Cedar Rapids Kernels | |
---|---|
| |
Minor league affiliations | |
Class | High-A (2021–present) |
Previous classes | |
League | Midwest League (1962–present) |
Division | West Division |
Previous leagues |
|
Major league affiliations | |
Team | Minnesota Twins (2013–present) |
Previous teams |
|
Minor league titles | |
League titles (14) |
|
Division titles (1) |
|
First-half titles (2) |
|
Team data | |
Name | Cedar Rapids Kernels (1993–present) |
Previous names |
|
Colors | Yellow, red, navy blue, green, white [1] |
Ballpark | Veterans Memorial Stadium (2002–present) |
Previous parks | Veterans Memorial Stadium (I) (1949–2001) Belden Hill Park (1913–1942) [2] |
Owner(s)/ Operator(s) | Cedar Rapids Ball Club, Inc. |
General manager | Scott Wilson |
Manager | Brian Dinkelman |
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and play their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The Kernels are owned by Cedar Rapids Ball Club, Inc. (also known as Cedar Rapids Baseball Club, Inc.). [3] [4] [5]
Cedar Rapids first began play in 1890 and have played 110 seasons through 2015. The franchise has been a member of various leagues preceding the Midwest League. They have been a member of the Central Association (1949), Western League (1934–1937), Mississippi Valley League (1922–1932), Central Association (1913–1917), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1901–1909, 1920–1921, 1938–1942, 1950–1961), Western Association (1896–1899), Eastern Iowa League (1895) and the Illinois–Iowa League (1890–1891). [6] The team also had numerous nicknames prior to joining the Midwest League: Cedar Rapids Braves (1958–1962), Cedar Rapids Raiders (1953–1957), Cedar Rapids Indians (1950–1952), Cedar Rapids Rockets (1949), Cedar Rapids Raiders (1934–1942), Cedar Rapids Red Raiders (1963–1964), Cedar Rapids Bunnies (1904–1932), Cedar Rapids Rabbits (1896–1903) and Cedar Rapids Canaries (1890–1891). [6]
When Cedar Rapids was awarded a Midwest League franchise in 1962, the franchise switched back to the Red Raiders (1962–1964) nickname. Subsequently, the team used the name of the major league franchise it affiliated with: the Cardinals (1965–1972), the Astros (1973–1974), the Giants (1975–1979), and the Reds (1980–1992). The team adopted the current "Kernels" nickname before the 1993 season. On the field, the franchise won Midwest League championships in 1988, 1992, 1994, and 2023.
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Kernels were organized into the High-A Central. [7] In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization. [8]
The team's first home ballpark was Belden Hill Park, [2] followed by the original Veterans Memorial Stadium, [9] which opened in 1949. In August 2000 voters approved a referendum to build a new ballpark adjacent to the old one, which was demolished after the 2001 season. The new Veterans Memorial Stadium was completed in time for the opening of the 2002 season, and the Kernels set a franchise attendance record of 196,066 in the new park's inaugural year.
Players | Coaches/Other | |||
Pitchers
| Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders | Manager Coaches
60-day injured list
7-day injured list |
Baseball Hall of Fame alumni
Notable alumni
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganization of the minor leagues.
The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, one of the Quad Cities.
The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Baseball's Midwest League from 1962 to 2020. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Burlington was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball.
The Clinton LumberKings are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Clinton, Iowa, and play their home games at NelsonCorp Field. From 1956 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's Midwest League. With Major League Baseball's reorganization of the minor leagues after the 2020 season, Clinton was not selected to continue in affiliated baseball.
The Winston-Salem Dash are a Minor League Baseball team in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They are a High-A team in the South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Chicago White Sox since 1997. The Dash began playing their home games at the Truist Stadium in 2010 after having Ernie Shore Field as their home from 1956 to 2009.
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a minor league baseball stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is the home field of the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League. It is often called New Veterans Memorial Stadium to distinguish it from the original Veterans Memorial Stadium, which existed from 1949 to 2001.
The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began play in 1901 and disbanded after the 1961 season. It was popularly known as the Three–I League and sometimes as the Three–Eye League.
