With a few notable exceptions -- the Lynx, Saints, Stars and recent hockey developments chief among them -- we all know this has been a terrible year for Minnesota sports. Recent developments, however, have added depth to this wrinkle: It's been a particularly bad year for many of our biggest star athletes. Here is the rundown, as we see it:
*Joe Mauer: He played in just 82 games -- 51 at catcher -- and posted career-lows in batting average and OPS, among other things, while fighting various ailments and losing a major battle when it comes to public perception.
*Justin Morneau: Various ailments, most notably residual effects of his 2010 concussion, limited the former MVP to just 69 games, four homers and a .227 batting average.
*Adrian Peterson: He was running about as well as we've seen him run at any point in his career until being injured early against Oakland two weeks ago. He missed the Atlanta game and could be out again against Denver (though he is said to be "improving," per head coach Leslie Frazier). Injury aside, Peterson has also toiled behind an offensive line that needs work, and his huge efforts have largely been wasted on a 2-9 team.
*Trevor Mbakwe: The senior tore his ACL on Sunday, providing a double dose of personal and team sorrow. Mbakwe is widely believed to be the only reason Minnesota would have a chance to reach the NCAA tournament this season. And a big season from him could have made Mbakwe a first-round NBA pick. Now he's out for the year, and the Gophers are trying to move on while Mbakwe's leg is completely swollen.
Counting today, there are 33 days left in 2011. Let's try to get every other big-time player through the rest of the year safely into 2012.
