9/27/2010

Making a change


Rattler Radio has moved. We are now part of the MLBlogs collective.

Blogger has been a good home for several seasons, but there were some problems with the links on the sidebar not showing up on some browsers over the last few months.

Make a note of the new address and update your bookmarks and links. http://rattlerradio.mlblogs.com/

This blog will stay active, but all future updates will be over at the new place.

9/08/2010

Pictures of a home run record

A few days late, but here is a series of photographs detailing the record-breaking home run of Khris Davis.  Click for a larger image.

SWING AND A DRIVE!

Rounding third

And heading into Timber Rattlers history.

Yes. They were excited for him.

Yep. Excited.

Life of Ryan

Bob Brainerd put together this story on Ryan "Scooter" Gennett for the Fox Sports Wisconsin website.
"You definitely have to have fun," said Gennett with an infectious smile. "You can work as hard as you want, but if you're not having fun, I don't believe you're going to get any better or get anything positive out of it. You can work as hard as you want, take as many ground balls, but it's really the quality that you have in that energy and spark in your step."

Energy was never an issue with Scooter, in fact, there was too much of it at times. So much so that Gennett was diagnosed with AD/HD, or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

"I was constantly moving," explains Gennett. "I was the kid that if you said not to press the button, then I would. As I got older, I kind of matured. I'm not as defiant…just a little bit here and there."

Enough to keep Gennett grounded, understanding, and willing to work with children who face the same hurdles of AD/HD.

"It's important to accept that you have it and to know what triggers that," said Gennett. "I wasn't medicated when I was young, I actually got medicated after my first year of high school. When I was on my medication, I was just focused in class. But I was always good on the baseball field because that's what I enjoy doing."
Read it all.

Midwest League Playoff Previews & Predictions

If you want previews of the four Midwest League first round series that are starting tonight, head over here. The records and the season series below are the work of Curt Rallo.


Quick previews:
Great Lakes Loons (Eastern Division second-half champions; 90-49)
vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (Eastern Division Wild Card; 77-63)


Season series tied, 6-6


Why the Loons will win: They are the Loons.

Why the TinCaps will win: Played very well down the stretch and the Loons lost a lot of players over the course of the second half.


Lake County Captains (Eastern Division first-half champions; 77-62)
vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (Eastern Division Wild Card; 62-77)


Lake County won season series, 11-10


Why the Captains will win: They always find a way.

Why the Whitecaps will win: West Michigan was out of the playoff picture until a 12-game winning streak pushed them over the top.


Cedar Rapids Kernels (Western Division first-half champions; 82-56)
vs. Clinton LumberKings (Western Division Wild Card; 74-65)


Clinton won season series, 7-6


Why Cedar Rapids will win: Small Ball. Clinton shortstop Nick Franklin got promoted to AA right before the end of the season.

Why Clinton will win: Tom Wilhelmsen starts game one and Erasmo Ramirez starts game three for the LumberKings.


Quad Cities River Bandits (Western Division second-half champions; 83-55)
vs. Kane County Cougars (Western Division Wild Card; 71-67)


Kane County won the season series, 11-9


Why Quad Cities will win: Because I don't want them to win.

Why Kane County will win: Quad Cities lost Matt Adams to injury just before the end of the season.

9/06/2010

Thank you

Computer issues have prevented me from fully developing this post today.

But, I think that a few simple thank yous will work for now.

Thank you for reading the blog.

Thank you for your e-mails.

Thank you for listening to the games.

Thank you for coming out to the games.

Thank you for supporting Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Baseball.

Thank you.

September 6, 1960

Sponsored by Rasmussen College

50 Years Ago Today

FOX CITIES FOXES..8
GREEN BAY DODGERS 1

Dean Chance got the win. Boog Powell drove in three runs to give him 100 on the season.

The Three-I League Champion Foxes have an 82-55 record and two games remaining in the 1960 season.

Today's Lineups

Here is a link to the boxscore for today's game.

Apologies for the lateness of all this.  The old warhorse of a computer was acting out for the last two hours.

September 6, 2010: Today's Starting Pitcher

RHP NICK BUCCI: Selected by Milwaukee in the 18th round of the 2008 draft out of St. Patrick High School in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.

LAST SEASON: Bucci went 6-3 with a 4.31ERA in 13 games (12 starts) for the Helena Brewers in 2009.

LAST START: Bucci took the loss against Quad Cities at Time Warner Cable Field on September 1. He gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and five walks over six innings. Bucci struck out four in a 6-1 loss.

THAT’S A STREAK: Bucci had a 15-1/3 inning scoreless streak end in the first inning against Burlington on May 23.

DOUBLING UP: Before moving to Helena for the 2009 Pioneer League season, Bucci made three relief appearances for Huntsville, the AA Southern League affiliate of the Brewers. In three games with the Stars, Bucci went 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. However, two of those appearances for Huntsville were scoreless.

O, CANADA! Bucci pitched for Team Canada in the 2009 World Cup of baseball and helped them to the bronze medal in the competition. It was Canada’s first medal in the World Cup.

ALL-STAR ACTION: Bucci faced one batter in the 2010 Midwest League All-Star Game on June 22 in Fort Wayne. He got Bo Greenwell of Lake County to ground out to first base.

LEAGUE AWARD: The Pioneer League recognized Bucci as their pitcher of the week on July 20 for his performance for the week of July 13-19.

