Ache #30: November 1 1998 - Vikings @ Tampa Bay

Mike Alstott (40) runs for a touchdown against the Vikings at

Raymond James Stadium

Mention "1998" to a Vikings fans, and they're instantly taken back to the Metrodome on a dreary January afternoon in the NFC Championship game.

But that loss to the Super Bowl-bound Atlanta Falcons wasn't the only tough loss the team suffered that season.

In 1998, only one team had finished the regular season with an unblemished record: the 1972 Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were 14-0 en route to a Super Bowl Championship. When the league expanded to a 16-game season in 1978, the closest anybody had come was 15-1...the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the 1985 Chicago Bears. Both of those teams won the Super Bowl.

The Vikings finished the 1998 regular season schedule

with one loss and the first 15-win NFL season since 1985.

On November 1st 1998, the 7-0 Minnesota Vikings headed to Tampa to play in the brand new Raymond James Stadium for the first time. The Vikings had destroyed the Buccaneers in Week One 31-7. Randy Moss had caught two touchdowns in his NFL debut, and Hall of Fame teammate Cris Carter added two of his own. Fans and analysts alike predicted similar results in the second match up.

Even though Randall Cunningham had taken over for the injured Brad Johnson in Week 2, the Vikes hadn't missed a beat. Heading into the game in Tampa, the Vikings were averaging 34 points per game. Tampa was looking to even their overall record at 4-4 against their NFC Central division rival.

Tampa Bay scored first on a ten yard Warrick Dunn touchdown before Robert Smith scored from nine yards out to tie the game at 7-7. Dunn's touchdown was the first opening half touchdown for Tampa Bay that season...coming in their eighth game of the year. Bucs QB Trent Dilfer added a second with a touchdown pass to Reidel Anthony to take a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

Unlike the first meeting between these two teams, it wasn't Carter or Moss that dominated this game offensively for the Vikings. It was Jake Reed, who was on the receiving end of a 44 yard touchdown to tie the score again. Michael Hustad and Gary Anderson exchanged field goals in the last fourty seconds of the first half for a 17-17 halftime score.

Jake Reed finished with six receptions for 117 yards

and two touchdowns against Tampa Bay

Cunningham found Reed in the end zone again in the third quarter, giving the Vikings their first lead of the game. But Mike Alstott and the Tampa Bay offense were moving the ball at will. Up to that point in the season, Trent Dilfer's play had been inconsistent. In this game, they relied on Mike Alstott, who ran for a career high 128 yards, and Warrick Dunn, who added 115 of his own. It was the first time in franchise history that Tampa Bay had two 100+ yard rushers in the same game, and set their single-game rushing mark with 246 yards.

Dilfer did a good job limiting turnovers, as did Randall Cunningham, who finished with 291 yards and two touchdowns. Cunningham's one mistake of the game was a fourth quarter Derrick Brooks interception that led to a 38-yard Hurstad field goal and a 24-20 lead.

The Vikings were unable to capitalize on their two possessions. After scoring on their first four possessions, they had thrown an interception and now had to punt. A booming 54 yard Mitch Berger punt was called back after Mike Morris was called for a holding penalty. Berger's second punt only went 38 yards, and was returned for 10 yards by Jacquez Green.

The holding call on long snapper Mike Morris was a 26 yard swing

Photo / Craig Lassig, Getty Images

Tampa Bay had the ball on the Minnesota 43 yard line, and seven plays later they had taken the lead on a six-yard Alstott touchdown.

The Viking's final possession began with a 21 yard catch by Cris Carter before a Robert Smith no gain, an incompletion to Greg DeLong and an 11 yard sack by Brad Culpepper before Berger had to punt again.

The Vikings needed a quick three and out to get the ball back. With 3:00 and on their own 38 yard line, the defense knew they were going to get a heavy dose of Alstott. And they weren't able to stop him. He had gains of eight, three and five yards before ripping of a 37 yard run to seal the win for Tampa Bay.

The Vikings would later become the first 15-1 team not to win a Super Bowl.

