Donald Driver Charity Softball Game Scheduled for Sunday Night on June 4

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GRAND CHUTE, WI – There will be softball under the lights on Sunday, June 4, 2023. Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Super Bowl Champions, and current stars will come together for the Donald Driver Charity Softball Game at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium at 7:05pm on that date. The event will raise money for the Donald Driver Foundation and additional local and player charities.

Fans may purchase a package that includes one ticket to the Donald Driver Charity Softball Game and three vouchers for a 2023 Timber Rattlers home game starting at 11:00am on Thursday, November 17. Packages are $71 for reserved, $101 for box, and $126 for premium box.

Single-game tickets for the Donald Driver Charity Softball Game will be available for purchase on Tuesday, November 22 at 11:00am.

Tickets for the softball game are $75 for a premium box seat (first two rows), $50 for a standard box seat, $29 for a reserved bleacher seat, and $15 for a general admission grass seat. There are also a limited number of patio tables – which seat four – available at $287. The patio tables will include a softball autographed by Driver and Nelson.

There are 117 All-You-Can-Eat seats available for this game for $90 per seat. There are 69 All-You-Can-Eat seats down the first base line. The new Home Plate Club that is part of the current renovations at Neuroscience Group Field will have 48 All-You-Can-Eat seats. This ticket includes admission to the game, an all-you-can-eat picnic for 90 minutes, and two beverages (beer, soda, or water).

Additionally, all 87 seats in Section 100 are $87 and tickets include a Jordy Nelson autographed softball.

“I am excited to see Jordy Nelson’s return, and to feature Super Bowl Champions and current stars competing,” said Driver. “Please buy tickets early and you can win a meet and greet with Jordy and me! Go Pack Go!!”
Fans who purchase tickets before November 29 will be entered in a drawing with the winners being able to meet Donald Driver and Jordy Nelson before the softball game.

“I am looking forward to returning to Wisconsin as we keep the Softball Game tradition going,” said Nelson.

More participants will be announced closer to the date of the event.

Fans who are planning on attending the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game against the Peoria Chiefs on June 4 should note that the start time of that game has been moved from 1:10pm to 12:10pm. The stadium and the parking lot will be cleared after the conclusion of the Timber Rattlers game.

The schedule for the softball event is as follows:
Parking Lot Opens: 4:30pm
Stadium Gates Open: 5:15pm
Sponsor Softball Game: 5:30pm
Home Run Derby: 6:15pm
Softball Game Starts: 7:05pm

The game will raise money for the Donald Driver Foundation, other player charities, and local charitable organizations. The mission of the Donald Driver Foundation is to display Strong Hands, Strong Minds, and Loving Hearts to serve as a hand up, not a handout. The Donald Driver Foundation has a core focus in serving underprivileged children and families by addressing health & wellness, safety, and education & career development.

Fans may begin to purchase tickets for just the Donald Driver Charity Softball Game at 11:00am on Tuesday, November 22. Tickets are available in one of the following ways: Over the phone at (920) 733-4152, in person at the Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Box Office, or through the internet at timberrattlers.com.

First National announces field renovation winner

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BELOIT — First National Bank and Trust, in conjunction with the Beloit Sky Carp, are proud to announce the recipient of the first annual local Little League field renovation.

After all submissions were tallied, a committee of representatives from both First National Bank and the Beloit Sky Carp chose the winning field. For year one of the program, the main goal was to renovate the field that would have the most impact on the local community.

The committee is pleased to announce that field #2 from the Stateline Family YMCA Youth Sports Complex was chosen. The local YMCA serves thousands of people in the community. Renovating this field will increase safety and help beautify the Complex.

“Our partnership as the Exclusive Bank for the Beloit Sky Carp allows First National Bank and Trust the opportunity to engage in great community outreach programs such as this little league field renovation,” said David McCoy, President and CEO of FNBT. “By helping to update the Stateline Family YMCA Sports Complex, we will support area youth and the YMCA’s mission of strengthening our community family by providing an opportunity for everyone to learn, grow, and thrive, which aligns with FNBT’s mission of helping all our families succeed.”

The winning field was selected among several other deserving local candidates. As part of this process, the Beloit Sky Carp will be drafting a plan for renovation and sharing that plan with each of the other facilities. The goal is to ensure all of the runners-up in the contest know how to improve their fields as well,

“We are extremely grateful to have the opportunity to impact so many kids,” Sky Carp President Zach Brockman said. “First National Bank and Trust has stepped up to help us fulfill the mission of improving the quality of life in the people in our community.”

