Captains Hosting Job Fair March 14 & 19



(Eastlake, OH) Are you looking for a fun part-time job this summer? Classic Park is the place for you! The Lake County Captains will host Job Fairs at Classic Park on Monday, March 14 from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday, March 19 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Job seekers will be able to apply for seasonal positions and be interviewed on site. Applicants are advised to bring resumes and can enter through the administrative offices. The following positions are amongst the available openings:

  • Concession stand attendant (cooks, cashiers, runners)
  • Suite Attendant
  • Picnic Attendant
  • Warehouse Attendant
  • Parking Attendant
  • Event/game cleaning crew
  • Day cleaning crew
  • Ticket taker
  • Usher
  • Kids zone attendant
  • Grounds crew

The Captains home opener is Tuesday, April 12 against the Dayton Dragons.

Beloit Sky Carp Hiring Game Day Staff Now

 

The Beloit Sky Carp are looking for fun, energetic and customer-service oriented people to join their gameday staff for the 2022 baseball season. Working Sky Carp games is the perfect summer job opportunity for college and high school students, retirees, and anyone looking for something fun to do after their “9 to 5” job.

Not only is working in baseball fun, but you have the chance to make history as part of the Inaugural Staff of the Beloit Sky Carp. Most importantly, you will help the Sky Carp live out their mission of improving the quality of life in our community by providing every fan with a fun, safe and memorable ballpark experience.

Positions available include:

  • Stadium Operations
  • Grounds Crew
  • Food & Beverage – including cooks, prep staff, and cashiers
  • Box Office Reps and Ticket Takers
  • Ushers
  • Security
  • Team Store Attendants
  • Creative Services staff including in-game entertainment team, camera operators, and control room positions

For more information and to apply visit www.milb.com/beloit/team/employment-opportunities, or call 608-362-2272 to interview now!

The Sky Carp season begins Tuesday, April 12th and continues through September 4th with the possibility of additional playoff games being held in Beloit.

South Bend Cubs to Offer Peanut-Free Suite on May 6

*For Immediate Release *

SOUTH BEND, IN – On Friday, May 6, the South Bend Cubs will provide a peanut-free indoor suite for fans who are allergic to peanuts.

In conjunction with the Michiana Food Allergy Support Group, the South Bend Cubs have created a peanut-free environment for kids of all ages for the past 6 seasons. According to Erica Andert, the founder and leader of the Support Group, families come in from as far as Indianapolis and Chicago to enjoy Cubs games in a nut-free environment.

“The South Bend Cubs do a great job making sure that every inch of the suite is allergen free, we’re excited to bring families with Peanut allergies back out to Four Winds Field and experience a baseball game,” said Andert.

Approximately 85 million Americans are impacted by food allergies and intolerance, including 32 million who have a potentially life-threatening condition, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). That number includes 5.6 million American children under the age of 18. Peanut allergies are among the most common food allergies and, leading cause for anaphylaxis which can cause death among children according to studies funded by FARE.

“We forget that peanut allergies are such a major challenge now for a lot of kids especially…and what ballpark doesn’t sell peanuts?” South Bend Cubs President Joe Hart said. “At least for that one particular day [kids with peanut allergies] can come out to Four Winds Field and know that they’re getting to experience what their friends get to experience… It gives you the sense that this is something really good that we’re doing, and we’re giving kids the opportunity to be a kid that day.”

Executive chef Scott Craig and his staff go through a rigorous quality control process to ensure that there is absolutely no contact or cross-contamination from peanuts during the food preparing process.

The Peanut-Free Suite costs $25 per person. Space is limited to the first 40 fans. The $25 package includes a game ticket, South Bend Cubs hat and ballpark buffet featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and soda. Tickets are on sale now and guests interested in purchasing tickets can call the South Bend Cubs at (574)-235-9988 or stop by the Four Winds Field Box Office.

About the South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs are the Class A minor league affiliate of the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Over the past 32 seasons, the team has won four Midwest League titles, most recently in 2019, and has captured eight division titles. In 2019, the South Bend Cubs hosted the Midwest League All-Star Game. In June 2017, Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs, was voted Best Class A ballpark in the country by Ballpark Digest. In 2015 the team was named Ballpark Digest’s Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President’s Award, the highest award in minor league baseball. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC whose principal shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Ill. More information is available at www.SouthBendCubs.com.

Nominate A Local Hero To Be Celebrated By The TinCaps

 

The Fort Wayne TinCaps, along with OmniSource LLC and Steel Dynamics Inc., are saluting our local heroes throughout the 2022 season and need your help!

The team is seeking nominations for military (active duty and veterans), first responders, healthcare workers, and educators to be honored as our “Hero of the Game” at Parkview Field.

Selected nominees will receive VIP treatment. This includes tickets to the game for them and their family, plus in-game recognition.

If you have a friend or family member you’d like to see recognized, click here to enter a nomination.

Questions can be directed to TinCaps Assistant Director of Marketing & Promotions Morgan Olson at [email protected].

Regardless of the status of MLB’s lockout, the TinCaps are set to begin their 2022 season at Dayton on April 8. Opening Day at Parkview Field is Tuesday, April 12 (6:35 p.m.) against the South Bend Cubs. Tickets to all games are on sale at TinCapsTickets.com, by calling 260-482-6400, and at the Parkview Field Ticket Office.

Click here for the team’s 2022 promotional schedule, including Military Appreciation Day presented by OmniSource, Steel Dynamics, and the San Diego Padres, on Sunday, June 26 (1:05 p.m.). Complimentary tickets for that game are available to military families at this link.

Lugnuts to honor Bud Fowler, Page Fence Giants on June 24

 

LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts will honor incoming 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Bud Fowler with a bobblehead giveaway on a special Page Fence Giants Night on June 24 at Jackson® Field™, the Lugnuts announced today.

The tribute night, honoring Fowler and the dominant trailblazing 19th-century team he co-founded, is part of Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine,” a Black-community focused initiative that will celebrate the legacies of Black baseball pioneers throughout the upcoming season. The Lugnuts will wear the Page Fence Giants’ black and maroon uniforms, with the first 1,000 fans through the gates receiving a special Bud Fowler commemorative bobblehead, presented by Physicians Health Plan. LAFCU Fireworks will follow the game.

“Our connection with Bud Fowler and the Page Fence Giants began last year, when we learned their story as they were inducted into the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Lansing Lugnuts owner Tom Dickson. “Theirs is an important story to retell: a Black professional baseball team based out of Michigan that won an overwhelming number of the games they played. We are proud to continue to tell their story and join The Nine during the same summer that Bud Fowler rightfully takes his place in Cooperstown.”

