April is nearly here, which means it's time for Major League Baseball to get its 2014 regular season underway. Never mind that I'm also staring at an area blizzard watch on my computer screen.
The Minnesota Twins have a couple new faces on the 25-man roster this year. Well actually, they're returning faces. Everyone please welcome back two of your favorite Jasons: Shortstop Jason Bartlett and outfielder Jason Kubel.
These former Twins are returning to the club, so good luck to the Twins in trying to win the American League Central in 2006. Oh wait, it's 2014.
I enjoyed watching Bartlett, 34, during his first stint with the Twins. But the front office dealt him in a package to the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2008 season. He went on to play in the World Series, and the Twins got a guy named Delmon Young as part of the deal.
Now, Bartlett was picked up in the offseason and it appears he'll be around as a utility backup and a veteran presence in the clubhouse. He'll probably have to try and boost the atmosphere for a team that's lost nearly 100 games (but hasn't reached the century mark) in the past three seasons.
Sports Illustrated has predicted the Twins will finish in the division basement at the end of the year, and finally notching that 100-loss mark.
Veteran slugger and outfield Kubel, 31, also signed a deal with his former team over the offseason. He played with the Twins from 2004-11 before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He'll likely see time at in the field and as a designated hitter.
The Twins dropped their sixth consecutive season opener Monday, with a 5-3 loss in Chicago to the rival White Sox. Before the game, Twitter was lighting up with complaints about catcher Kurt Suzuki batting second. Turns out, he was the one to drive in all the runs for the Twins.
It'll be a long season, but let's just try to enjoy a few highlights here and there, Twins fans.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Tough tests ahead as Wild try to make the playoffs
Playoffs? Playoffs?!
The attitude about the Minnesota Wild, a team that's occupied a wild card spot in the playoff race for quite awhile, has quickly gone from can they catch the division rivals ahead of them in the standings? to are they even going to make the playoffs at all?
We've seen it before, and we're seeing it again. The Wild just can't seem to skate into the end of the season with a strong showing. Last season, they let it come down to the wire, needing a victory on the final day of the regular season and a tie-breaker to sneak into the No. 8 spot in the playoffs, only to get bounced in the first-round against a very good Chicago Blackhawks team.
The Wild struggled earlier this season, leaving many to question whether head coach Mike Yeo would still have a job for the rest of the season. But they rallied and put together a nice string of wins heading into the Olympic break. I was worried they would lose that momentum, but they came out of the break with no sign of an Olympic hangover.
Slumping at the wrong time
Lately though, the wheels have begun to fall off. The Wild lost at home to a Detroit Red Wings team that is struggling to make the playoffs and is suffering from the injury bug. It won the next night in Detroit, but then dropped a home game to Vancouver and got beat by St. Louis, giving up five goals in each contest.
Rookie goalie Darcy Kuemper has finally started to show signs that yes, he is still a rookie. With injuries/illness biting both Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding, Kuemper really stepped up as the go-to guy in between the pipes. He's struggled some lately, but I don't think there's anything major to be concerned about. It's not like the guys in front of him have played spectacular either.
Heater finally sits
Veteran Dany Heatley was finally a healthy scratch Saturday against Phoenix. It marked the first one of his career. Really, it's about time. He has been under fire by fans, myself included, for much of the season, but he obviously was a favorite of Yeo's.
Heatley is a team-worst minus-18 and had a couple of bad games this week. Yeo was asked about him after the 5-1 loss in St. Louis Thursday, but the coach didn't take the bait, saying something about how it was a "team loss."
I'm sure I'm not alone in my glee that Heatley finally was given the boot.
Wild win must-win in Phoenix
The Wild have occupied the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, with Phoenix and Dallas trailing by a few points. By Saturday, Phoenix, playing well as of late, climbed to within one point of the Wild. The two teams met for a playoff-like game in Arizona.
It looked like it might be more of the same in the beginning for the Wild. They started out strong, but the first early power play for the Coyotes resulted in a 1-0 lead. (Special teams for the Wild lately have just been bad stats to look at.) They held that lead going into the third period before the Wild scored two unanswered goals, and added an empty netter, to win the game 3-1 and skate away with a very important two points.
As it stands now, the Wild (38-26-11, 87 points) lead Phoenix (36-27-12, 84 points) for the wild card by three points; they've each played 75 games. Dallas is trying to climb into the picture with 83 points and 74 games played.
Not a friendly schedule
However, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Wild. They'll go to Los Angeles Monday. They also have games against the streaking Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and another run in with the St. Louis Blues before the season ends.
It should be interesting to see how the Wild can respond to these tough teams down the stretch. It would be great to solidify that playoff berth before the final day of the regular season.
The attitude about the Minnesota Wild, a team that's occupied a wild card spot in the playoff race for quite awhile, has quickly gone from can they catch the division rivals ahead of them in the standings? to are they even going to make the playoffs at all?
