Eric Riley's bat "Hobbsian" in 14-4 win

Eric Riley's bat was explosive Thursday night. The multi-sport standout was at the top of his game for Morris American Legion baseball.
He performed just like Roy Hobbs at his best in the Robert Redford movie "The Natural."

Eric connected for two three-run home runs and a two-RBI single as he harvested eight RBIs total. Morris was the 14-4 winner over Osakis.
The post-season is now on. Morris fans can anticipate more success if the bats stay as loud as they were Thursday. Morris pounded out 15 hits in the five innings.

Morris brought "the rule" (ten-run rule) into effect with a five-run rally in the bottom of the fifth. Once that ten-run bulge was created, the game instantly ended.

Morris began the game with a five-run first. They added one in the second and three in the third.

Their line score was a brilliant 14 runs, 15 hits and one error. The Osakis numbers were 4-4-2.

Tyler Hansen was active both with the bat and his pitching arm. This seasoned athlete went three-for-four including a triple. He scored two runs and drove in two.

Pitching-wise, Tyler got the win as the starter, going the first four innings. He struck out two batters and walked four. He allowed four hits and four runs which were earned.

Tyler gave way to Ethan Bruer for the top of the fifth. Bruer allowed no hits and no runs and he fanned a batter while walking one.

Ryan Beyer had another memorable outing with the stick, on this night going two-for-three with an RBI.

Alex Erickson went one-for-three with two runs scored.

Brady Valnes brought a wave of cheers out of the Chizek Field stands with a solo homer. Brady finished the night two-for-three with two runs scored and an RBI.

Tanner Picht showed focus at the plate and went two-for-three.

Also stoking the attack were Brody Bahr and Mitch Kill, each of whom went one-for-three. Kill drove in a run.

More on baseball: the Clemens (non) trial

Does anyone else have the feeling of late that the defense has too many advantages in celebrated trials?

Now we have Roger Clemens.

The prosecution screwed up in a manner remindful of The Three Stooges.

So justice is denied, it seems. The mistrial declared by Judge Reggie Walton means Clemens might be off the hook for good.

There may be a new trial eventually but there might not.

If the defense screws up, I suppose there might be a sanction of some kind but the trial would go on, and the defense could eventually win. The smart money is with the defense in these big trials that get splashed all over TV.

The defense just scatterguns relentlessly. It seems like putting just a graze wound on the prosecution is good enough.

Meanwhile the prosecution seems to have to perform flawlessly. And even then, their work can be nitpicked.

In the Clemens case, the jury was exposed to some evidence that was a no-go. It's not that the evidence was non-factual, just that. . . Oh, I don't know, it takes a lawyer to fine-tune all the language surrounding this.

If what the jury heard was factual and not fabricated or malicious, it should absolutely be no big deal.

But in courtrooms, a prosecution's misstep seems to instantly become a "bombshell," to use a word that defense attorneys are fond of when some new wrinkle goes their way. Every point in their favor is a "bombshell."

All the jurors heard, was testimony from Andy Pettitte's wife about what Andy told her about what Clemens had apparently claimed. Oh it's roundabout to be sure.

But just let the jurors weigh that. Is that reasonable?

Clemens' attorney Rusty Hardin cried "foul," in effect, requested a mistrial and got it. I don't know if he was waving his arms but that's what defense attorneys do.

So Laura Pettitte didn't have "direct knowledge" of what Clemens allegedly said? That's what Judge Walton asserted.

Yes, and we don't have a videotape of the Caley Anthony murder either.

If you feel Clemens is innocent, you might consider believing in the Tooth Fairy too.

The steroid era has created a fog for baseball fans. I grew up when players began losing their reflexes ever so slightly beginning at about the age of 33. You basically judged a player's career by the numbers he put up over a span of about 12 to 14 years.

A pitcher who learned to throw "junk" might be an exception. Power hitters were especially challenged to stay sharp.

I'm bitter that Harmon Killebrew now must be judged next to Barry Bonds.

The controversial substances not only extend a career, they expedite getting over an injury. Killebrew might have been able to deal with his sprained toe.

But the recently-deceased Harmon played under the old rules. He was still "The Killer" even without the likes of steroids. Let's elevate him to an even higher pedestal.

And Clemens? He can stay outside the Hall of Fame like Mark McGwire, trying to rationalize the decisions he made the rest of his life. Maybe the Tooth Fairy can console him.

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

Sports: Legion ball, "Coach Ek" & the media

Hancock sprayed singles all over the field, 15 in all, in an attack that bested the Morris American Legion nine on Thursday, July 7.

There was a time when Hancock joined hands with Benson for Legion ball. Not any more. Hancock fields a quite capable team on its own.

"Capable" certainly describes the work of pitcher Brendon Foss. Foss set down 12 Morris batters on strikes.

Hancock was the 8-2 winner.

