Steven Buhr

June has not been kind to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. As a team, they’ve lost a dozen games this month and won just six. The first half of the season mercifully drew to a close a week ago, but the Kernels started off their second half season by dropping three of four road games to the Midwest League’s Western Division champions, the Kane County Cougars. Silver linings are a little difficult to come by for a team that most people expected to be led by their pitching when the season opened, only to find themselves with the 15th ranked team ERA (4.83) in the 16-team Midwest League. [/hr] This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com [/hr] There are a handful of bright spots as the Kernels begin the race for a postseason spot that would come with finishing as one of the top two teams in the MWL Western Division among the six teams that have not already qualified for postseason play. The brightest of those bright spots might be catcher Mitch Garver. So far in June, Garver is batting .364, has an on-base percentage of .500 and an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.045. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Garver2-469x600.jpg Mitch Garver According to TwinsDaily.com's Seth Stohs, heading in to this week’s series in Peoria, Garver is among the Twins minor league organizational leaders in batting average (2nd), on-base percentage (1st), slugging percentage (3rd), OPS (2nd) and home runs (tied for 4th with teammate Bryan Haar). Cedar Rapids native Chad Christensen has also shown he can handle Class A work. He is hitting .323 in June and has a .963 OPS. He’s had eight extra-base hits in the month, including four home runs. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Christensen2-600x449.jpg Chad Christensen Christensen’s .299 batting average ties him for fourth among all Twins minor leaguers. But Garver and Christensen can’t win games by themselves. Most of the rest of the Kernels’ batting order have seen their hitting numbers drop considerably in June. The Kernels could get some offensive help as some of the hitters that have been idled by injuries begin to return. That process has begun already as outfielder J.D. Williams was activated from the disabled list on Tuesday. Zach Larson, Logan Wade and Jeremias Pineda remain on the club’s DL for now. Larson, in particular, could provide an offensive boost if he can get healthy and return to the level of productivity he demonstrated in April when he hit .307 for the Kernels. Unless you’re a fan who worships strikeout numbers for pitchers, there has been nothing to complain about in starting pitcher Kohl Stewart’s performance thus far. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Stewart5-600x449.jpg Kohl Stewart Stewart’s 2.44 ERA on the season would be good enough for fourth best in the league if he had enough innings to qualify (he’s one inning short, which should be more than met in his next scheduled start on Wednesday). Stewart has continued to lead the rotation with a 1.13 ERA in three June starts, with batters putting up just a .236 batting average against him this month. To find anything else resembling “bright” among the Cedar Rapids pitching corps, it’s necessary to turn to the bullpen, which has had its own share of ups and downs through the first half of the season. Todd Van Steensel perhaps represents the best of the “ups” for the bullpen corps recently. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/VanSteensel3-600x449.jpg Todd Van Steensel Van Steensel has put up a 1.67 ERA since joining the Kernels at the end of April. He has struck out 35 batters in 27 innings of work and opponents are hitting just .179 off the right hander. Alex Muren has been among the team’s most consistent bullpen arms, assembling a 3.43 ERA on the year and a similar 3.48 ERA so far in June. This month, hitters are batting just .171 against Muren. He’s thrown 10.1 innings in five June appearances. All four runs surrendered this month came in one forgettable appearance on June 15. http://knuckleballsb...en3-600x439.jpg Alex Muren Brandon Bixler had two good months in April and May, but has been less consistent in June. He has a 3.13 ERA on the year and hitters have just a .201 batting average against him. He’s struck out 39 batters in 40.1 innings. Jared Wilson’s year has been similar to Bixler’s. Since joining the Kernels in mid May, Wilson has put up a 2.49 ERA and a .197 BAA (batting average against), while striking out over one batter per inning pitched. He’s been somewhat inconsistent in June, with three outings where he was almost unhittable and three others where he gave up almost an earned run per inning. The Kernels bullpen could be in for a boost, however. On Tuesday, the Twins announced that they had signed Nick Burdi, their second round pick in the 2014 draft, and that Burdi will be joining Cedar Rapids on Friday. Burdi, the closer for a University of Louisville squad that qualified for the College World Series, reportedly throws in the 96-98 mph range and is capable of regularly topping 100 mph with his fastball. Expectations for the Kernels coming in to the season were modest, but a seventh place finish in the MWL Western Division first-half standings was a disappointment. Garver and Christensen will need some of their teammates to step up their games and the Kernels rotation will need to start contributing more than three or four innings of solid pitching on a regular basis if the team expects to contend for a postseason berth in the second half of the year. Click here to view the article

As the Cedar Rapids Kernels wrap up the final stretch of the first half of their 2014 Midwest League season, the parent Minnesota Twins sent them some needed starting pitching help in the form of two teenage pitching prospects. Australian 18-year old lefty Lewis Thorpe and right-hander Fernando Romero, a 19-year old out of the Dominican Republic joined the Kernels from extended spring training last week and both were immediately inserted in to the starting rotation by manager Jake Mauer and pitching coach Ivan Arteaga. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Thorpe4.jpg Lewis Thorpe Thorpe was the 6th ranked prospect in the Twins organization by MLB.com during the offseason and #7 on Baseball America’s list of Twins top prospects. Romero was also among the organization’s top 15 prospects by both organizations coming in to the year. Romero was the first of the pair to debut, getting a start on Thursday on the road in Appleton WI against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The righty went five full innings, giving up a pair of earned runs on seven hits and one walk. He struck out six Rattler batters. The Kernels lost the game 7-4 but Romero got a no-decision, leaving the game with the score tied at 2-2. Thorpe had less luck in his first start with the Kernels, picking up a loss in Kane County on Saturday as the Kernels fell to the Cougars, 5-2. All five runs were charged to Thorpe and all were earned. He gave up six hits, walked three and struck out just one batter in 4.2 innings. It makes for an ugly stat line for Thorpe, but that’s more than a little misleading. One very close pitch at the knees being called ball four instead of strike three was the difference between escaping the fifth inning relatively unscathed and getting the hook. He left the game with two runs across and bases loaded in the home half of the fifth inning, but all three baserunners came around to score after he departed. Afterward, Arteaga agreed that Thorpe looked much better than his stat line would indicate. “He got through two outs in the fifth inning, but just ran out of gas, unfortunately,” said Arteaga. “I think he deserved better. His line doesn’t say what he actually looked like. One thing is his line, but another thing is what he actually did and how he looked. “He had poise. Obviously he needs a little work with the breaking ball but his fastball (command) isn’t going to be a problem. He throws the ball well. Being the first time and all, I think that I’m very pleased with what I saw.” Arteaga was also happy with his first look at Romero since spring training in March. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Romero5.jpg Fernando Romero “He’s got one of those arms that make you go, ‘wow,’ Arteaga said, adding that Romero throws, “94 to 99 (mph). He was able to throw a hard slider and a couple of them were sharp, especially against right-handed hitters. Coming over for the first time, I thought he looked really good.” Arteaga, whose rotation has struggled at times through much of the season, was heartened by his first look at the new additions. “It’s very encouraging, to have those two guys join the rotation - very encouraging for everybody because they showed that they will compete. They will throw it over and they’re going to be just fine, as advertised. “I saw Romero and Thorpe during spring training. It was just basically a matter of time before they were going to join us and the time has come. They’re here and they’re doing really well.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ArteagaMildren.jpg Pitching coach Ivan Arteaga and pitcher Ethan Mildren Thorpe and Romero will form one-third of the Kernels' six-man rotation going forward, joining four pitchers selected by the Twins in the 2013 First Year Player Draft: Kohl Stewart (1st round), Ryan Eades (2nd round), Aaron Slegers (5th round) and Ethan Mildren (12th round). The Kernels, who sat in seventh place in the eight-team Western Division of the MWL coming out of the weekend, will get a chance to start over with a clean slate as the league divides their season in two halves with the second half starting on Thursday, June 19, after next week’s MWL All-Star Game. Click here to view the article

