Pat Borzi

Minneapolis

Contributing Writer at MinnPost

Freelance Writer at Freelance

Sports & Media, @MinnPost. Ex: @NYTSports, @StarLedger, @PPHSports, @MiamiHerald, @NewsdaySports. 2x MSP BBWAA chairman. Long Islander. Hail Fordham.

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Articles

Cold weather, just OK baseball means low attendance for Twins

3 days ago | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

See if you can identify the struggling Major League Baseball club by the following clues:The passionate fan base rips ownership and the chief baseball executive for being cheap. The off-season passed without a single major free agent signing or significant trade. Attendance is way off at the club’s downtown stadium, the one with the statues outside, and it’s hard to see that changing in a hurry. Pretty obvious which club I’m talking about, right? Wrong. It’s the St. Louis Cardinals.
A new Ferris wheel in St. Paul?

2 weeks ago | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

Since their rain-soaked first game as an independent club in 1993, the St. Paul Saints have staked out a niche as an incubator of zany. The between-innings gags, the “usher-tainers” roaming the stands, the squealing pig mascot, the offbeat giveaways (bobble-foot dolls, a classic) and all the other bits established the Mike Veeck-led Saints as the industry leaders in nutty ways to attract fans. Things toned down a bit after the Saints became a Class AAA affiliate of the Twins in 2021.
For Abbey Murphy, a national championship is the true prize

1 month ago | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

The postgame press conference last Saturday was wrapping up when Brad Frost, the University of Minnesota women’s hockey coach, offered an unsolicited opinion that was hard to challenge. The Gophers had just beaten Colgate, 3-2, in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal game at Ridder Arena to advance to the Frozen Four.
'See Her Be Her' documentary highlights rise in women’s baseball

1 month ago | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

It’s an easy mistake to make, because the notion has been drilled into us for decades: Boys play baseball, girls play softball. One sport for each gender. Males often gravitated to slow-pitch softball as adults, but women of any age were discouraged or prevented from crossing the line to baseball. Until now.
Minnesota Aurora want a championship and to get into a pro league

2 months ago | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

A green rubber dinosaur propped open the door last week to Minnesota Aurora FC’s corporate office, in an industrial park in Eagan, not far from TCO Stadium. Aurora moved here from its original St. Paul location this past June. The office itself is bare bones — one airy conference room, another room for Aurora’s three full-time employees, a pro shop with green artificial turf, and lots of storage in the back for merchandise and assorted gear.
Twins manager signals a new approach to hitting

2 months ago | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

The Original Baseball Old Timers Hot Stove Banquet in West St. Paul kicked off several days of Twins-related local events in late January. Now a Twins Winter Caravan stop, it attracted a lively crowd, dressed in everything from sportcoats to jerseys and ballcaps. This year’s banquet, this past Wednesday night at Southview Country Club, offered a test for the friendliness and patience of local Twins fans.
Minnesota's non-conference schedule all about basketball rankings

Dec 20, 2024 | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

It’s as predictable as snowfall in Duluth. Every November and December, college basketball fans gather in person, in chat rooms or on social media to gripe about their favorite team’s non-conference schedule. In most locales, the complaints feature some variation of, Why are we paying full price to watch our team play so many nobodies? In Minnesota, that’s generally directed at the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s teams.
'Broadcast Wars' chronicles heyday of Twin Cities TV journalism

Nov 25, 2024 | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

Cathy Wurzer, the host of Minnesota Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and co-host of public television’s Friday night staple “Almanac,” calls herself a news junkie and historian. She grew up in South Minneapolis in the 1970s, a time when local television news was king and its poofy-haired anchors were hailed as celebrities in the Upper Midwest.
PWHL's Minnesota Frost kick off training camp with Melissa Caruso

Nov 15, 2024 | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

“Frost” is the new nickname of the pro women’s hockey team formerly known as PWHL Minnesota, which won the inaugural league championship last spring. Nine days after winning the title, the league — which owns all the teams — fired general manager Natalie Darwitz, who put the roster together, hired staff and secured Xcel Energy Center as the game site. Darwitz reportedly lost a personality clash with Coach Ken Klee, who had the backing of captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and several key players.
Lynx’s Alanna Smith playoff fuss overlooks what she's overcome

Oct 22, 2024 | minnpost.com | Pat Borzi

As a people, Australians are as tough as they come. If you’re going somewhere and expect trouble, bring an Aussie. They’ll stick with you and never back down. And so it was Sunday night in Brooklyn, when the Lynx’s resident tough-minded Aussie — undersized center Alanna Smith — found herself in the middle of the most talked-about play of the WNBA Finals, stepping up to defend New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart in the final seconds of regulation in Game 5.