Obscure but fine team: 1966 Minnesota Twins

Why would anyone want to remember the 1966 Minnesota Twins? Heck, our world championships of 1987 and 1991 now seem rather far back in time. But the 1960s? We might forget the earthshaking importance of getting big league ball here for 1961.
This was five years after Metropolitan Stadium opened. The Met was built for the express purpose of getting big league ball. Legend has it we almost got the San Francisco Giants. Or the Cleveland Indians. Those scenarios would have been quite fine. I guess it wasn't a slam dunk to come to Minnesota. But when it finally happened, the Met was a plum for the owner. Remember the vast parking lot around it?
Not only did we get the bigs in '61, we gave the Yankees a run for their money in '62, then after two yawning summers, we garnered it all in the American League in '65. I was ten years old, in the prime of my boyhood affinity with baseball. A boy that age could never be bored by baseball. Our Twins entranced us and the players were bigger than life in our eyes.
As so often happens in sports, we got our hearts broken, first by losing Game 7 of the World Series, and then by failing to win another flag with that generation of players. The ghosts of the old Twins seemed to hover when we won the world championship in '87. Well, they did in my mind anyway.
So what happened in 1966? The season is buried in Twins history as undistinguished. We failed to repeat with the pennant. Our cast from '65 was intact and still mostly productive. The carryover of enthusiasm from '65 was not small, as we had the second highest attendance in the American League. Competitively we were no slouch. Quite to the contrary as we placed second in the A.L. with a record of 89-73.
Let's look at the magical June 9 game in which our trademarked power was never more on display. Our opponent was the Kansas City Athletics. We set a major league record with five home runs in the seventh inning. The blasts were nearly consecutive but there was a Sandy Valdespino ground out in there. First Rich Rollins homered, a two-run job. On came Zoilo Versalles, Tony Oliva, Don Mincher and Harmon Killebrew and all sent the ball over the fence. It was Hammerin' Harmon's second blast of the day. He hit two home runs in the first game my parents took me to at the Met, I think in '65 (against Baltimore).
Let's progress to July 21 of '66: Jim Merritt struck out seven straight batters in the middle innings: an A.L. record. On August 18 our heroes spun a triple play. Frank Malzone hit a grounder and the play went from Rollins to Cesar Tovar to Killebrew.
Jim Kaat, "Kitty," had a tremendous season with 25 pitching wins. Kaat was the Sporting News A.L. Pitcher of the Year. In a sport full of might-have-beens, let's ponder how Kaat could have carried the team for several seasons had he not been overworked at the end of the hard-fought 1967 pennant race. Our failure at the end of '67 stuck in my craw as a profound tragedy, not surprising for a boy in his early teens.
I now regret some of the emotional attachment I felt. It was unreasonable and it set me up for sadness. I'm sure I wasn't alone. Many of us in '87 bathed in redemption I'm sure, silly of course because sports success seems so out of proportion in our existence. We let it affect us as a way of dealing with the ennui in our lives, I would suggest.
Oliva led the league in hits in 1966. Killebrew had a homer total of 39. We had four players on the All-Star team.
The public learned many years later that the Twins of the late '60s had some morale issues. Owner Calvin Griffith, while having been a hero for bringing the team here from Washington D.C., was Neanderthal in his approach to running an organization. He felt players should be motivated by simply being in the big leagues. Times were changing and players were more able to consider other options in life.
The late '60s Twins had problems with cliques and conflicts, we eventually learned. Still, it's easy to think our '66 team had the potential to repeat '65. So, let's look for another factor besides the organization one for postulating. And actually that's easy. It's the acquisition via trade of Frank Robinson by the Baltimore Orioles. Twins fans ought to rue the day that happened.
Robinson left the National League for the A.L. when Baltimore pulled off the historic trade in December of '65. On the other end were Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun and Dick Simpson. The latter two names ended up as footnotes.
Pappas got a bad rap because he seemed not really able to deliver for Cincinnati. However, he seemed not much different than the pitcher he was before.

Why did Cincinnati let go of Robinson in a trade? Baseball could be petty in those days. An ax to grind could become the basis for how a player was treated. The Reds owner gave a quote that would become famous, about Robinson being "an old 30" or something like that. Really, the two of them just weren't hitting it off.
Robinson said he became fired up to prove that the Cincinnati top guy was wrong. Such was the stuff that could motivate players in those days, before money really came on strong to straighten things out "the American way." Jim Bouton of "Ball Four" book fame said his book might have been responsible for Carl Yastrzemski of Boston coming forward with a super season in 1970 after a pedestrian '69. Bouton had reported a perception of Yaz as having "a little dog" in him. Some Boston fans later told Bouton they felt the book did the trick - strange.
So, what did Robinson do for the Orioles in 1966? Well, he won the triple crown and led the Orioles to the pennant and world championship, the latter accomplished in the minimum four games over the Dodgers (the Twins' nemesis in '65). Remember the photo of Brooks Robinson celebrating at the end by appearing to fly right off the ground?
The Orioles would excel for years led by Mr. Frank Robinson, who sadly has passed on. Meanwhile our Twins were top tier but just couldn't replicate 1965. Perhaps us boys at the time developed a defeatist disposition. It was a dark decade with what our nation was doing in Vietnam. Baseball was wondrous escapism.
Congrats to the Orioles for all they accomplished back then. And, Frank Robinson RIP.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Honor roll reflects strides in attitude