“Celebrating the rich history of baseball in Michigan, especially when we honor players like Bud Fowler and the rest of the Page Fence Giants, is absolutely incredible. Lansing is proud to be the home of the Lugnuts, and even prouder to join with them for this great night of baseball. I look forward to seeing the Page Fence Giants’ uniforms in action at Jackson Field this season and saluting the memory of Bud Fowler,” stated Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.

Bud Fowler, born John W. Jackson, Jr., in 1858, was the first professional Black baseball player. He began his baseball career as a fine pitcher and catcher before turning to the infield after developing arm troubles. Wrote the Sporting Life, “With his splendid abilities he would long ago have been on some good club had his color been white instead of black. Those who know say there is no better second baseman in the country.” By the time he was done, Fowler had logged over 2,000 at-bats during a career lasting two decades. His final team in organized baseball was the 1895 Lansing Senators, with whom he batted .331 in 31 games.

In August of 1894, Fowler broke his leg in a game. He spent his rehabilitation time joining with young slugger Grant “Home Run” Johnson and a trio of white businessmen in Adrian to found the Page Fence Giants in September 1894. Sponsored by the Page Woven Wire Fence Company, the Giants traveled around the Midwest and Canada in their own private railroad car, winning over 100 games each year from 1895 through 1898. In their most famous moment, they convincingly defeated the Cuban X-Giants in 1896 in a series that was promoted as determining the best Black baseball team of the era.

The Lugnuts will open 2022 on Wednesday, April 6, playing the Michigan State Spartans in the Crosstown Showdown, before welcoming the Lake County Captains to Jackson® Field™ on Friday, April 8, raising the curtain on the 132-game High-A season.

For more information on “The Nine,” visit milb.com. For the latest information about the Lansing Lugnuts, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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Join Our Game Day Staff!

 

Join the River Bandits family at Modern Woodmen Park for the 2022 season!

We are hiring for several part time positions within food and beverage, production, promotions, the box office and more! Join our team and enjoy a ticket, team store discount, employee meal, and a full summer of baseball!

APPLY HERE!

To learn more about joining our game day staff, call 563-324-3000!

Black History Month: Flash of Excellence

 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers continue Minor League Baseball’s celebration of Black History Month with Tom Gordon’s seventeen starts as an Appleton Fox and his quick rise to the Major Leagues in 1988.

Before Tom Gordon spent 21 seasons in the Major Leagues, he spent three months in Appleton, Wisconsin. Gordon was twenty years old with the Appleton Foxes in 1988 and racked up strikeout numbers and amazing starts in seventeen games that most players don’t reach over an entire season.

Gordon entered his season in the Midwest League with a lot of hype. His 1987 season with Eugene in the Northwest was incredible with a 9-0 record, a 2.86 ERA, and 91 strikeouts in 72-1/3 innings pitched over fifteen games. Plus, he added three starts in the Florida State League with Fort Myers with a 1-0 record.

Brian Poldberg, the manager of the Foxes in 1988, named Gordon as his Opening Day starter for a game on April 8 at Wausau Athletic Park against the Wausau Timbers. Gordon pitched four scoreless innings, allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out seven. The article in the paper noted that Gordon pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the fourth.

Gordon’s next start was on April 13 and it was his first Goodland Field appearance. This time out, Gordon allowed on hit, walked one, and struck out eleven over five scoreless innings. He even recorded four strikeouts in one inning. Gordon left after reaching his 85-pitch limit and had a no decision in Appleton’s 1-0 victory.

“I didn’t feel as loose as I did in my first start, but I had pretty good stuff,” Gordon told Gary Shriver of The Post-Crescent after the game. “I was using fastball, change. I did tighten up some at the end.”

The Foxes failed to score in Gordon’s next two starts: A 5-0 loss at Springfield on April 18 and a 2-0 loss to Madison at home. Gordon was charged with the loss in both games despite allowing three earned runs over twelve innings. He had just two strikeouts at Springfield – Gordon’s season-low in Appleton. He had eight punchouts against Madison while giving up just one run.

Appleton’s offense made up for the lack of support and Gordon earned his first Midwest League win at Kenosha on April 30. He worked 6-2/3 innings, struck out seven and gave up three runs – two earned – as the Foxes won 12-5.

Tom Gordon’s Starts in April, 1988

DATE OPPONENT DEC IP H R ER BB SO
4/8 @Wausau ND 4.0 3 0 0 2 7
4/13 Peoria ND 5.0 1 0 0 1 11
4/18 @Springfield Loss 6.0 4 3 2 3 2
4/25 Madison Loss 6.0 4 1 1 2 8
4/30 @Kenosha Win 6.2 6 3 2 1 7
1-2 27.2 18 7 5 9 35

That result launched Gordon on a four start stretch in May that leaves an observer looking back at just the numbers leave one amazed.

It all started at Goodland Field against Beloit on May 5. Gordon allowed one run on three hits with four walks and seventeen strikeouts for a no decision. He had a 1-0 lead going into the top of the ninth inning, but David Nilsson had an RBI triple to tie the game. Terry Shumpert won the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventeenth inning for a 5-4 Foxes win.

Gordon was understated in his comments to Dan Vanderpas of The Post-Crescent after the game.

“I had a pretty good night. I threw the ball well. I felt good,” Gordon said. “My fastball was my best pitch tonight – high 80s, lower 90s. A game like this feels good because you had a good outing but I wanted to win. The thing I was looking for was to go out there and improve.”

The win followed in his next start. He pitched a nine-inning complete game against Quad Cities on May 11 in front of 2,646 fans at Goodland Field. Once again, Gordon allowed just one run in the game. Plus, he added eleven strikeouts in a 6-1 victory.

“I’m not hurting, but some days you just don’t feel your best. I didn’t feel my best, but I do see this as one of my better (pitching) days,” Gordon told Vanderpas. “The fastball worked real good for me tonight. That’s the ball that struck out most of the guys. It wasn’t the fastball I’m used to having. I had to work on it. I had to think to win. I had to think a little better than they did. That’s basically what I did.”

On May 16, Gordon made another start at home and pitched nine more innings to defat Burlington 3-1. This time out the youngster from Florida scattered six hits, allowed one run, walked two, and struck out sixteen for a complete game on 127 pitches in just over two hours as a birthday present for fellow Foxes pitcher Tim Odom and his manager.

“The more they hit the ball, the better I felt. It was just my team helping me and me helping my team,” said Gordon. “you can do a lot with A3 run lead because they’ve got to play catch up in baseball three runs is not a lot but if you’ve got a good pitcher on the mound you can fairly get by most teams.”

Poldberg fielded a question about how much longer Gordon would be in Appleton while snacking on some birthday cake in the clubhouse after the game.

