David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-Teammate Lauds Molitor’s Managing

Posted on September 18, 2015September 18, 2015 by David Shama

Paul Molitor has impressed a lot of observers during his first season as a major league manager. Among the admirers is John Anderson, the Gophers baseball coach, who was a teammate of Molitor’s at the University of Minnesota.

Anderson was asked if Molitor should be the American League Manager of the Year. “I don’t see why not. Look at the turnaround,” Anderson answered. “Look what he’s done with that team.”

A year ago the Twins were 65-87 and 19 games out of first place in the Central Division. All those losses had Minnesota way out of contention for a wild card spot in the playoffs. Today the Twins, whose fans suffered through four consecutive 90-plus loss seasons, are only 1.5 games behind the Rangers in the chase for a playoff spot. Minnesota’s record is 75-71 and the team is in second place in the division, 11 games behind the Royals, with the regular season schedule ending on October 2.

“They’ve had moving parts and changed players…guys coming and going,” Anderson said about the Twins. “It hasn’t gone smoothly and that just tells you his ability to keep them together. They’ve been gritty (in games). They haven’t given up. There haven’t been many bad blowouts, and that’s a testament to his leadership—and of that coaching staff.

“I am not there (at the ballpark with the Twins). I am just watching from (the) outside but I know how difficult it is.”

The American League Manager of the Year Award is voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In the history of the award, two Twins managers have won it—Tom Kelly in 1991 and Ron Gardenhire in 2010.

Molitor, 59, had never managed a professional baseball team when he succeeded Gardenhire after last season. He did have two tenures as a coach with the Twins, working first for Kelly and last year on Gardenhire’s staff. He also coached with the Mariners for one season.

Anderson isn’t at all surprised by Molitor’s success in putting together a staff of coaches, juggling players, and strategizing before, during and after games, and turning the Twins into a competitive team that has restored the faith of fans. “He has the highest baseball IQ of anyone I’ve been around,” Anderson said.

The two men became teammates with the Gophers in 1974 and played three seasons together. “He was a student of the game back then,” Anderson recalled.

Molitor and Anderson played for legendary Gophers coach Dick Siebert. During their freshman year Molitor was a base runner on third base in a game against Texas. He sized up the Longhorns left-handed pitcher and thought he could steal home. He did just that, and when he went into the dugout Siebert asked who told him he could pull that off. Molitor explained he had expressed his confidence about stealing home to the third base coach and been granted approval. “Great, do it again,” Siebert said.

That’s pretty savvy stuff for a freshman but Molitor has always been looking for an edge. He was willing to learn as a young player from wonderful coaches in Siebert and St. Paul American Legion coach Bill Peterson.

Anderson told a story about how former Gopher Dan Wilson marveled at Molitor when the two were together in Seattle with the Mariners. Wilson, a catcher with the Mariners who played 13 years in the big leagues, said it was “unbelievable the things” Molitor observed and analyzed on the baseball field as part of his learning process. “Paul is going to try to be prepared for every situation that comes up,” Anderson praised.

Molitor knows the tendencies of his players and those on other teams. White Sox left-hander Chris Sale is one of the league’s better pitchers but the Twins have hit him hard, while he can be lights out against other clubs. Is that part of the Molitor impact?

Could be because the Minnesota native has been studying everybody and everything about baseball for a long time. A Hall of Famer as a player, Molitor even used down time when he was injured to more intently study players and what was happening on the field, Anderson said.

The Twins have been an overachieving bunch this season, a collection of talent that doesn’t quite seem like it should be playing such meaningful games in September. But the players perform like they trust the manager and know what they’re doing. “He’s a mentor. He’s encouraging,” Anderson said about Molitor. “He’s patient. He’s going to create a winning culture there.”

Unless the Twins do a complete flop between now and season’s end, it looks like they already have the foundation for that culture.

