One of my resolutions for 2009 is to actually follow through on things that I promise on this blog. Nothing like getting off to an early start.
One of the things that annoy me the most are Top 10 lists for a year that are published in early December. I mean there might be three weeks to go in the year. Why publish a top ten list when something still might happen to get on that list.
So, with those facts in mind and it being the last day of the year, here are my Top 10 Midwest League stories from 2009
10. Curtis Granderson rehabs with West Michigan. The Tiger outfielder made three rehab starts for the West Michigan Whitecaps. April 18, April 21, and April 22. He went 4-for-11 with an RBI in those three games. But, that wasn't the biggest impact he had for the Caps.
Date...Attendance
4/18...10,056
4/21...3,780
4/22...2,865
Those numbers may not seem like much, but for a Friday, Monday, and Tuesday in April those numbers give a pretty nice boost.
9. Sandberg returns for second stint as manager in Peoria. Speaking of giving a boost, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg was back for year number two as the skipper of the Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Chiefs set an attendance record of 275,673 for the season. Also, I should really do some research on this -- and maybe one day soon I will -- but the attendance of other teams in the Midwest League took a nice bump when the Chiefs came to town.
8. The long-awaited Elfstrom Stadium expansion begins. For the last several seasons, there has been talk about the home of the Kane County Cougars receiving major renovations. The year 2008 was the year in which those renovations finally began.
7. Wrigley Field hosts Chiefs and Cougars. Over 32,000 fans were on hand to watch Peoria and Kane County play at the 'Friendly Confines'. A severe rainstorm in the ninth inning forced a suspension in play, but it was a great night for the Midwest League and minor league baseball.
6. Fort Wayne. I'm copping out and combining a bunch of stories down to just one. From the construction of the new stadium and the closing of Memorial Stadium to the new name and logo, it was an eventful year in Northeast Indiana.
5. Bees "Win". The Midwest League Champion Burlington Bees got red hot in the playoffs. They swept Kane County and Cedar Rapids in the Western Division. Then, they won the first two games of the Championship Series against South Bend. The series switched from Burlington to South Bend and never got restarted. Game Three was scheduled for Friday, September 12 and was rained out. The rain never stopped and after the game on Saturday, September 13 was called, league President George Spelius declared the series over and the Burlington Bees as the Midwest Leauge Champions.
4. Midwest League expansion. After what seems like years of discussion, there was approval for adding two teams to the Midwest League for the 2010 season. The Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Lake County Captains will play 2009 in the South Atlantic League. In 2010, they will be the members 15 and 16 in the Midwest League.
3. Welcome back, Brewers. The Brewers left the Midwest League for West Virginia after the 2004 season. In late September, the Brewers announced they were coming back to Wisconsin as the parent club of the Timber Rattlers.
2. Iowa Floods. The Mississippi River flooded this year and forced the Quad Cities River Bandits to move an early season series with the Lansing Lugnuts to Cedar Rapids, Clinton, and Iowa City. Later in the season, the Cedar River flooded Cedar Rapids. This flood did not affect any Kernel games, but the city of Cedar Rapids used the parking lot of Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field as a staging area for cleanup and rescue efforts. In that same time period, the home of the River Bandits was surrounded by water and fans used bridges to get into Modern Woodmen Park. But, safety concerns force postponement of games.
1. Dayton brawl. It made national news and not the kind that anyone wants to make. But, the brawl between the Dayton Dragons and Peoria Chiefs at Fifth Third Field in Dayton -- with Chief pitcher Julio Castillo firing a baseball at a Dragon player, but missing and hitting a fan in the stands instead leading to Castillo's arrest -- is the top story in the Midwest League this year.
Argue amongst yourselves in the comments on anything that you think should be on the list.
99 dies insquequo Oris Dies.
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