right-hand pitcher Brusdar Graterol, ranked No. 32.

Retired manager Tom Kelly, who led the Minnesota Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, turned 69 last week. He was 36 when he became the club’s manager in 1986.

Condolences to former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness on the passing of his 98-year-old mom, Fannie Nuness, who lived in Hopkins after being a longtime resident of Maywood, Illinois.

The Capital Club will hear from Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle August 28 and Minnesota Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson October 4 at Town & Country Club in St. Paul. More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrickklinger@klingercompany.com.

Sun Country Airlines is partnering with Minnesota United for a fan charter to the U.S. Open Cup Final in Atlanta August 27, offering $325 round-trip tickets. The price includes bus transportation to and from the stadium, but not a game ticket to watch the Loons.

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