We've seen it before, and we're seeing it again. The Wild just can't seem to skate into the end of the season with a strong showing. Last season, they let it come down to the wire, needing a victory on the final day of the regular season and a tie-breaker to sneak into the No. 8 spot in the playoffs, only to get bounced in the first-round against a very good Chicago Blackhawks team.
The Wild struggled earlier this season, leaving many to question whether head coach Mike Yeo would still have a job for the rest of the season. But they rallied and put together a nice string of wins heading into the Olympic break. I was worried they would lose that momentum, but they came out of the break with no sign of an Olympic hangover.
Slumping at the wrong time
Lately though, the wheels have begun to fall off. The Wild lost at home to a Detroit Red Wings team that is struggling to make the playoffs and is suffering from the injury bug. It won the next night in Detroit, but then dropped a home game to Vancouver and got beat by St. Louis, giving up five goals in each contest.
Rookie goalie Darcy Kuemper has finally started to show signs that yes, he is still a rookie. With injuries/illness biting both Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding, Kuemper really stepped up as the go-to guy in between the pipes. He's struggled some lately, but I don't think there's anything major to be concerned about. It's not like the guys in front of him have played spectacular either.
Heater finally sits
Veteran Dany Heatley was finally a healthy scratch Saturday against Phoenix. It marked the first one of his career. Really, it's about time. He has been under fire by fans, myself included, for much of the season, but he obviously was a favorite of Yeo's.
Heatley is a team-worst minus-18 and had a couple of bad games this week. Yeo was asked about him after the 5-1 loss in St. Louis Thursday, but the coach didn't take the bait, saying something about how it was a "team loss."
I'm sure I'm not alone in my glee that Heatley finally was given the boot.
Wild win must-win in Phoenix
The Wild have occupied the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, with Phoenix and Dallas trailing by a few points. By Saturday, Phoenix, playing well as of late, climbed to within one point of the Wild. The two teams met for a playoff-like game in Arizona.
It looked like it might be more of the same in the beginning for the Wild. They started out strong, but the first early power play for the Coyotes resulted in a 1-0 lead. (Special teams for the Wild lately have just been bad stats to look at.) They held that lead going into the third period before the Wild scored two unanswered goals, and added an empty netter, to win the game 3-1 and skate away with a very important two points.
As it stands now, the Wild (38-26-11, 87 points) lead Phoenix (36-27-12, 84 points) for the wild card by three points; they've each played 75 games. Dallas is trying to climb into the picture with 83 points and 74 games played.
Not a friendly schedule
However, the schedule doesn't get any easier for the Wild. They'll go to Los Angeles Monday. They also have games against the streaking Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and another run in with the St. Louis Blues before the season ends.
It should be interesting to see how the Wild can respond to these tough teams down the stretch. It would be great to solidify that playoff berth before the final day of the regular season.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Start your engines for 2014
As I've been telling people for the past couple weeks, the bitterly-cold winter has messed with my head. I'm having trouble comprehending that April is next week. It still has to be January, right?
That's why the IndyCar season, which kicks off tomorrow in St. Petersburg, Fla., snuck up on me. I really wish I could go down there for the race; it's one of the tracks on my list. But I also heard today that the grandstands were being evacuated due to severe weather, so maybe just watching on TV is better this year.
With the start of the season, it's time to take a look at the driver field and see what's changed from last season.
Franchitti hits the pits
One of the biggest absences from the driver's seat will be series veteran and former champion, Dario Franchitti. He was badly injured in an October crash in Houston, ending his 2013 season and also his career. Doctors advised him against racing again, so he announced his retirement.
Franchitti's been a strong competitive presence in open-wheel racing for many years, racing in the CART and ChampCar Series before IndyCar came back together a few years ago. I remember the days watching him at Road America (one of his favorite tracks) with Paul Tracy for Team Kool Green.
Anyway, Franchitti is still sticking around the track, working in the paddock for Team Chip Ganassi Racing. He will also drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 this year. He's won the historic race three times, just missing the fourth victory, which would have put him in elite company.
Last year's Indy 500 winner, Tony Kanaan, is taking over in Franchitt's Target machine this season. Still weird to see him in the bullseye suit.
Where are the gals?
While looking at the 25-driver field, one thing is noticeably missing: Women. No full-time rides this season for drivers like Pippa Mann, Ana Beatriz or Simona de Silvestro. It was announced during the offseason that the Swiss Miss, de Silvestro, was going to try her skills in Formula One, inking a deal with a Swiss team owner.
She had a good few years in IndyCar, and showed signs of improvement last season. I always liked her as a driver, but I suppose if I'm being honest, it was because I viewed her as the anti-Danica Patrick.
Mann and Beatriz have been part-time drivers in the series, and usually make the field for the Indy 500. I can't recall what their status is for the season. Just one thing though: Please don't bring back Milka Duno.
