Posted September 1, 2006

  

Twins’ Plan: Titles Now & Later

After a stumbling start this spring, the Twins have at times played the best baseball in the major leagues.  The Twins were four games under .500 and 12.5 games behind the Central Division leading Detroit Tigers on May 27.  Earlier this week the Twins had the best record in major league baseball dating back to June 8, 51 wins, 20 losses. 

The Twins won division championships three of the last four years.  With a nucleus of star players who are all 27 years old or younger, the likelihood of similar success is almost certain if ownership can keep these players under contract and surround them with productive support players. 

All of this is according to plan, manager Ron Gardenhire said.  Some clubs are willing to go in cycles, building and rebuilding.  Not the Twins.  “The one thing we have always talked about is just maintaining and getting better and better,” Gardenhire said.  “And now we have a good corps of players.  If we can keep surrounding them with good young players coming through our system and not having to force the issue we ought to be pretty good for awhile. …” 

With a young team including key players who have come to Minnesota from the farm system during the season, the expectation could have been that a championship season was in the future, but Gardenhire and the Twins expect to win now.   

Building for a World Series champion?  “No doubt.  That’s our ultimate goal and it’s not out of our minds this year believe me. …Right now we think we have a very good ball club.” 

Gardenhire said the new stadium, scheduled to open in 2010, will generate increased revenues, hopefully allowing ownership to pay the large future contracts that Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Francisco Liriano,Johan Santana and perhaps others will command.  With a current payroll of about $62 million, the Twins are far below the mega spending of some other teams and the budget that will be needed to satisfy their stars or super stars. 

 “I think the new stadium is going to be huge,” Gardenhire said. “It’s going to really help revenue out with our ball club and we will be able to keep a lot of these players.”   

 

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Ron Gardenhire

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins

Justin Morneau

 

 

Like Day and Night for Vikings 

Quarterback Brad Johnson and tight end Jermaine Wiggins talked earlier this week about the contrasting defenses of the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.   The Cowboys were expected to provide a “vanilla” look in the Vikings’ final pre-season game last night while the Redskins’ defense is capable of the “exotic” in the NFL regular season opener for both teams on Monday, September 11. 

Regarding the Cowboys’ defense, Johnson said, “They are about as vanilla as you can get, but they’ve been stopping people.  They‘ve only played probably three different coverages.” 

The Redskins?  “They do a lot of things,” Wiggins said.  “They have a lot of exotic blitzes.  They like to change it up so they definitely have a good defense.  They have always been up there in top 10 total defenses so we know that we will have a good game on our hands.”

Whatever defenses the Vikings face, they will take on the challenge without super stars Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper.  Still, Wiggins, who has led the team in receptions the last two seasons, is optimistic about the offense.   

“You don’t need an identifiable super star to win championships,” Wiggins said.  “Obviously, if you look at a team like New England that won a bunch of Super Bowls they didn’t have no real super star.  … Give me a team of good players (rather) than a team of one great super star.  That’s the main thing.  Just guys going out there and doing their jobs.” 

 

Brad Johnson

 

 

 

 

“You don’t need an identifiable super star to win championships.”

Jermaine Wiggins

 

 

Pat Miles Wedding October 8 

Bucky Zimmerman, former Gopher tennis player and prominent local lawyer, will marry media personality Pat Miles on October 8 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  The couple first met in Minneapolis in 1978 and their interests include a passion for golf. 

Miles said she and Zimmerman are “about nine handicaps.” They both love golf, Miles said, and play as much as they can.  Her home courses are Spring Hill Golf Club in Long Lake (Michael Jordan is a member) and Minikahda in Minneapolis.  “They are like children (to me),” Miles said.  “I just can’t let go of either.” 

Miles recently gave up her WCCO Radio show, but after years in the media business, including as a popular local TV anchor, she is still making commercials and is available as a substitute host on WCCO.  Zimmerman has a successful Minneapolis law firm, Zimmerman and Reed. 

Miles said the couple will split time between Minneapolis and Arizona after they are married. 

 

Pat Miles and fiance Bucky Zimmerman first met in 1978.

Extra Innings

Twins president Dave St. Peter said broadcaster Herb Carneal’s status for next season hasn’t been determined.  The two meet after every season to decide on future plans.  Carneal, 83, has worked a limited Twins radio schedule in recent years and has been doing play-play here since 1962.  Carneal’s longevity with one major league team is exceeded only by Vin Scully with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  St. Peter said if Carneal returns he will be employed by the Twins, not KSTP, the team’s new broadcast home.   

Viking quarterback Brad Johnson talking about the team’s rebuilt offensive line that includes free agent tackle Steve Hutchinson: “They have a little nasty attitude about them.  That’s really what’s going to take us the distance.” 

Johnson, who will be 38 later this month, pretending to be upset while joking about Jeff George, 38, and Kerry Collins, 34. coming back into the NFL with Oakland and Tennessee.  “I a little hot (about it) right now.  I want to be the oldest guy in the league for another four or five years.”  (Not to worry, George turns 39 in December).  

Viking linebacker Napoleon Harris played varsity basketball for Northwestern during his red shirt year in football.  He averaged 4.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18 games during the 1998-99 season.  He scored 18 points against Ohio State and had 13 rebounds versus Indiana. 

Defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin likes the communication skills of Harris, describing him as a “great communicator and also as a “highly motivated guy.” 

Big Purple/Little Purple: The biggest of the Vikings is offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, 6-8, 335; the smallest is cornerback Antoine Winfield, 5-9, 180. 

That was often injured Troy Hudson of the Timberwolves working out on his own at a local health club earlier this week. 

John Bell Wilson, who for 30 years was the official scorer for Gopher men’s basketball and for 20 years the public address announcer for Gopher men’s hockey, will volunteer his time to be the public address announcer for the Eden Prairie High School girls hockey team this season.  He is a vice president of investments for UBS. 

Kevin Gorg, University of St. Thomas women’s hockey coach, will again this hockey season provide Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Gophers pre-game and post game analysis on Fox North telecasts.  Gorg is also media relations manager at Canterbury Park and the Star Tribune’s horse racing handicapper.   

Edina High School senior Whitney Taney, undefeated in her high school tennis career with a 146-0 record, probably will make a college choice by the end of September, according to her father, Ted.  Official college visits next month likely will be Minnesota, Michigan, Penn State, Illinois and Pepperdine.  In the national USTA rankings for girls’ 18, Whitney has been ranked as high as 16 this year.   

 

“They have a little nasty attitude about them.  That’s really what’s going to take us the distance.”

Brad Johnson talking about the offensive line

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troy Hudson

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