From a military family, the Fourth of July means a ton to Andrew Cossetti of Cedar Rapids Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS — He stands rigidly upright along the first-base line with his teammates, his Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball cap pressed tightly in his right hand across his heart.

As the national anthem is completed, you notice him give a quick salute to the American flag in right-center field at Veterans Memorial Stadium before he heads to his team’s dugout.

You wonder if Andrew Cossetti has some sort of military background. He does.

His grandfather, Larry Cossetti, was a Green Beret who fought in the Vietnam War. His twin brother, Anthony, graduated last year from the Naval Academy and is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., studying to become a military physician.

Needless to say, the Fourth of July means something to the Kernels catcher. A whole lot of something.

“I always remember celebrating it growing up. It’s a big holiday in our family,” Cossetti said, before the Kernels’ 4-1 win over Quad Cities before 4,879 fans. “It starts with my grandfather. The country and the flag mean a lot to him, so we celebrate it the way we think he would like it to be celebrated, and the way he deserves.

“I think ultimately what he did and his sacrifice led to my brother being in the military. Obviously, I went a different route. But for him, he is representing the same kind of thing my grandfather represented. I know my brother is going to be watching the game (tonight), wearing something with the flag, (with) red, white and blue.”

The 23-year-old from the Philadelphia suburbs communicates daily with his brother. His grandfather was able to see him play last week when the Kernels were in Peoria.

His parents, Tony and Taunya, are expected to come to Cedar Rapids sometime before the season is done to watch him. Tony Cossetti played college baseball at LaSalle University, a huge Philadelphia rival of St. Joseph’s.

Anthony Cossetti played baseball at Navy as a freshman before giving it up. A military family, a baseball family.

Doesn’t get much more American than that.

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“My brother loves the game just as much as I do. I’m sure he would love to be out here, too,” Andrew said. “I was talking to some of the guys. People do a lot of different things on the Fourth of July. I don’t think there’s any other way I would want to represent the country and show support to my brother and my grandfather than playing a baseball game, being on a baseball field, you know?

“It’s always meant a lot to me and my family, and I continue to represent the country and show my love for it every single day, not just on the Fourth of July. But it always means a little extra on this day.”

Andrew Cossetti was an 11th-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins last year. He played just one game for the Florida Complex League Twins after signing, so this is, for all intents and purposes, his true pro debut.

He hit a ton the first two months at low-Class A Fort Myers: .330 with a 1.069 OPS in 35 games, to be specific. That prompted a promotion to the high-A Kernels, where he’s hitting .236 in 22 games, with three home runs.

He has settled in nicely defensively behind the plate. Powerfully built, he has the ability to drive the baseball a long way.

“It’s definitely been a bit of a transition. Obviously I was playing some of the baseball (I ever have) early on down there (in Fort Myers),” Cossetti said. “It would be ignorant to think I wouldn’t have more of a challenge going on (now). I think the biggest thing for me is trying to address the challenges I’ve faced here. I know I’m a good baseball player, I know I can hit, I know I can catch. So it’s just addressing the challenges and finding new ways to attack them.”

The Kernels (46-30 overall, 6-4 in the second half) got a two-run home run from Noah Cardenas, a solo shot from Ben Ross and a good starting pitching effort from Zebby Matthews to win the opener of this six-game series against Quad Cities.

Matthews allowed just three hits and a run in 5 2/3 innings. The teams play again Wednesday night at 6:35.

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