Ache #29: Teddy Bridgewater's Knee

Photo / Bruce Kluckhohn, USA TODAY Sports

The 2015 NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings had high expectations heading into 2016. Still recovering their heart-breaking loss to Seattle in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the team had high hopes for Teddy Bridgewater, who was coming of his first career Pro Bowl season.

August 30, 2016 seemed like a normal day at Winter Park.  Bridgewater was coming of an impressive showing in a 23-10 win over San Diego in the first ever game in the brand new US Bank Stadium and was going through the motions at practice as he prepared to take the final game of the preseason off.

But then, his career derailed.

As Bridgewater dropped back in a non-contact drill, his left knee buckled and snapped. Bridgewater went down, yelling in pain. Players within earshot of the snap were visibly upset. While Mike Zimmer updated the media and the state of Minnesota on Bridgewater's condition, an ambulance pulled onto the field to rush Bridgewater to the hospital.

All-Pro Safety Harrison Smith was covering a receiver downfield when the injury happened. He had his back to the play. He didn't see the injury happen, but he could gather from the reactions of his teammates that something was wrong.

"I thought he pulled a hammy," Smith said. "And then I heard the screaming."

Running back Jerrck McKinnon was in the backfield with Bridgewater.

"I saw it all" he said. "I ain't going to go into it. I don't have any words to describe it."

An MRI revealed that he had a complete tear of his ACL and had suffered other structural damage, including a dislocation of the knee joint. It was later revealed that Bridgewater was lucky that he sever any arteries during the injury because he could have lost his leg, or even his life.

With Bridgewater's career in jeopardy, the Vikings had three options at quarterback: veteran Shawn Hill, rookie Joel Stave, or make a personnel move to bring in somebody else.

The Vikings elected to trade a first-round pick and a conditional fourth to the Philadelphia Eagles for former first overall pick Sam Bradford.

The Vikings, in desperation mode with a win-now team,

drastically overpaid for Sam Bradford

After a Week 1 start and win by Shawn Hill, Bradford took over in Week 2. The Vikings were 5-1 at their Bye Week, but would only win three of their next seven games to drop to 8-8 and miss the playoffs.

Bridgewater would not appear in an NFL game until Week 15 in 2017. After months of rehab, Bridgewater attempted two passes in the Vikings 34-7 win against Cincinnati, a game at US Bank Stadium and a game where the Vikings would clinch the 2017 NFC North title.

He would sign with the New York Jets prior to the 2018 season.

Ache #28: Twins trade Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps

Photo / Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

In 2010, the Minnesota Twins were in the thick of the AL Central race. After leading the division for most of the first half, the Twins had dropped 13 of their last 19 heading into the All Star Break and trailed the Chicago White Sox by 3.5 games.

The Twins' offense was solid, led by reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer (.327, 75 RBI), Michael Cuddyer (.271, 81 RBI), Delmon Young (.298, 21 HR) and Jim Thome (.283, 25 HR) . The starting rotation featured Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75), Kevin Slowey (13-6, 4.45) and a comeback year from Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62).

But the Twins knew they could improve. And they needed to if they wanted to win the division.

There were a number of prospects the Twins could use as trade bait to make an upgrade somewhere, none as valued as highly as catcher Wilson Ramos. 

In 2010, Ramos was an expendable piece. He had batted .296 in 28 plate appearances for the Twins in 2010 after batting .332 at AA the year before. He was the 59th best prospect in baseball and the 5th best catching prospect in baseball.

But the Twins had an MVP catcher behind the plate that had just signed a 10-year contract extension. Twins GM Bill Smith knew he had a valuable piece to deal and took a long, hard look at the Twins bullpen. Jon Rauch had taken over the closer role for Joe Nathan, who was out for the year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The bullpen also featured guys like Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares and spot-starter Brian Duensing.

The Twins went 22-12 after acquiring the 6'11'' Rauch

from Arizona in August 2009. He was 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA.

Photo / Ed Wolfstein, Icon SMI

Smith decided the weak link was at closer, despite Rauch's good numbers (2.38 ERA, 20 saves at the All Star Break).

