Your 2013 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

[TooLiveBrew]

I am starting to get quote excited for Taylor's potential. Going to a game next month in Appleton, very excited to see him in person.

If you haven't been to Fox Cities Stadium yet this season, you're in for a treat there as well with the new-this-year renovations. I recommend trying the Club Level at least once this year -- it's definitely worth the price.

[Mass Haas]

Bob Brainerd's latest is on RHP Preston Gainey, formerly of the Naval Academy

[Mass Haas]

Two-minute video interview included at link, basically the text of the Q&A below --

 

***

 

Timber Rattlers Profile: Tyrone Taylor, center field

by Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media

 

Leading off

 

Age: 19.

 

Height, weight: 6-1, 198.

 

Bats/throws: right/right.

 

Residence: Torrance, Calif.

 

College: None.

 

Acquired: Selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2012 Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

 

Position: Center field.

 

Number: 13.

 

Notes: Taylor has hit over .470 during the month of June. He leads the team in batting average (.302), hits (74), doubles (19), total bases (110) and RBI (29) through Friday’s game. He is tied for second in home runs (five) and second in steals (14) and slugging percentage (.449).

 

Favorites

 

MLB team growing up: “Los Angeles Dodgers. Torrance is only about a half hour from L.A. We went to a quite a few Dodgers games growing up.”

 

MLB player: “I really liked Rafael Furcal when I was younger. He was a great shortstop. When Matt Kemp came, I grew to like him.”

 

Food: “Spaghetti.”

 

Musical artist: “I like a hip-hop guy called “Kid Ink.”

 

Must-see TV: “Sons of Anarchy.”

 

Movie: “ ‘The Sandlot’ or ‘Miracle.’ Those are two really good ones.”

 

Job as a kid: “This is my first job.”

 

Place to go in Appleton: “I like eating at IHOP for some reason. It’s way better than the California one I’m used to.”

 

Q&A

 

Q: You’ve been on a tear the month of June, hitting well over .450. What’s been key for you at the plate?

 

A: “Really, I’ve just been sticking to the routine I have and it’s been translating out on the field. I finally have a set routine instead of trying to figure out what works. That’s pretty important. I’m seeing the ball well.”

 

Q: You have shown power and are hitting third after batting lead-off for much of the season. How do you like that new role?

 

A: When Matty (Erickson) moved me to the third spot, he said to just be yourself and don’t try and do too much. Don’t try and hit home runs. I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job with that.”

 

Q: This is your first full season of professional baseball. What’s the adjustment been like coming directly from high school?

 

A: “It’s pretty rough on the body, but I’m hanging in there. Now I know what Cal Ripken Jr. felt like when he played all those games in a row. What he did was unbelievable. Playing every day really takes a toll on your body, but you have to push through. I’m having fun with it, though.”

 

Q: The Brewers shut you down last summer after only 18 games due to shoulder problems in your right (throwing) arm. How has your shoulder been?

 

A: “I’ve been keeping up with my shoulder exercises and just trying to stay healthy. It feels really good right now.”

 

Q: What was it like growing up in Torrance?

 

A: “It was fun. I grew up on a small street with quite a few kids my own age and we grew up playing ball together. There were a couple parks right down the street from where we lived. So we’d go there and play whiffle-ball. In the summer, we’d be out there literally all day playing ball together.”

 

Q: Growing up so close to Los Angeles, do you closely follow other L.A. pro sports teams besides the Dodgers?

 

A: “Oh yeah, I’m a big fan of the Lakers and Kings. It’s been pretty rough with the Lakers the last couple years but, hopefully, they will figure it out. They were stacked this year, so it was kind of hard to watch. Kobe (Bryant) was always my favorite player. Kobe’s the man. It was pretty exciting to watch the Kings last year when they won it all. It’s kind of a bummer they didn’t get there this year.”

 

Q: Wisconsin had an awful spring in terms of weather and it has been a cool start to summer. Have you adjusted to the weather?

 

A: “It’s different for me, but it’s getting better. I’m adjusting to it. It’s not too bad, and this is actually a really beautiful place.”

