David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Humble Baldelli Makes Big Impression

Posted on July 9, 2019July 9, 2019 by David Shama

As Major League Baseball pauses this week for its annual All-Star Game break, the Minnesota Twins are the surprise team of the American League with over half of their 162-game schedule completed. At 56-33 the Twins have the third best record in the AL and lead the Central Division by 5.5 games over the Cleveland Indians.

Before the season began no one thought the Twins, who finished with a 78-84 record last season, would have more than 50 wins at the All-Star break. If there was such an honor as Mid-Season American League Manager of the Year, the award would likely go to Minnesota’s Rocco Baldelli.

Last fall at age 37 he became the youngest manager in the majors. Twins front office executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine gambled their reputations last year by firing Paul Molitor, a Minnesota sports icon and the 2017 AL Manager of the Year. Baldelli had four previous years as a coach for the Tampa Rays but no managerial experience on any level.

Falvey didn’t hesitate when asked if Baldelli would receive his vote if there were a contest to name a Manager of the Year in July. “In my opinion, of course,” Falvey told Sports Headliners. “He’s been everything we could have asked for and more.

“And I think he’d be the first person to tell you there’s five other guys (managers) he’d vote for…because that’s his humility. That’s what he cares about. …What I get to see inside (of Baldelli) is even more special than what he does on the outside. I am really proud that we have him.”

Falvey, the Twins chief baseball officer, was aware of Baldelli’s humility before he hired him and saw that attribute among several that would make the former big league outfielder an outstanding leader. “I (also) saw…a guy who had done a lot of things in baseball. He hadn’t managed yet but he’d been an All-Star player, he’d been a key prospect, he’d had his career cut short by adversity.

“This guy had faced some challenges in his life, but he was also a great coach. He had impacted young players, he had impacted veteran players, and he does it all with an intense humility. So I think that what I saw in him more than anything was just a true leader. Someone who has all the leadership capabilities that in my mind you could see translating into the role of manager, even though he hadn’t done it yet.”

The Twins are a diverse group with players from the United States and other places. They are a mix of young and older players, many of whom are new to the organization. And yet collectively the Twins appear to be an all-for-one bunch that has rapport and celebrates each other’s success. Player leaders like 39–year-old DH Nelson Cruz have played important roles in the culture, but of course Baldelli has as well.

Falvey knows his manager not only relates very well to his players, but to everyone else in the organization including scouts, analysts and front office personnel. “He can interact with anybody but he also has the strength of his convictions,” Falvey said. “I think he believes in certain things around the game, the way it needs to be played. I think it (Baldelli’s convictions) lines up really well with our organization and what our collective views are in terms of our values for our baseball team, and I couldn’t be happier with what he has done.”

Baldelli played seven seasons in the majors, six with the Rays and one with the Boston Red Sox. In 2003 he finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. The first-year outfielder hit .289, the highest average of any rookie in the league.

Baldelli missed the entire 2005 season due to elbow and knee surgeries. Injuries limited the rest of his career and he retired as a player at age 29 in 2010.

The Twins play with the fight and determination Baldelli demonstrated as a player–persevering through injuries and winning close games. That kind of character prompts Falvey to be optimistic his club can continue its success in the second half of the season.

“We play every game like it’s our last,” Falvey said. “We try and win every night. We’re not going to win them all. We know that, but I truly believe that if we continue to play the way we’ve been playing, we’re going to put ourselves in a great position late in the season.”

Worth Noting

Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco represents the Twins as the starting American League shortstop in tonight’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. Polanco, who turned 26 last week, is having the best start yet to his still brief MLB career, and he ranks fifth in AL batting average at .312.

Former Twins manager Paul Molitor gave Polanco opportunities to establish himself as the club’s starting shortstop in 2017 and 2018. Molitor also worked in the Twins organization prior to managing and he has been familiar with Polanco’s potential for about a decade.

“I knew that there was a chance that he was going to do some special things offensively,” Molitor told Sports Headliners. “You know, when we signed him as a 16-year-old kid, everyone talked about his defense, and his hands, and all those type of things. But as it has turned out, he has been more than adequate defensively…(and) one of the elite players offensively in the American League.”

It will be a surprise if Tyus Jones is on the Timberwolves roster by week’s end. Gersson Rosas, the club’s president of basketball operations, must soon match a reported qualifying offer of three years and $28 million from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jones, or lose the restricted free agent. The Wolves, who likely believe $28 million is too pricey for the Minnesota native point guard, seem likely to let Jones leave Minneapolis after four years with the NBA club unless they sign him with intentions of packaging him in a trade.

Wolves head coach Ryan Saunders has known Jones since he was in high school at Apple Valley. Although Jones has been a backup in the NBA with the Wolves, it seemed possible that his role could expand under Saunders, partially because of their solid relationship. But it’s Rosas, not Saunders, who is making the ultimate decisions regarding personnel.

