Recent content from Patrick Reusse
Reusse: Home opener illustrates how much has changed since Twins' 1961 debut
The economics of baseball are nothing like before — not to mention pitching.
Reusse: Old, outdoor rivalry between St. Cloud State, Mankato returns at Frozen Four
The Huskies and Mavericks will meet Thursday in Pittsburgh in the NCAA semifinals, continuing a rivalry that dates to outdoor rinks in the 1970s.
Reusse: Radio calls can capture Twins' memorable moments
The turnstile count at Met Stadium on July 11, 1965 was 35,253. And you know what the rest of baseball-loving Midwesterners did that afternoon? We listened on the radio.
Reusse: Small-town tales. Mountain Iron-Buhl, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's make state
The Iron Range school has the same coach for its boys' and girls' teams; the one from southern Minnesota is sending its boys and girls to state despite a tiny enrollment.
Reusse: Pitino got a pass that Thibodeau and Childress didn't
The kindness shown toward Richard Pitino's departure was quite a contrast to the treatment received by a couple of coaches who actually improved their teams.
Year 5 under Falvey, Twins keep breaking norms to develop talent
Using the 40-man roster, revamping minor-league operations and employees with new job titles and responsibilities are a big part of what Derek Falvey has brought to the Twins.
Reusse: Time for Twins to develop young pitchers instead of acquiring old ones
The Twins have made a habit of bringing in older pitchers to fill out their rotation, and it's time for them to commit to a different tactic.
Reusse: Past Gophers basketball teams deserve to be celebrated by today's standards
What better way to ring in the future under Ben Johnson than by embracing the NCAA-ignored past?
Mental strain leading teams to split catching duties, Garver says
"Catching is so much harder, more complicated, than in the past,'' Mitch Garver said. "We are using so many more pitchers and the stuff they are throwing is so much better."
Reusse: Twins in no hurry to bring back the days of the ironman catcher
Not so long ago, A.J. Pierzynski started 131 games for the Twins. This season, they might have two backstops reach half that total.
Reusse: DeLaSalle's ascension to state swim title began at Ascension
Four of the five swimmers on the 1979 Islanders developed at the Ascension Swim Club in a little pool in north Minneapolis.
Reusse: Twins' pitching prospects show they put in work during lost season
Despite no games in the minor leagues last season because of the pandemic, some took advantage of the shutdown period to work on pitches and get stronger.
Reusse: Garver's descent from Silver Slugger to season that 'didn't happen'
What happened that took Mitch Garver from the best hitting catcher in the American League to a .167 average and two homers in 2020? Can he regain his swagger?
Reusse: Rick Pitino long ago set in motion his son's demise at the U
The real blight on Richard Pitino's coaching in his last season was allowing a team that couldn't shoot to fire away on three-pointers, as if he was a 4-year-old watching his father's teams.
Reusse: A year after shutdown, rays of light creeping in
We can finally see the finish line after a most unsettling year.
Reusse: As fans return to seats, so does giddy anticipation
After an anguished year, Minnesota's pro sports teams look so much better in person.
Reusse: Baseball should get vaccines for its players, for Sid's sake
The time is here for MLB to be allowed to purchase 7,500 doses – 250 per team – and greatly increase the chances of a season that starts April 1 and proceeds with minimal disruptions.
Reusse: Riddle could solve Twins' search for infield depth
The 29-year-old lefthanded hitter has 246 games in the big leagues, most with Miami, the team that drafted him in 2013, and 23 with Pittsburgh last season.
Garlick's power might be strong enough to convince Twins brainiacs
The Twins' true interest in outfielder Kyle Garlick will be clear when they are looking for spots on the 40-man roster in order to add a couple of spring training invitees to the Opening Day 26.
Reusse: Stan Steuter, the golf club doctor, is always in
A farm kid, Stan Steuter was always good with tools. He took to fixing golf clubs and by the early 1980s he bought The Golf Club Hospital on 43rd and Bryant, where it still is today.
Reusse: Teammates' memories of Pavelich date to Iron Range, UMD and Olympics
"This is tough for all of us," said Buzz Schneider, an Olympic linemate of Mark Pavelich, the former hockey star who was found dead Thursday at a mental health treatment center.
Reusse: Twins aren't playing Astros in Cocoa any more, Dorothy
Gene Mauch would lobby for more innings in exhibitions. Rocco Baldelli wrangled for five innings Saturday, and was happy with two.
Reusse: It's early, but Twins need to check Sano's timing on fastballs
Any attempt to explain Miguel Sano's alarming decline in the virus-shortened 2020 season must start with an understanding the four-seam fastball.
Reusse: MSU Mankato's 'Friendship League' filling D-II football void
Mavericks football coach Todd Hoffner talked with the Northern Sun about the possibility of spring games. Any competition had to be arranged among schools, and thus a plan was hatched.
