Your 2015 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

[Mass Haas]

Indications are that we will begin to see some formal minor league roster announcements as early as Friday 4/3. The formal announcement will come directly from the Timber Rattlers, not the Brewers. All four minor league affiliates will likely send out their press releases within an hour or so of each other once the Brewers have given them the official go-ahead to do so.

 

Opening Night is Thursday 4/9!

 

Feel free to link to any formal notices you see here.

 

Often we learn via farmhand tweets, who has been assigned where, prior to the formal affiliate announcements. We'll link to any of those posts in this thread as they come out.

 

As you might know, we use the "Your 2015" threads to post and link to feature stories that are outside the scope of game activity covered in the Daily Link Report.

 

These threads have become among the most popular for viewing here, and we look forward to kicking them off formally.

 

Please don't speculate here at this time, this is an anxious time for many on the farm, and unfortunately we're also going to learn about several player releases in the next few days, in addition to those players excited about their assignments.

[Mass Haas]

Sunday tweets for the Rattlers (click for tweets) --

 

SS Jake Gatewood

 

RHP Zach Hirsch

 

Catcher Greg McCall

 

3B Tucker Neuhaus -- and what # he'll be

 

RHP Josh Uhen (of UW-Milwaukee)

[packfan79]

I'm surprised to see Gatewood in Appleton, don't the younger guys sometimes stay in AZ until Helena starts?

[DHonks]

Sometimes (like with Coulter) the Brewers like to push a kid to Wisconsin to see how they do. The expectation is that they'll be returned to AZ/Helena in June, but sometimes they do well.

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers announce 2015 roster

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

There are 28 players on this roster. There will need to be three moves before the season begins on the road at Burlington, Iowa on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30pm to get to the league's 25-player roster limit.

[Mass Haas]

Printable Timber Rattlers roster

[TooLiveBrew]

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers announce 2015 roster

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

There are 28 players on this roster. There will need to be three moves before the season begins on the road at Burlington, Iowa on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30pm to get to the league's 25-player roster limit.

Pitchers

Burkhalter

Curtis

Diaz, V.

Gomez

Hirsch

Hudgens

Linehan

Martin

Medeiros

Ortega

Rizzo

Sneed

Torrez

Uhen

Ventura

 

Position Players

C Leal

C McCall

C Mejia

----------------

IF Aviles

IF DeMuth

IF Denson

IF Gatewood

IF Munoz

IF Neuhaus

----------------

OF Diaz, B.

OF Harrison

OF Pena

OF Rubio

[Jenkins5]

I was pretty close with my projections. Exciting team roster!depressing Denson had the injuries last year, a terrible spring and was held back...luckily he still is only 20.

 

My bold Burkhalter prediction was right and we finally get to see the former DSL studs in Rizzo and Gomez finally in A ball.

 

1b Denson

2b Munoz

Ss Gatewood

3b Neuhaus

C McCall

LF Diaz

CF Harrison

RF Rubio

 

Bench

DeMuth

AViles

Leal

Pena

 

This is going to be a fun offense if they play up to potential!

[Kelbysdaddy]

STOKED FOR THIS TEAM! This will be a fun team to watch this season.

[igor67]

Lot's of position guys to follow that's for sure, certainly some interesting pitchers but the position guys...

[reillymcshane]

Where's Devin Williams going to?

[Mass Haas]

Where's Devin Williams going to?

 

Williams, along with 3B Sthervin Matos and OF Michael Ratterree, are the three most prominent names without an assignment thus far (perhaps with minor injuries).

[Mass Haas]

It's a very rare jump for a Brewers Dominican pitcher, directly from the DSL to Wisconsin, but RHP Orlando Torrez makes the jump, after four DSL summers (he turns 23 later this month).

