Recent content from Patrick Reusse
Reusse: Beer and baseball still go hand in hand in Milwaukee
The Cubs are south, Lake Michigan is east, Packers north, Badgers west and now Giannis Antetokounmpo — there's lots of competition, but Milwaukee has proven that baseball still can be found in its soul.
Reusse: Left outside NBA bubble, Saunders and Wolves work on their own
A madeover roster didn't get much of a chance to play together before the season was shut down, and the Wolves weren't invited to Florida when it resumed.
Reusse: Uecker remains a Milwaukee treasure in 50th year behind the mic
Widely known for his self-deprecating baseball stories and memorable cameos in movies and commercials, his work with Make-A-Wish families has often turned tears into smiles.
Reusse: Now we have clarity on why Stollings had detractors at the U
Marlene Stollings was 24-9 in 2017-18 as coach for the Gophers, yet athletic director Mark Coyle was quick to make no counteroffer when Stollings informed she had a better deal on the table. Now we know why.
Reusse: Questions plentiful for Johnnies standout center Neumann
A longer spring football season likely would force Nick Neumann to sit out, but there would be that game against St. Thomas he'd have to miss.
Reusse: Tennis? With no volleyball, Glencoe-Silver Lake's Monahan may try
Miah Monahan will be a Glencoe-Silver Lake senior, and in May accepted a scholarship to play guard for Eastern Illinois. She also plays volleyball but with that sport delayed until spring there could be a new challenge.
Reusse: Bowling team had to clear way for Vikings to land their name
The original Vikings were a bowling team about to land a franchise in the National Bowling League, a new concept in kegling and planning to start competition in October 1961.
Reusse: Regional networks get their night baseball, defy pandemic
If this 60-game schedule is to be completed, the Twins will occupy nine out-of-town hotels and move in and out 11 visiting clubhouses. Why so much moving around and no bubble? Money.
Reusse: For Buxton, the mind is willing, but the luck isn't
A great coach once said: "An athlete is someone who can do what his mind tells him to do.'' The mind rarely asked too much of Byron Buxton as an athlete. The body has been another matter.
Reusse: Young genius. Twins appear to have scored with Derek Falvey
Falvey was a little-known 33-year-old member of the Cleveland front office when the Twins hired him in 2016 to head their baseball operation amid much skepticism.
Noel Jenke, a three-sport athlete for the Gophers in late 1960s, dies at 73
Jenke was a hard-hitting linebacker and potent lefthanded hitter in baseball. Remarkably, he played Gophers hockey after arriving from a high school without a hockey program.
MIAC to move several fall sports, including football, to the spring
Some coaches and athletes have been told that football, volleyball and soccer are among the sports that will switched from this fall to the spring if the NCAA and public health officials allows it.
Rosario's way: Swing first, ask questions later
Twins coaches want Eddie Rosario to take a more patient approach at the plate, without trying to curb his "magic hands" and aggressiveness. Rosario says he has a plan but is trying to heed that advice.
Reusse: Twins have easy schedule to playoffs? Stop and think about that
Solid pitching teams will have a greater advantage than normal over hard-hitting teams in this 60-game season. And the 2019 Twins won 101 games as a hitting team
Reusse: North Stars' Blair pulled a fast one in 1967 with camp setup
Wild athletes will have it much more comfortable as they embark on this great coronavirus-era experiment than did the North Stars, as they were launching Minnesota into the NHL as an expansion team 53 years ago.
Reusse: Bulgarian lifter Krastev found a home in Minnesota
Antonio Krastev was heading east on Hwy. 13 in Mendota Heights at 3 a.m. on July 9, speeding and driving on the wrong side of…
Reusse: After long and bumpy road, reliever Duffey plays key Twins role
The many twists in Tyler Duffey's now-lengthy tenure with the Twins is confirmation of how difficult it is to rise through the minor leagues and land successfully in the majors.