Virtually all of Hancock's hits were singles. Morris employed three pitchers but none could really blunt the Hancock attack.

Alex Erickson was tagged with the pitching loss. Hancock's Foss worked the full seven innings for the victor and he allowed just one earned run. He allowed eight hits and walked one.

Each team committed one error. The Morris hit total was eight.

Austin Steege was one of three Hancock batters with three hits. Steege posted three-for-four numbers and scored two runs.

Dylan Reese was also three-for-four and he drove in two runs. Luke Schwarz had three hits in four at-bats and drove in two runs.

Bryan Shaw contributed two-for-three numbers and picked up two ribbies. Collin Cunningham had a two-for-four showing and crossed home plate three times.

For Morris, Tyler Hansen was able to get to Foss for two hits (one a double) in four at-bats. Cole Riley's bat was activated for two-for-three numbers and he drove in a run.

Ryan Beyer had a double and an RBI.

The Hancock batters had Erickson figured out on this day, and Erickson lasted just two innings, giving up six hits.

Sam Mattson got roughed up in a two-inning stint, giving up six hits and five runs (four earned). Tyler Hansen had his pitching arm called on, but he too struggled as he gave up four hits and two runs in two innings.

Yours truly (B.W.) used to receive Morris Area junior varsity football reports signed "Coach Ek" at the bottom. Coach Mark Ekren had the JV reins.

It was neat covering Tiger JV football because these games were played in daytime hours. If only the High School League knew how challenging it is for football photography to be done in the blackness of night.

Fall temperatures can be considerably cooler at night too.

Some things are hard to figure, but for whatever reason, JV football is played under conditions more illuminating and fun for photographers and fans. Eventually these players "graduate" to the more visible and prestigious varsity ranks and they plunge into the darkness of night.

Last fall, at the first game I had photographed in years, one of the BOLD players jogged just a short distance to relieve himself. This might have not been practical in daytime. I was sort of lurking off to the side because I wasn't sure how I would be received as a non-corporate media photographer.

With time I realized no one was going to make an issue of it. I was welcomed with open arms by season's end.

God bless you all.

News flash: Now we have "Coach Ek" as Morris Area athletic director. He was a pleasant and dedicated person for me to work with in my younger days when I could withstand the rigors of working for the corporate media.

The corporate media are under tremendous stress these days. People can get the information they need in their day-to-day lives through myriad electronic platforms that involve no cost to them.

Personally I'd like to see Tiger athletics find an online home or homes that are separate from the corporate media. To an extent this process has already begun.

Kudos to Lyle Rambow, Morris Area baseball coach, for taking advantage of everything the Pheasant Country Sports website had to offer last spring. This was very empowering for him. It's far advantageous to dealing with a newspaper that only gets published once a week.

A newspaper's agenda is to sell advertising - especially a chain newspaper which unfortunately is what Morris has. Management decisions are made in distant offices. It's all about profit and numbers.

In a sense you can't blame them - it's a business - but there are alternatives that aren't built around advertising and profits. My website is one.

My only agenda is to supply some lively and colorful coverage of Morris area teams.

Would I go back to the corporate media? Of course I would, because it would be a job. And if I went back to print I'd actually be an advocate of the print media again.

But right now I can size up the whole media landscape objectively. Right now I'm on the winning side.

"Coach Ek" knows something about winning. I wrote the profile article of him when he first came here. I learned right away he's an old Breckenridge Cowboy.

I used to tease him about how he looked and carried himself like Jim Kelly, the Buffalo Bills quarterback. I'm not sure anyone else ever told him that. I hope it was considered flattering.

Jim Kelly was unquestionably a great quarterback, Frank Reich notwithstanding, but he's one of those athletes who'll be remembered for never winning the "big one."

The only other time I ever typed Ekren's name on this blog was in reference to softball. I was recalling how Dick Siebert, the iconic U of M Gophers baseball coach, came here to conduct a clinic for kids in the mid 1960s. Siebert referred to softball as a "sissy game."

Forgive him because that was his generation. I wondered in my previous post how Ekren would react to that. He's a slow-pitch softball fanatic.

I don't know if "Coach Ek" still unwinds at the Met Lounge from time to time. I'm at an age where that just doesn't fit my routine any more.

Considering the pressure Mark will feel as AD, a little "unwinding" at the Met might be therapeutic.

Keep in mind that this establishment's name is inspired by a great athlete whose background is in the Morris area: Jerry Koosman. Athletes are welcome. Sportswriters? I don't know.

Speaking of which, it looks like the company that owns the Morris newspaper is playing some musical chairs now. Regardless of what they say, I think their objective is to reduce what they're spending on the Morris-Hancock Division.

It has been a relentless race to the bottom for that company here. It's best for all of us to just ignore it and move on to the limitless possibilities of the new media, which is what the "Stevens Forward!" organization wants us to do.

