Daren Brown, Major League Manager

Daren Brown managed the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2003.  The team earned the first half Western Division Wild Card.  They were tied with the Kane County Cougars heading into the last four games of the first half.  Those four games were at Elfstrom Stadium.  The Cougars had the tie breaker, so to get in as the Division Champ, the Rattlers needed to win three out of four.  They won the first two.  But, the Rattlers dropped the next two and had to settle for the Wild Card.

Maybe '03 would have turned out a little different with one more first half win.  Because, the Rattlers ran into Beloit in the first round of the playoffs.  The second half Western Division Champions had these guys...Weeks...Fielder...Parra...ever hear of them?

Why the trip down memory lane?

This is why:

Taking two of three games from Kansas City wasn't the answer - Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu and three coaches were fired today, with Tacoma Rainiers manager Daren Brown named interim manager.

Along with Wakamatsu, bench coach Ty Van Burkleo, pitching coach Rick Adair and performance coach Steve Hecht were fired.

Roger Hansen, who had been the Mariners minor league catching coordinator, takes over as the bench coach. Carl Willis, who was the Mariners minor league pitching coordinator, takes on the responsibility of big league pitching coach.

Long time attendees of Timber Rattlers games will remember Roger Hansen as a frequent visitor to Fox Cities Stadium/Time Warner Cable Field.

Back to Brown.

Brown, 43, will take over the Mariners after 10 years in the organization, the last four spent managing the Rainiers. A former minor league pitcher who won 90 pro games, this will be Brown's first shot in the majors.

There will definitely be more out there on this tomorrow.

Brown was 69-66 in the regular season...69-68 including the sweep at the hands of the Snappers in the first round of the 2003 playoffs.

Brown is the first manager of an Appleton entry in the Midwest League to become a manager at the major league level since John Boles.  Boles managed the Appleton Foxes in 1983 and went on to manage the Florida Marlins in 1996 and again from 1999-2001.