 

Q: Your mother has a prep softball background. Has she shared any stories with you about her playing days?

 

A: “She had me at a young age and couldn’t play college softball, so she doesn’t talk about it too much. But she was good. She played catcher and third base. There’s a whole bunch of newspaper clippings all over my grandma’s house where we lived for awhile when I was younger, and I used to read them. People were always messing around with me in high school, especially the parents of other athletes, asking me how it felt to be the second-best athlete in my family behind my mother.”

 

Q: As a prep football running back, you rushed for more than 1,500 yards as a senior and scored 20 touchdowns. Was college football ever a serious consideration?

 

A: “Not really, because I’m so in love with baseball. I just played football for fun. It wasn’t that important to me. But we did have a great senior year and went the furthest our school has ever gone in the playoffs. That was pretty exciting.”

 

Q: You had committed to Cal State Fullerton before getting drafted in the second round by the Brewers? What went into your decision to turn pro?

 

A: “It would have been a tough decision if the Brewers hadn’t handled it so well. They pretty much asked me what I wanted. I gave them a number and they immediately agreed to it. It happened real fast. I had watched Cal State Fullerton growing up and had wanted to go there since I was about 10. It’s a good school and they have a real good baseball program.”

 

Q: You wear No. 13. Any significance to that, or concerns about bad luck?

 

A: “Actually, I didn’t get the number I requested, No. 15, which was my mom’s number in high school. But when I was younger, I always wanted to wear No. 13 because Alex Rodriguez wore it. People say it’s an unlucky number, but I wouldn’t say that. Earlier in the year, though, I wasn’t doing too well and I was getting a little worried there. Hopefully, it will be good luck or me.”

 

Q: This might be your only year in Grand Chute. Is there anything you will always remember about playing here?

 

A: “The fans are amazing and it’s a beautiful stadium. I’ll probably take that with me wherever I go. I’ve heard this is the best place to be in the organization, so it’s pretty exciting and a lot of fun to be here."

[TheCrew07]

As Chris mentioned during the Saturday broadcast.

Rattlers relievers dish on quarter game

Wisconsin fans aim at bullpen cups for chance to win ball, bat

By Benjamin Hill / MLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/3/2/0/51629320/cuts/Armold_Strong_Wall_2nd1jw7b_p35frvlq.JPG

Jonathan Armold, Mike Strong and Taylor Wall are trying to make a mint. (Benjamin Hill/MiLB.com)

 

"Make Quarter. Get A Ball."

 

These five words, indelicately phrased as they may be, have been a veritable goldmine for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers bullpen this season. During each home game at Fox Cities Stadium, a cardboard sign with these five words scrawled upon it is placed atop a blue plastic chair in the bullpen, and just in front of the sign is a small Dixie cup. The bullpen is located in right field, and if any fan standing on the above concourse is able to throw a quarter into the cup then he or she will be rewarded with his or her very own official Midwest League baseball (or, in some cases, even a game-used bat). But if the throw misses? Then that quarter then belongs to the bullpen.

 

It's simple, really: "Make Quarter. Get A Ball."

 

Seeking more information on this nightly ballpark moneymaker, I interviewed three members of the Timber Rattlers bullpen prior to Saturday's game against Cedar Rapids: Jonathan Armold, Mike Strong (or Thee Mike Strong, as he confidently referred to himself as) and Taylor Wall. This triumvirate of relievers dished on the specifics of their moneymaking enterprise, as well as the overall supremacy of life in the bullpen.

 

MiLB.com: So, every night you guys are out there inviting fans to throw a quarter into a cup. What happens, exactly, if a quarter makes it into the cup?

 

Jonathan Armold: There are two designated cups, usually. One cup designated for a ball, that's an easier cup to make it in. But if the cup you make it in is further back, then you get a game-used bat.

 

MiLB.com: What sort of dimensions are we talking about here? How far do you have to throw the quarter?

 

Thee Mike Strong: I'd say that it's about 15 feet down and about 20 feet out, that's the one for the bat. And the one for the baseball is, again, 20 feet down and about 12 feet out.

 

Taylor Wall: Give or take.

