Rattler History...Since 2000

Here is how the Rattlers have fared on May 8…since 2000

2000: The Rattlers lost 8-7 at Burlington. I was at this game. The Junior ‘A’ National Championships were over, but I didn’t travel down to Burlington. I believe this was the last game I missed in 2000.

2001: The Rattlers won 7-3 at Cedar Rapids. Joe Dusan had a pair of solo homers and the Rattlers scored six runs on six hits over 6-1/3 innings off Bobby Jenks – yes, that Bobby Jenks. But, the notable thing about this game was that at 8:50pm the lights went out. They did not come back on until 9:40pm and the game restarted at 9:50pm. This was still the old stadium in Cedar Rapids.

2002: The Rattlers beat Kane County 5-3. Greg Dobbs had a pair of RBI and Juan Doñe allowed two runs on two hits over six innings.

2003: The Rattlers won 8-3 at Lansing. This was one of the best comebacks in Rattler history…since 2000. They were down 5-0 heading into the top of the eighth inning. The first two batters struck out. Then, Tim Merritt walked on four pitches. After that Gary Harris singled. TJ Bohn hit a homer and it was 5-3. Jon Nelson doubled, Rene Rivera was hit by a pitch and Matt Hagen singled to drive in Nelson. A wild pitch allowed Rivera to score to tie the game. Josh McNulty doubled to drive in the go ahead run. Michael Garciaparra reached on an error that allowed McNulty to score. Dustin Delucchi singled and drove in Garciaparra to make the score 8-5. The thing that I will always remember about this game is what happened after the game. Manager Daren Brown was always a man of few words, but on the bus he had praise for Tim Merritt for drawing the walk to start that rally.

2004: The Battle Creek Yankees beat the Rattlers 9-2 in Grand Chute. Brandon Moorhead did not have a good day. He allowed eight runs on eleven hits and six strikeouts over 2-2/3 innings. Melky Cabrera was 3-for-3 with a pair or RBI, a pair of runs, and a stolen base for the Yankees.

2005: The Rattlers beat the Dragons 10-2 at home. Rob Johnson had a three-run homer and Mumba Rivera struck out seven and allowed one run on four hits over 5-2/3 innings.

2006: The Rattlers lost 7-2 to the SWING of the Quad Cities at home. Ex-Rattler Brian Stitt got the save for Quad Cities by getting the final four outs.

2007: The Rattlers lost 5-3 at Great Lakes. Clayton Kershaw and Tony Butler were the starting pitchers. Butler pitched just two innings as he was coming back from a stint on the DL, but retired all six batters he faced. The Rattlers got two runs off Kershaw in the second inning off Kershaw, but that was it as he struck out eight over 5-2/3 innings for the win when Great Lakes scored five runs off Steve Richard in the fourth.

The Rattlers are 4-4. An eh kind of day in Rattler history.