April 20th Game in a Word

OFFENSE!!!

Fourteen runs, clutch hits, situational hitting, the Rattlers scored everywhich way but loose and didn't even have to fight a biker gang or hang with an orangutan.

Let's see:

Putting the ball in play with a runner at third and less than two outs: Hernandez & Sabatella in the second and Craig in the third.

Sacrifice fly: Saunders in the third,

Clutch two-out hits: Valbuena, Tucker, and Hernandez in the fourth.

Home Run: Gary in the sixth.

Looks good to me.

Plus, Marwin Vega settled down after giving up two runs on two hits in the first inning. That allows me to bust this out for the first time this year:

I've been saving that for awhile. To give credit (and maybe to send you on a trip) I got that from this site. I'm not sure what it is, but any site that stores magazine ads for a '79 Nova, a '72 Montego, a '70 El Camino, and various other cars from that era can't be bad.

Okay, back to baseball. Two game winning streak. The Rattlers will try to keep it rolling against South Bend. This isn't really a rematch from the Midwest League Championship series in September of 2005.

The Silver Hawks lost today and they have a five game losing streak heading into Friday's game.

The pitching matchups for the series will be posted before the bus leaves in the morning.

One more thing before the game starts

Earlier today, Time Warner Television was at the stadium this afternoon. We taped the first edition of Timber Rattler TV for 2006.

The guests for the show are Manager Jim Horner, pitcher Jason Snyder, and outfielder Casey Craig.

It's for Cable Access and your host is:

Just kidding. I got to host this fine program. It should air in early May on the Time Warner Cable System in the Fox Cities.

Okay, this is weird

Here is an excerpt from an on-line article about how a team won a game yesterday with a bottom of the ninth inning rally yesterday. To lead into it, there are two runners on base, two outs, and the team is down by one run:

X, 0-4 on the night and 3-35 to start the season was next, and he
chopped a 2-1 pitch off the plate and into the infield grass near the first base line. Y came off the mound to get it, but never seemed to get his feet set as he fired the ball past [the first baseman] down the right field line. Z scored easily to tie the game and A raced around all the way around from first with the game-winning run.

That is not a recap of the Rattler win yesterday. It is from the Burlington Bees on-line and it is about their win over the Fort Wayne Wizards. Complete story here.

Two different teams in the Midwest League win in almost the exact same odd way on the same day. Man, I love baseball.

By the way, Z up there in the story is former Timber Rattler outfielder Carlos Arroyo (WI '03).

Rattler Alum of the Day

Bobby Livingston.

Bobby is the Rattler franchise record holder for wins in a season. He had 15 in 2003.

He did not get the win yesterday, but judging from the box score he pitched a good game and kept Tacoma in the game to eventually get the win.

Special notice today for Adam Jones, who homered again yesterday and played a role in the game winning rally. Also, kudos to Cesar Jimenez, who got the loss, but kept the Missions in their game with Frisco.

Game Notes for 4/20

ABOUT YESTERDAY: The Rattlers rallied from a 3-0 deficit with a pair of runs in the eighth and a pair of runs in the ninth for a 4-3 win over the Devil Rays. The victory broke Wisconsin’s five-game losing streak. The winning runs in the bottom of the ninth scored on a two-out throwing error.

WINNING RALLY: The Rattlers trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Eddy Hernandez was hit by a pitch with one out by Aaron Walker. Then, pinch hitter JB Tucker drew a walk against Greg Dupas. Dupas got Wu to send a grounder to second for a potential game ending double play. But, Tucker broke up the double play at second. Alex Gary pinch ran for Wu. Bryan Sabatella sent a grounder behind third and Matt Devins threw wildly to first. Both Hernandez and Gary scored and the Rattlers won.

DÉJÀ VU: Dupas also blew a save in Southwest Michigan’s 4-3 ten-inning win on Monday night.

FIRST-TIMERS: The Rattlers recorded a few firsts yesterday. It was their first win when the opponents scored first; their first “walk-off” win; and their first win in a game decided by one run.

SPOILING: Southwest Michigan starter Wade Davis gave up one hit in six innings and struck out seven. The only hit that he allowed was a two-out single by Chao Kuan Wu in the bottom of the fifth inning.

HE WALKS THE LINE: Luis Valbuena walked three times against Davis yesterday. Valbuena was the only Rattler – other than Wu – to reach base.

RISP WOES: Wisconsin went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position yesterday. In the series with the Devil Rays, the Rattlers are 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Both hits belong to Valbuena. For the season, Wisconsin is 19-for-107 (.178) with runners in scoring position.

GOING FOR TWO: If the Rattlers can win tonight, it will be their first winning streak of the season.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Greg Reinhard is a native of Marinette, Wisconsin and pitched for the NCAA Division III Champion Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks before being drafted by Tampa Bay. He was named the NCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year for 2005 after going 11-0 with a 1.43 ERA heading into the D-III World Series with the Warhawks. He won his only start of the tournament to go a perfect 12-0 in his final season at UW-Whitewater. In his last start for Southwest Michigan, Reinhard got a no decision at West Michigan on April 14. He pitched 5-2/3 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

Mariner System (For games of 4/19)

Seattle (MAJ: 7-9; 3rd AL West): The Mariners rallied from a 6-1 deficit to beat the Rangers 9-6. Seattle scored two in the eighth and five in the ninth for the win. Carl Everett hit a game-winning three run homer to cap the comeback. JJ Putz (WI ’00) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth and got the win.

Tacoma (AAA – 8-4; 1st PCL Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers shook off a blown save and defeated Sacramento 3-2. Bobby Livingston (WI ’03) pitched six innings and allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts. But, Rich Dorman (WI ’03) gave up the tying run in the bottom of the eighth. Hunter Brown (WI ’02) drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning. Adam Jones homered again for the Rainiers, his fourth in three games.

San Antonio (AA – 5-8; 4th Texas League South Division): The Missions lost their sixth straight game, a 3-1 decision at Frisco. Cesar Jimenez (WI ’03) pitched 6-1/3 innings and struck out seven, but gave up two runs and took the loss. Oswaldo Navarro (WI ’05) drove in the lone run for San Antonio.

Inland Empire (High-A – 7-6; T-3rd California League South Division): The 66ers lost 2-1 at Stockton. Shawn Nottingham (WI ’05) went five innings and allowed two runs on seven hits to take the loss. Josh Womack (WI ’05) drove in the only run for Inland Empire.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE
Texas (Vincente Padilla 2-1) at Seattle (Joel Pineiro 2-1) 9:05pm CDT
Tacoma (Cha Seung Baek 1-0) at Sacramento (Dan Meyer 1-1) 9:05pm CDT
San Antonio (Brandon Moorhead 1-1) at Frisco (Armando Galarraga 0-2) 7:00pm CDT
Inland Empire (Mark Lowe 1-0) at Stockton (TBA) 9:05pm CDT

April 19th Game in a Word

Scrappy.



And Southwest Michigan would have gotten away with it, too. If it weren't for those meddling Timber Rattlers.

It was 3-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. The Rattlers had one hit and no runner had reached second base.

Then, a couple of hits and a botched double play got one run on the board. Luis Valbuena came through in the clutch with a two-out, RBI single.

It was 3-2 in favor of the Rays going into the bottom of the ninth. Eddy Hernandez got hit by a pitch, JB Tucker drew a walk as a pinch hitter. Chao Kuan Wu hit a grounder to second for what looked like a game ending double play. But, the Devil Rays misfired and could only get the out at second. Alex Gary pinch ran for Wu and set the stage for....

Bryan Sabatella, who sent a grounder behind third. Matt Devins fielded it cleanly, but threw wildly to first. Hernandez scored, Gary raced home with the winning run, and the Rattlers five game losing streak ended.

The Streak is Dead! Long Live the Streak!!

Game Notes for 4/19

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Matt Spring broke up a scoreless tie with a two-out solo home run in the top of the fifth inning. Matt Devins added three RBI and Jake McGee pitched six scoreless innings and struck out eight in 4-1 win for the Devil Rays. Justin Thomas gave up one run in five innings and got the loss. The Rattlers have lost five straight games.

AFTER TWO THEY GO: The first three runs by the Devil Rays scored after there were two outs and nobody on base. Spring’s second homer of the season was a line drive to left with two out in the fifth inning off Thomas. The Devil Rays had two out and none on against Jeff Gilmore in the top of the seventh inning when Garrett Groce singled and Spring walked. A double steal put runners at second and third. Devins singled to left to drive both runners home for a 3-0 lead.

RUNNIN’ WILD: The Devil Rays stole six bases in eight attempts last night. Groce swiped three bags.

THAT’S GROCE: Southwest Michigan’s outfielder had three hits last night. He is 6-for-8 in the series.

LOADING THEM UP: The Rattlers loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning against McGee. He got out of the inning with a strikeout and a double play. This season, the Rattlers are 0-for-12 with the bases loaded.

