[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 10, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H8196-H8197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             ROCHESTER A'S

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I will try to handle two tributes this 
evening. The first is to our baseball team from Minnesota, the 
Rochester A's.
  This summer coaches Keith Kangas and Tony Beck brought together kids 
from Minnesota to reach a pinnacle in baseball.

[[Page H8197]]

  Tonight I rise in recognition of the Rochester A's who won the 
American Legion World Series Championship in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 
just a few weeks ago. Utilizing imagination, skill, and a whole lot of 
moxie, these kids made an improbable journey, becoming only the fourth 
team from Minnesota in the series' 77-year history to win this 
prestigious championship.
  The A's made the most of their God-given skills to beat long odds and 
finished an astonishing 52 and 5. Perhaps the most difficult of the 52 
victories in route to the ALWS was a rain delayed victory over a tough 
New Ulm team who was also from southern Minnesota. During an overnight 
rain delay pitcher Mike Badger and shortstop Danny Lyons devised a 
scheme in their hotel room. With a score of 6 to 4, a runner on second 
with the tying run at the plate with a 3 and 1 count, Badger would pick 
off the runner without ever throwing a pitch. With a trademark bit of 
tweaking, Coach Kangas suggested that Badger should throw a strike 
first making the count full, encouraging the runner to lean just a 
little heavier toward third base. Badger obliged, and then picked off 
the runner, sending the A's to the World Series.
  Every game had a story of its own. I congratulate coaches Keith 
Kangas and Tony Beck, and all of the players and the team manager for 
their national championship season. For all of us who have ever tossed 
a ball around the backyard or taken a position on a baseball diamond, 
the A's are an inspiration, and I say congratulations.
  Legion ball is a slice of Americana. There are no million dollar 
contracts. They play for the love of the game. In the play ``Damn 
Yankees!'' one of the immortal songs is ``You gotta have heart.'' Well, 
this was a team with heart. These truly were the boys of summer.
  Mr. Speaker, secondly, I would like to pay a tribute to those on 
September 11.
  Freedom loving Americans will gather across our great land to 
remember the heroes lost on September 11, 2001. Nothing we can say will 
adequately lighten the burden borne by so many. The best we can say is 
we will never forget. Wrapping ourselves in the cloak of freedom, we 
can become comfortable and complacent, but our greater purpose is to 
share it with the world. President Reagan said it is up to us to work 
together for progress and humanity so that our grandchildren when they 
look back at us can truly say we not only preserved the flame of 
freedom, but cast its warmth and light further than those who came 
before us.
  Out of the ashes of hatred, Americans held up the lamp of liberty, 
casting its light throughout the world. Each generation has its own 
charge. Ours is to bring freedom to those who have never known it. Ours 
is to bring hope and opportunity where none exists. Ours is to share 
our goodness so others can be great. May God comfort those who hearts 
still ache. May he continue to bless America and all who defend her.

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