Kernels top Lansing, happy about Buxton recall

CEDAR RAPIDS – It might be time to get those number ‘7' jersey shirts back out to sell, Cedar Rapids Kernels. Actually, they never stopped selling them.

The biggest news Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium wasn't necessarily a 3-1 win over the Lansing Lugnuts. It wasn't starting pitcher Zack Tillery's six shutout innings.

It wasn't even a nice fireworks night-ignited crowd of 3,316.

The parent Minnesota Twins announced the promotion to the big leagues of Byron Buxton, whom many consider the top prospect in the game. He'll make his major-league debut Sunday at Texas.

Just two seasons ago, Buxton Mania hit Cedar Rapids hard, with the teenaged outfielder showing off his considerable talent as a member of the Kernels. Twin Citians made the four-hour trip to watch him play, FOX Sports North televised a game live from Memorial Stadium, and the Kernels sold and just as quickly sold out of Buxton Kernels jersey shirts.

'When he got called up today, we immediately sold two of those shirts online,” said Kernels General Manager Scott Wilson.

Buxton spent a half season here before being promoted but provided more than a season's worth of highlights. He hit .341 in 68 games, including a walk-off grand slam and that televised game in which he made a full-out diving catch of a ball near the warning track in left-center field that ESPN showed.

He reminded locals of former Kernels outfielder Mike Trout, who is arguably the best player in the bigs.

'I think it's fun for people to see this again because when you think about what happened with Trout, a lot of people were like ‘Aw, dang it, I missed watching him here,'” Wilson said. 'You just never know who that guy will be.”

Buxton missed most of last season with injuries and had a rough April this season at Double-A Chattanooga. But he had a great May and was playing even better at the time of his recall.

He was hitting .283 in 59 games with Chattanooga, including 12 triples.

'Yep, two years ago about this time he was here,” said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. 'Obviously, you've seen his ability. It looks like he's past all the injuries and everything of last year. He's been putting up pretty good numbers. It's pretty exciting. We figured he'd get there at some time, we just didn't think it'd be this soon. He's a pretty special talent, there's no doubt about it.”

Mauer was asked if there was one Buxtonian moment that popped into his mind.

'He did so much here, it's hard to single out one thing,” Mauer said. 'His personality and how he handled everything, you could tell he was different. Different in a lot of those ways a lot of those real high-end guys are. Very driven, very smart. He's going to be just fine.”

Tillery (4-1) was the exact tonic needed for a Kernels team that lost a pair of extra-inning games Friday night to Great Lakes, a double-header that ended at 12:30 a.m. He gave up just two hits in six innings, striking out five.

Miles Nordgren and Cam Booser finished up, with Booser getting the save despite allowing an unearned run in the ninth. All three Cedar Rapids runs came in the first, with Edgar Corcino leading off with a triple, Nick Gordon following with a single, Zack Larson a double and Brett Doe a single.

The teams play the second game of their three-game series Sunday afternoon at 2:05.

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