The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers . They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin , a town on the outskirts of Appleton in the Fox Cities , and are named for the timber rattlesnake , which is more commonly found in southwest Wisconsin. The team plays their home games at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium , which opened in 1995. They previously played at Goodland Field from their founding in 1958 until the end of the 1994 season.
46-740: Originally known as the Fox Cities Foxes , the team began play in 1958 as members of the Three–I League . The circuit suspended operations after the 1961 season, so the club joined the Midwest League in 1962. They became known as the Appleton Foxes in 1967 and adopted their Wisconsin Timber Rattlers moniker in 1995. In conjunction with Major League Baseball 's reorganization of Minor League Baseball in 2021, Wisconsin
92-590: A 1,077–1,124 record. The Timber Rattlers affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. Managed by Matt Erickson , Wisconsin qualified for the postseason in 2012 after a six-year absence from the playoffs. Having won the first half, they won the quarterfinals over Burlington, 2–1, and the Western Division title versus Clinton, 2–0. They ended the postseason by winning their ninth Midwest League championship over Fort Wayne, 3–1. That same season,
138-701: A break due to World War II . The league resumed play in 1946, lasting through 1961, where it was largely supplanted by the Midwest League . A Class B level league from 1902 throughout its lifespan, no other league survived for as long at that level. The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was founded in 1901 with Rock Island, Illinois native Michael H. Sexton serving as the first president. Eight charter members began play in 1901. The Bloomington Blues , Cedar Rapids Rabbitts , Davenport River Rats , Decatur Commodores , Evansville River Rats , Rock Island Islanders , Rockford Red Sox and Terre Haute Hottentots were
184-733: A first half title in 1992, the Foxes finished under .500 in four out of six years with the Royals. Pitcher Tom Gordon led the Midwest League with 172 strikeouts in 1988 and was named the league's Prospect of the Year . Tom Poquette , manager of the 1992 team, won the Manager of the Year Award. Appleton accumulated a 386–433 record during the affiliation. Appleton became the Class A affiliate of
230-467: A lone pitcher, and five were combined no-hitters . Three%E2%80%93I League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a low-level Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska and Wisconsin . The league began play in 1901 and disbanded after the 1961 season. It
276-594: A new team in Peoria, Illinois formed. After the season ended, Cedar Rapids lost to the Burlington, Iowa team from the Iowa State League 4 games to 3. 1906 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1907 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Davenport team folded. The team from Clinton, Iowa joined after leaving the Iowa State League . Stan Wasiak Stanley Wasiak (April 18, 1920 – November 20, 1992)
322-471: A seven-year term as manager of the Vero Beach Dodgers of the Class A Florida State League , he was sidelined for almost the entire season after undergoing heart surgery the previous winter. But Wasiak was able to manage one game on August 24, keeping his streak alive. When he retired after the 1986 campaign, he had compiled a career winning percentage of .522. Wasiak never officially appeared in
368-465: Is golden yellow with a red tongue extending from his mouth and wears the same uniform as the team. Fang is joined by Whiffer, a secondary mascot whose appearance resembles that of the Phillie Phanatic with teal fur and green face and hands. Prior to Fang and the 1995 rebrand, Appleton's mascot was Freddy Fox, an anthropomorphic fox who wore the team's jersey and cap. Circa 1980, the mascot
414-570: The 100 greatest minor league teams of all-time by baseball historians in 2001. From 1982 to 1984, the Foxes won three consecutive Midwest League championships. Clinching a wild card berth in 1982, Appleton won the semifinals against the Springfield Cardinals , 2–0, then claimed the league title over the Madison Muskies , 2–1, under manager Adrian Garrett . The 1983 Northern Division champions, then led by John Boles , won
460-544: The Clinton C-Sox . The Foxes won the game, giving them their first Midwest League championship . The affiliation with Baltimore ended after the 1965 season with the Foxes having a 401–352 record over the six-year period. The Foxes joined the Chicago White Sox organization in 1966. The partnership began with the club winning back-to-back Midwest League championships. Stan Wasiak managed the 1966 squad to
506-728: The Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox . He managed in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League from 1973–76 as skipper of the Albuquerque Dukes , the Dodgers' top minor league affiliate, winning a division title in 1974 . But most of his assignments came below the Double-A level. Officially, Wasiak managed for 37 consecutive seasons (1950–86) in the minors. However, in 1982 , in the middle of
