Sports
Reusse: How to unpack Minnesota’s ‘Big Tuesday’
From the Wild signing Kirill Kaprizov, to Napheesa Collier eviscerating WNBA leadership, to Derek Falvey answering questions about firing Rocco Baldelli, Tuesday was a day to remember.
By Patrick Reusse
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 1, 2025 at 7:36PM
Minnesota Twins president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey and executive vice president and general manager Jeremy Zoll speak during a press conference a day after firing manager Rocco Baldelli. (Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
There have not been many Tuesdays in the first quarter of the 21st Century when the five primary professional sports teams were all creating news at the same time. This one took the prize, in the following order.
10:15 a.m. — Derek Falvey, the Twins president for business and baseball, was 15 minutes late for a media session in the home clubhouse at Target Field. His main task was to explain the reasoning behind the firing of manager Rocco Baldelli.
11 a.m. — Coach Chris Finch gathers the Timberwolves from various corners of the courts at Mayo Clinic Square for the first practice of the 2025-26 season
11:40 a.m.— Napheesa Collier, veteran star of the Lynx, steals the spotlight in the team’s season-ending media session in the cramped interview room at Target Center by reading a four-minute statement that served as an attack on WNBA leadership and Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
11:58 a.m. — Bill Guerin, general manager of the Wild, announces the happy news that he has convinced superstar Kirill Kaprizov and his agent to accept what is temporarily the largest contract in NHL history: eight-years, $138 million, no-trade, starting with the 2026-27 season. This occurs at the TRIA Rink in St. Paul, where the Wild practice.
Meantime, across the pond — The Vikings had moved from the Republic of Ireland to Ware, England and spent the day licking their wounds from Sunday’s lousy effort vs. Pittsburgh, before starting practice for Sunday’s game in London vs. the punchless Cleveland Browns.
So, not much news there, but it’s the Vikings and the NFL, which means their minutiae is consumed more enthusiastically than all the other outfits’ news.
As a wrapup to Tuesday’s handful of happenings, here’s what we’ll title:
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