On July 29th, and a game out of first place, Smith traded Ramos, along with Joe Testa, to the Washington Nationals for All-Star closer Matt Capps (2.74 ERA, 26 saves at the time of the trade). Smith also brought in guys like Brian Fuentes and Randy Florew to shore up the bullpen for the playoff push.

Capps had a great second half for the Twins (2-0, 2.00 ERA, 16 saves) to solidify the bullpen. The Twins finished 36-22 and won the AL Central title for the second time in as many years.

And then were swept by the New York Yankees in the ALDS.

The Ramos/Capps looked good at the time, but, like many Bill Smith moves, crippled the franchise for years to come.

The Decline of Matt Capps and Joe Mauer

A lot of fans don't remember how good Capps was for the Twins in 2010. He had an ERA of 2.00 and only gave up one home run in 27 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Jon Rauch struggled and posted a 4.18 ERA in the second half.

A 4-7 record and 4.25 ERA in 2011 earned Capps

a one-year deal in 2012

Photo / Hannah Foslien, Getty Images

Rauch signed with the Toronto Blue Jays after the 2010 season. Meanwhile, struggled was 5-11 with a 4.07 ERA with 15 HR allowed in 99 appearances in 2011 and 2012. The Twins went from a 94 win team in 2010 to a 100 loss team in 2011. Not only was Capps in a funk, so was Mauer. After batting .365 with 28 HR and 96 RBI in his MVP season in 2009, Mauer only hit 12 home runs total in 2010-11 as he battled various injuries from complications from off-season knee surgery to bilateral leg weakness to pneumonia and had the worst season of his career. It wouldn't have been a bad time to have a 23-year-old prospect at catchers instead of trotting Drew Butera and his .197 average out there every night.

The fall-from-grace that the Twins experienced in the 2010s can be traced directly to the Ramos trade. With Mauer's struggles and eventual move to first base, would the decline have happened with Ramos with the Twins? Throughout Twins history, the good runs in the 1960s and 2000s had catchers who could play defense and hit (Earl Battey, AJ Pierzinski, Joe Mauer). Instead the Twins have started guys like Steve Holm, Josmil Pinto, Bobby Wilson, John Ryan Murphy, and Drew Butera at catcher. The Twins learned the hard way that if you have a young catcher who can catch, hit and is major-league ready, do not trade him...no matter how good your number one catcher is.

Cliff Lee and the Seattle Mariners

Cliff Lee, two years removed from winning the AL Cy Young Award, was being shopped by the Seattle Mariners. At the time, Lee was 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA for an eventual 100-loss Mariners club.  It was reported at one point that the Mariners wanted Ramos and either a prospect (outfielder Aaron Hicks) or an MLB-ready pitcher (Brian Duensing) for the aces. The Twins decided not to pull the trigger. Hicks was being groomed to take over an outfield spot, and Duensing was a key member of the bullpen (the rookie Duensing was 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA down the stretch for the Twins in 2009).

The Twins balked, even though the move would have given the Twins an elite playoff rotation. Lee was eventually traded to the Texas Rangers and led the team to their first ever AL Pennant. He was 3-0 in the first two rounds of the playoffs, including a two-hit, 13 strikeout performance at Yankee Stadium in the ALCS. He also beaten the Yankees twice in the World Series with the Phillies in 2009.

Cliff Lee devastated the Yankees in the 2010 ALCS

Photo / Marc Carig, The Star-Ledger

Meanwhile, Aaron Hicks was eventually traded to the Yankees for catcher (ironically) John Ryan Murphy (.146, 3 RBI in one season with Minnesota). Brian Duensing, who was 0-2 with an 11.25 career playoff ERA against the Yankees, had a 4.68 ERA over the next five seasons and left via free agency after the 2015 season. Meanwhile, Hicks posted career-highs in average, home runs and RBIs while playing in New York.

Ramos Flourishes

Although he's battled injuries throughout his career, when Ramos is healthy he is very good. In his first full season in Washington, he hit .267 with 15 HR and 52 RBI and finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. The two-time All-Star (he was the starting catcher for the American League in 2018) also won a Silver Slugger award in 2016.

