Strong second half propels Tigers past CMCS

Boys hoops: Tigers 67, CMCS 55

If it's Saturday it's time for more high school basketball. What could be better? More and more people in Morris are getting the vaccine. I got my first Moderna shot on Friday at Prairie Ridge. Little by little we can emerge from the storm of the past year. 

In the meantime we can keep our spirits up by following prep hoops. And on Saturday the outcome was a win for the orange and black boys. Action was here at Tiger Center. The opponent was CMCS: Central Minnesota Christian School of Prinsburg. The Tigers defeated those Christians by 12, 67-55. 

We took off after a stalemated first half (30-30 halftime score). We put up 37 second half points. Here's a toast for the Tigers. 

Thomas Tiernan came to the fore with his 3-point shooting. The Tiger junior made four of six shots from beyond the arc. Fellow junior Jackson Loge made two 3's in three tries. Riley Reimers made his only long-range try, and Brandon Jergenson had our other '3'. As a team we were 53 percent in 3-point shooting. 

Jackson Loge took more steps forward accumulating points - he had 31. Tiernan used his 3-pointer touch to put up 14. These two were complimented by Jergenson with eight, Reimers with seven, Toby Gonnerman with five and Durgin Decker with two. Loge was 11 of 16 in his field goal shooting, Tiernan four of seven. 

The Tigers were sharp at the freethrow line with 13 of 16 numbers, 81 percent. Loge had seven successes from the charity stripe. Any time you guess Loge will lead in rebounds, it's a good guess. He led in this phase Saturday with his nine, one of which was offensive. Reimers was second-high with five boards, and as a team we had 24, five offensive. 

Our assist total was 17. Jergenson was sharpest in this category with seven. Loge had two steals and he had all four of our blocked shots.

 

Water subject is fogbound

Some dude with a State of Minnesota position has responded to the most recent post I wrote about the Morris water treatment plant and the "new" Morris water. I have been through hell trying to ascertain the most reliable facts on this. After all I've been through, I cannot even tell you what condition my own household water has. 

(mpr image)

I know that every time I pick up the phone, I just "get in deeper." I think it's a huge bureaucratic-type snafu. I entered the process with good faith. Very sad how the whole project just crashed and burned.  

I will share here the lengthy comment posted by the State of Minnesota fellow. In a nutshell, I think this dude "takes the long way around the barn." When your thoughts weave around this much, you're either confused or with the government. 

Actually the situation is sad. Here is the comment, shared exactly as he left it. Odd how he starts out with hyperbolic flattery.

 
Morris Water is Better!
It was great to see your blog post on the new water treatment plant! As water treatment professionals, we have trouble getting citizens interested in water plants – at least until their clothes turn brown! Yes, there was confusion and poor communication! Blaine Hill and Morris came a long way in our eyes. While we may not agree on all the characterizations, we have convinced most to be honest about the new water quality, and what needs to be done to water softeners. We think Blaine knows that many people will want soft water and will keep their water softeners. We know that those softeners need to be adjusted. The city’s wastewater is already improved and Morris appears NOT to be planning to send police to inspect your water softeners. All is good!
Here are some facts, Brian, raised by your post. I admit that this is from my perch in Minneapolis, not beautiful Morris, but I have been checking around!
- Morris is at 5 grains. The water plant is now stable. The city seems to have worked the bugs out of the new plant. Water conditioning companies are regularly testing about 5 grains per gallon hardness (“grains” or gpg) in Morris – the city’s target.
- This is 1/8 the hardness of old Morris water! That means your water softener should use 1/8 the salt! That may be the reason your softener doesn’t appear to be using salt.
- Not soft. While Morris water is much improved, it is low in hardness and in carbonates and bicarbonates and lower generally in total dissolved solids – but not soft. Soft water has means less than 1 grain and water softeners make soft water. Water softeners typically produce soft water between 0.2 and 1.0 gpg.
Using Morris Water. Those who desire real soft water need to have their softeners adjusted for lower salt use, or replace them with new, efficient models. Time clock softeners are a bad idea, and should be replaced, but even time clock softeners can be set to use 1/8 the salt until they are replaced.
Those who choose not to soften will get by. We expect there will be little iron or manganese in Morris water, so staining should not be a problem unless you are on the end of an old, rusty main. Cleaning, particularly laundry, is not quite the same with 5 grain water, however. If you go without a softener, you will need warm water where you used cold, or hot where you used warm to be satisfied with the results.
Some will need even lower hardness than “soft.” The steam heating plant at UMM, critical manufacturing operations and some high efficiency cooling towers are examples.
Adjustments. Water conditioning contractors like myself think we know best – because we do this all day. But there are a number of plumbers who have developed good water treatment skills. Whoever you use, ask the hard questions. Is my softener set for the new Morris water? How much salt will I use for each regeneration? How much water will be softened after each regeneration?
Bottom line – the plant is in, a lot of money was spent, water bills are up, but Morris is no longer in the sites of the MPCA and the life of the Pomme de Terre River is less threatened by chloride from salt. Now - just minimize the salt on your sidewalks!

