The Minnesota Twins are a team searching for its identity. As Johnny Carson used to say, "They have come to a fork in the road." Our Twins may become a good team and they may also succumb to the Dark Side and finish last in the Central Division.

A few days ago, I was ready to throw my hands up in disgust and started to focus on Jerry Kill’s Gopher football and our two high-profile basketball teams. It was great news for Gopher basketball when they learned Trevor Mbakwe is coming back. The Gophers are ranked in the top 25 in preseason basketball polls. The Timberwolves also look to be tough next year when injured players return.

But it’s baseball season and let’s talk about our Twins. There are a lot of flaws evident in the team. Danny Valencia was waving at balls hit between him and shortstop Jamey Carroll. Carroll was doing the same to balls hit up the middle. Alexi Casilla was constantly losing focus during the game. The corner outfielders reminded me of the patch worn in left field at the old Met stadium by Harmon Killebrew. 

Justin Morneau was not hitting and the other M, Joe Mauer, was acting like it was a lot of bother and that he really didn’t want to be out there. In addition, why are Luke Hughes and Trevor Plouffe on the team? They are not good fielders and have not hit for a decent average in the bigs. (I just learned that Hughes has been designated for assignment.)

The pitching was, to be charitable, fair with pitcher after pitcher falling by the wayside with injuries. The ace of the staff, Scott Baker, is gone for the foreseeable future and in fact it might be better for the team if the No. 2 pitcher, Francisco Liriano, follows Baker in not being available.

The Twins looked dismal and one wonders what is going on when it is announced that Baker had a good report on an MRI, then after a second opinion, it looks like he needs elbow surgery, then Tommy John’s surgery is done? Given the extant and severity of injuries one begins to wonder about the Twins’ physicians. At this point, I was ready to consign the Twins to the compost heap. It’s a good thing I didn’t because after watching a few more days, I believe there is hope for the team.

Valencia is making plays to his left. Carroll is catching grounders and while I still believe that as a shortstop he makes a very good utility player, he is a vast improvement over last year. Casilla is starting to come on, both in the field and at the bat. He made two excellent fielding plays during a Yankee game. It was good those opportunities came to him for he is the only one athletic enough to have made them. Ryan Doumit is proving to be a good substitute catcher and Mauer is showing signs of life. He even stole a base against the Yankees. Morneau is getting his timing back, at least against the finesse Yankee pitchers.

The Twins’ young pitchers have looked good and I’m in favor of taking Liriano out of the rotation and using him as a relief pitcher. That might take the pressure off.

So if the baseball gods smile, the ball bounces right and the Force is with them, the Twins with some luck and good management may present a good team. I hope they do, for I don’t think Jim and Bob Pohlad will put up with another lousy season.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

"What are you so grumpy about?"

"Paying my taxes."

"Didn’t you pay them on time?"

"I paid them early, but it takes me a long time to get over being grumpy about it."

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: where is a fool and his money when I need him?

I've learned

1. That if I’m going to procrastinate, I’d better do it now.

2. That when tornado sirens sound, everyone should run in different directions. That way, the tornado won’t be able to get everyone.

3. Thinner TVs do not lead to thinner TV viewers.

The Tooth Fairy has a lot of expenses

My young son had just lost a tooth. He placed it under his pillow. My wife reminded me to put a dollar in its place during the night.

She woke me on the east side of midnight to ask if I had put the money under the pillow. I had forgotten. I staggered from bed and felt about the top of my dresser in search of my wallet. I pulled a bill from it and, only half awake, sneaked into my son’s room. I placed the bill under the pillow and took the free-range tooth in return.

The next morning, as I dressed for work, I discovered that I had placed a $20 bill under his pillow.

My son was elated. So much so, that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the Tooth Fairy expected change back.

I hid all the pliers I owned. I was afraid my son would would to pull another $20 tooth.

It had been dry

A friend reminded me of an old saying, "Plant in the mud, the crop’s a dud. Plant in the dust, the bins will bust." I’ve heard that often, but had forgotten about it. I forget a thing like that and then it hits me just like something in gym class. My junior high phy ed class began the same way each day. The teacher tossed a volleyball in our direction and told us to throw it at someone. We did. We learned that ducking and dodging are great life skills. Every class, someone said, "I was wondering why the volleyball was getting bigger, and then it hit me."

The basketball diaries

I watched a loved one play basketball. Her team defeated a squad much larger than them in both physical size and school enrollment to qualify for a state tournament. The loved one, a granddaughter named Joey, had four fouls in the game. Her grandmother, who doubles as my wife, fretted a bit about the fouls. I look at fouls in a basketball game like this. You get five fouls a game. You can’t save them or carry them over to the next game. Using up four fouls each game is a sensible allocation of a resource. What you don’t use, you lose.

