February 23, 2001 - LaVelle Neal, who covers spring training of the Minnesota Twins for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, gives his hopeful appraisal of the team. The Twins' front office has been busy signing their best young players, which has the team thinking about reaching the .500 mark this year.
February 28, 2001 - The last day of February means anglers have to take their ice houses off Minnesota lakes. But with so much snow on the ground, skiing and snowmobiling enthusiasts are still living it up. And for some Minnesotans, another winter activity could start any day -- maple sugaring. The season is unpredictable -- requiring warm days and cold nights. Author Susan Carol Hauser writes about maple sugaring and is preparing to tap the trees near her Bemidji-area home. She says according to folklore a wet winterlike the one we've had means more sap.
March 16, 2001 - Baseball analyst Kevin Hennessy comments on the positive potential of the Minnesota Twins with the continued signing of strong young players, such as Brad Radke, LaTroy Hawkins, Cristian Guzman, and Corey Koskie. It is a change from the rock-bottom salary strategy for players that team had done in prior years.
April 23, 2001 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with Dave Meltzer, the editor of the Wrestling Observer, provides a review of the first XFL season that has ended with the Los Angles Extreme defeating the San Francisco Demons 38 to 6 to win $1,000,000. After disappointing ratings it looks like NBC will drop the league from its schedule next year, but it may continue on UPN.
May 2, 2001 - MPR sports commentator Jay Weiner shares his thoughts on latest ballpark proposal, which he sees as better than all the others we've seen before, but it still needs to be improved.
May 28, 2001 - A Common Place Memorial Day special. The program is the story of four World War II chaplains who went down together with their torpedoed ship in 1943. Plus a conversation with Bruce Weigl, a Vietnam veteran who writes poetry.
June 4, 2001 - As the Minnesota Twins hold a 1/2 game lead in the American League Central and prepare for a series against the Cleveland Indians, Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with sports commentator LaVelle Neal about what the rest of season may hold for the Twins.
June 7, 2001 - Hubert Humphrey's former press secretary Norman Sherman told the audience at today's Mondale lecture that Humphrey's personality played a key role in his success as a Senator. Sherman remembered how Humphrey instructed his staff to be nice to their political opponents - key Southern senators angry at Humphrey for his support of civil rights.
July 9, 2001 - The Minnesota Twins will send three players to the All-Star Game. It's the first time since 1996 that the team has sent more than one player to the game. Pitchers Joe Mays and Eric Milton, and shortstop Christian Guzman have led the surprising Twins this year. LaVelle Neal provides commentary about the team’s success in first half of 2001.
July 11, 2001 - What a difference a year can make. The Twins come out of this year's All-Star Break in first place, with a five game lead over Cleveland in the Central Division. Last year at this time, Minnesota was 18 1/2 games behind first place. Baseball analyst Kevin Hennessy credits a combination of great pitching and some well-timed offense.