Minnesota Twins General Manager Terry Ryan had surgery for squamous cell carcinoma in February and has undergone radiation treatment as well. In the meantime, Assistant General Manager Rob Antony has filled in as the interim GM for the Twins, though Ryan has been in regular contact with Antony and others in the Twins front office. During the past Cedar Rapids Kernels homestand, Ryan was in town observing the Twins’ young Class A prospects and sat down Sunday for an interview that covered a range of topics. In Part 1, we covered his return to work, his view of the current state of the Twins at the big league level and his thoughts concerning the upcoming MLB First Year Player Draft. Today, Ryan shares some thoughts and observations concerning the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Twins’ Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. [/hr] Originally published at KnucleballsBlog.com [/hr]Like their parent club, the Kernels have hovered near the .500 mark most of the season. That’s been no small achievement given the number of injuries that manager Jake Mauer’s club has sustained. They currently have seven players on the disabled list and have others who have been on the DL and come back already. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/TRyan2014e-600x449.jpg Terry Ryan Ryan acknowledged that it’s a very different club than local fans saw a year ago when top prospects like Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, Adam Brett Walker and Travis Harrison were wearing Kernels colors. “We had a very talented club here last yea. You’d like to think we could supply this affiliate with that kind of talent every year, but it’s not going to happen. We’ve got a different looking club this year. “We’ve got some pitching here. Don’t have the thump. Don’t have the type of line- up we had last year, which was a very dangerous line-up. We don’t have that type of size. We had monstrous guys here, so yeah, it’s different. “But every year is going to be different no matter what you try to do or accomplish at a minor league affiliate. You’re looking for players. You’re trying to develop players. This is a little different lot. “So you adjust. Jake and Tommy (Watkins, the hitting coach) and Ivan (Arteaga, the pitching coach) are going about their business. It’s a little bigger challenge this year because you don’t have a Buxton here, you don’t have a Walker. You don’t have a Polanco. “But that comes with the territory. When you’re running a Class A club, you’re going to have different personnel every year. You’ll have a few repeats, but for the most part it’s a different club and a different atmosphere and different results.” Asked for his observations on specific players, Ryan was reluctant to go in to much detail, given that he had seen just four Kernels games at the time of the interview. “It’s a little dangerous when you start naming names. “I haven’t seen Stewart (Kohl Stewart, the Twins first round draft pick a year ago), of course. He’s pitching today. But he’s the most recognizable name on this roster for a lot of reasons. He’s talented and he’s a big draft. I’ll be interested to see how he does today. “He had a tough outing his last go, I understand, I didn’t see it. He went two or three innings and they had to go get him. I doubt very much that he’s experienced that in his life but this is the ideal spot (to experience that). Alright, let’s see how he handles this. We’ll see if he bounces back today and gets back to his normal self. If he doesn’t then I would be a little concerned. But if he does, which I would expect, it’s just a matter of growth." For the record, Stewart did indeed bounce back under the watchful eyes of the GM. Stewart threw six innings Sunday, giving up just one earned run, in the Kernels’ win over Burlington. “He’s an athlete, he’s confident,” continued Ryan. “He’s got the skills that you’re looking for. There’s a reason the guy was picked fourth in the (draft). He was picked up there because he’s got strength, he’s got a body, he’s got mechanics, he’s got stuff, he’s got competitiveness. “He’s got the kind of mechanics and arm action that would be conducive to pounding strikes, which is good.” Kernels fans are getting the opportunity to see a native Cedar Rapidian in action with the Kernels this season. Chad Christensen, the Twins’ 25th round pick a year ago out of the University of Nebraska, played high school ball at Cedar Rapids Washington. He came north with the club out of spring training and is hitting .290 while playing all over the field for the injury-plagued Kernels. “One of the things that I think we were impressed with when he came out of Nebraska was his ability to have some versatility for a club,” Ryan said of Christensen. “He’s got strength and he’s got speed. He’s got strength in his bat. He can play a number of spots, including centerfield, which is pretty good. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/TRyanKernelsGroundCrew-600x364.jpg Twins GM Terry Ryan chats with members of the Cedar Rapids grounds crew “When he showed up last year after signing, he made a good impression and then in spring training. He’s got the type of make-up that you want to have him on your club. I’m sure Jake was pleased when he did come here and I think he’s even more pleased with what he sees in the results. “He’s just been a good player on this team, home town or not. That’s a little bit more pressure for a kid to come in here and play in front of your home town. He’s handled it quite well. In fact, he might be the most consistent guy we’ve had on this club. Not that I’ve been around much, but I read those things, the reports and that stuff.” Ryan is aware that the Kernels have had more than their fair share of injuries, but doesn’t feel they should be keeping the team from performing well on the field. “It’s no excuse. We’ve got other players. “(Jason) Kanzler came in because of an injury to Zack Granite. So here comes Kanzler and he’s been quite good here. There are other people that we can go get and hopefully fill in for an injury. “Now, we’re starting to get healthy. A bunch of these guys are going to get healthy here soon. “Getting back on the diamond is important for a 21-year-old, because they can’t afford to spend a lot of time on the disabled list. You just can’t do anything with them. There’s no development time - they’re getting bypassed - stuff like that. They’ll get healthy and we’ll get them back here. “We’ve got some kids with ability but so far it’s been a slow go for them. I’m not so sure the weather was too conducive to what they were trying to do. The thing is, you’re going to have to learn to do that. We play in Cedar Rapids, we play in New Britain (CT), we play in Rochester (NY) and we play in Minnesota. Minnesota is not too much different than Cedar Rapids.” About a year ago, Twins top prospect Byron Buxton and others were promoted from the Kernels up to Class high-A Fort Myers shortly after the mid-June Midwest League All-Star break. Ryan’s visit shouldn’t be interpreted as a precursor to similar promotions, however. “When I come in here, I don’t worry about that stuff. That’s Brad Steil (Twins minor league director) and that would be Jake and the minor league coordinators. “If someone is dominating, as you know, we’ll move them. I don’t know if we’ve got any of that going on here. I don’t think we’re in that position quite yet. “Although if somebody starts dominating this league in the next month or so and they put up numbers and you say, ‘what more do they have to do?’ That’s about the time you start saying ‘let’s move him up.’” Ryan was asked for an update on the condition Buxton, who has missed almost the whole season so far with a wrist injury. “We had him see a specialist with that wrist about two weeks ago and there was no alarm. He re-aggravated that thing and we’re taking our time. It’s getting better. I read that yesterday in a medical report. He’s still not ready to take the field. “He’s not going to lose a whole year. Unfortunately, April and May are shot, but he certainly played pretty good in March (during spring training). With him going through major league camp, it was a good experience. He handled himself pretty well. He handled himself with some class. He understood. He listened - was very coachable. “We’ll get him back up there. We’ll salvage the year, I don’t think there’s any question that we’ll be able to do some things to get him at-bats.” Click here to view the article

