Coon Rapids Redbirds

Coon Rapids fields a very interesting townball team.  It is quite a mix of former collegiate players, guys who went straight to work after high school, guys who are coaching the next generation of players, and current college players looking to stay in shape over the summer.  They almost exclusively play games on weekday evenings.  Once their season gets going you can find them at Wintercrest Park just about every Tuesday evening with a few Wednesdays and Thursdays thrown in for good measure.  

Redbirds players discuss technique before the game

The Tuesday game I wanted to attend was rained out, but fortunately they were playing a Wednesday game as well.  It was a perfect night for baseball when I arrived and the townball team was not the only Coon Rapids affiliate that thought so.  Wintercrest is a unique park with two ball fields that are both of high quality and prepared to host Metro Minny games.  For years it has hosted the Metro Minny playoffs because everything can be held in one location with overlapping games.  What’s unfortunate about the evening I was there is that only one of the fields has lights.  So, we got our game going a little earlier than most nights because the lighted field was being used by Coon Rapids High School for a special, senior night, game.  

It was a very windy night that led to some weird plays in the outfield but Coon Rapids was able to secure the victory in a darkness shortened game that only went eight innings against Northwest out of Osseo.  Prior to the game start I had an opportunity to catch up with the Head Coach of the Redbirds, Jeff Lindstrom, and pick his brain a bit about the team this season.  I asked him about the schedule that Coon Rapids runs with mostly weekday games and if it had to do with conflicting schedules as the High School was playing on the main field that night.  Wintercrest is also home to Anoka-Ramsey Community College’s baseball team.  I thought, perhaps the weekends were occupied with other teams vying for field access.  Jeff informed me, however, that it has much more to do with his own player’s schedules.  

A number of the players with the Redbirds coach baseball with youth on the weekends and it becomes prohibitive for them to have townball games that conflict with those schedules.  In fact, only three of their games this season will be played on weekends and two of those are Metro Minny clashes that are away games against teams who play home games exclusively on weekends due to their own restrictions.  This is the opposite of a team like The Forest Lake Brewers who are scheduled to play two weekend-long tournaments this year.  All of this just shows how each team has its own restrictions and challenges when it comes to scheduling and player availability.  Lindstrom probably summed up the Townball mindset best, though, when he told me, “I’m just here for these guys [the players].”  He isn’t thinking about the best schedule to get as many games in as possible.  He’s not trying to schedule the most tournaments or even all that worried about finding the best competition.  He is there to facilitate a good experience for the players and a big part of that is scheduling around their lives off the field.  

I assumed The Coon Rapids Redbirds pulled heavily from Coon Rapids High School to field their team but I was really surprised to learn that the team has a very diverse background.  This is an understandable misconception because the associate coach for the Redbirds, Don Bright, also acts as the associate coach for the Cardinals.  The pipeline from High School to Townball would seem obvious. What I learned, though, is that Don is an incredible recruiter.  Several players shared that he actually approached them about playing for The Redbirds during a high school game versus The Cardinals.  This has led to a pipeline for the Townball team to schools like Park Center.  

Andy Brown catches in borrowed gear

Justin Walters and Andy Brown are two of those Park Center guys.  Andy comes to Coon Rapids from Centennial Cougars last season. When I asked him why he transferred he informed me that a number of the guys with the Redbirds are connections from his work with Pitch 2 Pitch, a baseball training academy in Champlin, MN, where he is a hitting, catching & performance coach.  Primarily Andy pitches and can play a little bit of utility on the infield as needed.  On this night he went on midway through the game as a catcher.  I asked some of the other guys if he catches regularly as I didn’t recall him behind the plate last season for Centennial.  There was laughter around the dugout and I was informed that the last time he caught in a game was probably little league.  This was clear with the ill-fitting gear he had borrowed to jump in the game.  What I witnessed, though, was really special when he got suited up.  

Andy is a quintessential trainer.  He is kind in his assessments but he is always watching with a keen eye for detail.  After each inning he came off the field and broke down what he saw with the pitcher he was receiving.  At one point I saw him in the bullpen during the Redbirds offensive half working with a pitcher who was warming up.  “That curveball is good, but it’s just missing low,” he said.  Then he gave the pitcher some tips to fix his release and grip.  It was clear why Andy wanted to come to Coon Rapids this season.  

As these guys get older the most important part of the experience for them is the friendships they make.  Andy has played with and against most of the guys in the Metro Minny over his years in the league.  He has friends and coworkers who play for several teams, and when he saw an opportunity to play with them this year he took it.  It would be easy for a guy like Andy to just show up on the days he pitches, get his innings in, and head back to his daily life.  But, that is not Townball.  Instead he sets up outside the dugout cheering, coaching, and advising. He doesn’t switch off and it means that he is extremely popular in the clubhouse. All the guys root for him and he delivers with heart and kindness.

Justin Walters runs with a bloody lip from a collision at second base

Justin Walters is another Park Center guy who has been with the Redbirds for two seasons now.  He’s a great ball player who is always a threat on the base paths and isn’t afraid to take one for the team.  I asked him how he came to be with Coon Rapids as he didn’t play for the high school and he told me that Coach Bright asked him to join the team when they were playing The Cardinals in his senior year.  He’s now preparing for his sophomore year at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. As a Division 3 school there are no athletic scholarships available, but for a guy like Justin it’s a great way to continue playing, get an education, and stay close to home.  

As the game went into the later innings another Justin made an appearance.  Justin Reeves is an 8th year Redbird and is in line behind a few other guys behind the plate.  This limits his playing time and puts him in a base coach role much of the time.  But, in this early season game he got a chance to slot in at first base.  As he made his way to that position for warmups in the 7th inning a crowd formed outside the fence off first base.  A group of boys in Coon Rapids High School gear all stood together laughing and joking as they recorded with their phones Justin taking throws from the other infielders.

Justin Reeves makes an appearance for Coon Rapids

Reeves is a freshman coach at the high school and these are his players hoping to catch a glimpse of their coach in action.  This is what makes a team like The Redbirds so fun.  All through the team are connections with future players.  They might be coaches, old teammates, or even rivals, but they all have one thing in common.  They love baseball.  They want to play baseball.  And, most of all, they want to see the next generation love the game as much as they do.  I asked Justin if he teaches at the high school as well, “Nope.  I just love to coach,” he said. He's not alone feeling that way on this squad.