Worth Noting

Adrian Peterson, who had only 10 carries and 31 yards on Monday night against the 49ers, will have more than a dozen supporters sitting in a box and rooting for him at Sunday’s game with the Lions at TCF Bank Stadium. After missing 15 of 16 games last season, the game will be the first for Peterson at the Gophers stadium.

Teammate and defensive end Brian Robison had Peterson singing a few lines from a favorite song yesterday in the team locker room. Robison, who wears jersey No. 96, was interviewing teammates for his “96 Questions” segment on Vikings.com.

Rookie offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings, a fourth round 2015 draft choice, didn’t figure to be a starter in the Vikings opening game but had to because regular right tackle Phil Loadholt is injured. Clemmings gives himself a letter grade of C for his debut performance on Monday night.

Clemmings, 6-foot-5, was an all-state high school basketball player in New Jersey. Clemmings said he had serious “hops” and probably could have dunked the ball on an 11-foot high basket.

The Vikings first round draft choice, cornerback Trae Waynes, didn’t play in the secondary during the opening game and apparently hasn’t shown the coaches he is ready to help defend. Head coach Mike Zimmer was asked what the rookie has to do for playing time? “Cover guys better,” Zimmer replied.

Vikings wide receiver Mike Wallace joking about how he used to have three cell phones but now only two: “That’s when I was really important.”

Junior Gophers slot receiver Drew Wolitarsky has dropped his weight from 230 as a freshman to 215. He’s Minnesota’s leading receiver with 161 yards after having 106 total yards in 2014. He credits being faster with helping him improve. “A lot leaner, a lot less body fat percentage—about eight percent now,” he said.

The 6-foot-3 Wolitarksky, who reduced his body fat from 12 percent to eight in one year, caught the second touchdown pass of his career against Colorado State last week with a 38-yard reception.

Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner said about 50 percent of the play calls last week in the win over Colorado State were his. Although plays come from the coaches, the quarterback can make changes in the system.

Leidner, a redshirt junior, is in his fourth year at the University of Minnesota. He will graduate in December with a degree in kinesiology. He is planning grad school work in sports management.

Leidner is unsure about career plans. Asked about going into media work, Leidner wasn’t enthusiastic and would prefer living in a “cabin in Alaska.”

The former Lakeville South quarterback is aware of media and fan criticism, but coach Jerry Kill has given him perspective about it. “He tells me all the time when you win the game, everybody loves the quarterback and the head coach. When you lose, everyone hates you.”

The Gophers defense ranks ninth among Big Ten teams in points allowed per game at 21.5, and 10th in total defense yielding 381.5 yards. Those stats are misleading because the Gophers have played nonconference games against national title contender TCU and Colorado State, a team with a 10-3 record last year. Both programs have reputations for high scoring offenses. “We’ve got a really, really good defense,” Kill said.

Four of the most respected coaches in Hamline University history will be recognized at halftime in tomorrow’s Gustavus-Hamline football game. Banners of recognition will be displayed on the north wall of Klas Field for Kent Stahly (track/field, cross country), Dick Tressel (football), Dick Mulkern (football, track/field) and current cross country/track/field coach Paul Schmaedeke.

The Wild begin practice today and a hockey source told Sports Headliners the team’s early season storyline will be how goalie Devan Dubnyk performs. Dubnyk was the team’s most important player last winter after being acquired in a trade, and he led the Wild into the playoffs. The 29-year-old goalie had an unexpected career season and was rewarded with a new six-year contract during the offseason, but there’s no guarantee he will excel this fall and winter at the same level. If not, the source asked, what is the alternate plan for high performance in goal? Reserve Darcy Kuemper wasn’t able to establish himself last season.

The Gophers basketball team will finish 12th among 14 teams in the Big Ten and not even be invited to the NIT, according to Athlon Sports College Basketball Magazine. “The problem for Minnesota is that the Big Ten is loaded with a bunch of good teams—several great ones,” the magazine said in its analysis section about the Gophers.

