Steven Buhr

Jed Bartlet of TD? Hardly! I think I'm more of the Donna Moss of TD. Not really a primary character and not really performing any kind of critical function, just on the fringes enough to make it almost seem like I am part of the group (and, of course, actually smarter than most of the main characters!)

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc. What, you didn't take Latin in school? That's no excuse for not knowing the English translation of that phrase. After all, it played a pivotal role in an episode of the Aaron Sorkin political drama, "The West Wing," only a couple of decades ago. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/LewisWatkins17-600x400.jpg Manager Tommy Watkins and Royce Lewis (photo by SD Buhr) Fine, since most of you still probably have no clue, I'll provide the translation. Loosely, it means, "After this, therefore because of this." The phrase refers to the generally inaccurate fallacy that just because a particular event occurred just prior to another event, the first event must have caused the second. Of course, that's not always true. In fact, it seldom is. So why am I telling you all of this here on a baseball blog? Because I want to talk to you about Royce Lewis and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Kernels qualified for the Midwest League Playoffs by finishing second in the league's Western Division standings during the first half of the season, which concluded in mid-June. \http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Diaz083017a-600x400.jpg Lewin Diaz (photo by SD Buhr) About that time, the parent Minnesota Twins started promoting many of the players that played key roles in the first half. Tom Hackimer, Andrew Vasquez, Jermaine Palacios, Jaylin Davis, Mitchell Kranson, Brandon Lopez, Sean Poppen and Alex Robinson all earned promotions between the end of May and early July. While Cedar Rapids still had a pretty talented core of position players and several effective pitchers, the promotions took a toll and the results on the field reflected that toll. The Kernels went 4-5 during second half games played in June and 13-15 in July games. They followed that up by winning just four of their first ten August games, averaging just three runs per game in those contests. They scored two or fewer runs in eight of those ten games, getting shutout in three of them. That left the Kernels with a 21-26 second-half record as they prepared to host Quad Cities for the third game in a four game home series on August 12. On that morning, the Twins announced that 2017's first-overall draft pick, Royce Lewis, was being promoted to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton. Lewis made his Kernels debut that evening. Since then, the Kernels have won 13 games and lost just five, as they prepare to head into the final few regular season games and get ready to host Kane County in game one of the first round of the playoffs on September 6. ]http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CordyMcGuffLombana17-600x400.jpg Bullpen arms Max Cordy, Patrick McGuff, Logan Lombana (photo by SD Buhr) In the first ten games of August, the Kernels averaged just three runs per game. Since August 12, they've averaged over five per game. In those first ten games this month, Kernels pitching and defense were combining to surrender 4.8 runs per game. Since then, they've been giving up just over three. So the Kernels' have clearly turned things around since Royce Lewis donned jersey number 30 for Cedar Rapids, but could he really be THE reason his team appears primed for the playoffs? Lewis has hit .339 since taking over the leadoff spot in the order on August 12 and he's made several impressive plays at shortstop, as well, so he's clearly ONE reason for the Kernels' recent success. But to assume he's the only reason would be inaccurate - and more than a little insulting to several of his teammates who have also dialed things up a few notches down the stretch, not to mention manager Tommy Watkins and his coaches. In fact, as well as Lewis has played, Lewin Diaz has arguably outperformed the newbie during the same stretch of games. Diaz, who has been strong all season, has hit .351 with an OPS north of .900 since Lewis' arrival. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Carrier082017a-600x400.jpg Shane Carrier (photo by SD Buhr) Travis Blankenhorn struggled at the plate in July, but he's popped a .947 OPS in August. He's hit .319 since August 12 and has hit five home runs in that same stretch. Shane Carrier was on the Kernels' roster out of spring training, but struggled and was ultimately sent back to extended spring training. Since rejoining Cedar Rapids a week before Lewis' arrival, he's hit .280, clubbed five home runs and racked up an .885 OPS. Shane Kennedy joined the Kernels on August 22 and has been getting on base at a .452 clip while putting up a .910 OPS. Jimmy Kerrigan has been about a .270 hitter with the Kernels, but he's hit .312 since August 12. Trey Cabbage and Ben Rortvedt each sport batting averages around .225. But since August 12, they've each been hitting about 45 points higher at .270 or so. The Kernels' rotation has been in a state of near-constant flux this month and has been hit particularly hard by promotions. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/DelRosario083017a-400x600.jpg Eduardo Del Rosario (photo by SD Buhr) Still, virtually every arm that manager Tommy Watkins and pitching coach J.P. Martinez have sent to the mound to start a game has at least given the team five solid innings before turning things over to what has been a consistently effective bullpen. Reliever Hector Lujan hasn't allowed an earned run in any of his eight appearances beginning August 8. Eduardo Del Rosario, who pitched well enough as a starter for the Kernels to earn a late-July promotion to Fort Myers, returned to Cedar Rapids August 15 as a bullpen arm and hasn't allowed an earned run in any of his five outings since. Maybe it's all a coincidence. Maybe, as they approached the final three weeks of a long season, these guys were all poised to ratchet their games up a notch or two as they headed toward the postseason. All we can say for certain is that Royce Lewis showed up on August 12 with his smile and his infectious energy... and he stroked base hits in each of his first four plate appearances that night. And since then, this has been a very different Kernels team on the field than what we were seeing up to that point during the season's second half. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/RortvedtLombana17-600x400.jpg Ben Rortvedt and Logan Lombana (Photo by SD Buhr) This team is clearly having fun and they are definitely winning a lot of baseball games. The first two rounds of the Midwest League playoffs are best two of three games, so advancing through those rounds is pretty much a crapshoot, but three weeks ago, not many people watching the Kernels on a regular basis would have given this team much of a chance to get through the initial round of the postseason. Whatever the reasons, that has changed. This is a team that now looks like a legitimate postseason contender and likely everyone in that clubhouse deserves a share of the credit. (This article originally was posted at Knuckleballsblog.com)

Heading into their four-game series with Midwest League Western Division leaders Kane County on Thursday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels were one game under .500, trailed the Cougars by two games in the standings and were tied for second place in their division. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com)After trouncing Kane County 11-2 in the series finale on Sunday to earn a split of the four-game series, Cedar Rapids was one game over .500 (at 9-8), trail the Cougars by two games in the standings and are tied for second place in their division. That sounds more mediocre than it was, in reality. Kane County, the MWL affiliate of the Diamondbacks, have some game and the rest of the division will be challenged to keep up with the Cougars if they continue playing at early-season levels, so getting that split was hard work. Still, it could have been better. The Kernels had a 3-2 lead heading to the ninth inning on Thursday, but gave up three runs to the Cougars in the ninth and fell 5-3. On Saturday, The teams were tied 3-3 headed to the final stanza, where Kane County scored the winning run. In fact, in five of their eight losses this season, Cedar Rapids has surrendered the winning run in their opponent's final inning at the plate. All those close losses don't have manager Tommy Watkins concerned, however. "The good thing is, after all those games, we responded afterwards," Watkins said on Saturday. "We’ve lost a couple of games in the ninth inning, but it happens. We’ve got a young team. We’re going to take some bumps and bruises, but I think things have been pretty good to start the season." In fact, Watkins said his team has pretty much performed at expected levels. "I didn’t have any concerns with either side of the ball. Pitching or hitting. Like I said at the beginning of the season, this is a fun team to watch up and down the lineup – pitching, defense, offense, running the bases. We’ve got some guys that can steal some bases. I really enjoy having these guys here." One player that's certainly been as much fun to watch as any position player in the league has been Jermaine Palacios. "Palacios has been swinging a hot bat and giving us a real boost at the leadoff spot," Watkins said, of his shortstop. "He’s being aggressive to balls in a zone." Indeed he is. The 20-year-old native of Venezuela is hitting .406 through Sunday and he hasn't been just slapping the ball, either. Palacios has three doubles, two triples and added his first home run of the season in Sunday's win over the Cougars. He's leading the MWL in batting average and his 1.012 OPS is ninth best in the league, but not good enough to lead his own team. That honor goes to Mitchell Kranson. His six doubles, one triple and two dingers have propelled him to a 1.045 OPS. By and large, the pitching staff has been solid, as well. There have been a couple of games where, as one Kernels pitcher told me, "none of us could miss a barrel." But those instances have been rare. Cedar Rapids continues their current homestand with a three game series against the Burlington Bees (Athletics) before traveling to Peoria (Cardinals) for four games with the Chiefs beginning Thursday. I'll wrap up with a couple dozen pictures from the games on Saturday and Sunday at Veterans Memorial Stadium, as well as the traditional Sunday post-game autograph session. (It appears I've exceeded Twins Daily's limit on photos below, so if you want to see them all, you may just need to pay Knuckleballsblog.com a visit.) http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Dinkelman2017a900-600x400.jpgHitting coach Brian Dinkelman tossing batting practicehttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CarliniMartinez900-600x400.jpgDomenick Carlini warms up under the watchful eyes of Kernels pitching coach JP Martinezhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DiazMonetsino2017b900-600x400.jpgLewin Diaz (48) and Ariel Montesino (21)http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Carlini2017a900-600x400.jpgDomenick Carlinihttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Vasquez2017a900-600x399.jpgAndrew Vasquezhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/KIranson1B2017900-600x400.jpgMitchell Kranson playing first base on Saturdayhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kranson2017a900-371x600.jpgMitchell Kranson took his turn behind the plate on Sundayhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Whitefield2017e900-600x400.jpgAaron Whitefield coming in low, and safely, to 3Bhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/VasquezCordyCDavis900-600x399.jpgAndrew Vasquez, Max Cordy and Colton Davis (L to R)http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/rORTVEDT2017A900-600x400.jpgBen Rortvedthttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/PalaciosMontesino900-600x401.jpgAriel Montesino (21) takes a toss from Jermaine Palacios (4) to turn a double play on Sundayhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Whitefield2017d900-600x399.jpgAaron Whitefieldhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DiazAuto900-600x400.jpgLewin Diaz signing an autograph on Sunday.http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Palacios2017HRa900-600x399.jpgJermaine Palacios got this ball out of the park on Sunday.http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Beeker2017c900-600x401.jpgClark Beekerhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Carrier2017b900-1-600x400.jpgShane Carrierhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CavenessAuto900-600x399.jpgChristian Cavaness signing an autograph after Sunday's game.http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Diaz2017a900-435x600.jpgLewin Diazhttp://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Lujan2017b900-600x398.jpgHector Lujanhttp://knuckleballsb...900-600x400.jpgClark Beeker with a pick-off move to first baseman Lewin Diazhttp://knuckleballsb...900-600x399.jpgJermaine Palacioshttp://knuckleballsb...900-600x399.jpgMitchell Kranson beats a throw into 3Bhttp://knuckleballsb...0-1-600x400.jpgBrandon Lopezhttp://knuckleballsb...900-600x401.jpgJaylin Davis scoring as Kane County catcher can't handle a throw from the outfield.http://knuckleballsb...900-600x400.jpgCaleb Hamilton launching a home run on Sundayhttp://knuckleballsb...900-600x399.jpgChristian Cavenesshttp://knuckleballsb...900-600x401.jpgTravis Blankenhorn (7) and Aaron Whitefield signing autographs.http://knuckleballsb...0-1-600x400.jpgJaylin Davis Click here to view the article