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/7/2/0/51629720/cuts/Make_Quarter_vno5gbrv_8fgftwmq.JPG

 

MiLB.com: On average, how many people try their luck and try to throw quarters into these cups?

 

Armold: Our best, most lucrative, days are Kids Days [promotions] where all the kids come down to the bullpen.

 

Strong: We like Kids Day because they bring all of their meal money down there. They exchange it for quarters and we usually make a pretty good profit off of that.

 

MiLB.com: As professional athletes and role models, is there a sense of guilt when it comes to taking money from the youngest members of our society?

 

Armold: No, it's a game for all to enjoy. We'll give balls to kids randomly too if they spend enough money and hang out enough and are nice enough and don't beg for balls.

 

Strong: If they're in the $10 or $15 range, we'll usually give them a baseball or something.

 

MiLB.com: And how many people win each night, on average?

 

Wall: Last night we gave away a bat, and one night we gave away four bats.

 

Strong: That was a bad night for us.

 

Marmold: We'll give away a couple of balls per night, at least.

 

MiLB.com: Have you learned to identify contestants who are particularly good at this game?

 

Marmold: It's usually people who are well versed in beer pong.

 

Strong: Yeah, when they're doing this one [puts thumb, index and middle finger together and mimics overhand throwing motion] you know that they're probably pretty good.

 

MiLB.com: You know, I really should have asked this first. How did this game start happening in the first place?

 

Strong: Since this is my second year [with the Timber Rattlers], it's been passed down from generation to generation. Last year we did it and were pretty successful, so I wanted to share [gestures to Wall and Armold] with my fellow bullpen [members]. Last year we used a bubble gum bucket, but realized that was way too easy so we had to make it into a Dixie Cup.

 

MiLB.com: Are there any other games that you guys play out in the bullpen?

 

Strong: Sometimes we do cheese curds for baseballs.

 

MiLB.com: Cheese curls for baseballs? How does that work?

 

Strong: If someone brings a bag of cheese curds over then we'll give them a baseball, because cheese curds are delicious.

 

Armold: Wisconsin!

 

(As Armold, Strong and Wall laugh among themselves, an unidentified player walks by after exiting the batting cage and disdainfully mutters "Pitchers.")

 

MiLB.com: Do you get that kind of reaction a lot?

 

Strong: Of course.

 

Wall: Absolutely.

 

Armold: It's just jealousy. Hitters are just jealous that they don't get [cheese curds].

 

Wall: And the starters, they're jealous too.

 

MiLB.com: So would you guys consider yourselves to be the most privileged members of the team?

 

Strong: Oh, yeah. We're one of a kind.

 

Armold: 100 percent.

 

MiLB.com: So, back to the game with the quarters. What do you end up doing with the money you earn?

 

Armold: We lump it up into a bullpen fund and one of us will hold onto it, and we'll take all the quarters to the bank.

 

Strong: Or we hold onto it until we get to Burlington [iowa, home of the Bees], because there's a casino there. So then we don't have to use our own money, we use that.

 

MiLB.com: You're using house money, then. Or, I guess more accurately, kids' money.

 

Strong: Exactly! It's all for the kids.

 

Armold (laughing): We probably shouldn't put that in an article.

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/7/3/6/51629736/cuts/Chair_nyk60uf2_19yp3utr.jpg

[TooLiveBrew]

Apologies if this has been mentioned already for the T-Rats, but team photographer Ann Mollica posts some pretty complete photo galleries on the club website.

[TheCrew07]

Both halves of the blog post now here.

 

Tailgating and Toilet Paper in Wisconsin

 

On the Road: Just Another Friday Night in Appleton, Wisconsin

[TheCrew07]

Both halves of the blog post now here.

 

Tailgating and Toilet Paper in Wisconsin

 

On the Road: Just Another Friday Night in Appleton, Wisconsin

 

Chris just said that part 3 (Saturday) will come at the end of Ben's trip, we'll have to keep an eye out.

[Mass Haas]

OF Michael Reed is the subject in another of Bob Brainerd's fine profile articles.