On Saturday, the Twins' 2013 first round draft pick, Kohl Stewart, had his last start of the first half of the season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He was originally scheduled to pitch on Sunday, but had his start moved up a day so that he'd have two days of rest before Tuesday's Midwest League All-Star game. Stewart completed four shutout innings, throwing 69 pitches at Burlington hitters before calling it a night. The innings weren't perfectly clean, however. Stewart worked out of a bit of trouble in both the third and fourth innings. Download attachment: Stewart7.jpg Kohl Stewart After the game, Kernels pitching coach Ivan Arteaga explained Stewart's abbreviated start went as planned. “That was the plan,” Arteaga said. “If he was going to pitch on regular rest, his regular outing, was at 75-80 pitches. That was the plan for today, to keep him down so he could be able to throw in the All-Star Game.” With the Kernels eliminated from contention for postseason qualification in the first half of the Midwest League season, Arteaga said it was important that Stewart be used in a way that he'd get an opportunity to pitch in Tuesday's MWL All-Star Game. “He’s been on a pitch count all year, so we believed that in order for him to represent the Kernels and represent the Minnesota Twins and enjoy his time in the All-Star Game, he needed to be ready to pitch,” explained Arteaga. “We didn’t feel comfortable having him pitch on one day’s rest.” Those plans were nearly waylayed in the fourth inning when a line drive deflected off of Stewart's hip in to right field. But Stewart remained in the game and got the final two outs of the inning before calling it a night. Arteaga indicated he was happy with Stewart's night, as he has been with his season thus far. “He got hit a little bit and the ball deflected off of him on the right hip. But he should be fine. He went four innings. He managed to put zeros up there. He's been doing that. “We're very happy with his performance and the way he's handled himself. He had a heck of a first half and we hope he can continue doing that.” Stewart talked to reporters after the game and answered questions on a number of topics, including his performance on Saturday, his All-Star break plans and just how important strikeouts are (or aren't) to him at this point. On the line drive that caught him on the hip: “I think I got it just right where I was turning. Tried to avoid it. Just grazed me.” On moving his start up a day: “Yeah they bumped me up. They wanted me to throw in the All-Star Game. “I was switched from the day before (the All-Star break), so I figured I wouldn't (be able to pitch in the All-Star Game), but they made it a priority for me pitch in that game. "That was the plan, to treat that (Tuesday) as my bullpen day. Hopefully, I can bounce back after two days (rest). I've never done that before. I don't think it's a problem.” On going home after the All-Star Game before re-joining the Kernels: "They want me to go see a diabetes doctor and this is the only time I can really do it. So I'll probably fly out of West Michigan to home, go see my doctor, then meet them in Kane County. "I don't think I'll make a start there. I think I'll maybe start in Peoria, the next road trip. We have another off day between those two trips so that gives me enough time to catch back up. So I'm going to be gone for about six days I guess.” Stewart was asked if the doctor visit is indicative of problems with his diabetes: “No, no, no. It's just you're supposed to see a doctor every three months now and I haven't seen one since spring training. So the whole time, we were looking at the All-Star break as the time when I would go do that. "I'm just going to go home and see my original doctor. It's just something you've got to do every three months. That's just kind of the easiest time to do it.” Stewart's fastball consistently registered 93-94 on the Kernels' scoreboard on Saturday. The board is generally considered to register about 2 mph below actual pitch speed. He was asked if he felt he has added a bit of velocity recently. “The hardest thing for me right now is, I think I can reach back and get that when I want it, but it's not the (priority). I want to get ahead, get 0-1, get 0-2. I think the velo is pretty normal. That gun out there (on the Cedar Rapids scoreboard) is pretty inconsistent. “That's the thing I'm kind of trying to handle right now is when to go get it and when to not. When to get ahead of guys and when to put them away with that fastball, because I should be able to. "Honestly, I knew I was on kind of a super low pitch count today so I was trying to get guys out. "When guys got on base, I was paying way too much attention to runners. Me and Ivan talked about it. I was trying to look guys back and trying to pitch all in the same motion and I wasn't even really picking up my target and making the pitch. “But it was good to get out of those two innings. It's going to happen every now and then. That was a big double play that Vielma and Walker turned in that fourth inning. "Then to get out of that third inning, too, without any runs and keep us in the game was big. I wish I hadn't thrown as many pitches in that short of time.” Finally, there has been some concern among a segment of the fan base with regard to Stewart's modest strikeout rate this summer. He was asked how important strikeouts are to him. “I don't know how important they are but it's a number that everybody's going to look at. That's the thing that me and Ivan are working on right now actually, because I've had a lot of guys where I want them. It's just about making that one pitch. “I think I have those pitches that I need that get guys to strike out with. It's about throwing the slider in the right spot. It's not just about throwing the slider as hard as I can and getting guys out with it. “People are going to want to see more of it, but as a pitcher trying to keep my feet in the game, it's not something I should be paying attention to. I think that the more I work with him, the more those types of things will come, but I can't really worry about it on the mound. That's not really what I'm trying to do. “I'm a guy that's kind of is going to pound the zone and ask you to put the ball in play before I start worrying about trying to pitch around guys. But as long as I keep getting guys out, people pushing the ball in to the ground, it's just as good in my opinion. That's one thing I've learned, is how to be efficient and put guys away. “It's funny, whenever me and Garver (Kernels catcher Mitch Garver) want to put a guy away, we can. Then we do. But then guys come up and it's all about pounding the zone and getting ahead and if they want to get themselves out, let them get themselves out. “That's a number people are going to look at and want me to strike more guys out. I understand that. But I think the more that me and (Ivan) work at it, the more it will come.” Click here to view the article

