Merry New Orleans Christmas from the Great Roll Call and the Q

Hunter S. Thompson Predicted the Rise of Trumpism with a Most Unlikely Metaphor: Ancient Gonzo Wisdom from Beyond the Grave: A Must Read Article and Response

 Recently I reconnected with a life long friend whom I greatly love and admire.  My friend has been quite successful in life, is a professor at a prominent southern university and shares alot of the same political beliefs as I, albeit a wee bit more cynical and rightly so.

In a recent exchange of emails wherein I attempted to rouse his interest in a mid-winter motorcycle trip in his adopted Red States of America, my friend politely declined, primarily due to scheduling conflicts but added:   "I plan to sell my two Triumphs...tired of the attention required that I don't give them...plus I'm getting old...plus just bought a new Honda Ridgeline PU (I'm all about comfort now)."

After my brother sent me a link to Susan McWilliams must read article

This Political Theorist Predicted the Rise of Trumpism ... - The Nation ,

I could not resist firing off this tongue in check recommendation to my professor friend:

https://www.thenation.com/article/this-political-theorist-predicted-the-rise-of-trumpism-his-name-was-hunter-s-thompson/

(Please read above article before proceeding)

Professor,

I too have read, represented and associated with H.A.s, but would never be so presumptuous as to claim to understand

let alone speak for them. 

Like the Berkeley crowd and the intellectual and cultural elite, those that crave comfort and security deserve neither to paraphrase the famous American revolutionary Ben Franklin.

So professor I applaud your decision to sell your "sleek, faster and more efficient European imports", your Triumphs (which is ironic in itself) but not for the purpose of facilitating your purchase of comfort and security (Ridgeline) but rather to repurpose your life, quit resisting and succumb to Trumpism. 

"How can I best accomplish this?" the elitist professor asks.  Do what in essence your country did.  Return the Ridgeline and double down on the "least appealing, underpowered and hard to handle" clunky alternative.  In the end, like your country,  you will live to regret it.

Plain Sense

MN Court of Appeals Rules GPS Tracking Order Not Legal Equivalent of Search Warrant

The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently ruled that an order authorizing installation of a GPS tracking device on vehicle owned by a person suspected of hunting and big game violations was not the legal equivalent of a search warrant because there was no contemporaneous finding of probable cause in the application procedure and affirmed the lower court's finding that it amounted to an unconstitutional warrantless search and suppressed all resulting evidence.

In State v. Liebl,--- N.W.2d ----, A16-0618, 2016 WL 6077268 (Minn. Ct. App. Oct. 17, 2016) an officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources submitted to the issuing court a signed and sworn application requesting judicial authorization, pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 626A.37 (2014), to covertly install and monitor a global positioning system (GPS) mobile tracking device on a truck owned by Joshua Liebl.

Liebl was suspected of and the application recited various criminal offenses including taking big game without a license, trespassing, the unlawful use of artificial lights to take big game, i.e., ‘shining,’ and transporting illegally taken big game.” The application also recited the “facts and circumstances” that led the conservation officer to suspect Liebl of these criminal violations of Minnesota's game and fish laws (hunting crimes), as well as the fact that the officer had received multiple citizen reports that implicated Liebl in hunting crimes, physical corroborating evidence and the officer's belief that using GPS to “track[ ] the movements of [Liebl's truck] w[ould] facilitate the investigation of [Liebl's suspected hunting crimes] and that the information likely to be obtained by monitoring the [GPS] device [would be] relevant to the on-going criminal investigation.” The same day, the court issued the requested order (tracking order), which complied with the relevant statutory mandates, under Minn.Stat. § 626A.37, subds. 2–4, as to contents, time period and extensions, and nondisclosure of such orders".  Id.

Approximately two weeks later the GPS tracking device was covertly installed on defendants vehicle and its movements were monitored for 13 days thereafter when the officer used the tracking information, inter alia, to obtain a search warrant of defendants vehicle and residence.  Following execution of the search warrant and seizure of incriminating evidence including 2 deer carcasses and approximately 20 sets of antlers, defendant was arrested and vehicle seized for forfeiture.

