The off-season rebuilding marathon continued this week for the Twins. Even though no news has come out of the Roy Oswalt campaign, the Twins have found help for their bullpen. Last year the bullpen faltered, struggled, and gave up a whopping number of home runs. So, the Twins made a brilliant move in adding a well-known pitcher.

Yesterday (January 19), the Twins formally signed relief pitcher Joel Zumaya to a one-year deal. Starting his career in 2006, Zumaya has pitched for the Detroit Tigers and he has impressed many people. During his first five years in the Major Leagues, Zumaya has posted an 3.05 ERA and struck out a total of 210 batters. When Zumaya is healthy, the right-hander can throw a 96-100 mile per hour fastball. Needless to say, he throws hard and fast! The Twins will welcome Zumaya to their bullpen, especially because he commented, “My perspective is that I have no thoughts in my mind that I will get injured.”

Zumaya’s comment refers to the numerous arm problems he has had. He ruptured a tendon in his hand, separated his shoulder moving boxes, and fractured his elbow. He has made a lot of trips to the DL, missing many games, including the entire 2011 season. In June 2010, Zumaya threw a pitch to former Twin Delmon Young at Target Field. After throwing the pitch, Zumaya fell to the ground in enormous pain. He stayed on the ground for several minutes before being helped off the field. It was a gruesome scene, silencing the entire crowd because Zumaya couldn’t hold up his arm by himself. He will be returning to the same mound in 2012 where that horrific scene happened.

If Zumaya can stay healthy and reduce injuries, he could potentially become a great pitcher for the Twins. I am excited to see him pitch because he has a wickedly productive fastball. Welcome to Minnesota, Zumaya; great addition, Twins!

Written by Michael L. Sack

Hockey injuries have always been a concern, but recently the level of concern surrounding the dangers of the sport has swelled. On the night of December 30, in what started out as an ordinary JV hockey game in St. Louis Park between Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School and Wayzata High School, tragedy suddenly struck – very, very hard. Benilde sophomore Jack Jablonski was checked from behind by two Wayzata players during the second period. Jablonski’s face “slammed against the boards and his body was straight up and down,” according to Benilde coach Chris McGowan. As a result of the incident, Jablonski suffered a major spinal cord injury, leaving him permanently paralyzed. Some good news is that Jablonski is now able to move both his arms a little, something doctors initially said he would not be able to do. Jablonski and his family are receiving tons of support from various celebrities, and there are numerous fundraisers for the family, including The Jack Jablonski Fund (click here).

One week after the Jablonski tragedy, senior Jenna Privette from St. Croix Lutheran High School in West St. Paul was also hit from behind during a hockey game. She fell face down on the ice and was unable to move. Privette was hospitalized and is listed in satisfactory condition but still unable to move her legs or feet. She has pain and tingling in her arms, and an MRI showed no breaks in her spinal cord.

The injuries to Jablonski and Privette have led to much discussion about the dangers of playing sports, but especially hockey. Some say that youth hockey has become more aggressive in recent years, spurred on by some coaches. Keith Hendrickson, an amateur scout for the Buffalo Sabres NHL team, said (as reported in the Star Tribune), “Nobody condones it, but all I hear from coaches is, ‘Body! Body! Body!”’

The officiating of youth hockey games is also a major concern among many people who watch and play the sport. As Benilde’s head varsity coach Ken Pauly says, “We have the rules against checking from behind. We just have to apply them better.” Obviously, there needs to be stricter rule enforcement, especially on checking from behind, to protect the safety of everyone involved. Click here to read more about the importance of hockey safety.

In a high school hockey game on January 5 between Winona and Owatonna, a Winona player was checked in the back by a Owatonna player, causing a huge altercation between the teams. Winona coach Fran McDevitt says, and I agree, that players on both teams reacted the way they did because of the Jablonski tragedy. All 10 players on the ice were ejected, which almost never happens. These ejections perhaps show that youth hockey officials are beginning to respond appropriately to the Jablonski incident.

The injuries to Jablonski and Privette raise bigger questions: How can we best ensure the safety of youth hockey players? Stricter rule enforcement is an obvious solution. Referees need to be part of this equation. Stricter rule enforcement could also prevent coaches from encouraging their players to play too aggressively.

