Kernels still awaiting 1st HGH tests

CEDAR RAPIDS - Terrell Alliman is dreading that day he is pulled aside by someone associated with Major League Baseball and asked for blood to test for Human Growth Hormone.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels outfielder has nothing to hide, mind you. He's clean, he doesn't cheat.

“The thing is I hate needles,” Alliman said. “Hate needles.”

MLB announced last month it was beginning random testing of its minor leaguers for HGH, a performance-enhancing substance. It's the first of the major professional sports to do so.

“I'm all for it,” said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello, after his team's 10-9 loss to Beloit before 2,356 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium. “I don't know how this can be a negative. Anything that cleans up (the game) is good.”

No Kernels have been tested thus far, at least for HGH. Minor leaguers have to give urine samples multiple times during the season to test for steroids or recreational drugs.

This procedure will be a lot more invasive, obviously.

“I'm not a big fan. I don't think they should be doing it,” Alliman said. “But it is what it is. It (curbs) cheating. You've got to clean (baseball) up somehow.”

Fellow outfielder Justin Bass agrees with his teammate.

“It doesn't surprise me,” Bass said. “They've got to do what they've got to do to clean up the game. You can't just sit back and let what has been going on keep going on. I don't blame them. If anything, hopefully this will even the playing field. We'll see what happens.”

Bass said he has had conversations with his father, Kevin, about baseball and PEDs. Kevin Bass played in the big leagues from 1982 to 1995.

“I'm not going to name drop,” Bass said. “When he got out of the game, he'd talk about guys, just people he knew that were still playing. Guys that took stuff, did stuff, their routines, everything. It was kind of eye opening. Some guys it was a shocker. Some guys it was like ‘Eh, I'm not surprised.'”

This was an ugly game with seven errors. Beloit (58-51) scored three go-ahead runs in the sixth and held off a ninth-inning rally from the Kernels (66-43).

Starting pitcher Stephen Locke (6-5) gave up 10 runs, eight earned, in five innings for the loss. Michael Wing had three hits for the Kernels, who play Beloit again today at noon.

“Horrible game,” Mosiello said.

Here is video of Beloit Manager Nelson Prada getting ejected in the first inning after a controversial RBI double down the first-base line by Wing. The ball appeared to be well foul but was called fair by home plate umpire Nick Mahrley. Prada ran out on the field to protest the call before the play was even over.