Looking for something to do before the Rattlers game tonight?

Timber Rattlers team President Rob Zerjav is appearing on tonight's edition of Clubhouse Live.  The show is hosted by some guy that used to hang out at the ballpark a lot.  Now, he just pubs us and gives us sweet spots on his shows.  You probably know him at Brett Christopherson.

The show starts at 5:30pm tonight in the Clubhouse Sports Bar in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel located in downtown Appleton.

If you you can't make it down to the show, you can see it right here at:

http://www.postcrescent.com/clubhouselive

Enjoy the show.

Isom on WFRV's Sports Xtra

Burke Griffin invited Rattlers manager Jeff Isom to appear on the July 18 edition of Sports Xtra on WFRV. Here it is.



Oh, and there is a segment in there on someone you may have heard...or read...or seen.

A feature on Matt Andrews...

Right now you are saying, "Who the heck is Matt Andrews?"

Well, if you have been to Time Warner Cable Field, you have seen him.  He is involved in just about every game.  But, he has never been in a game.

The Post-Crescent story will explain.

During games, he looks like the Tin Man with the ever present shin guards.

When the armor is gone, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' bullpen catcher is just a kid.

"I guess I could say I'm living my dream through the bullpen gig," Matt Andrews said Monday after the Timber Rattlers' 4-3 victory over the Great Lakes Loons at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

"Growing up playing Little League, Babe Ruth, high school and college baseball. To say that you participated in professional baseball is pretty neat."

After working on the grounds crew since 2003, "Pudge" got a call from head groundskeeper Eddie Warczak about becoming a bullpen backstop last May and he has been doing it ever since.

The relievers welcomed him immediately by tying his shoelaces together.

Click through for all of it.

Chris Dennis story

Timber Rattlers DH/1B Chris Dennis is subject of this article in the latest Inside Wisconsin Sports.

After spending 2007-08 in rookie ball with the Brewers Arizona and Helena farm clubs, Dennis was bumped up to Milwaukee's newest affiliate, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, to start 2009. For someone still learning to play outside his home country, there could be few better places to earn his stripes.

"When I got to the city of Appleton, everybody really kind of just embraced me and welcomed me," he says. "It made it kind of an easy transition, you know, from not being here or not ever coming to Wisconsin personally. All the people here are very nice. It's a beautiful city, it's clean, and like I said, once you're a Timber Rattler, they just take you right under their wing and help you out with anything you need."

The Wisconsin spirit did wonders for Dennis, who kicked off the year by socking 42 base hits in his first 132 at-bats, with 15 doubles and four home runs. But the honeymoon was short lived for the then-20-year-old, who would suffer a badly sprained ankle after only 38 games in a Rattler uniform.

Click the link for the rest.

Talk with the boss

Rob Zerjav, the president/GM of the Timber Rattlers, is the guest on the Post-Crescent's Newsmakers online show today.

Here is the link

Details:

Watch and chat at 1 p.m. [CDT]: Rob Zerjav, president of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, will answer questions about what's new with the team and with Fox Cities Stadium this year.

Join the conversation!

You may join the conversation through the CoverIt live blog tool on the right of the screen at the link.

A more professional construction update

Speaking of picking up a hard copy of a newspaper, I believe the Timber Rattlers are on the Front Page of the Post-Crescent. Not the sports section...the whole paper. The once and future Timber Rattlers beat writer has the story of the Time Warner Cable Field construction projects...with quotes and everything!

"I've heard a lot of fans tell us they're excited to see the finished product, and I relay right back that I can't wait either," Aaron Hahn said of the latest improvement project under way at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

"Some of the (construction) workers have come over and asked, 'Everything looking good? How do you think it's looking?' And I ask them right back, 'How's everything coming on your end?' Everything's moving very well. It's exciting."

And on schedule.

On schedule! Two great words, no?

Then, there's a little inside baseball stuff about where we got the money to do the project.

The upgrades are expected to cost roughly $400,000 and will be funded by the Fox Cities Amateur Sports Authority, a non-profit group that owns the stadium and leases it to the Rattlers.

Money needed for major stadium improvement projects is gathered by the Sports Authority through rent paid by the team. The most recent available tax records show the Rattlers paid $724,227 in rent in 2008, with the Sports Authority recording a net rental income of $512,086.

Quote from Mike Reese...Attendance goal for 2010...Brewers...Aaron gives a ticket update.

Oh, just go read it all.

And enjoy the picture of members of the James J. Calmes and Sons Construction crew working on the deck.

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.

Big writeup on the Rattlers

Josh Levanthal of Baseball America has an article titled Some Teams Thrived In Tough Economy up at the BA.com website.

The worst economy since the Great Depression didn't stop a handful of teams from welcoming a record number of fans to their ballparks in 2009.

