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In a Twinkie Town post, pay particular attention to the take on the bad call Monday, and the last part where the writer lists the Twins' current bullpen members. (I was wondering why Gardy keeps using Hoey and Burnett in critical situations; who else does he have?).
One of my favorite bloggers, Howard Sinker, also looks at Monday's bad call (a little differently), and Kubel's injury, Plouffe's struggles and also the bullpen.
— Craig Swalboski
A couple of good Harmon Killebrew stories from the Star Tribune's Howard Sinker, who part of his career was beat writer for the Twins and still maintains a blog about the team.
One veteran state senator and one rookie state senator told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday that we should not expect to see a Vikings stadium bill get addressed in an upcoming special legislative session.
Sen. Dick Cohen, DFL-St. Paul, who has been a state senator for 35 years, and Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, a freshman senator, said the battle to get the state's budget taken care of will be difficult enough, and may not leave any time for debate on a Vikings stadium.
So, Vikings fans, if indeed Cohen and Thompson are correct, that a stadium bill won't get done this year, then we're left to assume that we'll be watching a lame-duck NFL team this fall (assuming an NFL season even occurs in 2011).
If that's the case, and the Vikings become intent on leaving Minnesota, who's to blame? Even with my purple-colored glasses taken off, I can't understand how the blame would fall anywhere other than on those lawmakers in St. Paul.
This isn't about whether or not the state should pay for part of a Vikings stadium. This is about who's at fault if it doesn't get done.
The Vikings have done everything the state has asked them to do. They sat patiently and waited while the Twins and the Gophers football team had their new stadiums built, with plenty of taxpayer help. The Vikings -- as they should have -- halted their push when the I-35 bridge collapse occurred and the state obviously had much bigger and more important concerns to deal with.
Then, state leaders told the Vikings to find a stadium site, and bring the proposal back to them. The Vikings did exactly that, reaching an agreement with Ramsey County and Arden Hills. When the team and Ramsey County brought that proposal forward, our state's leaders panicked because, whoa, whoa, whoa ... that's not a stadium site in MInneapolis or St. Paul!
Minneapolis dragged its feet, then scrambled at the last second and threw its own proposal together after the Arden Hills news broke, even though the city had months -- if not years -- to work out something with the Vikings.
So, take your pick. If the Vikings leave Minnesota, blame it on the state legislature, blame it on the city of Minneapolis. Just don't blame it on Zygi Wilf.
— Jason Feldman
So you were encouraged by the news that Joe Mauer is starting to DH in extended spring training in Florida? Not so fast, bunky; read this interesting post from the Twinkie Town blog.
-- Craig Swalboski
In our Weekend print edition, you might have read Jim Thielman's story about Harmon Killebrew's 1986 appearance on Late Night With David Letterman. Here is the video of that show. Enjoy!
-- Craig Swalboski
The rumor is that the Minnesota Timberwolves are willing to deal the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, potentially to the Indiana Pacers for All-Star small forward Danny Granger.
The rumor is that it wouldn't just be the No. 2 pick that would be sent, but also Michael Beasley and the rights to Ricky Rubio.
If it is indeed that 3-for-1 for Granger, I say absolutely do not do that deal. Even if it is the No. 2 and Beasley, I'd still hesitate.
Granger is a nice player, the kind of veteran the young Wolves need, and an All-Star. But he is only a marginal All-Star, not a franchise player. In fact, you could argue that he is not worth a lot more than Beasley all by himself. The two put up nearly the same numbers this season (both about 20 points and five rebounds), though Beasley shot better than Granger (45 percent, compared to Granger's 43 percent).
Undoubtedly, Granger is a better defender than Beasley, and a more dependable citizen. But you can counter that with Beasley being younger and still improving, and also coming a lot cheaper than Granger — at least at this point of his career.
So, the Wolves better think long and hard before they pull the trigger on this one. It would be a mistake to undervalue Beasley, who just three years ago was the No. 2 guy taken in the draft. I'm all for the team getting some talented veteran help, but not at any cost.
— Pat Ruff
Harmon Killebrew in retrospect seemed destined for Cooperstown.
But it's easy for us to forget -- or not know it in the first place, given that most of the struggles occurred before Killebrew came to Minnesota with the Twins in 1961 -- that the genial slugger's early career was not an uninterrupted path to superstardom. In fact, it was controversial at times, given the "outrageous" bonus ($12,000 plus three seasons of guaranteed major-league minimum $6,000 salary) Killebrew received in 1954.
Former Post-Bulletin sports reporter Jim Thielman, also the author of the book "Cool of the Evening: The 1965 Minnesota Twins," tells this part of the Killebrew saga well in a post he wrote for the Society for American Baseball Research's website.
-- Craig Swalboski
On Saturday, Byron distance runner Paul Melby collapsed and died shortly after crossing the finish line at the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon.
He finished 20th overall with a time of 3 hours, 14 minutes (3:14). That time also qualified him for the Boston Marathon.
There's a biblical reference to 3:14 as well. Here is what Philippians 3:14 says:
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14 (New International Version)
Melby's funeral is Friday in Byron.
— Paul Christian
The NBA playoffs actually have mostly lived up to their billing this spring, as in “fantastic.”
Not only have the games been close, but there has been a freshness about them — almost a collegiate feel — with the new blood that has emerged. The Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder are all young teams led by young stars that have surfaced as actual contenders in these playoffs.
The perennial contenders of the last decade — the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angels Lakers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic — all took rather swift exits from these playoffs. That was a good thing. I’d seen enough of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce. They’ve been replaced by a new cast of young guns such as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Josh Smith.
The NBA is freshening up, with oodles of young stars — including our own Kevin Love — who give promise that this league is going to stay intriguing and strong for years to come.
All of this momentum is what makes what will almost certainly be coming down the pike this summer — an NBA lockout — all the tougher to take.
Just as the league is zooming in popularity, there is the strong possibility that labor strife will shorten or even eliminate next season’s games.
The NBA better get this things figured out and soon. Right now, they’ve got fans right where they want them. This is no time to lose them.
— Pat Ruff
It's only the middle of May but it's also desperation time for the Minnesota Twins. They find themselves 11 games behind Cleveland and at 12-23 have one of the worst records in baseball.
Let's forget all the injuries for a second. Wednesday it was the bullpen which squandered leads.
The Twins need to turn it around and real quick. This weekend against Toronto would be a good way to start. Next week, after all, there's a road trip to Seattle, Oakland and Arizona and what are the odds of coming back home with a winning record after that?
Yes, it's still early in the season but on the other hand, it's also getting late.
— Paul Christian
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