Although the Twins apparently will open spring training next Sunday with similar personnel to last season, that doesn’t mean the franchise is without interesting storylines to follow while the team is in Florida and during the early weeks of the season.

The first focus could be on late inning relief pitchers Luis Ayala and Jose Mijares.  The Twins came close but couldn’t win the American League Central championship last season and a major issue was the absence of a reliable eighth inning reliever.  Pat Neshek, who had been up to the job in the past, pitched in only 15 games last season, none after May 8 because of his right arm injury.  He won’t be available in 2009 following surgery last year.

Ayala might be the best candidate to become a late inning hero, holding leads or keeping the Twins in games until super closer Joe Nathan enters in the ninth inning.  Media reports a few days ago had the 31-year-old right hander signing with the Twins as a free agent.

He’s an experienced relief pitcher whose signature pitch is a sinker.  He missed the entire 2006 season because of Tommy John elbow surgery, the same procedure that Neshek had.  While Ayala had a 3.19 ERA in 2007 with Washington, that number jumped to 5.71 last year pitching in the late innings for the Nats and the New York Mets.

Ayala blamed his problems in Washington on a divorce and an off-season incident where he was shot in the left arm, according to a story by MLB.com.  In New York he was troubled by a sore groin.

Mijares, a 24-year-old left hander, pitched minimal innings in 2008, his first in the major leagues, but was impressive.  His record: 1-0, 1.87 ERA, with five strikeouts in 10.1 innings.  Also important was giving up no walks.  Relief pitchers who can’t find the plate are usually headed for bad results, in a hurry.

The Star Tribune reported recently that Mijares quit his winter league team in the Dominican Republic.  Apparently he had a disagreement with his manager and that will only add to the focus on Mijares in Florida.

In earlier innings, when the Twins need a left handed arm to face a left handed batter, the Twins might turn to another 2008 newcomer who also impressed last season.  Craig Breslow, who the team acquired off waivers in the spring, was 0-2 with a 1.91 ERA.  Other early inning help may come from a group that’s been inconsistent in the past including Boof Bonser, Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain.

Except for Nathan, the bullpen looks like a project with pitchers who showed promise and disappointment in the past, with some interesting personalities (see Ayala and Mijares) who figure to make all of this a storyline to follow.

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Rashad McCants tied for second with three other players in a Sports Illustrated players poll that asked this question: “Which NBA player thinks he’s a lot better than he really is?”  The February 9 issue reported that Boston’s Kendrick Perkins and Washington’s DeShawn Stevenson were first, while the Timberwolves’ McCants, Denver’s Dahntay Jones and Milwaukee’s Damon Jones tied for second.

McCants, a former No. 1 pick by the Wolves, shows a confident exterior despite never being a consistent player during his four year pro career.  He averaged career highs in games started, minutes per game and scoring average last season with these numbers: 24, 26.9 and 14.9.

Usually a player off the bench during his career, the 6-foot-4 (really?) shooting guard has done considerable spectating from the bench since the New Year began.  After a seven minute appearance on January 7, coach Kevin McHale didn’t use McCants until February 4.  Since then McCants has played in three more games coming off the bench.  For the season McCants is averaging 9.2 points per game and a career low field goal percentage of .362.

Prior to the start of a game McCants might be the last of the Wolves to run out of the locker room to the court.  During timeouts this season he’s looked disinterested in the strategy session going on inside the team huddle.  Disinterest is the right word to sometimes describe his defense, too.

McCants, who has exceptional shooting skills and sometimes the accuracy to go with it, is an impressive athlete who can drive to the basket with success and flair.  He had that profile at North Carolina, too, where coach Roy Williams criticized him for both showboating and sulking.

Now 24 years old, McCants left North Carolina after his junior year to enter the NBA draft and in his second season with the Wolves injured his right knee, resulting in a long rehab process.  After this season he will be a restricted free agent and it’s doubtful that the Wolves will be interested in retaining him long term.  The guess here is management doesn’t have the same esteem for him that he does for himself.

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Before the season Rodney Carney wasn’t expected to sometimes move ahead of McCants in the rotation of players at shooting guard, but he has.  Carney, acquired during the off-season from Philadelphia in a trade, has brought energy, three point shooting and spectacular dunks to the Wolves.

Carney is a former high school sprinter whose speed sometimes allows him to reach loose balls or race down court ahead of other players.  Still trying to find himself, Carney is a third year pro averaging 5.3 points for the Wolves, and 6.0 in his career.

Carney told Sports Headliners that since Kevin McHale took over as coach in December he’s been more comfortable, not so conscious of making mistakes.  Carney describes McHale as a player’s coach, “just one of the guys” who can enjoy the team camaraderie.

“He has confidence in us,” Carney said.  “I love playing for him.”

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor enjoys spending part of the winter in southwest Florida.

Nationally ranked and undefeated Hopkins has four of the 15 leading candidates for Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball award. The 15 listed alphabetically by school are: Josh Figini, Chisago Lakes; Rodney Williams, Cooper; Mike Bruesewitz, Henry Sibley; Chris Halvorsen, Henry Sibley; Mike Broghammer, Hopkins; Raymond Cowels, Hopkins; Trent Lockett,  Hopkins; Royce White, Hopkins; Sam Dower, Osseo; Tydan Storrusten, Pelican Rapids; Mike Felt, Redwood Valley; Mike Muscala, Roseville; Jordair Jett, St. Bernard’s; Nate Wolters, St. Cloud Tech; Marc Sonnen, Tartan.

Three MIAC women’s basketball student-athletes are on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.  Macalester junior center Ann Baltzer (Bismarck, N.D., Psychology – 3.67 GPA), Concordia senior guard Jenna Freudenberg (Parkers Prairie, Minn., Exercise Science – 3.77 GPA), and Macalester junior forward Trina PaStarr (Minneapolis, Environmental Studies – 3.80 GPA) were  named to the Academic All-District third team.

Vikings’ center Matt Birk has closed his St. Paul restaurant, Matty B’s.

Athletic director Al Molde and school alum Don Swanson are hosting a reception for new Gustavus Adolphus football coach Peter Haugen from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park. The public is welcome and more details are available by calling Swanson at 763-533-9083.

Haugen, the successful former Washburn High School coach, is being succeeded by one of his assistants, Giavin Jenkins.

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