Cedar Rapids Kernels manager Jake Mauer has been in a unique situation for the past couple of months, since his Kernels nailed down a Midwest League postseason berth by finishing second in the MWL’s Western Division during the first half of the season. Only in minor league baseball is a manager occasionally faced with the challenge of keeping his roster focused on winning games even after locking up a spot in the postseason with 70 games remaining on the regular season schedule.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Recently, Mauer talked about that challenge as well as the steps he and his coaching staff are taking to prepare for the Midwest League playoffs that begin for the Kernels on September 4. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HarrisonMauerPregame.jpg “We’re a lot different team than we were at the beginning of the year,” Mauer pointed out. “Obviously, (Byron) Buxton and (Dalton) Hicks and (JD) Williams were a big part and they’ve moved up, along with some of our pitchers, (Steven) Gruver and (Tyler) Jones and (Tyler) Duffey. That’s kind of what happens and how the nature of the beast is. “But you’re getting a chance to see (Max) Kepler a little more and you’re getting to see (Joel) Licon on an everyday basis. (Jonathan) Murphy’s another guy that came up and has been helping us. (Mike) Gonzales is kind of on the comeback trail a little bit here, but a guy with a little bit of experience. So we’ve been fortunate. When we’ve lost some guys, we’ve been able to get some pretty good guys to replace them.” If you compare the final standings in the first half of the MWL season with the current standings, you’ll see what can happen as team rosters change over significantly. The Beloit Snappers slipped past the Kernels in the final few days of the first half to claim first place in the league’s Western Division, but the Snappers now sit several games under .500 in the second half. Yet, the Snappers have fared far better than the Fort Wayne Tincaps, who won the Eastern Division in the first half. The Tincaps have been struggling to escape the cellar of their Division during the season’s second half. While Mauer’s Kernels have had significant roster turnover, as well (only nine of the Opening Day Kernels remain on the current 25-man roster), Cedar Rapids has managed to continue competing at a high level. They have held or shared first place in the West for all but four days since the All-Star break reset. Mauer believes much of the reason can be found on the pitcher’s mound. “Really, our pitching has been the key this second half. The pitching has been way better. Guys are throwing the ball over the plate,” said the manager. Mauer pointed out that, while his team lost several effective pitchers to promotion, the replacements have stepped right in and done the job. “Adding a (Madison) Boer and a (Brian) Gilbert to the back end of the pen, that’s two pretty reliable guys. (Alex) Muren has been pretty steady the whole year,” said Mauer, adding, “Our starters are doing a pretty good job. (Tim) Atherton has done a wonderful job starting. (Josue) Montanez has been a lot better.” Of course, talking about pitching brings up another topic rather unique to the world of a minor league coaching staff. A number of the Kernels’ most reliable starting pitchers this season are putting more innings on their young arms than they ever have before. This is particularly true of guys who spent last season as relief pitchers or pitched in some combination of high school/college and short-season leagues. Pitchers such as Mason Melotakis, Brett Lee and Jose Berrios who have been cornerstones of the rotation much of the season are seeing their innings limited down the stretch. That has required Mauer and pitching coach Gary Lucas to find other guys to plug in to the starting rotation and part of the Kernels’ continued success can be attributed to how those pitchers have performed. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Berrios2.jpg Jose Berrios “They’ve been real good,” said Mauer. “Atherton has been excellent, throwing more strikes and still striking guys out like he has been. Berrios has gotten better, Brett Lee’s been great. He had a little scare there with that elbow thing (Lee spent a week on the Disabled List after being struck on the elbow by a batted ball), but he seems to be OK. We’re going to have to keep an eye on him a little bit. I don’t think you’ll see a complete game until, hopefully, the fourth.” Was that Mauer tipping his hand concerning his plans for the starting pitching assignment in the first playoff game on September 4? Mauer would only admit that they’re starting to think about who will be starting those postseason games. “Some of the things we have to start thinking about,” Mauer conceded, “Who are we going to use in the playoffs? Who’s going to be our starters? I think the young man we got, Sulbaran, is going to help us.” Miguel Sulbaran was obtained from the Dodgers organization in a trade recently. “(Tim) Shibuya’s going to help us,” continued Mauer. “(Brandon) Bixler has done a nice job. Gilbert has been pretty dominant, thus far. Hopefully we can keep that going.” Clearly, one ingredient a manager needs to keep his team competitive in both halves of a Class A season is talented replacements for the players promoted. But these are still young ballplayers, many just a year out of college or even high school, and a 140-game season can be a grind. A couple of weeks ago, the Kernels went through a stretch where they lost six of eight games in series with Burlington and the Quad Cities. The club’s pitching, hitting and defense all seemed to collapse at the same time. Is it hard to keep a team focused when a postseason spot is locked up halfway through the year and some players are still wondering if/when they’ll be getting promoted? The answer to that question is, “It shouldn’t be,” according to Mauer. “Every time you go out there, you should want to win the game. There’s a difference between wanting to win the game and doing things to help you win the game. In that stretch, Burlington and Quad Cities, they took it to us pretty good, but again we gave them a lot of opportunities, extending innings (with errors). That’s not going to do it. “So you try to refocus. It shouldn’t have anything to do with whether you’re in (the postseason) or not, whether you’re playing for something or not. It should just have to do with you understanding what it takes to play every day and being a professional player.” “When you get in the game, it’s time to (think about) we’ve got to win this game today,” continued Mauer. “We’ve got to win this inning, win this pitch. You can break it down as far as even pitch to pitch. If you do that, if you win every pitch, then you’re going to win just about every inning and you’re going to win a lot of your games and you’re going to get noticed and that’s how you get promoted. A lot of it is controlling what you can control.” “There’s some guys in there (the clubhouse) that probably should be in Fort Myers,” Mauer acknowledged, “but they’re backlogged or whatever and they’re still here. Maybe they’re a little (ticked) and maybe they should be, but you’ve got to keep putting numbers up. You’ve got to keep doing your job and you’ve got to keep showing up every day.” “It’s hard to tell,” what the specific problem was during that early August swoon, according to Mauer. “We just weren’t playing very good and it all just kept going downhill. It just kind of gets going that way and you’re going to go through phases throughout the year where you’re not going to be playing good and others where you’re going to be playing pretty good. What you try to do is you try to keep the focus be the same, whether you’re high or whether you’re low, it shouldn’t matter. Whether you’ve won eight in a row or lost eight in a row, your focus should be the same and that’s what you’re trying to teach.” It’s not just the postseason success that the players are playing for, of course, and the manager acknowledged that fact, as well. The players and the Twins organization are already looking toward 2014. “A lot of them are playing for a spot in Fort Myers next year and a lot of them are playing for a spot anywhere. That’s a reality,” said Mauer. “Those boys that are in (Elizabethton) and any guys that come in from (this year’s) draft generally are newer. They get a little more opportunity than some guys that have been around, where we’ve got a decent feeling of what they can and can’t do. We’re going to give these other guys some of those at-bats. "You’re really playing for a job, whether it’s here (in Cedar Rapids), whether it’s in Fort Myers or wherever it might be. You’ve got to make an impact in these last two weeks.” Mauer conceded that he’ll be managing the team a little differently headed in to the final couple of weeks of the regular season. “I know we’re going to play some teams that are in the playoff chase, but we’ve got to get a little healthier for Wednesday, the fourth (of September – the first Kernels postseason game),” predicted Mauer. “The next week at Peoria and Quad Cities, we’ll probably rotate quite a few guys. When Peoria comes back here Sunday (August 25), we’ll try to get us cranked up again to where we’re getting ready and trying to get sharp again for the playoffs. “I don’t like to sit my guys right before the playoffs. I’d like to do it this next week and then we can button some things up and hopefully, they’ve got enough rest and here we go.” Evidence of the change has already become evident. For instance, Tyler Grimes, one of the Kernels’ catchers and a converted middle infielder had done nothing but catch and DH all season, until Friday night. When Murphy left the game for precautionary reasons after being hit in the head by a pitch, second baseman Licon moved in to the outfield and Grimes entered the game as the new second baseman. The next night, Grimes started at second base, as well. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Grimes9.jpg Tyler Grimes “(Grimes) is going to play some middle (infield) through these last two weeks here. He’s been an infielder his whole life, so he can still go out there. We’ll try to give some of our middle guys a little bit of a (rest),” said Mauer. “You’ll probably see guys like (Adam) Walker get another day off here. Kepler, (Niko) Goodrum, (Jorge) Polanco, guys like that, that have been playing a lot are going to get some rest. (Travis) Harrison is another one, too. Try to freshen them up and try to walk that delicate line between becoming stale and becoming fresh - sit guys for a maybe a day, maybe two days at the most, and get them back out there if you can.” (NOTE: Polanco was placed on the 7-day Disabled list on Sunday, retroactive to Friday, August 16, with a groin strain.) There will be a few other, more subtle, changes that most fans won’t likely notice, as well, according to Mauer. “We probably won’t hit for as long or take infield as much, things like that. We’ll pick our spots with that. We’ll rest.” The Kernels’ skipper was asked whether he thought there was an advantage entering the postseason, either to teams that qualified with their success in the first half of the season or with a playoff run at the end of the second half. Mauer likened it to the NFL. “Those wildcard teams show up in the Super Bowl because you’re playing for your life every week. And that’s the intensity that you should have, even if you’re (already) in.” Still, it’s nice to have the luxury of resting your players and setting up your pitching rotation the way you want it to start the postseason while the teams who have yet to qualify, as the manager puts it, “have to go pedal to the metal.” “Each team is going to be different,” Mauer said. “You just try to feel the best you can. Gauge how you’re feeling health wise. Who’s doing what and who can help you. But you want to try and make sure you go in to September as ready as you can.” At the end of the day, Mauer feels his group is going to be ready when the postseason begins. “Yeah, we’re excited,” Mauer concluded, concerning his team’s chances in the playoffs. “We’ve got a good group and these kids have worked hard and the new additions have been doing a nice job. We’re happy with how we’re progressing and we’ll see how these last two weeks end up. Hopefully, we’re playing better two weeks from now, you don’t want to peak too soon. We want to be playing our best baseball in September.” SD Buhr covers the Cedar Rapids Kernels for MetroSportsReport.com. His alter-ego, Jim Crikket, opines about the Twins and Kernels at Knuckleballsblog.com. Click here to view the article

The Cedar Rapids Kernels dropped an ugly 5-2 game to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers back on July 9 and Kernels manager Jake Mauer clearly was not a happy man afterward. His line-up had left eight runners stranded in scoring position on the night and played some shoddy defense in a loss on a night when Kernels pitching combined to strike out 13 opposing hitters. “We’re going to have some changes,” Mauer promised that night, in a post-game interview. (This article originally was posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) Catcher Alex Swim went 1 for 4 as the team’s designated hitter in that loss and he has not DH’d since. Then again, he hasn’t done much catching, either. The next night, July 10, again against the Timber Rattlers, Swim was inserted as the Kernels’ right fielder. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Swim2014.jpg Alex Swim Maybe Mauer was just trying to give some of his regular outfield crew a wake-up call or maybe he knew something nobody else did, but Swim gunned down Rattler baserunner Omar Garcia at home in that game and he has been the starting right fielder for the Kernels on every line up card Mauer has filled out since. He’s put on the catcher’s gear for a game in that stretch only twice. Once to finish a rain shortened game in which he had started as the catcher (he played right field in the full game following the completion of the postponed contest) and he made one appearance at catcher late in a game after starting catcher Michael Quesada was removed for a pinch runner. Swim was already riding a six game hitting streak pieced together starting June 30 as he rotated between catching, DH'ing and taking his turn riding the pine as part of what was, for a time, a four-man catching rotation that included Mitch Garver and Bo Altobelli, along with Quesada and Swim. After being inserted in to the every day line up, Swim swatted hits in another eight consecutive games, making him the proud owner of a 14-game streak, the longest by a Kernels hitter this season, before the streak was snapped on July 21. On the season, Swim is batting .341 in the 26 games he’s suited up with the Kernels. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Swim2014d.jpg Alex Swim in the Kernels special “Duck Dynasty” camo jersey In an interview late last week, Swim said he played some outfield during his junior and senior years at Elon University in North Carolina, “just to get a little break from behind the plate.” Coming in to the season, though, he wasn’t expecting to see this much time on the outfield grass. “During (extended spring training), they asked me if I had an outfielder’s glove and I did. They said, ‘get a few reps out there just in case,’” Swim recalled. Acknowledging that he’s been out there every game lately, he added with a smile, “maybe (the Twins organization) gave me a position change and didn’t tell me, I don’t know.” He’s not complaining. “I’ll play anywhere,” he said. “I love throwing the ball and showing off the arm a little bit.” That’s a healthy approach to have for a player in Swim’s position with the Twins organization. Swim, Garver and the current catcher for the Class high-A Fort Myers Miracle, Stuart Turner, were all college catchers selected by the Twins in the same draft class a year ago. Turner was the Twins’ third round pick, Garver was picked in the 10th round and Swim in the 22nd. The Twins also selected a high school catcher, Brian Navarreto, in the sixth round. Navarreto is currently with the Twins’ Elizabethton short-season rookie level affiliate. As if that weren’t enough, the Twins drafted six more catchers in the 2014 draft, though none were higher than the 19th round and not all were inked by the Twins before the signing deadline on July 18. Still, Swim recognizes that he’s up against some tough competition as he tries to work his way up the organizational ladder, not only from other recent draftees, but from players with more professional experience, such as his Cedar Rapids teammate Quesada. “Obviously, I know who’s there,” Swim conceded. “But I think everyone is good in their own way. If you’re meant to keep going and playing, you’re going to get there. “I try to make it where I can play different positions to help me out. If you need a right fielder, I’ll play right field. If you need a first baseman, I’ll do that. Whatever they need.” In baseball, hitters can run hot and cold, but in his first month as a Kernel, Swim has definitely been hot with the bat. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Swim2014j.jpg Alex Swim “I feel pretty comfortable in the box and the ball does look a little bigger right now,” he admitted. Fellow Kernels catcher Garver hit three home runs in one game on Monday, but Swim doesn’t expect to be putting on that kind of power display any time soon. “Generally, with my swing, I’m not going to hit the ball out of the park or drive a bunch of balls in to gaps, so I just try to really stay up the middle and just stay short and sweet to the ball and just try to get on base.” Swim worked out with the Class A group during most of spring training, but when the time came to head north to start the season, he was left behind in extended spring training. That sort of thing can be disappointing to a player, of course, but Swim pointed out that there were some benefits, too, for a guy from Greensboro, North Carolina. “It’s not that big of a deal when you’re playing in 85 degree weather in the spring down in Florida, so that was the good part,” he recalled with a bit of a laugh. “I was texting a few of the guys and they were saying it was 30 degrees and they had four layers on. I was, like, I’m in a pair of shorts and sandals right now.” Swim had the opportunity to turn professional after his junior year of college when the St. Louis Cardinals made him there 36th round selection in the 2012 draft, but he opted to pass at the time. “Right around draft time my junior year, mom was sick, was in the hospital,” Swim explained. “I really didn’t know how that was going to affect her as far as what was going to happen. I didn’t want to push it by leaving at that time, so I decided to forgo the draft, stay at home, work a little bit, try to help out around the house and get things situated. “Honestly, I don’t have any regrets. I would do it the same way every time. She’s doing well right now. She’s getting healthy. She’s staying at home and listening to the games (over the internet).” Away from the ballpark, Swim escapes the daily grind of the game with a good book. “I like biographies and stuff like that,” he explained. “That kind of gets me away from the game and not thinking about anything really about baseball.” Click here to view the article

