David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings & Other Notes

Posted on June 4, 2012June 4, 2012 by David Shama

Joe Webb told Sports Headliners the coaches have told him he is the Vikings No. 2 quarterback. The third-year quarterback is behind Christian Ponder, a rookie last season, but Webb’s attitude was upbeat at the team’s Organized Team Activities at Winter Park. “I am fired up,” Webb said last week.

Often wearing a smile, he has a passion for football and life. He grew up in a family where religion was emphasized and so too was a positive outlook. “It’s just a blessing to be on the field,” he said. “One percent of players make it in the NFL.”

Webb has started three games in his NFL career. He plans to be ready if the opportunity to start comes again. With experience, he’s learned the playbook better, sees the field of play better and has learned to work on his mechanics.

Webb, whose contract expires after next season, also feels comfortable now being a leader. “I speak up to guys a lot more,” he said.

A sixth round draft choice in 2010, he played not only quarterback but wide receiver and even safety at UAB. His athleticism has created speculation the 6-4, 230-pound athlete might become a wide receiver with the Vikings. “My heart is in being a quarterback but I want to help the team anyway I can,” he said.

Coach Leslie Frazier said if Adrian Peterson isn’t recovered from his knee injury in time for the opening game the plan is to start Toby Gerhart and not use multiple running backs. He described Gerhart as a “solid” alternative. “…We’re not afraid of Toby having to start,” Frazier said.

Lester Bagley expects ground to be broken next spring on the new Vikings stadium downtown. He doesn’t anticipate any developments to delay that schedule. Bagley, who has been the club’s lead executive for years on the stadium project before gaining state and city approval this spring, believes it’s likely owner Zygi Wilf will be involved with commercial development near the stadium site.

Ian Thomsen, writing in the June 4 issue of Sports Illustrated about the Celtics aging big three that includes Kevin Garnett, said in 2007 Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor gave in on “his demand” that point guard Rajon Rondo had to be included among the players Boston would send to Minneapolis in exchange for Garnett. Rondo, 26, now ranks with the NBA’s best point guards and in a playoff loss to the Heat had 44 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Minneapolis-born Zach Parise earns praise in the May 29-June 4 issue of The Fleisher Report. The report quotes Kings goalie Jonathan Quick as saying Parise’s “speed and competitiveness” are special. Quick observed that how Parise plays “usually” determines how the Devils fare.

In the same issue ex-Minnesota Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell, back with the Kings, credits that organization with giving him an opportunity while only an eighth grader.

KARE 11 news and sports personality Eric Perkins will travel to London to report on the summer Olympics.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that boys basketball coach Reggie Perkins is leaving Washburn to coach at Bloomington Kennedy. Perkins coached Washburn in the Class 3-A championship loss to DeLaSalle in March.

Friends of Corky Taylor are saddened by the former Gophers basketball player’s battle with lung cancer.

Canterbury Park will hold a memorial service in the paddock open to the public starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday for Dark Star who passed away last week. Star’s second home was the Shakopee racetrack.

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Return on Investment Twins Problem

Posted on June 1, 2012June 1, 2012 by David Shama

The Twins receive plenty of scrutiny for having close to 40 percent of the payroll invested in catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau, limiting what the club can spend acquiring other players to field a better team. But winning games has also been minimized by salaries spent on unproductive players.

While Mauer makes $23 million this season and Morneau earns $14 million, as of last week the Twins had a total of about $25 million invested in other players who were making minimal or no contributions to the club’s effort to escape last place in the Central Division. Here’s a breakdown of the unproductive: Scott Baker, $6.5 million; Nick Blackburn, $4.75 million; Francisco Liriano, $5.5 million; Jason Marquis, $3 million; Tsuyoshi Nishioka, $3 million; Lester Oliveros, $520,000 ; Rene Tosoni, $520,00; Danny Valencia, $520,000; and Joel Zumaya, $850,000. (Compensation data referenced is from multiple online sources including Cotsbaseballcontracts.com).

