Max Cordy makes a pitch for C.R. Kernels teammate Griffin Jax

CEDAR RAPIDS - Take it for what it's worth. It was intended to be amusing as much as anything.

But Max Cordy says if a tweet he sent to President Donald Trump, among others, Thursday afternoon can help one of his Cedar Rapids Kernels teammates, he'd be a happy guy. You never know when a social media revolution might occur.

The relief pitcher, who threw two innings Thursday night in his team's 10-0 loss to Great Lakes at Veterans Memorial Stadium, made a plea to allow C.R. pitcher Griffin Jax to stay with the team the remainder of the Midwest League season. Jax is only playing professional baseball while on a 60-day leave after graduating from the Air Force Academy.

He is scheduled to leave July 29 for a base in Cape Canaveral, Fla., where he will be an acquisitions officer and a second lieutenant.

'To be honest with you, it was kind of a joke,” Cordy said. 'I think Griff has people handling that for him. He knows what he signed on for, and it's just unfortunate the administration changed policy. That's what happens, and you've got to respect that decision. But he said there was still a chance he would get grandfathered with the old rule, so that's all I was trying to do. Maybe we could help him get grandfathered in.”

Jax was a third-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins last year and was told when he signed a contract with them that his mandatory two years of post-graduation military service could be spent in the reserves while he pursued a baseball career. A new president led to a new Secretary of Defense and a new policy.

Jax now must serve his two years in active, full-time duty. He has told everyone who has interviewed him that he's disappointed in the change but completely understands, that it is what he literally signed up for originally.

Cordy tweeted a screen shot of a six-sentence text message he created from his phone, pointing out Jax's situation and asking Trump to 'let him stay and play and live out his dream, wile continuing his military service in the reserves as we previously agreed upon.”

'I'm not here trying to disrespect the military or anything,” Cordy said. 'Griff's not trying to duck his duty. It's just kind of a light-hearted thing.”

As of early Thursday night, Cordy's tweet had 200 retweets and likes. He sent it to Trump, ESPN and all the major national television news stations.

'If people know about it, and they think it's unfair (because of) the way it was ruled previously, that he was supposed to be able to play ...,” Cordy said. 'Honestly, I don't think any major league teams would have picked him as high as they did if they knew he wasn't going to be able to play. It's kind of a crummy situation for both sides, for Griff and the Minnesota Twins. They thought they were going to have him for the next couple of years.

'Yeah, this was done kind of light-heartedly, but if it helps out his situation, yeah, I'm all for it.”

The Kernels (50-47, 11-16 second half) continued their floundering ways, losing for the eighth time in nine games. This was the fifth time in that span that Cedar Rapids has been shutout.

The teams play again Friday night at 6:35.

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