Defendant then moved to "...suppress the state's evidence and to dismiss the charges against him, arguing that the evidence resulting from conservation officers' GPS tracking of his truck must be suppressed because the GPS tracking was an unreasonable search under both the U.S. and Minnesota Constitutions. Liebl also argued that Minn.Stat. § 626A.42 (2014) provided an independent basis for suppression of the evidence resulting from the GPS tracking.  In opposition, the state denied the applicability of Minn.Stat. § 626A.42 on the facts of this case; argued that the GPS tracking was a reasonable search because it was conducted in compliance with Minn.Stat. §§ 626A.35–.39 (2014); and alternatively argued that, even if the GPS tracking was an unreasonable search, the resulting evidence nonetheless was admissible under a good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule."

In  affirming the district court's suppression of evidence in this case the court of appeals held "Because the tracking order was not based on a probable-cause finding by the issuing court, the tracking order was not a valid substitute for a search warrant. Consequently, we reject the state's legal-equivalency argument and conclude that conservation officers' warrantless GPS tracking of Liebl's truck was an unreasonable search that violated U.S. Const. amend. IV, irrespective of compliance with Minn.Stat. §§ 626A.35–.39 and existence of probable cause."  The Court of Appeals went on to hold that the good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule  based on law enforcement's reliance on the "pattern and practice" regarding warrantless tracking devices in Minnesota, did not apply in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in  United States v. Jones, ––– U.S. ––––, 132 S.Ct. 945, 949, 181 L.Ed.2d 911 (2012) (“[T]he Government's installation of a GPS device on a target's vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle's movements, constitutes a ‘search’ ” within the meaning of U.S. Const. amend. IV).

Alejandro Escovedo "Burns Something Beautiful" With A Little Help From His Friends

On his strongest release since 2001's "Man Under the Influence" and first release of new material in nearly 4 years (a lifetime to hardcore AE fans) Alejandro Escovedo and his collaborists turn out a great but not perfect work of art.  I use the term "art" intentionally for a number of reasons and say "not perfect" because rock and roll isn't supposed to be perfect.  Striving for perfection, doing too many takes of anything, can squeeze the life or human element out of a piece of art.  Perhaps that is why ancient rug makers would intentionally miss a stitch. The state of being human is imperfection.

I say art because Alejandro's music career has always been incredibly, well, artistic.  Escovedo's solo work has been richly diverse  in genres, influences and instrumentation performed with a cavalcade of the finest side musicians who seem to congregate around Austin like moths to a flame.  Escovedo's music can be intellectually stimulating with intelligent lyrics and complex music ranging in styles and instrumentation from classical to punk and strings to thrashing guitars.

What makes "Burn Something Beautiful" somewhat unique among
works of art is that it is a collaborative effort that worked out very well.  This caused me to think of a television interview I saw years ago with then Sopranos actor and long time E Street Band guitarist, Steve Van Zandt.  Responding to a question why he thought the Sopranos was such an artistic success, Van Zandt credited it, in part, to the fact that the Sopranos, like  Springsteen's music, was the product of one person's, David Chase's vision, adding "greats works of art are rarely created by committee".   That line has stuck with me ever since.   "Burn Something Beautiful" is the exception that proves the rule.

Produced by Peter Buck and Scott McGaughey and recorded by Adam Selzer at the Type Foundary in Portland, the abum features a cast of talented like mind musicians (Escovedo, Buck and Kurt Bloch on guitars, McGaughey on bass, John Moen on drums, Steve Berlin, sax with Kelly Hogan and Corin Tucker, vocxals and back-up vocals) who all connect to create an album that has been on my computer and in my car for two weeks straight and I still am not tired of listening to it.  I hear something new almost everytime I listen and something very rare for me, it had me singing along to the refrains as I painted the trim on my house.  Maybe it is what the listener brings to a piece of music but on Heartbeat Smile I can hear influences as wide ranging as early Who in the backing vocals to the track's ending guitar lick reminiscent of "Junior's Farm".  The influences I hear elsewhere on the cd include Tom Waits, Beatles "the love we take ...", Iggy and the Stooges, NY Dolls (Johnny Thunders) and Velvet Underground or more accurately post Velvet Lou.

On Wednesday, November 30th at 8pm the Austin City Limits TV channel on YouTube will be live streaming the taping of Escovedo performing Burn Something Beautiful with the musicians who played on the album.  Having just seen Alejandro perform Burn Something Beautiful at the Dakota Jazz Bar in Minneapolis on November 15, 2016 with a brand new touring band, this is a show you do not want to miss.`

Florence Henderson's Greatest Role

Saddened to learn of the passing of Florence Henderson.  Although best known for her role as the mother on the insipid sitcom "The Brady Bunch" she also had a good, if not dark, sense of humor as this self-deprecating cameo in the masterpiece "Shakes the Clown" reveals.  RIP.

