UMM wins with command versus MLC

UMM came out of its recent series of games vs. Martin Luther with great satisfaction. Nothing but wins! 

"Martin Luther" means of course we're playing religious people. The real Martin Luther led a rejection of the Catholic Church. Pretty dicey. And right now the Catholic Church is in the midst of conflict and controversy with what is going on between Pope Leo and the U.S. presidency of you-know-who. Why does the nation put up with this? Why doesn't everyone just roundly condemn the president for claiming that the pontiff "wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon?" 

All past presidents have felt the need to respect the Pope as a revered religious leader. The Catholic Church is not perfect because human beings are not perfect.  

Martin Luther College of New Ulm has a "knight" as its logo. Looks like a knight right out of the movies. Looking at this reminds me of a movie scene that made me laugh out loud. It's from the Mel Brooks movies. This was "Silent Movie" that had Brooks himself as one of the three leading actors. I have always felt this was an underrated Brooks movie. 

"Silent Movie" was really a silent movie. Only one spoken line and that was by Marcel Marceau the famed mime! He blurts out "no!" in a scene. Funny. But the specific scene I am referencing in relation to "knights" includes Liza Minnelli. Brooks and his two partners are trying to get Minnelli's attention. They want to make a pitch to her for being in the threesome's planned "silent movie." Liza is seated at the commissary on a movie production lot. 

The three protagonists approach her disguised as "knights" and dressed fully as such, with all the metal! So they simply try to sit down with her. Pretty hard in a knight get-up. So we hear the sound effect of metal-on-metal as the three simply try to sit down. They keep falling over. Real slapstick or physical comedy and it sure worked with me! 

Martin Luther College of New Ulm is certainly Lutheran but not part of the Lutheran mainstream. The college is affiliated with the Wisconsin Synod which in my mind is sort of an extreme or fringe faction. Since we're talking about the Pope let's bring the Holy Father into it: the Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church believes the Pope to be the antichrist! So the college would have to answer for that. I don't know why those people stick their neck out in this way. This would only hurt church membership IMHO. 

Churches are struggling to maintain their flocks as it is. But to each his own I guess. 

Yes the Catholic Church has had problems. But right at the present time my sympathies are with those people. 

Before I drop the subject of Martin Luther the person, I'll remind that he was one of the biggest anti-Semites in world history. He wrote a thesis that I would hate to quote because it's so raw and offensive. Martin Luther's words were used in the build-up to the holocaust of WWII. It was that bad. You just have to look at the historical record. 

Maybe the bottom line is that I don't like the divisions in humanity caused by organized religion. I rather admire the Jewish people as long as we're not talking about the outrages caused by Israel and its leader. 

Maybe it's true that "in the beginning, man created God." 

 

Mary Landherr

Cougars shine in three games

Well, the UMM softball team sure had its prayers answered going into the series of three games vs. Martin Luther College. The Knights proved no match for our Cougars who won 13-0, 11-5 and 12-2. Pretty one-sided. All three of these games were played at MLC. 

Taking a look at the 13-0 win, the Cougars pounded out 16 hits. They committed no errors! Our big inning was the second: seven runs. Three Cougars stood out in the boxscore, each with three hits. These hot bats were wielded by GingerAnn Lucas, Mary Landherr and Kendra Schmitz. Landherr drove in three runs. Lucas scored three. Lucas and Alyssa Thornton each had a double. The Cougars turned a double play. 

Alyssa Thornton pitched five innings for the 'W' and she struck out three batters, walked none.

 

Game 2

The 11-5 UMM win saw the Cougars come on strong in the late innings, the sixth and seventh. We finished with seven hits and had two errors. MLC actually out-hit us with ten. 

Kendra Schmitz

Kendra Schmitz was the only Cougar with a multiple-hit game and she went two-for-three with a run and an RBI. Landherr nd Ro Diver each drove in two runs. 

Morgan Wilhelm pitched the whole way for the win and she scattered ten hits. (I remember the major league baseball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm from my youth, the knuckleballer!)

 

The Friday game 

The 12-2 win by UMM over Martin Luther on Friday saw Cougar bats produce the robust total of 15 hits. Taylor Johnson, Olivia Losee and Kendra Schmitz each had three. Losee and Thornton each had three RBIs. Landherr and Schmitz each had a double, and Taylor Johnson socked a triple. 

Alyssa Thornton pitched three innings and Marissa Anderson pitched two. Each stuck out a batter. Thornton got the win. 

Let's hope the weather gets milder as the diamond action continues.

Olivia Losee

 

- Brian Wiliams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com 

MACA softball overpowers Montevideo in twin bill

We can sure count on MACA softball rolling over a lot of regular season opponents. And so it goes. The Tigers were overpowering in their Monday doubleheader against Montevideo. Action was at home. And the scores were 16-1 and 19-0 over the Thunder Hawks. 

