The crowd heading into Neuroscience Group Field at Grand Chute, Wisconsin aka Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisconsin.

After a little bad luck and a sense of ennui, I finally made it back to a minor league game Sunday afternoon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day at the ballpark and we were treated to a gem-even if I was the only one paying attention.

As is the case on all Sunday afternoon games, family comes first. Not only were fans on the field for a half hour of catch, 1,000 of us got nice caps. Former Brewer, Bill Hall was there for an autograph/photo session + extras. The fans and Bill enjoyed the interaction and he earned his Brewers/MLB pension.

I don’t pretend to feel anything for the Twins organization, but I was curious to see if they’ve got any young talent in the grapevine. An odd place to look for baseball players. The four, rated prospects in the Twins system that suited up for the Cedar Rapids Kernels yesterday went a combined 0-15. Upon completion of the post, you’ll appreciate their futility.

I admit to being a little curious about the Kernels starting pitcher, Andrew Morris, who was making his MWL debut. His numbers at low-A were decent so I wanted to see how he made the transition.

Morris’s initial MWL start-5 innings, 10 hits and 4 earned runs and a loss.

Like their parent club (Minnesota), Cedar Rapids is leading the MWL and won the first half crown. Unlike many teams in the west division, they have a few successful hitters. Right fielder and #26 prospect, Kala’i Rosario, entered the game with a .273/.385/.494 slash and 15 homers and 66 RBI. Alas, he was my roommate, he went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts on the day.

The three rated Brewers prospects in the Rattlers lineup fared a little better at the plate yesterday (3-12). I was looking forward to seeing #8 prospect, Robert Moore. The 20-year-old middle infielder has gotten some praise lately despite an uneven offensive performance. He looked pretty solid at short though.

The unexpected star of the afternoon was pitcher, Edwin Jimenez. The 20-year-old native of Venezuela had done little to distinguish himself. While maybe not officially being a part of a piggyback system, he split the season between the rotation and pen and pitched to a 5.07 ERA.

Relying heavily on a changeup that bounced between 82-84 mph and consistent first-pitch strikes, Jimenez completely dominated the Kernels. While he walked two batters in the first two innings, Cedar Rapids either struck out (6) or hit a ball to third baseman, Ben Metzinger for the first 11 outs of the game. With two outs in the top of the fourth, the tide changed-as Andrew Cossetti finally hit a ball out of the infield. However, it was a weak line out to the right fielder.

Wisconsin essentially won the game in the bottom half of the 4th inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, light-hitting second baseman, Jose Acosta, fisted the ball over the right field fence for a 3-0 lead. It was such a surprise, that I hadn’t bothered to capture the at-bat on film.

Being in Wisconsin, an afternoon wouldn’t be complete without the bratzooka. It is exactly what it sounds like with one caveat. If there is a celebrity in the house- Kate Flannery of the Office recently obliged-they get to ride in the car firing off brats as the car circles the field.

Bill Hall as he fires brats into the stands

The T-Rats added another (unnecessary) run in the 5th. Jimenez didn’t buckle when presented with the excess offense. On the contrary, he picked up steam and held the Kernels hitless and even reached 94/95 a few times.

Cossetti flailed at three pitches in the top of the 7th for Jimenez’s 10th and final strikeout on the afternoon. Originally, I had planned on including a shot, but realized it didn’t quite capture his excellence.

Even after a lackluster 7th inning stretch and a move around the field for a different vantage point, I don’t think anyone else (other than the two sorta fans sitting next to me) realized what exactly was happening.

After getting a pinch-hitter wo ground out weakly to lead off the 8th, Jimenez, finally allowed the first hit of the afternoon, and baseball being baseball, it was Dalton Shuffield-his first hit of his Hi-A season. Thus ended the almost excellent afternoon. Jimenez exited with 10 strikeouts, 3 bases on balls, and a lone single to left. He was very economical-88 pitches with 62 strikes and 26 balls. He only allowed two balls to reach the outfield. Shane Smith finished the inning and pitched the ninth-allowing a second hit and walk. Even as the shutout was being preserved-nobody in the stands appreciated the moment-save for Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

After the 2-hour, one minute game, a few hundred fans gathered for the postgame autograph session. Editor’s note: my front row box seat next to the third base dugout afforded me the opportunity to witness 21st century autograph pursuit at its worst.

Before hitting the first aid station I met with the Rattlers newest coach, Josh Spence, the 35-year-old Australian is a pitching coach after a long professional career on the mound. He was a big help to me as I wrote about two of his former ASU teammates back in the AFL and I hope I’ll be able to mine him for future stories. In 2009, he, Mike Leake and Seth Blair combined to go 33-4 for ASU on the way to a CWS appearance.

Edwin Jimenez, in the top of the 8th-looking as fresh as he did in the first.

Wisconsin 4-Cedar Rapids 0.