Hartman: Browns' future still looks bleak

Vikings fans who complain about the team not winning Super Bowls or division titles should realize that the Cleveland Browns, the Vikings' opponent Sunday, have not made the playoffs for 11 years and haven't won a playoff game for 19 years. And this year isn't looking any better.

The team sent their 2012 first-round draft pick, running back Trent Richardson, to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2013 first-round pick. They also announced Wednesday that their third-string quarterback, Brian Hoyer, will start against the Vikings because starter Brandon Weeden sprained the thumb on his throwing hand.

It's a catastrophe this year in Cleveland. The Browns have scored only one touchdown in two games, and the reason is simply a "lack of playmakers" on offense, reported Terry Pluto in the Cleveland Plain Dealer this week.

Pluto wrote: "Pretend you are an opposing defensive coordinator facing the Browns. Who would worry you the most? That's the best way to access what's wrong with the Browns offense."

Meanwhile, the Vikings offense is showing improvement in a key area. In 2012 the Vikings had four pass plays of 35-plus yards, but in two games this year, the Vikings already have three pass plays of more than 35 yards, all caught by Jerome Simpson.

Coach Leslie Frazier also confirmed a report that reserve defensive tackle Christian Ballard, who played a lot for the team last season, has retired because he no longer enjoyed playing. It also appears there is no interest in bringing cornerback Antoine Winfield back despite the team's 0-2 start.

Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton were born seven months apart in 1993. This year Sano, recently ranked the No. 3 prospect in the minors by Baseball America, and Buxton, ranked No. 1, both spent time in the Florida State League with the Class A Fort Myers Miracle.

Sano hit .330 [68-for-206] with 16 home runs, 15 doubles, 51 runs scored and 48 RBI at Fort Myers, posting a .424 on-base percentage, .655 slugging percentage and 1.079 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).

Buxton hit .326 [71-for-218] with four home runs, eight triples, four doubles, 23 stolen bases, 41 runs scored and 22 RBI with the Miracle, posting a .415 on-base percentage, .472 slugging percentage and .887 OPS.

Sano and Buxton would have finished second and third in the league in batting average if they had enough at-bats to qualify. Sano's home run totals still left him tied for eighth in the league, even though some of the league leaders had more than double his at-bats. Buxton's eight triples were tied for third in the league, and his 23 stolen bases were tied for eighth.

Sano wrapped up his third minor league season with New Britain and hit .236 with a .344 on-base percentage and .915 OPS in 67 games. He had 19 home runs, 35 runs scored and 55 RBI to go along with 15 doubles and three triples.

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan recently talked about how he believes Sano and Buxton will get invitations to spring training next season. The Twins don't have a long history of promoting players to the big leagues at that age — the last 21-year-old to play a full major league season for the Twins was shortstop Cristian Guzman in 1999.

As for current Twins, Joe Mauer played 35 games in the majors as a 21-year-old in 2004. He hit .308 with six home runs, 17 RBI and 18 runs scored.

• Former Gophers baseball pitchers Tom Windle [Dodgers], Drew Ghelfi [Brewers] and DJ Snelten [Giants] have been invited to the Arizona Fall League later this month. All were drafted in the 2013 amateur draft.

• Wide receiver Greg Lewis provided one of the season highlights the last time the Vikings won a playoff game in 2009, when they beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 in an NFC Divisional game. Lewis caught a game-winning, 32-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre with two seconds left in a 27-24 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. He's now coaching wide receivers at San Jose State, the Gophers' opponent on Saturday.

• Gophers fall baseball practice is progressing at the new Siebert Field. The annual "Steak N' Beans" series of intrasquad games will be played each weekend from Friday through Oct. 14 and are free and open to the public (see gophersports.com for game times).

• Major League Baseball had a contingent of 25 people in Minneapolis this week for meetings associated with the 2014 All-Star Game. Look for MLB and the Twins to release ticket prices and more information about various All-Star Game events over the next few months.

• The official groundbreaking for renovations to the Twins' spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla., is scheduled for Oct. 3. The first phase of the $45 million project, which includes a new player development academy, minor league clubhouse and new practice field, will be completed before March of 2014. Renovations to Hammond Stadium and the balance of the complex will be finished before the start of spring training in 2015.

• Look for an announcement soon that the Twins will open their 2014 spring training schedule with an exhibition vs. Florida Gulf Coast University. FGCU, which produced the likes of White Sox ace Chris Sale, is located minutes away from the Twins' spring training complex. The Twins hope to schedule a similar exhibition with the Gophers in the spring of 2015.

• Twins General Manager Terry Ryan will lead the Twins' annual organizational meetings Oct. 8-11 in Fort Myers. … The great businessman Harvey Mackay will address the Twins' front office staff Monday.