Homestand primer

The Rattlers start a 7-game homestand on Tuesday night. See you there:

First the big news:

Come out and watch the Timber Rattlers take on Ryne Sandberg's Peoria Chiefs on July 4th or the in-state rival Beloit Snappers on the 5th and 6th from the Miller High Life Home Run Porch. For just $15 (in advance, $20 day of game) you can get porch seats and feast out on a game time all-you-can-eat Lead Off Hitter buffet. This includes grilled hamburgers, grilled brats, hot dogs, fresh baked buns, baked beans, potato chips, potato salad, and two beverages per person (beer, soda, or water).

That link has an artist rendering of the Red, White, and Blue Jersey that will be worn by the Rattlers this weekend.

Now, to the day-by-day

TUE, 7/1 vs. Peoria Chiefs (Managed by Ryne Sandberg): 7:05pm
Bang for your Buck Night ($1 soda, $1 hot dogs, $1 beer)
Baseball Cap Giveaway to the first 1,000 fans

WED, 7/2 vs. Peoria Chiefs (Managed by Ryne Sandberg): 12:05pm
Business person special
Senior Day

THU, 7/3 vs. Peoria Chiefs (Managed by Ryne Sandberg): 7:05pm
Thirsty Thursday ($1 Miller and $1 sodas)
Batting Helmet Giveaway to the first 1,000 fans

FRI, 7/4 vs. Peoria Chiefs (Managed by Ryne Sandberg): 7:05pm
Red, White, and Blue Weekend (Rattlers wearing patriotic jerseys)
Family Frenzy Friday (Kids eat free, Kids run the bases)
Patriotic Poms to the first 1,000
Post-game Fireworks

SAT, 7/5 vs. Beloit Snappers: 6:35pm
Red, White, and Blue Weekend (Rattlers wearing patriotic jerseys)
Post-game fireworks

SUN, 7/6 vs. Beloit Snappers: 1:05pm
Red, White, and Blue Weekend (Rattlers wearing patriotic jerseys)
Player poster giveaway to first 1,000
Post-game autograph session

MON, 7/7 vs. Beloit Snappers: 7:05pm
Q*Doba Q-Monday

Here is the entire promotional calendar.

Pitching Matchups (Peoria Series 7/1-4)

Here are the probable pitching match-ups for the Peoria series starting tomorrow:

TUE: RHP Michael Pineda (5-3, 1.43) vs. RHP Kevin Kreier (3-2, 3.86)
WED: RHP Juan Ramirez (3-6, 4.25) vs. RHP Robert Hernandez (0-0, 5.55)
THU: RHP Jake Wild (3-3, 3.21) vs. RHP Audy Santana (0-4, 3.35)
FRI: LHP Edward Paredes (4-8, 4.60) vs. TBA

Tonight's Rattler Starting Pitcher (6/30)

RH KEITH RENAUD: Selected by Seattle in the 10th round of the 2007 draft out of Franklin Pierce College of New Hampshire.

JUST LIKE THE CITY: Renaud is pronounced Ree-know

WHAT A SEASON: Renaud was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year for the 2007 season as a junior. He went 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 starts for the Ravens. Renaud struck out 91 batters over 69 innings.

WITH THE BAT, TOO: Renaud delivered offensively, too. He hit .352 with six homers, 39 RBI, and 20 stolen bases

WITH HONORS: Was selected as an NCAA Division II All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

STARTING THE JOURNEY: Renaud’s professional career began with the Everett Aquasox of the Northwest League. He made one outing before joining the Rattlers on June 25, 2007. Renaud allowed three runs on two hits and two walks with a hit batsman and three strikeouts in 1-2/3 innings against Yakima on June 22 last season.

FIRST PRO START: Renaud made his first professional start as a Timber Rattler on July 7, 2007 at Kane County. He allowed two runs on two hits, two hit batsmen, four walks, and two strikeouts over 2-1/3 innings and took the loss.

AS A RATTLER: Renaud went 2-0 with a 3.50ERA in 18 games (2 starts) with Wisconsin in 2007. He walked 18 and struck out 30 in 36 innings.

2008 SO FAR: Renaud started the year with the High Desert Mavericks. He went 3-9 with a 7.68 ERA. Renaud joined the Timber Rattlers on June 27.

LAST START: Renaud allowed ten runs (nine hits) over four innings against Stockton on June 19. He took the loss, walked two, and struck out four.

LAST WIN: Renaud beat Lake Elsinore on June 14 on the road. Renaud allowed two runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

VS. BURLINGTON: Tonight is the first appearance for Renaud against the Bees. It is also his first appearance against an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

PROFESSIONAL BESTS:
INNINGS PITCHED: 6.0 (5/2 @Lake Elsinore)
STRIKEOUTS: 4 {4x} (Last: 6/19 vs. Stockton)

June 30 Game Notes

ABOUT SUNDAY: The Bees beat the Rattlers 4-3. Johnny Giavotella had three hits in the game, including a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning that drove in the winning run.

THAT SEEMED FAMILIAR: For the third game in a row, the Bees rallied after Wisconsin grabbed the early lead. Wisconsin has had the lead in each of the first seven games of this road trip, but they are 2-5 so far.

QUICK STARTS: The Rattlers scored twice in the top of the first inning. Ron Garth drove in a run with a two-out double. Alex Liddi drove in Garth with an RBI single. The Bees scored twice on a Mike Moustakas homer in the bottom of the first.

MOUSTAKAS MASH: The Burlington third baseman is hitting .242 with 12 homers and 41 RBI in 77 games against the Midwest League this season. In 15 games against Wisconsin, Moustakas is hitting .356 with 4 homers and 12 RBI.

ECHOES: The Timber Rattlers retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Denny Almonte beat out a relay to first on a potential inning ending double play to allow a run to score from third. But, Burlington tied the game again in bottom of the sixth. Nick Van Stratten drove in a run with a two out single to even the game 3-3.

LATE CHANCES: The Rattlers and Bees both had opportunities to go in front in the eighth inning. Wisconsin put runners on first and third with no outs, but Almonte was thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third. The Bees had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Both innings ended on double plays.

BOILING CALDERA: Burlington starting pitcher Alex Caldera pitched eight innings and allowed three runs on ten hits with three strikeouts. In four starts against the Rattlers, Caldera is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.03. Over 26-2/3 innings, he allowed six runs on 23 hits.

THIS CURSED PLACE: The Rattlers are 0-7 against the Bees at Community Field this season. Including 2006, Wisconsin is 5-16 in Burlington. Tonight is the final game between the teams this regular season.

TEAM VS. TEAM: The Bees have outscored the Rattlers 76-49. They have outhit the Rattlers 143-119. Burlington has outhomered Wisconsin 12-4. Wisconsin pitchers have walked 60 and struck out 102. Burlington pitchers have walked 27 and struck out 133.

ROSTER MOVE: Pitcher Robbie Dominguez was transferred to Everett just before yesterday’s game. The Rattlers currently have 24 players on their roster.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Burlington Bees are the Midwest League affiliates of the Kansas City Royals. They finished the first half with a record of 30-39 and out of the playoffs in the Western Division. The Bees are 7-4 to start the second half of the season. Burlington is 24-18 at home this season. They have won three straight games.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .238 as a team and have scored 281 runs (3.6/game). Wisconsin has hit 24 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.57. The Bees are hitting .240 as a team. They have scored 310 runs (3.9/game). Burlington has hit 55 home runs this season. The Bee pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.43.