Trump Right To Be Concerned About Voter Fraud As His Supporter Arrested for Voting Twice In Iowa

Staying on message has again paid off for Donald Drumpf and the Republican lackeys who still support him.  After years of complaining of nearly non-existent voter fraud in this country as cover for the Republicans thinly veiled pretext for voter ID laws and other voter suppression tactics we finally have proof that actual voter fraud exists.  Today the Des Moines Register editorialized:

 Iowans can vote early in this year’s general election, but they cannot vote often. Unless they want to spend some time in jail and perhaps lose the right to vote entirely.

Terri Lynn Rote of Des Moines was arrested last week on suspicion of casting two ballots for the upcoming election: one at the Polk County Election Office and one at a satellite voting location. The 55-year-old woman was booked Thursday on a first-degree charge of election misconduct and released Friday after posting bond.

Iowa Code Chapter 39A rightly contains unforgiving language about offenses with the potential to affect the election process, including voting or attempting to vote more than once in the same election. Such wrongdoing should “be vigorously prosecuted and strong punishment meted out through the imposition of felony sanctions which, as a consequence, remove the voting rights of the offender.”

Iowans will be watching to see if Rote, a registered Republican who supports Donald Trump for president, is vigorously prosecuted. Because she certainly should be.

Rote is not an elderly person with dementia who forgot she had already voted. It appears she knew exactly what she was doing. She told Iowa Public Radio she feared her first ballot for Trump would be changed to a vote for Hillary Clinton. So she went and cast another one. “The polls are rigged,” she said.

The polls are rigged? Where in the world would she get an idea like that?

From her favored presidential candidate, of course.

Donald Trump has repeatedly used the term “rigged” in reference to this election, even going so far as to say he would not accept the final results unless he wins. His website includes a form to sign up as a poll watcher on Election Day to help stop “Crooked Hillary from rigging this election.”

The irresponsibility of calling into question the integrity of this country’s voting process prompted Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, also a Republican, to dispute the claim. “I take the integrity of our elections very seriously,” he said. “I can assure you Iowa’s elections are not rigged." A slew of research has found voter fraud to be close to non-existent.

Unfortunately, facts are not the strong suit of the Republican presidential nominee. And Rote either believed the lies or used them as an excuse when she was caught. Meanwhile, this is the first election in 12 years that Polk County auditor Jamie Fitzgerald can remember having to report potential voter fraud.

The irony, of course, is the Des Moines woman was arrested and charged. That is proof the method for voting in this country — a decentralized system with thousands of different electoral jurisdictions — works well. Not even an avid Trump supporter can get away with trying to cheat it.

Well said by the major newspaper in a state leaning for Mr. Drumpf.

In other reports of Republican based voter suppression shenanigans, a lawsuit was filed in North Carolina alleging that individual objections are being made against thousands of minority registered voters in a greatly disproportionate number to non-minorities.  If you stop and think that there are more Democrats than Republicans and minorities are disproportionately Democrats it doesn't take a genius to figure out where the objections are coming from. Pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act:

 "A State shall complete, not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election for Federal office, any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters."

Tenth Circuit to Decide Appeal on Governmental Immunity and Excessive Use of Force in Execution of Search Warrant Case Involving Archaeological Artifacts.

The Estate of James D. Redd, M.D. has filed an appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals from U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart’s order of March 15, 2016 granting the United States government’s motion for summary judgment in the estate’s Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) action for wrongful death and intentional infliction of emotional distress based on alleged use of excessive force against arrestee in executing search and arrest warrants at the Redd’s home.

The federal tort claim results from a controversial sting operation involving Bureau of Land Management agents efforts to stem illegal trade in Native American and other archaeological artifacts.

The Appellant’s brief, 2016 WL 3344925 (C.A.10), in its statement of the case, described the facts relevant to the issues on appeal as follows (omitting references):

“ In October of 2006, the FBI and BLM began an investigation designated Operation Cerberus. Operation Cerberus was a joint FBI/BLM investigation into the looting of Native American artifacts on public land. The Operation culminated in the simultaneous search and arrest of 19 persons and 12 search warrant locations on June 10, 2009 in and around the area of Blanding, Utah.

