Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Encyclopedia
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team of the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
, and the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Grand Chute is a town in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The city of Appleton and unincorporated community of Apple Creek are partially located in the town...
, and are named for timber rattlesnakes
Crotalus horridus
Crotalus horridus, the timber rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pitviper found in the eastern United States. This is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous northeastern United States. No subspecies are currently recognized....
. The team plays its home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Opened in 1995, the park seats 5,500 fans.
History
The team began play as the Appleton Foxes in the Three-I League in 1958. This was five years after Appleton's previous minor league franchise, the PapermakersAppleton Papermakers
The Appleton Papermakers were a minor league baseball team located in Appleton, Wisconsin. The team was part of the Wisconsin State League.-Affiliations:The Papermakers were affiliated with the following major league baseball teams:...
, folded along with the rest of the Wisconsin State League
Wisconsin State League
There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905. In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League. Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953...
. Appleton joined the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
in 1963 after the Three-I League disbanded. The franchise set its attendance record of 253,240 in 2009. The Rattlers signed a 4 year maximum deal with the Brewers for 2009 until up to 2012.
The Timber Rattlers are a non-stock club governed by Appleton Baseball Club, Inc., which is community-owned. Appleton Baseball Club has a 12-person board of directors. It has 168 active shareholders and 347 shares as of September 2008.
Yearly results
| League Champions † |
| Three-I League | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record | Win % | Finish | Attendance | Playoffs |
| 1958 | Washington | Pete Suder Pete Suder Peter Suder , nicknamed "Pecky," was an American professional baseball player, a utility infielder for the Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics . He was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.... |
56–73 | .434 | 6th | 58,602 | |
| 1959 | Washington | Jack McKeon Jack McKeon John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins... |
59–67 | .468 | 4th | 51,004 | |
| 1960 † | Baltimore Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... |
Earl Weaver Earl Weaver Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St... |
82–56 | .594 | 1st | 61,062 | Won Title |
| 1961 | Baltimore | Earl Weaver Earl Weaver Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St... |
67–62 | .519 | 4th | 47,552 |
| Midwest League | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Affiliation | Manager | Record | Win % | Finish | Attendance | Playoffs |
| 1962 | Baltimore | Cal Ripken, Sr. Cal Ripken, Sr. Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr... |
61–63 | .492 | 7th | 41,323 | None |
| 1963 | Baltimore | Billy DeMars | 55–65 | .458 | 8th | 43,412 | None |
| 1964 † | Baltimore | Billy DeMars | 81–43 | .653 | 1st | 45,557 | Defeated Clinton 1–0 |
| 1965 | Baltimore | Billy DeMars | 55–63 | .466 | 7th | 43,412 | None |
| 1966 † | Chicago (AL) Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans... |
Stan Wasiak | 77–47 | .621 | 2nd | 57,496 | Defeated Cedar Rapids 2–1 |
| 1967 † | Chicago (AL) | Alex Cosmidis | 71–46 | .607 | 1st | 48,186 | Defeated Wisconsin Rapids 2–0 |
| 1968 | Chicago (AL) | Gary Johnson/Tom Umphlett Tom Umphlett Thomas Mullen Umphlett is a former center and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1953 to 1955 with the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators.... |
57–61 | .483 | 6th | 45,436 | None |
| 1969 † | Chicago (AL) | Tom Saffell Tom Saffell Thomas Judson Saffell is a former major league outfielder from Etowah, Tennessee-Early life:Saffell grew up playing sports, especially fast-pitch softball. His team won the state tournament and played in a national tournament in Detroit, Michigan. After completing high school in 1940, Saffell... |
84–41 | .672 | 1st | 67,028 | Won both halves |
| 1970 | Chicago (AL) | Ira Hutchinson Ira Hutchinson Ira Kendall Hutchinson was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1933-1945. Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was later a manager in the Chicago White Sox minor league system from 1951-1970.... |
64–60 | .516 | 5th | — | None |
| 1971 | Chicago (AL) | Joe Sparks | 79–44 | .642 | 1st | — | Lost to Quad Cities 2–1 |
| 1972 | Chicago (AL) | Bert Thiel | 76–51 | .598 | 1st | — | Defeated Wisconsin Rapids 1–0; Lost to Danville 2-0 |
