Midwest League Preview

There is plenty to digest courtesy of MiLB.com.

First, there is the Preview. with this capsule on the Rattlers:

2007 Results: 53-85
2008 Manager: Terry Pollreisz
Things to look forward to: Rattlers players will wear 1950s throwback jerseys and stick around for postgame autograph sessions with fans on Sundays beginning April 13. ... A series of pint glass giveaways, featuring past Rattlers players, will begin on May 15 with Alex Rodriguez. Other pints will feature Harold Baines, Goose Gossage and David Ortiz. ... A pair of the Mariners 2007 Draft picks, Nolan Gallagher (fourth round) and Keith Renaud (10th round) should begin the year with Wisconsin.

Pint glasses in Wisconsin. What is supposed to go in those? The rest of the teams get similar treatment.

Second, 10 Names to know. Looking down the list I seeeeeee, ah, yes.

2. Phillippe Aumont, RHP
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Mariners)

The Quebec native was taken No. 11 overall in last June's Draft and the big (he's 6-foot-7) right-hander is all projection. Without a high school team to play on, he hasn't pitched all that much. One thing is certain: his stuff is down-right nasty and he's sure to make Midwest League hitters mutter as they return to the dugout time and time again. The only thing he needs is experience to refine his repertoire and improve his overall command. The sky is the limit, and some feel he may end up being the best pitcher from the 2007 Draft. Head to Wisconsin so you can say you saw him way back when.

Technically, this should be 12 Names to know, because they double up entries from Clinton and Fort Wayne. But, 10 is a good, round, solid number.

Also, I don't think that this guarantees that Aumont or any of the players on this list will be in the Midwest League this season. But, I like the chances if MiLB.com is working on it.

Third, MWL By the Numbers. They go from 0 to 30,000,000.

Fourth, Old meets new in the Midwest League.
Lots on Quad Cities. Some on Clinton's new logo. There are two things that I want to make sure are highlighted somewhere.

This one:

The voice of summer
John Rodgers is back for his 13th consecutive season behind the microphone as the play-by-play man for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, making him the dean of Midwest League broadcasters.

and this one:

New year, same team
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Cedar Rapids Kernels are tied for the longest continuous affiliation in the Midwest League. The Timber Rattlers have been affiliated with the Seattle Mariners, and the Kernels with the Los Angeles Angels, since 1993.

Fifth, Q & A with President Spelius. You may be able to tell that our league president is a man of few words. Example:

What are you most looking forward to in the 2008 season?

Having halfway-decent weather for our games in April and May.

Eleven word Q. Eleven word A. The South Atlantic League president answered the same question in 25 words, 26 if you count a hyphenated word as two words.

Here's a little known fact for those outside the MWL.

What would you be doing if you didn't work in baseball?

I'd probably be working as a florist -- the Beloit Floral Co. has been operated by our family since 1916.

It's not that far from Pohlman Field.

The headline got me

I was not going to post anything about the Quad Cities River Bandits switching to WYEC-FM this season. However, a clever headline writer at the Quad Cities Times made me want to put something up to recognize the anonymous toiler.

No static at all: Bandits go FM

Previously, Midwest League baseball in the Quad-Cities aired on WKBF (1270 AM), which transitioned from a classic-standard musical format to political talk, Christian talk and most recently, a Spanish-language format.

River Bandits owner Dave Heller said the move to the FM dial should provide fans with a clearer signal that will reach a wider audience at night.

The girls don't seem to care
what's on
as long as it plays
'til dawn

Oh, heck. Here's the whole thing...LIVE!

A few Mariner roster moves

This is from a few days ago, but I'm just getting around to it.

In their second round of spring training cuts today, the Seattle Mariners optioned four players, including catcher Jeff Clement, to Triple-A Tacoma.

The others were pitchers; right-handers Jon Huber and Sean White and, left-hander Cesar Jimenez.

Of those four players, three have worn a Rattler uniform. Clement in 2005, Jimenez in 2003, and White on a rehab assignment in 2007.

Then later that same day.

Re-assigned to Minor League Camp (2):
Infielder (1): Matt Tuiasosopo
Left-Handed Pitcher (1): Phillip Barzilla

Tuiasosopo was a Rattler in 2005.

I'll head over to Jay at Mariner Minors for analysis on both the first and the second. Here are some bits on the Jimenez, Clement, and Tuiasosopo.

Jimenez had pitched significantly worse than the other left-handers, both in the running and on the fringe, and since his main weapon, the change, is more effective against right-handed hitters, using him as a left-handed setup man doesn’t make sense. I see him as a long or middle reliever, if anything, but he’s not the kind of pitcher the team should be planning around. For a time earlier in camp, it looked like they might be.

There were suggestions at the beginning of camp that Clement would have to play himself into a full-time role to get a job at all, and whether that assessment was the right one or not, he did little to stand out.

Tui hit only .250./280/.333 in the big camp this year, but it’s a step up from the cumulative .156/.182/.188 line he had been running in spring before now. We’ll see how he fares in Tacoma this year.

Thanks, Jay.

Thanks for the plug

The Timber Rattlers are running a Summer Reading Program through area libraries again in 2008. Instead of me going over it, how about heading over to "Little" Nic Bits.
students entering grades K-5.

- can run anytime from June - August
- four week program, relating to a base (1st, 2nd, 3rd, home)
- you can set your own goals
- The T-Rats will provide the incentives
- For each base a child gets, they receive a prize. When they get a home run, they are awarded a complimentary ticket to a home game.

Follow the link to find out how to register for the program.

Thanks to Jamie for the mention on the post.

New hitting coach in Kane County

This is a bit of a surprise both because it so close to the start of the season and who it is

The Oakland Athletics have announced that former Cougars player and Oakland farmhand Haas Pratt has been named as Kane County hitting coach for the 2008 season. Pratt replaces Benny Winslow, who has resigned from the Athletics.

Pratt played with the Cougars in 2007.

Pratt ends his playing career and transitions into a coaching role after spending the last four seasons as a prospect in the A's system. Last season, Pratt spent time in the Cougars lineup as a designated hitter while also playing catcher, first basemen and even pitcher in emergency duty.

Pratt's ten home runs tied for second-best among Cougars players in 2007. A 2004 draft selection by the A's, Pratt ends his professional career with 19 home runs and 85 RBI.