Often I'll wonder what it would be like to go back to the morning after my high school graduation. Wake up in the morning and realize I'm the same person I was the day before. In other words, all the pomp and ballyhoo of the graduation meant very little. I'd say "nothing" but that would seem too negative.
The ceremony is a way for the public school to celebrate itself, frankly to help sell itself. A recent Morris principal - the one who got in a spot of trouble, frankly - put a note in the yearbook: "You did it!" Did what? Simply satisfying the requirements for graduation is not transformative. It means you have gotten through, survived, an obstacle course.
No doubt it's better today than in my young years, and this thought is prompted by seeing the honor roll announcement. So many kids on it, even the 'A' list. A's on your report card were a tough commodity to acquire once. Was it because so many of us were mentally challenged? Not at all. School was set up as a trying exercise. Rarely did it build up one's confidence or self-esteem.
These shortcomings probably had effects for me long after graduation. Any task worth doing is worth struggling with? You are never really intended to master anything? One must have an element of fear in undertaking any major new task? Why?
Did these realities have anything to do with our systems in the pre-digital days? The "analog" systems, so many of them anyway, seemed set up to frustrate you. They could be Rube Goldberg-like. It wasn't conducive to feeling good about your work or about life in general. People looked forward to Fridays with such relish.
I heard how it was important that you avoid buying any car that came off the assembly line on Friday - the workers were itching to get out of there for the weekend. If you were in college, it might seem impossible to see your advisor on Friday. People pulled strings to lengthen their weekends before resuming what they all assumed to be drudgery.
The digital world seems so different. If I were to take up photography today, I'd probably need to be guided into a whole new outlook because the processes are so user-friendly. And that's the thing: systems developed in the digital age have a purpose of helping you master them. It's built in, unlike the woefully cumbersome old systems where the designers seemed to actually want to confuse you. I used to get a big thick catalog from Porter's Camera Store in Iowa, just loaded with stuff or junk you might want to apply to your photography pursuits. It all had to be so complicated.
That was then, this is now.
Because so much of the sheer misery has been removed from our tasks - the complexity and potential for glitches - our public schools have seen their philosophy evolve. Schools must reflect trends in our society and economy. Sometimes that merger takes time, of course. Considering the vastly expanded honor rolls, a sea change, there must have been an interesting process of "counseling" teachers on making changes.
In the mid-1980s we started hearing about "grade inflation" as if this was likely a terrible thing. "Grade inflation" joins the talk about "nerds" as being so yesterday. The nerds are the lucky ones, having grasped the gravity of tech progress and shunned stupid things like playing football and getting drunk at parties. Nerds? The term today is probably just associated with certain movies of years ago. Burger King had the "Herb the Nerd" campaign which BTW was foolish and unsuccessful.
It is too late in my life to chart a new course. I can only wonder what it would be like to open my eyes again on the morning after graduation, and to realize that my school background with its needless hurdles and frustrations could just be discarded, flushed down the toilet.
We had teachers who were obligated to give out a certain quota of 'C' grades or lower. It was baked into the cake. Today we strive to be optimistic. We like to assume that kids gathered in a classroom all have the potential to complete requirements in a positive way. I'd say "superior" but that's a relative term. A student is superior only in relation to other students who are seen as below that quality. There is a lot of hyperbole in education. We hear a lot about "superior" colleges. Ask the colleges and you'll find they all self-identify that way.
I used to want to frown when hearing UMM's pronouncements. No doubt there is pride to be taken in the liberal arts but I doubt these kids have inherently superior qualities. A well-placed source tells me UMM might be looking at enrollment of 1200 next year, and that "400 don't pay." Well. Historically we have set the bar at 2000 students. Are we talking retrenchment?
I look at the Morris newspaper in the public library. Recently we saw one of those letters to the editor that resulted in "buzz." Jim Morrison felt the letters to the editor department was for "people with an ax to grind." True, but that doesn't mean that such communications automatically lack merit. The letter writer bemoans the politically left-oriented environment he experienced at UMM. He also noted that UMM has drifted drastically away from its original mission of serving students from this part of the state.
Well, I have gotten accustomed to seeing what appears to be a minuscule portion of Morris students stay here. The letter writer suggests that UMM "goes after" left-leaning students from the Twin Cities. Certainly that seems rather odd, although I'm sure the U's top leadership knows all about this and countenances it. For what reason? I'd be among the last to know.
I know that when UMM first began, certain teachers seemed to make their classes very hard. "Hard" classes: what's the purpose? Seems a lot like boot camp, or a reflection of "pain equals gain." Well, my generation took to long distance running as quite the fad for a time. James Fixx wrote the best-selling book. And, wasn't that pastime sort of about punishing yourself as if there was some sort of virtue in it? When a runner feels miserable 3/4 of the way through Grandma's Marathon, just stop! What do you feel you're gaining by enduing the tremendous pain?
Toward the end of my time at the Morris paper, a guy who ran a marathon noted that one's time was not as important as it once was. So, at least people are slowing down! Heavens, cool it.
Our public school teachers have been "slowing down" and they realize that their mission is not to make kids' lives miserable. They needn't give grades according to some quota where there has to be a distribution of 'A' through 'D'. Why just assume that your students will conform to a scale like that? An assumption that certain kids will have trouble cutting it, even before you have taken the trouble to get familiar with all of them? That's the way it was when I was young.
As a naturally skittish person, I had an unreasonable fear of low grades. My fears caused me to become overly fixated on school itself, to define myself too much in terms of the grades I received. I greatly regret this. I should have gotten up every morning the whole year with some sense of confidence of being able to perform certain tasks, whether they were in school or not. School became kind of an equivalent to running Grandma's Marathon and much of it would be miserable.
We feared failure more than we anticipated success. Maybe our leaders felt that such a model had a basis in pre-digital times. The digital world has a framework that maximizes everyone's potential in such an encouraging way. It doesn't mean that holding a job is "easy." You'll be expected to analyze and exercise judgment, but the sheer tedium of the past is largely gone.
Most jobs of today seem to have the presumption that you can develop passion for the work. It has become rather a prerequisite and a reasonable one. I'm too old to get on board with this. But I have observed the changes closely. Part of that observation is the fundamental change in grading attitudes by teachers. I wonder if a lot of long-time teachers were stubborn about this. I'd wager yes. Grading higher might actually mean their jobs are easier. Wouldn't they like that? Wouldn't they prefer approaching their students with less of the disciplinarian's air, to (gasp) truly like the students and not lord over them or hector them?
I think parents insist on the more relaxed and uplifting approach.
How might my life be different, if I had been treated in such a way as to maximize my self-esteem? I drift back in time to the morning after my high school graduation and wonder. Edie Martin's words were still in my head: "Don't be a milquetoast." (It was 1973.)
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