[Jenkins5]

Didn't think about Williams but there is no reason if he is healthy that he shouldn't be here.... If Burkhalter and Kodi made it, Willisms doesn't make sense

[Mass Haas]

Timber Rattlers roster now updated on MiLB.com

[Mass Haas]

Via Chris Mehring tweet --

 

The Timber Rattlers rotation (w/ 4 tandems):

 

THU: V Diaz/Torrez

FRI: Sneed/Ventura

SAT: Hirsch

SUN: Medeiros/Burkhalter

MON: Ortega/Gomez

[TheCrew07]

I'm disappointed that Denson is on this team but I'll be expecting big things from him.

[Jenkins5]

@BrewersPD: @RyanClarence he did have an injury during spring training

 

That is in regards to Devin Williams not starting in Wisconsin

[brewmann04]

oh hope it nothing serious thanks for the tweet

[fondybrewfan]

I am more excited to go and watch this team than the Brewers. Going to a T-Rats game is so much more family friendly and easy on the pocket book. It is an added bonus that there are so many exciting guys to watch this year.

[Mass Haas]

How young and inexperienced is this Rattlers' squad?

 

Ten Maryvale Brewers (and one DSL Brewer) are bypassing time in Helena to join Wisconsin.

 

There is one 18-year-old (Kodi Medeiros) and five 19-year-olds.

 

Two others turned 20 earlier this calendar year.

[Mass Haas]

Via Justin Hull via Timber Rattlers Media Day --

 

AUDIO 4/7: Local Oshkosh product RHP Josh Uhen (2013 5th round, UW-Milwaukee), on his 23rd birthday yet...

 

AUDIO 4/7: LHP Kodi Medeiros

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO 4/7: Wisconsin Manager Matt Erickson via Justin Hull (WHBY)

[Mass Haas]

High draft picks lead young, talented Rattlers roster

Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent Media

 

GRAND CHUTE – When asked about his youthful Wisconsin Timber Rattlers roster, Matt Erickson went for a few laughs.

 

"I think it's the most talented high school baseball team in the city of Appleton," said the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers manager with a smile.

 

Erickson, of course, was just joking, but in reality, many of the players he will manage this summer are at, or near high school age.

 

Pitcher Kodi Medeiros, the Milwaukee Brewers' No. 1 draft pick in 2014 and the 12th overall selection, is just 18. Shortstop Jake Gatewood and outfielder Monte Harrison, taken with the 41st and 50th overall picks, are both 19. So are infielder Tucker Neuhaus, a second-round selection in 2013, pitcher David Burkhalter, a sixth-round pick in 2014 and outfielder Brandon Diaz, an eighth-round choice in 2013. David Denson, a power-hitting first baseman returning for his second season with the Timber Rattlers, is just 20. In fact, there are just two players on the Wisconsin roster, pitchers Harvey Martin (24) and Zach Hirsch (24), over the age of 23.

 

"This will be the youngest group we've had in the seven years I've been here," said Erickson Tuesday during Media Day at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. "But young isn't always a bad thing. If we come out with a lot of energy and effort, this is a very talented, very athletic group. They're not necessarily consistent baseball players yet, as was shown in spring training.

 

"But that's our job. It's to develop young talent and hopefully it will turn into something pretty special by the end of the year. What they showed in spring training was tremendous effort and a willingness to learn, and that usually comes with youth. "

 

Given their high draft status, Medeiros, Gatewood and Harrison will be closely watched and scrutinized this summer in Grand Chute.

 

"Kodi Medeiros, Jacob Gatewood and Monte Harrison, we have all those names here and we're very excited to have them," said Erickson. "They're young men with high ceilings."

 

The Timber Rattlers, Milwaukee's low-Class A affiliate, open the Midwest season Thursday at Burlington. Erickson, an Appleton native, eagerly awaits the challenge of turning young prospects into polished professional ballplayers.

 

"I couldn't tell you if we're going to come out and win 10 in a row, or lose 10 in a row," said Erickson. "But I do know this team is going to be athletic. The consistency of becoming a professional baseball player comes into play when they develop a routine and do it every single day.

