Three! Count 'em! THREE Postseason All-Stars!

Unprecedented.

Three Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have been named to the 2010 Midwest League Postseason All-Star Team. Second baseman Scooter Gennett, outfielder Khris Davis, and closer Jon Pokorny were elected to the team in a vote by the managers of the 16 teams in the Midwest League. These three Rattlers are the first postseason all-stars for the Timber Rattlers since Matt Tuiasosopo was the shortstop on the 2005 team.

Click the link for all of the details. Why unprecedented? Here is why:

The naming of three Timber Rattlers to this season's postseason All-Star team marks the most Wisconsin players on the team in franchise history.  The previous high had been two in four straight seasons form 1998 to 2001.

And here is a list of all Timber Rattlers players to make the Postseason All-Star Team:

PAST TIMBER RATTLERS MWL POSTSEASON ALL-STARS
PLAYER            POS   SEASON
Matt Tuiasosopo   SS     2005
Shin-Soo Choo     OF     2002
Pedro Lirano      2B     2001
Jamal Strong      OF     2001
Shawn McCorkle    1B     2000
Chris Snelling    OF     2000
Juan Silvestre    OF     1999
Clint Chrysler    LHRP   1999
Jermaine Clark    2B     1998
Ryan Anderson     LHSP   1998

Richardson is MWL Offensive Player of the Week

I knew that D'Vontrey Richardson was having a good week. But, when you put all the numbers together in one place it is especially impressive:

For the week, Richardson went 10-for-20 (.500) with three doubles, two triples, and a home run. He also drew eight walks in six games during the week to run his on base percentage to .643. The six extra-base hits in the week gave Richardson a slugging percentage of 1.000.

Let's see...that would make his OPS (On Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage)...

Don't tell me....

1.643? Yes! 1.643!

I am told that 1.643 for an OPS is pretty good.

Congratulations, D'Vontrey!

Khris Davis Week Continues

Timber Rattlers outfielder was named the Midwest League Batter of the Week earlier today.

Also, the Timber Rattlers production crew put together this piece on his Home Run Derby win in Fort Wayne last week.

The Case

The Midwest League Pitcher of the Week was announced yesterday. He was not Rattlers pitcher Jake Odorizzi.

The winner was:
Austin Adams, Lake County
1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 1 GS, 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K

Indians prospect Austin Adams, who was a fifth-rounder in the '09 Draft, staved off the South Bend Silver Hawks over four innings on Monday. His Captains would go on to lose, 6-3, but Adams began the game with two no-hit innings, worked around a leadoff single in the third and worked a perfect fourth, fanning four throughout the brief start. On Saturday, he came in to do some relief work in the fifth inning of a no-hitter. He kept the no-no going into the eighth, when he surrendered a two-out single, and he allowed another single in the ninth. Adams struck out seven over his five dazzling frames, though, and he didn't walk a batter in either of his two appearances.

Jake Odorizzi's numbers last week:

1-0, 1.38ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 IP, 10 H, 2R, 2ER, 3 BB, 15 K

• Odorizzi could have been 2-0 had the Rattlers bullpen held on in the game at Cedar Rapids on May 30
• Two games as a starter
• Seven of those innings pitched were shutout frames at Kane County
• Eight strikeouts six innings in the game against a very good Kernels team
• "Staved off" seems like a term of desperation. Google it.

I can see why Adams won the award, but Odorizzi should have been in the conversation.

Not forgotten

The Red Smith Banquet was last night. For those of you not from the area it is a big event that raises scholarship money for local high school athletes. Last night, the award winners were Donald Driver and Whitey Herzog. Jay Bilas was the guest speaker.

There is a photo gallery here. Pay particular attention to photos 23, 27, and 28. I won't post them here, because I like my job.

One of the awards given out last night as called "The Forgotten Man". That award went to someone with Timber Rattlers ties.

[John] Wollner, a visionary who pushed for the construction of the highly successful Time Warner Cable Field and Fox Cities Stadium, was honored with the "Forgotten Man" award.
...
While Wollner never wore an Appleton Foxes or Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball uniform or carried his glove to the old Goodland Field or Fox Cities Stadium, he was a most valuable player for several seasons.

Wollner was president of the Fox Cities Baseball Club Inc., from 1994 to 1997.

