After 15 seasons, Rodgers still loves calling the game

CEDAR RAPIDS - John Rodgers says he's slowing down, though you have a hard time believing the longtime Cedar Rapids Kernels radio announcer.

Rodgers is a whirl of activity and energy on game night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. That includes his broadcasts, of course.

“The runner goes!” he shouts in that excitable John Rodgers tone. “There's no throw! Safe! The runner is safe at third!”

Rodgers, like all Kernels employees, works long hours during the season, and he says it's beginning to take a toll. Most days when the team is at home begin early in the morning and don't end until the game is completed that night.

The Kernels won last night's game over Clinton at Veterans Memorial Stadium, 7-5, before 1,305 fans.

“I'm just not as good as I used to be, because of my age, at being able to get everything done I'd like to get done ...,” said Rodgers, 51. “That doesn't mean I dread it. I'm looking forward to going to two more schools tomorrow morning. But like all of us humans, I wish I could buy time from God. Say ‘God, would you give me a half-hour extra today?'"

On this day, he picked up Kernels pitcher Jon Bachanov at 7 and drove him to an area school as part of an extensive summer reading program he coordinates. By 6:30 that night, tired or no, John is still John.

“All right!” Rodgers shouts, as he waves out his open broadcast booth window at a couple of young ladies who work for him. “Shannon and Mary are waving back at us!”

Rodgers, whose real name is John Pfeiffenberger, was a college track and field coach before pursuing his dream of broadcasting baseball. He sat in the nosebleed section at Royals Stadium in Kansas City and did an audition tape, applying for and getting the Kernels' radio opening in 1996.

“In some ways it does feel like 15 years, but in a good way,” Rodgers said. “Each season, each game is so different that it never seems like old hat.”

Surprisingly, he said he doesn't mind the bus rides to beautiful ports of call like Beloit, Wis. The road is his sanctuary, where he can get some rest and some regular exercise.

But sometimes those darned home games ...

“I may take one ball out of the juggling act. Who knows?” Rodgers said. “Maybe I'll turn over the reading program completely. Maybe it's giving up the (offseason) selling totally and do something else for seven months. It's the thing that athletes say. I've noticed I just don't bounce back as quickly after a long day as I used to."

The Kernels (9-12) won for the second time in eight games,  as Carlos Ramirez hit a pair of home runs. Thanks to a strong wind blowing straight out, there were five homers in the game, including long shots to dead center by Clinton's Nick Franklin, Dennis Raben and Matt Cerione.

Garrett Richards (1-0) threw the first seven innings to get the victory for the Kernels, who begin a four-game home series Friday night against Kane County. Bachanov and David Carpenter finished up.

"Offensively we played well. Defensively we played really well," said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. "Richards is better than that, but it's one step at a time."

"We're just going to keep our heads up," Ramirez said. "Practice each day and play hard. Just go from there."