Wisconsin Woodchucks
The Wisconsin Woodchucks are an American baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. They play their home games at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin.
| Wisconsin Woodchucks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Northwoods League (1994-pres) (Great Lakes Conference-West Division: 2019-pres) (South Division: 1998-2018) |
| Location | Wausau, Wisconsin |
| Ballpark | Athletic Park |
| Year founded | 1994 |
| League championships | 2 (2001, 2003) |
| Division championships | 2 (2001, 2003) |
| Former name(s) | Wisconsin Woodchucks (1999–present) Wausau Woodchucks (1994–1998) |
| Colors | Black, Green, Tan |
| Ownership | Mark Macdonald |
| Management | Ryan Treu (GM) |
| Media | Wausau Daily Herald |
| Website | woodchucks.com |
History
The team was known as the Wausau Woodchucks from 1994 to 1998, but the team name was changed to Wisconsin Woodchucks for the 1999 season, as they were the only remaining team in Wisconsin in the league at that time.
The team filled the void left by the Wausau Timbers of the Class A Midwest League, who relocated after the 1990 season to Geneva, Illinois, to become the Kane County Cougars.
In 1998 Clark Eckhoff purchased The Wisconsin Woodchucks, and Eckhoff truly made an impact on the team as well as the community as a whole. Not only did attendance dramatically increase with Eckhoff as owner, but the Woodchucks would go on to win two league championships in 2001 and 2003.
The 'Chucks gained some star power for the 2007 season, as former Milwaukee Brewer and University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh product Jim Gantner manages the team. Gantner has been involved with the Brewers in various capacities since his retirement in 1992, including some coaching, but the Woodchucks job is his first managerial experience. Gantner, a native Wisconsinite who owns a second home in Boulder Junction, is familiar with the Wausau area and had expressed interest in coaching college-age players.
Players
A number of major leaguers and other notables have worn a Woodchucks uniform:
- Dave Gassner, 1998 (Hortonville, Wisconsin, native, LHP with Minnesota Twins)
- Casey Janssen, 2001 (RHP, Toronto Blue Jays)
- Mark Lowe, 2002–03 (RHP, Texas Rangers)
- Pat Neshek, 2000 (Madison, Wisconsin, native, relief pitcher with Twins)
- Wes Obermueller, 1995 (relief pitcher with Florida Marlins)
- Kevin Pillar, 2010 (outfielder with Toronto Blue Jays)[1]
- Ned Yost Jr., 2003 (son of former Brewers player/manager and current Kansas City Royals
manager Ned Yost)
- Steve Foster (baseball), 2003 (Bullpen Coach, with Florida Marlins)
- Ben Zobrist, 2003–04 (Outfielder, Chicago Cubs)
- Darin Ruf
- Pat Venditte, 2008 (Made his major league debut on June 5, 2015 with the Oakland Athletics getting much publicity for being a Switch pitcher)
Notes
- Ben Zobrist and Pat Neshek are the only two to play in an MLB All-Star Game (Zobrist in 2009 and Neshek in 2014)
External links
- Wisconsin Woodchucks – official site
- Northwoods League – official site