RISP WOES: Wisconsin went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position last night. In the series with the Devil Rays, the Rattlers are 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. For the season, Wisconsin is 18-for-103 (.175) with runners in scoring position.

FOX CITIES STADIUM BLUES: The Rattlers have lost six straight home games. Wisconsin is 2-7 at home this season. In those seven losses, the Rattlers have scored just 12 runs (1.71 runs/game)

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Wade Davis was the 3rd round pick of the Devil Rays in the 2004 draft out of Lake Wales (FL) High School. He led the New York-Penn League in strikeouts with 97 Ks in 86 innings pitches in 2005. Davis was 7-4 with a 2.72ERA in fifteen appearances (all starts). So far this season, Davis is 1-0 with a 0.93ERA. In his last start, Davis got the win at West Michigan on April 13. He struck out eight, walked two, and gave up two hits in 5-2/3 shutout innings at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Rattler Alum of the Day (For 4/18)

T.J. Bohn.

T.J. had three hits, scored three runs, and knocked in a run in Tacoma's win.

Nice job by the member of the 2003 Rattler squad.

Mariner System Report (For Games of 4/18)

Seattle (MAJ: 6-9; 4th AL West): Texas defeated the Mariners 7-4. Felix Hernandez (WI ’03) allowed four runs over five innings and took the loss. The Rangers got to Hernandez with a couple of early homers. Willie Bloomquist drove in a pair of runs for the Mariners.

Tacoma (AAA – 7-4; 1st PCL Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers beat Sacramento 7-1. TJ Bohn (WI ’03) had three hits and scored three runs for Tacoma. Todd Sears drove in four runs. Adam Jones (WI ’04) hit his third home run of the season. Clint Nageotte (WI ’01) gave up one run in 5-1/3 innings and struck out two for his second win.

San Antonio (AA – 5-7; 4th Texas League South Division): San Antonio lost 6-4 at Frisco. The RoughRiders built a 6-0 lead through the first seven innings. Wladimir Balentien (WI ’04) hit a three run homer and Justin Ruchti (WI ’04) drove in a run with a single in the top of the ninth inning. But, the Mission comeback fell short. Former Clinton LumberKing Nicholas Massett pitched seven shutout innings as the starter for Frisco and gave up just three hits.

Inland Empire (High-A – 7-5; T-3rd California League South Division): Inland Empire lost 4-2 at Stockton. The Ports scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning off Jon Lockwood (WI ’05) to snap a 1-1 tie. Mike Wilson (WI ’05) hit his fourth homer of the season for the 66ers.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 19
Texas (Kevin Millwood 1-2) at Seattle (Jamie Moyer 0-2) 9:05pm CDT
Tacoma (Bobby Livingston 1-1) at Sacramento (Shane Komine 1-0) 1:35pm CDT
San Antonio (Cesar Jimenez 0-1) at Frisco (Jose Diaz 1-0) 7:00pm CDT
Inland Empire (Shawn Nottingham 0-1) at Stockton (Michael Rogers 0-2) 9:05pm CDT

April 18 Game in a Word.

McGee!

No, not Jack McGee. Jacob McGee. If Southwest Michigan starting pitcher Jake McGee was tracking the Incredible Hulk, there is no way that show would have lasted five seasons. And maybe the National Register would have been a highly respected paper breaking stories about political corruption instead of green monsters and alien abductions.

Jake McGee struck out eight over six shutout innings and got out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Devil Rays banged out thirteen hits, but scored only four runs.

The Rattlers offensive woes continued. In seven losses at Fox Cities Stadium, they have scored twelve runs.

By my unofficial tally, Rattler starter Justin Thomas tossed over 90 pitches in just five innings. He was in trouble all night, but almost got out unscathed. However, a two out homer by Matt Spring in the top of the fifth put the Devil Rays in front 1-0. That homered tagged Thomas with the eventual loss. Thomas is 1-2 with an ERA of 1.00 in three starts for the Rattlers this season. In his two losses, the Rattler hitters have scored a total of one run.

Get 'em tomorrow. 11:35am CDT start Wednesday.

Whatever happened to....

Occasionally, people will e-mail and ask, "Whatever happened to X? He was my favorite Timber Rattler."

So, occasionally on this blog, I'll take a look around and see what I can find out about former Rattlers.

One of the more popular former Rattlers I get asked about the most is Justin Leone. He was on the 2000 team and was a great guy. He hit 18 homers that season. Leone broke up a no hitter in Battle Creek with a homer in the top of the ninth inning.

What made me think of this semi-regular feature was seeing his name pop up on MiLB.com as the Pacific Coast League Offensive Player of the Week:

Portland third baseman Justin Leone went deep six times and had at least one RBI in 10 of 11 games while driving in three runs on three different occasions.

Leone struggled in a few call ups with the Mariners, but it is good to see him doing well. Maybe he will get a call from the Padres later this season.

For more on Justin, please go to here for a little Q&A with Leone on the Portland Beaver website.

Game Notes for 4/18

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Southwest Michigan sent the Timber Rattlers to their fourth straight loss with a 4-3 extra inning victory. Garrett Groce drove in the game winner with a single through the drawn-in infield in the top of the tenth. Devil Ray starter Mike Wlodarczyk allowed one hit over five innings, but got a no decision.

RATTLER HEROICS: Luis Valbuena delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game 3-3 and force extra innings. Valbuena’s base hit was the first hit for the Rattlers with runners in scoring position last night. The Rattlers finished the night 1-for-8 with at least one runner in scoring position.

SCORING UGLY IS STILL SCORING: The Rattlers trailed 3-0 when the loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. Wisconsin scored a pair of runs without a hit in the inning. Jeff Flaig scored on a wild pitch when Eddy Hernandez struck out. Bryan Sabatella drove in Mike Saunders with a groundout.

UNEARNED: Both Timber Rattler errors last night were committed by pitchers and each led to an unearned run. Jason Snyder threw away a toss to first on a bunt by John Matulia in the third that allowed the first Devil Ray run to score. Joe Woerman threw wildly to first on a pickoff in the tenth and J.T. Hall wound up at third. He scored moments later on the single by Groce. This season, Rattler pitchers have given up 44 runs and 31 of those runs are earned.

HOME COOKING? The Rattlers have lost five straight home games and are 2-6 at Fox Cities Stadium this season.

WORKING OVERTIME: After last night’s loss, the Rattlers are 0-2 in extra innings this season. The Rattlers were 9-5 in extra innings in 2005, including a 2-0 record in the Midwest League Playoffs. Southwest Michigan is 2-0 in extra frames this season.

END OF THE ROAD: Hernandez went 0-for-4 last night and his hitting streak ended at eight games.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Jake McGee was a 5th round pick of the Devil Rays in 2004 out of Edward Reed High School in Sparks, Nevada. He was 5-1 with a 3.97ERA for Princeton in the Appalachian League in 2004. Last season, with Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn League, he was 5-4 with a 3.64ERA. McGee is 0-2 with a 4.32ERA this season. In his last start, he gave up two unearned runs in four innings against Fort Wayne for the loss. In his first start this season, a loss at Lansing, McGee struck out eight but allowed six runs on seven hits in 4-1/3 innings.

Rattler Alum of the Day (For 4/17)

Adam Jones sure made it easy.

A couple of homers, three RBI and a Rainier win.

Yes, I know that David Ortiz (WI '96) also had two homers and three RBI, but wins by Alumni still in the system is the Code...


Well, the Code is more like what you might call "guideline" instead of actual rules.

Mariner System Report (Games of 4/17)

Seattle (MAJ: 6-8; 3rd AL West): Mark Loretta hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 win over the Mariners at Fenway Park. Gil Meche (WI ’98) pitched six innings and gave up four runs on eight hits for a no decision. David Ortiz (WI ’96) hit a pair of homers and drove in three runs for Boston.

Tacoma (AAA – 6-4; 1st PCL Pacific Northern Division): Adam Jones (WI ’04) homered twice and knocked in three runs in Tacoma’s 9-5 win at Fresno. Renee Cortez worked 3-1/3 innings of relief and got the win. There was a bench clearing brawl in this game. Starter Jesse Foppert hit three batters (the third was a curve ball to the head of Eleizer Alfonzo). From Mike Curto's game story in the Tacoma News Tribune:

Fresno starter Brian Cooper (0-3) drilled Jose Morban on the first pitch of the next inning. Morban simply dropped the bat and headed for first base. As the umpires were warning both benches, Morban and Fresno first baseman Chad Santos got into a verbal altercation that quickly
turned to blows.

The benches emptied, and a classic baseball brawl ensued in shallow right field. When the dust settled, Morban and Santos were ejected.

When play resumed, Choo went to the plate and hit the very first pitch from Cooper over the 400-foot sign in center field for a two-run homer, giving Tacoma a 5-2 lead.