2008 SEASON SERIES: Burlington leads the season series 11-4. Burlington swept a four game series at Community Field June 9-12. The Rattlers and Bees split eight games on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

BURLINGTON STARTING PITCHER: Matt Mitchell was a 14th round pick of the Royals out of Barstow (CA) High School in the 2007 draft. Mitchell won the Arizona League ERA title in his first professional season as he went 5-1 with a 1.80ERA in 14 games (7 starts) with 72 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. In his start prior to this evening, Mitchell beat the Timber Rattlers on June 20. He allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over five innings with a walk and two strikeouts. Mitchell is 2-0 in two starts against the Timber Rattlers this season. In 11 innings versus Wisconsin, Mitchell has allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits. Mitchell’s last appearance against before tonight, he worked three innings of relief against Peoria at Community Field on June 25. He took the loss as he allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout.

MWL Notebook

The latest MWL Notebook is available.

Here are the entries on the next two Timber Rattler opponents:
Peoria:

WHO'S HOT: SS Nate Samson ranked ninth in the league last week in hitting .385 (10-for-26) with a home run, four RBIs and seven runs scored in six games. ... 1B Luis Bautista is batting .375 (12-for-32) with four home runs, six runs scored and eight RBIs over his last nine games.

DID YOU KNOW: The Chiefs had played 34 1/3 errorless innings before committing a miscue in the fifth inning of Saturday's 11-inning 3-2 win over Kane County. ... SS Nate Samson leads all Minor Leaguers with 15 sacrifice bunts.

ROSTER MOVES: RHP Hung-Wen Chen was promoted to Class A Advanced Daytona. ... OF Dylan Johnston was placed on the disabled list retroactive to June 25 with a hamstring injury. ... OF Drew Rundle and RHP Jake Muyco joined the Chiefs from short-season Boise.

A LITTLE HELP HERE: RHP Blake Parker was promoted to Triple-A last weekend with the Iowa Cubs in need of extra pitchers for back-to-back doubleheaders Friday and Saturday. Parker has been the Chiefs' most reliable reliever this season with a 3-0 record, three saves and a 1.33 ERA in 23 appearances. He allowed his first run in 19 innings Tuesday night in Burlington while picking up another hold in the Chiefs' 5-4 win. Parker leads the Chiefs staff in strikeouts with 51 while walking 18 in 47 1/3 innings. Midwest League opponents are batting just .193 against him.

Beloit:

WHO'S HOT: RHP Santos Arias scattered three hits, struck out four and retired the final 13 batters he faced in his first career shutout Thursday as the Snappers blanked Clinton, 2-0, to cap a successful 7-1 road trip. Arias (4-3, 2.39 ERA) did not allow a player to reach base after yielding a two-out double in the fifth inning.

WHO'S NOT: SS Chris Cates is batting .175 (7-for-40) over his last 10 games, lowering his season average to .244 (51-for-209) in 64 games.

REVERE'S RIDING: OF Ben Revere's hitting streak has reached 22 games, a hot stretch that has raised his batting average to a Minor League-leading .411 (34-for-78) with 13 doubles, seven triples, a home run, 27 RBIs and 32 runs scored in 48 games.

DID YOU KNOW: Thursday's shutout was Beloit's fifth this season, but the first of the complete-game variety for Arias.

Who's hungry?

Just another Mehring Monday over at the main site. It happens to be on one of my favorite topics.

UPDATE: Here is a post over at View From the Press Box that somewhat relates to the same topic.

The Bees have added two healthier alternatives to their concession stand menu at Community Field. In addition to the traditional baseball fare and Lippy Dogs (so good, yet so bad for you), the Bees are now offering apple slices and caramel, and carrots and ranch dressing for $1.50 each.

You can have my Lippy Dog when you pry it out of my cold, ranch dressing-covered, dead hands.

Odd choice for a headline

Mike Saunders (WI, '06) gets the treatment in the Tacoma News Tribune with a weird headline.

Can-miss kid Saunders a gifted prospect for Rainiers

For an organization that takes pains to assure fans that their Safeco Field experience is rated G, fit for all ages, the Mariners are surprisingly aggressive about their youth movement.

Rather than coddle top prospects in a wading pool, Seattle’s player-development mavens throw the kids into the deep end, to determine whether they are more apt to sink or swim.

Take 21-year-old Michael Saunders, whose recent invitation to Tacoma was his fourth promotion in four seasons. A former youth hockey center with the build and graceful gait of a wide receiver, the 6-foot-4, 212-pound Saunders has all the tools scouts covet – and a long swing that sometimes screams for a wrench.

In 359 professional baseball games, Saunders has more strikeouts (392) than hits (365).

Well, maybe not an odd choice, but I can see how that headline could be taken a different way.

A little history on Saunders:

Two years ago in the Single-A Midwest League, Saunders struck out 103 times in 104 games for Wisconsin, where he hit a modest .240. Rather than returning him to Wisconsin in 2007, the Mariners pushed Saunders to a more advanced Single-A California League. His response to the challenge (.299, with 14 homers, three triples and 25 doubles) earned him a late-season call-up to West Tennessee of the Double-A Southern League.

For the rest go to the article.

The View from my hotel window -- Burlington (Pt 2)

Ground floor. No screen. These are a few of my favorite things.

Hotel Art (Burlington, 2008 Round 2)

Roy: Nothing like a farm. Nothing like being around animals, fixing things. There's nothing like being in the field with the corn and the winter wheat. The greenest stuff you ever saw.

Pops: You know, my mother told me I ought to be a farmer.

Roy: My dad wanted me to be a baseball player.

Rattler History...Since 2000

Here is how the Timber Rattlers have fared on June 30…since 2000

2000: The Rattlers beat Kane County 8-3 at home. Shawn McCorkle, Justin Leone, and Gorky Estrella all homered for the Rattlers. Cha Seung Baek allowed three runs on seven hits over seven innings for the win. Rattler records after this game: 7-2, 45-32

2001: The Rattlers lost 5-3 at Burlington. Wisconsin had a 3-0 lead until the Bees scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rattler records after this game: 8-2, 50-28

2002: The Rattlers beat Burlington 14-10. Tim Merritt hit a grand slam as part of a five run eighth inning that put the Rattlers up 14-4. Burlington made the game very interesting with six runs in the top of the ninth inning off Ramon Royce and Mike Kesten. In the end, the Rattlers had enough for the win. Rattler records after this game: 2-8, 32-47

2003: The Rattlers won 9-2 at Quad City. Tomo Aoki homered and Cesar Jimenez allowed one unearned run over seven innings for the win. Rattler records after this game: 3-9, 41-37

2004: The Rattlers lost 8-6 to Dayton in ten innings. Joey Votto went up 6-5 with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth off Brian Stitt. Votto hit a two-run homer earlier in the game. Wisconsin tied the game on a Bryan LaHair RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. The Dragons scored twice in the tenth after there were two outs and no runners on base. Rattler records after this game: 3-4, 34-42

2005: The Rattlers won 4-3 at Fort Wayne. Julio Santiago pitched 7-2/3 scoreless innings and Wisconsin took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth on two-run singles by Oswaldo Navarro and Brandon Green. The Wizards scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth off Ivan Blanco, but Craig James got the final out for the save. Rattler records after this game: 2-6, 41-37

2006: The Rattlers lost 4-1 at West Michigan. Nick Allen allowed four runs in 5-1/3 innings and took the loss. Rattler records after this game: 2-7, 29-50

2007: The Rattlers lost 4-3 at Quad Cities. Tyler Herron allowed one run on three hits over six innings for the win. Wisconsin got close with two runs in the eighth and a leadoff double in the ninth, but they could not tie the game. Rattler records after this game: 4-6, 26-52

A 4-4 record might sound uninteresting, but the some of those eight games are among the more memorable games I remember. That 14-10 game against Burlington, the Bees had a legitimate shot at coming back for the win after being down ten runs heading into the ninth. Yep, Joey Votto was pretty good back in 2004. Blanco is all I'm going to say about 2005. Overall, a fascinating day in Rattler history.

Midwest League Action (Games of 6/29)

June 29 scoreboard.

Monday quote day--where possible

@Burlington 4, Wisconsin 3: "Feeling great right now. The game-winning hit. Can't complain."

