MAMA 2008 Nominee InfoMAMA - A tribute to the most OK athletes in Minnesota history! |
Allan Anderson
Twins 1986-1991, 148 games, 49-54 Record, 4.11 ERA
Best Season: 1988 MLB best 2.45 ERA, 16-9 in 30 GS covering 202.1 innings
Sat out his last start in 1988 to clinch ERA title. All down hill from there, including 7-18 in 1990. Control pitcher who filled a spot in the back of the rotation between the World Series years.
Terrell Brandon
Timberwolves 1998-2002, 202 games, 15.6 ppg, 8.3 APG
Best Season: 1999-2000, 36.4 MPG, 17.1 PPG, 8.9 APG
A stop-and-pop point guard who was a great 3rd option when healthy, but was rarely healthy. Came to Wolves as part of a 3-way deal trading away a disgruntled Stephon Marbury, then his expiring contract was the key piece in a 4-way deal landing the Wolves Sprewell prior to their best season.
Greg Coleman
Vikings 1978-1987, 138 games, 720 punts, 40.8 yards/punt
Best Season: 1985, 16 games, 67 punts, 42.8 yards/punt
He was never better than 7th in yard/punt, but held down the job for 10 years with a good reputation for hang time. Vikings career and season record for punts attempted. Also had 10 career rushes for 85 yards! Continues his average performance as a sideline reporter for KFAN.
Marty Cordova
Twins 1995-1999, 2322 ABs, .277 ave, 139 2B, 79 HR, 385 RBIs, 52 SB
Best Season: 1996 569 ABs, .309 ave, 46 2B, 16 HR, 111 RBIs, 11 SB
1995 ROY. Cordova had the potential to hit for average and power, but was often bothered by back injuries over his career. Twins career - in like a lion, out like a lamb! He is also known for having fallen asleep in a tanning bed, which prevented him from playing several day games.
Greg Gagne
American Wrestling Association 1972-1992.
Gagne was a two-time AWA International Television Championship and a two-time American Wrestling Association (AWA) tag-team champion with partner "Jumping" Jim Brunzell. Together the "High Flyers" ruled the AWA tag-team title in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Gagne had several shots at the AWA Heavyweight Champion, but always came up short. Gagne quit the sport in the early 90s shortly after the demise of the AWA. Gagne and tag partner Brunzell met at the University of Minnesota, where they played football together.
Trenton Hassell
Timberwolves 2003-2007, 316 games (260 starts), 6.8 ppg, 0.4 SPG
Best Season: 2005-2006, 32.6 MPG, 9.2 PPG, 0.6 SPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.6 APG
A defensive specialist who could play 2 or 3 - typically against the best offensive player on the court.
Dave Huffman
Vikings 1979-1990, 128 Games at O-line, 22 starts.
Best Season: 1987, Started 12 games at LG
Spent his entire career with the Vikings, playing both guard and center as a reserve. In 1983 he had 3 kick returns for 42 yards and also scored his only TD! 0 Pro-bowls. He was noted for his good humor, which included saying that during games he always wore red-colored elbow pads so that his mother could see where he was in the pile-ups. Former KFAN radio personality.
Tim Irwin
Vikings 1981-1993, 188 games at O-line, 181 starts.
Started 197 consecutive regular season games. Member of Vikings 40th anniversary All-Viking team. 0 Pro-bowls.
Joe Kapp
Vikings 1967-1969, 40 Games, 37 TD, 47 INT, 4807 Yards, 50.2% comp, 99 carries for 540 yards (5.5 per) and 5 TDs.
Best Season: 1969, 19 TDs, 1726 yards passing, 50.6%, 104 rushing, pro-bowl
Kapp led the Minnesota Vikings to their first ever playoff game as a team against the Baltimore Colts. Kapp threw for 7 touchdown passes which still stands as the all-time record. Led the Vikings to a 12-2 record and a berth in Super Bowl IV. Kapp coined the phrase "40 for 60" meaning 40 players going all out for 60 minutes. Sports Illustrated dubbed Kapp "The Toughest Chicano" on the cover of its weekly magazine.
Gene Larkin
Twins 1987-1993, 2321 ABs, .266 ave, .348 OB, 32 HR, 23 SB
Best Season: 1988, 505 ABs, .267 ave, .368 OB, 8 HR, 30 2B, 15 HBP
Great switch hitting pinch hitter, DH/PH that occasionally played 1B.
