As I am writing this column for April 4th, a light bulb just went off in my head. April 4th is the home opener of the Minnesota Twins Baseball Team.
As per other baseball seasons, the Twins will once again be sponsoring “Lutheran Night at the Twins.” The date is August 13, 2024. F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely on God) of Central Freeborn Lutheran Church rural Albert Lea will be taking a bus departing from Albert Lea. Watch for details later in June as to departure time, cost, seating, etc.
My being a Twins fan goes back to when it was announced the Twins were moving the franchise from Washington D.C. to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1961.
I was a student in college at the time in the Master's Degree program. The instructor walks into class and announces, “Each one of you will submit a paper on a business of your choosing as to how that business is helping the great state of Minnesota. If you don't submit the paper, you're out of the program.” My reaction was, “I'm a veteran going to school under the G.I. Bill, you don't have to power to remove me from the program.”
I thought about the power of the instructor and decided I'd better submit the paper. I knew the Twins were coming to Minnesota, so after class I asked if a paper on a business coming to Minnesota would be OK. He asked what business I had in mind? I replied “The Twins.” His reply was “Excellent choice. I've got some pull and I'll get you invited to some of their pre-planning meetings held at the Thunder Bird Hotel on I94.”
And so the college instructor got me invited to some of the pre-planning meetings.
The meeting that I remember the best was about the uniform all the players would wear. About six caps were passed around and all those present were to comment on the color, style and wording that said MT for Minnesota Twins. The comments were very good until one person let out a few choice words as he explained the players would be the laughing stock of all the league as MT would be referred to as “empty.” At that point it was unanimously agreed “TC” would be the cap initials!!
I did the paper, turned it in, got it back with a big hand written A+ as the grade followed by: “With a little help.”
P.S. An interesting thing I learned was: Minnesota taxed the players of the visiting team to Minnesota and collected money up front as taxable income earned in Minnesota!!
In looking at April Fool's goodies over the past 10 years, two of my favorites are: 1 The toilet paper company Cottonelle advertised a toilet paper for lefties only in 2015. 2 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines unveiled a “Recline Alert System,” saying we've developed a sound effect that notifies passengers when the section in front of them reclines!!
March has been a month of deaths of people I knew here on earth. A fellow Lion member, a church member, a fellow AAL agent, my 51 year old nephew. “May they dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
All of the services were excellent with Pastor Matthew Lehman of Lion Lutheran Church in Albert Lea doing an exceptional service in bringing the five granddaughters into the service for their grandpa.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in New York. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.