He was 11-for-31 (.355) with a homer and six RBI in eight games against the Rattlers last season.

Whatever happened to....

Christopher Morris?

Who?

Only the Midwest League record holder in stolen bases. He stole 111 bases in 2001 for the Peoria Chiefs despite hitting just .294. He did rack up an on-base percentage of .398 with 83 walks added in to his total. Now, he is a coach at the College of Charleston.

"The Citadel gave me my start and I'm always thankful for that," said Morris, a second-year Charleston assistant drafted in the 15th round of the 2000 Major League draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. "I appreciate so much everything about The Citadel, but then you go to pro ball and kind of get away from it and then when you want to coach you have to figure something out."

No hard feelings. Fred Jordan is proud of his line of former players and/or assistant coaches. Ex-Bulldog Dan McDonnell, with fellow Citadel grad Chris Lemonis serving as an assistant, led Louisville all the way to the 2007 College World Series.

"We could never get him out when we played against The Citadel," [Charleston head coach John] Pawlowski said of Morris, "so when we had the chance to hire him, we did."

Morris was in the Brewer system after a 2002 trade involving Jamey Wright and topped out at AA ball with Arkansas of the Angels organization in 2005.

What a difference two days make

This picture was taken from the left field grass seats around 4:30pm on Tuesday, March 18:


This picture was taken from the left field grass seats around 5:00pm on Thursday, March 20:


This picture was taken from the top of the steps near Suite One around 5:00pm on Thursday, March 20:


Still some work to do.

M's 6, Padres 6

Seattle tied San Diego 6-6 in Cactus League action last night. Box Score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers for the M's:
Wladimir Balentien ('04): 0-for-1
Raul Ibanez (Foxes, '94): 3-for-3, run
Eric O'Flaherty ('04, '05): IP, 2H, 2R, BB, K, Blown Save

M's host Kansas City later this afternoon.

13 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 13 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Sharpe’s Regiment by Bernard Cornwell.

‘We beat the buggers, sir.’ Hagman, like Sharpe, was a Rifleman; one of a company who, like flotsam in this ocean of war, had ended up in the red-jacketed ranks of the South Essex. Yet, out of cussedness and pride, they still wore their green jackets. They were Riflemen. They were the best. ‘We always beat the buggers, sir.’

‘Yes.’ Sharpe smiled and the sardonic, mocking look that his face wore because of the scar on his left cheek suddenly disappeared. ‘We beat the bastards, Dan.’ They had, too. The South Essex, a Battalion under half its full strength, worn down by war the way a bayonet is thinned by use and sharpening, had beaten the bastards. Sharpe thought of Leroy, the American who had been the Battalion’s commanding officer. Leroy would have been proud of them today.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

Thursday Motivation (3/20)

Want a pocket schedule?

Over the last few weeks, members of the Timber Rattler front office have been out and about to drop off pocket schedules at businesses.

Yesterday was my day to hit every gas station, bar, and liquor store that I could find between Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point.

One of the neat things about the trip was somehow stumbling across Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids. That would be the home of a Midwest League team from 1963-1983. Need to go back and get some pictures.

There were too many gas stations and convenience stores to list, but if you liver in any of the following areas, you can pick up a pocket schedule at the following locations. A few of the things that stood out are in bold by the name of the place.

Plover:
Doug's Sports Pub (Wasn't open. Put some schedules on the deck. Sorry)

Wisconsin Rapids:
Critter's
Sportsmen's Pub & Grill
Bowlmor Lanes
Kelly's Liquor
Four Stools Short II

Rudolph:
Ricky's Bar & Bowl (Reminded me of home)

Junction City:
Dago Joe's Tap
Hiawatha Bar
Chet & Irene's (Looked like it was a bar put into someone's large living room)

Stevens Point:
Bahama's
Dewendy's Pub
Pete's Sports Bar & Grill
Papa Joe's
JR Liquor
Ella's
Graffiti's (Joe Pavelski NHL Jersey and NTN Trivia)
Top Hat Bar
Elbow Room
Mugshots LLC
Duffy's Lampoon
Butter's Brickhaus (Right next to Butter's Glasshaus)
Big Todd's Rumble Inn (Home of Todd's Dollar Menu!)
Skipp's Bowling Center
Archie's
Park Ridge Liquor (Was for sale for best offer. Thought about it)

We hope to see patrons of these places at a Rattler game this season.

M's 7, Diamondbacks 4

Seattle beat the Diamondbacks 7-4 in Cactus League action on Wednesday. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers for the M's:
Raul Ibanez (Foxes '94): 2-for-4, run, 3 RBI
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): defensive replacement
Ryan Rowland-Smith ('02, '03): 2-1/3IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 3K
JJ Putz ('00): IP, 0H, 0R

M's vs. Padres tonight.

14 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 14 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is DiMaggio: The Last American Knight by Joseph Durso. Where would you shoot a commercial for a New York bank if you had the Yankee Clipper as your spokesman?

It didn’t take much shrewdness to pick the venue for the first commercial. It was shot at Yankee Stadium with DiMaggio hitting a few flies to get the investors in the audience in the mood. Somebody had to pitch to him, naturally, and for a while the brothers of the brain trust entertained the illusion that they might carry their advertising coup into another dimension by casting themselves at the batting-practice pitchers fro Joe D. himself.

“Spero had pitched in college, at Northwestern,” Pierson said, “and he had visions of making a fool of himself. Actually, he was torn between two visions: He also could imagine that he was reaching back and firing his best heater past a helpless DiMaggio.”

“Joe was fifty-seven at the time, and he was unbelievable. He was knocked line drives all over the place with fabulous grace. Later, I saw him in the locker room and I wished that I had his muscle tone.”

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

Wednesday Baseball Movie Clip (3/19)

Roy Hobbs takes batting practice for the Knights.


Not bad, kid.

Great. More Madness

Minors Moniker Madness is going on over at milb.com. Basically, names of minor league players are selected. Those players are pitted against each other.

There are two ex-Rattlers in the bracket.

In the Razor Shines bracket, Austin Bibens-Dirkx is a #3 seed facing #14 Dimaster Delgado.

