Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 6-23-23.

Sports That Aren't HockeyBasketballTwins

Jun 23

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Welcome to Swiftieapolis!

Great night last night celebrating long time friend and mentor Bill Robertson, who hired me at the Wild in 2007. Billy Rob is somewhat retiring and relocating to South Carolina. Shocked I wasn’t asked to give a speech, but when it’s me or Paul Molitor or (Takeout subscriber) Charley Walters…

In the latest Make Glove not W.A.R., I take a look at what would make following this team less “average”:

Who Counted This Twins Team Out?

Maybe the Twins just needed yours truly in attendance. Before I’d even gotten comfortable, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton had each hit home runs. Buxton added another, and ace-of-the-next-15-years Joe Ryan tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout as the Twins bested the hated (by me) Boston Red Sox 6-0 to end a 10-game homestand at Target Field.

Partly because of 10,000 school aged kids, the place was rocking. It was fun to be at the ballpark despite the sweltering heat. There was a buzz as the Twins got back to the .500 mark - just a game ahead of Cleveland.

Buxton’s homers went 931 feet combined. He’s the first player to hit multiple 460-foot home runs in a single game since Mike Napoli last did it on May 1, 2013.

Honestly to me the most impressive part was that Correa, Buxton and Royce Lewis were all in the lineup on a day game after a night game? Shows they took this getaway day seriously.

What can you say about Joe Ryan? If I set the over/under on Cy Young Awards in this kid’s future at 1.5, would you take the over or the under? And the Twins got him for two months of Nelson Cruz. Just unreal. The first complete game by a Twin in five years (!!).

I will say this game wasn’t perfect. Roco continues to overmanage. In the second inning of a June regular season game, he pinch hit twice (including for Alex Kirilloff) to avoid a lefty-lefty matchup (Boston was using its second pitcher). Kirilloff is one of your best hitters. To have him unavailable for seven innings to avoid that matchup in favor of Kyle Farmer is ludicrous.

That 10-game homestand wound up with a 5-5 mark. Now on the road for nine, including three at Detroit beginning tonight.

Wolves Take Miller, Clark in 2nd Round

No first-round pick for the Wolves - thank you, Rudy Gobert trade - but they traded up to select Leonard Miller of the G-League in the second round at No. 33 overall. He averaged 16.9 points last season. With their normal, No. 53 pick, the Wolves took UCLA guard Jaylen Clark, who is coming off an Achilles injury.

Victor Wembanyama of France, the long presumed first pick, went No. 1 to San Antonio.

Boldy to Play in PGA TOUR Canada Event

I’ll let you make your own joke about so much golf practice from first-round playoff exits, but Wild forward Matt Boldy received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the PGA Tour Canada’s CRMC Championship at Cragun’s in Brainerd just before training camp.

Lynx Beaten Big by Connecticut

The Lynx came home after an improved 2-1 road trip and trailed throughout in an 89-68 drowning at the hands of the Connecticut Sun. Napheesa Collier scored 21 points for Minnesota - she’s led the team in scoring just about every game. The Lynx plays two games against Seattle starting on Tuesday.