Big Ten teams in the magazine’s national top 25 are No. 4 Maryland, No. 12 Michigan State, No. 16 Purdue, No. 17 Indiana, No. 19 Wisconsin and No. 22 Michigan. Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina are ranked first, second and third in the country.

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino turned 33 years old on Wednesday.

The Lynx, who won the WNBA championship in 2011 and 2013, hope to start another title run tonight. Minnesota opens the Western Conference semifinals playoffs against Los Angeles in an 8 p.m. game at Target Center. The Lynx have 127 regular season wins over the last five seasons, ranking second in WNBA history (Los Angeles – 130, 2000-2004). During the 2015 regular season the Lynx finished first in the Western Conference with a 22-12 record while Los Angeles was 14-20.

Timberwolves 2015 first round draft choice Tyus Jones is providing 500 complimentary tickets for tonight’s game.

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Zimmer Frustrated with Vikings Opener

Posted on September 16, 2015September 16, 2015 by David Shama

Wednesday morning quarterbacking in today’s column after the Vikings’ embarrassing 20-3 loss to the 49ers on Monday night. Here are several observations:

Minnesota was favored to win its opening game against a 49ers team labeled mediocre, but the defeat raised questions about what kind of team the Vikings are and will become this fall. Minnesota has been a trendy summer pick to become a surprise team in the NFL—a club that improves on last season’s 7-9 record and finishes in the playoffs. The Vikings, though, didn’t impress anybody Monday night including head coach Mike Zimmer who indicated his players were out of position, flustered and frustrated against the 49ers. “It was just a really, really uncharacteristic performance from our football team and it’s disappointing,” the second-year coach said during a news conference yesterday in which he was critical of the offense and defense.

For one game at least the Vikings are a flop. The final score indicated the difference in the performance of the two teams, but the Vikings could have lost the game by even more than 17 points. The 49ers messed up potential early scoring drives in Vikings territory with penalties. They also had a punt return for a touchdown nullified because of a penalty during a first half that looked like a ragged scrimmage for both teams.

For all the attention given to flashy skill position players like quarterbacks, receivers and cornerbacks in today’s NFL, linemen still have a big say in determining outcomes. Monday night the 49ers offensive and defensive lines were superior to the Vikings. The 49ers sometimes ran through the Vikings defense like they were playing a college team. Second-year running back Carlos Hyde rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His performance was different from the Vikings Adrian Peterson who came into the game looking for redemption and found frustration.

Hyde ran with speed and deception, moving quickly through holes or making his own space. Peterson, 30, wasn’t explosive in the first game he played since missing 15 of 16 games last season because of the infamous incident with his son. He didn’t look very frisky compared with the elusive Hyde as he rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries. In fact, he sometimes looked more like a fullback than a halfback including a determined effort where he carried multiple tacklers on his back for several yards.

Peterson’s image didn’t gain any ground either when he was benched in passing situations. The Vikings didn’t seem to want him on the field as they struggled to maximize pass protection while using a line that has shuffled personnel because of injuries. The rebuilt offensive line came into the game as the Vikings’ most suspect unit and collectively they failed at run and pass blocking on Monday night.

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was under plenty of pressure from 49ers rushers and at times looked rattled. Zimmer agreed his quarterback appeared unsure at times.

“Yeah, that’s the first time I’ve really seen him like that,” Zimmer said. “Usually he’s got so much composure, but he did seem that way (rattled).”

Praised for his accuracy in the past, Bridgewater had some bad throws even when he wasn’t under that much duress. Without a rushing game to relieve pressure, the Vikings weren’t that effective passing.

Not only didn’t the Vikings run the ball, they sometimes couldn’t stop the 49ers from success on the ground. Running and tackling requires physical play, and Zimmer lamented his team’s lack of it. “Not the team I’ve come to know,” he said on KFAN Radio after the game.