One of the "Destiny Drivers" is the creation of a "virtual community." I don't think this includes receiving an Elden's Food Fair advertising circular every week - an item that then has to go through some sort of disposal process.

You should see how some of these circulars first arrive, as a virtual mountain of boxes jammed with these pesky circulars which are the equivalent of "junk mail." What a business.

Chain newspapers are just squeezing their legacy advertising customers (i.e. "suckers") with whom they developed a bond through their monopoly years, for every nickel they can get while the business model stays alive.

Please, let's put the newspaper business out of its misery. We could demonstrate for "Stevens Forward!" that we are truly a forward-looking community in this respect.

Isn't this what Morris always strives for?

The individual who has been the paper's editor here is going to Willmar. Both papers are in the chain. Perhaps he was offered a parachute to keep his career alive.

The person he is replacing in Willmar appears to have been let go, based on reports I've seen from there.

This is a company that doesn't hesitate to turn thumbs-down on people. You wake up one morning and you're persona non grata. All that's missing is the boiling oil.

I'm sure the Morris newspaper will try to put frosting on whatever new arrangement it has for the news department here. But it's a sinking ship regardless - a fate sealed when it went from twice a week to once a week.

"Coach Ek" always called me "B.W.," which I think derived from a sporadic column I wrote in the late 1980s. I had a little graphic that I used at the top, actually stolen from a poker magazine I picked up in Las Vegas - no kidding. It's also from that magazine I learned the expression "If 'ifs and buts' were candy and nuts, life would be a party."

This was back in the days before you could "copy and paste" graphics like that. Back then, "pasting" meant you were probably using Elmer's Glue.

The graphic I used, was of an old-fashioned typewriter in which I inserted "B.W." in the paper space. Cute.

I never did establish a regular column in my corporate media years. It was hard to balance that with all the other obligations. Maybe it's good, because some people might consider my writing style idiosyncratic.

But thanks for reading.

Good luck to "Coach Ek" in this definite adventure that awaits him, guiding Tiger athletics through interesting campaigns throughout the school year. He replaces Mary Holmberg who "served her hitch" with commitment too.

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

Home field just the ticket for our raptors

Brett Arne bats for the Morris Eagles at Chizek Field.

The Morris Eagles have reversed course and taken advantage of a homestand to find winning ways. Such as been the success, the raptors have arrived at .500 and then climbed above it.

To what extent has the home field been the factor? Whatever the cause, our beloved raptors have a chance to finish the homestand at 6-0.

Whatever the cause? How about superior play?

The sixth game in the stretch is presented this Friday, July 15. Montevideo will be the visiting team Friday.

More is at stake than just finishing the homestand unblemished, as the Eagles can clinch the regular season title outright. The Eagles have clinched at least a tie for the top seed in the Canvas Division.

The success on July 8 was with a 9-6 win over the Appleton A's. Chris Boettcher supplied the main offensive fuel.
Boettcher drove in a run with a single in the first inning. He was back to work in the second inning with a double that drove in two runs. He continued a bid for "the cycle" with a triple in the sixth, and he went on to score.
He may not have finished with the full "cycle" but what a day it was for him, as his boxscore line was three-for-four with those extra-base hits.

He drove in three runs.

The Eagles had an eighth inning rally that was essential for the winning outcome. It netted four runs. Jamie Van Kempen brought his lumber to the plate with two outs and drove in two runs with a single.

Mitch Carbert drove in the other two runs in that rally, also with a single, his third hit of the game.

The eighth inning success gave Morris some breathing room, so Appleton's three-run rally in the top of the ninth was insufficient for them.

The Morris line score was nine runs, 13 hits and one error. Appleton's numbers were 6-9-1.

The following Eagles had multiple-hit games: Boettcher, Ross Haugen, Matthew Carrington, Van Kempen and Carbert.

Brett Anderson got the pitching win and Van Kempen got the save. Anderson struck out three batters and walked three in his six innings. He gave up four hits and two runs which were earned.

Van Kempen fanned five batters and walked two in his three-inning stint. He withstood five hits and four runs (earned) to get the save.

The Eagles made it five wins in a row on July 10 with a 15-5 home win over Wheaton. It was a classic hot July afternoon.

You might say the game was part of our Prairie Pioneer Days.

There was little suspense in this game as Morris scored nine runs over the first three innings, while Wheaton put up zeroes.

Boettcher continued with his hot bat, singling to drive in two runs in the second frame. The Walleyes hurt themselves with an error. Ross Haugen drove in a run with a single.

The barrage in the third inning included RBI singles off the bats of Matthew Carrington, Dusty Sauter and Ross Haugen.

Carrington put his seasoned pitching arm to work as the starter and did great over the first five innings. He had a shutout going.

But the Walleyes got untracked vs. him in the sixth. This is the inning in which Wheaton scored all their runs. Carrington gave way to reliever Nathan Gades who wrapped things up.

