As the second best paid starting pitcher on the roster, the Twins Scott Baker must perform better than what he’s shown so far in 2010.  Baker is 2-2 with a 5.72 ERA and has given up 11 earned runs in his last two outings.  He has a four-year $15.25 million deal that began in 2009, according to Cots Baseball Contracts.   https://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/minnesota-twins_17.html

The Detroit Free Press reported that in each of the last two seasons the Tigers had only one win each year from a left-handed pitcher against the Twins.  Last week in Detroit left-hander Dontrelle Willis beat the Twins 3-0 and will try for another win tomorrow night at Target Field.  The Twins see lots of left-handed pitching because of left-handed fence busters Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer.  Neither faced Willis last week in Detroit.  https://www.freep.com/article/20100430/SPORTS02/4300331

With Tiger Woods trying to put his life and golf game back together, there’s probably more opinion now that Roger Federer, who has 16 tennis grand slam singles titles, is the world’s best athlete.  Federer has never played here and years ago this was a great tennis town with exhibitions drawing large crowds.

The annual Gopher equipment sale for the public will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 15 at the Sports Pavilion on campus.  New and used items including apparel, shoes and bags are available, but no jerseys.  Cash, checks and credit cards accepted.

In Naples, Florida last weekend the American Hockey Coaches Association honored John Gilbert, the former Minneapolis newspaper hockey writer, with its Jim Fullerton award that recognizes “an individual who loves the purity of our sport.”  https://www.ahcahockey.com/news/0910/0128awa.html

Here are dates for your NBA calendar: May 18 is the league’s draft lottery; June 14 is the withdrawal deadline for early entrant draft prospects.  June 24 is the NBA draft; July 1 the free agent negotiation period begins and July 8 is the first day to sign free agent contracts.

Lindsay Whalen was on two WNBA finals teams playing for Connecticut.  That winning experience should help her new team, the Lynx.

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced that two Winona State athletes and Wisconsin natives are the winners of annual scholar-athlete awards.  Marcus Greatens is the Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award winner and Lauren Brown is the Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.

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No sense living in the past but who could blame the Twins if now and then they catch themselves looking in the rearview mirror for a glimpse of pitcher Matt Garza.  The Twins sent him to Tampa Bay during the 2007-2008 off season and now he’s the kind of potential power throwing, innings eating starter that could help Minnesota make it all the way to the World Series.

The Twins Francisco Liriano fits the same profile but even if he becomes the staff’s dominant starter, two would have been better than one.  Lirinano, 26, is 3-0 with an American League leading 1.29 ERA.  He’s been sensational in his last three starts giving up no earned runs.

Garza, 26, is 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA.  His four wins lead the American League and he’s tied for the lead in strikeouts at 34 with Jered Weaver of the Angels.

Having both Liriano and Garza would give the Twins a left-handed and right-handed power pitching balance that the 2010 starting staff doesn’t have.  In addition to the left-handed Liriano, the Twins starters are four right-handers who don’t win by blowing the ball by opposing hitters.  Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Carl Pavano and Kevin Slowey can be effective but I would replace any of them with Garza.

Garza’s willingness to be coached reportedly wasn’t to the Twins’ liking during his two seasons here so he was part of a six player trade that included Tampa Bay outfielder Delmon Young whose attitude has been questioned, too.  Garza has yet to win more than 11 games in a single season but last year had some impressive stats indicating he was moving closer to fulfilling his potential as a dominating pitcher.

Opposing batters hit .233 against Garza last season, the fourth best mark in the American League.  He was ninth in the league in strikeouts with 189 and his 203 innings pitched ranked 14^th.

And here’s another number worth remembering about Garza.  At 26, he’s younger than Pavano, 34, and Baker and Blackburn, both 28.

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Any devout Twins fan is battle tested in trivia. Jim Hoey’s new book, “Minnesota Twins Trivia,” will test your knowledge.

With an assist from his book and my own favorites, here are 15 Twins trivia questions to ponder:

1. What school did Joe Mauer favor if he had chosen to play college football?

2. What country was Ron Gardenhire born in?

3. Who was the Twins player that once played all nine positions in a single game?

4. Which Twin played in the most games in franchise history?

5. The Twins shortstop is J.J. Hardy.  What do the initials stand for?

6. What year did Rick Anderson become the team’s pitching coach?

7. Name the Twins hitter who won American League batting titles during his first two seasons in the major leagues.

8. In what year did Metropolitan Stadium open?

9. Joe Nathan has the franchise record for most saves in a single season.  Who is second?

10. Justin Morneau won baseball’s Home Run Derby in 2008.  How many home runs did he hit?

11. Most fans knew him as “Butch” Wynegar but what was his real first name?

12. How many Triple Crown winners have the Twins had?

13. This Twins manager played his nephew at shortstop.  Name the manager and shortstop.

14. What was the Twins record last season?

15. And my favorite: Who is the only person to play for both the Twins and Vikings at the Metropolitan Stadium?

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