San Antonio (AA – 5-6; T-2nd Texas League South Division): The Missions lost their fourth straight game, an 8-3 decision at Frisco. A four run bottom of the fifth inning put Frisco in front 7-1 and RoughRider starter John Danks struck out eight. Jon Nelson (WI ’03) drove in a run for San Antonio.

Inland Empire (High-A – 7-4 2nd California League South Division): Former Burlington Bee Brian McFall hit a two-run homer in the top of the twelfth inning and High Desert beat Inland Empire 7-5. Mike Wilson (WI ’05) had a pair of hits and drove in two runs for the 66ers.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE
Texas (John Koronka 1-1) at Seattle (Felix Hernandez 0-1) 9:05pm CDT
Tacoma (Cha Seung Baek 1-0) at Sacramento (Juan Dominguez 1-1) 9:05pm CDT
San Antonio (Yorman Bazardo 1-0) at Frisco (TBA) 7:00pm CDT
Inland Empire at Stockton 9:05pm CDT

4/17 Game in a Word

Chances.

The Rattlers had chances, but missed on most of them. Southwest Michigan cashed in their opportunities and Wisconsin has a four game losing streak.

Garrett Groce had three hits for the D-Rays, including the game winner in the top of the tenth.

In their last four games, Wisconsin is 6-for-39 with runners in scoring position. They were 0-for-7 in Monday's game until Luis Valbuena's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth tied the game 3-3.

You can sum up the way things have gone for the Rattlers by just looking at the bottom of the sixth. They loaded the bases on a pair of HBP's and a single. Eddy Hernandez struck out, but a run scored on a wild pitch. Bryan Sabatella got a run home with a ground out. The tying run was left stranded at third.

The Rattlers are going to be in a lot of games right down to the end this season. They just have to stop with the errors and get a few key hits.

Duh, Mehring. They pay you for this?

Yep. Radio ain't rocket science. One of my instructors at UW-Platteville told me so.


See.

In case you haven't...

... seen it already, head to the RattlersReport. Brett has a good story on current Rattler pitching coach Lance Painter.

About a call before the 1990 draft:

"A scout for the (San Diego) Padres called me, Al Hargesheimer, and I thought it was a friend pulling my leg," Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pitching coach Lance Painter said. "I'm like, 'Come on, the
Padres? No way.' So I hung up."

Sixteen years later, Painter is still very much involved in the game he has loved since childhood.

It's interesting. Go there and check it out.

When Good Promotions Go Bad

Remember the first time you watched Bull Durham?

Or, how about the 100th time you watched it? Mixed into the main story of Crash, Nuke, and Annie Savoy were some of the neat things that go on at games around the minor leagues.

There was the wedding at home plate. I've seen a few of those.

There is the Independence Day celebration

This Independence Day:

Not, this one:

Then, there is the chopper ca$h drop. Our friends in West Michigan tried to copy the harmless looking promotion from Bull Durham. It didn't work out the way it did in the movie.

From the Detroit Free Press article:

Two children were injured Saturday in a scramble to grab money dropped from
a helicopter as part of a promotion following a West Michigan Whitecaps
game.

About $1,000 in cash, including two $100 bills, was dropped Saturday from
the helicopter over Fifth Third Ballpark's outfield in Comstock Park as children
lined the outfield fence, nearly from foul pole to foul pole.

After the cash was dropped, the children scrambled. A 7-year-old boy was
trampled and taken to a hospital, while a 7-year-old girl got a bloody lip after
being pushed onto the ground, the Grand Rapids Press reported.

The guys at Deadspin have a take on this:

And the team is being really sympathetic about it, too. “It’s for fun and games,” said a team spokeswoman. “This is why we have everybody sign a waiver.”

See? There is a happy ending. The team isn’t liable, so everything’s okay. Next month, team plans to drop children into a tank full of live sharks, but it’s OK, because they’ll have them sign a
waiver.

I know the people in the Whitecap front office. They are very good at what they do. I am sure that they are horrified at what happened and are doing everything that they can to make things right.

We have had a few scary moments here with in game promotions. Once, our mascot Fang got tangled up with a young girl during a race around the bases and the girl fell hard at second. She was alright, more scared than anything else.

It is rare for a promotion to go as poorly as it did in Grand Rapids. But, when it does, you never want to try anything again for fear of something like that happening.

This is the thing about the minor leagues. You can try something and it can make national news in a good way...Like when the Whitecaps had an elephant throw out the first pitch for a game.


Or, you get what happened on Saturday at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The things that go right at every stadium in the minors outnumber the bad.

Game Notes for 4/17

ABOUT THE LAST GAME: The Rattlers dropped a 5-3 decision to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Saturday at Fox Cities Stadium. Wisconsin grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Kernels took a 3-2 lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. Brok Butcher got his first professional win with 3-1/3 innings of relief work for Cedar Rapids. The win gave Cedar Rapids a three-game sweep of the Rattlers.

IN THE CLUTCH: In the series, Cedar Rapids was 10-33 (.303) with runners in scoring position. The Timber Rattlers were 5-for-31 (.161) with runners in scoring position.

TRIPLE (TIMES TWO): The Rattlers got a pair of triples in a game for the first time this season on Saturday. Eddy Hernandez tripled in his second straight game in the fourth inning. Michael Saunders tripled for the first time this season to start the Rattler sixth.

TO ERR: Wisconsin committed three errors on Saturday to run their season total to nineteen. Only the Beloit Snappers (with 21) have more fielding miscues than the Rattlers. Wisconsin is tied with the Swing of the Quad Cities for the second most errors in the Midwest League.

GOOD STREAK: Hernandez extended his hitting streak to eight games with his triple in the fourth inning yesterday. Hernandez is 8-for-30 (.267) during the streak.

BAD STREAK: Wisconsin has lost four straight home games dating back to the loss to Peoria on April 9.

THE LAST TIME: Last season, the Swing swept a four game series from the Timber Rattlers at Fox Cities Stadium from June 23-26. That was the last time the Rattlers were swept in a series at home. The sweep at the hands of Quad Cities was also the only time the Rattlers were swept by an opponent last season.

THE LONGEST: The longest losing streak for the Rattlers in 2005 was five games. That team lost five straight games two times last season.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays are the Midwest League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The D-Rays made the Midwest League playoffs in 2005, but were swept by South Bend in the first round. The Devil Rays are managed by first year skipper Skeeter Barnes. Barnes was the hitting coach for the Devil Rays in 2005. Southwest Michigan is 4-6 heading into the series with the Rattlers. In their most recent series, they went 1-2 at West Michigan.

VS. DEVIL RAYS IN ’05: Southwest Michigan went 5-3 against the Rattlers last season. The Devil Rays went 3-1 against the Rattlers at C.O. Brown Stadium and split a four game series with the Rattlers at Fox Cities Stadium.

PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA places three members of the current Southwest Michigan roster on their Top 30 list of Tampa Bay Prospects. Pitcher Wade Davis (#6) and Jacob McGee (#16) are joined by outfielder John Matulia (#28). There are seven members of the Devil Rays’ 2005 draft class on the Southwest Michigan roster. They are: Greg Reinhard (6th round), Mike Wlodarczyk (7th), Matulia (10th), Neil Walton (16th), Ryan Bethel (32nd), Matt Devins (34th), and Garrett Groce (41st).

NATIVE SON: Reinhard is a native of Marinette, Wisconsin and pitched for the NCAA Division III Champion Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks before being drafted by Tampa Bay. He was named the NCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year for 2005 after going 11-0 with a 1.43 ERA heading into the D-III Title Game. Reinhard won the Championship Game at Fox Cities Stadium to go a perfect 12-0 in his final season at UW-Whitewater.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Mike Wlodarczyk pitched for Boston College before signing with Tampa. He went 10-2 with a 3.07 ERA for the Eagles and led the Big East in wins. Wlodarczyk split time between Princeton (Appalachian) and Hudson Valley (New York-Penn) in his first pro season. He went a combined 3-6 with an ERA of 2.33 last season. In his last start, Wlodarczyk got a no decision against Fort Wayne. He went 4-1/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

Rattler Alum of the Day (4/16)

Choo. Shin-soo Choo.

Three hits, a homer, two RBI, and the Rainiers won.

Choo has his batting average up to .387 and his slugging percentage is at .581.

Mariner System (Games of 4/16)

Seattle (MAJ: 6-7; T-2nd AL West): The Mariners lost 3-2 at Boston. The Red Sox snapped a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Former Appleton Fox Raul Ibanez had a pair of hits and an RBI. Former Kane County Cougar Josh Beckett got the win and is now 3-0 for the Red Sox. (Game Story here)

Tacoma (AAA – 5-4; T-1st PCL Pacific Northern Division): The Rainiers beat Fresno 5-1. Shin-soo Choo (WI ’02) had three hits – one of which was a two run home run. (Game Story here)

San Antonio (AA – 5-5; T-2nd Texas League West Division): The Missions lost 9-3 at Frisco. Ryan Feierabend (WI ’04) took the loss for San Antonio. Justin Ruchti (WI ’04) and Wladimir Balentien (WI ’04) both homered in the loss. Looking at the San Antonio paper's summary, it seems like a wild one. Manager Daren Brown, hitting coach Henry Cotto, and Bryan LaHair were all ejected. Brownie was here in 2003 and did not get ejected from a single game. It must have been a bad call (or as Bill Walton might say a tturrrrubal call). Can't find an on-line account of what happened. Will update if there is one out there.

