A Cautionary Tale in Cedar Rapids

Kernels fans and Twins fans, alike, can’t help but be excited about the number of highly rated prospects included in the initial Cedar Rapids roster this season.

Of the 25 active members of the Kernels’ Opening Day roster, 14 of them received signing bonuses in excess of $100,000 when they signed their names to their first contract with the Twins organization. Altogether, those 14 players signed on for over $12 million in signing bonus money. Three current players received $1 million or more to sign. 

With all of that high-ceiling talent, it’s certainly understandable for fans to be excited, not only for the likely fortunes of the Kernels this season, but for the future of the parent Minnesota Twins a couple of years from now. Fans will get a look at one of those million-dollar players, Hudson Boyd, when he takes the mound Friday night in his first start of the season for the Kernels. He reportedly got $1 million from the Twins.

Boyd’s counterpart, Beloit Snappers starting pitcher Michael Ynoa, provides a couterbalance for fans, however. His story serves as a reminder that, in the end, large signing bonuses and a player’s desire and work ethic provide no guarantee of a mercurial rise through the organization and a trip to the Big Leagues.

Ynoa was signed, as a 16-year-old, with the Oakland Athletics organization for a then-club record $4.25 million in 2008 out of the Dominican Republic. He was widely regarded as one of the top Latin-American prospects that year.

Snappers pitcher Michael Ynoa (photo: Chris Lockard/Scout.com)
Snappers pitcher Michael Ynoa (photo: Chris Lockard/Scout.com)

Since inking his deal, Ynoa has thrown a total of just under 40 innings for A’s affiliates. To say he’s had injury issues is a considerable understatement.

He missed his first year with the A’s organization with a strained elbow. He made three starts in 2010 before being shut down and undergoing Tommy John surgery, which essentially cost him his 2011 season. He threw about 30 innings in 2012. His start to the 2013 Spring Training was delayed by a case of Chicken Pox.

The Athletics organization certainly has not given up on right-hander. He reportedly continues to throw hard, but his inactivity has resulted in some understandable control issues. The team added him to their 40-man roster this past offseason, rather than risk losing him in Major League Baseball’s Rule 5 draft, in which players with several years of minor league experience can be drafted by other organizations if they are not yet on their team’s 40-man roster.

Ynoa’s status as a top-level Major League prospect has been eliminated by his health issues. But the A’s appear to believe he can still eventually contribute at the Major League level if he can start harnessing his velocity and find some control. Of course, staying healthy would help, too.

In the mean time, Ynoa serves as a cautionary tale for those fans that might look in to the Kernels dugout and assume that all of that high-ceiling talent already have their tickets to Target Field punched. Even with their impressive talent, getting to put on a Major League uniform will require skill, dedication… and a fair amount of luck.

– JC

GameChat – Twins @ Orioles, 2:05pm

And now we’re on the road!

I actually really like the Orioles (maybe not as much as JC) so this is a series I’m definitely looking forward to – EXCEPT I DON’T GET TO WATCH! *sigh*

I’m jealous of all of you who get to see it.

At any rate, we start this afternoon and the word is that Flower-man is sitting with hopes that his defense will improve while he ponders his previous performance. I always wonder if that works but let’s hope so.

[edit] AAaaaand we also have our first 15-day DL. DeVries has been moved officially to the DL with forearm stiffness. He’ll have to be replaced for his scheduled game on Sunday – no word on who that starter will be yet.

Minnesota

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Baltimore
Hicks, CF McLouth, LF
Mauer, DH Machado, 3B
Willingham, LF Markakis, RF
Morneau, 1B Jones, Ad, CF
Doumit, C Davis, C, 1B
Plouffe, 3B Wieters, C
Parmelee, RF Hardy, SS
Dozier, 2B Flaherty, 2B
Escobar, SS Reimold, DH
  Hendriks, P   Arrieta, P

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That game was actually a lot better than the end would make you believe…  A lot of good things happened. Liam Hendriks looked REALLY good actually (after the first pitch anyway). Dozier really looked great. We had enough offense to make me happy that we were taking advantage of opportunities. Our LOB was in the single digits which I will accept.

