Stepping forward and backwards in Eau Claire NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
Carson Park was cackling in every corner. What appeared to be a comfortable St. Cloud victory that would end the 2007 Northwoods League season had suddenly turned into a taut game. A 6-0 lead had been sliced in half and the Express had the lead run at the plate in the eighth inning.  The Eau Claire hitter -- Pat Colwell -- faced an extraordinary challenge. Not only had hit a smallish .243 during the regular season, he was 0-for-6 in the post-season. Still, baseball is a game of hope and all it would take was one more hit -- just a pop fly would do -- and things would get really interesting. Alas, fairy tale finishes don’t happen often. Colwell flied out to left to end the threat. Fifteen minutes later, St. Cloud was celebrating their championship. Not too many people on hand were disappointed. As late as 2004, such a scene wasn't even on the city's radar. On a beautiful Friday night last August, Eau Claire officially returned as a baseball town. The best crowd of the NWL postseason -- 2,283 -- was on hand as testimony that the small city where Henry Aaron got his pro start could once again hold its head high in the baseball world. Dave Wright tells how the town with an illustrious baseball history got its mojo back.

NWL announces Silver Glove award winners NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
The Northwoods League, in conjunction with Rawlings, has announced the recipients of the 2007 Silver Glove Award. The Silver Glove is awarded annually to the League's "Finest in the Field," recognizing the top fielders at each position.  A total of ten players will receive the award this year due to a tie at the pitcher position. The Duluth Huskies, Mankato MoonDogs and St. Cloud River Bats all have two players that earned the honor. Three of the Silver Glove recipients also were named to the Postseason All-Star team last month, including Duluth second baseman Joe Bonadonna (Illinois), Mankato third baseman Nate Hanson (Minnesota), and Alexandria outfielder Josh Upchurch (Florida Gulf Coast). Here's the full list.

College coaches send Jackson to Cape Cod NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
Brett Jackson played himself right out of the Northwoods League. Jackson, a sophomore outfielder from California who led the La Crosse Loggers with a .343 batting average in 42 games this summer, said he has been assigned to Cotuit (Mass.) of the Cape Cod League by his college coaching staff. “I didn’t really have a say in the decision,” Jackson said. “That’s not to say I’m not excited to go to the Cape, but it’s tough not going back to La Crosse. I’m a little sad about what I’m leaving behind there.”

Strankman returns to handle unfinished business NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
Elliott Strankman is returning as manager of the Green Bay Bullfrogs. "We are very excited to have Elliott back in Green Bay for our second season in the Northwoods League," Bullfrogs owner Jeff Royle said in a news release. "Now that we've got our feet on the ground here in Green Bay, we are looking to take baseball and the entire organization to a higher level in 2008." At the end of last season, Strankman wasn't sure if he was going to return to Green Bay because of his full-time obligation to Occidental. But after a little contemplation -- and a bit of contract renegotiating with the school -- Strankman will be pulling double duty again. Strankman led the Bullfrogs to a phenomenon season in 2007: the expansion team made the playoffs before being eliminated by Eau Claire.

Plourde to manage Honkers NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
The Rochester Honkers announced that Jason Plourde, assistant coach at Fort Hays State (KS), is their new field manager for the 2008 season. Plourde becomes the team's seventh field manager in team history.  Plourde comes to the Honkers with five years of summer collegiate coaching experience. He spent the last two summers as the associate head coach/pitching coach with the Fayetteville SwampDogs in the Coastal Plain League, working with former NWL manager Darrell Handelsman. Under his guidance, the 2007 Swampdogs became the single-season winningest team in CPL history. The SwampDogs won a record 42 games (42-14) and posted the second best team ERA (3.04). The 2006 SwampDogs won a record 39 games (39-12) and led the league with a team ERA of 2.12. Plourde is no stranger to the Northwoods League. He spent the 2003 and 2004 summers with the Madison Mallards as their pitching coach. The Mallards won the 2004 NWL Championship and led the league in team ERA.

Nell to return as MoonDogs skipper NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
Jason Nell will return for a third season as field manager of the Duluth Huskies. Nell lead the team to a single-season franchise record with 35 wins (35-32 overall) this past summer. The 2007 season was Nell’s third year in the NWL, as he was field manager the last two years and an assistant coach for the MoonDogs in 2005. With three years as coach, he has compiled an impressive win total of 101 wins (67 as field manager). With 35 victories this season, he also extended the 30+ win seasons streak to three.

