April 20, 2008 - April 26, 2008

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Now is the time! Now is the time?

Filed under: MLB

It is perennially at this juncture of the baseball season that I feel some anxiety over the Twins' performance. Of course, the campaign is merely 21 games young. However, with both the Wild and the Wolves now done for the year, with the NFL draft conducted this weekend, and with SportsCenter pumping the leviathan popularity of the NFL our way as early as July, I've developed an unrest that the Twins need to win now to truly magnetize their fan base, ride the wave of early-season buzz, and maintain sports page headlines.

Furthermore, summer competition for fans has become more intense over the last decade. The St. Paul Saints remain popular and begin at the end of the month (although the Twins ensuing open-airness will surely grab some of their fans). Then there's a sport that I don't get (MN Swarm) that has been drawing upwards of 11,000 fans and has the playoff potential to bleed into mid-May, and a sport that I don’t personally care for (MN Thunder) that has both men's and women's teams that play heavily in the summer months, with the former's season going long into September.

And so, I worry. But I shouldn't. Because after poring over a sample of some Twins attendance numbers, I soon learned that my concern was misguided. The following -- from 2002-07-- charts the average attendance for the 7 Twins' home games that follow the closure of whichever winter sport concluded latest (after day of date provided), compared with average attendance for the 7 Twins home games following the completion of the first Vikings pre-season game (after day of date provided). Also noted are both the Twins respective records at the onset of both points in each year, and if the club made the playoffs in said season.

2002, (4/29/02):
Record: 15-11
Average Attendance: 15,312

(8/11/02)- Playoffs
record: 70-49
Ave. Atten.: 30, 607
% increase of 99.9

2003, (5/17/03)
Record: 24-18
Ave. Atten.: 22,572

(8/10/03)-Playoffs
Record: 60-57
Ave. Atten.: 29,648
% increase of 31.3

2004, (6/1/04)
Record: 28-23
Ave. Atten.: 16,442

(8/15/04)-Playoffs
Record: 64-53
Ave. Atten.: 31,435
% increase of 91.2

2005, (4/21/05)
Record: 10-6
Ave. Atten.: 23,319

(8/13/05)
Record: 59-57
Ave. Atten.: 29,559
% increase of 26.8

2006, (4/20/06)
Record: 7-8
Ave. Atten.: 15,985

(8/15/06)-Playoffs
Record: 69-49
Ave. Atten.: 37,315
% increase of 133.4

2007, (4/20/07)
Record: 10-6
Ave. Atten.: 21,488

(8/11/07)
Record: 58-58
Ave. Atten.: 32,579
% increase of 51.6

And while there are no doubt piles of additional factors that play into the disparity of numbers (e.g., level of visiting competition, weather, local events, lake homes, soccer, sunburn), the overwhelming increase in attendance percentages largely suggest that Dome seats will be far more inhabited come August whether we're winning, losing, or just average.

My early-season neurosis is for naught. Shit, did I leave the iron on?

Posted by Judd Spicer at April 24, 2008 9:14 AM | Comments (11)

 

Minnesota Thunder season preview: Happy Birthday Frederico Moojen! Now score some damn goals!

Filed under: Thunder

The Minnesota Thunder have endured three-straight miserable campaigns. Struggling with a paltry player payroll in a league that escalates in quality each year, the once-proud franchise (having advanced to the league championship four times between 1998 and 2003) hasn't qualified for the post-season since 2004. During Amos Magee's first two campaigns as coach, the club has compiled a sad 12-27-17 record.

As an obsessed fan of this lowly team, I have endured approximately 24,387 minutes (whether at The Jimmy or watching games on the Internets) of abject misery over the last three years. Now granted that statement probably says more about the misguided priorities of my life than it does about the state of a minor league soccer franchise that the general public really doesn't give a shit about. But that's the path I've chosen and it's too late to alter my destiny.