Zimmer made his radio remarks after midnight on Tuesday morning as rain began to fall in Eden Prairie near the Vikings Winter Park training facility. It was an appropriate ending to a dreary evening.

Worth Noting

Former Gophers and Packers running back Darrell Thompson talking about Peterson’s opening game and the season ahead: “I’ll bet he’ll rebound and play well.”

A source told Sports Headliners the Gophers received $200,000 from Colorado State for playing in Fort Collins last Saturday.

Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said at his news conference yesterday starting guard Jon Christenson had knee surgery on Monday and won’t play for three to four weeks. Injuries have disrupted the offensive line’s cohesiveness and Kill said two other starting linemen who he declined to identify wouldn’t practice yesterday. Regarding the line, Kill said, “Three starters down and we’ll see how it works.”

Injuries are also expected to keep defensive backs Damarius Travis and Charlie Rogers out of Saturday’s home game with Kent State.

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Isaiah Gentry hasn’t played in Minnesota’s first two games, a loss to TCU and win against Colorado State. Gentry had a hamstring problem but is expected to make his college debut Saturday and the coaches are looking forward to seeing what he can do.

“He’s a big play receiver,” said offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover. “He’s a guy that can change that field in a hurry, and we’re excited to get him back.”

The Gophers offense has both faltered and been clutch in the first two games. Quarterback Mitch Leidner has been criticized and praised, but Kill pointed out the redshirt junior from Lakeville has now thrown 153 passes without an interception.

Kill raved about the play of sophomore defensive lineman Steven Richardson against Colorado State. “Steve Richardson played one of the best games I’ve ever seen a defensive tackle play. I mean, he played flat unbelievable. Highlight video. I mean, unreal.”

The Mid-American Conference served its annual notice last Saturday that MAC teams can’t be taken for granted when playing power conference schools. MAC members Toledo and Bowling Green pulled off upsets over Arkansas and Maryland, although it’s not likely Kent State will do the same against the Gophers. The Golden Flashes, 2-9 last season, lost their opening game this year to Illinois, 52-3. The Illini led 38-0 at the half. Kent State was 11-3 in 2012 but might be reverting to a dark period like 1989-2000 when the Flashes weren’t so golden, winning 16 games in 12 years.

The Kent State roster includes fifth-year kicker April Goss. The 5-6, 134-pound native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania converted an extra point in Kent State’s win over Delaware State last week to become just the second woman ever to score a point in a major college game. Goss was mobbed by teammates after her second quarter conversion, carried off the field on their shoulders and congratulated on the sidelines by the Kent State president. A walk-on with the Golden Flashes in 2012, she had seen no game action prior to this season.

Miami athletic director Blake James, a graduate of Coon Rapids High School and Minnesota State Mankato, is a name that could draw speculation for the Gophers AD opening. James has been athletic director at the Florida school for more than two years, and he has extensive experience in college athletics including administrative and development work.

It will be interesting to see if the University of Minnesota hires a search firm to assist with hiring the next athletic director who could be someone with Minnesota roots (the opposite of former AD Norwood Teague who came with an East Coast background and didn’t have relationships here). Perhaps a firm that will be considered for the search is College Sports Solutions founded by Jeff Schemmel, who worked for 13 years in the Gophers athletic department and is the former athletic director at San Diego State.

Twins rookie Miguel Sano, who drove in two runs last night in a 5-4 loss to the Tigers, now has an impressive 47 RBI in 62 games. Joe Mauer reached base for a 35th consecutive game, the second longest streak of his career after his 36 games in 2009-2010.

The Wild have capped season ticket sales at 15,000, an increase of “several hundred” from a year ago when sales also went well, according to a team spokesperson. The franchise has a waiting list for season tickets.

The Wild opens training camp Friday at 8:30 a.m. in Xcel Energy Center. Fans can attend practice at Xcel on Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Entry to the building will be through Gate 1. The team’s first preseason game is next Monday at home starting at 7 p.m. against the Sabres.

