Cam Booser continues to perservere and pitch for Cedar Rapids Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS — That Cam Booser was on a professional baseball mound Thursday night is just short of miraculous when you come to think about it.

The list of injuries the Cedar Rapids Kernels relief pitcher has incurred over the years is immense. One topped after getting hit by a car this past December.

Yes, seriously. He fractured his sacrum, a bone at the base of spine, in that accident.

This after having surgery this past August to repair a torn labrum in his left throwing arm. You're not normally supposed to return from that very soon.

'Great trainers in Florida, I guess,' Booser said, after striking out the side in the ninth inning of his team's 2-0 loss to Kane County before 4,004 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium. 'Not really surprised I'm back so soon. I've been feeling good ever since I had surgery.'

The 24-year-old Seattle native broke his back playing football in high school. He also has Tommy John elbow surgery on his medical docket.

He can still get it to the plate in the upper-90s, which is why it's difficult to give up on the guy. Booser had a 54.00 earned run average in his first two relief appearances since coming back to Cedar Rapids from Minnesota Twins extended spring training recently, unable to throw strikes.

This was a giant leap forward.

'I've just been working with my pitching coach (J.P. Martinez) a little bit,' Booser said. 'He helped me make some minor adjustments. Just get on the top of the ball is all. Just a few minor adjustments.'

'Him and J.P. are working in that bullpen quite a bit,' said Kernels Manager Jake Mauer. 'His stuff looked good. The ball was coming out good. His breaking ball was good. If you take a positive away from (this game), that's probably the one.'

The Kernels (33-26) were limited to five hits by a trio of Kane County pitchers, including starter Joel Payamps (3-3). They committed four errors, two of those costing them the only runs of the game.

Cedar Rapids did have one fantastic fielding play in the fourth inning when right fielder J.J. Fernandez reached over the fence to rob Kane County's Grant Heyman of a home run and threw to first base to double up a baserunner.

'That guy really overmatched us tonight,' Mauer said. 'We didn't square too much off him, other than (Luis) Arraez, really. He had a pretty good time with us.'

Arraez had a pair of doubles. The Kernels had more than one baserunner in an inning just once.

Their lead in the Midwest League's Western Division is down to a half-game over Peoria, with a huge three-game series coming up this weekend in Illinois. Clinton is just a game back of Cedar Rapids.

The top two teams in the division will clinch playoffs berths. There are 10 games remaining in the first half.

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