[Mass Haas]

TV Sports News Video Report out of Green Bay on Tyrone Taylor

[Mass Haas]

Despite injuries, struggles, Walla keeps the faith

By Kevin Hendricks / Albuquerque (NM) Journal Staff Writer

 

In 2009, Max Walla put on a power display at Miller Park in a pre-draft workout that convinced the Milwaukee Brewers to select the Albuquerque Academy standout with the 73rd pick in that year’s draft.

 

Now, in the middle of his fifth season in the Brewers’ organization, Walla is suffering through a power outage.

 

As a senior at Academy, Walla hit 12 home runs, led the Chargers to the 4A state title and was named New Mexico High School Baseball Player of the Year. He finished his prep career with a then-state record 34 home runs.

 

The 5-foot-11 Walla followed that up by hitting several upper-deck homers that wowed the Milwaukee brass.

 

As a professional however, the left-handed hitting outfielder has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency.

 

Walla has hit just 15 home runs in 286 minor league games and has a batting average of .244 in 1,036 career at-bats. After injuries delayed the start of this season, Walla has not hit a homer in 91 at-bats with Class-A Wisconsin.

 

“It just hasn’t happened yet,” Walla, 22, said. “I’ve driven some balls into the gaps. I just haven’t quite gotten one over the fence. I’ll have a few by the end of the year, but right now it’s just one of those things where you’re going through a drought.”

 

Injuries have been a common theme throughout Walla’s professional career. In 2010, a broken left ring finger sidelined him. Then last year his Class-A debut was delayed when he broke his left index finger a week before spring training ended.

 

“It's been a little bit frustrating at times,” Walla said. “It’s one of those things that if you play a sport for a living, injuries are kind of unavoidable. But it has been a little bit frustrating to some degree. Nobody wants to sit on the sidelines, but it’s definitely helped me grow a lot. The adversity of having to go through an injury – both physically and mentally – it’s helped me quite a bit.”

 

More help came this spring, when he suffered two injuries before the end of training camp.

 

“I broke my hand in spring training and was out for three weeks,” Walla said. “My first game back in spring training was the last week and I re-broke it. So I had to stay out there an extra seven weeks.”

 

While injuries no doubt have played a role in his struggles in the pros, Walla – who says he’s a Christian first and a baseball player second – used his latest setbacks to spend some time with an old friend, Josh McAlister, a La Cueva grad who pitches for Arizona State.

 

“I was upset at the time but I was also blessed,” Walla said. “… It was good to at least have one of my best friends there to talk to, someone else who is a believer as well to remind how sometimes God works through adversity we go through on a day-to-day basis. So it was a good experience in that sense of it.”

 

Now with that experience behind him and a clean bill of health, Walla is focused on realizing the potential he showed at Academy and eventually getting out of Class A.

 

“I’m not where I want to be right now but I’m definitely working every day at getting better and being more productive for the team,” Walla said. “I think right now where I need to be is a reachable goal, and I’m definitely heading down the right path. It’s been a little bit of a challenge this year to get comfortable, both physically and mentally, but it’s something I should be able to do.

 

“I have just under half of the season left to work with, so I’m looking forward to making some noise with the bat and moving up the ranks here.”

 

Despite his struggles, Walla believes that his hard work will eventually pay off, and he’ll once again get a chance to hit home runs into the upper deck of Miller Park.

 

“I’ve been handicapped a little bit by injuries. Definitely not an excuse,” Walla said. “I want to be in the big leagues, but I realize it’s a process and I’m going to keep grinding every day to get there.”

[BrewCrewForever]

Have there been any updates on Orlando Arcia's ankle injury he suffered Tuesday night?

[Mass Haas]

Tyler Wagner is a Brewers prospect to follow closely

After pitching as a closer in college, right-hander has adapted to starting role

 

Love it when former MLB scout Bernie Pleskoff focuses on Brewer farmhands for MLB.com...

[TooLiveBrew]

Tyler Wagner is a Brewers prospect to follow closely

After pitching as a closer in college, right-hander has adapted to starting role

 

Love it when former MLB scout Bernie Pleskoff focuses on Brewer farmhands for MLB.com...

I remember doing a double-take at how much Pleskoff gushed over Segura this past spring. Turns out it wasn't fawning for fawning's sake.

