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He had been working and waiting for years for the knock, and when it finally came, on a hotel room door in Toledo, Ohio, on June 15, Kyler Fedko nearly slept through it.
“We had a 4 o’clock game and I had my alarm set for like, noon,” he said. “I heard banging on my door about 11:45, and I thought it was the room service, but they kept banging three or four times. I went to the door, I figured I’d see the room service lady there and would tell her to go away, but it was my whole coaching staff.”
Now Fedko, the former UConn slugger, thought he was in trouble, maybe missed a hitters’ meeting at the ballpark. Instead, they told him, “Pack your bags and go to Texas.”
With that, Fedko took a 60-mile Uber ride to Detroit and flew down to Arlington to make his major-league debut with the Twins, who were playing the Rangers the next day. His first couple of weeks in the bigs have compelled him to apply two of his strengths: patience and perseverance. Fedko has 10 well-spaced at-bats in eight games, with a sacrifice fly, two walks, four strikeouts, still looking for his first hit as the Twins got to New York to start their holiday weekend series with the Yankees.
Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: UConn pitcher spits seeds of success; Jack’s back in CT football and more
“Offensively, it’s been inconsistent at-bats, so it’s not really fair to make a judgment,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “He did an unbelievable job at (Triple A) St. Paul, especially against lefthanded pitching. Defensively, he’s played well. Right now, he’s in a little bit of a tough spot, because he’s kind of the 13th guy in our position-player group and when that happens, you don’t a ton of innings. So right now it’s trying to keep him in the state of mind of continuing to work.”
Of course, Fedko will take even a tenuous spot on the margin of the majors over the alternative, after six seasons, 457 games in the minor leagues. He made a break-through last season, with 28 homers and 32 steals between Double A and Triple A. This season, he has 15 homers and nine steals through 58 games for St. Paul, and the Twins could no longer consider him a “Four-A” or career minor-league player. His .379 batting average, .486 on-base percentage against lefties, gave Minnesota data for a potential platoon role.
“I understand the situation I’m in,” Fedko said. “Not a big prospect; didn’t really do too much until last year. It’s only been 10 at-bats, but I get it. I’ve been in that situation my whole career, even going back to UConn. I’m pretty comfortable with it. It’s the same game, I’ll be ready when they put me in there.”
The Twins, who arrived in New York four games out of first place in the AL Central, have a deep outfield, but they have been dealing with some injuries, notably star center fielder Byron Buxton of late. Fedko adds athletic ability off the bench, versatility to play all three outfield spots and second base. He’s also been used, as he was Friday night in 5-2 loss at New York, as a pinch-runner — a varied skill set that could come in handy to a playoff contender.
“It’s really a lot of ‘It’s up to me,'” Fedko said. “I appreciate the culture here. It’s what you give, work-wise, they allow you to be as good as you want to be, not really told to show up this time or that time. … I’m a first-guy-in, last-guy-out guy.”
The Twins took Fedko in the 12th round in the 2021 draft, after he hit .330 with 19 homers and 88 RBI in 119 college games, helping UConn, where joined his older brother Christian, reach the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and ’21.
“As soon as you step on the field at UConn, it is an absolute slap in the face,” Fedko said. “This is real, if you’re not good, you’re not going to play and there are no excuses. If you make an excuse, it’s ‘We don’t care.’ Your freshman fall is a wake-up call. Our coaching staff was not afraid to get in someone’s face, be corrective, treat you like an adult. And when you grow up like that, it pays dividends down the road, and I’m reaping the effects of it now, because as a freshman at UConn I wasn’t ready on or off the field for what it takes to succeed, what it takes to be good, what it takes to be a man.
“I learned very quickly how to conduct yourself. … So I’m forever in debt to the program there, the staff, the culture there is so much bigger than baseball.”
The UConn experience under Jim Penders and his staff provided foundation for what Fedko would be up against as a pro. Just as he began in the Twins system, the minor-league structure was changing, the lower levels were eliminated and teams have had less patience with players who were not drafted high, in whom there was not big money invested. The odds of making MLB are always long, but are stacked even higher against players like this. But he has his opportunity, and you can’t knock it.
“It’s a battle zone every day,” Fedko said. “Especially in this organization. The dudes I came up with, you look at the top-100 prospect list for my age group, you know you’ve got to work every day or they’re not going to have a spot for you. I’m thankful for coming up through the minors with such good prospects because it brings the best out of you.”
More for your Sunday Read:
*The UConn Board of Trustees approved $5.3 million finally to upgrade the outdoor football practice fields on campus, including synthetic FieldTurf on the two full-size surfaces, three filming platforms and new LED scoreboards, play clocks, outdoor lighting and fencing. The work is just about finished with training camp coming up fast. The UConn Foundation will be looking for naming-rights revenue opportunities for the fields, which will allow the team to work outdoors more often.