Saint John’s is 2-0 this season after nonconference wins and the Johnnies are ranked No. 8 nationally in the D3football.com top 25. Two Johnnies have been honored with Player of the Week recognition following Saturday’s 56-7 win over Buena Vista. Junior linebacker Carter Hanson (Blue Earth, Minn.) is the MIAC’s Defensive Player of the Week after returning a fumble for a touchdown against Buena Vista and also making nine tackles and one sack. The Johnnies Josh Bungum (Paynesville, Minn.) returned three punts Saturday for 58 yards (19.3 average) and set up three touchdowns. He is the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Gustavus Adolphus senior quarterback Mitch Hendricks (Bemidji, Minn.) threw for 353 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Lake Forest last Saturday to win the MIAC’s offensive award for the week. This is his fourth MIAC Offensive Player of the Week award in the last two seasons.

The recent death of basketball Hall of Famer Moses Malone prompted memories of Bill Musselman, the former Gophers coach from the 1970s who revived interest in Minnesota basketball and packed Williams Arena with frenzied fans. Musselman was a tireless recruiter who targeted Malone as a high school player in Norfolk, Virginia but the 6-10 center went directly to the American Basketball Association and never played in college. Malone might have joined a Gophers roster in 1974 that included future pros Mark Landsberger, Mychal Thompson and Mark Olberding.

A guess right now is Dr. Bill McGuire and his ownership group that intends to bring a MLS team to Minnesota will choose St. Paul as a stadium site and make an announcement within 60 days.

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A.P. Likely to Show Little Rust Tonight

Posted on September 14, 2015September 14, 2015 by David Shama

How sharp will Adrian Peterson be tonight when a national TV audience watches him make his return to the NFL?

Peterson will be a major storyline and is part of the reason ESPN chose the Vikings-49ers game in California as part of a Monday night TV doubleheader. The Vikings famous running back played in only one regular season game last year because of the incident involving his four-year-old son. He also didn’t participate in any of the team’s five preseason games this summer.

Darrell Thompson, the Rochester native and Gophers all-time leading career rusher, played five seasons in the NFL for the Packers. Thompson expects there will be some “rust” in Peterson’s play tonight but it will likely be subtle—things observers won’t even notice.

Adrian Peterson (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

“Maybe miss a cut (running) that…he might see that we probably wouldn’t really notice,” Thompson said. “He’s always in great shape, so he will attack the line of scrimmage. He’s going to attack the tacklers. I think he’ll do fine.”

Thompson’s last season in the NFL was 1994 and he retired at age 28. He couldn’t pass a physical examination and his problems included arthritis. He had been through four demanding years with the Gophers and six more in Green Bay. “Ten years of pretty hard wear and tear on your body doesn’t leave you in very good shape,” he said.

Peterson is 30 and that number can be labeled old age for NFL running backs. But Peterson has shown remarkable conditioning and resiliency including his comeback season in 2012 when he rushed for 2,097 yards after offseason knee surgery.

Thompson said NFL players, including running backs, are taken care of better than when he played—another factor in Peterson’s favor as he enters his 30s. Those factors include less contact and running in practices, better rehabilitation resources, and improved nutrition.

“I would say he’s got a good three to maybe four, or even five years (left),” Thompson said about Peterson. “But probably a minimum of three.”

Peterson’s career-best season for rushing was in 2012 and six times he has gained over 1,200 yards since coming into the NFL with the Vikings in 2007. Thompson isn’t ruling out a 2,000 yard season but at a “minimum” expects 1,200 to 1,500 yards for Peterson.

“I like the way he plays. He plays hard,” Thompson said. “If you’re going to be successful, you’ve got to play hungry, with a little bit of a chip (on your shoulder). You would think someone told him he’s not a good running back. Every time he touches the ball he pretty much expects to score. …”

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had to play his rookie season in 2014 without Peterson. He let it be known last week how excited he is to have Peterson back on the team. “Man, you can just feel his presence from the moment he walks into this (training) facility that he’s ready to play. He’s had an entire year off and we’re excited for him. We can’t wait to watch him running wild on Monday.”