Stateline Family YMCA CEO Ann Hankins was excited to see the process take place.

“The Stateline Family YMCA is thrilled to have been picked by the Sky Carp and First National Bank and Trust for a field renovation to Field 2 at our YMCA Sports Complex.,” Hankins said. “Every day, the YMCA works to help youth and families learn, grow and thrive. This same dedication shown by the Sky Carp and First National Bank and Trust will provide a top-notch field where kids not only learn the fundamentals of their sport but also teamwork and other critical life skills. The YMCA is grateful for this incredible investment in the youth of our community.”

Work on the project is expected to begin on October 11th and be completed by the following day.

Enrollment Open for 2023 Fang’s Reading Club

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GRAND CHUTE, WI – It is never too early to start thinking about reading and baseball! Registration is open for the 2023 edition of Fang’s Reading Club. Teachers may begin enrolling their schools in the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers program that encourages reading development in children from Kindergarten through fifth grade! This year’s program is presented by Fox Communities Credit Union, Myndology, and Luv 2 Play Appleton. Teachers and reading coordinators have until December 31 to get involved in this program.

Registration can be done through this link on the Timber Rattlers website. You may also check out other details on the program at that link.

Personnel at participating schools have the flexibility to design the program to meet the needs of their students.

Fang’s Reading Club provides the following:

An introductory letter to be sent to parents at the start of the program

Baseball related verification aids to help parents and teachers track the progress of participants

Information to aid schools in setting up their Family Night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium

An easy, online ticket ordering option

A Timber Rattlers game ticket with a hot dog and soda voucher as part of their school’s Family Night in 2023 are free to students who meet all their goals for the program. Sponsors and the Timber Rattlers will have a special prize waiting for those who complete the program at the ballpark when they attend their game!

You may also download this year’s Reading Club brochure here.

There were 135 schools and over 35,000 students to participate in the program last year. This year’s club can be even bigger with your help!

Contact Dayna Baitinger at [email protected] or (920) 733-4152 if you have any questions or would like to register your school for Fang’s Reading Club.

Sky Carp to host Women in Baseball Luncheon

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BELOIT — The Beloit Sky Carp and First National Bank and Trust (FNBT) are excited to announce they will be hosting a free Women in Baseball Luncheon on Wednesday, August 31 at ABC Supply Stadium.

The luncheon, which will be prepared by Sky Carp Sous Chef Amorin Thomas, will feature a panel of Marlins, Sky Carp and First National Bank and Trust women, speaking on their experiences as women in male-dominated industries and their paths to success. Doors will open at 11:30, with the panel beginning at noon.

The women on the panel, which will be moderated by Sky Carp Vice President of Entertainment Maria Valentyn, come from a variety of backgrounds and work in vastly different roles within baseball and banking.

The panel features:

MARIA VALENTYN, Beloit Sky Carp: A native of the Milwaukee area, Valentyn has been with the Sky Carp since April of 2021, and has been working in the baseball industry in various roles since 2015.

GRACEY MCDONALD, Beloit Sky Carp: A native of Pensacola, Fla, Gracey is the Event Sales Manager for the Sky Carp and has been with the Studer Family of Companies since 2019, previously working for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

JESSICA COOK, Miami Marlins: Jessica is the Sky Carp’s athletic trainer. A graduate of the University of North Georgia, this is Jessica’s first season with the Marlins organization.

COLLEEN MITCHELL, Miami Marlins: Colleen serves as the Manager of Player Care and Service for the Marlins and has been employed with the organization since 2018. She currently oversees the creation and implementation of a professional development curriculum covering a range of subjects, including social media, financial literacy, domestic violence, diversity, equity inclusion and social justice.

JESSICA HERNANDEZ, First National Bank and Trust. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Jessica serves as Vice President, Cash Management Officer for First National. She is skilled in sales, team building, employee training and project implementation.

“The Beloit Sky Carp are thrilled to be partnering with, First National Bank and Trust on this event,” says Sky Carp President, Zach Brockman. “It’s a tremendous way for the broader community to see the incredible work the women in our organizations do to bring about our success.”

