Twins GM Ryan on the mend

CEDAR RAPIDS - Terry Ryan has made a lot of trips over the years to observe his organization's Class A farm team play Midwest League games. It's what good general managers do.

Whether he would admit it or not, this business trip likely means a little more. Perhaps a lot more.

The Minnesota Twins boss has been in Cedar Rapids since Wednesday to check out the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The 60-year-old is on the road to recovery after being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on his neck, which forced him to miss all of spring training.

'Feeling about 80 percent,” Ryan said. 'I'm trying to figure out whether I can handle this travel or no. This is my first go. So far, so good.”

Ryan is one of the most respected GMs in Major League Baseball, and his cancer diagnosis shook the sport. He said repeated radiation treatments after having the lump on his neck removed forced him to lose 25 pounds, and he still can't taste the food he eats.

Already thin, he said doctors told him it was possible they would have to insert a feeding tube if he lost any more weight. He dealt with one inserted through his nose immediately after his February surgery and said the experience was miserable.

'I said no way in hell are you doing that. I don't care how much I weigh,” he said. 'I've seen us play in the big leagues quite a bit (at home). Once I was able to go up there some, I think it helped. Probably helped my wife because I was with her more than I had been in the last 30 years.”

Ryan said he preferred to wait until the end of the Kernels' six-game homestand to give his opinions about players on the club. He said he has been touched by all the well wishes he has gotten from inside and outside the baseball community.

'I've gotten so many my phone exploded,” he said. 'Makes me feel pretty good. There were a lot of people who reached out that I hadn't heard from in quite awhile. But that's just baseball.”

Around the horn

'The Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) of the MWL announced Friday that former Linn-Mar and University of Iowa pitcher Andrew Hanse has been placed on the seven-day disabled list with an undisclosed injury. Hanse is 0-3 with a 7.13 earned run average in 13 relief appearances.

'Former Cedar Rapids Jefferson prep Kellen Sweeney continues to struggle at high-Class A Dunedin (Blue Jays). Since coming off the DL recently, he is 2 for 24 at the plate (.083 average), with both hits doubles.

'Former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep Scott Schebler hit his ninth home run of the season Friday for Double-A Chattanooga (Dodgers). He's hitting .234 in 52 games.

'Cedar Rapids Xavier senior pitcher Mitch Keller was in Kansas City this weekend to visit the front office of the Kansas City Royals. Keller is a possible high-round pick in this week's MLB amateur draft, which begins Thursday and runs through Saturday.

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