Our countdown ends today.

To see check out all the posts in this series, click on this link.

I thought about just putting a blank post up today, but then I thought better of it.

If I remember to come back to this at the end of the season, I will fill in the blanks.

2012 TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Milwaukee Brewers (4th Year)
Manager: Matt Erickson (2nd Year)
First Half Record:
Second Half Record:
Overall Record: 

Category Leaders:
AVG:
HR:
RBI:
SB:
OPS:
WINS:
ERA:
IP:
SO:
SV:

2012 MWL Season:

No Changes:

East: Bowling Green Hot Rods, Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Great Lakes Loons, Lake County Captains, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, West Michigan Whitecaps
West: Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars, Peoria Chiefs, Quad Cities River Bandits, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

2012 MWL All-Star Game:
Kane County hosts the game on June 19.

2012 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
West:

East:

Division Finals (Best-of-three):
West:

East:

Championship Series (Best-of-Five):

The 2012 season is HERE!  Let’s have a great season, everyone!

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 one.

Last Year:
The Timber Rattlers had an Appleton native as their manager

2011 Media Guide Cover

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Milwaukee Brewers (3rd Year)
Manager: Matt Erickson (1st Year)
First Half Record:  38-32 (T-3rd, West)
Second Half Record: 29-40 (T-6th, West)
Overall Record: 67-72

MLB Rehabs:
Pitcher Zach Braddock (0-0, 0.00) in 2 games – both starts – with 7K and 4.2IP
Outfielder Carlos Gomez hit .333 with no homers and no RBI in four games
Pitcher Manny Parra (1-0, 0.00) in one relief appearance with 4K in2IP

Category Leaders:
AVG: Cody Hawn – .294
HR: Mike Walker – 15
RBI: Mike Walker – 72
SB: Reggie Keen - 41
OPS: TJ Mittelstaedt – .853
WINS: Jimmy Nelson – 8
ERA: Jimmy Nelson – 4.38
IP: Jimmy Nelson – 146
SO: Jimmy Nelson – 120
SV: Greg Holle – 19*

*-Tied club record for saves in a season.

2011 MWL Season:

No Changes:

East: Bowling Green Hot Rods, Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Great Lakes Loons, Lake County Captains, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, West Michigan Whitecaps
West: Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars, Peoria Chiefs, Quad Cities River Bandits, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

2011 MWL All-Star Game:
Quad Cities hosted the game on June 21.  The West won 8-3.  Chris Dennis (DH) started and hit a home run.  Mike Walker (3B) and pitchers Tyler Thornburg and Austin Ross were other Rattlers to contribute to the West’s victory.

The River Bandits provide some highlights:

2011 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
West:
Kane County 2, Burlington 1
Quad Cities 2, Clinton 0

East:
Fort Wayne 2, Bowling Green 0
Lansing 2, Dayton 1

Division Finals (Best-of-three):
West:
Quad Cities 2, Kane County 0

East:
Lansing 2, Fort Wayne 0

Championship Series:
Quad Cities 3, Lansing 0

Opening Day, 2012 is tomorrow!

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 two.

Two Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers saw a record fall and a no-hitter.

2010 Media Guide

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Milwaukee Brewers (2nd Year)
Manager: Jeff Isom (2nd Year)
First Half Record:  26-42 (7th, West)
Second Half Record: 32-38 (7th, West)
Overall Record: 58-80

The 2010 Timber Rattlers.

Future Major Leaguer:
Pitcher Jeremy Jeffress (0-0, 0.00) in five games – no starts – with 14K in 8.0 IP

MLB Rehabs:
Pitcher Doug Davis (1-0, 2.96) in one game – a start – with 4K in 7.0IP
Outfielder Carlos Gomez hit .286 with no homers and no RBI in two games
Pitcher Jeff Suppan (0-0, 2.08) in one game – a start – with 4K in 4.1IP

Category Leaders:
AVG: Scooter Gennett – .309
HR: Khris Davis – 22*
RBI: Chris Dennis – 87
SB: Cutter Dykstra – 27
OPS: Chris Dennis – .897
WINS: Maverick Lasker & Jake Odorizzi – 7
ERA: Jake Odorizzi – 3.43
IP: Jake Odorizzi – 120.2IP
SO: Jake Odorizzi – 135
SV: Jon Pokorny- 17

*-Khris Davis broke the Timber Rattlers record for homers in a season with 22.