Jeff Hill
Chemist
Water Conditioning Master (MN)

Zach Bruns hat trick helps dispose of Worthington

Storm 8, Worthington 2

The MBA Storm boys skated to their eighth win Saturday on the Benson ice. Zach Bruns was in great form with a hat trick. Brady Loge was another standout with two goals. Our superiority on the ice was quite evident in the first period, to the tune of five goals. 

The opponent from southern Minnesota was Worthington who failed to score in the opening period. This game would end in an 8-2 score with MBA triumphant. 

The first period Storm onslaught began with Bruns getting the puck in the net at :25 with an assist from Brady DeHaan. Bruns came through for goal No. 2 as well. This time it was with an Ian Rajewsky assist (5:14). Loge showed his scoring flair at 8:41 assisted by Bruns and DeHaan. MBA kept overwhelming  Worthington as Hunter Blume scored with an assist from Ryan Tolifson. 

The hits kept on coming as Chris Halvorson scored with assists from DeHaan and Loge. The Storm marked time in the second period which was a 2-2 stalemate. Worthington got on the board with a Blake Luinenburg goal that had an Andrew Benson assist. MBA struck with a goal at 1:51 by Cole Blume, assisted by Loge. Bruns went to work again to score at 13:21 with an assist by Brady Goff. 

Worthington got its second goal when Dawson Duangapai got the puck in the net at 16:05. Luinenburg and Konner Honius assisted. 

MBA reached eight goals with the success by Loge at 13:32 of the third. Loge was assisted by Tolifson and Hunter Blume. MBA fortunes were truly "blooming" on this night. 

Peyton LeClair was our goalie and he had eleven saves in 13 attempts. The Worthington goalie was Steven Adams with 36/44 numbers. 

Girls not so fortunate: The MBA girls hockey team was outdone by the Worthington Trojans. Playing on the Worthington ice Saturday, MBA got outdone 6-2. The Trojans got going with three goals in the first period, two in the second and one in the third. Kessy Aljets had two goals and two assists for the victor.

Taryn Picht scored both MBA goals in the third period. Our goalie Leah Thompson had 21 saves.

The MBA girls' W/L dropped to 1-5. Worthington was left at 2-6.

 

Wrestling: DCL 65, Tigers 17

The Tiger Center was a showcase for wrestling on Saturday. The Tigers of MAHACA hosted Dassel-Cokato/Litchfield. (Get your hyphens and slash marks right.) 

Unfortunately things did not go well for the host Tigers. According to "Minnesota Scores," this was the last meet of the regular season. We dropped our last three. On Saturday the outcome was a 65-17 score.

The DCL coach is Bryan Clemen who had to be smiling at meet's end. Clemen's squad is ranked fourth in Minnesota AA. The MAHACA pins by Dallas Walton and Davin Rose weren't enough to challenge the visitors. Ethan Lebrija contributed a technical fall. 

Let's take a thorough look at how all the bouts went. So we have Tyce Anderson vying for the Tigers at 106 pounds where he lost to Andrew Joedeman. It was a fall outcome in 1:50. 

Walton got his fall win over Wyatt Decker at 113 pounds, time of :37. Andrew Marty lost by fall to Alex Joedeman in 1:22. Lebrija achieved his tech fall win 20-4 over Gabe Nelson. Davin Rose went to work to pin Monte Gillman in 3:39. 

At 138 pounds, DCL's Jerry Simes won by forfeit. At 145 pounds also, DCL got the forfeit win, this time with Shelby Fischer having his arm raised. It was ditto at 152 pounds as unfortunately MAHACA wasn't able to send anyone onto the mat. This is an aspect of wrestling that I don't care for: forfeits. The DCL 152-pound forfeit winner was Eddie Simes. 

Hunter Massner strode onto the mat to wrestle for MAHACA against Jude Link. It's fascinating how MAHACA has one wrestler with the last name Massner, another Messner. Back in my newspaper days, if I was not aware of the distinction, I would have assumed "Massner" was a typo. I got enlightened on this matter just before my first blog post with wrestling info this season. Hunter Massner lost by technical fall to Jude Link 19-4. 

OK, now it's Toby MESSNER  vying as the Tigers' 170-pounder. Toby did not fare well as he lost by fall to Tate Link in 1:43. 