Reusse: Small-town Minnesota lefty has Clemens' phone number, Blue Jays' interest
Brody Rodning of Gaylord, a three-sport high school star, is the only player still employed by an MLB organization with a waiver to be competing in Minnesota amateur baseball.
Reusse: In Pioneer League, St. Thomas football in for the long haul
St. Thomas' MIAC football rivals are located 3, 4, 10, 45, 45, 70, 80 and 240 miles away. In the Pioneer League, they'll visit Drake (250), Valparaiso (450), Butler (581) and Dayton (700) as closest rivals.
Reusse: Bud Chapman was popular club golfer, artist and storyteller
Chapman was an artist and became famous in the golf world with drawings of fantasy holes located at some of this planet's greatest natural wonders.
Reusse: 'Town team' wins with guys who'll remind you of Puckett, Ripken
Led by three star players, the Minnetonka Millers are shooting for their 15th state championship among amateur teams that are based in the metro area.
Reusse: Brainerd racetrack deserves a victory
Brainerd International Raceway will host a Trans Am Series event this weekend, with social distancing rules in place.
Patrick Plus: Howard University celebrates another whopper of an upset — in hoops recruiting
One of the nation's top college basketball prospects is headed to a historically Black college.
Reusse: You can expect unpredictable Twins' season to zoom right by
This will be a Twins season that's going to be like none other in more ways than one and with no guarantees: not in the result from 60 games, nor from a pandemic that might not allow that many.
Reusse: U baseball standouts plan on sticking around
Jack Wassel and Patrick Fredrickson went unselected in an abbreviated MLB draft and are aiming to win a Big Ten title in 2021 instead.
Reusse: Otis Dypwick, golf author, to be part of 2020 Hall of Fame class
Best known for his role publicizing Gophers sports, he also produced instructional golf books.
Reusse: Time is right to honor sport's resolute: Meet Joe Warner and Will Cross
They played football at Minnesota Crookston, where victory came around only every few years.
Reusse: Twins' second-half run in '81 should give woeful Tigers hope
A bad Twins team somehow got in playoff contention the second half of the 1981 split season.
Reusse: Daughter's death took wind out of St. Paul Saints owner Veeck
Only now is the baseball showman starting to show signs of at least a partial return to his affable self.
Reusse: How did a Russian sports legend end up in Detroit Lakes?
In the early '90s, goalie Vladislav Tretiak became a goalie instructor at a hockey camp -- and faced tough questions from 9-year-olds.
Reusse: Four-man Gibbon track team gave metro powers a run for 1954 title
Dr. Edgar Taggatz "keeps the Wildcats spirit alive," one of the key figures says.
Reusse: Yes, tear down the Griffith statue — and also listen to Carew
Remember former Twins owner Calvin Griffith in whatever way you choose, but there's no defending his racist comments of 1978.
Reusse: Summit League deals blow to Augustana's Division I hopes
Seven months after offering St. Thomas membership, the conference denied the South Dakota's schools application to join.
Reusse: In defiance of governor, it's 'Play ball!' in Stearns County
Tradition (and beautiful weather) override concerns over the coronavirus pandemic in townball hotbeds such as the Stearns County League.
Baseball is back in Minnesota as amateur league creates own path to play
Facing growing unrest from teams, the Minnesota Baseball Association board agreed not to punish teams under MBA rules if they were to start playing this weekend under specific conditions.
Reusse: Hunger for baseball is obvious in Minnesota's town ball communities
Minnesota town ball teams, barred by restrictions, have been traveling to neighboring states to play. ""People want to see baseball so badly we've had 40, 50 people watching us practice," said Milroy Irish manager Bob Dolan.
Reusse: On Hiawatha's tees, black golfers group sees course of America changing
At Hiawatha Golf Club on Tuesday, there was a search for perspective on where we are, where we could be going, in a city and a state these older black men have made home.
Reusse: Threat to Minnesota summer baseball is a false alarm
There had been a hint baseball was classified as "high risk" by Gov. Tim Walz's latest briefing and there was no go-ahead to finally start the Town Ball season. But teams can relax.