Heading into their four-game series with Midwest League Western Division leaders Kane County on Thursday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels were one game under .500, trailed the Cougars by two games in the standings and were tied for second place in their division. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) After trouncing Kane County 11-2 in the series finale on Sunday to earn a split of the four-game series, Cedar Rapids was one game over .500 (at 9-8), trail the Cougars by two games in the standings and are tied for second place in their division. That sounds more mediocre than it was, in reality. Kane County, the MWL affiliate of the Diamondbacks, have some game and the rest of the division will be challenged to keep up with the Cougars if they continue playing at early-season levels, so getting that split was hard work. Still, it could have been better. The Kernels had a 3-2 lead heading to the ninth inning on Thursday, but gave up three runs to the Cougars in the ninth and fell 5-3. On Saturday, The teams were tied 3-3 headed to the final stanza, where Kane County scored the winning run. In fact, in five of their eight losses this season, Cedar Rapids has surrendered the winning run in their opponent's final inning at the plate. All those close losses don't have manager Tommy Watkins concerned, however. "The good thing is, after all those games, we responded afterwards," Watkins said on Saturday. "We’ve lost a couple of games in the ninth inning, but it happens. We’ve got a young team. We’re going to take some bumps and bruises, but I think things have been pretty good to start the season." In fact, Watkins said his team has pretty much performed at expected levels. "I didn’t have any concerns with either side of the ball. Pitching or hitting. Like I said at the beginning of the season, this is a fun team to watch up and down the lineup – pitching, defense, offense, running the bases. We’ve got some guys that can steal some bases. I really enjoy having these guys here." One player that's certainly been as much fun to watch as any position player in the league has been Jermaine Palacios. "Palacios has been swinging a hot bat and giving us a real boost at the leadoff spot," Watkins said, of his shortstop. "He’s being aggressive to balls in a zone." Indeed he is. The 20-year-old native of Venezuela is hitting .406 through Sunday and he hasn't been just slapping the ball, either. Palacios has three doubles, two triples and added his first home run of the season in Sunday's win over the Cougars. He's leading the MWL in batting average and his 1.012 OPS is ninth best in the league, but not good enough to lead his own team. That honor goes to Mitchell Kranson. His six doubles, one triple and two dingers have propelled him to a 1.045 OPS. By and large, the pitching staff has been solid, as well. There have been a couple of games where, as one Kernels pitcher told me, "none of us could miss a barrel." But those instances have been rare. Cedar Rapids continues their current homestand with a three game series against the Burlington Bees (Angels) before traveling to Peoria (Cardinals) for four games with the Chiefs beginning Thursday. I'll wrap up with a couple dozen pictures from the games on Saturday and Sunday at Veterans Memorial Stadium, as well as the traditional Sunday post-game autograph session. (It appears I've exceeded Twins Daily's limit on photos below, so if you want to see them all, you may just need to pay Knuckleballsblog.com a visit.) http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Watkins04202017a900-600x400.jpg Kernels manager Tommy Watkins hitting infield practice http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Dinkelman2017a900-600x400.jpg Hitting coach Brian Dinkelman tossing batting practice http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CarliniMartinez900-600x400.jpg Domenick Carlini warms up under the watchful eyes of Kernels pitching coach JP Martinez http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DiazMonetsino2017b900-600x400.jpg Lewin Diaz (48) and Ariel Montesino (21) http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Carlini2017a900-600x400.jpg Domenick Carlini http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Vasquez2017a900-600x399.jpg Andrew Vasquez http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/KIranson1B2017900-600x400.jpg Mitchell Kranson playing first base on Saturday http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kranson2017a900-371x600.jpg Mitchell Kranson took his turn behind the plate on Sunday http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Whitefield2017e900-600x400.jpg Aaron Whitefield coming in low, and safely, to 3B http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/VasquezCordyCDavis900-600x399.jpg Andrew Vasquez, Max Cordy and Colton Davis (L to R) http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/rORTVEDT2017A900-600x400.jpg Ben Rortvedt http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/PalaciosMontesino900-600x401.jpg Ariel Montesino (21) takes a toss from Jermaine Palacios (4) to turn a double play on Sunday http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Whitefield2017d900-600x399.jpg Aaron Whitefield http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DiazAuto900-600x400.jpg Lewin Diaz signing an autograph on Sunday. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Palacios2017HRa900-600x399.jpg Jermaine Palacios got this ball out of the park on Sunday. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Beeker2017c900-600x401.jpg Clark Beeker http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Carrier2017b900-1-600x400.jpg Shane Carrier http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CavenessAuto900-600x399.jpg Christian Cavaness signing an autograph after Sunday's game. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Diaz2017a900-435x600.jpg Lewin Diaz http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Lujan2017b900-600x398.jpg Hector Lujan http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BeekerDiaz2017a900-600x400.jpg Clark Beeker with a pick-off move to first baseman Lewin Diaz http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Palacios2017b900-600x399.jpg Jermaine Palacios http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Kranson2017c900-600x399.jpg Mitchell Kranson beats a throw into 3B http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Lopez2017a900-1-600x400.jpg Brandon Lopez http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Davis2017slide2900-600x401.jpg Jaylin Davis scoring as Kane County catcher can't handle a throw from the outfield. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Hamilton2017HRa900-600x400.jpg Caleb Hamilton launching a home run on Sunday http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Caveness2017a900-600x399.jpg Christian Caveness http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BlankenhornWhitefieldAuto900-600x401.jpg Travis Blankenhorn (7) and Aaron Whitefield signing autographs. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Davis2017b900-1-600x400.jpg Jaylin Davis

