See a game, Win $10,000

It was just that simple in Cedar Rapids last night.

There are grand slams, then there’s what Terrell Alliman hit Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Call it a 10-grand slam.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels outfielder capped off an 11-run fifth inning with a granny that helped his team to a 15-3 win over the Burlington Bees. This just happened to be the final Winning Wednesday of the season, and, yes, it was a winner.

The two-year-old promotion pays off $10,000 to a lucky fan if the Kernels achieve a particular feat in an inning. Last night’s fifth-inning feat was a grand slam.

That’s where Alliman comes in. Mike Schweitzer of Cedar Rapids was watching the game with a bunch of buddies and had his name randomly drawn by Kernels General Manager Jack Roeder as the grand winner of this 10-grand slam.

“Holy (cow!),” Schweitzer said, moments after learning of his payday. “Did I know I could (win)? Yeah. But you never think you will. What are the odds of this? Pretty cool.”

Nice editing with the Holy (cow)!, Jeff Johnson.  I can't guess what that word (cow) replaced would be.  And...Pretty cool? That's all you can come up with, really? Dude.

“Heck, I don’t care,” Schweitzer said, when asked if he was going to buy a celebratory round for the house of 1,713. “Set ‘em up.”

Now THAT'S more like it!

Maverick needs your vote

Time is running out and the Russians are...I mean Shooter Hunt has a big lead according to this rundown on round two of Moniker Madness.

Speaking of lopsided, No. 2 Shooter Hunt isn't getting much of a challenge from No. 7 Maverick Lasker.

Head over here and VOTE FOR MAVERICK! As someone pointed out...Maverick is his real name. Not a nickname!

Guarantee

Joe Namath. Mark Messier. Brad Taylor.

Wait, what?

Bowling Green Hot Rods general manager and CEO Brad Taylor is making a bold prediction - the Hot Rods’ July 23 home game against the Quad Cities River Bandits is “Guaranteed Friday Fireworks Win Night.”

That means if the Hot Rods - who are currently 0-8 in Friday night games at Bowling Green Ballpark - lose July 23, fans in attendance may exchange their ticket stub for a half-price box seat to see the Hot Rods play on one of five dates - July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 3, Aug. 16 or Aug. 30. Box seats are $10.

“It’s really simple - we’re 0-8 on Friday nights,” Taylor said. “Those are some of our most fun nights for our fans, with a great fireworks show every postgame. We just felt like it was time. I wanted to throw our support behind our team and say, ‘Hey guys, let’s win one in front of nice big fireworks crowd and have some fun.’

“I decided I would guarantee a victory on Friday, July 23. If it works out, the fans are going to have a lot of fun and see a victory. If it doesn’t work out, the fans will get to come back to another game on basically a half-price ticket.”

The Hot Rods play Quad Cities that night.

Cheers!

The video production crew has this preview of the upcoming homestand:



I dare them to work in Perfect Strangers next time.

Fun with underwear

The Timber Rattlers are holding a Salute to Underwear Night in Thursday, July 15.

Jockey.com is the sponsor and mini-brief key chains will be given away.  What is a mini-brief key chain?  Here.

Head to this part of the Timber Rattlers Facebook page to learn how you can throw out a first pitch next Thursday.

Sounds like fun to me.

Leading!

In case you haven't heard, the Timber Rattlers will be hosting the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest on June 8!

As part of that, the Rattlers are a team taking part in the...

The Principal Financial Group® Family Fun Fest 401-K Challenge

Head to that link and vote for the pitching staff of the team that you think will get to 401 home strike outs first and you could win....well, just go to the link and find out what you could win.

Oh, and the Rattlers are leading the competition through a few days ago.

Team.......................Strikeouts*
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers..219
Kinston Indians............218
Fort Wayne TinCaps.........216
Savannah Sand Gnats........204
Potomac Nationals..........201
Myrtle Beach Pelicans......190
Frederick Keys.............188
Wilmington Blue Rocks......186
Springfield Cardinals......181
Kannapolis Intimidators....177

*-As of May 27

Your choices!

