David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Twins Won’t Rush Royce Lewis to Bigs

Posted on May 14, 2023May 21, 2023 by David Shama

Royce Lewis made his 2023 debut Thursday night with Double-A Wichita after rehabbing in Florida earlier this spring. Lewis, who figures to play shortstop and third base for the Twins’ minor league farm team, struck out three times and was hit by a pitch. He cleanly handled one chance in the field at third base.

Not a “wow start,” but predictable for a player on recovery road. And Saturday was better, with Lewis having two hits in three at bats and driving in a run for the Wind Surge.

Last year Lewis had ACL surgery on his right knee for a second time, having also suffered a tear requiring surgery in 2021. Understandably the Twins’ approach with Lewis is cautious. “He will come out of games early, then get a day off,” Twins executive Derek Falvey told Sports Headliners. … ”It’s really a slow ramp up for him.”

It’s been a weird path the last few years for Lewis. He and other minor leaguers didn’t play during the 2020 COVID year. He missed all of 2021 because of the first ACL injury. Then last year after being promoted from Triple-A to the Twins he suffered that second ACL injury on May 29.

“We want to be very attentive to the return (in 2023),” said Falvey, the team’s chief baseball officer. “Maybe even more conservative than you might normally be. I think just putting him in the best position to be healthy.”

Falvey said there is no timetable for a return by Lewis to the Twins. That will be determined by “health, performance and opportunity,” Falvey explained.

At 23, Lewis is still considered among Minnesota’s most valued prospects, but will he retain the athleticism and other attributes that convinced the Twins to make him their No. 1 draft pick in 2017? Will he, for instance, have the same elite range in the field that made him both a special infield and outfield prospect? The same pop in his bat that he showed in 12 games with the Twins last season, hitting .300 with two home runs and five RBI?

After two surgeries and so much time off, those are unanswerable questions now. Falvey said, “But in theory it’s fixed. It’s not a muscle injury. It’s a ligament. So ultimately when the ligament is fixed his athleticism, his burst, his speed, his power should all be the same. We just need to keep him as healthy as possible.”

The Twins are struggling to score runs and the kind of bat Lewis showed last season would be welcome. After hitting .313 in 34 games at Triple- A St. Paul, Lewis teased Twins fans with his potential at bat and in the field where he played 11 games at short and one in center field.

The Twins could have an ASAP need at third base this season. After an impressive rookie season in 2022, Jose Miranda got off to a disappointing start hitting and in the field before being demoted to St. Paul. Kyle Farmer, 32, is the replacement for now but not long term.

Falvey said the front office and Lewis have also talked about the native Californian playing in the outfield. “He is such an eager kid. He just wants to find a way to help the team,” Falvey said.

Hopefully, Lewis finds his spot with the Twins and has a long run with the club, but Falvey pointed out the uncertainty of big-league baseball careers. He said this spring MLB’s 30 teams only have about 4.5 players on their rosters who played for them in 2019. The Twins have three 2019 alums from the opening day roster: second baseman Jorge Polanco who was a shortstop then, DH Byron Buxton who was the centerfielder, and right fielder Max Kepler who is still in the same position.

Worth Noting

Lewis is considered the Twins’ No. 2 prospect behind Brooks Lee, the club’s 2022 No. 1 draft choice. His background, too, is shortstop and he is also at Wichita. Falvey told Lee in spring training he didn’t care if the Cal Poly alum hit “.100 or .700,” he just wanted him to learn from veterans like shortstop Carlos Correa and Buxton about how to prepare and be a big leaguer.

Lee hit .303 with three minor league teams last year and is off to a .258 start this spring. He is an impressive athlete who can help a team in multiple ways including in the field. “I think this kid is a big part of our future,” Falvey said.

Former Twins infielder and 2022 AL batting champion Luis Arraez is leading the majors in hitting with a .379 average. Pitcher Pablo Lopez, who the Twins acquired during the offseason in a trade sending Arraez to the Marlins, is 2-2 with a 3.47 ERA.

Falvey said the Twins tried to make different deals “without Luie in it but couldn’t.” He added the Marlins, in need of offense, were “fixated on Luie and we were fixated on Pablo.” The Twins believe high performance starting pitching is difficult to find.

Since the trade the Twins have reached agreement with Lopez on a four-year contract extension that commits him from 2024-2027. Falvey doesn’t anticipate any similar deals during the rest of the season including with pitcher Sonny Gray who has been dominant with a 1.39 ERA and 4-0 record. He is a free agent in the fall.

Not only has Gray been the team’s best pitcher but he contributes to a healthy environment in the clubhouse. “Sonny gets along with everybody. He engages with everybody in the room,” Falvey said.

In last year’s draft the Twins selected Ben Ross in the fifth round out of Notre Dame College in Ohio (yes, that is correct). Another shortstop, Ross is hitting .308 at High-A Twins affiliate Cedar Rapids and committed only one error in the field.

The late Herb Carneal would have turned 100 last Wednesday. The radio voice of the Twins for 45 seasons, Carneal started broadcasting games for the club in 1962, one year after the franchise relocated to Minnesota from Washington D.C.

