Cedar Rapids Kernels starting pitcher John Klein picked up the win Wednesday night against Beloit. Always a catcher, he didn’t really being throwing regularly until going to Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, where his pitching coach was Jonas Lovin, who’s one of his pitching coaches now in professional baseball.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels gave out 1,000 replica rings celebrating their 2023 Midwest League championship Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Minnesota Twins generally have had a grip-it and rip-it offensive philosophy, one that has trickled down to their minor league affiliates. But Cedar Rapids Kernels Manager Brian Dinkelman said an emphasis this season for his players has been to have better two-strike approaches in order to avoid a cavalcade of strikeouts. The Kernels’ K numbers are indeed down in the very early going of the Midwest League season.
If there was a project that needed a little help, a program that needed a boost or a person in need, Bill Quinby was the person to contact. Quinby died in his sleep Saturday morning at the age of 92.
Here is the first 2024 edition of Eastern Iowans in Professional Baseball. This is a list of guys from Eastern Iowa or the University of Iowa playing in the major leagues or affiliated minor league baseball. There are four big leaguers right now in pitchers Mitch Keller (Pirates), Keaton Winn (Giants), Colin Rea (Brewers) and A.J. Puk (Marlins).
The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders failed to qualify for the United States Hockey League playoffs this season. But with the league drafts upcoming and the possibility of several returnees, the club seeks a quick turnaround.
The Iowa Heartlanders concluded their season over the weekend on a high note. They beat Kansas City, 7-4, before a franchise-record crowd of 4,878. They still finished last in the Central Division, last in the Western Conference with a 27-37-6-2 record.
A second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins last year, Luke Keaschall has been limited to designated-hitter duty early this Midwest League season because of an arm problem. But he played second base Sunday as the Cedar Rapids Kernels beat Dayton, 4-2, and did just fine. His offensive output continued to be just fine as well.
It has been a great first week of the Midwest League season offensively for Rubel Cespedes of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He had three hits, including a home run, in C.R.’s 8-5 win Saturday over Dayton
Cedar Rapids Kernels pitcher Andrew Morris threw six terrific innings Thursday night in his team’s 8-4 win over Dayton. Despite being just 22, this is his third professional baseball season after pitching four years of college ball. He graduated from high school in Colorado at age 16.
Thomas Vandenberg of Nepean, Ontario, has signed an official United States Hockey League tender agreement with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. The 15-year-old center counts as C.R.’s first-round pick in the upcoming USHL Draft, Phase I
Winger Nico Blachman of the Iowa Heartlanders is a fan favorite and engaging guy who left his Florida home at 13 to play prep school hockey in Minnesota. He has played for 20 junior, college and professional teams in 10 years and vows to keep going as an enforcer type of player.
This is Brian Dinkelman’s ninth season as a member of the Cedar Rapids Kernels coaching staff, his fifth as manager. He was named 2023 Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America.
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