“We haven’t had too many quick games lately, but when Tommy comes out there and you score a couple of runs you have a good chance of winning the game,” said the Foxes skipper. “Right now (to be called up), it’s just a matter of him getting command of himself because the higher up he goes a lot of the hitters will be taking the high fastballs that the younger hitters are swinging at.”

The final start in this stretch was a legendary appearance. It was in Waterloo, Iowa on May 21. Gordon gave up one hit, walked three, and struck out NINETEEN over seven scoreless innings. The only thing wrong with this night was that the Foxes bullpen blew a 3-0 lead. Waterloo scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on for a 5-4 win.

Gordon had three impressive strikeout streaks – five in a row, six in a row, and seven in a row – during his seven innings. The only hit off Gordon was a single in the fourth inning. Waterloo put just three balls in fair territory against Gordon.

Russ L. Smith of the Waterloo Courier wondered why Gordon came out of the game and Poldberg had the answer.

“You got a young kid like that, you’ve got to protect his arm,” said Poldberg. “He has an embargo of 130 pitches in a game and he had 125 after the seventh. There’s no use starting him out to throw five pitches in the eighth.”

The month of May ended with a no decision and a loss for Gordon. He allowed six runs in 4-1/3 innings at Cedar Rapids on May 26 and was uncharacteristically wild with five walks and five strikeouts in that game. Then, he lost to Kenosha on May 31 at home despite allowing three runs over six innings.

In May, Gordon pitched 44-1/3 innings and recorded 74 strikeouts against just 20 walks.

Tom Gordon’s Starts in May, 1988

DATE OPPONENT DEC IP H R ER BB SO
5/5 Beloit ND 9.0 3 1 1 4 17
5/11 Quad Cities Win 9.0 5 1 1 2 11
5/16 Burlington Wiin 9.0 6 1 1 2 16
5/21 @Waterloo ND 7.0 1 0 0 3 19
5/26 @Cedar Rapids ND 4.1 5 6 6 5 5
5/31 Kenosha Loss 6.0 5 3 3 4 6
2-1 44.1 25 12 12 20 74

In June, Gordon made six starts and he was 4-0 in his first four. The first of that quartet was his first nine-inning, complete-game shutout with the Foxes.

Riverview Stadium in Clinton, Iowa was the site. June 5 was the date. Gordon allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out twelve in a 7-1 win.

Less that a week later, the Clinton Giants made the trip to Goodland Field. Gordon allowed one run with no walks and eleven strikeouts on June 10 for another complete game despite not feeling like he would be able to do much before the game.

“I was weak tonight,” said Gordon. “I just felt weak. I just didn’t feel like it was my night to pitch.”

“He didn’t have the great fastball early in the game and he went to his curveball a little more than I would have liked him to,” said Poldberg. “But he knew he didn’t have his best pitch, so he went to his next best pitch and that’s the curveball.”

Next up for Gordon was a start at South Bend on June 15. This was another win for Gordon as he allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and ten strikeouts in seven innings. While not as dominant as his previous two starts, this one impressed White Sox manager Steve Dillard.

“I’ve been wanting to see him,” Dillard told Curt Rallo of the South Bend Tribune. “I know he signed two years ago and I heard he threw in the middle 90s. But now he’s got a curve and that might be his best pitch. He didn’t strike a guy out until the third inning and he ended up with ten. We were overmatched.”

The final game in this four-start winning streak was on June 20 against Beloit at Goodland Field. Gordon should have had six scoreless innings to go along with his seven strikeouts. However, Bobby Knecht, an infielder moved to the outfield after an injury to starting left fielder Mike Gassman, couldn’t find a flyball – as he said – “against that bright, blue sky” with two runners on and two outs. The routine ball dropped in and by the time it was retrieved the Brewers had a three-run, inside-the-park home run to cut Appleton’s 4-0 lead to a single run.

The bullpen preserved the win for Gordon with two scoreless innings from Doug Nelson and a scoreless ninth from Brian McCormack to send Gordon’s record to 7-3 and 3,509 Foxes faithful home happy.

Gordon’s final two starts with Appleton were both losses, but the offense scored two runs total. South Bend won 5-2 at Goodland on June 25 and Burlington won 2-0 in Iowa on June 30.

The loss to the Burlington Braves was no fault of Gordon’s. He pitched eight innings, walked one, allowed two runs – one earned, and gave up five hits while striking out fourteen. The Foxes offense managed just three hits.

Tom Gordon’s Starts in June, 1988

DATE OPPONENT DEC IP H R ER BB SO
6/5 @Clinton Win 9.0 2 0 0 4 12
6/10 Clinton Win 9.0 6 1 1 0 11
6/15 @South Bend Win 7.0 3 2 2 1 10
6/20 Beloit Win 6.0 4 3 3 3 7
6/25 South Bend Loss 7.0 5 3 3 5 9
6/30 @Burlington Loss 8.0 5 2 1 1 14
4-2 46.0 25 11 10 14 63

John Boles, the Director of Minor League Operations for the Royals, was asked about Gordon’s future for an article in the July 3 edition of The Post-Crescent. Boles was very direct in his response.

“Tommy Gordon is going to pitch in the major leagues. No doubt about it. He’s one of the best prospects in minor league baseball, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be going to be moving anywhere soon.”

That last part from Boles is the only thing wrong in his quote.

Gordon missed his next Foxes start due to a strained leg muscle. Then, on July 12, he was added to the roster of the Memphis Chicks, Kansas City’s Double-A affiliate. Six starts and 62 strikeouts later, Gordon was promoted to Omaha in Triple-A.

Despite being almost 6-1/2 years younger than the league average of the American Association, Gordon was not intimidated. He was 3-0 in three starts, allowed three runs, and had 29 strikeouts.

In an August 28 article in the Kansas City Star, Gordon talks with Jack Etkin about his whirlwind of a 1988, “I wake up sometimes,” he admits, “ and say, ‘I can’t believe I’m in Omaha.’ People say, ‘Can Tom Gordon make it to the big leagues this year?’ It seems like it’s a dream. It’s unbelievable. There can’t be too many people at 20 who’ve moved from A ball to Triple-A and are being thought about to play in the big leagues.”

The call came after Omaha’s season ended and Gordon would make his MLB debut in relief of Brett Saberhagen on Sept 9 in Kansas City against the Oakland Athletics. He pitched two perfect innings on 23 pitches, including a three-pitch strikeout of Jose Canseco.

Dave Parker, who popped out against Gordon in the game, was informed that Gordon was just twenty and he responded, “If he’s that young, that’s an advantage. This guy’s got a good idea of what he wants to do from what I saw tonight. I was impressed with him.”

