Outside Looking In

Since there is no Major League Baseball All-Star game this year due to the shortened season, one of the things that fans and television viewers won't be able to watch is the Home Run Hitting Contest.
But if you really want to see a home run hitting contest, just watch any game this season. Many games the past two years have turned into high-scoring games that rival slow pitch softball.
There is little strategy anymore in professional baseball. There are very few bunts anymore, fewer hit and runs, fewer batters giving themselves up to move runners over, and fewer stolen bases. Abner Doubleday must be turning over in his grave. This isn't the way he envisioned the sport to be played.
The Minnesota Twins' "Bomba Squad" shattered the major league record for home runs in a season by swatting 307 last season.
Luke Voit was the first to reach 20 homers this season in the Yankees' 50th game last Thursday. And Voit has not played in four of those games. If the first baseman kept that pace up over an entire 162-game season, he would hit 65 homers.
Luke Voit? Prior to this season, he hit 40 homers in 686 at bats. His first 20 home runs this season came in just 172 at bats.
This was Major League Baseball's plan all along to maintain interest in the sport and attract even more viewers. Polls revealed that fans enjoyed watching players going yard. It also showed that a higher percentage of fans would much rather watch home runs than a 2-1 game that involved bunting to get runners in scoring position, stolen bases, or intentionally grounding out to the right side in order to move a runner over to third.
I like the strategical part of the game much better. It doesn't take a genius to manage a team that steps to the plate and either strikes out or hits a home run. Where is the strategy in that? Players batting .219 with 35 home runs get huge raises. Teams rarely look for .300 hitters that might swat nine home runs when signing free agents.
And players know this. To make big money, you can strike out all you want as long as you can reach the seats with a swing of the bat.
How do we really know how good of a manager Rocco Baldelli of the Twins really is? Could he outwit an old-school manager like Tommy Lasorda, Sparky Anderson or Earl Weaver? We probably will never get a chance to find out if baseball continues this current trend.
Do we really care about things like spin rate and launch angle? Previously, a game started when the umpire yelled "Play Ball". Now the game starts after all the players have taken off their caps to check where to stand or where to throw the ball.

Ride along
I don't think most city residents understand the work farmers put in to get their harvest in and eventually food on our tables.
Food doesn't just come from a grocery store, as many suspected in a televised talk show survey a few years ago. When the host asked "Where does milk come from, some young lady answer "A grocery store". The host, figuring she misunderstood his intent of the question, politely said back to her "No, I mean where does the actual milk come from?" And, believe it or not, she replied "A truck brings it to the store".
So I think it would be an interesting story, from a farmer's point of view, to allow me to ride along during harvest time and tell the demands of the job.
If anyone is interested, even if it's late at night, please let me know.
I would also like to spend a day at a hog farm, a dairy farm and a turkey farm to explain to those rarely spending time on a farm to better understand. It would make an interesting weekly four-part series.
Please call or email me at 320-894-6007 or scott@thomabooks.com.

Farmers Market
There is nothing better than supporting local businesses. That includes a town's Farmers Market, which is available every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. on the west side of Veterans Park in Minneota.
For some reason, however, there hasn't been an overwhelming number of supporters for the fresh produce, homemade crafts, and other goods available for sale.
Take a few minutes to stop by and help support the locals selling, or become a vendor and sell some produce or other items yourself. There is no vendor fee. Just bring a table, your products and some change.
The Farmers Market will continue until sometime in October depending on the weather.