Reusse: Pitino needs to go, regardless of how Gophers finish season
The athletic department's financial troubles and the pandemic complications should not stand in the way of Richard Pitino's dismissal
From International Falls to the Gophers, Betty Gibson had a passion for hockey
The longtime fan of the Minnesota program died Sunday in Rochester at age 89. Her roots go back to when high school hockey first came to the border community.
Reusse: NBA stacked against 'always building' teams like the Wolves
It's cold and depressing as a lowly member of the ABA — the Always Building Association — but it seems to be the Timberwolves' destiny in the most-unforgiving of pro sports leagues.
Reusse: Twins' trade of Nettles ranks near top of franchise mistakes
David "Big Papi" Ortiz is No. 1 for a Twins batter blunder, no question, but a nominee for No. 2 is Graig Nettles.
Reusse: Why modern baseball is unkind to thirty-somethings like Dozier, Plouffe
A player who would have been signing a contract extension in the spring of 2018 to stick around into the next decade at sizable dollars appears to face two unfortunate options in 2021.
Reusse: Albers joining Twins for third time — if he can get out of Canada
Coming off three seasons in Japan, lefty Andrew Albers will be heading for Fort Myers as soon as pandemic travel issues allow him to leave Saskatchewan.
Reusse: In Fulda, the Raiders happily take a partner and a new name
As family farms continue toward extinction and small town populations further age, civic determination keeps the doors open to schools that carry the hometown name.
Reusse: Gophers could fire and rehire Pitino, and sell it as a reboot
Gophers basketball has been the same product for years, no matter the coach.
Reusse: Samedy is latest bright star among many in U volleyball history
Honors have been constant since Stephanie Samedy arrived in 2017 as one of the nation's top recruits. The senior is now trying to influence the next generation of Gophers.
Reusse: Barry Wohler's journey from three-sport U recruit to prep coach
The athletic standout from Bird Island was recruited by the Gophers, got drafted by the Dodgers and is now the long-time boys' basketball coach at Orono.
Reusse: Stolski on Haeg, Nanne on McCoy, and a few books
Here's reading material for Super Sunday, and beyond.
Reusse: Modern baseball devoid of any of the game's past charm
A despondent baseball lifer looks at the modern game and the people in charge of it and shakes his head at the product being produced.
Reusse: Gardenhire said 'I'm done' but he's found lots to do
Ron Gardenhire announced his retirement Sept. 19, eight games before the end of the Tigers season. He might be done managing baseball but he won't be far from a diamond.
Reusse: Osseo boxer Caleb Truax has another shot to shock the world
The University of Minnesota grad knows a thing or two about being a long shot in a title fight, and coming out on top.
To La Velle E. Neal III from Uncle Pat: Being a columnist is easy, if you follow this advice
The longtime Twin Cities sports columnist has gathered more than a few tricks of the trade over the years, and the time has come to pass them on to the newest member of the fraternity.
Reusse: NFL needs its Lou Gelfand to call out blunders
The media can't get head coaches to admit to grievous errors, so the time has come for a fan's representative to insist on it.
Reusse: Thibs is doing his thing with the Knicks in New York
Former Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau, as usual, is riding with high-minutes from his best players in New York. And the Knicks are winning.
Reusse: With late burst, Kaprizov offers glimpse of what could come for Wild
Kirill Kaprizov did not have a shot on goal through two periods Friday night at Xcel Energy Center. Then came the fun.
Reusse: Amid the loneliness, Wolves steal a magical defeat
Victory was so certain that Alan Horton was relied on to carry it home. The Rosas-ians failed him again.
Reusse: Like America, sports world also needs a good dose of healing
There was a fresh start Wednesday in Washington, and there should be a desire for this to carry over to sports, which kicked off this week with more embarrassment.
Reusse: The day Elvis died, that was just part of the story in Baltimore
August 16, 1977 might be remembered for the death of a rock and roll legend, but followers of the Minnesota Twins might remember there was more.
Former Kicks goalkeeper and coach Geoff Barnett dies at 74
The native of England was part of the original NASL powerhouse in 1976.
Reusse: Resurgent Gophers hockey quieting many anxious voices
Friday night's home-ice hiccup aside, Bob Motzko and chief recruiter Garrett Raboin have heard many fewer voices second-guessing Gophers hockey than was the case a decade ago.
Fred Roufs, president of Minnesota Baseball Association, dies
Roufs, 73, became the MBA president in May as amateur baseball was facing a shutdown due to the state's COVID-19 restrictions.
Reusse: Can 'Josh Allen Experience' rescue Buffalo from Vikings-like futility?
The Bills and the Vikings have ardent fan bases and 0-4 Super Bowl records. The Buffalo zealots have a bit more of an edge to them.