DCL was back to winning by forfeit at 182 pounds: Will O'Brien had his arm raised. Hunter Gibson at 195 pounds lost by fall to Beau Nelson (3:01). Brock Marty at 220 lost by fall to Hayden Hoernerman in 3:21. Carter Gibson was the Tigers' big guy and he had his shoulders pinned to the mat in 5:56, by Brenan Rokala.

Rush Limbaugh departs this life

There is resistance in Florida to the governor's directive for having flags fly at half-staff in reverence to the late Rush Limbaugh. The best assessment I have seen of Limbaugh's life was a comment posted on the KFI-Los Angeles radio web page in the "I Heart" system:

 

Rest in Peace because when America mattered it was ratings that mattered more and in deepest reverence Rush did kneel mightily before the god Arbitron and it was good. From rabid Steelers fan to drive-time shock jock, Rush was and ever remains America's most listened to narcotic addict. Many thanks Rush, for smoking all those cigars.

 

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

Political shortcomings with climate in Texas

(business insider image)

MORRIS MN - What relief to see the temperature at ten degrees on this Saturday morning, 9 a.m. That's ten degrees above zero. 

We'd normally consider this teeth-chattering weather. But considering it's a jump of about 30 degrees from some recent readings, well. . . 

We dreamily think of spring and summer now. As if the pandemic wasn't weighing enough on our thoughts - we have disastrous weather. We are blessed in Minnesota being ready for this stuff. Imagine being in Texas. Now we wonder: will it take the federal government to move in down there, to bail out the state and rescue its residents because state government hadn't taken preventive measures? 

Systems needed to be "winterized," yes even in Texas. 

Naturally, Republican politicians do not go the extra mile to ensure this sort of thing. Republicans just have fingers crossed that no disaster will arrive. Will all the taxpayers of the U.S. have to deal with this now? Will Texas and other southern states run by Republicans have to be incentivized to take care of their own affairs? 

 

Remember Flint MI

The law has finally caught up to Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan. He presided for the notorious Flint water crisis. It was a firebell in the night for how Republicans tend to oversee things. Republicans by their nature do not want people to like government. If you have not realized yet that this is a defining feature of the GOP, please get your eyes opened. Snyder was recently indicted, quite long after the fact. 

I thought it interesting that this typical-appearing Republican not only decided not to endorse Trump, he criticized Trump, rather sharply and personally. Snyder made a big deal about how Trump was a "bully." Yes, like a child saying the emperor has no clothes. A cynical theory (the type of theory we always have to entertain): Snyder knew that the people studying the possibility of an indictment were not of his political stripe, not likely anyway, so he may have felt that a harsh critique of Trump could win him a favor or two? 

How valid are my theories? I wrote a song about the Flint water disaster. I become so chagrined as I think about how the Republican Party sells itself as being so in tune with the Christian faith. Masses of lemmings follow these words, including no small number in our Morris MN. 

It is sad to think a former governor has been indicted in connection with the Flint matter. The most profound sadness is about what happened. Michigan now has a Democratic governor. At present in Texas there's a Republican governor. Those folks just cannot get out of the habit - look at how tourist Ted Cruz stays in office. It's so easy to laugh about the misadventures of Cruz. The TV comedians get fodder. The humor has to be partitioned off from the reality. The reality is horrifying. 

First, it was horrifying because Texas government leaders didn't want to ensure backup with its essential systems. More profoundly, the Texas catastrophe reflects climate change. The most hard-edged Republican officials are the first to pooh-pooh climate change theory. They defer to the notorious former president, the fat golfer, who calls it a "hoax." And they really seem to believe it. 

The voters can correct all this. Texas voters could put Beto O'Rourke into power. A prime adversary is right wing media like Fox News. The right wingers want flags to fly at half-mast everywhere for Rush Limbaugh. What an interesting priority at this time of crisis. 

When I was a kid, we had the old gatekeeper media that did news largely as a public service. It wasn't even profitable for a long time. "News" had to be mandated. And, when it was mandated it had to be truthful. Of course it could also be paternalistic. You might argue that it could have gotten the U.S. out of Vietnam sooner. Actually the old media tried, evidence being the Morley Safer "Zippo Lighter" story and the Walter Cronkite comments that got Lyndon Johnson to talk with resignation. (Safer projected fascination with how a simple Zippo lighter could burn down a whole Vietnamese village.)

 

Keep your eye on the ball

The old media with its warts could be putting the climate change emergency in front of us better, without having to fight so many distractions from the looney right, the likes of Newsmax etc. 