He wasn’t the only person impressed with Tom Gordon. Baseball America named Gordon their Minor League Player of the Year for 1988.

What a year! And it all started for Gordon with the Appleton Foxes.

Previous Articles for Black History Month 2022:

February 1: Top 5

February 8: Ervin Lee Ford

February 15: Deacon Jones & Bernie Smith Make History

Black History Month: Top Players in Fort Wayne’s Franchise History

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up in Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne’s Black baseball history dates back to at least the 1880s. Over the years, the Summit City hosted Hall of Fame players like Hank Aaron, Rube Foster, Smokey Joe Williams, and Sol White. Fort Wayne was even the site for Game 4 of the 1932 Negro League World Series. You can find out more about that rich history here. But meanwhile, it’s also fitting that in the modern era of Minor League Baseball in Fort Wayne, the legacy of those legends lives on.

Indiana native LaTroy Hawkins was a member of the inaugural Fort Wayne Wizards in 1993. Not only did the right-hander from Gary go on to become the first player in the organization’s history to reach the big leagues when he debuted with the Minnesota Twins in 1995, he also put together one of the most respected careers in MLB history. Hawkins ranks 10th all-time in career appearances for a pitcher with 1,042 games pitched across 21 seasons in The Show with 11 clubs. He was included on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2021 class.

Hawkins set the tone for his prolific career during his first full professional season in ’93 as he won the Midwest League’s pitching triple crown, leading the circuit in ERA (2.06), strikeouts (179), and wins (15). “Hawk” established Fort Wayne franchise records that still stand nearly 30 years later for ERA, strikeouts, complete games (4), and shutouts (3).

Hawkins remains very involved in the game today in a variety of ways, such as coaching, broadcasting, and advocating on behalf of The Players Alliance, which works to improve representation of Black Americans in all levels of baseball.

Fun Fact: LaTroy is Patrick Mahomes’ godfather.

Follow: @LaTroyHawkins32 on Twitter & Instagram

Check out the video below as LaTroy reminisces about his season in Fort Wayne.

A season after Hawkins established the standard for Fort Wayne pitchers, the franchise was fortunate to have Torii Hunter do the same for position players. Hunter, a first-round selection of the Twins out of high school, was only 18 years old for most of his time as a Wizard. Nevertheless, despite being a few years younger than most of his competition, he more than held his own, slashing a .293 batting average / .358 on-base percentage / .439 slugging percentage (.796 OPS). During his days at the old Memorial Stadium, Hunter also showcased his amazing ability as an outfielder. Take a look back at some highlights.

Hunter went on to reach the big leagues with the Twins by the age of 21 in 1997. He was selected as an American League All-Star five times and won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 2001-09, playing for the Angels and Tigers as well. Hunter has been included on the last two National Baseball Hall of Fame ballots, and will be again next year, too.

Fun Fact: In 2018, former Notre Dame wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. played at Parkview Field against the TinCaps with the Burlington Bees (then an Angels affiliate).

Torii Sr. is still staying busy today, in part by running restaurants.

Follow: @toriihunter48 on Twitter & @tnutts48 on Instagram

Will Venable originally went to Princeton to play basketball. While he was a First Team All-Ivy League guard who played in March Madness, as a sophomore, he joined the baseball team, too. Eventually, he was a seventh-round pick of the Padres in 2005 and assigned to Fort Wayne the following year.

The left-handed hitting outfielder put together one of the best seasons in franchise history. Venable slashed .314 / .389 / .477 (.866 OPS). His 91 RBIs that year set a franchise record that’s only been passed by one player since (Fernando Perez, 95 in 2014). Beyond that, in terms of club history, Venable ranks fourth in average, fifth in OPS, sixth in slugging, and 10th in on-base. He was a 2006 Midwest League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star.

Venable’s success continued as he debuted with San Diego in 2008. With the Pads into 2015, Venable finished ninth in the National League in stolen bases twice, while he was top eight in triples four times. He also played for the Rangers in 2015 and finished his playing career with the Dodgers in 2016.

In short order, Venable has become one of the top rising young coaches in MLB. He served as the Cubs’ first base coach in 2018 and ’19 before moving to third base coach in ’20. The upcoming season will be his second as bench coach for the Red Sox.

Fun Fact: His father, Max, who also played in the majors, was his hitting coach in Fort Wayne in 2006… By the way, the only other student-athlete in Ivy League history to be First Team all-conference in both baseball and basketball is Chris Young, who was teammates with Will at Princeton. Young, a pitcher, also spent part of his career with the Padres and now is the General Manager of the Texas Rangers.

Joe Ross was a first-round pick of the Padres out of high school in 2011. After spending part of the 2012 season in Fort Wayne as a teenager, he returned in ’13 to headline a loaded rotation that included fellow future MLB starters Max Fried (Braves) and Zach Eflin (Phillies).

Ross got the Opening Day start and rolled from there, earning Midwest League All-Star status.

He made his big league debut with the Nationals in 2015. The righty from Northern California, who pitched in the Midwest League Playoffs in both of his seasons as a TinCap, started Game 5 of the 2019 World Series, as Washington went on to win the title.

Fun Fact: Joe’s older brother, Tyson, also pitched in the majors. Their mother, Jean, is an emergency room nurse, while their father, Willie, is a doctor.

Follow: @JoeRoss21 on Twitter & [@jross21](https://www.instagram.com/jross21/)_

While Ross was on the mound, Mallex Smith, at just 19 years old, was Fort Wayne’s leadoff batter on Opening Day in 2013. Smith homered in his Midwest League debut, though his game is more about speed than power. The lightning fast outfielder had a solid ’13 campaign, highlighted by stealing 64 bases — just one shy of tying the franchise record. (Smith accomplished that in 110 games compared to Rymer Liriano and Jeremy Owens swiping 65 in 116 and 129 games, respectively.)

The Padres reassigned Smith to the TinCaps to begin the following year. He then found another gear, as his average, on-base percentage, and slugging all rose significantly. Midway through the season, the center fielder had stolen 48 bases in 64 games, prior to a promotion to High-A. The effervescent Floridian capped off his Fort Wayne career in the Midwest League All-Star Game, where he also won the “Lost Art of the Bunt Contest” that was held by the West Michigan Whitecaps in lieu of a home run derby. He finished the year leading all players in both Minor League and Major League Baseball in stolen bags with 88 in 119 games.

Later, Smith made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2016. He hasn’t slowed down. After time with the Rays, Smith led the big leagues in stolen bases in 2019 with 46 for the Mariners. He spent the 2021 season in the minors for the Blue Jays and remains under contract with Toronto.