Thursday is Opening Day in the minor leagues. Tonight you can read the first Twins Daily Minor League Report, a daily update on how the Twins affiliates and prospects do each day. One of our long-time friends is Steve Buhr, a native of Cedar Rapids, who provides excellent content on the Kernels. He was at the Meet The Kernels event on Tuesday night at the ballpark and submitted the following story. But first, a quick reminder. If you live in the Twin Cities, Cedar Rapids is just over a four hour drive away. Going to Kernels games can be a lot of fun, and it's a chance for fans to see some future Twins a few years before they arrive. Head to Kernels.com, check the schedule and find a couple of weekends to head south.There were differing opinions concerning who won the dance contest held in the Kernels' clubhouse prior to "Meet the Kernels Night" in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, but the players and coaches who were brought in to talk to the media were in agreement on one thing. They all expect the 2017 Kernels season to be fun. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/KernlesFans2017-600x400.jpgKernels players meeting fans on "Meet the Kernels Night" in Cedar Rapids. (photo: SD Buhr)In fact, almost all of the players and coaches who endured media interrogation before moving on to the stadium concourse to meet the fans who showed up for the event used the word "fun" in at least one of their responses to media questions. (Article originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) That shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone who has spent time with the Kernels' new manager, Tommy Watkins. If you see Watkins at a ballpark without a smile on his face, snap a picture quick. It would be a rarity. Early during the media session, Watkins was asked what sort of mood he likes to see in his team's clubhouse. "Probably like a somber mood," Watkins deadpanned. "No, a lot of energy," he continued, after the laughter in the room faded. "We just had fun down in the clubhouse before we came up, so it was a lot of fun. Get the guys moving around a little bit. Everybody danced a little. I think we like to bring a lot of energy and like to have fun. Play the game the right way." His coaches, Brian Dinkelman and J.P. Martinez, claimed Tommy won the dance contest and Tommy claimed the two coaches had been the winners. Later, pitcher Sean Poppen would claim that he'd been the true winner. Whether or not there was an actual winner of that contest, there was no question that Watkins, his coaches and his players all are looking forward to having a fun season - and winning some baseball games along the way. "I’m excited about all of these guys," Watkins said of the players making up the first roster of his minor league managing career. "They were fun to watch in spring training. Good group of guys, they all got along well. Up and down the lineup I think you’ll see a lot of energy, you’ll see a lot of guys play the game hard. I think they’ll be fun to watch this year. Same thing from the pitching side. We’ve got guys who can throw it over. We’ve got guys that throw hard, got some off-speed stuff. From both sides of the ball, these guys will be fun to watch." While last year's opening day roster was composed largely of returning players from the 2015 Kernels roster, only eight of this year's group wore a Cedar Rapids jersey at some point last year. Most of the group, including many of the returning players, played together at Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, during a season that did not see the sort of success on the field that E-town fans have come to expect. Pitching coach J.P. Martinez said he things this group is hungry for success, as a result. "I think in Cedar Rapids, in particular, we’ve set the bar pretty high," Martinez said, recounting the success the Kernels have had, including making the playoffs in each of the four seasons since the inception of the affiliation agreement with the Twins. "I think (these players) are eager to prove that they belong at this level, maybe partly because they didn’t really have the success they wanted last year, but they're a really, really talented group. A really close-knit group and so we’re hoping that we can kind of steer them in the right direction. They are the future of the franchise." Brian Dinkelman, the hitting coach, also thinks there's a lot of potential in this group of Kernels. "Yeah, we’ve got some guys that can definitely swing the bat," he said of the hitters he'll be working with. "We've got a lot of young guys. We’ve got (Lewin) Diaz and (Jermaine) Palacios and (Ben) Rortvedt - guys that are still in their teens. But we’ve got some guys who can swing the bat and do some damage, so looking forward to the season. A lot of guys to work with. Hope we can develop them and move on to the next level. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017-Kernels-players-600x400.jpgBen Rortvedt, Sean Poppen and Travis Blankenhorn (photo: SD Buhr)One of the guys the hitting coach mentioned, Rortvedt, is among the players who will be getting their first taste of full-season professional experience this season in Cedar Rapids. "Wonderful. A bit of an upgrade with the stadium from Elizabethton and the Florida GCL," the Wisconsin native responded, when asked for his initial impressions."I played here growing up a couple of times and it was fantastic. I mean, it wasn’t full bleachers, but I’ve seen pictures of you guys filling up the stadium, so I’m really excited. "I played with a bunch of the guys last year and we’ve bonded pretty well, so it’s going to be a fun season." There's that word, "fun" again, along with another common theme of the day, team chemistry. Pitcher Sean Poppen and infielder/DH Travis Blankenhorn expressed similar expectations. "(Tommy) is great. I think he’s really going to develop team chemistry and that’s pretty important," Poppen said, of his manager. "We had Tommy in instructs (fall instructional league) and spring training," Blankenhorn added. "He just keeps the game fun. It’s fun to play for him. He keeps it fun for all of us. It makes baseball a lot better when you’re having fun." "Absolutely," Rortvedt agreed. "I didn’t know Tommy going into instructs and he came in already cracking jokes at me, so he’s definitely going to keep us loose in the dugout." Fun and chemistry are important, but Poppen doesn't think that's all Watkins brings to his team. "He’s a good coach. I’ve had some experiences with him that were very helpful and I feel like he’s going to help me - and help the team - get better." "I think we have a good team this year," Blankenhorn concluded. "I think we have a bunch of pitchers that are going to throw strikes and go out there and put some zeros on the board. I think we have some good sticks in our lineup that are going to put the ball in play and puts some runs up and hopefully we can win some games." Having fun and winning games. Sounds like a pretty good combination. Click here to view the article

There were differing opinions concerning who won the dance contest held in the Kernels' clubhouse prior to "Meet the Kernels Night" in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, but the players and coaches who were brought in to talk to the media were in agreement on one thing. They all expect the 2017 Kernels season to be fun. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/KernlesFans2017-600x400.jpg Kernels players meeting fans on "Meet the Kernels Night" in Cedar Rapids. (photo: SD Buhr) In fact, almost all of the players and coaches who endured media interrogation before moving on to the stadium concourse to meet the fans who showed up for the event used the word "fun" in at least one of their responses to media questions. (Article originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com.) That shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone who has spent time with the Kernels' new manager, Tommy Watkins. If you see Watkins at a ballpark without a smile on his face, snap a picture quick. It would be a rarity. Early during the media session, Watkins was asked what sort of mood he likes to see in his team's clubhouse. "Probably like a somber mood," Watkins deadpanned. "No, a lot of energy," he continued, after the laughter in the room faded. "We just had fun down in the clubhouse before we came up, so it was a lot of fun. Get the guys moving around a little bit. Everybody danced a little. I think we like to bring a lot of energy and like to have fun. Play the game the right way." His coaches, Brian Dinkelman and J.P. Martinez, claimed Tommy won the dance contest and Tommy claimed the two coaches had been the winners. Later, pitcher Sean Poppen would claim that he'd been the true winner. Whether or not there was an actual winner of that contest, there was no question that Watkins, his coaches and his players all are looking forward to having a fun season - and winning some baseball games along the way. "I’m excited about all of these guys," Watkins said of the players making up the first roster of his minor league managing career. "They were fun to watch in spring training. Good group of guys, they all got along well. Up and down the lineup I think you’ll see a lot of energy, you’ll see a lot of guys play the game hard. I think they’ll be fun to watch this year. Same thing from the pitching side. We’ve got guys who can throw it over. We’ve got guys that throw hard, got some off-speed stuff. From both sides of the ball, these guys will be fun to watch." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017-Kernels-coaches-600x400.jpg Hitting coach Brian Dinkelman, Manager Tommy Watkins and Pitching coach JP Martinez (photo: SD Buhr) While last year's opening day roster was composed largely of returning players from the 2015 Kernels roster, only eight of this year's group wore a Cedar Rapids jersey at some point last year. Most of the group, including many of the returning players, played together at Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, during a season that did not see the sort of success on the field that E-town fans have come to expect. Pitching coach J.P. Martinez said he things this group is hungry for success, as a result. "I think in Cedar Rapids, in particular, we’ve set the bar pretty high," Martinez said, recounting the success the Kernels have had, including making the playoffs in each of the four seasons since the inception of the affiliation agreement with the Twins. "I think (these players) are eager to prove that they belong at this level, maybe partly because they didn’t really have the success they wanted last year, but they're a really, really talented group. A really close-knit group and so we’re hoping that we can kind of steer them in the right direction. They are the future of the franchise." Brian Dinkelman, the hitting coach, also thinks there's a lot of potential in this group of Kernels. "Yeah, we’ve got some guys that can definitely swing the bat," he said of the hitters he'll be working with. "We've got a lot of young guys. We’ve got (Lewin) Diaz and (Jermaine) Palacios and (Ben) Rortvedt - guys that are still in their teens. But we’ve got some guys who can swing the bat and do some damage, so looking forward to the season. A lot of guys to work with. Hope we can develop them and move on to the next level. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2017-Kernels-players-600x400.jpg Ben Rortvedt, Sean Poppen and Travis Blankenhorn (photo: SD Buhr) One of the guys the hitting coach mentioned, Rortvedt, is among the players who will be getting their first taste of full-season professional experience this season in Cedar Rapids. "Wonderful. A bit of an upgrade with the stadium from Elizabethton and the Florida GCL," the Wisconsin native responded, when asked for his initial impressions."I played here growing up a couple of times and it was fantastic. I mean, it wasn’t full bleachers, but I’ve seen pictures of you guys filling up the stadium, so I’m really excited. "I played with a bunch of the guys last year and we’ve bonded pretty well, so it’s going to be a fun season." There's that word, "fun" again, along with another common theme of the day, team chemistry. Pitcher Sean Poppen and infielder/DH Travis Blankenhorn expressed similar expectations. "(Tommy) is great. I think he’s really going to develop team chemistry and that’s pretty important," Poppen said, of his manager. "We had Tommy in instructs (fall instructional league) and spring training," Blankenhorn added. "He just keeps the game fun. It’s fun to play for him. He keeps it fun for all of us. It makes baseball a lot better when you’re having fun." "Absolutely," Rortvedt agreed. "I didn’t know Tommy going into instructs and he came in already cracking jokes at me, so he’s definitely going to keep us loose in the dugout." Fun and chemistry are important, but Poppen doesn't think that's all Watkins brings to his team. "He’s a good coach. I’ve had some experiences with him that were very helpful and I feel like he’s going to help me - and help the team - get better." "I think we have a good team this year," Blankenhorn concluded. "I think we have a bunch of pitchers that are going to throw strikes and go out there and put some zeros on the board. I think we have some good sticks in our lineup that are going to put the ball in play and puts some runs up and hopefully we can win some games." Having fun and winning games. Sounds like a pretty good combination.

Thank you, all, for taking the time to read this article and contribute your thoughts. - Steve