Worth Noting

Thompson was among the celebrities participating in the annual Bruce Smith Golf Classic at Faribault Golf Club earlier this year. About 100 golfers helped generate a profit of $8,500 to benefit Faribault schools. Since 1990 almost $201,000 has been raised for the schools. The classic is named after Smith, the only Gophers football player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.

Levi’s Stadium, the site of tonight’s Vikings-49ers game, is in Santa Clara, a city about 45 miles from San Francisco. When the 49ers moved out of Candlestick Park in San Francisco after the 2013 season the club kept the name San Francisco 49ers even though there has probably never been an American professional sports franchise that has its permanent home so far away from the city it represents.

Vikings punter Jeff Locke is also the holder for placekicker Blair Walsh who struggled with accuracy during the preseason. Locke said during practice last week Walsh was perfect on a string of eight field goals. “Absolutely killing the ball right now,” Locke said on Thursday. “I think going forward we’re going to see the Blair we know and love.”

Locke said it’s vital to place the ball on the ground at just the right distance for a placekicker’s approach on a field goal attempt. “If I miss a spot by half an inch (placing the ball), I am pissed,” Locke said.

Everson Griffen remains friends with former Vikings defensive line teammate Jared Allen, now with the Bears. Griffen visited Allen during the offseason in Arizona and the two worked out in Scottsdale.

Allen is involved with the Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen in Fort Collins, Colorado. A part owner, he was on camera last Friday night during a “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” Food Channel segment promoting the popular restaurant.

Four Minnesotans are listed in the Rivals.com top 150 prep basketball players for the class of 2017—possibly a record number for the state. The rankings posted last Wednesday include No. 14 Gary Trent, Apple Valley; No. 110 Goanar Mar, DeLaSalle; No. 113 Theo John, Champlin Park; and No. 147 McKinley Wright, Champlin Park.

Dick Jonckowski begins his 30th season of Gophers basketball public address announcing this fall. In the history of Williams Arena only Jonckowski and the late Jules Perlt have been full-time public address announcers for Gophers games there. It wouldn’t be surprising if Jonckowski is honored by the Minnesota athletic department during a game next season.

Jonckowski, who will start his 28th season of public address work for the Gophers baseball team next year, has for many years emceed banquets while entertaining with his storytelling. Last month he was the public address announcer at the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina and he also worked the series banquet.

The Twins begin an 11-game homestand tonight against the Tigers, then play the Angels and Indians. The Twins are 42-26 at home and 32-42 on the road. After this homestand, the club has only one series at home before the schedule ends so the most immediate games ahead will determine a lot about Minnesota’s wild card chances.

Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has reached base in 33 consecutive games.

Saints owner Mike Veeck said during the regular season his franchise drew 405,000 fans and played to 113 percent capacity in CHS Field, the new downtown St. Paul ballpark. The Saints were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday, losing 3-1 in a best of five games series with Sioux City. Veeck said this year’s team had the best chemistry of any Saints club he’s owned. “We’ve won with some clubs I didn’t like,” he told Sports Headliners.

Veeck described actor and comedian Bill Murray, another Saints owner, as “one of my best friends.” Veeck resides in Charleston, South Carolina and convinced Murray to live there too.

Canterbury Park’s racing season, the longest since 1992, ended on Saturday with an 11.3 percent gain in all-sources handle, the money wagered on Canterbury races both on track and out of state. The all-sources total, $41.13 million, was a record for the Shakopee facility. More than $14.1 million in purses was paid in 2015, an increase of 7.9 percent over 2014. The per-day purse average was a record $202,172. Average daily attendance increased 5.3 percent to 6,695.

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