Long Time Gone  (April 30, 2021)
"It's been a long time coming / Going to be a long time gone..." -- Crosby, Stills, and Nash - "Long Time Gone" (1969)

One global pandemic, one attempted insurrection, a new American president, and dozens of zoom meetings since the last entry here, I am once again staring ever so briefly into the future of yet another town team baseball season in and around Hudson, Wisconsin.  Time's ravages certainly dull the senses, but the promises of a 22nd season replete with the smells of freshly mown grass, well oiled leather, post game beverages, and in some cases, 7 month old funk from a jersey left in your gear bag oddly lure one down baseball's path.  The 2021 River Rats should build upon the strange and short momentum of a brief 2020 season with young players and a handful of older players alike-- this isn't to say they will, but to say that they should...

Of note, the Rat infield will return Luke LeMay, Jack Erickson, Isiaiah Grancorvitz, Mitch Lewis, Brent Blegen, and Owen Anderson among others.  The outfield should feature veterans Jason Hollar, Hunter "Angry Gnome" Frey, and youngsters Taylor Mattern, Cory Wolters, and Nate Witte (all of whom are currently playing spring baseball in college.)  Andy Edholm plans a return to the Nest, having joined Frey and Blegen in coaching the Hudson Raider High School baseball program...
Sam Glade, Noah Berger, Owen Anderson, Dennis Reinhardt, and Teddy Donna will toe the bump, as well as some other possible candidates...  

New for the league this season will be a reconfiguration of divisions, as the former North - South alignment gives way to a East - West setup of the following format:
EAST - Bay City, Elmwood, Menomonie, Plum City, and Spring Valley
WEST - Ellsworth, Hudson, New Richmond, Osceola, Prescott, and River Falls

The season commences on Saturday, May 15th officially, but the team is scheduled for an impromptu doubleheader scrimmage at Sportsmen's Field in Elmwood tomorrow starting at 11:30 AM.  Former draftees Tony Garner and Chris Biederman are expected to join as well as some other Plum City Blues favorites like Jake Lerum, Chad Fox, and Lance Johnson.  Kudos to another former draftee, Expo Adam Churchill, for the early invite.

Finals, Version 3.0  (August 17, 2018)
"There can be only one." -- Conor McCloud, "Highlander" (1986)
Nineteen seasons.  That's the amount of time it took for the River Rats to finally travel the 150 miles or so to Tannery Creek Park in Rib Lake to play in a WBA semi-final playoff tournament.  Honestly, it's a shame we never traveled there earlier, with some of the rowdier gangs of misfits who wore a Rats jersey over the years.  Or not, given the likely damage one would've inflicted on themselves through late nights and debauchery...  In either case, the squad was able to take care of business in a convincing fashion-- dispatching a plucky Marshfield Chaparrals team in game #1, 14-8, and a relatively undermanned Lake Superior Sea Dogs squad 8-0 in game #2.  The stars on game #1 were undoubtedly starter Paul Johnson (earning his first winning playoff game as a starter, amazingly enough), and rookie shortstop Luke LeMay, who cranked a 2-0 fastball over the left field wall for not only HIS first homer of his amateur career, but a grand slam.  LeMay, who joined the team midway through the season after graduating from East Ridge HS in Woodbury, had been a welcome surprise with good range, a solid arm, and as exemplified in game 1, a solid bat.  Paul Johnson, well, he did what he always does, which is throw quality innings like a boss.
Not to be outdone in game 2, Sam Glade took the hill and dominated, earning his first win since June and his first ever playoff win as a River Rat-- he noted afterwards that this would be the first time he'd ever went to state in any sport, at any time.  Given his performance and work ethic, one has to believe it won't be his last.  Blake Berger, the draftee pickup from the Osceola Braves (and originally from New Richmond), displayed his prowess both with the glove and the bat in game 2-- we believe he'll be ready to go later tonight in Osseo against the two time defending state champion Sparta Miller.  Time will tell.  Hope to see you in Osseo!


Playoff Time  (August 6, 2018)
"We spend the first year of a child's life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down.  There's something wrong there."
-- Neil deGrasse Tyson
Needing not only one, but two victories in its final regular season games, the Hudson River Rats knew the odds of continuing their season were longer than they'd wanted-- especially against two teams that had convincingly beaten them earlier in the season.  Compounding their long odds were the following facts-- 1) the Rats had gone 0 for July, 2) they were missing starting CF Mike Hommes, 3) they weren't going to have Sam Glade all weekend, and 4) their starting first baseman hadn't suited up for the squad in eight years (and he was playing with his oldest son for the first time in a Hudson uniform.)  No matter.  Paul Johnson, ever the veteran competitor, took the ball and threw one of his best games as a River Rat (a tall order mind you, as he'd been on the squad between 2005-2008, and 2010-present.)  Complete game, 1 run, 11 hits, 11 K's, one walk.  "That was the best I'd felt throwing since my junior year of college," Johnson said playfully before Sunday's game against Osceola...  Paulie's easy going attitude and demeanor that morning was certainly in sharp contrast to that on display in the ninth inning at Menomonie-- "don't look at me that way," he stated as I was making my way to coach third base...  "Don't worry man," I told him, "this is your game."  It most definitely was.
As for Sunday, I tapped Dave Williams, another veteran righty who grew up out in Brookline, Massachusetts, cheering as any suburban Boston kid would, for the Red Sox.  Despite his glee at the dominance of the Sox over the Twins that weekend (sans Kyle Gibson's gem), he maintained a calm, workmanlike composure throughout his six innings on the bump, allowing a mere 6 hits, 1 unearned run (allowed only when Paul Johnson couldn't get in front of a hard grounder by Osceola center fielder Brandon Rolf, who parlayed the miscue into an early 1-0 lead for the Braves), and one walk, while striking out 7 Braves batters.  It's a good thing Dave was throwing, as several River Rat infielders had a hard time catching pop fouls (four miscues against better teams might have stung...)  Nevertheless, Mitch Lewis and Brady Gunderson made up for their fielding miscues by collecting 3 for 4 days at the dish-- each picking up 2 RBI in the process.  Matt Schwechler also threw in a 2 for 3 day with 2 runs scored...
Not knowing if that would be enough to qualify for the WBA playoffs, the team celebrated with some desserts on the bench and awaited the results of the New Richmond - Prescott game...  Fortunately, the Pirates prevailed, placing the Millers at 7-9 in league play, behind the Rats who finished at 8-8.
Moving forward, following the WBA's seeding meeting, the River Rats earned their spot-- placed as a #4 team against the #1 seeded Marshfield Chaparrals at Tannery Creek Park in Rib Lake.  Game time is 3 PM, on Saturday, August 11th.  In the meantime, the Rats will play a tune up game against the St. Paul Capitals at McMurray Field on Tuesday, August 7th at 6:30 PM.  Hope to see y'all soon.      


Desperados Under The Eaves  (July 25, 2018)

"Don't the sun look angry through the trees /
Don't the trees look like crucified thieves /
Don't you feel like desperados under the eaves /
Heaven help the one who leaves"  -- Warren Zevon (1976)

As painful as it can be when looking back on a baseball season that once showed the promise of defending a divisional crown in the St. Croix Valley baseball league, one has to hold out hope for the future, be it this coming weekend with games against Menomonie and Osceola, or well into the future of 2019 and beyond.  Stalwart River Rats such as Jason Hollar, Mitch Lewis, and Paul Johnson have watched the squad as it has gamely battled against high quality playoff eligible teams like Prescott, Spring Valley, and River Falls, all in losing efforts.  Johnson, in particular has provided the team with his standard ace quality pitching, but the offense hasn't yielded enough timely hits and runs to put the Rats in the winning column for the month of July.  Bitter medicine to swallow, but still the facts of the matter.  Hudson HS products like Will Jilek, Matt Schwechler, Sam Chase, and Max Elliott (as well as Alex Barnard, Mike Hommes, Sam Glade, and Beau Hommes) haven't failed insomuch as suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in July-- a misplayed fly ball here, a baserunning error or three there, a dropped foul ball, you name it.  When you lose quality starters during the year due to defection, injury, or simple frustration at not being penciled into the starting lineup, the other team members must pick up the slack-- sometimes that effort just isn't enough against the best teams in our league.  
Last weekend, the Rats opened up on Saturday afternoon against the Fighting Fish, and after taking a 3-2 lead off Fish pitcher TJ Wink, it seemed as though the worst might be over.  Unfortunately, it wasn't.  The Fish put up a 2 spot in the fifth on Johnson, picking up a leadoff single by Adam Steussel and another base runner when Brian Giebel smashed an 0-1 pitch past Chris Dent at third base before a sac bunt advanced Steussel and Giebel to second and third.  Brian Grove's sac fly to right scored Steussel, and Rat killer extraordinare Clint Kempf took a 1-2 pitch on the outer half and dunked it into center field to score Giebel.  It would be all the Fish needed for the win, as the Rats threw away a scoring opportunity in the sixth with a ground out double play (following a Mike Hommes single, a fly out by Gunderson, and a throwing error on a grounder by Alex Barnard to put runners on the corners.)  Another GIDP in the seventh with bases loaded ended a potential game tying opportunity, but the ninth inning saw the Rats with two chances to score the tying run from second before Matt Doornink struck out both Sam Chase and Jason Hollar to end the game.
On Sunday, the Rats started Chase, and broke out with a first inning lead of 3-1 before the roof caved in against the Hawks.  The Hawks blasted a 6 spot on the scoreboard, and former Fish player Kyle Duex held the fort down for his second complete game victory over the Rats in two weeks.  Hawks 9 - River Rats 3.  On a positive note, righty pitcher Dave Williams picked up 5 innings of scoreless baseball, and Carter Elliott threw two innings to close out the game in mop up fashion, allowing two runs.  Luke LeMay and Paul Johnson collected two hits a piece, but Jason Hollar and Mike Hommes were held without a hit on the day.
The River Rats head to Wakanda Park to play their longtime rivals, the Menomonie Eagles, on Friday, July 27th at 7:30 PM.  The Eagles are currently at 8-6 in league play, while the Rats are at 6-8.  A win would give the Rats much needed ammunition for their playoff chances, especially as they host the Osceola Braves on Sunday for the final scheduled home game of the 2018 season at Grandview Park.  Preliminary reports indicate that the Rats may be able to use the new St. Croix River Hounds park for some of their home games in 2019-- only time will tell, but much is left to be determined for the 2018 season this weekend.  As always, I appreciate your checking out the blog here, and most especially the team appreciates the support of its fans who come to cheer on the team, be it at home or on the road.  See you at the park...

