Seasons
SEASON: 72 | YEAR: 2020
HEAD COACH: ROSS LEVIN
Game 925 | January 24, 2020 | Jake Odorizzi, Taylor Rogers, Cory Provus
Minnesota Twins pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Taylor Rogers were the guest speakers in what was to be a Covid-shortened season. Odorizzi, bothered by a series of injuries, finished with a 0-2 record with only 13.2 innings pitched. He was signed by Houston for the 2021 season. Rogers led all Twins relief pitchers with nine saves on what turned out to be one of the best bullpens in major league baseball.
(LtoR) Cory Provus, Dustin Morse, Jake Odorizzi, Ross Levin, Taylor Rogers, Dave Mona, Dave St. Peter (physician); Insert: Jake Odorizzi, Cory Provus, Taylor Rogers
Game 926 | February 13, 2020 | Gov. Tim Walz
Minnesota Governor. Tim Walz was the featured speaker at what was to be the final in-person meeting of the year. The governor talked about Minnesota's economic outlook and the fact that his staff was closely monitoring the spread of the Covid-19 virus across both the country and the state. Three days later the state was essentially locked down. Sports at all levels were shut down until late summer at which time some teams resumed without fans allowed to attend.
(LtoR) Ross Levin, Gov. Tim Walz, Lester Bagley (physician)
Game 927 | Wednesday, May 20, 2020 | Matt Majka (Minnesota Wild), Andrew Miller (Minnesota Vikings), Ethan Casson (Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx), Dave St. Peter (Minnesota Twins), Chris Wright (Minnesota United FC)
Dunkers switched to a virtual Zoom format to hear how the leaders of the region's professional spots team were dealing with the virus.
(LtoR) Row 1: Chris Wright, Ethan Casson, Dave St. Peter (physician, moderator); Row 2: Dave Mona, Ross Levin; Row 3: Matt Majka; Row 4: Andrew Miller
Game 928 | June 3, 2020 | P. J. Fleck, Joe Rossi, Mike Sanford, Mike Grimm
Gopher football coach P.J. Fleck, not knowing the status of Big Ten football in 2020, talked about the January 1 Outback Bowl victory over Auburn and its impact on recruiting. The team finished the Covid-shortened season with a 3-4 record.
(LtoR) Row 1: Ross Levin, Mike Sanford, Joe Rossi; Row 2: Mike Grimm (moderator), Dave Mona, Row 4: P.J. Fleck
Game 929 | June 25, 2020 | Bill Guerin, Dean Evason, Anthony LaPanta
With Anthony LaPanta moderating, Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin introduced Dean Evason, the teams' new head coach. Evason was named acting head coach in February following the firing of Bruce Boudreau. Evason was hired as full-time coach 18 days after his Dunkers appearance.
(LtoR) Row 1: Dean Evanson; Row 2: Ross Levin; Row 3: Matt Majka (physician); Row 4: Anthony LaPanta, Dave Mona; Row 5: Bill Guerin
Game 930 | July 14, 2020 | Derek Falvey, Thad Levine, Wes Johnson, Mike Bell, Cory Provus
Cory Provus once again moderated a Minnesota Twins program in which General Manager Thad Levine introduced two members of Rocco Baldelli's coaching staff. Pitching Coach Wes Johnson the year before was hired from the Arkansas Razorbacks. He talked about the unusual move from college baseball to professional ranks. Mike Bell, a member of a deep professional baseball family, joined the team in 2019 as bench coach. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer in January 2021 and will miss the early part of the Twins' season.
(LtoR) Row 1: Dave St. Peter (physician); Row 2: Mike Bell, Cory Provus, Derek Falvey; Row 3: Thad Levine, Wes Johnson; Row 4: Ross Levin, Dave Mona
Game 931 | July 22, 2020 | Hollis Cavner, Erik van Rooyen and John Harris
Dunker member and former British Open Champion John Harris welcomed Hollis Cavner to the program. Cavner, a Dunker since 1994, had brought several dozen famous golfers to Dunkers as the long-time promoter of the 3M Golf Championship. Cavner, in turn, introduced former Gopher golfer Erik van Rooyen, a South African who would be making his debut in the 3M event.
(LtoR) Row 1: Erik van Rooyen; Row 2: Hollis Cavner, Dave Mona; Row 3: John Harris (moderator), Ross Levin
Game 932 | July 29, 2020 | Julie Sullivan, Phil Esten, Tom Douple, Dave Mona
With the University of St. Thomas moving up from the MIAC to compete at the NCAA Division One level, Dave Mona interviewed St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan and Athletics Director Phil Esten. Summit League Commission Tom Douple joined the meeting to say his conference was thrilled with the idea of expanding into the Minneapolis/St. Paul market.