Voting starts now for the Fans' Choice Bobblehead giveaway. The giveaway is set for September 2.

Vote here.

The choices:
Eric Arnett - P - 2010

Adam Jones - SS - 2004

Cameron Garfield - C - 2010

Charlie Capper*

Kyle Heckathorn - P - 2010

Felix Hernandez - P - 2003

Scooter vs. the Snowman**

Jake Odorizzi - P - 2010

*-The Timber Rattlers main scoreboard operator since Fox Cities Stadium opened in 1995, Charlie started running the scoreboard for Foxes games in 1987 at Goodland Field. Combined, he has worked well over 1,000 games for the Foxes and Timber Rattlers. The Press Box at Time Warner Cable Field was named in honor of Charlie in 2008.

**-

Two days only

The Homestand Highlights release for the next seven games is up on the Timber rattlers website. But, I wanted to point this part out.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez is scheduled for a rehabilitation assignment and will appear in games for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Time Warner Cable Field on Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20.

This is cool.

Wednesday's game is at 12:05pm. Thursday's game is at 6:35pm. Click on either of those two dates to order tickets for the individual games.

See the pink jersey

The Timber Rattlers will be home on Mother's Day (That's May 9) this year.

This is the jersey they will be wearing:

There will be brunch. But, you need to reserve your seats in advance. See this release for the full details. But, here are a few:

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have a very special Mother's Day planned for Moms when they host the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Sunday, May 9.

Timber Rattler players will welcome Moms (and their families) to Time Warner Cable Field for a special pre-game brunch featuring mimosas, a delicious hot buffet and dessert. The best part is Moms eat FREE (with a paid guest)! Brunch will be served from 10:45am to noon with the Timber Rattlers game to follow at 1:05pm. Brunch attendees will also enjoy Seroogy's chocolates and a chance to win a handful raffle prizes with a "pink" theme. Tickets are $15 per person and include brunch and a reserved seat ticket.

A deal for you

This e-mail arrived in my inbox last night during the game from the Timber Rattlers ticket department:

Fans who purchase a ticket in the new all-you-can-eat seats April 20-25 will receive a bobblehead that night. For fans who missed out on opening day this year or last year as fans can choose to receive either of the opening day bobbleheads. Tickets for the ayce seats can be purchased online. Bobbleheads will be delivered to the seats that night.

I ran that through a free on-line translator and I got this back in bullet point form

• Purchase a ticket for the 'All-You-Can-Eat' Section for any of the home games between April 20 and April 25 for $25
• With your purchase, you may choose one of two bobbleheads: The Opening Day Bobblehead of 2009 or The Opening Day Bobblehead of 2010.
• You may purchase the tickets for the section online, in person at the box office, or over the phone (800) WI-TIMBER or (920) 733-4152.
• The bobblehead you select will be delivered to your seat on the night you are at the game.
  

In closing:

Buy a ticket in the All-You-Can-Eat Section for a game during the April 20-25 homestand. Receive one of these:




Simple.

Friday!

From the main Website!

Jeff Suppan starts for Rattlers on Friday

Jeff Suppan's road back to Miller Park will take him through Time Warner Cable Field. The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that Jeff Suppan will make a rehab for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Friday, April 9. Wisconsin will host the Kane County Cougars at 6:35pm on Friday Night.

In conjunction with Suppan's start, the Timber Rattlers have announced a 'Soup's on for Suppan' Food Drive for Friday. Fans who bring in a canned food item when they purchase a ticket at the Time Warner Cable Field Box Office for Friday's game will receive a half-price ticket. The offer is valid for all sections excluding the "All-You-Can-Eat" Section.

Food items will be donated to the St. Joseph Food Program.

So much right, so much wrong

The Timber Rattlers have had 'Bang for your Buck' Nights for a while now. Tuesday nights are big attendance games at Time Warner Cable Field.

Last night the Sacramento Kings tried their own...well, I'll let this preview article explain what it was called.