Overheated and Overmatched  (July 9, 2018)

"Bush league psych-out stuff!  Laughable man- ha ha!"  - Jesus Quintana, "The Big Lebowski" (1998)

As Paul Johnson took offense to Prescott's Bill Brookshaw's delayed steal during Sunday's game, I was reminded of the above listed quote from The Big Lebowski...  In a game that they clearly had in hand, they opted for staying out of a double play scenario with runners on the corners with a delayed steal of second.  The time honored principle of taking one's foot off the gas didn't seem to apply, and more importantly, we didn't defend it appropriately-- fitting, as we lost the game 11-3 on the back end of a difficult pair of games this past weekend.  Kudos to both Prescott and Spring Valley.  They're the top dogs in the league right now, and aren't afraid to let other teams know it, either with their play, or, with their mouths.  I've seen frustration from veteran pitchers, so Paul's complaints in the field and at the plate at the end of Sunday's game was a culmination of anger in losing two big match-ups; partially due to a somewhat depleted lineup, and primarily due to the opponent's better play.

It was also glaringly apparent that Prescott was stealing and tipping pitches while comfortably leading off second base...  In a game where your team isn't down by a handful of runs, you might send a message in response with a pitch to a player's back (or rib cage.)  However, that's illegal, and we opted not to drill their guys.  Nevertheless, anyone reading this can rest assured that the Pirates play to win and don't really care if you know they're stealing your signs.  Plan appropriately.  Spring Valley, on the other hand, just played solid defense, took advantage of our mistakes, and jumped on our relievers when they couldn't throw strikes.  Aggressive baseball.  As a snarky aside, I'll say that they typically do most of their stealing in the off season with players from other towns or teams (not really stealing so much as encouraging defection... which is NOT illegal.)  Give the Hawks credit for playing well, for putting together a very good team, and for basically telling everyone that they're playing to win now, not to develop players for next year or the year after that.  If you don't like it, beat them on the field.

Beyond standard issue venting, I thought the squad did the best that it could given the circumstances-- Sam Chase threw well, played some solid second base, and showed that he wanted to be a contributor.  Dave Williams made it back to the squad after time off, a bit rusty but still solid.  Paul Johnson and Sam Glade were rock solid as always-- bonafide leaders even if they didn't have their best stuff-- I'm honored to have them on the team...  The same goes for Jason Hollar, Mitch Lewis, and Brent Blegen, all of whom were playing following either an illness or nagging injury.  Matt Schwechler, Joe Patterson, and Brady Gunderson also put in their best efforts this weekend-- there's no shame in losing to good teams, even if you think they engage in some bush league psych out stuff.  Just don't be a pederast, dude.  We're also not going to **** you in the ***.  We do have a date next Sunday though (against New Richmond at home, 1 PM.)  Hope to see you then.  
-The Dude

New Look and Old Hands  (June 26, 2018)

"Ah but I was so much older than, I'm younger than that now." - Bob Dylan, "My Back Pages"

In our politically charged American landscape of June 2018, wearing a red hat often garners looks of scorn and derision, although in other cases, it gains looks of affirmation and nods of appreciation.  In 2000, as a town team baseball manager on the outskirts of the Minneapolis / St. Paul metropolitan area, there was no way I'd have figured that our current political leadership would've taken a simple red golf cap and turned it into a symbol of conservatism.  Not that anybody outside of Washington D.C. gives two hoots about our caps or their color...  I'd based the team's color scheme of white, black, and red upon that of my previous team, the artists formerly known as the Shoreview Shark.  White was our primary color, with red lettering, black outlines, and black hats with red bills.  Since we began in the alternative days of the mid-90's, we opted for a throwback look of sleeveless white jerseys (1995), followed by an alternate set of red sleeveless jerseys three years later (1998.)  In a similar vein, the River Rats first jersey set was white sleeveless, with a second set of red sleeveless jerseys purchased in 2004.  The comic sans style lettering of the latter jerseys, combined with an exodus of veteran players during the '04 and '05 seasons nearly finished the Rats (especially in 2004), but after considerable soul-searching (and another charitable influx of funding from local sponsors and affluent players), the team purchased its third set of uniforms-- this time with sleeves-- black with red side panels in 2006.  The black jerseys coincided with a run of success between 2006 and 2008, and in 2009, our second iteration of red jerseys were purchased, sleeved with white side panels and new age lettering closely resembling that of the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA franchise.
2009's memorable season culminated in a sad exit at the WBA finals (as well as the passing of my good friend Jeff Schultz), but the red jerseys served their purpose, lasting until 2013, when we opted to return to a basic set of white sleeved jerseys with black side panels (infamously referred to as our "pajama" uniforms); while these were much cooler than nearly every other set of uniforms, I wanted to get back to a bolder look.  Thus was the decision made to return to black in 2015.  Three good squads later, and entering 2018, it was my wife who finally said that she thought that black was too hot to wear, and that white pants were harder to keep clean.  So, with her design input, we ordered up the team's third red jersey set -- sublimated jerseys with grey and black lettering as well as for the first time in 19 seasons-- "Hudson" on the front.  Why all the chatter about jerseys and talk of days gone by you ask?  I bring it up mostly for the fact that I had the privilege to attend a wedding reception for Jason Bast on June 15th, replete with a good share of the original group of River Rats who played for the team between 2000 and 2003 (e.g. Adam Bast, John Meyer, Brian Rudesill, Rob Barabe, and Joel Schaffer, as well as #1 fan Nate Hendricks.)  Reunion talk was thrown about randomly, as well as references to pink thongs, ancient Land Rovers, barbarian pitchers, wet tents, and four day camping experiences occasionally interrupted by brief periods of sobriety.  The kind of inane, adolescent, midwestern male behavior upon which books are loosely based...  But as usual, I digress.
As for baseball, the sweet smell of freshly mown grass, the warm rays of sunshine surrounding you, and the cool feel of a new baseball jersey were readily accessible last weekend in Elmwood as the River Rats played their first game at Sportsman's Field.  No River Rats were shot while on the Rod & Gun Club Grounds, but they did break out some of their own weaponry -- a bunch of multi-hit baseball bats (+2 for extra base hits for you D&D nerds) and an old fashioned case of whoop ass.  A decidedly one sided affair in favor of the Rats, it prominently featured the return of Jason Hollar to the lineup, who went 2x5 with a pair of doubles, a run and 2 RBI.  "Baseball" Brad Goulet also went 2x5 on the day, providing a single and a solo homer for the good guys (the first home run hit at the park), while Brady Gunderson's 2x5 day included a run scored and 3 RBI.  Brent Blegen also went 2x5, with 2 runs scored and an RBI single to put the Rats up in the 1st inning.  Joe Patterson went 3x5 with a run scored, Will Jilek went 2x4 with a run scored and 2 RBI, Chris Dent matched Brent Blegen's offensive stats, and Paul "Red Squirrel" Johnson went 2x5 with 2 RBI.  Conor Grant's 1x5 performance was the only non-multi hit game for the Rats.  Sam Glade picked up another win, pushing the Rats to 5-2 in league play, and 9-4 overall.  Glade threw 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, 6 walks, and two unearned runs while striking out 11 Expo hitters.  Jilek and Goulet threw the remaining three innings to preserve the win, each collecting 2 K's and allowing 1 hit.
On Father's Day weekend, the Rats played three games in Cannon Falls at the Josh Harrison Memorial Tournament, en route to a second place finish.  On Saturday afternoon, the boys defeated the Wanamingo Jacks 4-1, primarily behind the strength of Sam Glade's arm (a CG 4 hit, 1 run gem with 1 walk and 6 K's), and offense from Mitch Lewis (1x3, 2 R), Brad Goulet (2x3, R), and Brady Gunderson (1x2, R, 2 BI.)  On Saturday night, the River Rats gamely battled the host Cannon Falls Bears, winning a tightly fought game 3-2.  Pitching was the story of the night, as Brad Goulet and Keith Myers dueled at John Burch Park.  Entering the bottom of the fifth inning (the Rats had won home field during the coin flip) with the Rats down 1-0, things looked bleak as the Bears veteran hurler and manager kept the Rats off balance.  Collecting the first out on a come backer, Myers gave up a sharp single to center field by Paul Johnson, followed by a walk to Will Jilek.  Bearing down, Myers struck out the young second baseman Conor Grant for the second out, and looked to be out of the jam when he induced Dennis Reinhardt into a pop fly to short right field...  However, Jared Woodward's misplay bounced off his glove, allowing Johnson to tie the game, and Jilek to advance to third.  On the following at bat, Reinhardt stole second base on a 2-1 pitch to Matt Schwechler, and both he and Jilek scored when another pop fly to short right was booted by Woodward.  A third error by Carlton Lindow allowed Mitch Lewis to reach, but Lindow was able to field Goulet's subsequent grounder and end the inning.  The Bears (and the umpire) made the game interesting in the top of the 7th, as Goulet walked lead off hitter Tyler Quinlan.  Pinch hitter (and former skipper) Rich Burr flew out on a 1-1 pitch, giving the Rats one out.  With a pinch runner at second following a passed ball, Pete Haggerty's 1-2 chopper to the mound saw Brad Goulet try and pick off the runner leading off second base, but the throw was off line, allowing Haggerty to reach.  A subsequent walk to Zeke Williams loaded the bases...
With the bases up, and one out, Goulet picked up 2 quick strikes on Bears hitter Alex Tauer before forcing a short pop out to right fielder Dennis Reinhardt, who was able to keep the runners from advancing.  Unfortunately, Mike Monson would walk on four straight pitches to bring the tying run 90 feet away and the go ahead run on second.  Goulet, with the game on the line, and Carlton Lindow at the plate, bore down and struck Lindow out on three four pitches.  Rats 3, Bears 2.  Well worth the price of admission.
For Sunday afternoon's match-up against the Minneapolis Cobras, the Rats were able to bring in Bethel University hurler Joel Virshek, but they weren't able to pull out a victory.  The Cobras bashed out nine hits, with a pair of separate three run homers leading the way en route to an eventual 8-3 win.  On the bright side, Brad Goulet went 2x2 with a run scored and an RBI, while Mitch Lewis went 2x4.  Virshek took the CG loss, surrendering 4 earned runs, 9 hits, and striking out 4.  A tip of the cap to the Cannon Falls Bears for their hospitality and the opportunity to play-- a great venue and a classy organization.
Moving forward in time, the River Rats will return to SCVBL play this weekend with a pair of games-- first off will be their sole trip to River Falls on Friday night for a 7:30 tilt against the rival Fighting Fish.  Sam Glade is the expected starter that night...  On Saturday afternoon, the Rats will host the Hager City Skeeters at 1 PM at Grandview Park.  The starting pitcher for that game hasn't been decided yet, although Brad Goulet and Matt Schwechler are options...  Special shout outs to our fans for attending the last two weekends-- the Lewises, the Johnsons, the Gundersons, the Hollars, and the Wahlmans (as well as my wife and daughter!)  I also would like to briefly mention the retirement of veteran Brian Sparstad, who notified me that his schedule wouldn't allow a return to the Rats this year.  More on B Spars at a later date-- he will be sorely missed!
See you at the park my friends...