Dr. James Redd (decedent) and his wife Jeanne Redd, were among those arrested, and their home was one of the locations at which search warrants were executed, during the June 10, 2009 Cerberus Raids. Dr. Redd had been a physician in Blanding for over thirty years, was well known and respected in his community, and was active in his church.  At the time of the raid, he was sixty years old.

The United States employed and paid an undercover informant, Ted Gardiner, a Native American artifact dealer and collector. Gardiner had mental health problems and substance abuse problems of which the Government agents were aware. During his course of employment, Gardiner paid approximately $335,0000.00 in Government supplied currency to purchase approximately 250 Native American Artifacts from various persons.  Gardiner offered large and inflated sums of money for artifacts to induce sales from individuals who were not predisposed to sell artifacts or otherwise engage in criminal activity.  Government Agents trained and directed Gardiner to raise the value of items he sold or purchased to a figure in excess of $1,000.00, in order to enhance the potential offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.  The Government paid Gardiner over $225,000.00 as salary for his work in the Cerberus Operation.   Based in whole, or in part on the work of Mr. Gardiner, numerous charges were made, and arrests effected, against at least 16 Blanding, Utah, residents.

The only allegation against Dr. James D. Redd was that he and his wife Jeanne Redd, illegally “received, concealed and retained” a “bird effigy pendant.” Gardiner alleged that Dr. Redd traded the bird effigy pendant with him for items that were lawful to possess. The alleged bird effigy pendant was never located or found. The Redd Family contended that the item never existed, but if it did exist and if it was the item which the Redd Family believed it to be, it was found on private land and was not illegal to possess, and did not otherwise violate the 1979 Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).”

The Redd Family alleged that the Government's use of Gardiner was improper:

“Defendant trained, directed, and encouraged Gardiner to raise the value he paid for the undercover purchases so Gardiner could use his undercover sales, swaps, and purchases to entrap ‘customers'; Artificially enhancing value of the artifacts also resulted in more serious criminal charges, enhancing misdemeanors to felonies, and thereby justifying the great expense of Cerberus; Defendant's agents relied solely on their informant to ascertain the value of the allegedly illegal artifacts; Gardiner was not a recognized expert in artifact valuation; Gardiner had developed a reputation in the artifacts market for overvaluing items in sales, ripping off purchasers, and consequently burning bridges with customers; As an informant, Gardiner was biased and incentivized to overvalue items, given the Defendant's and informant's preference to bring felony charges against targets of the undercover operation; Defendant additionally failed throughout the implementation of Cerberus to adequately distinguish between articles found on private land, or articles obtained prior to the Archaeologist Resources Protection Act, or articles that were from Native American civilizations outside the United States.”

The Redd Family alleged that the Government agents directed Gardiner to artificially raise the value of artifacts and then relied solely on his valuations in order to ensure a basis for a felony indictment. In addition, the Redd Family alleged that Government Agents deliberately falsified information in order to show probable cause in their warrant application. The allegations related to the involvement of Gardiner gave rise to various tort claims against the Government by the Redd Family.  The arrest of Dr. Redd had a profound effect on he and his family. As a result of the events of June 10, 2009, Dr. Redd committed suicide on June 11, 2009.

On June 19, 2009, another Cerberus Defendant, took his own life as well. Remorseful over his role in the death of two people and his complicity in the Cerberus Operation, Gardiner took his own life also.

The government in its Memorandum in Support of the United States' Motion to Dismiss,

2012 WL 7677370, stated:

“Distilled to its essence, Plaintiffs' argument is that the federal agents' decision to curb epidemic violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. § 470aa et. seq., as well as their execution of search and arrest warrants without first warning Plaintiffs of the impending raid, make the United States liable for the decedent's decision to commit suicide the day after the agents had left his home.”

REDD et al., Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Defendant., 2012 WL 7677370 (D.Utah)

Since both the Appellant and Appellee agreed that oral argument was unnecessary, the appeal will be decided on the written briefs. The decision of the Tenth Circuit is pending

For background on Operation Cerberus Action see L.A. Times reporter Joe Mozingo’s article of September 21, 2014, A STING IN THE DESERT.