And to be honest, that 8th inning from Baltimore was really something in itself. Somewhere, some rube on Twitter announced that Chris Davis is on pace for 162 Homeruns this season! LOL While that isn’t going to happen, what he did today is still pretty cool. He hit his 4th HR of the season, one for each of the first 4 games. There are only 4 other players in MLB history who have done that so it’s a pretty special group.

There was one other special moment in today’s game that had nothing to do with the players on the field. Baltimore started today with a moment to honor the passing of Earl Weaver – they skipped the ceremonial first pitch. It was a haunting memorial.

A ball sits on the mound as the Orioles honor the late Earl Weaver by not having a ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Camden Yards. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun / April 5, 2013)
A ball sits on the mound as the Orioles honor the late Earl Weaver by not having a ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Camden Yards. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun / April 5, 2013)

GameChat – Tigers @ Twins #3, 12:10pm

I think Twins fans and Detroit fans can both agree that we’re ok with not having Fister out there today… save him for the Yankees in Detroit, right? (and that means we don’t have to – Verlander was bad enough.)

Game time temps are actually pretty similar to yesterday even though the game is kicking off 3 hours earlier – not too bad for April in Minnesota. Of course, it’s been better but it’s been worse too. I’ll take almost 50 and see what happens. At least the sun is shining and the wind is light.

We get to see Carroll at 2B tonight and I have to admit that I like him out there. I’m ok with Dozier’s progress but with Pelfrey on the mound, I have to admit that I feel more secure and positive with the defense behind him with Carroll instead.

*shrug*

That’s probably just me though…

Detroit

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Minnesota
Jackson, A, CF Hicks, CF
Hunter, To, RF Mauer, C
Cabrera, M, 3B Willingham, LF
Fielder, 1B Morneau, 1B
Martinez, V, DH Doumit, DH
Kelly, LF Plouffe, 3B
Peralta, Jh, SS Parmelee, RF
Avila, C Carroll, 2B
Infante, 2B Florimon, SS
  Porcello, P   Pelfrey, P

 

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WOOHOOO!!!!  Yes, folks that is a Series Win! against the TIGERS! (gotta love divisional opponent wins). We’re officially over .500. I’m trying to remember how long it took us to get there last year and I’m pretty sure it was more than a month… We haven’t actually won an opening series since 2010!!!  That being said, it’s still only the first series and there is a lot of baseball left to play and they won’t all go like this. We are smart fans and we know better.

BUT that doesn’t mean a good day of baseball doesn’t feel amazing!

Twins Dairy Queen Cake, 6/21/2012Our heartiest congratulations to Aaron Hicks for FINALLY nailing in that first MLB hit! That must be a huge relief to have that taken care of now.

Have some cake – have a party! Grab your souvenir ball and be ready to do it again! Welcome to the Big Leagues.

Also deserving some congratulations is our pitching staff who I think we saw almost all of today… but again, holding that lineup to 2 runs is nothing to sneeze at. Post-game party at Butcher & the Boar‘s Bourbon Bar!

The difficult part of a commanding win is always picking the BOD – who really gave you that extra edge to win? Today the votes went to Trevor Plouffe for knocking in the go-ahead run and really getting the 2-out party started. For that, he is today’s BOD!

Trevor Plouffe
Trevor Plouffe

 

 

GameChat – Tigers @ Twins #2, 3:10pm

Ok, let’s try this again shall we? (Do it better this time.)

Game 2 of the season has a significant improvement in first pitch temperature – it’s supposed to be in the 50’s by that point but it’s already 10 degrees warmer than the warmest point of the game on Monday. Oh, and the wind isn’t trying to blow us away either. Those are important factors for fans and players alike.