Ache #27: Holy Cross

Photo / Associated Press

"Do you believe in miracles?!?"

"Yes! Yes, I do!" 

- WCHC 88.1 College of Holy Cross Student Radio

The 2005-06 Golden Gopher Men's Hockey team was one of the best in program history. The team featured four first round picks in the 2009 NHL Draft: defenseman Erik Johnson (1st overall to St. Louis), center Phil Kessel (5th overall to Buffalo), forward Kyle Okposo (7th overall to New York Islanders) and defenseman David Fischer (20th overall to Montreal). Ryan Potulny was an All-American, Kessel was also the WHCA Rookie of the Year, and Don Lucia was named WCHA Coach of the Year. Danny Irmen, Chris Harrington and Alex Goligoski were also key contributor for the 27-9-5 Gophers. Despite winning back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2002 and 2003, this was the Gopher's first WCHA Regular Season title since 1997.

The Gophers were a number one seed (2nd overall) heading into the NCAA tournament, and heavy favorites against #15 Holy Cross, who were making their second tournament appearance in school history (their first was a 3-0 loss to North Dakota in 2004).

In the first three-plus years of the 16-team NCAA format, the number one seeds were 15-0 against number four seeds...most of those games blowouts.

The 2005-06 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament bracket

Despite winning at least a share of the WCHA regular season championship for the first time since 1997, the Gophers limped into the tournament on a two-game losing streak and finishing fourth in the WCHA Final Five tournament, losing to St. Cloud State in overtime 8-7 and getting shut out by Wisconsin 4-0.

The Gophers out-shot the Holy Cross Crusaders 13-10 in the first period but didn't score. The two teams were a combined 0-5 on the power play (Minnesota was 0 for 2). 

Holy Cross struck first in the second period at 8:49 on a Dale Reinhardt goal from Blair Bartlett and Tyler McGregor. At 13:15, Minnesota tied the game on a shorthanded goal by Mike Howe. The tie lasted only 41 seconds however, as the Cruisaders re-gained the lead on a 5-on-3 power-play goal by McGregor from James Sixmith and Jon Landry. Phil Kessel scored the equalizer at the 15:45 mark from Evan Kaufmann and Chris Harrington. The Gophers out-shot Holy Cross 14-6 in the second period.

Freshman Phil Kessel and the Gophers out-shot Holy Cross

38-28, but were 0-7 on the power play.

Photo / Scott A Schneider, Getty Images

The Gophers took their first lead of the game at 2:17 in the third on a Alex Goligoski goal from Blake Wheeler. The Crusaders struck back at the 7:53 mark when a Sean Nappo hit the pipe and the puck landed in the crease behind Gopher goalie Kellen Briggs. Pierre Napert-Frenette got behind Briggs and knocked the puck in to tie the game at 3-3. Minnesota out-shot Holy Cross for the third consecutive period, 11-10 as the game headed to sudden death overtime.

"I saw a side open net. That's when it becomes a blur." - Holy Cross captain Tyler McGregor on the game-winning shot via NCAA.com

Just 53 seconds into overtime, Tyler McGregor (who already had a goal and an assist) streaked down the left side and had his attempted pass deflected by a Gopher skate. It popped right back to him, and he fired the game-winning shot to Briggs' stick side to complete the biggest upset in College Hockey history.

Goalie Kellen Briggs stopped 24 of 28 shots

To make matters worse, the game was played at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks...home of the Sioux.

Ache #26: Derrick Williams

Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images

The Timberwolves finished an NBA-worst 17-65 in 2010. They were going through the growing pains of a young roster. Only four members of the squad (Martell Webster, Sebastian Telfair, Luke Ridnour and Darco Milicic) had more than four years in the league.

There were two elite prospects in the upcoming draft to add their young core: Duke G Kyrie Irving, despite only playing 11 games his freshman season and Arizona F Derrick Williams, who many analysts thought should be the top pick in the draft. 

It seems silly now, but there was a lot of debate on who the top

pick should have been in the 2011 NBA Draft

The Wolves, with the worst record in the league, had a 25% chance of getting the top pick, but their bad lottery luck struck again. The top pick was awarded to the LA Clippers, who had a 2.80% of being awarded the top pick. But LA had traded their first rounder pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers along with Baron Davis in exchange for Jamario Moon and Mo Williams.

