#0: Gopher softball (Last Week: -2). They had as many games cancelled this week as games played -- three apiece, counting tonight's (Friday night's) game because I'm doing this survey now because I fell asleep very early last night because I drank a beer at a Buffalo Wild Wings while watching the NFL Draft. They didn't lose any games, though, and that's one of the reason why this club gets a #0. The cancelled games were the series-ender against Nebraska (after shutting out the Cornhuskers 6-0 Friday and outlasting them 11-10 Saturday) and a proposed doubleheader Wednesday against North Dakota St. that was rained out because of the inclement weather we had basically all week until today.
No matter. They began their series against Maryland with another no-hitter by Sara Groenewegen, the sixth time she's done it. (That's impressive, but naturally, if you've done something deemed spectacular six times, maybe it's not so spectacular, you know?) That's six wins in a row for the team that is now 32-12 overall. They finish their last series at home tomorrow and Sunday; I should make it to the Senior Day game, which should take only, like, 90 minutes to finish because the U. is so good and the Terrapins are so bad.
#-1: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -1). They swept Northwestern and began their series against Illinois today (Friday) with a 3-1 win. However, what has become a bounce-back year for the program had a surprise speed bump Tuesday when they lost to North Dakota St., 7-4. As inexplicable as that is, that game, as well as the series vs. the Wildcats and the game against the Illini, were all on the road. Is that loss to the Bison fatal for the NCAA tournament hopes? After they finish their series against Illinois this weekend they have a special two-game home series against Kansas. I will be at the first game on Tuesday, where former football Head Coach Jerry Kill is expected to throw out the first pitch.
#-2: Twins (Last Week: -3). Got swept at The Bastard Montreal Expos, but then took two-of-three against Cleveland at Target Field. The weird thing is, I don't think the pitching has been the problem, yet most of the moves this week has involved hurlers. Ervin Santana and Kyle Gibson went on the Disabled List and Tommy Milone has been banished to the bullpen. In their steads, Alex Meyer goes into the rotation, Fernando Abad gets called up to the bullpen from AAA Rochester ... and heralded Pitcher Jose Berrios was called up to throw in Wedneday's rain-delayed 6-5 loss to Cleveland.
As demoralizing that Berrios did not throw a perfect game in his first call-up to the majors, what's even more worrisome is that Byron Buxton was sent back down to Rochester because he is still hitting below the Mendoza Line. This is the second time he's been demoted since being called up for the first time last year, and seeing what was once the top prospect in Major League Baseball struggling again, you have to wonder about his future, at least his future with this organization.
They've started a three-game series at home against Detroit (where they're already down after one inning at press time), then three at Houston starting Monday.
#-3: Vikings (Re-Entry!). I would consider the Vikes losers in Day 1 of the NFL Draft last (Thursday) night. Most of the mocks thought that they would get Josh Doctson, Wide Receiver out of TCU. And he was falling towards them at the 23rd pick. But then, Washington traded with Houston to get the 22nd pick and stole Doctson. Minnesota instead took another WR, Ole Miss' Laquon Treadwell.
And immediately, because I'm a Vikings fan, the red flags went up. After ESPN flashed the pick, they ran a package showing one of the big downsides to Treadwell's game: His penchant for dropped passes, which will give Purple fans panic attacks after mentally drudging up the memory of Troy Williamson. And then, this morning on Twitter I came across this piece on Pro Football Focus on Treadwell published in February. He has the ability to win handfights and separate at the line of scrimmage and he can win jumpballs, which might give Purple fans euphoric dreams after mentally drudging up the memory of Randy Moss. Unfortunately, he does not have the breakaway speed to separate from defenders after the line of scrimmage, and he has a tendency to wait for passes to come to him instead of jumping up to get them. I am thus very, very scared that this is not going to be the receiver Minnesota has needed for years.
Oh, and in the second round tonight (Friday night) the Vikes took Clemson Cornerback Mackensie Alexander.
#-Infinity: Wild (Last Week: -4). Man, I don't want to talk about this shit. They saved their asses -- well, Mikko Koivu did -- to win Game 5, but back at home Sunday, in front of a souped-up crowed, egged on by the memory of Prince and bedecking the X in purple, they actually go down 4-0. Sure, they made a, ahem, wild comeback, but they still got eliminated in six games. To The Team That Was Stolen From Us. How humiliating.
Where to go now? I think we saw the ceiling on this team two years ago, when they lost in the second round to Chicago in six. This is a team whose veterans are aging basketcases, and the youngsters have not developed the way they should. General Manager Chuck Fletcher has churned through three coaches now, and there might be a fourth ... assuming Fletch is still in charge. And because he put faith in underachievers by signing them to long-term contracts, the squad has bumped up against the salary cap with nowhere to go. Well, besides down.
The collapse of the Mild begins now, if it hasn't begun already.
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