@Fort Wayne 4, Dayton 1: “It’s tough,” McBryde said. “You’ve got to learn to accept the failure because baseball’s all about failure. If you can accept that, then you’ll be fine.”

@West Michigan 6, Lansing 5 (13 innings): "It was a tough day, I wasn't seeing the ball well," Kaiser said. "I just found a way to make it happen."

@Beloit 2, Cedar Rapids 1: Mike McCardell worked quickly and efficiently this afternoon, striking out six Kernels.

@Peoria 4, Kane County 3: Peoria fourth - Tied at 3, Jonathan Wyatt hit a two-out single and stole second. Elvis Lara drove Wyatt in with a single to right.

Quad Cities 4, @Clinton 3: “From everything that took place in the eighth and ninth, there is a lot of confidence to be taken from that. Guys stepped up and did what they needed to do,’’ Dillard said. “That’s the type of development you hope to see.’’

South Bend 4, @Great Lakes 1: "(Monday) will be a different lineup, totally," Bustabad said. "It might be a weird lineup ... For us to win and make the playoffs, we need to hit." BONUS QUOTE: "If we don't hit, we don't win -- it's that simple," Bustabad said. "We need offense. We need guys to step up to the plate and get some big hits, and we're not doing it."

Mariner System Report (Games of 6/29)

SEATTLE (MAJ: 31-50 4th American League West): The Mariners won 9-2 at San Diego. Ichiro went 5-for-5 and scored twice for Seattle. Raul Ibanez (Foxes, ’94) drove in a pair of runs and Jeff Clement (’05) homered for the M’s, who picked up a road sweep.

TACOMA (AAA: 42-40, 3rd Pacific Coast League Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers lost 7-3 to Salt Lake. Bryan LaHair (’04) homered, but Joe Woerman (’06) allowed four runs over seven innings and took the loss, but it was a late rally that put the game away for the Bees.

WEST TENNESSEE (AA: 45-37, 4-8 4th Southern League North Division): The Diamond Jaxx lost 4-1 to Tennessee. The Smokies broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh inning.

HIGH DESERT (High-A: 37-43, 5-5 second half T-2nd California League South Division): The Mavericks lost 6-4 at Rancho Cucamonga. Leury Bonilla (’07) had a pair of hits and drove in a run for the Mavs. High Desert had a 4-3 lead after scoring two runs in the top of the seventh. But, the Quakes scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth for the win.

EVERETT (Short Season-A: 5-7, 3rd Northwest League Western Division): The AquaSox lost 8-6 at Salem. Everett had a 5-1 lead after scoring four runs in the top of the seventh, but the Volcanoes came back to score six, grand slam included, in the bottom of the seventh to take a lead.

PULASKI (Rookie: 6-6, 2nd Appalachian League East Division): The M’s were rained out in Bristol.

PEORIA (Rookie: 4-3, T-3rd Arizona League): The AZL M’s lost 10-7 to the Athletics.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY
Toronto (Roy Halladay 8-6) at Seattle (RA Dickey 2-3) 9:10pm CDT
Colorado Springs (Glendon Rusch 1-1) at Tacoma (Andy Baldwin 4-4) 9:00pm CDT
West Tennessee at Chattanooga 6:15pm CDT
Lancaster at High Desert 9:05pm CDT
Everett at Vancouver 7:05pm CDT
Pulaski at Bristol 6:00pm CDT
AZL Angels at AZL Mariners 12:30pm CDT

Today's Rattler Starter (6/29)

LH EDWARD PAREDES: Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic by Seattle in May, 2005.

LAST WIN: Paredes took a no-hitter into the bottom of the eighth inning at Cedar Rapids on May 21. He allowed a two-out single to Anel De Los Santos, but finished the eighth without allowing another hit. The Rattlers beat the Kernels 1-0. Paredes struck out four and walked two for the win.

AWARD WINNER: Paredes was named the Midwest League pitcher of the week on May 26 for his performance on May 21.

LAST START: Paredes lost his fifth consecutive decision with a loss at Cedar Rapids on June 24. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits over five innings with two walks and six strikeouts. The Kernels beat Wisconsin 6-2.

VS. BURLINGTON: Paredes is 0-2 in two starts against the Bees this season. He has allowed nine runs (seven earned) in two starts over 5-1/’3 innings in those two starts. He has walked five and struck out one against the Bees in 2007.

PROFESSIONAL HIGHS
INNINGS PITCHED: 8.0 (5/21/08 @ Cedar Rapids)
STRIKEOUTS: 8 (2x – Last: 7/31/07 @ Vancouver)

June 29 Game notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Bees beat the Timber Rattlers 5-3. Danny Duffy and Juan Abreu combined to strike out 14 batters. Jamar Walton drove in a pair of runs for the Bees.

ROLLING SEVENS: Duffy struck out seven over five innings and allowed one run on four hits for the win Abreu struck out seven over four innings and allowed two runs on one hit with five walks for the save.

EARLY IN THE GAME: Wisconsin scored a run in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Blake Ochoa.

EVEN DOZEN: Rattler starting pitcher Jake Wild allowed five runs on 12 hits in 4-1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out one and was charged with the loss.

THAT SEEMS FAMILIAR: For the second game in a row, the Bees rallied after Wisconsin grabbed the early lead. Kyle Martin doubled with two outs in the second. Walton followed with a double to drive in the tying run. Juan Rivera followed with an RBI single to put the Bees up 2-1. On Friday, the Rattlers had a 4-0 lead after the top of the second inning, but lost 8-4. Wisconsin has had the lead in each of the first six games of this road trip, but they are 2-4 so far.

PILING ON: Walton added an RBI single in the fourth. Johnny Giavotella drove in two runs with a single in the fifth and the Bees had a 5-1 lead.

LATE IN THE GAME: Ron Garth homered off the scoreboard in right-center with one out in the eighth. Then, Alex Liddi drew his third walk of the game, stole second, went to third on a fly out to right, and scored on a wild pitch. But, that was the last Rattler run.

THIS CURSED PLACE: The Rattlers are 0-6 against the Bees at Community Field this season. Including 2006, Wisconsin is 5-15 in Burlington.

OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM: The Rattler hitters drew seven walks last night to go along with the 14 strikeouts. In 2008, Timber Rattler hitters have drawn the fewest walks (207) and have struck out the third most times (632) in the Midwest League. Only Dayton (695) and Lansing (691) have struck out more this season.

THOSE STATS AGAINST BURLINGTON: In 14 games against the Bees this season, Wisconsin has drawn 26 walks (1.9/game) and struck out 130 times (9.3/game).

CONVERSELY: The Bees have drawn 55 walks (3.9/game) and struck out 101 times (7.2/game) in the 14 games with Wisconsin.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Burlington Bees are the Midwest League affiliates of the Kansas City Royals. They finished the first half with a record of 30-39 and out of the playoffs in the Western Division. The Bees are 6-4 to start the second half of the season. Burlington is 23-18 at home this season. They have won two straight games.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .236 as a team and have scored 278 runs (3.7/game). Wisconsin has hit 24 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.56. The Bees are hitting .240 as a team. They have scored 306 runs (3.9/game). Burlington has hit 54 home runs this season. The Bee pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.44.

2008 SEASON SERIES: Burlington leads the season series 10-4. Burlington swept a four game series at Community Field June 9-12. The Rattlers and Bees split eight games on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

BURLINGTON STARTING PITCHER: Alex Caldera was the 13th round pick of the Royals in the 2007 draft out of Chaffey College. He was the Foothill Conference Pitcher of the Year after compiling a record of 9-2 with a 1.70ERA. He spent his first professional season with the Burlington Royals of the Appalachian League. Caldera was 1-2 with a 3.40ERA in 12 games (seven starts) with 13 walks and 39 strikeouts in 42-1/3 innings. Caldera has made three starts against the Timber Rattlers this season: May 12 in Grand Chute, June 12 in Burlington, and June 19 at Grand Chute. Caldera is 2-0, has allowed three runs and has struck out 15 over 18-2/3 innings vs. Wisconsin. In his start prior to this afternoon, Caldera lost to the Peoria Chiefs on June 24. The Chiefs got to Caldera for four runs on eight hits over five innings at Community Field.

