Posted October 6, 2010    

•Ron Gardenhire

•Jon Leuer

•Toby Gerhart

•MarQueis Gray

•St. Thomas Video

Gardenhire: Twins Set World Series Goal 

The Twins need to "kick in the door” against the Yankees starting tonight in their American League Division Series.  And what “door” is that? 

The door to that exclusive club where the smug Yankees reside, having won seven of the past nine playoff games between the two teams.  The Yankees also hold a combined 11-2 advantage over the Twins in regular season games the last two seasons.  

The Twins probably will tell you they belong with baseball’s big boys, but they have to show us in this series that they’re door busters.  Despite a regular season record of 94-68 and a Central Division title, the doubts remain. 

Two of the four teams in the AL playoffs come from the East Division.  Both the division champion Rays (96-66) and Yankees (95-67) slightly bested the Twins’ record, but what’s controversial is how the Twins performed in their own Central Division versus the East.  Playing against not so impressive Central opponents the Twins were 47-25 but in the East they were 15-21.   

The Rays were 42-20 in the East, a division acknowledged as baseball’s best.  The Yankees were 38-34 in the division.   

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, likely to be chosen American League manager of the year, is 6-18 lifetime in playoff games directing the Twins.  In the past he didn’t have the talent to win his way to the World Series.  Does he now? 

In the Twins’ favor is that neither the Yankees nor Rays are classic post-season powerhouses.  The Yankees, just like the Twins, have questionable starting pitching depth.  The Twins are deeper in the bullpen, although even at age 40 New York’s Mariano Rivera is a closer to envy.  

In addition to pitching, fielding is critical to determining a winner.  Gardenhire said on his KSTP Radio show Sunday he planned to fill his final roster spots with players that give him defense and speed.   

He also acknowledged it’s “no fun” to win the division and go home. The World Series is the goal.  “If we don’t get there, we didn’t get it done,” he said.  

In their five game series with the Yankees, the Twins will need to show whether they’re ready for baseball’s biggest “room” later this month.  If they have the right stuff, better plan on winning tonight’s game and Thursday’s, both at Target Field in front of those baseball crazy Homer Hanky fans.  Without a 2-0 series lead going to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, the Twins kick on the door might look more like a glancing blow.

 

 Without a 2-0 series lead going to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, the Twins kick on the “door” might look more like a glancing blow.
 

Worth Noting 

Test your Twins playoff trivia knowledge with the following two questions (answers in last section of column): 

Who was the Twins starting pitcher in the game three and final playoff loss last year to the Yankees?  What Twins hitter drove in the most runs in the 1987 World Series against St. Louis? 

In the last 20 seasons only twice (1991 and 1992) have the Twins won the regular season series against the Yankees. 

The Yankees are the pick to win this year’s ALDS by six of 10 ESPN.com experts. http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/yankees-twins 

Twins left fielder Delmon Young hit three home runs in his last nine regular season games, totaling five in September-October.  Young finished the season with a career high 21 home runs, and had a .298 batting average and 112 RBI, best on the team. 

Twins center fielder Denard Span told KSTP Radio on Sunday morning that the “sky’s the limit” for Young.  Span said on the air he believes Young can hit 30 home runs and compared his potential with Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera who may win the 2010 American League MVP award.   

Stubhub.com was listing Champions Club tickets with seats near home plate for $2,500.00 each on Monday.

The Big Ten could have six basketball teams in the top 25 of polls during the early weeks of the season this fall.  “The Big Ten is as deep as it’s been in a decade,” said Shon Morris who is a Big Ten Network analyst. 

Morris told Sports Headliners that Orono’s Jon Leuer, who will be a senior for Wisconsin, might be the conference’s preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.  

Toby Gerhart has played minimally in three games and hasn’t been impressive, but an NFL source predicted to Sports Headliners that the Vikings rookie will be an outstanding pro running back.  

Vikings All-Pro rusher Adrian Peterson reportedly will earn $10.72 million next season.  Back in the mid-1960’s a starting running back for the Vikings made about $6,000.00.  