Ensuring the safety of youth hockey players is very important because, as seen in the cases of Jablonski and Privett and even of Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, whose ongoing health issues may be related to concussions he sustained playing a lot of hockey growing up in Canada, youth hockey injuries can have very serious and long-term consequences. What do you think of youth hockey injuries? What steps should be taken to ensure the safety of everyone involved?

Written by: Sam Graves

From January 31-February 5, 2012, Minneapolis’s own Theodore Wirth Park will host the Paralympics Nordic Skiing World Cup. Theodore Wirth Park was one of four venues (the others are in Norway, Wisconsin, and Finland) selected to host the 2012 Paralympics. The Minneapolis venue was chosen to be a host in part because of its world-class trails and snowmaking facilities. The world’s best Nordic skiers will be competing in the Cup.

Nordic skiers are divided into three main categories: sit-ski (a chair attached to a pair of skis), standing, and visually impaired. Participants in these categories are then divided into sub-categories based on their disability.

Click here (and post a comment on this blog) to learn more about the Paralympics World Cup or if you are interested in volunteering at it. The Cup should be quite entertaining and exciting!

Written by: Sam Graves

As 2011 wraps up, I would like to take time to review my top moments of the year. While it was a year to forget the Twins season, there were other moments ranging from personal achievements to events that will be carved in Minnesota history. Here are my top five, plus a few honorable mentions.

#5: Last summer, when a certain college initially refused to accept a reasonable accommodation for a person with physical disabilities to bring a PCA into a college classroom, I worked with the Disability Law Center to convince the college to change its policy. Because of my determination, I was honored to receive the “2011 Transition Student Of The Year” award from the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living at its 30th Anniversary banquet in October. It was great to get honored but it was also great that the college changed its policy.

#4: After 19 months in operation, the “Two Men On” blog reached the 30,000 view mark in July. Sam Graves and I will keep bringing you news in 2012 that matters to you. Please remember we always like your topic suggestions! You can also find us on Facebook.

#3: Sam Graves and I were invited to celebrate Twins legend Harmon Killebrew’s would-be 75th birthday in June. The party took place on the Budweiser Roof Deck at Target Field during a Twins game. Nita Killebrew, Harmon’s wife, was among the approximate 150 people who attended the party with fabulous food and drinks — and the Twins won! It was a great way to honor the baseball legend who passed away in May of esophageal cancer.

#2: On a stormy night in late July, U2 rocked TCF Bank Stadium, putting on one of the most memorable outdoor concerts in Minnesota history. The driving rain didn’t stop U2 from performing an outrageously great concert under a mammoth claw, belting out “Beautiful Day,” “One,” “Vertigo,” “City Of Blinding Lights,” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” among others. This was the first concert at the University of Minnesota’s newest stadium and the biggest outdoor concert in Minnesota since the Eagles and the Steve Miller Band performed at Metropolitan Stadium in 1978.

#1: Oh, yes, how can we forget the Minnesota Lynx season! The Lynx won the 2011 WNBA Finals in October, beating Atlanta in five games. After finishing 27-7 in the regular season, the Lynx steamrolled through the playoffs on the way to Minnesota’s first major championship win in 20 years (1991 Twins). Four days later, 3,000 fans gathered in downtown Minneapolis to celebrate and watch a victory parade. Lindsay Whalen, a Hutchinson native, was thrilled to bring home a championship to Minnesota.

Honorable Mentions:

• A “Two Men On” photo appearing at Killebrew’s funeral in Arizona in May
• The groundbreaking of Courage Center’s new accessible softball field in Brooklyn Park
• The new additions and improvements to Target Field
• Former Twins starter Bert Blyleven’s induction into the MLB Hall of Fame in July
• Former Twins slugger Jim Thome joining the 600 home run club in July against Detroit
• Team USA’s Power Soccer team winning the FIPFA World Cup in early November in Paris
• The ADA new regulations conference in May

What are your top moments of 2011? We want to hear from you. Happy New Year 2012!

