Sid Hartman: Lack of stadium progress frustrates Vikings' Wilf

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said his frustrations about the lack of interest here to build a new stadium hit a new high when he attended the recent owners meetings in Nashville and watched Arizona, Dallas and Indianapolis bid for Super Bowl XLV in 2011. Dallas won the bid.

The Cardinals already have a new retractable-roof stadium in Glendale, Ariz., that will play host to the Super Bowl in 2008. The new Colts stadium is scheduled to open in 2008, the new Cowboys stadium in 2009.

"We were hoping to find out who was going to get the Super Bowl, and here we have three new stadiums supported by local governments: Dallas, Arizona, Indianapolis," Wilf said. "And I kind of felt, here were venues that were making those states proud and making those fans happy to have a new home and having the opportunity to have a Super Bowl, having the opportunity to have stage Final Fours and other big events.

"And hearing from the officials from those towns as they tried to pitch their Super Bowl venue, I felt that for the fans and for the team and for the state [of Minnesota]. I thought it would be a very good opportunity to have them see what other states are doing, and how they tried to bring their state and their venues to a national prominence, so that they can attract conventions and events of national importance."

Wilf then said he hoped to some day come back before his fellow NFL owners representing the Vikings, the Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota in asking to play host to a Super Bowl. And that if a new stadium were built, that people could look back and be proud of what the state did for its fans and citizens.

Well, the Wilf family just wrote a check for some $5 million to buy three parking lots in the Washington Avenue area, where they hope to construct some great commercial buildings to go along with the stadium that they hope will be built on the site of the Metrodome. But so far, nothing has happened to indicate the Vikings will get that stadium to be the center of their dream project.

Another find

Terry Ryan has made his share of great acquisitions from organizations during his time as Twins general manager, and it appears that he made another quality pickup when he claimed pitcher Matt Guerrier off waivers from Pittsburgh in November 2003.

Guerrier, a 28-year-old righthander, has been a savior for the crippled Twins bullpen, compiling a 1-1 record and a impressive 1.82 ERA in 21 games and 292/3 innings this season.

He spent some time with the White Sox and Pirates organizations, but he never got a chance in the majors until he joined the Twins.

Speaking of his time with Pittsburgh, Guerrier said he only went to spring training with the Pirates in 2003, because he was traded to them from the White Sox at the end of spring training in 2002. "I was hurt coming into that spring training, so it wasn't really that they didn't give me an opportunity; I kind of lost my own opportunity, really."

Guerrier said that when the Twins acquired him, "Ryan said to come in and be healthy, and that's pretty much what I tried to do. I went to [Class AAA] Rochester for a couple months and got an opportunity to start two games in '04. So you know, that worked out. I was out of options and the next year they needed a long guy in the pen, and I kind of fit."

Last year, he was going well until he broke his thumb on a line drive hit by Seattle's Richie Sexson on June 9. Guerrier didn't come back to the active roster until Aug. 1, but he finished 1-0 -- getting his first major league victory Sept. 23 at Baltimore -- with a 3.36 ERA.

Guerrier gives pitching coach Rick Anderson credit for his success. "He's got a different thing to work on with everybody," Guerrier said. "He is real personable about telling you stuff that works for you, and he'll tell somebody else a different thing that might work for them."

Anderson said one reason for Guerrier's success is his confidence.

"[He's] pitching with a lot of confidence and attacking the strike zone, and what makes him so tough is he throws four pitches at any time for strikes," Anderson said. "I've always liked his stuff; I think he's stronger this year. He's throwing the ball a little bit harder and his stuff's a little bit crisper than before and he looks like he's a little bigger and stronger. So, you add that with the ability to throw them all for strikes and it's pretty good.

"He's a lifesaver out there. I was telling [manager Ron Gardenhire], we've just got to be careful we don't overuse him because he's throwing the ball so well that you want a tendency to run him out there every night. But we've got to watch what we're doing with him."

Mauer still hurting

Dr. John Steubs, the Twins' orthopedic physician, said at no time did he predict catcher Joe Mauer would be healthy enough to face Toronto on Friday. "It will take a few more days for Joe to be ready to play," Steubs said. Mauer has been on the disabled list for most of this month because of a calf injury.

Justin Morneau got off to a slow start last year before taking off the rest of the way to win AL MVP honors. On May 26 last season, the Twins first baseman began the day hitting .237 with nine homers and 34 RBI. This year, he was hitting .282 with 14 homers and 34 RBI. He and Torii Hunter are carrying the Twins.

Twins shortstop Jason Bartlett said his neck problem started in January. "But it gradually got worse and then it would get better, and then I would dive again, then it would get worse. So, it's just something that I've got to play with," Bartlett said. "They said it was a degenerative disk in the neck. But it's a mild case of it, so to me it feels like a pinched nerve back there on certain movements. But, it's getting better and I think it's just something, with treatment and ice, that I can play through."

Jottings

Kevin Garnett, who sat out the final five games of last season because of some leg problems, doesn't seem to have any problem walking down the Metrodome stairs to the first row of seats behind the Twins dugout. The Timberwolves star is a big Twins fan.

On its website, Sports Illustrated has the Wolves taking Ohio State point guard Mike Conley Jr. with the No. 7 pick in the NBA draft on June 28. However, I doubt this will happen, as the Wolves are loaded with guards. It's more likely they will take one of three Florida big men if they are available: Al Horford, Corey Brewer or Joakim Noah.

Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal reports that M.A. Mortenson, the Golden Valley-based contractor for the new Twins stadium, picked Blaine-based Glenn Rehbein Cos. to do the site preparation work and New Brighton-based Belair Excavating to relocate utilities for the ballpark. ... There are some position players not hitting too well for the Twins' Rochester farm team. Longtime Twin Matthew LeCroy began Saturday hitting .202. Denard Span, the supposed successor to Hunter in center field, was at .218, while second baseman Alexi Casilla was at .240 and third baseman Matt Moses at .248. ... One of the outstanding young pitchers in the Twins farm system is Cole Devries, a former Gophers and Eden Prairie High School righthander who was 4-2 with a 1.53 ERA for Class A Beloit. ... With an average home attendance of 27,192 entering Saturday, the Twins were eighth in the American League, ahead of Toronto, Oakland, Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

The Gophers football team and new coach Tim Brewster continue to make scholarship offers to players all over the country. GopherIllustrated.com reported that the Gophers have made offers to highly ranked recruits such as Cleveland Glenville cornerback Donnie Fletcher; Dallas Skyline quarterback Troy Stoudermire; Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln tight end Jabaris Little and quarterback B.J. Daniels; and Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian Academy running back Jamie Harper.

Andy Murray, the St. Louis Blues coach who coached the Canadians to the gold medal in the recent hockey world championships in Moscow, said that among those contributing to the title were Wild defenseman Nick Schultz and former Wild goalie Dwayne Roloson, now with Edmonton. Murray, who lives in Faribault in the offseason, has two sons: Jordy is a junior hockey player at Shattuck-St. Mary's who just committed to Wisconsin, while Brady just signed a contract with the Los Angeles Kings, the team Andy Murray used to coach.

Sid Hartman can be heard weekdays on WCCO AM-830 at 6:40, 7:40 and 8:40 a.m. and on Podcast twice a week at www.startribune.com/sidcast. • shartman@startribune.com