alexandriacardinals

By Tommy Obert, Fifth Grade

Inspired by total indifference to (and subsequently falling off even more) the series “How I Spent My Spring Vacation,” we bring you . . . summer vacation!  As regular readers of this missive, you all are of course aware that The Biddies (capitalized and italicized at the behest of their cousin Linda) recently completed a road trip through the wilds of Northern Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin, where at any moment they ran the risk of being overcome by an overdose of white food.  Anyway, as a result of that adventure, the supervisor (a Biddy) decided it would be nice to re-visit Algoma, Wisconsin on the way to camp.  And from Algoma, we could visit Door County, famed in song and story.  All this on the way to summer camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Camp is Camp Brosius.  It is the supervisor’s Indiana University alumni camp – we go there on an annual basis, except when we can’t.  The camp, as you will be able to tell from the photos, is old-style lake lodge and cottages – meaning no A/C, much to my chagrin.  (Fortunately, this year a conclusion of all campers is that it may have been the best weather ever – the lack of A/C was never an issue.)  The camp is open for eight weeks (for camping) during the summer, and campers come for a week at a time in numbers from between 100 – 120.  The Biddies, and families, are always there for week 8 – in fact, most campers get the same week from year to year, so it’s like an annual reunion.  The camp provides all manner of camp activities, has college staff to amuse and entertain the kids, and serves three meals a day that we work off walking up and down the 63 steps from where we live to where we eat and recreate.

So, we trundled across the state to Algoma, on Lake Michigan, where we stayed at . . . well, you can read the photos.  They were once part of the ongoing series, “Where in the World is Ruthie?”  We had a winner – Diane O’Brien actually knew we were in Algoma, don’t ask me how.  And while I thought the lakeside views were the reason for this destination, I subsequently learned it was for . . . the von Stiehl Winery.  The supervisor thought this would be a lovely stop – and it was.  We enjoyed the tour and the banter with winery staff – their brochures noted they did not cater to wine snobs, so I advised I was either a wino or a snob, I just couldn’t remember which.

[Their best seller is “Naughty Girl.”  The supervisor said she could be naughty for the photo – but then this is a family publication.]

The rest of Algoma:

[4 “coyote” statues on the beach apparently to act as bird scarecrows.]

Then next morning we were off to Door County.  We didn’t stay there that first night on the road because the supervisor’s AAA book of Wisconsin showed the cheapest lodging in Egg Harbor to be $200/night – and her book was 11 years old!  Door County unofficially begins in Sturgeon Bay – that’s the first indication you are entering “Yuppy Land.”  And as a petrified yuppie, I really liked it – kind of the Midwest’s version of the Hamptons.

Then it was Egg Harbor.  I told an Illinois tourist that I didn’t know the real estate prices there but I was sure they were well beyond the range of government retirees.  Nice place!

[For those of a certain age, the most important sign no matter where you are.]

Ephraim was nice, too:

To the northern tip of the Door County peninsula and the ferry to Washington Island:

Ellison Bay:

Kewaunee:

Manitowoc:

Then it was on to Kohler’s Whistling Straits Golf Club, just north of Sheboygan, and about 15 miles straight east from our camp.  Very understated entry with no preliminary signs.  We discovered you could get a tour – so we did.  The green fees are $350, you must have a caddy for $60, and a recommended caddy tip is at least $35.  Economy, schmeconomy – the course is booked solid every day.  Absolutely beautiful setting – but it doesn’t look like there’s anyplace safe to hit a golf ball.  Staff say most players come into the clubhouse after 9 holes to buy more balls.  A highlight I wasn’t aware of – the course has 30 free-roaming sheep, and every night they return on their own to their on-course pen.

[Ricky Fowler?]

And then to camp, where we were greeted by staff.  More anon:

[The following report, w/photos, was submitted by guest columnist, and coach, Tom Anderson.]

Tom–

I forgot all about the “Blog” until our article appeared in the “Echo/Press.”  I’ve attached some photos and will send you some more.

The team had kids of Alex Baseball alumni Ryan Burgau (‘81), Rocky Burgau (‘82), Larry Novotny (‘77), and Tom Anderson (‘76).