Below are select minor league players and the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Minnesota Twins:
The Wisconsin Rapids Twins were a Class A Minor League Baseball team that existed from 1963 to 1983, playing in the Midwest League. Affiliated with the Washington Senators (1963) and the Minnesota Twins (1964-1983), they were located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, United States. They played their home games at Witter Field. The franchise evolved from the Wisconsin Rapids White Sox of the Wisconsin State League. For the 1984 season, the franchise became the Kenosha Twins, moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Quincy Gems was the primary name of the minor league baseball team in Quincy, Illinois, that played in various seasons from 1883 to 1973.
The Rockford Expos was the initial moniker of the minor league baseball teams located in Rockford, Illinois, from 1988 to 1999. The Expos were Rockford's first entity in the Midwest League and Rockford teams were minor league affiliates of the Montreal Expos (1988–1992), Kansas City Royals (1993–1994), Chicago Cubs (1995–1998) and Cincinnati Reds (1999), hosting home games at Marinelli Field.
The Moline Plowboys was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Moline, Illinois, one of the Quad Cities. Moline teams played as members the 1892 Illinois-Iowa League, 1894 Western Association, the Mississippi Valley League (1924–1932), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League and Central Association (1947–1948), winning four league championships. The franchise played as the "Moline A's" in 1947–1948.
The Springfield Browns was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Springfield, Illinois between 1931 and 1950. Springfield teams played as members of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1931–1932), Mississippi Valley League (1933), Central League (1934), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League and Mississippi-Ohio Valley League (1950), winning the 1939 league championship. Hosting home games at Reservoir Park, Lanphier Park and Jim Fitzpatrick Memorial Stadium, Springfield teams were an affiliate of the 1931 St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Cardinals (1933–1934), 1935 Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns.
The Keokuk Indians was a primary nickname of the various minor league baseball teams based in Keokuk, Iowa between 1875 and 1962.
Several different minor league ballclubs have been based in the town of Danville, Illinois, fielding teams in 38 seasons between 1888 and 1982 under various monikers. The Danville Suns (1982), Danville Dodgers (1975–1976), Danville Warriors (1970–1974), Danville Dans (1951–1954), Danville Dodgers (1946–1950), Danville Veterans (1922–1932), Danville Speakers, Danville Old Soldiers (1906), Danville Champions (1900) and Danville Browns were the minor league teams. Danville teams played at Soldiers Home Park (1922–1932) and Danville Stadium (1946–1982).
Minor league baseball teams have operated in the city of Dubuque, Iowa under a variety of names in various leagues, playing in 52 seasons between 1879 and 1976. Dubuque teams were an affiliate of the Houston Astros (1975–1976), Kansas City Royals (1968), Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians (1961–1966), Pittsburgh Pirates (1959–1960) and Chicago White Sox (1954–1958).
The Mattoon Phillies was a primary nickname for the minor league baseball teams based in Mattoon, Illinois between 1899 and 1957. Mattoon teams played as members of the Indiana–Illinois League (1899), Kentucky–Illinois–Tennessee League (1906), Eastern Illinois League (1907–1908), Illinois State League (1947–1948), Mississippi–Ohio Valley League (1949–1955) and Midwest League (1956–1957).
The Evansville Evas was a primary nickname of an early minor league baseball teams in Evansville, Indiana between 1877 and 1931. Early Evansville teams played as members of the League Alliance (1887), Central Interstate League (1889-1890), Interstate League (1891), Northwestern League (1891), Illinois-Indiana League (1892), Southern Association (1895), Central League (1897), Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1901–1902), Central League (1903–1911), Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League (1912), Central League (1913–1917) and Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League (1919–1931). Evansville was a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers from 1928 to 1931.
LaMonte Aaron Wade Jr., nicknamed "Late Night LaMonte," is an American professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the University of Maryland, College Park. The Minnesota Twins selected Wade in the ninth round of the 2015 MLB draft. He previously played in MLB for the Twins, with whom he made his MLB debut in 2019.
Royce Oliver Lewis is an American professional baseball third baseman for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was drafted by the Twins first overall in the 2017 MLB draft. Lewis made his MLB debut in 2022.