Longtime @Twins executive Jim Rantz's ONLY collegiate start was a 2-1, 10-inning complete-game win for the Golden Gophers over USC to win the College World Series on this date in 1960! (Rantz took a 1-0 shutout into the ninth.)
Rantz played five seasons of pro ball. He was signed out of the U of M by the Washington Senators, who, as fate would have it, moved to Minnesota the following year. Rantz never made it to the majors as a player, but enjoyed a long career as a Twins executive for which he was inducted into the team hall of fame.
He is probably most famous for "discovering" Kirby Puckett playing in a summer collegiate league while watching his son on the opposing team.
Fun Fact: Rantz attended the U of M on a hockey scholarship.
“If you think the world is selfish and rotten, go to the cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha Beach. See what one group of men did for another on D-Day, June 6th, 1944.” — Andy Rooney
At 100 years old, WWII veteran Bernie Smoot still drives his convertible Ford Mustang to play golf five days a week, shoots in the low 80s and shares wisdom from 74 years in the game: “You live to play golf. But to reach my age, you play golf to live.”
To celebrate Bernie — who landed at Omaha Beach just months after graduating high school — his PGA Coach and friend Jeff Maynor organized a tournament in his honor at the University of Maryland Golf Course, where Bernie plays five days a week.
Maynor, the course’s PGA Director of Golf, has run a @PGAHOPE program there for Veterans since 2019, which Bernie loves to support. The tournament for Bernie was a chance for those Veterans to thank him and celebrate his love for the game.
On this day 13 years ago, my only son was sworn in to the US Army. In ten days, it will be 12 years since he was killed in Afghanistan 2 weeks before he was due to come home. He was just 21. This week is also Memorial Day. My greatest fear now is that he will be forgotten. Please help me remember my boy during this tough week of special dates (share if you feel inspired. It never gets easier but the love and support always helps. ♥️🇺🇸
Jacob H Wykstra
KIA May 28th, 2014
Maruf, Afghanistan
Jake was a Christian, an athlete, a patriot, an artist, dog lover, a friend to all and the funniest, happiest guy in the platoon. Jake, you’ve left a huge void in our lives, but we will see you one day and there will no more heartache and no more goodbyes ♥️🇺🇸