I haven’t yet seen Correia pitch – nor will I today since I’m at work watching on Gameday – but I am intrigued to see what he can do for us.

Detroit

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Minnesota
Jackson, A, CF Hicks, CF
Hunter, To, RF Mauer, C
Cabrera, M, 3B Willingham, LF
Fielder, 1B Morneau, 1B
Martinez, V, DH Doumit, DH
Dirks, LF Plouffe, 3B
Peralta, Jh, SS Parmelee, RF
Avila, C Dozier, 2B
Infante, 2B Florimon, SS
  Sanchez, An, P   Correia, P

 

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Well THAT was unexpected! They literally left this until the very last minute to pull this win out of their butt. But a win’s a win. I’ll take it. I’ll be happy about it. Congrats to Perkins for getting a win. That being said, the starting performance for Correia was pretty darn good. He went 7 innings (FANTASTIC in early spring) and only gave up 2 runs and a walk. I’ll take that any day.

Like Monday, it would have been nice if the offense had been able to string some things together earlier in the game than the 9th inning.

Just about everyone had to flee before the end of the game (including me) so BOD was a bit of a bare-bones affair but since the win was so late in the game, there wasn’t a lot of discussion really needed. Eduardo Escobar, by virtue of actually getting 2 RBI is today’s BOD!

Escobar-Eduardo-2

 

Kernels Arrive, Baseball Imminent!

We’ve moved one important step closer to having baseball in Cedar Rapids… the players have arrived!

The 2013 Kernels roster arrived at Eastern Iowa Airport shortly before noon Tuesday. It’s pretty safe to say the weather was just a bit cooler than it was when they took off from Fort Myers.

Manager Jake Mauer said the trip went well, though he did mention that there was a long line at the security check in Fort Myers and a couple of the players got to the departure gate without a lot of extra time to spare. All things considered, though, when you’re trying to get a couple dozen guys shepherded on to an airplane, a couple of close calls isn’t the worst thing that could happen.

The team was being taken to dinner in the Amana Colonies, near Cedar Rapids, Tuesday evening and fans will have their first opportunity to meet the new Kernels Wednesday evening at the club’s “Meet the Kernels” event. Weather permitting, the team will get in a public workout on the field afterward.

Thursday night, the official Opening Day game will see the Kernels hosting the Beloit Snappers at 6:35. For a number of the Kernels, who wore Beloit uniforms last season when the Snappers were the Twins’ Midwest League affiliate, it’s likely to feel just a little peculiar wearing a Kernels uniform and facing a squad of Oakland Athletics prospects in Beloit uniforms.

I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the Kernels’ arrival, as well as a peek “behind the scenes” at the players’ new home for the summer, Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.

Kernels Arrival 2
Players claiming their bags at the airport
Loading the bags on the bus
Loading the bags on the bus
Players entrance to the ballpark
Players entrance to the ballpark
Sign above the Players Entrance features former Twins who have played for Cedar Rapids:
Sign above the Players Entrance features several former Twins who have played for Cedar Rapids over the years: John Roseboro, Alexi Casilla, Chili Davis, and Phil Roof
The Kernels clubhouse
The Kernels clubhouse
Kernels Weightroom
The Kernels Weight Room
Indoor Batting Cage
There's a waiting room for players' families where they can watch the game on the TV and wait for the players to get dressed after games
There’s a waiting room for players’ families where they can watch the game on the TV and wait for the players to get dressed after games

 

 

GameChat – 2013 Opening Day! Tigers @ Twins, 3:10pm

openingday 2013

And it begins!

Detroit

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Minnesota
Jackson, A, CF Hicks, CF
Hunter, To, RF Mauer, C
Cabrera, M, 3B Willingham, LF
Fielder, 1B Morneau, 1B
Martinez, V, DH Doumit, DH
Dirks, LF Plouffe, 3B
Peralta, Jh, SS Parmelee, RF
Avila, C Dozier, 2B
Infante, 2B Florimon, SS
  Verlander, P   Worley, P

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ouch… I don’t think it’s a HUGE surprise facing Justin Verlander that we didn’t get much in the way of runs. However, when you know that is going to be the case, you can’t let poor fielding give your opponent runs you aren’t going to be able to match. Some very sloppy fielding cost us.