White doves take messages to heaven

Knute Nelson's Grand Arbor

I may have reached the end of the formal grieving process for my mother. I attended a memorial dove release Wednesday at the spectacular Grand Arbor in Alexandria, in a part of the community I hadn't seen before. The new high school is close by.
All this development of state of the art things is sort of jaw-dropping for someone from Morris. We may love our Morris but not because of anything ostentatious here. We lack the tourist type amenities of Alexandria. I heard years ago that Alex was one of those lake communities on the more modest end of the economic spectrum. In other words, not as many super rich people there. As I departed Wednesday, going past a Fleet Farm that seemed big enough for the Minnesota Twins to play in, I was quite convinced there was nothing economically disadvantaged about Alexandria at all.
Think back to the 1960s, when our world was so much different, more modest, and how Bob's Clothes Shop on Alexandria's main street seemed like a big deal. Many of us in Morris watched KCMT TV out of Alex much of the time. In our neighborhood it was all of the time, until we got the "able cable." And on KCMT we'd watch commercials for Bob's Clothes Shop featuring "Bob and the Twins."
I thought it cool to finally visit there once with my parents. I wonder if their marketing did much to offset the high prices. I watched a couple walk out of there in a huff as they commented on high prices. Fleet Farm and other like stores of today make high clothing prices a thing of the past, another example of how we're blessed by today's lifestyle and standards. Can either political party take credit for this? Donald Trump believes in all the proper market principles but he's steering too much of the wealth to the very richest class.
The dove release reminded us of the life of my mother Martha. The idea was to send a message via the white dove to the deceased loved one. The event ended up more emotional than I thought it would be. You might think the grieving was essentially over, given that 14 months have gone by since Mom passed on to the next life. But no, the feeling of loss can become very fresh again. It's prodded by seeing some of the familiar and warm faces associated with Knute Nelson Hospice.
The Knute Nelson name is synonymous with Alexandria. The enterprise bearing that name put up the spectacular Grand Arbor complex. My, it has all the bells and whistles. Nothing in Morris is comparable. The dove release was held at the Healing Garden of that facility.
I whispered to the dove that everything was going OK in my life - Mom would want to know that, in fact she would care about nothing else. As far as her needs are concerned, without a doubt they're being met where she is now.
I can only get one phrase out in situations like this, because emotions prevent me from saying any more. Something just seems to kick in. I first realized this when I rose to speak about my late aunt Vi (wife of my blood uncle Howard) at the Glenwood nursing home. They were having monthly memorial services for recently deceased residents. A minister presided. I wasn't anticipating having any problem speaking, but after a few words I was hopeless. I remembered how Vi would always serve coffee right after we arrived for a holiday like Christmas, New Year's or Thanksgiving.
Such a routine memory and yet it meant everything. I have wondered: who is Mom with in heaven, her husband Ralph, her parents Andrew and Hilda, her siblings Edwin and Mildred, our dogs Misty, Heidi and Sandy? All of them? Have you ever wondered how old your loved ones will be when you see them in heaven? Is it possible age won't mean anything?
My father died in 2013. He'd be tickled that I recently visited the McNamara Alumni Center at the U of M, primarily in his memory but also in Mom's. Dad graduated from the U in 1939 and really invested his whole life in the institution. Mom too contributed much to the U.
In all my associations with the U of M, I use my middle initial of "R" because that's for Ralph, my father's name. I have told people at UMM that it's essential for the Williams name to always have a meaningful connection to the University.
I walked out on the McNamara Center plaza where typical-appearing students were at tables doing their usual student thing - bless them. I was amused as I fancied myself rather a "big shot" with my hair turning white, wearing a white suit coat and having a name tag with "president's club" on it! None of this would be possible without the University of Minnesota.
As for Knute Nelson Hospice, I never expected this but they're an extension of my family for the rest of my life, 100 percent. Those faces are among the most precious in my existence.
The Memorial Dove Release program began with us singing "Jesus Loves Me," incredible because that was Mom's favorite song. A few minutes later we sang "On Eagle's Wings," incredible because that's a shared favorite of yours truly and Warrenn and Jeri Anderson. We joke about how, when all else fails and we're asked to recommend a hymn, just suggest "On Eagle's Wings!"
But it was a white dove's wings that ensured that our messages will be taken to heaven. Words cannot describe the joy. I could mention several names from Knute Nelson Hospice but I'll just cite Adrianna and Stephanie here. I used to bend down and say to Mom, "our friend Adrianna is here!"
Everyone attending the dove release immediately had a sense of connectedness.
Coming home Wednesday, I dealt with the "roundabout" between Alexandria and Glenwood. No mysteries like that in our humble town of Morris, where we've lost our barber and are now saying goodbye to Shopko, oh and the summer Prairie Pioneer Days too. Life goes on.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Interior scene in Knute Nelson Grand Arbor, Alexandria MN