No-no Stat: Jake Odorizzi and Adrian Rosario combined to no-hit Cedar Rapids in Cedar Rapids on August 24.  Here is a video that the production crew put together based on the scenes provided by the Kernels.

2010 MWL Season:

2010 Timber Rattlers magnet schedule.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Lake County Captains joined the Midwest League.  This evened up the divisions at eight teams in the East and eight teams in the West.

East: Bowling Green Hot Rods, Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Great Lakes Loons, Lake County Captains, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, West Michigan Whitecaps
West: Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars, Peoria Chiefs, Quad Cities River Bandits, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

2010 MWL All-Star Game:
Fort Wayne hosted the game on June 22.  The East beat the West 6-2.  Scooter Gennett (2B) and Khris Davis (LF) were named starters in the game.  Pitchers Jake Odorizzi & Nick Bucci came on in relief during the game.

Davis did win the home run derby on the night before the All-Star Game.

2010 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
West:
Clinton 2, Cedar Rapids 1
Kane County 2, Quad Cities 1

East:
Great Lakes 2, Fort Wayne 1
Lake County 2, West Michigan 1

Division Finals (Best-0f-three):
West:
Clinton 2, Kane County 1

East:
Lake County 2, Great Lakes 1

Championship Series (Best-of-five):
Lake County 3, Clinton 2

Opening Day, 2012 is TWO DAYS AWAY!

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 three.

Three Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers and the Milwaukee Brewers began a new chapter in Appleton Professional Baseball history.

2009 Timber Rattlers Media Guide Cover

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Milwaukee Brewers (1st Year)
Manager: Jeff Isom (1st Year)
First Half Record:  34-36 (5th, West)
Second Half Record: 24-45 (8th, West)
Overall Record: 58-81

The 2009 Timber Rattlers.

Future Major Leaguers:
Pitcher Dave Bush (0-0, 0.00) in two games – both rehab starts – with 9K in 7.2IP
Outfielder Lorenzo Cain hit .192 with no homers and three RBI in 15 games
Pitcher Michael Fiers (0-0, 0.00) in three games – no starts – with a save & 8K in 6.0IP
Infielder Taylor Green hit .400 with a homer and 5 RBI in six games
Infielder Brett Lawrie hit .274 with 13 homers and 65 RBI in 105 games
Catcher Martin Maldonado hit .105 with no homers and 2 RBI in seven games
Pitcher Jeff Suppan (0-1, 10.80) in one game – a rehab start – with 1 K in 3.1IP

Category Leaders:
AVG: Corey Kemp – .282
HR: Brock Kjeldgaard – 20
RBI: Brock Kjeldgaard – 74
SB: Brett Lawrie – 19
OPS: Brett Lawrie – .802
WINS: Daniel Meadows – 13
ERA: Daniel Meadows – 4.01
IP: Trey Watten – 133.2
SO: Wily Peralta – 118
SV: Jim Henderson – 17

2009 MWL Season:

2009 Magnet Schedule.

The main change was in Fort Wayne.  The Wizards got a new downtown ballpark and a new nickname.  They are now known as the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

East: Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Great Lakes Loons, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, West Michigan Whitecaps
West: Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars, Peoria Chiefs, Quad Cities River Bandits, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

2009 MWL All-Star Game:
Clinton hosted the game and the East won 6-3.  Five Timber Rattlers were named to the team as reserves: Catcher Corey Kemp and infielder Brett Lawrie with pitchers Jim Henderson, Daniel Meadows, and Wily Peralta.

2009 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
West:
Cedar Rapids 2, Peoria 0
Burlington 2, Kane County 0

East:
Fort Wayne 2, South Bend 1
Great Lakes 2, West Michigan 1

Division Finals (Best-of-three):
West:
Burlington 2, Cedar Rapids 1

East:
Fort Wayne 2, Great Lakes 1

Championship Series (Best-of-five):
Fort Wayne 3, Burlington 0

Opening Day is April 5. Get Here Soon!

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 four.

All Timber Rattlers photos in this post are by Bill Glasheen.

Four Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers and the Mariners had one more season together.

Cover of the 2008 Timber Rattlers Media Guide.

