Is it time to give up on the 2009 Twins?  Depends on the goal.  American League pennant? Yup.  Central Division title?  Not yet.

Even Norman Vincent Peale would be challenged to cheerlead the Twins’ pennant prospects.  The pre-season concerns about the starting pitching and middle inning relievers not being experienced and proven were justified.  The team ERA is 4.63, 10^th among 14 AL teams.  Collectively the staff (18 pitchers have been on the roster) has given up 126 home runs, third most in the league.

A troubled situation has been made worse by the season ending loss of starter Kevin Slowey.  The remaining starting staff of Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins and Anthony Swarzak could wear the same “name” on the back of their jerseys: “Mr. Inconsistent.”

The front office couldn’t acquire pitching help prior to the July 31 trade deadline.  It appears the Twins are waiting for reinforcements next spring when recovery from injuries is expected to allow the return of starters Slowey and Boof Bonser, and eighth inning set-up reliever Pat Neshek.

The Twins are 4.5 games back of first place Detroit in the Central Division, and 2.5      behind Chicago.  It requires optimism to see the Twins winning the division but they do have all-stars in catcher Joe Mauer, first baseman Justin Morneau and closer Joe Nathan, and solid help from players like newly acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera, and also outfielder Michael Cuddyer and designated hitter Jason Kubel.  Plus, the coaching staff is proven and capable, led by manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson.

Then, too, the Twins have 10 of their 54 remaining games against Detroit (starting tonight in Motown) and six with the White Sox.  The Twins are 6-2 against the Tigers so far.  They’re 7-5 versus the White Sox.

The Twins have nine games left against Cleveland (46-62) and even that doesn’t look so good after losing two out of three with the Indians earlier this week.  The Twins are 5-4 versus Cleveland this year.

But the pennant? That will require a mega dose of optimism to predict a league title because the Twins don’t compare on paper and on the field with the AL’s finest.  The Yankees and Red Sox are the best in the East.  The Twins are a combined 2-11 against those two clubs.  The West Division leading Angels produced 35 runs in a three game sweep in Minneapolis last weekend.  For the season the Angels won the series, 6-4.

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There’s no doubt Joe Mauer and the Twins will one day look at moving the superstar catcher to third base.  At 26, there’s no chance of that happening next season but a Mauer move to third in 2010 could set up an intriguing infield.  Mauer at third, Orlando Cabrera at shortstop, Justin Morneau at first base and prize third base prospect Danny Valencia converted into a second baseman.  Then move sweet hitting Jose Morales (.343 average in 32 games with the Twins) behind the plate.

ESPN The Magazine’s August 10 issue claims Yadier Molina of the Cardinals is baseball’s best catcher but the publication also says Mauer is among the most difficult to steal bases on.

Former Minneapolis Lakers coach John Kundla, who won five pro basketball championships, was among a panel asked by the Sporting News magazine to rank the 50 greatest American coaches ever.  Former Gophers football player Bud Wilkinson ranked No. 29 because of his coaching career at Oklahoma, and Herb Brooks was listed at No. 50 in an article in the August 3 issue.  Brooks was a coaching genius and deserved a better listing than last after a career that included the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” and three national championships with the hockey Gophers.  Bud Grant, who coached the Vikings in four losing Super Bowls, and Tom Kelly, who won two World Series as Twins manager, didn’t make the list.  Top five were UCLA’s John Wooden, Green Bay’s Vince Lombardi, Alabama’s Paul Bryant, Los Angeles’ Phil Jackson and Miami’s Don Shula.

Official capacity for TCF Bank Stadium is 50,805.  All seven home games during the first season are considered sellouts but tickets are expected to be available on the Monday preceding some games.  That’s because visiting teams are allocated 3,000 tickets and not all schools are expected to use the full inventory.

A Gophers spokesman said 9,185 block M’s are displayed in various parts of the stadium.

The Gophers public relations department will, as usual, produce a printed media guide but Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin will have electronic versions only.  The NBA told its franchises they have the option for next season of electronic only, too.  The Timberwolves will opt for electronic only.

It was eight years ago this month that Vikings’ tackle Korey Stringer died from heatstroke complications.  His widow, Kelci, works with the NFL on a heat prevention illness program.

As of Wednesday, a Vikings spokesman reported single game tickets remain for all 2009 home games including Green Bay and Chicago.

Don’t be surprised if John David Booty becomes a serious option at quarterback this season for the Vikings.

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A crowd of 15,000 or more is likely at Canterbury Park on Sunday for “Extreme Race Day.”  Back for a third consecutive year is camel and ostrich racing.  These are non-wagering races that have entertained past audiences as part of “Extreme Race Day” that also includes horse races featuring unusual matchups, surfaces and distances.   Gates open at noon with the first race at 1:30 p.m.

Ken Lien watched Kahalid El-Amin’s team win the Howard Pulley summer league playoff title last week and recalled that of all the Mr. Basketball winners through the years El-Amin had more “will to win” than any of them.  El-Amin, who won the award in 1997, went on to win a national title with Connecticut and has been playing overseas for years.  Lien is still a leader with the Mr. Basketball program.

Zach Parise, a native of Faribault and a former Shattuck-St. Mary’s star, is ranked No. 1 on NHL.com’s list of U.S.-born players.  In his fourth season with New Jersey, Parise finished third in the league with 45 goals and added 49 assists for 94 points in 2008-09.

The Houston Aeros, the Wild’s AHL affiliate, have announced Mark LeRose as the new assistant coach of the team.  LeRose, 39, is a native of Aspen, Colorado and has previous minor league hockey coaching experience.

Michael Forney, a Thief River Falls native, signed a multi-year contract with Atlanta.  Forney led the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League with 60 points (26-34-60) in 59 games in 2008-09.  Forney helped Green Bay win the Anderson Cup as regular season champions and led the team as it completed the biggest season turnaround in USHL history (50-point improvement in the standings.)

NHL coaches and former players will be at Saint Paul’s RiverCentre for USA Hockey’s 2009 National Coaches Symposium, August 12-15.  The event is part of USA Hockey’s Level 5 coaching certification – the highest level in its coaching certification program.  (See a list of speakers at https://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=CO_05&id=265846).

Tonight (Friday) the Lynx play at Target Center against former Gopher Lindsay Whalen and her Connecticut teammates.  Friday is Breast Health Awareness Night and the Lynx players will wear all-pink uniforms.  On Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Macy’s Rotunda of the Mall of America, the players will participate in a cancer fund-raising event, “Catwalk for a Cure.”  Their runway modeling will display the latest fashion in support of the Minnesota Lynx and Jean Stankoski foundations that help increase breast cancer funding and awareness in the state. There will also be an autograph session and silent auction on Saturday.  Ticket and other information about Saturday’s activities is available at 612-673-8400.

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