Carrington ended up with the "W" next to his name.

Any thoughts the Walleyes might have had of being back in this game faded. Morris scored two runs each in the sixth through eighth innings, and the game never made it to the ninth as the ten-run rule was invoked.

An RBI single off the bat of Craig Knochenmus created the ten-run bulge and ended the game.

Morris scored its 15 runs on a whopping 17 hits. Just as pleasing was the final number in the line score: zero errors.

Wheaton struggled in the field with six fielding miscues.

Dusty Sauter made noise with his bat, finishing three-for-six including a double, and he drove in a run while scoring two.

Boettcher scored two runs and drove in three. Haugen scored one run and drove in three. Knochenmus had an RBI total of two with his two hits.

Ryan Beyer had two doubles and scored three runs. Gades picked up a ribbie. Carrington was a perfect three-for-three with three runs scored and one RBI.

Cole Riley had a two-for-five boxscore line and he scored a run. Jamie Van Kempen scored two runs, and Brett Anderson went one-for-one with a run scored and an RBI.

Morris Eagles baseball will host Montevideo at 7:30 p.m. this Friday.

Eagles baseball fever - it's catching!

Cross your fingers for the win streak to grow.

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

Eagles beat Chokio, Dumont and Benson

Jon Jallo bats for the Morris Eagles during the June 29 home win over Benson. (B.W. photo)

The Morris Eagles town team put together a nifty win skein recently. Let's look at the dramatic win over Chokio (the Coyotes) in a game played on July 6, here.

How dramatic? The Eagles were on the ropes through much of the game, trailing 5-0 after seven innings and 5-1 after eight.

The pressure was on in the ninth to get something going. The odds didn't look good.

But the Eagles had the clutch tools to surge and thrill their home fans. What a rally it was in the bottom of the ninth.

The Eagles played like there was a bounty on Coyotes (LOL). They rallied for five runs and came away with a 6-5 win.

The Eagles had only four hits through seven innings. Finally Craig Knochenmus hit an RBI single to put Morris on the scoreboard in the eighth. But with the score 5-1 the odds still looked long.

Knochenmus had his pitching arm called on in the top of the ninth and he survived a jam to blank Chokio. Craig worked out of a bases-loaded crisis, as Chokio had a chance to put this game away. Chokio would bemoan that failure.

Momentum built slowly for the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth. First there was a hit-by-pitch and then an error. Two baserunners were on but there were two outs!

Chokio might have been hesitant to pitch to Ross Haugen because he walked on four pitches.

Was Chokio hesitant to pitch to Ryan Beyer too? Beyer also walked and this of course forced in a run.

Craig Knochenmus then made a big statement with his bat. Eagles' fans had their eyes open wide as Knochenmus socked a double to right-center. This cleared the bases.

It's a whole new ballgame with the score tied!

Chokio had some trouble fielding the Knochenmus blast and this hurt their cause.

Up to bat stepped Eric Riley. Riley, fresh from his stellar prep season, showed he's quite at home in town ball as he singled to allow Knochenmus to pull in at third. It's getting more interesting all the time.

Now the bat is toted to the plate by an Eagle at the other end of the age spectrum from Eric. In the old days sportswriters used the term "graybeard" but I think that's trite. We'll just say that "veteran" Matthew Carrington, looking at a 3-2 pitch, hit a liner up the middle good for bringing the winning run in.

It's a victory for the Eagles - quite unforgettable. I hope this blog post helps preserve it.

Matthew is in his 22nd summer of amateur ball. (Holy cow, I remember covering him when he was in high school.)

Knochenmus got the pitching win. He was preceded on the hill by Nathan Gades (seven innings) and Carrington (one inning).

"Knochy" went three-for-five at bat including that essential double, and his RBI total was a robust four.

Carrington had a two-for-three showing as did Ross Haugen, and Ross trotted down to first on two walks.

The win allowed the Eagles to draw within one game of .500 in overall.

The Eagles also came from behind in their June 25 home game against rival Dumont (the Saints).

Dumont got the 2-0 edge. But in the end, it was the Eagles winning 6-4.

The Eagles got their engines humming in the third inning as Chris Boettcher with his authoritative double and Matt Carrington and Nathan Gades with singles drove in runs.

The Eagles were up 3-2 after three innings.

The Eagles assumed the lead for good in the fifth. Gades doubled in a run, and an error borught another run in.

Craig Knochenmus' bat made noise with a double in the eighth to plate Morris' final run.

As in the win over Chokio, Knochenmus played the closer role on the hill in the ninth, getting the save by blanking the Saints. In fact, "Knochy" struck out the side.

The Saints had to be wringing their hands over leaving 14 runners on base in this game. They left the sacks full three times!

But Morris had its share of woes in this regard too. Morris stranded 13 runners.

It was Carrington getting the pitching win. He was the starter and worked five innings.