Spread the Kings Cheer With Dollar Beer

Cynthia Hubert of the Sacramento Bee wrote the story and gets quotes from MADD and Sacramento Law Enforcement, but there is a glaring error. See if you can spot it:

"It's a high-profile promotion and we'll be monitoring it," said Jon Carr of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. "The Kings just need to make sure that IDs are checked, and that they don't serve anyone who is intoxicated."

Discount beer promotions, long a part of the sporting landscape, have become less common because of concerns about overconsumption, crowd misbehavior and drinking and driving, observed sports fan researcher Christian End of Xavier University in Cincinnati.

End recalled a notorious "Nickel Beer" promotion 35 years ago in which the minor league Lake County Captains baseball team in Ohio had to forfeit a game after drunken fans went bonkers.

"This is sort of a throwback idea, and it's one of those things you could potentially see backfiring," End said of the Kings promotion. "I don't want to condemn the Kings, but I hope they are encouraging people to drink responsibly because that's a lot of people and there could be quite a lot of beer consumed."

The Sacramento River Cats have offered similar discounts, including $2 beers at their annual "barbecue and brew" event, said spokesman Gabe Ross. The team typically offers cheap brews only at select locations within Raley Field, and usually cuts the promotion off in the seventh inning, he said.

Did you see it?

Okay. I'll pull it down

End recalled a notorious "Nickel Beer" promotion 35 years ago in which the minor league Lake County Captains baseball team in Ohio had to forfeit a game after drunken fans went bonkers.

The Lake County Captains -- who were not even around 35 years ago -- held their Nickel Beer Night this past season. That was part of an anniversary celebration of the Cleveland Indians Nickel Beer Night in which the Indians fans got too "bonkers" and the game was forfeited.

The Captains Nickel Beer Night? Oh, it went off without a hitch.

Beer was only served from when the game opened (6 pm) to when the game started (7 pm). Each cup of beer was five ounces and fans could only get two cups per person.

The team served 2,000 cups of beer, according to Jonathan Levey, the team’s director of promotions. But it appears like lines were long enough so that it would be physically impossible for an average adult to get drunk.

To the team’s credit, they actually had some acceptable draft beers being offered for the nickel. Fans could choose from Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite and Labatt’s.

I can see how Mr. End would be confused by that, but it's close enough for government work.

Oh, how did things go for the Kings last night?

Well, they won and they drew 16,579. They entered the game at 10-13. With the bump from last night, they are now averaging 12,424 which is still 29th in the 30 team NBA.

We lost to a Cave Shrimp?

Un....believeable.

If there's one lesson that can be learned from MiLB.com's "Promotion of the Year" voting, it's this: Do not doubt the power of the Cave Shrimp. This little-known sightless crustacean was the centerpiece of the Bowling Green Hot Rod's "What Could've Been Night," which swam past the competition en route to being named the best promotion of 2009.

"What Could've Been Night" received 11,945 votes, more than the combined total of the nine other nominees. The only other team to even come close to the Hot Rods' lofty numbers was the Fresno Grizzlies, who received 9,489 votes.

Lofty.

I will give our new MWL brethern credit for this stuff, though.

"As a first-season team, we had so much work to do," Hot Rods general manager Brad Taylor said when asked how "What Could've Been Night" came to be. "It got to the point in January and February where we were holding creative idea meetings from 6-9 on Thursday nights. ... It was a chance to put on your favorite T-shirt and hang out in a big room, just throw some ideas out there, no holds barred. So it was then that the seed was planted, and from there it steamrolled into a whole bunch of other stuff."

The "other stuff" was all over the map as the team's production staff created a diverse array of "What Could've Been" videos. Sports was a logical topic to explore (what if the Titans had won Super Bowl XXXIV? Or if Kentucky had defeated Duke in the 1992 NCAA basketball championship?), but the team also dealt with some far less likely scenarios. Some standouts: What could've been if Brooks and Dunn had chosen different singing partners? Or if Roseanne had been blessed with a beautiful singing voice? Or, most ridiculously, if fainting was a competitive event?

But at the evening's core was, of course, the Cave Shrimp.

