Today's Series of Random Thoughts:

-Carlos Gomez just made an amazing running catch against the Phillies. If only he could have learned to take a decent at-bat...

-For those emailing today, asking why my column didn't recommend firing David Kahn...well, I've actually recommended that often over the last few months. Today's column was an attempt to figure out how the Wolves could improve if he is retained, which is what I expect to happen.

-I also received a bunch of emails asking why I didn't include the Twins in today's ``prescription" column. C'mon, can't we have a little perspective? The Twins stink right now. They're awful right now. They've been similarly awful at various points over the last 10 years, and being lousy for a couple of weeks, or a month, or half a season, hasn't prevented them from being very successful overall.

They stunk for half a season in 2003 and won the division. They stunk for two months to start the 2006 season and won the division. They stunk for much of 2008, and much of 2009, and wound up in Game 163s. And they went through a midseason slump last year and won the division.

They have lots of worrisome problems. Right now they don't know what they're going to get from their three best players - Mauer, Morneau and Nathan - or the entire bullpen. But they've been in far worse straits than this and survived. I'd just wait a while before burying them.

They have played as poorly as can be imagined, and yet are just two games behind Detroit and one behind Chicago. That's not exactly a crisis. It would be if the Twins played in the AL East, but they don't.

-Interesting that the NFL seems to have front-loaded its schedule with intriguing games, and rivalry games. Either the NFL brass expects the season to be played in full, or wants to pressure the players by making the public hot for those early-season games to be played on time.

-OK, this is purely selfish, but couldn't the Vikings play in Detroit in September and San Diego in December? Please?

-As I wrote today, Ken Hitchcock would be a godsend for the Wild. He's smart, funny, personable, accomplished and shrewd. He might be able to squeeze a playoff appearance out of this mediocre roster.

If the Wild hired Hitchcock and the Wolves hired Rick Adelman or Sam Mitchell, those franchises would be in far better shape.

-Watching the Sharks-Kings games last night, it occured to me that hockey is at its best when defenses are disorganized or inept. I'll take a wild shootout over a conservatively-played 1-0 game anytime in this sport.

-Been debating with Patrick Reusse on 1500espn how many pitchers the Twins will use this year. He originally said 18, and I said 20, and we might both be conservative. I see frequent callups and a trade or two before the end of August.

-There is a reason NBA players don't play this hard on defense during the regular season: None of them would be healthy for the playoffs. The level of defense in this league's playoffs is ferocious.

-As for the rampant Gopher-fan enthusiasm over the hiring of Jerry Kill, can we at least wait until he proves he can win the spring game?