Gades had a three-inning pitching stint. At the plate, Gades went two-for-four including a double.

Ross Haugen and Jamie Van Kempen also connected for two hits.

The Eagles got relief from all the recent suspense with a big 19-3 laugher over Benson on June 29, here.

Morris had 18 hits led by the red-hot Chris Boettcher who went five-for-five with five runs scored and four RBIs. He also drew a walk. He had a double and two stolen bases.

Ross Haugen connected for two doubles. Gades pitched the distance for the win.

Eagles fever - catch it! We're coming down the home stretch of the regular season.

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

To the winning attorneys go the spoils

Jose Baez, attorney

Call it our "murder trial Fourth of July."

The media usually go into slowdown mode for a holiday weekend. People are too busy with personal commitments to consume much media. But the media gravitated to quite the irresistible story for the 2011 Independence Day. This wasn't a novelist's conception of a murder trial. Reality trumps fiction.

A novelist would be hard pressed duplicating the kind of twists and turns we saw in Florida.

We all had flashbacks to the O.J. trial. But that seems like eons ago in terms of the development of the media.

We are awash in media now, so a riveting murder trial becomes a truly larger than life spectacle.

I'm guessing the HLN network had a breakthrough weekend. I'm not sure the event was good for Nancy Grace, who many of us feel may have "jumped the shark," but it elevated the profile of Jane Velez-Mitchell and Jean Casarez. The latter two won high grades.

Grace's outrage has become old. She reminds me of the kind of second grade teacher we might have nicknamed "Battle Axe."

The dust has cleared in the Casey Anthony trial. There is a winner and loser. It's a dichotomy that America likes. We really like winners. Stand up and salute, everyone.

The lead defense attorney seemed on the ropes for a long time, coming under some negative scrutiny, but in a flash he emerges as a sort of hero (or model to emulate). The verdict was not guilty on the major charges.

There are spoils that await a winning attorney in a case like this. He can go on Larry King - Excuse me, Piers Morgan. He might appear on the cover of People Magazine. This particular attorney, Jose Baez, might choose not to avail himself of such things. That would be commendable. But the public would eat it all up. It sure ate up the dramatics through the July 4 weekend.

As with the O.J. trial, there are a whole lot of personalities that get ingrained in the public's mind, leading me to think a trading card series could be inspired. But "trading cards" may be so 1960s. Excuse me, but consider my age (56).
There could even be a card for the guy who found the body. I feel sorry for that guy. Unless there's suspicion he was somehow involved, he shouldn't be forced to testify. His life will never be the same. He came under pressure because there was suspicion his behavior could have been affected by reward money. If that's the case, stop offering rewards. If authorities feel money corrupts, don't dangle out corrupting temptations.

But the state does that with the lottery all the time.

A cast of lawyers was at the forefront again. The rather attractive blonde woman who delivered the prosecution's closing argument had a real shot at fame. I was imagining her on the cover of magazines. But she lost. She'll fade into the obscurity of losers.

Again, America loves winners. Johnnie Cochran RIP was a celebrity after the O.J. trial. So was Robert Shapiro who is now a pitchman for "Legalzoom."

I think defense attorneys have the most to gain in these high-profile trials. Defense attorneys look for diversions, and their own bravado can become a diversion. My, they are gifted at bluster. They make mountains out of molehills. They'll take a minor point of contention and refer to it as a "bombshell" if it goes their way.

Few attorneys can make the prosecution glamorous, but Vince Bugliosi is a big exception. Could Bugliosi have fared better in this trial? After reading his book "Outrage," I'm convinced he would have gotten O.J. convicted - no doubt. I loaned that book to probably our most esteemed local legal mind, Charlie Glasrud. Kudos to Charlie for remembering to return it. The odds of a friend returning a loaned book are rather long. Glasrud is headed into the judging realm.

Speaking of which, the trial we just followed was fascinating in that no one found it necessary to pat the judge on the back as an "African American judge." I heard no such comments.

In other words, he was accepted as an immensely capable judge without regard to race - a real testament to how far we've come in terms of color blindness.

In the O.J. trial we were all conscious of the judge being Japanese. A well-known politician got in trouble doing an imitation of Judge Ito using a faux Japanese accent (a la "Amos and Andy").

Such behavior in the year 2011 would be considered far more unacceptable.

I have argued on this site before that the old "melting pot" ideal is what we should strive for. This principle seemed to be supplanted for a time by the "diversity" mantra, which called for us to be race and ethnic conscious but to love everyone anyway.

With all due respect, the University of Minnesota-Morris got caught up in the "D" word. But since when has consciousness of differences ever helped us get along better? The melting pot ideal may be boring because it's so simple to grasp. So what, it has merit.

F. Lee Bailey once wrote a book entitled "The Defense Never Rests." I would suggest instead "The defense never hesitates to throw tons of mud up against a wall to see if any of it sticks."