ORGANIZATION AWARDS: The Brewers named Bucci their minor league pitcher of the month for July, 2009. Bucci went 5-0 with a 2.13ERA during July last season. Bucci was also named the Brewers minor league pitcher of the month for May, 2010 by the Brewers. Bucci was 3-1 with a 1.13ERA in six games (five starts) for the Rattlers during May.

RATED: Baseball America rated Bucci as the #29 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewer organization in their 2010 Prospect Handbook. He was also ranked as the #17 prospect in the Pioneer League by BA after the 2009 season.

VS. KANE COUNTY: Bucci has made two starts against the Cougars in 2010. He does not have a decision in either the start in the second game of the doubleheader at Time Warner Cable Field on April 9 or in a start on June 20 at Elfstrom Stadium. He has pitched six innings against the Cougars this season and has allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits and eight walks. Bucci has struck out two Cougars in his two starts.

PROFESSIONAL BESTS:
INNINGS PITCHED: 7.1 - (8/22/09 @ Orem)
STRIKEOUTS: 9 (2x - Last: 7/15/09 @ Idaho Falls)

September 6, 2010: Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers lost 9-4 to Kane County. Wisconsin could not hold 1-0 and 4-2 leads. The Cougars scored four times in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 6-4 lead. They added three more in the sixth inning to account for the final score. The Cougars clinched the top second half playoff spot in the Western Division with their win last night.

OVER THE TOP: Khris Davis set a new franchise record for home runs in a season by a Timber Rattler last night. He hit his 22nd homer of the season with a third inning blast off Aaron Larsen. Before that round tripper, he had been tied for the franchise record with Juan Silvestre (1999) and Matt Hagen (2003). The home run, a two-out, two-run shot, put the Timber Rattlers up 3-2 at the time.

DYNAMIC DUO: Davis and Chris Dennis have combined for 39 home runs this season. That is a new standard for most home runs by Timber Rattlers teammates in a single season. Davis and Dennis were tied with 2003 Timber Rattlers Matt Hagen (21) and Jon Nelson (16) for the record before Dennis homered on Saturday night.

QUICK STARTS: The Rattlers had a 1-0 lead two batters into the game last night. Cutter Dykstra walked, went to second on an errant pickoff throw, and scored on a Kentrail Davis RBI single.

BUT…: Starting pitcher Efrain allowed a two-run double in the bottom of the second and the Cougars were in front 2-1. After the Rattlers retook the lead, Nieves did not retire a batter in the bottom of the fourth inning and all four batters that reached scored.

DON’T MEAN NOTHING: The Rattlers have scored first in both games of this series and have dropped both decisions. Wisconisn is 37-32 when scoring first in 2010.

LOW WATERMARK: Wisconsin’s current five-game losing streak has knocked them to a season-low 23 games under .500. Last night’s loss also gave the Rattlers their fifth straight season with 80 or more losses. The Rattlers have also missed out on the Midwest League playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Kane County Cougars are the Midwest League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They missed the playoffs in the first half, but qualified for the postseason with the top spot in the second half Western Division Playoff Standings by a half game over Clinton. The Cougars are 40-29 in the second half and are coming into this series after sweeping a three-game set from Peoria at home. They open the playoffs on Wednesday night at Elfstrom Stadium against the Quad Cities River Bandits.

2010 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers and Cougars have met 14 times this season. Wisconsin is 8-6 against Kane County in 2010. That includes a 4-3 record at Elfstrom Stadium. Wisconsin took two of three from Kane County in Geneva May 25-27. The Rattlers also swept an abbreviated two game series June 19-20. In the most recent series, Wisconsin and Kane County split four games at Time Warner Cable Field August 28-31.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .255 as a team. They have scored 656 runs (4.8/game) and hit 80 home runs. The Cougars are hitting .255 as a team. They have scored 669 runs (4.9/game) and hit 66 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.81 while allowing a total of 735 runs (5.4/game) this season. Kane County pitchers have a team ERA of 3.87 while allowing a total of 611 runs (4.5/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 183 errors. The Cougars defense has committed 164 errors. Wisconsin is 27-40 on the road this season. Kane County is 40-28 at home in 2010.


KANE COUNTY STARTING PITCHER: RHP Kenny Smalley was a 24th round pick of Oakland in the 2008 draft out of Delta State University. Smalley has pitched for Vancouver, Stockton, and Kane County in the Oakland system. He is 0-1 with a 6.14ERA in 12 appearances (two starts) for Kane County this season. His last appearance before today was as a reliever on September 4 against the Rattlers. He gave up a run on three hits and struck out the side in the ninth inning of the Cougars 6-2 victory. Smalley has pitched thee times against Wisconsin this season and has allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Today is his first start since July 22 when he lost at Lansing. Smalley is not expected to go to deep into the game as the Cougars are expected to use most of their bullpen on the final day of the season.

Brewers System Report: Games of September 5, 2010

Sponsored by Jockey.com

MILWAUKEE (MAJ: 63-73; National League Central): The Brewers beat Philadelphia 6-2. Prince Fielder hit his 30th home run of the season and Randy Wolf got his eleventh win of the year.

NASHVILLE (AAA: 77-66; Pacific Coast League American Northern Division): The Sounds beat New Orleans 7-5. Brendan Katin hit a home run and drove in four runs for Nashville.

HUNTSVILLE (AA: 67-72 overall; 34-35 second half; Southern League North Division): The Stars lost 9-1 to Mobile. The Bay Bears broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the fifth inning.