Minor league baseball failed to set an attendance record for the first time in six years, as 102 of 160 teams saw a decrease at the gate in 2009 compared to 2008. Bad weather was partly to blame, but those overall numbers would have been even worse if not for the debut of six new ballparks (which accounted for an additional 920,000 spectators in those markets).

However, even amid such gloom and doom, several teams saw a significant resurgence at the gate. Among those setting club records were the Tacoma Rainiers, New Britain Rock Cats, San Jose Giants, Visalia Rawhide, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Hudson Valley Renegades. The secrets to teams' success varied from improved ownership (Lancaster) to ballpark renovations (Harrisburg, Visalia) to better weather (Iowa, Quad Cities) to first-place teams (San Jose, Tacoma).

There are a few more paragraphs and then, the good stuff...

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' record-breaking season had little to do with how they played the game, but rather who played it. It also proved once again, just like in Peoria and West Michigan, that affiliating with the hometown team pays off—quite literally.

In their first season since inking a player-development contract with the Brewers, the Timber Rattlers saw a 33 percent increase at the gate while drawing a club record 253,240 fans—all while fielding a team that finished third from the bottom in the Midwest League standings.

Losing had never been so much fun.

"This blew away our expectations," Wisconsin general manager Rob Zerjav said. "We anticipated a nice bump in attendance after signing the agreement with the Brewers, but we didn't expect to break an attendance record and all the things that came with it."

An interest in the team never before seen in Appleton, Wis., is what accompanied a partnership with the major league team located roughly 120 miles away. More than 100 fans showed up at Fox Cities Stadium last fall to cheer news of the affiliation at a joint Brewers-Timber Rattlers press conference—that wasn't open to the public. Offseason ticket sales were brisk, even though minor league baseball was approaching its first full season in the current economic downturn.

I would argue with the editorial aside that 'losing had never been so much fun' because losing stinks. Trust me on that. But overall, well worth the read.

When buying local this Christmas, think of us...

Because the Post-Crescent included the team in their "Buy Local" story yesterday.

Sales of Timber Rattlers merchandise took off this year when the farm team became affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers. Hot sellers were co-branded items that had both teams' logos, said Jay Grusznski, merchandise manager for the store. He expects to have his best Christmas season ever because of renewed interest in the team. "We're expecting big things," he said.

Holiday merchandise will include new Christmas ornaments and bobbleheads. Some will be on the Web site, www.timberrattlers. com, but the full selection will be available in the store, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the stadium, 2400 N. Casaloma Drive, Grand Chute. After Thanksgiving, that extends to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

In addition to clothing and merchandise, holiday gift packages will be available by mid-November. The $40 gift includes four ticket vouchers and a hat. The $80 gift includes eight ticket vouchers and one of four new player bobbleheads.

"We're calling it the rehab bobblehead series," said Aaron Hahn, assistant general manager. "The choices are Dave Bush, Jeff Suppan, Taylor Green and Lorenzo Cain. All four played here this past season."

Look that over and see if there is anything you like in there.

And the followup

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



I think it went well.

About some Rattlers

Schoolcraft's Ritchie paying his dues in Brewers' farm system

Brandon Ritchie is a broke college dropout who takes a smelly bus most everywhere he goes. But he's enjoying the ride, often at 93 miles per hour.

"It's been a lot of fun, but people like to glamorize being a professional baseball player," the left-handed pitcher said. "But we pretty much scrape up all the money we can get."

Ritchie, a former Schoolcraft and Grand Rapids Community College star in his first season with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers) hopes to one day cash in on his potential left-arm lottery ticket in the Majors.

Catching up with: Corey Kemp

WH: What city has been your favorite?

CK: Appleton, just because I’ve spent a considerable amount of time here and the fans are die-hard and loyal. We’re in Brewer country so the fans come out in record numbers to cheer us on and give us support. They are all rooting for you and cheering for you, even when you somewhere in town to get a sandwich before a game. Up north, you don’t get too much southern hospitality but Appleton really reminds me of home.

You know what the next question was? What about the cold?

It was 40 degrees in April! Ask about the freaking cold when it's minus 30 in December! Okay!

Before getting started...

Check out this MiLB.com story by friend of the blog Ben Hill. It's about Clubhouse Managers in the minor leagues. And, yes, there is a tie-in with the Rattlers.

Bob "Pops" Estes (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Midwest League)

Bob Estes worked 30 years as a railroad engineer, but after retiring from that job he decided to remain in the workforce.

"I'd always been a Timber Rattlers fan, and I saw on their Web page that they needed a clubhouse manager," said Estes. "I had no clue what it was all about, but I got the job."

He also got a nickname.

Read on, crazy diamonds.