With the 2017 Minnesota Twins season set to open up on Monday, it's finally time to try to predict what this team will do over the next 162 games. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) Looking at the Opening Day roster and comparing it to what we saw a year ago, making a prediction that doesn't have the Twins once again at least flirting with 100 losses takes a combination of considerable imagination and pure hope. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DSC_0834-2-600x400.jpg Twins GM That Levine (Photo by SD Buhr) A 103-loss team a year ago, it's pretty hard to see obvious reasons to project a significant improvement in that record. The primary change (in fact, perhaps the only significant change) in the organization came in the front office and, no matter what you think of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, the new Twins brass won't pitch or hit the team to more wins. This is a roster that cried out for pitching upgrades and I defy anyone to look at the Opening Day pitching staff and point out where significant improvement is going to come from. The decision-makers have determined that manager Paul Molitor will have 13 pitchers to choose from. I don't think volume is going to automatically make the staff better, though. What this roster does have, thanks to the extra pitching being carried, is a total lack of offense available off the bench. When Molitor looks down his bench for a pinch hitter, he's going to be looking at Chris Gimenez, Eduardo Escobar and Danny Santana. The only way he'll see a viable pinch hitter in that dugout is if he has started Escobar at shortstop, leaving Jorge Polanco available. Gimenez, the backup catcher, is also supposedly the backup first baseman behind Joe Mauer. That's not ideal. I have to wonder if we won't see Max Kepler at first base with some frequency. I don't doubt he can handle the position (he did well enough there in Cedar Rapids back in 2013), but it's a waste to put a guy with his range in the outfield at first base. It just makes you worse as a team, defensively, at both positions. I don't envy Molitor the task he has before him this season. Owner Jim Pohlad made it clear at the end of 2016 that, regardless of who he hired to run his baseball operations, they were going to keep Molitor as their manager in 2017. So Falvey and Levine knew they wouldn't be able to hire the manager of their choice until the 2018 season. But it's almost as if they collectively decided that they weren't going to go out of their way during the 2016-2017 offseason to improve the Twins' roster and risk giving Molitor any chance to win enough games to make replacing him an unpopular thing to do, either with fans or with an owner who clearly likes the Hall-of-Famer, after his lame-duck season wraps up. Molitor has certainly not set the world on fir in his first two seasons as a manager. In this interview with the Pioneer Press' Brian Murphy, Molitor even admits that, "Learning to run the bullpen has been a work in progress." He'll get no argument from most Twins fans on that point. Molitor also conceded that his ability to produce more wins may be taken out of his hands as this season unfolds. After trying, and failing, to get what they considered fair market trade value out of veterans like Brian Dozier and Ervin Santana during the offseason, you have to assume that the Twins new front office would be quick to pull the trigger on mid-season trades of such players if they get off to good starts, driving up their trade values With a front office so obviously focused on the future, such moves would have significant negative effects on the chances of Molitor leading his team to enough wins to save his job. To his credit, it's clear from the comments he made to Murphy that Molitor, while being aware of these circumstances, isn't particularly concerned about them. Or at least he's classy enough not to express any such concerns publicly. Make no mistake, however, any ultimate failure of the 2017 Twins to substantially improve the results that fans see on the field would be a shared responsibility. I won't argue that Molitor would be blameless for a lack of success, but his front office did him no favors with its inactivity all offseason long. They had an obvious task - improve the pitching, both the rotation and the bullpen. They did almost nothing to address that need and that, in my view, would make them primarily responsible if a lack of pitching talent leads to another bad season. I'm hoping that another year of development will mean significant improvements on the field from guys such as Kepler, Polanco, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. I'm hoping Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson have good years and that whatever mix is in that bullpen turns out able to do its job well. I'm hoping that some of the organization's young pitchers develop quickly enough to provide upgrades during the course of the season. As a fan, hoping is all I have the ability to do. Unfortunately, everything I've seen, heard and read about the new Twins front office indicates that they're just hoping all those things happen, too. Falvey and Levine, however, walked into their offices at Target Field with the absolute authority to reshape their roster and they did virtually nothing to give Molitor - and Twins fans - anything of substance to hang our hopes on for this season.