*Putnam Science has closed its doors, but it’s nationally known basketball program will get new life down the road at Woodstock Academy, becoming part of the athletic offerings there, it was announced this week. “We are extremely excited to be bringing our basketball program to The Woodstock Academy. This partnership has the potential to reach the highest level of high school basketball,” said longtime PSA coach Tom Espinosa in a press release. “I can’t thank (Woodstock’s) Dr. Lawrence Filippelli and Jon Sturdevant enough for believing in our vision and giving us this incredible opportunity.”
*Hand-Madison alum Jack Driscoll, now with the Steelers, was back in his hometown this week, speaking to the current Tigers team. He’ll be running his free youth camp at the Madison Surf Club on Wednesday.
NBC bumps Yankees-Red Sox to stay with Travelers Championship as Scheffler forces playoff
*While it’s understandable that TV networks want golf tournaments to end in prime time, the final-round tee times at The Travelers were not pragmatic. Thunderstorms are common this time of year, as are playoffs at the TPC River Highlands. If NBC wants its Sunday Night MLB broadcast to be a big deal, it should give its golf tournaments a cushion, better to start and finish early than pre-empt a Yankees-Red Sox game. Don’t think spectators would object, either.
*The Islanders did not make a qualifying offer and are cutting ties with center Marc Gatcomb from UConn, who was a solid fourth-liner. He quickly signed a two-year contract with Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas. Another ex-Husky in the NHL, Chase Bradley, got a qualifying offer from Nashville, after it acquired him in a trade with Colorado.
*Hassan Diarra, who helped win two national championships with UConn men’s basketball, has signed on to play pro ball with Iraklis in Thessaloniki, Greece. If you’re interested in such things, you should be following @GolbalHuskies on Twitter/X.
*Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller was coach and GM of the Sun during its most prosperous period, 2016-22. He mentioned this week that he has had three lottery picks to make, and he chose three from UConn: Paige Buckers and Azzi Fudd in Dallas and Morgan Tuck with the Sun. Tuck is now the Sun’s GM, and if she doesn’t keep the job when the team moves to Houston, Tuck, 32, has a future. “She’s elite and you can’t pull anything over on her,” Miller said, in an unusual take from one GM to a rival. “People test young GMs in the league to see if they will make a mistake in a trade or in player acquisitions. She is so smart. It’s a credit to her, she is really savvy and I love talking the GM role with her.”
*Reggie Crawford, former UConn two-way player drafted by the Giants in the first round in 2022, hasn’t pitched in more than two years due to shoulder miseries. He returned to action earlier this month as a hitter in the Arizona Complex League and homered in his first at bat. He’s since gotten hurt again. … Ex-Husky PJ Poulin established himself in the Nationals bullpen last season, and has been used as an “opener” in recent weeks.
*The Bucks have nontendered and moved on from former UConn star Andre Jackson Jr. With his ability to defend, could he be a complementary piece for the Knicks?
Longtime Knicks and New York City PR executive John Cirillo has a new book out: “Elvis, Aretha and The Babe. Three Times The Bell Tolled.” What do Presley, Franklin and Ruth have in common? All died on the same date, Aug. 16. Cirillo weaves them together in a 304-page book filled with great history. It’s available from Archway Publishing and Amazon.
Dom Amore: Paige Bueckers’ virtuoso performance shows all WNBA should be — and might’ve been in CT
When teams move away, like the Dodgers from Brooklyn or the Whalers from Hartford, they leave behind a fan base and also a certain feel, rhythm to its home games and unique connections with the community, especially if its a small market, and behind-the-scenes people. These things linger on. In reflecting on the soon-to-be-departed Sun, popular point guard Jasmine Thomas, now a Wings executive, honored as a franchise “legend” on Thursday, gets the last word:
“I can’t leave out the fans,” she said. “Mohegan is really all that was there, and while it’s where we worked, we also spent time grabbing food there, walking through when our families would come through, and we’d spend a lot of time passing fans. It was a different time than now, when players are so visible and accessible for you to really know who was on the roster. I was really proud of this fan base, because no matter how many trades, how many moves, how many seven-day contracts, it did not matter. They knew every player that was one our team and made sure they said something and recognized them. That doesn’t go unnoticed, it was a special place.
“The staff that would work at the arena, there’s a guy named Mike at Mohegan and he meant so much to the players who came through there. He knew all our names, had the best sneakers and he would always offer us candy.”
Fun fact: Mike and his basket of candy is still a thing.
Continue reading...