The Wolves were awarded the second overall pick.

The Cavs, still reeling from LeBron James' move to Miami, took Irving as the next star of the Cavaliers.

Irving was Rookie of the Year, a 4-time All Star and an NBA Champion in six seasons with Cleveland

Photo/David Richard, USA TODAY Sports

The Wolves had a variety of options for the second pick. They didn't necessarily need to draft a forward at number two. They had a blossoming Kevin Love on the roster, as well as other young assets like Michael Beasley, Corey Brewer, Wesley Johnson and Anthony Tolliver. In addition, they were still invested in the often-injured Martell Webster, whom they had acquired in a trade from Portland. 

Other than Irving, there weren't any really any standout guards in the draft worthy of the second overall pick. Plus with In hindsight, somebody like Kemba Walker or Klay Thompson would have been a great pick at two (Walker went 9th to Charlotte, Thompson went 11 to Golden State).

Oh yeah, Tom Thibodeau and the Chicago 

Bulls drafted Jimmy Butler 30th overall

The Wolves had used five consecutive first-round picks on guards: OJ Mayo (who was traded for Kevin Love) in 2008, Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington in 2009 and Wesley Johnson (who was converted to SF) in 2010. 

Or, they could do what Wolves GM David Khan did best, they could trade back in the draft and amass picks.

Khan went with his 'asset accumulation' strategy and selected who he thought was the best player available: Derrick Williams.

Not many people thought Williams would be in Minnesota for very long. The sophomore had a very high ceiling. He was a critical part in knocking defending NCAA Champion Duke from the NCAA tournament that year, plus he had a great blend of size, athleticism and scoring ability. He was named PAC-10 Player of the Year, averaged nearly 20 points per game and shot 60% from the floor including 57% from beyond the arc.

But Khan kept him on the roster and the 20-year old Williams broke camp with the Wolves. 

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

Photo/Leora Miriam Maccabee

Williams had a disappointing rookie campaign, averaging 8 points per game off the bench while shooting 41% from the floor and only 26% from three point range. While he was able to assert his 6'8" 240 lb frame in college, it wasn't working in the NBA. He showed glimmers of potential, but nothing consistent. His speed was an issue on defense because he wasn't fast enough to guard Small Forwards, and not big enough to handle Power Forwards in the paint.

His sophomore season was better averaging career highs in points (12.0), minutes (24.6) and three point percentage (33%) and started 56 games, but his consistency was still an issue.

After appearing in only 11 games for the Wolves in 2013, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Luc Mbah a Moute. New Wolves GM Flip Saunders said the while he liked Derrick, he didn't think he could fit in as a small forward in Rick Adelman's system. He started to find his niche as a rotation guy off the bench for the Kings. In his sixth game as a King, he scored a career-high 31 points against the Mavericks and then dropping 26 against the Wolves a a couple months later, it looked like the Wolves had given up on him too early. 

Photo/Getty Images

But he showed he would have one big game, then disappear for the next six or seven. He began to see fewer and fewer minutes once the Kings traded for Rudy Gay.

He averaged 8 points and 22 minutes per game during his year and a half in Sacramento.

His rookie contract expired after the 2013 season, and he bounced around the league with the New York Knicks, Miami Heath, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Lakers before disappearing completely.

Once heralded as the top prospect in the draft, Williams was out of the league by the time he was 27 years old.

Ache #25: The Lakers head to Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the world's most valuable and successful franchises. Valued around $2.7 billion in 2016. They've employed NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West, among others. The Lakers, as a franchise, have won 16 NBA championships.

Don't forget that five of those were won in Minneapolis.

In 1947, Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the fading National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 and moved the team to Minneapolis. The Gems were 4-40 the previous season and, since the NBL already assigned the former Gems players to other teams in the NBL, the franchise didn't come with any players.

Berger and Chalfen would be building the team from scratch.