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#1732791789345552-500: The Fox Cities Foxes , Burlington Bees , Topeka Reds , Lincoln Chiefs , Cedar Rapids Braves and Des Moines Demons . In 1962, Appleton (Fox Cities), Burlington, and Cedar Rapids joined the Midwest League and the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League folded operations when those franchises switched leagues. The league's unique name made it a convenient reference point for any mention of the minor leagues. Casey Stengel made
598-657: The High-A Central , where they continued their affiliation with Milwaukee. Wisconsin began competition in the new league on May 4 with a 2–1 victory over the Beloit Snappers at Fox Cities Stadium. They ended the season in third place in the West Division with a 59–60 record. In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to
644-709: The Seattle Mariners in 1993. On August 29, 1994, the Foxes played their final game at the 54-year-old Goodland Field. The 8–1 loss to the South Bend Silver Hawks was attended by a season-high 3,492 people. The team would move to the new $ 4.75-million Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute the next season. Also in 1995, after 37 seasons as the Foxes, the team rebranded as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. This change
690-596: The Valdosta, Georgia , Dodgers of the Class D Georgia–Florida League . He led the team to a second-place, 81–56 record – one half game behind the Albany, Georgia , Cardinals. Wasiak's Valdosta team came back in 1951 to win the league pennant by five games. Wasiak spent the vast majority of his managing career in the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system , although he briefly worked for
736-457: The 1961 season, hoping to resume in 1963. As a result, Fox Cities joined the Class D Midwest League (MWL) for 1962. Despite a sub-.500 season, Cal Ripken Sr. won the 1962 Midwest League Manager of the Year Award . The MWL was reclassified as a Class A league in 1963. Manager Billy DeMars led the 1964 Foxes to win the second half title, qualifying them for a single championship game against
782-533: The 2021 reorganization. Wisconsin placed second in both halves of the split-season, missing out on qualifying for the postseason. Their season record was 69–60. They did not win either half of the 2023 season in which they finished 62–68. The Timber Rattlers won the first-half of the 2024 season with a record of 42–44, clinching a spot in the playoffs. They won the Western Division title over the Quad Cities River Bandits , 2–0, but were defeated in
828-675: The Fox Cities Foxes joined the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League , popularly known as the Three–I League , as the Class B affiliate of the Washington Senators . Their home ballpark was Goodland Field in Appleton. This team was owned and operated by Appleton Baseball Club, Inc., a non- stock and nonprofit organization . Governed by a volunteer board of directors, this entity continued to own and operate
874-600: The Foxes in 1977. The 1978 team, under the management of Gordon Lund , set a franchise record with their 97–40 season. Having won the first half, they went on to capture the Northern Division title versus the Waterloo Indians , 2–0, before beating the Burlington Bees , 2–1, to win their fifth MWL championship. Lund won the season's Manager of the Year Award, and the team was recognized as one of
920-527: The Foxes/Timber Rattlers. The Timber Rattlers have pitched 14 no-hitters in their franchise history. A no-hit game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) allows no hits over the course of a game. A perfect game, a much rarer feat, occurs when no batters reach base by a hit or any other means, such as a walk , hit by pitch , or error . Wisconsin's no-hitters were accomplished by a total of 19 pitchers. Nine were complete games pitched by
966-628: The Three–I League championship pennant with a league-best 82–56 record in their first season with the Orioles. Third baseman Pete Ward was selected as the league's Most Valuable Player, and first baseman Boog Powell won the Rookie of the Year Award. The team also included pitcher Pat Gillick , who was later inducted in the Hall of Fame as an executive. The Three–I League suspended operations after
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#17327917893451012-620: The Timber Rattlers qualified for the postseason with a second half title, won the Central Division over the Rockford Reds , 2–0, advanced through the semifinals over the Lansing Lugnuts , 2–0, but again lost the championship to Burlington, 3–2. The team won second half titles and the quarterfinals in the next two seasons but were unable to win in the divisional rounds, and the 2003 first-half winners did not make it past
1058-480: The Top–100 All–Time minor league teams by MiLB.com. The Kernels finished with a 92–34 record and were led by Russ Nixon and Mudcat Grant . Since 1956 its territory had largely been supplanted by the Midwest League , which began play in 1947 as the Class D level Illinois State League . After 1956 there were no Illinois or Indiana teams in the league. The final 1961 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League franchises were
1104-566: The championship series by the Lake County Captains , 2–1. Wisconsin posted a season record of 77–54. Victor Estevez won the Midewest League Manager of the Year Award. Over 15 complete seasons of competition as a Brewers farm club, the Timber Rattlers hold a regular-season win–loss record of 976–1,057. All home and road games are broadcast on WNAM 1280 AM. Live audio broadcasts are also available online through
