Alumni with the Giants

This was out a few weeks ago, but I just found it now. The San Francisco Giants announced the staffs of their minor league affiliates and there three Appleton Baseball Alums that I found on the list.

Mike Goff, the first manager in Timber Rattlers history, is back for his second year as the manager of the Giants team in the Arizona League.

Pat Rice, the first Timber Rattlers pitching coach, is back for his second year as the pitching coach of the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the Giants.

Russ Morman, who managed the Kane County Cougars in 2000 and 2001, is the hitting coach at Double-A Richmond. Morman played for the Appleton Foxes in 1984.

Brewers fans should take note that Tom Trebelhorn is back to managing Salem-Keizer, the Northwest League affiliate of the Giants for 2010 as well.

A familiar name

The Great.Lakes.Loooooooooons have been on a roll with ex-Brewers pitchers acting as their pitching coach.

For the last two seasons it has been Danny Darwin. For the 2010 season...

Manager Juan Bustabad returns for a third season with Great Lakes after leading the Loons to the first playoff berth in the franchise’s three-year history and winning a first-round Midwest League playoff series. Michael Boughton will return for a second season as hitting coach and Chuck Crim makes the jump to Single-A after serving as pitching coach for Rookie-advanced Ogden in 2009.

Crim was a Brewer from 1987-1991. Then, he went to the Angels (in a trade that involved Mike Fetters and Glenn Carter) for two seasons before wrapping up his big league career with the Cubs in 1994.

Fun fact: According to his baseball-reference page, Crim lead the American League in appearances in both 1988 (70) and 1989 (76).

"I tell children I'm the happiest person you'll ever meet."

A really good non-baseball, baseball story from the Prodigal Beat Writer and our Brewers guest yesterday.

The guy's name is Larry Hisle, and he accomplished some pretty cool things on the diamond during a 14-year big league run that was capped by a five-year stint with the Crew.

Two all-star appearances. A third-place finish in the American League most valuable player voting after hitting .290 with 34 bombs and 115 RBI in '78 — his first and, by far, most productive season with the Brewers before a bum right shoulder slowed him up and eventually ended a career.

The former outfielder even earned a pair of rings while serving as the hitting coach for those potent Toronto Blue Jays clubs that captured World Series titles in 1992 and '93.

Yeah, he had game. But he talks an even better one.

Hisle earns a paycheck these days as manager of the Brewers' youth outreach program, a gig he has held since 2001. He's also the founder of Major League Mentoring, a Milwaukee-based youth program.

Through both ventures, which primarily keeps him confined in the Milwaukee area, Hisle has made it his mission to be a difference-maker to a kid who's in serious need of some guidance.

Go read it all especially to find out why that quote was used for the title of this post. I'll be back later this afternoon.

Here's that link

to the release about Jim Gantner and Ken Sanders making their appearances at the next two Brewers Sundays at Time Warner Cable Field.

Sweet picture of Gantner at the link, by the way.

Another reason to attend Sunday games

Just got this and I'll provide a link when there is one on the website:

On Sunday, May 17, Jim Gantner will be on hand for the Timber Rattlers game versus the Clinton LumberKings at 1:05pm. The UW-Oshkosh product played for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1976-1992, appearing in over 1,800 Major League games.

Also appearing at Time Warner Cable Field will be former pitcher Ken Sanders on Sunday, June 7th. The right-hander pitched in 195 games as a member of the Brewers from 1970-72. Sanders saved 31 games for Milwaukee in 1971, which stood as a team record until 1989.

Both Brewers alumni will throw out a ceremonial first pitch & be available to sign autographs for fans in attendance.

The team is working on more alumni for the remaining Sunday home games.

At the WBC

Ex-Brewer Manager Tom Trebelhorn is going to be busy during the World Baseball Classic.

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Manager, Tom Trebelhorn, was recently notified he has been selected to coach the Italian National Team in the World Baseball Classic to be held March 5 thru March 23, 2009.

The rest of the staff:

Trebelhorn, who will coach third base, will join Italian Manager, Marco Mazzieri, formerly a coach with the Bellingham Mariners in the Northwest League. Longtime Indians, Orioles and Seattle Mariners Manager, Mike Hargrove, and ex-major league superstar, Mike Piazza will join Trebelhorn on the Italian staff. In 1989, Piazza played for the Salem Dodgers.

Those are some familiar names.