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners (16th Year)
Manager: Terry Pollreisz (1st Year)
First Half Record:  31-35 (6th, West)
Second Half Record: 25-45 (8th, West)
Overall Record: 56-80

The 2008 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Future Major Leaguers:
Pitcher Nathan Adcock (2-5, 3.72) in 15 games – 14 starts – with 82K in 77.1IP
Pitcher Shawn Kelley (0-0, 3.52) in 8 games – no starts – with 12K in 7.2IP
Third baseman Alex Liddi hit .244 with six homers and 53RBI in 125 games
Pitcher Michael Pineda (8-6, 1.95) in 26 games – 21 starts – with 128K in 138.1IP

Nathan Adcock as a Timber Rattler in 2008 wearing an Papermakers throwback uniform.

Shawn Kelley as a Timber Rattler in 2008.

Alex Liddi as a Timber Rattler in 2008.

Michael Pineda as a Timber Rattler in 2008.

Category Leaders:
AVG: Edilio Colina – .291
HR: Joe Dunigan – 14
RBI: Joe Dunigan – 58
SB: Daniel Carroll – 31
OPS: Edilio Colina – .729
WINS: Michael Pineda – 8
ERA: Michael Pineda – 1.95
IP: Michael Pineda – 138.1
SO: Michael Pineda – 128
SV: Rob Harmon & Jeff Dunbar – 6

Joe Dunigan in 2008.

Daniel Carroll in 2008.

Rob Harmon in 2008.

I felt like including one more Ron Garth photo. This one is from 2008.

2008 MWL Season:

2008 Timber Rattlers Magnet Schedule.

There were a few changes for the 2008 season.  The SWING of the Quad Cities were sold to a new ownership group.  That group changed the team nickname back to River Bandits and made it Quad Cities, instead of Quad City.

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

2008 MWL All-Star Game:
Great Lakes hosted the MWL All-Star Game in 2008.  The West won 5-4 in 10 innings.

Clinton outfielder Tim Smith hit just two homers over the course of the first half of the Midwest League regular season. He picked a perfect time for long ball No. 3.

Leading off the top of the 10th inning in the Midwest League All-Star Game in front of a record crowd at the Dow Diamond, Smith smacked a shot off of Great Lakes reliever Miguel Ramirez just fair down the right-field line to give the West All-Stars a 5-4 victory and earn himself the MVP award for the game.

Four Timber Rattlers were selected to play in the game.  Infielders Edilio Colina and Juan Diaz and pitchers Phillippe Aumont (who did not play) and Travis Mortimore.

Phillipe Aumont in 2008.

Edilio Colina in 2008.

Juan Diaz in 2008.

Travis Mortimore in 2008.

2008 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-Three):
West:
Cedar Rapids 2, Clinton 0
Burlington 2, Kane County 0

East:
South Bend 2, West Michigan 1
Dayton 2, Lansing 0

Division Finals (Best-of-Three):
West:
Burlington 2, Cedar Rapids 0

East:
South Bend 2, Dayton 0

Championship Series (Best-of-Five):
Burlington 2, South Bend 0*

The Bees were declared the winners of the championship series because:

It was an anticlimactic ending to a perfect postseason run for the Burlington Bees, but no one can say they didn’t deserve the Midwest League title.

Although they were declared champions Saturday by league president George Spelius after Game 3 of the best-of-5 Championship Series with South Bend was rained out for the second straight day, the Bees went 6-0 in the playoffs and outscored the Silver Hawks, 18-0, in the first two games of the Finals.

The 2008 MWL Champions.

2008 MWL Alum of Note:
Derek Holland – Clinton LumberKings

Meanwhile in West Virginia in 2008:
Jonathan Lucroy

Jonathan Lucroy with the West Virginia Power in 2008.

Opening Day, 2012 is April 5.  Get Here Soon!

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 five.

Five Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

The cover of the 2007 Timber Rattlers Media Guide.

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners (15th Year)
Manager: Jim Horner (2nd Year)
First Half Record:  22-46 (8th, West)
Second Half Record: 31-39 (7th, West)
Overall Record: 53-85

The 2007 Timber Rattlers.

Greg Halman as a Rattler in 2007

There should be an action shot of Nathan Adcock for 2008.

There is probably another action shot of Alex Liddi for 2008, too.

Future Major Leaguers:
Pitcher Nathan Adcock (2-8, 3.70) in 17 games – 16 starts – with 66K in 87.2IP
Pitcher Cha-Seung Baek (0-0, 4.91) in one game – a rehab start – with 6K in 3.2IP
Outfielder Greg Halman hit .182 with four homers and 15RBI in 52 games
Pitcher Shawn Kelley (1-1, 2.25) in 9 games – no starts – with 14K in 12.0IP
Third baseman Alex Liddi hit .240 with eight homers and 52RBI in 113 games
Outfielder Carlos Peguero hit .263 with nine homers and 50RBI in 79 games
Pitcher Chris Tillman (1-4, 3.55) in eight games – all starts – with 34K in 33.0IP
Pitcher Anthony Varvaro (4-11, 4.69) in 22 games – 21 starts – with 112K in 103.2IP
Pitcher Sean White (1-0, 0.00) in one game – a rehab start – with 4K in 5.0IP

Chris Tillman was a Rattler in 2007.