The first moves they made were hiring Max Winter as the team's GM and John Kundla as the team's first head coach.

Winter's first job was to come up with a new team name for the franchise. He decided to have a "naming contest". Winter reportedly like the name "Vikings" for the franchise, but the radio station running the contest hear of his preference and advised they not use it so the contest didn't seem fraudulent. Ben Frank, a native Minnesotan, won a $100 savings bond for coming up with the 'Lakers'.

With a new team identity in place, Winter and Kundla began searching for players to fill the roster. Kundla used his U of M connections to sign several former Gophers to form the 1948-49 Lakers squad: Don Carlson, Warren Ajax, Ken Exel, Tony Jaros and Don Smith. Adding other pieces like forward Jim Pollard and playmaker Herm Schaefer. All they needed was a big man to dominate the paint.

And it took the death of another basketball league to get him.

Since the Gems had the worst record in the NBL the previous year, they were awarded the number one overall pick in the upcoming draft. Winter did his homework and set his sights on one player: George Mikan. The problem? Mikan was currently playing for the Chicago American Gears. The American Gears had won the 1946-47 NBL Championship, then moved to the Pro Basketball League of America.. The league folded two weeks into the league's season, making Mikan eligible for the NBL draft. Winter took him first overall. Mikan would average 28 points per game, establish himself as the NBA's first superstar, and lead the Lakers to a 47 win season and the league championship.

The 6' 10" Mikan was unguardable and was eventually named 

the Basketball Player of the Half Century

The following year, the Lakers moved to the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Mikan and the Lakers won the title that year as well. Following the 1949-50 season, the BAA renamed their themselves the National Basketball Association (the present day NBA).

The Lakers won the 1949-50 NBA Championship as well for their third straight title. While they didn't make the Finals in 1950-51, but won three more consecutive championships beginning in 1951-52 after adding more Hall of Fame players like Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard.

Minneapolis Lakers greats Jim Pollard, George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen

Photo/Pioneer Press File

But while the Lakers were winning on the court, there was trouble behind the scenes. Financial issues were growing. Plus, the Lakers didn't have a "home building". They were shuffled around between the Minneapolis Auditorium, the Minneapolis Armory and the St. Paul Auditorium. The team that had won six titles in seven years was often adjusting their home schedule around expos and conventions.

The Lakers wins dropped off following their NBA title in 1953-54, largely due to the retirement of Mikan. The bottom fell out when Pollard retired following the 1954-55 season, that Mikan, now in a front office role, returned as an active player mid-season. Even after sitting out for nearly two seasons, he was still able to average double figures in scoring, but the team went 33-39 for it's first losing record since moving from Detroit.

With the decline in wins, fan attendance waned too and the team's financial issues piled up. Not interested in a re-build or losing more money, Ben Berger was ready to sell the team. He had a reported offer from a group from Missouri that planned to move the Lakers franchise to Kansas City. But before signing the deal, he decided to give local businessmen the chance to purchase the team and keep the team in Minnesota. The team was sold to a group led by Bob Short, who was elected new Team President and said the team would remain in Minneapolis.

Bob Short (left) was also responsible for moving the

Washington Senators to Texas in 1971.

Photo/AP File Photo via Daylife.com

With the departure of Berger, Chaflen and Winter, Kundla was promoted to GM and Mikan was made new head coach. As coach, Mikan's team won only nine of their first 39 games before Kundla re-assumed the reigns as the Lakers finished a league-worst 19-53 and missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The Lakers were in the same position they were in a decade earlier, heading into the draft with the number one overall pick. They selected forward Elgin Baylor of Seattle University to re-build the franchise around.

Elgin Baylor with the Lakers in 1958

Baylor, who would win Rookie of the Year and finish 3rd in Player of the Year voting, would help take the league's worst team from the previous year to the NBA Finals for the first time in five years before running into Bill Russell's Celtics dynasty. The 1958-59 season was also the last year of the John Kundla era as he left the team to fill the University of Minnesota basketball coaching vacancy.

