"You'll never get ahead if you don't take care of what you have." - Doris Waddell, RIP

The late Ralph E. Williams with "Heidi" - morris mn

The late Ralph E. Williams with "Heidi" - morris mn
Click on the image to read Williams family reflections w/ emphasis on UMM.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Double with bases full = win over NL-Spicer

Morris 4, New London-Spicer 3
Riley Biesterfeld excelled in the clutch again! This time he strode to the plate and really came through in a playoff situation. Morris was facing New London-Spicer in round 2. We're in District 7 North of Division II.
The Morris Legion team made it two wins in a row thanks in large part to that noisy Biesterfeld bat. His bat resonated with a bases-clearing three-run double. This sent NL-Spicer to the ropes in an overall hard-fought contest at Spicer.
Prior to that double, Morris was clinging to a 1-0 lead. The score was 4-0 after six innings. But it wasn't a cakewalk through the seventh. Not hardly, as NL-Spicer rallied for three runs. But the NL-Spicer comeback bid ended there, and Morris could savor its 4-3 win in round 2.
Game 3 for the Motown crew presents itself tonight (Thursday, July 17). Game-time is 6 p.m. as Post 29 will vie with top-seeded Osakis. The top seed gets to host this game. There is a losers bracket so NL-Spicer keeps going.
Morris enters tonight's contest with a 9-5 season record.
We got going with one run in the third vs. NL-S, scored on a throwing error.
Biesterfeld
came to bat in the fifth with the scoreboard showing a 1-0 score. The opportunity was ripe for creating breathing room. Biesterfeld seized that opportunity. His double into the left-center field gap cleared the bases. So, the score is 4-0.
Pitcher Noah Grove was blessed by very good fortune. Not that he wasn't an effective pitcher. But in the seventh there was an oddity that blessed Morris and had to crush the hopes of NL-S. First the NL-S boys scored two runs, then came a drive to deep left field off the bat of Ryan Vraa. Two baserunners were aboard. Surely both would score and this would be a whole new ballgame. Ah, but the ball got stuck under the fence! The umps required that a ground rule double be ruled. The consequence: only one run coming in. The score is 4-3, not 4-4.
Grove bore down to fan the next batter. Game over.
Grove fanned ten batters in his full seven innings. He walked three and gave up six hits. One of the three runs he allowed was unearned.
Morris had a line score of four runs, five hits and two errors, while NL-S posted 3-6-1 numbers.
Grove outdueled Jonny DeGeest who also hurled for the distance. DeGeest was effective, setting down nine Morris batters on strikes. He did walk five. He gave up five hits and four runs (three earned).
On to the offensive story: the Jergenson boys were productive. Bryce went two-for-four including a double, and Brady had a one-for-two line. Grove had a hit and scored two runs. Biesterfeld had that most essential double and three ribbies.
Vraa
led NL-S with his two-for-three line including a double, and he drove in a run. Michael Arnold, Brett Olson and Josh Soine each went one-for-three.
The Jergenson boys are presenting the same problem for the Willmar newspaper as the Holland sisters. It's not enough to refer to one of the Jergensons as "B. Jergenson" in the boxscore. One is "Brady" and the other is "Bryce," and in the case of the Holland sisters we had "Beth" and "Becca." You'll note that not only is the first initial the same, the first two letters of the first names are the same.
The system of using initials (for subsequent references) is common procedure for newspapers. You see, newspapers have limited space as they try to squeeze things in as much as they can. That constraint is solved with the Internet. Sometimes in the Willmar paper you'll see results of an athletic event, like a large wrestling tournament, where the type size is so small, I wonder why they even bother. It's unreasonably small and not just for people who need reading glasses.
The names "Bryce" and "Brady" should just be spelled out in full in all references. It was the same with "Beth" and "Becca." Maybe you just can't tell the players without a program!
  
Let there be music!
In the old days, like when I was in high school, many schools had quite thriving marching bands in summer. They traveled around, having great fun of course. They spiced many a community celebration. Our Morris High School band did its part. Those days are getting lost through the mists of time.
Close your eyes and try to imagine an MAHS marching band in the Prairie Pioneer Days parade. It would be right at the front. The approaching sound of the drum cadence might give you goose bumps. I guess it's too good to be true. Kids developed other interests as the years went by.
John Woell was in charge of the last great chapter of the Morris High School marching band. By the end of the 1970s, that heyday had passed. Kids were going to sports camps. Perhaps these programs were getting unreasonably expensive. (What isn't?)
Some towns hung in there like Litchfield. I had the chance to interview the Litchfield band director toward the end of my newspaper career. He talked about a recent Litchfield grad who excelled in sports and across the board, and this individual said that of all those activities, marching band was most memorable. It instills discipline. It's actually quite physically rigorous, especially for the drummers.
What enrichment these groups provide for their communities! They can even do an outdoor concert without marching. Part of the band could be up on the Killoran bandshell stage (at East Side Park) and the rest in front. What a magnificent sound! What great excitement! Hopefully the surrounding neighborhoods wouldn't mind.
Years ago I suggested that the Hancock High marching band come to Morris for Prairie Pioneer Days. Yes, I know this would have the effect of "showing up" the Morris school. Let's forget about that. Fact is, the Hancock band gets in shape for the July 4 celebration in Hancock. I used to be amazed how sharp this band looked and sounded considering this was their only "gig" of the year. This marching band has all the standard features. The PPD parade watchers would be thrilled seeing this.
I have heard the old refrain: "Oh, the kids don't stick around (through the rest of the summer)." Oh really? Where do they all go? I think this is an exaggerated excuse. I think the kids would have fun and find it highly rewarding to polish their routine for the Morris appearance. It's certainly no long trip here.
When I was in high school, we went to Moorhead and Winnipeg among many other places. We valued it. I remember that when we were in Winnipeg, one of the trombone players, initials G.B., seemed to want to watch TV during every available moment in his hotel room. I finally asked about this. Someone told me this individual belonged to the Apostolic Christian Church which I guess prohibited TV watching. I fail to see how watching "Bonanza" could be considered immoral or sacrilegious.
There is so much in this world I don't understand. I don't understand a recent action by the Morris Area school board. I don't understand the applause from teachers in response to that action. But if I was so smart, I'd still be with the newspaper.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

1 comment:

  1. since so many schools combine in sports why not other thing ie band. we could have a west central area band composed of members from various communities in the area. it would not take a lot of kids to have fairly decent band.

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