Written by: Michael L. Sack

After finishing up business with the outfield last week and saying good-bye to Michael Cuddyer, the Twins seem to be moving on to more dire needs in pitching. The Twins’ starting pitching was dreadful last year, resulting in a 99-loss season. The 2011 starting pitching statistics were awful: the Twins gave up 551 runs, 1086 hits, 112 home runs, and 286 walks (source: ESPN). Obviously, the Twins must start to find improved pitchers to give the starting rotation more hope for 2012. The Twins found an all-star pitcher this week and there are reports that the team is looking at a marquee pitcher.

On December 22, the Twins signed free-agent pitcher Jason Marquis to a one-year contract worth $3 million. Marquis pitched for Washington and Arizona last year before a batted ball struck him in August, fracturing his right fibula. Marquis has pitched for 6 teams in his first 12 seasons in MLB. During his career, he has a 4.55 ERA and 974 strikeouts. Marquis also pitched in the 2009 MLB All-Star Game for Colorado. Next season will be his first pitching in the American League, which surprised some people as he was a great hitting pitcher, winning the National League Silver Sluggers Award in 2005. Marquis will fill the back of the Twins starting rotation, with Brian Duensing likely moving to the bullpen.

This week free-agent pitcher Roy Oswalt informed all MLB teams that he is now looking for a one-year deal. Previously, Oswalt told teams that he was looking for three years. This triggered interest from more teams, including the Twins, Toronto, Boston, and Miami. Before joining Philadelphia in 2010, Oswalt was a dynamic pitcher for Houston for many years. In his 10-year career with the Astros, he had a 3.24 ERA and racked up 1593 strikeouts. If Oswalt lands with the Twins, he would fit well in the first slot in the rotation, with Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano following him.

It will be exciting to see what the Twins do now with the starting rotation. Oswalt would help Marquis a great deal. But, I think the Twins are going to need to sign a big name pitcher if they don’t agree to a deal with the three-time All-Star.

Written by: Michael L. Sack

On December 16, the same day that longtime Twin Michael Cuddyer was signed by the Colorado Rockies (he will wear #3 in honor of the legendary Harmon Killebrew), the Twins officially introduced outfielder Josh Willingham to serve as Cuddyer’s replacement.

I really hoped the Twins would re-sign Cuddyer, mainly because of his versatility and leadership (and some will say his good looks!), but I now believe that the Willingham-for-Cuddyer move could actually turn out to be a good one for the Twins. Replacing Willingham with Cuddyer will save the Twins about $3 million per year and it gives Minnesota a few extra draft picks in next year’s draft. Willingham and Cuddyer have similar stats, but Willingham has more power. They are also said to have similar personalities.

Then, on December 19, the Twins lost another outfielder. Jason Kubel was signed by Arizona for two years. Although the Twins talked with Kubel about re-signing him, the move didn’t really surprise me since Minnesota had already signed Willingham. I also heard that Kubel was getting frustrated with Target Field because he couldn’t hit many home runs there.

So, with Cuddyer and Kubel gone, the Twins will have a different look in the outfield when next season opens. Minnesota has said they plan to make Willingham their starting right fielder, with Denard Span in center and Ben Revere in left. This surprises me a little because, even though this is good for Span and Revere, Willingham said he feels more comfortable in left field. Another possibility is to put Willingham in left, Revere in center, and Span in right. Span played well in right a few years ago and I think Minnesota should try him there again to see how he does. But, we’ll have to wait and see! What do you think about the Willingham-Cuddyer swap and the outfield situation??

Written by: Sam Graves

This could be an end to an era. An end to a relationship. People in Twins Territory have been in suspense this week about the possibility of Michael Cuddyer, a fan favorite and a free-agent, leaving the Twins organization. This past month the Twins were trying to sign Cuddyer, but he wasn’t taking the offer. So, it appears management had to move forward–and they sure did. Just this morning, there was breaking news that said Cuddyer was likely heading west.