BREVARD COUNTY (Advanced-A: 64-75; 37-33 second half; Florida State League North Division): The Manatees beat Clearwater 1-0 in the final game of the season. Juan Sanchez (’09) homered in the top of the eighth inning for the only run of the game.

HELENA (Rookie: 40-32 overall; 21-13 second half; Pioneer League North Division): The Brewers beat Missoula 12-3. The offense banged out 16 hits as Helena closes in on a playoff berth.

BREWERS SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY:
St. Louis (Jake Westbrook 1-3) at MILWAUKEE (Yovani Gallardo 11-7) 1:10pm CDT
NASHVILLE (Chase Wright 8-8) at New Orleans (Adalberto Mendez 5-4) 1:00pm CDT
Mobile (Kyler Newby 3-3) at HUNTSVILLE (Michael Bowman 9-12) 1:00pm CDT
BREVARD COUNTY: Season over
HELENA at Great Falls 8:00pm CDT
AZL BREWERS: Season over; AZL Champions

9/05/2010

"Our job is to do promotions."

Nice end of the home season story in the Post-Crescent on Saturday.
Rain and snow stifled what would have been a banner year for Wisconsin Timber Rattlers attendance at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

"If the weather and Mother Nature would've treated us a little nicer, I think we would've certainly beaten last year's (record) and been right up there in the 250s, 260 (thousand) maybe," Rattlers assistant general manager Aaron Hahn said.

Last year, Wisconsin set a club record with 253,240 fans despite 10 games being affected by poor weather. This year, 19 games were affected by poor weather, and the team still drew 244,331 fans.

That means this year's average of 3,759 fans per game is the highest in the history of the 15-year-old ballpark.
Click the link and read it all to find the quote and to whom it belongs.

And in case I haven't said it enough...Thank you.

September 5, 2010: Tonight's Lineup

Cutter Dykstra.......3B
Kentrail Davis
.......CF
Khris Davis
..........LF
Hunter Morris
........RF
D'Votrey Richardson..DH
Chris Dennis
.........1B
Joey Paciorek
........SS
Austin Stockfisch
.....C
Connor Lind
..........2B

Efrain Nieves
........SP

September 5, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher

LHP EFRAIN NIEVES: Selected by Milwaukee in the 7th round of the 2007 draft out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy.

LAST SEASON: Nieves spent all of 2009 with the Timber Rattlers. He went 5-7 with a 5.70ERA in 27 appearances. Nieves made 11 starts for Wisconsin in 2009.

LAST START: Nieves picked up a victory at Community Field by beating the Bees on August 27. He allowed two runs on five hits over 5-1/3 innings with a pair of walks and three strikeouts in a 7-3 Wisconsin victory.

WORLD CUP: Nieves pitched for Puerto Rico in the World Cup of Baseball after the 2009 regular season. He made three starts and was 1-1 with a 2.51 ERA. In 14.1 innings pitched, Nieves walked six and struck out 17.

VS. CUBA: Nieves got the call to be the starting pitcher against Cuba on September 18 during the World Cup. He allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts over 4-2/3 innings. Nieves was not involved in the decision, but Puerto Rico would win the game 5-2.

A PRODUCTIVE WINTER: Nieves pitched for Arecibo in the Puerto Rican Winter League after the World Cup. Nieves also went on to pitch for Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Series.

BREWERS CAREER: Nieves was 14-14 with a 5.08 ERA in his first three seasons as a pitcher in the Milwaukee minor league system. He has made 58 appearances (29 starts) since 2007 and has pitched.

INTO THE PAST: Nieves was the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week for his performance July 7-13, 2008 while pitching for Helena.

VS. KANE COUNTY: Nieves is made the start against Kane County on April 10 at Time Warner Cable Field. He took the loss. Nieves allowed five runs (two earned) on two hits over 3-2/3 innings with four walks and a strikeout.

PROFESSIONAL BESTS:
INNINGS PITCHED: 8.0 (8/25/08 at Great Falls)
STRIKEOUTS: 9 (8/25/08 at Great Falls)

............2010 DAY-BY-DAY
DATE..OPP....DEC..IP
...H R ER BB K ERA
4/10..KC*....Loss 3.2..2 5..2..4 1 4.91
4/15..@BUR*..Loss 3.0..8 8..6..3 3 10.80
4/21..CR.....Win..4.0..2 0..0..2 2 6.75
4/28..@PEO*.......5.0..3 0..0..3 5 4.60
5/3...@BEL........4.0..4 2..2..2 0 4.58
5/8...CR..........3.1..5 2..2..0 2 4.70
5/14+ BEL....Loss 1.0..2 1..1..1 1 4.88
5/20..PEO.........3.0..3 0..0..0 4 4.33
5/29..@CR.........3.0..6 4..3..1 3 4.80
6/3...@FW.........0.1..0 0..0..1 0 4.75
6/5...@LC.........4.0..6 3..3..4 2 4.98
6/12..DAY.........1.1..3 3..3..1 1 5.55
6/27..BUR.........2.0..1 1..1..1 0 5.50
6/30..QC.....Save 2.0..0 0..0..3 2 5.22
7/4...@CR....Win..4.2..1 0..0..1 3 4.67
7/10..BUR....Win..4.2..2 0..0..2 5 4.22
8/4...PEO.........1.0..1 0..0..0 2 4.14
8/7...@CLN........3.0..3 2..2..3 3 4.25
8/11..@QC.........2.1..3 1..1..2 4 4.23
8/15..CR*.........4.2..6 4..4..2 4 4.50
8/22..@CR*...Loss 1.1 10 8..7..1 1 5.43
8/27..@BUR...Win..5.1..5 2..2..2 3 5.27

*-Start
+-Game two of a doubleheader

September 5, 2010: Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers lost 6-2 to the Cougars. Wisconsin scored a run in the first inning, but Kane County scored four runs in the third and added two more in the fourth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Dan Straily struck out seven Rattlers over six innings and picked up the win.

