Twins starting pitcher Carl Pavano, 9-6, has a 1.83 ERA in his last five starts.  His season ERA is 3.30.  Teammate Scott Baker is 6-2, with a 3.06 ERA in nine home games but 1-5 with a 6.55 ERA in eight road starts.

Wally the Beerman turns 76 on August 11 but he’s still selling beer in the Target Field stands (sections 100-108) for every Twins home game.

Ricky Rubio, the Timberwolves’ fifth pick in the 2009 NBA draft, has financial incentive to come here and play for the 2011-12 season.  The NBA collective bargaining agreement is up for negotiation next summer and with the nation’s poor economic environment owners are expected to push hard for less compensation to players.  If Rubio signs prior to the expiration of the existing collective bargaining agreement, it’s likely he will receive a better contract than if he waits another couple of years.

By next year Rubio’s contract buyout from his Spanish team will be under $2 million, much less than it has been to leave for the NBA.  Can the Wolves make a possibly reluctant Rubio play for them instead of another league team?  In the Wolves’ favor is that for Rubio to go back into the NBA draft he needs to sit out a full year of professional basketball.

Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn wouldn’t speculate as to how much his roster will turn over between now and the opening of the regular season but another franchise insider said 50 percent might be possible.

Wolves lottery pick Wesley Johnson chose uniform No. 4 because he has that many nieces and nephews.

The Timberwolves will begin play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Monday.  Johnson and other players are expected to play in games on July 12 (San Antonio), July 14 (Sacramento), July 16 (Memphis), July 17 (Portland) and July 18 (Atlanta). The team’s summer league roster includes 2009 draft choices Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington, and undrafted former Gophers Damian Johnson and Lawrence Westbrook.

Forward Mikael Granlund, the Wild’s first-round pick in last month’s NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, might also be at next June’s draft in St. Paul.  Granlund’s brother, Markus, plays for the Helsinki junior team and will be draft eligible next summer.

Mikael’s skill has been praised by the media, with the Red Line Report naming him the “most imaginative playmaker” in the draft.  He was impressive in the Finnish Elite League, where he was a 17-year-old playing professionally against 30-somethings. He had 40 points in 43 games last season, leading all league rookies in points and being named Rookie of the Year.  Compare that to Wild captain Mikko Koivu, chosen No. 6 overall in 2001, who had one assist in 21 games in the Finnish Elite League and also spent time in the junior leagues prior to being drafted.  Granlund was the No. 9 overall draft pick in 2010.

Forward Jason Zucker, the Wild’s fourth selection in the recent draft (second round No. 59 overall), became the first Nevada-trained player to be drafted in NHL history.

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Welcome to the first annual Minnesota Sports Headliners trivia column to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend.  While sitting in a fishing boat, sunning by the swimming pool, flipping hamburgers on the Weber grill, or sipping cocktails on the porch, take a few minutes to test your expertise at answering these 26 questions about the Twins, Vikings, Wolves, Wild and Gophers.  Why 26?  Because that’s how old I would like to be.

Your reward for answering these questions?  Simply the satisfaction of a job well done.  And, okay, those with a near perfect score can submit questions for next year’s contest.  (No complaining allowed about the prizes.)

Also, no cheating for answers by searching on the Internet, or glancing over at someone else’s answers.  Here we go with trivia questions in the first two sections of the column, and answers provided in the last section.

1. What was the name of the Twins message board on the scoreboard at Met Stadium?

2. From what team did the Twins acquire Joe Nathan in a 2003 off-season trade?

3. Who was the starting pitcher in the Twins’ first regular season game ever in 1961?

4. Going into this season Joe Mauer had the highest lifetime batting average of any major league catcher.  Who was second?

5. What year did Jacques Jones make his major league debut with the Twins?

6. Who were the Twins’ Minor League Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in 2009?

7. What current Vikings player played for the team’s last three head coaches including Brad Childress?

8. Who is the Vikings’ all-time scoring leader in total points?

9. What team originally drafted Vikings quarterback Brett Favre?

10. Who was the prospective Vikings majority owner who said “I’m 6-foot-1 and tons of fun”?

11.  Cris Carter holds the all-time Vikings’ career record for receptions and total yards.  Who is No. 2?

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12. Who was the Wolves’ former No. 1 draft choice who arrived here and let it be known that he didn’t have a driver’s license?

13. What year did Kevin Love first play at Target Center?

14. Who was the Wolves’ first director of player personnel?

15. Who is the former Wolves player that finished second in the 2008 All-Star weekend slam dunk contest?

16. Who is the former Wild executive whose daughter played tennis for the University of Minnesota?

17. Martin Havlat wears uniform No. 14.  Who is the only other player in Wild franchise history to wear that number?

18. Who was named the Wild’s director of player development earlier this month?

19. The Wild have the longest current home sellout streak in the NHL.  What franchise holds the all-time record?

20. Who was the Gophers hockey coach before the legendary John Mariucci started coaching at Minnesota in 1952?

21. Who led the 2003 Gophers’ national championship hockey team in total points?

22. What team did the Gophers play in the semi-finals of the 1998 National Invitational Basketball Tournament in New York?

23. In addition to Devoe Joseph, the basketball Gophers have a second player on their roster from Canada.  Who is he?

24. What are the last three years that the Gophers have defeated Michigan and won the Little Brown Jug?

25. Eric Decker led the Gophers with five touchdown receptions last season.  Who was second behind Decker?

26. Who is the former Gopher golfer married to Lindsay Whalen?

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