Game Notes 4/5

Game on for tonight and here are the game notes:

WELCOME TO 2007: Tonight, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers open their 13th Midwest League season with a three-game series against the Peoria Chiefs. The Timber Rattlers have made the Midwest League playoffs in all but four of those seasons (1995, 2002, 2004, and 2006). Wisconsin has not won a Midwest League Championship, but they have made it to the Championship series three times (1996, 1999, and 2005).

MEET THE MANAGER: Jim Horner is beginning his second season as the skipper of the Timber Rattlers. Last year, his first with the Rattlers and his first as a manager, saw Wisconsin go 54-86. Horner spent nine seasons as a catcher in the Seattle minor league system and reached as high as Triple-A Tacoma. He played 47 games for the Timber Ratters in 1997 and hit .248 with 5 homers and 27 RBI before being promoted.

MEET THE STAFF: Hitting Coach Dana Williams returns to the Rattlers after two seasons as the manager of Seattle’s affiliate in the Arizona League. Williams was the Timber Rattler hitting coach from 2002-2004. He made it to the major leagues as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 1989. Pitching Coach Lance Painter is back for his second consecutive season with Wisconsin. Painter, a native of Bedford, England, played high school baseball at Milwaukee Nicolet and was a member of one of the last baseball teams at the University of Wisconsin. Painter pitched in the Midwest League for Waterloo, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres, in 1991 and pitched for St. Louis, Colorado, Toronto, and Milwakee in the majors.

PROSPECTING THE RATTLERS: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook puts six members of the Timber Rattlers opening day roster on their list of Seattle’s Top Thirty Prospects. Those players are: Pitcher Tony Butler (#4), pitcher Chris Tillman (#6), shortstop Carlos Triunfel (#11), pitcher Anthony Varvaro (#19), outfielder Greg Halman (#25), third baseman Alex Liddi (#26).

THE RETURNEES: Four current Rattler players spent time with the team in 2006: Pitcher Rollie Gibson, infielder Gerado Avila, outfielder Kuo Hui Lo, and Liddi

DRAFT CLASS: There are eight members of Seattle’s 2006 draft on the Rattler opening day roster, seven of those picks are pitchers. The pitchers are: Tillman (2nd round), Butler (3rd), Ricky Orta (4th), Nathan Adcock (5th), Justin Souza (9th), Joe Kantakevich (13th), and Robert Harmon (33rd). The lone position player on the roster from the ’06 draft is outfielder Gavin Dickey (12th).

FAMILY TIES: Rattler infielder Andy Hargrove is the son of Seattle Mariner manager Mike Hargrove.

A LITTLE HISTORY: This is the third consecutive season in which the Timber Rattlers have opened their season at home against the Chiefs. On April 7, 2005, the Rattlers beat Peoria 3-1. On April 6, 2006, the Rattlers won 4-2. This is the fifth consecutive year that the Rattlers have opened their season at home.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Peoria Chiefs are the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Last season, Peoria went 75-64. They won the first half Western Division Championship with a record of 41-28, but lost to Beloit in the first round of the playoffs. Peoria is managed by baseball hall of fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who is making his managerial debut tonight against the Rattlers.

OPPOSING STARTER: Right hander Billy Muldowney was selected by the Cubs in the 8th round of the 2006 draft out of Pittsburgh. In his final season with the Panthers, Muldowney went 5-4 with a 3.16 ERA in thirteen starts. After signing with the Cubs, he made his pro debut for the Boise Hawks of the Northwest League and was 1-3 with a 2.68ERA in eleven appearances (eight starts).

LAST YEAR: Wisconsin and Peoria played eighteen times last season. The Rattlers were 8-10 against the Chiefs in 2006. At home, the Rattlers were 5-6 against Peoria.

PROSPECTING THE CHIEFS: There are four members of the Cubs’ Top Thirty Prospect list on Peoria’s opening day roster. Pitcher Mark Pawelek is the highest rated on the list at #10. The others on the list are: shortstop Dylan Johnston (#19), third baseman Josh Lansford (#20), and pitcher Rocky Roquet (#26).

FAMILY TIES II: Lansford is the son of former major league Carney Lansford and the brother of former Kane County Cougar pitcher Jared Lansford.