The inimitably named Austin Bibens-Dirkx went down in the first round of last year's competition, and now he's looking for revenge against the liltingly poetic Dimaster Delgado. Bibens-Dirkx made 31 relief appearances for the Class A Advanced High Desert Mavericks last season, while Delgado made his professional debut as a starting pitcher for the Dominican Summer League Braves.

Over in the Farmer Works bracket, #10 Mumba Rivera takes on #7 Jair Jurrjens.

A native of St. Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mumba St. Clair Rivera struck out 71 batters over 56 1/3 innings with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in 2007. His opponent is the inimitable Jair Jurrjens, a Netherlands Antilles native who earned a late-season promotion to the Detroit Tigers. Now with the Atlanta Braves, Jurrjens is currently in the running to make the team out of Spring Training.

Replace that last line with "Do you vote in these tournaments?" for me.

15 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 15 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee.

For well over a year mankind waited more or less patiently for another sign of the Ramans’ presence in the universe. Intense telescopic investigations were conducted at all wavelengths to see if any additional information associated with the retreating alien spaceship could be identified. Nothing was found. The heavens were quiet. The Ramans were departing as swiftly and inexplicably as they had arrived.

Once Excalibur was operational and its initial search of the heavens turned p nothing new, there was a noticeable change in the collective human attitude toward that first contact with Rama. Overnight the encounter became a historical event, something that had happened and was now completed. The tenor of newspapers and magazine articles that had earlier begun with phrases like “when the Ramans return…” changed to “if there is ever another encounter with the creatures who built the huge spaceship discovered in 2130…” What had been a perceived threat, a lien in a sense on future human behavior, was quickly reduced to a historical curiosity. There was no longer an urgency to deal with such fundamental issues as the return of the Ramans or the destiny of the human race in a universe peopled by intelligent creatures. Mankind relaxed, at least for a moment. Then it exploded in a paroxysm of narcissistic behavior that made all previous historical periods of individual selfishness pale by comparison.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

Idea

I was watching The Natural on Sunday. I got an idea. A new weekly post for Monday or Tuesday may make an appearance in a few weeks.

Right now. I gotta go.

Opening Day 2006

My story about the 2006 Timber Rattler home opener is up over at the home page.

If I were to tell you that your favorite team would have three hits in its home opener you'd be a bit nervous. Now, imagine that I would tell you that your favorite team's opponent in that home opener would collect twelve hits. Okay. Now, think about where your anxiety level would be at if I were to say that eight of the opponent's hits would be in the first five innings off your favorite team's starting pitcher.

Also available, but not publicized here are:
2005

The years 2002 through 2004 were tough ones for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Wisconsin was 179-234 in those three years. The only playoff year in those three was 2003 and that team was swept by Beloit in the first round. The 2004 season ended with a nasty seven-game losing streak. The 2005 season would be different right from the start.

2007

I remember it like it was last Opening Day. There was the buzz of the managerial debut of Ryne Sandberg for the Peoria Chiefs, the excitement of the Timber Rattler debut of Carlos Triunfel, the promise of the new season, and the bone-chilling wind of a massive high pressure system out of the Arctic.

2004

The 2004 home opener marked a few things for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Manager Steve Roadcap returned to the team for the first time since the 1999 season, the Midwest League debuts of a few future major leaguers, and an on-time start for the home schedule.

Also available over there and possibly promoted here
2002

It was a busy time for me before the start of the 2002 Timber Rattler season. At the time, I was still working as the play-by-play announcer for the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team. This was my third year of being the announcer for both teams, but it was the first time that the Gambler regular season overlapped with the start of the Timber Rattler season.

2003

There was a lot of confidence around the Stadium leading up to Opening Day 2003. It was a good off-season. The Mariners sent a planeload of prospects. The fans were ready to go after a tough 2002 season.

Still ahead are the 2000 and 2001 openers. I haven't decided if they will be the home openers or the season openers. I've got till Sunday night to figure it out.

Rattlers on TV

There will be Rattlers...on TV...Live!

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Time Warner Cable are proud to announce eight Rattlers games will be broadcast LIVE on Time Warner Sports this season.

This isn't just in the Appleton area. Time Warner Sports is available wherever Time Warner Cable is available. Follow the link to see the schedule.

Patience

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette News has this story on Bryan LaHair ('04).

It has been said patience is a virtue. And when the player you’re competing against for a job is a two-time All-Star and is making $15.5 million this season, patience is a must.

Such is life for Seattle Mariners first baseman and Holy Name High product Bryan LaHair.

LaHair was selected by Seattle in the 39th round of the 2002 draft and has risen to become a top prospect in the Mariners farm system. And he has continued his impressive play this spring for the Mariners, batting .400 in 11 Cactus League games, making him one of Seattle’s most successful hitters.

“I really enjoy playing here,” LaHair said. “I’m getting a lot done, and I get better everyday. They really work hard with me in all aspects of the game.

That hard work has put LaHair in a place to be noticed, but here is what the manager thinks.

[John] McLaren said LaHair would benefit more from playing everyday for Triple-A Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League rather than playing in a reserve role this season in Seattle.

“I think he is another 500 at-bats away,” McLaren said. “To be bluntly honest, I like him a lot, and we would love him on this club, but I just don’t see the fit right now. That’s nothing negative about him, it’s really a positive that he needs to go out and play. That way when he comes up he will never go back down.”

Much more at the story.

Bees in the news

The Burlington Hawkeye is getting baseball fans in southeastern Iowa ready for the season. First, meet the new guy behind the microphone at Community Field. How do you get a job as a radio broadcaster? Well, this is not the normal way, but it worked.

The stars must be aligned for Matt Pauley, and hopefully he'll see some budding stars this summer.

The Burlington Bees in mid-February named Pauley as their director of broadcasting and media relations to succeed Randy Wehofer. The Class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals only had to look a few blocks down Mount Pleasant Street from Community Field to find Pauley.

"We didn't open it up nationwide," said Chuck Brockett, Bees general manager. He had talked with officials of other Midwest League teams also in need of broadcasters, and they had gotten 150 to 200 resumes.

"I'm glad we didn't have to go into that," Brockett said. "We just sent out a news release that Randy was leaving, and we still got 15 to 20 resumes. We knew Matt Pauley was in town broadcasting the (Southeastern Community College) BlackHawks" basketball games on KDMG (Country 103 FM). "We knew he'd had a couple similar assignments with broadcasting and media relations" in baseball. "He dropped off a demo tape, and I was very impressed."