OUT OF THE BLOCKS: Four batters into the game, Wisconsin had a 1-0 lead. Kentrail Davis doubled off the wall in left with one out. Khris Davis walked. Then, Hunter Morris singled home Kentrail Davis for the lead. Straily allowed two more hits over the five 4-2/3 innings.

MISADVENTRURES IN BASE RUNNING: In the top of the third inning, the Rattlers lost two runners on the bases. Erik Miller was thrown out at third after trying to get there from first on a single to center by Michael Marseco. Then, Marseco was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

THAT’LL COST YOU: In the bottom of the third, Kane County loaded the bases on a double, a single, and a walk by the first three batters in the inning. Tyreace House doubled to left to drive in two runs and an error on Khris Davis allowed a third run to score. House took home later in the inning when he scored from third on a throw to first after a dropped third strike.

HOW MANY? The error on Davis was the 29th committed by a Timber Rattlers outfielder in 2010.

SUICIDE SOLUTION: The Cougars scored their first run of the fourth inning on an infield grounder. They got their final run when House dropped a suicide squeeze bunt to score a run from third.

GOING DEEP AND MAKING A MARK: Chris Dennis hit a leadoff home run in the top of the ninth inning. It was his 17th of the season and it also gave him 84 RBI on the season. Dennis is tied with Mike Wilson (’05) for the fifth most RBI in a single season by a Timber Rattler. The team record is held by Juan Silvestre (’99) with 107. The other three players in front of Dennis and Wilson are Bo Robinson (’99) with 102; David Ortiz (’96) with 93, and Jon Nelson (’03) with 91.

ON THE CUSP: Khris Davis has 21 home runs this season. He is tied for the Timber Rattlers franchise record with Juan Silvestre (1999) and Matt Hagen (2003). Davis has two homers in 13 games against the Cougars this season. He has hit homers off Chris Mederos and Aaron Larsen. Both home runs Davis has against Kane County this season were at Time Warner Cable Field.

DYNAMIC DUO: Dennis and Khris Davis have combined for 38 home runs this season. Last night’s home run by Dennis broke the record for most home runs by Timber Rattlers teammates in a single season. Davis and Dennis were tied with 2003 Timber Rattlers Matt Hagen (21) and Jon Nelson (16) for the record before last night.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Kane County Cougars are the Midwest League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They missed the playoffs in the first half, but currently hold the top spot in the second half Western Division Playoff Standings by a half game over Clinton. The Cougars are 38-29 in the second half and are coming into this series after sweeping a three-game set from Peoria at home.

2010 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers and Cougars have met 13 times this season. Wisconsin is 8-5 against Kane County in 2010. That includes a 4-2 record at Elfstrom Stadium. Wisconsin took two of three from Kane County in Geneva May 25-27. The Rattlers also swept an abbreviated two game series June 19-20. In the most recent series, Wisconsin and Kane County split four games at Time Warner Cable Field August 28-31.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .255 as a team. They have scored 652 runs (4.8/game) and hit 79 home runs. The Cougars are hitting .255 as a team. They have scored 660 runs (4.9/game) and hit 65 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.79 while allowing a total of 726 runs (5.3/game) this season. Kane County pitchers have a team ERA of 3.87 while allowing a total of 607 runs (4.5/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 181 errors. The Cougars defense has committed 162 errors. Wisconsin is 27-39 on the road this season. Kane County is 39-28 at home in 2010.

KANE COUNTY STARTING PITCHER: RHP Aaron Larsen was selected out of Bethany College by the Oakland Athletics in the 34th round of the 2010 draft. Larsen was 1-4 with a 3.25ERA in 13 games and was a Second Team All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference selection as both a pitcher and a shortstop. Larsen went 5-2 with a 2.89ERA in 14 games (four starts) for the Arizona League affiliate of the A’s after signing with them. In his start prior to tonight, Larsen made his Midwest League debut against the Timber Rattlers at Time Warner Cable Field on August 31. Larsen allowed six runs (two earned) on five hits over 1-2/3 innings. After pitching a scoreless first inning, Larsen got knocked around for a pair of two run homers. Chris Dennis hit the first and Kentrail Davis hit the second. Larsen walked one and struck out one in the game against the Rattlers and took the loss as Wisconsin went on to a 16-4 win. Larsen made his first professional start against the Brewers Arizona League affiliate on August 5 and allowed five runs (one earned) on four hits over 2-1/3 innings. These are his only appearances against affiliates of the Milwaukee Brewers.

September 5, 1960 & September 5, 1985

Sponsored by Rasmussen College

50 Years Ago Today:

GREEN BAY DODGERS 9
FOX CITIES FOXES 14

The Foxes committed five errors in the game and the Dodgers scored seven runs in the fourth inning. BUT, the Three-I League Champions rallied for the win. Charlie Johnson had a big three-run home run for the Foxes. Also for Fox Cities, Ed Saverine went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI.

The Foxes are 81-55 on the season. There are three games left in the season.

25 Years Ago Today:

Twins, fog end reign of Foxes
The 3-year reign of the Appleton Foxes as Midwest League champions officially ended as the clock struck midnight Thursday, and just about everyone was long gone from Goodland Field.