Trump says climate change is a hoax. And just look at all the rabid Trump supporters still in outstate western Minnesota. They populate a majority of our churches, unfortunately. This element of society could expedite a decline in the Christian faith itself, as young people become ever more jaded about it. It is happening. Just ask the people who work in organized religion. 

Conditions in Texas have overwhelmed the power grid. Electricity to millions was cut off. Water pipes burst. A humanitarian crisis grew. 

It's complicated: our winters are actually getting milder. What gives? It seems counterintuitive. But there's a paradox: a warmer climate can contribute to ungodly cold. I'm sure Morris native Tony Hansen, MHS Class of '71, could readily explain all this to us. The Morris commercial media should maybe interview meteorologist Tony. He's on the faculty of St. Cloud State University, chairman of the department I believe. "Hometown boy makes good," the late Walt Sarlette would say with a chuckle. 

Meteorologists like Hansen saw the extreme winter weather coming weeks in advance. The stage was set by something called sudden stratospheric warming (yes, SSW). It happened at the beginning of the year. Temperatures high above the North Pole warmed by 100 degrees. So, when the arctic warms like this, it disrupts a spinning mass of cold air, i.e. the "polar vortex." 

Let's continue: the jet stream normally keeps the vortex contained. The cold air is trapped inside. But with the arctic warming so much, the stream weakens. It "elongates." This causes the cold air to plunge south. 

Well, I guess the federal government can backstop everything, right? Better to see Texas state government try to keep things contained with appropriate measures. Instead Governor Greg Abbott goes on Fox News and insinuates that it's "the green new deal" at fault. Well, if so many of us could eat out of Trump's hand for four years, let's just see this continue with the likes of Abbott. 

Now we see photos of things like a frozen waterfall in the Ozarks of Arkansas. Heaven help us all. Or, we could turn to Beto O'Rourke and his Democrats. Now, on to sports:

 

Boys: Tigers 64, Sauk Centre 35

The MACA boys hoops team buried Sauk Centre Friday. This was especially true in the first half. The Streeters played like they didn't have a clue. The halftime score was 36-7. Yawn. 

The orange and black ascended to 10-1 in won-lost. The second half was cruise-time. Game's end arrived with the score 64-35. Our three top scorers had totals of 13, 12 and 11. This trio: Jackson Loge, Toby Gonnerman and Brandon Jergenson. 

Loge nailed all three of his 3-point shots. Other 3's were made by Durgin Decker, Cole Wente, Jergenson and Thomas Tiernan. 

The three top scorers were joined by: Tiernan (8 points), Sam Kleinwolterink (5), Decker (5), Riley Reimers (4), Cole Wente (3) and Brenden Hardy (1). The individual totals from the Willmar paper added up to 62 points, not 64, sorry. 

Loge's eight rebounds led and he was followed by Kleinwolterink (7) and Tiernan (6). Tiernan's five assists were tops there - Loge and Gonnerman each added three. Tiernan and Gonnerman each had two steals. Loge blocked four shots. 

We're at ten wins with more to come!

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

Trump's dangerous co-opting of Christianity

Not a Trump rally

My late mother would not recognize the Christianity of today. We see the horrible images from the mob incident at the U.S. capitol. Already my tone in this post would offend Trump supporters including some people I know well. 

Trump has made himself a prime symbol of the Christian faith. He held up a Bible for a photo-op. 

It is easy to get the impression that a majority of Morris area Christian proponents are 100 per cent Trump proponents. 

I have heard a (non-local) Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor toss out the words "left" and "right" in a sermon. He asserted that "left" is a term of the political state. And "right" of course is spiritual/Biblical. How could "the flock" listen to this and not vote 100 percent Republican? 

It is with regret that I am forced to reject the Republican Party of 2021 with an attitude of disgust. 

Political conservatives have an important role in our political process. There was a time when the main thread of conservatives tossed out the John Birchers. You could count on the National Review as a beacon steering us away from the emotional crazies. I actually had a subscription to William F. Buckley's National Review when I was in my 20s. I respect responsible conservatism, the kind that advises vigilance re. excessive government, non-accountable government. 

This kind of danger is the furthest thing from my mind now. The danger now is fanatical Trump-ism. The body of supporters are ever more becoming a cult. Is there hope for National Review showing its true stripes again? Just as important, even if that erudite crowd does, is it too late? Might we wonder if William F. Buckley is really is rolling over in his grave? Well, rhetorical question. 

 

Pushback of a few

Responsible conservatives haven't entirely been on the sidelines. We of course see Mitt Romney as an outlier from the main strain: supreme courage in the face of the mob. Romney could have lost his life on January 6. He's a former Republican candidate for president. So was John McCain. McCain's widow Cindy has been censured by the Arizona Republican Party. 

