Well, this makes sense: according to an email sent to "KSTP Insiders," as of Monday, morning host Patrick Reusse is moving his show to noon, and he and longtime "Saturday Morning Sports Talk" partner Joe Soucheray will work together from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., whereupon Sooch will go solo until 6 p.m.

Because of a 60-day notice requirement between ESPN and current affiliate KFAN, AM1500 won't have its morning show right away. However, ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning — a 5-9 a.m. show currently split between KFAN and its smaller cousin, AM690 — will pop up by April. Another ESPN personality, Colin Cowherd, has a 9 a.m.-1 p.m. show that isn't heard here, so he can slide into KSTP's 9 a.m.-noon slot right away.

As Hubbard Broadcasting V.P. Dan Seeman notes, AM1500 was down to just three assets: Reusse and Soucheray — "who invented sports talk in this town," Seeman says — and the Twins, whose rights the station holds through this season.

Essentially, the Hubbards cut and ran on finding new, compelling local daytime personalities. But there's now a much greater likelihood the their biggest local personality — the Twins — will stay on AM1500.

I don't think club officials were pleased with the disconnect between the wholesome ball club and KSTP's polarizing talkers. Reusse's morning move, and the firing of low-rated conservative yakker Bob Davis several months ago was a big move away from political rants — but it also cost the station its identity, Seeman concedes. This latest move furthers that transition away from polarizing politics, even with Soucheray's two solo hours. I'll bet they're happy over on Twins Way.

While Reusse has been a nice surprise in the ultra-tough morning competition, Sooch has faded badly in the afternoons. However, they remain a fun combo, and with the station's ratings plunging, it makes sense that the desperate station would try to multiply the Saturday franchise times five.

The switch also means a solo Reusse will go head-to-head with KFAN "Common Man" Dan Cole; there, the mind boggles. But at least Patrick's sleep schedule got much more pleasant.

Though the Hubbards had to do something, there are still considerable risks to all this. The station's local identity is in the hands of two AARP-eligible dudes and a team that might flee next year. Seeman, a former KFAN exec, notes his former station succeeded without the Twins or the Vikings — but there was also no formidable competitor then, and The Fan didn't rely on drive-time syndication.

It also remains to be seen if the pool of sports talk listeners is bigger than the pool of conservative listeners KSTP once chased. The current "second sports station," AM690 (a.k.a. "The Score") was basically an asterisk in the local ratings, though its signal and brand are vastly inferior to AM1500's.

It's also important to note lots of good people lost their jobs today, including newsman Bob Berglund, producers Jason McGovern, Angie Ludwig and John Burns, Reusse's morning partner Jay Kolls, mid-day host Kelly Webb, and evening host Al Malmberg.

Joe Anderson, hired last month for an evening slot, will co-host an interim morning show (with regular substitute Scott Korzenowski) and hold down the 6-7 p.m. hour, Seeman says. Overnights, it will be ESPN guy Jason Smith.