With the Twins leading 4-3, the game had been suspended after the seventh inning that would have done Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles proud.

After holding up the game for more than 2-1/2 hours, the umpires ruled that conditions hadn't improved enough. So they called the game, bringing a strange and disappointing conclusion to the FOxes' otherwise stellar season.

"Fog is a weather condition just like rain," said Jim Cutler, vice president of the Midwest League. "We waited a reasonable length of time and treated it just like a rainout. I talked with Bill Walters (the ML president) on the phone to make sure that there was no special rule for playoff games. I was told that there was no special rule for this situation."

Earlier in the day the park was drenched by 2 inches of rain. The efforts of groundskeepers Rick Raasch and Ray Remmel along with Foxes manager Sal Rende, pitching coach Mitch Lukevics, trainer Ken Koch and players Greg Tarnow and Ken Reed got the field into reasonable playing condition. Despite the work, wet spots caused treacherous footing in the outfield.

"Of course we're disappointed to lose," said Rende. "But lose we did. But, there are no losers in this (locker) room. We knew that we would be competitive coming into the season. We did better than we thought we would after spring training. This team came out and did the job every day. They're also good people, and that says a lot about them and their character."

...........................R H E
KENOSHA TWINS..020 002 0 - 4 8 1
APPLETON FOXES 101 010 0 - 3 7 1

ATTENDANCE: 472

COMMENTARY: What struck me most vividly was the manner in which the Foxes reacted to defeat. There were no alibis, no excuses. Rende and his players congratulated victorious Kenosha and wished the Twins well in the league championship series with Peoria.

Those of us who followed the Foxes this season were priviledged to watch champions in every sense of the word.

The above excerpts are from Gary L. Shriver's story in the September 6, 1985 Appleton Post-Crescent.

Midwest League Action: Games of September 4, 2010


@Kane County 6, Wisconsin 4: Clinch.

@Burlington 6, Clinton 1: Top.

Cedar Rapids 5, @Beloit 4: Slim.

Peoria 8 @Quad Cities 2: Ends.

Lansing @Lake County: PPD

West Michigan 8 @Fort Wayne 3: One game from playoffs.

@Great Lakes 7, Bowling Green 5: Fifth.

@Dayton 7, South Bend 5: keys.

Brewers System Report: Games of September 4, 2010

Sponsored by Jockey.com

MILWAUKEE (MAJ: 62-73; National League Central): The Brewers lost 5-4 at Philadelphia. Milwaukee hit four solo homers, but the Phillies scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 4-3 Brewers lead.

NASHVILLE (AAA: 76-66; Pacific Coast League American Northern Division): The Sounds lost 2-1 at New Orleans. The Zephyrs broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

HUNTSVILLE (AA: 67-71 overall; 34-34 second half; Southern League North Division): The Stars split a doubleheader with Mobile. Huntsville won game one 10-7 when they scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth. Caleb Gindl hit a three-run homer in the decisive inning. Mobile won game two 5-2. The Stars had four hits in the loss.

BREVARD COUNTY (Advanced-A: 63-75; 36-33 second half; Florida State League North Division): The Manatees lost 9-8 in 12 innings at Clearwater. Brevard County tied the game with a run in the top of the ninth and took an 8-7 lead with a run in the top of the twelfth. But, the Threshers scored twice in the bottom of the twelfth to beat the Manatees.

HELENA (Rookie: 39-32 overall; 20-13 second half; Pioneer League North Division): The Brewers lost 5-2 at Missoula. The Osprey scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Matthew Miller struck out eight over four innings, but allowed the four runs and took the loss.

BREWERS SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY:
MILWAUKEE (Randy Wolf 10-10) at Philadelphia (Kyle Kendrick 9-7) 12:35pm CDT
NASHVILLE (Tim Dillard 4-7) at New Orleans (Wes Whisler 3-6) 6:00pm CDT
Mobile (Wade Miley 4-2) at HUNTSVILLE (Michael Fiers 1-0) 1:00pm CDT
BREVARD COUNTY at Clearwater 12:00pm CDT
HELENA (Austin Ross 1-1) at Missoula (Austin Pizziconi 0-0) 6:00pm CDT
AZL BREWERS: Season over; AZL Champions

Rattler Alumni Report: Game of September 4, 2010

Indians 4 @Mariners 2

CLE:
Asdrubal Cabrera ('05): 1-for-4, RBI
Shin-Soo Choo ('02): 2-for-3, RUN, RBI

SEA:
Michael Saunders ('06): 1-for-4
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): 0-for-4, RUN

White Sox 3 @Red Sox 1

BOS:
David Ortiz ('96): 0-for-4
Scott Atchison ('99): 1.1IP, 5H, R

White Sox 2 @Red Sox 1

BOS:
Ortiz: 1-for-4

Braves 2 @Marlins 0

FLA:
Jorge Sosa ('01): .1IP, 0H, 0R, K

@Phillies 5, Brewers 4

PHI:
Raul Ibanez (Foxes, '94): 1-for-4
Greg Dobbs ('02): pinch hitter, 0-for-0

9/04/2010

Hats off to the Production crew

Here is a Fan Appreciation video for the season. Try not to smile as you watch it. If I were actually programmed to smile, I would have.

Kind of an answer

A question I typically get is why games for doubleheader are only seven innings.

Well, Ask MiLB.com got that question along with a bunch of others that might be worth checking out if you are curious.
Why are doubleheaders played for seven innings? --Christine T.