Fun Fact: Believe it or not, in the story below, Mallex says he’s not even the fastest runner in his immediate family. He’s credited his base-stealing and hitting success, in part, to writing scouting reports on pitchers in a marble notebook.

Also Of Note

The Wizards and TinCaps have had many more outstanding Black players, including outfielder Matt Lawton (1993), a two-time MLB All-Star… Kyle Blanks (2006), a Midwest League All-Star who went on to play for the Padres, A’s, and Rangers… Keyvius Sampson (2011), a Midwest League All-Star who’s pitched for the Reds.

Who’s Next

Shortstop CJ Abrams (2019) is the top Padres prospect, and ranked by MLB.com as the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball… Infielder Xavier Edwards (2019) was a Midwest League All-Star and now ranks as the No. 70 overall prospect in the sport as a member of the Rays’ farm system… Outfielder Joshua Mears is considered the top power-hitting prospect for the Padres. The 21-year-old grew up in the state of Washington and was committed to play collegiately at Purdue before being drafted and signing with San Diego. He’s projected to call Parkview Field home in 2022… Outfielder James Woods was San Diego’s second draft pick in 2021 and is already regarded as a top five prospect for the Pads. He could be a TinCap in the next year or two.

Kernels to Hold Job Fair February 24th and 26th

Kernels to hold Job Fair

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Jessica Fergesen (319) 896-7608

Cedar Rapids, IA – The Cedar Rapids Kernels are hosting a two-day job fair to hire part-time employees for the 2022 season. Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 24th from 3-7pm and Saturday, February 26th from 8-11am at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Candidates will complete the application and interview at the job fair in the Kernels conference room and suites. The Kernels are looking for people who are reliable, hard-working, and passionate about pleasing our fans. All employees must be at least 16 years of age or older to work at the Kernels. The Kernels are an equal opportunity employer.

Applications will be available at the job fair or apply online! Visit www.kernels.com to learn more about the positions we are hiring.

The Kernels Opening Night for 2022 is Friday, April 8th at 6:35 PM vs. Beloit. Single-game tickets will go on sale Monday, March 14th. Our full promotional schedule with theme nights and daily specials will be released on March 1st.

To keep up to date on information regarding the Kernels 2022 season please visit www.kernels.com or follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds and subscribe to our Kernels email newsletter.

Top 5 Black Players in Quad Cities Baseball History

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players in Quad Cities baseball history.

Garrett Anderson (1991)

Anderson spent the 1991 season with the Quad City Angels on his way to an accolade-filled 17-year Major League career.

Despite putting up pedestrian numbers in the Midwest League, the former 1990 fourth-round pick made his Major League debut in 1994 and won Sporting News Rookie of the Year in 1995. Over 2,228 Big League games with the Angles, Braves, and Dodgers, Anderson batted .293/.324/.461 with 2529 hits, 522 doubles, 287 home runs, and 1365 runs batted it.

In addition to holding multiple club records, the three-time All-Star (2002, 2003, 2005) and two-time Silver Slugger (2002, 2003) helped lead Anaheim to a World Series Championship in 2002 and won the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game MVP in 2003.

Thad Bosley (1975)

After being selected in the fourth-round of the 1974 draft, Bosley—at just 18 years old—played his second professional season with the Quad Cities Angles and was named a Midwest League Postseason All-Star in 1975 after slashing .298/.410/.354, with 50 runs batted in and 37 stolen bases.

Bosley debuted in the Major Leagues with California in 1977 and spent parts of 14 seasons with the Angles, White Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Cubs, Royals, and Rangers. During the 1985 season, the outfielder hit .328 with seven home runs and was voted the best pinch hitter in baseball.

Shawon Dunston (1983)

Taken as the first overall pick in the 1982 draft, Dunston played in 117 games with the Quad Cities Cubs in 1983 and became Quad Cities’ first Midwest League “Star of Stars” (MVP) and Prospect of the Year, while also being named a Postseason All-Star. The shortstop batted .310/.332/.409 and remains eighth on the Quad Cities all-time singles list (112) and tied for fifth on the all-time stolen bases list (58).

Making his debut with the Cubs in 1985, Dunston spent 12 of his 18-year Major League career with Chicago before also seeing time in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis, and New York (Mets).

Dunston was a two-time Major League All-Star (1988, 1990) and holds a .269 career batting average with 150 home runs and 212 stolen bases.

Damion Easley (1990)

As the lowest drafted player in our top five, Easley turned a 30th round selection in the 1988 draft into a 17-year Major League career and spent the 1990 season with the Midwest League Champion Quad Cities Angels. The New York native hit .274/.358/.425 with 10 home runs and 56 runs batted in en route to a Postseason All-Star selection as part of the title winning squad.

After beginning his career with the California Angles, Easley was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1996 where he’d spend the majority of his career and earn an appearance in the Home Run Derby and All-Star/Silver Slugger honors during the 1998 season.

In 2001, Easley hit for the cycle and notched an inside-the-park home run. He also tied Ty Cobb and Kid Nance for the Tigers’ single-game hits record with six against the Texas Rangers on August 8 of that season.

The utility infielder also played with Tampa Bay, Florida, Arizona, and New York (Mets).

Ron Jackson (1972)

A second-round pick by the California Angles in 1971, Jackson batted .274/.336/.436 with 12 home runs and 73 runs batted in with the Quad Cities Angels in 1972.

After four seasons with the Angles, Jackson played for the Minnesota Twins in 1979 and recorded a career-high 158 hits, 40 doubles, and 14 home runs over 153 games. The first baseman also posted a .9943 fielding percentage, breaking Rod Carew’s Twins’ record.

Following his 10-year playing career, which also saw stops in Baltimore and Detroit, Jackson spent 21 years as a coach/manager, including a stint as hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox.

Power Hitter, Prince Fielder, Leads Top Black Players In Beloit Baseball History

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout the month of February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.
While some of these standout performers went on long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout the month of February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went on long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up in Beloit’s 40-year history.

PRINCE FIELDER

Less than two months after first baseman Prince Fielder was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers as the seventh overall pick in 2002 – straight out of high school in Melbourne, Fla. – he already leaped a classification to play for the former Beloit Snappers in the Midwest League.

In 32 games during the second half of the 2002 season, he batted .241 with 11 RBI and three homers. But the following year in Beloit was Fielder’s ascension into stardom. It would lead to following his father, 13-year MLB veteran Cecil Fielder, into the big leagues.

With father and son sharing an apartment in Beloit, Prince Fielder exploded in 2003 with a .313 batting average and .526 slugging percentage in 137 games. He bashed 27 homers, 22 doubles and drove in 112 runs during his 594 plate appearances. It became his best full-season numbers of his minor league career.

He was part of the 2004 Futures Game while in Double-A.

