Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Molitor from St. Paul will be in Cooperstown, N.Y., in three weeks when Ichiro Suzuki from Japan will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Molitor, the former Twins American League Manager of the Year in 2017, was Suzuki’s hitting coach with the Mariners in 2004, the season he set MLB’s single-season hits record of 262. "The funny thing is that during spring training, the Mariners wanted me to talk to him about being more patient, taking more pitches and trying to get on base more," Molitor told the Pioneer Press. "After trying that in spring trading, and two or three weeks of the season, I could tell he was getting frustrated, and I told him that everything we talked about in spring training, just forget about it. Just go back to who you were." Molitor, who had 3,319 hits during a 21-year career, never had a 50-hit month in a season.

Ichiro, who 3,089 hits during a major league 19-year career, had three 50-hit seasons. "Think about that," Molitor said. "It was remarkable to watch him find a way to get 262 hits in a 162-game schedule. I’m looking forward in particular to welcoming Ichiro to the Club." Suzuki will be one of just seven Hall of Famers with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases. Among others is Molitor, who also missed nearly 500 games because of injuries.

Pro Football Hall of Fame former Viking Randall McDaniel is a big fan of St. Paul’s Dennis Ryan, the Vikings’ recently retired equipment manager who last week was honored in Canton, Ohio, by the Hall of Fame after 47 years with the Vikings. "My rookie year, being from Arizona, in the first cold game I ever played in — at Lambeau Field in Green Bay — I was warming my feet up on the sideline with the old butane heaters and literally set my shoes on fire, melted the rubber off them, and had to get them replaced. It was a mess." He later added, "I really hope it doesn’t happen."

The Timberwolves’ average ticket price this season of $163 was the second-largest increase in the NBA from the season before, when their tickets averaged $98, per TickPick.

Longtime Twins Ballpark Operations VP Matt Hoy is transitioning to Senior Advisor, Operations. Ryan Tanke, out as Timberwolves-Lynx COO with the Rodriguez-Lore purchase, is new COO of the Houston Rockets. And John Penfellow is leaving as executive VP and chief revenue officer of the Vikings to become president of business operations for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

While at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center on Thursday on behalf of youngsters, Oklahoma Thunder standout Chet Holmgren was asked by the Pioneer Press his opinion on MVP teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s new guaranteed $285 million, four-year contract: "He’s more than earned that. Players of his caliber can’t be paid what they’re worth, just the way the structure of salary cap and everything is set up. He got paid the absolutely most he could get paid, and rightfully so. He’s earned every dollar. He’s the type of person you want to see get paid, too — great person off the floor, great family man."