“First National Bank and Trust is proud to be a founding partner of the ABC Supply Stadium and the exclusive bank of the Beloit Sky Carp,” said David McCoy, President and CEO of FNBT. “This event recognizes contributions that women have made over the years to the baseball industry as well as banking, all in an effort to support our community family, making the Stateline area a great place to live, work, and raise our families.”

The luncheon is welcome to anyone interested, but an RSVP prior to Friday, August 19 is required. Those wishing to register may visit: https://www.milb.com/beloit/events/luncheon.

The Beloit Sky Carp are the High-A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins and play their games at ABC Supply Stadium — the heart of the Riverbend District.

Get tickets at SkyCarp.com or call the Box Office at 608-362-2272.

Follow the Sky Carp on Twitter at @BeloitSkyCarp, on Instagram at @BeloitSkyCarp, and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/SkyCarpBaseball

NO PEANUT ZONE in Effect for Timber Rattlers Games on July 22 and July 23

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GRAND CHUTE, WI – The first two Wisconsin Timber Rattlers games of their next homestand will be Peanut-Free Games at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. No peanuts will be in the stadium for the games on Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23 against the Beloit Sky Carp. This will be the thirteenth season in a row for the Rattlers to hold at least one Peanut-Free Game to allow fans with peanut allergies the opportunity to attend games.

The Timber Rattlers front office and cleaning crew will clean and rinse the stadium while the team is on their extended road trip to remove as much peanut residue from the seats, the concourse, and other areas of the ballpark as possible. Even though peanuts and products made with nuts or peanut oil will not be sold, the Timber Rattlers cannot guarantee that all peanut residues will be out of the ballpark. However, every effort will be made for a peanut-free environment.

In addition to being Peanut-Free, there are other promotions scheduled for both games.

Friday, July 22 features fun for the kids and adults. It is a Supper Club Friday from Arty’s and 101.1 WIXX with half-price Arty’s OId Fashioned cocktails available for fans of legal drinking age. There are postgame fireworks courtesy of Johnson Financial Group. Kids twelve and under may run the bases after the fireworks thanks to Menasha Corporation.

Saturday, July 23 is the official Marvel Defenders of the Diamond Night with a special appearance from Iron Man! The Timber Rattlers players and coaches will wear Iron Man-themed jerseys for the game as a special treat on this Family Night from Stacey Hennessey Century 21 Affiliated and 101.1 WIXX. The jerseys are available in an on-line auction with proceeds going to local charities from Timber Rattlers Give Back. There are postgame fireworks from Tundraland and children twelve and under may run the bases courtesy of Meijer after the fireworks.

Tickets for Peanut-Free Games on July 22 and July 23 are available online, over the phone at (920) 733-4152, or in person. The Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Box Office is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Fox Valley High School Senior All-Star Games at Neuroscience Group Field on July 10

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GRAND CHUTE, WI – The best high school seniors in the area will take part in two Fox Valley All-Star Games at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday, July 10 presented by TDS. An All-Day, General Admission pass will be available for $6. Game one starts at noon with the second game to follow the conclusion of game one by about thirty minutes.

The afternoon will open with Team Cardinal against Team Silver at noon. Game two features Team White against Team Black. Rosters of the teams are available by clicking on the team name.

The parking lot opens at 10:30am with free parking. The Neuroscience Group Field gates open at 11:00am. Concessions will available during the games.

“We’re excited to host these games and provide an opportunity for many of the top local high school talent to play the final game of their high school careers,” said Aaron Hahn, vice president of the Timber Rattlers.

Passes may be purchased in advance through this link to the Timber Rattlers website or at the Neuroscience Group Field Box Office during regular business hours 9:00am to 5:00pm today through Friday. Passes will also be available on Sunday morning before the game.

Brett Favre Returns to the Field for Donald Driver Charity Softball Game

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GRAND CHUTE, WI – Brett Favre is confirmed! The Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion will join Donald Driver, James Jones, AJ Dillon, Aaron Jones, and many more for the Donald Driver Charity Softball Game presented by Network Health at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Sunday, June 12, 2022. The event will raise money for the Donald Driver Foundation and additional local and player charities. Game time is 1:00pm.

Favre was the host of the annual charity softball game from 1999 through 2007 before Driver took over as the host for the 2008 game.

“I am excited that my brother from another mother, Brett Favre, is returning to play in the charity softball game he started 20 years ago,” said Driver. “Let’s turn out in HUGE numbers Packers fans!”