Cooking up a dorm

When I lived in a crummy room so small that I needed to step into the hallway to change my mind, I wasn’t supposed to do any cooking. It wasn’t much of a problem as I wasn’t much of a cook, but I felt a need to eat and to eat cheaply. I found a way. I buttered two slices of Wonder Bread. I put the slices on aluminum foil or waxed paper with the buttered sides down. I placed a slice of Velveeta cheese on one piece of bread, covered it with the other slice, and wrapped it all in the foil or waxed paper. I used a clothes iron on its highest setting to press a grilled cheese sandwich. I ran the iron over the combination for about a minute before repeating the ironing on the flip side. I also made edible grilled peanut butter sandwiches. It might not have been the safest thing to do, but then neither was eating my own cooking.

Talking to the Holstein

I was talking to the Holstein the other day. The Holstein is a retired milk cow, so she has time to talk. I’ve spent a lot of time around cows, but there is something about a guy that makes him want to say "moo" when he sees a cow. "Moo," I said.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully and said, "I was just going to say that."

Meeting adjourned

“If you have not often felt the joy of doing a kind act, you have neglected much, and most of all yourself.”—A. Neilen

Here we come again! This is our 37th summer at Beaver Lake and my 11th summer of writing this column. As of this writing, we two old people are in the process of moving into an old cabin at Beaver Lake.

Congratulations to Sharon Sorenson on becoming a new grandparent to grandson Jett Allan Sorenson born February 28, 2012. Grandpa Mark doesn’t think he is old enough to be called Grandpa, but he is working on it. Please notice that Grandpa Mark isn’t quite so grumpy since that eight-plus pound boy (that looks like him) was born.

Laura Groth, a college student resident at Beaver Lake, is now a graduate of my old alma mater, Mankato, with a Bachelor of Science in Earth Science. Mom and Dad (Chuck and Jean) are now last in line for student loan repayments.

Paula Hanson of Beaver Lake is one year older as of April 24th. I agreed not to tell when and how old she was. At least I kept half of the bargain.

Ecclesiastes 3:9 says, “A time to be born and a time to die.” Sterling Meyer, a retired farmer from Thompson, Iowa and former owner of cabin 74 for many years, knew the Bible and practiced what he read. The night before he left this earth in March, he called all his children. The next morning he left this life.

The ice went out of Beaver Lake very early this year. (March 15th to be exact.) Spouse Jane Braaten told spouse Barry, “Let’s be first at something.” They had their dock in the lake March 16th — the first dock of 2012.

If you’re interested in going to the Plymouth Playhouse to see “A Mighty Fortress Is Our Church Basement” by the Church Basement Ladies on Sunday, June 24, please call me at (507) 373-8655. The bus will leave from behind Slumberland in Albert Lea at 11 a.m. Cost is $45 per person which includes a buffet supper at KFC in Owatonna. 

After the Twins lost their first four games of the 2012 baseball season, the radio station KRFO sports announcer decided to conduct an in-person interview regarding the Twins. He decided to interview three people on the street in Ellendale asking them the same question, “What do you think of the Twins?” This was to be done on the fifth day of the season.

John Schultz was the first one asked, to which John replied, “I think they’re good basketball players and when they’re the same age as their older sister, NRHEG will take first rather than third in the Minnesota State Girls’ Basketball Tournament.”

The next person asked was Knose Etall. He replied, “At least the Twins can’t lose today because they’re not playing.” He walked away with his grumpy face and nose up in the air. (By the way, the Ellendale Rescue Squad has saved him three times from drowning when he got caught outside in a sudden downpour of rain).

The third person asked was Ginger Thompson. She replied “We’re only four games out of first and we have 158 games to catch up!”

If you’re interested in going to Lutheran Night at the Twins either Monday, July 30 or Tuesday, July 31, call me (507) 373-8655. Cost is $45. (You don’t have to be Lutheran to go. In other words, this could be your chance to convert a Lutheran to your liking. 

To those of you that have read to this point: Please read the heading and ending bylines real careful. Hint, this column is either fact or fiction, you decide.

— — —

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent. 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 Vermont. This is the Hanson’s 37th summer at Beaver Lake. They leave the lake in mid-October to go south — to Albert Lea — and return in April. Bob says if you enjoy his article, 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. 

