Steven Buhr

I'm not sure we'll know with any level of certainty what the repercussions will be until the Twins announce managerial/coaching assignments for 2014.

After dipping a bit for a half dozen games or so, Beresford seems back in form again, hitting .316 over his last five games (and that includes an 0-3 night last night). On Sunday, his second inning RBI single drove in the only run of the Red Wings' 1-0 win. Beresford had a pair of hits both Friday and Saturday. For the season, across his time in AA and AAA, Beresford has a slash line of .304/.365/.340/.705 with 33 RBI and 9 stolen bases, without being caught stealing all year.

CR reporters are probably not the best sources of information concerning Boer's August. We've only seen him on the mound twice this month in Cedar Rapids and those were far from his best outings. He gave up a run on three hits in each home appearance. He's done much better in his five August road appearances. Boer has generally been a very good addition to the back end of the Kernels' bullpen. He and Brian Gilbert have pretty much replaced Steve Gruver and Tyler Jones after the latter pair got promoted. Boer throws hard and throws strikes. He has not, that I recall, been in the "upper 90s" with his fastball, however. Mid 90s might be fair.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2242-Jake-Mauer-has-Kernels-Focused-on-Postseason

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. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HarrisonMauerPregame.jpg Travis Harrison and Manager Jake Mauer 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. 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. “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. 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.

Sulbaran's night was better than his line would make it appear. Some of those runs came across after he should have been out of the 3rd inning. A high pop fly behind 1st base dropped for a "double" when Polanco misjudged it and Walker was just a hair late with his sliding attempt to rescue the situation. Would have been the 3rd out, but instead a run scored and then the next guy had a legit double that drove in another run. Both Jake Mauer and Gary Lucas said after the game that they liked what they saw of the 19-year old and they think he'll be fine now that he's gotten the first game with a new team jitters out of the way. Personally, I liked his breaking ball. He was able to throw it for strikes and I liked that he would throw it at the back door to RH hitters.

There's nothing tired about Melotakis' arm, in my view. He is simply approaching his designated inning limit, based on how many he threw last year. Keep in mind what we've pointed out before here, the CR stadium speed gun is 1 1/2 to 2 mph slow, so when you see him registering 91 or 92 on the board, which he did last night, he's actually throwing 93-94. The best thing about Melotakis might have been the nasty breaking balls he threw to get the last 2 Ks, both against RH hitters. He hasn't had that kind of breaking ball throughout the whole season. I think people get a little too caught up in what role pitchers are playing at Class A. No telling what Melotakis will be by the time he's considered Major League ready, but spending a season throwing over 100 innings while working on secondary pitches is only going to make him better at whatever his eventual role might be. It beats spending the whole season doing nothing but throwing a fastball out of the pen, which wouldn't really improve him at all IMO.

Atherton really was impressive. He threw fastballs in the low 90s and a big old slow curve at about 66 and he threw both for strikes, as well as a cutter and changeup somewhere in between. 72 out of his 87 pitches were strikes. Then just for good measure, Mason Melotakis came in to pitch the 9th and struck out the top 3 hitters in the Snappers' order. Between the two guys, they retired the last 19 batters Beloit sent to the plate.

Jim Ecker of MetroSportsReport.com interviewed Twins GM Terry Ryan earlier this week while Ryan was in Cedar Rapids watching the Kernels. In tonight's article, Ryan talks about Kernels manager Jake Mauer. Why he was moved from the Miracle to the Kernels, how he was viewed as a player during his playing days, etc. Ryan also responded to a question concerning whether Mauer could be considered a possible future manager for the parent Twins. "Why not?," said Ryan. "He's got a good work ethic. He runs a good ship. He's got discipline. His players play the game the right way. He handles media quite well." Ryan offered more, of course. To read the entire article, click here.

Brett Lee has been reactivated from the Kernels' DL and will start tonight in Beloit. Mike Gonzales went on the DL to make room for Lee. Mason Melotakis is not listed among the starting pitchers for the next run through the pitching rotation (6 games). Obviously, they're pulling back on the innings for guys like Lee and Melotakis. I'm sure they'd still like to have a start or two left in their allotment for the season when the playoffs roll around.

I was just about to start a new thread about the Blue Moon ad, but I see it's been brought up in this thread.