Anthony Varvaro was a Timber Rattler in 2007.

Category Leaders:
AVG: Kuo Hui Lo – .288
HR: Carlos Peguero – 9
RBI: Alex Liddi – 52
SB: Kuo Hui Lo -32
OPS: Kuo Hui Lo – .787
WINS: Steven Richard – 7
ERA: Kyle Parker – 3.46
IP: Kyle Parker – 112.0
SO: Anthony Varvaro – 112
SV: Andy Barb – 10

HOW MANY!?!?!? STAT:  There were 58 different players who saw action as a Timber Rattler player during the 2007 season.

2007 MWL Season:
There was a big change.  The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were sold.  They were moved to Midland, Michigan and were christened the Great Lakes Loons.  Oh, and they changed their affiliation to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

2007 Timber Rattlers magnet schedule

East: Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne Wizards, Great Lakes Loons, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, West Michigan Whitecaps
West: Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Cedar Rapids Kernels, Clinton LumberKings, Kane County Cougars, Peoria Chiefs, Swing of the Quad Cities, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

2007 MWL All-Star Game:
Kane County hosted the game on June 19.  The East won 7-1.  The Timber Rattlers were represented by a pair of relief pitchers: Andy Barb & Joe Kantakevich.

Andy Barb as a Timber Rattler in 2007.

Joe Kantakevich had an All-Star season with the Rattlers in 2007.

2007 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-0f-three):
West:
Beloit 2, Quad Cities 0
Clinton 2, Cedar Rapids 1

East:
West Michigan 2, Lansing 0
South Bend 2, Dayton 1

Division Finals:
West:
Beloit 2, Clinton 0

East:
West Michigan 2, South Bend 0

Championship Series:
West Michigan 3, Beloit 2

2007 MWL Alumni of Note:

Clayton Kershaw – Great Lakes Loons

Clayton Kershaw in 2007 with the Great Lakes Loons.

Meanwhile in West Virginia in 2007:

Taylor Green

Taylor Green as a Brewer and with the Power.

Opening Day, 2012 is April 5.  Get Here Soon!

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 six.

Six Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers missed the playoffs.

Cover of the 2006 Timber Rattlers Media Guide

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners (14th Year)
Manager: Jim Horner (1st Year)
First Half Record:  27-43 (7th, West)
Second Half Record: 27-43 (7th, West)
Overall Record: 54-86

Michael Saunders in 2006. This picture and others used in this post were taken during a game in which the Rattlers wore Fox Cities Foxes jerseys as part of a Turn Back the Clock promotion.

Future Major Leaguers:
Third baseman Alex Liddi hit .184 with no homers and two RBI in 11 games
Catcher Adam Moore hit .267 with seven homers and 24 RBI in 44 games
Outfielder Michael Saunders hit .240 with four homers and 39 RBI in 104 games
Pitcher Justin Thomas (5-5, 3.10) in 11 games – all starts – with 51K in 61.oIP
Second baseman Luis Valbuena hit .286 with three homers and 38 RBI in 89 games

Luis Valbuena in 2006.

Justin Thomas (with Pitching Coach Lance Painter looking on) in 2006.

Category Leaders:
AVG: Luis Valbuena – .286
HR: Ron Garth – 10
RBI: Ron Garth & Eddy Hernandez – 48
SB: Michael Saunders – 22
OPS: Luis Valbuena – .771
WINS: Nick Allen & Jose Escalona – 7
ERA: Jose Escalona – 4.06
IP: Paul Fagan – 165.2
SO: Jose Esccalona – 110
SV: Brian Kappel – 8

Ron Garth in 2006

Paul Fagan in 2006.

2006 MWL Season:

2006 Timber Rattlers Magnet Schedule.

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

2006 MWL All-Star Game:
The East beat the West 7-1 at Quad Cities on June 20.

The Timber Rattlers Ron Garth was the starting third baseman for the West.  Other Rattlers on the team included outfielder Casey Craig, pitcher Edgar Guaramato, and pitcher Harold Williams.

