nclahammer

I don't think so, I use the maps on my phone and they give me a heads-up when there's a speed trap ahead.

Here's the correct link for the pitcher John Wilson, who was released by Cedar Rapids. The John Wilson link in the article died in 1980, although that in itself would likely get you released from your team.

Good stuff. Thanks for the guidance, will keep in mind the next time we road trip over there.

It was baseball road trip BONUS time this past weekend with buddies Steve-O & TJ as the Cedar Rapids Kernels wrapped up their series with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Sunday, August 20. During our intitial road trip to Cedar Rapids at the end of June, one of our games was suspended due to rain after three innings. Despite seeing the completion of said game the following day, followed by the regularly scheduled contest, we were told we could exchange the suspended game tickets for another Kernel's game. So we did. This time we made it a day trip, and in case you ever wondered, "Of course" I would drive seven hours (round trip from Red Wing, MN) in one day to catch 3 hours of baseball. Zebby Matthews toted the rubber for the home team and really stood out on the mound touching 95 MPH several times. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowed 5 hits, striking out 5 and walking 2. Matthews is listed as the #25 Twins prospect on the MLB. Former Twins Daily top 20 prospect Noah Miller displayed his MLB ready glove multiple times at shortstop and paced the offense with two hits. Miller is batting .219 on the season, but the team has had him leading off regularly since infielder Tanner Schobel was promoted to AA on July 18, and this Kernel is beginning to pop. After struggling intially at the top, Miller is now hitting .266 for the month of August, with nearly half of his 17 hits of the extra base variety (6 doubles and 2 HRs.) And remember...the kid is just 20 years old. The decisive blow in the game for Cedar Rapids was struck by #13 TD prospect Kala'l Rosario who broke open a 1-0 game with a 3-run HR in the fourth, his 18th of the year to go along with 77 RBI. No runs were scored over the last five innings. 4-1 Kernels was the final score. A couple of notes from a very hot Sunday where it was mostly sunny and 96. Kernel leftfielder Carson McCusker , who was promoted from Fort Myers on August 3, had one of the toughest defensive innings I've seen in quite awhile. In the top of the 4th inning on a single hit out to left, McCusker picked up the ball and then dropped it...and then picked it up again...and dropped it...then picked it up a third time and dropped it, allowing the runner Hendry Mendez to move up to second base (and later score.) He was not given an error for playing hot potato this time, but two batters later in the SAME inning, on a base hit to the gap, the exact same thing happened, and this time he was given an error. We were left wondering if he has forgot to wipe some sunscreen off his hands or something during that one inning. It was just very odd. Twins Daily #3 prosect Emmanuel Rodriguez had the day off. The good guys silenced the Rattlers in the series winning 5 of their 6 meetings. It was Team Photo Day #2, which paired perfectly with the players signing on the field after a Sunday game (see pic below.) Twenty-seven autographs in twenty minutes (without pushing or shoving any kids.) I also caught a quick selfie with pitching prospect Andrew Morris, because I just knew he was going to be chosen as the Minnesota Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Week this week. The Cedar Rapids Kernels are winding down their regular season with just one home series left, August 29 - Sept. 3 vs. Lake County, split between two series on the road at South Bend and at the Wisconsin Timer Rattlers. If you've never been down to Cedar Rapids, they have a nice facilty, terrific fans, and a very good baseball team. The Kernels will open the playoffs on Tuesday, September 12, at an opponent TBD, before hosting game two on Sept. 14, and game three if necessary on the 15th.

Heading down to Cedar Rapids for a day trip today and looking forward to watching Twins prospect Zebby Matthews pitch and seeing some of the other young talent.

Danny Ordoin? Wow, just when I thought I knew my obscure Minnesota Twins, I am humbled once again.

Good insights and information. I like (King) Julien at 2B.