Al Kaline worthy of reverential bio

One has to grope to find any special drama in the career and life of Al Kaline. It's a name suited for a baseball star. Most certainly Kaline was in the firmament of 1960s stars on the diamond.
The movie "61*" about Roger Maris in 1961 is a name-dropper with Kaline a couple times, as I recall. The scriptwriter wanted a familiar name from Detroit to spice the story in a couple places. Let's see, what name to use? Kaline was certainly up on the marquee but so was Rocky Colavito. Colavito had a stretch of his prime with the Tigers, as he hit 45 home runs in 1961, but he ended up being associated with the Cleveland Indians.
The name Al Kaline evokes Tiger-based memories of the era better than any. Yes, Kaline's career was stellar but for the purpose of recording his story, it's really rather dull. Media writers like myself - "jackals" as Jesse Ventura would say - can be attracted to career low points which then set the stage for a dramatic comeback. Ideally, however, wouldn't it be best to have a career road map that always pushes forward without any mistakes or vices/peccadilloes or family misfortune coming into the picture to cloud things?
IMHO the trouble-free template is certainly the ideal. We laud Al Kaline on the truly model life he has lived. His career in baseball was long and distinguished, all in the Motor City. As a child I checked out his mid-career biography, "The Al Kaline Story," from my elementary school library. Sports stories were a magnet getting me to develop my literacy. The bio was authored by Al Hirshberg. I also checked out "The Eddie Mathews Story," also by Hirshberg.
The books followed the standard for sportswriting of the era. Writers respected the same ethos as the media people surrounding JFK. Writers felt they needed to project an ideal, an image worthy of following for young people. The deconstruction period of the 1960s cast these books in a questionable light. Most markedly, the book "Ball Four" trashed the template, as in it author Jim Bouton directly criticized the established form of sports bio writing. He talked about the bio that I believe was written for Carl Yastrzemski - pat me on the back for typing that last name correctly - that had "Yas" answer questions into a tape recorder.
Bouton's argument was that such books were bound to be superficial. Well yes they're superficial, just like the World War II movies up through the 1960s omitted a lot that was unpleasant. But was this really an ethical issue? People like the late Hirshberg (1909-1973) would be proud of their work. I have fond memories of reading both the books re. Kaline and Mathews. Was I naive? Was I naive for enjoying WWII movies that omitted gruesome details of war?
One can argue that human failings become all too evident around us, and we needn't be so openly reminded of it all, the mendacity, the confusion, the pain, the pettiness. So we read a book like "The Al Kaline Story" and are impressed by how the guy developed his talents and found so much consistent success. He had success and longevity in spades. He was a star when very young and spent his whole career with one team.
I grew up as a fan of the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers and Kaline were always a worthy rival. It was hard for the Twins and Tigers to make the absolute pinnacle. We each got to the World Series once during the 1960s, the Twins in '65 and the Tigers in '68. We lost our Series to the Dodgers, Detroit won the Fall Classic over St. Louis. So congratulations to the Tigers.
Minnesota should have garnered a little more success. A couple problems or roadblocks: Baltimore had the good fortune to acquire slugger Frank Robinson for the '66 season and henceforth. He was an anchor in the middle of the Orioles lineup. We learned years later about the Minnesota Twins, thanks to some Bouton-style writing with frankness, that our Twins were one of those organizations hurt by cliques and conflicts. An essay on this is part of the SABR collection. Calvin Griffith was not an enlightened man for running a progressive, forward-looking organization. It's hard to write that with a straight face. He'd just hire a bunch of people with seemingly good credentials and turn them loose. Sometimes that can work, often it did not.
But in '68 Detroit was able to put it all together with their system and give their fans in the Motor City well-deserved thrills.
This was the World Series where Jose Feliciano sang the National Anthem in an unconventional way. How quaint to think of the controversy. America was in the midst of the 1960s turmoil that focused on the war in Vietnam, civil rights and other contentious things. Baseball, as it always should be, was a calming elixir at least to an extent. An irony: baseball survived WWII, prodded by FDR's insistence, but we couldn't get through the '90s due to organized labor restlessness that essentially destroyed the 1994 season. I have never fully recovered with my interest. Most notably my emotional interest in the game was wiped out. I guess I have merely a passing interest today.
But the fact I'm writing this post about "retro" stuff means I still feel a linkage.
Here's an interesting parallel between the '65 Twins and '68 Tigers: the player who was arguably the biggest offensive name - Kaline for Detroit and Harmon Killebrew for the Twins - played only a partial season. Isn't that amazing? Maybe it says something about how certain offensive stats can be overrated, as Bill James would impress upon us years later. Killebrew was sidelined by injury and had an off year with his offensive stats. Our manager Sam Mele had worked to bring more finesse with opportunistic baserunning into the picture.
And with Kaline? He was on the cusp of possible decline as he was 33 years old. In the '60s it was common to see stars slide a little starting at that approximate age. Kaline played his 2000th game on April 18, 1968. He hit his 307th home run on May 19, thus passing Hank Greenberg who was also a Tiger.
Six days later, Kaline was hit by pitch by Lew Krausse who I recall as a much ballyhooed youngster who didn't live up to expectations. Krausse threw a pitch that broke Kaline's arm. Kaline did not return to action until July 1. Manager Mayo Smith sent Jim Northrup out to right field and he responded well. Wasn't his nickname "the silver fox?" Kaline fell into a role largely as pinch-hitter and a fill-in at first base. Quite a name to hear announced as pinch-hitter: "Al Kaline." He came through in his limited role.
Kaline exuded modesty and felt he hadn't earned a full-time role for the World Series. But hey, he was Al Kaline! Kaline felt certain the players should be rewarded who had "stepped up." Manager Smith sniffed at Kaline's suggestion and made adjustments to get the iconic Kaline in the picture for the '68 Fall Classic. So, what was done: center fielder Mickey Stanley was moved to shortstop, a move I have to wonder about because shortstop is such an integral position. Stanley must have had the tools. Northrup was kept in the picture, stationed in center field, and then Kaline found his home in right.