 

This is a great concise scouting report on Wagner. Definitely worth the time to read.

[Mass Haas]

LINK INCLUDES ADDITIONAL COMMENTS IN VIDEO INTERVIEW

 

Rattlers Profile: Victor Roache, left field

by Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media

 

Leading off

 

Age: 21.

 

Height, weight: 6-2, 230.

 

Residence: Ypsilanti, Mich.

 

College: Georgia Southern.

 

Acquired: Selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2012 Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

 

Position: Left Field.

 

Number: 28.

 

Notes: Roache entered Saturday’s game tied for the team lead in home runs (seven) and second in RBI (37). He was hitting .225. Roache is rated by Baseball America as the seventh-best prospect in the Brewers’ organization.

 

Favorites

 

MLB team growing up: “The Detroit Tigers. I grew up watching guys like Tony Clark and Bobby Higginson. I went to quite a few games at Commerica Park with my parents. It’s a great stadium with lots of atmosphere, and it’s a fun place to watch a game. I still try and get there for a game when I can.”

 

MLB player: “Even though I was a Tigers fan, it was Manny Ramirez. I loved his swing and just enjoyed watching him hit.”

 

Food: “Macaroni and cheese.”

 

Musical artist: “Drake.”

 

Must-see TV show: “Martin.”

 

Movie: “Bad Boys II.”

 

Job as a kid: “When I was in high school, I worked at a golf course. I cleaned carts, picked up balls off the range, stuff like that. I really liked that job. The staff was great and we got to play golf for free. It was a pretty nice course.”

 

Sport other than baseball: “I haven’t done it in a while, but I used to bowl a lot when I was younger. I kind of grew up in a bowling alley because my parents used to bowl three or four nights a week. I averaged around 180, 185, not too bad. My dad is a certified golf pro, so I grew up around golf, too. I used to go golfing with him and his friends on Sundays.”

 

Place to go in Appleton: “IHOP. I’ve been to a lot of different IHOPs, and this is the one of the best. They have the best cooks. The omelets are huge and the pancakes are perfect.”

 

Q&A

 

Q: You missed all of the 2012 season after wrist surgery, so this is your first full year in pro ball. What’s the adjustment been like, especially coming off a major injury?

 

A: “It’s definitely been a learning experience. It’s been a big adjustment after missing so much time. I’m just trying to get comfortable in the box and get my timing back. My timing seems to come and go a little more than I’d like it to. Once I get that going on a consistent basis, I think I’ll start seeing better results.

 

“But we have a great group of guys here. They keep the mood fun every day. I don’t really think about the bad times or the good times too much. I try and stay even keel. I approach every day as a new day and try to go out there and have fun.”

 

Q: Prior to getting drafted by the Brewers, you broke your left wrist diving for a ball in the outfield at Georgia Southern. When you learned the diagnosis, did you wonder about your future in the game?

 

A: “It was really scary. My first thought when it happened was that I just hope I get another chance to play baseball again. After I had the surgery, thoughts about the draft popped into my head. My parents and my agent did a good job of keeping me calm and reassuring me that things would be OK. The doctor who performed my surgery told me that it (the wrist) would be 100 percent in due time.

 

“My agent talked to a lot of teams and some of them said the injury wouldn’t scare them away from me. Just hearing that kind of eased my mind. It was a big relief, though, when the Brewers drafted me. It was like a big weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

 

Q: Has the wrist bothered you at all this season?

 

A: “It’s feeling real good. On days when I take a lot of swings, I might feel a little soreness, but my doctor told me that’s normal and I’m probably going to get some minor soreness the first year or two. But really, the wrist is fine. I think it’s almost 100 percent.”

 

Q: As a first-round draft pick, you received a signing bonus of $1.525 million. How life-changing was that?

 

A: “That amount of money is definitely life-changing. It just felt so surreal when it happened. I just told my parents that this money is for my future, if baseball doesn’t work out for me. I have one year left of college and I can go back and get my degree, and not worry about how to pay for it.