At about 6-feet and under 200 pounds, Jones is undersized as a pro and defense certainly isn’t his strength. But among his attributes is making big plays when games are about to be decided. It’s the same ability he showed in high school and college at Duke. In the right organization, like the San Antonio Spurs who are legendary for their team concept or the Los Angeles Lakers where he could be a complementary piece to superstars, Jones would be valuable.

The University of Minnesota sent emails yesterday introducing the Gopher Pass for home football games. Priced at $28.56 per game, the all-mobile ticket allows “viewpoints” in TCF Bank Stadium for each of Minnesota’s seven home games. If a game is sold out, Gopher Pass purchasers will not have a seat in the stadium but will have access to a standing room only area. Four monthly payments of $49.99 are offered for what is being promoted as the “most flexible ticket ever” for Gophers football fans.

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Tiger Could Be in Future 3M Open

Posted on July 7, 2019July 7, 2019 by David Shama

Tiger Woods declined to participate in the inaugural 3M Open that ends today at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. Will he play here in future years?

John Harris, the former University of Minnesota golfer who is now seen occasionally on the PGA Tour Champions for seniors, believes so. Harris, 67, is a friend of the legendary Woods who has won 15 majors including the 2019 Masters. Harris has provided assistance this year to Hollis Cavner, whose tournament management company has a seven-year commitment from the PGA to make Minnesota an annual tour stop.

Woods hasn’t played in a tournament since the U.S. Open ended June 16. Harris told Sports Headliners it is important to Woods to spend time with his two children in early July. Although there has been no announcement, there is speculation the 3M Open’s future dates will be later in the summer than this year. Harris said Cavner offered ideas to Woods about how he could show the kids a memorable time including summer camp and being entertained at the Mall of America.

“He (Cavner) had promised Tiger that his kids would have the greatest week of the summer right here in Minnesota,” Harris said. “So unfortunately, it didn’t work this year but I am convinced he will be here before the 3M run is over.”

Woods would have maximized interest and attendance at the first 3M Open. Did Cavner come close in securing participation by golf’s biggest name? ” Very, very close,” Harris claimed. “And you know what? I think that if Tiger was going to play at any time between the U.S. Open and the British Open it would have been in Minneapolis.”

The British Open will be played July 18-21 at Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. Much of the golf world’s eyes will, as usual, be on Woods. “He is single-handedly carrying the game right now,” Harris said. “You know what? It’s not really fair but that’s the way it is, and he can’t play every week. He’s gotta protect his body. I think his priorities are still the majors and the world events. He has not been to Portrush, so going to Portrush and preparing for this British Open is high on his list right now.”

Woods is 43 years old and his win at the Masters was his first majors championship in 11 years, brining his career total to 15. As even casual golf fans know, he is chasing Jack Nicklaus’ majors record of 18 titles.

“He played hard before the Masters and I think there is a tremendous let down after winning the Masters (in April),” Harris said. “I think his body kind of shut down a little bit, and he needs to re-energize and get himself ready to go. I think he views this Portrush golf course as a real opportunity to win a major.”

Harris is a native of Roseau, and like other Minnesotans, he obviously wishes Woods was here for the 3M Open. He talked about how Woods “would bring a lot of people to the gate” (and help his friend Cavner). “…He makes every event go from great to a huge success,” Harris said. “I think he wanted to be here and he will come at some point over the course of this event.”

In 1993 Harris won the U.S. Amateur Championship at age 41. Woods won the next three amateurs. The two also played together on a U.S. Walker Cup team. Harris has played in three PGA Tour Champions events this year and is likely to play in more.

Taste Fore the Tour

Before the 3M Open competition started last week, the first-ever Taste Fore the Tour debuted at Interlachen Country Club in Edina as part of a national charity culinary series created to raise awareness and donations for hunger relief causes. Founder Wayne Kostroski told Sports Headliners the event raised enough money to provide 1 million meals for the Bloomington-based Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People organization.

VEAP is efficient at feeding the hungry and Kostroski, the Minneapolis philanthropist who led last week’s fundraiser along with his son Pete Kostroski and golf’s Sir Nick Faldo, said the organization can make $20 create 120 meals. A short-term goal now is to raise $30,000 from the public who can make donations via the link TasteForeTheTour.com (see Tee Off Against Hunger).

At Interlachen guests enjoyed food prepared by celebrity chefs including Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel fame, and chatted up well-known Minnesota sports figures such as Joe Mauer, Rick Spielman, Paul Molitor, Jason Zucker and P.J. Fleck. They were all in good spirits Monday night because of the cause.

“When you’re here in the United States, no one should ever go hungry with all the resources and everything we have here,” said Spielman, the Vikings general manager. “So to come out here…to promote that is something that is very important.”

Helping the needy has been on Wayne Kostroski’s mind for a long time. His mom set an example when he was a child, loading up a bag of food and sending it to a church or local food bank. “Every good fiber in my body is from my mom,” he said.