Danny Olsen is the new Eastview High School boys’ basketball coach, replacing long-time and much-admired head coach Paul Goetz. Olsen, a 1999 Eastview grad, has extensive AAU and high school coaching experience. The last 10 years he has been the head sophomore coach at Eastview and a varsity assistant.

Dick Jonckowski shares emcee duties with sports columnist Charley Walters Monday night at the 37^th annual Mancini’s Sports Hall of Fame dinner at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul. Former Cretin Derham-Hall quarterback Steve Walsh, who played at Miami and in the NFL, is among the inductees.

Jonckowski will emcee and speak Friday night in Fridley at the Minnesota Senior Sports Association’s seventh annual Hall of Fame banquet. The event at the Banquets of Minnesota facility honors individuals and teams from various recreational sports.

Reservations are still being accepted for the May 21 tribute to the late Bud Grant, the Vikings’ legendary coach. The free event at U.S. Bank Stadium begins at noon and requires a ticket. http://www.vikings.com/legends/bud-grant

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Connelly Tells Owner Taylor He’s Staying with Wolves

Posted on May 8, 2023May 8, 2023 by David Shama

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told Sports Headliners on Monday his president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, isn’t leaving for a similar role with the Wizards.

Taylor said Connelly reached out to him “very recently” to speak about speculation he was going back to the Wizards organization where he worked for 10 years starting in 1996, rising from an intern to director of player personnel. “He said he is not interested,” Taylor stated during a phone interview.

Taylor considers Connelly, who the Wolves hired away from the Nuggets about a year ago, to be transparent. “He said don’t worry about that (leaving the Wolves). This is what I am going to do (stay).”

Connelly’s name has been rumored with the Wizards since late April when the Washington D.C. based NBA franchise fired Tommy Sheppard, its president of basketball operations. Fair or not, Connelly has drawn considerable criticism from the media for not being absolute enough in his commitment to stay in Minneapolis with the Wolves.

Connelly not only spent 10 years in D.C. with the Wizards, but he is also a native of nearby Baltimore. He and his wife Negah both have family ties to the D.C. and Baltimore areas. Connelly is a graduate of Catholic University in Washington. Four years ago he turned down an opportunity to leave the Nuggets and run the Wizards’ basketball operations.

In the 12 months since joining the Wolves Connelly and Taylor have built a relationship. Taylor said he appreciates the clarity with which his basketball boss speaks about problems. “I don’t think he’s got any hidden agenda, and I don’t think he tries to make me feel good just by making me feel good, or any of that.”

The Wolves are coming off a disappointing regular season and first round playoff exit in five games. Minnesota’s regular season record was 42-40, after finishing 46-26 in 2022. Last spring the Wolves pushed the Grizzlies in a first round series but weren’t competitive this year against the Nuggets.

Taylor is “overall disappointed” in the 2023 results but believes he has a “good team.” What the Wolves must do, he believes, is figure out how to play better with the core they have.

Is Taylor advocating for trades? “No, I am not.”

Nor does the longtime owner expect a knee-jerk reaction to the results of 2023 by Connelly. “Don’t shake it up just for the sake of shaking it up,” Taylor said.

That, of course, doesn’t guarantee the Wolves won’t make changes in personnel in the offseason. When Connelly was first introduced as the new basketball leader in the organization, he said he wouldn’t be afraid to “push the envelope.”

Connelly could hardly have done more to make his point than last summer’s surprising trade of five players and multiple draft picks sent to the Jazz to acquire All-NBA defensive center Rudy Gobert. The pairing with center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns gave Minnesota a “Twin Towers” look to contrast with the “small ball style” of most rivals. The experiment didn’t get a full trial because Towns’ calf injury sidelined him for 52 games.

Taylor acknowledges the question of how well the tandem can play together is on his mind. “They could play better but they must do it. …We have to figure out (how) to run a system that utilizes their abilities and complements each other. And I am not sure that we…reached that potential yet.”

Taylor didn’t like the lack of discipline from some players, including behavior that led to technical fouls. Displeasing him, too, were incidents at season’s end. Gobert threw a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during the last game of the season and then was suspended from participating in Minnesota’s play-in tournament game with the Lakers to determine playoff seeding. Another starter, forward Jaden McDaniels, badly injured his right hand at half-time in that final game when he punched a wall. He didn’t play again after the incident.

“Childish behavior should not be tolerated,” Taylor said.

Meanwhile, Taylor and his wife Becky are scheduled to host about 60 players and staff from the Lynx tonight at their home in Mankato. That’s a welcome gesture the two have done for years with both the Wolves and WNBA Lynx.

As usual, Becky will make lasagna for the group. Taylor will speak to the gathering and then many of the attendees will play billiards or enjoy other entertainment. “After eating, that’s the highlight. I don’t think listening to Glen Taylor is the highlight.”

The Lynx open the regular season at home May 19 against the Sky. Taylor expects a lot of competition for playing time from a team that needs to improve its defense from last season but could be a surprise.

Taylor, who turned 82 last month, hasn’t been able to attend Lynx preseason games, and was absent from some spring Wolves games. “I had back surgery, but I don’t know the results of it yet,” he said.

