Major League Baseball

Home of the Owlz – Orem, Utah

This is part of Matt Nelson’s series, “Ballparks of the Midwest.” Is it “The Home of the Owlz,” or “Brent Brown Ballpark?” Brent Brown is a Toyota dealer down the street from the ballpark in Orem, Utah. The ballpark, located on the campus of Utah Valley University, is the subject of an unusual ballpark naming [...]

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Former West Delaware prep pitches baseball team to national title

Thank you to Jackie Mormann, mother of former West Delaware pitcher Mitch Mormann, for contributing this story to us. Mormann’s Gem Clinches NBC Title Mitch Mormann, former West Delaware student athlete and son of Randy and Jackie Mormann, spent the summer in Santa Barbara California, playing baseball in the California Collegiate League, where he was [...]

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Kernels play another long one, lose another long one

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jeremy Cruz was overhearing a conversation about his Cedar Rapids Kernels leading the Midwest League this season in longest average game time. “I’m not helping with that,” he said. Cruz is a fastidious hitter, for sure. He steps out of the box after every pitch, adjusts his helmet and batting gloves and [...]

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Spring Mobile Ballpark – Salt Lake City, Utah

PNC Park. AT&T Park. Two places known nationally for the spectacular views from the ballpark. Less known, but equally spectacular, is the setting at Spring Mobile Ballpark in Salt Lake City, Utah, home of the Salt Lake Bees (Utah is the Beehive State), the AAA affiliate of the Angels in the Pacific Coast League. Spring [...]

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Hermsen promoted to high-Class A

Former West Delaware prep B.J. Hermsen has been promoted by the parent Minnesota Twins from the Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League to the Fort Myers Miracle of the high-Class A Florida State League. Hermsen, 21, went 11-7 in 21 games, 20 starts, for Beloit, winning seven of his last nine decisions. His win total [...]

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Baseball trumps economics right now for Kernels’ Larson

CEDAR RAPIDS — Francis Larson was put on the spot and asked what the United States needs to do to get its economy going again. It seemed an especially appropriate question on a day when the stock market tanked. “Maybe more baseball games,” the Cedar Rapids Kernels catcher lightheartedly replied prior to Thursday night’s 6-5 win [...]

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AutoZone Park – Memphis, Tennessee

Note: This is part of Matt Nelson’s “Ballparks of the Midwest” series. Yes. It feels like the big leagues. AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, home of the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, is the most expensive minor league ballpark ever built, and it shows. The $80-million stadium opened in 2000 [...]

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Kernels still in striking distance of playoffs

CEDAR RAPIDS – Through it all, this ballclub is still only three games out of a Midwest League playoff spot. “I think we’re going (to get) in,” predicted Cedar Rapids Kernels infielder Ricky Alvarez, after his team’s 3-2 loss Tuesday night to Quad Cities at Memorial Stadium. “We’re playing good. I guess it’s three games [...]

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Grichuk’s disputed homer allows Kernels to walk off with win

CEDAR RAPIDS — Long, long gone. But was it fair? “Yep,” said Cedar Rapids Kernels hitting coach Mike Eylward. “Fair when it went over the pole.” Eylward was standing in the third-base coach’s box as a substitute for ejected Manager Brent Del Chiaro when Randal Grichuk destroyed a pitch with two outs in the bottom [...]

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Two Iowans Playing For the Ogden Raptors

Note: Lindquist Field in Ogden was not originally scheduled as a full ballpark visit for Matt Nelson’s Ballparks of the Midwest series, so there is no complete video review of this park. However, there are plenty of ballpark shots in the video clip below that follows two native Eastern Iowans and their time during the [...]

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