1150-558: The charter teams. Bloomington, Illinois , Decatur, Illinois and Terre Haute, Indiana had left the Central League to join expansion teams in Cedar Rapids, Iowa , Davenport, Iowa , Evansville, Indiana , Rockford, Illinois , and Rock Island, Illinois and form the Class D level league (equivalent to a Rookie-level league today). Two expansion teams, Davenport and Evansville, chose "River Rats" as their team name. For
1196-763: The first half title and a 2–0 championship series win over the Cedar Rapids Cardinals . In 1967, then known as the Appleton Foxes, Manager of the Year Alex Cosmidis ' team won the second half title before sweeping the Wisconsin Rapids Twins in two games to win the MWL crown again. Two years later, Tom Saffell 's Foxes won both halves of the 1969 season and were named league champions without any playoffs being held. Saffell
1242-1505: The following comment in later life, evidently still feeling stung from having been traded by the New York Giants to the Boston Braves in the 1923–1924 off-season, despite having hit 2 game-winning home runs in the World Series : "It's lucky I didn't hit 3 home runs in three games, or McGraw would have traded me to the 3-I League!" Alton, Illinois Appleton, Wisconsin Bloomington, Illinois Burlington, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa Clinton, Iowa Danville, Illinois Davenport, Iowa Decatur, Illinois Des Moines, Iowa Dubuque, Iowa Evansville, Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana Freeport, Illinois Green Bay, Wisconsin Hannibal, Missouri Joliet, Illinois Keokuk, Iowa Lincoln, Nebraska Madison, Wisconsin Moline, Illinois Peoria, Illinois Quincy, Illinois Rochester, Minnesota Rock Island, Illinois Rockford, Illinois Sioux City, Iowa Springfield, Illinois Terre Haute, Indiana Topeka, Kansas Waterloo, Iowa Winona, Minnesota 1901 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Terre Haute won
1288-693: The franchise through 2020. The Foxes played their inaugural game on the road against the Davenport DavSox on April 27, 1958, a 9–2 victory. Their first home game, a 6–0 win over the Cedar Rapids Braves , was played on May 3. The Senators affiliation ended after two seasons with the Foxes having a 115–140 record over that period. Prior to the 1960 season, the team became an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles . Managed by future Baseball Hall of Famer Earl Weaver , they won
1334-552: The franchise won the Larry MacPhail Award for outstanding minor league promotions. Their most recent postseason appearances came in 2014 and 2016 via second half titles, but the Timber Rattlers were eliminated in each quarterfinal round. Following the 2020 season, Appleton Baseball Club, Inc, sold the team to Third Base Ventures, LLC, a group consisting of principal owner Craig Dickman and minority owners team president Rob Zerjav and Brad Raaths. The group also purchased
1380-702: The late 19th century. The city's professional baseball history dates back to 1891 with the formation of the Appleton Papermakers in the single-season Wisconsin State League . The city was home to a new Papermakers team in the Wisconsin–Illinois League from 1909 to 1914. The Wisconsin State League was revived in 1940 with the Papermakers as members from 1940 to 1942 and 1946 to 1953 when the team and its league disbanded. In 1958,
1426-491: The lower classifications, league membership fluctuated a great deal over its six decades. Overall, the league hosted teams in 31 cities during its existence. At various times it had teams in such medium-sized cities as Cedar Rapids , Davenport , Bloomington , Decatur , Danville , Peoria , Springfield , Evansville and Terre Haute . It was a Class B league in the old classification system that ran from Class D up to Class Triple-A. The 1955 Keokuk Kernels are ranked #30 in
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1472-473: The postseason in their first three seasons with Seattle. As first-half winners in 1996, they won the Central Division title versus the Peoria Chiefs , 2–1, and then beat the Quad Cities River Bandits , 2–1, to advance to the championship round, but they were defeated by West Michigan, 3–1. The 1997 and 1998 teams repeated as first half champions, but were each eliminated in the divisional rounds. In 1999,
1518-474: The quarterfinals. In 2005, Wisconsin won both halves, the quarterfinals over the Beloit Snappers , 2–1, and the Western Division title against the Clinton LumberKings , 2–0, but failed to win the league championship as they were defeated by South Bend, 3–2. The Mariners affiliation ended after the 2008 season without any further postseason appearances. Over the 16-year relationship, Wisconsin had
1564-614: The second season, 1902, the league became Class B level league (equivalent to a short-season Class A league before 2021 and a Low-A league today), a classification it retained for the next 59 seasons of league operation. The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was inactive during some years of World War I (1918) and World War II (1943–1945), as well as part of the Great Depression (1933-34, 1936), like many minor leagues that were forced to suspend operations or disband during those severe times. As with many minor leagues, especially at
