Spare a thought for the Kernels today

Cedar Rapids baseball mourns the passing of Bud Curran

The Cedar Rapids Kernels family extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Guy ‘Bud’ Curran who passed away on the afternoon of Friday, November 9th after a long illness.

He was the patriarch of Cedar Rapids’ first family of baseball and had been the groundskeeper at Veterans Memorial Stadium from 1949 until 2001. Before that, he served as a clubhouse boy at Old Hill Park, where he also worked on the grounds.

Curran served on the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club’s board of directors along with his son, Jimmy. His daughter, Nancy Cram, was also active with the team, serving as the office manager.

Under the care of Curran, Veterans Memorial Stadium gained a reputation as one of the finest minor league facilities in the country. He was honored as the Midwest League’s top groundskeeper in 1993 and helped in the construction of the Cincinnati Reds’ spring training complex in Plant City, FL, when it was built in 1988.