~  Tom Anderson

Class of 2017 Claims First State Championship

The Alexandria Black 12U (Alexandria fields two teams at the 12U AA level – Red and Black) returned home from the 2011 State Championships in Owatonna with the Championship Trophy firmly in hand.

The local boys had to play 6 games in about 30 hours to claim the championship in the event which included 24 teams that had advanced to the event thru statewide qualifiers.

The Alexandria group entered the event with a 16-0 record and seeded 5^th among the 24 teams.  The four teams seeded above Alexandria where all Twin Cities teams.  During the course of the season, Alexandria had won qualifiers in Hutchinson, Edina, and Morris to gain entry into the event.

After an opening round 7-3 win over Redwood Falls Alexandria lost their first game of the season to Hutchinson 9-6.  The baby Cardinals had beaten Hutchinson earlier in the season 6-0.  The 1-1 record in pool play did allow the Cards to advance to the Final 16, however.

The road to the championship game ran not only geographically thru Burnsville, but literally as well.   Burnsville fields three teams at the 12U AA level and, by the luck of the draw, the Alex nine had to defeat them all to get to the Championship.  Alex fell behind Burnsville White 5-0 in the opening bracket round.  After scoring three runs to draw it closer, Chase McLaughlin unleashed a bases-loaded double into the left-centerfield gap to put Alexandria up 6-5 and into the lead for good.  Jaran Roste came into the game in relief and shut the door on Burnsville for the final nine outs and Alexandria came away with a hard-fought 11-7 victory.

In the quarterfinals on Sunday morning Alexandria jumped out with 7 runs in the first inning and never trailed with a 16-0 victory.  Jake Drew, Chase McLaughlin, and Brady Burgau combined to throw a shutout.

The semi-finals pitted Alex against Burnsville Silver and Alex chipped away getting up 5-0 as Jake Drew pitched three scoreless innings to get the Cards started.  McLaughlin and Brock Anderson relieved and closer, Jaran Roste entered the game with one out in the 5^th inning and the bases loaded.  He struck out two to stop the threat and put the Silver down 1-2-3 in the 6^th to close the game and give the Cardinals a berth in the Championship game.

The Championship game pitted Alex against Norwood Young America, a team that Alex had defeated 3-1 in the championship game of the Edina tournament five weeks earlier.  According to Coach Tom Anderson, NYA had two very top-notch pitchers who had given the Cardinals trouble at the earlier event and he looked for a close, low scoring game in the finals.

In 12U baseball pitchers can pitch only three innings per game and generally only 8 per four bracketed games.  In the Championship game, however, the 8 per tournament is waived.  Jake Drew, the Card’s #1 starter had already started two games and went three innings each, but, being the competitor he is, wanted the ball for the Championship.  He didn’t disappoint as he threw three shutout innings and the Cards jumped for five runs in the first inning as they went on to a 10-0 win in the State Championship game.  McLaughlin bridged the middle innings and Roste had the honor of closing the game in the final inning giving the Cardinals the state title and season record of 21-1.

On the final day of the tournament Drew started all three games, going 9 innings, giving up only 5 hits, striking out 10, walking only one and did not allow an earned run.  He earned three wins on the day and four for the tournament.  In addition, as the team’s #3 hitter, he went 12 for 18 in the tournament.

Roste closed two games on the final day giving up no hits and striking out 3.  He closed four games in the tournament including throwing the final three shutout innings in the come from behind game vs. Burnsville White.  For the tournament he went 8 2/3 innings and allowed only three hits, two walks, and zero earned runs.

For the tournament First baseman Brock Anderson was also a terror at the plate as he went 11 for 17.

It was a terrific season for the Alexandria 12U team.  As a team they hit a combined .439 with four hitters finishing above .500 – Jake Drew (.585), Brock Anderson (.544), leftfielder Mack Strong (.519), and catcher Tryg Burgau (.515). 

The team scored 259 runs, an average of 11.7 per game and gave up 66, an average of 3 per game.

In pitching Jake Drew finished with a 7-0 record and left-hander Brock Anderson finished with a 6-0 record as the top two starters.  Middle inning “bridge” pitchers Brady Burgau, Chase McLaughlin, and Tryg Burgau finished a combined 7-1, and closer Jaran Roste finished 1-0, and did not give up an earned run in 24 2/3 innings on the season finishing with an ERA of 0.00.