I don't know if it's just the long season wearing on young guys who have never had to play 140 games before or the fact that they've already got a playoff spot nailed down and they just aren't as motivated as their opponents, but the Kernels have just been flat for several games now. Last night, in the top of the ninth, QC had runners at the corners and 1 out and Gilbert got himself a picture-perfect DP ball to end the inning. But Goodrum and Polanco both appeared to lose track of the outs. Goodrum just flipped the ball to Polanco at 2nd for the force and they both started jogging toward the dugout as the run scored. Not exactly the kind of thing you want guys doing 2 days after a closed-door meeting or with the organization's GM sitting behind home plate taking notes.

James had a good weekend (Fri-Sun) with the Red Wings, going 4 for 12 with a double, 2 walks (no strikeouts) and a stolen base. The Red Wings won 2 out of the 3 games. Beresford's BA is back up to .304 since his promotion to Rochester. Of note, I believe, is that his stat lines at Rochester are almost the same that he showed at New Britain prior to his promotion to AAA.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. Yes, it was after he swung through the pitch.

Yes, Jake Mauer was correct about the rule. The umpire called Harrison out for batter's interference after Harrison swung through the ball and made contact with the catcher as the runner was stealing 2nd. If Harrison had left the batters box and interfered with the catcher's throw, the call would have been correct. However, when the batter swings through the pitch and hits the catcher with his bat, it's just a strike and the runner is sent back to his original base. Ump blew the call.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2154-Jonathan-Murphy-playing-a-big-role-in-Cedar-Rapids