(image from "Kaline's Corner" site)

Smith's judgment proved sound as the Tigers won the Series in seven games. Feliciano's National Anthem made history - today it's common for stars to do their own stylistic version. Remember the electric guitar player doing the Anthem in "Moneyball" with Brad Pitt? Man, oldsters would have fainted back in '68. Those people watched the Lawrence Welk show.
The Tigers were down 3-1 at one low point in the '68 Series. Then they fought back, aided in no small part by Kaline who batted .379 and hit two home runs in the Series. The Tigers overcame Bob Gibson in Game 7. What memories for the Motor City. My Twins took the Dodgers to seven games in '65 but Sandy Koufax stopped us in the end. Sob.
Kaline was voted to the Greatest Tiger Team of All Time in 1969. Al Kaline Day came in 1970 but Al was far from done! He played in his 17th All-Star game in 1971 when the game was played in Detroit. He went one-for-two in that game and was on base for Killebrew's home run in the sixth.
Kaline's engines were still humming in '72 when he helped the Tigers to the playoffs where they lost to Oakland. The '74 season was his last. I was a freshman in college.
Kaline's career was part of the colorful backdrop to my life growing up. The Al Hirshberg bio had informed me of a lot. I'm not sure the great Kaline had any peccadilloes that could have been left out. He got his 3000th hit in September of '74: a double off Dave McNally in Baltimore. Baltimore was Kaline's hometown.
His was a life fit for a movie, just like what Roger Maris got. Oh, and Mr. Kaline is still with us. What a blessed life on the part of "Number 6," same number as for our beloved Tony Oliva!
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

MACA track/field impresses in state

Jaden Maanum produced a glittering effort in the state track and field meet. The state's elite in track and field gathered at Hamline University, St. Paul. State track has a most climactic atmosphere with lots of fans following the excitement.
Maanum's premier level of excellence wasn't totally expected. That's based on seeding which of course can be a quite theoretical thing. Maanum's forte was the 800 meters. It seemed unlikely that Maanum would even garner a medal. His seeding position was No. 15. A big deal? As it turned out, no.
The Tigers vie in Class A. Maanum's performance in the Friday preliminaries was a prelude of things to come. Indeed he was swift on the track, running a time of 1:56.39. This elevated his seeding status to No. 2 which he would take into the Saturday finals. Maanum stayed in top form for the Saturday phase as he bested all but one of his foes. Only Luke Olson of Ely proved faster.
Maanum and Olson had a close battle for top honors. Maanum achieved No. 2 in state with his time of 1:56.18. And yes, this was a new MACA school record. I can imagine the smile on coach Dale Henrich's face, not to mention Jaden's plus his family and other supporters. Olson got a little extra burst of speed going into the last 100 meters. Olson's championship time was 1:55.48.
Maanum had never before gotten below two minutes. He wasn't confined to the 800 meters on Saturday, as he also showed his prowess in long jumping. He covered 19 feet even to place 14th.
And there's more: Maanum carried the baton as part of the 4x400m relay team. He helped this tandem set a new MACA standard. That was in the Friday pre-lims where the foursome achieved 3:25.99. It was the third best time in the pre-lims, but in the finals there was an unfortunate complication. Mace Yellow became sidelined due to an injury experienced in the 4x200m relay finals.
The 4x400m relay finals saw Maanum joined by Camden Arndt, Zach Hughes and Kenny Soderberg. They placed fourth with a 3:26.5 time.
MACA was quite well represented in the 2019 state meet. Distance running standout Noah Stewart got a medal in the 1600 meters where he took fourth, timed at 4:26.88. The 4x200m relay group of Soderberg, Yellow, Noah Thielke and Hughes visited the podium for their eighth place showing, time of 1:33.57.
Also in the distance running sphere we saw our Maddie Carrington showcased. She's a quite seasoned performer in this. We're used to seeing her name in cross country as well as track. Ditto with Stewart. The state meet saw Carrington earn two medals with her stamina. She excelled in the 800 meters (sixth place, 2:18.84) and the 1600 meters (seventh, 5:10.30). In the process she improved on her season-best times, at the most opportune time to do so.
Junior Lexi Pew tied for third in the high jump with her jump of five feet/two inches. The winning height was 5'4". Kaylie Raths accelerated in the 100m hurdles. Her time: 17.12. Olivia Lebrija likewise showed her hurdling prowess, also in the 100m, and her showing was 17.73.
For the boys, Arndt was 14th in the 110m hurdles with his time of 16.15.
Well, we have come to the end of the 2018-19 prep sports season. It is a pleasure for yours truly to continue writing about MACA student athletes. I never tire of it. I note that the Stevens County Times on its website has a quote from one of the athletes attributed to the West Central Tribune. I find that odd because both the Morris and Willmar papers have the same owner. They are really one and the same entity.
 
