Jim Klobuchar, longtime Star Tribune columnist and adventurer, dies at 93 The father of Sen. Amy Klobuchar spent more than four decades in journalism. May 12, 2021 2:27pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Jim Klobuchar, an intrepid son of the Iron Range who with grace and puckish wit chronicled the lives of ordinary and fabled Minnesotans as a longtime columnist for the Star Tribune, died Wednesday at the Emerald Crest care facility in Burnsville. He was 93.
From 1961, when he left the Associated Press to work for the Minneapolis Tribune, until his retirement in 1995, Klobuchar trained an amused and perceptive eye every week on the state s culture, sports and politics. His energetic exploits both in and out of the newsroom made his name a household word in Minnesota long before he became known as the father of the state s senior U.S. senator.
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Duane Blaska, a member of the only two Gophers football teams to play in the Rose Bowl, died Monday from complications of cancer. Blaska, from Anoka, was 79.
After backing up Sandy Stephens on the 1960 and 61 teams that advanced to the Rose Bowl, Blaska became the starting quarterback for the Gophers in 1962. A loss to Wisconsin in the 1962 season finale prevented the Gophers from a third consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl.
Before the 1962 season, coach Murray Warmath told the Minneapolis Tribune that one of the keys to the Gophers success was how Blaska developed at quarterback.
Following the season, Warmath told the Tribune s Sid Hartman, Blaska did a terrific job and was the most improved player among our seniors.
The Twins have played 60 seasons in our midst and the personnel decision among batters that holds No. 1 status for a blunder came on Dec. 16, 2002, at baseball s winter meetings in Nashville.
That was the day of the Rule 5 draft. The Twins made room on the 40-player roster for a selection by releasing David Ortiz. They selected infielder Jose Morban from Texas. He was waived, wound up in Baltimore in 2003, and hit two home runs in what became a career total of 71 at-bats.
Ortiz was signed by Boston on the cheap, was batting .200 after a month of the 2003 season, then started seeing the ball better:
Bob Sansevere’s Three-and-Out 2 minutes read
1- After Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl, social media had an eruption from people who either have an odd sense of humor or no sense at all.
These folks accused Brady of being racist for winning the Super Bowl during Black History Month.
Somebody named Jizzy wrote on Twitter, “Tom Brady winning during black history month is so racist.”
Zaib tweeted, “Tom Brady beating a black QB during black history month just feels racist.”
And someone with the Twitter moniker, Wasginton Capitels wrote, “Aint no way Tom Brady winning 7 Super Bowls during black history month aint racist.”
Star Tribune Sports
Minneapolis, MN 55488
Dear La Velle:
Way back in 2003, you received an open letter from me offering advice on what not to do when covering baseball s winter meetings in New Orleans. This came from Uncle Pat s personal experiences in having the same assignment years earlier, which included requesting a 7:30 a.m. wake-up call and being informed by the hotel operator it was a quarter to 8.
The time has come for another such communiqué, what with the information breaking that after 23 years of meritorious service on the Twins beat, you will be joining the Star Tribune s collection of sports columnists that includes Dennis Anderson, Jim Souhan, Chip Scoggins and Uncle Pat.