According to Rule 4.10 (a) in the Official Rules Book, Minor Leagues have the option to adopt a policy where all doubleheaders consist of two, seven-inning games. It's most likely done to get the games completed in a timely manner, considering it's a good value for fans and also accommodates the bus travel plans of many teams.
So....Just because there are! Okay!

September 4, 2010: Tonight's Lineup (UPDATED)

UPDATE: A few changes made at 5pm

Cutter Dykstra........3B
Kentrail Davis........RF
Khris Davis...........LF
Hunter Morris.........1B
Chris Dennis..........DH
Cameron Garfield.......C
Joey Paciorek.........2B
Erik Miller...........CF
Michael Marseco.......SS

Hiram Burgos..........SP

September 4, 2010: Tonight's Starting Pitcher

RHP HIRAM BURGOS: Selected by Milwaukee in the 6th round of the 2009 draft out of Bethune-Cookman University.

LAST SEASON: Burgos started his professional career with Helena, the Pioneer League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Burgos was 3-2 with a 5.62 ERA in 14 games (seven starts) with Helena.

LAST START: Burgos took the loss to the Kane County Cougars at Time Warner Cable Field on August 30. He allowed four runs on five hits with six walks and six strikeouts over 5-1/3 innings in a 4-3 loss to Dan Straily.

STARTER KIT: Burgos is 7-1 as a starter this season. He is 4-1 in seven starts with the Rattlers. He went 3-0 in six starts for the Helena Brewers.

AT B-CU: Burgos won 21 games and struck out 250 batters in a four year career with Bethune-Cookman. In his final season with the Wildcats, Burgos was 6-3 with a 3.74ERA and 94 strikeouts over 79-1/3 innings pitched. He was part of four straight MEAC championship teams and was a Second Team All-MEAC selection in 2007.

WINTER BALL: Burgos went on to pitch for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican Winter League this past offseason. He made 10 appearances (nine starts) and was 3-2 with a 2.27ERA. Burgos was named the PRWL Rookie of the Year for his performance.

START OF 2010: Burgos worked (mainly as the closer) out of the Timber Rattlers bullpen at the start of the season. He went 1-5 with a 5.40ERA and was 0-for-3 in save opportunities. Burgos was sent down to Helena after the appearance against Beloit on May 15. He was recalled from Helena after the start against Orem on July 18.

VS. KANE COUNTY: Burgos has faced the Cougars twice this season. He pitched four innings in relief against the Cougars on April 9 in the second game of the doubleheader at Time Warner Cable Field. He allowed a run on two hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Burgos was charged with the loss in a start on August 30 against Kane County at Time Warner Cable Field.

PROFESSIONAL BESTS:
INNINGS PITCHED: 8.0 (7/18/10 v. Orem)
STRIKEOUTS: 10 (7/12/10 @Billings)

..........2010 DAY-BY-DAY

........Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
DATE OPP..DEC..IP..H R ER BB SO ERA
4/9+ KC...Win..4.0 2 1 1..1..6..2.25
4/15 @BUR......1.0 0 0 0..0..0..1.80
4/19 @QC.......1.0 0 0 0..0..0..1.50
4/20 CR...Loss 2.0 4 3 2..1..1..3.38
4/24 BEL..Loss 2.0 4 2 2..1..1..4.50
4/29 @PEO......2.0 4 2 2..0..1..5.25
5/3..@BEL Loss 1.1 3 2 1..0..2..5.40
5/6..QC...Loss 0.2 2 2 2..1..1..6.43
5/9..CR........2.0 2 1 1..0 .1..6.19
5/15 BEL..Loss 4.0 2 1 1..2..2..5.40
7/26 @SB*+ Win 6.0 4 2 1
..1..5..4.50
7/31 CLN
.......3.0 3 0 0..2..5..4.03
8/4..PEO* Win..7.0 6 1 1..1..8..3.50
8/9
..@CLN* Win 7.0 8 4 4..0..4..3.77
8/14 CR*
.......6.0 5 3 3..3..5..3.86
8/19 BEL*
......8.0 5 2 2..0..9..3.63
8/25 @BUR* Win 6.0 8 4 4
..0..1..3.86
8/30 KC*
..Loss 5.1 5 4 4..6..6..4.08

*-Start
+Game two of a doubleheader

September 4, 2010: Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Quad Cities River Bandits defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-0 in the home finale for the Timber Rattlers. Michael Blazek allowed three hits over eight scoreless innings for the win. Michael Swinson drove in three runs, including a two run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

UNFRIENDLY CONFINES: The Rattlers went 30-39 at home in 2010.

DAMON’S DAY: Timber Rattlers starting pitcher Damon Krestalude pitched six solid innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out seven to match his previous professional high for a single game. But, Krestalude took the loss, his tenth of the season.

ARNETT UPDATE: Eric Arnett pitched the final three innings in relief last night for Wisconsin. He gave up two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Swinson homered with two outs in the top of the ninth inning off Arnett. It was the 14th home run given up by Arnett this season. It was also a homer with a runner in scoring position and two outs. Opponents were 18-for-56 (.321) with four homers off Arnett with runners in scoring position and two out this season.

THREE: The Wisconsin hits belonged to Cutter Dykstra (1st inning single); Michael Marseco (3rd inning triple); and Chris Dennis (4th inning single). Dykstra and Dennis extended their current hitting streaks to four games and Marseco sent his hitting streak to six games.