In 2005, he made his debut with the Brewers. That launched an MLB career that included being a six-time MLB All-Star and his name placed on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2021 for the first time, after retiring in 2016.

GREG VAUGHN

After being drafted for the fifth different time, this time by the Brewers as the fourth overall pick in 1986 as a college player for the Miami Hurricanes, Vaughn played the entire 1987 season in Beloit.

He posted his best numbers with Beloit of his minor league career, batting .305 in 139 games with a team record 33 homers and 105 RBI. He also scored a then-record 120 runs. The team back then was the Beloit Brewers as Milwaukee’s Class A affiliate.

He collected 150 hits in 492 at-bats, along, including 31 doubles and 36 stolen bases. It equated into a .594 slugging percentage and 1.018 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).

Following that 1987 season, Vaughn was named Midwest League co-MVP. Two years later, Vaughn began his 15-year MLB career. In 1993, he became the first Beloit player to play in an MLB All-Star Game.

RICKIE WEEKS JR.

Though he played just 20 games for the Beloit Snappers in 2003, Rickie Weeks Jr. left quite an impression.

Weeks became the second overall pick by the Brewers in the 2003 draft, following his sterling college career at Southern University. Prior to becoming a pro, Weeks was named Baseball America College Player of the Year in 2003 and winner of Golden Spikes Award as top amateur player.

Primarily a second baseman, Weeks collected 22 hits in 63 at-bats with Beloit in 2003, including eight doubles and 16 RBI, along with 15 walks for a .349 average, .556 slugging percentage and 1.050 OPS. Later that season, Weeks made his MLB debut with the Brewers on Sept. 15, 2003.

*Nicknamed “Slick,” Weeks became an MLB All-Star in 2011 with the Brewers. He later played for the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays before retirement. *

BILL HALL

After two years in Rookie League, Bill Hall played his first full, minor-league season in 2000 with Beloit. He batted .262 with 30 doubles and 41 RBI for the Beloit Brewers.

That season led into him making his major league debut with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 1, 2002. He has distinction of playing for six different teams in an 11-year MLB career.

In September 2019, seven years after his last MLB game, the Brewers signed Hall to a one-day contract which enabled him to retire as a Brewer. It was Hall’s wish to do so, crediting the Brewers for giving him the opportunity to play pro baseball as a kid from a small country town in Nettleton, Mississippi.

Hall was a sixth round pick by the Brewers in 1998 out of high school in Nettleton, Miss. He wound up being a solid utility player in the big leagues, playing three different infield positions (third base, shortstop, second base). He later became part of the Brewers Wall of Honor.

BEN REVERE

While on a fast path to the big leagues, Ben Revere was part of Beloit’s affiliation with the Minnesota Twins when the outfielder was chosen in the first round (28th** overall) in the 2007 draft.

He played 83 games for Beloit in 2008, posting the highest batting average (.379) and slugging percentage (.497) of his professional career. He had 129 hits and 43 RBI. His totals included 19 triples and 17 doubles along with 169 total bases that year.

That special season with the Beloit Snappers included Revere being named the Midwest League Player of the Year and Prospect of the Year, after chosen for both mid-season and post-season ML All-Star teams. He received the Sherry Robertson Award as the Twins minor league player of the year.

Baseball America chose him as a High-A All-Star following the season and the Twins’ second best prospect at that time.

*Revere made his MLB debut with the Twins in September 2010. He then played eight MLB seasons for five different teams. *

Black History Month: A Look at the Top Five Players in Chiefs History

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

While some of these standout performers went onto long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up for the Peoria Chiefs.

JOSH HARRISON

A do-it-all, versatile player, Josh Harrison has carved out quite the niche in his professional career. The now 34-year-old played in 110 contests with the Chiefs over the course of two seasons. His 2009 campaign served as a breakout year for the Cincinnati, Ohio native. In 79 games, he hit .337 with four homers, while striking out in just 7% of his at-bats. Harrison was traded from the Cubs to the Pirates in July of 2009 and later made his Major League debut with Pittsburgh in 2011. Harrison’s best season came in 2014, when he made his first career All-Star Game. He finished ninth in MVP voting, posting a .315 batting average with 13 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He tacked on a second ASG appearance in 2017, thanks in large part to his 16 home runs, a career-high. Harrison spent 2021 with the Nationals and the A’s. He is currently a free agent.

ALEX REYES

After battling injuries, Alex Reyes burst onto the scene in 2021. Reyes made 69 appearances for the Cardinals last season and recorded an impressive 10 wins out of the bullpen. The right-hander collected 29 saves and set a Major League record by converting the first 24 saves of his career. Reyes has always been a highly-touted hurler and served as Baseball Prospectus’ top-ranked prospect in their 2017 preseason rankings. Reyes, who was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, spent the 2014 season with the Chiefs as a 19-year-old. In 21 starts, Reyes went 7-7 with a 3.62 ERA, while striking out 137 batters in 109.1 innings.

COCO CRISP

Coco Crisp, a widely-respected veteran, spent 15 seasons with four Major League teams and suited up for more than 1,500 career games. Crisp collected 1,572 career hits and mashed 130 career home runs, including 22 with the Oakland A’s in 2013. He posted three seasons with 30+ stolen bases and swiped 49 bags in 2011, tied for the American League lead. Crisp’s stay in Peoria was a brief one. The Los Angeles native played just 27 games for the Chiefs in 2000, but posted a .377 on-base percentage in that timeframe. After being named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year in 2001, Crisp was traded to Cleveland in 2002. He parlayed the trade into stints with Cleveland, Boston, Kansas City and Oakland.

JACK FLAHERTY

Flaherty, the now ace of the Cardinals pitching staff, played his first full season of professional baseball with the Chiefs in 2015. Flaherty dominated Midwest League hitters, posting a 9-3 record with a 2.84 ERA. After moving through the ranks, Flaherty made his MLB debut in 2017. After a fine 2018 season with St, Louis, the Burbank, California native put the rest of the league on notice in 2019. Flaherty went 11-8 and sported a sparkling 2.75 ERA. He finished fourth in the race for the National League Cy Young award after whiffing 231 batters in 196.1 innings pitched. Flaherty overcame two IL stints in 2021 to post a solid 9-2 record last season. The 26-year-old will look to build on his early success in 2022.

DEVON WHITE

Few players in Chiefs history can boast a more impressive resume than Devon White. Born in Jamaica, White moved to the United States as a kid and was drafted by the California Angels in the sixth round of the 1981 draft. As a 20-year-old, he flashed some serious potential with the Chiefs in 1983. The speedy outfielder stole 32 bases and hit 13 home runs in the process. After making his MLB debut in 1985, White quickly became known for his unique mix of speed, power and defense. Over the span of a 17-year Major League career, White swiped 346 bases, with five seasons of 30 or more stolen bases.He hit 208 homers, and racked up seven Gold Gloves, including a stretch of five in a row from 1991-1995. In addition to his individual success, White won three World Series titles in his distinguished career, including back-to-back trophies with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993.