Favre joins Desmond Bishop, Jarrett Bush, Nick Collins, Robert Ferguson, Jermichael Finley, Antonio Freeman, and Ahman Green as confirmed participants in this year’s game.

Tickets are available for the game on the phone at (920) 733-4152, in person at the Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Box Office, or through the internet at timberrattlers.com.

Tickets remaining for the game are $43 for a standard box seat, $25 for a reserved bleacher seat. and $15 for a general admission grass seat.

The mission of the Donald Driver Foundation is to display Strong Hands, Strong Minds, and Loving Hearts to serve as a hand up, not a handout. The Donald Driver Foundation has a core focus in serving underprivileged children and families by addressing health & wellness, safety, and education & career development.

Rattlers Host Career in Sports Night on May 5

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GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will host a Career in Sports Night in the Fox Communities Credit Union Fox Club for fans looking to learn about job opportunities and receive tips and information on starting a career in sports on Thursday, May 5. The event will feature representatives from the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers, and more with a panel discussion and a networking/career fair prior to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game against the Fort Wayne TinCaps that night.

Fans interested in attending the Career in Sports events that night may order through this link using the promo code ‘sports’ and receive a box seat ticket to the game and admission to the panel discussion, the networking fair, and a tour of the stadium. Order prior to May 1 and the cost is just $15 per ticket. Any order after May first is $20 per ticket.

The schedule for the event is:

Gates for Event Open: 4:15pm
Panel Discussion: 4:30-5:30pm
Networking/Career Fair: 5:30-6:30pm
Stadium Tour #1: 6:00pm
Stadium Tour #2: 6:15pm
Game Time: 6:40pm

Confirmed attendees for the event include:

Green Bay Packers
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Admirals
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
Green Bay Gamblers
Wisconsin Herd
Wausau Woodchucks
Lakeshore Chinooks
Green Bay Rockers
Wisconsin Rapids Rafters

Full-season, half-season, mini-ticket, flex packages, and individual games for the 2022 season are available online through timberrattlers.com, over the phone at (920) 733-4152, or in person at the Timber Rattlers Box Office located at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium now! The box office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and at 10:00am on Saturdays and Sundays when the Rattlers have a scheduled home game.

Beloit Sky Carp Hiring Game Day Staff Now

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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.

Black History Month: Flash of Excellence

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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

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

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

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: Deacon Jones & Bernie Smith Make History

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

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

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

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.

Rattlers Celebrate Black History Month: Ervin Lee Ford: Appleton Pro Baseball Pioneer

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers continue Minor League Baseball’s celebration of Black History Month with a look at Ervin Ford, the first African-American to play for the Appleton Papermakers.

It was February 5, 1952. Travis Jackson had just stepped off the train in Appleton less than a week after the Boston Braves had named his as the manager of the Papermakers. One of his first questions for the Papermakers board was about the set-up in this northern city for Black players.

Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier in Minor League Baseball in 1946 in Montreal and in Major League Baseball in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Papermakers, a team in Class-D, had been affiliated with the Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Browns between 1946 and 1951 and had never had an African-American player assigned to them by their parent club.

The Boston Braves has a different approach. According to Jackson, the Braves had signed as many as 20 Black players heading into 1952 and fans of the Papermakers should expect to see some heading their way.

Ervin Lee Ford, born in 1930 in Whiteville, North Carolina, was a graduate of North Carolina A&T University in 1949. He played baseball and ran track there. His speed was his calling card and that is what caught the eye of baseball scouts.

The first mention of Ford in The Appleton Post-Crescent was on April 23, 1952. It was a dispatch from Boston Braves minor league camp in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

John Roach appears to have nailed down an outfield post while Ervin Ford, the fastest man in camp, looks like he will patrol another field.

The second mention of Ford in The Appleton Post-Crescent was on April 24, 1952, just three days before the team was scheduled to arrive in Appleton after breaking camp.

The Appleton Papermakers suffered their first major injury of the baseball season on the eve of their departure from the Boston Braves’ minor league training camp at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Ervin Ford, fleet outfielder, suffered a fractured ankle sliding into second base at Myrtle Beach Wednesday, manager Travis Jackson told Appleton baseball club officials this morning.