Three Weeks In...  (May 24, 2018)

"So I hate to be 'that guy' but..."  Text messages prior to game times are almost always some version of negative news, either telling me: 1) the player texting is going to be late to the batting practice, the game, or both, OR 2) the player is going to be absent altogether.  On Saturday, May 5th, with a game against the Eau Claire Bears set to start in about 90 minutes, Dennis Reinhardt's text whilst on the road from Milwaukee to the Twin Cities was the latter.  Sadly for me, this meant trying to either scrounge a player near Eau Claire at the absolute last minute or actually having to serve as the ninth man in the lineup.  Only a mere five weeks removed from physical therapy on an ailing achilles tendon, my desire to actually play a full game for the first time in probably six years or so was nil.  Or less than nil, if that were possible.  Nil minus one.  Regardless, instead of bailing on the game and incurring the wrath of my colleagues with the Bears, I grabbed Brady Gunderson's first baseman's glove and proceeded to play a full game.  Poorly, mind you, but these are the risks one takes when scheduling games prior to college graduation days in mid to late May.  After a promising 2-0 lead with Mitch Lewis leading off and scoring both runs, defensive lapses and some timely hitting propelled the Bears to a 12-2 romp of the Rats. 
On the bright side, we were able to get a look at new recruit Joe Patterson, a lefty hitting outfielder / catcher who hails from Elk River.  We also found playing time for other individuals who may or may not be regular starters this year-- a critical component to any team's success (as well as the confidence and interest level of every player.)  The following weekend was to bring the Baseball 365 team out of Bloomington (and the Minneapolis's Park National or "P Nash" league) to Hudson for a Saturday game, but due to a scheduling error with the Hudson School District's community programming department, a dog walking event on the other side of Grandview Park was set for 12 PM to 3 PM.  The event coordinators didn't feel comfortable potentially giving up parking spaces to a bunch of baseball players, so they sent word that we would have to play at 4 PM, or not at all.  Given the fact that many amateur ball players under the age of 27 somehow believe that driving more than 30 miles is sacreligious or simply unnecessary, Baseball 365's ten man lineup for the 1 PM game suddenly shrank to 7.  Not enough for a game.  We did, for the first time in years, have a true formal practice however, with more than nine players, a feat normally reserved for college and high school teams- not men's amateur teams.
So with two weeks in and only one game, it stood to reason that our first league game might be a bit dicey on the road against Ryan Stephens' New Richmond Millers.  Ryan and his wife Janelle, had recently become first time parents over the off season, bringing a baby boy, Max, into the world, so his focus on recruiting more talent to the Maroon and Gold Millers was reduced-- all the better for the Rats.  Stephens tapped the hirsute right hander from Baldwin, Coleman Roskam, for the start.  Roskam, who last May threw for the Rats in the Plum City invitational tourney against Bay City, maintained the same appearance he had last year-- one that could've been easily recognized by 1977 televison viewers of the show "Grizzly Adams", or perhaps by Minnesota Vikings fans recognizing their mascot Ragnar.  For the Rats, Sam Glade toed the rubber to start, and the affable, soft spoken, and stylish sock wearing righty didn't disappoint.  Glade's sometimes erratic, but highly effective performance lasted six innings, allowing a mere run on two hits (with a hit batsman and some walks spread in for good measure.)  Roskam didn't fare as well, taking the loss in a four inning outing-- he allowed 8 hits and 3 runs which were all the squad needed en route to a 7-1 win.  Infielder Will Jilek, fresh from a season of club baseball at UW-Eau Claire, impressed with his bat (3 for 4 with 2 runs scored), and also his defense.  Jilek's former Hudson HS teammates Matt Schwechler and Sam Chase also contributed to the win, as Schwechler went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, and Chase threw 3 innings of scoreless, no hit baseball (he did walk three Miller batters.)  Even the mischevious masher Hunter Frey made an appearance in the dugout for a brief time, showing up after a graduation party for his brother...  General manager / director of player personnel Matt Barnard also attended the game, albeit with considerably more liquid refreshment than his recruits are allowed to ingest...
The following day in Hudson was a markedly colder and windier affair-- a 1 PM follow up to close the weekend against Jeremiah Paulson's Ellsworth Hubbers.  Paulson, whose amateur career reaches back in time to the mid 1990's, is arguably the most experienced left-handed hitter to have ever competed in the St. Croix Valley League.  His managerial career, on the flip side, is much shorter, and unlike his Ellsworth predecessors, has been marked by costly player departures over the last two seasons that truly limit his tactical and strategic prowess.  Regardless of their Iron 9 status last Saturday, the Hubbers sported veterans Nate Hove, Darren Georgakas, Rob Heller, and Nick Taranto along with Paulson, and for a good four and a half innings, it was a close game.  In the bottom of the fourth, however, the bats of Jake Giordana, Mike Hommes, Mitch Lewis, and Alex Barnard earned the team a 4-0 lead they would never reliquish.  A sloppy affair, both squads combined for 8 errors, although Georgakas suffered far more than "that guy" Dennis Reinhardt, taking the loss while Matt Schwechler earned the win.  All told, a 2-1 start (2-0 if you throw out the makeshift scrimmage against the Bears) combined with a return of some key players from 2017, and the River Rats are looking up for now.
Next on the docket are the Spooner Cardinals this Saturday, filling a void the Rats have never dealt with on Memorial Day weekend. Ever.  It will be a bit odd not having the team in Plum City, but, we'll be in Osceola playing Spooner, and then we'll have the rest of the weekend off.  Family, friends, work, whatever.  No worrying about who's going to show up on Sunday and Monday...  No deciding whether or not I'll need to drive home or sleep in a tent.  And a full two and a half months to enjoy a season of River Rats baseball.  Perhaps not the same good times we shared road tripping to Plum City in an RV with old friends and all sorts of refreshments, but good times we will have.  See you at the park.

2018 Opening Thoughts  (March 15, 2018)

“A ballplayer spends a good piece of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”  ~ Jim Bouton

March 2018.  Spring is nearly upon us here in the Upper Midwest, and with that, another season of amateur baseball steadily approaches.  The Hudson River Rats, assuming no strange galactic events or tragedies occur between now and Saturday, May 5th, will open their 19th season of play at Altoona, against the CRBL stalwart Eau Claire Bears.  Could it have been nearly 18 years ago, on August 11th, 2000, that the Rats played their first playoff game there, dramatically beating the Augusta Athletics 9-6 (after nearly surrendering a game tying shot to left field in the bottom of the ninth?)  Was it Matt Barnard, 12 years after leading the Menomonie Eagles to a 1988 title, hitting a 2 out, 3 run homer that earned the Rats its first playoff win?  Indeed it was.

Will the River Rats defend their lone solo divisional title in 2018 and build upon the promise that had been 2017?  Time of course, will tell.  Much has changed on the landscape, so to speak.  The Rats expect a majority of the 2017 roster to return, including infielders Brad Goulet, Brady Gunderson, Mitch Lewis, Chris Dent, and Alex Barnard.  Outfielders Mike Hommes, Jason Hollar, Jake Giordana, and Beau Hommes are also lined up for 2018.  Pitching is additionally thought to be similar to last season, with Paul Johnson, Sam Glade, Brian Sparstad, and Dennis Reinhardt expected back.  Joining the team for 2018 will be Austin Evenson, who had briefly played with the River Rats in 2014 ('13?), infielder / outfielder / pitcher Hunter Frey (who had spent the majority of 2017 playing in the Milwaukee area), and lefty pitcher Justin King, who is playing with Brad Goulet at Dakota County Technical College.  Will Jilek, Sam Chase, Danny Boatman, and Connor Grant are also expected back for the squad this year.

The Rats are planning to play a 26 game schedule prior to the WBA playoffs (which begin August 10th); in addition to its 16 game St. Croix Valley Baseball League schedule, the River Rats have the aforementioned Eau Claire Bears, the Eau Claire Cavaliers, the Twin Town Hounds, Baseball 365 (from the Minneapolis Park National league), the Spooner Cardinals, and a Father's Day weekend tournament at Cannon Falls (the first such tourney appearance for the River Rats, and their first games in Cannon Falls for over a decade.) Sadly, I had opted out of the Plum City Invitational tournament at the beginning of February at the behest of Plum City, who were being steadily courted by the Osseo Merchants for a number of seasons.   It had been 20 years ago that the late Jeff Schultz and I had similarly coerced the Blues into allowing us into their tournament (albeit with the expectation that we would bring our former team, the Shoreview Shark, down to play, not the team that would become the Hudson River Rats), so the cycle of life returns...