 

"Just the knowledge of the game is something we're trying to teach. Teaching them where to be before a play happens. Some of our guys have a pretty good feel for the game and some guys are still pretty raw. We spent a lot of time late in spring training working on team fundamentals, talking about 27 outs and gathering pre-pitch information, so the game doesn't speed up on them. But there's really nothing like game experience. They're going to make mistakes, but they need to work though those mistakes and keep getting better and better."

 

Medeiros, a lefty selected out of Waiakea High School in Hawaii, is expected to get his first start this weekend and could get the call Sunday for the Timber Rattlers' 4.05 p.m. home opener against Peoria.

 

"I'm pumped to play with these guys," said Medeiros. "I'm just looking to throw strikes when I'm out there. I'm just looking for quick outs."

 

One of the team's most exciting players might be the speedy Harrison, who is expected to be the Rattlers' starting center fielder.

 

"He's probably the best athlete we've drafted since I've been here," said Erickson. "I've seen him go gap to gap in the outfield. He's an explosive kid."

 

Diaz to get opening-day start

 

Victor Diaz, a 21-year-old right-hander, will be the Rattlers' opening-day starter. Diaz spent all of the 2014 season with the Rattlers, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.86 earned run average in 10 starts and 23 appearances. The native of Guanare, Venezuela, had 66 strikeouts in 87 innings.

 

"He did a nice job for us last year," said Erickson. "He's a young guy who ran into some innings issues, where we had to shut him down late in the year. But he's a guy who we think will give us a pretty good shot on opening day.

 

It takes two

 

As has been the practice in recent years, Erickson said the Rattlers will continue to use pitching tandems early in the season. That means a pair of pitchers will try and split the nine innings, if possible, with the starter usually limited to four or five innings. Erickson wasn't sure Tuesday who he would pair with Diaz on opening day.

 

"The idea behind tandems is that baseball is trying to create as many starting pitchers as possible," said Erickson. "You don't really know who your starting pitchers are going to be four or five years from now, so we try to give the young guys as many opportunities to become starting pitchers as possible. And it gives us an opportunity to limit their innings and get them on a five-day schedule and get into a routine."

 

Happy to be back

 

Erickson, a former prep standout at Appleton West, returns for his fifth season as Timber Rattlers' manager. He enjoys the opportunity to manage and teach the game in his own back yard, and says he couldn't be happier with his job.

 

"From a personal standpoint, this is a tremendous situation for me," said Erickson. "Last night, I came home from 40 days in spring training and got to spend time with my family. We got a puppy two weeks ago, and it was running around, jumping all over the place. This is enjoyable. There may be opportunities to leave down the road, but I'm in no hurry to leave this place. This is where I belong right now."

 

Lucas brings experience, knowledge

 

Erickson has a new pitching coach in veteran Gary Lucas, who spent the last 15 years in the Minnesota Twins' organization, including last season with Class A Fort Myers of the Florida State League. A former relief pitcher with the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos and California Angels, Lucas was a pitching coach in the Midwest League for six seasons.

 

"Being a pitching coach in the minor leagues encompasses so much," said Lucas, who resides in Rice Lake during the off-season. "But I think you have to be available to these kids on a regular basis, whether it be for on-the-field stuff or off-the-field stuff. We're trying to get them ready for the next level and a lot of times that's not just command and control of their stuff, but command and control of their off-the-field issues. We have 18-to-23-year-olds here. You might coach half the week and the rest of the time you might be a father or counselor to them."

[jerichoholicninja]

How young and inexperienced is this Rattlers' squad?

 

Ten Maryvale Brewers (and one DSL Brewer) are bypassing time in Helena to join Wisconsin.

 

There is one 18-year-old (Kodi Medeiros) and five 19-year-olds.

 

Two others turned 20 earlier this calendar year.

 

Appleton bars will be taking a hit this summer.