Starter Brock Anderson struck out 38 in 19 1/3 innings of pitching.

Leadoff hitter, centerfielder Josh Molden had 82 plate appearances and scored 39 runs.

The infield defense of 2B Toby Novotny, SS Conner Hammerback, and 3B Jack Anderson was solid all year.  Anderson at one time went 19 consecutive games without an error at 3B and Hammerback had a string of 14 straight games without an error at SS.

The team was coached by Tom Anderson, Larry Novotny, Mitch Anderson, Rocky Burgau, and Ryan Burgau.

[Jake Drew delivers a pitch in the State Championship game while Jack Anderson readies himself at 3rd Base.]

[Shortstop Conner Hammerback throws out a runner from deep in the hole.]

[Coach Anderson with some of the troops shortly after receiving their Gold Medals!!]

[The trophy]

[The inspiration?  The Boys of Summer from some 50-plus years ago?]

Thanks Tom–

It was a great ride with a great group of kids (and parents).  When I started coaching them last season as 11-year olds I knew that they had talent and this was a possibility.  However, I never dared dream it or mention it to them, and look what happened.  I’ve played and coached baseball for 40 years and this was the sweetest moment.  And to have a son on the team only made it better.

I’m a disciple of Russ Rolandson, Dale Serum, Bob Montbriand, Jim Ahlfors, Dennis Lorsung, Rusty Rolandson and more who gave me the love and respect for the game of baseball.  My hope is that I am passing that heritage on to the next generation of Alexandria players.

~  Tom A.

[Hockey moms have justifiably received accolades nationally and in these pages in recent years.  So, now allow us to present basketball moms, from the staff photographer  (l-r):  Nancy Giselle (Whitney’s mom), Val Trumm (Lauren’s mom, and related to the staff photographer), and Cheri Wood (Cara’s mom).  Whitney will be our center, Lauren our 2-guard, and Cara the point guard, as I see it now – all will be seniors, and we should have a good team accordingly again this year.  All photos from a summer league tournament in the Cities.]

[ Cara]

[Whitney]

[Lauren]

The supervisor spirited me away for a week at camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Meaning I have lots of catching up to do,  beginning with a completion of the preceding missive on the Resorters.  Then the basketball tournament.  Then camp alone should be worth several.  Hang in there, team!

[Our penultimate night at Elkhart Lake – a pontoon ride with a full moon.  As we are now home, we have a beautiful full moon over Lake Darling even as we speak.]

 

[Editor’s note:  Destined to become a favorite photo, if I do say so myself, I captured Maggie Leland’s classic power swing teeing off on No. 3 during her semi-final match.  Senior men golfers have concluded that attempting to duplicate Maggie’s swing in terms of ease, balance, flexibility, and swing speed would result in us toppling off the side of the tee box and ending up in traction for about a month and a half.]

Coverage of the Resorters began August 5 (see toward bottom) – then we went on vacation.  We were not home for championship Saturday, so we will emphasize the matches we did follow.  The Echo Press and the Resorters newspapers gave full and complete coverage of all matches.  As an Alex Cardinal blogsite, however, we must give kudos to Ben Vangsness defeating fellow Cardinal Tyler Whiting for the men’s championship.   After following the women’s semis on Friday, we saw the last four holes of Ben’s quarterfinals – he made a birdie putt on 18 to send it into extra holes where he won (obviously) on the 19th.  He also defeated state wunderkind, Donald Constable, in the semis – Constable easily won last year’s title, was cruising again this year, and has been annointed by many as the state’s top amateur.

But enough about the guys.  We followed the women’s quarters for a bit on Thursday – because Alex sisters, Molly and Maggie Leland, were playing each other.  Time constraints reduced our coverage to only five holes – Maggie won, but Molly said she was happy with her play.  The next day, Maggie was in the semis against Augustana teammate (for both her and Molly), Emily Kvidera, of Ramsey.  Being the crack reporter than I am, I asked Molly how the match would go.  Molly said, “They always tie!  So it just depends on who makes some birdie putts.”  How prescient she was – through 17 holes they were tied, and as I recall, they were both even par for their rounds.  On No. 18, Emily hit her 2nd shot pin high, but just off the green.  Maggie knocked her 2nd shot to within 3-feet.  We thought the match was over.  And it was – just not in the manner anticipated!  Emily holed her putt from off the green for a birdie – and Maggie missed her putt.  That’s golf – but it was a great match.  Emily won the championship the next day.

