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Doug Melvin will be the special guest at the 2010 Lead-off Experience.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will celebrate the start of their second season as an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers by welcoming a VIP from their parent club's front office. Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Melvin is scheduled to be the featured guest at the annual Lead-Off Experience on Wednesday, April 7.

The program will feature an autograph session with the players, dinner, and an interactive question and answer session at The Wave Bar & Ballroom. Festivities begin at 5:30pm with the autograph session and a cash bar. Dinner is scheduled to be served at 6:30pm.

Call the Timber Rattlers for tickets. (920) 733-4152

Also, Erik Miller is in The Interrogation Room.

Q. What did you take away from your 2009 season in Wisconsin?

A. My 09' season, being my first full season, taught me a lot about what it truly means to be a professional ball player. I learned how to cope with the every day ups and downs the game can bring upon a player. With a 140 game season, I learned how to stay on a more emotionally consistent level every day and not let the little things bother me as much. The fans are also something I had never experienced. Every day before the game they are peering into the dugout as we strapped on our cleats just waiting for us to step out and sign a ball, or hat or whatever it was they had. To me, seeing the joy the fans got out of watching us play was something that inspired me.

More at the link.

Leading off

In 2008, the Timber Rattlers switched the name of the Welcome Home Banquet to The Leadoff- Experience. They also switched formats from dinner and speakers to an experience. I'm told that it was a big success. The plan is to do it again this year. Here is the team release.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are proud to welcome Gord Ash, Vice-President - Assistant General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers as the featured guest at the 2009 Lead-Off Experience. The event, formerly known as the Welcome Home Banquet, will feature an interactive interview program hosted by [some guy who announces, blogs, and sells advertising for the Rattlers]. Fans attending the event will hear from the newest Timber Rattlers players along with the new coaching staff, including field manager Jeff Isom, pitching coach Chris Hook and hitting coach & Appleton resident Matt Erickson.

The Timber Rattlers’ ‘Lead-Off Experience’ will be held at the Wave Bar and Ballroom on Wednesday, April 8, 2009. It will feature an autograph session with players & coaches along with a cash bar beginning at 5:30pm. Autographs will continue until 6:15pm followed by a family-style dinner served at 6:30pm before the interactive program begins at 7pm.

Tickets are $30 each or $300 for a table (9 people plus a player). A kid’s meal (chicken fingers & French fries) will also be available to fans 12 and under for $15. Seating is limited and tickets must be purchased in advance. Please contact Mary Robinson at (920)733-4152 or mrobinson@timberrattlers.com to reserve your tickets.

I may have changed something in that release. It's in the brackets. Hey, I'm only doing what the Post-Crescent did on their website, kind of did.

An autograph session with Rattlers players and coaches will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a family style dinner at 6:30 p.m. An interactive interview program in which fans can hear from Rattlers manager Jeff Isom, hitting coach and Appleton native Matt Erickson and pitching coach Chris Hook will start at 7 p.m.

Tickets cost $30 per person or $300 for a table, which includes nine people and a player. A kids’ meal will be made available to fans 12 years of age and younger for $15.

By the way interactive means you get to ask questions of the coaching staff, players, and Gord Ash.

I'll bet you can come up with better ones than [some guy who announces, blogs, and sells advertising for the Rattlers]. See you there.

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