Kernels’ Garver relishes being all-star ... at end of season

CEDAR RAPIDS - Mitch Garver got the more important honor in the Midwest League.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels catcher was one of 13 players named earlier this week to the MWL's Postseason All-Star Team. It was a justifiable selection for a guy who has been so consistent all season and who ranks in the top 10 in the league in several offensive categories.

It also was a satisfying selection for a guy who wasn't deemed good enough for the league's midseason all-star game. About 80 guys were picked for that.

'I think halfway through the year, I just hadn't caught enough games to qualify,” Garver said Thursday night, before his team's 3-2 loss to Kane County at Veterans Memorial Stadium. '(Wisconsin's) Clint Coulter was swinging it pretty well, so they took him. Now with me catching four or five games a week here in the second half, that helped me out a lot. I just stayed with my (offensive) approach.”

Coulter also made the postseason squad, as a designated hitter. Garver went into Thursday night's game with a .297 average and team-leading 29 doubles, 15 home runs, 76 RBIs and 60 walks.

Just as importantly, and maybe more so, he has gotten better at the defensive aspects of catching. His .318 caught-stealing percentage, for instance, would rank him fifth in the major leagues.

'I thought he got snubbed at the break,” Kernels Manager Jake Mauer said. 'But he's really come a long way defensively, really worked hard on it. Offensively he's been right there the whole year. He's a pretty complete hitter. He goes the other way, hits for average, has some pop. I'm proud of him he got elected as a catcher. That's pretty cool.”

Mauer has said multiple times this season that how Garver, 23, progresses defensively will determine his future. A ninth-round pick of the parent Twins last year from the University of New Mexico, his right-handed bat appears big-league caliber.

'Yeah, I look at my stats,” Garver said. 'It's a very statistically based game. I mean, you don't want to get too ahead of yourself or too down on yourself because you have a 0-for-9 streak or something like that. That's part of the game.”

Game 1 playoff starter Chih-Wei Hu made his regular-season pitching finale Thursday night for the Kernels (72-64, 41-25) and had a tumultous first inning that decided the game. Hu (7-2) gave up three consecutive singles with one out, then walked three straight guys with two outs as Kane County (89-47, 44-22) scored three times.

The right-hander from Taiwan settled down after that, throwing strong second, third and fourth innings. Cedar Rapids scored in the first and ninth, stranding the bases loaded.

The teams complete their three-game series Friday night at 6:35. It's the Kernels' final regular-season home game.

The last regular-season series is Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Clinton. The playoffs begin Wednesday night at home against Burlington.

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