Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 6-30-23.
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Primary reason for today’s Sports Takeout is to be sure you read the 2023 Minnesota Twins: Taylor’s Version, my latest Make Glove not W.A.R. column at Pulltab Sports. Which pitcher should be in Exile? Who’s got the best Style? Read now: https://www.pulltabsports.com/blog/the-2023-minnesota-twins-taylors-version
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson did a “man on the street” interview with a Nashville hockey podcast that didn’t know his true identity. Unbelievably funny video.
Aurora thumped Green Bay 4-0 last night and hosts Chicago City in the regular season finale Saturday, with a chance for a perfect 12-0 season.
Lynx beat Seattle 99-97 in OT late last night for their fifth win in seven games. Napheesa Collier hit the game-winner with 1.8 seconds left, and finished with 31 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and five assists.
Whitecaps No More?
Hockey fans have long wanted one unified women’s professional league. That looks to be happening, although it unfortunately could spell the end for one of the longest running women’s hockey franchise, the Minnesota Whitecaps.
In a deal brokered in part by Billie Jean King Enterprises, the Premiere Hockey Federation - the Whitecaps’ league - has been sold to the PWHPA. A new league would start in January 2024, and by all indications, a Minnesota franchise will not be part of new league, at least initially.
Uniting women’s hockey is one thing. However, fewer teams (reportedly six total, there were 10 before) is obviously going to take away playing opportunities. Some players who have signed with the PHF this season could have turned down you know, real life jobs, and their contracts are now void.
More to come.
Wild Gets Local Product Straman in First Round
As Wednesday’s first-round progressed, the Wild looked destined to take a Minnesotan with the 23rd pick. It wound up being not the one many thought; the Wild landed Rosemount’s Charlie Straman at 23, just two picks after the Blackhawks got incoming Gopher Oliver Moore of Mounds View.
Straman, who was born in the great city of Saint Paul, left Rosemount after one year of high school hockey to play for the U.S. program. He had what many would consider a disappointing freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. But the Badgers were awful - we’ll see how he progresses under Mike Hastings next year.
The Wild picked two other Minnesotans for those who are into those kind of things. Hermantown’s Aaron Pionk went in the fifth round, and Edina’s Jimmy Clark (who will play for the Gophers) in round seven.
Free agency starts Saturday - where will Ryan Reaves wind up? How long will the Wild’s impasse with Filip Gustavsson continue? The young goalie holds all the cards here. And his value is probably higher than it should be; it’s awfully dangerous to give a youngster with one really good season a high AAV.
Rocco Tears into Twins After Sweep in Atlanta
“That’s not good baseball,” Rocco Baldelli said after watching his team limp through a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves. That’s putting it mildly. The Twins were non competitive, passing the midseason mark with a paltry .232 batting average. Rocco closed the clubhouse to reporters Wednesday, and while he didn’t point anyone out singlehandedly, it’s clear he’s not happy.
More alarming, the Twins briefly fell out of first place, although with Cleveland losing yesterday, the teams wake up today in a first-place tie in the Central.
The Twins are in Baltimore for three games; they’ll play six of their next nine against a pretty darn good Orioles team. The All-Star break is nine games away (!!).
Loons Win Friendly vs. Germans
All it took to solve the 2023 drought was for me to send my kid to her first Loons game. She and her friend saw about 30 minutes before a lightning delay hit; the Loons rallied for a 2-1 friendly win over FC Kaiserslautern out of Germany.
A quick turnaround and back to MLS play Saturday when the Loons host Portland.
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