Twins Secure Nathan

Last season, Joe Nathan made his first appearance as a closer. For recognizing Nathan's talent, the Twins were rewarded with an All-Star performance. The hard throwing right hander converted 44 of 47 saves, including a team record 27 in a row. He posted a 1.62 E.R.A. and struck out 89 batters in 73 games.

Nathan will make $2 million this season, which is the final year of his current contract. Next year he will take home $3.75 million and $5.25 million the following season.

This is yet another example of Terry Ryan's tendency to secure his top pitchers and fill the field with solid defensive players. What these players are able to do at the plate is important, but down a ways on the list of prerequisites of being a Twin.

It's tough to argue with any of the moves Ryan has made recently. He wrapped up the Cy Young award winner and inked Juan Rincon to a two-year deal. We still have guys like Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones and Shannon Stewart. All this from a small-market club that hasn't allowed its general manager to increase spending in over two seasons.

Somehow Terry Ryan always makes it work. The Nathan signing is just one more in a long list of examples.

Not Kelly Campbell Too!

I'm afraid it's true. Our favorite wide receiver with the little body and the big mouth succumbed to the behavior of his counterparts. On Thursday, February 24th, Campbell was arrested in Atlanta on a drug and weapons charge. He was freed after posting an $8,000 bond.

According to the Associated Press, Campbell was charged with "possession of marijuana and theft by receiving stolen property involving a handgun." The drug charge doesn't bother me too much. Granted, a person in his position should think twice before jeopardizing his standing by smoking pot. But it's tough to be too hard on a guy for smoking a drug that is as common in as tobacco in California and Canada as well as the NBA and NFL.

But the weapons charge is a different story. What does Kelly Campbell need a gun for? He's a professional football player. I don't think his life has been threatened recently and even if it had, purchasing a stolen gun probably isn't the way to go.

There really isn't a lot to say about this situation. Kelly Campbell was found with a handgun that was reported stolen in Florida. It's a disappointment. It changes how I think of the little guy. It makes it tough to cheer for him.

The Vikings crime resume continues. I suppose I should have seen it coming. We got rid of one criminal/receiver, I suppose someone had to step into a leadership role. I just wish it hadn't been Campbell.

Obesity Data Is A Joke

The University of North Carolina has allowed endocrinologist Joyce Harp and student researcher Lindsay Hecht to make a joke of the university. Harp and Hecht recently released a study claiming that 56% of NFL players are obese. It is the most ridiculous and least scientific study I have ever seen.

The study considered one set of data: the height-to-weight ratio of NFL players. Then, because most NFL players are heavy for their height, these geniuses come to the conclusion they are obese. According to Foxsports.com, Harp and Hecht got their "statistics" off the NFL website, meaning they used height and weight and that's it. The NFL's response--and I applaud them for not sticking the word "idiot" after the response--was to suggest that the data is inaccurate or at least incomplete because it doesn't take into consideration the weight of muscle in these players.

NFL football players are a rare specimen. Sure, there are skinny guys like Randy Moss, and there are certainly fat guys, like Gilbert Brown. But the vast majority of these guys--even the linemen--are in amazing shape. It's part of what they do for a living. Even most linemen these days are not only big and strong, but athletic and muscular. A layer of fat over a lot of muscle on someone who can run a 40-yard dash in five seconds doesn't make him obese. It makes him bigger, stronger and in better shape than 90% of Americans.

I'm not claiming NFL players don't face health risks. They get beaten and bruised every week, use of untested supplements is rampant and there's no shortage of drug problems in the league. But obesity? You have to be kidding me.

I'm curious about the circumstances of this study. Without having any knowledge of the situation, I would guess it was for a Master's program of some sort. I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who has been a professor at Iowa State University for 30 years. He told me of a Master's thesis which came to the conclusion that if you are nicer to people, they will like you more. When put into thesis-speak, almost anything can be Master's worthy. My suspicion is that Ms. Hecht will earn a passing grade for this, too.

That doesn't change the fact that this is incomplete science. Either the percent of obese NFL players is more like 3%, or we need a new definition of obesity.