1610-439: The semifinals versus Waterloo, 2–1, then won a second consecutive championship against Springfield, 3–1. Sal Rende's 1984 Foxes completed the back-to-back-to-back feat by winning the division, defeating Madison, 2–1, in the semifinals, and again taking the championship from Springfield in a full five-game series. The 1986 Foxes won another division title, but were kept from winning a fourth consecutive championship with elimination in
1656-471: The semifinals. The White Sox affiliation ended after the 1986 season. Spanning 21 years, this was the longest affiliation in the minor league team's history. It was also the most successful in terms of their win–loss record with the team going 1,471–1,261 over that stretch. Appleton affiliated with the Kansas City Royals in 1987. Aside from a 71–69 finish in 1987 and a 70–62 record with
1702-611: The team's ballpark from the Fox Cities Amateur Sports Authority with plans to keep the team in Grand Chute. Major League Baseball assumed control of Minor League Baseball before the 2021 season in a move to increase player salaries, modernize facility standards, and reduce travel. As a result, the Midwest League disbanded and the Timber Rattlers were elevated to the High-A classification and placed in
1748-668: The team's website and the MiLB First Pitch app. All home games and select road games can be viewed through the MiLB.TV subscription feature of the official website of Minor League Baseball, with audio provided by a radio simulcast. Select home games are televised on WCWF CW 14 in Green Bay /Appleton, and on WVTV-DT2 My 24 in Milwaukee. Wisconsin's primary mascot is an anthropomorphic timber rattler snake named Fang. He
1794-561: The title behind the impressive pitching of Mordecai Brown , future Chicago Cubs mound star. 1902 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1903 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Evansville and Terre Haute joined the Central League . New teams in Dubuque, Iowa and Joliet, Illinois formed. Joliet, with a record of 14–19, moved to Springfield, Illinois on June 12, where they had a record of 28–61. 1904 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League 1905 Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Rockford team folded, and
1840-706: Was Homer Run, who was human in appearance and wore the same style uniform as the Foxes. Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches 60-day injured list [REDACTED] 7-day injured list * On Milwaukee Brewers 40-man roster ~ Development list # Rehab assignment ∞ Reserve list ‡ Restricted list § Suspended list † Temporarily inactive list Roster updated November 7, 2024 Transactions → More rosters: MiLB • Midwest League → Milwaukee Brewers minor league players Four players and seven managers have won league awards in recognition for their performance with
1886-479: Was an American manager in minor league baseball who holds the records for most games managed (4,844), most victories (2,530) and most defeats (2,314). A native of Chicago , Wasiak was a second baseman and catcher in his playing days (1940–41; 1946–59); his career was interrupted by four years of service in the United States Army during World War II . In 1950 , he was named playing manager of
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1932-503: Was made to increase their regional appeal outside the Fox Cities and to boost merchandise sales. "Timber Rattlers" was chosen by area school children who selected it from among three possible monikers along with several logos for each. The name refers to the timber rattlesnake , which is not typically found in the Appleton area but is more common in southwest Wisconsin. The team's scheduled April 5, 1995, home opener at their new facility
1978-491: Was popularly known as the Three–I League and sometimes as the Three–Eye League . The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League played from 1901 to 1961 with some interruptions due to world events: the league did not play in 1918 due to World War I and it had a break in 1933 and 1934 because of the Great Depression . After resuming play in 1935, it closed down in 1936, but reformed and had a six-year run from 1937 through 1942, before
2024-521: Was postponed due to snow and rescheduled for the next afternoon as a doubleheader . The Timber Rattlers won both games, defeating the West Michigan Whitecaps , 3–1 and 8–6, before an audience of 1,937 people. In 1994, shortstop Alex Rodriguez was selected as the league's Prospect of the Year after hitting for a .319 batting average with 14 home runs and 55 RBI in just 65 games. Wisconsin failed to reach
2070-466: Was selected for the league's Manager of the Year Award. Appleton won three Northern Division titles from 1971 to 1974, but they lost the league title each time in the final round. Joe Sparks was recognized as the MWL Manager of the Year for 1971. Future Hall of Fame pitcher Goose Gossage played with Appleton from 1970 to 1971 and in 1974. Fellow Hall of Famer Harold Baines began his career with
2116-405: Was shifted to the High-A Central, which was renamed the Midwest League in 2022. Wisconsin has served as a farm club for six Major League Baseball franchises. They have won ten league titles, including one Three–I League championship and nine Midwest League championships , most recently in 2012. Appleton , the largest of Wisconsin 's Fox Cities , has hosted Minor League Baseball teams since
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