Now into the heart of summer
We'll sense soon how it feels not to have the longstanding summer Prairie Pioneer Days anymore. I write on this basic subject on the "Morris of Course" post that I'm putting up right now with this post. You may click to read on this link, and thanks as always for visiting.
https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2019/06/if-cyrus-can-have-big-summer-event.html
 
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

A wonderful U of M Heritage Society dinner

The photo shows my late father Ralph E. Williams at second from right in standing row, during the University of Minnesota marching band trip to Ann Arbor MI in the fall of 1937. He became the founder of the UMM music department. Thanks to Del Sarlette for scanning photo.
 
I was delighted to attend the U of M President's Club Heritage Society dinner Wednesday at the McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis. I had not been on the "main campus" for some time. Oh, that's a faux pas, as Morris-oriented people are not supposed to say "main campus." It is easy in fact to slip and say "main campus." If it was not "main," then why in heck is the traffic so thick down there?
One drives through Minneapolis between 4 and 5 p.m. on a weekday - shudder - en route to the McNamara Center event. Not that I am some rube who has no familiarity with city driving. It's just that I haven't driven down there in some time. Just haven't had any reason to.
I studied directions meticulously so there was no confusion on that front. But I found the heavy traffic to be a little traumatizing. Lane changes are never routine to make. The directions coming off I-94 to McNamara were complicated. Part of the problem was that University Avenue is one-way. So, one has to cross University Avenue, go a few blocks and then curl around to get on University Avenue to get to the appropriate parking ramp. In text form, those directions were especially confusing. Fortunately I found a little map that eased some of the confusion.
In the absence of that map, I might well have chosen not to go. But I showed an intrepid spirit. I am abundantly thankful having made the trip. As I explained to Erin Christensen while there, the Williams name should always be actively associated with the U of M.
Names of new Heritage Society members were shown on a big screen in the banquet area. There I was: "Brian R. Williams" with the middle initial always essential because it's for "Ralph" which was my father's name.
My father's involvement with the U went well beyond his work getting UMM established. He got his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota in 1939 and taught at the U's St. Paul School of Agriculture in the '50s, yes those marvelous 1950s. I was preschool age. We went back there for a reunion back in about 1987. We were seated at the head table. I felt rather foolish as my name was announced. There was a murmur throughout the room after my name was announced. Something was up with that and I don't know what. I never asked. I wonder if my health or the health of my mom was endangered at the time I was born.
My mother had a stillborn child before me and could not have any children after me, I was told. We barely discussed this but I was always aware of it. Thus you might understand my parents' inclination to dote on me. As a very young child I'd sometimes wake up in the middle of the night coughing uncontrollably and struggling to breathe. My father would hold me as I recovered. I must have grown out of that.
We rented a house in St. Paul one winter, the owners of which went south as snowbirds. They left us with their cat, "Pepper," who did not take to us. I remember my mother saying she was scared to go downstairs to do the laundry, as Pepper would be lurking down there, not accommodating. I remember when the owners came back and the wife was so delighted to be reunited with Pepper. I remember the look on her face in fact. I wish the love had been shared among us all.
Maybe it was no coincidence that we turned into a dog-oriented family. We had three small house dogs through our time in Morris: Misty, Heidi and Sandy.
We rented a small house on Lake Minnewaska when we came out here for the start of UMM. It was only for six months, as I was reminded years later, but in my memory it seemed longer.
We moved to Morris and rented two different houses before getting established on Northridge Drive. So I embarked from Northridge Drive Wednesday to visit the "main campus," sorry, of the University of Minnesota. I was reminded of the very special atmosphere on the grand old campus.
There's a large plaza outside the McNamara Center. From there I got a glimpse of TCF Bank Stadium and had conflicted thoughts about it. Sure it's a wonderful feature of the campus, but we learn more and more about how the young men playing football are gladiators who can pay a severe price, even costing them their lives, for the sake of entertaining us. I absolutely can not countenance that any more.