Snow the jurors with myriad details, getting them to think maybe it's all so complicated, they'd better just give the defense the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe that's what happened in the Casey Anthony trial.

I remember a chat I once had with our Sheriff Randy Willis, way back when the Minnesota Timberwolves were new and we were discussing basketball a lot. This was at the old main street restaurant that has since been eaten up by a bank. I noted to Randy that the NBA's most famous heckler was a defense attorney by occupation. The fellow's last name was Ficker. I asked if that occupation was logical for the guy.

Randy said "well, they're loud-mouthed and they don't know what they're talking about!"

I should emphasize here that the comment was made in a light mood. A rimshot was called for.

The jury didn't want to talk to the media after the Anthony trial. My God, I can't blame them. Who would want to get his/her name caught up in this kind of infamy?

This trial was a circus with a capital "C."

I had to laugh at the TV talking head Tuesday night who talked about the need to "cross your i's and dot your t's." There was no correction. It was allowed to mercifully pass. Maybe it was a case of holiday weekend work overload.

Holiday weekends are hard on unemployed people. While the whole world seems to slow down, our world stays slow like it always is. We breathe a sigh of relief when "routine" returns.

This year's July 4 weekend will not only be associated with the celebrated trial, there's the Minnesota state government shutdown.
I have an open mind, so I may end up admitting that the Republicans were right after all. That's a tough sentence to write. But maybe we're not as dependent on state government as I thought.
Maybe austerity is an easier pill to swallow than I thought.

The world hasn't ended. The sun rises in the east. If Canterbury horse racing is the biggest issue, well my goodness.

There is a new trial about to unfold now: Roger Clemens' perjury trial. Maybe some new lawyers will step into celebrity.

"Weird Al" Yankovic once wrote lyrics inspired by the original Jurassic Park movie. A lawyer character who had sought escape in a restroom gets eaten by a T-Rex, showing that "dinosaurs aren't so bad after all."

I have never had to hire a lawyer. My blatant lawbreaking by not wearing a seat belt has yet to be discovered. I have survived the alleged "stings." (Imagine the "Dragnet" theme music playing now.)

For a long time I avoided Atlantic Avenue and took "evasive action" whenever seeing a law enforcement vehicle, even pulling over to the curb if I had to.

But now I hear through the grapevine that law enforcement is no longer treating seat belt as a primary offense,

What took so long?

I haven't needed a defense attorney. It might be fun to appreciate the talents of the likes of our Ken Hamrum. But such talents are better appreciated from a distance. For now, I'm comfortable consulting with Ken, mainly about jazz music, at the McDonald's Restaurant. His skills could be a godsend, even though he represents a class of people who are "loud-mouthed and don't know what they're talking about."

Let's all salute defense attorneys. The Casey Anthony trial is another chapter in the glory.

"If the glove doesn't fit, then you must acquit."

How can the prosecution counter such artistry?

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

Legion boys' offense like July 4 fireworks

Whew! The Morris American Legion baseball team entered the July 4 holiday weekend deserving of a break.

They were coming off a stretch of eight games in as many days. And they didn't lose a single time!

The Post #29 crew sits at 9-1 on the summer.

Morris 21, Elbow Lake 2

Victory No. 9 came Thursday evening in a game pushed later than the announced starting time. The Legion athletes took the field once the Babe Ruth League had taken care of its business.

Morris defeated Elbow Lake in a romp, 21-2, with bats making as much noise as the upcoming July 4 fireworks.

Morris posted its football-like run total buoyed by 20 hits.

The barrage included another home run by Ryan Beyer. It was Beyer's fourth round-tripper in a three-day span.

Each team committed three errors.

Morris batted in just four innings, making the offensive onslaught that much more impressive. Obviously the ten-run rule came into play.
Elbow Lake scored its two runs in the top of the third.

Alex Erickson's bat was sizzling with three-for-three numbers, and he crossed home plate three times. He also picked up an RBI.

Tyler Hansen scored four times while posting two-for-four numbers. One of his hits was a double. He stole two bases and drove in three runs.

Ryan Beyer's homer highlighted his perfect two-for-two line. He had three RBIs total.

Mac Beyer had two hits in as many at-bats. He doubled and drove in a run.

Eric Riley doubled as part of his two-for-two evening. Cole Riley went two-for-five with an RBI. Mitch Kill fueled the attack at two-for-five with two runs scored and a ribbie.

Brody Bahr doubled, scored three runs and drove in two. Aaron Vold socked a double as part of finishing two-for-two. He scored three runs and drove in three.

Ethan Bruer had impact going two-for-three including a double, plus he scored two runs and drove in three.

All that offensive support made pitching kind of a breeze. Mitch Kill pitched four innings and was the winner. He struck out five batters and walked two. He gave up two runs neither of which were earned.

Mac Beyer pitched one inning, struck out two batters and walked none. Eric Blehr took the pitching loss.