Rattler History...Since 2000

Here is how the Rattlers have fared on June 29...since 2000

2000: The Rattlers won 13-4 over South Bend. Justin Leone, Oscar Ramirez, and Sheldon Fulse drove in two runs a piece. Matt Thornton pitched five scoreless innings for the win. Rattler records after this game: 6-2, 44-32

2001: The Rattlers won 9-3 at Burlington. Jake Daubert was 4-for-6 with three RBI. Wisconsin went up 4-0 with four first inning runs. Kevin Olore made the lead stand as he allowed three runs over seven innings. Rattler records after this game: 8-1, 50-27

2002: The Rattlers beat Burlington 5-0 at home. Emiliano Fruto and Ryan Ketchner combined on the two hit shutout. Fruto allowed a second inning hit to Odannis Ayala in the second inning; Ketchner allowed an eighth inning single to James Shanks. Greg Dobbs hit a two-run homer to put the game away. This win ended a 12 game losing streak for Wisconsin. Rattler records after this game: 1-8, 30-48

2003: The Rattlers lost 1-0 at Clinton. TA Fulmer tossed an eight inning complete game with 10 strikeouts, but took the loss. Nate Gold walked in the second inning and scored on a double and an error. LumberKing pitchers Nick Massett and Kameron Loe combined on the six-hit shutout. Rattler records after this game: 2-9, 40-37

2004: The Rattlers shutout Dayton 6-0 at home. Second day in a row with the same score. Jason Mackintosh struck out ten over seven innings for the win. Adam Jones had three RBI and Wladimir Balentien had three hits, including a homer, for the win. Rattler records after this game: 3-3, 34-41

2005: The Rattlers lost 9-3 at Quad Cities. Dennis Dove tossed a complete game for the win. Aaron Jensen allowed nine runs on seven hits over 2-2/3 innings for the loss. Rattler records after this game: 1-6, 40-37

2006: The Rattlers lost 4-1 at West Michigan. Paul Fagan protected a 1-0 lead until the seventh. Luis Valbuena and Robby Hudson had back-to-back doubles in the first inning for the lead. The Whitecaps tied the game on a two-out RBI triple by Jeramy Laster in the seventh. West Michigan scored three times off Fagan in the eighth. Rattler record after this game: 2-6, 29-49

2007: The Rattlers lost 8-0 at Quad Cities. Wisconsin had four hits. The SWING scored four runs in the second and four more in the fourth. Rattler record after this game: 4-5, 26-51

A 4-4 is a .500 record. But, four shutouts in eight games on 6/29...since 2000? Watch out for today's game, I guess.

Midwest League Action (Games of 6/28)

June 28 scoreboard.

@Burlington 5, Wisconsin 3: Burlington Bees.

Dayton 11, @Fort Wayne 4: Big day starts with a fly ball lost in the sun.

Lansing 3, @West Michigan 2: Long delay at the start...disappointment at the end.

South Bend 3, @Great Lakes 2: You can kinda go home again.

@Peoria 3, Kane County 2 (11 innings): Easy as one in the ninth and one in the eleventh.

Cedar Rapids 8, @Beloit 4: Eight is more than enough.

@Clinton 9, Quad Cities 0: Holland would still be playing in Euro 2008 with a performance like this.

Mariner System Report (Games of 6/28)

SEATTLE (MAJ: 30-50 4th American League West): The Mariners won 4-2 at San Diego. Adrian Beltre had three hits and two RBI for Seattle. Carlos Silva allowed two run over seven innings and beat Cha Seung Baek (’00), the starter for the Padres.

TACOMA (AAA: 42-39, 3rd Pacific Coast League Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers beat Salt Lake 10-3. Rich Dorman (’03) allowed one run on five hits over six innings with five strikeouts for the win. Luis Valbuena (’06) went 3-for-4 with two RBI, Matt Tuiasosopo (’05) homered, and Mumba Rivera (’05) allowed two runs in one inning for the Rainiers.

WEST TENNESSEE (AA: 45-36, 4-7 4th Southern League North Division): The Diamond Jaxx beat Tennessee 10-5. West Tennessee scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie. Adam Moore (’06) had three RBI and Jason Mackintosh (’04) got the win in relief for the Diamond Jaxx.

HIGH DESERT (High-A: 37-42, 5-4 second half T-2nd California League South Division): The Mavericks won 6-4 in ten innings at Rancho Cucamonga. High Desert scored once in the ninth (on a passed ball) to tie the game and twice in the tenth (on a double by Jamie McOwen (’07)) to win.

EVERETT (Short Season-A: 5-7, 3rd Northwest League Western Division): The AquaSox won 9-4 at Salem-Keizer. Walter Suriel (’08) allowed four runs on nine hits, but got the win. Kevin Reynolds (’08) drove in a pair of runs for the Sox as Everett knocked out 14 hits in the victory.

PULASKI (Rookie: 6-6, 2nd Appalachian League East Division): The M’s lost 13-4 at Kingsport. Kalian Sams (’07) went 2-for-3 with a run for Pulaski.

PEORIA (Rookie: 4-2, T-1st Arizona League): The AZL M’s beat the Brewers 11-4. Eddy Hernandez (’08) worked an inning in relief and allowed two runs on one hit with two walks and one strikeout.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY
Seattle (Erik Bedard 4-4) at San Diego (Jake Peavy 5-4) 3:05pm CDT
Salt Lake (Dustin Moseley 3-4) at Tacoma (Joe Woerman 2-4) 3:30pm CDT
Tennessee (Esmailin Caridad 1-0) at West Tennessee (Doug Fister 5-7) 4:35pm CDT
High Desert (Ricky Orta 3-1) at Rancho Cucamonga (Michael Anton 0-1) 4:05pm CDT
Everett (Doug Salinas 0-1) at Salem-Keizer (Ari Ronick 0-0) 7:05pm CDT
Pulaski at Bristol 6:00pm CDT
AZL Mariners at AZL Athletics 12:30pm CDT

Tonight's Rattler Starting Pitcher (6/28)

RH JAKE WILD: Seattle’s 26th round pick out of the University of the Pacific in the 2007 draft.

LAST WIN: Wild picked up the win with a scoreless, hitless inning of relief against the Quad Cities River Bandits on June 5. Wild entered a 5-5 game in the top of the tenth and picked up the victory when Gavin Dickey hit a game-winning homer in the bottom of the tenth in Wisconsin’s 4-3 win.

LAST START: Wild got a no decision at Cedar Rapids on June 23 in a 4-2 Rattler win in 15 innings. Wild allowed two runs on four hits over six innings with three walks and five strikeouts. He left the game with the score tied 2-2 heading into the seventh inning.

VS. BURLINGTON: Wild has made two relief appearances against the Bees this season. He has tossed a total of 4-1/3 scoreless innings with one walk, three hits allowed, and four strikeouts.

VS. ROYALS: Wild faced the Royals Arizona League affiliate four times (one start) in 2007. He was 1-0 with a save in those games against the Surprise Royals and did not allow a run while striking out 13 over 8-1/3 innings.

PROFESSIONAL HIGHS
INNINGS PITCHED: 8.0 (vs. AZL Giants 8/30/2007)
STRIKEOUTS: 14 (vs. AZL Giants 8/30/2007)

June 28 Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Bees beat the Timber Rattlers 8-4. Wisconsin had a 4-0 lead after the top of the second inning, but the Bees rallied for the win.