We thought Liz Cheney was going to give "cover" for other Republicans being receptive to impeachment. The hope proved fleeting. Cheney's bona fides weren't enough.

Shall we detach the Republican Party from genuine conservative values? More importantly, can we detach the Trump element from Christianity before Christianity picks up a permanent stain? Well, it may have already happened. 

Before all this started, Christian churches were already concerned about their future. And a prime issue in their eyes, according to a discussion on C-Span, was the widely perceived tie between the Christian faith and right wing politics. 

"The Lincoln Project" reflects an effort by responsible conservatives to try to fight the burgeoning image of conservatives/Republicans as loons. Trump held up a Bible as a stunt, after he had his thugs including William Barr disperse demonstrators. Trump held the Bible upside down? Do you think Trump has ever had deep thoughts about how to project the Christian faith for the public's benefit? 

Just think how he could have used the immense power of his office to project gentle, loving, empathetic values. And he of course has been indifferent about the most exemplary attitudes. You have to feel the values in order to project them. For those who can, it really is not hard. 

Trump appeared to celebrate the attempted insurrection as it was happening. Not only was VP Pence endangered, his family was. I doubt that Pence would put the interests of Donald Trump over his wife Karen. I doubt it but who knows? 

I have spent time around some staunch Trump devotees in the Morris area. It doesn't take long to realize their stance and how they'd reply to virtually any comment. If it's a skeptical or constructive comment about Trump, uttered in good faith, you can just sense their minds closed shut. They don't hear you. They might not physically assault you, as it hasn't quite come to that, yet. 

But look at their determination, look at the royal blue "Trump-Pence" sign out by where Columbia Avenue intersects with the highway on the north end of our Morris MN. A sign could not be positioned better to get attention. It makes you wonder if the sign speaks for Morris, and maybe it does. 

Outside of three churches in Morris - First Lutheran, Faith Lutheran and Federated - one suspects the self-identifying Christians of Morris being fully on board with Trump's interests. I cannot fathom this. I'm sure there are some Trump voters even in the three churches I cited. Well I know there's one because I had a disagreeable exchange with him. They are emotional and reactionary. They don't wish to discuss the fine details of climate change because they'll want to accede to Trump's "hoax" dissing. Are these people really products of our educational system? We cannot indict the educational system because our youth are not empty vessels - we all have the standing to think for ourselves. 

My experience of being around the local Apostolics has indicated that they'll listen to progressive thoughts only when it can be reliably determined that hell has frozen over. No sooner. Trump is their guru. 

 

Strange bedfellows now

The Lincoln Project is showing courage. I do not yet sense that it has encouraging momentum. Strange how progressives like me root for the Lincoln Project: the organization is made up of traditional adversaries of theirs. Romney is a traditional adversary. Amazing how progressives can be impressed by a few of these people just because they show a mere modicum of gentleness and empathy. 

William F. Buckley (the atlantic)

Whither the National Review now? Sometimes there's a commentator on the propaganda news network Fox, a commentator with "National Review" given as affiliation. They have been cowed by Trump-ism. 

At the start of the despot's rise they withheld enthusiasm and even expressed criticism. Then they found that for the sake of their own careers, for the sake of getting the high profile they coveted, to get on Fox News shows, they largely capitulated. Maybe this is the most disappointing aspect of what has happened. The pundits fear being marginalized in these days when "eyeballs" mean everything, people at their "screens." 

The Trump crowd shows savvy as they massage a media environment that demands a particular attitude on nearly every issue, even the issue of whether NBA teams should have the National Anthem played. There's a yardstick for everything. Trump's adherents soak it all up. 

I'm not patting myself on the back for having special insights as a skeptic, as I doubt that any great intelligence is required. You just have to recognize a cult and then act accordingly to tamp it down. There are just too many churches in Stevens County for this to be accomplished. They listen to their ministers concocting interpretation about "left" and "right." The "right" is the Christ-centered position, they'll proffer. 

The dissenters from this had better haul ass out of the Christian church. 

What would my late mother think? I wouldn't even want to try to brief her about all that is going on. I'd have to shield her from news about "Access Hollywood" and Stormy Daniels. There may be many men who'd admire Trump for acquiring sex with a prime porn star. But it's folly to equate the likes of Trump with the ideals of the Christian faith. 

Kevin Cramer, are you attending church this Sunday?

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

Really, the minor leagues have their moments

Minneapolis Millers with Fidel Castro, 1959 (baseballdeCuba image)

The Twin Cities had a rich history of baseball before the Twins. But I remember Jim Bouton writing that "the minor leagues are all very minor." I have always found it sad that big league athletes can't find it in themselves to say much of anything positive about the minors. 

I remember an interview with Cal Ermer when he managed Toledo. I can't remember the occasion for the interview. 