Inland Empire (High-A – 7-3 T-1st California League South Division): Inland Empire was off yesterday.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE (4/17)
Seattle (Gil Meche) at Boston (Lenny DiNardo) 10:05am CDT
Tacoma (Jesse Foppert) at Fresno (Brian Cooper) 9:05pm CDT
San Antonio (Travis Blackley) at Frisco (John Danks) 7:00pm CDT
High Desert at Inland Empire 1:00pm CDT

Pitching Matchups for Southwest Michigan Series

Both teams enter the series 4-6 through ten games of the Midwest League season.

WISCONSIN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN
4/17 RHP Jason Snyder (1-0, 4.66) vs. LHP Michael Wlodarczyk (0-1, 3.86) 6:35pm
4/18 LHP Justin Thomas (1-1, 0.69) vs. LHP Jake McGee (0-2, 4.32) 6:35pm
4/19 LHP Paul Fagan (0-1, 9.35) vs. RHP Wade Davis (1-0, 0.93) 11:35am
4/20 RHP Marwin Vega (0-1, 0.82) vs. RHP Greg Reinhard (0-1, 7.71) 6:35pm

The 2nd Greatest Easter Ever

The Greatest Easter is obvious to all who believe. The second greatest is a distant second, but it is still worth remembering on a baseball blog.

Brewer fans already know where this is going. Easter Sunday. April 19, 1987.

The game was on the radio out on the porch of my parent's house. We had some family over for a little holiday lunch. It was 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rangers led the Brewers. It looked like there was no way the Crew would rally and the season opening winning streak would end at eleven.

Mitch Williams (yes, that Mitch Williams) walked Glen Braggs, gave up a single to Greg Brock, and retired Cecil Cooper. That's when Bobby Valentine (yes, that Bobby Valentine) brought in Greg Harris to face Rob Deer. An 0-1 breaking ball was almost hit out of the County Stadium to tie the game at 4-4. The crowd was going nuts in the background as Bob Uecker made the call.

"I don't remember running the bases," Deer said. "I got back to the on-deck
circle and everybody was jumping all over me."

The jumping wasn't over.

Harris struck out rookie B.J. Surhoff but walked Jim Gantner on a 3-2
pitch. That brought up Sveum, a switch-hitter batting left.

The count again went to 3-2 and Harris threw a fastball. This time the
blast was a line drive that rocketed into the right-field bleachers.

Make that 6-4 -- and 12 straight.

The roar that followed lasted for several minutes as Sveum was called out
of the clubhouse for two curtain calls and then a third along with Deer.

"This is the greatest day of my life," Deer said. "This is the funnest game
I've ever played in.

"I know how those guys feel winning a World Series. That's 10 times more
than this, but I don't know how anybody can feel any better than I did walking
into this locker room."

Or any better than Brewers fans did walking out of County Stadium that
Easter Sunday.

That start of the trip around the bases that Deer doesn't remember was captured for the cover of Sports Illustrated:

Cover from SI.com

After that it was a few ham sandwiches, a nap, and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS on ABC. All-in-all, a pretty good Easter. Right, Chuck?


Exactly.

Rattler Alum of the Day (4/15)

Mark Lowe.

It was going to be Joel Pineiro for his performance at Fenway yesterday. But, how do you not go with Lowe?

Five perfect innings with eight strikeouts against High Desert in a 3-0 win.

Mariner System Report (For games of 4/15)

Seattle (MAJ -- 6-6, T-1st AL West): Mariners beat Boston 3-0. Joel Pineiro (WI '98) shutout the Red Sox on five hits over 6-2/3 innings. JJ Putz (WI '00) helped out with four strikeouts over 1-2/3 innings. Former Appleton Fox Raul Ibanez drove in a run for the Mariners with a ground rule double.

Tacoma (AAA -- 4-4, 2nd, PCL Pacific Northern): The Rainiers lost 12-4 at Fresno. The Rainiers had a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. But, the Grizzlies scored seven times after the stretch and got the win. Rich Dorman (WI '03) gave up three runs in a pair of innings and got tagged with the loss. Greg DObbs (WI '02) drove in one run to run his season to eight.

San Antonio (AA -- 5-4; T-1st Texas League West): San Antonio lost 5-1 to Midland. Brandon Moorhead (WI '04) took the loss. Sebastien Boucher (WI '05) had three hits for the Missions.

Inland Empire (High A -- 7-3, 2nd California League South): The 66ers swept a double header from the High Desert Mavericks. In game one, Inland Empire won 7-3. Josh Womack (WI '05) and Mike Wilson (WI '05) each homered and Cibney Bello (WI '05) got the win. In game two, the 66ers won 3-0. Mark Lowe (WI '05) pitched five perfect innings with eight strikeouts for the win. Wilson homered again in the night cap.

TODAY'S MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE:

Seattle (Jarrod Washburn 1-1) at Boston (Josh Beckett 2-0) 1:05pm CDT

Tacoma (Francisco Cruceta) at Fresno (Brad Hennessey) 4:05pm CDT

San Antonio (Ryan Feierabend) at Frisco (Thomas Diamond) 5:00pm CDT

Inland Empire -- OFF DAY

4/15 game in a word

Flint.

A two run double with two outs by Flint Wipke in the top of the fifth inning gave the Kernels a 3-2 lead.

Cedar Rapids beat the Rattlers 5-3.

I don't know about you but when I hear the name Flint, I think of this guy:




Can't write or post more right now. It's time to pack and head home for Easter. I will try to post something from there either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Meant to do this yesterday

Newly remodeled Alliant Energy Field in Clinton opened on Thursday night. If there was ever a stadium that needed to be newly remodeled, it was the former Riverview Stadium.

The game was suspended by rain after 5-1/2 innings but it sounded like a great night on the banks of the Mississippi.

Clinton Herald story on Opening Night

Clinton Herald Editorial

I couldn't find any openind night pictures, but here is a link to the construction crew putting the finishing touches on the stadium.

By the way, Finishing Touches is a great song off this album:

Rattler Alum of the Day (4/14)

Bryan LaHair.

He drove in a run yesterday to give him eight in eight games for San Antonio.

LaHair was in Wisconsin for the second half of the 2004 season. He had 24 doubles in 67 games that season and wound up leading the team in that category -- if my memory serves me correctly.

Mariner System Report (Games of 4/14)

Seattle (MAJ: 5-6; T-2nd AL West): The Mariners lost 2-1 at Boston. Seattle managed four hits in the game – three off winning pitcher Curt Schilling. Jamie Moyer gave up eight hits and struck out eight but took the loss.

Tacoma (AAA – 4-3; T-1st PCL Pacific Northern Division): Tacoma was rained out at Fresno. The game will be made up as part of a double header on July 22nd. Friday was the second straight rain out for the Rainiers.

San Antonio (AA – 5-3; 1st Texas League West Division): Midland beat the Missions 6-2. Cesar Jimenez (WI ’03) took the loss by allowing three runs on five hits over four innings. Oswaldo Navarro (WI ’05) and Michael Garciaparra (WI ’03) each had a pair of hits. Bryan LaHair (WI ’04) drove in his eighth run in eight games for the Missions.

Inland Empire (High-A – 5-3 T-1st California League South Division): The 66ers had their four game winning streak ended with a 5-4 loss at High Desert. Former Clinton LumberKing Juan Senriso hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Mavericks the win. Marshall Hubbard (WI ’05) drove in a pair of runs for Inland Empire to help build an early 4-2 lead.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE
Seattle (Joel Pineiro 1-1) at Boston (Tim Wakefield 1-1) 12:20pm CDT
Tacoma (Cha Seung Baek 1-0) at Fresno (Pedro Liriano 0-1) 9:05pm CDT
Midland (Brad Ziegler 1-0) at San Antonio (Brandon Moorhead 1-0) 7:05pm CDT
High Desert (Patrick Hicklen 0-0) at Inland Empire (Cibney Bello 0-0) 3:00pm CDT
High Desert (Justin Barnes 0-0) at Inland Empire (Mark Lowe 0-0)– Game Two

Game Notes for 4/15 vs. Kernels

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Kernels beat the Rattlers 4-2. For the second straight night, Cedar Rapids built an early lead. On Thursday, the Kernels were up 5-0 after the top of the first. On Friday, the Kernels scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Renz. Then, the Kernels added three runs in the top of the second for a 4-0 lead. Stephen Marek allowed one run on four hits over five innings and was the winning pitcher. Tim Mattison got the final out in the ninth for his second save.

