After last night’s second consecutive loss to the Yankees in the ALDS the Twins are 0-7 all-time in playoff games against New York in Minneapolis. The two teams resume their five game series in New York tomorrow night with the Twins down 2-0 and past stats don’t offer much encouragement to Minnesota.
There have been 61 series when a big league team has fallen behind 0-2 in a five-game playoff series and only seven times has the team come back to win the series 3-2.
The Twins do not have a come-from-behind win in their last 22 postseason games. They have lost their last 11 playoff games, with the last win on October 5, 2004 at the Yankees in the first game of the ALDS.
Twins right fielder Jason Kubel is now hitting .080 (2-for-25) with 12 strikeouts in seven career postseason games (all against the Yankees).
New York’s Mariano Rivera earned his 41st career postseason save last night. He has never allowed the Twins a run in the postseason and given up eight hits to them in 15.2 innings pitched.
Memories of Randy Moss and his first stop with the Vikings include his off field work for St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Minneapolis. Even after leaving here for Oakland and New England, Moss said he continued to buy Vikings tickets for use by children served by St. Joseph’s.
Another memory is Lou Holtz’s famous quote that Moss was the “best high school football player” he ever saw.
The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Minnesota Wild Face-Off Luncheon starts at 10 a.m. today at Xcel Energy Center. Fans can watch a live telecast of the Wild’s game against Carolina from Finland, plus tour the Wild locker room and Al Shaver press box. Former Wild players will also be present. For more information, visit www.saintpaulchamber.com or call 651-223-5000.
Prior to the Wild’s exhibition game against Ilves Tampere earlier this week the teams exchanged gifts. The Wild presented a signed State of Hockey flag to the Finnish squad and received a framed flag that displayed the Ilves crest.
Donated items from the second annual used hockey equipment drive will be distributed to hockey associations and individuals at Xcel Energy Center from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Carolina defenseman and Edina native Jamie McBain competed against the Wild for the first time yesterday when the two teams played in Helsinki. Wild center Matt Cullen was a member of Carolina’s 2006 Stanley Cup championship team.
Recently signed Wild goalie Jose Theodore is one of only five goalies to ever win the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. Theodore won the award in 2002 with Montreal.
The Gophers hockey team is picked to finish fifth in the WCHA by the coaches and sixth by the media. The Gophers are ranked No. 14 in the USAToday/USA Hockey Magazine and the USCHO/CBS polls. The No. 15 position ends a 10-year streak of the Gophers being ranked in the top 10 to begin the season.
The Gophers open their regular season tonight and tomorrow night at home against Massachusetts. Minnesota coach Don Lucia is healthy again after recovering from sarcoidosis.
Concordia of St. Paul graduate Mary Slinger and Gustavus grad Melissa Mackley are two of the nine finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Slinger, a former volleyball player, is one of three Division II finalists. There are also three finalists each from Divisions I and III including Mackley, a former Gustavus hockey player. The winners will be announced on October 17.
The Gustavus Athletics Department has chosen nine individuals for induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame. The inductees are Erik Allen (basketball), Pete Anderson (golf), Leigh Stocker Berger (volleyball), Heidi Rostberg Carlson (tennis), Erik Hendrikson (football and hockey), Duke Paluch (tennis), Paige Tierney (soccer), Angela White (track and field), and Evie Cieslar Erdman (benefactor). The group will be honored at the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet tomorrow night in Alumni Hall on campus.