“We had a 4 o’clock game and I had my alarm set for like, noon,” he said. “I heard banging on my door about 11:45, and I thought it was the room service, but they kept banging three or four times. I went to the door, I figured I’d see the room service lady there and would tell her to go away, but it was my whole coaching staff.”
Now Fedko, the former UConn slugger, thought he was in trouble, maybe missed a hitters’ meeting at the ballpark. Instead, they told him, “Pack your bags and go to Texas.”
With that, Fedko took a 60-mile Uber ride to Detroit and flew down to Arlington to make his major-league debut with the Twins, who were playing the Rangers the next day. His first couple of weeks in the bigs have compelled him to apply two of his strengths: patience and perseverance. Fedko has 10 well-spaced at-bats in eight games, with a sacrifice fly, two walks, four strikeouts, still looking for his first hit as the Twins got to New York to start their holiday weekend series with the Yankees.
Dom Amore’s Sunday Read: UConn pitcher spits seeds of success; Jack’s back in CT football and more
“Offensively, it’s been inconsistent at-bats, so it’s not really fair to make a judgment,” Twins manager Derek Shelton said. “He did an unbelievable job at (Triple A) St. Paul, especially against lefthanded pitching. Defensively, he’s played well. Right now, he’s in a little bit of a tough spot, because he’s kind of the 13th guy in our position-player group and when that happens, you don’t a ton of innings. So right now it’s trying to keep him in the state of mind of continuing to work.”
Of course, Fedko will take even a tenuous spot on the margin of the majors over the alternative, after six seasons, 457 games in the minor leagues. He made a break-through last season, with 28 homers and 32 steals between Double A and Triple A. This season, he has 15 homers and nine steals through 58 games for St. Paul, and the Twins could no longer consider him a “Four-A” or career minor-league player. His .379 batting average, .486 on-base percentage against lefties, gave Minnesota data for a potential platoon role.
“I understand the situation I’m in,” Fedko said. “Not a big prospect; didn’t really do too much until last year. It’s only been 10 at-bats, but I get it. I’ve been in that situation my whole career, even going back to UConn. I’m pretty comfortable with it. It’s the same game, I’ll be ready when they put me in there.”
The Twins, who arrived in New York four games out of first place in the AL Central, have a deep outfield, but they have been dealing with some injuries, notably star center fielder Byron Buxton of late. Fedko adds athletic ability off the bench, versatility to play all three outfield spots and second base. He’s also been used, as he was Friday night in 5-2 loss at New York, as a pinch-runner — a varied skill set that could come in handy to a playoff contender.
“It’s really a lot of ‘It’s up to me,'” Fedko said. “I appreciate the culture here. It’s what you give, work-wise, they allow you to be as good as you want to be, not really told to show up this time or that time. … I’m a first-guy-in, last-guy-out guy.”
The Twins took Fedko in the 12th round in the 2021 draft, after he hit .330 with 19 homers and 88 RBI in 119 college games, helping UConn, where joined his older brother Christian, reach the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and ’21.
“As soon as you step on the field at UConn, it is an absolute slap in the face,” Fedko said. “This is real, if you’re not good, you’re not going to play and there are no excuses. If you make an excuse, it’s ‘We don’t care.’ Your freshman fall is a wake-up call. Our coaching staff was not afraid to get in someone’s face, be corrective, treat you like an adult. And when you grow up like that, it pays dividends down the road, and I’m reaping the effects of it now, because as a freshman at UConn I wasn’t ready on or off the field for what it takes to succeed, what it takes to be good, what it takes to be a man.
“I learned very quickly how to conduct yourself. … So I’m forever in debt to the program there, the staff, the culture there is so much bigger than baseball.”
The UConn experience under Jim Penders and his staff provided foundation for what Fedko would be up against as a pro. Just as he began in the Twins system, the minor-league structure was changing, the lower levels were eliminated and teams have had less patience with players who were not drafted high, in whom there was not big money invested. The odds of making MLB are always long, but are stacked even higher against players like this. But he has his opportunity, and you can’t knock it.
“It’s a battle zone every day,” Fedko said. “Especially in this organization. The dudes I came up with, you look at the top-100 prospect list for my age group, you know you’ve got to work every day or they’re not going to have a spot for you. I’m thankful for coming up through the minors with such good prospects because it brings the best out of you.”
More for your Sunday Read:
Sunday short takes
*The UConn Board of Trustees approved $5.3 million finally to upgrade the outdoor football practice fields on campus, including synthetic FieldTurf on the two full-size surfaces, three filming platforms and new LED scoreboards, play clocks, outdoor lighting and fencing. The work is just about finished with training camp coming up fast. The UConn Foundation will be looking for naming-rights revenue opportunities for the fields, which will allow the team to work outdoors more often.