 

“When I eventually start a career outside of baseball, it will be nice to have some money saved away. Right now, the goal is to play baseball, and whatever happens, happens.”

 

Q: How does a Michigan boy wind up at Georgia Southern?

 

A: “They saw me at a tournament in Florida and started recruiting me. I didn’t know much about Georgia Southern at the time. I thought it was a Division II school. When I took my official visit there, I loved the campus and really liked the guys I’d be playing with.

 

“It came down to Georgia Southern and Michigan State, and I wanted to get away from Michigan and play somewhere warm. It turned out to be a great decision. I had three great years there, made a lot of friends and played some good baseball.”

 

Q: You were drafted by the Tigers in the 25th round of the 2009 MLB Draft but chose to go to Georgia Southern. Was it tough passing up an offer from your home-state team?

 

A: “You know, it really wasn’t that tough. I had been drafted in the 25th round and I kind of knew that college was the route to take. It was definitely an honor and a surprise, though, to be drafted by the Tigers.”

 

Q: Was it difficult seeing the Tigers get swept in last year’s World Series?

 

A: “Yeah, that was pretty tough to watch.”

 

Q: You are a Lions fan, too. Are they ready to challenge a certain NFL franchise located just 30 minutes down the road?

 

A: “The Lions, well, some pretty rough things have happened to them in the past. Hopefully, it’s going to turn around. We had a good season a few years ago and really opened some eyes, but last year wasn’t good. I hope they start playing well on a more consistent basis. It’s been pretty rough on us Lions fans.”

 

Q: In addition to being an all-state baseball player at Lincoln High School, you played football and basketball. Describe your game in those sports.

 

A: “I loved basketball and football, but they were really just something I did for fun. I played football my first couple years and was a linebacker. We didn’t have a very good team. In basketball, we had a pretty good team and won our district for the first time in 24 years. I was a good defender. Didn’t score much, but I didn’t do much to hurt the team.”

 

Q: What was it like growing up in Ypsilanti?

 

A: “Ypsilanti is a nice little city. It’s close to Ann Arbor and only 40 miles or so from Detroit. Eastern Michigan is there, so there’s a lot to do. It has a nice suburb feel, but it’s close enough to the big city, where if you want to go to Detroit, it’s just a short ride.”

 

Q: You hit a home run on your first at-bat in professional baseball for the Timber Rattlers. How thrilling was that?

 

A: “You always have that anticipation of when you’re going to hit your first home run. I was so happy to get that first one out of the way. I was just trying to make contact and got enough of it to hit it out.”

 

Q: Your major at Georgia Southern was sports management. What type of job might you pursue?

 

A: “After talking with my agent and seeing how he interacts with people, I wouldn’t mind testing the whole agent industry out. I like the fact that you can help get your guys drafted. You can watch them develop and move up, and kind of help them along the way.”

 

Q: In college, you participated in MLB’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program. What was that experience like?

 

A: The whole idea is to get young African-American kids interested in baseball. I did it with some of my friends from college. We’d put on different camps and teach them the basics. We wanted the little kids to see that people from their area can make it to higher levels. We had a lot of success with that program, and there were a lot of kids involved.”

 

Victor Roache is tied for the team lead among the Timber Rattlers with seven home runs this season. / Photo by Ron Page, Post-Crescent Media

 

http://cmsimg.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20130706&Category=APC020602&ArtNo=307060308&Ref=AR&MaxW=600&Border=0

[TooLiveBrew]

IHOP with another name-drop in one of the T-Rats player profiles (iirc Tyrone Taylor also touted it as the best IHOP he's ever been to). Either IHOP has a couple semi-celebrity spokesmen, or the Appleton location has some talented cooks.

[Mass Haas]

Another Bob Brainerd effort of note, this one on Victor Roache --

 

Power Ball!

[RWeeksFan23]

Why is Walla still in Wisconsin? Pretty sure he deserves to be in at least Brevard County by now.

[TheCrew07]

Why is Walla still in Wisconsin? Pretty sure he deserves to be in at least Brevard County by now.

 

He didn't play his way into a promotion last year and he's only hitting for a .756 OPS repeating another league for the 2nd time.