As it always should be...I guess. But, we, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, stand by our Salute to Cows Night

A Call for Votes

The Salute to Cows Night that the Timber Rattlers hosted back in June is one of the Top 10 Promotions of 2009 at MiLB.com.

If you need a refresher, here is the original wrap-up post at Ben's Biz Blog. It has pictures and everything.

We also get a mention in the giveaways segment of the column for the Fang and Bernie Bobblehead giveaway.

The "Call for Votes" thing is us, the Timber Rattlers, asking you, the readers, to click on this link and go vote for us. We have a little ground to make up on the leader, but give us a vote.

Goals:

First Choice: Win the whole ------ thing, as Jake Taylor would say
Fallback: Beat Quad Cities
Safety: Do not...repeat, not, finish last.

There is your homework assignment for the weekend.

A first-hand account

This has been in my TO BLOG file for the last few days, but I've been a bit busy.

Last Friday's game and Boy Scout Sleepover was a big success...according to a local writer.

The Scouts got a chance to parade on the field between the mascots all-star game and the actual game, so they got to see the finely manicured grass, infield and warning track, plus the visitor and home dugouts and even the players in person. At 14 years old (a fact that blows my mind since I wrote a pre-construction story for Marketplace back in the spring of 1995, when the stadium consisted of mud and construction materials), Fox Cities Stadium is certainly wearing well, which is probably why the state high school spring baseball and NCAA Division III baseball tournaments seem comfortably ensconced there.

The game itself ran long; the Rattlers watched their 4–1 fourth-inning lead evaporate completely by the ninth inning. As extra innings approached, the public address announcer made the announcement that if the game went beyond 10:30 p.m., the regularly scheduled Friday night fireworks could not take place because of Town of Grand Chute ordinances.

As a succession of Rattlers swung for the fences and failed to connect as the digital clock on the scoreboard inched toward 10:30, this ordinance struck me as a one-size-fits-too-much approach. Fox Cities Stadium is not in a residential area (the area's homes are north of U.S. 41 and east of the Wisconsin 15 exit). Fox Cities Stadium is undoubtedly an asset for Grand Chute in particular; I doubt there was any other gathering in the town Friday night with 5,240 people, most of whom had wallets with them. Perhaps the town doesn't want fireworks going off in Plamann Park after 10:30, but complaining about postgame fireworks at Fox Cities Stadium seems to me like complaining about Fox River Mall traffic in the town, or complaining about Lambeau Field's presence.

I will point out that there are some condos and houses behind the strip malls on the west side of Casaloma Drive. I will also point out that I have heard people complain about both Fox River Mall traffic and Lambeau Field's presence.

One other thing that I'll point out. We are good neighbors in a good neighborhood. We have agreed to the curfew as a compromise with Grand Chute and our neighbors. A curfew is better than only being allowed one or two shows per year.

As to the sleepover:

Our tent didn't get up until midnight, but the boys were at least able to watch the movie on the scoreboard, "Bolt," while I wondered if, in the heat and rain and packed-to-capacity tent, I would get any sleep. My sons report that I was asleep before the end of "Bolt"; I would report that while the aforementioned factors and trying to sleep next to U.S. 41 didn't wake me up, the sunrise in your face is an excellent alarm clock.

The campout is the second annual for the Timber Rattlers. I would say the T-Rats made at least a few hundred more fans Friday night.

We certainly hope so.

We're going to have guests

The next two Brewers Sundays will feature a few former Brewers.

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will welcome two former Milwaukee Brewers to Time Warner Cable Field for Brewers Sundays in August. Former Brewers slugger Larry Hisle will be at the ballpark on August 2 when the Rattlers host the Quad Cities River Bandits. Pitcher Jerry Augustine will be at the game on August 16 for the Rattlers game against the Beloit Snappers. Both games begin at 1:05pm.

In talking with Larry on the phone last week and in knowing Jerry from the TV broadcasts, both ex-Brewers will be great. So come on out and see them.

For a good cause

Fang is celebrating his 15th birthday next Friday. He wants presents, but not for him.

