David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Twins Forecast Dim from National Media

Posted on April 2, 2012April 2, 2012 by David Shama

The Twins open their regular season in Baltimore on Friday and their doubters include the national media. Sports Illustrated and Sportingnews.com predict the Twins will finish fourth among the five teams in the American League Central Division while Bleacherreport.com projects fifth place for Minnesota in the final standings.

In its March 26 baseball issue, S.I. questioned the Twins’ defense, pitching and lack of run production. The magazine believes Target Field (opened in 2010) isn’t working out because the team’s pitchers (minimal strikeouts) allow a lot of baseballs to be put in play and mediocre fielders, including outfielders, will be chasing those balls. Then, too, Twins batters can’t knock the ball over the fence at spacious Target Field.

S.I. quotes an anonymous rival scout about the Twins. He thinks Joe Mauer is no longer capable of winning batting championships and wonders if Justin Morneau is ever “going to be that scary middle-of-the-order hitter again.”

Pitching? The scout said the Twins don’t have a late inning reliever they can count on, and he wasn’t upbeat about the starters either. “None of their starters are great,” he said. “The rotation is full of 3s and 4s.”

The Twins lost 99 games last season and to improve that record a lot in 2012 the often injured “M&M Boys,” Mauer and Morneau, and starter Francisco Liriano will have to lead the way, Sportingnews.com said in its AL Central preview last week. “Not only must both (Mauer and Morneau) stay on the field, they must produce at their past MVP levels. Meanwhile, inconsistent but talented lefthander Francisco Liriano must emerge to fill the ace void.”

The Sporting News website said if Mauer and Morneau “spend more time in the trainer’s room than on the diamond, Minnesota won’t be relevant after May.”

Bleacherreport.com also expressed multiple and similar concerns about the Twins in its division preview last week. Included were Morneau’s health, starting pitching and the commitment to Matt Capps (4.25 ERA in 2011) as the team’s closer. “If all of these red flags turn out to be nothing, the Twins will finish much higher than last place in the Central,” the website said. “As of now, we haven’t seen anything from them, so there’s no reason to expect anything to be different.”

All three media sources predict Detroit will win the division. Sports Illustrated and Sportingnews.com project Kansas City and Cleveland to finish second and third, while Bleacherreport.com reverses the Royals and Indians. Chicago received a fifth place forecast from both S.I. and Sportingnews.com while Bleacherreport.com has the White Sox finishing fourth.

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Worth Noting

Posted on April 2, 2012April 2, 2012 by David Shama

Joe Mauer is ranked the 39^th best player in baseball by ESPN.com. Justin Morneau is the second highest ranked Twin at No. 196. ESPN.com has been counting down baseball’s top 500 players since March 20 with the top 25 to be announced today and tomorrow.

Wally McNeil (“Wally the Beer Man”) said he will again be a celebrity bartender at Sneaky Pete’s before and after Twins home games. He plans to work some St. Paul Saints games, too.

Ron Stolski said there were over 1,400 registrations for the Minnesota Football Coaches Clinic last week, a number that “quadrupled” the total four years ago. Stolski is executive director of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association, the organization administering the annual clinic.

The MFCA and the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund are partnering to promote “Tackle Cancer Month” in September. High school football programs are being asked to collect donations at their home games to benefit the fund.

Shaver, the KARE 11 sportscaster who is a cancer survivor, told the clinic audience less than 10 percent of the fund’s budget goes for operating costs, with the balance funding research and other programs such as cancer prevention. Through the years he’s helped raise over $4.5 million for the cancer cause, primarily through his annual celebrity golf event.

Among the clinic speakers was Gophers coach Jerry Kill who gave a rousing speech to the high school coaches in attendance. “We want to win for you,” Kill told them.

Kill said he and his staff try to understand all they can about their players. This includes how players learn and some have admitted it’s difficult to pay attention in meetings for more than about 20 minutes. The players have also said they want more team building and camaraderie activities during summer months.