Reusse: MSU Mankato was biggest loser when college hockey shut down
The Mavericks had veterans dedicated to putting past NCAA woes behind them, a 31-5-2 record, another WCHA regular-season title, and a grip on a No. 1 regional seed.
Reusse: Longtime Gophers strength coach weighs in on way to retirement
Bob Rohde will retire Friday a couple of months short of 41 years with the Gophers. He was hired for football, although all athletes could use the weightlifting room at the Bierman Building. And they did.
Reusse: Baseball memories of Lake Street turn to ashes
The final game at Nicollet Baseball Park was Sept. 28, 1955. The site became a bank, which was torched Friday night.
Reusse: Stephen Jackson, other activists score with straight talk at Mpls. City Hall
Longtime NBA player Stephen Jackson bared his soul in talking about George Floyd, a dead friend that he called his "twin."
Pro poker player Anderson waits for 'real Vegas' to return to life
With casinos closed, Minnesota native Danielle Andersen has resorted to playing card games with neighborhood kids.
Reusse: Brothers in boxing can't fully share pain over George Floyd's death
For Phil Williams and Ryan Burnet, bonded by their work together at a boxing gym in north Minneapolis, emotions are running raw in the wake of Floyd's death.
Minnesota native thriving as executive with Toronto Raptors
Lakefield native Teresa Resch was the first in a succession of women — now numbering 14 — whom Masai Ujiri hired for his Toronto Raptors.
Reusse: Remembering a good Marine and a beloved sports photojournalist
Rich Nuessle was once a staple in the Twin Cities sports media. If you were in that circle and failed to have a wacky adventure with Rich, you had to be in quarantine. Behind the fun, though, was a hero with a tortured soul.
Patrick Plus: Mainz becomes my main team in European soccer
Swansea City, Borussia Fulda both let me down.
Reusse: Faith, not Minnesota ties, brought Denard Span, Anne Schleper together
The former Twins outfielder was hoping to play in majors this season; instead he has been spending quality family time with his wife, a former Gophers hockey standout.
Reusse: There's room to roam in MLB parks, so let's get teams back
Players in other sports might have more trouble social distancing in smaller arenas and/or with more inherent collisions, but MLB is over-regulating with its 67-page list of dos and don'ts for reopening in the coronavirus era.
Reusse: 'Klaw' might have been an 'opener' for Twins before its time
Was Tom Klawitter's start in 1985 the first "opener" in the major leagues?
Reusse: Herron will always be Lumpy 2 among Wayzata peers
Before Tim Herron became known as Lumpy on the PGA Tour, he asked Wayzata's first Lumpy for permission.
Reusse: Can catchers stay safe at home in pandemic baseball?
Former Twins Joe Mauer and Mike Redmond -- as well as catchers from the Gophers, the minors and amateur ball -- talked with Patrick Reusse about what could be ahead.
Reusse: For Jake and Janie Reed, athletic careers on hold together
Jake Reed was signed by the Twins out of Oregon in 2014. He has pitched in more than 100 games in Class AAA but never in the majors. Janie Reed, Jake's wife, has waited longer to be an Olympian.
Reusse: Bills Mafia gets ready to hit Vegas Strip
Are you ready for this? Buffalo at Las Vegas on Oct. 4. Even if it still had the real Mafia running the town, the Strip might be overmatched by Bills Mafia.
Reusse: Run by characters and 'lake kids,' Lake Minnetonka marina is a keeper
Invasive species (of all kinds) keep things interesting on Lake Minnetonka. Howard's Point Marina is still going strong. The owner said he bought it because "it's a neighborhood treasure."
Reusse: New coach Lamker says Augsburg football is 'going to change'
Derrin Lamker, the former high school coach at Edina and Osseo, led Augsburg to a MIAC title in 1997. But the Auggies of 2018 and 2019 were 4-16 overall and 1-15 in the MIAC. Now he's head coach at his alma mater.