Registration is Open for the 2022 Meijer Baseball Academy 

 

For Immediate Release

SOUTH BEND, IN – The Meijer Baseball Academy is back for 2022 and registration is now open. Two sessions will be held for the summer camp at Four Winds Field; the first of which will run from July 6-8 and the second from July 27-29. Both camps start on a Wednesday and end on a Friday.

“Last year we sold out the Meijer camp and this year we’re really excited to be hosting two camps,” said South Bend Cubs Assistant General Manager for Marketing and Media Chris Hagstrom-Jones. “It’s great because the campers not only have a blast but they improve their skills on the field, and the players just love being out there with them. It’s one of their favorite parts of the year.”

Over the course of the three-day camp, participants will learn fundamentals about hitting, pitching, fielding (infield and outfield), catching, and base running. Registration is open to kids ages 6-to-12. Due to the high number of participants, and to provide proper instruction, each Baseball Academy session is capped at 80 kids.

Every participant will receive a Meijer Baseball Academy t-shirt, a South Bend Cubs hat, lunch after each day of camp, and four tickets to a South Bend Cubs game. Attendees from the first camp will receive tickets for the game on July 7 and campers from the second session will receive tickets for July 28. All Meijer Baseball Academy campers will take part in a pre-game recognition on the field. The registration fee for one, three-day session is $125 per child.

Check-in for the first day (July 6 or July 27) of the session will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET. Camp will run from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., with lunch at 11:50 a.m. and pickup at noon. The deadline to register for either camp is June 6. To sign up, visit www.SouthBendCubs.com/BaseballAcademy and click on the session register button under Session 1 or Session 2. Payments can be mailed or dropped off at the South Bend Cubs main office at Four Winds Field. Registration is not complete until payment has been received.

The same skills are taught at both camps and parents only need to register for one session.

Through the South Bend Cubs Facebook and Twitter pages, Meijer will hold a contest to award free admission to two lucky winners. Contest details will be available on the Cubs social media pages in May.

About the South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs are the Class A-Advanced minor league affiliate of the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Over the past 33 years, the team has won four Midwest League titles, most recently in 2019, and has captured eight division titles. In 2019, the South Bend Cubs hosted the Midwest League All-Star Game. In June 2017, Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs, was voted Best Class A ballpark in the country by Ballpark Digest. In 2015 the team was named Ballpark Digest’s Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President’s Award, the highest award in minor league baseball. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC whose principal shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Ill.

Black History Month: Deacon Jones & Bernie Smith Make History

 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers continue Minor League Baseball’s celebration of Black History Month with a pair of history making minor league managers.

The Danville Warriors rallied from a 7-2 deficit to defeat the Appleton Foxes 10-7 in a game at Danville Stadium on April 25, 1973. The Warriors scored four runs in the seventh and four runs in the eighth to score a comeback win in front of 619 fans.

Those are the game details for what would seem to be a routine Midwest League game in 1973. There is a story behind those details to make this game historic for baseball and it happened in a small city two and a half hours south of Chicago and located just west of the Indiana border.

Grover “Deacon” Jones was the manager of the Foxes. Bernie Smith was the manager of the Warriors. They were the first African-America managers in the Midwest League and April 25, 1973 was the first game played in MiLB history where Black skippers led both teams.

There wasn’t much fanfare for the first game. That was not the case when the Foxes hosted the Warriors from May 19-21 at Goodland Field.

Associated Press sent writer Mike O’Brien to the Fox Cities for the final game of the series. His article gets the thoughts of both Jones and Smith to share with newspapers from Maine to Washington and from Wisconsin to Mississippi.

Smith’s Danville Brewers were here Monday night to play Jones Appleton Foxes is in the Class A Midwest league.

No Black has ever managed in the majors and it is believed only two others, Jean Baker and Hector Lopez, have managed in the minors. Yet Jones and Smith speak with affection for baseball and with understanding of its resistance to change.

“When we played at Danville earlier this year, I kidded Bernie that we were making history,” Jones said. “Then the game started and we forgot all about it.”

“I definitely feel more Blacks should have had a chance to manage before this, more than 20 years after Jackie Robinson opened the gates as a player and took a lot of abuse,” Jones said.

Jones later shared a story about his love for baseball, the Chicago White Sox, and the city of Appleton.

“I have a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy, but I can turn to physiotherapy at 60,” he said. “Baseball was my boyhood dream. It’s a great game and I’ll never knock it. The Sox organization has always been fair with me.”

Jones resolved to stay in baseball after an incident that almost forced him out in 1963. Playing first base for Indianapolis, Jones couldn’t complete a throw to the plate because of intense pain in his right arm. It cost a game and he was near tears later.

“Rollie Hemsley, the manager, told me to stay out there and I learned to throw left-handed,” he said. “I’d go out to the park early every night and practice throwing with the other hand. And do you know I played that way in the playoffs that year. I felt that if that man had that kind of faith and courage in me, I wouldn’t quit.”

He batted .343 that year and a few seasons later compiled averages of .353 and .352 at Appleton, a virtually all-white city he dearly loves.

“It’s always been fantastic here,” he said. “When we first came, my wife said she felt like she was on stage, with people turning their heads to look at us. But that’s a natural reaction. We’ve made intimate friends here.”

Bernie Smith was officially the first African-American manager in the Midwest League due to being announced a few days before Jones.

Smith, a Louisiana native and a college teammate of Lou Brock at Southern University, spent years in the New York Mets system, including winning the Eastern League MVP in 1967 when he hit .306, stole 22 bases, and struck out just 47 times in 451 plate appearances for Williamsport. He got his chance in the Majors with Milwaukee and was a Brewer player in 1970 and 1971 for a total of 59 games before joining the minor league coaching staff for 1972 and getting the call to manage Danville in 1973.

Smith’s comments to O’Brien are about why it took so long for baseball to hire an African-American manager.

Smith said he believed there had been reluctance to hire Blacks as manager because of “tradition and money.”

“As owners, they have a financial interest to uphold and if you look at fans percentage-wise – and I mean 80 to 20 – the greatest number are white,” he said. “There has been fear hiring a Black manager might hurt the white crowds.”

“But things have changed,” he said. “Like the kids I manage were brought up in mixed schools, so they think nothing of it to have a Black as a coach. They don’t even think about it unless it’s pointed out.”