This injury kept Ford from joining the team for Opening Day. He would not reach Appleton until July 13. There were a few days off for the Wisconsin State League All-Star Game and Ford didn’t get his first start until July 16.

Ervin Ford started his first game of ball since his injury in spring training…He got a big round of applause every time he came to bat but managed to get only one hit, an infield knock in front of the plate. He bats right and throws right.

The paper made note of Ford’s speed in an article about a game at Green Bay on July 27, 1952.

Highly touted as a speedster before he fractured his ankle in spring training, he gave the fans a look at what he can run like Saturday night when he singled to right in the ninth inning. The Green Bay outfielder bobbled the ball and the long, loose Ford, running like a foxhound on a fresh scent, went all the way to third.

Unfortunately, Ford’s season ended just a few days later:

Ervin Ford, Appleton Papermaker outfielder, dogged with bad luck all year, is being sent to his home in Whiteville, North Carolina with a broken ankle. Ward re-fractured his right ankle according to Dr. George Hegner, team physician. Hegner believes the break occurred in a game at Green Bay Thursday night. Ford complained of his ankle hurting him and he sat out the exhibition game with the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night. X-rays revealed that the ankle was broken.

The Post-Crescent states that Ford had appeared in thirteen complete games since joining the team, had a hit in all those games, and was the team’s leading hitter during that time.

Baseball-Reference has Ford 19-for-65 (.292) in sixteen games in his brief time with the Papermakers that season.

Ford started 1953 with Eau Claire in the Class C-Northern League and played ten games there with a .308 average before the Braves sent him back to Appleton on May 19 and he had two hits in that game at Fond du Lac. However, Ford wound up on the injured list in early June, would total just eight more hits over his next seventeen games while healthy for a .179 average, and the Braves would release him on June 16, 1953.

Ford would get back into baseball with the El Paso Texans of the Southwestern League in 1956 where he played 130 games, hit .347, knocked ten homers, drove in 73 runs, scored 102 runs, and stole 22 bases. He split time between El Paso and the Mexico City Reds of the Mexican League in 1957. In 1958, Ford finished his professional playing career with Mexico City.

The last mention that I could find of Ford is this story from Greenboro.com on September 26, 1998 about the North Carolina A&T University Sports Hall of Fame.

Ervin Ford, who graduated in 1949, who graduated in 1949, played baseball and ran track at A&T. he later played with the Negro League’s Indianapolis clowns, [the Appleton Papermakers and the Eau Claire Bears in the Boston Braves’ minor league system, and with the El Paso Texans and Mexico City Reds].

Ford and his wife of 47 years, Mary George Ford, have eight children, seventeen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Ford has supported three children through A&T undergraduate program and currently is supporting his granddaughter, who is attending Graduate School at A&T

Appleton was a small part of Ervin Lee Ford’s life. However, he was an important part of Appleton’s baseball history and of Appleton’s overall story.

Rattlers Celebrate Black History Month: Top Five Players

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

In celebration of Black History Month, teams across Minor League Baseball are looking at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers history includes the Appleton Papermakers and the Fox Cities/Appleton Foxes. Here are five of the best Black players to ever suit

In celebration of Black History Month, teams across Minor League Baseball are looking at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers history includes the Appleton Papermakers and the Fox Cities/Appleton Foxes. Here are five of the best Black players to ever suit up for Appleton Professional Baseball.

Harold Baines: The Chicago White Sox drafted Harold Baines with the #1 overall selection of the 1977 draft on June 7, 1977. Baines arrived in the Goodland Field clubhouse on June 14 and started his professional career with the Appleton Foxes with a 1-for-4 performance as the designated hitter against the Waterloo Indians with 1,482 fans in attendance.

Baines played 69 games and hit five homers with 29 RBI with the Foxes. Those numbers might not sound impressive, but take into account that he was just eighteen, more than three years younger than the Midwest League average that season, and those numbers look a little better.

He was in the Major Leagues with the White Sox by Opening Day of the 1980 season to start a 22-year career in MLB that included six All-Star appearances, 2,866 hits, a career WAR of 38.7, and an eventual induction to Cooperstown in 2019.

Khris Davis: The Milwaukee Brewers picked Davis with their seventh round selection in the 2009 draft out of Cal State-Fullerton. He joined the Timber Rattlers at the start of the 2010 season on his way to a Major League career that has seen him “khrush” 221 homers in nine seasons with the Brewers, Oakland A’s, and Texas Rangers. He hit his first home run for Wisconsin on April 22 off future big leaguer David Carpenter.