Montoya's back
Juan Pablo Montoya is back in the IndyCar saddle this season, racing for Team Penske (though I'll still picture him in the Target car). He was a CART racer for a number of years before making the jump to the dark side in 2007, when he took a ride in NASCAR.
Among some other changes, Mike Conway is racing for Ed Carpenter's team, Ryan Briscoe is back full time and the field contains five rookies for 2014.
Scott Dixon will look to defend his IndyCar title this year.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention one other change on the business side of things. IZOD is no longer the series sponsor. It's now known as the Verizon IndyCar Series.
Still no RA
Taking a look at the schedule, one circuit is absent yet again: Road America. ChampCar last raced there in 2007. I won't dwell on this too much, except to say that it's a fan-favorite track and many drivers in the past have loved it as well. It's getting to the point now where a lot of the field's drivers haven't even raced there to enjoy it.
NASCAR's Nationwide Series has raced there the past few years, drawing some crowds, I'm sure. But whatever needs to be done to make it happen for an IndyCar return, I hope it happens.
The 18-race season starts this weekend, followed by the long-standing classic Long Beach street course in a couple weeks. The month of May will be particularly exciting this year, with a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course, followed by the greatest spectacle in racing. I'm looking forward to attending the road course race with my dad.
Three dual-race weekends will take place in Houston, Detroit and Toronto. The season will once again wrap up in Fontana, Calif.
Now that I've taken a look at the season ahead, there's only one thing left to say: Drivers, start your engines.
That's why the IndyCar season, which kicks off tomorrow in St. Petersburg, Fla., snuck up on me. I really wish I could go down there for the race; it's one of the tracks on my list. But I also heard today that the grandstands were being evacuated due to severe weather, so maybe just watching on TV is better this year.
With the start of the season, it's time to take a look at the driver field and see what's changed from last season.
Franchitti hits the pits
One of the biggest absences from the driver's seat will be series veteran and former champion, Dario Franchitti. He was badly injured in an October crash in Houston, ending his 2013 season and also his career. Doctors advised him against racing again, so he announced his retirement.
Franchitti's been a strong competitive presence in open-wheel racing for many years, racing in the CART and ChampCar Series before IndyCar came back together a few years ago. I remember the days watching him at Road America (one of his favorite tracks) with Paul Tracy for Team Kool Green.
Anyway, Franchitti is still sticking around the track, working in the paddock for Team Chip Ganassi Racing. He will also drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 this year. He's won the historic race three times, just missing the fourth victory, which would have put him in elite company.
Last year's Indy 500 winner, Tony Kanaan, is taking over in Franchitt's Target machine this season. Still weird to see him in the bullseye suit.
Where are the gals?
While looking at the 25-driver field, one thing is noticeably missing: Women. No full-time rides this season for drivers like Pippa Mann, Ana Beatriz or Simona de Silvestro. It was announced during the offseason that the Swiss Miss, de Silvestro, was going to try her skills in Formula One, inking a deal with a Swiss team owner.
She had a good few years in IndyCar, and showed signs of improvement last season. I always liked her as a driver, but I suppose if I'm being honest, it was because I viewed her as the anti-Danica Patrick.
Mann and Beatriz have been part-time drivers in the series, and usually make the field for the Indy 500. I can't recall what their status is for the season. Just one thing though: Please don't bring back Milka Duno.
Montoya's back
Juan Pablo Montoya is back in the IndyCar saddle this season, racing for Team Penske (though I'll still picture him in the Target car). He was a CART racer for a number of years before making the jump to the dark side in 2007, when he took a ride in NASCAR.
Among some other changes, Mike Conway is racing for Ed Carpenter's team, Ryan Briscoe is back full time and the field contains five rookies for 2014.
Scott Dixon will look to defend his IndyCar title this year.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention one other change on the business side of things. IZOD is no longer the series sponsor. It's now known as the Verizon IndyCar Series.
Still no RA
Taking a look at the schedule, one circuit is absent yet again: Road America. ChampCar last raced there in 2007. I won't dwell on this too much, except to say that it's a fan-favorite track and many drivers in the past have loved it as well. It's getting to the point now where a lot of the field's drivers haven't even raced there to enjoy it.
NASCAR's Nationwide Series has raced there the past few years, drawing some crowds, I'm sure. But whatever needs to be done to make it happen for an IndyCar return, I hope it happens.
The 18-race season starts this weekend, followed by the long-standing classic Long Beach street course in a couple weeks. The month of May will be particularly exciting this year, with a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course, followed by the greatest spectacle in racing. I'm looking forward to attending the road course race with my dad.
Three dual-race weekends will take place in Houston, Detroit and Toronto. The season will once again wrap up in Fontana, Calif.
Now that I've taken a look at the season ahead, there's only one thing left to say: Drivers, start your engines.
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