Lay Off Coach Chaney

Temple men's basketball coach John Chaney is a 73-year-old man with a hot temper. That temper backfired on him last week when he sent a "goon" into a game against St. Joseph's. The hard foul that ensued resulted in a broken arm for John Bryant, a senior forward for St. Joe's.

Since the incident, Chaney and Temple University have been volleying suspensions. First Chaney voluntarily suspended himself for a game. When the extent of Bryant's injury became known, the university extended it through the rest of the regular season. Then Chaney added the conference tournament on top of that. Along with his self-imposed suspension, Chaney has apologized profusely. He has offered to pay for Bryant's medical bills and called the family to apologize. Still, people insist on making an example out of him.

To pretend things like this don't happen routinely in big time college basketball is ridiculous. Chaney simply had the misfortune of his actions resulting in an injury. Without condoning what he did, I appreciate his apologies and feel confident he has learned from it.

Chaney is well known for his ability to take kids off the street and turn them into respectable, educated citizens who contribute to society. He is a Hall of Fame-type coach with 721 career wins and has acted with complete class since the incident. There is nothing he can do now but wait and see what the university decides to do with him.

With scandals of all shapes and sizes rampant in collegiate sports, we shouldn't demand a school dismiss someone who has done so much good--and will continue to do more--because of one mistake. Let's all just ease off Coach Chaney a little bit.

He made a mistake, it's true. But he doesn't deserve to be fired for it.

Restovich's Year

The 2005 major league baseball season will be the year of Michael Restovich's arrival. After spending every season since 1997 in the minor leagues, the 2nd round draft pick will finally land in the big leagues, and stick.

It has gone from an exciting trip to a long haul for the Rochester native. After flying up the farm system ladder early in his professional career, Restovich has run into a wall over the last few years. Outfielders like Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, Shannon Stewart and Lew Ford will do that to a guy. But now the Twins will be forced to make a decision. Either Resto has to be put on the big league roster out of spring training, or another team will surely pick him up off the waiver wire.

During the past few seasons, the numbers make it appear that Restovich has plateaued a bit. Last year's major league stints produced a .255 batting average and two home runs in 29 games and his AAA numbers weren't anything mind blowing. He has always had impressive power numbers, but his overall stats have, if anything, taken a slide.

I think Ron Gardenhire hit it right on the head when he said of Restovich in AAA, "You get stuck down there...Maybe he should be in the big leagues. Maybe he'd do better in the big leagues." When you have a guy who can hit the ball "408,000 miles," according to Gardenhire, it seems like you'd want to give him a consistent shot.

Last season, Resto had to deal with being called up and sent back down. He would start to get into a groove in AAA, then be called up and play sparingly for the big club. Then he'd be sent back down and the process would start all over. But not this year.

I don't know where Resto will be. I have a feeling it won't be in Minnesota. But, professionally, I think that would be the best thing for him. Here, he'll be our 4th outfielder. He'll play once in a while and never get into the kind of groove that will help him fulfill his potential. But there are plenty of teams out there that could use him not as a 4th outfielder, but as a regular 3rd. Somewhere, he'll get 500 at-bats this season. He'll hit 20 home runs and chalk up 75 RBI. This will be the year of Michael Restovich's emergence.

The other option is that he stays here as the 4th outfielder. For his sake, I hope he leaves.

Mulholland's Love For The Game

In today's Minneapolis Star Tribune, an article on Twins pitcher Terry Mulholland renewed my faith in professional ball players. The southpaw is already over 40-years-old and has always had every intention of pitching until he is 45. But lately, that's changed. He doesn't think he'll be ready to retire that young. He'd rather throw until he's 50.

Mulholland's comments paint the picture of a man who refuses to get caught up in the fact that he is a professional baseball player. He never mentions money, looks forward to the season and spends extra time at the ball park and in the clubhouse because--get this--he wants to. He realizes that he's been given a gift. He is a major league baseball player, and he doesn't want to let a minute slip by without savoring it. He keeps his wit and sense of humor readily available because, well why not? What's not to be excited about when you're in his shoes?

Mulholland isn't going to blow anyone away with his fastball. He couldn't do that when he was 22, much less 42. But there will always be a spot in the bullpen for a crafty, veteran lefty who can perform in a situational role.

I'll take Terry Mulholland on my team any day. Or at least until he turns 50.