 

[pre]Year Age Tm Lg Lev G PA AB 2B 3B HR SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS

2009 18 2 Teams 2 Lgs Rk 52 220 194 5 2 2 4 2 15 87 .201 .282 .278 .560

2010 19 Brewers ARIZ Rk 38 165 143 8 1 2 6 3 15 59 .252 .335 .364 .699

2011 20 Helena PION Rk 69 290 253 16 2 4 5 6 30 72 .285 .374 .411 .785

2012 21 Wisconsin MIDW A 101 409 355 13 2 7 12 10 47 107 .234 .325 .341 .666

2013 22 Wisconsin MIDW A 31 124 113 7 2 0 3 2 8 25 .301 .358 .398 .756

5 Seasons 291 1208 1058 49 9 15 30 23 115 350 .250 .334 .355 .689

Rk (3 seasons) Rk 159 675 590 29 5 8 15 11 60 218 .249 .334 .356 .690

A (2 seasons) A 132 533 468 20 4 7 15 12 55 132 .250 .333 .355 .687[/pre]

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 7/14/2013.

 

I'd be much more interested in promoting Taylor or Reed, Walla has just never shown the kind of power he did in his pre-draft workout that we read so much about.

 

As a 21 year old Walla had 22 XBHs total last season... 20 year old Reed already has 24, 19 year old Taylor has 34, and as an 18 year old middle infielder Arcia in on pace to beat that total with 14.

 

Max has played very well recently, but his career hasn't been all that inspiring.

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO Report - Timber Rattlers talkin' walk-up music

[Mass Haas]

Timber Rattlers Profile: Austin Blaski, pitcher

by Mike Woods, Post-Crescent Media

 

Leading off

 

Age: 22.

 

Height, weight: 6-4, 200.

 

Residence: Pandora, Ohio.

 

College: Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio.

 

Acquired: Selected by the Brewers in the 21st round of the 2012 first-year player draft.

 

Position: Starting pitcher.

 

Bats/throws: Right/right.

 

Notes: On the disabled list. Is 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 games with the Rattlers. Has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 30-20. Has given up 40 hits in 53 2⁄3 innings. Was named a 2013 Midwest League All-Star. Helped lead Marietta College to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships in the College World Series at Fox Cities Stadium. Went 13-1 with 1.23 ERA to earn Division III National Pitcher of the Year honors as a senior. Named Most Outstanding Player of the 2011 College World Series.

 

Favorites

 

MLB team growing up: “I’m from Ohio, so the Reds.”

 

Player: “Growing up, probably Ken Griffey Jr.”

 

TV Show: “I’ve always like sports so I would say ‘SportsCenter.’ ”

 

Food: “Probably go with brisket.”

 

Job as a kid: “An umpire when I was in high school. Everyone was pretty well behaved.”

 

Place to go in Appleton: “I would say here, the games, is the most fun for me. You get good crowds; it’s a fun place to play.”

 

Q&A

 

Q: On your poster day, how impressed were you with your poster?

 

A: “It’s pretty good. They’ve got me in the Sunday uniform and that’s always good — it’s the best uniform. I’m pretty impressed.”

 

Q: What are you going to do with them?

 

A: “Probably just give them to my family and keep a few of them. It’s a nice little thing they do here.”

 

Q: Are you going to hang one up at home?

 

A: “I’ll probably give a couple to my host family. I’m sure they’ll do something with it.”

 

Q: You almost didn’t play baseball coming out of high school. Why?

 

A: “I don’t know, really. I was just OK in high school, wasn’t that good. So I really didn’t have any offers or scholarships.”

 

Q: How’d you get steered toward Marietta?

 

A: “Actually, my high school coach went to Marietta so he kind of had ties there. I went with it and it worked out well.”

 

Q: You won back-to-back World Series at Fox Cities Stadium. Is there one memory from those trips that sticks out?

 

A: “I’d say the dog piles on the field after we won, especially the first year because it was our first one. The second one was our senior year so that was our last game and that was pretty special. The end result of your final game is a win — not many people have that.”

 

Q: What was it like to have your name called in the draft?