McKay to manage Loggers NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
Sacramento City College head coach Andy McKay was named the new field manager of the La Crosse Loggers. McKay succeeds Rick Boyer, who stepped down following the 2007 season after two years at the helm. McKay brings a wealth of coaching experience with him to La Crosse both at the collegiate level and from the summer collegiate ranks. The Monroe, Mich. native has served as the field general at Sacramento City College for the past nine seasons where he has amassed a 302-113 record (.728) which includes six conference championships, 13 post-season regionals and five State Final Four qualifiers. During this nine-year reign Sacramento City College has also won more post-season games than any other program in the state of California and over 140 student athletes have either transferred to four-year schools or signed professional contracts. More from the La Crosse Tribune.

Fitzgerald steps down as Waterloo manager NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
Waterloo Bucks field manager Dan Fitzgerald has resigned to take a head coaching position at Des Moines Area Community College. Fitzgerald served as the Bucks' skipper for one season, guiding them to a 29-38 mark. "I am thrilled about my opportunity at DMACC, but unfortunately it comes with the coast of having to resign my post as field manager of the Bucks," Fitzgerald said. "The Bucks organization is going in a positive direction and the next field manager will walk in to a great situation." Bucks General Manager Dan Corbin said that the team's search for a new manager will begin immediately.

Boyer steps down as Loggers manager
Posted August 24, 2007 (discuss)
Rick Boyer stepped down yesterday as manager of the La Crosse Loggers. No surprise: while Boyer was universally hailed as a good guy, his teams didn't perform on the field and finished last in the South Division in the second half of the 2007 season. Boyer said he recommended assistant coach Scott Gillitzer to replace him, but Chad Miller -- the local lad who led Thunder Bay to a 2005 Northwoods League crown -- is expected to be a contender for the post.

Ending the season on a high note
Posted August 19, 2007 (discuss)
It was the quietest moment at the end of a noisy evening. The St. Cloud River Bats huddled behind second base talking into a cell phone. They were calling the parents of Richie Gargel, their former teammate who passed away August 8 from injuries suffered in a swimming-pool accident. "We talked to his dad. He was laughing and crying," said manager Tony Arnerich. "It was a special moment." It was the only somber segment in a memorable evening of baseball. Carson Park was hopping. It was a crisp night -- the type that reminds one of playoff baseball. And what appeared to be a St. Cloud blowout turned out to be a reminder of just how quickly baseball games -- particularly when it is played by excitable, emotional college kids -- can turn. Dave Wright tells how the 2007 Northwoods League season ended on a memorable high note.

Looking forward to 2008
Posted August 19, 2007 (discuss)
With the St. Cloud River Bats still savoring perhaps their sweetest championship ever, many are turning their sights to the 2008 season. It's still way too early to make any predictions on who will be back and what teams will be competitive. And with expansion highly unlikely for next season, we'll be looking at the same lineup of teams. The St. Cloud Times says the River Bats could repeat if key players return; the R-Bats were pretty young this season and while some stars like Tim Wheeler could be lured by the Cape Cod League or Team USA, the Bats will certainly be the team to beat. Despite a poor record, there's a lot of optimism in Brainerd: manager Jason Huskey plans on returning and wants to recruit more Division I players. On the business side, Huskey wants to see improvements made to Mills Field, including a new party deck. The La Crosse Loggers were expected to be competitive in the second half but then suffered a total collapse; we'd be surprised if manager Rick Boyer -- a good guy, by all accounts -- returns, however.  Also key for the Loggers' chances next season: whether Brett Jackson returns. Things were unsettled in Thunder Bay after GM Greg Balec stepped aside in the middle of the season: Thunder Bay has the potential to be a top-level franchise but needs to TLC than it's currently receiving from ownership. Madison, of course, is Madison, drawing over 200,000 fans to the Duck Pond and making an amazing run in the second half that almost netted them another divisional championship. Mankato once again set an attendance record and made a run during second half, finishing at 35-32 on the season. Eau Claire raised its game in marching to the championship series: manager Dale Varsho has always recruited great players to Carson Park but this was the first time the record on the diamond matched the talent on paper. Attendance was up in Waterloo: improvements to Riverfront Stadium helped, but the team needs to show more consistency on the field. Rochester suffered through some inconsistency in the dugout leadership, but the front office remains solid and you can bet they're already reloading for next season. Battle Creek represents the biggest chance the league's taken since its inaugural season, and we'll need to see whether the risk pays off. On the plus side, C.O. Brown Stadium is a great facility by Northwoods League standards and the market is solid. But the local community was burned by the defection of a Midwest League team at the end of last season, so the Bombers needed to prove they were for real. The team should work out, but there's still the issue of making Battle Creek work on the travel front: a few more teams between Madison and Battle Creek are really needed if Battle Creek is a long-term player in the league. Finally, we have Green Bay, who made perhaps the most amazing debut in Northwoods League history. Owner Jeff Royle brought a lot of passion to the league and remade Joannes Stadium into an intimate, appealing venue. We're expecting even bigger and better things next season.

Here's a year-end attendance summary.