A year ago, Jonathan Murphy was a 22-year old 19th round draft pick out of Jacksonville University just starting out his professional baseball career in the Minnesota Twins organization with the Twins’ complex-rookie level Gulf Coast League team in Fort Myers. Today, Murphy is the primary leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. It’s not at all unusual for a second-year professional player drafted out of college to be spending time with the Kernels, but Murphy, the younger brother of New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy, didn’t take the normal path to Cedar Rapids this season. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Murphy51.jpg Jonathan Murphy Murphy didn’t set the world on fire in his 52 games with the GCL Twins in 2012, hitting just .216 and reaching base at a .288 clip, so it’s probably safe to say that expectations for Murphy this season, based on last year’s results, were marginal, at best. Murphy started 2013 at extended spring training in Fort Myers while awaiting news of which affiliate he would be sent to begin his season. The rookie league team in Elizabethton TN seemed logical or perhaps Class A Cedar Rapids would need an outfielder when Murphy was deemed ready to get his year started. But neither place was where Murphy found himself assigned. Instead, the Class high-A Fort Myers Miracle ran in to a bit of bad luck with injuries and Murphy was dispatched across the parking lot from the back fields where the GCL Twins play to Hammond Stadium, home of the Miracle. “I was just in the right place at the right time. It had nothing to do with my own merit,” Murphy explained during an interview over the weekend. “It just had to do with (the Miracle) had a lot of injuries and I happened to be the oldest guy, I think, running around in (extended spring training) so they decided to ship me over there.” Regardless of the circumstances, Murphy valued the experience. “(Playing for the Miracle) was really a great opportunity for me. A great learning experience, too, just getting to go to a higher level like that and learn from some of those guys that have some experience and see what it’s like to be a professional, with this being my first (full) professional season.” Murphy indicated he definitely noticed the higher level of competition he’d been thrown in to. “The game was moving pretty fast, but it was exciting. It was a challenge and an opportunity for me and I was appreciative of the organization for it.” A few days after Twins top prospect Byron Buxton was promoted to Fort Myers, Murphy found himself assigned to the Kernels, essentially to replace Buxton in the Cedar Rapids outfield and, eventually, at the top of the Kernels’ batting order, as well. Was Murphy worried about replacing perhaps the top rated minor leaguer in America? “I was worried about him replacing me in Fort Myers,” Murphy responded, laughing. “No, Byron’s a great guy and an unbelievable player. He’s got more talent than I’ll ever imagine having. To try to compare myself to him wouldn’t be real fair. He’s a great player and I’m just going to try to play the best that I can.” Murphy certainly doesn’t see himself competing with Buxton. “Byron’s a Major League baseball player and I don’t think there’s a lot of doubt about that. He’s going to play in the Major Leagues. So, if I were to get caught up in trying to compare myself to him constantly, it would drive me crazy. “Basically, all I can do is show up every day and whoever is pitching that day, it’s my job to compete against him and do the best I can. If I can do that every day and compete and be successful, then maybe I’ll look up in a couple of years and find myself in the Major Leagues, too.” Murphy knows there’s no guarantee in his line of work, though. “Maybe (it will turn out) I’m not quite good enough. But all I can do is come out here and compete every day and as far as I’m concerned the pressure is taken off me. I have a job to do every day and however good I am and how much talent I have will dictate where I go as long as I put the effort forth.” While not competing with Buxton, Murphy has filled in well for the departed star. Through the past weekend, Murphy was hitting .311 in his 23 games for the Kernels and had put up a .398 on-base percentage, while showing good range in the outfield. So, after spending a couple of weeks facing the Class high-A pitching, apparently Murphy is finding Midwest League pitchers relatively easy to hit off, right? That question pulls a laugh from Murphy. “Not at all! You must not have come to many of the games! Oh, my goodness, no. There are still plenty of talented arms and talented pitchers. It’s been exciting, though, to have the opportunity to come here and get to play every day.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Murphy1.jpg Jonathan Murphy goes through pregame baserunning drills as Jorge Polanco and Niko Goodrum wait their turns Murphy’s got one advantage that most minor league ballplayers don’t: an older brother who has already made it to the big leagues. Daniel Murphy is in his fifth season with the Mets and the two brothers are close. “We encourage one another,” Murphy said. “We send each other texts. He had a day game yesterday and he had a real good day. I think he had like three or four hits. I (texted), ‘I think you win today, I don’t think I’m going to be able to match that.’ “Sometimes whenever we’re both going well, we’ll try to encourage one another like, ‘hey, you got two today, I’ll try to join the party,’” Murphy added. “Then when we’re struggling, it’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and he’s always there for me when I need him. It’s a great tool and resource to have for baseball and for life. He’s just been a good role model for me.” Asked what he likes to do away from the ballpark, Murphy gave an answer quite different than most ballplayers do. “I just got engaged, so that takes up a lot of my free time, in a good way. We’ve been doing some wedding planning.” Murphy and his fiancé chose October 12 for their wedding. “Right after the season. Hopefully, the Mets won’t be in the World Series. I think we’ll be OK there.” Picking that date was a little dicey with a brother playing Major League Baseball, where mid-October is right in the middle of the postseason. The Mets, however, are having just about as much success this season as the Twins are, which is to say, not much success at all. The timing was questioned by at least one member of Murphy’s family, however. “My dad sent me a text, ‘What if the Mets are in the World Series?’ I said, ‘I think this year we’ll be OK dad.’” Murphy then smiled and almost mumbled, “I might catch some heat for that one.” But Murphy is clearly looking forward to the event as the culmination of an exciting year. “My family will be there, we’re going to have a nice small wedding. I’m really looking forward to it and excited that God’s really blessing both of us and it’s been an exciting time in my life. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Murphy8.jpg Jonathan Murphy “Getting to come out (to the ballpark) and do something I love every day and now I’ve found a wife I’m going to get to spend the rest of my life with. So, I’ve really been blessed here in the last few months.” Kernels players who have spent prior years playing at lower levels in the organization or at Beloit during the last season or two of the Twins affiliation with the Snappers have expressed their enthusiasm for the facilities and environment in Cedar Rapids. Murphy, however, has a different perspective, having arrived in town after playing at the next level up in the organization. The Fort Myers Miracle, after all, play their home games at Hammond Stadium, the spring training home of the parent Twins. That said, Murphy’s assessment of the environment in Cedar Rapids is much the same as those who’ve moved up the ladder to reach the Kernels. “It’s unbelievable. Fort Myers was good and it was exciting, but as far as crowds go and the fans, they’re way better here. Just numbers-wise and they seem to care a lot more,” said Murphy. “When I go around town and I run in to someone and I say, ‘I play for the Kernels,’ almost every single person has said, ‘Oh, yeah, I went to a game last week,’ or ‘I love going to the Kernels games every once in a while.’” Murphy indicated that was not necessarily the case in Fort Myers. “It’s definitely more of a community here. It’s been enjoyable and the fans really care a lot. It makes it a lot of fun to play in front of them. They’re passionate.”