Ten font locked and loaded, the scurs venture forth into another week of weather forecasting. Will it finally decide to be May or will we remain stuck in our mid-April trance? Starting Wednesday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Warm with highs near 75 and lows dropping to 40 - 45. Partly clear on Thursday with a slight chance of an evening shower. Highs of 45 and lows of 35. Friday, mostly cloudy and colder with a good chance of showers. Highs of 55 and lows near 40. Mostly cloudy on Saturday with a moderate chance of showers decreasing into the overnight hours as skies clear. Highs of 45 - 50 and lows back below freezing at 30. Partly cloudy Sunday with highs around 55 and lows in the 35 range. Monday, mostly sunny with highs of 55 and lows of 45.. Mostly cloudy and warmer with a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. Highs near 60 and lows around 45. The normal high for May 1st is 64 and the normal low is 42. On April 26th we break above 14 hours of daylight as we continue to gain daylight at just under 3 minutes per day. With their Easter goodie supplies rapidly dwindling, the scurs will be keeping an eye out for those May baskets on Tuesday.

Field progress was slowed by measurable precipitation recorded six out of seven days since April 14th as of the 20th and eight out of 10 days as of April 23rd at the ranch. Still, the amount has not been insurmountable and the total accumulation since the 14th has only been 1.87 inches. With the subsoil as dry as it was, a few good drying days strung together and fieldwork could commence once again in earnest. Early planted corn in the area looked healthy as of last Friday and this Monday. The first planted corn should emerge sometime this week. That corn which hasn’t emerged yet appears healthy and the soils remain friable underneath yet, not saturated. Small grains and alfalfa continue to look very impressive, although the cooler temperatures have slowed their growth relative to what we saw initially back in late March and early April. There has already been a lot of handwringing and worrying about insect pressure due to the early spring. It’s a little early to get too flustered about that just yet. Some of the same freezing temperatures that zinged vegetation may have had the same effect on emerged insects, so time will tell.

Some inquiries have been made about the large number of small black and orange butterflies in the area. This spring has made for a phenomenal migration of red admiral butterflies. I had been meaning to write about these as early as late March when they first began to show up out at the ranch. The larvae from these butterflies feed primarily on stinging nettles so unless you are propagating nettles for tea or to torment your nosey neighbors, consider these butterflies the “good guys.” 

Around the pond there are a few small patches of nettles, but would venture to guess they won’t amount to much. The blackened ground surrounding the wetland from the earlier burn has become a green carpet since timely rains have occurred. The kestrel continues to set on a clutch of five eggs and would expect to see some hatchlings in the next week or so. No activity in the new nesting box, but with the rains the water level in the pond has increased. There are a couple pair of blue-winged teal normally on the water and frequently Canada geese using it as an area to rest after feeding on the new green grass surrounding it. On warmer evenings, the western chorus frogs and the American toads blend their chirps and trills together into a soft, sweet, white-noise lullaby. Sleeping with the windows open is pure heaven when that occurs. 

In the yard this week we witnessed the first of the white-throated sparrow migration, typically a precursor or vice-versa to the appearance of Harris and white-crowned sparrows here. Sure enough, Monday morning the white-crowned sparrows arrived along with the first barn swallow of the season. Along with that, there are some male goldfinches dressed in their full colored bright yellow suits. That usually means one thing: It’s time to start stocking up on jelly for the Baltimore orioles that can’t be far behind. Last year set some kind of record for us with somewhere near 30 orioles in the trees on the south side of the house at once. That meant some serious jelly consumption to be sure. It will be interesting to see if we encounter those numbers again or if that was just an anomaly.

The garden progress continues to follow that of area farmers as in slowly. Some of the vegetables planted back on the 14th have started to emerge including the lettuce and radishes. The last of the early garden was actually planted on the 17th as conditions dried enough on the surface to allow it. The carrots and beets went in nicely then received several rains after that. Last Sunday the late potatoes were procured. Even my potato producing buddy from ND claims that Pontiacs are still about the best tasting red potato out there. Apparently they are somewhat disease prone, but here they seem to thrive. The Norkotah russets fast became a favorite after last year. They kept well into the spring and made for some great baked potatoes especially on some of those cold nights. The vine crops were also seeded Sunday. I thought we had cut back but there were still six flats with 108 total hills started. There will be several hills of cucumbers direct seeded and at least a couple hills of zucchini planted yet too. Oh yeah, we really cut back all right. This is sorta how Congress operates, isn’t it?