Henn. Co. Dist. Ct. Judge Pushes Back Against Over Militarized Police Tactics

In a growing number of cases around the country courts and judges are starting to push back against civilian police departments' over their use of military tactics and equipment formerly associated with the battlefield and foreign wars.  Since 9/11 the United States has witnessed a prolific increase in the use of specialized weapons and tactical teams to the point where what was intended to be used in very rare hostage type situations has through mission creep become the norm for mundane search warrant executions and drug raids. 1

A recent case from Hennepin County District Court which came to my attention by way of a Minneapolis Star Tribune article by Brandon Stahl is a perfect example.  In a trial court order dated July 16, 2016 and attached memorandum of law, Hennepin County District Court Judge Tanya Bransford found "...although the search warrant was supported by probable cause, the no knock provision met the requirement of reasonable suspicion, and the threshold reappraisal was sufficient, the manner of the execution of the unannounced search warrant was unreasonable due to the military style tactics used to execute the search warrant."  State of Minnesota v. Power, Hennepin County District Court Trial Order (July 16, 2016).

In Power, a Confidential Informant had provided detectives with the name and phone number of a house guest staying at a residence in Minneapolis who was allegedly selling marijuana.  A subsequent trash pull within 72 hours yielded packaging material and small amount of marijuana (which is a petty misdemeanor in Minnesota).  A property tax search of the address provided by the CI showed the property was owned by the mother of a Michael Delgado, who was on probation for a DWI and had a permit to carry a handgun.  Based on Power's criminal history which included a Fifth Degee Controlled Substance conviction for possession of marijuana and the property owner's son's license for a permit to carry, the detectives requested a "No Knock" warrant and enlisted the assistance of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Emergency Services Unit, something supposedly reserved for high risk and/or hostage situations.

Judge Bransford described the execution of the search warrant in her memorandum as follows:
　
"The morning of the execution of the search warrant, 18 ESU officers and 10-14 task force officers were briefed. The 18 ESU officers then dressed in riot gear. There were no last minute changes to the plan. The 28 to 32 ESU and task force officers took pre-planned routes to the Residence. The streets were blocked off after waiting to make sure there were no school buses in the area. Since there was a front door and a side door on the Residence, ballistic bunker operators deployed flash bangs, which broke the windows, and then two battering rams were utilized to break the doors. Officers announced themselves by saying, "Sheriffs Office, search warrant," prior to breaking the doors. Several of the ESU officers carried M-4 assault rifles, while wearing military style vests and helmets. The rifles were pointed at the individuals found in the house. "Bear," a tank which holds a sniper, a driver and a cover team member, was used in the execution of the warrant."

During the course of the warrant's execution, "Officers located three adult males including Mr. Power and Mr. Delgado, two loaded handguns, and 221.59 grams of marijuana."

Cases like State v. Power in Minnesota and the Eleventh Circuit's decision in Berry v. Leslie
767 F.3d 1144 (11th Cir.), order vacated pending rehearing en banc, Berry v. Orange County, 771 F.3d 1316 (11th Cir. 2014), subsequently dismissed as moot, Berry v. Orange County,C.A.11 (Fla.)May 08, 2015785 F.3d 553, pose interesting questions for society concerning the use of military style tactics and equipment in civilian law enforcement and their legality.  With the increased scrutiny of police departments and rules of engagement including the use of lethal force one questions whether a militarized police presence is only contributing to the problem.

In the Phillipenes where they recently elected a President who ran on the promise of ending his country's drug problem, it is estimated that 10,000 people have died in just a matter of months at the hands of police and extra judicial killings all because of the exhortations of President Duterte.  Is this the trajectory we really want in the United States if God forbid, a demagougue like Donald Trump were elected?



1.
"The number of specialty police units--and the frequency of their use-- expanded in the 1980s to meet the needs of the war on drugs.15 Today, seventy-nine percent of SWAT team deployments  are for the execution of a warrant, most commonly in drug investigations.16"

Cadman Robb Kiker III, From Mayberry to Ferguson: The Militarization of American Policing Equipment, Culture, and Mission, 71 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. Online 282 (2015) citing
15
See Peter B. Kraska & Victor E. Kappeler, Militarizing American Police: The Rise and Normalization of Paramilitary Units, 44 Soc. Probs. 1, 7 (1997) (explaining that paramilitary police units (PPUs) expanded to being used for “high risk warrant work,” which is almost entirely drug raids).

