1994 Foxes Home Game #20 – May 30

A folder was found during the renovations of Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Inside this folder, an era of Appleton Professional Baseball was rediscovered. The original scoresheets and boxscores from home games of the first half of the 1994 Foxes season. This was the time of Alex Rodriguez, Raul Ibanez, and many other future major league ball players.

Rattler Radio will look back at each of these games from 1994 between now and Opening Day, 2013. Enjoy.

DATE: May 30
OPPONENT: West Michigan Whitecaps
WHITECAPS STARTING PITCHER: Christian Michalak
FOXES STARTING PITCHER: Brett Hinchliffe
CONDITIONS: 82°, Cloudy, Wind to Left
ATTENDANCE: 673
In game 19, the Foxes lost 8-6 in ten innings to the Rockford Royals.  In game 20, they welcome the West Michigan Whitecaps to Goodland Field for the first time.

FOXES LINEUP:
Mike Barger – cf
Manny Patel – 2b
Alex Rodriguez – ss
Raul Ibanez – dh
Brian Wallace – 3b
Scott Smith – 1b
Alex Sutherland – c
Chad Dunavan – rf
Marcus Sturdivant – lf

WHITECAPS LINEUP:
Juan Dilone – 3b
Jason McDonald – 2b
DT Cromer – 1b
Mark Moore – dh
David Keel – lf
Randy Ortega – c
Tony Banks – cf
Mat Reese – rf
Vincent Franciosa – ss

This game did start well for the Foxes.

Hinchliffe allowed a single to the first two batters of the game.  DT Cromer was next and he doubled both runners in for a 2-0 lead.  There was an error on the throw to the plate to allow Cromer to take third base.  Mark Moore grounded out to short to knock in Cromer and the Whitecaps were up 3-0 four batters into the game.

All Christian Michalak did was retire the Foxes in order in the first two innings.

West Michigan made it 4-0 in the third inning.  Jason McDonald singled with one out.  Cromer followed with an RBI triple.

Look!  Alex Sutherland singled to start the bottom of the third.  Look! Michalak picked him off first base for the second out of  the third.  LOOK! Marcus Sturdivant doubled with two outs. LOOK OUT! Michalak picked Sturdivant off second base to end the inning.

Appleton would get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth.  Alex Rodriguez hit a two-out solo home run.
The Whitecaps gave the Foxes some help in the fifth.  Scott Smith walked with one out.  Alex Sutherland singled to right and Mat Reese missed the grounder.  Smith scored and Sutherland wound up at third base.  Chad Dunavan rapped a single to center and Appleton was down 4-3.
Hinchliffe didn’t allow a hit in the sixth, seventh, or eighth innings as the Foxes tried to tie the game.

A-Rod singled to start the bottom of the sixth, but was erased on a fielder’s choice.  Then, Michalak pitched a 1-2-3 seventh before turning the game over to the Whitecaps bullpen.

The eighth was interesting.

Manny Patel walked with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch by Jason Rajette.  Rodriguez was intentionally walked.  But, Raul Ibanez and Brian Wallace both struck out to end the inning.

In the ninth, Smith drew a leadoff walk against Steve Zongor.  Sutherland sacrificed Smith to second base.  A wild pitch sent Smith to third with the tying run.  But, Zongor struck out Dunavan and pinch-hitter Delwyn Young to end the game as a 4-3 West Michigan win.

How do you think Carlos Lezcano took that loss?

FOXES PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Alex Rodriguez: 2-for-3, run, HR, BB, RBI

NOTES:
Raul Ibanez: 0-for-4

The Whitecaps were the Madison Muskies from 1982 through 1993 before moving to Grand Rapids (Comstock Park), Michigan.

Former Brewers pitcher Jim Colburn was the manager of the Whitecaps in 1994.

West Michigan was an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics in 1994.  They did not become a Detroit Tigers affiliate until the 1997 season.

The loss dropped the Foxes home record to 11-9 through their first 20 games at Goodland Field during the 1994 season.

CLICK FOR THE PDFs:
may30foxesscoresheet

may30wmiscoresheet

may30boxscore