UNEARNED: All three of the Kernel runs in the second inning were unearned. A dropped throw at first base put a runner on with one out instead of being the second out of the inning. That runner scored on a broken bat single by Madison Edwards. Later in the inning, the Rattlers should have turned a double play to end the frame, but only got the runner at first because Madison was ruled safe when Luis Valbuena did not touch second for the force before throwing to first. Brad Coon stepped up and delivered a two-run single for a 4-0 lead.

LOST: The Rattlers stranded twelve runners on base last night. The Rattlers loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning on a double and two walks. But, Mattison got the final out.

HOME COOKING? The Rattlers are 2-4 at Fox Cities Stadium this season. They are averaging 2.5 runs a game at home. In the four losses on home field, the Rattlers have scored just five runs.

IT’S A STREAK: The Rattlers had been in a win one-lose one mode since Opening Night. The loss last night snapped the back-and-forth and gave Wisconsin their first losing streak of the season.

IT’S STILL A STREAK: Eddy Hernandez drove in a run with a two out triple in the bottom of the sixth. The first triple of the season by a Rattler extended his hitting streak to seven games. Hernandez is 7-for-26 (.269) during the streak.

THREE FOR ALL: Casey Craig had three hits last night. It was Craig’s second straight three-hit game. He was 3-for-4 in Beloit on Wednesday and is 6-for-8 in his last two games.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Robert Mosebach was the 9th round pick of the Angels in the 2005 draft out of Hillsbourogh Community College in Florida. Last season, Mosebach went 3-3 with a 4.57 ERA for Orem in the Pioneer League. Mosebach made fifteen appearances (thirteen starts) and struck out 52 hitters in 65 innings pitched. He allowed six homers for the Owlz. This is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers and against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

April 14th game in a word

DOZEN

The Rattlers left a dozen men on base in the 4-2 loss to the Kernels. The bases were left loaded in the first and ninth. Plus, the lead-off man got on board in the seventh and eighth, but no runs were scored.

Rattler starter Marwin Vega had trouble in the second inning. One error a dropped through to first for what should have been the second out of the inning eventually led to three unearned runs.

The first hit of the inning was a six or seven hopper through where the Luis Valbuena would have been playing if Cedar Rapids didn't execute the hit-and-run to perfection.

The next batter was Madison Edwards and Vega broke his bat, but the ball just dropped into left field for an RBI single and a 2-0 lead.

The last two runs of the inning really hurt. Ryan Leahy sent a one-hopper to Robby Hudson at third. It should have been an inning ending 5-4-3 double play. In fact, I was so sure that I took the inning break. But, Valbuena did not make contact with the base when he got the throw from Hudson for the force out on Madison. So, Leahy was out 5-4-3, but the Kernels had runners at second and third with two outs.

What do you think would happen next?

If you guessed that Brad Coon would single in two runs for a 4-0 lead, you would be correct.

Give Vega credit. He settled down after the second and kept it close. The offense got going, but still couldn't crack through at home for a big inning.

In six games at Fox Cities Stadium this season, the Rattlers have score a total of fifteen runs. In the four home losses, they have scored only five runs.

Those stats will probably show up in the game notes for tomorrow.

Rattler Alum of the Day

Going off the board on this one, because middle relievers don't get mentioned often enough when they do a good job.

Julio Mateo was a solid if not spectacular Timber Rattler in 2000. He has turned in some fine performances for the Mariners as a reliever and last night he worked a good one. Mateo kept the Indians off the board and allowed the Mariner bats to eventually get going.

Mateo got his first win of the season to help Seattle reach .500.

Mariner System Report (Games of 4/13)

Seattle (MAJ: 5-5; T-2nd AL West): The Mariners rallied from a 4-0 deficit to beat Cleveland 9-5. Julio Mateo (WI ’00) got the win with 1-2/3 innings of scoreless relief out of the bullpen and JJ Putz (WI ’00) got the save with two innings of shutout ball. Ichiro and Jose Lopez homered and Carl Everett drove in three runs to get the M’s back to .500.

Tacoma (AAA – 4-3; T-1st PCL Pacific Northern Division): Tacoma’s game with Sacramento got rained out at home. The game has been rescheduled for mid-June.

San Antonio (AA – 5-2; 1st Texas League West Division): The Missions edged Midland 6-4. San Antonio built an early 4-0 lead with a four spot in the first inning. Wladimir Balentien (WI ’04) drove in a pair of runs in the first inning. Jason Mackintosh (WI ’04) got the victory with 2-2/3 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen.

Inland Empire (High-A – 5-2 T-1st California League South Division): The 66ers won their fourth straight with a 5-3 win in fourteen innings over Lancaster. Yung Chi Chen (WI ’05) tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. Eric Monzon hit a two run homer for the game winner. Ivan Blanco (WI ’05) got the win out of the bullpen.

MARINER SYSTEM SCHEDULE FOR 4/15
Seattle (Jamie Moyer 0-1) at Boston (Curt Schilling 2-0) 6:05pm CDT
Tacoma (TBA) at Fresno (Pedro Liriano 0-1) 9:05pm CDT
Midland (Ray Aguilar 0-1) at San Antonio (Cesar Jimenez 0-0) 7:05pm CDT
Inland Empire at High Desert 9:05pm CDT

Game Notes for 4/14

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Cedar Rapids jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with a five run top of the first and beat the Rattlers 7-2. Kernel reliever Chris Howell got the win with three innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen. Brett Martinez drove in three runs and scored another for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids also turned a triple play, the fourth in their history.

TAKING THE FIRST: The Kernels loaded the bases with no outs against Rattler starting pitcher Paul Fagan on an infield single, a walk, and a hit batsman. Fagan got ahead of Kernel cleanup hitter Travis Schlichting 0-2, but hit him with another pitch and a run was forced home. Later in the inning, Warner Madrigal and Brett Martinez each had two-run singles. In all the Kernels sent nine men to the plate in the opening inning.

TRIPLE DECKER: The first triple play turned in the minor leagues this season went 6-4-3. The Rattlers had runners at first and second (Mike Saunders and Bryan Sabatella) with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jeff Flaig sent a low liner that Kernel shortstop Hainley Statia trapped. Statia tagged out the runner at second, flipped to second for the force (and out number two), and the relay to first was in plenty of time for the trifecta.

DÉJÀ VU: Timber Rattler teammates Chao Kuan Wu and JB Tucker were involved in a triple play last season. On July 6 at Boise, Tucker lined into a triple play in the top of the ninth inning.

MORE DEFENSE: The Rattlers had two runs in, Jeff Dominguez at second base and trailed 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Ron Garth singled to left, but Patrick Reilly threw out Dominguez at home for the final out of the inning.

STILL GOING: Eddy Hernandez drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the fourth to extend his hitting streak to six games (6-for-22)

IN A PINCH: Robby Hudson was the first Rattler pinch hitter of 2006 and he grounded out to end the seventh. Last season, Rattler pinch hitters were 10-for-31 with five RBI and no home runs.

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Stephen Marek was a 40th round pick of the Angels in the 2004 draft out of San Jacinto Junior College in Texas. Marek signed just before the 2005 draft. He was 1-3 in fifteen games (fourteen starts) for Orem in the Pioneer League last season. He was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher in the 2004 Junior College World Series and was primarily a reliever for San Jacinto. In his first start of 2006, Marek pitched 6-2/3 innings of shutout ball at Beloit on April 9. He gave up just two hits and struck out five without a walk, but got a no decision in a 3-2 loss to the Snappers.

Apologies

Wow, what a broadcast.

I have to apologize for a few things tonight.

I have no idea why the internet feed wasn't even on MiLB's broadcast schedule. I should have checked it way before the broadcast, but I figured there wouldn't be a problem.

Just before the first pitch, I noticed the issue. It was tough to get on the cell phone and call New York to see why they forgot about us during the game action.

Then, while trying to deal with the internet, I noticed that I had Hainley Statia written down on the lineup sheet as Henry Statia, which wouldn't be a big deal if it was just my scorebook. But, I do the lineup sheets for the press box so everyone from the PA announcer to the newspaper to the official scorer had it as Henry. Dumb mistake, my fault.

I've kind of already gone over why I blew the Triple Play and you can almost guarantee that it is going to be an audio clip on MiLB.com, just like a certain blown game winning home run call from Tuesday in Beloit.

Plus, there were a few things off air that I didn't react well to this evening.

I am trying to be a more positive person, but tonight reminds me how much more I have to go.

Sorry about that, Chief.

April 13 Game in a Word

TRIPLE

as in Triple Play...I have never seen one before and I didn't call this one very well. I think that it is a pretty good bet that the worst call of a triple play is going to be posted on MinorLeagueBaseball.com in the morning, if they got it that is (more in a minute)

Here's the thing:

The Rattlers fell behind 5-0 in the first inning. Paul Fagan had a rough go of it on his 21st birthday. He loaded the bases on an infield single (that was just a routine grounder to short) a walk and a hit batsman. A second hit batsman force one run in and a pair of two-run singles later in the inning made it 5-0.