A year ago, Jonathan Murphy was a 22-year old 19th round draft pick out of Jacksonville University just starting out his professional baseball career in the Minnesota Twins organization with the Twins’ complex-rookie level Gulf Coast League team in Fort Myers. Today, Murphy is the primary leadoff hitter and centerfielder for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. It’s not at all unusual for a second-year professional player drafted out of college to be spending time with the Kernels, but Murphy, the younger brother of New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy, didn’t take the normal path to Cedar Rapids this season. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Murphy51.jpg Jonathan Murphy Murphy didn’t set the world on fire in his 52 games with the GCL Twins in 2012, hitting just .216 and reaching base at a .288 clip, so it’s probably safe to say that expectations for Murphy this season, based on last year’s results, were marginal, at best. Murphy started 2013 at extended spring training in Fort Myers while awaiting news of which affiliate he would be sent to begin his season. The rookie league team in Elizabethton TN seemed logical or perhaps Class A Cedar Rapids would need an outfielder when Murphy was deemed ready to get his year started. But neither place was where Murphy found himself assigned. Instead, the Class high-A Fort Myers Miracle ran in to a bit of bad luck with injuries and Murphy was dispatched across the parking lot from the back fields where the GCL Twins play to Hammond Stadium, home of the Miracle. “I was just in the right place at the right time. It had nothing to do with my own merit,” Murphy explained during an interview over the weekend. “It just had to do with (the Miracle) had a lot of injuries and I happened to be the oldest guy, I think, running around in (extended spring training) so they decided to ship me over there.” Regardless of the circumstances, Murphy valued the experience. “(Playing for the Miracle) was really a great opportunity for me. A great learning experience, too, just getting to go to a higher level like that and learn from some of those guys that have some experience and see what it’s like to be a professional, with this being my first (full) professional season.” Murphy indicated he definitely noticed the higher level of competition he’d been thrown in to. “The game was moving pretty fast, but it was exciting. It was a challenge and an opportunity for me and I was appreciative of the organization for it.” A few days after Twins top prospect Byron Buxton was promoted to Fort Myers, Murphy found himself assigned to the Kernels, essentially to replace Buxton in the Cedar Rapids outfield and, eventually, at the top of the Kernels’ batting order, as well. Was Murphy worried about replacing perhaps the top rated minor leaguer in America? “I was worried about him replacing me in Fort Myers,” Murphy responded, laughing. “No, Byron’s a great guy and an unbelievable player. He’s got more talent than I’ll ever imagine having. To try to compare myself to him wouldn’t be real fair. He’s a great player and I’m just going to try to play the best that I can.” Murphy certainly doesn’t see himself competing with Buxton. “Byron’s a Major League baseball player and I don’t think there’s a lot of doubt about that. He’s going to play in the Major Leagues. So, if I were to get caught up in trying to compare myself to him constantly, it would drive me crazy. “Basically, all I can do is show up every day and whoever is pitching that day, it’s my job to compete against him and do the best I can. If I can do that every day and compete and be successful, then maybe I’ll look up in a couple of years and find myself in the Major Leagues, too.” Murphy knows there’s no guarantee in his line of work, though. “Maybe (it will turn out) I’m not quite good enough. But all I can do is come out here and compete every day and as far as I’m concerned the pressure is taken off me. I have a job to do every day and however good I am and how much talent I have will dictate where I go as long as I put the effort forth.” While not competing with Buxton, Murphy has filled in well for the departed star. Through the past weekend, Murphy was hitting .311 in his 23 games for the Kernels and had put up a .398 on-base percentage, while showing good range in the outfield. So, after spending a couple of weeks facing the Class high-A pitching, apparently Murphy is finding Midwest League pitchers relatively easy to hit off, right? That question pulls a laugh from Murphy. “Not at all! You must not have come to many of the games! Oh, my goodness, no. There are still plenty of talented arms and talented pitchers. It’s been exciting, though, to have the opportunity to come here and get to play every day.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Murphy1.jpg Jonathan Murphy goes through pregame baserunning drills as Jorge Polanco and Niko Goodrum wait their turns Murphy’s got one advantage that most minor league ballplayers don’t: an older brother who has already made it to the big leagues. Daniel Murphy is in his fifth season with the Mets and the two brothers are close. “We encourage one another,” Murphy said. “We send each other texts. He had a day game yesterday and he had a real good day. I think he had like three or four hits. I (texted), ‘I think you win today, I don’t think I’m going to be able to match that.’ “Sometimes whenever we’re both going well, we’ll try to encourage one another like, ‘hey, you got two today, I’ll try to join the party,’” Murphy added. “Then when we’re struggling, it’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and he’s always there for me when I need him. It’s a great tool and resource to have for baseball and for life. He’s just been a good role model for me.” Asked what he likes to do away from the ballpark, Murphy gave an answer quite different than most ballplayers do. “I just got engaged, so that takes up a lot of my free time, in a good way. We’ve been doing some wedding planning.” Murphy and his fiancé chose October 12 for their wedding. “Right after the season. Hopefully, the Mets won’t be in the World Series. I think we’ll be OK there.” Picking that date was a little dicey with a brother playing Major League Baseball, where mid-October is right in the middle of the postseason. The Mets, however, are having just about as much success this season as the Twins are, which is to say, not much success at all. The timing was questioned by at least one member of Murphy’s family, however. “My dad sent me a text, ‘What if the Mets are in the World Series?’ I said, ‘I think this year we’ll be OK dad.’” Murphy then smiled and almost mumbled, “I might catch some heat for that one.” But Murphy is clearly looking forward to the event as the culmination of an exciting year. “My family will be there, we’re going to have a nice small wedding. I’m really looking forward to it and excited that God’s really blessing both of us and it’s been an exciting time in my life. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Murphy8.jpg Jonathan Murphy “Getting to come out (to the ballpark) and do something I love every day and now I’ve found a wife I’m going to get to spend the rest of my life with. So, I’ve really been blessed here in the last few months.” Kernels players who have spent prior years playing at lower levels in the organization or at Beloit during the last season or two of the Twins affiliation with the Snappers have expressed their enthusiasm for the facilities and environment in Cedar Rapids. Murphy, however, has a different perspective, having arrived in town after playing at the next level up in the organization. The Fort Myers Miracle, after all, play their home games at Hammond Stadium, the spring training home of the parent Twins. That said, Murphy’s assessment of the environment in Cedar Rapids is much the same as those who’ve moved up the ladder to reach the Kernels. “It’s unbelievable. Fort Myers was good and it was exciting, but as far as crowds go and the fans, they’re way better here. Just numbers-wise and they seem to care a lot more,” said Murphy. “When I go around town and I run in to someone and I say, ‘I play for the Kernels,’ almost every single person has said, ‘Oh, yeah, I went to a game last week,’ or ‘I love going to the Kernels games every once in a while.’” Murphy indicated that was not necessarily the case in Fort Myers. “It’s definitely more of a community here. It’s been enjoyable and the fans really care a lot. It makes it a lot of fun to play in front of them. They’re passionate.”