Casey Craig in 2006

Edgar Guaramato in 2006

2006 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
East:
Lansing 2, South Bend 0
West Michigan 2, Fort Wayne 1

West:
Beloit 2, Peoria 1
Kane County 2, Quad Cities 1

Divisional Finals (Best-of-three):
East:
West Michigan 2, Lansing 0

West:
Kane County 2, Beloit 0

Championship Series (Best-of-Five):
West Michigan 3, Beloit 1

2006 MWL Alumni of Note:
Nick Adenhardt – Cedar Rapids Kernels

Nick Adenhart as a Cedar Rapids Kernel in 2006.

I look at this baseball card and remember how he pitched against the Timber Rattlers and – knowing what happened – I just get sad.  Then, I get angry.

Justin Upton – South Bend Silver Hawks

Justin Upton with South Bend in 2006.

Justin Upton was 18 in 2006.  He hit .263 with 14 homers and 66 RBI in 113 games for South Bend.

Meanwhile in West Virginia:

Lorenzo Cain

Lorenzo Cain with the West Virginia Power in 2006. From the Power's website.

Mat Gamel

Mat Gamel with West Virginia in 2006. From the Power website.

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

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!

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 eight.

Eight Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers had a rough season as Steve Roadcap returned for his second stint as manager of club.

Cover of the 2004 Timber Rattlers Media Guide.

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners (12th Year)
Manager:  Steve Roadcap (2nd Year)
First Half Record:  31-38 (7th, West)
Second Half Record: 26-44 (8th, West)
Overall Record: 57-82

The 2004 Timber Rattlers.

Future Major Leaguers:
Outfielder Wladimir Balentien hit .277 with 15 homers and 46RBI in 76 games
Pitcher Ryan Feierabend (9-7, 3.63) in 26 games – all starts – with 106K in 161.0IP
Shortstop Adam Jones hit .267 with 11 homers and 72RBI in 130 games
First baseman Bryan LaHair hit .279 with five homers and 28RBI in 67 games
Second baseman Oswaldo Navarro hit .211 with no homers and seven RBI in 40 games
Pitcher Eric O’Flaherty (3-3, 6.12) in 12 games – 10 starts – with 38K in 57.1IP

Adam Jones as a Rattler in 2004

Wladimir Balentien in 2004.

Category Leaders:
AVG: Adam Jones – .267
HR: Wladimir Balentien – 15
RBI: Adam Jones – 72
SB: Josh Womack – 24
OPS: Wladimir Balentien – 24
WINS: Ryan Feierabend & Brandon Moorhead – 9
ERA: Tom Oldham – 2.93
IP: Nibaldo Acosta – 161.2
SO: Brandon Moorhead – 163
SV: Brian Stitt – 16

2004 MWL Season:

2004 Magnet Schedule

The only change was a change that should not have been made.  The Quad City River Bandits switched their name to the Swing of the Quad Cities.

The Timber Rattlers and the Beloit Snappers played at Miller Park again in 2004.  The game was played on August 12 and Beloit won 5-0.

2004 MWL All-Star Game:
Cedar Rapids hosted the game on June 22.  The West beat the East 6-3.  Rattlers pitcher Ryan Feierabend was the winning pitcher for the East.  Wisconsin closer Brian Stitt was the only other Wisconsin representative on the West squad.

2004 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
West:
Clinton 2, Cedar Rapids 0
Kane County 2, Peoria 1

East:
South Bend 2, Fort Wayne 0
West Michigan 2, Lansing 1

Divisional Finals:
West:
Kane County 2, Clinton 0

East:
West Michigan 2, South Bend 0

FINALS:
West Michigan 3, Kane County 2

I will note that Kane County won Game Four of the 2004 Finals in 16 innings by a score of 7-5.  But, the Whitecaps would win the following day by a score of 4-2.

2004 MWL Alumni of Note:
Ian Kinsler – Clinton LumberKings

Ian Kinsler as a LumberKing in 2004. (From milb.com)

Ian Kinsler hit .402 in 60 games for Clinton in 2004.  Add in 11 homers, 30 doubles, and 52 RBI and you can see why he was promoted to AA before the All-Star break.

George Kottaras – Fort Wayne Wizards

George Kottaras as a Fort Wayne Wizard in 2004. (From baseballinfortwayne.com)

The man who would play for the Brewers started out in the San Diego organization as a .310/.415/.461 hitter with seven homers and 46RBI in 78 games with the Fort Wayne Wizards.