The Vikings play the Jets in New York on Monday night, facing a team that had four players included on the Sporting News Magazine list of the NFL’s top 100 players.  In its September 13 issue the publication included New York cornerback Darrelle Revis (No.7), center Nick Mangold (No. 50) offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson (No. 62) and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (No. 85). 

The Vikings, with seven selections, have more players on the list than any franchise, followed by the Ravens and Steelers at six each.  http://shamasportsheadliners.com/Archives/September%2015,%202010.htm 

The 3-1 Jets have only one turnover in four games.  “That’s huge,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said.  “They don’t put themselves in trouble.” 

Childress talking about what he looks for when his team is coming off a bye week: “It’s important that they have a fresh attitude, fresh outlook and that they come out here and don’t forget everything they knew before the bye. …”

 

“It’s important that they have a fresh attitude, fresh outlook and that they come out here and don’t forget everything they knew before the bye."
Brad Childress on his team's bye week

Notes Plus 

Trivia answers: Carl Pavano shutout the Yankees for six innings but was the losing pitcher in game No. 3 in the playoffs last year, a 4-1 New York win.  (Pavano is expected to start game No. 2 on Thursday against the Yankees at Target Field.)  Dan Gladden had seven RBI in 1987 to help the Twins win their first ever World Series.  

The football Gophers, off to a 1-4 start, look like they’re headed for a final record of 3-9, 2-10 or 1-11.  Going back to last season Minnesota has lost seven of its last nine games.  

The Gophers will bus to and from Madison for Saturday’s game against Wisconsin.  Minnesota last won at Madison in 1994.   

Gophers coach Tim Brewster said yesterday that senior Ryan Collado, who has played at both safety and cornerback, won’t start on Saturday.  True freshman James Manuel and senior Kyle Theret will start at the safeties, with sophomores Michael Carter and Kyle Henderson at the corners.   

Wide receiver MarQueis Gray, who has been troubled with plantar fasciitis, is healthier and will play on Saturday, Brewster said. 

Was the University of Washington the marquee BCS school the Gophers were planning to have replace Texas on their schedules in 2015 and 2016?  Plans for filling the void are on hold until next year when it’s expected the Big Ten will decide if each league team will eventually play eight conference opponents, or nine.   

Bobby Bell, whose jersey number was retired in a ceremony last Saturday during the Minnesota-Northwestern game, is arguably the greatest player in Gophers history, although the best of historians might prefer Bronko Nagurski.  Bell was a two-time All-American defensive tackle who was a fierce pass rusher for the Gophers in the early 1960’s.  Nagurski, who played for the Gophers from 1927-29, was named an All-American at both tackle and fullback.  Bell was a high school quarterback and could have played multiple positions for the Gophers. 

St. Thomas, 5-0 and ranked No. 4 in the D3footbal.com poll, ended 12 years of frustration with its overtime 27-26 win against Saint John’s on Saturday.  To view the final seconds of the game in Collegeville played before a record Division III crowd, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDbHysKxGG4. 

Tommies coach Glenn Caruso told Sports Headliners via email he doesn’t expect an emotional let down for this week’s game against Augsburg. “It’s not too hard to stay focused when you still have five games remaining in the regular season,” Caruso wrote.  “This was a big one, sure, but what I love about our kids is that they understand that each week is an opportunity to re-prove ourselves, and that this opportunity is a privilege, not a right. ..."  

St. Thomas running back Ben Wartman, who rushed for 154 yards, was chosen the MIAC’s Offensive Player of the Week.  St. Thomas Cornerback Ryan Deitz, who had a timely interception to force overtime and 10 tackles in the game, is the MIAC Defensive Player of the Week.

UMD’s Isaac Odim is the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week after he rushed 11 times for 169 yards (15.4 yards per carry) and caught one pass for another score in a 56-7 road win over MSU Moorhead Saturday. The five-touchdown game, Odim's second this year, increased his total to an NCAA Division II leading 17. The 169 yards rushing put him at 4,077 career yards on 566 carries, a 7.2 yards per run average.

 

Glenn Caruso

  Ben Wartman


 

Isaac Odim