Just yesterday the Twins signed free-agent Josh Willingham to a three-year, $21 million contract. When the Twins didn’t hear back from Cuddyer, they focused on the Oakland outfielder. The Twins offered Cuddyer three years, but he was looking for a bigger contract. Willingham was wanted by many teams before the Twins grabbed him. With the Athletics last year, Willingham belted 29 home runs and has smacked 20 homers or more in four of his first eight years. Willingham can play both right and left field, but the Twins have indicated that he will be their right fielder. This is an outstanding move by the Twins as Willingham will give them much-needed power in their line-up.

Today could mark the end of Cuddyer’s run as a Twin, which began when he was signed by the Twins in 1997. This morning, December 16, the Colorado Rockies and Cuddyer agreed to a three-year, $31.5 million deal. Finishing touches are being put on the contract but it looks like Cuddyer will be a Rockie. The deal could be finalized later today. Last year, Cuddyer batted .284 with 20 home runs.

While with the Twins, Cuddyer was an advocate for Courage Center’s Rolling Twins teams and he was the Twins’ spokesman for the 2010 Pepsi Refresh Grant contest. Cuddyer helped the Twins get the most votes, which in turn helped Courage Center build a wheelchair-accessble complex. The Twins won the grant by more than 60,000 votes, getting the most among 14 other MLB teams. Courage Center is now in the middle of building the complex in Brooklyn Park. The cutest Twin, to some fans, will be surely missed by the Twins and the disabled community.

With that said, I wish good luck to Cuddyer and hope he visits the Courage Center’s accessible softball complex when it is completed! Oh, and welcome to Minnesota, Josh Willingham!

Written by: Michael L. Sack

In April 2012, Major League Baseball will introduce a “brand new” organization. The Florida Marlins are in the midst of the biggest transition in MLB since Montreal moved to Washington in 2004. The Marlins have removed Florida from their name, switched colors and uniforms, have acquired well-known players, are moving into the newest ballpark in America, and have found a new manager. This Marlins team just might be the team to watch during the 2012 season.

Last month, the Marlins ditched the Florida name and became the Miami Marlins. The Marlins introduced a new logo, which is a colorful “M”, with five new team colors: white, yellow, black, blue, and red. They also remodeled their jerseys, with the word “Miami” written across the front. This restructured organization will now represent the city of Miami and the area of Little Havana.

Marlins Park, the name of the new stadium, will be located in Miami-Dade county, two miles west of downtown Miami. The new ballpark will have a really awesome-looking, white retractable roof with open views of the neighborhood of Little Havana and downtown. The park’s many windows will open when the roof opens and close when the roof closes. The 37,000 seat ballpark also will feature a pool in the outfield, which fans can reserve. Marlins Park will have natural playing grass.

According to the Marlins, the new ballpark will also have great accessibility features with accessible seating locations and aisle-transferring seats throughout the stadium. But I have concerns about their accessible seating areas. The Marlins will have semi-permanent seating in some of the accessible seating spots, just like TCF Bank Stadium. This will prevent a group of wheelchair fans from easily sitting with each other. I hope one day that the “Two Men On” crew can take a road trip to Marlins Park to check out this ballpark in person.

The Miami Marlins also signed some top-rated players during the winter meetings last week in Dallas. First they signed closer Heath Bell and shortstop Jose Reyes to multi-year contracts. Then, Miami made a big splash by signing free agent pitcher Mark Buehrle in a four-year deal on December 7 (the Twins were reportedly interested in him). But the biggest news from the Marlins before the Buehrle signing was that they offered a ten-year contract to first baseman Albert Pujols. However, Pujols also received offers from St. Louis and Anaheim, and ultimately signed with the Angels for ten years. I really wanted the slugger to sign with Miami, so that the Marlins could make a serious run at the World Series against the Twins!

The Marlins will have a new, enthusiastic manager in Ozzie Guillen. Guillen stepped down as the White Sox manager at the end of September and Florida hired him soon after. Guillen is returning to Miami where he was a coach for the 2003 Marlins World Championship team, before heading north to manage in Chicago. Guillen is known to be the funniest manager in baseball with how he conducts his interviews and with his antics in the dug out. While with Chicago, Guillen won the 2005 A.L. Manager of the Year award after leading the White Sox to a World Series title against Houston.