It wasn’t known at the time, but that home run was the first one of what turned out to be a record-setting amount. Juan Silvestre set the Timber Rattlers record for homer in a season when he cracked 21 in 1999. Davis steadily made a run at the record with four homers in May and six more in June that earned him a spot in the Midwest League All-Star Game.

He also got a chance to participate in the 2010 MWL Home Run Derby and won it with an amazing display of power that won the Fort Wayne fans over to his side in the finals.

Five homers in July and five homers in August left Davis tied with Silvestre at 21 home runs. Davis was homerless in the first four games of September and that left him with just two games in Kane County to break the record before the end of the season.

In his second at bat of the game on September 5, the final Sunday of the season, Davis cracked a long, two-run home run to set the Timber Rattlers record.

Lamar Johnson: “Pizza! Sport shirt! Dry cleaning!” was a popular chant at Goodland Field in 1971 and 1972. It had something to do with the wall signs in left field and the frequency with which Lamar Johnson would hit baseballs over that wall. An event that happened so much, Johnson was given the nickname “Pizza King” by the Foxes faithful.

Johnson, who would go on to a nine-year MLB career with the White Sox and Rangers, played seven games with the Foxes in 1970 and returned to the Midwest League in 1971 and hit 18 homers with 97 RBI in 119 games. The White Sox sent Johnson back to Appleton in 1972 and he shattered the Foxes record for homers in a season.

Sam Bowens held the old Foxes record with 20 during the 1960 season. Johnson hit his 21st homer of the 1972 season on August 17 at Wisconsin Rapids. Then, Johnson added five more homers over the final weeks of the season to end the year with 26.

No Appleton Pro Baseball player has come close to the “Pizza King” in the last 50 years.

Adam Jones: The Seattle Mariners used the 37th overall pick in the 2003 draft to select Jones, a high school player out of San Diego. He was 18 when he came to Appleton as the everyday shortstop. He was almost four years younger than the average age of a Midwest League player.

Jones had a solid season with the Rattlers (eleven homers, 72 RBI, and a .267 average) that helped to set him on his course to make an MLB debut with the Mariners in 2006 and blossom into stardom with the Baltimore Orioles after a trade heading into the 2008 season.

As an Oriole, Jones was a five-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves as a centerfielder, and hit 303 home runs. He has also played for Arizona, Orix in Japan, and represented the United States in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Deacon Jones: Grover “Deacon” Jones had already made his Major League debut by the time he reached the Foxes in 1966. Jones had even faced the Foxes when he played for Lincoln in the old Three-I League in 1959.

Jones was briefly with the White Sox in 1962 and 1963 playing a total of 35 games in those two seasons. While the White Sox couldn’t find room for Jones in their MLB lineup, they saw something more in him. He would become a player/coach in the system.

His impact on baseball in the Fox Cities is summed up nicely in an article about Jones in the 1973 Appleton Foxes program:

Appleton became a Sox farm club in 1966 and Deacon was named player-coach under Stan Wasiak and led the league in hitting with a .353 batting average, 36 two-baggers, and 23 intentional walks. He was instrumental in bringing the Foxes the Midwest Pennant in 1966 and was also a very busy man off the field – appearing throughout the valley as a speaker and holding batting clinics for interested youth. He was again called up to the Sox at the conclusion of the ’66 season and returned as Foxes player-coach again in 1967 under Alex Cosmidis and helped bring another pennant to Goodland Field.

Back and arm problems caused Deacon to retire from the active list in 1968 and he was named minor league batting coach and assigned to scout the New York area. His travels the past five years have brought him to Appleton at least once each year to work with troubled hitters and his efforts paid off as the Foxes won a pennant in 1969 and division championships in 1971 and 1972.

Deacon’s wife – Virginia – whom he calls Tiki – and daughter Monica come to Appleton this year as a welcome addition to Fox Valley Citizenry and rest assured – he’ll be battling on the field and promoting the great game of baseball in his off time.

WELCOME BACK, DEACON!

By the way, that article from the 1973 program, was written to welcome Jones to town as the manager of the Foxes. That’s right. Jones was the first African-American manager of an Appleton Professional Baseball team.

That is a story that we will save for later this month.