 

A: “It was nice. It was a great experience for me. I was with my family. We had it pulled up on the internet. It was something not very many people get to experience.”

 

Q: How quickly did you make the connection that you could return to Fox Cities Stadium?

 

A: “A little bit. I knew I probably wouldn’t go my first year, but my second year I’m back here so that’s great. Just to revisit and think about all the memories we had here as a college team.”

 

Q: What was it like to walk back in here?

 

A: “It was nice. The first thing I thought of is all the great things we did here. All the people I still keep in touch with and are still great friends to me just because of what we did and how close we were.”

 

Q: You’ve had some early success here. How much do your attribute it to being comfortable with your past success here?

 

A: “Not really, I don’t think that plays too much of a part. I mean, I feel any stadium is about the same. The mound is the same distance from home, and that’s what I try to think about. Not really the place.”

 

Q: What was it like to be named an all-star?

 

A: “It’s a great honor that will be on your resume as long as you’re playing. It was just a great honor. The game was great. I didn’t get to pitch but I had a great time with all the other all-stars, getting to know them a little bit. It was awesome.”

 

Q: What are you working on right now?

 

A: “Right now, it’s just getting healthy so I can get back to pitching. Before, it was getting all my pitches to where I can throw them for strikes in any count I wanted. Just being more comfortable on the mound with all my pitches.”

 

Q: What’s the hardest thing about pro baseball?

 

A: “I’d say, for me, it’s playing everyday. You have very few off days. You’ll come back (from a road trip) at five in the morning and you’ll have a game that day. It’s a crazy turnaround sometimes but it’s pro ball. You’ve got to get used to it. You just have to grind it out.”

 

Q: Did you buy anything with your signing bonus, something you’ve always wanted?

 

A: “My signing bonus wasn’t too big, but I actually got engaged so most of it went to that. Actually, all of it went to that.”

 

Q: What’s your most prized sports possession?

 

A: “I’d say my national championship rings. It’s something most people don’t have and I have two of them. So I’d say it’s that.”

 

Q: Former Pirates reliever Kent Tekulve is a Marietta graduate. Did you ever get a chance to meet him?

 

A: “When we win a national championship, he actually comes back and brings us a champagne bottle with the record and all the players’ names on it. That was nice, and he’s done that twice. He’s also been to a couple of games we’ve had. So I’ve met him quite a few times.”

 

Q: So do you crack the champagne open?

 

A: “No, we keep it. It’s hanging with the rings right now.”

 

Q: How much did playing at a tradition-rich school like Marietta prepare you for pro ball?

 

A: “I think, a lot. Because there it’s all about winning. We only lost 12 games in two years. It’s a little different coming here. You play everyday so you’re going to lose more games. But I think it taught me how to win and how to be a champion.”

 

Q: Did you play any other sports?

 

A: “Basketball, in high school. I was all right. I started a couple of years. I liked it a lot more because our team was a lot better. So it was more fun than baseball in high school, but, obviously, I was better at baseball.”

 

Q: What was the bus ride back to Marietta like after winning that last national title?

 

A: “It’s hard to sleep after that. But we drove through the night so you got a little bit of sleep. But your emotions and the adrenaline are pretty high after winning. Your career is over, so that sucks. But you go out on a pretty good note. It was a lot of mixed emotions but it was great to spend that time with all those guys.”

 

Austin Blaski was part of a Marietta College team that won back-to-back Division III championships at Fox Cities Stadium. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have placed him on the disabled list. / Contributed Photo

 

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[Mass Haas]

Really can't compliment Bob Brainerd enough for his Timber Rattlers profiles. You can tell each individual interview is in-depth and all the quotes carry each feature article really well.

 

The latest is on RH starting pitcher Tyler Wagner's path.

[igor67]

Nice article makes you think Wagner might get a little more time than the usual college guy. With so little pitching experience and most of that in relief it is quite a lot.

[Mass Haas]

Post-Crescent Profile and Q&A with OF Michael Reed includes video chat as well

[Mass Haas]

Video news report on Victor Roache features a rare Dusty Rhodes sighting

[Mass Haas]

Bob Brainerd's Q&A with third baseman Mike Garza