All such regular season success is super. But the question that hovers - has for years - is whether the Tigers can get past the southern Minnesota teams in the section. Well, that's a long way off as of right now. Let's enjoy the April success as we get impatient waiting for nicer weather to come along. Yes I'm impatient. Am I just getting old and maybe a little crotchety? Oh I don't think I'm alone. 

Right now the weather unpleasantness is in the form of fog. It was quite thick as I departed to town for breakfast. It hangs in the air as of 9:30 a.m. Wouldn't a summer-like day be rather like a miracle? Or, how about a succession of such days? 

Regular season winning thrills are a norm for MACA Tiger softball. And so is the presence of Mary Holmberg as head coach. What a miracle with longevity she is! I covered Tiger softball for the Morris paper back in the program's first year, I believe 1979. Jimmy Carter was president. (I think Carter was much more genuine presenting himself as an ally of Christianity than our current president.) 

The coach all through the program's storied history has been Holmberg. Now let's see, Mary, if you can guide the program past the shoals of the section tournament this season!

 

Tigers 16, Montevideo 1

Holy cow the MACA bats were really sizzling as the twin bill unfolded: 17 hits by the orange and black in the first game. And just two by the T-Hawks. The game was abbreviated to four innings. 

Sure seems like Monte girls teams have taken lumps this school year. I recall that Monte was on the losing side of a historically one-sided girls basketball game this past winter. The winner that night was BOLD. That outcome prompted me to write a blog post where I wondered if people even make an issue of "running up the score" anymore. There was a time when we might hear such an outcry. But times do appear to have changed. Changed since the days when Morris girls basketball could be on the short end of such affairs. Like against Wheaton or New London-Spicer. And I was left puzzled: Why were we so handicapped? And why didn't more people ask questions? 

The kind of number that MACA softball did on Monte Monday revives the issue of imbalance. Maybe we should save some of our runs for the section tournament, like against Jackson County Central et al. 

The Tigers were actually scoreless in the first two innings of Game 1. But wow, what a contrast the third inning was! Twelve runs. Then the Tigers polished things off with a four-run fourth. Our line  score was 16 runs, 17 hits and the perfect "zero" for errors. Talk about mid-season form in April! 

Let's roll up our sleeves to take a look at the hitting parade. Addi Cihak is my neighbor so I'll put her at the front of the line: two hits in three at-bats and two runs scored. Way to go Addi! Then we see Aina Rose with a triple and a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs. 

Harmony Coverdale had a hot bat at three-for-four with one of her hits a double. She scored three runs and drove in three. (Sometimes I think her name is "Cloverdale" but no it's "Coverdale.") 

Samantha Konz was unstoppable as she put up three-for-three numbers. She scored a run and drove in two. Brenna Jergenson was quite in the zone and she had a double and triple as part of going three-for-four. She stole two bases, scored two runs and drove in four. 

Ryla Koehler had a hit, walked, stole a base, scored a run and drove in a run. Ashlin Gibson crossed home plate once. Nora Boyle doubled, drew a walk and drove in a run. Haley Kill went two-for-two and got hit-by-pitch. She scored a run and drove in two runs. Miu Lu Asche stole a base and scored a run. Jade Marty had a hit and a run scored. 

Nora Boyle was our pitcher and she struck out seven batters, issued just one walk and allowed just two hits. 

What a superb showing by the Tigers. I think I did justice to the team by going through the Game 1 highlights. I'm sure Game 2 mirrored the complexion of Game 1. Haley Kill gets a shout-out as pitcher. Lots of exciting action lies ahead. Right now the team stands at 3-0.

And really Dear Lord, how about some weather that brings thoughts of summer?

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com 

Saturday of Easter weekend w/ blanket of snow

"Leporiphobia" is fear of the Easter bunny.

 

There's "Maundy Thursday" and then "Good Friday" but what of Saturday? Saturday of Easter weekend? I'm barely aware of the terminology so I'm in no position to elaborate. "Maundy?" I haven't a clue. But it surely is Easter weekend as I write this. Writing this as I look to the north through my quite large picture windows. I shouldn't say "my" as it's my family home even though I'm the only one left. The Williams family home has quite nice picture windows on both the north and south sides. Nice view through either. We are "semi-rural" up next to the soils laboratory. 

Saturday of Easter weekend 2026 is marked by a "winter wonderland" outside. It has been futile trying to hope for truly pleasant weather that would contrast with winter. Winter may have its (limited) charms but we've had enough of it by now, n'est-ce pas? Wouldn't it be nice to crank up the riding lawn mower to see if it's ready for another year? 

 

In flux? 

The local pest control company appears to be undergoing sort of a "revolt." I was a pushover for the "insurgents" and so now the new name is "Exodus 8." I noticed the Exodus 8 name on the bait station in front of DeToy's Restaurant as well. The changeover seemed to happen in a rather odd way. The cost will now be higher - it never goes the other way - but the stations will be checked four times a year now, not twice. And frankly I like that. 