The rainy weekend weather allowed some work to progress on the Studebaker project once again. Getting the water jacket on the engine cleaned out before sticking the newly refurbished radiator back in it had been on my list for quite some time. Doing it without everything in the way is always a plus. Using the flush kit I modified to accomplish the task it was surprising how little crud was actually in it. Much of that had apparently come out earlier when the radiator itself was removed. The flushing operation came off without a hitch except I discovered the water pump leaked. A new water pump is available so may as well get that installed before placing the radiator back in front of the170 cu. in. flathead six beast under the hood. A leaky water pump comes as no surprise since the car had set since 1983.  Something that may come as a surprise to some readers is the fact that from 1957 to 1963, Studebaker was the importer for Mercedes Benz automobiles with many dealers offering the import as an additional line. What could’ve happened if Studebaker had continued their arrangement with Mercedes? I guess we’ll never know.

See you next week…real good then.

Akemann fans 14 at Waseca, Dahle delivers against MR

LEGION FIELD DRAMA — NRHEG senior Jake Staloch (17) slides head first into home with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning at Legion Field Friday. Greeting him at the plate were Sam Lundberg (11) and Carter Tollefson. Lundberg and Staloch scored on a two-out, two run single by senior Matt Dahle. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

If you haven’t learned by now, perhaps last week convinced you: don’t bet against the NRHEG baseball team this spring.

The Panthers added two more victories, winning 7-1 at Waseca last Tuesday and coming from behind to knock off Maple River 9-8 Friday. It raised the Panthers’ record to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the Gopher Conference, their only loss coming to defending state champion Eden Valley-Watkins.

Senior right-hander Mitch Akemann was dominant on the mound at Waseca’s Tink Larson Field, tossing a four-hitter while striking out 14 and walking six.

The big inning for Akemann was the fifth, when the Bluejays loaded the bases with one out and their No. 3 and 4 hitters coming to bat. Akemann struck out both.

INFIELD OUT — NRHEG third base player Kelli Harrington flips the ball to home for an out during recent action at Legion Field. The Panthers beat Blooming Prairie 3-0 Monday, April 23, improving to 7-1 overall. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

The NRHEG softball team did not generate a whole lot of offense Monday, April 23.

But not much was needed.

Sophomore Jade Schultz struck out 17 batters and walked only two, throwing a three-hitter as the Panthers shut out Blooming Prairie 3-0 at New Richland’s Legion Field.

The surprising Panthers improved their record to 3-1 in the Gopher Conference and 7-1 overall.

Schultz not only dominated on the mound, she led the NRHEG offense going 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and one run scored. Senior Anna Schlaak also doubled and scored.

The NRHEG track and field teams traveled to Wells for the USC/AC Invitational Tuesday, April 17.

The girls took third among six schools with 81 points. USC/AC won with 172 and Blue Earth Area was second at 149. Rounding out the field: Martin County West 75, JWP 44, Maple River 34.

Carlie Wagner grabbed two firsts for the Panthers, winning the 200-meter dash in 27.39 seconds and the high jump at 5-2. She was second in the 100 in 13.3.

The Panthers’ other first was by eighth-grader Hailey Schuller, who won the long jump with a leap of 14-7 ¼.

Danielle Krueger was second in the 400 and third in the 100 and 200.

The NRHEG Panther boys golf team traveled to Blooming Prairie Saturday, April 21 and came home in a disappointing seventh place out of 10 teams.

USC won the event with a 347 total. Kasson-Mantorville was one shot back at 348. The host Blossoms garnered third place at 362. The Panthers managed to navigate 18 holes at 411. 

Nate Pederson of USC was medalist with an 18 hole score of 80. Teammate Ryan Pederson was close behind with an 81.

Sam Grothem led the Panther scoring with an 89. Cole Lenort (101,) Macoy Schwierjohann (102) and Sam Nafe (119) figured in the rest of NRHEG team total.

BP Invite Team Totals

USC 347

Kasson-Mantorville 348

Blooming Prairie 362

JWP 373

Cannon Falls 383

Hayfield 390

NRHEG 411

Lyle/Pacelli 424

Glenville-Emmons 463

Alden-Conger 491

NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

In a last-minute addition to the night’s agenda, the NRHEG School Board was asked to consider a recommendation to eliminate the Elementary Coordinator position and restore the position of Elementary Principal.

“We arranged for the Elementary Principal position to be defined as part of the Superintendent’s duties for cost-saving purposes,” explained Supt. Kevin Wellen. 

But today, with the division of the schools, the savings aren’t as significant as the need for having a licensed administrator on-site in Ellendale.

“What is going to happen to Doug (Anderson)?” asked board member Lis Kormann.