Remember the old Memorial Stadium? I attended one game there back in 1973, a soft non-conference game. Tony Dungy was our quarterback and Keith Fahnhorst played tight end. I remember a leather-lunged fan behind me who kept shouting "throw the ball to Fahnhorst!" I don't think our offense was structured to do that much. Our coach was Cal Stoll who did yeoman's work in a time when the U was losing its ability to be a top-tier team. In the present day, competitive parity is really setting in. All major colleges can tap a variety of revenue streams.
The president of the U in 1973 was Malcolm "Mac" Moos who had been a friend of my father when the two attended the U. My father enjoyed it when "Mac" visited Morris and alluded among colleagues to the old friendship.
My father was immersed in music when at the U. An old family scrapbook includes memorabilia of marching band activities from around 1937. He sent a postcard back home to his mom Carrie in Glenwood. His mom was a widow, having lost her husband Martin way too soon in 1933 when Martin succumbed to cancer and died an unpleasant cancer death. My father, the youngest of five sons, would have been a junior in high school. I suspect that the reason we never visited Glenwood Lutheran Cemetery - at least I don't recall any such visits - is that my mom feared it would bring back memories for Dad of both his parents' deaths.
Last Christmas Eve day, I was overjoyed visiting the cemetery and locating the Williams plot which has a central monument that just has "Williams" on it. On one side is a monument for my uncle and aunt, Howard and Vi. Then on the other side, with flat markers that are way too small, we find Martin and Carrie. The markers are weathered, too much so, especially Carrie's which is odd because hers was placed in 1949 and Martin's in 1933. I plan on doing something about this.
Back to the present: I told UMM Chancellor Michelle Behr that the Heritage Society event was "the highlight of my year." President Eric Kaler took a turn sharing remarks. This was after a student speaker shared very informative and inspiring remarks, so Kaler joked that he "never wanted to follow a student speaker."
"I'll have to talk to the event organizer about this," he further mused.
The welcome was delivered by Michael Goh, VP for the Office for Equity and Diversity. After dinner we heard from Kathleen Schmidlkofer - it's an awkward last name to type, sort of like "Bruininks" - and she's the president and CEO of the U of M Foundation. Then we got the brilliant student speaker: Stephen Mylabathula, a computer engineer guy. Seriously, Kaler did quite well in his own presentation.
Words cannot describe how thrilled I was to be part of this, even though I'm only there as an extension of my late parents. Like I said, the Williams name must always be relevant with our University of Minnesota.
It's always fun seeing John and Nancy Lindahl. Our Bill Robb was there, who with Erin is always promoting the UMM end of things.
Does UMM have issues? An institution can never escape issues. Is it true, as alleged, that UMM goes after left wing-oriented students from the big bad Twin Cities too much? Well heck, I don't know. I have written on my blogs more than once that students at UMM should not be so political at all, whether it's "left" or "right." And, all that can really just become a game. Could you imagine my late father being involved in such things when he was at the U? Oh no, not at all. He had a summer job at Glacier National Park.
Today so many students seem to strangle themselves with debt. Today's world is one which my father would have a hard time imagining. But then again, how well can we today relate to the Great Depression? My father graduated from high school in 1934 and from the U in 1939. For the rest of his life he watched every nickel, a common trait of those folks. Some of that attitude rubbed off on me too. I could never go into debt.
Now we hear that interest rates are almost certainly headed down again, perhaps into a new phase of "quantitative easing," which I thought was only an emergency measure. I don't get it, because our president says the economy is strong. So what gives? We hear it might be because of the president's tariff tactics which will cause duress. So, interest rates must be lowered to lessen the impact.
Or, is it really being done for Wall Street and the "one percent?" Lower interest rates mean less interest income for me. Also, lower interest rates mean increased inflation and that will create challenges for all of us. Maybe I will have to slow down in my giving to the U of M.
On the whole though I feel blessed. God bless our University of Minnesota and all its leaders in 2019. We wish the incoming president Joan Gabel well.
 
Addendum: The photo at the top of this post was for a trip that included the U of M football team defeating Michigan 39-6 for the Little Brown Jug!

Ralph E. Williams is at center helping administer initiation of "new trip members" for the Ann Arbor trip in 1937. The name of the band member at left is written on back of photo but it's hard to make out the handwriting with the last name. I think the first name is Ray but it could be Roy.