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2138-Twins-Weekend-in-Cedar-Rapids

Celebrating the affiliation agreement with the Minnesota Twins has been pretty much an “all season long” thing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and their fans, but this weekend was the official Twins Weekend event in Cedar Rapids. Guests of honor have included all-time Twins great Tony Oliva, Twins organist Sue Nelson and mascot TC Bear. All three made appearances at the Kernels’ game with visiting Peoria on Friday night. Oliva signed autographs for a long line of fans before the game, Nelson treated fans to her talents on an electric organ during the game and TC teamed with Kernels mascot Mr. Shucks to entertain fans throughout the game. (This article was originally posted on Knuckleballsblog.com) On Saturday morning, all three joined several Kernels players and coaches, along with over 100 fans, for a breakfast event benefiting the Cedar Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau. As a fan who grew up in Minnesota in the 1960s watching Oliva play ball for the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium, I have to say it was a really big deal to me to have an opportunity to interview Oliva along with other local media Friday evening during the Kernels game. It was even a bigger deal to find myself alone with Oliva in the pressbox for several minutes a short while after the formal media intervew and having the opportunity to just watch a ballgame and talk about a number of the young Twins prospects with Oliva. On Saturday morning, during his remarks at the breakfast and in a “Q & A” session, Oliva shared a number of observations and anecdotes with the crowd. If you’re interested in reading some of Oliva’s comments to the media from Friday night, click here to read my story for Metro Sports Report, which include Oliva’s thoughts on the current Major Leaguers from his native Cuba. Cedar Rapids Gazette reporter Jeff Johnson also has a story focusing on Oliva’s comments concerning PED usage in baseball. Here are a few photos I took from the weekend’s events. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/OlivaAuto-600x399.jpg Tony Oliva patiently signed autographs for about an hour before the game http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SueNelson.jpg Twins organist Sue Nelson http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/TCBear2.jpg TC Bear entertained fans and posed for pictures http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/OlivaMedia.jpg Tony Oliva met with local media on Friday during the Kernels game http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/BreakfastLee.jpg Kernels pitcher and Twins prospect Brett Lee answers a question during the breakfast event Saturday morning as Niko Goodrum, Adam Brett Walker, Kernels broadcaster Morgan Hawk, Tony Oliva, Jake Mauer and Tommy Watkins look on. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/OlivaBreakfast.jpg Tony Oliva speaking to fans at the Breakfast event Saturday http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/BreakfastWalker.jpg Kernels outfielder and Twins prospect Adam Brett Walker answers fan questions during Saturday’s breakfast http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Breakfast3.jpg From left to right: Mike Gonzales, Dallas Gallant, Morgan Hawk (standing), Niko Goodrum, Brett Lee, Adam Brett Walker, Tony Oliva, Jake Mauer and Tommy Watkins