The Cedar Rapids Kernels brought a highly heralded group of pitchers north out of spring training. The opening day pitching staff was littered with highly rated prospects obtained with high draft picks and big-money international free agency signings. Even among top prospects, however, you’re never sure what kind of start you’ll get in a Midwest League season. Some of these pitchers are still teenagers. Some are a long way away from home for the first time. Some have seldom, if ever, pitched in front of a sizable crowd. Some have never experienced the kind of bone-chilling spring weather that is commonplace in Cedar Rapids and other MWL locations. Any of those factors can cause a pitcher to get off to a slow start, but if you can find a guy who’s already spent a few years away from home, matured as a pitcher, pitched in high-pressure situations and is no stranger to cold weather, he just might have a chance to impress early. But where could you possibly find such a pitcher? Maybe a guy who has spent the last three years away from home at college, pitching in front of big crowds in big games and regularly played in cold weather during his college years. Meet Kernels starting pitcher Aaron Slegers. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Slegers2014j.jpg Aaron Slegers (photo: SD Buhr/Knuckleballs) The 21 year-old Slegers, who was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the fifth round of the 2013 Major League June Amateur Draft out of the University of Indiana, is 3-0 for the Kernels and carries a 2.52 ERA after six starts. He’s struck out 33 batters in 35.2 innings, while walking just six. Slegers threw seven shutout innings on Saturday night against the Peoria Chiefs and sat down for an interview the following morning. Slegers is mature and converses his way through an interview easily, despite the fact that he must know, by now, that the first question every interviewer is going to start with will be about his height. At 6′ 10”, it’s impossible to overlook the obvious. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Slegers2014g.jpg Aaron Slegers (photo: SD Buhr/Knuckleballs) As he told a group of Kernels boosters at the club’s welcome dinner the day before the season started, he’s not even the tallest member of his family. “My dad’s seven feet tall,” he said on Sunday, just as he told the gathering a month ago. So there was never much doubt that the pitcher would be long in the frame. “Yeah, there’s a funny story about that,” offered Slegers. “In the Big Ten Tournament at Target Field, my mom was interviewed by the Big Ten Network and the sideline reporter asked her, ‘when did you know Aaron was going to be so tall?’ She thought to herself, ‘I guess when I married a seven foot guy.’ I don’t think she said that to the reporter, though.” Too bad. It’s the kind of line reporters love. He also has an older sister, in New York City. “She’s about six foot, 6’ 1”. She played volleyball in college,” said Slegers. Height can be an advantage for a pitcher, but it can also come with certain challenges, including additional levels of stress and strain on important joints. Slegers fought through a number of injuries in college, but he doesn’t feel they were related to his height. “The injuries were kind of freak, they weren’t really related to growing or anything,” Slegers explained. “I took a line drive my freshman year in an intrasquad the first week of the season. The first pitch I threw to our starting shortstop that year was a fastball right down the middle and he hit it right back at me off my throwing wrist. That broke my wrist and I was out for the year on a medical redshirt. “The next year, was a little more my fault, but I showed up a minute late for the bus that was leaving the hotel for the field and the punishment for that was running the entire batting practice. Because of that, I got shin splints in my right shin. It hurt to walk and, again, out for the year after seven innings my sophomore year. “It was a tough little stretch there when I was in Indiana the first couple of years. It was a tough go on with the injuries.” Things got better before he left Bloomington, however. Slegers and his Indiana teammates made it all the way to the College World Series in Omaha last year. Slegers threw a complete game in his final appearance as a Hoosier, but lost to Oregon State 1-0. Despite the way it ended, the trip made all of the early challenges at Indiana worthwhile. “A hundred percent, exactly right,” Slegers agreed, smiling. “The College World Series makes everything OK.” The sight of a 6′ 10” pitcher on the mound brings to mind memories of Randy Johnson, the certain future Hall of Fame pitcher who’s fastball periodically clocked in excess of 100 miles per hour. But that’s not Slegers’ style. His fastball regularly sits in the low 90s, which is good, but not considered overpowering. The big righthander isn’t concerned about his velocity, however. “Velocity’s always nice, but that’s sort of something that comes secondary,” explained Slegers. The primary thing, according to Slegers, is getting the preparation work done and preparing to compete. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ArteagaSlegersc-436x600.jpg Aaron Slegers having a between-innings conversation with pitching coach Ivan Arteaga (photo: SD Buhr/Knuckleballs) “Working in the bullpen, working on your mechanics, long-toss. When you go out and compete, you’re doing exactly that. Going out and competing, trying to repeat (the delivery) and throw strikes and throw all your pitches for strikes. Velocity’s just sort of one of those things that happens.” So you won’t see Slegers turning around to check his pitch speed on the Kernels’ video board after every pitch. “That’s something they’re trying to steer us away from,” Slegers agreed, smiling. Slegers saw a lot of success in college, but he realizes he’s working at a new level now and that it requires work to improve, even if he’s not focused on adding velocity to his fastball right now. “I’m throwing my slider and change up more since I got in pro ball; trying to keep the hitters off balance. You can’t just keep pumping in fastballs over and over. They’re pretty good at learning those pitches. I’m kind of moving the baseball more than in college.” One thing Slegers hasn’t had to do is adjust to pitching in cold Midwestern weather. His time pitching in the Big Ten assured he’d be prepared for that aspect of his first full season of professional ball. “Oh yeah, oh yeah,” said a smiling Slegers. “We would go down south the whole month of February, but when we’d come up to school, if it was above 35, we were out on the field practicing and trying to hit BP. So, yeah, I’m more than accustomed to it. And those late March home games will toughen you up in a hurry, in terms of the weather.” Being accustomed to cold weather doesn’t mean he spends any more time in it than he has to, however. Slegers may have gone to school in Indiana, but he and his family live in Arizona and that’s where he spends his offseason. Slegers stays active both in the offseason and, to the degree possible, during off days during the season. “I like to fish and golf, primarily,” Slegers said, concerning his off-the-field interests. “I like to golf as much as possible. In terms of exercising, I like cycling, road biking. That always takes up my time when I want a good cardio workout. It’s kind of unusual for a guy my size to ride a road bike, but mostly golf and fishing are my relaxing off day hobbies.” Click here to view the article