League wise, it is known that Elmwood is opening a new ball field this summer, on the grounds of the Elmwood Rod & Gun Club.  Not sure if we need to bring both rods and guns, or simply our bad selves, but we will play at their park on June 23rd.  Thirteen home games are planned at Grandview Park this season, three of which will be non-league games.  Both Eau Claire games are on the road this year...  Ellsworth will also have its new scoreboard in use this season...  In the last three years, Hudson, New Richmond, Ellsworth, and Elmwood will either have new fields or scoreboards (or both, in Elmwood's case.)  Both Spring Valley and New Richmond are expected to improve on their 2017 records with new players joining their rosters...  Rumor has it that River Falls has had some internal dissension off the field, but I fully expect them to return with another excellent squad in 2018-- one that was extremely close to knocking out the eventual state champion Sparta Miller out of the playoffs last August in Stanley...
Menomonie and Prescott, both state finalists last year, should bring back much of their 2017 rosters, as will Plum City...  Elmwood and Ellsworth plan to return to their 2016 form, with the hope of avoiding injuries to their starting rotation...  Bay City should also contend in 2018...  Osceola's long time manager Mike Tetzlaff is reportedly stepping away from managing this year to help care for his aging father-- Dave Meisner has been slated to act as player / manager in the interim...

The WBA Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, April 14th at 1 PM.  The venue for the meeting will be the Hallie Eagle's Club, as it has been for the last handful of years.  If you're reading this and would like to help sponsor or support the River Rats with a monetary donation, please feel free to contact me at: c.a.labreche@comcast.net.  We can set you up with some nice seats and some River Rat swag.  Hope to see you soon!


2017 Playoff Bound  (August 3, 2017)

"Baseball was made for kids, and grown-ups only screw it up." ~Bob Lemon

Keep it simple, pitch with a lead.  With two outs in the top of the ninth inning last Sunday, veteran right-handed pitcher Brian Sparstad stared down Osceola Braves outfielder Franklin Cruz, nursing a two run lead with two men on base.  Given a seven run lead to work with in the 9th, Sparstad started his second inning of relief with the plan of getting things wrapped up quickly.  However, the Braves had other plans, leading off with a single by the aforementioned Cruz, followed by a strikeout of Ryan Rugg.  After Scott Finberg's double cut the lead to six, Sparsy induced a flyout to Jason Hollar for out #2.  Unfortunately, it was then that the wheels started to come off-- a hit by pitch of Brandon Rolf, a single by Dave Measner to load the bases, and then a first pitch fastball to Blake Berger that was hit 400+ feet to left center cuts the lead to two...  Two walks later, and I'm reaching for a bottle of Maalox. 
After a visit to the mound, Sparsy gets Cruz to swing and miss on his first pitch, and then induces a pop-out to Brad Goulet to end the game.  Way too much drama for a game that had been solidly in hand for the Rats since the fourth inning; what the game really meant for the Rats was this-- their first divisional crown in many years (2008? 2009?), an 11-5 record, and momentum heading into the WBA playoffs.

Prior to Sam Glade's 8-6 win over Osceola, the River Rats had reeled off wins against the Menomonie Eagles 5-1, the Spring Valley Hawks 7-2, and the New Richmond Millers 7-3.  The lone lull in the season had come just prior to that streak, on the weekend of the 15th and 16th, when the Rats dropped back to back games against Plum City (1-0) and River Falls (6-4) on the road.  The squad's fortitude was tested during that weekend, as they had an "iron 9" squad against the Blues, and an emergency starter (Mike Hommes) against the Fish, who were in "must-win" mode after dropping close games themselves.  Throughout the year, the team has relied upon the pitching of Paul Johnson and Sam Glade, and the defense of Brad Goulet, Mike Hommes, and Alex Barnard (among others, of course.)  Added to that list is Jake Giordana, whose diving grab of a Brian Giebel line drive in right center field at River Falls was purely highlight reel material.  Material that Giordana has provided for years on the squad, by the way...

With two tune-ups games scheduled prior to the opening game of the WBA Playoffs (Saturday, August 12th at 6 PM vs. Everest at Chapman Park in Stanley), the River Rats hope to maintain a little momentum and see some elite teams from the area.  On Sunday, August 6th, the Rats will play the defending Class "A" Minnesota Baseball Association champion Minnetonka Millers at Minnetonka High School in a 7 PM game.  Two days later, the Rats will play at historic Carson Park in Eau Claire against the Eau Claire Cavaliers for their Fan Appreciation Night at 7:30 PM.  A tip of the cap goes out to River Falls manager Josh Eidem for the opportunity to play Minnetonka, and also to the Cavs for scheduling us at Carson Park to close out their regular season.  Additional thanks, as always, goes out to our loyal fans and supporters -- you know who you are!  Hope to see you at the ball park.


Rats Rolling, Play Red Hot Blues Saturday, Rematch With Fish Sunday  (July 10, 2017)

"Baseball is like church; many attend, few understand." - Leo Durocher

With 14 games completed thus far in the 2017 season, the leadership of veterans Mitch Lewis, Paul Johnson, and Jason Hollar has resulted in an interesting (and winning) alchemy with young infielders Brad Goulet, Alex Barnard, and Brady Gunderson.  As of today, the River Rats sport a 10-4 overall record, with a division leading 7-3 record in St. Croix Valley league play.  The squad's ability to win this past weekend without outfielders Mike Hommes and Jake Giordana (as well as not having infielder Hunter Frey most of the summer) lends credence to Johnson's pitching, Goulet's defense, Barnard and Lewis's hitting, and Hollar's speed.  It is also a team with nary an egotistical jackass spouting off their own abilities-- players know their roles, and have almost without exception followed them perfectly through July 10th.  On Friday night, the River Rats faced Ellsworth for their lone 2017 showdown with the Hubbers-- Paul Johnson toed the rubber for the Rats, and Ellsworth native /recent UW-Whitewater reliever James Georgakas started for the 3-5 Hubbers.  Fittingly, both threw like the team aces they are-- Johnson went 7 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned), 7 hits, 1 solo home run, 1 walk, and striking out 10.  Georgakas, for his part, went 7 1/3, allowing 4 runs (2 earned), 6 hits, a 2 run homer (to Alex Barnard that tied the game at 2 in the top of the sixth), 5 walks, and striking out 9.  In the end, the River Rats prevailed in what was arguably the most dramatic game of the year, 7-4 in 10 innings. 

Reliever Dennis Reinhardt picked up the win after blowing the save in the ninth-- he wasn't helped by the umpire working the game, but he did manage to collect an incredibly clutch strikeout of pinch hitter Jordan Zimmer with the bases loaded and a 3-2 count...  The momentum of that strikeout led to the Rats' three run outburst in the tenth; Brady Gunderson's lead-off single was followed by a sac bunt by Brent Blegen, and then by consecutive walks to Jason Hollar and Chris Dent (whose clutch 2 RBI single in the 8th inning had given the Rats a 4-3 lead.)  2017 Hudson HS grad Will Jilek, playing in his first game for the Rats, then collected the game winning RBI when Hubbers pitcher Mitch Johnson plunked him in the shoulder, scoring Gunderson.  Beau Hommes's squeeze bunt scored Hollar, making the score 6-4, which was followed by an RBI sac fly by Brad Goulet to score Dent.  After Mitch Lewis was rung up on another outrageous call (his bases loaded strikeout in the 7th on a 3-2 pitch was at least six inches off the plate), the Rats took the field and made life interesting in the bottom half...
Reinhardt walked Chad Melstrom on four pitches, induced a fly out to left from Lance Hove, and then walked Rob Heller.  Pinch hitter Chuck Hewitt lifted a ball to left center that might have tied the game on a windier night, but Jason Hollar camped under it for the second out.  After last year's draftee, Nick Taranto, grounded a 1-1 pitch to Chris Dent, Reinhardt picked up the win, moving the Rats to 6-3 in league play.

On Sunday, Sam Glade started against the Hager City Skeeters, who entered the game at 1-9 in league play.  The Skeeters, battling several key injuries to starters like Tim Green and Tyler Regnier, are battling through July with help from the Ellsworth legion team.  Unfortunately for them, Glade and Alex Barnard were locked in, with Sam throwing another solid effort- a 10-0 win.  The win marked Glade's first complete game shutout on the season.  Glade's line was 7 IP, 4 H, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts.  Hager City starter Michael Koch threw 5+ innings, allowing 10 runs (all earned), 13 hits, and 6 walks, striking out 4.  Offensively, Mitch Lewis overtook Alex Barnard for team RBI leader, collecting a pair of 2 RBI singles on the day (2x4, 4 RBI, 2 R.)  Chris Dent led all Rat hitters at the plate (3x4, 2 RBI, 1 R), although six players collected multiple hits, including Jason Hollar, Brad Goulet, Brady Gunderson, and the aforementioned Lewis, Barnard, and Dent.  Osceola HS player Connor Grant also picked up an RBI single on the day for his first River Rat hit.

Next weekend, the lads will begin a tough stretch of games, starting on Saturday afternoon in Plum City, where they'll face a young and confident 9-2 Blues team on their home field.  They'll no doubt wish to exact revenge after their 2-1 extra innings loss in the Memorial Day Weekend tournament; their 3-0 win over Spring Valley on Saturday was followed by a 6-4 home win over the Prescott Pirates.  As for the Rats, they'll also play next Sunday evening for a special 6 PM road game just down Highway 35 at The Bank against their rivals, the River Falls Fighting Fish.  The Fish will take on Spring Valley on Saturday, so there'll be no shortage of playoff atmosphere baseball for everyone involved.  Hope to see you there.



