Cedar Rapids Kernels put on quite an all-star show

CEDAR RAPIDS — They won't host another Midwest League All-Star Game here for another decade and a half, so the pressure was on the Cedar Rapids Kernels to put a good show together Tuesday night.

They did, and that included the guys on the field.

A nice crowd of 4,565 at Veterans Memorial Stadium enjoyed perfect weather and an 11-10 win by the Eastern Division over the Western Division. Eloy Jimenez of South Bend hit a tying three-run home run to dead center field in the top of the ninth inning, with Willi Castro of Lake County eventually following with a game-winning single to right field.

Jimenez was named the game's Star of Stars.

'I just focus and be in the moment,' Jimenez said, of his homer, which came against Clinton's Darin Gillies. 'Tried to hit a slider, a breaking ball, something up. He threw me a slider, and I swing and hit it well.'

Four Kernels participated here and did very well. Everything off the field seemed to go off without a hitch, too.

There was a pregame player autograph session and Home Run Derby, frivolity with mascots from virtually all of the league's 16 teams and a postgame fireworks display of rather epic proportions. Counting Monday's Fan Fest, it was difficult not to have fun, if you were a baseball fan, especially.

This was the first time since 2004 Veterans Memorial Stadium has hosted the All-Star Game. The next time Cedar Rapids is scheduled to host is 2032. Great Lakes is the site of next year's event.

'It's amazing to see it all come together,' said Kernels General Manager Scott Wilson. 'We plan 70 games a year, but this one is entirely different. It's like having a family reunion with extended family you can only see once every 16 years. Now we kind of get to showcase our event, what we do, the show on the field we put on ... To see this all come together, you see huge smiles on our faces. It's been an absolute blast.'

All-star games many times seem to be dominated by pitching, but this one was the polar opposite. The Western Division scored eight runs in the first three innings but ended up blowing an 8-1 lead.

Eastern Division starting pitcher J.C. Cosme of Fort Wayne had the misfortune of not retiring any of the five batters he faced, allowing four hits and brushing C.R.'s LaMonte Wade with a pitch. Meanwhile, Sam Clay of the Kernels started for the West and had a 1-2-3 top of the first, including a strikeout.

Wade (outfield) and Luis Arraez (second base) of the Kernels were position starters and hit first and second in the West lineup. Wade had a two-run single, while Arraez went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored.

'That was a lot of fun. Awesome,' Wade said. 'I got to meet a lot of cool guys here. The game was great, a great atmosphere. Just exciting, exciting.'

Catcher A.J. Murray came in about halfway through the game and had two at-bats. His first one produced an opposite-field two-run home run to right field in the seventh that extended his team's lead to 10-7.

Murray also participated in the Home Run Derby, hitting, ironically one homer.