Unless you’re a blindly loyal fan, or the Minnesota Twins sign your paycheck, chances are you have minimal hopes about the local team winning the World Series this year.  The National Sports Advisors Web site, for example, sets the Twins odds at 50/1 to win the series (www.nsawins.com).  The Boston Red Sox are 4/1 favorites, the most popular choice to become baseball’s champions (again).

Rebuilding season?  Developmental year?  Choose whatever term pleases your keyboard but expectations are understandably low for the Twins while they prepare for the season during spring training in Florida.  A poll of fans and media predicting the order of finish in the American League Central Division probably would look like this:  Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Minnesota and Kansas City.

The Twins have impact players to be sure.  Guys like reliever Joe Nathan, catcher Joe Mauer, first baseman Justin Morneau, and outfielders Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer.  It’s just that trying to make sense of the starting pitching is like peering into a cosmic black hole.

The infield is unsettled, too, with third baseman Mike Lamb, shortstop Adam Everett and second baseman Brendan Harris needing to prove themselves.  It’s interesting, too, that high potential second baseman Alexi Castilla, the starter at season’s end last year, is apparently headed to the bench or the minor leagues.  Some how, too, you have to believe the versatile Nick Punto, who can play third, short, and second, will be part of manager Ron Gardenhire’s plans.

If the Mets trade had brought immediate, proven help, fans would have a little more bounce in their steps while they followed spring training.  The guess here is that eventually 18-year-old pitcher Deolis Guerra will be the prize player from the deal that sent Johan Santana to New York for four players.

In the meantime, the Twins will continue to draw comment for not improving themselves more in a deal for Santana, a two time Cy Young winner.  The second guessing could really be intense this summer in New York if Santana and the Mets are rolling, and the Yankees, who couldn’t pull off a deal with the Twins, are struggling.

Watch to see whether the Twins can sign Nathan to a contract extension.  If they don’t do it sometime soon and then the team isn’t competitive by late spring, a trade seems likely.  It might be that kind of season.

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KSTP radio personalities Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse will be the announcers during the middle innings of the Twins-Yankees game on March 9.  KSTP and the Twins Radio Network will broadcast 25 spring training games.

Dean Dalton, the former Vikings assistant coach now analyzing the NFL in the media, thinks his old team would make a good decision to retain 36-year-old free agent fullback Tony Richardson whose value includes leadership and mentoring skills.  Dalton also told Sports headliners that because of defensive end Kenechi Udeze’s leukemia, the Vikings might be more interesting in retaining defensive end Darrion Scott.

Dalton said it surprised him that former Gopher assistant coach Jim Zorn was selected as Washington’ s new head coach.  He respects Zorn but thought that a better approach for the Redskins would have been to stay within the organization and hire an assistant coach.  

Randy Moss to Dallas?  It might happen since Moss had a one year deal for last season with New England and flamboyant Dallas owner Jerry Jones never has been the sort to back away from risk.  Moss, the former Viking who set a new NFL single season record in 2007 for touchdown catches with 23, would stretch defenses in Dallas, plus add further excitement to the Cowboy brand.

Gopher freshman goaltender Alex Kangas has started the last 10 games and played in 13 straight. He allowed a season-high four goals against Wisconsin on Saturday, but also had a season-best 37 saves in the tie game. In the past 10 games, Kangas has a 1.92 goals against average and .930 save percentage, with a 2-3-5 record.  For the season, Kangas ranks 16th nationally with a 2.21 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. Both of those numbers rank second among all freshmen goaltenders behind Colorado College’s Richard Bachman. Kangas and the Gophers play at Alaska Anchorage tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night,

Gopher junior forward Gigi Marvin is a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, announced this week by USA Hockey. It is Marvin’s first time as a finalist and the Gopher program’s first since the 2004-05 season. In its 11th year, the award annually recognizes the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. On March 12, three finalists will be named, and the winner will be announced at a banquet on March 21 as part of the NCAA Frozen Four activities in Duluth.  Earlier this week Marvin was tied for the WCHA lead in overall scoring with 45 points.

St. Thomas qualified all four of its hockey and basketball teams for the MIAC playoffs and is a No. 1 or 2 seed in each sport. With a men’s basketball title and a women’s co-championship, UST now has won five conference championships so far in 2007-08 (basketball for men; basketball, cross country, golf and volleyball for women). The Toms are expected to challenge for six more MIAC titles this school year (men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track, softball, baseball).

Concordia University (St. Paul) with a 25-2 record, is ranked No. 8 in the country in the latest USA Today/ESPN Division II coaches’ poll of top 25 women’s teams.

The National Sports Center expects total attendance of 10,000 or more for various events in March including the 14^th annual Minnesota Muskie Expo, March 7-9 in the Sports Hall.   More information on the expo is available at www.minnesotamuskieexpo.com.

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Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners earlier this week that no schools have contacted him asking permission to talk with basketball coach Tubby Smith about coaching vacancies.  Smith’s contract, signed last year, calls for a $3 million buyout if he were to leave the Gophers this year.

Smith is so highly regarded across the country and is so new to Minnesota (just completing his first season) that it’s not unusual to wonder if other basketball programs will try to recruit him.  There is perception nationally that Smith is temporarily “parked” in Minnesota before moving on, but Maturi said Smith didn’t have to leave Kentucky last year and he believes his coach is happy here.

In the coming weeks there will be help wanted messages going out from various schools who have decided to change coaches.  Already Indiana has a vacancy, but Big Ten Conference schools have almost never pursued a basketball or football coach from another league program.  Last fall a source told Sports Headliners that he heard a southern university planned to pursue Smith in 2008.

There’s some extra sensitivity here among Gopher fans about Smith because of Lou Holtz.  He stormed the state as Gopher football coach, improving on field performance, recruiting and marketing, and lifting the program to a place of prominence and status on the local sports scene.  Then he took off for Notre Dame after two seasons in Minnesota.

Smith, 56, has been a hit here with fans and media.  He’s taken a team with sub-par Big Ten talent and improved it from 9-22 last season to the current record of 17-9.  He’s made an impression with his authentic personality and caring about other people.

“I am hoping Tubby finishes his career here,” Maturi said.  “I can’t guarantee that and obviously Tubby needs to be happy to do that.  I think he is (happy). …I think he and (wife) Donna love living here. …

“I think Tubby is smart enough to know that sometimes the grass may appear greener some place else but he can win here.  He can be successful here.  I think he knows that.

“He put together a great recruiting class (for next season).  I think he wants to coach them. …He’s got a seven year contract.  Quite truthfully I believe he’s going to honor it.”

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