Kirby Puckett's Perfect Game: August 30, 1987

I'll be up front with you, I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world.  Although I was born the same year that Minnesota got its professional baseball and football franchises, and was also the year that my alma mater University of Minnesota's Football program earned its last invitation to the Rose Bowl, (they won), the real sports enthusiasts in my family were my Dad and second to oldest brother.

Ever since the Vikings lost to the Chiefs in their first Super Bowl appearance I have tried not to let professional athletes control my emotional well being.  I say that and then comes the 1998 Vikings and their 15-1 regular season record and I get carried away and announce to an entire plane of strangers en route to New Orleans that the Vikings were going to avenge their 0-4 Super Bowl record only to lose the next day to Atlanta in the NFC Championship game.  So with that track record in mind I have tried my damned best not to give in to irrational exuberance, at least when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings.  Then we finally get a good head Coach in Zimmer and I start talking smack about the upcoming Viking season only to have Teddy Bridgewater go down with a season ending knee injury in a no contact drill.  At least they saved me a whole season of delusional hope.

However when it comes to irrational exuberance I do make an exception for one sports figure, Kirby Puckett. Puckett was to baseball what Sea Biscuit was to horse racing:  an underdog with the heart of a lion and the attitude of a champion.  In late August of 1987 I went on a motorcycle tour of breweries in Wisconsin with my friend Eric Strand from Ada, MN.  We were headed for Milwaukee to see 2 games of outdoor baseball with our surprisingly competitive Minnesota Twins.

After catching the first 2 games of the Twins vs. Brewers series (the Twins lost Friday night but won Saturday's game on the back of Puckett's 4 for 5, 2 Home Run performance), more beer drinking than I thought was humanly possible and an incredible meal at Three Brothers Serbo-Croation restaurant on Saturday night complete with oil sized cans of Bip beer, we were finally headed back home to Minneapolis.   I was nursing a humongous hangover when we rode by County Stadium.  For reasons known only to God, Eric unexpectedly waived me to take the next exit for what I thought was going to be a fuel stop.  When we reach the end of the exit ramp Eric announced he wanted to see if we could scalp a couple of tickets for the afternoon game.  Before I could get out my protest Eric roars off to the front of the stadium where scalpers gather.  Spotting 2 16-17 year old teens with what looked like hangovers rivaling mine and sporting brand new white Monkees concert tees from the previous nights concert we scalped their Daddy's 5th row box seats right behind the plate.  The rest as they say was history.  I was a witness to baseball history as Puckett tied the American League record hitting safely in 10 of 11 at bats in consecutive games with 4 of those hits home runs.

But as good as Puckett's performance was on Saturday, what followed next was the greatest athletic performance I have witnessed before or since.  Kirby Pucket batted 6 for 6 including two home runs, two doubles and 2 two-out RBIs on Sunday.

As if his offensive fireworks were not enough,in the sixth inning of Sunday's game, with the Twins leading 5-3, the Brewers loaded the bases and  Robin Yount was the next batter up.  Yount drills a high line drive to center, well over Puckett's head for what looks like a sure homer.  Puckett races back to the wall and at the last moment leaped so high, extending his arm until his glove was actually over the center field wall and snagged the ball robbing Yount of a grand slam and killing the Brewers' rally.  See the catch in the video above.

I still get choked up 29 years later as I write this, not only for his athletic accomplishments, of which there were many, not only because of the loyalty he showed to Minnesota and its fans but also for his indomitable spirit and the joy with which he approached not only the game, but life.  Thank you Kirby, you will always be loved and remembered not only as a talented athlete but as a truly good person.

Sunday, August 30, 1987 , County Stadium Attendance: 22,417, Time of Game: 3:37
Twins 10 69-63 ⇐ Won 2 ⇒ 1st Tom Kelly	at	Brewers 6 70-60 ⇐ Lost 2 ⇒ 4th, 8 GB Tom Trebelhorn	W: Keith Atherton (5-4) L: Chuck Crim (5-6) S: Jeff Reardon (25)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E - - - - - - - - - - - - Twins 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 3 2 10 15 1 Brewers 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 6 11 1