The merry-go-round that is a minor league team's roster continued to spin over the weekend in Cedar Rapids as the Kernels saw two pitchers promoted to high-A Fort Myers, one infielder put on the 7-Day Disabled list and two new pitchers arrive from Elizabethton. The new pitchers, right handed starting pitcher Chih-Wei Hu and righty bullpen arm Jake Reed, were in uniform for Tuesday night's series opener with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, won by the Kernels, 15-5. The two will replace starter Ethan Mildren and co-closer Todd Van Steensel on the Kernels' pitching staff. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ArteagaMildren.jpg Kernels pitching coach Ivan Arteaga and pitcher Ethan Mildren Mildren has been dominant through his most recent pair of starts, throwing seven shutout innings against Clinton on June 29 and duplicating that feat on Independence Day against Beloit. He allowed just seven hits and three walks over that 14-inning stretch. [/hr]This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com [/hr]Van Steensel had not been charged with allowing a run, earned or otherwise, in his last seven appearances for Cedar Rapids. Overall, he put up a 1.30 ERA covering 34.2 innings of work in 23 appearances in a Kernels uniform. If early impressions mean anything, Reed will be a capable replacement for Van Steensel in the Kernels bullpen. The 21-year old righty, drafted in the 5th round out of the University of Oregon last month, threw nothing but shutout innings for the E-Twins in his first six innings of work this season. He struck out eight batters and held opponents to a .053 batting average.against him. That scoreless streak, however, came to an end in Reed's first appearance in a Cedar Rapids uniform on Tuesday night. Reed gave up one unearned run in an inning of work on Tuesday night when the first batter he faced reached on a two-base error and came around to score on a subsequent single. Reed recorded his first strikeout as a Kernel to finish the eighth inning. The man with the biggest shoes to fill with the Kernels, perhaps, will be Hu. Cedar Rapids has struggled to find consistency from their rotation and Mildren was just beginning to provide much needed leadership in that area. Hu will get Mildren's spot in the rotation and should get his first start for the Kernels on Thursday against the Rattlers, in front of the home crowd. Like Reed, Hu was off to a strong start for Elizabethton. The Taichung, Taiwan, native had time to make just three starts for the E-Twins before being promoted. He was 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA. He threw six shutout innings of two-hit baseball in his last start, striking out nine batters in the process. After watching Hu throw a bullpen session on Tuesday, Kernels pitching coach Ivan Arteaga pronounced the 20-year old Hu, "ready to go." "His fastball moves a lot and his slider's got good rotation," Arteaga added. "He really competes, according to the reports we got." The Kernels played Tuesday a man short on their roster as shortstop Engelb Vielma has been placed on the 7-day DL with concussion symptoms and no corresponding roster move was immediately announced. Manager Jake Mauer indicated to media after the game that infielder Logan Wade would be re-activated from the DL on Wednesday to replace Vielma. [/hr]Since the Twins beat the Mariners last night, you can get half off your L or XL pizza on Wednesday by ordering online at PapaJohns.com with the promo code 'TWINSWIN'. Click here to view the article

The Cedar Rapids Kernels sported a 9-7 record as they departed for Peoria Monday for the first of seven road games before returning to Veterans Memorial Stadium on Monday, April 28. They enter the week just two games behind Kane County in the Midwest League’s Western Division standings. One reason for the success they’ve had thus far has been a power surge in the heart of their batting order. The Kernels lead the MWL in slugging percentage entering this week’s games largely due to power generated by catcher Mitch Garver and infielder Bryan Haar. Garver leads the league in home runs, with five, and Haar is right on his heels with four round-trippers. Over the weekend, Haar shared his perspectives on the start to the season that he and his teammates have had, as well as some thoughts about his own experiences moving from college ball, through two levels of rookie level professional baseball and on to his first month with the Class A level Kernels. Though Garver and Haar have provided much of the power early on for Cedar Rapids, Haar insists that their offensive success has been a team effort. “When our team got hot and went on a little winning streak, I think we were all hitting pretty well so that helps,” said Haar. “Hitting is contagious. So I think we all contributed to the good start.” While the Kernels have kept their record above .500, they haven’t exactly had it easy thus far. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Haar1a.jpg Bryan Haar Haar and many of his team mates have spent their lives playing ball in far warmer climates. Several of the Kernels’ games have been played with temperatures in the 30s and 40s, so they were glad to see things warm up a bit over the past weekend. “Anything above 50 right now is good for us,” Haar said with a smile on Saturday. “If it’s not 35 and raining, we’re happy.” You won’t yet find Haar’s name on many of the organizational “top prospect” lists published during the offseason, but the 24 year-old from San Diego is showing power that’s been largely missing to this point in his professional career. Haar was drafted by the Twins in the 34th round of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft, following his senior year at the University of San Diego. He hit only one home run in 44 games with the Gulf Coast League Twins in 2012 after signing with the Twins and went deep just six times in 60 games with the Twins’ short-season Appalachian League affiliate in Elizabethton last season. Haar said it took some time for him to adjust from college pitchers, who generally threw a mix of pitches, to lower levels of professional ball, where he faced a lot of strong young arms who were looking to impress. “In GCL that first summer, it was just fastballs all day,” recalled Haar. “I actually struggled a little bit because I forgot how to hit a fastball. It was new to me. They were blowing it by me.” He had to continue working on being able to catch up with the heat a year ago in Elizabethton. “In E’town, it was rookie ball, so there were a lot of 18 year old pitchers out of high school that maybe thought they threw 95 and really threw 91-92, trying to throw fastballs by me. I got more fastballs then. Jeff Reed (hitting coach at Elizabethton) is a great hitting coach, so he helped me out a lot.” That doesn’t necessarily mean the pitching he faced in college was superior to what he saw his first two years in the pros, though. “I’d say not better, but more command of their sliders,” Haar explained. “In E’town it was sliders in the dirt, sliders in the dirt. They never flipped one over for a strike. In college, it was slider for a strike, slider for a strike, now you’re down 0-2. But now (in the MWL), it’s more college guys so I’ve got to readjust to college pitching, I guess.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Haar1b.jpg Bryan Haar Haar knows he’s largely been feasting on fastballs this season and said he already sees pitchers making adjustments. “The first game of a series, usually I get some fastballs to hit. If I hit them well, then the next two or three games I get sliders and change-ups and curveballs. Just making that adjustment has been a little harder than I would have thought, but I’ve got to hit the fastball when I get it.” Kernels hitting coach Tommy Watkins has been working with Haar to keep a step ahead of the adjustments the pitchers are making. “They’re throwing me off-speed a lot, so I’ve got to start adjusting my swing a little bit towards that,” Haar said. “Tommy and I have been working on that the past couple of days. Not really trying to strike out less, but just put more balls in play hard. “I’ve hit two home runs off sliders, but I think they were the only hits I’ve had off sliders. We were working on that (Saturday), just kind of letting the ball get a little deeper, seeing it deeper.” At 24, Haar is a bit older than the average MWL position player, but he’s not feeling any extra anxiety about trying to advance more quickly up the Twins organizational ladder because of that. "I don’t really worry about that. I’m just having a good time in Low-A with my friends,” he said.　”I got drafted in 2012 and pretty much all the guys here were drafted in the 2012 draft, so it’s nice to move up with them, in a sense. I’m just letting my play speak for itself and doing what I can here.” That includes being versatile in the field. Haar has played both corner infield positions for the Kernels already and that’s fine with him. Haar said he’d play anywhere, “as long as I’m in the lineup.” Haar played some football and basketball in high school and said his interests include, “pretty much every sport with a ball.” But as a Southern Californian, his interests outside of baseball go beyond what local fans might consider the norm. “I’m from San Diego, so I surf whenever I can. Usually in September I take some time off from baseball and I go surf. But when I get back in to workouts, I don’t have much time for that.” There’s obviously neither time nor opportunity for surfing during the season, so Haar is looking for other things to do with his limited down time. “I do enjoy fishing, so since we’re in Iowa, I’d like to get out and fish a little bit, but it’s tough. Getting back from a long road trip, you want to sleep in, and then you’re at the field.” Of course, there’s always the standard fallback option for ballplayers: video games. Haar and team mates Garver and Zach Larson, who live in close proximity to one another this season, “have a little FIFA battle on the X-Box. We’re on that quite a bit.” Click here to view the article

