Kernels win finale, end poor 2011 season

CEDAR RAPIDS - With their talent level, they had to play nearly perfect just to give themselves a chance to win. Their record shows that didn't happen.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels concluded their 2011 season Monday with a 2-0 win at Burlington.  Their 61-78 overall record was third-worst in a Midwest League considered to be down, ending the club's postseason string at four.

Despite having the MWL's longest affiliation marriage (with the Angels), Cedar Rapids hasn't won a league title since 1994, the last time it was even in the finals. The last time the Kernels were this poor record-wise was 2001, the last year of the old Veterans Memorial Stadium (60-77).

Amazingly, this club was 20-10 a month in, going 40-67 the rest of the way. Not good.

"It's a defeating feeling for me," said first-year manager Brent Del Chiaro. "I came here with a lot of expectations this year. We were trying to make the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. For me, I look at (the season) as a failure. Just from the standpoint that I didn't prepare them enough. I really just didn't get the job done."

The Kernels finished dead last in the 16-team MWL in hitting and 13th in pitching. They were hamstrung offensively by injuries to leadoff hitter Drew Heid and cleanup man Randal Grichuk, but you wonder how much of a difference they would have made.

There simply didn't seem to be a plethora of high-end prospects around.

"You can sit here and talk about talent all you want, but if they're not prepared, they're not prepared," said Del Chiaro. "I thought we did an OK job, but I expect more out of myself, and I expect more out of them."

Of the guys here most of the summer, shortstop Rolando Gomez had the highest batting average (.261 in 88 games). Infielder Ricky Alvarez led the way in doubles (31), home runs (10) and RBIs (65). Raw but exciting outfielder Travis Witherspoon had 44 stolen bases before getting promoted, but hit just .245.

It's telling that a reliever led the team in victories, as lefty Dakota Robinson made an impression with 10 wins, seven saves and 2.90 earned run average. Probably the most impressive pitcher was Daniel Tillman, a hard-throwing right-hander who began the season as a starter before heading back to a more familiar bullpen role.

He won five games, saved 12 and had a 2.04 ERA before being going to high-Class A.

"Every run matters," said Del Chiaro, noting how Clinton rebounded from the worst first-half record in the league to secure a playoff spot in the second half. "Whether it's defense, the wild pitches, the errors, or giving up at-bats, not moving runners over. That's how important every out, every pitch, every at-bat really is."

Del Chiaro, hitting coach Mike Eylward and pitching coach Trevor Wilson were given two-year contract extensions by the Angels toward the end of the season, with Del Chiaro saying it's 50-50 whether he'll be back in Cedar Rapids next season or at high-A Inland Empire. If he returns, it'll be his fourth consecutive tour of duty here: two as hitting coach, two as manager.

Next year's Kernels should be better offensively, provided the Angels don't double jump any players straight from Rookie-level Orem to high-A. Orem hit over .300 as a team, though that's not quite as impressive as you'd think since the Pioneer League is an extreme hitter's league.

There is the potential for three first-round or supplemental first-round draft picks to play here: infielders Taylor Lindsey (the Pioneer League MVP), Kaleb Cowart and C.J. Cron, though Cron just had surgery to repair knee ligament damage and could eventually undergo surgery for a torn labrum as well.

"If I come back next year, I'm looking forward to it," Del Chiaro said. "I like Cedar Rapids. I like being here from a professional standpoint."

Here are the final team stats:

Kernels Stats