Justin Morneau ended the month with the third highest home run total for a Twins player in May.  His 10 home runs are exceeded in Twins franchise history only by Harmon Killebrew. 

Morneau has 16 home runs for the season, second in the American League to Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees who has 19.  Last season the 26-year-old first baseman hit a career high 26 home runs. He was asked earlier this week about his home run potential. 

“I have no idea,” he told Sports Headliners.  “I try not to go up there (to the plate) and hit home runs.  If I do, that’s usually when I get myself in trouble.  If I am hitting the ball well, it’s got a chance to go over the fence.  I don’t really try to put (projected) numbers out there.  If you say you want to hit 30 and then all of a sudden you get to 30 and it’s August, what do you do after that? …” 

Even in obvious long ball situations like a game tied in the late innings, Morneau  tries to avoid a home run mind set.  “When I go out there and just try to hit it hard and try to keep it simple, that’s when I seem to have a lot more success and the ball seems to go over the fence,” he said. “In Texas the other day (last week) in two at bats I hit a home run and I wasn’t trying to.  Then I got up and I had a 3-0 pitch and I popped it up.  That was the only at-bat the whole day I was trying to hit a home run.  So if I keep it simple, that’s when I am more successful.” 

Morneau has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and is batting .346 (18-52) with four doubles, nine runs, five home runs and 19 RBI.  The Twins have won nine of those games. 

Morneau’s production began climbing last June and by season’s end he was the American League’s Most Valuable Player.  In early June he was hitting .241 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI’s.  He led the major leagues from June 8 to season’s end with a .362 average.  For the year he finished with a .321 average, 34 home runs and 130 RBI’s. 

The Twins are promoting Justin Morneau MVP Bat Day on June 10.  The first 5,000 fans 14 and under receive a free bat.  A Morneau MVP bobblehead giveaway (10,000 available to fans) is scheduled for July 20.

The NFL Report publication wrote that Forbes.com lists the Super Bowl as the No. 1 sports brand in the world.  In order the brands are the Super Bowl, Summer Olympics, FIFA World Cup, Daytona 500, Rose Bowl, NCAA Men’s Final Four, Winter Olympics, Kentucky Derby, World Series and NBA Finals.  An event’s value was calculated from various revenue sources including TV, tickets and sponsorships. 

Michael Cuddyer said the TV commercial where he “cuts” Johan Santana in half took about four hours to film and was made last winter here in town.  The commercial’s theme plays to Cuddyer’s love of magic tricks.  

Twins vice president of marketing Patrick Klinger writing via e-mail about the franchise’s successful armed services promotion last Sunday:  “Armed Services Appreciation Day presented by Qwest was a huge success.  The Twins players and sponsors, via the TwinsCare program, provided current and former members of the military and their families with nearly 4,000 complimentary tickets to the Twins-Blue Jays game.  About two dozen families were able to connect to loved ones serving oversees via live video links in suites at the dome.   The auction of the caps worn by Twins players that day continues on www.twinsbaseball.com through Sunday, June 3.  All proceeds benefit the Minnesota Military Family Foundation.” 

Lookinforthesecret won the $45,000 Honor the Hero Turf Express at Canterbury Park on Monday and continued an unusual success story for owner Balkrisna Sukharan of Blaine.  The horse was acquired by Sukharan for $12,500 in early January.  After winning $27,000 on Monday, Lookinforthesecret has earned $118,840 in less than five months. The horse has won five of seven starts for Sukharan, a former jockey is his native Guyana.

Former Gopher football player Lewis Garrison is building his resume as a college basketball referee.   Last season his assignments included officiating three Division II regional playoff games, and MIAC and state junior college championship games.   

St. Thomas junior Shara Guidry won the women’s discus with a throw of 145 feet, 11 inches at the NCAA Division III outdoor track and field championships last week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  Saint John’s was the highest placing MIAC men’s team, finishing fourth among 79 teams with 27 points.  St. Thomas placed highest among conference teams with 17 points (tied for 14^th among 74 teams).

Tom Wistrcill, who directs the Gophers marketing, told Sports Headliners his goal is to sell out TCF Bank Stadium prior to the first game of the 2009 season.  The Gophers move into their new on-campus stadium in two years.  The facility will have approximately 51,000 seats and about 37,000 season tickets could be sold to the general public by 2009, according to Wistrcill, associate athletics director for external affairs.  Student season tickets could total 10,000 to 12,000 and the remaining seats will be in suites and club seating areas. 

“Absolutely, that’s a goal of ours to sell out the new stadium,” Wistrcill said.  “We’re going to have a fantastic product.  We’re going to have the premier stadium we think in college sports.  We think it’s a reachable goal. …” 

Public season ticket sales could total 27,000 this year, Wistrcill said. That would include a projected total of 4,000 new season tickets.  Student sales of 10,000 to 12,000 are expected, similar to last year. 

Advertising for season tickets will start in late July and continue into August.  Wistrcill said an advertising campaign for basketball season tickets is expected to begin in September. 

It’s unusual for a major college athletic program to have new coaches at the same time in the high profile sports of football and men’s basketball.   The arrival of Tim Brewster and Tubby Smith has provided the Gophers with the almost unique opportunity to “re-launch a brand,” according to Wistrcill.  He said the situation is a “tremendous opportunity” for the Gophers to create excitement and interest in the marketplace. 

Wistrcill expects the Gophers will come close to selling out Williams Arena for all games prior to the season.  He’s projecting new public season ticket sales of up to 2,500 and a total public sale of 11,500.  A student sale of 2,500 would bring the total to 14,000 in the 14,625 seat capacity arena. 

The arena includes approximately 2,500 seats with partially obstructed views.  Looking around a beam to see part of the action on the court is less than ideal but Wistrcill thinks increased interest in Smith will drive ticket sales.   

“Like any product, it’s supply and demand,” Wistrcill said.  “It wasn’t any problem getting people in those seats back in the late 90’s when the basketball team was at the top of its game.  We don’t think it’s going to be a problem getting people into those seats when Tubby gets the ship turned around the way we think he can.  And it (Williams Arena) is, we believe, the crown jewel of facilities in the Minneapolis area.  We hope to make it the toughest ticket in town again and that means everybody is going to be in every one of those seats cheering on the Gophers.”