So it was a great relief for sad sacks like me when two oddly well-dressed strangers showed up at the tailgate prior to last year's final match. These gentlemen turned out to be Dean Johnson and Henk Habers, principals of Belgium-based developer WingField Corporation, and the unlikely new owners of the Thunder. In the ensuing six months the team's payroll has roughly doubled and the roster has been overhauled accordingly. Only eight players return from last year's squad, highlighted by redoubtable central defender Kevin Taylor and shot-blocker extraordinaire Nic "El Disco" Platter.

Just yesterday the Thunder announced their final pair of pre-season signings, Andres Arango and Frederico Moojen. The former is 25-year-old defender from Medellin, Colombia who has considerable experience in the USL First Division. He was twice named defender of the year for the Toronto Lynx and last year logged over 1,700 minutes while playing for perennial title contenders Montreal. "He's selfless," says Magee, reached by phone yesterday. "He's a good stay-at-home defender who brings experience in this league, toughness in this league, and reads the game very well."

Moojen has been a prolific scorer at pretty much every level he's played. The 25-year-old Brazilian striker found net just twice last year in 14 games, but saw his season cut short by an abdominal injury. During his collegiate career, split between Lincoln Memorial University and Clemson University, Moojen tallied 59 goals. In his first indoor campaign this year he hit the net 22 times for the New Jersey Ironmen and was named to the league's all-rookie team. "He is very, very good with his back to the goal," says Magee. "Very good skills, smart player who gets in the box and scores goals."

This seemingly formidable duo will join a Thunder roster that didn't exactly set the grass on fire in the pre-season. The squad played six contests, primarily against inferior opposition, and managed just two wins. But Magee insists that the lackluster results aren't a concern. "We've gotten better every game," he says. "I haven't been as focused on results as I have been on getting guys on the same page. We're not going to be where we want to be for probably another month or so because it's a long process."

Magee praises a couple of newcomers, Stephen deRoux and Ricardo Sanchez, for their pre-season performances. DeRoux is a speedy, left-footed, 24-year-old mid/defender who formerly played for MLS side D.C. United. "He's young," says Magee, "he'll make mistakes, but his athletic ability allows him to recover."

Dirty Sanchez is a midfielder with a rocket shot who played for the (now defunct) First Division club California Victory last season. He forever earned a place in Thunder fans' guts last season when he scored the game-winning goal in a U.S. Open Cup contest, only to get tossed from the match when he celebrated by simulating canine urination. "He's a great guy," assures Magee. "He's been great in the locker room, he works his ass off, and his ball striking is second to none in this league."

Informed media coverage of the lowly First Division is about as common as dates for your (equally lowly) correspondent. The only attempt at analysis that I've seen, by Anne Ramzy at ESPN Soccernet, forecasts the Thunder to finish last. But such predictions in a league that's notoriously fluid and difficult to peg, don't count for much. "I certainly don't see us as a last place team," says Magee. "I expect us to make the playoffs and compete for a championship."

The first test will come tomorrow night when the Thunder travel to take on the dirty stinkin' hippies Portland Timbers. Thunder supporters will be gathering at the Sweetwater to prepare for this (hopefully) promising season and to view the opener. Festivities will begin at 7 p.m.; kickoff is slated for 9 p.m. Join us for the jackassery. Free cajun creole hot nuts to the first 420 people through the door.

Posted by Paul Demko at April 23, 2008 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

 

Air Fair? Rochester to Minneapolis

Filed under: MLB

The Twins have an unofficial rule regarding AAA call-ups from Rochester that essentially guarantees a position player will be in the starting lineup for the first game for which he is eligible. Which, I've long felt, is a good thing: A young fella doesn't have time to let the nerves fray, day-after-day, watching the starters, and waiting for his chance to play. You get up, you get in.

That's the Twins way. But is it a good way? After watching 3B Brian Buscher's pedestrian 2008 debut on Sunday (1-for-4 with a suspect toss to second in a failed 8th-inning double play attempt), I got to wondering why our call-ups rarely, if ever, seem to make the proverbial splash upon arrival to the big club.