Good points made Matt. "Better to sticks with cards in hand, than to build house on sand." - Lahammer (2023)

Great addition Seth including the ages of the youngest players of each affiliate. Statistics like this help explain why the Cedar Rapids Kernels released pitcher Orlando Rodriguez back in late June, even though he was 7-2 at the time with an ERA of 2.43. He was a 27 year old pitching at the A+ level to batters who were 5-7 years younger than him. By the way, Rodriguez was eventually signed by the Gastonia Honey Hunters (they play in North Carolina) out of the Atlantic League.

TD has been doing this for awhile now, and I really like it when they mention the top prospect for their opponent and how they fared in the game too. Hats off to TD!

I became a Minnesota Twins fan watching and playing baseball with my four older brothers on our farm in near Bath, South Dakota. We would play a game called "Work Up" and my brothers would shout out the names of different Twins players who were now batting. My fandom of the Twins increased playing Strat-o-matic baseball with my brother Warren, and now you could hold that individual player card (such as Carew or Oliva) in your hand and they would bat for you when you rolled the dice (still have the game with those 1973 teams.) I became a Pittsburgh Pirates fan (my second favorite team at the time), especially of Willie Stargell, because of this game. Stargell seemed to always crush it for me in Strat-o-matic baseball. Growing up in South Dakota in the 1960s-70s, I don't ever remember watching the Minnesota Twins play on TV, but I do remember catching glimpses of my favorite Twins players on TWIB (This Week in Baseball) with Mel Allen. In 1978, I went to my first Twins game at Met Stadium, a double-header against Cleveland and Twins jacket giveaway day (I still have mine.) On our way to the game (mind you, my father did NOT like driving in the big city), I remember my dad kept missing our ramp to turn off to the stadium and it kind of reminds me now like that scene from European Vacation, where the Griswold family gets trapped in that roundabout and keeps passing by Big Ben. As a result, we missed the first inning or so of game one. In the 80s, rarely would the Twins be on TV (no cable, only two networks and the game of the week), but now I would listen on the radio. Sometimes I would go into town (nearby Aberdeen) and I might catch a Twins game on MSC (Midwest Sports Channel) at the friend's house who had cable TV. I remember my first game at the Dome (1984?), going with my friend Lyle and his family, and seeing Minnesota play the Royals with the great George Brett. Many more Dome games would follow. I shared a 20 game season ticket package with my friend John at Target Field from 2010 - 2014, we went to the opener together. Two tickets in the cheapest seats for twenty games. He had been a Twins season ticket holder since 1999, and wanted someone to share the cost with until Minnesota hosted an all star game, which he knew Target Field would one day soon. After John checked the all star game off his bucket list, I took over his account and still have it today, although I resell many of the tickets. I used to take each of my daughters to their own game when they were younger, usually a Sunday game where they could get some free autographs and run the bases afterwards. A date night game with the Mrs. too. Now that the girls are older, we still try to go to one game together each year as a family, I usually have my girls pick one with a good giveaway or special event going on. We'll be there on Friday, August 18, on Star Wars Night, when there will be a postgame drone show, in place of the usual Friday fireworks. I just realized that I am now in my fifth decade as a fan of the Minnesota Twins. How about that? Go Twins!

It's time. By shear numbers, once Lewis and Kirilloff come back, Joey Gallo can no longer be on the Minnesota Twins roster. Gallo is Miguel Sano.2, who can play a little more defense and walk more frequently. His plate appearances are painful.

Excellent read and points made Seth. Gallo won't finish the season with Minnesota with Lewis & others coming off the IL soon (Lewis will solidify 3B.) Addition by subtraction IMO. Buxton & Correa stepping up their games and Kirilloff getting healthy will do wonders down the stretch for the Twins.

As with many things one encounters in life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that may be the case with the Wichita Turbo Tubs alternate ego/identity uniforms. Here is the rest of the story/history behind the name and Turbo Tub uniform...https://www.milb.com/wichita/fans/turbo-tubs These uniforms remind me of the Houston Astro unis they wore back in the mid 70s - mid 80s, which also had its fans and detractors https://www.outsports.com/2020/4/27/21227162/mlb-houston-astros-jersey-1975-1986-lgbt-sports For the minor leagues especially, I like the different looks and options. When we road tripped it to Wichita last summer, I knew I was coming back with a Turbo Tub jersey.