It was 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when the Rattlers got the first two batters on base....Ah, heck, here is the log from MinorLeagueBaseball.com

Wisconsin Bottom 6th
Michael Saunders singles on a ground ball to right
fielder Warner A. Madrigal.
Bryan Sabatella walks. Michael Saunders to 2nd.
Jeffrey Flaig grounds into a triple play, shortstop Hainley Statia to second
baseman Ryan Leahy to first baseman Dallas Morris. Michael Saunders out at 3rd.
Bryan Sabatella out at 2nd.

Flaig sent a low line drive to short. From the booth it looked like Statia caught the ball and flipped to second to double Saunders off second. I thought the throw to first by Leahy was to try and double off Sabatella, who was going back because he thought the ball had been caught before it hit the ground.

The base umpire did not make an immediate and definitive call. That led to confusion for the Rattlers, but not for the Kernels.

Statia actually trapped the ball, tagged out Saunders and threw to second for the force on Sabatella. Then, Leahy threw to first to get Flaig for the triple play.

Inning over and that was pretty much the game.

Rattler Alum of the Day

I'm taking the easy way out again.

Julio Santiago got the win for Inland Empire last night. He struck out nine over seven innings in the 66ers 10-1 win over Lancaster.

Movies on the Bus

The person I most want to thank in this world is the man or woman who thought it would be a good idea to put a VCR, a DVD player, & monitor on a bus.

We did not get to watch a lot of movies on the last road trip. Beloit is only about a two hour and thirty minute trip. Two movies were shown in their entirety.

The first was Dodgeball and I rate it a triple. There is something inherently funny about people getting hit with a dodgeball (or a wrench). At least to me. Plus, Vince Vaughn cracks me up with his "You know, I'm not even going to try and act" schtick in this movie

On the way back last night Fun with Dick and Jane was thrown in the player. Error all the way around. I am not the biggest Jim Carey fan in the world. Don't find him that funny at all. I popped in an old episode of Millenium, but the battery on my computer ran out. Need to make sure it is charged all the way up before the next trip and The Truman Show is brought to the front.

Game Notes for 4/13

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Justin Thomas pitched seven strong innings, Casey Craig homered, and Ron Garth drove in three runs as the Rattlers won 7-1 at Beloit. Wisconsin won 2-out-of-3 games in the series with their in-state rivals.

NO DOUBTING THOMAS: Last night’s starting pitcher for the Rattlers set a professional career high for innings pitched with seven and matched his pro high for strikeouts with six. Thomas has allowed two runs (one earned) over thirteen innings in his two starts as a Rattler.

TWIN KILLING: The only time Thomas was in jeopardy last night was in the bottom of the fourth. Edward Ovalle started the inning with a bunt single and Paul Kelly followed with another single to put runners at first and second. But, Thomas got Snapper cleanup hitter Henry Sanchez to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. Caleb Moore smacked an RBI double to send Ovalle home with Beloit’s first run. Then, Thomas got Erik Lis to strikeout for the final out of the inning.

CRAIG’S LIST: Craig hit a long home run to right field in the top of the fourth inning. Early in the season, Craig is tied for the Midwest League lead for RBI with eight on the year. Craig is 5-for-9 (.556) with seven RBI when there are runners in scoring position. He is 3-for-5 with five RBI and a homer with runners in scoring position and two out so far in ’06.

PARTY ON, GARTH: Garth gave Wisconsin a 4-0 lead with a two run double in the top of the fourth. Garth drove in three runs last night and five runs in the three game series with the Snappers.

FIRST TIME: The series win for the Rattlers over the Snappers was their first in a regular season series at Pohlman Field since July 31-August 2, 2002. Wisconsin had a winning record at Beloit (4-2) in six games in 2002. But, since then, the Rattlers lost two series and split four on the road with the Snappers for a record of 10-16 away from Fox Cities Stadium against Beloit.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Cedar Rapids Kernels are the Midwest League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They finished 2005 with a 65-75 record and missed the playoffs. Bobby Magallanes returns for his third season as manager of the Kernels. Cedar Rapids is 3-4 to start the 2006 season. They dropped three games in a four game series at Beloit to start the year, but bounced back with two wins in a three game series with Peoria at home. The Kernels have won two straight games.

VS. KERNELS IN ’05: The Timber Rattlers and Kernels split twelve games last season. Wisconsin was 5-3 against the Kernels at Fox Cities Stadium in 2005.

PROSPECTING: The Kernels have five members of BASEBALL AMERICA’S Top 30 Angel prospect list. Pitchers Nick Adenhardt (#6), Tommy Mendoza (#10), and Stephen Marek (#18) are joined by infielders Mark Trumbo (#12) and Hainley Statia (#16). The Kernels have eight members of the Angels 2005 draft class on their roster. Mendoza (5th round), Robert Moseback (9th), Brad Coon (15th), Jim West (18th), Dallas Morris (24th), Brok Butcher (25th), Tim Didjurgis (31st), and Flint Wipke (38th)

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Kelly Shearer was a 14th round pick of the Angels in the 2003 draft out of Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. In 2004 – his first pro season – Shearer split time with Mesa of the Arizona League and Provo of the Pioneer League. He went 2-3 in fifteen appearances (ten starts) and had an ERA of 3.34. Last season with Orem in the Pioneer League, he was 2-4 with a 3.62 ERA in fifteen games (thirteen starts). In his first start of 2006, Shearer pitched five innings and allowed one run on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts at Beloit on April 8. The lefty got a no decision in a 4-2 twelve inning win for the Kernels.

RE/MAX HOME RUNS: RE/MAX Valley Realtors will donate $25 to the Children’s Miracle Network for every Rattler home run in the 2006 regular season. The donation in 2005 was $2525. Casey Craig’s home run moves the total for 2006 to $125.

Last night's game in a word...

...SEVEN

After using six pitchers on Tuesday night, the Rattlers needed a good, outing from starting pitcher Justin Thomas. They got it. The lefty out of Youngstown State went seven innings, struck out six, and gave up one run on five hits.

And on a non-baseball note

Congratulations to the NCAA Hockey Champion Wisconsin Badgers.

(Gratuitous name dropping ahead)

Assistant Coach Mark Osiecki was the head coach during my five seasons as the broadcaster of the Green Bay Gamblers.

Adam Burish, AJ Degenhardt, & Kyle Klubertanz all played in Green Bay when I was there. Joe Pavelski played for Waterloo and used to just light up the Gamblers during my last season with Green Bay.

A bunch of us from the front office got together after last Saturday's title game against Boston College. It was a great game and a great win for the Badgers sixth national title.

New Postcard at RattlersReport.com

The Post-Crescent has posted my first postcard for 2006.

You can check it out here.

A bit about some things that have never happened before and a few things about the MILK PAIL. I wrote it before last night's game so the craziness is not completely ramped up to mid season levels.

Pitching Matchups for Cedar Rapids Series

The probable pitchers have been announced for the series between the Rattlers and Cedar Rapids.

Thursday, April 13th: Kelly Shearer vs. Paul Fagan
Friday, April 14th: Stephen Marek vs. Marwin Vega
Saturday, April 15th: Robert Moseback vs. Jose Escalona

Game times are 6:35pm on Thursday and Friday; 1:05pm on Saturday.

Former Rattler(s) of the Day

I'm going with Tri-Alums of the Day for games of April 11.

Aaron Jensen, Mark Lowe, and Mumba Rivera -- all members of the 2005 Rattlers -- held Lancaster scoreless in Inalnd Empire's 1-0 win in ten innings last night. Jensen worked five innings, Lowe pitched four, and Rivera went a scoreless inning for the win.

Game Notes for 4/12

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Snappers defeated the Timber Rattlers 11-10 in twelve innings. Eric Lis erased a 10-9 Rattler lead with a two-run, game winning home run in the bottom of the 12th. Lis and Rattler third baseman Ron Garth each had four hits. Wisconsin catcher JB Tucker homered twice for the Rattlers.

WHERE TO BEGIN? At the beginning, of course. Garth’s first hit of the night was his first home run of the season and it came on the fifth pitch of the night. The home run to start the game was the first for a Rattler since Josh Womack drilled a lead off homer on April 26, 2004. Womack also started the game on April 25, 2004 with a long ball. Oddly, all three of those lead off home runs have been hit at Pohlman Field.

AN IMPERFECT TEN: The Rattlers and Snappers combined for ten errors last night. Each team committed five errors. Beloit was charged with three errors on one play in the top of the sixth.

TUCKER TIMES TWO: Tucker hit a pair of go ahead homers last night. His ninth inning blast over the centerfield wall with one out put Wisconsin in front 9-8. In the twelfth, Tucker lined a lead off homer to left to put Wisconsin in front 10-9.