The Minnesota Twins once again included Cedar Rapids, the home of their Class A affiliate Kernels, in their Twins Winter Caravan tour and last night's event was entertaining and about as enjoyable as any such event put on by a 100+ loss big league organization could be. The venue was one of several new aspects of this year's Kernels Hot Stove event, the primary fundraiser for the organization's charitable foundation. Rather than using a large hotel ballroom to hold a sit-down dinner, the Kernels hosted a reception at the New Bo City Market, a showplace for a variety of local food merchants. All food, beer and wine available at the event was provided by New Bo vendors, giving the event a distinctively local flavor.Broadcaster Kris Atteberry did a terrific job as the emcee for the Twins Caravan portion of the program, doling out opportunities to address the gathering to five members of the Twins organization gathered on stage. They included a pair of Twins players, pitcher Trevor May and outfielder Byron Buxton, newly announced Kernels manager Tommy Watkins, new Twins General Manager Thad Levine and Brian Dinkelman, who served as the Kernels hitting coach in 2016 and, while no official announcement has been made as yet, is presumed to be serving in that capacity this summer, as well. In addition to responding to Atteberry's prepared questions from the podium and answering questions from the crowd, the Caravan participants also were available for media interviews. Here are a few highlights from one-on-one interviews, as well as the public portion of the program. Early in January, the Twins and Kernels announced that Watkins, who served as the Kernels hitting coach, under former manager Jake Mauer, from 2013 through 2015 and in the same capacity for Class AA Chattanooga last season, will get his first opportunity as a minor league manager in 2017 when he takes the Kernels' reins. Watkins said that he and farm director Brad Steil had discussed the possibility of Watkins getting a managing opportunity for the past couple of years, but no such position had opened up until last year's Fort Myers Miracle manager Jeff Smith got promoted to a coaching position with the Twins this offseason. Still, Watkins said, "I didn't know if I would get it or not." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0865-2-600x400.jpgTrevor May and Tommy Watkins react to Byron Buxton explaining how he "noodled" a catfishOnce the assignment was officially offered, Watkins was very happy to accept. "It was just like the news I got when I was going to the big leagues. I was happy, I was nervous, I was scared, I didn't want to go. So it was a lot of things. I cried, I laughed, I called my family and told them. It was exciting news." Asked by Atteberry to tell the gathering what went into the front office's decision to offer the job to Watkins, Levine led off with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "I've got to be honest with you, I have no idea how this came to pass. This is news to me. I'll try to adjust on the fly." Levine then turned serious - and very complimentary toward the new Kernels manager. "I think that one thing you guys always hear about is that we're trying to develop players, there's a development track. But I think the other thing that we're trying to develop concurrently is staff members. Guys who have a chance, on the scouting side, to influence decision-making and, on the coaching side, a chance to be major league coaches. "One of the things that I heard when I first joined the Minnesota Twins was about the man to my right, Tommy, and I think the universal feeling was that he had a chance to be a really good hitting coach, but he had the chance to be special as a manager. So when the opportunity presented itself to give him an opportunity to pursue his career as a manager, I think everybody in the organization really endorsed him because we felt as if that's where he's going to be a difference maker. "We think he's going to have a chance to be a major league coach down the road. We think in the short term, he has a chance to really influence our minor league players, and as a manager we think his impact could be even greater than it was as a hitting coach. "He's a special man. He's very charismatic. He knows the game of baseball. He's still trying to learn every single day. Each time I've been around him, I feel as if I've gotten to know him a little bit better. This guy's a very dynamic man. He's going to be a leader in our organization for a long time to come and he's just scratching the surface of his potential." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0838-2-400x600.jpgTC Bear made the trip to Cedar Rapids with the rest of the Twins Caravan crewWatkins said before the event that he's looking forward to his return to the Kernels. "It feels good. I had a bunch of different emotions but I'm excited. It feels like I've been gone for a lot longer than just a year, but it's good to be back. I enjoyed my time here and I'm looking forward to it." Asked by Atteberry to set the line on how many times Watkins will be ejected by umpires in 2017, Brian Dinkelman didn't hesitate before saying. "I set it at 3 1/2." Buxton said he's been feeling good since his hot finish to last season in September. "I've been hitting since late November, working on a few things and getting some stuff kinked out, but other than that, I feel great. "I'm just focusing a little bit more on hitting, being a little bit more consistent, using my legs, staying down through the ball, keeping my head down. Just small things to help me out in the long run." He said he didn't think there was any major change in his game that led to his strong finish to the 2016 season. "Just stop thinking. Just run out there and play baseball. Have fun, going out there and have fun with teammates. We competed, September was different for everybody, not just including me. We went out there with a different mindset to finish the season strong and carry that over into spring training and this season." Looking back at his time in Cedar Rapids as a teenager barely out of high school, he said the dream of playing big league ball has turned out to be everything he hoped for, "and more." "Not many people are able to make it up there to the bigs, so I'm very blessed and thankful to get up there. Just being able to play beside Trevor when he's up there pitching, not many people can say you've been in a big league uniform and you've been behind a pitcher like him that gives it his all and you're right there giving it your all and trying to compete for a World Series ring." For his part, May also indicated he's feeling good after having some trouble staying healthy in 2016. "I'm feeling good," said May. "I had some patterns I needed to break. In the past, I've always thought four months was enough to heal from everything in the offseason. But I've come to the realization that breaking down a muscle and building it back up again to where you want it to work just takes time." He said even little things such as posture, while standing or sitting, have been items he's focused on this offseason, with an emphasis on workouts that increase his flexibility, like Pilates and yoga, rather than weight training. "I was doing a bunch of stuff that was just exacerbating the problem 24 hours a day. Changing all those things has been a lot of work, but I'm excited to just keep doing what I'm doing into the season. "I threw a bullpen today. If I threw a bullpen when my back was tight back there, I would definitely feel some stiffness right now after I threw and I don't feel stiff at all, so I'm just taking that as a really good sign." May wasn't just trying new things in regard to his offseason workout regimen. While he did some DJing again this year, as he has in the past, he also expanded his horizons. "I actually have a new hobby," he explained. "I broadcast video games, which has been really fun. It's like having your own radio show in which you talk and play video games. I really enjoy it. I'm going to try to do it once a month on an offday during the season. I'm going to host tournaments of games I play for viewers." Asked to evaluate the state of the Twins' farm system, now that many of their previous top prospects have broken into the big leagues, new GM Levine said that the Twins front office doesn't necessarily look at the organization strictly in terms of players that have exhausted their eligibility for Rookie of the Year awards and those that have not. "I think we look at the farm system as an extension to the major leagues, so any guy in the major leagues who has two or fewer years of service is part of that next wave, that core," he said. "So I think when you include those players with your minor league players, you can really see the waves of players coming. "There's a wave in the big leagues right now, there's a wave right behind them, there's a wave that will be playing at Cedar Rapids this year. I think we're excited about the depth throughout our system, inclusive of the major leagues and I think if you include that young group in the major leagues all the way down, you could see that the future is very bright. "For a team that has the payroll that we will have, you're looking at having as many young players who can impact the game as possible and I think you've got to look at the guys who have matriculated to the big leagues when you're factoring that." The subject of the relatively public flirtation with trading second baseman Brian Dozier came up both in the interview setting and during the public Question & Answer session. Levine indicated that, while it certainly appears that Dozier will be opening the season with the Twins, he wouldn't say the door was completely closed on the possibility of moving Dozier, or any other player for that matter. "I don't know that we would talk specifically about any one trade negotiation, but I think the way Derek (Falvey) and I are going to operate is that we're not closing doors at any juncture. At that point, you are not doing your job to the fullest. Any time you close off opportunities to improve the team, I think you're doing the franchise a disservice." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0869-2-600x400.jpgBuxton and May did the autograph thing after the Twins Caravan programDuring the public session, Levine was asked specifically what he expected Dozier's future was with the Twins. "I think we think his future is going to be glorious with the franchise," he responded. "He's been the consummate professional throughout this process. We always approached this from the mindset of, the best the Minnesota Twins could be would be with Brian Dozier. If someone wants to blow our socks off, we'll consider talking about him. But for that fact, we see him as part of this franchise moving forward." Atteberry asked Levine to address the "stats vs scouting" issue that comes up in almost any conversation about the new front office management. Again, the new GM mixed humor into his more thoughtful response. "When the movie Moneyball came out, everybody who was below a certain age - at that time, I would say 35, now I would say 45, just conveniently (Levine celebrated his 45th birthday in November) - you were viewed to be more of a formulaic-based decision making group vs if you were older, you were more of a scouts guy. And I think it's a bit of a misconception. "Derek and I are both guys who are going to have analytics and scouting and player development factor into every decision that we make. We're not going to focus singularly on any sort of formula to spit out a decision we're going to make. "The other big misconception I think about that movie is that anybody working in a front office looks at all like Brad Pitt. We really don't. Honestly. "So the movie did some disservices across the board, but I do think analytics plays a role in decision-making, but that's all it is. It's a piece of the pie. It's not something that is going to drive us to make any singular decision. It will be something we weigh in, we factor in, but it's not going to drive our decision-making." Also during the public session, Atteberry challenged Levine to demonstrate how much he knew about the two players he was sharing a stage with. Atteberry presented a few bits of trivia and asked Levine to guess which player, May or Buxton, the fact pertained to. The questions were: Which player DJ'd at his own wedding? Which one of them has the highest vertical jump and is the fastest runner in his family (and which is not)? Which has successfully noodled a catfish? And which one has a mother that kept a mountain lion as a pet for four years? The answers: May (obviously), Buxton is NOT the fastest runner or best jumper in his family (he said his dad jumps higher, his brother is faster and he has a 13-year old sister who may eventually pass them all), but Buxton did noodle a catfish. It was May's mother who kept a mountain lion as a pet. And Levine nailed every answer correctly. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0867-2-600x400.jpgTwo members of the "Knuckleballs" table took home door prizes. A May & Buxton signed jersey and a Twins stocking capThe final question from the audience asked Watkins and Buxton to relate the funniest thing that happened to them during their time with the Kernels. Suffice to say that you won't find Buxton playing baseball with ping pong balls in the clubhouse again any time soon and Watkins' days of shaving his head are over. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins once again included Cedar Rapids, the home of their Class A affiliate Kernels, in their Twins Winter Caravan tour and last night's event was entertaining and about as enjoyable as any such event put on by a 100+ loss big league organization could be. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0857-2-600x400.jpg Kris Atteberry emcees the panel of Trevor May, Byron Buxton, Tommy Watkins, Thad Levine and Brian Dinkelman The venue was one of several new aspects of this year's Kernels Hot Stove event, the primary fundraiser for the organization's charitable foundation. Rather than using a large hotel ballroom to hold a sit-down dinner, the Kernels hosted a reception at the New Bo City Market, a showplace for a variety of local food merchants. All food, beer and wine available at the event was provided by New Bo vendors, giving the event a distinctively local flavor. Broadcaster Kris Atteberry did a terrific job as the emcee for the Twins Caravan portion of the program, doling out opportunities to address the gathering to five members of the Twins organization gathered on stage. They included a pair of Twins players, pitcher Trevor May and outfielder Byron Buxton, newly announced Kernels manager Tommy Watkins, new Twins General Manager Thad Levine and Brian Dinkelman, who served as the Kernels hitting coach in 2016 and, while no official announcement has been made as yet, is presumed to be serving in that capacity this summer, as well. In addition to responding to Atteberry's prepared questions from the podium and answering questions from the crowd, the Caravan participants also were available for media interviews. Here are a few highlights from one-on-one interviews, as well as the public portion of the program. Early in January, the Twins and Kernels announced that Watkins, who served as the Kernels hitting coach, under former manager Jake Mauer, from 2013 through 2015 and in the same capacity for Class AA Chattanooga last season, will get his first opportunity as a minor league manager in 2017 when he takes the Kernels' reins. Watkins said that he and farm director Brad Steil had discussed the possibility of Watkins getting a managing opportunity for the past couple of years, but no such position had opened up until last year's Fort Myers Miracle manager Jeff Smith got promoted to a coaching position with the Twins this offseason. Still, Watkins said, "I didn't know if I would get it or not." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0865-2-600x400.jpg Trevor May and Tommy Watkins react to Byron Buxton explaining how he "noodled" a catfish Once the assignment was officially offered, Watkins was very happy to accept. "It was just like the news I got when I was going to the big leagues. I was happy, I was nervous, I was scared, I didn't want to go. So it was a lot of things. I cried, I laughed, I called my family and told them. It was exciting news." Asked by Atteberry to tell the gathering what went into the front office's decision to offer the job to Watkins, Levine led off with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "I've got to be honest with you, I have no idea how this came to pass. This is news to me. I'll try to adjust on the fly." Levine then turned serious - and very complimentary toward the new Kernels manager. "I think that one thing you guys always hear about is that we're trying to develop players, there's a development track. But I think the other thing that we're trying to develop concurrently is staff members. Guys who have a chance, on the scouting side, to influence decision making and, on the coaching side, a chance to be Major League coaches. "One of the things that I heard when I first joined the Minnesota Twins was about the man to my right, Tommy, and I think the universal feeling was that he had a chance to be a really good hitting coach, but he had the chance to be special as a manager. So when the opportunity presented itself to give him an opportunity to pursue his career as a manager, I think everybody in the organization really endorsed him because we felt as if that's where he's going to be a difference maker. "We think he's going to have a chance to be a Major League coach down the road. We think in the short term, he has a chance to really influence our minor league players, and as a manager we think his impact could be even greater than it was as a hitting coach. "He's a special man. He's very charismatic. He knows the game of baseball. He's still trying to learn every single day. Each time I've been around him, I feel as if I've gotten to know him a little bit better. This guy's a very dynamic man. He's going to be a leader in our organization for a long time to come and he's just scratching the surface of his potential." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0838-2-400x600.jpg TC Bear made the trip to Cedar Rapids with the rest of the Twins Caravan crew Watkins said before the event that he's looking forward to his return to the Kernels. "It feels good. I had a bunch of different emotions but I'm excited. It feels like I've been gone for a lot longer than just a year, but it's good to be back. I enjoyed my time here and I'm looking forward to it." Asked by Atteberry to set the line on how many times Watkins will be ejected by umpires in 2017, Brian Dinkelman didn't hesitate before saying. "I set it at 3 1/2." Buxton said he's been feeling good since his hot finish to last season in September. "I've been hitting since late November, working on a few things and getting some stuff kinked out, but other than that, I feel great. "I'm just focusing a little bit more on hitting, being a little bit more consistent, using my legs, staying down through the ball, keeping my head down. Just small things to help me out in the long run." He said he didn't think there was any major change in his game that led to his strong finish to the 2016 season. "Just stop thinking. Just run out there and play baseball. Have fun, going out there and have fun with teammates. We competed, September was different for everybody, not just including me. We went out there with a different mindset to finish the season strong and carry that over into spring training and this season." Looking back at his time in Cedar Rapids as a teenager barely out of high school, he said the dream of playing big league ball has turned out to be everything he hoped for, "and more." "Not many people are able to make it up there to the bigs, so I'm very blessed and thankful to get up there. Just being able to play beside Trevor when he's up there pitching, not many people can say you've been in a big league uniform and you've been behind a pitcher like him that gives it his all and you're right there giving it your all and trying to compete for a World Series ring." For his part, May also indicated he's feeling good after having some trouble staying healthy in 2016. "I'm feeling good," said May. "I had some patterns I needed to break. In the past, I've always thought four months was enough to heal from everything in the offseason. But I've come to the realization that breaking down a muscle and building it back up again to where you want it to work just takes time." He said even little things such as posture, while standing or sitting, have been items he's focused on this offseason, with an emphasis on workouts that increase his flexibility, like Pilates and yoga, rather than weight training. "I was doing a bunch of stuff that was just exacerbating the problem 24 hours a day. Changing all those things has been a lot of work, but I'm excited to just keep doing what I'm doing into the season. "I threw a bullpen today. If I threw a bullpen when my back was tight back there, I would definitely feel some stiffness right now after I threw and I don't feel stiff at all, so I'm just taking that as a really good sign." May wasn't just trying new things in regard to his offseason workout regimen. While he did some DJing again this year, as he has in the past, he also expanded his horizons. "I actually have a new hobby," he explained. "I broadcast video games, which has been really fun. It's like having your own radio show in which you talk and play video games. I really enjoy it. I'm going to try to do it once a month on an offday during the season. I'm going to host tournaments of games I play for viewers." Asked to evaluate the state of the Twins' farm system, now that many of their previous top prospects have broken into the big leagues, new GM Levine said that the Twins front office doesn't necessarily look at the organization strictly in terms of players that have exhausted their eligibility for Rookie of the Year awards and those that have not. "I think we look at the farm system as an extension to the Major Leagues, so any guy in the Major Leagues who has two or fewer years of service is part of that next wave, that core," he said. "So I think when you include those players with your minor league players, you can really see the waves of players coming. "There's a wave in the big leagues right now, there's a wave right behind them, there's a wave that will be playing at Cedar Rapids this year. I think we're excited about the depth throughout our system, inclusive of the Major Leagues and I think if you include that young group in the Major Leagues all the way down, you could see that the future is very bright. "For a team that has the payroll that we will have, you're looking at having as many young players who can impact the game as possible and I think you've got to look at the guys who have matriculated to the big leagues when you're factoring that." The subject of the relatively public flirtation with trading second baseman Brian Dozier came up both in the interview setting and during the public Question & Answer session. Levine indicated that, while it certainly appears that Dozier will be opening the season with the Twins, he wouldn't say the door was completely closed on the possibility of moving Dozier, or any other player for that matter. "I don't know that we would talk specifically about any one trade negotiation, but I think the way Derek (Falvey) and I are going to operate is that we're not closing doors at any juncture. At that point, you are not doing your job to the fullest. Any time you close off opportunities to improve the team, I think you're doing the franchise a disservice." http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0869-2-600x400.jpg Buxton and May did the autograph thing after the Twins Caravan program During the public session, Levine was asked specifically what he expected Dozier's future was with the Twins. "I think we think his future is going to be glorious with the franchise," he responded. "He's been the consummate professional throughout this process. We always approached this from the mindset of, the best the Minnesota Twins could be would be with Brian Dozier. If someone wants to blow our socks off, we'll consider talking about him. But for that fact, we see him as part of this franchise moving forward." Atteberry asked Levine to address the "stats vs scouting" issue that comes up in almost any conversation about thenew front office management. Again, the new GM mixed humor into his more thoughtful response. "When the movie Moneyball came out, everybody who was below a certain age - at that time, I would say 35, now I would say 45, just conveniently (Levine celebrated his 45th birthday in November) - you were viewed to be more of a formulaic-based decision making group vs if you were older, you were more of a scouts guy. And I think it's a bit of a misconception. "Derek and I are both guys who are going to have analytics and scouting and player development factor into every decision that we make. We're not going to focus singularly on any sort of formula to spit out a decision we're going to make. "The other big misconception I think about that movie is that anybody working in a front office looks at all like Brad Pitt. We really don't. Honestly. "So the movie did some disservices across the board, but I do think analytics plays a role in decision making, but that's all it is. It's a piece of the pie. It's not something that is going to drive us to make any singular decision. It will be something we weigh in, we factor in, but it's not going to drive our decision making." Also during the public session, Atteberry challenged Levine to demonstrate how much he knew about the two players he was sharing a stage with. Atteberry presented a few bits of trivia and asked Levine to guess which player, May or Buxton, the fact pertained to. The questions were: Which player DJ'd at his own wedding? Which one of them has the highest vertical jump and is the fastest runner in his family (and which is not)? Which has successfully noodled a catfish? And which one has a mother that kept a mountain lion as a pet for four years? The answers: May (obviously), Buxton is NOT the fastest runner or best jumper in his family (he said his dad jumps higher, his brother is faster and he has a 13-year old sister that may eventually pass them all), but Buxton did noodle a catfish. It was May's mother who kept a mountain lion as a pet. And Levine nailed every answer correctly. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_0867-2-600x400.jpg Two members of the "Knuckleballs" table took home door prizes. A May & Buxton signed jersey and a Twins stocking cap The final question from the audience asked Watkins and Buxton to relate the funniest thing that happened to them during their time with the Kernels. Suffice to say that you won't find Buxton playing baseball with ping pong balls in the clubhouse again any time soon and Watkins' days of shaving his head are over. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Granted, it probably wasn't anywhere near the "worst of times" for Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver, but the excitement of learning they had been drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the June, 2013 Amateur Draft had to have been at least slightly dampened with the realization that the Twins had drafted both of them.Going into that draft, the Twins knew they needed catching. They didn’t yet know just how desperately they needed catching. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) The Twins had allowed their organization to become thin at a critical (if not THE most critical) defensive position. And it was understandable, to a degree. After all, they had the reigning American League Most Valuable Player behind the plate. Catcher Joe Mauer was not only good for a .300 batting average and .400 on-base percentage every season, but he had only just turned 30 years old a few weeks earlier. What the Twins’ brass didn’t know – and couldn’t know – as they gathered in their offices for the June 2013 Amateur Player Draft, was that Mauer would never get behind the plate to catch another big league game after the 2013 season, due to persistent concussion problems. Still, to their credit, they identified the catching position as one that warranted some focus in the 2013 draft. And focus they did. The Twins used three of their top 10 picks in 2013 on catchers and added another in the 22nd round. After selecting pitchers Kohl Stewart and Ryan Eades in rounds one and two, Minnesota picked Ole Miss catcher Stuart Turner in the third round. He was the 2013 Johnny Bench Award winner, presented to the top NCAA Division I catcher. In the sixth round, the Twins grabbed a high school catcher, Brian Navarreto. New Mexico Lobo catcher Mitch Garver was selected by the Twins in the ninth round. Garver was one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench award that Turner won. In fact, it was the second year that Garver was a Bench Award finalist. The Twins added Alex Swim out of Elon (NC) University in the 22nd round, to complete the 2013 catching class. Adding that many catchers to the organization at one time required a bit of roster manipulation on the part of the Twins farm director Brad Steil and his group. You obviously can’t just start the entire group at the same level and still get everyone enough work behind the plate to develop them. Navarreto, being a few years younger than the others, was easy to plug into the rookie league programs. Fair or not, as a lower round pick, there would be less emphasis on getting Swim adequate opportunities to show what he could do behind the plate. By the end of the 2013 season, of course, the Twins pretty much knew Mauer’s career as a catcher was effectively over and suddenly the club and its fans became much more interested in the catchers coming up through the farm system, particularly in Turner and Garver. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Turner3-450x600-450x600.jpgStuart Turner (Photo: SD Buhr)The Twins don’t make a habit of starting many of their young players at the Advanced Class A level in Ft. Myers, but it was important that both Turner and Garver get as much time working with pitchers from behind the plate as possible. That could only be accomplished by splitting the two catchers up in their first full season of professional ball. To accomplish that, Turner was assigned to Ft. Myers, while Garver spent 2014 at Class A Cedar Rapids. A year later, Turner and Garver remained one level apart as Turner was promoted to AA Chattanooga and Garver moved up to Ft. Myers. In fact, the first time the two became teammates wasn’t even technically with a Twins affiliate. The Twins sent both catchers to the Arizona Fall League in October, 2015. Both caught 11 games and DH’d in one for AFL champion Scottsdale. Garver hit .317 for the Scorpions, while Turner hit just .171. That set up a 2016 season where Garver and Turner would both begin the year at Chattanooga. While the two had been effectively competing with one another for some kind of mythical “Twins top catching prospect” designation since that 2013 draft day, this was the first time Garver and Turner were set up to go side-by-side into a regular season at the same professional level. That dynamic continued into the second week of August, when the Twins had a spot for a catcher open up at their AAA affiliate in Rochester and the call went out to Chattanooga for someone to finish out the season with the Red Wings. Since Turner was about to finish his second Class AA season with the Lookouts and Garver was still in his first tour through the Southern League, you might have thought that Turner would get the promotion – but you would have been wrong. With Garver hitting a respectable .257 (.753 OPS) at the time, while Turner was hovering around .210 (and an OPS around .650), it was Garver who was packing for Rochester. But it wasn’t just his bat that appeared to have pushed Garver ahead of Turner on the Twins’ organizational depth chart. He threw out 52% of runners attempting to steal on him (23 of 44 attempts) in Chattanooga. Turner threw out 19 of 48 attempted base stealers for a 40% clip. Admittedly, using “caught stealing” statistics as a measure for a catcher’s work behind the plate is iffy, at best. For one thing, runners steal bases off of pitchers as much as (if not more than) off catchers. However, in this case, that factor is largely mitigated since the two were catching members of the same Chattanooga pitching staff. After the season, the Twins again sent Garver to get additional work in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .229 and put up a .756 OPS, fueled by four home runs and four doubles in 70 at-bats for the AFL runner-up Surprise Saguaros. Whether Garver will eventually hit and, perhaps more importantly, catch well enough to work his way into the Minnesota Twins lineup on a regular basis certainly remains an unknown. However, we do know the Twins like him enough that, as the AFL season wrapped up, they added him to their 40-man roster. Meanwhile, Turner was not added to that roster, exposing him to Major League Baseball’s Rule 5 draft. On Thursday, the Cincinnati Reds selected Turner from the Twins in said draft. Ironically, while it’s clear that the Twins now value Garver’s big league potential over that of Turner, it’s Turner that very well could get to the big leagues ahead of Garver. As a Rule 5 pick, the Reds will need to keep Turner on their big league club in 2017 or return him to the Twins (or offer the Twins some sort of additional compensation in return for being allowed to keep him at a minor league level). At the same time, Garver will open spring training in the big league camp but has no guarantee in his pocket assuring him a spot with the Twins on Opening Day. On draft day in June of 2013, Turner and Garver had to be wondering what the chances were that the two of them would somehow both work their way into a Minnesota Twins uniform. It seemed likely that, some day, the Twins were going to need to make a choice between them. That day came and the Twins chose to cast their lot with Garver. Fortunately for Turner, he’s getting a pretty good consolation prize, courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds. Click here to view the article