*Putnam Science has closed its doors, but it’s nationally known basketball program will get new life down the road at Woodstock Academy, becoming part of the athletic offerings there, it was announced this week. “We are extremely excited to be bringing our basketball program to The Woodstock Academy. This partnership has the potential to reach the highest level of high school basketball,” said longtime PSA coach Tom Espinosa in a press release. “I can’t thank (Woodstock’s) Dr. Lawrence Filippelli and Jon Sturdevant enough for believing in our vision and giving us this incredible opportunity.”
*Hand-Madison alum Jack Driscoll, now with the Steelers, was back in his hometown this week, speaking to the current Tigers team. He’ll be running his free youth camp at the Madison Surf Club on Wednesday.
NBC bumps Yankees-Red Sox to stay with Travelers Championship as Scheffler forces playoff
*While it’s understandable that TV networks want golf tournaments to end in prime time, the final-round tee times at The Travelers were not pragmatic. Thunderstorms are common this time of year, as are playoffs at the TPC River Highlands. If NBC wants its Sunday Night MLB broadcast to be a big deal, it should give its golf tournaments a cushion, better to start and finish early than pre-empt a Yankees-Red Sox game. Don’t think spectators would object, either.
*The Islanders did not make a qualifying offer and are cutting ties with center Marc Gatcomb from UConn, who was a solid fourth-liner. He quickly signed a two-year contract with Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas. Another ex-Husky in the NHL, Chase Bradley, got a qualifying offer from Nashville, after it acquired him in a trade with Colorado.
*Hassan Diarra, who helped win two national championships with UConn men’s basketball, has signed on to play pro ball with Iraklis in Thessaloniki, Greece. If you’re interested in such things, you should be following @GolbalHuskies on Twitter/X.
*Dallas Wings GM Curt Miller was coach and GM of the Sun during its most prosperous period, 2016-22. He mentioned this week that he has had three lottery picks to make, and he chose three from UConn: Paige Buckers and Azzi Fudd in Dallas and Morgan Tuck with the Sun. Tuck is now the Sun’s GM, and if she doesn’t keep the job when the team moves to Houston, Tuck, 32, has a future. “She’s elite and you can’t pull anything over on her,” Miller said, in an unusual take from one GM to a rival. “People test young GMs in the league to see if they will make a mistake in a trade or in player acquisitions. She is so smart. It’s a credit to her, she is really savvy and I love talking the GM role with her.”
*Reggie Crawford, former UConn two-way player drafted by the Giants in the first round in 2022, hasn’t pitched in more than two years due to shoulder miseries. He returned to action earlier this month as a hitter in the Arizona Complex League and homered in his first at bat. He’s since gotten hurt again. … Ex-Husky PJ Poulin established himself in the Nationals bullpen last season, and has been used as an “opener” in recent weeks.
*The Bucks have nontendered and moved on from former UConn star Andre Jackson Jr. With his ability to defend, could he be a complementary piece for the Knicks?
Summer Reading
Longtime Knicks and New York City PR executive John Cirillo has a new book out: “Elvis, Aretha and The Babe. Three Times The Bell Tolled.” What do Presley, Franklin and Ruth have in common? All died on the same date, Aug. 16. Cirillo weaves them together in a 304-page book filled with great history. It’s available from Archway Publishing and Amazon.
Dom Amore: Paige Bueckers’ virtuoso performance shows all WNBA should be — and might’ve been in CT
Last word
When teams move away, like the Dodgers from Brooklyn or the Whalers from Hartford, they leave behind a fan base and also a certain feel, rhythm to its home games and unique connections with the community, especially if its a small market, and behind-the-scenes people. These things linger on. In reflecting on the soon-to-be-departed Sun, popular point guard Jasmine Thomas, now a Wings executive, honored as a franchise “legend” on Thursday, gets the last word:
“I can’t leave out the fans,” she said. “Mohegan is really all that was there, and while it’s where we worked, we also spent time grabbing food there, walking through when our families would come through, and we’d spend a lot of time passing fans. It was a different time than now, when players are so visible and accessible for you to really know who was on the roster. I was really proud of this fan base, because no matter how many trades, how many moves, how many seven-day contracts, it did not matter. They knew every player that was one our team and made sure they said something and recognized them. That doesn’t go unnoticed, it was a special place.
“The staff that would work at the arena, there’s a guy named Mike at Mohegan and he meant so much to the players who came through there. He knew all our names, had the best sneakers and he would always offer us candy.”
Fun fact: Mike and his basket of candy is still a thing.
Continue reading...