The gifts will be a contribution to a toy drive that will benefit children of Fox Cities families in need. Fans wishing to donate should bring a new toy to the game between the Timber Rattlers and the Dayton Dragons.

Members of The Santa Squad will be collecting toys at the main gate of Time Warner Cable Field. The Squad is a nationally recognized non-profit organization with a mission of raising money to purchase and collect toys. Donations are then divided amongst toy drives in the area to meet their specific needs. More information about The Santa Squad can be found at www.the-santa-squad.com.

Plus, a mascot kickball game at 6:00pm with over 25 mascots from area companies.

And the followup

Fox 11 was at the game yesterday for the story on Peanut Free Night



I think it went well.

About Peanut Free Night

Channel 2 was out at the stadium yesterday. Here is their story on what was involved in getting Time Warner Cable Field ready for Peanut Free Night.

The embedding code isn't working, and for some reason the link isn't working either.

So here is a link to their written story, video may be found there.

Click it and see how much work people around there actually get done when I am not there.

Six Pack of game on this homestand

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers return to Time Warner Cable Field to begin a six-game homestand on Wednesday night. The playoff-bound West Michigan Whitecaps are in from July 8 through July 10. Then, the South Bend Silver Hawks come to town from July 11 through July 13.

Below are some quick bullet points regarding special events for the games in this homestand:

• Wednesday, July 8 @ 7:05pm: Peanut Free Night. The stadium has been cleaned of peanut residue and there will be no peanuts or peanut products on site to allow fans with peanut allergies to attend the game. The first 1,000 fans will receive a player poster of Timber Rattlers All-Star pitcher Daniel Meadows from Express Convenience Centers. Also, American TV Win-It Wednesday with 103.9 WVBO. Fans 16 and older will receive a scratch-off ticket from American TV. Every ticket is a winner!

• Thursday, July 9 @ 7:05pm: Taco Bell Night. Area Taco Bell restaurants are hosting children and families involved in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeastern Wisconsin. There will be coupons and giveaways from Taco Bell, too. Thirsty Thursday with WIXX. Soda and beer for $1.

• Friday, July 10 @ 7:05pm: Cher-Make BBQ Apron giveaway to the first 1,000 fans. North Shore Bank Family Night. Kids 12 and under eat free! Children 14 and under may run the bases courtesy of Thedacare after the scheduled post-game fireworks display sponsored by 95.9 KISS-FM.

• Saturday, July 11 @ 6:35pm: Chipotle will give 125 lucky fans a burrito. Pre-game concert by 1st Degree will be held outside the stadium. Also, a scheduled post-game fireworks display sponsored by Fox 11.

• Sunday, July 12 @ 1:05pm: AFLAC Strikeout Cancer Day. $1 from every ticket sold to this game will be donated to Families of Children with Cancer, Marshfield Clinic Department of Pediatric Oncology, Community Benefit Tree and AFLAC Children's Cancer Center. The #99 AFLAC car of NASCAR driver Carl Edwards will be on display outside the stadium. The first 500 fans will receive a player magnet of Major League All-Star and former Timber Rattler Adam Jones from Lamers Bus Lines. Also, this Sunday is another Brewers Sunday with 107.5 THE FAN. Timber Rattlers players wear Brewers themed caps and jerseys. There is a post-game autograph session for fans to meet the Timber Rattlers players, too.

• Monday, July 13 @12:05pm; Norwegian Cruise Lines presents Super Splash Day. Fans will enjoy a crazy, wet, and wild day! Fans 18 and older will also have a chance to win a 7-day cruise from Norwegian Cruise Lines! Qdoba Q’Monday with 99.5 THE WOLF. Buy a lunch entrée at Qdoba’s Fox River Mall location on Monday and receive a free ticket to Monday’s game. Daycare, Park & Rec Day. Groups from daycare centers and park and recreation groups receive a discount on tickets when ordered in advance.

Tickets for any of the games on this homestand may be ordered over the Timber Rattlers ticket office phones (920) 733-4152 or 800-WI-TIMBER, through timberrattlers.com, or in person at the Time Warner Cable Field box office.