What does the newcomer have for experience?

"Everything fell into place," Pauley said. He'll begin his duties with the Bees in mid- to late-March.

His first assignment with a professional baseball team was as the No. 2 broadcaster for the Evansville (Ind.) Otters in the independent Frontier League in 2006. He was a volunteer broadcaster and picked up a few bucks here and there, but mostly lived off his savings.

"I left a good-paying job to broadcast for free," he said.

Last season, he joined the (Albany) South Georgia Peanuts in the South Coast League.

"It was a brand-new league and a brand-new team," he said. "Nobody else in the office had any baseball experience." With one season in Evansville, Pauley was the most experienced.

He also experienced "all the horror stories you might have heard about minor league baseball," he said. The grounds crew was fired, and he then spent his mornings working on the grounds.

Pauley's not anticipating any horror stories with the Bees. Professional baseball has been in Burlington since 1889.

Not anticipating horror stories? Well, he hasn't met me yet.

Story #2 from the Hawkeye is this one the relationship between the Bees and their parent club in Kansas City. If you want a quick sketch of the behind the scenes business of minor league baseball...

The Kansas City Royals plant their prospects in Burlington and other affiliates in the springtime of their professional baseball careers. The Bees organization nurtures them.

"They send the players to us, and that's when our job begins," said Chuck Brockett, general manager of the Bees. "We find them housing and acclimate them to the community. We have host families."

During a "Meet the Bees Night," Brockett and staff "try to match the players with the families."

"We take care of travel and meals" for the players when they're on the road, Brockett said. That includes when a player is suddenly reassigned to another team. "It's tougher to keep it hush-hush now" when a player is moved, Brockett said. Cell phones enable players to hear the buzz from others in the Royals organization.

"We want them to keep their minds on the game" and not personnel moves. "They have a job to do. Last year, there wasn't as much movement."

On overnight road trips, the Bees pay for the bus and the first 17 rooms in a hotel. If more than 17 rooms are needed, the Royals pay for the rest.

"We pay for 25 percent of the balls, bats and uniforms," Brockett said. When a player is reassigned, the Royals reimburse the Bees for the travel expense.

Bus expenses total $45,000 a season, "and the hotels are probably about the same amount," Brockett said.

It sounds like the Bees will have a top pick in their midst this season.

One of the 2008 Bees will be 19-year-old Mike Moustakas of Chatsworth, Calif.

A shortstop, Moustakas was the Royals' first-round draft choice and the second pick overall in June's amateur draft. Moustakas holds the California state high-school record for career home runs. He has 52.

Some watchers expect Moustakas, who signed up for a $4 million bonus, to make the major leagues, or "The Show," within a couple years.

Go over and read the whole thing.

March 17 Stadium picture

I wish I had taken some pictures last week. The sun was out. The snow was melting. The feeling of Spring was in the air.

Too late again.



Taken from the left field grass seats around 2:45pm on 3/17/08.

Yes, that is more snow. Yippee!

M's 5, Rangers 2; Brewers 17, M's 3

Split squad day for the M's on Monday.

In Surprise, Seattle beat the Texas Rangers 5-2. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers in that game:
Luis Valbuena ('06): defensive replacement
Raul Ibanez (Foxes, '94): 0-for-3, BB
Jeff Dominguez ('06): pinch runner
Jeff Clement ('05): 0-for-2, BB
Cha Seung Baek ('00): 4IP, H, 0R, BB, K (Win)
Eric O'Flaherty ('04, '05): 1-2/3IP, H, 2R, 4BB, 2K
Casear Jimenez ('03): 1/3IP, H, 0R (Save)


In Peoria, Milwaukee beat the Mariners 17-3. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers in that game:
Brent Johnson ('05): pinch runner
Rob Johnson ('05): pinch hitter, 0-for-1
Mike Wilson ('05): 0-for-1
Wladimir Balentien ('04): 2-for-4, home run, RBI, run
Adam Moore ('06): pinch runner
Oswaldo Navarro ('04, '05): 0-for-1
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): 2-for-4
Ryan Feierabend ('02): 1-2/3 IP, 2H, 0R
Sean White ('07): 2IP, 6H, 4R

Seattle has an off day on Tuesday.

16 Days to Opening Day 2008

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 16 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Oliver had not been within the walls of the w0rkhouse a quarter of an hour, and had scarcely completed the demolition of a second slice of bread, when Mr. Bumble, who had handed him over to the care of an old woman, returned; and, telling him it was board night, informed him that the board had said he was to appear before it forthwith.

Not having a clearly defined notion of what a live board was, Oliver was rather astounded by this intelligence, and was not quite certain whether he ought to laugh or cry. He had no time to think about the matter, however; for Mr. Bumble gave him a tap on the head, with his cane, to wake him up: and another on the back to make him lively: and bidding him follow, conducted him into a large white-washed room, where eight or ten fat gentlemen were sitting round a table. At the top of the table, seated in an arm-chair rather higher than the rest, was a particularly fat gentleman with a very round, red face.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

In honor of the date

From a youtube clip that was posted last year, this is the first six minutes -- after an intro by the film maker -- of The Emerald Diamond.



So, I was walking down Grafton Street...is the way a lot of clips should start

http://www.irishbaseballmovie.com/

Brewers 8, M's 4

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Mariners 8-4 in Cactus League action on Sunday. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers for the M's:
Raul Ibanez ('Foxes '94): 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI
Wladimir Balentien ('04): 0-for-1
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): 0-for-1
Felix Hernandez ('03): 4-1/3IP, 7H, 5R, BB, 5K, 2 HR
Mark Lowe ('05): IP, H, 0R, K
JJ Putz ('00): IP, H, 0R, 3K

It's a split squad day for the M's. One squad will face the Brewers in Peoria. The other squad will take on the Texas Rangers in Surprise. Both games are later this afternoon.

17 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 17 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Rogue Warrior: Green Team by Richard Marcinko and John Weisman.