Back in the 1980s Kostroski started sending chefs from his Minneapolis restaurants to charity events. He realized there are so many individuals who would never be restaurant customers at his restaurants but needed help. “They’re struggling just to get their next meal,” he said.

That’s why in the early 1990s Kostroski started the annual Taste of the NFL fundraisers responsible for providing over 200 million meals for the hungry. With one in six Americans going hungry, Kostroski said, there is certainly a need for events like Taste of the NFL and Taste Fore the Tour, the initiative that successfully launched several days ago. “This is Minnesota great,” he said of the event’s premiere.

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City Fighter Seeks Bigger Spotlight

Posted on June 25, 2019June 25, 2019 by David Shama

Jamal James of Minneapolis is the No. 5 ranked middleweight by the WBC and is positioned for more notoriety. He headlines the July 13 pro boxing card at the historic Minneapolis Armory that will include nationally-televised bouts.

James, 25-1, fights Mexico’s Antonio DeMarco, 33-7-1, in a 10-round bout that will be seen on FS1. James has 12 career knockouts, DeMarco, 24. DeMarco is a former world lightweight champion.

James fights in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. His bout with DeMarco is listed as a welterweight matchup, but middleweight is where he could make an even bigger name for himself. A local boxing insider emailed this prediction about James: “…Definitely in the global conversation for a title fight.”

The middleweight division is loaded with talent including WBA title holder Manny Pacquiao, 61-7-2. He fights Keith Thurman, 29-0, next month. IBF, WBO and WBC are other organizations where James might have a path to title opportunities.

Professional boxing has found a home at the Armory and continues to generate awareness in this marketplace. The building was once the site of Minneapolis Lakers and city high school basketball games. Renovated now and being used for corporate events and entertainment, three previous boxing cards have attracted announced attendances of 3,149, 3,320 and 3,417.

Attendance of more than 3,000 is expected again in July and as of late last week 1,678 tickets had been sold. Ticket prices range from $25 to $250, with the average at $115.

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions is the promoter for the July 13 card. PBC fights are seen on Fox and FS1, with recent cards being watched in approximately 1.5 million homes.

Boxing has been struggling for decades to regain its foothold with the American public. In the first half of the 20th century boxing was one of the most popular sports along with baseball, horse racing and college football.

Worth Noting

The Minnesota Wild’s 2019-20 regular season schedule was released today. The Wild opens the season in Nashville on October 3, the first of three straight road games. Minnesota has its home opener on October12, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild plays 17 of its first 26 games of the season on the road (October 3 thru November 30). The nine home games in October and November are the fewest in franchise history.

Charlie Danielson, the 25-year-old Osceola, Wisconsin native accepted a sponsor exemption into the 3M Open today. The Illinois alum and 2016 Big Ten Player of the Year recently qualified for the U.S. Open. The new PGA Tournament begins next week at TCP Twin Cities in Blaine.

The Twins, who split four games on the road with the Royals in their most recent series, hold the No. 3 spot in yesterday’s Yahoo.com power rankings of MLB teams, trailing the No. 1 ranked Dodgers and No. 2 Yankees.

Cbssports.com dropped the Twins from No. 2 to No. 3 in its rankings that came out yesterday. The Yankees are first, the Dodgers second.

The Twins, who start a home series tonight against the Rays, are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing by displaying a full-sized statue of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit at Target Field. The statue is accessible to all fans, and is located outside the Bat & Barrel entrance on the Delta SKY360° Club level.

A Forbes.com June 11 article lists the top 100 wealthiest athletes in the world, with $25 million the cutoff figure to be ranked. Lionel Messi, with $127 million in earnings in the last 12 months, leads the list. He is followed in the top 10 by Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Canelo Alvarez, Roger Federer, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. The top three in earnings are all soccer players, followed by boxer Alvarez.

The Timberwolves’ Andrew Wiggins is No. 91 with a reported $26.1 million in pay. He is the only Minnesota athlete to make the list.

Romain Metanire, the Minnesota United defender who will play in the July 31 MLS All-Star Game in Orlando, reportedly earns $305,000 in base salary, according to multiple news sources.

The United has seven of its next 10 matches in St. Paul at the much acclaimed Allianz Field that includes the Brew Hall with its many local beers. Unlike soccer venues in Europe, fans fan consume beer in the seating areas at Allianz.

Ex-Gophers Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy will have tryouts respectively with the NBA’s Clippers and Timberwolves. They could eventually play in the NBA’s development league. During the 2018-19 season, players with G League contracts earned base salaries of $7,000, or $35,000 for five months.

Prior Lake five-star forward Dawson Garcia continues to attract impressive scholarship offers, with news yesterday Kansas hopes he will be part of its 2020 recruiting class.

Gophers’ football marketers are trying to improve ticket sales in 2019 after last season’s announced average attendance of 37,914 for seven home games. That figure was reportedly the lowest since 1992. Season tickets in 2019 are offered for as low as $35 per game. Mini-plans starting at $60 (three games) went on sale yesterday.

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