Celebrating the affiliation agreement with the Minnesota Twins has been pretty much an “all season long” thing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and their fans, but this weekend was the official Twins Weekend event in Cedar Rapids. Guests of honor have included all-time Twins great Tony Oliva, Twins organist Sue Nelson and mascot TC Bear. All three made appearances at the Kernels’ game with visiting Peoria on Friday night. Oliva signed autographs for a long line of fans before the game, Nelson treated fans to her talents on an electric organ during the game and TC teamed with Kernels mascot Mr. Shucks to entertain fans throughout the game. (This article was originally posted on Knuckleballsblog.com) On Saturday morning, all three joined several Kernels players and coaches, along with over 100 fans, for a breakfast event benefiting the Cedar Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau. As a fan who grew up in Minnesota in the 1960s watching Oliva play ball for the Twins at Metropolitan Stadium, I have to say it was a really big deal to me to have an opportunity to interview Oliva along with other local media Friday evening during the Kernels game. It was even a bigger deal to find myself alone with Oliva in the pressbox for several minutes a short while after the formal media intervew and having the opportunity to just watch a ballgame and talk about a number of the young Twins prospects with Oliva. On Saturday morning, during his remarks at the breakfast and in a “Q & A” session, Oliva shared a number of observations and anecdotes with the crowd. If you’re interested in reading some of Oliva’s comments to the media from Friday night, click here to read my story for Metro Sports Report, which include Oliva’s thoughts on the current Major Leaguers from his native Cuba. Cedar Rapids Gazette reporter Jeff Johnson also has a story focusing on Oliva’s comments concerning PED usage in baseball. Here are a few photos I took from the weekend’s events. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/OlivaAuto-600x399.jpg Tony Oliva patiently signed autographs for about an hour before the game http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SueNelson.jpg Twins organist Sue Nelson http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/TCBear2.jpg TC Bear entertained fans and posed for pictures http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/OlivaMedia.jpg Tony Oliva met with local media on Friday during the Kernels game http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/BreakfastLee.jpg Kernels pitcher and Twins prospect Brett Lee answers a question during the breakfast event Saturday morning as Niko Goodrum, Adam Brett Walker, Kernels broadcaster Morgan Hawk, Tony Oliva, Jake Mauer and Tommy Watkins look on. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/OlivaBreakfast.jpg Tony Oliva speaking to fans at the Breakfast event Saturday http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/BreakfastWalker.jpg Kernels outfielder and Twins prospect Adam Brett Walker answers fan questions during Saturday’s breakfast http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Breakfast3.jpg From left to right: Mike Gonzales, Dallas Gallant, Morgan Hawk (standing), Niko Goodrum, Brett Lee, Adam Brett Walker, Tony Oliva, Jake Mauer and Tommy Watkins

Just clicked around a bit. The Twins do have Latino coaches at both rookie levels. Henry Bonilla is the pitching coach at Elizabethton. Almost the entire GCL Twins staff (Rudy Hernandez, Ramon Borrega, Luis Ramirez, Riccardo Ingram, Ehren Wassermann) is Latino. (OK, maybe not Ehren so much). Pretty sure it was Hernandez that was hitting coach at NB a year ago. Obviously, the GCL team is where you need a lot of Latino coaches, given it's the first stop for so many Latin American players when they come to the States. But yes, absolutely, the Twins would benefit from more of that presence at all levels. Not that a lack of such is an excuse for blatant insubordination by a player.