Pitching near home

Cody Adams gets the hometown treatment from the Argus-Leader this morning. He is pitching tonight for the Rattlers in Clinton.

A five-year-old's prediction never held much water until Cody Adams.

"At five years old, he said, `I am going to be a professional ball player when I grow up,'" remembered his mother Diana Adams. "We said, `Of course you are,' and rolled our eyes."

Turns out, he has pitched in Clinton before:

It won't be his first contest at the Minor League ballpark, but this game will be played under slightly more significant circumstances.

"I played travel ball as a kid and we played in Clinton when I was 12," Adams explained. "But I've never played at Modern Woodmen Park."

Check out the whole thing.

A few from the Prodigal beat writer

This morning, I pointed you to a few blog posts from Brett.

This afternoon, here is a column and a story.

The story is on Doug Melvin's visit to the stadium for the game.

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin stopped by Fox Cities Stadium to catch the Rattlers' Midwest League series finale against the Fort Wayne TinCaps — a game that saw Wisconsin finish on the wrong end of a 6-0 decision to complete an unwanted three-game sweep.

So, did the 22-year-old Marseco find himself unnerved by the unexpected pit stop?

"There are constantly rovers here, higher-up people checking up on us," he said. "We're low man on the totem poll, so we can't afford to take a day off. Every day's a grind, regardless of who's here. You've just got to go out and do it.

The Column...well, here's the title: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' strong pitching staff bodes well for future of Milwaukee Brewers pitching

Heading into Wednesday's action, the Brewers' 6.30 team ERA ranked 25th out of the 30 big-league clubs. Meanwhile, they had issued 42 walks through 70 innings — tops in the majors.

So, where are the arms, you scream? Wisconsin Timber Rattlers catcher Sean McCraw can handle that one.

"They need to come on down to Appleton," he said of a suddenly restless fan base that has gone from thinking playoff chase to the Suppan chase — as in out of the rotation.

"If they want to see the future (Brewers) rotation and bullpen, they can come on down."

"Frederickson and Scarpetta and there ain't nothing betta!" might one day be the Miller Park battle cry.

It's no "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain." But, points for trying.

"What can I do best to help my career out, that's all I'm worried about," said Frederickson, one of 34 hurlers selected by the Brewers — he was a supplemental first round choice — in last June's pitching-heavy draft as the club gave new meaning to the phrase "position of need." "All that other stuff will take care of itself.

"I'm not going to go ahead and say we're going to be saviors or anything like that. But it's our goal to make it to the big leagues, and that's what we're working for. And that's where I'm planning on being soon."

Much, much more at the story. Just click and read.

In the Marketplace

Steve Prestegard has the cover story in the latest edition of Marketplace Magazine and it is available on-line.

Just go read the whole thing because there are some good things in there. But, I wanted to pull this quote from a former Rattler employee...

Pete Schueppert, sports sales manager for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, says the new affiliation "has the potential" to improve the Timber Rattlers’ regional economic impact, "just because of the fact they will have potential future stars for the Brewers play, and that would increase the likelihood that there will be an increase in out-of-town visitors.

"It’s absolutely going to be a good thing in attracting visitors to the area. The Brewers have got a state following, like all pro sports teams and the University of Wisconsin have. The fact that the Timber Rattlers have connected themselves to that fan base, that’s definitely going to help attendance."

I was trying to copy and paste the cover photo of Rob Zerjav and Doug Melvin, but instead, I'll just send you to this link that should be good while this issue is active.

We had a visitor last night

Michael Hunt, one of columnists at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, stopped in for the game last night. Here is the result.

Some of Hunt's impressions:

There is a lot to like about the park, built with private money, and the franchise, which, like the Packers, is community owned. It costs $5 to get in and you can't spend more than $8.50 for the best box seats. There's a beer lodge, a picnic area, a cheese-curds toss and all the amenities that make it an enjoyable and affordable diversion.

Mmmmmm, cheese curds.

Go read the whole thing.

Watch TLC?

I think the last time I watched The Learning Channel was during one of my frequent bouts of insomnia and I caught Graham Greene on Exhibit A, a Canadian version of Forensic Files.

That may have to change after receiving this comment on the Tonight's Rattler Starting Pitcher post last night.

FYI- Wisconsin Timber Rattler Daniel Carroll (currently on disabled list), his new bride Chelsea, and their wedding attendants will be featured on a new TLC Network wedding show to air on TV this Sunday, June 1st. The show is called "Rock the Reception" and will feature their "first dance" at their wedding taught to them by choreographers that the show hired.

I believe this is the TLC Schedule for June 1. If this tip is correct, the show will be on at 8:00pm and 11:00pm CDT. Come on out to the Rattler game at 5:05pm against the Chiefs and then, head home in time to catch the show.