BLOWN UP: The Rattler bullpen blew a pair of save opportunities last night. Edgar Guaramato could not protect the 9-8 lead in the bottom of the ninth. Ruben Flores gave up a single and the game winning home run to Lis in the twelfth.

YES, IT IS: The Toby Gardenhire who entered last night’s game for the Snappers is the son of Minnesota Twin manager Ron Gardenhire. Toby Gardenhire was a 41st round pick of the Twins out of the University of Illinois in the 2005 draft.

KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE: Rattler outfielder Eddy Hernandez extended his hitting streak to five games with a single in the eighth inning. Hernandez is 5-for-19 during the streak.

MEET THE STAFF: First year manager Jim Horner played for the Timber Rattlers in 1997. The new pitching coach for the Timber Rattlers is Lance Painter. The new strength & conditioning coach is Kale Hoyt. Hitting coach Tommy Cruz returns for his second season with the Rattlers. Trainer Jeremy Clipperton is back for his fifth season with the team.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Beloit Snappers are the Midwest League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Last season, the Snappers made the Midwest League playoffs as the second half wild card in the Western Division. The Snappers took three out of four games from the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Pohlman Field in their opening weekend series.

VS. SNAPPERS IN ’05: The Timber Rattlers and Snappers spilt sixteen games in the regular season last year. The Rattlers were 4-4 at Pohlman Field. Wisconsin beat Beloit in a best-of-three first round Midwest League Playoff series last year.

MILK PAIL TROPHY: The Rattlers and the Snappers are playing for the Milk Pail again in 2006. The Milk Pail is a traveling trophy that goes to the winner of the season series. The season series is tied 1-1.

TWIN PROSPECTS: Beloit has seven members of BASEBALL AMERICA’s Top 30 Twins list on their current roster. Pitchers Kyle Waldrop (#10), Eddie Morlan (#15), Adam Hawes (#28), and Alexander Smit (#30) are joined by Paul Kelly (#11), Drew Thompson (#19), and Henry Sanchez (#20).

OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Brian Duensing was a 3rd round pick of the Twins out of the University of Nebraska in 2005. Duensing pitched five shutout innings allowing one hit and striking out seven for a no decision against Cedar Rapids on April 7. Last season with Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, Duensing went 4-2 in twelve games with an ERA of 2.32.

RE/MAX HOME RUNS: RE/MAX Valley Realtors will donate $25 to the Children’s Miracle Network for every Rattler home run in the 2006 regular season. The donation in 2005 was $2525. The three homers last night puts the donation at $100 for this season.

Last Night's Game in a Word...

What?

11-10 loss to the Snappers in twelve innings.

Rattler lead-off batter Ron Garth started the game with a home run.

Beloit went ahead 6-2 later in the game. Then, the ugliest top of the sixth inning ever played in organized baseball occurred.

The Rattlers scored six times on three hits, a pair of bases loaded walks, a sacrifice fly, and a play that had to be seen to be believed. I saw it and I still don't believe it.

Three different Beloit infielders were charged with an error of the same play. Not exactly Tommy John committing three errors on the same play against the Brewers in 1988. But still historic in this reporter's eyes.

The play started with what should have been an inning ending double play of the bat of Garth. Beloit shortstop Yancarlos Ortiz bobbled the ball and Jeff Dominguez beat the flip to second. Snapper second baseman Drew Thompson still thought he had time to get Garth at first. He did, but he threw the ball away for an error. Eric Lis tracked down Thompson's wild throw and noticed Eddy Hernandez breaking for the plate. Lis threw wildly to the plate and Garth wound up at second base.

Three errors. Two runs. One play.

Pinch hitter Caleb Moore tied the game 8-8 with a two-run single in the eighth.

JB Tucker hit a high fly ball to center that kept carrying and that ball landed on the other side of the fence for a home run. The distance to center at Pohlman Field is only 380' and the fence is maybe 8' high. I think the ball went about 382.

The Snappers scored a run to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. They loaded the bases with no outs, but did not win the game there. In fact, they did not have a hit in the inning. A hit batsman. An error, a couple of walks.....You know I can't even describe it anymore.

Tucker started the Rattler 12th with a homer to left and it was 10-9.

But, Lis drilled a game winning, two-run homer to right center for the game winner.

Lis had four hits last night and was named the STAR OF THE DAY by MinorLeagueBaseball.com. I believe if you click on the audio link at that page, you can hear the worst call of a game ending home run ever. Yours truly was completely confused by the reactions of the umpires, outfielders, and Snappers.

More Soon

Finally. There are a few minutes to post. This won't be too big of an update. There is still a Postcard to write for The Post-Crescent and a pre-game interview to wrangle.

I am hoping to get on a more regular posting schedule in the next few days.

After spending all that time to get ready for the season, there are always a few surprises that pop up to keep the me busy.

One thing I wanted to talk about is the internet broadcast. I realize from a few e-mails to the Timber Rattler information e-mail account that have been forwarded to me that dropouts have been happening regularly.

This problem is going to be fixed. It may not happen tonight, but it will be fixed by the weekend. I promise.

Thanks for hanging in there with us.

Rattler Win Ends Crazy Day

Sorry about being under the radar until now. It is always a zoo on opening day.

The Rattlers beat Peoria 4-2 despite being outhit 12-3. Casey Craig had a three run homer in the second inning. Jason Snyder struck out seven over five innings. Four Rattler pitchers struck out 14 Chief batters for the win.

There will be more in the morning. Right now, I think I'm the last person at the stadium and it is time to head home.

Updated Sites To Go See

Imagine my surprise when I went to BASEBALL AMERICA's website and saw that it had been completely redone. Gone is that wide, kinda brown mustard stripe on the left hand side that had been there for as long as I have been going to their site.

There is an important story for fans to go check out there today. It is on the minor league umpires being on strike. A quick taste:

The union is asking for raises in salary and per diem payments, along with improvements in travel, insurance and umpire safety. Management has offered a $100 a month raise and a $1 a day increase to the per diem, though the deductible for health insurance would rise from $100 to $500 a year as well.

Minor League Baseball has said it has made its best and final offer to the umpires, and will not negotiate further. The negotiations have gone on throughout
the offseason, giving leagues plenty of time to work on assembling rosters of replacement umpires, although it did lead to a busy last month leading up to the season. League presidents around the minors said they have umpires lined up to
work games. Most of the spots will be filled with college or former pro umpires.

Read it. Learn it. I may have more on this later today.

The other site is still going through some major renovations. A Fan's Guide to the Midwest League has been dormant for some time. But, it looks like the 2006 season is going to be an active one over there. That's great news. Check them out.

You can sign up for a Midwest League Mailing list on that site. I'm pretty sure the list is run by the same guy who used to run the Northern League Mailing List when I used to work for the Duluth-Superior-Dukes.

Quick Post-Crescent Look at Team

Brett has a quick article in the Post-Crescent about this Rattler team.

It is mentioned that Michael Saunders and Luis Valbuena are the only members of the squad on the Top 30 Mariner prospect list put together by BASEBALL AMERICA.

It is also mentioned that this same group of guys won 42 games in the Northwest League last season.

Brief notes are also made of Tommy Cruz returning as the hitting coach and a few of the fan reactions to FanFest yesterday.

Rattler Alum of the Day (Games of 4/4)

Last night's Rattler of the day is Joe Pineiro (WI '98)

The right hander tossed 6-1/3 innings to help th Mariners to their first win of the season. Pineiro gave up seven hits and three runs (all in the sixth) in the 10-8 win at Seattle over the Angels.

Former Rattlers also contributing to the victory were Rafael Soriano and JJ Putz. (Note: Hey, mlb.com, Soriano and JJ have been regulars with the Mariners for awhile now. How about pictures of them on their player pages?)

Pineiro was a member of the 1998 Timber Rattlers. That pitching staff had an amazing amount of talent for the Midwest League. Pineiro, Gil Meche, Allan Simpson, Lesli Brea, and Justin Kaye all made the majors. Plus, Ryan Anderson -- before the arm problems -- was on that team. That year's staff struck out 1274 opponents (9.1/game)

In just over half a season at Fox Cities Stadium, Pineiro was 8-4 with a 3.19ERA. On July 13 of that year he was promoted to Lancaster in the High-A California League. On September 6, he went to AA Orlando in the Southern League.

WHOOPS (Pt I)

In the first of what I am hoping to be very few correction posts, there needs to be an addition to the roster post below.

The Rattlers have two members of the Baseball America Top 30 List of Mariner Prospects. Michael Saunders is rated number 12. The post below has been edited to reflect that overlooked piece of information.

Sorry about that, Chief.

That Was Easy

The first Rattler Alum of the Day is probably going to win this a lot this year.