Looking to build of Baylor's great rookie campaign, Short brought in his college coach at Seattle University, John Castellani, to coach the team. But Castellani did not meet expectations following a runner-up finish (a 11-25 record), Jim Pollard finished out the season as head coach as the Lakers finished the season 25-50.

Back to their losing ways, the franchise was hemorrhaging money, losing fans and still had no arena to call home.

In the late 1950s and early 60s, pro sports teams were starting to move west. In 1958, Major League Baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, the New York Giants relocated to San Francisco, and the plans were in motion to grant LA an expansion team as well...the California Angels. With rumors that the Philadelphia Warriors had plans to move west (they would move to San Francisco in 1962), Short wanted to be the first one to sow the seed of the West Coast.

On April 28, 1960, after contemplating moves to Chicago and San Francisco, Short announced that the Lakers would be relocating to Los Angeles. He decided not to rename the franchise.

The Lakers flourished in LA. They had a solidified home venue in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena and amazing fan attendance. Baylor became a star. The team drafted Hall of Famer Jerry West in 1961 and players like Frank Selvy and Rudy LaRusso reached All Star status. The Lakers were a mainstay in the NBA Finals during the 1960s and early 70s.

Minnesota fans watched as Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain brought LA it's first championship in 1972 after losing in the Finals seven times since the move.

In the 1980s, they watched Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar win five more.

In the early 2000s, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won back-to-back-to-back titles, with Bryant  and Pau Gasol winning two more almost ten years later.

 

Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant 

combined to win 10 championships in 31 years.

Today, LA is the hot destination for basketball. Thev have had six of the top eight scorers in NBA history don the purple and yellow (Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Bryant, Chamberlain, LeBron James, O'Neal). LA has added 11 more NBA titles to the Lakers franchise since relocating and is now the second most valuable NBA franchise in the league (after the New York Knicks).

Meanwhile, Minnesota was granted an expansion franchise in 1989...the Timberwolves. In nine post-season appearances, they have advanced past the opening round only once. They made it to the Western Conference Finals behind league MVP Kevin Garnett in 2004 only to be eliminated by...the LA Lakers.

Ache #24: Jim Marshall Runs The Wrong Way

“Many times people ask coaches who their greatest player was. It’s normally very hard to choose, but I don’t hesitate to say Jim Marshall.” - Bud Grant

Longtime Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall had a great career. During Marshall's two decade career beginning in 1960, Marshall played in a record 282 consecutive regular season games (270 consecutive starts), recovered a record 30 fumbles, recorded 127 sacks, played in four Super Bowls and was a part of one of the most daunting defenses of all time.

Although he is not yet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his #70 has been retired by the Vikings. Hall of Fame Vikings like John Randle, Paul Krause, Ron Yary, Randall McDaniel and Chris Doleman haven't had their numbers retired. Jim Marshall is one of the most beloved Vikings of all time.

But, unfortunately, he is remembered for one play that occurred the afternoon of October 25th, 1964. In a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Marshall recovered a Billy Kilmer fumble. But, he picked it up he ran 66 yards into the wrong end zone. He threw the ball out of bounds, celebrating what he thought was a touchdown, only to realize he had scored a safety against his own team.

"My first inkling that something was wrong was when a 49er player (Bruce Bosley) gave me a hug in the end zone," Marshall later recalled.

The safety cut the Vikings lead to 27-19. What a lot of people don't remember is that the Vikings scored what would be the deciding touchdown on a Carl Eller touchdown when he ran a fumble recovered by...you guessed it...Marshall into the end zone for a 45 yard score.

The Vikings would be the 49ers 27-22, but people will always remember Marshall for a :10 second, two point mistake...not the 20 years and arguably Hall of Fame worthy career that he had.

Ache #23: Twins Don't Record An Out At First Base

Joe Mauer hanging out at first base against Milwaukee

Photo/Dylan Buell, Getty Images

Although he has never been nominated for a Gold Glove since moving to First Base, Joe Mauer is one of the more consistent defensive first baseman in the league. Nothing flashy, but he gets the job done.

But on July 3rd, 2018, Paul Molitor may as well have kept him in the dugout and played eight men in the field. Mauer played all eight innings in a 2-0 loss to the Brewers at Miller Park at first base - and never recorded a putout or assist...the first time that had happened in the Twins' 57 year history.