And as someone who taken a lot of cheap abuse over the years from snowbirds about my emphasis on girls sports coverage, I took pride in the fact that about half the seniors mens’ league were on their carts following this match!  🙂

Meanwhile, back at the action:

Molly v. Maggie in the quarters:

Maggie v. Emily in the semis:

[Maggie courses manages – lays up to the top of the hill on No. 1.]

[Fans]

[Emily hitting from her usual position (totally unfamiliar to me) – the middle of the fairway on No. 3.  Note where Maggie is standing by her drive.]

[Maggie on No. 4 – no doubt embarrassed to be using the white tees there.]

[The results of their drives on No. 4.]

[Maggie’s drive and 2nd shot on No. 6.]

[Crazy Dave displays gams under the water cooler.]

[Barb and Roger Riley follow Maggie’s tee shot on No. 7 – about 6 feet left of the pin.  Emily knocked hers stiff.  Two birdies.]

[Maggie’s 2nd on No. 8.]

[The Fourth Estate.  Echo Press editor, Al Edenloff, covering the Resorters at the 9th green for the blog’s local competition.]

[Amanda Woodhull, in the other semi, out of the trap on No. 9.  Like Maggie, can hit the ball into another zip code – just not as consistently.]

[2nd shots on No. 10 – not too shabby!]

[Barb and Roger follow Maggie’s tee ball on No. 11.]

[No. 11]

[Maggie on No. 13.  By now word was spreading -half the senior men’s league was in attendance.]

[Maggie’s 2nd on No. 15 – about the same spot the championship guys hit from, and there is maybe a 15 yard difference between the tees on that hole.]

[Maggie and Emily on No. 17.  I just missed the top when both of them were using their yardage finders – everybody uses them now.]

[Maggie’s 2nd shot on No. 18.  Emily walking up the fairway – they are tied at this point.]

[After Emily made her birdie putt from off the green, Maggie missed hers.  Uffda!  But a terrific match – and Emily went on to win the title the next day.]

[A post in progress . . . began August 5.]

[Al Grundei captured the cub reporter covering the Resorters.  I am thankful Al’s camera appeared to have been suffering from excessive dewpoint disease.]

We had some interesting match-ups yesterday – Alaska cruise partners and fellow AGCers, Crazy Dave and Mary Owen, and Don and Berle Waldeland have grandsons playing in the same flight.  And the Owens’ grandson, Danny, was playing Tom Lehman’s son, Tom.  Danny pulled off a close 2 – 1 victory – we maintained a healthy neutrality as friends of the grandparents on both sides.  The Waldeland’s grandson, Eric, also won yesterday which sets up the possibility of Danny and Eric meeting for the flight championship (I believe?).  Also of interest yesterday was another meeting of Alexandria’s Leland sisters in the championship flight.  They are teammates at Augustana – Molly will be a senior and Maggie will be be a sophomore.

[Molly (light orange top) and Maggie (bright pink top) relaxing with friends before their match.  I chastised them for not arranging to meet for the championship rather than the quarter finals.  (Editor’s note:  Don’t blame me if I got their colors wrong – I consulted with the supervisor regarding the matter.)]

[Young Tom Lehman on No. 9.  His dad had caddied for him earlier in the week but then had his own tournament to play – he took 2nd in 3M Championship in Blaine.  Her young Tom’s mom, Melissa, is the caddy.]

We received a nice surprise at SAWA last night.  Our regular Thursday night music date – last night starring Emergency Stop (Terry Kennedy and Al Lieffort) -was enhanced by a late arrival by Sami Steidl.  Sami had just received a gift violin from Tunesy Foslien (pictured with me at the winery in 2005) and wanted to give it a try with the boys.  So, I was able to get a couple of videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ruthobert#p/a/u/1/E2OKllQtOmg  [Here joined by Connie Lee on vocals.]

http://www.youtube.com/user/ruthobert#p/a/u/0/Oggj50J7Fic