STARTING STRONG: The Rattlers scored twice in the first and twice in the second. RBI singles by Juan Diaz and Alex Liddi in the first put Wisconsin up 2-0. Edilio Colina singled in a run in the second and a run scored on an error after that for the early advantage.

FROM THERE THOUGH…: After the fourth Rattler run scored, Burlington starting pitcher Eduardo Paulino retired the final 13 Rattler batters he faced.

EVEN UP: The Bees tied the game with two runs in the second an RBI single by Juan Rivera and back-to-back solo home runs in the third by Mike Moustakas and Clint Robinson.

WALKING INTO THE LEAD: The Bees took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a bases loaded walk. Rattler starting pitcher Juan Ramirez issued a four-pitch free pass to David Lough to force in the go ahead run.

ADDING ON: The Bees tacked on two unearned runs in the sixth inning and another run in the eighth to pad their lead.

WILD THINGS: The four Rattler pitchers in last night’s game combined to walk eight Burlington batters. Ramirez walked three (one intentionally); Keith Meyer walked two and threw three wild pitches; Justin Souza walked two; and Rob Harmon walked one.

ODDLY THOUGH: Only one of the eight Bees who reached on a free pass scored a run.

THIS CURSED PLACE: The Rattlers are 0-5 against the Bees at Community Field this season. Going back to the 2006 season, Wisconsin is 5-14 in Burlington.

ROSTER MOVES: Rattler staring pitcher Nathan Adcock has been placed on the disabled list. Keith Renaud has been transferred to the Timber Rattlers from High Desert. Renaud is scheduled to start Monday against the Bees in place of Adcock.

MEET THE ‘NEW’ GUY: Renaud was the 10th round pick of the Mariners out of Franklin Pierce College in 2007. He appeared in 18 games (two starts) for the Rattlers last season and was 2-0 with a save and a 3.50ERA. Renaud started the 2008 season with High Desert, Seattle’s California League affiliate, and was 3-9 in 15 games (14 starts) with an ERA of 7.68. He had walked 49 and struck out 40 in 72-2/3 innings with the Mavericks this season.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Burlington Bees are the Midwest League affiliates of the Kansas City Royals. They finished the first half with a record of 30-39 and out of the playoffs in the Western Division. The Bees are 5-4 to start the second half of the season. Burlington is 22-18 at home this season. They snapped a three game losing streak with the win last night.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .237 as a team and have scored 275 runs (3.7/game). Wisconsin has hit 23 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.55. The Bees are hitting .238 as a team. They have scored 301 runs (3.9/game). Burlington has hit 54 home runs this season. The Bee pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.44.

2008 SEASON SERIES: Burlington leads the season series 9-4. Burlington swept a four game series at Community Field June 9-12. The Rattlers and Bees split eight games on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

BURLINGTON STARTING PITCHER: Daniel Duffy was a 3rd round pick of the Royals in the 2007 draft out of Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, California. In his first professional season, Duffy went 2-3 with a 1.45ERA in 11 games (nine starts) for the Arizona League affiliate of the Royals. In his last appearance before tonight, Duffy beat Peoria with seven shutout innings on June 23. Duffy allowed four hits, walked none, and struck out eight at Community Field to beat the Chiefs. On June 9, Duffy beat the Timber Rattlers at Community Field in his only appearance against Wisconsin. He allowed two unearned runs on two hits over five innings and struck out eight in a 6-4 Burlington victory. In his only other time against a Seattle affiliate, Duffy took on the Arizona League Mariners in a three inning relief stint last season. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts in that game.

A few notes of interest

Cha Seung Baek ('00) gets the start tonight for the Padres against the Mariners.

Barely a month has passed since Cha Seung Baek was jettisoned by the Mariners so they could get a fresh arm into the bullpen.

At least, that's the story they told Baek the night in Detroit when they thanked him for the memories and designated him for assignment. Baek was still getting used to his role as the team's long reliever when the Mariners opted to call up R.A. Dickey and his rubber arm from Class AAA to fill the spot instead.

Also, who did you have in this game last night?

Cardinals 2
Royals 7

WP: Gil Meche (WI '98)
LP: Joe Pineiro (WI '98)

Click the link to find out how things turned out.

Roster Move (6/28)

RHP Nathan Adcock placed on the disabled list.

RHP Keith Renaud transferred from High Desert to Wisconsin

Renaud is scheduled to take Adcock's place in the rotation on Monday in Burlington.

Rattler History...Since 2000

Here is how the Timber Rattlers have fared on June 28...since 2000

2000: The Rattlers beat South Bend 5-1 at home. Craig Anderson allowed one run over seven innings for his ninth win. Justin Leone hit a pair of homers to pace the offense. Rattler records after this game: 5-2, 43-32

2001: The Rattlers beat Quad City 8-3 at home. Jamie Bubela homered, drove in three runs, and scored three runs while Clint Nageotte allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out eight over seven innings. Rattler records after this game: 7-1, 49-27

2002: The Rattlers lost 8-1 to Burlington at home. The Bees scored three in the first and three in the seventh. Luis Oliveros drove in the only Rattler run. Including the end of the first half, this was Wisconsin's twelfth straight loss. Rattler records after this game: 0-8, 30-47

2003: The Rattlers lost 5-3 at Clinton. The Rattlers had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning. But, the LumberKings scored three times in the sixth. A two-run single by Rick Asadorian pushed the last two runs of the frame across the plate. Rattler records after this game: 2-8, 40-36

2004: The Rattlers beat Dayton 6-0 at home. Tom Oldham struck out 15, sorry, FIFTEEN, over eight innings for the win. Mike Nesbit hit a two-run homer to help out. Rattler records after this game: 2-3, 33-41

2005: The Rattlers won 11-3 at Quad Cities. Marshall Hubbard homered and drove in three runs. Randy Frye got the win. Rattler records after this game: 1-5, 40-36

2006: The Rattlers beat Peoria 5-1 at home. Marwin Vega allowed one run over 6-2/3 innings for the win. Curtis Ledbetter drove in two runs for Wisconsin. Rattler records after this game: 2-5, 29-48

2007: The Rattlers won 8-3 at Peoria. Reed Eastley and Joe White each had a pair of RBI. Steve Richard allowed two runs (one earned) over seven innings for the win. Rattler records after this game: 4-4, 26-50

A 5-3 record is pretty good. Oldham's 15-K performance was outstanding. Great day in Timber Rattler history.

Midwest League Action (Games of 6/27)

June 27 scoreboard.

@Burlington 8, Wisconsin 4: Game story...but for the full effect check out the blog post.

@Fort Wayne 11, Dayton 3: Verification.

@West Michigan 3, Lansing 2: Edge to Whitecaps.

@Great Lakes 3, South Bend 0 (5 innings): Looooooooooons beat the rain, too.

Cedar Rapids 8, @Beloit 5: Tough losses for the Snappers. How tough?

After the Snappers lost 8-5 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, manager Nelson Prada said the team would be without regular outfield starters Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee for at least a month. Benson has a stress fracture in his back, something he has been battling for over a month, while Parmelee, the team's home run and RBI leader, injured his wrist while running into the wall during the team's recent road trip.

That tough.

@Peoria 8, Kane County 7: The Mighty Samson!

Quad Cities 6, @Clinton 3: Tag! Feliz is it!

Mariner System Report (Games of 6/27)

SEATTLE (MAJ: 29-50 4th American League West): The Mariners beat San Diego 5-2. Adrian Beltre drove in three runs and Jarrod Washburn allowed two runs over 7-2/3 innings for Seattle.

TACOMA (AAA: 41-39, 3rd Pacific Coast League Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers lost 9-5 to Salt Lake. Tacoma scored three runs in the first inning, but could not hold the lead.

WEST TENNESSEE (AA: 44-36, 3-7 5th Southern League North Division): The Diamond Jaxx lost 12-6 to Tennessee. Greg Halman (’07) and Adam Moore (’06) homered for West Tennessee, but it wasn't enough.