Morris 5, Willmar 4

Willmar shot out to a fast start but it was our Post #29 winning as the visitor on Wednesday, June 29.

Willmar assumed a 3-1 lead in the first inning but Morris came on strong in the later innings. Morris rallied for two runs each in the fourth and sixth and prevailed 5-4.

This was despite getting outhit by Willmar 8-4. It was also in spite of getting out-fielded, as Morris committed three errors to none by Willmar.

Four different Morris players accounted for the four hits. Ryan Beyer slugged a solo home run in his only official at-bat. He worked the Willmar pitching for two walks, plus he scored three runs and drove in one.

Beyer's round-tripper came in the first inning and was his fourth of the season. Two of his blasts came Tuesday when Morris prevailed 8-7 over Detroit Lakes.

Eric Riley's bat went "pow" for a two-run home run. Eric netted two RBIs on the day, plus he was the winning pitcher.

Eric's pitching arm was called on when starter Tyler Hansen had a little trouble finding the strike zone. Riley struck out five batters and walked one in his 6 2/3 innings on the hill. He allowed seven hits and one run which was earned.

Willmar hurler Nathaniel Swoyer, a curveball master who worked the distance, was tagged with the loss despite striking out 13 batters.

Hansen's bat came through with one-for-three numbers.

Tanner Picht connected for a double and drove in two runs. His double made it to the right field fence in the fourth inning and got the score tied at three-all.

Jake Rambow spurred the Willmar hitting with three-for-four numbers including a double and an RBI.

Willmar was hurt by eleven stranded baserunners. They left the bases loaded in the first and third frames. Morris by contrast stranded just one.

Eric Riley has been a most busy athlete this summer. He plied his football skills most impressively on Saturday (6/25) when his North All-Stars vied at TCF Bank Stadium on the U of M-Twin Cities campus. Riley was named Defensive MVP for the North.

In the Wednesday baseball challenge, the multi-sport standout whacked a Swoyer delivery over the left field fence in the sixth inning. It was a timely blow, breaking the 3-3 tie and delivering what turned out to be the decisive burst of momentum.

Swoyer, who also played in the all-star gridiron showcase, for the South, fanned seven straight Morris batters before the Eric Riley home run.

It was Riley's first round-tripper of the summer.

News flash: The following MACA Tigers have been named all-conference in the WCC-South: Ryan Beyer, Eric Riley, Tyler Hansen, Cole Riley and Alex Erickson.

Alex is the conference MVP.
Congrats all.

Morris 5, Osakis 2

A first inning rally propelled the Post #29 squad to a 5-2 victory over Osakis on Monday, June 27, here. That rally netted three runs.

The Morris line score was five runs, seven hits and two errors, while the visitor posted 2-5-2 numbers.

Three of the seven Morris hits were off the bat of Ryan Beyer. Beyer finished three-for-four with one of his hits a double, plus he drove in a run.

Tyler Hansen came through with a triple. Alex Erickson slugged a double and drove in a run. Ethan Bruer had a hit and an RBI, and Eric Riley had a one-for-four line.

The pitching arms of Ethan Bruer and Eric Riley did the job. It was Bruer getting the win with his stint of five innings, in which he fanned four batters and walked one. He gave up five hits and two runs (earned).

Eric Riley pitched for the save, fanning three batters in the process and walking two. He gave up no hits and no runs in his two innings.

Ky Zimmel was the losing pitcher. With the bat, Ky connected for a triple. Drew Fearing doubled for Osakis.

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

Halperin faux pas mostly puzzling

"Morning Joe" airs at a pretty peaceful time. Most of it airs while most people are peacefully in bed. It starts at 5 a.m. and goes for three hours.

It's a program with a reasonable tone, willing to be a platform for all reasonable political views.

So how on earth could one of their panelists get suspended?

This happened Thursday morning. It's the morning I make sure the trash is put out. Maybe that's when the offensive comment was uttered. I never heard the impolitic utterance, I only heard the apology.

This came from a very unlikely source.

I would have expected an ideological bomb-thrower to make the offensive comment. I would suspect Fox News, although Fox would let most comments like this pass and not suspend anyone. MSNBC to its credit is sane in this regard.

But Mark Halperin? This guy seems to be a Beltway mainstay. He's the co-author of the book "Game Change."

I had to go online to learn the grounds for his suspension. MSNBC wasn't going to have it repeated on the air.

Evidently Mr. Halperin needs to get away from his work for a while.
It's not that he's necessarily wrong to be a critic of President Obama. But what on earth can be accomplished by calling the president a "dick?"

I was frustrated because frankly, what is the definition of this junior high-level putdown? I tried getting enlightened. All I found was a definition that equated the term with a part of the male anatomy.

It's hard to know what Mark Halperin was really trying to communicate. He was talking about Obama's presentation in the previous day's press conference.