Seth, I really like what you and TD have done with their Monday minor league reports and updates from FCL & DSL teams. The preview for this week was outstanding. I, too, recommend making the short trip to Appleton,WI, to see our Kernels play there. Pretty nice ballpark I seem to recall and I recommend their brat with mac n' cheese (you'll thank me later.)

Thank you for the Ed-ucation RandBalls Stu.

Great insights, I look forward to tracking their progress as future Twins on TD.

Excellent report Seth. Yah, a Trey Cabbage sighting. Good for him. I always liked Cabbage when I saw him play for Cedar Rapids with the Twins. He flashed some potential with the Kernels playing thirdbase and later Wind Surge. I believe he left the organization as a minor league free agent after his 2021 season in Wichita when he blasted 18 homeruns. His last name always reminded me of 1970s-80s Minnesota Twin thirdbaseman Mike Cubbage.

Awesome story Seth, I look forward to following their progress to the bigs on TD.

Watching Emmanuel Rodriguez play in three consecutive games at the end of June, he showed excellent coverage in centerfield; good speed and took good routes. He was a bit lackadaisical on one outfield play, and while taking a terrific route, he dropped the ball for an error. That seemed to be the exception rather than the rule. His arm was strong and his throws seemed accurate. Met him after the first game we saw, and "Yes" he is still every bit of 5'10" (a little taller than I am.) Rodriguez does appear to be utilizing the Kernels new weight room in The Anex right next door their stadium New Facility for Kernels. You have to remember that the kid just turned twenty in February, this is his third professional season. Rodriguez had more walks than strikeouts last season (52K/57BB), but it was/is the other way around during his first season (56K/23BB) and this season (76K/49BB.) IMO he already has much more, and will have much more, to his game than just the three predicted outcomes of a Joey Gallo. Give him some time.

You gotta have dreams, I really enjoyed your blog. Thanks for "taking me out to the ballgame" with you.

Awesome report Ted. Trevor Larnach taking out a video panel with a homerun, is that a modern day equivalent to Bama Howell shattering the Bulova clock high above the rightfield scoreboard at Ebbet's Field in 1946? On a side note, the Bulova company had apparently promised a free watch to any player who could hit their clock, but Howell did not receive his after his blast...an error that was corrected some years later. Howell finally gets his watch. This scene is believed to have provided author Bernard Malamud the inspiration to include a similar instance with his character Roy Hobbs in his 1952 novel The Natural, and later in the movie by the same name...Roy Hobbs smashes clock at Wrigley. Here's another River Town reference for you (great name by the way)...Rivertown Days is coming up later this month in Hastings, MN. https://rivertowndaysmn.com/

Very nice report, well done.

Funny you should mention Wichita, for our 23rd annual road trip last year, we caught two games there last summer in August. Quick synopsis. Very nice newer, big stadium (was built for a AAA team.) If you need accessible handicapped parking, do not park in the paid lots. Go around to the back of the stadium and wave your handicapped parking pass to the person by the gate, and they will let you pull in and park right next to the stadium for free. We did this both games. It was awesome! On Thursday, they wear their alternate ego Turbo Tub jerseys in part to honor the bath tub races that used to take place on the adjacent Arkansas River. I love the jerseys and purchased a game issued one in the team store (very well stocked.) Reminds me a little of the Houston Astros jerseys of the 80s. On Fridays the Wing Surge honor the Hispanic heritage of Wichita by wearing special jerseys too. They did have a team museum out in right centerfield, but it was only open by appointment when we were there, and you needed to call. They said this was because a shortage of workers at the time. We asked around for the best BBQ and were told by some locals to go to Bite Me BBQ...it did not disappoint. We stopped in Des Moines, Iowa for an I-Cubs game on the way down and back. Wichita is about 5 hours from Des Moines, and it made for a shorter drive. When you hear people say, "Oh but it's a dry heat", that is true in Wichita...it was bearable. Enjoy your trip and safe travels.

Thanks for adding the links Seth, terrific idea (I'm guessing you're the one who created them.)