Game Notes -- 4/9

LAST ACTION: The Rattlers last game was their first game of the 2007 season. The Peoria Chiefs beat the Rattlers 9-5. Peoria jumped out to a big, early lead with seven runs in the first inning. The Rattler defense committed seven errors in the game.

MAKING UP: The Friday night game against Peoria that was lost to the weather will be made up as part of a double header at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday, May 13. The Saturday game that was postponed will be made up as part of a doubleheader at O’Brien Field in Peoria over Memorial Day weekend. No date has been selected for the doubleheader.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Clinton LumberKings are the Midwest League affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Last season, Clinton finished the season with the wors record in the Midwest League at 45-94. The Timber Rattlers were 10-2 against Clinton last season. Clinton is off to a 2-1 start to 2007 after taking two of three games from the Swing of the Quad Cities at Alliant Energy Field in Clinton to open the season. The LumberKings are managed by former Lansing Lugnut hitting coach Mike Micucci.

OPPOSING STARTER: Lefty Broc Coffman, a native of Longview Washington, was a 48th round pick of the Rangers in the 2005 draft out of Lower Columbia College and signed just before the 2006 draft. Coffman started last season with the LumberKings and went 3-1 with a 0.47ERA in four appearances (one start) before being promoted to Bakersfield, the California League affiliate of the Rangers. Coffman went 5-9 with a 4.76ERA for the Blaze. This is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and his first appearance of 2007.

PROSPECTING CLINTON: BASEBALL AMERICA places five members of the LumberKing roster on their Top 30 list of Ranger prospects: Marcus Lemon (#12); Omar Poveda (#14); Chad Tracy (#16); John Whittleman (#18); and Jose Vallejo (#29).

FAMILY TIES: Two LumberKings are the sons of major leaguers. Lemon is the son of Chet Lemon. Tracy is the son of Pittsburgh Pirate manager Jim Tracy. Clinton catcher Kevin Gossage is the nephew of Appleton Baseball Hall of Famer Rich “Goose” Gossage. Timber Rattler infielder Andy Hargrove is the son of Mariner manager Mike Hargrove.