At one point, the old Foxes had to borrow $80,000 to pay off debts from the 1993 season. Attendance dipped at Goodland Field. Renovations were needed to keep the team in town.

"The options were to build a new stadium or to sell the team," Wollner recalled. "Obviously, we didn't want to lose the team. It was pretty serious back then."

The rest of the story is local baseball history.

There are some stories in the archives about the early days of the stadium. Looks like this week's Flashback Friday is going to be from 1994 or 1995.

A year ender

Brett Christopherson of the PC has a column on the year that was Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball.

The task, as presented by the powers-that-be, was to revisit once more the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' 2009 Midwest League season — to reminisce as our local minor league baseball club kicked off what figures to be a long affiliation with the home state Milwaukee Brewers.

Fine. But rather than bore our faithful readers with a bunch of blah-blah, let's add a pinch of pizzazz to this normally mundane assignment. Let's, in keeping with the culinary theme, kick it up a notch, shall we?

BAM!

So, I present to you the first annual Bronze Baseball Extravaganza, an awards presentation related to all things Rattlers.

The drill is simple. Listed are a handful of categories designed to highlight the '09 campaign. Winners are announced and given the coveted Bronze Baseball. (We requested gold, but hey, budgets are tight these days).

Anyway, sit back, relax and know as you gaze upon the snowy landscape that pitchers and catchers are due to report for spring training in just seven weeks.

I'm going to make you click through to get the winners, but here are the categories for...The Bronzies*

Best Prospect: Position Player

Best Prospect: Pitcher

Biggest Disappointment

Most Memorable Game

Lifetime Achievement Award

Homer of the Year

Unquotable Quote Award

*-Bronzies are not in the column. Brett is too good to come up with a hackneyed term like that. I, on the other hand -- as shown by my lame Emeril reference above, am not too good.

I'll make it up to you tomorrow

If there are a lot of things to post tomorrow.

Right now, I am still off the grid...for the most part. But, I did want to share this from WaiverSharks.com.

They rated the top Bobbleheads of 2009 -- "The Bobblies" -- in this post.

The Timber Rattlers -- in their eyes -- have two of the top 10.

#2.)

We are giving two enthusiastic Thumbs up to Bernie and Fang! Yeah, I’m a sucker for Dual Bobbleheads. Like the saying goes – Two heads are better than one, right? So, when this Mascot Dualie was awarded to fans while the snow was barely melted back in April 2009 it was love at first sight! The colors are bright, and what could be more uplifting than a MiLB Mascot (Fang) shaking the hand of his mustachioed MLB Brother, Bernie Brewer?!

#9.)

This 2009 SGA of the Milwaukee Brewers First Round Draft Pick Brett Lawrie was handed out during a late season Timber Rattler home game. And, Although nothing jumps out as being amazing about this bobblehead – as a fellow Canadian I feel a need to continue to give props to solid Canuck prospects who I feel have a good chance of one day becoming real special Major Leaguers!

For that reason – I have given the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers their 2nd Bobblie Award for offering up this Nodder from the North! If given the chance, one day Brett Lawrie should make Milwaukee Brewers fans forget the Rickie Weeks era ever existed!

From Alberta

Okotoks, Alberta is a town situated on the Sheep River, 18 kilometers (11 mi) south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of communities within Greater Calgary. Okotoks has become a popular bedroom community for the city of Calgary. According to the 2006 Census, the town's population has grown by 46% since 2001.

The name was originally pronounced /ˈɒkətɒks/ but is now largely pronounced /ˈoʊkətoʊks/. The town celebrated its centennial in 2004.

It is also from whence where we get our next story. Out of the Okotoks Western Wheel.

An award-winning pitcher is spending his off-season helping youngsters in the organization that catapulted his baseball career — the Dawgs.

Jim Henderson, 27, a pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization, was selected the 2009 Canadian Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Canadian Baseball Network.

He is residing in Okotoks for the winter, volunteering his time to help young ballplayers train at Okotoks Dawgs’ camps.

“I was with the Dawgs the first year they started in Calgary when I was 13,” Henderson said. “I got exposed (to scouts) so much by playing with the Dawgs. They helped me out tremendously.”

Really good story. Go read itr all. And I learned that he was Canadian Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Congratulations to the Rattlers closer from the first half of 2009.