I discovered one dead mouse in my basement in November. But I have not detected any live ones since the pest control service started. I have never had what you'd call an "infestation" but I finally arrived at a zero-tolerance policy. Several years ago I had the bat specialist come. A bat was in the basement, heavens. The guy who took the calls for the eradication service said the people who call them want someone to come quickly! My problem was solved. The guy had a pretty firm theory on what the problem was, but he addressed three potential problems. 

 

Good Shepherd Church, Morris

A Christian time, but. . . 

So here we are on Easter weekend of 2026 and we ought to feel the proper solemnity. But how are we to understand Easter or Christianity itself? How to understand in the curious age in which the faith has gotten enmeshed hopelessly in politics. Go out to Good Shepherd Church in the barren stretches north of Morris and you'll be among people who voted 100 percent for Trump. And politics most definitely colors their church attitudes. 

Other Stevens County churches are not too far from this church's example. But Good Shepherd was this new "refuge" for many of the alienated souls from the standard Lutheran churches that were such a bulwark when I grew up. And I'm not suggesting that those places were exactly fountains of joy. 

I think most boomers will say that they went to church "because they were supposed to." And, that much of church life seemed to be designed to make you feel guilty. In the process it was boring too. It was an obligation. Did our parents know it was impressing us this way? Or did they care? 

Our parents felt we should simply appreciate the things they were giving us. How could you argue that we shouldn't? But our parents had the power, had they chosen to seize it, of rising up en masse to get the government to withdraw our young men from Vietnam. It got to the point where my generation did not even want to hear the reasons spelled out on why we were involved in the war. 

My pastor at First Lutheran Church would never have been so bold as to say the war was a tragic mistake. We knew he was a Nixon Republican. He probably asked us to "pray for the troops." Oh fine, like that was a constructive step. Was that supposed to make us feel better? So we could go home after church with sound conscience? 

 

Use proper lens 

On this Saturday morning of Easter weekend 2026, we're supposed to be so focused on one missing pilot in Iran. One missing pilot! And in the withdrawal from Afghanistan, 13 U.S. soldiers killed. And man, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota in his re-election campaign made hay out of the 13. But put these figures into context. They say that one death is a tragedy and several hundred a "statistic." Or let's make that close to 60,000 in Vietnam - U.S. soldiers directly killed as a result of the conflict. Countless others in a more indirect way in the years following. 

We lost the war. And why were the parents of the boomers not more aware of the grand scale of the needless tragedy? American boys simply being cut down, killed in many ways most certainly violent. And this passed muster with that older generation? Those folks had John Wayne as a cheerleader for them just as today we have Sean Hannity and others in the same role. 

"Conservatives" always learn to sing off the same page. They feel that the spirit of jingoism is the "brave" stance. 

I assert war is nothing but bad. 

Our congressperson Michelle Fischbach is singing off the predictable script. Why is it that these people can never surprise us? 

Vietnam had to end regardless of the prevailing sentiment, for one primary reason. We were "killing our own colonels." This was "fragging." The term grew from the common technique of a fragmentation hand grenade placed on the bed of a commanding officer. Oftentimes it was just a threat. But lives were taken this way. The "grunts" did not want a commanding officer to order a certain action based on that officer's desire to "use John Wayne tactics" to get his picture in his hometown paper. 

 

John Wayne

Can't ignore Hollywood

John Wayne gave us the movie "The Green Berets" which Roger Ebert described as obscene. The truth about John Wayne was that he was a master of the movie industry and he knew that the drama and conflict of military engagements were really good fodder for movies. He gave us the movie "The Alamo." Turns out that the Mexicans were really the good guys through all that because they were fighting against slavery. The Mexicans did lose in the long run. But they totally overran the Alamo which was not even a fort, it was a Spanish mission. 

John Wayne was way too old for his role in the WWII movie "The Longest Day." Hollywood has typically called on actors who were too old for their roles in war movies. I would suggest the reason is that Hollywood hesitates to show the reality of how it is young men who overwhelmingly bear the brunt. It might seem tragically immoral to reflect the truth. 

 

Can Christ prevail? 

On this Saturday of Easter weekend we wonder if the MAGA imprint on Christianity is going to be long-lasting or even permanent. If it is truly entrenched, can we persuade young people to join the faith? Donald Trump is a dangerous lying fool. We have had ten years to have this sink in, and it has not yet. 

Michelle Fischbach

Michelle Fischbach is jingoistic probably because she senses there is political hay to be made from this. And so ironic: a big priority of MAGA over the last few years has been "no new Mideast wars." We are so human an animal. Not sure I'm using that quote right but it seems apt anyway. 

We will all have to deal with a major new burst of inflation. Interest rates cannot be cut at the present time or even in the next 12 months, apparently, in case that is important to you. 

Oh to have a classy and example-setting president again. And this individual does not have to be in the news every day. Do we really need to be led along by Trump every day of our lives? I am personally affronted by this. 

Jesus Christ thought it was so important to forgive your adversaries. Does Trump know the meaning of this? If not, then please explain yourselves. Oh my, you won't. You will engage in name-calling against people like me. Would this pass muster with your Lord and Savior?

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com