(LtoR) Row 1: Julie Sullivan, Dave Mona (physician, moderator) Row 2: Phil Esten; Row 3: Tom Douple
Game 933 | August 11, 2020 | Pam Borton, Laura Day, Lisa Lissimore, Julie Manning, Mary Jo Kane
In a panel made up entirely of Dunker members, Mary Jo Kane led a discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing women in sports leadership positions. Kane was joined by Pam Borton, Laura Day, Lisa Lissimore, and Julie Manning.
(LtoR) Row 1: Dave Mona, Ross Levin; Row 3: Pam Borton; Row 4: Lisa Lissimore, Julie Manning, Mary Jo Kane (moderator); Row 5: Laura Day
Game 934 | August 26, 2020 | Joan Gabel, Mark Coyle, Dave Mona
University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel, on the job for less than two months, talked with Gopher Athletics Director Mark Coyle on their shared vision for the role of sports at a major University.
(LtoR) Row 1: Mark Coyle, Joan Gabel; Row 3: Dave Mona (moderator); Row 4: Nancy Lindahl (physician)
Game 935 | September 8, 2020 | Rick Spielman, Paul Allen
Rick Spielman joined the Vikings as vice president of player personnel in 2006 and became the team's general manager in 2012. In a conversation with Viking's play-by-play broadcaster Paul Allen, Spielman talked about the team's chances in the upcoming season. The team finished with a 7-9 record in a year in which no fans were allowed into U.S. Bank Stadium.
(LtoR) Row 1: Dave Mona; Row 2: Bob Hagan,; Row 3: Lester Bagley (physician), Ross Levin, Mark Wilf; Row 4: Paul Allen, Rick Spielman
Game 936 | September 22, 2020 | Richard Pitino, Joe Schmit
Entering his eighth season as men's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota, Richard Pitino and moderator Joe Schmit talked about three key additions to the Gopher program via the college transfer portal. Those players, Liam Robbins, Brandon Johnson and Both Gach, all started at some point during the season. The team finished with a record of 13-12, and Coach Pitino was dismissed shortly after the end of the season.
(LtoR) Row 2: Joe Schmit (moderator); Row 4: Ross Levin (physician); Row 5: Richard Pitino, ; Dave Mona
Game 937 | October 15, 2020 | Daniel Adler, Sachin Gupta, Sam Sigelman
Daniel Adler of the Twins and Sachin Gupta of the Timberwolves joined Dunker Sam Sigelman for a discussion of the emerging role of analytics in professional sports and the changing backgrounds of employees being hired by pro teams.
(LtoR) Row 1: Dave Mona; Row 3: Ross Levin (physician), Daniel Adler; Row 4: Sachin Gupta, Sam Sigelman (moderator)
Game 938 | November 5, 2020 | Bill Guerin, Ryan Carter
Ryan Carter, center from White Bear Lake, joined General Manager Bill Guerin in a preview of the 2020-21 National Hockey League season. Guerin talked about the long process of getting Russian star Kilill Kaprizov into a Wild uniform.
(LtoR) Row 2: Dave Mona; Row 3: Bill Guerin, Ryan Carter (moderator), Bill Robertson (physician); Row 5: Matt Majka
Game 939 | December 1, 2020 | Gersson Rosas, Alan Horton
Timberwolves' broadcaster Alan Horton and T'Wolves President Gersson Rosas described the drafting of Anthony Edwards with the first overall choice in the NBA draft. Midway through the season Rosas fired coach Ryan Saunders in favor of Toronto assistant Chris Finch.
(LtoR) Row 1: Ross Levin, Dave Mona, Lea B. Olsen; Row 3: Alan Horton (moderator), Gersson Rosas, Ethan Casson (physician)
Game 940 | December 16, 2020 | Dave St. Peter, Derek Falvey, Jeremy Zoll, Alex Hassan, Marv Goldklang, Mike Veeck, Derek Sharrer, Kris Atteberry
A realignment of minor league baseball resulted in the Twins and the St. Paul Saints reaching an agreement for the Saints to become the Twins Triple AAA affiliate in ballparks separated by only 10 miles. Executives from both teams discussed the agreement and the marketing opportunities the teams plan to explore. Dave St. Peter set up this special meeting after the Twins' and Saints' partnership was announced to have St. Paul and CHS Field serve as its AAA farm club.
(LtoR) Row 2: Kris Atteberry (moderator), Derek Sharrer, Derek Falvey; Row 3: Ross Levin, Dave Mona; Row 4: Alex Hassan, Dave St. Peter (physician), Mike Veeck; Row 5: Jeremy Zoll, Marv Goldklang