contributed by NeilT
Like many of you, I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole American League thing. Before the switch, I really didn’t know much about the AL’s teams or cities, except of course for Seattle, which has always been the Astros natural rival. Minnesota though was a special case. I have been to the Twins’ Cities. I have seen the statue of Minnie and Paul and the beaver that raised them after they were abandoned in the wilds. Minnesota, the Don’t Raise a Ruckus State. So that you’ll have a sense of this amazing place, here’s the list of the famous Minnesotans.
Bob Dylan. Of course Bob Dylan didn’t just spring fully formed from the coffee houses of New York City. No. He was shaped on the hip, mean streets of Hibbing. You can hear it in his music, too: Girl from the North Country, North Country Blues, Highway 61 Revisited, and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.
Hubert Humphrey. An American Senator and Vice President, Humphrey actually grew up in South Dakota and then moved to Minnesota as a young man. He lost the 1968 Presidential election to Richard Nixon because no one could imagine President Hubert.
Prince. I haven’t been able to confirm it, but Prince may be the only non-Norwegian who ever lived in Minniepaulius. Again, you can hear the north country in his music with songs like Purple Rain Delay, Partyman, and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. Saturday is Prince’s birthday, and he’s almost as old as I am. I don’t think Queen Elizabeth will ever decamp in his favor.
Roger Maris. Also from Hibbing, Maris is most famous for not being in the Hall of Fame. Like Prince, he was also known for many years only by his symbol, “*”.
F. Scott Fitzgerald. From Minniepaulius, Fitzgerald was an overrated author who wrote one very good novel, one good short story, and like many people from the cold, cold north was a drunk. There’s nothing much to do but drink when winter lasts and lasts.
I think that’s it. If I missed anyone, please let me know. Meanwhile in Minniepaulius It’s still a month or so before snow melt, and I thought I’d whip up a hot dish with just a hint of Texas to bring Minnesota home.
Barbecue Hotdish
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 (13.2 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
3 (8.5 ounce) packages corn bread mix
6 slices Kraft American cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
Brown the ground beef, then add onion, bell pepper, and corn and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent and pepper is soft, about five minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir in the barbeque sauce and tomato soup. Brig to a bubble until it starts to thicken. Spread the beef mixture in an even layer in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer the cheese on top of the beef mixture.
Prepare the cornbread batter mixes according to package directions. Spread the batter over the top of the cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden brown, and a chopstick inserted into the center of the cornbread layer comes out clean. With two fifths vodka serves 4.
***
What a strange game. In his last eight starts, Phil Hughes was 6-0 with a 1.99 ERA.
Top of the 3rd M Gonzalez homered to right. Top of the 4th Dominguez killed the ball on a center field homer. Top of the 6th, Fowler tripled and scored on an Altuve single. Springer homered. It was 5-zip, nada, nil.
Meanwhile Keuchel (who was starting on my Mihoba’s War fantasy team, the pitching on which has lately sucked), walked Mauer in the 1st, allowed two singles in the second, allowed a Plouffe double in the 4th, a Hicks walk in the 5th, and a Willingham single in the 6th. The leadoff man was on base the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. The only inning there wasn’t a base runner was the 3rd. And he got out of that mess with no runs. There was some fine defense, too, including a 5-4-3 double play and two fine defensive plays by Dominguez.
Keuchel did have 6 Ks and 11 ground outs. Eleven.
5-0 Stros.
In the 7th, Sipp allowed 3 runs, including Danny Santana’s first homer since little league. It was weird, because Sipp has been money. Tonight he wasn’t. Williams came in and closed out the inning.
5-3 Stros.
With Williams pitching, Fowler made a spectacular catch in the 8th, then Kubel grounded out. Why does Williams turn perverse with two outs? Kurt Suzuki doubled, then scored on an Escobar double. I do like Williams, he is a fine, fine human being, and I have to remind myself of that.
5-4 Stros, 2 outs.
Porter brought in the left-hander Downs, and Arcia flied out to Fowler.
Qualls pitched the 9th. With two outs, Mauer reached first on Dominguez’s second throwing error. Willingham lined out to left.
Final 5-4.