| 1973 | Chicago (AL) | Grover "Deacon" Jones | 44–76 | .367 | 10th | — | None |
| 1974 | Chicago (AL) | Gordy Lund | 73–50 | .593 | 2nd | — | Defeated Wisconsin Rapid 2–0; Lost to Danville 2–1 |
| 1975 | Chicago (AL) | Gordy Lund | 50–77 | .394 | 9th | — | None |
| 1976 | Chicago (AL) | Jim Napier | 56–74 | .431 | 10th | — | None |
| 1977 | Chicago (AL) | Gordy Lund | 54–84 | .398 | 8th | — | None |
| 1978 † | Chicago (AL) | Gordy Lund | 97–40 | .708 | 1st | — | Defeated Waterloo 2–0; Defeated Burlington 2–1 |
| 1979 | Chicago (AL) | Jim Breazeale | 63–72 | .467 | 5th | — | None |
| 1980 | Chicago (AL) | Gordy Lund | 76–63 | .547 | 2nd | — | None |
| 1981 | Chicago (AL) | Sam Ewing Sam Ewing Samuel James Ewing is a former baseball player for the Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. He bats and throws left. Ewing attended the University of Tennessee. His final American League game was on October 1, 1978... |
54–80 | .403 | 6th | 66,780 | None |
| 1982 † | Chicago (AL) | Adrian Garrett Adrian Garrett Henry Adrian "Smokey" Garrett, Jr. is a former professional baseball player who played eight seasons for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, and California Angels of Major League Baseball. Garrett later played for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, hitting 102 home runs in three seasons... |
81–59 | .579 | 3rd | 81,970 | Defeated Springfield 2–0; Defeated Madison 2–1 |
| 1983 † | Chicago (AL) | John Boles Jr. John Boles Jr. John Boles, Jr. is a former manager in Major League Baseball. In addition to twice managing the Florida Marlins, he was also an executive with the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as a Minor League manager in the Chicago White Sox organization... |
87–50 | .635 | 1st | 68,751 | Defeated Waterloo 2–1; Defeated Springfield 3–1 |
| 1984 † | Chicago (AL) | Sal Rende | 87–49 | .640 | 1st | 54,281 | Defeated Madison 2–1; Defeated Springfield 3–2 |
| 1985 | Chicago (AL) | Sal Rende | 85–54 | .612 | 1st | 76,860 | Lost to Kenosha 2–1 |
| 1986 | Chicago (AL) | Duke Sims Duke Sims Duane B. Sims was a Major League Baseball catcher who played from 1964 to 1974 with the Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.... /Rico Petrocelli Rico Petrocelli Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli is an American retired baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox... |
56–83 | .403 | 11th | 60,001 | None |
| 1987 | Kansas City Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium... |
Ken Berry Ken Berry (baseball) Allen Kent Berry is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent before the 1961 season. He played for the White Sox from 1962 until he was traded in 1970 to the California Angels. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and... |
71–69 | .507 | 6th | 81,208 | None |
| 1988 | Kansas City | Brian Poldberg Brian Poldberg Brian John Poldberg is the manager of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Prior to his coaching/managing career, Poldberg played a total of six seasons in the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals minor league systems.Poldberg began his coaching... |
58–82 | .414 | 13th | 85,310 | None |
| 1989 | Kansas City | Brian Poldberg Brian Poldberg Brian John Poldberg is the manager of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Prior to his coaching/managing career, Poldberg played a total of six seasons in the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals minor league systems.Poldberg began his coaching... |
67–68 | .496 | 7th | 76,223 | None |
| 1990 | Kansas City | Joe Breeden | 62–71 | .466 | 8th | 84,396 | None |
| 1991 | Kansas City | Joe Breeden | 58–81 | .417 | 14th | 72,601 | None |
| 1992 | Kansas City | Tom Poquette Tom Poquette Thomas Arthur Poquette is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of seven seasons in the majors, between and , for the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers... |
70–62 | .530 | 6th | 46,576 | Lost to Beloit 2–1 |
| 1993 | Seattle Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July... |
Carlos Lezcano | 62–73 | .459 | 9th | 56,036 | None |
| 1994 | Seattle | Carlos Lezcano | 75–64 | .540 | 4th | 76,281 | None |
| 1995 | Seattle | Mike Goff | 63–75 | .457 | 12th | 209,159 | None |
| 1996 | Seattle | Mike Goff | 77–58 | .570 | 2nd | 233,797 | Defeated Peoria 2–1; Defeated Quad City 2–1; Lost to West Michigan 3–1 |
| 1997 | Seattle | Gary Varsho Gary Varsho Gary Andrew Varsho is a former Major League Baseball player, formerly serving as a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates... |
76–63 | .547 | 2nd | 227,104 | Lost to Kane County 2–0 |
| 1998 | Seattle | Gary Varsho Gary Varsho Gary Andrew Varsho is a former Major League Baseball player, formerly serving as a coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates... |
72–65 | .526 | 5th | 227,306 | Lost to Rockford 2–1 |