Worley had a very rough start to things – I’m going to call it extra adrenaline. He did settle in and do a pretty decent job after that first inning. On most days, I will take that. We just didn’t make the most of the opportunities we had to get runs – yes, 12 men were left on base…  >:|  I will never be ok with that kind of number.

At any rate, it was a COLD day and not the kind of start we’d want but not terribly unexpected either – see y’all on Wednesday!

Dear Twins: Show Me Something!

It’s Opening Day!

openingday2013Alas, we still haven’t elected a President with the balls to do the right thing and make Opening Day a legal Federal Holiday and mandate that everyone who doesn’t work in a sports bar must be given the day off (and those who do work in sports bars must be paid double-time just for putting up with the rest of us who would spend our entire day drinking beer and watching baseball at said sports bars).

Yes, I’m aware that the season officially opened Sunday night in Houston, but I ignored that game completely (and, from what I hear, so did the Rangers, apparently).

Opening Day is supposed to be all about promise and hope. But if you read the stuff being written about our Minnesota Twins (and you must, or you wouldn’t be reading this), there isn’t much promise or hope for the Twins in 2013. Everyone… and I mean that in a very literal sense… is picking the Twins to finish dead last in the American League Central Division again this season. I haven’t seen a prognostication that foresees anything else.

It’s understandable. Almost everyone… fans and so-called “experts” in the industry, alike… has been underwhelmed by the moves made by the Twins’ front office this offseason, except as those moves pertain to the Twins’ fortunes two or three years down the road. But for 2013, the consensus is that the team did not do enough to rebuild last season’s attrocious pitching staff to make any significant move toward contention this summer.

It’s hard to disagree. I won’t recite all the criticisms that have been lobbed at General Manager Terry Ryan, but suffice to say that, while he certainly has different pitchers in his team’s rotation and bullpen this year, there is little belief outside of the Twins organization itself that the Twins pitching is significantly improved.

And maybe that’s a good thing.

You get a sense, listening to those inside the organization… players, their manager, certainly their GM and others inside the front office… that they DO believe they are a much better team this season. They believe they can contend with the rest of the Division, including the Tigers.

The players aren’t buying that Ryan’s offseason marching orders were to slash payroll and re-load for 2015 and beyond, leaving manager Ron Gardenhire to twist in the wind and take the fall when the inevitable 2013 collapse occurs.

Nor should the players buy in to that.

I hope they greet the season with an Us vs. Them attitude. Like the Indians team that Lou Brown managed in the film, Major League, they should be set on giving all of us naysayers a “big ol’ shitburger to eat.”

As fans, we have every right to be disappointed in the team’s performance on the field the past two years and their front office’s performance this offseaston. As players, they have every right to be disappointed in their fans for not believing in them. It’s how it should be.

We’ve all talked at times about how the Twins lack leadership… even lack character. Well, this season, we’ll see just what kind of character this team has. This season will challenge their character and even their manhood. They’re going to get knocked down a few times, but will they get back up and punch back?

After two gawdawful seasons, Twins fans are dying for something to root for. I know I am.

I don’t need a World Series Championship to get me cheering this team on. I don’t even need one of those Division Pennants that everyone was saying a couple of years ago wasn’t enough anymore.

I just need to see some fight in this team. Show me you don’t give a damn whether I or anyone else thinks you can win. Show me you believe in yourselves and your team mates and your manager. Show me you’re a professional who won’t stop swinging until the final bell rings. 

If this year’s Twins can do that, I’ll be right there with them cheering them on, all season long. And I don’t think I’ll be alone.

– JC