It was "Meet the Kernels Night" at Veterans Mermorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids Tuesday night, giving local fans and media a first look at the 2014 version of the Twins' Class A Midwest League affiliate and giving the Kernels players their first look at chilly Iowa April temperatures. After the media portion of the event, players and coaches mingled with fans on the concourse to chat and sign autographs. Then they shed their parkas for a brief workout. The cold temperatures made for a pretty small turnout from the public and that's unfortunate, but understandable. The more unfortunate fact is that the weather forecast for Opening Night on Thursday (and Friday, for that matter) makes the proposition of actually getting baseball played a little dicey. A year ago, it seemed like weather was forcing doubleheaders every week for the first couple months across the Midwest League and I wouldn't be surprised if we start the season with a twin-bill (or two) over the weekend as well. Manager Jake Mauer, along with hitting coach Tommy Watkins and pitching coach Ivan Arteaga met with media for a few minutes, as did four members of the new Kernels roster: Kohl Stewart, Aaron Slegers, Mitch Garver and Chad Christensen. They all arrived in the media room wearing their newly-issued Cedar Rapids Kernels parkas. Nothing says "play ball" like new team parkas and portable gas heaters in the dugout! The field staff and players who met with the media had some interesting things to say and I'll try to write a follow up story with quotes later this week. I did ask Arteaga about his plans for the rotation, specifically about whether he planned to use a six-man rotation again this year, as pitching coach Gary Lucas had in 2013. Arteaga explained that that's pretty much an organizational approach to young pitchers in order to protect their arms. He did add, however, that for the first couple of weeks, they were likely to use a five-man rotation, with a piggy-backing of their fifth and sixth starting pitchers in game 5 next week. Miguel Sulbaran is not yet stretched out to the point where he needs to start, so he'll split games with another pitcher the first couple times through the rotation. Within a couple of weeks, however, Arteaga believes they'll be on track with the six-man rotation. Other than that bit of "news," you'll just have to be satisfied with getting a little sense of flavor of the evening from a few pictures. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ArteagaWatkinsMauer.jpg Left to Right: pitching coach Ivan Arteaga, hitting coach Tommy Watkins, manager Jake Mauer http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Stewart.jpg Kohl Stewart http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Slegers.jpg Aaron Slegers http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Garver.jpg Mitch Garver http://knuckleballsb...Christensen.jpg Chad Christensen http://knuckleballsb.../JakeMauer1.jpg Jake Mauer http://knuckleballsb...ightDugout2.jpg Kernels prepare for introductions http://knuckleballsb...ernelsIntro.jpg Kernels introduced Click here to view the article

The 2014 MLB First Year Amateur Player Draft is right around the corner and hundreds of high school and college ballplayers are counting the hours before the Houston Astros go on the clock with the first pick of the draft on Thursday, June 5. One year ago, Kohl Stewart was an 18 year-old pitcher anxiously awaiting the draft. Today, Stewart, who was selected by the Minnesota Twins with the fourth overall pick of the first round, is a couple of months in to his first full year of professional baseball. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stewart2014.jpg Kohl Stewart Stewart sat recently and reflected on the draft a year ago and his progress as a starting pitcher this season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Twins' Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. “I think that this time last year, we had just lost in the state finals in baseball,” recalled Stewart. “Then I was graduating from school and the draft was coming up. I was spending hours with my agent talking about what I wanted to do. There were a million different scenarios playing over in my head. I remember thinking, ‘if this happens, if this guy goes here and if this guy goes here.’” Those “scenarios” Stewart speaks of went beyond those of most of his peers. While all of the high school ballplayers likely to be selected near the top of the draft have the option of postponing their professional careers in favor of playing college baseball, Stewart had an additional option. He had a scholarship offer from Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin to play quarterback for the Aggies. Stewart and his agent certainly knew he'd be selected early on draft night. But that doesn't mean he had made up his mind weeks before the draft that he'd be signing with whatever team chose him. As draft day neared, however, things seemed to come more in to focus. “I expected to go to A&M,” acknowledged Stewart. “A couple of days before the draft, I think, my agent I guess had kind of talked to some people and he kind of had an idea of what was going to happen and I even talked to Coach Sumlin a couple of days before it happened and he gave me his blessing. He wanted me to do what was best for me and that was another dynamic that I had to deal with, too. I kind of felt like I was letting him down. Having guys like that… he’s a really good coach for a reason. He had gone through that before. He definitely made the situation easier on me.” Even having pretty much come to grips with the likelihood that he'd be signing a professional baseball contract rather than pursuing a major college football career didn't make waiting any less stressful for Stewart. “You kind of have that situation made up in your mind, but everything’s still got to happen. You’ve still got to sit there and the decision’s still got to be made,” said Stewart. The anxiety of the wait didn't mean Stewart and those closest to him didn't enjoy the moment, however. “I definitely enjoyed it. It was definitely a fun time for my family,” recalled Stewart. “I have a lot of friends that are really good baseball players that are playing in college right now. I got to experience what a lot of guys that I grew up playing ball with will probably be going through the same thing in a couple of years and to kind of share it with them was really special. “But it was definitely really stressful. I would go to bed knowing I was going to have to make a really big choice and that was kind of hard. Every day it got closer to the draft, it was very apparent that I was going to have a very good opportunity with the Twins and I didn’t want to pass it up.” Players do a lot of different things to relax on draft day. Some go hunting or fishing. Some play golf to take their minds off the draft and hope it passes the time more quickly. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stewart4.jpg Kohl Stewart Stewart enjoys hunting and fishing in the offseason and also really enjoys golfing. But on draft day, he chose to pass the hours leading up to the draft with friends and family. “I remember waking up. I slept in late,” Stewart recollected, smiling a bit. “I told myself I don’t want to get up and have to worry about it all day long. I wanted to sleep in as long as I could. I think that lasted until about 6:30 that morning." After breakfast, Stewart spent time with one of his Select Team coaches (“He was blowing it up, having a good time with it, kind of looking forward to the night”) and with an older brother. “We went to a place called Mel’s Diner. It’s a small little burger place. I went there, had a good meal with him. I remember he went and bought a bunch of champagne and put it in a cooler. Then we went back to my house and a bunch of people showed up and we turned on the TV. “It was good. It was definitely a day I’ll never forget.” Now, a year later, coming out of Memorial Day Weekend, Stewart has a 1-2 record and a 2.93 ERA as a member of the Kernels rotation. Stewart struggled in a loss to Beloit on Monday, but had given up just three earned runs in his previous five starts combined. Nearly two months in to his first full season of pro ball, Stewart talked about what he has found to be the toughest things to adjust to in professional baseball life. One, the adjustment to going to the ballpark every day either to play or work out between starts, is commonly mentioned by first-year pro ballplayers. “I think that’s kind of a cliché that everybody says, ‘you’re not used to playing every day,’ and you hear that so much, but it’s true,” said Stewart. “I think that most of us guys that haven’t played a full year are still kind of getting used to this kind of animal of 140 games in a season. “I think definitely that’s been the hardest thing for me. And then being away from my home. There’s some days I’ve just wanted to pick up my stuff and go home. I think every kid goes through that. “I mean, I haven’t had a freshman year of college yet, so I didn’t get to experience that kind of homesick feeling first. But I’m learning. I’m learning how to be a professional, to come every day and figure out that I’ve got a job to do.” The other challenging adjustment is probably a bit more unique to a pitcher in Stewart's rather unique situation as a multi-sport star in high school. “Going in to the season, I hadn’t thrown a lot of innings,” explained Stewart. “I threw in high school seasons but football kind of kept me from (throwing after the season). “I think I underestimated the amount of throwing that I’m going to be doing. But I think that everybody probably goes through that, even coming out of college. I think the two bullpens between every start (a byproduct of the Kernels' six-man rotation). I've never been used to that. Or throwing a bullpen the second day after you pitch, that was a new animal for me. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stewart3-430x600.jpg Kohl Stewart “I think that going in to a couple of starts, I felt like my arm was dead. I think that my arm was learning how to adjust to that feeling and I think that now my arm is starting to build on it. I think that now my arm is getting stronger and I’m kind of building back up to that strength that I was at. “I think that those two things were probably the toughest for me, but I think that as time goes on, I’m getting more used to it every day, so I think I’m doing alright.” As a result of Stewart's limited work in high school, he and the Twins clearly had a plan for Stewart to follow heading in to the season. Not only pitch count limits and innings limits, which are commonplace for teenage pitching prospects, but also plans that focus on learning his craft. Stewart explained the plan and assessed his progress so far. “I’ve definitely had some good starts and I’ve had some bad starts. I think going in to the season, they hammered some things into my head that they want me to get done, such as fastball command. They want me to pound the zone. They want me to be efficient. They want me to pitch. They don’t want me throwing a lot of pitches. There’s a pitch count on me for a reason. They want me to be able to go as deep as I can in to games without running my pitch count up. “One thing that they really want me to do is fastball command. They don’t want me to get behind in counts and then have to work from behind. So, I think that focusing on that stuff with Ivan (Kernels pitching coach Ivan Arteaga) and our catchers, I think that’s really helped me a lot. “So I think that getting these innings in and learning to get the change-up over. I hadn’t thrown very many change-ups and my change-up now is something that I go to a lot against lefties. And really, just getting ground balls and keeping the ball out of the air. I think I lived up in the zone in high school because I could. I used to just throw the ball as hard as I could and that’s not really pitching. I’ve had to learn to command the zone and not feel like I have to overpower everybody. "Going in to the season, I’m trying to build on every start, but I think that the approach that I have right now that Ivan and Jake (manager Jake Mauer) and I have gone over, I think that the plan we have going in to every start is pretty good. I think that I like where things are headed, but I think that I have a lot of work to do.” College football season doesn't start for a couple of months, but Texas A&M and every other major program recently wrapped up their spring practices. Did that give Stewart an itch to get on the practice field and throw the football around? “I didn’t have time for it,” replied the pitcher. “I was so busy figuring out what I was doing and stuff, just trying to get better.” Not that football is forever banished from his mind, of course. “Whenever I watch them on TV, I always get that itch,” admitted Stewart, “but I think everybody kind of enjoys watching those things on TV. I think when I go to the games, I feel like I’m there kind of part of the team. There’s always going to be a part of me that’s there. There’s always going to be that closeness that I have with those guys that are in that class. “But they know that I’m doing what I love and I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.” ********** The Kernels return home to Cedar Rapids after Tuesday's matinee series finale in Beloit. They'll be home for six games (three vs Wisconsin and three vs Burlington). Friday night, May 30, is another special jersey promotion. It's "Star Wars" night with white/black "storm trooper" themed jerseys that will be auctioned off via silent auction with proceeds going to a charity. The first 1,000 fans through the gates Friday also get a free Star Wars t-shirt. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Star_Wars_Jersey_Promo-150x126.jpgKernels Star Wars Jersey http://knuckleballsb...omo-150x126.jpgStar Wars t-shirt giveaway (All photos: SD Buhr/Knuckleballsblog.com; jersey/t-shirt images: Kernels.com) Click here to view the article