ON THE CUSP: Khris Davis has 21 home runs this season. He is tied for the Timber Rattlers franchise record with Juan Silvestre (1999) and Matt Hagen (2003). Davis has two homers in 12 games against the Cougars this season. He has hit homers off Chris Mederos and Aaron Larsen. Both home runs Davis has against Kane County this season were at Time Warner Cable Field.

NOTES ABOUT ATTENDANCE: In the 2010 home finale, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers drew 4,476 fans to Time Warner Cable Field. The total attendance for 2010 was 244,331, the second largest in team history. The average attendance for 2010 was 3,759, which is the largest in team history. In 2009, Wisconsin drew 253,240 fans while averaging 3,724 fans per game. The difference was in rainouts. There were just two rainouts in 2009. There were five home rainouts in 2010.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Kane County Cougars are the Midwest League affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. They missed the playoffs in the first half, but currently hold the top spot in the second half Western Division Playoff Standings by a half game over Clinton. The Cougars are 37-29 in the second half and are coming into this series after sweeping a three-game set from Peoria at home.

2010 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers and Cougars have met 12 times this season. Wisconsin is 8-4 against Kane County in 2010. That includes a 4-1 record at Elfstrom Stadium. Wisconsin took two of three from Kane County in Geneva May 25-27. The Rattlers also swept an abbreviated two game series June 19-20. In the most recent series, Wisconsin and Kane County split four games at Time Warner Cable Field August 28-31.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .255 as a team. They have scored 650 runs (4.8/game) and hit 77 home runs. The Cougars are hitting .254 as a team. They have scored 654 runs (4.8/game) and hit 65 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.78 while allowing a total of 721 runs (5.3/game) this season. Kane County pitchers have a team ERA of 3.89 while allowing a total of 605 runs (4.5/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 180 errors. The Cougars defense has committed 162 errors. Wisconsin is 27-39 on the road this season. Kane County is 31-38 at home in 2010.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook five members of the current Kane County roster on their top 30 list of Athletics prospects. Catcher Max Stassi (#4) is the highest rated Cougar. Pitchers Connor Hoehn (#22), Jonathan Joseph (#23) and Justin Marks (#27) are joined by outfielder Tyreace House (#28) on the list.

KANE COUNTY STARTING PITCHER: RHP Dan Straily was Oakland’s 24th round pick in the 2009 draft. He was selected out of Marshall. In his final season with the Thundering Herd, Straily went 4-3 with a 4.27ERA in 13 games. He spent his first pro season with Vancouver, Oakland’s Northwest League affiliate. He was 5-3 with a 4.19ERA in 16 games (11 starts) with the Canadians. Straily struck out 66 and walked 18 in 59 innings with Vancouver. In his start prior to this afternoon, Straily beat the Rattlers on August 30 at Time Warner Cable Field. He tossed seven innings and allowed a run on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Straily made five starts in August with a 5.51 ERA, but had not been involved in a decision until the win over the Rattlers. He has started three other times against the Timber Rattlers in 2010. Straily beat the Rattlers at Time Warner Cable Field on April 10, picked up a no decision at Elfstrom Stadium on May 27, and lost to Wisconsin at Kane County on June 19. In his four starts against the Rattlers, Straily has allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 17 hits and eight walks over 24 innings. Straily has struck out 26 Timber Rattlers this season, including 10 in seven innings on May 27. He is currently second in the Midwest League in strikeouts with 142, one behind the 143 for Josh Wall of Great Lakes.

September 4, 1960 & September 4, 1985

Sponsored by Rasmussen College

50 Years Ago Today:

GREEN BAY DODGERS 12
FOX CITIES FOXES..11

The Three-I League Champions committed six errors in their fifth straight loss.

The Dodgers scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 13-8 lead.

Pete Ward had four hits and five RBI to pace the Fox Cities offense. The Foxes are 80-55 on the season.

25 Years Ago Today:

Foxes square series on Menendez' 2-hitter

.............................R H E
KENOSHA TWINS..000 000 010 - 1 2 3
APPLETON FOXES 200 000 31x - 6 9 1

ATTENDANCE: 457

Tony Menendez allowed an unearned run and struck out five to tied the best-of-three series with the Twins at one win a piece.

The first hit he allowed was on a two-out, pinch-hit RBI double by Tom Scaletta in the top of the eighth inning. Mike Ryan scored on the play. He had reached on an error to start the inning.

Had he tossed the no-no, it would have been the first no-hitter at Goodland Field since Larry Monroe no-hit Cedar Rapids in a 7-inning game on August 22, 1975.

The offense in this game for the Foxes was supplied early. Jim Winters doubled in two runs in the first and that was enough for Menendez.

It should be noted that in the other MWL Semifinal, the Beloit Brewers beat Peoria 9-2 to even that series at a win each. Frank Mattox went 4-for-5 with a double, homer, and four RBI to lead Beloit to the win.

Game Three - in each series - is September 5, 1985.

Brewers System Report: Games of September 3, 2010

Sponsored by Jockey.com

MILWAUKEE (MAJ: 62-72; National League Central): The Brewers lost 1-0 at Philadelphia. Milwaukee managed three hits on offense.

NASHVILLE (AAA: 76-65; Pacific Coast League American Northern Division): The Sounds won 4-3 at New Orleans. Nashville scored a run in the top of the ninth to break a 3-3 tie.

HUNTSVILLE (AA: 66-70 overall; 33-33 second half; Southern League North Division): The Stars beat Mobile 3-1. Wily Peralta (’09) pitched five shutout innings and drove in two runs at the plate for the win.