HIGH DESERT (High-A: 36-42, 4-4 second half 3rd California League South Division): The Mavericks lost 7-6 at Rancho Cucamonga. Danny Carroll (’08) drove in three runs to help the Mavs take a 6-3 lead. But, the Quakes scored three in the seventh to tie and one in the eighth to win.

EVERETT (Short Season-A: 4-7, 3rd Northwest League Western Division): The AquaSox lost 6-5 at Salem-Keizer. Everett tied the game with a run in the top of the ninth, but the Volcanoes scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to win.

PULASKI (Rookie: 6-5, 2nd Appalachian League East Division): The M’s lost 6-4 at Kingsport. Pulaski scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to put a scare into the Mets.

PEORIA (Rookie: 3-2, T-1st Arizona League): The AZL M’s beat the Royals 3-2 in ten innings.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY
Seattle (Carlos Silva 3-9) at San Diego (Cha Seung Baek 1-3) 9:05pm CDT
Salt Lake (Nick Adenhart 5-7) at Tacoma (Rich Dorman 1-0) 9:00pm CDT
Tennessee (Alex Maestri 0-0) at West Tennessee (Justin Thomas 5-5) 7:05pm CDT
High Desert (Donnie Hume 0-0) at Rancho Cucamonga (Sean O’Sullivan 8-4) 9:05pm CDT
Everett (Walter Suriel 1-1) at Salem-Keizer (Gib Hobson 0-1) 9:05pm CDT
Pulaski at Kingsport 6:00pm CDT
AZL Mariners at AZL Brewers 12:30pm CDT

Tonight's Rattler Starting Pitcher (6/27)

RH JUAN RAMIREZ: Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Nicaragua by Seattle in July 2005.

LAST START: Ramirez got a no decision against the Bees on June 22. He pitched 8-2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The Rattlers won 4-3 in ten innings.

LAST WIN: Ramirez beat the Peoria Chiefs at O’Brien Field on May 25. He allowed one run on four hits over seven innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

ON THE ROAD: Ramirez is 1-4 with an ERA of 4.80 in seven games (six starts) on the road this season. He has struck out 25 and walked 10 over 30.0 innings pitched.

AT HOME: Ramirez is 2-1 with an ERA of 3.30 in seven starts at home this season. He has struck out 42 and walked 12 in 43.2 innings pitched.

NUMBER NINE: Ramirez struck out nine batters in three consecutive starts. The streak started against West Michigan on April 28; continued with a start at Great Lakes on May 4; and reached three against Cedar Rapids.

VS. BURLINGTON: This is the fourth start for Ramirez against the Bees. He is 1-1 with a 4.34ERA against Burlington.

PROFESSIONAL HIGHS
INNINGS PITCHED: 8.2: 6/22 vs. Burlington
STRIKEOUTS: 9 (3x) Last: 5/10 @Great Lakes

June 27 Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers went 1-1 against the Kernels. In the completion of a suspended game from Wednesday, the Kernels rallied to beat the Rattlers 16-15. In the regularly scheduled game, Wisconsin won 5-2 to gain a split in the four game series at Cedar Rapids.

WILLING SUSPENSION: When Wednesday’s game restarted on Thursday, the Rattlers had a 12-11 lead, one out, and a runner at second base in the top of the sixth. AJ Ford got the final two outs of the inning. Then, the Kernels scored four runs off Jose Escalona in the bottom of the sixth for a 15-12 lead. Tyler Johnson hit his third homer of the series, a two-run shot, for the final two runs of the inning. Ford retired the Rattlers in order in the seventh and eighth innings. Wisconsin rallied in the ninth against Eddie McKiernan with a pair of runs and put the tying run at third and the lead run at first with one out. But, the Kernels held on for the win.

IN PURSUIT OF A SHINY CYCLE: Rattler outfielder Denny Almonte was 4-for-4 with six RBI and a double shy of the cycle when the pause button was hit on Wednesday night. He got one plate appearance in the continuation and Ford struck him out. Since the team began in 1995, no Timber Rattler player has ever hit for the cycle.

GO TO THE TOTALS: Wisconsin’s 14 runs and 17 hits were a new season high for the team. The six extra base hits in the game tied a season high for the Rattlers.

COLD COMFORT: The last time the Rattlers reached double digits for runs in a loss was on April 29 in Grand Chute. The Fort Wayne Wizards beat the Rattlers 11-10 in that game.

REGULAR PROGRAMMING: Michael Pineda tossed eight strong innings in the regularly scheduled game and struck out seven, but Wisconsin had to rally with four runs in the eighth inning for the win.

COMEBACK KIDS: The Rattlers trailed 2-1 heading into the top of the eighth inning and had runners at first and third with one out. That was when Kernel reliever Cephas Howard entered the game. He walked the next three batters to force in two runs. Then, Howard threw a wild pitch and allowed an RBI single to Maximo Mendez. That put Wisconsin up 5-2.

INTO THE FIRE: Robbie Dominguez made his Midwest League debut in a ninth inning save situation. The new Rattler reliever allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth for the save.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Burlington Bees are the Midwest League affiliates of the Kansas City Royals. They finished the first half with a record of 30-39 and out of the playoffs in the Western Division. The Bees are 4-4 to start the second half of the season. Burlington is 21-18 at home this season. They are on a three game losing streak after dropping the final three games of their most recent series, a four game set at Community Field with the Peoria Chiefs.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .238 as a team and have scored 271 runs (3.7/game). Wisconsin has hit 23 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.51. The Bees are hitting .237 as a team. They have scored 293 runs (3.8/game). Burlington has hit 52 home runs this season. The Bee pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.45.

2008 SEASON SERIES: Burlington leads the season series 8-4. Burlington swept a four game series at Community Field June 9-12. The Rattlers and Bees split eight games on Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook has placed five current Burlington Bees on their list of the top 30 prospects in the Kansas City organization. Shortstop Mike Moustakas is rated number one on the list. Pitcher Matt Mitchell is ranked at number nine. Pitchers Danny Duffy and Sam Runion are on the list at #6 and #12 respectively. Outfielder David Lough is on the list at #22. Pitcher Brett Fisher is on the Burlington disabled list and is ranked #19 by BA.

OUT OF THE 2007 DRAFT: The Bees have 11 members of their current roster who were members of the Kansas City draft class in 2007. Moustakas, a high school shortstop out of Chatsworth, California, was the second overall pick in the draft. Runion (2nd), Daniel Duffy (3rd) and outfielder Adrian Ortiz (5th) are the other three top ten picks on the Burlington roster. Other ’07 draftees include: Pitcher Matt Mitchell (14th); catchers Joe Billick (17th) and Ryan Eigisti (15th); infielders Clint Robinson (25th) and Kyle Martin (29th); and outfielders David Lough (11th) and Wilson Tucker (33rd).

OUT OF THE 2008 DRAFT: Kansas City’s second round pick of this year’s draft joined the Bees during the series with Wisconsin at Community Field. Johnny Giovatella, a second baseman out of the University of New Orleans, was the 49th overall pick of the 2008 draft.

BURLINGTON STARTING PITCHER: Eduardo Paulino was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Royals. He was 9-1 with a 1.55 ERA in the Dominican Summer League in 2006 and was named Most Valuable Pitcher of that team by the Royals. He spent 2007 with the Burlington Royals of the Appalachian League and was 3-2 with a 4.86ERA in 12 starts. Paulino has made three starts against the Timber Rattlers this season. He is 1-0 with a 1.59ERA. In 17 innings, he has allowed four runs (three earned) on 17 hits with two walks and 17 strikeouts in those three starts against the Rattlers. In his start prior to this evening, Paulino faced the Timber Rattlers in Grand Chute on June 22. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings and received a no decision. He left the game with the Rattlers leading 3-2. Burlington came back to tie the game 3-3. The Rattlers would win 4-3 in ten innings.