So the supreme CINC gave us his blessing, although he refused to sign a national-security finding in the matter. Well, I could see his point. It’s not the kind of mission where you want to leave a paper trail. In fact, the political aspects of this assignment were lose/lose, so far as SNO and I were concerned. If I screwed up, the White House would jettison CNO – maybe even court martial him. If I succeeded, only CNO and the president would know what I’d done. There were no medals in this for me or my men, only the knowledge that we were doing what we were born to do, for the country we loved so much.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

M's as seen by MiLB

Kevin T. Czerwinski made it to Mariner Spring Training and filed this report.

M's face catching, outfield logjams

First up is Wladimir Balentien ('04). Even if he plays well enough to make the big league club, he probably will start the season in Tacoma. The main reason is is due to him having an option left to go back down. What does the brass of Seattle say?

"It depends on what [Manager] John McLaren and [General Manager] Bill Bavasi want to do," Director of Player Development Greg Hunter said. "He had a good year at Triple-A and he earned his way to the big leagues in September. It depends on how he does in Spring Training and what the big league staff wants to do. We do have some competition here now."
...

"I think he's a great kid and I think sometimes people look at him and think he has a bad attitude," Hunter said. "But he responds well. I don't think that's a problem. People perceive him that way but when the staff talks to him, he's very responsive to the things they want.

"And we're constantly working with guys on their attitudes. As a staff, we try to stay positive, compassionate and patient. It's an ongoing process, though. We have to help them maintain a good outlook and perspective. Sometimes it's easier than others."

In Balentien's case, no problems are expected. Overall, the numbers may say he's ready. But the circumstances appear to tell a different story.

Then, there is Five Questions with Adam Moore ('06). First question is free, click the link to see all of them.

MiLB.com: After your big season in the California League last year (.307, 22 HR, 102 RBI), are you anxious to see how you'll fare in the Southern League?

AM: Yeah, I think it will be fun. The ball does carry in the Cal League and there are times when you think it's a routine fly ball and it carries out, but you still have to square the ball up. It's a fun league, though. And I'll be moving up and facing a lot of the same guys I faced last year. I'm not going to look at the numbers, though. I think it will be a good challenge and a lot of fun.

It's down in the story

Larry Stone has a piece in the Seattle Times today. The main part is how the M's could do what the Rockies did last year.

The Colorado Rockies last year become the latest team to escape a dreaded club, which is now down to just four members.

The Rays. The Rangers. The Expos/Nationals. And the Mariners.

Those, of course, are the only teams in baseball that have never been to the World Series.

Last March, the Rockies had little clue that, in seven months, they would join the Diamondbacks, Angels and Astros — three teams that went to their first World Series in the 2000s.

Farther down in the story is the part on an ex-Rattler:

Asked early in Baltimore camp about Chris Tillman, one of the touted pitchers acquired from Seattle in the Bedard trade, Trembley said, "Mr. MacPhail [Orioles president Andy MacPhail] has kiddingly told everybody, 'I'd better hurry up and get him out of here before all the pitching coaches decide to keep him here.'

"He's a guy who makes it look very easy, with his size and his mechanics on the mound. He looks like he's been here before."

Tillman, 19, made it into two spring games (two innings, three hits, one earned run) before being reassigned to minor-league camp last week. He's likely to start the year at Class AA.

The Class AA team for the O's is the Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League.

AP must be running out of things to write about

From the KOMO -TV Mariner site is this story which will cause you to wince a bit. Just read the headline.


M's Beltre, Betancourt test fate by not wearing protective cups

Adrian Beltre has one of the most dangerous jobs in baseball.

He stands roughly 90 feet from home plate facing lasers that zing off the bats of pull-happy, right-handed hitters. Some balls bang off his shins, his thighs. Others smack his stomach, arms and hands.

Beltre - and those who love him - can only hope one doesn't hit him somewhere else.

The Seattle Mariners' Gold Glove third baseman doesn't wear a protective cup, leaving him vulnerable in a particularly sensitive area.

"I hear that a lot, that I'm crazy, stupid," Beltre said. "They might be right. There is some stupidity to it."

Head over and see how long it takes for you to become uncomfortable.

Does she even like baseball?

She in this case being Mother Nature. I've become a fan of her again with the recent "warm" spell that has done wonder for melting the around NE Wisconsin.

Then, I read this story. It's not nice to fool Mother Nature? Well, it's not nice to fool with baseball season either.

Flooding likely to soak Davenport in the middle of April

If flooding hits Davenport’s downtown and riverfront this spring, it will be sooner rather than later, business and other property owners were told Friday during a session with public works and emergency management officials.

If snowmelt and rainfall predictions hold firm, the second week of April, from the 7th to the 11th, will see the highest levels above flood stage, Ross Bergen, Scott County emergency management director, told those gathered at the New Ventures Center downtown.

“We’re expecting and hoping it will be something under 17 feet,” said Bergen, who offered figures that predict a 43 percent chance of an 18-foot flood stage at Lock and Dam 15.

The normal river stage for this time of year is about 8 feet. Flood protection at Modern Woodmen Park would start when the river reaches 14 feet, a foot below flood stage, and at least a 16-foot flood is expected, according to a city plan. The highest water would come between two homestands by the Quad-City River Bandits baseball team that are scheduled April 3-6 and April 11-13.

Between the homestands for the River Bandits? That first part is the season opener for the QC against the Timber Rattlers.

I was looking for a few pictures of the 2001 or 1993 flood waters that covered the stadium. No luck. I hope that I don't get a chance to take any in 18 days.

Giants 14, M's 8

San Francisco beat the Mariners 14-8 on Saturday afternoon. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers in the game for the M's:
Jeff Clement ('05): 0-for-1
Raul Ibanez (Foxes, '94): 1-for-3, run, RBI
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): pinch runner, run
Rob Johnson ('05): 0-for-0, sac fly, RBI
Wladimir Balentien ('04): 0-for-2, 2 BBs
Ryan Rowland-Smith ('02, '03): 2IP, H, 0R, BB, 2K
Eric O'Flaherty ('04, '05): 2/3IP, H, 0R

The M's face the Brewers this afternoon.

18 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 18 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is Ty and The Babe by Tom Stanton. The book is about Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and a golf competition between the two in 1941. This part is from the first induction ceremonies at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Cobb has just arrived after purposefully missing the photograph below.