Walking In Wakanda / Tripling Up  (June 5, 2017)

"If a man can beat you, walk him." -- Satchel Paige

Nine pitches.  Nine strikes.  Three strikeouts.  On Friday night, Menomonie Eagles starting pitcher Tyler Christiansen accomplished one of baseball's rarest feats to begin the Eagle's first league game of the season-- a perfect inning.  Plate umpire Dick Smith asked me in partial amazement-- "have you ever seen that before?"  My answer was simply "no-- that's the first time I've seen that in 20 plus years of amateur ball."  Not that I'd want to remember an opposing pitcher throwing a perfect inning, mind you...  Fortunately for us, we were countering with our scruffy ace righty, Paul Johnson, and has been the case in previous Wakanda Park match-ups, Paul didn't disappoint.  "The Squirrel" set down the Eagles 1-2-3 in the bottom half, and it looked as though we might be settling in for our third straight pitcher's duel.  After Christiansen set the Rats down in order in the top of the 2nd, Johnson responded by retiring Menomonie's first two hitters.  Mitch Thomas's soft grounder to Mitch Lewis resulted in a 2 out base hit, followed by a five pitch walk to Jon Krueger.  When Brad Goulet couldn't get Drew Worth's slow roller over to first to end the inning, the Eagles looked to take an early lead.  Johnson had enough of that, however, striking out designated hitter (and eventual reliever) Wyatt Ernstmeyer to squelch the threat.
For the third, Christiansen dominated the River Rat "murderer's row", allowing two ground outs and striking out Johnson, who was batting ninth...  Johnson started the bottom of the third by hitting Evan Hoyt on an inside 2-2 fastball, but his next pitch resulted in a sparkling double play by shortstop Brad Goulet right at second base to retire Hoyt and Eagle infielder Luke Schultz.  Pat Riewer ended the inning with a long fly out on a 2-0 fastball to Jake Giordana in the right center gap-- the duel was on...
Until it wasn't.  Giordana led off the 4th with a hard grounder to Eagle third baseman Dave Rueber, and then beat out the play after Rueber's errant throw pulled Drew Worth off the base.  With Goulet at the plate, we opted for the small ball route, sacrifice bunting Giordana to second on a 1-3 putout.  When Hunter Frey hit a grounder to Evan Hoyt, we looked to be sacrificing our second out to move Gio up, but Hoyt couldn't come up with it, leaving runners on the corners.  The Rats took the lead 1-0 when Mitch Lewis's fielder's choice grounder to Luke Schultz couldn't be turned over for a double play-- Jason Hollar's flyout to deep center field ended the inning.  Like the second inning, Johnson recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the fourth, and again surrendered an infield hit to Mitch Thomas.  Unlike the second, he attacked Jon Krueger with a series of fastballs, with Krueger admirably fouling off five pitches before flying out to deep center and the speedy Jake Giordana.
In the fifth, the Rats took advantage of two critical Eagle errors.  Brady Gunderson's hard grounder caused Dave Rueber to lose the handle leading off the inning, and after a wild pitch and a ground out moved Gunderson to third, Paul Johnson's routine grounder to Luke Schultz was thrown away, scoring Gunderson.  A scorching line drive to left field off the bat of Giordana ended the inning with the Rats up 2-0.  The Eagles responded in the bottom of the fifth, as Evan Hoyt reached on a fielder's choice, and then scored on Luke Schultz's two out liner off the foul line in right field.  Schultz's unfamiliarity with right fielder Hunter Frey and shortstop Brad Goulet would cost the Eagles dearly, as Schultz was thrown out by fifteen feet to end the inning-- Rats 2 - Eagles 1.
The third time around was a charm for the Rats, although Goulet led off the sixth inning with a ground out to short, Hunter Frey blooped in a single to center on the next pitch.  After Frey stole second on a 1-0 pitch, Christiansen walked Mitch Lewis.  Jason Hollar promptly drove the next pitch to deep center to move Frey up to third, and with runners at the corners and two out, it looked as though Christiansen might work his way out of a jam...
However, Brady Gunderson worked a walk on five pitches, and that was all for Tyler Christiansen.  Wyatt Ernstmeyer took the hill in relief, but Alex Barnard's five pitch RBI walk made the score 3-1.  Tommy Hehn's seven pitch RBI walk was well constructed, working the way back from a 1-2 deficit while fouling off a 3-2 offering-- Rats 4, Eagles 1.  Paul Johnson's only concern at that point was avoiding being hit-- he walked on four straight pitches, making the score 5-1.  Ernstmeyer buckled down after that, striking out Jake Giordana looking to end the sixth.
With a full compliment of players on their bench, the Eagles were a bit surly after walking in three runs-- a lead off walk to Pat Riewer and a fielding error on a tailor made double play ball to Tommy Hehn turned the complexion of the game around quickly, especially with veteran hitter Dave Rueber.  His flyout to Jake Giordana allowed Riewer to move up to third, and Mitch Thomas's sac fly to Hunter Frey cut the River Rat lead to 5-2.  Krueger ended the inning with a pop up to Brad Goulet.
In the 7th, the Rats looked to expand on their 5-2 lead, as Frey and Lewis reached base with 1 out, but Ernstmeyer cranked up the velocity to both Jason Hollar and Brady Gunderson, striking them both out.  Brad Goulet took over for Paul Johnson in the 7th, allowing only Evan Hoyt onto the bases via a hit by pitch.  In the 8th, the Rats went down in order, but the Eagles made things interesting-- Brad O'Connell scored after a one-out walk and consecutive singles by Rueber and Thomas, and the score stood at 5-3 with the go-ahead run at the plate.  Goulet struck out Krueger for the second out, but pinch hitter Ben Otto's infield single loaded the bases for none other than relief pitcher Wyatt Ernstmeyer...  The drama was short lived, unfortunately for the home crowd, as he hit Goulet's first pitch promptly to Hunter Frey, who flipped to Mitch Lewis for the third out.
With the Rats doing their best to get out of town quickly in the top of the 9th, they battled both the field and seemingly the umpires along with the Eagles to close out the game.  Evan Hoyt's 0-2 grounder took a terrible in between hop on Mitch Lewis, and Hoyt hustled out the play to reach first.  Luke Schultz's fielder's choice eliminated Hoyt, but when Pat Riewer walked on 4 straight pitches, it was, as Rob Barabe used to say, Maalox Masher time!  One out, tying run at first, 4-5-6 hitters due up.  Brad Goulet responded admirably without question, popping up Brad O'Connell on his first pitch with an infield fly (which he promptly fielded himself!)  Dave Rueber, the historically dangerous righty hitter made everyone's heart skip a beat when he roped a shot down to third, but Tommy Hehn's snare preserved the win, with Paul Johnson earning his first win on the 2017 season, and Brad Goulet picking up his first save.  Needless to say, that's a lot more fun than losing in walk-off fashion.
On Saturday, the Rats made their home opener on a hot and breezy day at Grandview Park with their patented "IRON 9" lineup against the vaunted Eau Claire Cavaliers.  The Cavs, who were 10-2 entering the game, were also notably shorthanded, featuring manager Matt Miller on the infield and former River Rat pitcher Aaron Frei in right field.  Making their 2017 debuts were outfielder (and Winona State graduate) Mike Hommes and pitcher Danny Boatman.  Both players wouldn't disappoint in a 9-4 win over the Cavs; Hommes ended up going 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI triple, while Boatman would pick up the win, throwing 8 1/3 innings, allowing 11 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, and striking out 5.  Also noteworthy at the plate were infielders Tommy Hehn (3x3, 2 BI), Brady Gunderson (1x2, R, 2B, 3 BI), and outfielder Jason Hollar (1x5, 3B, 2 R, 2 BI.)  Many thanks to our family and friends for attending Saturday's game and helping push attendance into the teens.  :)  Eventually we may figure out how the new scoreboard works so the visiting team won't be listed as "GueHome" and the River Rats as "HomeGues"...  
The squad will take to the field next Saturday in Prescott against the Pirates at 1 PM at Firehall Field, and next Sunday at home (for another 1 PM start) against the New Richmond Millers.  The team's overall record is now 4-2, 1-1 in league play...  Mitch Lewis and Jason Hollar will be managing the team for these games as I will be on the road in the great state of California (watching the Dodgers on Wednesday and the Twins-Giants match up Friday night in San Francisco.)  Hopefully the rest of you will be seen at the park!
Frenchy

2 out of 3 Ain't...  (May 30, 2017)

Ruthlessness - "It pays a lot better than integrity." -- A De-Motivational poster from Despair.com

Annoyances sometimes balance out life's celebrations.  When PA announcer Kevin Haglund emphatically proclaimed "And THAT'S YOUR BALLGAME!" to a sparse crowd of fifty or so Prescott, Hudson, and Plum City fans to finish the championship game Monday night, I knew it would be best to simply shut my mouth and let the Pirates enjoy their title.  Granted, Kevin's shtick had grown as stale as week old bread left in the fridge, but that wasn't the issue.  My beef wasn't with the Pirates-- they certainly deserved every accolade (even from a semi-inebriated PC Blues alumni...)  The game ended dramatically as first baseman Josh Marlow's best Nick Johnson impression took a 3-2 Sam Glade pitch over the right field fence for an 8th inning walk-off homer.  Pirates 2 - River Rats 1.  Or like, as some of us managers had recalled the classic Chappelle Show Prince skit the day before-- "Game... Blouses."  Sadly for us, plate umpire Dan Hoffman called Glade's 2-2 pitch a ball, which was odd considering that same pitch had been a strike for the previous 7 and 2/3 innings.  "Hoffied" again. 

Lost also perhaps in the setting sun and cheers of the Prescott faithful was the chance for another PC tourney title-- not lost was the chance to recognize several noteworthy River Rat performances last weekend.  Of those performances, Sam Glade's breakout play on the mound and at the plate helped the Rats reach the finals.  In Saturday's contest against the Bombers, Glade started in right field, going 1 for 3 with a clutch 2 out, 2 RBI single in the fifth to tie Bay City at 2.  Two innings later, he pitched the 7th inning to pick up the win in a 5-4 victory, along with his first River Rat "VULTURE" achievement badge on the season.

For Sunday's semi-final game against Plum City, Dennis Reinhardt took the hill for the River Rats-- his pitching duel with veteran hurler Chase Nelson can only be termed as an instant classic.  Well, it was an instant classic by River Rat standards-- perhaps not so much by PC Blues standards (given the fact that Blues outfielder Tanner Eggenberger dropped two fly balls, one of which resulted in the first run of the game for Hudson in the bottom of the first.)  The affectionately named "F*ing Dennis" threw 10 1/3 innings, allowing 9 hits, 1 run, and 1 walk along with 7 strikeouts en route to a no decision, but this was by far his most noteworthy work on the bump for the River Rats since joining in 2015.  Offensively, Jake Giordana picked up his "HOP ON MY BACK" achievement badge by going 3-6 with 2 runs and a double.  Mitch Lewis (winner of the "3 FOR 3" badge on Monday) redeemed what had been a disappointing day by collecting a game winning single in his sixth at bat of the game, scoring Giordana easily.  Newcomer Ian Hutchinson was the second vulture of the weekend, picking up the win with 1 2/3 innings of work, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1. 