Probable Pitchers (@Burlington)

FRI: RHP Juan Ramirez (3-5, 3.91) vs. RHP Eduardo Paulino (3-3, 3.84)

SAT: RHP Jake Wild (3-2, 2.70) vs. LHP Danny Duffy (3-3, 3.67)

SUN: LHP Edward Paredes (4-8, 4.59) vs. RHP Alex Caldera (5-6, 3.53)

MON: TBA vs. RHP Matt Mitchell (5-6, 4.01)

Alumni Report

Jay's latest Alumni Report is up over at the main site.

THE most up-to-date information on ex-Rattlers...including a look at where some alums are playing independent ball AND who is HOT and who is COLD!

Too much to excerpt here. Just go check it all out.

Rattler History...Since 2000

Here is how the Timber Rattlers have fared on June 27…since 2000

2000: The Rattlers beat South Bend 1-0 at home. JJ Putz pitched a complete game four hit shutout with nine strikeouts. Ruben Castillo drove in the only run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Rattler records after this game: 4-2, 42-32

2001: The Rattlers beat Quad City 5-2 at home. Jamie Bubela drove in four runs with a sacrifice fly and a three-run homer. Rattler records after this game: 6-1, 48-27

2002: The Rattlers had a scheduled off day. Rattler records on this date: 0-7, 30-46

2003: The Rattlers won 7-3 at Clinton. BOBBY! Livingston allowed three runs (one earned) and struck out eight over eight innings for the win. Jon Nelson homered and drove in two runs for Wisconsin. Rattler records after this game: 2-7, 40-35

2004: The Rattlers lost 15-5 to Peoria at home. Anthony Monegan and Tyler Parker each drove in four runs for the Chiefs. This was a 2-0 Rattler lead until the seventh. Peoria scored, um, let me check……yep, THIRTEEN RUNS in the top of the seventh. Brandon Moorhead, Juan Ovalles, and Ruben Castillo were the victims in that inning. Rattler records after this game: 1-3, 32-41

2005: The Rattlers lost 7-2 at Quad Cities. Casey Abrams allowed four runs on three hits with four walks and two wild pitches over 1-2/3 innings. This was after Sebastien Boucher hit a first inning homer for a 1-0 lead. Rattler records after this game: 0-5, 39-36

2006: The Rattlers lost to Peoria 6-4 in ten innings at home. Jose Escalona pitched six shutout innings and allowed three hits. The Rattlers had a 4-1 lead in the top of the ninth, but the Chiefs scored three times off Roman Martinez in the ninth to tie the game. Wisconsin had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, but did not score. Then, Edgar Guaramato gave up two runs in the tenth. Rattler records after this game: 1-5, 28-48

2007: The Rattlers lost 5-2 at Peoria. The Chiefs scored single runs in the first, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh. Joe White hit a two-run homer for the only Wisconsin runs. Rattler records after this game: 3-4, 25-50

A 3-4 record with some really odd games (see 2004 and 2006) and a JJ Putz complete game shutout make this an interesting day in Timber Rattler history...since 2000

Midwest League Action (Games of 6/26)

June 26 scoreboard.

@Cedar Rapids 15, Wisconsin 14; Wisconsin 5, Cedar Rapids 2: The ballad of the middle reliever.

West Michigan 6, @Fort Wayne 5: No fun in these fundamentals.

@Dayton 2, Great Lakes 1: The Dragon Creed.

Great Lakes 4, @Lansing 2: Looooons.

Beloit 2, @Clinton 0: Young Arias triumphant.

@Quad Cities 6, Kane County 4: Bandits catch a break.

Peoria 10, @Burlington 3: Chiefs on a streak.

Mariner System Report (Games of 6/26)

SEATTLE (MAJ: 28-50 4th American League West): The Mariners were off on Thursday.

TACOMA (AAA: 41-38, 3rd Pacific Coast League Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers beat Salt Lake 9-4. Wladimir Balentien (’04) homered and drove in three runs for Tacoma. Robert Rohrbaugh (’05) picked up the win.

WEST TENNESSEE (AA: 42-35, 3-5 T-4th Southern League North Division): The Diamond Jaxx lost 11-5 to Tennessee. The Smokies scored seven runs in the first two innings to get the early advantage.

HIGH DESERT (High-A: 36-41, 4-3 second half T-1st California League South Division): The Mavericks lost 7-6 in ten innings at Rancho Cucamonga. Jamie McOwen (’07) had four hits and two RBI for High Desert. The Quakes scored three in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and one in the tenth to win.

EVERETT (Short Season-A: 4-6, T-2nd Northwest League Western Division): The AquaSox lost 10-1 to Boise. The Hawks scored four times in the first inning for the lead and Everett had two hits in the game.

PULASKI (Rookie: 6-4, 2nd Appalachian League East Division): The M’s lost 8-3 at Kingsport. The Mets scored two runs in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.

PEORIA (Rookie: 2-2, T-3rd Arizona League): The AZL M’s were off on Thursday.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY
Seattle (Jarrod Washburn 2-7) at San Diego (Randy Wolf 5-6) 9:05pm CDT
Salt Lake (Giancarlo Alvarado 5-2) at Tacoma (Sean White 4-8) 9:00pm CDT
Tennessee (Donnie Veal 4-5) at West Tennessee (Ryan Ketchner 6-3) 7:05pm CDT
High Desert (Anthony Varvaro 2-5) at Rancho Cucamonga (Jeremy Haynes 0-0) 9:05pm CDT
Everett at Salem-Keizer 9:00pm CDT
Pulaski at Kingsport 6:00pm CDT
AZL Royals at AZL Mariners 12:30pm CDT

For the World

Look at the name at the top of the roster for the World team that will be playing at Yankee Stadium in the Futures game.

The tag for this post probably gives it away.

Here is the whole story. On the game, not on Phillippe Aumont being named to the World team.

With the Olympic Games in Beijing in August, a new format has been adopted for the Futures Game. Instead of selecting the U.S. squad based solely on prospect status, players were chosen as part of the 2008 Team USA Olympic trial team. Also different from years past is the length of the game. This year's contest will be nine innings and begins at 12:30 p.m. ET [on July 13] and can be seen on ESPN2. Prior to this season, the majority of the games were seven-inning affairs.

The U.S. Roster is here.

Tonight's Rattler Starting Pitcher (6/26)

RHP MICHAEL PINEDA was signed as a non-drafted free by the Mariners out of the Dominican Republic on December 12, 2005.

LAST WIN: Pineda pitched seven shutout innings at Clinton in the night game of a day/night doubleheader on June 14. Pineda did not walk a batter and struck out six in a 10-0 Wisconsin victory.

LAST START: Pineda lost to Burlington on June 21 at home. He allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits over 5-1/3 innings. Pineda walked two and struck out four in a game Wisconsin wound up losing 8-2.

VS. CEDAR RAPIDS: Pineda started and received a no decision against the Kernels in Grand Chute on May 9. He pitched 6-1/3 shutout innings allowed three hits, walked none, and struck out four. Wisconsin lost 5-0.

THE START OF 2008: Pineda won his first two appearances for the Rattlers. He picked up a win in relief in the first game of a doubleheader at Quad Cities on April 5 and another win with two innings of scoreless relief against Fort Wayne on April 16.

THE STREAK: Pineda tossed 21-1/3 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up a third inning run in the start against Burlington on May 14.

PROFESSIONAL BESTS:
INNINGS PITCHED: 6.1 (vs. Cedar Rapids 5/9)
STRIKEOUTS: 7 (@ Lansing 5/2/08)

June 26 Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers were leading the Kernels 12-11 with one out and a runner at second base in the top of the sixth inning. Then, severe weather hit the area and forced a suspension of the game.

GROUND RULES: The game will be picked up from the point at which it was suspended tonight at 6:00pm. The regularly scheduled game is set for nine innings and will follow the conclusion of the suspended game after a 30 minute break.