Minnesota Twins

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Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	WPA	aLI	WPA+	WPA-	RE24	PO	A
Al Newman DH-SS	5	1	2	1	1	0	6	.226	.301	.316	.616	0.096	1.09	0.172	-0.075	0.9	0	0	CS
Greg Gagne SS-RF	6	2	2	0	0	1	6	.272	.306	.431	.737	0.018	1.31	0.150	-0.132	-0.5	0	0
Kirby Puckett CF	6	4	6	4	0	0	6	.328	.365	.523	.888	0.562	1.30	0.562	0.000	5.7	5	0	2·HR,2·2B
Gary Gaetti 3B	5	2	2	0	1	1	6	.260	.307	.505	.812	0.124	1.29	0.206	-0.081	0.7	1	1	2B,SB,IW
Tom Brunansky LF	3	0	0	0	2	1	5	.262	.351	.492	.843	-0.114	1.92	0.083	-0.197	-0.5	2	1	IW
Kent Hrbek 1B	3	0	0	1	1	1	5	.283	.386	.556	.942	-0.172	2.47	0.031	-0.203	-2.1	6	0	SF,GDP,IW
Mark Davidson RF	3	1	1	1	0	1	3	.270	.336	.344	.680	0.043	1.48	0.128	-0.085	-0.1	1	0	SB
Randy Bush PH-RF	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.241	.327	.388	.715	-0.036	1.34	0.000	-0.036	-0.5	0	0
Gene Larkin PH	1	0	1	2	0	0	1	.275	.353	.407	.759	0.324	4.04	0.324	0.000	1.6
Jeff Reardon P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0					0.000	0.00	0.000	0.000	0.0	1	0
Steve Lombardozzi 2B	4	0	1	0	0	2	5	.240	.303	.352	.655	-0.040	0.99	0.044	-0.084	-0.2	2	3	2B,HBP
Tim Laudner C	3	0	0	0	2	1	5	.191	.259	.411	.670	-0.014	1.00	0.045	-0.058	-0.0	9	0
Frank Viola P																	0	0
Juan Berenguer P																	0	0
Keith Atherton P																	0	1
Team Totals	40	10	15	9	7	8	49	.375	.469	.625	1.094	0.791	1.45	1.745	-0.951	4.9	27	6

2B: S Lombardozzi (17, off J Nieves); G Gaetti (29, off J Nieves); K Puckett 2 (28, 2 off C Crim).

HR: K Puckett 2 (21, 1 off D Plesac, 9th inn, 1 on, 2 outs, 1 off J Nieves, 3rd inn, 0 on, 1 out).

SF: K Hrbek (2, off D Plesac).

IBB: T Brunansky (5, by J Nieves); K Hrbek (9, by C Crim); G Gaetti (6, by C Crim).

HBP: S Lombardozzi (4, by J Nieves).

TB: K Puckett 14; G Gaetti 3; S Lombardozzi 2; A Newman 2; G Gagne 2; G Larkin; M Davidson.

GIDP: K Hrbek (11).

RBI: K Puckett 4 (77); G Larkin 2 (24); A Newman (26); K Hrbek (81); M Davidson (13).

2-out RBI: G Larkin 2; K Puckett 2; A Newman; M Davidson.

Team LOB: 12.

With RISP: 4 for 17.

Fielding

DP: 1. S Lombardozzi-K Hrbek.

E: G Gagne (15).

Outfield Assists: T Brunansky (G Braggs at 2nd base).

Baserunning

SB: G Gaetti (7, 2nd base off J Nieves/B Schroeder); M Davidson (8, 2nd base off J Nieves/B Schroeder).

CS: A Newman (8, 2nd base by J Nieves/B Schroeder).