David Ortiz ('96) was known as David Arias when he was a Timber Rattler. Yesterday, he helped the Red Sox beat Texas 7-3. Ortiz went 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored, and three RBI.

Ortiz hit .322 with 18 homers and 93 RBI for the Timber Rattlers in 1996 and helped that team to the Midwest League Championship Series.

One other note about Ortiz: He is the subject of a biography written by Jeff Savage that is called David Ortiz (oddly, enough). It's a biography written for kids. We received a copy a few weeks ago and it reminded me of books about Johnny Miller, Phil & Tony Esposito, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many other sports bios that I would check out of the library by the armful when I was younger.

If the Barnes & Noble search engine and my memory don't lie, those were part of a Mid-1970's series of books called Superstars.

Funny the stuff you remember.

Rattler Starting Pitching Rotation

It's FanFest at Fox Cities Stadium today. There has been a steady stream of visitors. They have come out on a sunny, cold, and windy day to watch the team practice and get ready for the season.

The Rattler starting pitching rotation is set for the first five games of the season -- weather permitting. Click on the name to go to the player bio. Pictures may be up in the near future.

Thursday vs. Peoria: RHP Jason Snyder
Friday vs. Peoria: LHP Justin Thomas
Saturday vs. Peoria: LHP Paul Fagan
Sunday vs. Peoria: RHP Marwin Vega

Monday @ Beloit: LHP Jesus Escalona

I'm hoping to have a post or two up later today. For right now, here are a few links to stories on the new look RattlersReport.

A Guide to Fox Cities Stadium


Pitcher Snyder Back with Rattlers

They're Here

The team arrived about ninety minutes ago. They were supposed to get here around 4:30 this afternoon, but they were delayed at O'Hare International in Chicago for a long time.

Briefly met with manager Jim Horner and pitching coach Lance Painter. They are looking forward to getting to work.

Also spoke with Jason Snyder. He said that he had a great off-season and a good camp. It sounds like he will be the Opening Night starter.

The Rattlers will be having a brief workout yet tonight. So, on the remote chance that you drove by the stadium tonight, saw the lights on, and are reading this...Now you know why.

The team will also be working out tomorrow during FanFest. The open house starts at noon. Lots of great stuff going on at the Stadium. If you are in the neighborhood drop in to get ready for some baseball.

Meet the Timber Rattlers (2006 Opening Day Version)

The roster is out and it is official.

For the record, there is one returning player, two members of the Top 30 Mariner Prospects (according to Baseball America's Prospect Handbook), and five members of the 2005 Mariner draft class. There are also some familiar players for those who have followed the Seattle farm system for the last few seasons.

The returning player from last season is Jason Snyder. The tall right handed pitcher went 9-7 for the Rattlers last season. He missed a little time last season, but was solid as a starter.

The members of BA's Top 30 list are Michael Saunders and Luis Valbuena. Saunders, a Canadian, is rated 12th on the list and hit .270 with 7 homers and 39 RBI in Everett last season. Valbuena, a Venezuelan, is rated 14th in the M's system. He led the Northwest League in homers with 12 and RBI with 51.

The members of the '05 draft class joining the Rattlers are Justin Thomas, Bryan Sabatella, Alex Gary, Nick Allen, and Jeff Gilmore.

Thomas (4th round Youngstown State), Allen (21st round, Villanova), and Gilmore (29th round, Stanford) are all pitchers.

Sabatella (9th round, Quinnipiac) was mainly an outfielder in Everett last season.

Gary (22nd round, Virginia Commonwealth University) also played the outfield for the AquaSox last season.

Here is the roster:

No. Name (2005 team W-L ERA)
Pitchers (12)
21 Nick Allen (Everett: 6-4, 4.59)
19 Jose Escalona (Aguirre {VSL}: 3-4, 1.18; Non-drafted free agent '03 Venezuela)
11 Paul Fagan (Everett: 6-2, 3.50; 4th round pick in '03 Bartram Hills {FL} High School)
10 Ruben Flores (Did not pitch in '05: 12th round pick in '03 El Paso CC)
34 Rollie Gibson (Everett: 3-2, 4.45; 30th round '04 Fresno City College)
23 Edgar Guaramato (Everett: 1-4, 3.62; NDFA '00 Venezuela)
30 Jason Snyder (Wisconsin: 9-7, 4.82; 17th round '03 Salt Lake CC)
22 Justin Thomas (Everett: 3-3, 3.81; '05 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year)
27 Marwin Vega (AZL M's: 4-2, 4.73; NDFA '03 Colombia)
20 Harold Williams (Everett: 0-2, 5.79; 38th round '04 Mt. San Jacinto College)
35 Joe Woerman (Everett: 0-0, 4.76; 11th round '03 San Diego City College)

Catchers (3) ('05 team: AVG-HR-RBI)
25 Nick Prosise (AZL M's: .240-0-14; NDFA '05 George Mason)
4 J.B. Tucker (Everett: .259-11-36; NDFA '05 Wake Forest)
15 Chao Kuan Wu (Everett: .217-0-1; NDFA '02 Taiwan)

Infielders (7)
2 Jeffrey Dominguez AZL M's: .240-0-11; 9th round '04 PR Baseball Academy)
12 Jeff Flaig (Everett: .254-7-38; 2nd round '03 El Doraado {CA} HS)
5 Ron Garth (AZL M's: .357-3-15; NDFA '01 Nicaragua)
3 Robby Hudson (Everett: .253-0-16; NDFA '05 University of Texas)
17 Bryan Sabatella (Everett: .249-3-18)
32 Mike Saunders Everett: .270-7-39; 11th round '04 Tallahassee CC)
18 Luis Valbuena (Everett: .261-12-51; NDFA '02 Venezuela)

Outfielders (3)
7 Casey Craig (Everett: .278-6-28; 21st round '03 Granite Hills {CA} HS)
13 Alex Gary (Everett: .237-6-22)
24 Eddy Hernandez (AZL M's: .356-4-18; NDFA '01 Dominican Republic)


UPDATE: Post edited on 4/4/06. Edits are in bold italics)

Rattler Alums in Rainier-Mariner Exhibition Game

The Seattle Mariners and the Tacoma Rainiers played an exhibition game at Cheney Stadium yesterday. Tacoma beat Seattle 5-4. Find the box Score here.

Mike Wilson, the Rattler home run and RBI leader in '05, had a couple of RBI for the Rainiers. His two run double tied the game in the seventh inning.

Oswaldo Navarro, who had a lot of clutch hits for the Rattlers last year, had three hits and drove in the winning runs with a single in the eighth.

The Tacoma News-Tribune story is here. (One time registration required)

Also at the News-Tribune site is a story about Clint Nageotte (WI '01) being the likely number one starter for the Rainiers this season. That's great for Clint. He is the Rattler single season record holder for strikeouts with 187 in 2001 and he started yesterday's game with by striking out Ichiro.

One of the plans I have for a regular feature on this site is a Rattler Alumni of the Day. That will be starting shortly and will cover former Rattlers in the majors and the minors. There are a lot of former Rattlers out there in the baseball world, which means plenty to pick from for the award.

It's Raining Again

Nothing like a Supertramp song for a title to a post. If I start naming posts after passages from The Logical Song, feel free to stop me.

Here's the news.

I'll be filing Postcards from the Pressbox again this season. The Post-Crescent -- well, actually Rattler beat writer Brett Christopherson-- asked if I was interested and I said yes.

This is a web only thing for the RattlersReport section of their website. The entire archive from last year can be found here.

Also, there may be the worst picture ever taken of me at that same site. I look like Ray Milland after he was sewn onto Rosie Grier in The Thing with Two Heads. But it's Ray Milland wearing a headset.

Most of the day today is taking care of other writing duties. PLAYBALL! is the game day magazine fans receive on the way into Fox Cities Stadium. Just finished up the lead article and a section called Quick Hits. Both were suprisingly easy to write.

After this is posted, it will be time to set up my Game Notes documents for the season. Once that is completed, all that will need to be done is plug in new names and highlights into the empty spaces once the roster is set to go.

I'll be honest, they aren't really my game notes. I ripped them off almost section-for-section from Randy Wehofer. Randy is the radio announcer for the Burlington Bees and I couldn't have stolen them from a better guy. In fact, most of the radio guys in the league have ripped off their game notes template from Randy. He hasn't asked for royalties...Yet.

Four days to Opening Day!

Another Light Posting Day

It's late in the day and there has been a lot of running around today. So much stuff that I had to get for the radio broadcasts and today was a good day to do it.

Not ready for the digital age yet, but I think that I finally tracked down a tape recorder that will allow highlights to be recorded during the game and played back on the post-game show.

Not a big deal to you? Because you hear those highlights on every other broadcast? Big deal to me. I get to join that club this year.

There will be a new crowd mic this year, too. That will make the fans sound a bit clearer.

I saw that a few of the teams in the league have announced their rosters. It sounds like the Rattlers roster is set, but we have nothing official yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Definitely Monday.