Forget just Mauer. It was the first time that the Twins failed to record an assist as a team.

Twins starter Jake Odorizzi struck out nine batters and got five batters to flyout in his five innings of work. Ryan Pressley struck out the side in the sixth and Gabriel Moya struck out four batters and induced two fly outs over his two innings of work.

The Brewers scored their runs on a two-run home run by Eric Thames off Odorizzi in the bottom of the fifth.

Junior Guerra, Josh Hader and Corey Knebel held the Twins to only two hits in the loss.

The last time a first baseman failed to record a putout was Edwin Encarnacion for Toronto in August 2012. It has only happened six times since 1998. The Yankees were the last team to play a full game without recording assist, doing it against Boston in 2014.

It's also worth noting that the Twins had been scoreless for their last 14 innings and counting.

Ache #22 - July 2 2018 - Twins @ Milwaukee

Zack Littell walks back to the dugoug as Manny Pina scores the winning run thanks to a bases loaded walk
Photo/Morry Gash, Associated Press

Late June/early July 2018 was rough for the Minnesota Twins. Despite scoring 25 runs in three games (Joe Mauer had 8 RBI in the first two games), the Twins had just been swept out of Wrigley Field after a hot 100 degree series. The hot weather and poor starts (starters Jose Berrios, Adalberto Mejia and Lance Lynn pitched a combined 10 innings) ate up the bullpen. The Twins were now losers of 9 of their last 11 games, 10 games under .500, and nine games behind the Indians for the AL Central lead.

The road didn't get any easier as they headed to Miller Park to face the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. With their bullpen eaten up from the Cubs series, the Twins called up Zack Littell before the game for an extra arm for the bullpen.

For the first couple innings, it didn't look like they'd need it. After giving up a run in the first, Kyle Gibson settled down and cruised through the next three innings. Gibson also scored on a Brian Dozier ground out in the third, and Robbie Grossman hit his first career grand slam in the top of the fifth to give the Twins a 5-1 lead.

The fifth inning was a different story. Gibson gave up a lead-off home run to Manny Pina, followed by three consecutive hits, including an RBI single by Brad Miller before getting an out. A Willians Astudillo error at third allowed a second run to score. At the end of five, the Twins led 5-4.

Kyle Gibson was 2-2 at the plate and scored two runs

Photo/Minnesota Twins

Something odd happened over the next three innings: the bullpen was actually kind of good. Addison Reed, Zach Duke, Trevor Hildenberger and Taylor Rogers scattered two hits and struck out five batters. The Brewers' bullpen matched the Twins, although the Twins would scored an insurance run in the seventh had it not been for Keon Broxton pulling a would-be Joe Mauer home run back over the wall.

Still leading by a run, manager Paul Molitor sent closer Fernando Rodney out to shut the door.

Rodney was basically the only player who wasn't used in the Cubs series. In fact, Rodney hadn't pitched since June 28th when he blew a save against the White Sox. It was deja vu for Rodney and the Twins. After getting Eric Sogard to ground up, he gave up three consecutive singles before a Travis Shaw sacrifice fly tied the game at 5.

Corey Knebel set the Twins down one-two-three in the top of the tenth.

Enter Zack Littell, making his second Major League appearance. His first appearance was a start against the White Sox on June 5th in which he lasted three innings in which he gave up six earned runs.

Littell, usually a starter, was 19-1 at High-A and AA in 2017

Photo/ Thearon W. Henderson/,Getty Images

His second appearance was just as forgettable. After getting of Nate Orf 0-2, he hit him. Manny Pina ripped a single to left field and Keon Broxton walked. Before you could say "Here We Go Again", the bases were loaded with nobody out.

Herman Perez, pinch hitting for Knebel, grounded out to short (the Twins forced the runner at home to delay the inevitable) for the first out. 

Brad Miller walked on four pitches to win the game for Milwaukee.

Brad Miller is mobbed by teammates after drawing a bases-loaded walk against the Twins

Photo/Dylan Buell, Getty Images