2 World Series Championships, Game winning pinch hit in Game 7 of 1991 World Series. Knew how to lean into a pitch!
Brian Lawton
North Starts 1983-1988, 303 games, 71 goals, 91 assists
Best Season: 1986-1987, 66 games, 21 goals, 23 assists
#1 overall pick in 1983 draft. Never lived up to expectations.
Matt Lawton
Twins 1995-2001, 2672 ABs, .277 ave, 163 2B, 72 HR, 96 SB
Best Season: 2000, 561 ABs, .305 ave, 44 2B, 13 HR, .405 OB, .460 SLG, 23 SB
Good defense in RF, great pitch selection, solid speed, solid power. Mediocre from top to bottom. One of the leaders for the Twins after the World Series years but before the rebuilding process got them back to the top.
Bob Lurtsema
Vikings 1972-1976, 55 games at DE/DT with 0 starts. 0 Ints, 3 Fumble Recoveries
Nicknamed "Benchwarmer Bob and was a popular TCF spokesperson."
Doug Mientkiewicz
Twins 1998-2004, 2147 ABs, .274 ave, 146 2B, 43 HR
Best Season: 2001, 543 ABs, .306 ave, 39 2B, 15 HR, .387 OB, .464 SLG
Great defense at 1B, 2001 Gold Glove. Didn't have the power of a typical 1B and after his big year the average dropped too. Became a defensive specialist. Mientkiewicz was on the U.S. Olympic team when they won the gold medal at the 2000 games in Sydney, hitting the game-winning home-run against South Korea in the semi-finals.
Mike Morris
Vikings 1991-1999, 144 games at Center with 0 starts.
Reliable long snapper - good enough to keep his job for 9 years. Currently brings his average talents to Minnesota talk radio.
David Ortiz
Twins 1997-2002, 1477 ABs, .266 ave, 108 2B, 58 HR
Best Season: 2002, 412 ABs, .272 ave, 32 2B, 20 HR, 75 RBI, .339 OB, .500 SLG
The Twins received a player to be named later, and that player ended up being David Arias. When he arrived in Minnesota, he informed the team that he preferred to be listed as "David Ortiz" making him quite literally a "player to be named later". Ortiz battled injuries and, despite being a clubhouse favorite, was cut by the Twins before becoming one of the greatest power and clutch hitters in Red Sox history.
Pooh Richardson
Timberwolves 1989-1992, 246 games (212 starts), 15.0 ppg, 8.0 APG
Best Season: 1990-1991, 38.5 MPG, 17.1 PPG, 1.6 SPG, 3.5 RPG, 9.0 APG
1st pick ever by the Timberwolves franchise, #10 overall. A mediocre point guard who happened to be the best player on a REALLY bad team.
Charlie Tapp
PBA Tour
Best Season: 1982, 213.1 Tour average. 1989, 2 National Titles (Windsor Locks, Conn and St Louis.
It's BOWLING! What could be more mediocre than to be a pro-bowler? 357 National Tournaments, 3 National titles, 2 Regional titles, 18 TV appearances. 5 PBA 300's. Career average 208.04.
Mike Tice
Vikings 1992-1995, 2001-2005. 31 Games (22 GS) as TE. 14 rec for 126 yards and 2 TDs. Coaching record 32-33 (1-1 playoffs).
Best Season: 2004, 8-8 regular season, 1-1 playoffs
Tice took over head coaching duties on an interim basis for the final game of the 2001 season, replacing Dennis Green, and then was officially named head coach. Finished 2nd in the Division all 4 years. Never had better than 9 wins. During the 2005 season, Tice was the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL. It has since came out that Tice had the cheapest owner in all of football and considering he ran an understaffed program and was inexperienced, he coached as well as the talent allowed.
Ricky Young
Vikings 1978-1983, 89 G (66 starts), 554 carries for 1744 yards (3.1 per) and 10 TDs. 292 Rec for 2255 yards (7.7 per) and 14 TDs.
Best Season: 1979, 7 TDs, 708 yards rushing (3.8 per), 72 catches for 519 yards (7.2/per).
Led the league in receptions with 88 in 1978. Great receiving and blocking back.