nclahammer

Same old, same old cheap Pohlads talk. It gets old really fast. They are just saying what we all already know out loud. And they have every right to move on from scouts from the old regime (Do we even know who they are? Were they good at their jobs? Were they even needed anymore?) Kind of hard to call them "cheap" if you can't answer those questions. As a fan, hopefully they are able to come up with some revenue from their broadcasts that comes even close to what they were making in previous years.

I do not remember Darnell McDonald at all. Thanks for hitting my refresh button.

I love the Remembering Random Twins segment, a nice addition to TD.

Gee, I forgot all about Dillon.

My vote for team MVP is the ever-versatile Willie Castro. He saved their bacon at multiple positions, multiple-times this season, and performed well.

Outstanding! This really looks amazing and you've got some room to grow.

#5 would be my first choice. Something about that bright white with the red and blue. I think an autographed 8X10 above or below the Fathead would accent it very nicely.

Terrific article Melissa. I was at the game Friday night, and was anyone else left with a strange feeling after the final out? You had all the hype and excitement with the Johan Duran entrance, and I was hanging on every pitch, standing and cheering (the crowd was electric.) Then as the ninth stretched on to batter after batter (after batter), I found myself puffing up my cheeks and blowing it out through my lips like Twins reliever Joe Nathan used to do as the go ahead run came up to the plate. By the time Julian's throw found Karilloff's glove for the final out, I was ecstatic, but with a touch of throw-up in the back of my throat with the way the game ended. We hung around for 20-30 minutes after game, with everyone lingering around the stands, like a typical Minnesota goodbye, slowly gravitating towards the field, and then back up to the concourse. But the feeling remainded for most of the drive home...joy in our the Minnesota Twins winning the AL Central, but a bad aftertaste with the way the ninth inning unfolded. I look forward to a first series victory to wash out that taste.

Martin offers more flexibility by playing multiple positions (IN & OF) while Celestino is an outfielder only. Both battled injuries this year, played about the same number of games, with Martin putting up better overall numbers. Austin Martin is also considered to have a much higher ceiling.

Congratulations to the Cedar Rapids Kernels on their Midwest League Championship! Loved watching them play ball this summer.

A great story and such a good guy.

Hats off to the Cadar Rapids Kernels for winning the Midwest Division title. Best of luck in the championship series, go get em'!

Great report, LOTS to be excited about this kid.

Tough/ugly game to watch at the end. Reminded me of what Billy Beane said in Moneyball, "You rather get a bullet to the head or five to the chest and bleed to death?" With Saturday's game, it was the latter.

Thank you Mark, good to know about the cameras, and very nice to meet you as well. I would love to do an article on the host families and plan on talking to some team officials too. If you'd be interested and have a few minutes some time, shoto me a message.

Thank you, always looking for recommendations for a good place to eat.

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.