For years the Twins and their fans lobbied for a new stadium with a retractable roof but the record-breaking response this season to open air Target Field has muted the desire to watch baseball in a covered facility.

“We proved that outdoor baseball in Minnesota works,” said Patrick Klinger, vice president of marketing.  “I don’t know if I ever received a question more often than why not a roof, but since April 12 I don’t think I have heard that question asked.”

The Twins have sold out 74 consecutive games with all but one game not being a sell out this season.  They have had one game that had to be continued the next day, otherwise avoiding major problems with the weather.

The club has four remaining home games but has set a franchise record attendance of 3,063,327 million.  Part of the lure has been a winning team and outdoor baseball, but the stadium is special.

The ballpark is gorgeous and Klinger agrees that it couldn’t be such a looker if part of the facility included a place to house the retractable roof.  “No doubt it would be much more boxy,” he said.

Klinger said cooler weather isn’t likely to deter ticket sales for the playoffs.  “I think we will be fine,” he said.  “This is a state where we’re used to turning over a bucket (to sit on) and going (ice) fishing.”

He said 90 percent of season ticket holders exercised their priority to buy playoff tickets.  Other fans had an opportunity to enter a drawing to determine ticket buyers for American League division and championship series games, and the same system will be used for World Series tickets.  https://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=min&tcid=mm_min_sitelist

Klinger said there are no plans to add seats at Target Field for the playoffs. If the Twins reach the World Series there maybe fewer seats for the public because demand for press accommodations might result in outdoor seating for some media.

Nor are there plans to expand capacity (about 41,000) for next season, Klinger said.  The club is looking at other enhancements for 2011, although he said it’s too soon to reveal them.

“The Pohlad family is committed to making Target Field remain the best (venue) in the country,” Klinger said.

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If Vikings fans are discouraged by the team’s 1-2 start, linebacker Ben Leber has a suggestion: “Hang with us. We’re working everything out. We’ll get some more wins.”

Vikings players, perhaps most of them, prefer a bye week later in the season when they’re more in need of rest. “Unfortunately it’s in week four,” placekicker Ryan Longwell said. “That’s not the best draw.”

Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin, troubled in recent weeks by migraine headaches and his right hip, said: “…I get a week of rest and I should be perfectly fine when I comeback.”

Wide receiver Greg Lewis said there’s been nothing wrong with quarterback Brett Favre’s timing on his passes this season. The wide receivers have to receive opportunities and then make plays, he said.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said on his KSTP Radio show Sunday that Michael Cuddyer, usually a right fielder who has been at third base, second base and first base this season, wants to play shortstop to complete his infield experience. Gardenhire said it could happen, if not this year, in the future.

Outfielder Joe Benson, named the Twins Minor League Player of the Year on Monday by the organization, only hit .252 this season but had 27 home runs in 459 at bats. Right-hander Kyle Gibson, named Pitcher of the Year in the organization, held batters to a .242 average in the minors. Before the season started Baseball America identified Gibson as the third best pitching prospect in the minor leagues. Benson and Gibson are both 22.

A basketball source told Sports Headliners that highly sought after Cedar Rapids guard Josh Oglesby will announce his college choice today as either Iowa, Minnesota or Arizona State.

Nebraska joins the Big Ten next year. If the Cornhuskers were in the league now the conference would have seven teams in the top 25 of the polls, more than any other league.

Nebraska’s resurgence in football had been led by head coach Bo Pelini, a defensive specialist. His brother, Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini, was the 2004 defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Minnesota State Mankato, working for head coach Jeff Jamrog, a former Husker player and assistant coach now working in the Nebraska athletic department.

The countdown of the 50 Big Ten Icons is under 20 now and one of the remaining names to be announced is likely Dave Winfield, the former Gopher baseball All-American and starter on the 1972 Big Ten championship basketball team.

There could be a record MIAC crowd when No. 5 ranked St. Thomas plays at No. 18 Saint John’s on Saturday. The existing MIAC record of 13,103 was set at Saint John’s in 2003 when Johnnies coach John Gagliardi broke Eddie Robinson’s record for career wins.

It will be a home field advantage crowd for Saint John’s, with most in attendance pulling for the Johnnies. A St. Thomas spokesman estimated that even when the two teams play in St. Paul, about 40 percent of fans are Johnnies supporters.

This will be the first time ever that the Tommies will visit Saint John’s with a top five national ranking in the AFCA Division III poll. Four of the last nine games between the two teams have been decided by seven points or less. Saint John’s has long dominated the MIAC in football but since St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso arrived in 2008 the Tommies have the best record among league teams at 22-5, one win better than Saint John’s at 21-5.

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Talk that Brett Favre might quit if the Vikings season turned dismal was labeled “ridiculous” in the team’s locker room yesterday afternoon.

The Vikings won their first game of the season, moving the record to 1-2 with a 24-10 victory over Detroit.  In recent days media and fan speculation had a frustrated Favre calling it quits if the season was developing into a flop.

There’s been nothing magical about the 40-year-old quarterback’s Vikings experience so far this year.  His pass protection is sometimes absent and he’s been out of sync with receivers, obviously missing favorite target Sidney Rice who is injured.  He’s moving around on a troublesome left ankle and has thrown six interceptions in three games after having just seven throws picked off during that magical season of 2009.

“I think that’s a ridiculous assumption that a competitor like that would ever quit during the season,” linebacker Ben Leber said yesterday. “Glad to have a competitor like that on our team and be a leader on our offense.”

Watching close-ups of Favre yesterday showed how emotionally he’s committed to the Vikings and winning.  On a frustrating pass attempt, he might slam his hand to the turf in disappointment.  In the second half he had an angry yet supportive look on his face when he greeted Vikings defensive players leaving the field after a pushing and shove match with the Lions.

Vikings placekicker Ryan Longwell has been friends with Favre since their days several years ago playing in Green Bay for the Packers.  He said “you don’t even waste your time acknowledging” reports of an in-season Favre retirement.

Longwell understands the frustration with which Favre and other Vikings brought to the field yesterday prior to the game.  “Well, let’s not kid ourselves,” Longwell said. “0-2 is no fun for anybody whether you’re the kicker, the punter or the starting quarterback, or a 20 year vet.  I don’t know if people expected him to be doing cartwheels out there when you’re losing those two games. …His (Favre’s) excitement has been there all along.  It’s just more fun when you’re winning than it is when you’re losing.”

Longwell said Favre’s ankle is “holding together fine.”  The Vikings have a bye in the schedule and don’t play again until Monday, October 11 in game four of their 16 game schedule.  “…13 in a row coming back is going to be tough on everybody, especially him,” Longwell said.

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