Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball

Pelfrey to make rehab start for Kernels

Minnesota Twins pitcher Mike Pelfrey will make a rehab start for the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Monday, Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said Friday.

Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune sent out a tweet that said right-handed pitcher "Mike Pelfrey expected to make rehab start for CedarRapids , probably Monday."

Miller later tweeted that Ryan had confirmed that Pelfrey will start for the Kernels on Monday when they host Peoria at 6:35 p.m.

Pelfrey is 3-6 with a 6.11 ERA in 14 starts for the Twins. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to June 13, with a strained back.

Read more...

Kernels sting Bees for 7th win in row

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have not spent any time moping about Byron Buxton's promotion to the Florida State League this week.

They've spent all their time winning.

The Kernels won their seventh straight game Thursday night with a 9-0 romp past the Burlington Bees before 2,445 fans in a Midwest League game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Christian Powell and Tyler Jones combined on the one-hit shutout as Cedar Rapids climbed 19 games over .500 at 47-28, its high-water mark of the campaign.

Read more...

Berrios hurls Kernels to 6th straight win

The Cedar Rapids Kernels upped their perfect second half record to 6-0 Wednesday night as they topped the Burlington Bees, 5-2. A crowd of 2,233 fans witnessed the victory at Veterans Memorial Stadium, including the winners of the Kernels’ 2 millionth fan promotion, the Steven Reick family of Solon.

The Reicks won a prize package valued at $3,000 from the Kernels.

For his start against the Bees, Jose Berrios (5-3) broke out a new pair of stirrups that were navy with three white stripes, “for good luck,” according to Berrios after the game. Whether the credit goes to his lucky socks or his $1.55 million arm, Berrios overpowered the Bees hitters for seven innings, striking out nine and giving up just five hits.

Read more...

Kernels greet 2 millionth fan

Steven Reicks of Solon entered Veterans Memorial Stadium with his wife Tammy, daughter Lindsey and son Mitch about 10 minutes before the start of Wednesday night’s Cedar Rapids Kernels game and were greeted by Kernels staff with a surprise.

Reicks, 45, was the 2 millionth fan to attend a Kernels game at the current version of Veterans Memorial Stadium since it opened in 2002. The Reicks, who own a property management company, Reicks Properties LLC, typically attend, “a couple of games a year,” according to Steven.

The Reicks will receive a $3,000 prize package from the Kernels that includes $1,500 in cash and the following:

• One night in a Kernels diamond suite
• Four "Praise in the Park" concert tickets
• Two Minnesota Twins tickets
• Four MMA tickets on Saturday, Aug. 10
• Kernels merchandise (T-shirt, cap and merchandise)
• 2013 team autographed ball
• Ox Yoke Inn gift certificate
• Fareway gift certificate
• Hy-Vee gift certificate
• Jimmy John's gift certificate
• Genghis Grill gift certificate
• Stadium Lounge gift certificate

Buxton chosen for Futures Game

Former Cedar Rapids Kernels center fielder Byron Buxton, along with third baseman Miguel Sano, have been selected to represent the Minnesota Twins in the 2013 Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 14, at 1 p.m. (Iowa time) at Citi Field in New York.

Buxton, recently promoted to Fort Myers, played in 68 games for the Kernels, batting .341 with 15 doubles, 10 triples, eight home runs and 55 RBI. He also stole 32 bases in 43 attempts. The Twins selected Buxton in the first round (second overall pick) of the 2012 First Year Player Draft.

The 2013 Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

Kepler's home run lifts Kernels by Bees

Both of Max Kepler's parents were professional ballet dancers who performed on international stages, but Kepler prefers a baseball and a bat to ballet slippers.

The Minnesota Twins and Cedar Rapids Kernels are glad about that.

Kepler played his first game in Cedar Rapids Tuesday and lofted a game-winning, two-run homer to help the Kernels trim the Burlington Bees, 6-4, before 3,459 fans in a steamy day game at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Kepler ran nimbly around the bases on his home run, but he's never danced on his toes in his life. He admires his parents for what they accomplished in a difficult profession, but ballet was not for him.

Read more...

Madison Boer assigned to Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Minnesota Twins announced Tuesday that right-handed pitcher Madison Boer has been activated from the 7-day disabled list at Fort Myers and assigned to Cedar Rapids. Brad Steil, Director of Minor League Operations for the Twins, announced the move.

The Twins selected Boer in the second round of the 2011 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Oregon and he split time last season between Beloit and Fort Myers. In 22 games (19 starts) with the Miracle, he posted a 7-10 record and 6.41 ERA, allowing 147 hits and 88 runs (79 earned) with 32 walks and 66 strikeouts in 111 IP. He also made five starts at Beloit, going 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA.

He appeared in three games for Fort Myers this season and was 1-0 with an 11.81 ERA, allowing 20 hits and 14 runs in 10.2 innings. Most recently he made two appearances for the Twins Gulf Coast (Rookie) league team and gave five hits and two unearned runs in three innings while striking out five.

Boer will be active and available for Tuesday’s 12:05 pm game with the Burlington Bees. Boer's addition puts the Kernels roster at the Midwest League maximum of 25 active players, with two players on the disabled list.

Kepler ready to go for Kernels

It may surprise some Cedar Rapids Kernels fans to learn that, even with the promotion of fan-favorite Byron Buxton on Sunday, the Kernels still have an outfielder in their lineup that was ranked among the Top 10 prospects of the parent Minnesota Twins coming into the season.

The reason for the surprise is that few Kernels fans have yet to see that prospect on the ball field.

Max Kepler was promoted to Cedar Rapids last week and arrived just in time to join the team for their trip to Appleton, Wis., to face the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. He had five hits in the four-game series and three of those hits were doubles.

Kepler, who was ranked as the No.8 Twins prospect by mlb.com and the No.10 Twins prospect by Baseball America before the season started, was expected to open the 2013 season as a member of the Kernels outfield. An elbow injury suffered during spring training resulted in Kepler being held back in extended spring training.

Read more...

Byron Buxton promoted to Fort Myers

Byron Buxton, the star center fielder who delighted Cedar Rapids baseball fans during his three months with the Kernels, was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle in the Florida State League Sunday night.

Cedar Rapids Manager Jake Mauer informed the Metro Sports Report of the transaction shortly after the Kernels defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 13-9, Sunday in Grand Chute, Wis.

Buxton went 2-for-5 with a triple and RBI in his final game with the Kernels.

Buxton, 19, signed with the Minnesota Twins for $6 million last year after being the No.2 overall pick in the 2012 draft. He was the starting center fielder in the Midwest League All-Star game Tuesday night and established himself as one of the top players in the league.

Read more...