Cobb’s eyes welled with tears as he hugged a bony Connie Mack. Despite his reputation, which would grow more severe after his death, Cobb was admired by most of the men on the platform. Lajoie referred to him as “the cream of the crop.” Wagner praised him, too. Walter Johnson and he had played poker with presidents. Collins and Speaker had hunted with him. Even Babe had shared drinks and meals with Ty.

When he spotted Cobb, Ruth offered his hand. “Hello, rookie,” he said as they shook.

Later, at Doubleday Field before the all-star scrimmage, Cobb paid a price in humility for not having been formally introduced from the induction stage: Many failed to recognize him. It took convincing before the ticket taker would let him into the park, and then the New York Giants groundskeeper Henry Fabian, a once-familiar acquaintance, responded with indifference when Cobb called his name.

“You don’t know who I am, do you, Henry?” asked Cobb.

“No, I don’t.”

Moe Berg was stunned. He turned to Jimmy Cobb. “I’ll bet that’s the first time your dad ever had to introduce himself to anybody,” Berg said.

“No, it isn’t,” responded Jimmy, who was not phased by the unintentional slight. Jimmy had missed his dad’s glory days. He knew his father best not as a baseball star but as a former star. And while the name “Ty Cobb” remained celebrated, the face that went with it was much less familiar. Cobb’s appearance had never lent itself to memorable caricature. But Ruth’s features – bulbous nose, rounded cheeks, plump lips – certainly had. Cartoonists and writers seemed in constant competition to trump each other with their depictions of Ruth. (One reporter covering the induction described Ruth as “a weather-beaten, spade-nosed gargoyle with a crescent-moon grin.”)

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.


Back row left to right: Honus Wagner, Pete Alexander, Tris Speaker, Nap Lajois, George Sisler, and Walter Johnson.

Front row left to right: Eddie Collins, Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, and Cy Young.

Seattle Minor League Report

Jim Street catches up with the minor league news at seattlemariners.com. The main part of the story is a look at the Tacoma Rainiers with plenty of quotes from former Rattler manager Daren Brown.

Brown has been helping out at the Major League camp since pitchers and catchers reported on Feb. 13, and he's not sure when he'll return to full-time duty with the Tacoma club.

He has seen several of his prospective players in Cactus League action, and three of them -- pitcher Joe Woerman, second baseman Yung Chi Chen and first baseman Bryan LaHair -- were re-assigned to Tacoma on Thursday.

The Tacoma roster also includes the following camp invitees: pitcher Robert Rohrbaugh, catcher Brant Ust, infielder Mark Kiger and outfielder Bronson Sardinha. All of them were among Thursday's roster cuts.

The Rainiers have 15 Spring Training games to get ready for the Pacific Coast League opener April 3 against the Sacramento River Cats at Cheney Stadium. The eight-game homestand includes a four-game series against Fresno before hitting the road for an eight-game road trip, starting in Colorado Springs.

Next up is the AZL M's receiving their 2007 Championship rings. The picture along with the article is of Daniel Carroll and Tyson Gillies showing off their....bling? Is that the right, hip term the kids are using these days? Bling?

That team, with a lot of potential Rattlers on it, went 37-19 and beat the Giants 8-5 in the championship game. Carroll, an outfielder selected in the 3rd round of the '07 draft, hit .323 with no homers and 24 RBI for the AZL M's.

There is a little more, but the last thing that I'll excerpt from the article is this on #1 pick Phillippe Aumont from former Rattler catcher Adam Moore ('06).

"His motion and the way he throws is just so easy," Moore said. "He's got that big body and throws the ball in the upper 90s. He's also one of the 'dirtiest' pitchers in camp.

"He's going to have a bright future. He's got a good slider, too, and his changeup isn't too far behind. I think he can make a really good run because this organization is as good as any when it comes to pushing their prospects. I think he can start at low or even high [Class] A this year and finish at a higher level. And then you never know what can happen next year."

A ex-QB in camp

David Andriessen of the Seattle Post-Intellgencer has this profile on Johnny DuRocher, who pitched a game for the Timber Rattlers at the end of last season.

It says a lot about Johnny DuRocher that he's still bothered by throwing an interception on his last play in college football.

Seems like a reasonable reaction, except the interception led to a crushing block on the University of Washington quarterback, which led to a concussion, which led to a CT scan, which led to the discovery of a large brain tumor, which led to successful surgery to remove it.

If not for the interception DuRocher threw against Stanford on Nov. 11, 2006, the tumor might not have been discovered until it had done serious damage. But even that knowledge doesn't take the sting out of the pick, which was returned for a touchdown.

The golf ball-sized tumor was benign. DuRocher made the move over to baseball, a sport he had not played since he was a sophomore in high school. He tossed a total of six innings for the Huskies and the M's like them enough to take him in the 34th round last year.

"He's an interesting guy," Mariners director of player development Greg Hunter said. "He's got some work to do, because baseball-wise he's behind other guys his age because he lacks experience. But his arm is fresher as well."

DuRocher started his baseball career last summer here in rookie league ball and did OK, making seven starts and nine relief appearances and finishing with a 5.03 ERA. He made one disastrous start at Class A Wisconsin at the end of the year but said that was more about him struggling with control than the level of competition.

"I wasn't overmatched," DuRocher said, "and even if I was, I wouldn't tell you I was."

That start was in the second game of a doubleheader against the Kane County Cougars on September 2, 2007. DuRocher pitched one inning and gave up seven runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout.

What are the plans for DuRocher?

Hunter said DuRocher, set back by a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow this spring, will probably stay in extended spring training and then join the rookie team in Pulaski, Va., or the short-season team in Everett.

These next few paragraphs, about the tumor, are something to take away from the story.

"People talk about it and ask if I was scared. Yeah, I was scared. I mean, what are you gonna do? Even if it was a situation where I was gonna die or something, I wasn't going to spend the next month walking around all down and depressed and sorrowful about it.

"After this, you understand that you really don't have much control over what happens. You can do everything you can to get ready, but you don't have much control. You only have control over yourself and you do what you can. After that, you let the chips fall where they may."

Go over to read it all

Whitecaps lose one?

The five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time MWL Champion West Michigan Whitecaps received some tough news before they open up defense of their title.