Topps/MiLB Class A All-Stars

Topps and MiLB combine Advanced A and Class A leagues for their Post-season All-Star team. That means there are 10 spots from 60 teams.

Joe Dunigan ('08) was selected as the first baseman on this squad.

2009 Arizona Fall Legue Championship Game

@Javelinas 5, Phoenix 4

Javs:
Anthony Varvaro ('07): 2IP, 2H, R, 3K

Varvaro made the start for the Javelinas. Congratulations to all of the ex-Rattlers who won the pennant. That includes former trainer Matt Toth! More on how the ex-Rattlers players did in the AFL tomorrow.

Arizona native lifts Peoria to AFL title

White Sox prospect C.J. Retherford is a local product to whom the Arizona Fall League dynasty of Phoenix meant something.

So bringing the Desert Dogs' dominance to an end was particularly meaningful for the second baseman, whose two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Peoria Javelinas a 5-4 victory over Phoenix in Saturday's thrilling AFL championship game in front of 3,521 in Scottsdale Stadium.

"That was a big thing. They'd won the championship so many years in a row," Retherford said.

There was no sixth in a row for the Dogs.

Awards were handed out, too. Former Kane County -- wherever that is -- Cougar Grant Desme won the MVP award.

Grant Desme, the Oakland outfield prospect who led the Arizona Fall League with 11 homers, has been chosen as the recipient of the league's Joe Black Most Valuable Player Award.

Desme began the five-week season on a tear, drilling 10 of his home runs before the end of October, and maintained a consistent level of play that saw him also lead the AFL with 72 total bases while ranking second in RBIs (27) and runs scored (30).

Desme was presented with his MVP Award prior to Saturday afternoon's AFL championship game, in which he started in left field for Phoenix against the Peoria Javelinas.

Russ Mitchell, a Dodgers farmhand since 2003 who managed not to play for the Great Lakes Looooooons from 2007-2009, won the Sportsmanship award.

Russ Mitchell, a longtime Minor Leaguer whose dedication and perseverance paid off in a stellar Arizona Fall League campaign, was presented with the 2009 Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award on Saturday.

Mitchell received the award prior to Saturday afternoon's AFL championship game, in which he started at first base for the Peoria Javelinas, against the Phoenix Desert Dogs.

Just note that I am having a little fun with the Loons. Not Mitchell and definitely not the player for whom the award is named.

The award, which honors the memory of the former Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect killed during the 2003 AFL season, annually goes to a player who exemplifies leadership, unselfishness and hard work.

Mitchell certainly qualifies, especially on that last point. The Dodgers' 15th-round selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, the 24-year-old first baseman recently completed his seventh Minor League season, with Double-A Chattanooga of the Southern League.

This caps a really good season

Congratulations, Adam Jones. You're a Gold Glove Award winner.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones added a fitting coda to his breakout season Tuesday, when he was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove in recognition of his stellar defensive play.

Jones, who was also elected to the All-Star Game, established himself as one of the American League's most dynamic two-way players in 2009.

The 24-year-old distinguished himself with several catches at the wall and recorded nine assists in 2009, and the award carries special meaning because it's voted on by the league's managers and coaches. Jones had more putouts (349) than he did in 2008 (336) despite playing in 11 fewer games and nearly 100 fewer innings.

This part freaks me out...

Jones, who was acquired from Seattle as part of a five-player haul for Erik Bedard before the '08 season, helped erase some sordid recent history for the Orioles.

Oh, wait. That's the part that freaks out Mariners fans. Here is the part that freaks me out.

[The Orioles] hadn't seen an outfielder take the award since Paul Blair in 1975.

John Lowenstein and Gary Roenicke didn't win one in 1979?

Jones was a shortstop for the Rattlers in 2004. He is the first Timber Rattler Alum to win a Gold Glove Award. Alex Rodriguez, an Appleton Fox in 1994, won as a shortstop with the Texas Rangers in 2002 and 2003.

Midwest League Front office awards

No real surprises in the MWL awards.

Larry MacPhail Promotional Trophy: Dayton Dragons
John H. Johnson President's Trophy: Fort Wayne TinCaps
Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year: Stefanie Brown, Quad Cities River Bandits
Midwest League Executive of the Year: Mike Nutter, Fort Wayne TinCaps

Surprise! The TinCaps have a release.