Agree it's premature to assume he'll be shut down. Text I got from Arteaga yesterday said "we'll continue to monitor his progress in the next few days." Obviously had to do something to get SP help without him though. They had been going with a 5 man rotation (rather than their usual 6) since Mildren was promoted a few weeks ago and there really weren't any bullpen arms stretched out to go 4-5 innings.

Yeah guessing it will be a week before we get to see him. Assuming he'll start a game in Dayton over the weekend. My recollection is that his fastball was his bread and butter, is that correct? Even at low-A it's not easy to rely on your fastball as a strikeout pitch if you can't throw it 100 mph and even Burdi is getting a lot of his Ks on his slider. It has been interesting to see several pitchers show glimpses of real talent, but not much that shouts "future front of the rotation starter." Makes you anxious to see which, if any, will be capable of taking things up a notch or two next year like Berrios has this season.

The Kernels were playing 1 man short with their roster after Alex Muren was promoted a few days ago and not immediately replaced. Gonsalves and Josue Montanez both have joined the Kernels with Stewart going on the 7-day DL, putting them back up to 25.

If Polanco is successful in his time in Minnesota, how will people here tolerate making Buxton spend time in AA before being handed the CF job with the Twins?

Good to know that while I'm driving up to Minneapolis tomorrow morning, I won't be missing anything here

There is absolutely no doubt that the Twins had draft failures in the 00's and those were certainly compounded by the fact that they were picking low due to their on-field success and could ill afford to miss with the picks once they did go on the clock. This played a significant roll in their pipeline drying up just at the time when they needed it to maintain competitiveness. No argument on that at all. The 3 first round picks you refer to absolutely drive up their farm ranking, but wasn't the Twins farm club already ranked as one of best in baseball last offseason? That would have been with Stewart personally ranked below his current level and before Gordon was even selected. Just seems like the evaluators had a pretty high opinion of the system already and those two guys showing early promise this year just strengthened an already-well thought of system.

Um, Jorge. Don't unpack. You're going to Minnesota.

I don't know why a discussion of the relative ranking of an organization's farm system should have to take in to account an "inevitable bust rate," unless you think for some reason that said bust rate will be higher for the Twins than it will be for the other 29 organizations. Sure there will be busts, but if you assume there will be busts in other organizations, too, it leaves the rankings unchanged. All teams will have busts. The Twins and others who currently have strong, deep, pools of talent can afford that attrition more so than mediocre to poor systems can, I would argue.

I feel like I'm doing this in comment sections far too often lately, but I'm going to do it again. There's a legitimate point being made here, but credibility suffers when you stretch the facts. The Twins have built a highly respected farm system with the help of some draft position, but they have NOT had "top 5 draft picks year after year for 4 years." They've had top end picks for only the past 3 years. Next draft COULD be the 4th, but it's a bit early to say it will be a top 5 and, regardless, their current farm system rankings do not take in to account whoever they may draft next June. Much of the reason the farm system is good is due to some international FA signings, trades and good draft picks beyond the 1st round (meaning all other teams passed on those guys at least once before the Twins chose them). To claim it's anything close to easy to build a top-tier farm system just because you have had 3 top 5 picks is conveniently not giving any credit whatsoever to the people whose hard work went in to gathering much of that talent. And as for Nick's complaint that no outside blood has been added, I think that's ignoring the clear increased voice a guy like Jack Goin has had in the FO. On the field, I think it's a pretty good stretch to say Terry Steinbach was an "insider" just because he played a couple years with the Twins 15 years ago. For that matter, do we really think Tom Brunansky didn't pick up ANY outside thoughts in the 20+ years he spent away from the Twins organization before behing hired as a minor league hitting coach? I'm sorry, but I simply reject the philosophy that anyone who, at any time in the past, had any connection to the Twins is incapable of providing new ideas.

Nice call, Seth. Brice Zimmerman‏@ZimMiracleBefore heading out on four-game trip to Tampa, Miracle have a few roster moves. Levi Michael comes over from GCL. Jorge Polanco to AA.

I will agree with this. But I also agree with jorgenswest that a year from now, the "average age" thing at the big league level is likely to look very different. Top MiLB talent tends to arrive at different times for each team. Those that have several guys promoted this year may have few the next couple years while the Twins' top players come up. It doesn't mean the teams that saw their guys arrive first are necessarily better or worse off. The pace at which each individual player develops his game to the point where he can be successful in the big leagues just varies a lot, I think, from guy to guy. Yes, the premier prospects will most likely be drafted out of HS or signed via international FA at 16 and arrive by the time they're 22ish if they remain injury free. Yes, the Twins have had few (if any) of those since Joe Mauer. Yes, their top pitching prospects (at least in terms of near-future arrival in Minn) were college pitchers, acquired in trades, and have had some developmental/injury hiccups. Guess I just don't care if they'll be 25+ when they arrive or not. Just pretty glad someone noticed there was a need to add those arms and made the deals necessary to get them. Really would not want to go in to another offseason feeling like the Twins needed to add 3 more FAs to fill out their rotation again.

I dunno, but it seems to me like all the "no MLB talent under 25" stuff is just a re-hashing of what we all already knew - that the Twins had some very unproductive drafts for a stretch. They were drafting late in the first round and missed with some guys, compounding the problem, and did little-to-nothing to compensate for it in the free agent pitching market. Not much debate about that, really. But to bring it all back up in a slightly different guise like "no under 25 MLB talent," in a thread topic focused on the organization's farm system ranking, feels a bit like just trying to turn a positive point in to another discussion critical of the FO based on the same failures that have been pointed out and conceded elsewhere.

Picking nits, perhaps, but while your overall point may be the same, you seem to be taking some liberties with the math to make that point. Christensen turns 24 this fall (in October). How does that make him 25 while at A+ level next year? He'd be 24 all of the 2015 season and turn 25 that fall, not 26. In the end, given that Christensen, while having an excellent year, isn't a guy found on any Twins "top prospects" list, if he's 26 (or even, as you projected using the faulty math, 27) years old when he reaches the big leagues, is that so terrible? What's the average age of a 25th round draft choice position player when he reaches the big leagues? Expecting most of your college age draftees to reach the majors by 25 is just unrealistic, imo.

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php/3263-Alex-Swim-Swinging-a-Hot-Bat-for-the-Kernels