Month: September 2005

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Help Tony Oliva Get In Hall Of Fame: Vote!

In Sunday’s Star Tribune, Joe Christensen wrote about what could be Tony Oliva’s last chance at a spot in Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame: The Latino Legends Team. Christensen writes that the Latino Legends Team "is baseball’s attempt to recognize the Latin-American history of the game, which was overlooked when no Hispanic players made the All-Century Team in 1999." He also argues that if Tony O has a chance to get in the Hall, he’ll need to be on the Latino Legends Team first.

It sure can’t hurt; and you can help. Major League Baseball is holding balloting at their website so go vote today! Balloting ends October 10.

It is an absolute shame that Oliva has not yet been voted into the Hall.

More About Tony Oliva:

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Vikings Sign Koren Robinson

The Vikings signed former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Koren Robinson to a two-year contract today, the Star Tribune reports. Robinson was released largely because of behavioral issues connected to alcohol abuse. He received treatement this summer but has a upcoming court date for a drunk driving conviction on September 14.

So why would the team sign a troubled receiver rather than seek to bolster a demonstrated weakness on the team such as bringing in another linebacker or getting a veteran punter?

The signing of Koren Robinson tells me that Tice is either not satisified with Marcus Robinson (and, frankly, he didn’t have that great of a preseason, dropping several balls he should have caught) or that Troy Williamson‘s development is not nearly to the point where the team would like or both.

We don’t know the terms of the deal yet, but I imagine we got Robinson on the cheap, so it’s probably worth the risk because if the guy can clean up his act, we could possibly have pretty decent receiver on our hands. He’s a big reciever at 6′ 1", 205 lbs., and the Seahawks, after all, took him with the nineth overall pick in 2001. Before he was drafted, there was some question about his speed, but I’ve read that he is a deep threat and he posted damn good numbers in 2002 (78 catches for 1240 yards and 5 TDs) and 2003 (65 catches for 896 yards and 4 TDs) before dropping off last year.

The other news was that the team released punter Darren Bennett and picked up another Seahawk, punter Chris Kluwe. Big surprise there. This is the price the team paid for refusing to give Mitch Berger a million bucks a year. Was it worth it?

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New Orleans

After watching days of the horror that is the devestation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and the Bush Administration’s absolute and deadly failure to respond to the catastrophe, it was a bit of tonic to read Star Tribune sports columnist Jim Souhan‘s ode to New Orleans as a sports town, sad though it is now that the city is, literally, dead.

The piece includes this wonderful line:

"Only in New Orleans could men persuade women to lift their shirts in exchange for beads, the most efficient use of trinkets since Europeans stole Manhattan."

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Vikings Roster Moves

The Vikings made their final roster moves to get down to the regular season 53 man limit, and there are a few surprises.

First, the team traded 2nd year offensive lineman Nat Dorsey to the Cleveland Browns for 4th year guard/center Melvin Fowler. Fowler’s stated 14 games in his four-year career and was a 3rd round pick for the Browns in 2002.

I know next to nothing about Fowler, but it sounds like a great deal to me, especially after watching Dorsey last night. Damn, that was ugly; when he wasn’t getting callled for holding, he was having his lunch handed to him by whoever lined up against him. We clearly need depth at center and we gained two years experience in the deal. The only question is whether Fowler is thought of as a potential starter, or a backup. I’m guessing the Vikes would love to see him take the starting role because at 6′ 3", 305 lbs, he’s a very big man.

The team put DT Steve Martin on injured reserve (he limped off the field last night) and put one of my favorites, receiver Aaron Hosack, on the reserve, non-footbal injury list, which means we will potentially see both in purple the future.

It’s official. The Viking actually only got LB Napoean Harris and receiver Troy Williamson for Randy Moss, as they released the last piece of the Moss trade, 7th round defensive back Adrian Ward. Former Minnesota Gopher defensive back Ukee Dozier and safety Will Hunter were both cut.

Linebacker Heath Farwell was cut when it appeared he may have locked up a spot on the strength of his special teams play–he just always seemed to be in on tackles while covering kicks–but 2nd year man Rod Davis‘ bone-crunching performance last nght might have cost Farwell his spot.

Defensive linemen Earl Cochran and Matt Mitrione were both cut.

Both six foot five receiver Chris Jones and hometown favorite, speedy receiver Ryan Hoag from Gustavus Adolphus were cut. No surprises there.

Offensive linemen Brandon Newton, Chris Janke, and Shannon Snell (who at least looked better than Nat Dorsey last ngiht) were cut.

Defensive Coordinator Ted Cotrell son, injured TE T.J. Cotrell was cut along with fellow tight ends Sean Berton and, damn, my favorite, the six foot eight Richard Angulo. I gotta admit that Angulo did not help his own cause this preseason by being injured and last night, not catching the over the shoulder toss by Brad Johnson.

The team unloaded running backs ReShard Lee (and no big surprise; they picked him up only a few days ago), 2nd year man Butchie Wallace, and Adimchinobe Echemandu, who, I thougth, had perhaps shown enough to stay with the team.

The team released kickers Travis Dorsch and Aaron Elling. No surprise there. But after the shaky performance Darren Bennett put on last night, perhaps the team will work out Sean Landetta.

Now we’ll have to see who makes it through waivers and gets stuffed on the practice squad.