It will be fun to watch the “newest” ball club in MLB, which is Miami, this year, now my new second favorite team! WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE MIAMI; HOPE YOU CAN MAKE A SPLASH!

Written by: Michael L. Sack

Power Soccer fans from all over the world were keeping a close eye on Paris in early November as the Halle Carpentier in France hosted the 2011 Federation International Power Football Association (FIPFA) World Cup. The FIPFA World Cup is held every four years in different cities. Ten teams battled to be crowned world champions, including Canada, France, England, Portugal, Belgium, and the USA, during the five-day event from November 2 to 6. But only one could be the champion. The World Cup was a pool-play style tournament with five teams in two pools.

The playing surface at the Halle Carpentier was a blue rubber surface covering a basketball floor. The floor only had Power Soccer lines painted on it. Pete Winslow, a member of team USA and a Minnesota athlete, described the floor: “I liked playing on that floor better than Sandburg {Middle School} because it was nicer and not scratched up or uneven.” The 13-inch soccer ball moved fast and sometimes got stuck on the floor, but Winslow said it wasn’t bad.

After winning the inaugural FIPFA World Cup in 2007 in Japan, Team USA was competing to defend its title and would be the first USA soccer team in history to accomplish that feat. The first round of the tournament was pool-play and USA went 3-1 in that round. In the second game of that round, USA beat Portugal 13-0 and Winslow recorded two goals. In the last game of pool-play, USA pummeled Switzerland by a score of 21-0, where Winslow again scored two goals. The USA’s only loss that round was in game 3 where they faltered against England 1-0 because team USA “didn’t play our game and we didn’t pass,” said Winslow. That 3-1 record led USA to the semi-final match against France. USA squeezed out the victory by a 2-0 score. On November 6, the USA went up against England to play for the World Cup. In the Championship game, USA played their game and outplayed England for 40 minutes, winning 3-0. Team USA was crowned the 2011 FIPFA World Cup Champions. Led by Head Coach Chris Finn of California, this team became the first soccer team in US history to win back-to-back World Cups!

The crowd at the Halle Carpentier was big and loud so teams had to really focus on communication due to fans cheering for ten different teams. Winslow happily summed up the atmosphere of the United States fans: “Hearing the crowd chanting USA was an amazing feeling because we were representing our sport and our country.”

When teams weren’t playing soccer, USA traveled to Paris and saw the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Winslow also noted that Team USA trained hard the week coming into the second FIPFA World Cup.

Finn, with help from Assistant Coach Mike Hayes, from Indiana, formed a team that didn’t quit and practiced hard to reach its dream. “The overall experience was amazing, because it will be embedded in my mind forever,” Winslow said. “I can look back 10 years from now and remember this wonderful journey with amazing people, and becoming the best in the world.”

CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM USA!

Written by: Michael L. Sack

On November 4, Access Press, a Minnesota newspaper for people with disabilities, had its annual Charlie Smith Awards dinner. The dinner was attended by a record number of people.

Each year, The Access Press Board of Directors chooses someone who has made a significant impact on the disability community to receive the Charlie Smith award. The 2011 award winner was Jeff Bangsberg, who was chosen from several nominees. At the dinner, he gave a speech, where he talked about what he has done in the disability world and some meaningful experiences he has had in the disability community. (Fortunately, his speech was short; the one last year was about 2 hours!).

Bangsberg, who has a spinal cord injury, was chosen as the award winner because of his “long record of service, dedication and commitment” to the disability community. Until he retired, Bangsberg was the government relations director for the Minnesota HomeCare Association (MHCA), where he worked to support home care services for seniors and persons with disabilities. Currently, he is a consultant to the Minnesota Department of Health and chairs the State Rehabilitation Council. He serves on the Minnesota Health Care Home Consumer and Family Council, as well as on the Courage Center’s Quality Assurance Committee and the Living Works Board of Directors.

Bangsberg has been a loyal advocate for people with disabilities for years. A few examples of his advocacy are his taking on leadership roles on employment of persons with disabilities, independent living and health care reform. Congratulations, Jeff, on winning this award, and thank you for being an influential leader in the disability community (and for giving a short speech!!). Click here to read more about Bangsberg.

Written by: Sam Graves