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Granted, it probably wasn't anywhere near the "worst of times" for Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver, but the excitement of learning they had been drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the June, 2013 Amateur Draft had to have been at least slightly dampened with the realization that the Twins had drafted both of them. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GarverAFL16ae-600x400.jpg Mitch Garver (Photo: SD Buhr) Going into that draft, the Twins knew they needed catching. They didn’t yet know just how desperately they needed catching. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) The Twins had allowed their organization to become thin at a critical (if not THE most critical) defensive position. And it was understandable, to a degree. After all, they had the reigning American League Most Valuable Player behind the plate. Catcher Joe Mauer was not only good for a .300 batting average and .400 on-base percentage every season, but he had only just turned 30 years old a few weeks earlier. What the Twins’ brass didn’t know – and couldn’t know – as they gathered in their offices for the June 2013 Amateur Player Draft, was that Mauer would never get behind the plate to catch another big league game after the 2013 season, due to persistent concussion problems. Still, to their credit, they identified the catching position as one that warranted some focus in the 2013 draft. And focus they did. The Twins used three of their top 10 picks in 2013 on catchers and added another in the 22nd round. After selecting pitchers Kohl Stewart and Ryan Eades in rounds one and two, Minnesota picked Ole Miss catcher Stuart Turner in the third round. He was the 2013 Johnny Bench award winner, presented to the top NCAA Division I catcher. In the sixth round, the Twins grabbed a high school catcher, Brian Navarreto. New Mexico Lobo catcher Mitch Garver was selected by the Twins in the ninth round. Garver was one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench award that Turner won. In fact, it was the second year that Garver was a Bench Award finalist. The Twins added Alex Swim out of Elon (NC) University in the 22nd round, to complete the 2013 catching class. Adding that many catchers to the organization at one time required a bit of roster manipulation on the part of the Twins farm director Brad Steil and his group. You obviously can’t just start the entire group at the same level and still get everyone enough work behind the plate to develop them. Navarreto, being a few years younger than the others, was easy to plug into the rookie league programs. Fair or not, as a lower round pick, there would be less emphasis on getting Swim adequate opportunities to show what he could do behind the plate. By the end of the 2013 season, of course, the Twins pretty much knew Mauer’s career as a catcher was effectively over and suddenly the club and its fans became much more interested in the catchers coming up through the farm system, particularly in Turner and Garver. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Turner3-450x600-450x600.jpg Stuart Turner (Photo: SD Buhr) The Twins don’t make a habit of starting many of their young players at the Advanced Class A level in Ft. Myers, but it was important that both Turner and Garver get as much time working with pitchers from behind the plate as possible. That could only be accomplished by splitting the two catchers up in their first full season of professional ball. To accomplish that, Turner was assigned to Ft. Myers, while Garver spent 2014 at Class A Cedar Rapids. A year later, Turner and Garver remained one level apart as Turner was promoted to AA Chattanooga and Garver moved up to Ft. Myers. In fact, the first time the two became teammates wasn’t even technically with a Twins affiliate. The Twins sent both catchers to the Arizona Fall League in October, 2015. Both caught 11 games and DH’d in one for AFL champion Scottsdale. Garver hit .317 for the Scorpions, while Turner hit just .171. That set up a 2016 season where Garver and Turner would both begin the year at Chattanooga. While the two had been effectively competing with one another for some kind of mythical “Twins top catching prospect” designation since that 2013 draft day, this was the first time Garver and Turner were set up to go side-by-side into a regular season at the same professional level. That dynamic continued into the second week of August, when the Twins had a spot for a catcher open up at their AAA affiliate in Rochester and the call went out to Chattanooga for someone to finish out the season with the Red Wings. Since Turner was about to finish his second Class AA season with the Lookouts and Garver was still in his first tour through the Southern League, you might have thought that Turner would get the promotion – but you would have been wrong. With Garver hitting a respectable .257 (.753 OPS) at the time, while Turner was hovering around .210 (and an OPS around .650), it was Garver that was packing for Rochester. But it wasn’t just his bat that appeared to have pushed Garver ahead of Turner on the Twins’ organizational depth chart. He threw out 52% of runners attempting to steal on him (23 of 44 attempts) in Chattanooga. Turner threw out 19 of 48 attempted base stealers for a 40% clip. Admittedly, using “caught stealing” statistics as a measure for a catcher’s work behind the plate is iffy, at best. For one thing, runners steal bases off of pitchers as much as (if not more than) off catchers. However, in this case, that factor is largely mitigated since the two were catching members of the same Chattanooga pitching staff. After the season, the Twins again sent Garver to get additional work in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .229 and put up a .756 OPS, fueled by four home runs and four doubles in 70 at-bats for the AFL runner-up Surprise Saguaros. Whether Garver will eventually hit and, perhaps more importantly, catch well enough to work his way into the Minnesota Twins lineup on a regular basis certainly remains an unknown. However, we do know the Twins like him enough that, as the AFL season wrapped up, they added him to their 40-man roster. Meanwhile, Turner was not added to that roster, exposing him to Major League Baseball’s Rule 5 draft. On Thursday, the Cincinnati Reds selected Turner from the Twins in said draft. Ironically, while it’s clear that the Twins now value Garver’s big league potential over that of Turner, it’s Turner that very well could get to the big leagues ahead of Garver. As a Rule 5 pick, the Reds will need to keep Turner on their big league club in 2017 or return him to the Twins (or offer the Twins some sort of additional compensation in return for being allowed to keep him at a minor league level). At the same time, Garver will open spring training in the big league camp but has no guarantee in his pocket assuring him a spot with the Twins on Opening Day. On draft day in June of 2013, Turner and Garver had to be wondering what the chances were that the two of them would somehow both work their way into a Minnesota Twins uniform. It seemed likely that, some day, the Twins were going to need to make a choice between them. That day came and the Twins chose to cast their lot with Garver. Fortunately for Turner, he’s getting a pretty good consolation prize, courtesy of the Cincinnati Reds.