| 1999 | Seattle | Steve Roadcap | 72–66 | .522 | 5th | 223,814 | Defeated Rockford 2–0; Defeated Lansing 2–0; Lost to Burlington 3–2 |
| 2000 | Seattle | Gary Thurman Gary Thurman Gary Montez Thurman is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played during nine seasons at the major league level for the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and New York Mets. He was drafted by the Royals in the 1st round of the 1983 amateur draft... |
78–60 | .565 | 3rd | 220,372 | Defeated Kane County 2–1; Lost to Beloit |
| 2001 | Seattle | Gary Thurman Gary Thurman Gary Montez Thurman is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played during nine seasons at the major league level for the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and New York Mets. He was drafted by the Royals in the 1st round of the 1983 amateur draft... |
84–52 | .618 | 2nd | 207,823 | Defeated Quad City 2–0; Lost to Kane County 2–0 |
| 2002 | Seattle | Gary Thurman Gary Thurman Gary Montez Thurman is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played during nine seasons at the major league level for the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and New York Mets. He was drafted by the Royals in the 1st round of the 1983 amateur draft... |
53–86 | .381 | 13th | 199,210 | None |
| 2003 | Seattle | Daren Brown | 69–66 | .511 | 6th | 197,934 | Lost to Beloit 2–0 |
| 2004 | Seattle | Steve Roadcap | 57–82 | .410 | 12th | 206,487 | None |
| 2005 | Seattle | Scott Steinmann | 76–63 | .547 | 2nd | 211,927 | Defeated Beloit 2–1; Defeated Clinton 2–0; Lost to South Bend 3–2 |
| 2006 | Seattle | Jim Horner | 54–86 | .386 | 13th | 209,033 | None |
| 2007 | Seattle | Jim Horner | 53–85 | .384 | 14th | 197,511 | None |
| 2008 | Seattle | Terry Pollreisz | 56–80 | .412 | 10th | 190,263 | None |
| 2009 | Milwaukee Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League... |
Jeff Isom Jeff Isom Jeff Isom is the manager of the Brevard County Manatees, the Class A-Advanced minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.... |
58-81 | .417 | 12th | 253,240 | None |
| 2010 | Milwaukee | Jeff Isom | 58-80 | .420 | 14th | 244,331 | None |
Notable alumni
- Asdrúbal CabreraAsdrúbal CabreraAsdrúbal José Cabrera is a switch-hitting infielder for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball.After coming up through the Seattle Mariners organization, he was acquired by the Indians on June 30, 2006, in exchange for Eduardo Perez...
(2005) - Shin-Soo ChooShin-Soo ChooShin-Soo Choo is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball in the United States.Choo was selected as the Most Valuable Player and Best Pitcher of the 2000 World Junior Baseball Championship as South Korea won the event...
(2002) - Tom GordonTom GordonThomas Gordon , nicknamed "Flash", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played with the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros , Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies and the...
(1988) - Raul IbanezRaúl IbáñezRaúl Javier Ibáñez is an American Major League Baseball outfielder.Over his career, Ibáñez, who did not make 500 plate appearances until the age of thirty, has batted .280 with 377 doubles, 252 home runs and 1054 runs batted in over sixteen Major League seasons...
(1994) - Adam JonesAdam Jones (baseball)Adam La Marque Jones is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Jones was born and raised in San Diego, California where he starred at Samuel F. B. Morse High School. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft by the Seattle Mariners...
(2004) - Julio MateoJulio MateoJulio Cesar Mateo is a Major League Baseball pitcher. The 6’ tall 220 lb Mateo bats and throws right-handed. He was signed by the Seattle Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on May 15, ....
(2000) - Gil MecheGil MecheGilbert Allen Meche is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Shoulder and back problems caused the former first round pick to retire in at just 32 years old.-Early years:...
(1998) - David OrtizDavid OrtizDavid Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
(1996) led the club in hitsHit (baseball)In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
that season. - Joel PineiroJoel PiñeiroJoel Alberto Piñeiro is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 200 pounds. He is right-handed and made his major league debut on August 8, .-Career:...
(1998) - J.J. PutzJ.J. PutzJoseph Jason "J. J." Putz is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-High school:Born in Trenton, Michigan, Putz led Trenton High School to the 1994 Division 2 state championship. He graduated in 1995 and won the Mr...
(2000) - Alex RodriguezAlex RodriguezAlexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
(1994) - Rafael SorianoRafael SorianoRafael Soriano is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. He bats and throws right-handed...
(2000)