ALMOST THERE: Rattler outfielder Denny Almonte is 4-for-4 with two singles, a triple, and a home run. He is a double shy of the cycle. No Appleton baseball player has hit for the cycle since the team became the Timber Rattlers for the 1995.

ADDITIONALLY: Almonte has driven in six runs in the game so far. He had an RBI single in the first, a grand slam homer in the fourth, and an RBI triple in the sixth. That grand slam homer by Almonte was the first by a Timber Rattler since Joe White hit one at Fort Wayne on August 5, 2007.

FERTILE FIELDS: Since 1999, the Timber Rattlers have hit six grand slams in Cedar Rapids, more than in any other road location in the Midwest League. Other Timber Rattler Cedar Rapids Slams since 1999 belong to:

Bo Robinson (7/25/1999)
Damien Alvarado (7/31/2000)
Chris Collins (5/16/2002)
Jon Nelson (7/30/2003)
Michael Cox (7/10/2004)

RIDE MY SEE-SAW: Both teams had significant leads last night. Wisconsin scored once in the first, but the Kernels scored six times in the second inning off Rattler starting pitcher Nathan Adcock. Wisconsin rallied back with two runs in the third and seven times in the fourth to take a 10-6 lead. Cedar Rapids scored three times in the fourth and three times in the fifth for an 11-10 lead. Just before the delay Wisconsin retook the lead on an RBI triple by Almonte and the second sacrifice fly of the night by Juan Diaz.

THESE ARE BETTER DAYS: Joe Dunigan drove in a run with a double in the fourth inning. It was Dunigan’s first hit of the second half and ended an 0-for-28 drought.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Cedar Rapids Kernels are the Midwest League affiliates of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They finished the first half with a record of 32-36 and out of the playoffs in the Western Division. The Kernels are 4-2 to start the second half of the season. Cedar Rapids is 21-19 at home this season.

CEDAR RAPIDS STARTING PITCHER FOR GAME TWO: Trevor Reckling was the 8th round pick of the Angels out of St. Benedict’s Prep School in Newark, New Jersey in the 2007 draft. He pitched for the Arizona League affiliate of the Angels after signing. He went 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA in nine games (five starts) with 55 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. Reckling has started twice against Wisconsin this season. He faced the Timber Rattlers for the first time on May 11 in Grand Chute. He tossed an eight-inning complete game in a 3-1 loss. He gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits with five strikeouts in the loss. On May 21, he pitched six shutout innings, allowed five hits, and got a no decision in a 1-0 Wisconsin victory. In his start prior to tonight, Reckling beat Quad Cities on June 21. He allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings and struck out ten. The win was the third consecutive victory for Reckling. The lefty has not lost since the May 11 game against the Rattlers. Reckling is 3-0 with three no decisions since that game.

Walking around the stadium (Cedar Rapids again)

Gehrig knows that I have talked about these features of Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium often enough. How about photographic proof?

This is the 'short porch' in left.

Notice how far it juts out and how quickly it gets out to 378'

This is the view from 407' from home plate. The deepest part of the park in leftcenterSee how deep the dugouts are. What are those steps for?

To see, of course.

The sign makes me laugh...

Hotel exterior

I had to share the old-timey west exterior of the Longbranch..



Livery, Tonsorial, and Grubsteak are the titles of some of the buildings.

I really should have taken pictures of some of the paintings in the windows. They are....unusual.

Timber Rattler deals

Hop on the Bus to Beloit!

The Timber Rattlers have put together a bus trip to Beloit on Sunday, July 20th, giving you a chance to see your Timber Rattlers take on the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field.

The price will be $45 per person and includes a spot on the bus, game ticket, and all-you-can-eat and drink for the entire game! The bus will depart from Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium at 11am.

Let the Timber Rattlers do the Cooking 4th of July Weekend

This offer is good for July 4-6:

For just $15 (in advance, $20 day of game) you can get porch seats and feast out on a game time all-you-can-eat Lead Off Hitter buffet. This includes grilled hamburgers, grilled brats, hot dogs, fresh baked buns, baked beans, potato chips, potato salad, and two beverages per person (beer, soda, or water).

Contact the Timber Rattler ticket office at (920) 733-4152.

All-Decade pitchers (1978-1987)

The latest installment of the All-Decade Teams is available.

Do you know what former Pittsburgh Pirate is on that team? Can you guess who the manager is? Check it out. I give nothing away today on this.

At least it was for a good cause...

Remember that outing by Trevor Bell on Tuesday afternoon against the Timber Rattlers? I'm pretty sure that the folks in Cedar Rapids won't be forgetting it any time soon.

Bell was terrific on the pitching mound, especially Tuesday in a complete-game victory. But he was even better off it.

The California native, who pitched for the Kernels all last season, donated a $2,500 check before last night's game at Memorial Stadium to the local Red Cross for its flood-relief efforts.

"I (initially) thought things weren't too bad," Bell said. "But I got a chance to drive through the city the other day and it made me realize I could not not do something."

By the way, he is on his way back to Rancho Cucamonga in the California League.

And now a word from our sponsor

Thanks to Cranky Hank's, located in the Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids, for providing the wireless service and lots and lots of Mountain Dew that allowed for the updates today.

Now, back to regular programming.

Rattler History...Since 2000

Here is how the Timber Rattlers have fared on June 26…since 2000

2000: The Rattlers beat South Bend 6-5 at home. This was an awesome game. Rafael Soriano allowed two runs over seven innings, but the game was tied 2-2 heading into the ninth. The Silver Hawks scored three times in the top of the ninth.

Jose Valverde – yes, that Jose Valverde – retired the first two batters of the ninth. Then, he walked Oscar Ramirez, Shawn McCorkle, and Justin Leone to load the bases. Wellington Cepeda relieved Valverde to face Gorky Estrella. The first pitch Estrella saw he crushed to left for a game-ending grand slam! Rattler records after this game: 3-2, 41-32

2001: The Rattlers lost to Kane County 4-2 at home. Derrick Van Dusen allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings to take the loss. The loss ended Wisconsin’s 12-game winning streak. Rattler records after this game: 5-1, 47-27

2002: The Rattlers lost 4-3 at Clinton. Wisconsin had a 2-1 lead after a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. But, Clyde Williams homered to lead off the seventh to tie the game. In the eighth, Josh Labandeira hit a two run homer for a 4-2 lead. In the top of the ninth, Luis Oliveros hit a two-out single to drive in Jason Van Meetren, but he was out trying to stretch the hit into a double. Including the end of the first half, this was the eleventh straight loss for Wisconsin. Rattler records after this game: 0-7, 30-46

2003: The Rattlers lost 4-1 to Peoria at home. Tyler Parker, the number nine hitter in the Peoria lineup, drove in a pair of runs. Rattler records after this game: 1-7, 39-35

2004: The Rattlers lost 2-1 to Peoria at home. Wladimir Balentien homered in the third inning for a 1-0 lead. But, the Chiefs scored an unearned run in the seventh and a run on another error in the eighth. Rattler records after this game: 1-2, 32-40

2005: The Rattlers lost 11-8 to Quad Cities at home. This was a 6-5 game after two innings, an 8-7 game after five innings, and a 9-8 game after eight innings. Everytime the SWING scored, the Rattler answered, but Wisconsin never had the lead in the game. Rattler records after this game: 0-4, 39-35

2006: The Rattlers lost 3-1 to Peoria at home. Robby Hudson drove in the only Rattler run with a single in the bottom of the eighth. Rattler records after this game: 1-4, 28-47

2007: The Rattlers lost 5-2 at Peoria. There was nothing memorable about this game. Rattler records after this game: 3-3, 25-49

A 1-7 record -- with 7 straight losses -- would normally make for the crummiest of crummy days in Rattler history, but that win in 2000 elevates everything....to just one of the crummier days in Rattler history...since 2000.