Throughout the tournament, new River Rat shortstop Brad Goulet (winner of the "DEFENDER ISN'T JUST A 1981 VIDEO GAME" badge) impressed many players and managers with his combination of mobility, arm strength, and overall defensive prowess.  Goulet didn't bust out any of his special dabs over the weekend, but he played like a G, going 3-4 with a run and an RBI vs. Bay City, 2-6 against Plum City, and 0-3 vs. Prescott, with a diving grab of a liner off the bat of Billy Brookshaw in the first inning.

As I'd stated on our Facebook page, I'm grateful to all of the players who made it down this weekend-- thanks for taking time out of your holiday weekend to play for the River Rats.  I'm especially grateful to our fans and family members for supporting the squad (I hope the weather wasn't too cool for you!)  Lastly, to the Blues and their fans / supporters / community members, you've made the Plum City tournament exceptional for 26 years-- thanks for letting me be there and share in the fun for 18 of those years.  You know who you are.  To everyone else who came out to watch the games and/or the bat races, I know the Blues are likewise grateful and thankful to you.  Thanks for making BASEBALL great again in PC.  :)

See you Friday in Menomonie-- and here's to hoping Brian "D Con" Bee doesn't come out of retirement to pitch...

Frenchy
 
Plum City 2017  (May 25, 2017)

"A small village in a peaceful valley." -- Description of town via plumcitypages.com

Welcome back, all five of you who still manage to find your way to the desk-- I'm honored by your virtual presence.  That stated, let's get moving-- May 27th, 2017 will mark the 18th appearance for the River Rats in the annual Plum City Blues tournament, beginning thankfully at 10 AM.  As faithful followers are well aware, a 10 AM game in the early years of the franchise was strictly intended to allow a greater amount of time for River Rat players to, shall we say, enjoy themselves at Legion Park.  "Enjoying" typically meant heckling umpires, imbibing malted beverages, and the use of varying intoxicants whilst watching the other participating squads.  This pastime has notably waxed and waned, having been largely abandoned by River Rat players around 2011 or so when the old guard moved on to retirement or to other, more fitting baseball teams in the area.

Those hearty souls hoping to delve further into those halcyon days would be well advised to read "Beyond The Fence" by River Falls Fighting Fish manager / player Josh Eidem-- his primary character, Lance Chatworth, was a amalgam of former River Rat superfan (and Hudson native) Nate Hendricks, as well as myself.  As Eidem related his version of the old River Rat and Spring Valley Hawk post-game shenanigans, I could only smile and say "I remember when that happened."  It's bromance-ical (I made that word up, yes) and nostalgic, and it gives people a nice glimpse into what life was like for players (and managers) in the league from the 1990's into the 2000's.

I could just as well argue that it isn't as temporally specific as that-- amateur baseball in the St. Croix Valley area has always combined suitably (and often dangerously) with bacchanalian excess.  One needs only talk to the elder statesmen from Ellsworth, Bay City, or Plum City to hear heroic tales of players from the 1960's and 70's-- and those weren't the type of players who took criticism lightly.  They also had no problem with a roadie.  Or five.  "Red-ass" was the primary adjective if you go back to those days.  I'm guessing it had more to do with two factors: 1) leaded gasoline, and 2) conscription and the possibility of fighting overseas.  That's just a theory though.

Let's return back to the Rats, however, and the old campsite at the high point of the park-- what had been affectionately referred to as "The Rat's Nest."  Nate "The Fan", Barabe, Adam Bast, and John McGinley lived out the party maxim between 2000 and 2002 (and prior to that, actually, when they were playing for SV), making sure to arrive on late Friday afternoon, and finally packing up the gear on Memorial Day evening (sometimes even the next day.)  For those who don't remember, the first River Rat tournament involved the rental of a small RV for myself, Matt Pearson, and Jeff Schultz.  My having never driven an RV previously, combined with trying to drive off the pavement to a parking spot resulted in the embarrassment of grounding the vehicle (and nearly tipping it over, to the cackling amusement of the four amigos previously noted above.)  In 2004, the Rat's Nest was most notorious for the antics of a short-time player, Tad Tewes; although Nick Noack did run the bases in the rain wearing only a jock strap.  From 2005 to 2010, it was commonplace for me to rent an RV with the boys and do our best to sleep in a decent, non-tent environment-- sometimes that didn't end up well.

I'd have to say that 2006-2009 were some of our great party years-- the memories of driving down Highway 10 with the likes of Jeff Schultz, Rob Barabe, Andy LaBrosse, and Russ Jiskra in our rented RV whilst disco tunes blared from the speakers always brings a smile to my face, if not a tear to my eyes.  There does exist a photo or two of LB wearing only a thong that year-- both at the campsite and running the bases during the Prescott game on Sunday...  Little did we all know that Jeff would pass that July-- or that we would come so agonizingly close to another state title in August.  The memories of the Stellrechts, Joel Schaffer, Andy Koehler, Mike Carrell, Matt Pearson, Danny Powell, and dozens of others (Jilek, Parnell, Rudy, etc.) down at PC are indelible parts of my life.  Bat races, walks down to the bar, Boone's Farm, The Fan's old Range Rover driving through the town, announcing games, you name it.

Even the groggy early morning memories of heading down to Molly's for breakfast with the younger kids from Elmwood, Menomonie, and Marv's Mudducks make me thankful...  This doesn't even include the 3 AM campfire chats with players from every team down there (or their girlfriends and buddies)...  How lucky were we to spend that time together?  (Aside from the cold and rain sometimes, of course.)  Eighteen years.  I hope that all of the participants this weekend can "enjoy" Plum City in their own special way; may you be as fortunate as I've been to do it with the friends and colleagues I've had in eighteen plus seasons.

See you at the park.
-Frenchy

Opening Night... Finally...  (May 24, 2017)
"Boy that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand." - Ron Burgundy "Anchorman"

The 2017 season opened tonight, and unfortunately for the Rats, it ended with a 6-5 road loss to the Spring Valley Hawks.  Despite the strong effort of catcher Alex Barnard (4-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBI), the Rats weren't able to hold down a 5-1 lead in the 9th for the win.  A tip of the cap goes to Sam Glade, however, as he worked 5 solid innings before the aforementioned escalation occurred.  Other stats are posted on the Game Changer website for the Rats, but for all things considered (moral victory alert), it was a good game with the exception of the final score.  Returning as previously mentioned tonight were Jake Giordana, Mitch Lewis, Jason Hollar, Beau Hommes, Paul Johnson, Alex Barnard, and Chris Dent.  Making their debuts tonight were shortstop Brad Goulet (with sparkling defense), first baseman Brady Gunderson (2-4, R, RBI), DH Tommy Hehn, and P Josh Alme (who had an extremely tough relief job to tackle tonight.)

Kudos to HOF River Rat Brian Rudesill on his work at the SV baseball field-- the new dugouts are very well done (just need some wood finish on the benches), and also to the Hawks on their come from behind win.  More roster changes are upcoming over the next two weeks, with additional players pending from Woodbury and Hudson-- we also expect veteran infielder / Plum City HS baseball coach Brent Blegen to make his 2017 debut on Saturday against the Bay City Bombers at 10 AM in Plum City.  Any further commentary will be reserved for those in attendance this weekend at Plum City.

Tonight's Player of the Game was Alex Barnard-- good to have you back, young man!  Hope to see you all at the park this weekend...
Finishing 2nd in MVP voting from the SCVBL All Star game against the St. Paul Saints was Mitch Lewis's mustache...
Apologies to my players without new lids tonight-- my dog ended up eating them along with my daughter's homework...  We have more on order (along with jerseys) from Fleet Feet in Menomonie.
Shout outs to Kent Johnson, Del Blegen, Greta Lewis, and our other fans for traveling to SV tonight (as well as our league brethren from Bay City and Elmwood.)
Stay classy, San Diego...

2017 Season Upcoming  (April 24, 2017)
"Is a dream a lie if it don't come true / Or is it something worse?" - Bruce Springsteen, "The River"

Welcome back curious souls-- good to see that you're here again.  2017 marks the eighteenth season of River Rat baseball in Hudson, and with it, the promise of a successful season culminating in a state title.  As 2017 marks the fifteenth anniversary of the River Rats' sole WBA championship, the squad plans to improve upon the results of the 2016 campaign (a 9-9 league record coupled with a first round playoff loss to the eventual state runner-up, the Osseo Merchants.)  Two players from last year's roster have retired (infielder Alex Burian and pitcher Aaron Moen), and as of this writing I'm not sure how often we'll see infielder / pitcher Hunter "Hawk Killer" Frey this summer due to college internship requirements in Milwaukee.  From the recruitment ranks, the team has received commitments from two former New Life Academy players (Brad Goulet and Brady Gunderson), with the possibility of other individuals joining the team from other locales.  Of course, early spring is always a popular time for players seeking teams-- you always hope for the best.

Switching gears, the River Rats will be changing divisions again in 2017, moving from the former South Division back to the North Division.  The realignment was voted into effect after St. Croix Falls folded their team back in February, and not without a fair amount of acrimony from numerous individuals and teams I've worked with for years...  On a positive note, we do get to play our natural rivals in River Falls two times instead of one, and also get to play Osceola, New Richmond, and Spring Valley twice as well.  The season starts later than usual this year, primarily due to the loss of the Eau Claire Bears and Spooner Cardinals from the schedule (as well as a few teams from the Twin Cities that we'd scheduled early in the past)-- our first game won't be until May 20th.  Of course, that allows more prep time for our salty veterans to work on bat flips, eye black application and design, and curling (among other activities.)

Will the Rats put together another successful playoff run this year?  Time will tell.  Here's to hoping and planning for the best!

Three's Not Enough (August 14, 2016)
Whoever coined the phrase "the third time's a charm" should be summarily flogged, as the Hudson River Rats, for the third year straight, have lost in walk off fashion to their first round playoff opponent. The latest loss resulted at the hands (and bats) of the CRBL champion Osseo Merchants, who showed why they went 19-3 in league play this year en route to a 4-3 come from behind victory. Utilizing small ball and capitalizing on River Rat errors, the Merchants scored 4 straight runs after the Rats knocked out starter Logan Boettcher in the third inning.

