MINNESOTA SPORTS FAN DAILY: Saturday, October 7, 2017

By Eric Strack |

Updated: Jul 1, 2021

MSF Daily: 10/7/17

Gopher Football Tries to Rebound vs Purdue:

What: Minnesota Gophers (3-1) vs Purdue Boilermakers (2-2)
Where: Ross-Ade Stadium – West Lafayette, Indiana
When: Saturday, October 7 – 2:30 PM CT
How: Watch: ESPN2/Watch ESPN Listen: KFAN/iHeartRadio

We’re traveling to Purdue for our first Big Ten road game of the season.

Who’s rowing with us to West Lafayette?#Gophers #SkiUMah #RTB pic.twitter.com/MnyfAt814Q

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 5, 2017

After a disappointing loss vs Maryland last weekend, the Gophers are trying to rebound against a Purdue team they have beaten 4 times in a row. The Boilermakers are 3.5 point favorites at home. How do the Gophers pull off the upset?

It’s simple….. READ MORE…

Two OLD SCHOOL keys to #Gophers vs Purdue Saturday #RTB #SkiUMah https://t.co/mpl6TwSUGI

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 7, 2017

The Twins Can Be REALLY Good Next Season:

The wounds are still fresh, but they will fade.

Eventually, we will look at this season with a smile. The Twins’ pitching failed its hitters and fans in the Wildcard game. But, isn’t that what we expected? Isn’t that what we talked about all season? The pitching held up well enough to get us to the post season, when nobody even expected that. It’s time to look forward. But to do that, we will have to look back at 2017.

The young hitters were impressive all season. Behind the leadership of Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, and newly acquired Jason Castro, they flourished. It didn’t happen right away for all the budding professionals growing up on this team. But when they did break through, it was fun to watch.

Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco both hovered around .200 for the first half of the season. But, Buxton and Polanco’s surge, during the second half, was remarkable. The hot streaks brought their averages up, from below the Mendoza Line, to up and over .250. Max Kepler was up and down all season but finished with a solid .243 BA, 19 HR, 69 RBI, and a .737 OPS.

Eddie Rosario was good for pretty much the whole season. He dipped for a little while before the midway-point but started laying off terrible pitches and quickly became the best hitter of his career.

And Miguel Sano… READ MORE…

The #MNTwins Can Be REALLY Good Next Season… #WereGonna https://t.co/jee5SRcXYv

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 7, 2017

Sam Bradford Practices Again…:

The good news is that Sam Bradford was back at practice today for the 2nd day in a row. The bad news is that he still looks like shit when he walks. He does, however, look ok dropping back to throw. That is a little odd to me but I have never had major knee surgery nor played quarterback at any level higher than my back yard.

He still has plenty of time since the Vikings don’t play until Monday Night. He claims he is feeling much better. I will let you be the judge.

“I feel way better. Last week I couldnt get out of bed. I didnt even need my wheel chair today.” – Real Sam Bradford pic.twitter.com/bEgIYSrMHt

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 6, 2017

Looks better dropping back than he does walking like a normal human. Idk how I feel about that..

? @CourtneyRCronin pic.twitter.com/XDJEoCHPbM

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 6, 2017

While the Wolves are in China, Their Old/New Home is Taking Shape:

The Timberwolves have been on a tour of China over the last week. If you want to see it, you can follow Kyle Ratke on Twitter. He is Twittering the whole trip. They are playing two games against the Golden State Warriors. The first was on Thursday morning at 1 AM CT. The 2nd game will take place at 6 AM CT on Sunday morning. So, if you aren’t going out on Saturday, make sure you get up early and crack that first pot of coffee. Open the laptop, turn on the Wolves and get ready for a Vikings’ free Sunday of fantasy football, while enjoying some early morning TWolves basketball from China.

While the Wolves are away in China, their building is inching closer to completing its offseason makeover.

Starting to look like home sweet home. ?#NewEraNewHomeCourt pic.twitter.com/ZVIBlkMiak

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 6, 2017

Have you taken a walk through @TargetCenterMN‘s new main lobby yet? Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm & Sat 10am-4pm. #TCReimagined #NewEraNewDigs pic.twitter.com/jM6JVKOZO6

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 6, 2017

More progress on the new home court! ? #NewEraNewHomeCourt pic.twitter.com/DUl6AKyGRU

— Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 3, 2017

It may be raining outside, but @TargetCenterMN is looking brighter than ever.

2️⃣5️⃣ days until opening night! #TCReimagined #NewEraNewDigs pic.twitter.com/HAR9HzyFET

— TC Renovation (@tc_renovation) September 25, 2017