Posted August 8, 2008    

• Kevin Love

• Justin Morneau

• Clem Haskins

• Charles Manson

• Steve Hutchinson

Expert Advice: Patience with Kevin Love 

Bill Fitch, the former Gopher and NBA coach, told Sports Headliners that Timberwolves rookie Kevin Love was deserving of being picked among the top five players in the June NBA draft, but local fans will need to be patient with his development.  

The 6-10, 250-pound power forward will need “at least two years” to develop, just like other big players when they come into the league, according to Fitch who is now retired and living in New Mexico and Texas.  “He’s a project,” Fitch said.  “He’s got a lot of growing (improving) to do.  What you’re seeing now is just the beginning. …” 

Fitch said it’s important for a rookie to join an NBA team where he’s needed and fits the personnel.  Love is a match with the Wolves who need another big player to complement center Al Jefferson. 

The plan is for Love to help Jefferson with rebounding, plus feed the ball to the 6-10, 265-pound 23-year-old center and ease defensive pressure on him by scoring from the outside.  Last season Jefferson scored 21 points and 11.1 rebounds per game (fifth best in the NBA) after coming to Minneapolis a year ago in the Kevin Garnett trade with Boston.  “I think the kid from Boston is going to be a helluva player,” Fitch said.  

Fitch also said Love was probably as well coached in college as anyone coming into this year’s NBA draft.  Love is “very coachable” as proven by his willingness to accept instruction throughout his life including from his dad, Stan, a former NBA player.   

Fitch would have no part of any comparison between Love and Larry Bird, a player he coached in 1981 when the Celtics won the NBA title.  Love has been an outstanding passer, rebounder and scorer in college, three areas that Bird excelled in, too.  “I don’t see anybody like Bird,” Fitch said.   He believes when healthy and at his best that Bird was as good as any player ever.  

Wolves vice president Kevin McHale, who was also on that 1981 team, has said Minnesota could win another 20 games next season after being 22-60 during the 2007-08 season.  Fitch indicated that’s ambitious but he thinks the Wolves have some “good young players” and it’s an asset to be in the Northwest Division, and not in the Southwest where they would face Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio.

 

Kevin Love

 Al Jefferson
 

Twins Notes: “Amazing Morneau,” Schedule Update 

The Twins’ Rick Anderson is one of baseball’s best pitching coaches, an authority on pitching to hitters.  I mentioned to him that the Twins’ Justin Morneau has so much plate coverage with his swing that he can reach for an outside pitch and stroke it for a base hit. 

“Amazing,” Anderson said.  “And he’s a pitcher’s nightmare because you think, ‘Well, I am not going to come into him because he can hit one 400 feet to right field.’  But then you stay away...he can hit it 400 feet to left field. …He says, 'When I am swinging the best, I use the whole field.' When he’s not, he’s trying to pull home runs, but when he stays with his plan and trying to use the whole field, he’s tough to pitch to. …” 

Anderson said if Morneau were on another team he wouldn’t “know how” to pitch to him.  The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Morneau is second in the American League in RBI with 89 while batting .311 with 18 home runs.  

The Twins, who have a 24-30 road record and lost two of three games in Seattle earlier this week, are nearing their longest road trip of the year starting on August 21.  The Twins will play in Anaheim, Seattle, Oakland and Toronto before returning to Minneapolis for a series against Detroit starting on September 5. 

Before the 2008 major league schedule was made the Twins communicated to major league baseball officials that Republican Convention organizers asked that the team be out of town during the convention, September 1-4.  Team president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners the first draft of the schedule had the team in town during the convention.  The final draft changed that but resulted in an unusually long time away from Minneapolis.  

St. Peter described the Twins as “disappointed” the schedule wasn’t made more favorably but said MLB has requests from all 30 teams and faces a challenge in sorting things out.  He also said it’s a “quirk” in the schedule that the Twins didn’t play Seattle until this month and now play the Mariners nine times in August.

 

Justin Morneau
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Dave St. Peter
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Worth Noting

Carlos Gomez had 18 stolen bases on June 9 and has added only three since then.  He has no stolen bases in his last 10 games but is hitting .379 during the period. 

Clem Haskins, who was forced out of his job in 1999 as Gopher coach, has no plans to return to basketball, according to a recent espn.com story.  Dana O’Neil wrote about her visit to Kentucky to talk with Haskins who has lived on his farm near Campbellsville since leaving Minnesota. More at http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=3510729&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1

Jim Holden will be autographing copies of his new book, Tennis in the Northland, at three locations during the next nine days.  The former Northfield tennis coach has written a comprehensive history of boys’ high school tennis in Minnesota.  The 448 page book includes 180 photos and covers the great teams and players in state history.  It’s a fun read with coverage of interesting characters including a former prep tennis player who went on to write a book about Charles Manson, Helter Skelter.  Holden will autograph books at the Men's Senior Clay Court Championships at Bearpath Country Club in Eden Prairie on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Monday from 9 a.m. to noon.  On Saturday, August 16 he will be at the Sectional USTA League Tournament at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.   http://www.jim-holden.com/

The Vikings’ opening preseason game against Seattle tonight (7 p.m. Metrodome) will be televised by Ch. 5.  The Vikings have finished their preseason schedules undefeated six times in franchise history.  The most recent year was 200l. 

Minnesota-Seattle connections include Vikings left guard Steve Hutchinson who played five seasons with the Seahawks.  Seattle wide receiver Nate Burleson and safety Brian Russell each played three seasons for the Vikings.  Former Gopher wide receiver Logan Payne is on the Seattle roster.  

The Vikings finished 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs.  Seattle was 10-6 and won the NFC West.  

Sports Illustrated, in its recent fantasy football preview, rated the Vikings’ defense and special teams No. 3 in the NFL, behind No. 1 San Diego and No. 2 Chicago.  

The Minnesota Thunder plays its seventh consecutive USL game at home on Sunday, starting at 5:05 p.m. at the Blaine Sports Center stadium against Seattle.  The Thunder has won twice during the previous six games and will go on the road for the first time since July 3 next Saturday (August 16) for a game at Rochester.

 

 Carlos Gomez

Jim Holden

 Steve Hutchinson