Reusse: Class trip brings Tony and Gordette Oliva together, 53 years and counting
A group of South Dakota high school students came to the Twin Cities for a senior trip.
Reusse: Gophers volleyball returns to action and it's the best show in town
You know what makes top-level college volleyball great? It's the brand of volleyball the University of Minnesota has been playing for the last 25 years.
Reusse: Will America ever get all the way around the bases?
"This isn't really us," we kept hearing Wednesday about the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol. But is that really so?
Reusse: Will America ever get around the bases?
Week of triumph in the South for the Hank Aarons of the world was shortlived.
Reusse: NFL's 'fire coordinator' scam now covers special teams
Did the Vikings' Marwan Maalouf not tell Dan Bailey to make more kicks, or K.J. Osborn to stop bobbling punts?
Reusse: Trying to keep up with local sports via streaming was a failure
FSN has disappeared from YouTubeTV and Hulu, meaning cord-cutters of all ages are unable to watch their favorite teams. This columnist has had it.
Reusse: Immediate eligibility for college hoops transfers not necessarily a good move
When transfer players are forced to sit out a year, their skills, maturity and comfort level within the new program are enhanced.
Reusse: The state of Minnesota football in 2020 was doubly brutal
A decade ago, there was optimism within Gophers and Vikings football. This year, it was a large helping of embarrassment.
Reusse: Sportswriting career of 55 years has outdistanced first pay cut
My first shift as a sportswriter was on Dec. 28, 1965. Fifty-five years as a sportswriter, as of Monday.
Reusse: 1960 was a most impactful year for Minnesota sports
COVID-19 might have canceled the 60-year celebrations of some momentous events here, but those events still deserve tribute.
Reusse: Wolves stray from reputation by recovering from rocky start
The Wolves got off to a slow start with D'Angelo Russell benched after being late for a COVID test and finished by taking advantage of a Detroit rookie's mistakes.
Reusse: How the Wolves went from first to worst in creating fan appetite
Attendance hit bottom, and then a pandemic hit. Where do these Wolves go from here?
Reusse: Wrestling star Shilson keeps mom quiet by dominating on the mat
A below-radar phenomenon during the past decade has been the growth in girls' and women's wrestling. In 2019-20, Augsburg's Emily Shilson was the NCAA, WCWA (all colleges), Junior Nationals and USA Wrestling Under-23 champion at 109/110 pounds.
Reusse: LPGA's Olson was close to 'The General,' a dear father-in-law
We were rooting for Amy Olson as she tried to win the U.S. Women's Open after the weekend death of father-in-law Lee Olson, a well-known figure in Wayzata's youth sports community.
Reusse: Veeck's brand expands with official affiliation with Twins
The St. Paul Saints are ending nearly three decades of existence as an independent, alternative entity.
New Class AAA affiliation leaves Saints' George Tsamis on outside
George Tsamis pitched in 41 games as a lefthanded reliever for the 1993 Twins. That was his only big-league time in a pro career lasting…
Reusse: Twins, Saints bridge what once was a bitter baseball divide
Sports boosters in Minneapolis and St. Paul haven't always gotten along, but the teams' new arrangement seems to benefit both sides.
Reusse: Sorrow in Seattle? Minnesota soccer fans have been there
Seattle is the location where dreams of glory for Minnesota soccer fans become nightmares. The Loons loss wasn't the first chapter of disappointment.
Reusse: Dick Allen recalled fondly by Blyleven in a Met Stadium tale
July 31, 1972: Dick Allen, the AL's MVP-to-be, became the first big-leaguer in 40 years with two inside-the-park home runs. It happened against the Twins with Blyleven pitching.
Reusse: Kohorst couldn't hold down Hornung, did hold onto SJU coach
Elmer Kohorst went from Albany to Notre Dame and became a two-time All-America catcher. Later, Elmer was Jim Smith's basketball assistant at St. John's and saved him from responding to archrival Tom Feely.
Reusse: Gophers' Anderson expects pro baseball changes will boost college game
The shrinking of the minor leagues should result in more talent staying in school.
Reusse: Beebe an unrefined punt returner who gained redemption with Vikings
Most redemption stories, in sports or life, take a bit longer than Chad Beebe's in the Vikings' 28-27 victory over Carolina on Sunday.
Reusse: Logic takes vacation as Beasley rewarded, Rosario rejected
Overall, Wednesday was a day that reinforced this for Minnesotans: Life isn't fair, even in the lucrative world of professional sports.
Reusse: The tale of Shorty, Fast Eddie and putting for quarters — lots of them
The old time 'WPA' characters of Theodore Wirth golf course refined their short games in calculating ways.
Reusse: Going Division I all about planning for Caruso at St. Thomas
The move from Division III was going to be a big test for St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso under any circumstance, and a major test of his organizational skills.