Will the Twins catch Chicago?

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 05/20/2005

 

Baseball has been called a marathon not a sprint. The season is long, bringing us the bloom of spring, through the heat of summer and into autumn. As we have seen in the past, the three-time American League Central Champion Twins have been known to kick it into another gear after the All-Star break.

After 36 games, it's far too early to pass this season off as a lost cause. The organization has already taken a credibility hit with dependable reliever Juan Rincon having served a 10-game suspension for violating baseball's substance abuse policy. However, it's time that the Twins begin to establish some consistency. Chicago is 27-11 -- that's the best record in all of baseball. The Twins have lost four of six head to head against the White Sox. 

They still have 13 games left against Chicago so it's important that the Twins get on a roll soon. They are currently in the middle of a nine-game home stand. The Texas Rangers just beat them twice to take the weekend series. 
With Toronto and Milwaukee in town this week, the Twins need to keep pace with the red-hot White Sox. The Twins are 21-15, with their foundation being pitching sensations Yohan Santanna and Brad Radke. 

And then there’s the fleet-footed soul patrol in the outfield from left to right field, Shannon Stewart, Torii Hunter, and Jacque Jones. Defensively, these guys make a lot plays in the field; if the Twins pitchers keep the ball in the park they usually run it down. They are led by the gifted Hunter the four-time Gold Glove winner.

The original Whizzinator is Onterrio Smith!
The Vikings continue to grab the headlines like no other team in this town. First, owner Red McCombs sells the team to a Black man -- Reggie Fowler. During the process of the sale being confirmed by the NFL, Fowler gets lambasted for credibility issues and discrepancies from resume problems and financial information issues in failing to clear up his ability to be the General Partner in a $625 million transaction.

Fowler has done serious damage to African Americans everywhere in high profile positions of ownership. Not to mention the hope that an African American could break through the 86-year barrier and be the first Black man to own an NFL franchise. 

Fowler is an enigma. Was he used? Was he a front? Was this the plan all along to appear to be the lead, knowing full well financially he could not do it? Fowler is a poor communicator on top of all that. 

The Vikings traded star receiver Randy Moss shortly after Fowler was introduced as the team’s would-be owner, because they had had enough of his behavioral issues. Then Viking Kelly Campbell gets arrested outside Atlanta on drug and illegal firearms charges. 

Head coach Mike Tice, after first lying that he did not scalp Super Bowl tickets as a head coach, later admits to scalping Super Bowl tickets as an assistant and as a head coach. The NFL continues to be mum about the continuing investigation. 

Then last month, Vikings ball carrier Onterrio Smith was stopped while going through security at the Minneapolis-St.Paul Airport. What was the dubious item in his possession? A prosthetic penis attached to a jock strap. The device is called "The Original Whizzinator.” He also had several vials of dried urine and a bottle of cleansing pills, plus an imitation bladder.

The fake ding-dong is used to allow someone who's dirty to beat a drug test. Is it illegal to carry the "The Original Whizzinator?” Who knows! 
The feds are looking into this bizarre situation and will likely recommend discipline. And the Vikings, the NFL and the Players Association are all being careful what they say. Smith believe it or not might get off (no pun intended) because until the federal authorities rule on it, there’s not much the league or Vikings can do, unless they have a common sense clause in his contract, which would certainly allow them to release him. 

Smith was kicked off the University of Tennessee football team for marijuana use, and then transferred to Oregon. Last year, he was suspended after reportedly testing positive for some illegal drug.

Smith told authorities that he was taking the fake penis to his cousin. "My bad" What are the Vikings to do? Smith might be their best ball carrier.