Yeah, I really should have looked at the Surprise Saguaros' schedule before I reserved my hotel for this trip. After Saturday night's Fall Stars Game and Monday afternoon's Surprise game, the Saguaros (for whom all of the Minnesota Twins AFP prospects play this fall) have no more home games while I'm in town. The game today was the first of four games that Surprise is playing in some other distant part of the Phoenix area. Just means I'll be doing a lot of driving between now and Friday. Live & learn, I suppose. The Saguaros dropped a 10-7 decision to the Mesa Solar Sox this afternoon (Tuesday). It was interesting, in that Mesa scored four runs in each of the first two innings and when the score stood 8-5 after three and a half innings, this was looking like it had the makings of a four-hour game. In the end, it wrapped up in two hours and forty-six minutes. It is not a coincidence that they use the pitch clock in this league. It really does keep the game moving. It also didn't hurt that the only two Twins prospects to take the field for Surprise, relief pitchers Mason Melotakis and John Curtiss, each worked a clean 1-2-3 inning when their turns came to toe the rubber. Tomorrow afternoon, it's over to Scottsdale. With any luck, some of the Twins' position players will be back in the lineup and maybe I'll even get to see Stephen Gonsalves get a start against Tim Tebow and the Scorpions. As always (or almost always, anyway), here are a few pictures of Twins in action today. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ArteagaAFL16a-600x400.jpg Ivan Arteaga http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MelotakisAFL16d-600x400.jpg Mason Melotakis http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MelotakisAFL16b-400x600.jpg Mason Melotakis covering first base on a ground ball to the first baseman http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/MelotakisAFL16a-600x400.jpg Mason Melotakis http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/CurtissAFL16b-600x400.jpg John Curtiss http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/CurtissAFL16a-600x400.jpg John Curtiss http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/CurtissAFL16c-600x400.jpg John Curtiss All photos by S D Buhr and may not be used without permission. (Article originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com)

For the third year, I've made the trip top the Phoenix area to watch a little November baseball in the Arizona Fall League and, while I have no pearls of wisdom to pass along, I thought the least I could do is share a few photos during the week. The AFL consists of six teams that each use one of the Phoenix area MLB spring training sites and each big league team sends six or seven minor league prospects to participate. Representing the Twins this fall are pitchers Stephen Gonsalves, Randy Rosario, Mason Melotakis and John Curtiss, as well as shortstop Nick Gordon, outfielder Tanner English and catcher Mitch Garver. As a bonus, for the first time, every Twins representative in the AFL is also a Cedar Rapids Kernels alum. In addition, Ivan Arteaga is serving as the Surprise pitching coach this fall. Arteaga was the Kernels' pitching coach in 2014. After landing a bit late at the Mesa airport on Saturday, I missed the first half-inning of the AFL's "Fall Stars" game on Saturday night, but it wasn't a huge deal since Nick Gordon was the only representative in the game from the Twins organization. After the league's day off on Sunday, I got my first look at the Surprise Saguaros on Monday afternoon. Garver, Gordon and English were all in the Surprise lineup on Monday and reliever Randy Rosario worked a pair of solid innings on the mound. Now, here's the photographic evidence of my attendance at the game! http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/EnglishAFL16c-600x400.jpg Tanner English throwing a runner out at second base http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GarverAFL16a-600x400.jpg Mitch Garver http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GordonAFL16g-600x400.jpg Nick Gordon http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/RosarioAFL16a-600x400.jpg Randy Rosario http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/EnglishAFL16d-600x400.jpg Tanner English http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GordonAFL16h-600x400.jpg Nick Gordon http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GarverAFL16b-600x400.jpg Mitch Garver http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/RosarioAFL16b-600x400.jpg Randy Rosario http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/EnglishAFL16g-428x600.jpg Tanner English http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GordonAFL16c-600x400.jpg Nick Gordon http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GarverAFL16e-429x600.jpg Mitch Garver http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/AFL16-600x400.jpg Andy Ibanez (Rangers) awaits a throw from Garver as Brett Phillips (Brewers) slides. No, the picture doesn't involve any Twins prospects, but I just really liked the way the picture turned out! All photos are the property of S D Buhr. Use without permission is prohibited. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com)