The series at Goodland Field went to Jones and the Foxes as they won game one 1-0 and game two 5-3. Danville won the finale 6-4 in eleven innings on the Monday evening that Mike O’Brien attended.

There would be three more matchups between Jones and Smith in 1973. The Foxes would again win two of the three games in the series when Danville hosted Appleton on June 6 and June 7. The teams split a doubleheader the first night with the Foxes taking the finale with a 6-0 win.

Smith would lead the Warriors to a 66-57 record and the playoffs with a win over Decatur in the first round, but a loss to Wisconsin Rapids in the Finals. Smith never managed in the minors again and his story of life after baseball is covered in more depth at this link at Reflections on Baseball by Steve Contursi.

Jones was reassigned as a hitting coach in the White Sox organization on June 20, 1973 after a loss to Wisconsin Rapids at home left Appleton with a 14-38 record. Deacon and the Foxes could never dig all the way out of the hole after starting the season with fifteen straight losses and a 1-19 record in their first twenty games.

The Post-Crescent made sure to include this passage in their article announcing the managerial change.

Jones’s next assignment will be the Knoxville Double-A club, where Lamar Johnson and Fred Norton are having hitting problems.

Though the White Sox announcement made no mention of the Foxes’ last place record, observers here felt that it played a large part in the reassignment decision. Jones, one of the most popular figures in Foxes history, wasn’t blamed by area fans for the team’s poor record since fox is personnel hasn’t been up to usual White Sox standards. There has been a constant shuffling of players on and off the roster, and several key injuries have also handicapped the team.

Jones, like Smith, would never manage again. However, Jones would stay in baseball. He would continue to coach in the White Sox system before moving on to become an advance scout for the Baltimore Orioles for over twenty years.

If you would like to more about Grover “Deacon” Jones, click this link for his SABR Biography by Bill Nowlin for stories like the night Jones sat at a rest stop lunch counter only to have a gun pulled on him and a different night when Virginia, Deacon’s wife, and Alicia Buford, wife of Don Buford, decided they weren’t going to sit in the segregated seating area at the stadium in Savannah in 1962.

It would take just over one year from the end of the 1973 Midwest League Finals for Major League Baseball to hire their first African-American manager. Frank Robinson, who had been traded to Cleveland from the California Angels during the 1974 season, was hired by the Indians on October 3, 1974 to take over as their player-manager for 1975.

Previous Articles for Black History Month 2022:

February 1: Top 5

February 8: Ervin Lee Ford

Timber Rattlers Job Fair Scheduled for February 21 from 4-6pm

 

GRAND CHUTE, WI – Join the Timber Rattlers team this season! Attend the Timber Rattlers Job Fair on Monday, February 21 between 4:00pm and 6:00pm in the Fox Communities Credit Union Fox Club at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

The Timber Rattlers are accepting applications and conducting on-site interviews for part-time, seasonal, game day positions during the job fair. Here is a complete listing of jobs available this season:

Concessions Game Day/Evening Positions:

Kitchen managers, Cooks & Kitchen Staff – Primary responsibilities include planning, preparation, and cooking of meals for baseball games, banquet events, and special events. A basic understanding of the food service industry is preferred but not necessary. These individuals will need to be available for both day and night baseball games during the week and weekends so a flexible schedule is important. Availability starting in April.

Servers – Looking for those who are interested working PM’s and weekends but availability during the daytime is a plus. Must be eighteen, with some server experience. Completion of liquor license course a plus but not required. Availability starting in April.

Bartenders – Flexible with hours, but primarily looking for those who are interested working PM’s and weekends. Availability during the daytime is a plus. Must be eighteen, experience preferred but not required. Must complete liquor license course to sell beer. Availability starting in April.

Picnic Staff – Must be able to lift 50+ lbs. with help of others on staff. Availability starting in April.

Picnic Lead – Individual must be able to successfully run picnics throughout the stadium. Food & beverage experience required along with understanding of buffets. Must be available majority of games throughout the season. Availability starting in April.

Concession Stand Server – Responsible for the distribution of food and beverage out of concession or kiosks. Looking for those interested in working evenings and weekends. Daytime availability is a plus.

Concession Stand Register Operator – Primary responsibilities include taking food and beverage orders, cash handling, and customer interaction. Should be comfortable on computers. Looking for those interested in working evenings and weekends. Daytime availability is a plus.

Concession Stand Runner – Individuals are required to keep food and beverage product replenished during baseball games. Required to lift half barrels (161lbs) on occasion. The job also includes frequent walking and standing for extended periods of time.

All concession positions are primarily nights/weekends but occasionally have first shift hours available for workers.

In addition, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers banquet facility is looking for year-round, part-time employees in the following areas:

Bartenders – Day availability (at least one with lead bartender potential) – immediate start

Runners – Frequent walking and standing for extended periods of time, able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds – immediate start

Dishwashers – Mostly summer hours

Servers – Provide excellent food and beverage service for banquet events, assist with set-up of tables, linens, chairs, etc. for full service of banquet events and maintain back of house, front of house, and side work duties for productivity of banquet events – summer hours

Stadium Operations and Customer Service Game Day/Evening Positions:

50/50 Raffle Workers – Selling raffle tickets walking through the parking lot and stadium seating bowl. Cash handling experience and effective communication skills preferred. Ability to be on feet and walking up and down stairs for extended periods of time.

Custodial Crew – Responsible for cleaning the stadium following games, special events, banquets, etc. and as needed throughout the stadium.

Kids’ Zone – Responsibilities include setting up, monitoring, and putting away the inflatables, prize wheel, and basketball hoop for each game. Also greeting & assisting children in the Kid’s Zone with a need to be alert/attentive to any potential situations that may arise.

Snake Pit Team Store – The Timber Rattlers merchandise store needs helpful workers.

Security – Responsible for fan safety. Must be over 21, with some experience.

Ticket Sellers – Responsible for selling tickets to the walkup crowd on gamedays in the box office. Ideal candidates would be computer literate, friendly, and able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Ushers – Responsibilities include pre-game prep, greeting and assisting fans to their seats, watching crowd for problems or injuries during game, and assisting fans safely out at the end of the game.

Job seekers are encouraged to fill out their application before arrival at the job fair. Applications are available at the Timber Rattlers Front Office or a downloadable application can be found online at this link to the Timber Rattlers website. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age by April 8, 2022. Interested applicants should come prepared to interview with a Timber Rattlers staff member and bring a photo ID and Social Security Card.

Applicants should be energetic, friendly, dependable, and look forward to contributing to the welcoming atmosphere of Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. The Timber Rattlers offer a fun-filled atmosphere and a unique employee experience for the summer months. The Rattlers are an equal opportunity employer.