It got my attention because I remembered Ermer as manager of the 1967 Minnesota Twins who came a hair's breadth from winning the pennant. Our team was most likely sunk by morale problems. Owner Calvin Griffith was not of a mind to address such things. He ended up as rather a dinosaur. Bowie Kuhn in his autobiography called the Griffiths "church mice" in the ever-more money-driven world of the bigs. 

As a Twins fan, I might have been left more disconsolate by what happened in '67 than our loss in seven games in the '65 World Series. Fate can hinge on a tiny piece of misfortune somewhere. Had we made the World Series in '67, and especially if we'd won it - we definitely had the talent - Dean Chance would still be a household name in Minnesota. Chance has instead gone back to California for commemorative events involving the Angels, the other team where he made his mark. 

Ah, fate: Chance held out against the stubborn anachronistic Griffith in '69, reported to camp late, hurt his shoulder and was never the same again. Our spectacular young pitcher Dave Boswell overworked his arm by pitching too long in a '69 playoff game versus Baltimore. We were so damn desperate to win. Boswell struck out Frank Robinson with a slider. His arm was destroyed. He reported later it changed color. He'd never be the same. And oh, we lost the game. 

Jim Kaat was like our version of Sandy Koufax in '67 until his arm got overworked at the end. He was not instantly finished. Instead he went through what has been called a "dead arm" period, until he found superstar status again with the White Sox. (I almost wonder if he found PEDs.)

Today there is more of an investment in the players and they are thus handled like the delicate assets they are. 

 

When we was (not) fab

The Twin Cities was a minor league outpost up through the 1950s. We were on the cusp of taking the next step. It was painstaking and perhaps even maddening to endure the wait. Imagine Minnesota with no big league teams! It happened in my lifetime as I was born in 1955. Gophers football was once the big thing. But my, things got transformed almost overnight when hero Griffith came here from Washington D.C. 

Let's ponder fate again or perhaps the unforgiving vicissitudes of life. Griffith was saintly with his status when he came here. At the same time we were so ready to forget the Minneapolis Millers. Sad, considering the long history of the Millers and the St. Paul Saints who did yeoman's work at an arguably high level. But remember what Bouton wrote. 

Vicissitudes: Griffith today is persona non grata, so much so his statue has been removed from outside the current venue. To distill: the man had an Archie Bunker problem (prejudices). 

I remember a former Twin who was playing for Fargo some years ago - last name was Becker - and there was controversy because when asked how he felt about playing in Fargo, well I guess the thoughts came out not exactly charitable. I mention this because it seems the norm for professional athletes when discussing the minors. 

The minors of course facilitate and are really essential for the athletes, as it's a place for young players to develop and for the older players to maybe hang on, to get rehabilitated from physical issues etc. So it's ironic: players diss the minor league places while perhaps owing their success to them! We are so human an animal. 

I spent years writing for a small town newspaper but I don't consider myself to be minor league. We don't think like that. 

I'm amused as I remember the interviewer pressing manager Ermer of Toledo, as the interviewer hinted how maybe the manager could find something redeeming to cite re. the minors. No! I repeat: No! Ermer wouldn't budge as he said "the big leagues are the only place to be." Man alive. 

 

(ebay image)

Highlight of the pre-Twins years

Minnesota baseball actually had a very colorful chapter in 1959, would you believe? Yes the Millers carried the banner. We had a dude playing second base named Carl Yastrzemski. 

That's another thing fascinating about our minor league past: future superstars on the way up like Willie Mays, Ted Williams, or Lou Brock and Gaylord Perry with the St. Cloud "Rox." Harmon Killebrew came to Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, to play with Indianapolis in 1958. 

What about 1959? How could that be so special? The Millers made the "Junior World Series." Sorry, sounds like it involved kids. 

The Millers' opponent would be a team called the "Sugar Kings" from. . .Havana, Cuba. Yes, Havana Cuba of the late '50s when you-know-what was happening. Castro's seizing of political power. His bearded associates were known to tote machine guns. 

Look at the photo of Miller players and manager Gene Mauch - yes, that Gene Mauch - posing with Castro and another of those "bearded guys." Of course Castro had a background as a player himself. His abilities appear to have been exaggerated, but he was passable with his skills. He only reached the high school level. Legends took over after that. 

The '59 Junior World Series opened at our Metropolitan Stadium. Minnesota weather was not facilitating. It was wintry. Yet the action unfolded, in front of fewer than 3000 fans. The most vocal rooting section was for the Sugar Kings. Cuban natives in Minneapolis took delight and positioned themselves in the box seats behind the Havana dugout. They contributed a lively atmosphere with maracas and Cuban flags. They rejoiced in their team winning 5-2. 