Playoff Bound for Hallie (August 8, 2016)
Greetings and salutations River Rat fans and followers-- the 2016 Hudson River Rats are indeed heading back to the Wisconsin Baseball Association playoffs, as they finished the regular league season with a 9-9 record. The Rats will make their fourth straight playoff appearance, and second trip to Hallie in three years, when they face the CRBL champion Osseo Merchants in a first round game at 6 PM, Saturday, August 13th. This will be the thirteenth playoff appearance for the Rats (2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016), and the team is working to make their third trip to the finals. Aiding the playoff effort will be Ellsworth Hubbers infielder Nick Taranto, who currently attends and plays baseball for Ripon College. Taranto was a 2015 WBCA All-Star selection, and a 2016 SCVBL all-star.
The Rats were fortunate to secure a berth this year, having finished at .500, but their inclusion in the upper half of the SCVBL made a strong case for the team's selection by the WBA seeding committee. Prior to the seeding meeting, the Rats split a pair of games in the final weekend of July-- losing 5-1 to Adam Barta and the Prescott Pirates at Prescott, and defeating the Oakey Owls 12-0 in the team's final home game at Grandview Park in 2016. Against Prescott, the Rats threw Brian Sparstad, who battled admirably in front of a lineup lacking three normal starters: lead-off hitter and right fielder Jake Giordana, designated hitter Andy Edholm, and first baseman Alex Burian. Prescott took advantage of a pair of fielding miscues en route to their victory; Sam Glade also closed out the game for the Rats.
On Sunday, the Rats pounded out 14 hits in a 12-0 rout of the Oakey Owls, a makeshift team from Osceola, composed of high school players, Osceola Braves, and over 35 players. Paul Johnson picked up the win, throwing 4 innings of 1 hit baseball, with 5 strikeouts. Aaron Moen and Mike Hommes also threw, allowing only one hit and picking up 2 strikeouts between them. Six Rat hitters collected two hits a piece (Giordana, Mitch Lewis, Hommes, Hunter Frey, Jason Hollar, and Alex Barnard.) We owe special thanks to all of the parents and family members who attended the post-game picnic-- we are grateful for all of your support and your excellent choice of food for the celebration.
Lastly, the Rats played an exhibition game at Oakey Park last Saturday against the actual Osceola Braves, in what was to be a playoff tune-up. Unfortunately, the team was left considerably short-handed as seven typical starters were missing due to various commitments elsewhere (including Jason Hollar, Andy Edholm, Brent Blegen, Alex Burian, Mike Hommes, Alex Barnard, and Jake Giordana.) Partially due to this, the team was forced to play almost its entire pitching staff in the field en route to an 8-4 loss to the Braves.
Starter Sam Glade took the loss, as he surrendered 7 runs in the first two innings, along with some atypical fielding errors and wild pitches. Brian Sparstad, Hunter Frey, Aaron Moen, and Dennis Reinhardt all threw innings in relief, as the Rats made it interesting in the top of the ninth with a 3 run, two out rally. We certainly appreciated former River Rat Dan Powell coming back to play with us that night, and also tip our cap to long time fans Doug Howard, Ken Corbett, the Lewis family (including Rochester Honker Miles), Nikki, Bailey, Kara, the Wahlmans, River Rat psychiatric practitioner Karalee LaBreche, and former Rat mascot Adeline LaBreche (among others) for coming to watch us in Osceola. As always, we also appreciated the effort of the Osceola Braves and their staff in hosting us in what was their final home game of the 2016 season.
Thanks to everyone stopping in for a visit-- we would love to see you at Hallie Park this weekend for our playoff games.
On The Verge Of Being Obscene (July 26, 2016)
Hello and welcome back everyone-- the season enters its final phase as the 8-8 River Rats take to the road for a Saturday afternoon game at Firehall Field in Prescott, to play the 13-2 Prescott Pirates in a divisional showdown. At stake for the Rats is a potential playoff berth; for the Pirates, an opportunity to solidify a #1 seeding in the upcoming WBA playoffs to be held at four separate regional sites: Hallie, Haugen, Rib Lake, and Sparta. After the last entry on the desk, the Rats have been over .500, going 3-2 in five games. Losses to Prescott and Elmwood proved bitter pills to swallow, especially given that the Rats took a 5-4 lead into the 9th inning against the upstart Expos. Wins over Hager City last Sunday, Plum City prior to that, and Bay City two weeks ago in Bay City showed the team's abilities. Notably, the Bay City game marked one of the few on the season where the squad played error free baseball behind their starter (Brian Sparstad, who threw a CG for the 4-1 win.)
Expected on the hill this weekend will be Paul Johnson and Brian Sparstad, although it is likely that both Aaron Moen and Sam Glade (among others) will pick up innings on the bump. Leading the team offensively will be outfielders Mike Hommes, Jason Hollar, and leadoff speedster Jake Girodana, who has surpassed his 2015 stolen bases totals with impressive numbers this year. Infielders Hunter Frey and Andy Edholm also plan to add to the scoreboard, having collected home runs at Hudson and Bay City in the past month. Captains Mitch Lewis and Paul Johnson will also add to the team effort required for this weekend's games against Prescott and Menomonie.
Fans and followers are encouraged to attend Sunday's game, as it is the team's annual cookout day at home-- new red t-shirts are also available for purchase... Hope to see you at the park!

Windy & Wild (July 7, 2016)
Hello again everyone. The River Rats just took a little break over the past week or so, having had to reschedule a game with the Menomonie Eagles that was slated for July 2nd, instead moving it to July 23rd due to circumstances beyond the control of a Jedi master. Before the break, however, the Rats managed to capture what seems to be much of their 2016 campaign in a pair of home games -- splitting in dramatic fashion. On Saturday, June 25th, the Rats defeated the upstart Spring Valley Hawks in a thrilling come from behind 8-7 walk off win. Hunter Frey was the hero of the day, providing a 4 for 5 performance at the plate, with 3 home runs and 5 RBI. Additionally, he threw 4 2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win after a tough outing by starter Paul Johnson. Scoring the winner was former Hawk Brent Blegen, who had followed Frey's game tying homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth with a sharp single to left. Blegen advanced to second on a HBP to new Rat Doug Cottrell, and scored on Alex Barnard's single to right field.
On Sunday, the Rats started well, picking up a 5-0 lead on the Bay City Bombers, but critical errors and timely 2 out hitting by Bay City eventually led to a win on their part, 9-5. Aaron Moen was charged with 7 runs, only 2 of which were earned. The split moved the Rats to 5-6 in SCVBL play, with seven games remaining.
The Rats also traveled to Red Wing for a rare non-league game against the Aces, however, they had a hard go of it, dropping a 12-0 game in seven innings.
On a positive side note, the River Rats were represented in the SCVBL all star game by outfielder Jason Hollar and manager Chris LaBreche. The "South" division won 13-4, with Hollar picking up 2 runs and 3 walks in the game.
Next up for the Hudson 9 will be games this weekend against the always powerful Prescott Pirates (currently 8-2 in league play) on Saturday at home, and a Sunday road game against Plum City at Ellsworth (due to field damage in Plum City), game time set for 5 PM. Hope to see you there!
​
Squeaky & Fresh (June 22, 2016)
Hey there kids-- good to have you back again. Since our last update, the Rats have managed to go 3-3 overall, defeating Hager City, Osceola, and Ellsworth, while dropping games to New Richmond, St. Croix Falls, and the Metro Knights. Nearly all six games were highly competitive (the Metro Knights game was made more so by my inadvertently drilling Chris Dent in the back of the skull with a line drive during pre-game warmups.) In Hager City, the Rats held on to win 5-4 on a rainy Friday night -- Aaron Moen started and threw six no-hit innings, but was also a bit wild, walking 6 while allowing 1 run. Mike Hommes wrapped up the night both on the mound and at the plate, picking up not only the win (VULTURE ALERT!), but the GWRBI in the top of the 9th. Flipping back to home against the New Richmond Millers, the Rats fell 7-6 on a windy Sunday afternoon. Brian Sparstad took the loss, allowing 12 hits, 7 runs (4 earned), and one walk. Jake Giordana, Mitch Lewis, Mike Hommes, and Alex Barnard each picked up 2 hits on the day. Giordana and Lewis also scored 2 runs each, while Gio collected 3 stolen bases on the day.
The Rats hoped to get back in the win column the following Saturday in St. Croix Falls, but fell apart late in the game en route to a 7-6 loss to the Bandits. Wasted on the way was Aaron Moen's start-- he had thrown six good innings, but ran out of gas in the seventh, giving up three straight one out walks to load the bases before allowing an RBI single, a ground ball error to short, and a sac fly to lose the lead. The Rats responded in the top of the 8th by loading the bases with no outs, but only managed to pick up a run after Mike Hommes's infield ground out to first. The Bandits retook the lead in the eighth by collecting a lead-off single followed by two ground outs and a seeing eye bloop single to left to score their seventh run.
Fortunately, the squad responded positively at home against the Osceola Braves the next day, winning 6-3. Paul Johnson collected the win, throwing 8 innings while allowing 9 hits , 4 walks, and 3 earned runs. Brian Sparstad picked up the save with a smooth 1-2-3 ninth. Mike Hommes (3 for 3 with 2 RBI), Hunter Frey (2 for 3 with 2 RBI & GWRBI) and Jake Giordana (2 for 4, 2 runs scored) led the Rats offensively. The 10-5 non-league loss to the Metro Knights wasn't the greatest game for the Rats, but one shouldn't expect much when one's 47 year old manager has to play in the field to start the game! Mitch Lewis, on the positive side, went 1 for 2 with an RBI triple, while Mike Hommes went 1 for 3 with an RBI double. Sam Glade took the loss, although he allowed only 1 earned run out of the 7 runs he gave up (errors were costly!) Hunter Frey picked up 5 strikeouts in 4 innings of relief work.
The rematch with the Ellsworth Hubbers was a thriller, as the squad picked up a clutch 4-3 win at Bob Young Field. In his strongest outing of the last two years, Paul Johnson threw 6 shutout innings, surrendering a mere 3 hits and a walk. Rat infielder Brent Blegen collected the GWRBI with a fielder's choice ground out in the top of the 4th to score Andy Edholm. Jason Hollar (3 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a triple) and Hunter Frey (3 for 4 with an RBI double) led the charge at the plate. Mike Hommes earned the save by coming in with runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth. After an impressive strikeout of Hubber lead-off batter Nate Hove, he followed it by forcing shortstop Lance Hove to fly out to Jake Giordana in center field to seal the win.
This coming weekend will prove an interesting test for the team as they enter the second half of the league season. On Saturday, the Rats will play the upstart Spring Valley Hawks at 3 PM in Hudson. The Hawks currently sport a 7-1 record (having picked up more wins in 2016 than they'd collected in three years prior) and will look to keep rolling along. On Sunday, the Bay City Bombers will come to Hudson for a 1 PM game, fresh off a tough 1-0 loss at home against the River Falls Fighting Fish. Bay City currently sits at 4-4 in SCVBL play. Hope to see you at the park.