Patrick Plus: Hockey coach Dave Peterson became villain at 1988 Winter Olympics by design
The former state championship-winning coach at Minneapolis Southwest wanted to take pressure off his players.
Reusse: A fond farewell to the Twins' 'Big Fella'
Wayne Hattaway, a staple in the Twins clubhouse for decades, died Thursday night at age 80.
Reusse: An appreciation for Gladden, creator of blast and bloop bookends
While he waits for baseball's return, Dan Gladden recalls triumphs from World Series past: the slam, the double and some good baseball stories three decades later.
Reusse: End of Twins rookie team will devastate many in Tennessee town
The Twins rookie-ball affiliate in Elizabethton, Tenn., established in the 1970s, has been targeted for elimination as part of a trimming of the minor leagues.
Reusse: Retold Sonmor hockey stories still among the best
The only stories better than former Gophers, Fighting Saints and North Stars coach Glen Sonmor telling his were others telling theirs about him.
Reusse: HBO's 'The Scheme' on college basketball corruption a must-see
The first insistence received that I had to watch “The Scheme,’’ the freshly arrived HBO documentary on college basketball corruption, came from my wife. That…
Reusse: Vikings forced to drop big dreams for T-Jack, Williamson
Tarvaris Jackson and Troy Williamson could never harness their raw talent together on the field for the Vikings in the mid-2000s.
Reusse: Twins cult hero Ford still playing, still hearing 'Looooo' calls at age 43
Lew Ford played 499 games (including five in the postseason) for the Twins, and then came a little bit of everything. He's currently with the Long Island Ducks in independent ball.
Reusse: Budget cuts for Gophers? Start with football
The first post-coronavirus gouge in athletic budgets should come in football — at Minnesota, and across the Power Five landscape.
Reusse: From the U to Spain, Knight sees different Holy Week at new home
Former Gophers player Leslie Knight has spent the last 11 years playing pro basketball and living in Spain — much more time than needed to absorb what Holy Week means in that country.
Here's how the Twins did during Patrick Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams
The Twins won five of six during Patrick Reusse's mythical "homestand" at Target Field, revisiting games from the team's past while the coronavirus pandemic robs us of games of the present.
Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 7: A grand beginning to an epic drubbing
Two first-inning grand slams by legendary Twins sluggers Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew made a lasting impression on one particular 16-year-old in the stands.
Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 2: Baseball stories for a rainy day
This chilly Friday was to be an off day for the Twins. We're at Target Field anyway, listening to what's being said. In baseball the stories can be more entertaining than the ballgames.
Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 6: Santana's last blast with the Twins
The post-victory angst after the Twins' 1-0 victory over Texas was dictated by manager Ron Gardenhire's decision to remove Johan Santana after eight innings. Santana had 17 strikeouts on 112 pitches.
Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 5: Stop punching people, Billy!
Billy Martin brought the Oakland Athletics here as the manager for the first time and, this being Minnesota, it's no surprise that he quickly found himself in the middle of something.
Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 4: Perfect place for Puckett's perfect day
Several thousand Brewers fans contributed to a full Target Field on Sunday. They seemed to congregate in the right field corner, with easy access to several beer locations.
Reusse's (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 3: Who? Almost threw a what?
The Twins unveiled a hitting attack of great potential in Florida exhibitions, with Rod Carew, Lyman Bostock, Disco Dan Ford and Larry Hisle being joined by rookie catcher Butch Wynegar.
Reusse: (Target) Field of Dreams, Day 1: A good day, a bad loss
We've asked Patrick Reusse to bring us baseball each morning during what should have been the Twins' opening homestand. Six games over seven days, beginning with the 1979 home opener reimagined for April 2020.
Reusse: For first time since 1952, fan doesn't get his boys' state tournament fix
Wendell Fredin's 67-year streak of making it to the Twin Cities for the tournament came to an end.