Reusse: How to unpack Minnesota’s ‘Big Tuesday’

There have not been many Tuesdays in the first quarter of the 21st Century when the five primary professional sports teams were all creating news at the same time. This one took the prize, in the following order.

10:15 a.m. — Derek Falvey held a media session in the home clubhouse at Target Field. His main task was to explain the reasoning behind the firing of manager Rocco Baldelli.

11 a.m. — Coach Chris Finch gathers the Timberwolves from various corners of the courts at Mayo Clinic Square for the first practice of the 2025-26 season

11:40 a.m.— Napheesa Collier, veteran star of the Lynx, steals the spotlight in the team’s season-ending media session in the cramped interview room at Target Center by reading a four-minute statement that served as an attack on WNBA leadership and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

11:58 a.m. — Bill Guerin, general manager of the Wild, announces the happy news that he has convinced superstar Kirill Kaprizov and his agent to accept what is temporarily the largest contract in NHL history: eight-years, $138 million, no-trade, starting with the 2026-27 season. This occurs at the Tria Rink in St. Paul, where the Wild practice.

Meanwhile, across the pond — the Vikings had moved from the Republic of Ireland to Ware, England, and spent the day licking their wounds from Sunday’s lousy effort vs. Pittsburgh, before starting practice for Sunday’s game in London vs. the punchless Cleveland Browns.

So, not much news there, but it’s the Vikings and the NFL, which means their minutiae is consumed more enthusiastically than all the other outfits’ news.

Twins | A year ago, Falvey was doing a news conference in the same place and offering a round-about explanation as to why Thad Levine, his general manager since the start in late 2016, was leaving the organization. The short explanation would’ve been Thad’s contract wasn’t renewed, but why be impolitic when there’s gobbledygook available?

Jeremy Zoll was promoted to GM to replace Levine. Jeremy’s not quite the wordsmith that is Levine (now seen occasionally on the MLB Network). Zoll was sitting next to Falvey at Tuesday’s session. After 20-plus minutes of Falvey taking questions, I aimed one toward Zoll.

I can’t remember the answer.

It’s that, of all people, it was me who felt enough compassion to take note of Jeremy’s presence at the table.

My interpretation of Falvey’s winding remarks was that he was willing to go either way on the return of Baldelli, but that “ownership” — primarily, Joe Pohlad these days — wanted Rocco fired. This is based on Falvey making sure to mention a handful of times that it was a “collaborative” decision made during a Monday meeting with said ownership.

Even the usually calm Falvey seemed to take offense at a question from a veteran scribe (OK, me) about what could have been expected from Baldelli as a manager after he traded away Rocco’s trusted, quality bullpen with two months left in the season.

The way I see it, there’s only one sure thing the Twins can do about this mess. Cut beer prices at the ballyard by 40%.

Timberwolves | Two straight years in the Western Conference finals. New owners in Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, popular enough with the younger, cutting-edge NBA audience that the baggage of A-Rod being baseball’s most-caught steroids cheat doesn’t resonate with them.

There are even suggestions of so much young talent that coach Chris Finch might be going 10-, even 11-deep, in games.

Me? I won’t even believe that out of our guy Finchy even if we see it a few times early. Come January, he’ll be playing nine, max. Or eight, if Rudy Gobert or Mike Conley needs a rest.

There was no limit to his anti-management rhetoric, which made him very popular with baseball writers of the mid-1970s.

Once Marvin basically had won, Twins manager Gene Mauch (he had Marshall earlier in Montreal) was attempting to convince owner Calvin Griffith to bring in Marshall as a much-needed relief pitcher.

“He’s a freak,” said Mauch, referring to Marshall’s ability to pitch daily.

“I know he is; that’s why I don’t want him!” barked Calvin, referring to Marshall’s union work.

Somehow, Mauch won, and we had the privilege of covering him for a time with the Twins.

Wow!

Many Lynx fans heard that statement as a diatribe against WNBA officiating, which it was, but she’s also vice president of the league’s players association. And just like Mike Marshall’s broadsides sent at MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in the 1970s, this was a message from the workforce to Engelbert and the owners saying, “Get ready. Here we come.”

Wild | Owner Craig Leipold’s hockey team already would have needed fire hoses to keep the fans from flocking to what’s now Grand Casino Arena to watch his hockey team. For this quarter-century, the Wild-ings already are the most phenomenal success story for ticket-buying in Minnesota’s major league history (which truly started in 1961).

That won’t change now that they’ve locked up the dynamic Russian. Surely, before that contract expires, Kirill the Thrill will bring us a Stanley Cup.

Am I serious? Yes, I’m serious, and don’t call me Shirley.

If an NFL team of respectable talent has only a couple of important players lost to long-term injuries, it will have a good season. Example: 2024 Vikings — 14-3, then 0-1 in playoffs.

If an NFL team has numerous important players lost to such injuries, it will be a disappointing season. Example: 2023 Vikings — 7-10, no playoffs.

At this point, the injuries are trending against them, but some might be short-term.

Bottom line: They’re going to win a few, lose a few, and none will be rained out.