Plum City Version 17.1 (June 1, 2016)
Hello again and welcome River Rat fans and followers. The squad competed in its seventeenth straight Plum City Invitational tournament last weekend, and unfortunately, we weren't able to win it. With an undermanned roster on both Saturday and Monday, the Rats put in a valiant effort, but came up on the losing end. Against the Prescott Pirates on Saturday, the Rats took a 4-2 lead into the 7th inning, getting the first out of the inning without issue. (Mike Hommes, in his first River Rat game of the season, played a big part in the score, having gone 2 for 3 with a double and a home run.) After that, an error was followed by two singles and a double, tying the score at 4. With the infield in and runners at second and third, Kellen Pearson induced a grounder to second baseman Hunter Frey, who threw to Andy Edholm at catcher... Edholm, forgetting that the bases weren't loaded, failed to tag the runner coming home, which allowed the eventual winning run to score.

On Sunday, the Rats fielded a squad of 14 players, including two newcomers (Dave Williams and Logan Gagnon), en route to an 8-0 rout of the Menomonie Eagles. Brian Sparstad was on his "A" game, throwing 6 innings while allowing only two hits and two walks. Williams pitched the seventh, allowing a walk while striking out one. Jake Giordana scored three runs with an RBI, stealing two bases in the process (increasing his season total to 12), while Mitch Lewis and Mike Hommes each went 2 for 3. Lewis doubled and had 2 runs on the day with an RBI, while Hommes collected 2 RBI on two singles.

On Monday, the Rats had Sam Glade on the hill for his first start of the season against the River Falls Fighting Fish, and he wasn't helped very much by accuracy or defense. Glade allowed a lead off walk to Adam Steussel, and then induced a pop out to second for the first out. Brian Giebel took a 2-2 pitch down the line for a single, putting runners at first and second, which Glade countered by inducing a ground ball to third baseman Brent Blegen. The normally rock solid Blegen made a wild throw to Alex Burian at first, sadly, allowing Steussel to score with Giebel to advancing to third and Kempf to second. After hitting Joel Schaffer with a pitch to load the bases and get the double play in order, Fish shortstop Sam Barr roped a double down the line in right field, scoring 2 more runs. Joe Halling walked on four straight pitches, and then Kyle Duex hit a grounder to Andy Edholm at second base, who couldn't cleanly field the grounder on his backhand. Schaffer and Barr scored on the play, making it 5-0. Kyle Westhuis singled sharply to left, scoring Holling, followed by a fielder's choice RBI grounder by Steussel, making the score 7-0. Despite a further walk to Colin Pechacek, Glade retired Giebel on a fly ball to Jason Hollar.

Glade managed only another 2/3 of an inning before giving way to Mike Hommes, taking a tough line of 1 2/3 IP, 3H, 7 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 0 K. Hommes fared better, although the Rats ended up with a total of 7 errors on the day. Mike's line was: 3 1/3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K. Hunter Frey closed out the game with a line of: 2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, and 2 K's. Andy Edholm hit well, going 2 for 3 with a solo HR. Hommes and Frey also picked up RBI singles in the game.

On a side note, as always, I'm personally grateful to Tony Garner, Zach Watkins, Chris Biederman, and the rest of the Plum City Blues organization for their hospitality and camaraderie over the weekend. To the Welch family, the Ingli family, and all the other Plum City regulars, I wish you all of my gratitude and love-- you make Plum City special in so many different ways that I can't thank you enough. To the Elmwood Expos, congratulations on your first PC Tournament title. You've stuck with it all these years and have been finally rewarded-- a job well done. It's a bit tough for me to understand as I won my first two tourneys down there, but those were many years ago! In any case, the 2016 River Rats return to league play this Friday (weather permitting) against the Hager City Skeeters down in Hager City. If you turn left at the strip joint just past the Purina plant, you'll find the field. Following that, the Rats take to the home field against the New Richmond Millers. We will be welcoming catcher / infielder Alex Barnard back from a successful season at UW-La Crosse, as they played last weekend in the D3 College World Series over in Appleton. They didn't win the tourney, but they won our hearts. See you folks at the field.

Frenchy
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Whoo Paz Bottle Openings (May 24, 2016)

Greetings and salutations faithful followers. Week 2 of the league season completed last weekend, and sadly, the River Rats played like a rusty old ship hauled from the depths of the St. Croix River, dropping games to both Elmwood (12-4) and River Falls (17-13.) It's certainly early, so there's no need to bar the windows and lock away all the sharp instruments just yet. We do, however, need a greater sense of urgency in the field. At the very least, we did manage to attempt a comeback on Saturday down in Elmwood after surrendering 5 unearned runs to start the game-- on Sunday, we managed to take the lead on two separate occasions before dousing the Fish fire with a healthy dose of highly combustible lighter fluid. I believe our meditation techniques weren't quite as solid as we needed-- a trip to the yoga studio might help with that. Or maybe some incense. OK, I can live with a modification of our Ritalin dosage in the water cooler, but that's really where I draw the line.
Kudos to Kellen Pearson, Mitch Lewis, Jake Giordana, Andy Edholm, and Jason Hollar for their solid hitting on the weekend. Gio picked up an impressive six stolen bases, so we're not lacking in the speed department on the paths... A shout out to former Rat Miles Lewis on accepting a baseball scholarship with the Michigan Wolverines last week-- proof that dedication and hard work really, honestly pay off. Another shout out to current Rat Alex Barnard, as his UW-LaCrosse baseball squad heads to the D3 College World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin this Friday to play Trinity University Tigers.
For the Rats, the schedule turns to the annual Plum City Invitational Tournament this coming weekend, with a first round game against the Prescott Pirates at 5:30 PM. The Rats expect to see the return of infielder Brent Blegen and outfielder Mike Hommes for the game. Fun and frivolity is guaranteed, served in a unique Pierce County style, with revelry, flair, (not Rick Flair), carousing, tents, and campfires. Top quality baseball is not necessarily a given, although there will be plenty of D3 college baseball talent on display, with a few D2 players sprinkled in. Not sure about any D1 guys... The sight-seeing and comical entertainment is D1 quality though, mark my words. I know big words. You know, like "yuge", "rich", and "big hands." Anyway-- hope to see you all soon.
Frenchy

Spring Ahead, Don't Fall Behind (May 16, 2016)

Hello again and welcome to Frenchy's Desk-- it's a new look for the website, but the same rambling dissertations you've come to know and perchance expect regarding amateur baseball in and around the St. Croix Valley Baseball League. It's baffling, but this season marks my 17th in the SCVBL, and my 15th as manager (although the squad does tend to run itself admirably on most days.) To know that a majority of my team was still in either pre-school or elementary school when I first took the job in 2000 is a curious feeling-- not a bad feeling, just a bit curious. I know for a fact that my contemporaries share my sentiment-- this is a game for younger men (and younger women, if you count the people who help organize and motivate the players on the field.) Nevertheless, it's still something I thoroughly enjoy and am grateful to do, even on cold-assed May weekends like we just "enjoyed".

On Saturday, the Rats coldly hit and pitched their way to a 6-1 win over the Plum City Blues. Aaron Moen was impressive, throwing seven quality innings and allowing only 3 hits. A.A. Ron also discovered something about his resiliency level with my daughter Adeline-- here was their exchange --
Moen: "Aren't you cold sitting out here in a t-shirt?"
Adeline: "No."
Moen: "Well I guess you're tougher than I am."
Adeline: "I know."
Proving once again that women, no matter how young, are to be respected for their fortitude and tenacity. As for the remainder of the squad, Hunter Frey threw well in relief Saturday, picking up 5 strikeouts in 2 innings (he additionally went 2 for 5 with a run scored at the plate); Mitch Lewis matched Frey with a 2 for 5 day, but scored 3 runs. Jason Hollar was slightly disappointed when Mitch arrived sans yellow bicycle jersey (the joke being that Mitch was going to bike from his job up in Somerset to the game in Hudson.) Our only other disappointment on Saturday was knowing that Alex Burian didn't bring his loofah to the game... A nod of the cap to the Plum City Blues who made their way over to BWW after the game-- good kids one and all.

On Sunday, the results were dramatically different, as the Ellsworth Hubbers defeated the Rats convincingly, 13-4. Five Hubber batters collected multi-hit games (Nate Hove, Lance Hove, Dennis Schutz, Jeremiah Paulson, and Brandon Voelker), and the Rats compounded problems with 4 errors on the day. Following the game, I discovered that the Hubbers are among some of the most ruthless teams when it comes to clubhouse teasing-- one player was compared to a French tire company's mascot, while another new player was likened to a character from a recent Batman film (for wearing a mask at the plate and in the field.) One can only imagine the things they keep in house...
As for the game, Jason Hollar hit the first home run of the year for the Rats, a solo shot off the right field pole in the 4th inning, while Mitch Lewis went 2 for 5 like clockwork.

The team is set for next weekend with games on Saturday (in Elmwood, at 1 PM) and Sunday (at home versus River Falls, at 1 PM.) Rumor has it that a certain former River Rat's leopard print thong may be on display in a pre-game ceremony, but that hasn't been verified with upper management. See you at the park.

Frenchy