They say pitching and defense wins games at playoff time and that certainly was the case in Clinton Monday night, where the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Clinton Lumber Kings not only needed 11 innings to determine a winner, but just as many innings just to see a run tallied. In the end it was Clinton taking the 1-0 win in the deciding game 3 of the West Division series and advancing to the Midwest League’s Championship series against the winner of Tuesday night’s deciding game between West Michigan and Great Lakes.Let’s let Kernels manager Jake Mauer tell the story of the game. “Pitching duel, back and forth. They had chances, we had chances. They caught the ball, we caught the ball. Comes down to the ball finds a hole and the young man puts a good swing on it and that’s it. It’s a tough one. It’s sad that our season had to end on that last game like that.” Mauer was, nonetheless, very proud of his team’s performance this season. “One hundred percent. Those kids battled and competed, gave themselves a chance. It just comes down to one run here or there and that’s just kind of how baseball goes.” Four Kernels pitchers held Clinton scoreless through 10 2/3 innings, but Ricky Eusebio’s line shot to left-center drove in Logan Taylor for the winning – and only – run of the game in the home half of the 11th inning. Sean Poppen got the start for the Kernels and worked five shutout innings, surrendering just three hits without walking a batter, before turning the game over to Michael Cederoth to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. While Poppen struck out three Clinton batters in his five innings, Cederoth matched that total in his first stanza on the mound. Before his night was over the 6 foot 6 inch righthander sent five batters back to the dugout in two innings of shutout relief work. Tom Hackimer relieved Cederoth to begin the eighth inning and gave up just one hit, striking out a pair, in 2 1/3 innings. With a pair of lefties coming up with one out in Clinton’s 10th inning, Lefty reliever Anthony McIver relieved Hackimer and retired both left-handers to end the stanza. McIver was tagged with the loss, however, giving up three singles, including the game-winner, in the 11th. The Kernels had plenty of scoring opportunities throughout the game, despite notching only four hits on the night. Travis Blankenhorn led off the visitors’ fifth inning with a soft line drive double down the left field line and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Clinton shortstop Rayder Ascanio nearly single-handedly squelched that threat, however, making a diving stop on a sharp ground ball by J.J. Fernandez and snaring a line drive off the bat of Nelson Molina. Jaylin Davis struck out to end the inning, stranding Blankenhorn at third base. In the Kernels’ eighth inning, Fernandez led off with a single, was bunted to second, moved to third on a ground out to the first baseman, but was left there when Kevin Garcia grounded out to end the inning. In the ninth, Casey Scoggins singled to start the inning with a single to right field and, after a fly out, Arraez walked. Matt Walker entered to pitch for Clinton and threw his first pitch to the backstop, allowing both Cedar Rapids runners to advance. Walker then intentionally walked Blankenhorn to load the bases, but Fernandez popped up to shallow right centerfield to end that threat. The Kernels failed to record a hit in extra frames, however, and now they’ll pack their bags and head home for the winter. Click here to view the article

If the Cedar Rapids Kernels are going to return to the Midwest League Championship Series for the second consecutive year, they’re going to need to do it the hard way – with a win on the road in a series-deciding game 3. The Kernels fell hard on Sunday night at Clinton, dropping game two of the series 6-1 to the Lumber Kings. The same two teams will play Monday night in Clinton with the winner moving on to the MWL’s championship series against either West Michigan or Great Lakes. Kernels starting pitcher Sam Gibbons was touched for all six Lumber King runs, all earned, in four innings of work. Most of the damage came in a four-run Clinton fourth inning, topped off by a bases-clearing double off the left-centerfield wall by Chris Mariscal.If you’re looking for a silver lining for the Kernels, you won’t find much here. Kernels batters were virtually shut down by Clinton starting pitcher Kevin Gadea, who struck out 11 Cedar Rapids batters in six innings while giving up just four hits and one walk. In total, Kernels batters were sent back to the dugout on strikeouts 17 times. Kernels manager Jake Mauer summed the game up succinctly. “It’s tough to win baseball games when you don’t put a ball in play,” he said. “We can’t hit and run, we can’t move guys over. Just is not much you can do.” The manager was disappointed that his hitters didn’t do more against Gadea. “He just overpowered us with very average stuff, I thought,” Mauer said. “He slowed it down and threw it over. For whatever reason, we couldn’t do anything.” Cedar Rapids scored their only run off Gadea in the fourth inning and even that required a bit of a fluke to accomplish. After Luis Arraez’s two-out single to right field, Zander Wiel hit a squibber to the left side of the infield where Clinton’s third baseman and shortstop apparently each thought the other was going to try to bare-hand the ball. Neither did, however, and the ball rolled into shallow left field, allowing Arraez to advance to third base. A pitch later, Arraez crossed the plate on a wild pitch. The Kernels fared no better against Gadea’s mound replacement, Reginald Dominguez, who struck out four in two relief innings. Wiel was the only Kernels player with multiple hits, adding a single up the middle in the seventh inning to his fourth inning infield hit. Arraez, JJ Fernandez and Nelson Molina each had one hit for Cedar Rapids, all singles. Williams Ramirez relieved Gibbons to begin the fifth inning and held Clinton scoreless, striking out five (so there’s your silver lining, I suppose). Colton Davis struck out one in working a scoreless eighth inning. Mauer had not announced a game 3 starting pitcher prior to the game, but afterward said that he will send Sean Poppen to the mound for the deciding game Monday night in Clinton. Game time is 6:30. Click here to view the article

There really isn't a "category" here at Twins Daily for a post of this type (and maybe it's not appropriate here at all), but I posted this over at Knuckleballsblog.com this morning and thought I would share it here, as well. Just a few reflections on this, the 15th anniversary of 9/11. It's incredible to think that there is now almost a complete generation of Americans who have little or no direct recollection of the day the United States was attacked and thousands of people lost their lives when the two tallest buildings collapsed to the ground in New York City. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Never-Forget-600x450.jpg I suppose my parents' generation felt much the same way about Pearl Harbor and all of the horrors that came about out of World War II. Of course, I remember 9/11 and as long as I have my full mental capacities, I always will. I'll remember one of our administrative assistants sticking her head into my office and telling me a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. I'll remember doing almost no work that day as I was hitting "refresh" on CNN.com every minute or two. And I'll remember trying to reach friends who lived and/or worked in Manhattan to make sure they were safe. As much as that day, though, I'll remember what came after. I'll remember the stories of the bravery and ultimate sacrifices made by first responders that day. I'll also remember the way sports helped return a sense of normalcy to our lives, while at the same time giving us an avenue for expressing our strong resolution that, while we Americans disagree on many things, we are one people and when you come after us the way Al Qaeda did that day, we will stand together. There's a lot of talk today about how various NFL stadiums, athletes and others will be choosing to memorialize this 15th anniversary of that day. I'm sure some will be better than others, but I'm confident there will be some very touching scenes. That's all well and good. But what I would much prefer to see is a return to that sense of unity that we all felt in the aftermath of that attack. In the past 15 years, it feels like we have turned from a diverse people held together by a common pride in what our country can stand for into a population irreparably fragmented along lines defined by political ideology, race, gender and other factors. That saddens me and, in some ways, it makes me feel like we might be dishonoring somewhat those who have given their lives so that we are free to express our differences. Later today, I'll spend my day watching the Vikings on television and going to Clinton to watch the Kernels in the Midwest League Playoffs, Most of you will be doing similar "normal" Sunday things, as well. But for just a few moments, let's reflect on 9/11 - and the way we've evolved as a population over the subsequent 15 years - and consider what each of us can do to make our country something worthy of honoring those who lost their lives that day -Steve P.S. This weekend, I read an incredible recounting of 9/11 from the perspective of the people who were traveling with President Bush on 9/11. It's at Politico.com and you can find it by clicking here. It's not a quick read, but it's well worth your time. One thing that really stood out to me was just how "backward" technology was just 15 years ago, even aboard the most technologically well-equipped aircraft in the world, at the time.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels spotted visiting Clinton a pair of runs in the first inning of the opening game in their 3-game Midwest League Western Division championship series on Saturday, but after that it was all Kernels as they clobbered the Lumber Kings 9-3. Kernels starter Brady Anderson worked through trouble in each of the first three innings, giving up seven hits, walking a pair and surrendering all three of the runs Clinton would score on the night.With the score knotted at 3-3, Andrew Vasquez, who hadn’t pitched in a game since facing Clinton six days earlier, took the mound for Cedar Rapids to begin the fourth inning and shut down the Lumber Kings for four shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while striking out six. Kernels manager Jake Mauer was appreciative of Vasquez’s work. “He (Vasquez) calmed the game down pretty quick,” Mauer said afterward. “Anderson wasn’t his best and had a hard time putting people away. Andrew had a bunch of rest and he was ready to throw. They had a hard time with his breaking ball.” By the time Vasquez gave way to Max Cordy in the eighth inning, the Kernels offense had plated six more runs, half of them powered by Christian Ibarra’s fifth inning 3-run home run. Ibarra also had a second inning double, driving in Kevin Garcia with the Kernels’ first run of the night. In addition to Ibarra, Luis Arraez, Casey Scoggins, Jaylin Davis and Garcia each also chipped in two hits for Cedar Rapids. Travis Blankenhorn went his teammates one better, however, contributing three hits to the Kernels offense, all singles, and lifting his postseason batting average to an even .500 (6-for-12 in three games). He also drove in a run and scored once. Blankenhorn is one of three Kernels hitting .500 or better in the postseason. Zander Wiel is also at .500 and Arraez is stroking at .692. Blankenhorn didn’t play his first game for the Kernels until August 9, but he has adjusted to Midwest League pitching quickly. “I’m adjusted here,” Blankenhorn, the Twins’ third-round draft pick in 2015, said. “I’ve been playing with these guys a little while now. I think we’re all getting comfortable and starting to hit as a team. We hit very well as a team tonight. “We had some guys that came up with some big hits with runners on base, got a couple RBIs and scored a couple runs.” Cordy contributed a perfect inning of relief work in the eighth inning and Patrick McGuff worked himself into – and out of – a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning to cap off the win for Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids will travel to Clinton for game 2 of the series on Sunday, with game time scheduled for 6:35. If a game 3 is necessary, it will be played Monday evening, also in Clinton. Click here to view the article