Test your Twins playoff trivia knowledge with the following two questions (answers in last section of column):

Who was the Twins starting pitcher in the game three and final playoff loss last year to the Yankees?  What Twins hitter drove in the most runs in the 1987 World Series against St. Louis?

In the last 20 seasons only twice (1991 and 1992) have the Twins won the regular season series against the Yankees.

The Yankees are the pick to win this year’s ALDS by six of 10 ESPN.com experts. https://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/yankees-twins

Twins left fielder Delmon Young hit three home runs in his last nine regular season games, totaling five in September-October.  Young finished the season with a career high 21 home runs, and had a .298 batting average and 112 RBI, best on the team.

Twins center fielder Denard Span told KSTP Radio on Sunday morning that the “sky’s the limit” for Young.  Span said on the air he believes Young can hit 30 home runs and compared his potential with Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera who may win the 2010 American League MVP award.

Stubhub.com was listing Champions Club tickets with seats near home plate for $2,500.00 each on Monday.

The Big Ten could have six basketball teams in the top 25 of polls during the early weeks of the season this fall.  “The Big Ten is as deep as it’s been in a decade,” said Shon Morris who is a Big Ten Network analyst.

Morris told Sports Headliners that Orono’s Jon Leuer, who will be a senior for Wisconsin, might be the conference’s preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.

Toby Gerhart has played minimally in three games and hasn’t been impressive, but an NFL source predicted to Sports Headliners that the Vikings rookie will be an outstanding pro running back.

Vikings All-Pro rusher Adrian Peterson reportedly will earn $10.72 million next season.  Back in the mid-1960’s a starting running back for the Vikings made about $6,000.00.

The Vikings play the Jets in New York on Monday night, facing a team that had four players included on the Sporting News Magazine list of the NFL’s top 100 players.  In its September 13 issue the publication included New York cornerback Darrelle Revis (No.7), center Nick Mangold (No. 50) offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson (No. 62) and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (No. 85).

The Vikings, with seven selections, have more players on the list than any franchise, followed by the Ravens and Steelers at six each.  https://shamasportsheadliners.com/Archives/September%2015,%202010.htm

The 3-1 Jets have only one turnover in four games.  “That’s huge,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said.  “They don’t put themselves in trouble.”

Childress talking about what he looks for when his team is coming off a bye week: “It’s important that they have a fresh attitude, fresh outlook and that they come out here and don’t forget everything they knew before the bye. …”

 

Comments Welcome

J Robinson, 64, served in Vietnam and has coached three national championship Gophers wrestling teams.  He formed a philosophy about life while serving with the 173^rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam and his beliefs are still entrenched.

“You gotta have a philosophy about life,” he said.  “You gotta have rules, and then those rules guide what you do.

“You make all your decisions based on those guidelines.  Rule No. 1 is understand who you work for.  If you’re in it for 90 percent, and they’re in it for 40 percent, you ain’t ever going over 40 percent.

“Rule No. 2 is understand who you’re against, or who the enemy is.  If they’re willing to fight for 25 years, and you’re only willing to fight for 24 years and 11 months, you’re going to lose.

“Rule No. 3 is let the other side dictate the rules and then play by them.  And rule No. 4 is don’t take any job where your decisions don’t control the outcome.”

Robinson draws a comparison between the Vietnam War and the fight in Afghanistan. “All the guys that went there (Vietnam) went for the right seasons, but the politicians stopped them,” he said.  “It’s the same thing that’s going on now.”

Robinson, who has been head wrestling coach at the University since 1986, includes striving for excellence on a daily basis as part of his philosophy.

A former Olympic wrestler, Robinson was also an assistant Olympic coach.  In addition to his national titles, his teams have won six Big Ten championships.

The Gophers, among the top rated teams in the country, open their schedule in Fargo on November 13 at the Bison Open.

Comments Welcome

The Twins’ starting foursome for the post-season has pitched a total of seven games in division playoff games.  Carl Pavano has four games, with one each for Franciso Liriano, Brian Duensing and Nick Blackburn.

Pavano is the only one with experience in league division and championship games and the World Series.  He had one start in each during the 2003 season with Florida.

Liriano is 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in his last three starts.  He has given up five home runs in those games.

Twins reliever Brian Fuentes, acquired in August, has an ERA of 0.88 in 30.2 innings pitched during 30 games since June 22.  He has yet to allow a run with the Twins.

Although the Yankees will play here twice in the division championship series (starting Wednesday at Target Field), they won’t be back again until August 18-21 for their only regular season appearance in Minneapolis during 2011.

Justin Morneau is a clutch hitter and the Twins will miss his bat in the pressure filled- division playoff games.  In 29 at bats during division playoff games Morneau has a .310 batting average with two home runs and four RBI.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said Target Center needs about a $100 million remodeling.  He said it’s important that a renovation project receive financing from the state or city.  The arena, which opened in 1990, is one of the oldest in the NBA.

Tom Brokaw, the much admired television journalist and author of The Greatest Generation, was the keynote speaker Thursday evening for the Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund.  The nonprofit has raised about $11 million since its inception and provided approximately 12,000 grants to soldiers and their families.  https://www.thankmntroops.org/

Brokaw, who grew up in South Dakota, met Metropolitan Sports Facilities Chair Roy Terwilliger when both were students at the University of Iowa and they remain friends.  Brokaw is a passionate sports fan and a boyhood hero was former Gophers All-American football player Paul Giel.

Sports Illustrated predicts the Wild will finish 14^th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference.  In its October 4 issue the magazine writes that the local NHL team is committed to a better start than last year’s 3-9.  The publication quotes coach Todd Richards as saying the disastrous start “did us in mentally.”

It will be Washington over Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals, according to Sports Illustrated.

The Big Ten Conference leadership will probably sell its TV rights for the annual football division championship game (starting in 2011) to the highest bidder among networks and perhaps command a deal of $20 million to $30 million.

 

Comments Welcome