50 Years in 50 Days: 2005

Fifty years ago, Appleton Professional Baseball joined the Midwest League. As part of 50 Years in 50 Days, Rattler Radio is counting down to April 5 with a look back at each season of Appleton Professional Baseball team since 1962 (with a lot of help from MWLGuide.com and baseball-reference.com). The countdown to Opening Day, 2012 has reached seven.

Seven Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers made it to the Midwest League Championship Series for the third time in team history.

The cover of the 2005 Timber Rattlers Media Guide.

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners (13th Year)
Manager: Scott Steinmann (1st Year)
First Half Record:  39-31 (1st, West)
Second Half Record: 37-32 (1st, West)
Overall Record: 76-63

The 2005 Timber Rattlers.

Future Major Leaguers:
Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera hit .318 with four homers and 30 RBI in 51 games
Catcher Jeff Clement hit .319 with six homers and 20 RBI in 30 games
Catcher Rob Johnson hit .272 with nine homers and 51 RBI in 77 games
Pitcher Mark Lowe (6-6, 5.47) in 22 games – all starts – with 72K in 103.2IP
Infielder Oswaldo Navarro hit .269 with nine homers and 69 RBI in 120 games
Pitcher Eric O’Flaherty (4-4, 3.75) in 45 games – no starts – with 13 saves & 51K in 69.2IP
Shortstop Matt Tuiasosopo hit .276 with six homers and 45 RBI in 107 games
Outfielder Mike Wilson hit .266 with 19 homers and 84 RBI in 127 games

Matt Tuiasosopo as a Rattler in 2005.

Mark Lowe as a Rattler in 2005.

Rob Johnson & Mumba Rivera in 2005.

Category Leaders:
AVG: Brent Johnson – .310
HR: Mike Wilson – 19
RBI: Mike Wilson – 84
SB: Brent Johnson & Josh Womack – 22
OPS: Marshall Hubbard – .883
WINS: Aaron Jensen – 10
ERA: Jason Snyder – 4.82
IP: Aaron Jensen – 157.0
SO: Aaron Jensen – 87
SV: Eric O’Flaherty – 13

Mike Wilson as a Rattler in 2005.

Marshall Hubbard as a Rattler in 2005.

2005 MWL Season:

2005 Timber Rattlers Magnet Schedule.

There were a few changes.  The main one being the end of the Brewers relationship with Beloit.  The Snappers hooked up with the Twins after Milwaukee went to West Virginia.

Other affiliation changes included:
Cubs from Lansing to Peoria
Cardinals from Peoria to Quad City
Blue Jays to Lansing
Devil Rays to Battle Creek and the Battle Creek Yankees became the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays

East: Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne Wizards, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, Southwest Michigan Devil Rays, West Michigan Whitecaps
West: Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars, Peoria Chiefs, Quad City River Bandits, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

2005 MWL All-Star Game:
The East beat the West on June 21 at Peoria.

There were a lot of Timber Rattlers representatives on the team, none as starters though.

C: Rob Johnson
IF: Asdrubal Cabrera
IF: Yung Chi Chen
IF: Matt Tuiasosopo
OF: Josh Womack
P: Cibney Bello
P: Chad Fillinger

Yung Chi Chen in 2005.

2005 MWL Postseason:

2005 Timber Rattlers playoff team.

First Round (Best-of-three):
West:
Wisconsin 2, Beloit 1
Clinton 2, Quad Cities 0

East:
South Bend 2, Southwest Michigan 0
West Michigan 2, Fort Wayne 0

Division Finals (Best-of-three):
West:
Wisconsin 2, Clinton 0

East:
South Bend 2, West Michigan 0

Championship Series (Best-of-five):
South Bend 3, Wisconsin 2

The Silver Hawks won the first two games in South Bend.  The Timber Rattlers won the next two games at home, but South Bend won the decisive Game Five at Fox Cities Stadium.

2005 MWL Alumni of Note:
Carlos Gonzalez – South Bend Silver Hawks

Carlos Gonzalez was a Silver Hawk in '05.

The 2010 National League batting champ hit .307 with 19 homers and 92 RBI in 129 regular season games for the Silver Hawks in 2005.

Meanwhile in West Virginia:

Ryan Braun as a member of the West Virginia Power in 2005.

No matter what the picture looks like, Ryan Braun was NOT a pitcher in West Virginia.  He did hit .355 with eight homers and 35RBI in 37 games.

Opening Day, 2012 is April 5.  Get here soon!