Kernels don Bunnies identity again

There were no cornfields this time, but the Cedar Rapids Kernels once again paid tribute to the Bunnies on Friday, July 7. It was also a familiar foe, as the Bunnies defeated Quad Cities, 5-3, at PG Cares Field.

This is the first time that the Kernels have donned the Bunnies identity since the Minor League Field of Dreams game that was played in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 9, 2022. The River Bandits played as the Davenport Blue Sox in that game, which they won, 7-2.

The Kernels wore the same look uniforms from that game to once again honor the Cedar Rapids Bunnies -- a franchise which existed from 1904-34. As the Bunnies, the Cedar Rapids baseball team played across three different leagues (Three-I, Central Association, and Mississippi Valley). In 1922, under the direction of manager Bill Speas, the Bunnies finished first in the Mississippi Valley League in the first season in the league with a record of 92-37, still to this day the best winning percentage in team history.

On May 2, 1867, the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club was formed. On June 21, 1867, they made their debut with a 31-14 victory against the Oatka Club of Vinton, and with that, a 156-year tradition of baseball in Cedar Rapids had been established.

The Cedar Rapids Bunnies played in the Western Association from 1896-99, the Central Association in 1914 and the Mississippi Valley League from 1922-32. From 1886-99, their home field was Athletic Park, in 1914 it moved to Hill Park, and from 1922-32, it was renamed Belden Hill Park. Led by the team’s founder, third baseman and manager Belden Hill, the Bunnies won the league championship in 1897, with an 84-41 record, but would have to wait until 1922 under Speas -- in the Mississippi Valley League -- to claim another championship as they finished 92-37. The Bunnies won championships in 1925 (74-51) and again in 1930 (71-55) before leaving the league in 1933.

Several Iowa-born Major Leaguers played with the Bunnies, including Fred Glade of Dubuque, Emil “Dutch” Levsen of Wyoming and Hal Trosky of Norway.

Levsen’s 19-4 record with the 1923 Bunnies was followed by a six-year career pitching with the Cleveland Indians. On August 28, 1926, he accomplished something that may never be repeated in Major League history, as he became the last pitcher to record complete game victories in both ends of a doubleheader, pitching two four-hitters (6-1 and 5-1) against the Red Sox. He’s also the last pitcher to throw two nine-inning complete games on the same day.

Trosky may have been the best Major League player to have played for the Bunnies. After signing with the Bunnies in 1931, he was called up to Cleveland in 1933 at the age of 20. His first full season (1934) was truly amazing as he played every inning of all 154 games, hit .330 with 35 home runs, drove in 142 runs and posted a slugging percentage of .598. His 374 total bases set a rookie record that has since been tied by Tony Oliva in 1964.