The temperature got colder for the second game. Attendance shrank to about 1000. The Millers evened the series with a 6-5 win. The Sugar Kings were shook by the weather - they built a fire in a wastebasket by the dugout. 

The temperature continued to get colder. Rain turned to snow. No game 3 in Minnesota. Action would resume at the home of the Sugar Kings. 

The Millers received a gala civic welcome in Havana. There was a parade. Teams took the field at Gran Stadium. Castro the premier cancelled a cabinet meeting and attended. He sat in different places around the stadium and even visited the Havana bench. The Millers had been welcomed, for sure, but the air could be contradictory. How could you feel fully comfortable as an outsider when all around you were signs of the revolution: Castro's bearded troopers. 

Nearly 3000 soldiers were at the stadium. They bore rifles and bayonets! Teens had guns! Sometimes shots were heard outside the stadium. Mauch reported that the soldiers could intimidate the Minneapolis players. We learn that a solider "made a slicing motion across his throat, after a Minneapolis player made a catch to end an inning." I'm researching from writing by Stew Thornley. 

Minneapolis saw a 2-0 lead slip away. The Millers were denied. A bright spot: "Yaz" hit a long home run. The future Boston superstar recalled in his autobiography: "It was like a revolution in the streets." 

 

Leader makes his point

The Millers dropped game 4 too. The Sugar Kings were within one game of the championship. The Millers were able to get focused to win the next two games to set up the seventh and deciding game. Prior to that game, Castro passed by the Minneapolis bullpen, looked at the players, patted a revolver on his hip and said "tonight, we win." The Sugar Kings did in fact win.  The Millers confessed to feeling some relief. 

Mauch left the Millers for the big leagues in 1960, with the Phillies. It was there that in 1964 he presided over what was probably the biggest choke in big league history. Philadelphia appeared to have things wrapped up. Then the bottom fell out. It all started with a steal of home by Cincinnati's Chico Ruiz. Mauch would later manage our Twins during the time when the Griffiths' ownership was winding down. The "church mice" were going to have to depart. Met Stadium gave way to the Metrodome.

"The Met" on the "Bloomington prairie" had a long and grand epoch of hosting big league ball. We can easily forget that from 1956 to '60, a pretty long time, it was the home to the Triple-A Millers. We were at the top of the minor league heap. However, remember Bouton's words: "The minor leagues are all very minor." 

The Millers played at Nicollet Park before 1956.

Can we please appreciate this chapter from our baseball history a little more? Why not? Lou Brock playing in St. Cloud? How can you beat that?

 

My podcast for February 8

Nice to think about baseball in these downbeat times of sub-zero weather and the pandemic. Sheesh. Maybe we're getting resigned to it all? My podcast episode for today reflects on the origin of our Minnesota Twins. Calvin Griffith was saintly when he brought his Senators here, to become the Twins. I invite you to listen:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Origin-of-Minnesota-Twins-eq4j9v 

The great Willie Mays played with Minneapolis Millers.

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

Eight years since Dad left us

Thanks to Erin Christensen of the "UMM Development Team" for the image you see here. I had not seen it before. My father Ralph E. Williams is third from left in this UMM meeting. 

  

What an odd year UMM has been through. We must all be wondering when or if we will see the normal routine and atmosphere on campus again. My, how we desire that. In my case I desperately pine for the routine in music. The Ralph and Martha Williams Fund exists to facilitate aims in music. 

The pandemic has presented a serious obstacle, just because of the nature of music performances. We can close our eyes, smile and imagine a regular concert at the recital hall. We will never again take these events for granted. My parents experienced the Great Depression and once it receded, they never again took any of the little things for granted. Unfortunately they raised a generation that would take everything for granted. 

But let's focus on the present: I am reminded on this February 2 that eight years have passed since Dad left this life. What a blessed life he had, living as he did to age 96 and being able to stay at his beloved home on Northridge Drive until the end. It was in the evening when he passed. I had just set out his evening pill. I handed him his glass of water. I began walking away and then I heard the glass drop on the table. 

Had I been expecting this? I got a hint things might not be normal in the preceding week or two. On a couple occasions I held up a framed photo of Mom and our dog, taken a few years earlier. We had a household joke about how "Sandy" was "Mama's little sweetheart" despite how Mom would get distressed by some of Sandy's hyper behavior. Advancing years solved some of those issues of course. 

Sandy like my parents lived to about the maximum age. He and our previous dog Heidi lived to over 16 years. Our first dog Misty wasn't quite so fortunate as she came down with cancer. 