Glenn Caruso was awarded the MFCA’s Tom Mahoney Man of the Year Award at the clinic. The St. Thomas coach has a 43-7 record during four years and his 2011 team was one victory from the Division III national championship game. Caruso told Sports Headliners he’s proud that 96 of his 125 players are from Minnesota schools and all eight assistants are natives of the state.

The Tommies will play a spring football game against a Canadian club team on May 20 in Winnipeg. That day will be Caruso’s 38^th birthday.

Among Division III programs nationally, St. Thomas athletics ranks No. 8 in the latest Leerfield Sports Director’s Cup standings. St.Olaf ranks No. 25. The final 2011-12 standings are expected to be released in early June.

Freshman point guard Andre Hollins scored 20 or more points in four of the Gophers last eight games. Hollins made 90.4 percent of his free throws this season and could have led the nation but didn’t have enough attempts to qualify.

Those close to new University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler are impressed with his attitude toward Gophers sports and his commitment to winning.

The 2012 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced Friday from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa during the NCAA Frozen Four. The finalists for the award honoring college hockey’s best player are Spencer Abbott, senior forward from the University of Maine; Jack Connolly, senior forward from the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and Austin Smith, senior forward from Colgate University. The announcement will be aired live on the NHL Network and on the Hobey Baker website at 5 p.m. Minneapolis time.

The Minnesota Stars will play FC Edmonton today in an exhibition match at Parade Stadium. The event begins at 1 p.m. and admission is free. The Stars open their NASL regular season schedule at home on Saturday night (7:30 p.m.) against Carolina at the Metrodome.

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Dan Dakich: U Can Contend Next Year

Posted on March 30, 2012March 30, 2012 by David Shama

ESPN college basketball analyst Dan Dakich told Sports Headliners yesterday the Gophers could be a top five team in a strong Big Ten Conference race next year.

Dakich, a former Indiana player and head coach at Bowling Green, said the Big Ten appears to be “loaded” next season led by Indiana, a team that could be ranked among the nation’s top five in the preseason. The Gophers won six of their last eight games, including four straight in the National Invitation Tournament before losing last night in New York to Stanford in the tourney title game. “This experience (the NIT) has been spectacular for them,” Dakich said.

By extending their season about three extra weeks and winning games, the Gophers gained experience and momentum that will increase chances for success next season. “It’s all about momentum in your program,” Dakich said.

He emphasized momentum creates excitement in the fan base and among the players. Dakich said that kind of environment helps inspire players in their workouts, weightlifting and general preparations for the next season.

Dakich’s projections about the Gophers in 2012-13 assumes the most important players return including the NIT starters and forward Trevor Mbakwe who missed most of the past season with a torn ACL. If Mbawke chooses to play one more season rather than become a professional, he could lead the Big Ten in rebounding and anchor the team’s inside defense. That’s predicated on his recovery from the ACL injury. “He should be fine,” Dakich said.

Dakich said coach Tubby Smith and his staff have done a “great job” of closing out the year after Minnesota had lost seven of eight games in February and finished with a 6-12 conference record. The coaches deserve credit for both improved team and individual play.

Mention the NIT success to Dakich and the first name he talks about is Andre Hollins. The freshman point guard has emerged as a leader, playmaker and scorer. His late game contributions helped Minnesota win games the team was losing earlier in the year. “He’s been the difference (in the NIT run),” Dakich said. “Potentially he can be as good as he wants to be.”

Dakich believes junior forward Rodney Williams should dismiss any thoughts about leaving school to turn pro and come back for one more season. “He needs to prove himself in the Big Ten (over a season),” Dakich said. “He could be as good as anybody in the Big Ten.”

Dakich said the Gophers don’t have to defend the quality of teams they defeated in the NIT. Teams like Pac-12 champ Washington aren’t the equal of the best in the Big Ten but they are competitive clubs. Defeating them has positioned the Gophers for an interesting offseason and possible 2012-13 success.

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