Following a season in which the Fort Wayne TinCaps’ players won a variety of awards, the team’s front office collected its share of the hardware Thursday. The TinCaps won the Midwest League President’s Trophy and team president Mike Nutter was named the Midwest League Executive of the Year.

The John H. Johnson President’s Trophy is awarded to the club which best exemplifies the standards of the complete baseball franchise, such as financial success of operation, contributions to baseball in the community and baseball industry, and long-term franchise stability.

“We’ve come a long way over the last year,” Nutter said. “Moving into a first-class ballpark gave us the chance to entertain our fans in new and exciting ways. On the field, the team exceeded all expectations and won our first championship. I thank our fans, who are the best in the country. I also thank our front-office team which made things run smoothly and put on a fantastic show every night at Parkview Field.”

And the winners are...

The Midwest League announced their post season awards today. No Rattlers, but lots of Looooons and lots of Chiefs.

POS.PLAYER............CLUB
1B..Rebel Ridling.....Peoria
2B..Alexi Amarista....Cedar Rapids
3B..Josh Vitters......Peoria
SS..Dee Gordon........Great Lakes
OF..Kyle Russell......Great Lakes
OF..Kyler Burke.......Peoria
OF..Josh Harrison.....Peoria
C...Tony Delmonico....Great Lakes
DH..Billy Nowlin......West Michigan

Starters:
RHP..Kenny Smalley...Kane County
LHP..Casey Crosby....West Michigan

Relievers:
RHP..Brad Brach....Fort Wayne
LHP..Andrew Taylor.Cedar Rapids

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS:
Dee Gordon – Great Lakes
Kyle Russell – Great Lakes

PROSPECT OF THE YEAR:
Dee Gordon – Great Lakes

MANAGERS OF THE YEAR:
Doug Dascenzo – Fort Wayne
Marty Pevey – Peoria

Peralta wins award

For the second time this season a Timber Rattler was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week.

Wisconsin Timber Rattler pitcher Wily Peralta was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week today for his performance the week of May 18-24. The Milwaukee Brewers prospect did not allow a run over two outings, struck out 17 batters, walked just two, and allowed five hits.

The whole release is at the link.

And for the first time this year

A Rattler is an award winner.

Congratulations, Daniel Meadows. You're the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week!

The southpaw appeared in 3 games last week and in 10 innings allowed only 1 run while striking out 9 batters. Meadows picked up 2 wins during the week to improve his record to 4-0 for the season. On the year, he has pitched in 8 games and has a 3.26 ERA.

Making his first start since August 28, 2008, Meadows threw 5 shutout innings at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium against South Bend on May 10, 2009. He struck out 5 and allowed only 3 hits to the Silver Hawks.

That is from the team release. The link up top will go to the MiLB.com page. When there is a link for the team release, I'll pass it along.

Awards for the Week (4/27)

MiLB.com announced the Pitchers and Batters of the Week for the various leagues yesterday.

Midwest League
Matt Fairel, Dayton
1-0, 1.38 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 13 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 20 SO
Matt Fairel was dominant in two starts for the Dayton Dragons last week. Facing Great Lakes, the Reds' 35th-round selection struck out 12 batters in his third career start. He then picked up his first pro win against South Bend on April 26, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while fanning eight in seven innings. He leads the Midwest League with 20 2/3 innings pitched and is second with 24 strikeouts.

Johermyn Chavez, Lansing
.421 (8-19), 7 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0 SB, 1.158 SLG
Johermyn Chavez started the week with a homer in three consecutive games, followed by a 3-for-5 performance in which he fell a homer short of the cycle and plated four runs. The Blue Jays prospect leads the Midwest League with four homers and nine extra-base hits. The Venezuelan native had an eight-game hitting streak snapped on April 26.

BREWER FARMHANDS:
Southern League
Chris Cody, Huntsville
2-0, 0.75 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
Brewers prospect Chris Cody opened his two-start week by holding Carolina to an unearned run in six innings on April 21. He capped it off with six more dominant innings against Chattanooga, holding the Lookouts to a run on just two hits. The lefty didn't allow a walk in either outing and lowered his ERA to 1.29, tied for fifth in the Southern League.