Buscher's debut follows those of fellow arrivals Denard Span (2 hits in his first 3 games) and Francisco Liriano (0-2; 6.52 ERA; 10 walks) in 2008. And while I've written in this space that Liriano's initial starts should be viewed as an exercise in form, these dubious debuts, collectively, got me to thinking that, "Rochester, New York is a long damn way from Minneapolis, MN."

Sure, these guys are used to travel in many respects. And true, the lack of gaudy stats could be attributed to either the aforementioned nerves (even if these guys aren't chewing seeds on the bench), or to the simple facet of advanced opposition- but, as a point of consideration, here's a list of distances between all MLB teams and their respective AAA locations (from closest to furthest):

1. Seattle- 34 Miles
2. Boston- 44 Miles
3. Detroit- 59 Miles
4. Philadelphia- 62 Miles
5. Colorado- 70 Miles
6. Oakland- 81 Miles
7. Cincinnati- 106 Miles
8. Arizona- 121 Miles
9. New York Yankees- 133 Miles
10. Houston- 168 Miles
11. Kansas City- 184 Miles
12. San Francisco- 187 Miles
13. Cleveland- 193 Miles
14. Texas- 212 Miles
15. Baltimore- 240 Miles
16. Toronto- 243 Miles
17. L.A. Dodgers- 270 Miles
18. St. Louis- 283 Miles
19. Chicago Cubs- 333 Miles
20. Pittsburgh- 259 Miles
21. Washington- 417 Miles
22. Atlanta- 534 Miles
23. Milwaukee- 562 Miles
24. L.A. Angels- 689 Miles
25. Tampa Bay- 701 Miles
26. Chicago White Sox- 797 Miles
27. Minnesota- 1009 Miles
28. San Diego- 1084 Miles
29. New York Mets- 1324 Miles
30. Florida- 1960 Miles

As while it surely should be noted that AAA call-ups may not necessarily be going to straight to their club's hometown, it goes without saying that -- based in the unbalanced schedule most-often keeping team's within their division -- clubs that aren't playing at home are most likely playing in the same region of the country.

Again, some food for thought. Something to chew on when the seeds make the cheek raw.

Posted by Judd Spicer at April 21, 2008 7:17 PM | Comments (15)

 

UEFA Champions League: the final four

Filed under: Soccer

Liverpool hosts Chelsea on Tuesday. Most troubling for the hosts is the questionable status of midfield talisman Steven Gerrard. He was ruled out against Fulham on Saturday owing to a neck injury, but is expected back in the lineup for tomorrow's showdown. Will Gerrard be fully fit? Chelsea has more significant woes. Midfield dynamo Michael Essien is suspended owing to yellow-card accumulation, while Michael Ballack (hamstring) and Didier Drogba (knee) are banged up. Liverpool is looking to dump the Blues from the semifinals for the third time in four years. In six Champions League encounters all time between the clubs, a miserly three goals have been scored. Expect nothing different this time around. A single goal should make the difference. Who will it be? Fernando Torres.

On Wednesday the two most famous clubs in the world, Manchester United and Barcelona, square off at the Camp Nou. It's been a miserable campaign by Barcelona standards. They've failed to win in four straight league matches, allowing Real Madrid to run away with the La Liga title despite some shoddy results recently. On the upside for Barcelona, the scintilating Lionel Messi returned to the field on the weekend and is expected to start on Wednesday. Manchester has been brilliant all season, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting an extraordinary 35 goals. But the defense looked vulnerable against Arsenal two weeks ago without injured centerback Nemanja Vidic, and they could only muster a 1-1 tie against Blackburn on the weekend. Vidic is exepected to be in the lineup this week, despite lingering knee troubles.

The match will mark a return to the Camp Nou for Manchester the first time since their incredible 1999 Champions League final comeback against Bayern Munich. I stumbled upon that match one afternoon while drinking beer with a crazy Cuban prosecutor at a pub in Fort Lauderdale and have been obsessed with the game ever since. Here's the highlights:

Posted by Paul Demko at April 21, 2008 1:04 PM | Comments (2)

 

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