Sid Hartman: Familiarity breeds improved line play

Another year of getting to know the system -- and each other -- always helps, Vikings coach Brad Childress says, especially in the offensive line. By SID HARTMAN, Star Tribune Lohse = Dave Duncan. Rick Anderson, who is an excellent pitching coach, struggled to get Lohse to become a real pitcher. Duncan has got him to … read more correctly use an offspeed pitch, throw his fastball with movement, etc. Lohse is probably listening now because he was almost out of the game. And a lot of it is luck; his era is about what it was his best years as a Twin, in the NL, where it should be 1/2 a run lower because of no DH. The Vikings officially open training camp today, and coach Brad Childress said he believes the biggest plus is that most of the players have another year in his system. "I start with [quarterback] Tarvaris [Jackson],... [read full story]