Florida State League
Caleb Gindl, Brevard County
.522 (12-23), 6 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SO, 1 SB, .783 SLG
The Brewers' Caleb Gindl cleaned up at the plate this week for Brevard County. The '07 fifth-round pick started the week going 4-for-4 with three RBIs on April 21 and capped it off with a homer, three runs scored and two RBIs on April 26. He broke out against Dunedin on April 24 with a homer and four RBIs, while going 3-for-4 at the plate. The shortstop prospect leads the FSL with a .397 average and 23 hits.

Ex-Brewer farmhands:
International League
Matt LaPorta , Columbus
.520 (13-25), 10 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 BB, 1 SO, 0 SB, .840 SLG
Indians top prospect Matt LaPorta swung a hot bat this week, collecting a hit in every game to extend his hitting streak to seven games. The outfielder homered in back-to-back games against Indianapolis on April 24 and 25. He also had four multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 effort on April 25. LaPorta, a 2008 Southern League All-Star, leads the International League with 19 runs scored and a .767 slugging percentage.

Ex-Rattler:
California League
Kuo Hui Lo, High Desert
.429 (9-21), 7 R, 0 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0 SB, 1.190 SLG
Taiwan native Kuo Hui Lo ripped apart Cal League pitchers this week, with four homers in five games -- including a pair of roundtrippers to cap off the week on April 26. The Mariners prospect hit safely and had at least one RBI in each game this week. He currently leads the circuit with six triples and an .811 slugging percentage. Lo is riding a six-game hitting streak into the third week of the season.

Players of the Week -- April 20, 2009

Midwest League Batter of the Week and Pitcher of the Week are at the bottom of the page at this link. Or, right here:

Batter of the week: Billy Nowlin, West Michigan
Pitcher of the week: Anthony Bass, Fort Wayne

Also at the link:

Brewer farmhand Zelous Wheeler was named the Batter of the Week in the Florida State League.

Did you see?

A former Rattler trainer picked up an award at the Winter Meetings.

Seattle Mariners Double-A athletic trainer Jeremy Clipperton has received the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society's (PBATS) highest Minor League award as the top athletic trainer in all of the Minor Leagues.

Voted on by his peers in PBATS, this award is given to an athletic trainer that exemplifies the best in athletic training for their players and demonstrates a deep concern for the community and fellow athletic trainers.

Richie Bancells, president of PBATS, said, "Jeremy Clipperton has demonstrated that excellence in athletic training is important at all levels. His dedication to his players and his profession show that he is a consummate professional all the way."

Clipperton, an Iowa native, was the Timber Rattlers trainer for five seasons, from 2002 through 2006.

In pro wrestling....

Mad Dog Vachon would charge in from the left, grab that trophy, and smash it on the ground while threatening Jack Roeder with great bodily harm during an upcoming cage match at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee.

But, this is Minor League Baseball...

The Cedar Rapids Kernels were presented with the national John H. Johnson President’s Trophy at the Awards Banquet on Thursday night, which concluded the Baseball Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The President’s Trophy, Minor League Baseball’s top award, is presented annually to honor the complete baseball franchise--based on franchise stability; contributions to league stability; contributions to baseball in the community; and promotion of the baseball industry. Cedar Rapids has had professional baseball since 1890 and the Kernels have been in the Midwest League since 1962. It’s safe to say the Midwest League club has never been more valuable to its community than it was in 2008 when devastating floods overwhelmed the city.

Kernels General Manager Jack Roeder accepted the award on behalf of the Kernels from Minor League President Pat O’Connor.

Congratulations, Kernels.

Go Vote

Over at MLB.com, you can vote on the This Year in Baseball Awards.

Ex-Rattler Asdrubal Cabrera ('05) is up for Play of the Year. An unassisted triple play will do that.

Ex-Appleton Fox Alex Rodriguez ('94) is a candidate for Moment of the Year. His home run on 9/3 was upheld in the first use of instant replay.

Ryan Braun's homer against the Cubs on 9/28 is also a candidate for Moment of the Year.

Appleton Baseball Hall of Famer Kenny Williams, who is probably better known as the GM of the Chicago White Sox, is up for Executive of the Year. Brewer GM Doug Melvin is up for that same award.

Voting is open until the end of the day today.

Yeah, I should have gotten this up a lot sooner.