Anyway, as Dad approached his date of death, he did not automatically break out in a smile when I held up the photo. There might have been some discomfort building up. He was doctoring well enough. He recently had been administered "labs" and the nurse called to say they were good. He was supposed to come in for a routine appointment in connection with that, but the nurse said "you don't have to bring him in." A mistake? Well no, I don't think so. Dad was 96 and had been through five-vessel heart bypass in the mid-1980s. He was 96 and his time was approaching. He died peacefully. 

Almost instantly after I heard the glass drop, I could suspect what happened. I shook him a little and pleaded. Within seconds I told Mom, not in the same room, "Mom, I think Dad died." In an earlier time Mom's grief and panic could have easily overtaken her. It was her nature. And yet on that night of February 2, 2013, she was totally composed, as if she had been sensing it was imminent. 

Mom had a variety of concerning health issues during her advanced years. We can always second-guess how we handle certain issues. Should I have pushed her to get a mammogram sooner than she did? There is no point dealing with this or other questions. We always did the best we could. Mom had an unreasonable fear of medical intervention. She said once that when she was a kid, "people died all the time." Medical care was not nearly as advanced. Getting medical intervention was not such a routine or reliable matter. Strides in science eventually made our medical professionals into true miracle workers. 

Mom got through the shoals of medical issues to almost reach 94. Dad was 96, our last two dogs were over 16, so I think on the whole we've done fine. I'm on the waiting list for the vaccine now. I take Lipitor every day. Dr. Huikko of SCMC does a great job. My father had Dr. Stock. Mom had Dr. Wernsing for many years and Dr. Barnstuble toward the end. Mom had "Dr. Sam" as surgeon. I feel tremendous gratitude to all. Dad had his heart surgery at Abbott-Northwestern. 

 

Williams family heart resides here

History-making concert at armory

My family came to Morris at the time UMM got launched. After six months renting a place on Lake Minnewaska - not sure why we did that - we settled in Morris permanently. Dad introduced the UMM music program in a grand way at our armory in November of 1960. 

You may not remember the "old" armory. Boy I sure do: I played elementary basketball under coach Marvin Laabs there. It was a grand building where our library is located today. 

Dad introduced the UMM band musicians dressed in navy blue uniforms trimmed with maroon and gold. The performance was for the Stevens County 4-H youth and their parents. What an ideal way to cement UMM's relationship with the broader community. The Morris paper reported that the band numbered about 50 pieces. "A band of this size was not anticipated the first year," the article noted. 

We're so proud to remember all this. Mom and Dad will be beaming from heaven when again we can see the various UMM music groups show their talent and enthusiasm from the recital hall on campus.

 

Addendum re. Dad: In 1951 Williams became the seventh director of the Apollo Club. Melvin Burlingame, former historian of the Club wrote in 1964:

His term of directorship was highlighted by his interpretation of the Club's music, his brilliant showmanship, stage presentation and personality. With the introduction of his own compositions and arrangements into the programs of the Apollo Club, the Club produced a new sound that was excitingly different from the usual choral fare.

 

The Apollo Male Chorus is a Minneapolis institution.

 

Burlingame also mentioned that one of the most interesting episodes of his own personal experiences in singing in the Apollo Club was under the direction of Professor Ralph E. Williams: "His keen musicianship and approach to the various problems confronting all singers was of great value in advancing the writer's musical education."

 

Music critic Norman Houk, upon hearing the first concert conducted by Williams, wrote: "It was apparent from the performance that Williams makes his singers pay attention to enunciation, for the meaning of few lines was lost. He also tends to let the chorus enjoy singing at full voice. This produces an inspiring volume of sound but more sparing use would make it more effective."

Perhaps Houk had second thoughts about volume, for after hearing the November 1951 concert he wrote: "Any large number of men can sing loudly, but to do so and produce a wholly musical and homogeneous tone as do the 120 Apollo singers is a feat of cooperation and direction." 

Again, in 1952 Houk wrote: "The chorus always has loved to produce a robust, ringing volume of tone and at its biggest that tone is now smooth and controlled."

John K. Sherman made laudatory remarks about the Apollo Club trained by Ralph E. Williams in December of 1952: "100 men have acquired the quick reflexes, the phrasing smoothness and tonal clarity of a well-drilled vocal quartet."

 

Dad in 1962

I could share more but it might reinforce my inferiority complex! So Dad was rather inclined toward the full or loud sound, controlled and honed of  course. And his son, moi, became a fan of the Maynard Ferguson big band!

 

The Apollo Club background shared here is from the anniversary publication that came out in 1995. The booklet was called "Sweeter Than The Honeywell: 100 years of music and friendship."

 

Let's always stay close to the memories made from UMM's early years! The institution has always been "the jewel in the crown."

 

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