Baker and Blackburn have been injured and not pitching for the Twins. Liriano pitched six shutout innings on Wednesday but has been so ineffective this season he’s flirted with a 10.0 ERA. Marquis was removed from the team roster last week. Nishioka, after being a bust as a rookie last season with the Twins, didn’t make the big league club coming out of spring training and is assigned to Class AAA Rochester.

Oliveros, acquired from the Tigers last year, is pitching for Rochester while Valencia, who started the season with the Twins, is playing third base there. Tosoni, an outfielder, was recently demoted from Rochester to Class AA New Britain. Zumaya, trying to make a comeback as a hard throwing relief pitcher, injured his arm in spring training and isn’t playing baseball.

According to About.com (using figures from the Associated Press), the Twins rank No. 13 among 30 MLB teams for highest salaries with an average of $3,484,630. While the Twins are last in the Central Division standings, the second place Indians have an average salary of $2,551,082 and rank No. 24. The Orioles, who lead the American League’s East Division standings, average $2,786,345 in salaries, ranking No. 20.

The Twins have reduced their payroll from $112.7 million in 2011 to $94.1 million in 2012, according to About.com.

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Worth Noting

Posted on June 1, 2012June 1, 2012 by David Shama

Former Twins broadcaster John Gordon, 72, is spending his first spring retired from baseball and “enjoying the retired life,” according to Patrick Klinger, the team’s marketing vice president. “He’s playing a lot of golf,” Klinger said.

The Twins finished the month of May with a 12-16 record. Their sweep of the A’s earlier in the week was only the second of the season against an opponent.

Outfielder Josh Willingham leads the club in home runs with 10. The first Twins hitter to reach 10 last year was Michael Cuddyer on June 16.

Now that spring semester has ended, the Gophers football team has put together consecutive semesters of collective GPA’s over 3.0 for the first time in our memory.

Former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, now with the Steelers, is ranked the fourth best head coach in the NFL by Sportingnews.com. Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier is ranked No. 27 out of 32 head coaches. Former Vikings tight end Mike Mularkey, now head coach at Jacksonville, ranks No. 25 while the Giants Tom Coughlin, coach of the Super Bowl champions, is No. 1.

Frazier and others with the Vikings organization, including players, volunteered their time yesterday to help build a playground at Sheridan Arts Magnet School in Minneapolis. The playground is being paid for by the Vikings and The Toro Company.

Mark Rosen’s new book, Best Seat in the House, was No. 3 in the sports essays category last week for Amazon Kindle sales, according to the WCCO TV sports anchor. He also told Sports Headliners that about 8,000 books have been printed. He’s been busy with book signings in the metro area and other parts of the state. “I realize more and more you can’t just put a book on the shelves,” he said.

Rosen said it’s been an “amazing” and enjoyable experience meeting so many people who have their own stories about the Minnesota sports heroes he writes about in his book. “I’ve met a lot of great people,” he said.

Minnesota native Tom Lehman, who will play in the 3M Championship in Blaine later this year, has three top 10 finishes on the Champions Tour in 2012 but has not won a tournament. www.pgatour.com

The Timberwolves will select Dion Waiters, a 6-4 shooting guard from Syracuse, with the No. 18 pick in the NBA draft later this month, according to www.nbadraft.net. Waiters averaged 12.6 points per game as a sophomore last season.

Former Hopkins forward Royce White will be drafted by Boston at No. 21, according to the website. White is unusually strong for a small forward but must improve his outside shooting in the pros.

For the fifth consecutive year St. Thomas finished first in both the men’s and women’s MIAC all-sports final standings. Gustavus and St.Olaf placed second in the men’s and women’s standings. St. Thomas won eight conference titles in men’s athletics, five in women’s sports during 2011-12.

The Mr. and Ms. Lacrosse winners will be announced on Sunday afternoon during a banquet at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul. A total of 14 high school boys and girls are finalists for the awards (presented by the Minnesota Swarm). A selection panel will also choose the Mr. Goalie and Ms. Goalie of the Year winners. To see the names of candidates and learn more about the banquet, visit the Minnesota Minutemen website. www.minnesotaminutemen.com

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