St. Cloud claims Northwoods League crown with emotional 6-3 win over Express
Posted August 18, 2007 (discuss)
St. Cloud River Bats owner Joel Sutherland looked at the bedlam breaking out at Carson Park Friday night and smiled. "Hollywood couldn't produce a script like this," Sutherland said after the River Bats held off Eau Claire, 6-3 to claim the Northwoods League title. It was the third title in team history and capped an emotional week that started with the burial of pitcher Richie Gargel but ended on a very good note. "What a happy ending to a movie," Sutherland said as he celebrated with the team. "This team has a lot of heart and it showed it this week." Our Dave Wright was there to chronicle the drama. More from the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, the St. Cloud Times, and the Chippewa Herald.

Northwoods League alums get shots at majors NEW!
Posted Sept. 20, 2007 (discuss)
A slew of Northwoods League alumns got their first crack at the majors in September when big-league rosters were expanded. Former Wisconsin Woodchucks pitcher Lance Broadway was called up to the big leagues on Tuesday, September 4. Broadway, 24, made his major-league debut on Friday, September 7 against the Minnesota Twins. He was called in for relief with one out in the ninth inning and the White Sox down 10-4. He forced Brian Buscher to groundout and then struck out Chris Heintz to end the inning. The White Sox ended up scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth and scored the winning run in the 13th inning. Former Alexandria Beetles pitcher Josh Newman made his major-league debut for the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 12 in the club’s 12-0 win at Philadelphia. Newman, a member of the 2001 inaugural Beetles, is the second major leaguer off the '01 team, joining Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeremy Accardo. Newman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out the victory for the contending Rockies who begin the day 2 ½ games out of the National League Wild Card. Former Waterloo Bucks left-handed pitcher Willie Collazo made his major-league debut September 5 for the New York Mets with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief against the Cincinnati Reds. In Waterloo in 1999, Collazo went 9-2 with a 2.50 ERA in 11 starts for the Bucks.

Northwoods League alums showcasing talents at All-Star Games
Posted July 9, 2007 (discuss)
It's not only All-Star week for the Northwoods League, but also All-Star week for many minor leagues and, of course, the majors. At the Triple-A All-Star Game July 11 at Albuquerque, former Kenosha Kroakers and Waterloo Bucks IF Clint Barmes (Colorado Springs Sky Sox) and former Rochester Honkers IF Val Pascucci (Albuquerque Isotopes) will be representing the Pacific Coast League, while former St. Cloud River Bats C Jason Jaramillo (Ottawa Lynx) will be representing the International League. At Class AA, former Rochester Honkers OF Jeff Corsaletti (Portland Sea Dogs) and former Alexandria Beetles P Brian Anderson (Connecticut Defenders) are representing the Northern Division in the Eastern League All-Star Game at Norwich, Conn., former Brainerd Mighty Gulls IF Casey McGehee (Tennessee Smokies) is representing the North Division in tonight's Southern League All-Star Game, and former Duluth Huskies P Doug Mathis (Frisco RoughRiders) and former Rochester Honkers P Steve Sharpe (Midland Rockhounds) represented the South Division in the Texas League All-Star Game last week. On the indy side, former Waterloo Bucks 1B Philip Hawke (shown below) and former St. Cloud River Bats IF Wes Long will be representing the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League All-Star Game this Wednesday in Florence, Ky., while former Wisconsin Woodchucks P Adam Rowe (Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks) will representing the North Division in the Northern League All-Star Game, and former Waterloo Bucks P Josh Kauten (Lincoln Saltdogs) will be representing the North Division and former Thunder Bay Border Cats P Jon Hunton (Coastal Bend Aviators) will be representing the South Division in the American Association All-Star Game. Don't forget some All-Star Games held last month. In the Low Class A Midwest League All-Star Game, former Rochester Honkers P Brett Jensen represented the East Division, while former Mankato MoonDogs P Cole DeVries (Beloit Snappers) and former Brainerd Blue Thunder B Brennan Garr (Clinton LumberKings) represented the West Division. In the Low Class A Sally League, former Thunder Bay Border Cats OF Brandon Tripp (Delmarva Shorebirds) represented the North Division, while former Eau Claire Express C Nevin Ashley (Columbus Catfish) represented the South Division. Former Alexandria Beetle IF Allen Craig (Palm Beach Cardinals) represented the Eastern Division and former Thunder Bay Border Cats P Eric Wordekamper (Tampa Yankees) represented the Western Division in the High Class A Florida State League game. And, of course, don't forget that former St. Cloud River Bats P Tom Gorzelanny and former Wisconsin Woodchucks P Pat Neshek narrowly missed being elected by fans to the MLB All-Star Game. (Photo of Philip Hawke courtesy of the Windy City ThunderBolts.)