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

Coach Henrich leads tracksters to heights

Dale Henrich

Congratulations to Dale Henrich on being named Section 6A boys track and field coach of the year. So fully deserved, as our track/field program has eleven athletes moving on to the prestigious state meet.
What a spectacle the state meet is. I remember full well, having made trips when I was a journalist in the Morris print media. The state meet gives a genuine feeling of big-time excitement whereas the sub-section can seem subdued by comparison. The section meet is in the middle IMHO, and whatever the case, all the competition is dramatic and rewarding for the participants.
Henrich is building his coaching creds all the time with significant accomplishments. He has had an interesting career because he had been at it a long time before assuming two significant head spots, in cross country and basketball. He has had quite the staying power with his talents. Someday there ought to be an event named for him.
These days we have two major annual events named for retiree Marv Meyer. I have felt skeptical about that because I think one would be enough. Think of how Mary Holmberg has built up her numbers through the years, astounding. What will we name for her?
I remember when the Morris volleyball program was experiencing a rapid turnaround for the better under new coach Chris Baxter, and I broached the subject with Meyer. Meyer's response: "The only reason they're doing well is that Mulder gave them an easy schedule." I was rather disapproving of that. But as time went on, the Morris community turned thumbs-down on me and my ideas while lionizing coach Meyer and his general social group. Maybe everyone else was right. I have to settle for being an online-only journalist now. But I am happy.
I related the Meyer quote to Dennis Rettke who then, I'm quite sure related it to Mike Martin. Their reaction I'm sure was to have smoke coming out of their ears regarding me. So be it. I'm still standing.
Four members of the 2019 MACA girls track/field team are advancing to state: Maddie Carrington, Olivia Lebrija, Kaylie Raths and Lexi Pew.
Carrington is already an old hand in state - her upcoming trip will be her fourth! I remember covering dad Matthew Carrington in his student-athlete times. Maddie was the 800m top achiever in section with her time of 2:21.86. She was first to the finish line in the 1600 meters with her 5:18.81 time, a nice margin of five-plus seconds over the runner-up. Carrington was No. 9 in state last season in the 1600m.
The 100-meter hurdles was a fine showcase for the Tiger pair of Lebrija and Raths. The two will be making their debut in state. Lebrija was No. 1 in section with her 16.6 time, and Raths was No. 2 at 16.72. Pew dueled with Minnewaska's Ellie Danielson in the high jump. The two were at a draw for No. 1, both getting over the bar at five feet/two inches.
Let's move on to the MACA boys where Jaden Maanum was a superb standout. Maanum made the grade for state in three events. He was the No. 1 800m runner with his time of 2:02.44. He was the long jump runner-up at 21 feet/two inches which was a personal best. His third showcase event was in the relays. Here he was part of the fleet MACA tandem that placed second in the 4x400m. He was joined by fellow high achievers Kenny Soderberg, Camden Arndt and Mace Yellow. Their time: 3:31.31.
Distance-running stalwart Noah Stewart was up to form as he took No. 1 in the 1600 meters, time of 4:29.7. He actually surpassed his previous form as he bested his season best by two-plus seconds. Arndt was the 110m hurdles champion with his 15.42 showing. The 4x200m relay team turned on the jets to place second in section. Here we see Soderberg, Yellow, Zach Hughes and Noah Thielke showcased. Their time was 1:33.37.
The Section 6A meet was held in Otter country of Fergus Falls.
 

Tiger baseball
Morris Area Chokio Alberta baseball had a downbeat ending to its 2019 season with two losses. First there was the May 23 game that had Lac qui Parle Valley as the foe. (I'm not sure where the "valley" is over there.)
Noah Sheldon went two-for-two but this was insufficient spark to bring an MACA win. We were stopped in the 5-3 final at the Madison diamond. Chandler Wilts connected for an RBI double. Both our runs came home in the fifth inning. Our line score was three runs, six hits and two errors while the winning Eagles put up 5-7-0 numbers. The "zero" in errors is always helpful.
The game closed out the MACA regular season with the won-lost numbers standing at 9-11. Zach Bruns had a hit. Bo Messner had a one-for-two line. Kevin Asfeld rapped a double. Austin Berlinger picked up an RBI with his sacrifice fly. Brandon Jergenson netted an RBI.
Lac qui Parle had three hitting standouts: Dain Haas (two-for-three and an RBI), Layton Wittnebel (three-for-three including a double, and an RBI) and Wyatt Halvorson (two-for-three and an RBI).
We had three individuals working on the mound: Berlinger, Sheldon (the loser) and Jergenson. LQPV likewise employed three pitching arms: Halvorson, Tucker Droogsma (the winner) and Eean Allpress. Coach Bart Hill's Eagles scored one run in the second, two in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth.
 
NL-Spicer 4, Tigers 0
MACA's goals had to be pretty modest going into the post-season. Our Tigers had the modest No. 6 seeding position. At the start we were matched against third-seeded New London-Spicer. We definitely put up a battle. The score was 1-0 through five innings with NL-Spicer having the run. But the Wildcats broke loose for three runs in the sixth to get some cushion, and went on to win 4-0.
This Section 3AA playoff game was played on May 25 at Minnewaska Area.
NL-Spicer pitcher Trent Pientka was pretty effective, limiting us to four hits. He fanned three batters and walked none in his route-going performance. He out-dueled our Jaret Johnson who gave up five hits in six innings. The four NL-Spicer runs were earned. Johnson struck out two batters and walked three.
Jack Riley and Colten Scheldorf each connected for a double for MACA. Johnson and Michael Halvorson also hit safely. Christian Lessman of the Wildcats had a two-for-three line with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Nick Perkins had a hit and an RBI. Diego Rojas crossed home plate twice while picking up a hit. Griffin Bjerke went one-for-two. The Wildcats played errorless ball while we had one fielding miscue.
 
A final thought I might share vs. the social group that once wrapped its tentacles around Morris youth sports and tried turning the screws on me:
"Living well is the best revenge." - George Herbert
 
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com