2004 Brewers Farmhands of Note:
Yovani Gallardo – Beloit Brewers

He was there long enough for a bobblehead.

Gallardo joined the Snappers late in the season.  He was a second round pick in 2004 and started his pro career with six starts in the Arizona League before coming to Beloit.  Gallardo made two starts for the Snappers, went 0-1 with 10 earned runs allowed, with four walks and eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched.

Opening Day, 2012 is April 5. Get Here Soon!

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 nine.

Nine Years Ago:
The Timber Rattlers rebounded to make the MWL playoffs.

Cover of the 2003 Timber Rattlers media guide.

TIMBER RATTLERS INFORMATION:
Name: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Affiliation: Seattle Mariners (11th Year)
Manager:  Daren Brown (1st Year)
First Half Record:  38-28 (2nd, West)
Second Half Record: 31-38 (7th, West)
Overall Record: 69-66

Future Major Leaguers:
Outfielder TJ Bohn hit .272 with 13 homers and 70 RBI in 128 games
Pitcher Felix Hernandez (0-0, 1.93) in two games – both starts – with 18K in 14IP
Pitcher Cesar Jimenez (8-11, 2.94) in 28 games – 20 starts – with 76K in 125.2IP
Pitcher Bobby Livingston (15-7, 2.73) in 26 games – all starts – with 105K in 178.0IP
Catcher Rene Rivera hit .275 with nine homers and 54RBI in 116 games

Ryan Rowland-Smith from 2003.

Category Leaders:
AVG: Gary Harris – .284
HR: Matt Hagen – 21
RBI: Jon Nelson – 91
SB: Gary Harris – 36
OPS: TJ Bohn – .800
WINS: Bobby Livingston – 15
ERA: TA Fulmer – 2.58
IP: BOBBY! Livingston – 178.0
SO: TA Fulmer – 130
SV: Bryan Heaston – 8

Miller Park Stat:  The Timber Rattlers and Beloit Snappers played at Miller Park on August 14, 2003.

The Difference Stat:  Below is a page from the 2003 Media Guide. It shows the attendance of the Appleton Foxes from 1984-1994 and the attendance of the Timber Rattlers from 1995-2002.  Click to see the difference a new stadium can make in black and white.

2003 MWL Season:

The 2003 magnet had the same design as the 2001 magnet schedule.

The main change was in Battle Creek. The Michigan Battle Cats changed affiliates from the Houston Astros to the New York Yankees. They also changed their name to Battle Creek Yankees. Other affiliation changes included, the Cougars becoming an Oakland affiliate and Clinton becoming a Rangers affiliate.

East: Battle Creek Yankees, Dayton Dragons, Fort Wayne Wizards, Lansing Lugnuts, South Bend Silver Hawks, 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

2003 MWL All-Star Game:
The East beat the West 5-4 as West Michigan hosted the All-Star Game on June 17.  Manny Parra was the losing pitcher for the West.

Bobby Livingston was the starting pitcher and Rene Rivera was the starting catcher for the West.  There were a lot of Rattlers selected as reserves for the West team in 2003: TJ Bohn (OF), Matt Hagen (IF), Corey Harrington (IF), TA Fulmer (P), Cesar Jimenz (P), and Ryan Rowland-Smith (P).

2003 MWL Postseason:
First Round (Best-of-three):
East:
Lansing 2, South Bend 0
Battle Creek 2, Fort Wayne 0

West:
Beloit 2, Wisconsin 0
Clinton 2, Kane County 1

Division Finals (Best-of-three):
East:
Lansing 2, Battle Creek 0

West:
Beloit 2, Clinton 1

Finals (Best-of-five):
Lansing 3, Beloit 0

2003 MWL Alumni of Note:
Joel Zumaya -  West Michigan Whitecaps

2003 Brewers Farmhands of Note:
Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Tony Gwynn, Jr. – Beloit Snappers

From snappersbaseball.com

Fielder played all season in Beloit.  He hit .313 with 27 homers, 112 RBI, and an OPS of .935 in 137 games.  Rickie Weeks was the #1 pick of the Brewers in 2003.  He joined the Snappers in August, in fact his MWL debut was against the Timber Rattlers at Pohlman Field just before the Miller Park game.  The first MWL hit for Weeks came off Bobby Livingston.  Weeks hit .349 with a homer and 16RBI in 20 games.

Manny Parra was also on that team.

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