Obama scolded Congress, primarily Republicans I presume, in a pretty standard way. I believe he made a comparison to lazy schoolchildren. This makes him a "dick?"

But I still don't know what "dick" really means. Someone of Halperin's obvious education and stature ought to use more precision.

Apparently the panel joked about how the "seven-second delay" might have to be used (to censor the remark). Once you say that, though, aren't you inviting scrutiny? They joked about it but it wasn't done.
It appears someone in the booth didn't know how to do it.

Why go there? Why play around in such a juvenile fashion?

Why confuse and frustrate someone like me, a loyal "Morning Joe" viewer, with language that is both pejorative and imprecise?

If I want to watch something that is pointless and offensive, I can watch re-runs of the old "Gong Show" (with Chuck Barris). Speaking of which, remember the characters "Scarlett and Rhett" from that show? That gag was all about censorship.

"Scarlett" was a man dressed as a woman. The gag was inspired by the "I don't give a damn" line from "Gone with the Wind," a line which at that time pushed the envelope.

The Gong Show act had one line after another bleeped. "Scarlett" would fan herself ever more frantically, saying over and over again "oh Rhett Butler, you can't say that on television."

Rhett would then say "really? Well, can I say this?" Then his lips would move frantically while we heard nothing.

This gag was repeated over and over on that 1970s program which was a good window into the decade. Also repeated were "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine" and "The Unknown Comic" among others.

This was a talent show like "American Idol" but the similarities ended there.

"The Gong Show" made fun of itself. It made fun of everything in sight and not in a healthy way. It reflected the mood of resignation among the American people in the 1970s, a time when "stagflation" and other discouraging things were happening.

It was a time when Jimmy Carter tried having the military rescue the hostages in Iran but the helicopters had a mechanical breakdown. That's the kind of decade it was.

The word "malaise" is attributed to Carter but he never actually said it. Maybe this itself is an example of the decade's fumbling.

We elected Ronald Reagan in 1980 and even John Lennon became a cheerleader, according to recent news reports.

Today we have economic problems but it still doesn't seem anything like the 1970s. I'm not sure why, because the "financial crisis" of 2008 was so bad we needed drastic Federal government intervention.

So much for President George Bush believing in free enterprise.

I checked out the book "Game Change" from our Morris Public Library. I was surprised it was there so soon. You'd have to be crazy to pay suggested retail price for it.

Really, selling one's writing is becoming increasingly difficult in this Internet age. Many elitists are crying foul, with hands wringing, but I consider them to be dickheads. Oh, I'm sorry.

But what is the difference between "dick" and "dickhead?"

I remember reading once about someone who misheard song lyrics for years. "Might as well admit it you're addicted to love" entered his mind as "Might as well admit it you're a dickhead in love."

Is it bad to be a "dickhead in love?" How? Misheard song lyrics is actually a fascinating topic.

When Halperin and the TV panel joked about the seven-second delay, it was like they were going to have to disarm a time bomb (like in the movies). They failed. The bomb was dropped.

Now Halperin is not only suspended, this notoriety will never escape him, to the point where this episode might appear in his obituary someday.

I read only a portion of "Game Change," about the 2008 presidential campaign. I felt I could have written just as good a book by taking daily notes from cable TV news.

The only advantage Halperin would have on me, is he could use his Beltway connections to get a couple of provocative quotes - you know, some potty mouth lines - that could then be used to sell the book.
This is a pretty obvious racket. Bob Woodward is a master.
Woodward writes a treadmill book every 3-4 years. He of course rides the coattails of the fame he achieved uncovering Watergate, in which he basically just found a disgruntled high-level Washington D.C. official, set up cloak and dagger meetings and took notes.

All that was missing was the trench coats.

Woodward worked with Carl Bernstein. Halperin works with John Heilemann.

The one thing I hoped to learn from "Game Change" was how the authors interpreted the significance of Fox News. I turned to the index. Within minutes I could see they didn't do any probing of this at all.

The references to Fox News were mundane. There was no attempt to interpret and analyze Fox News' significance as a highly powerful political organization, which it clearly is.

I suspect the authors were cowed by the power of Fox News and Roger Ailes. Also, many of the Fox personalities are accepted among the Beltway power elite, where they circulate in much more collegial terms than one might suspect watching them on TV.

It's like professional wrestlers who behave like colleagues when the cameras are off. It's an inside game they all know.

As for all us knaves out here in the heartland, apparently what we don't know isn't going to hurt us. We live our insignificant lives out here on the plains while the Beltway, Washington D.C. and Wall Street consolidate power and keep us passive.

At least for now.

It remains to be seen if Bastille Day will come.

In the meantime, the knaves can wonder what Halperin meant by "dick". . .while Rome slowly burns?

At least Joe Scarborough keeps a steady ship with "Morning Joe." Mika Brzezinski at his side helps too.

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