Lew Chamberlin, the West Michigan Whitecaps' CEO, left for Lakeland, Fla., today with a few items on his agenda.

Close to the top of his list was lobbying the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Rick Porcello, the organization's 2008 first-round draft pick, to start his professional career with the Whitecaps.

"Looks like I'm a little too late," Chamberlin said.

The Tigers announced earlier this week Porcello will be assigned to the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the club's high Class A organization.

Talent had a lot to do with the decision. Can you guess what another reason would be?

"The possible cold weather here was a factor in their decision, but his talent level had more to do with it than anything," said Chamberlin, who will stay in Lakeland for the remainder of spring training.

Like it won't be cold in Detroit, Chicago, New York or any other northern city in April (or October) when Porcello makes it to the Major Leagues.

New in QC

Missed this one from earlier in the week. The River Bandits have a new motto to go along with the new ownership group.

The club unveiled a new marketing initiative Thursday at Modern Woodmen Park, where fans this year often will hear the refrain “You gotta see the show!”

Team vice president and general manager Kirk Goodman said live entertainment and an enhanced video operation will be part of a commitment to enhance the entertainment experience beyond the baseball played on the field.

The club will promote 6 p.m., when doors open at the newly named ballyard, as “showtime,” and will employ local bands, dance teams and other groups to entertain throughout a spring or summer’s evening.

The new ownership group, Main Street Baseball Inc., also has invested more than $130,000 in video board improvements and production equipment to use the scoreboard’s big screen to enhance the viewing experience.

And, yet, the windows in the radio booth probably still won't open. I Gotta See the Show!...through two-inch thick, unbreakable glass*.

*-May be exaggerating on the thickness and composition of the glass in the visiting radio booth at Modern Woodmen Park.

Welcom to the club

This crossed the wires late yesterday afternoon. I found out about it on Deadspin. They have a take on it that you might expect.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels have joined the naming rights club.

A new era has begun for the Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball Club. The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Dale and Thomas Popcorn announced today a five-year field naming rights partnership. The field at Veterans Memorial Stadium will be named the “Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium”.

At the press conference held today, Kernels President Tom Barbee officially announced the partnership between Dale and Thomas Popcorn and the Kernels.

Dale and Thomas Popcorn is a gourmet popcorn company based in Englewood, New Jersey that produces popcorn under two brands: Dale and Thomas Popcorn (www.daleandthomas.com) and Popcorn, Indiana (www.popcornindiana.com). The slogan of the company is ‘SHARE SOME’ and this catchy slogan goes beyond the popcorn itself. In fact, it's become a way of life at Dale and Thomas. By creating the ‘SHARE SOME’ Foundation we are hoping to send a widespread message recognizing and promoting the concept of sharing (www.sharesome.org).

Now, why would Deadspin chime in on a Midwest League team going with naming rights? Because frequent target of their jests, Isiah Thomas is the Thomas in the Dale and Thomas Popcorn. That link is to just the first page of their posts on the coach and GM of the New York Knicks.

By the way Kernels, Dale and Thomas Popcorn Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium will probably draw a strongly worded post from Darren Rovell at his Sports Biz Blog about how long and "stupid" it is. So, forget about how that money isn't going into the pockets of an individual owner or corporation. Forget about how that naming rights money is going to help the fan experience and to keep and historic Midwest League club financially strong in Cedar Rapids. Forget about how -- and I'm only guessing here -- you were either contractually obligated to or -- I don't know -- maybe wanted to keep the Veterans Memorial Stadium in the name out of tradition. Just be ready for something a little like this:

I’m always surprised at how nuts people go over the naming rights deals. They say they hate the company that just plastered the corporate name on their stadium. Well, I don’t have any problem with this - it’s just part of capitalist America, right? - unless, that is, the name is really stupid. So now, you probably know where I’m going with this here, the stupidest name on a stadium I’ve ever heard. It was happened because of a merger of sorts. Apparently the folks at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a minor league baseball team, really wanted to sell the naming rights but they also wanted to keep the name of their old stadium. So they kept Fox Cities Stadium and they sold 10 years worth of naming rights to Time Warner Cable. So the name, earlier this month, became Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. What’s next? Coke Field at the Pepsi Dome?

You kind of get used to it.

My reaction

Well, Savannah defeated the Timber Rattlers 69% to 41% to move on to the second round of the CNBC Minor League Logo Bracket.

The following is a personal reaction to the Savannah Sand Gnats victory. This reaction is neither sanctioned nor endorsed by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers team, management, and personnel:

I'm not much on speeches, but it's so gratifying to leave you wallowing in the mess you've made, you're screwed. Thank you. Bye.

No seriously. I hope the Sand Gnats win. I mean the only thing better than winning the tournament is losing to the eventual champion. Or, so I've been led to believe by painful experience time after time after time after time.....

M's 9, Rockies 4

In Cactus League action on Friday, Seattle beat Colorado 9-4. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers in the game:
Raul Ibanez (Foxes '94): 1-for-4, run
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): 0-for-1
Wladimir Balentien ('04): Defensive replacement
Ryan Feierabend ('02): 2IP, 2H, 2R, BB, K
Cesar Jimenez ('03): IP, 0H, 0R

The Mariners face the Giants later today.

19 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 19 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is The Last Command by Timothy Zahn. This is the third in the cycle of Star Wars books by Zahn that deals with the immediate aftermath of The Return of the Jedi. The excerpt is a little Star Wars travelogue of the Old Republic.

It was called the Calius saj Leeloo, the City of Glowing Crystal of Berchest, and it had been one of the most spectacular wonders of the galaxy since the earliest days of the Old Republic. The entire city was nothing more or less than a single gigantic crystal, created over the eons by saltile spray from the dark red-orange waters of the Leefari Sea that roiled up against the low bluff upon which it rested. The original city had been painstakingly sculpted from the crystal over decades by local Berchestian artisans, whose descendants continued to guide and nuture its growth.

At the height of the Old Republic Calius had been a major tourist attraction, its populace making a comfortable living from the millions of beings who flocked to the stunning beauty of the city and its surroundings. But the chaos of the Clone Wars and the subsequent rise of the Empire had taken a severe toll on such idle amusements, and Calius had been forced to turn to other means for its support.