Milwaukee Brewers

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Batting	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	WPA	aLI	WPA+	WPA-	RE24	PO	A
Paul Molitor DH	4	1	2	0	1	0	5	.361	.440	.577	1.017	0.131	1.61	0.189	-0.058	0.7			SB
Robin Yount CF	3	0	0	1	1	2	5	.313	.382	.475	.858	0.052	1.96	0.163	-0.112	0.2	5	0	SF
Glenn Braggs RF	4	0	3	1	0	1	4	.258	.330	.425	.755	0.156	1.49	0.210	-0.054	0.8	2	0	SB
Rick Manning RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.267	.343	.367	.710	-0.057	1.91	0.000	-0.057	-0.3	1	0
Rob Deer LF	4	0	0	0	1	4	5	.246	.369	.486	.855	-0.108	1.21	0.030	-0.137	-1.0	2	0
Greg Brock 1B	5	1	2	0	0	0	5	.294	.361	.438	.799	0.017	1.05	0.085	-0.068	-0.0	6	0
Dale Sveum SS	4	1	1	0	1	0	5	.243	.298	.440	.738	0.109	1.22	0.187	-0.078	0.9	2	2	2B
Bill Schroeder C	3	1	1	3	1	1	4	.338	.385	.545	.930	0.091	1.62	0.186	-0.095	0.7	7	2	HR
Ernie Riles 3B	4	1	2	0	0	0	4	.265	.324	.351	.675	-0.064	1.37	0.073	-0.138	-0.8	2	0
Juan Castillo 2B	2	1	0	0	1	0	4	.223	.296	.325	.620	-0.034	1.52	0.058	-0.092	-0.4	0	3	SH
Juan Nieves P																	0	0
Chuck Crim P																	0	1
Dan Plesac P																	0	0
Team Totals	34	6	11	5	6	9	42	.324	.415	.441	.856	0.293	1.44	1.181	-0.889	0.9	27	8

2B: D Sveum (22, off F Viola).

HR: B Schroeder (10, off F Viola, 4th inn, 2 on, 0 outs).

SF: R Yount (5, off J Berenguer).

SH: J Castillo (10, off F Viola).

TB: B Schroeder 4; G Braggs 3; D Sveum 2; G Brock 2; P Molitor 2; E Riles 2.

RBI: B Schroeder 3 (33); G Braggs (61); R Yount (77).

2-out RBI: G Braggs.

Team LOB: 9.

With RISP: 3 for 14.

Fielding

DP: 1. J Castillo-D Sveum-G Brock.

PB: B Schroeder (3).

E: E Riles (9).

Baserunning

SB: G Braggs (10, 2nd base off J Berenguer/T Laudner); P Molitor (31, 2nd base off J Reardon/T Laudner).

Minnesota Twins

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Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	BF	GSc	IR	IS	WPA	aLI	RE24
Frank Viola	3.1	7	3	3	2	4	1	3.11	18	36			-0.201	1.33	-1.5
Juan Berenguer	2.1	3	3	2	1	2	0	3.79	11		1	0	-0.136	1.83	-0.5
Keith Atherton, W (5-4)	1.1	1	0	0	2	0	0	4.25	6		1	1	-0.077	1.27	-0.1
Jeff Reardon, S (25)	2	0	0	0	1	3	0	5.20	7		0	0	0.122	1.18	1.1
Team Totals	9	11	6	5	6	9	1	5.00	42	36	2	1	-0.292	1.44	-0.9

Milwaukee Brewers

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Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA	BF	GSc	IR	IS	WPA	aLI	RE24
Juan Nieves	4.2	10	5	5	3	5	1	5.25	26	26			-0.253	1.25	-1.6
Chuck Crim, L (5-6)	2.1	3	3	3	4	1	0	3.88	14		2	1	-0.286	1.74	-1.2
Dan Plesac, BS (10)	2	2	2	0	0	2	1	2.20	9		3	3	-0.254	1.67	-2.0
Team Totals	9	15	10	8	7	8	2	8.00	49	26	5	4	-0.793	1.45	-4.9

C Crim faced 3 batters in the 8th inning.

Balks: None.

WP: None.

HBP: J Nieves (1; S Lombardozzi).

IBB: C Crim 2 (5; K Hrbek, G Gaetti); J Nieves (4; T Brunansky).

Pickoffs: None.

Other Info

Umpires: HP - Larry Barnett, 1B - Greg Kosc, 2B - Rocky Roe, 3B - Chuck Meriwether.

Time of Game: 3:37.

Attendance: 22,417.

Field Condition: Unknown.

Start Time Weather: Unknown.

Starting Lineups

	Minnesota Twins				Milwaukee Brewers
1	Al Newman	DH		1	Paul Molitor	DH
2	Greg Gagne	SS		2	Robin Yount	CF
3	Kirby Puckett	CF		3	Glenn Braggs	RF
4	Gary Gaetti	3B		4	Rob Deer	LF
5	Tom Brunansky	LF		5	Greg Brock	1B
6	Kent Hrbek	1B		6	Dale Sveum	SS
7	Mark Davidson	RF		7	Bill Schroeder	C
8	Steve Lombardozzi	2B		8	Ernie Riles	3B
9	Tim Laudner	C		9	Juan Castillo	2B
	Frank Viola P				Juan Nieves P