Kernels' Lucas a true family man

CEDAR RAPIDS – Gary Lucas is the only one, the exception. And even he is realistic about what needed to be done.

The Minnesota Twins love being in Cedar Rapids and associated with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. It's been a wonderful honeymoon this season.

The Twins get a better city to place their low-Class A minor leaguers, an infinitely better ballpark, a player housing program that's unique to the minors. The Kernels have seen increased attendance and visibility throughout the area, region and nation, thanks in part to superstar prospect Byron Buxton.

Cedar Rapids has clinched a Midwest League playoff spot and hopes to take the Western Division first-half championship. This has been win-win.

Yet had things not worked out the way they did, and the Twins would have remained hitched with the Beloit Snappers, Lucas wouldn't have minded. He's the only one, the exception.

“Family wise, I was probably one of the few who would have loved to have us stay in Beloit,” the Kernels pitching coach said. “But I know we needed a better facility, and I understand that this is just a huge, huge upgrade for the organization. It's just awesome. It's awesome to come to work every day with (hitting coach) Tommy (Watkins) and (manager) Jake (Mauer). It seems like just yesterday that I was on the staff at Quad Cities when they were playing. It's a treat.”

Gary Lucas has been a treat in the Midwest League for 15 years. That's how long the 58-year-old former big leaguer has been a pitching coach for Cedar Rapids, Beloit, Quad Cities and Clinton.

He spent 1991 in high-A at San Jose, Calif., and 2006 and 2007 in Double-A at New Britain, Conn. The rest of his coaching career has been in the MWL, mostly by design.

Lucas and his wife, Taffee, reside in Rice Lake, Wis., where they raised three daughters. For Lucas, it's been family first.

In the vagabond world of professional baseball, that's tough to obtain.

“I still really want to be a major league pitching coach, but I've never felt more like that's out of my hands more than I do today,” he said. “I think it's who wants you. I think I bring as many credentials to the table as any of these younger guys, but it's out of my hands.

“When they sent me to Double-A, they sent me to the fall league, they sent me to Venezuela (for winter ball), I thought I was on the fast track. But it was just not meant to be. So I kind of took a step back and said ‘If it's not the big leagues, and you don't care where I'm serving you best, whether it's Rookie league or Triple-A, I'd just as soon be closer to home.'”

His daughters are grown now but still dot the Midwest.

Mindy is a school teacher in the Milwaukee area, and she and her husband have three daughters. Karlee is a nurse in the Twin Cities, where she lives with her husband.

Youngest daughter, Holly, got married in March and is a country music singer-songwriter who has worked with Kix Brooks, of Brooks & Dunn fame.

“I went to (retired Twins player development director) Jim Rantz years ago and said ‘I'll stay right where I'm at, Jim,'” Lucas said. “If it doesn't rock the boat, I prefer to be closer to home. He said ‘We're going to do that, Luke.' So it's worked out.”

Mindy and Karlee already have made trips to Cedar Rapids to visit their dad this season. The Kernels make four trips to Beloit, so that's even more opportunity to see his daughters and granddaughters.

The big fun comes at the conclusion of the first half Sunday, when Lucas will spend a week with his family, part of it a post-wedding celebration for Holly, who eloped in March. The Kernels open second half play at Wisconsin on Thursday, and Lucas asked for one day off.

The Twins told him to take the whole first series off. Call it a belated Father's Day gift, if you will.

“I feel very fortunate they are letting me do that,” Lucas said. “We're going to have a nice family get together. That'll be as nice a Father's Day present as you can get. The whole family will be there. We're looking forward to that."

Lucas knows at his age the opportunity to get back to the big leagues is probably remote at this point. But he enjoys what he is doing, enjoys that he has been able to stay so close to home throughout his coaching career.

“You know, if they needed me to help out in the big leagues tomorrow, which is not going to happen, I'd be fine with that," he said. "If they need me in Rookie ball in the future, I'm OK with that. They've given me a huge opportunity over the years, a huge opportunity.”