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Lions Send Message to Vikes & NFL

Posted on May 7, 2023May 7, 2023 by David Shama

It’s an interesting offseason in the NFC North Division where the Vikings call home. The great Aaron Rodgers has left the Packers, likely transforming that team into expected also-rans, while the Lions, not the defending division champion Vikings, are the favorite to win the North.

Many sports books have the Lions betting favorites to win their first division title since 1993. Only seven NFL teams have better odds of making the Super Bowl next year, according to BetMGM. The franchise that defined ineptitude is now a top 10 NFL team, per some NFL observers.

Detroit (no playoffs since 2016) has been sending a message for a while that they will be bullied no more. The vision started after Dan Campbell was named head coach in January of 2021. The feisty former NFL player said when his Lions are knocked down, not only will that get up but “we’re going to bite a knee cap off.”

During Campbell’s first two years in Detroit the players have responded with enthusiasm and work ethic. The Vikings got a taste of the grit and toughness of the Lions in a December game last year, a 34-23 Detroit victory.

The Lions went 5-1 in their last six games and that finish is part of the reason for Detroit’s popularity now as 2023 division favorites. That momentum seemingly continues after last month’s NFL Draft where the Lions signaled their commitment to be a tough, physical football team, including a willingness to run the football.

Today’s NFL is basketball on grass for many teams, but it looks like the Lions may eschew that approach in 2023. Their initial pick in the first round was a surprise, drafting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12. He’s an explosive runner and will be complemented by veteran pick up David Montgomery as the Lions anticipate improving on a rushing game that ranked No. 11 in the league last season (average per game 128.2).

Signing former Gophers All-American Mo Ibrahim as a free agent running back is another clue about how Campbell and company intend to compete. Ibrahim’s toughness and power running make him a candidate to earn a roster spot as a short yardage option and goal line specialist. The Lions could take an approach to be different offensively than many of their peers, including the high-powered Viking offense built around quarterback Kirk Cousins and his elusive receivers.

The Vikings were 13-4 last season, but the record was unconvincing to critics. Minnesota set an NFL record by winning 11 one-score games. Opponents outscored them during the regular season, 427-424. Minnesota’s wild card game was a dud, losing 31-24 to the Giants in Minneapolis.

The Lions, 9-8 overall, outscored the opposition 453-427. Detroit also had the best record against division rivals, going 5-1.

The Lions and Vikings need to show they are better defensively in 2023. Last season both gave up 25 points per game, among the worst showings in the NFL. Both defenses flirted with yielding nearly 400 yards per game.

The Lions also sent a message with their second draft pick in the first round, taking tough guy linebacker Jack Campbell from Iowa. The 6-5, 249-pound Campbell was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year and Dick Butkus Award winner as the nation’s best linebacker.

Offensively, both the Vikings and Lions made their fans happy last season. Minnesota averaged 24.9 points per game, seventh best in the NFL. The Lions averaged a fourth best 26.6.

Today your bookie probably will handicap the NFC North like this: Lions, Vikings, Bears and Packers. The Bears are still rebuilding, and the Packers are dealing with the loss of Rodgers at football’s most important position. Of course, reality won’t be known until the end of the year but for now a lot of observers see a new team at the top of a mediocre division.

Worth Noting

A recent story by Adam Sparks of USA Today reported the football Gophers spent $1,227,189 on recruiting in 2022. That ranked Minnesota No. 7 in the Big Ten and No. 25 nationally. The Big Ten list didn’t include private school Northwestern. Surprisingly Rutgers ranked No. 2 and Ohio State No. 5, with Michigan No. 1, and Minnesota out spending neighboring rivals Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa who ranked No. 8, 11 and 13 respectively.

Joe Salem, the University of Minnesota head football coach from 1979-1983, turned 85 last Monday and lives in his hometown of Sioux Falls. An imaginative offensive mind, Salem’s assistants at Minnesota included Mike Shanahan who went on to lead the NFL Broncos to consecutive Super Bowl wins. Before taking over the Gophers, Salem was head coach at Northern Arizona where his assistants included Brad Childress, Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid, all of whom became NFL head coaches.

The Wild’s Marc Andre-Fleury will be 39 next November but it will be a surprise if he doesn’t return for another season and be part of the goalie rotation with Filip Gustavsson. “He is a leader in the locker room,” a hockey source told Sports Headliners. “He’s a leader of the young players.”

Speculation a few years ago was the St. Paul Saints franchise was worth $25 million as one of the more valuable properties in minor league baseball. The club was sold earlier this year for a price that may have been $17 million.

Condolences to friends and family of Tim Heikkila who passed away late last month in Thomasville, Georgia. Heikkila, a member of the University of Minnesota M Club Hall of Fame, was a 1971 high jump All-American.

The Kentucky Derby showcased the best racehorses Saturday but for some thoroughbreds the big money comes after they retire and are used for breeding. A New York Times article pointed out last week that Flightline, a champion thoroughbred racehorse now retired, made $4.3 million in racing purses over two years, but “with 155 mares in his date book” he will generate $31 million in earnings by the end of July for breeding.

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