Fortunately, the tourist trade had left a legacy of well-established trade routes between Berchest and most of the galaxy’s major systems. The obvious solution was for the Berchestians to promote Calius as a trade center; and while the city was hardly to the level yet of Svivren or Ketaris, they had achieved a modest degree of success.

The only problem was that it was a trade center on the Imperial side of the line.

A squad of stormtroopers strode down the crowded street, their white armor taking on a colored tinge from the angular red-orange buildings around them. Taking a long step out of their way, Luke Skywalker pulled his hood a bit closer around his face. He could sense no particular alertness from the squad, but this deep into Imperial space there was no reason to take chances.

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

Making improvements

Geoff Baker takes a look at Wladimir Balentien (WI '04) and a very big improvement he has made in his game.

Growing up on the Caribbean island of Curacao, the baseball prodigy was fortunate to get in a couple of practices and maybe one game per week as a teenager. The aspiring Mariners outfielder, known for explosive natural power, figures the lack of daily repetition early might explain his current tag as somewhat of a hacker.

Improving his plate discipline and making more contact is now the 23-year-old's primary goal as he attempts to land a backup outfielder job against some stiff competition this spring.

"I'm trying to be a better contact hitter," said Balentien, who went down swinging in a pinch-hit appearance in Seattle's 3-3 tie in 10 innings with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Peoria Stadium.

"Every year, it's getting a little better. Last year, I stuck out 105 times and it was the lowest I've ever had. This year, my goal is to have less than 100."

Two years ago, Balentien struck out 140 times in Class AA. Three years ago, it was 160 strikeouts in Class A ball. But lingering concerns, however minor, about possible holes in Balentien's swing could ultimately be what lands him at Class AAA once again — at least to start the year.

There is more about the competition between Balentien and Michael Morse for the fourth outfielder spot, some of the drills Balentien is using to cut down the K's, and a little more on, um, Balentien.

That's where they are

Jay over at Mariner Minors has some new about ex-Rattlers representing their countries at the IBAF Olympic Qualifier in Taiwan. And he had it a couple of days ago.

Kuo Hui Lo ('07) is playing for Taiwan.

Michael Saunders ('06) and Jon Lockwood ('05) are playing for Canada.

By the way, the new IBAF website is a serious upgrade from the old one.

I think these stats are through Day Five.

Lo is 9-for-22 with 2 homers and 8 RBI.

Saunders is 6-for-24 with 6RBI
Lockwood has allowed six earned runs in 7-1/3 innings over two appearances.

Canada, Taiwan, and South Korea have all advanced to the Olympics in August with one day left in the qualifier.

Mariners make moves

Seattle sent some players from the major league camp to the minor league camp yesterday. Jim Street will handle the news, I'll just bold the ex-Rattlers involved.

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Right-hander Phillippe Aumont, the Mariners' first-round Draft choice last June, was among 12 players reassigned to the Minor League complex on Thursday.

The first significant round of cuts this spring also included right-handed pitcher Joe Woerman, second baseman Yung Chi Chen and first baseman Bryan LaHair, all assigned to Triple-A Tacoma.

Reassigned to the Minor League camp were: right-handed pitchers Brodie Downs and Stephen Kahn, left-hander Robert Rohrbaugh, catchers Jair Fernandez, Adam Moore and Brant Ust, outfielder Bronson Sardinha and infielder Mark Kiger.

Mariners 3, Giants 3

Seattle and San Francisco tied 3-3 in a Cactus League game on Thursday. Box score HERE.

Ex-Rattlers playing for the M's:
Matt Tuiasosopo ('05): 0-for-1
Raul Ibanez (Foxes ('94): 2-for-4, 2RBI
Wladimir Balentien ('04): 0-for-1
Jeff Clement ('05): 0-for-2
Oswaldo Navarro ('05): pinch runner
Cha Seung Baek ('00): IP, H, 0R, K
JJ Putz ('00): IP, 0H, 0R, K

The Mariners face the Rockies at Peoria Sports Complex later today.

20 Days to Opening Day

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 20 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today’s book is An Intimate Look at the Night Sky by Chet Raymo. This is a discussion of the constellation Taurus.

The stars of the Bull’s face, excluding Aldebaran, are part of a true cluster called Hyades (HI-a-deez). Binoculars or a telescope will reveal many more stars than those you see. These stars were born together out of the same nebula of gas and dust, and are now drifting away from the place of their birth. They are the nearest cluster to us, only 130 light-years distant, but their drift is taking them farther away. Millions of years from now they will no longer be visible to the naked eye.

Aldebaran is not part of the cluster, but lies closer to us along the same line of sight. It is a red giant star, near the end of its life, although no nearly so large at Betelgeuse.

The Pleiades are a very young cluster of stars, only a few tens of millions of years old – mere infants as stars go. Long-exposure photographs reveal hundreds of stars still swaddled in remnants of the nebula out of which they were born. They are about 400 light-years from Earth. Don’t be fooled by the faintness of these stars in our sky; the brightest of the Seven Sisters, Alcyone (al-SIGH-oh-nee) is a thousand times more luminous than the Sun.

Not far from the tip of the Bull’s lowered horn, and invisible to the naked eye, is the famous Crab Nebula, the shattered remains of a massive star that blew up in the year 1054 C.E., Earth time. Since the star was many thousands of light-years from Earth, the explosion actually occurred thousands of years before it was observed by humans. For weeks this supernova was the brightest starlike object in the sky, rivaling Venus at its brightest. Sky gazers everywhere must have watched with wonder.

Not in the book. Just adding for the heck of it.

Taurus, the Bull

Crab Nebula

The Pleiades or Seven Sisters

Put today’s excerpt in a baseball context.

Two Headlines

The last check a few minutes ago showed the Rattlers trailing Savannah 63% to 37% with 1452 votes.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/23610287

Click on the link and vote to the Rattler logo.

Two Headlines? What does that title mean?

In Citizen Kane, Charles Foster Kane had his newspaper prepare two headlines on the night of the election for governor.

KANE ELECTED

or

CHARLES FOSTER KANE DEFEATED, FRAUD AT POLLS!

The polls are open until tomorrow morning (8:00am CDT, I think) Plenty of time for the reader over in Germany to get the folks in Europe to vote. How this goes will impact the headline tomorrow.