BREVARD COUNTY (Advanced-A: 63-74; 36-32 second half; Florida State League North Division): The Manatees beat Clearwater 12-2. Brock Kjeldgaard (’09) homered and drove in four runs for Brevard County.

HELENA (Rookie: 39-31 overall; 20-12 second half; Pioneer League North Division): The Brewers beat Great Falls 5-4. Helena got a home run in the bottom of the ninth for the win!

BREWERS SYSTEM SCHEDULE TODAY:
MILWAUKEE (Dave Bush 7-11) at Philadelphia (Roy Halladay 16-10) 6:05pm CDT
NASHVILLE (Josh Butler 5-1) at New Orleans (Tom Mastny 4-5) 6:00pm CDT
Mobile at HUNTSVILLE DOUBLEHEADER (Game one starts at 4:00pm CDT)
BREVARD COUNTY at Clearwater 5:30pm CDT
HELENA (Matt Miller 7-1) at Missoula (Patrick Schuster 4-4) 8:05pm CDT
AZL BREWERS: Season over; AZL Champions

9/03/2010

News of the Midwest League

A few stories that caught my eye over the last few days.

Consider this one from Fort Wayne a minor surprise:

TinCaps extend pact with Padres
The baseball club announced Thursday it signed a two-year extension to be the Low-A affiliate of the Padres’ organization.

TinCaps President Mike Nutter said he was excited to continue the relationship as the club nears the end of its 12th season with the Padres. During that time, the team is 830-828, according to the Padres.

“They have been a big part of this franchise’s success over the last several years, and we’ve really enjoyed working with the player development staff,” Nutter said.
What kind of decision was it?
Randy Smith, Padres director of player development, said re-signing with the TinCaps was a “no-brainer.”

“The entire environment, including Mike Nutter’s staff, Parkview Field and the city of Fort Wayne, is conducive to player development,” he said.

Minor league teams are allowed to sign two- or four-year contracts with major league affiliates, Nutter said. While the Padres initially wanted to sign a longer deal, Nutter said the team felt the two-year extension provided the most flexibility.
Why was this a minor surprise?
Recent speculation centered on the possibility the team might look to sign with a more regional affiliate, but when the Chicago White Sox opted to stay in North Carolina after signing a four-year deal with Kannapolis on July 2, there were not many regional options left for the TinCaps.
Turning the affiliate page to Kane County.
Among the select merchandise recently on super sale at the Cougars’ Elfstrom Stadium team store is a green and gold Oakland A’s visor for $2.

Fans of Kane County’s parent club might be wise to snatch the almost-hats up. They could be a collector’s item by Opening Day 2011.

The Cougars still are pondering an affiliate change for the first time since leaving the Florida Marlins for the A’s before the 2003 season. General manager Jeff Sedivy and other club officials continue to mull their options and expect to make a final decision in the next few weeks.

“We’re not ruling anything out as far as going back with Oakland,” Sedivy said, “but we’re still exploring what’s out there.”

A tampering clause prevents Sedivy from naming names, though fans should know the Cougars are guaranteed Major League affiliation as they conclude their 20th season in Geneva.

Suspend any hopes of seeing the newest Cubs and White Sox in training, however. The Cubs are in bliss with Peoria – the Cougars’ in-state rival in the Midwest League – while the Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators announced in July a four-year extension as the White Sox Low-A affiliate.

Cedar Rapids is in its 18th season as a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim farm club, representing the longest partnership in the Midwest League.

Speaking of the Kernels...Here is a look at their playoff chances.
[W]ith the Midwest League playoffs next week, how are the Cedar Rapids Kernels playing and what are their postseason chances?

Let’s give the wishy washy answer in both cases of “so-so.”

The Kernels beat the Burlington Bees last night, 4-1, to go 2-0 in September. On the other hand, both wins came again a Burlington club that has the second-worst record in full-season minor league baseball.

And the Kernels’ August record was a less-than-awe-inspiring 13-18.

“It is what it is,” said Kernels Manager Bill Mosiello. “We’ve been where we’ve been, and now we’ve got to play better.”

Against whom is yet another good question. Cedar Rapids has home-field advantage in the first round because of its first-half championship, but doesn’t know what Western Division club it will face in a best-of-3 series that begins on the road Wednesday night.

It could be Clinton, Kane County or Beloit. Quad Cities also is in the playoffs via its second-place division finish in the first half, and has all but wrapped the best overall record, which is significant because that’s worth home-field advantage in the second round.

But there’s a LONG way to go before that.
Finally, from Dayton, there is this note:
When new third baseman David Vidal took the field Thursday, Sept. 2, the Dayton Dragons set a single-season franchise record for players used. Fifty-five have appeared, five more than last season.

They have made 81 roster changes and just five players — catcher Mark Fleury, third baseman Frank Pfister, outfielder Alex Oliveras and pitchers Jacob Johnson and Junior Martinez — have been on the roster all season.

Some, such as relief pitcher Donnie Joseph and first baseman Chris Richburg, outgrew this level and were gone quickly. Others, such as shortstop Didi Gregorius and second baseman Henry Rodriguez, hung around until the final week before receiving their promotions to Lynchburg.

“You look at Lynchburg and who’s playing up there and you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s a pretty talented team.’ And most of them were here in Dayton — this year,” Dragons manager Todd Benzinger said.

The Dragons were 30-39 in the first half, then fell apart in the second half partially due to the many call-ups.
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