2008 West Michigan Whitecaps Season Tracker

COMSTOCK PARK – Manny Miguelez pitched the first nine inning complete game of his professional career as the Whitecaps defeated Great Lakes, 5-1. The lefty allowed just six hits and two walks with six strikeouts to earn the victory.

In the third inning, the Loons strung together three hits and took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Jovanny Rosario.

However, in the bottom of the third, Kyle Peter led off with a bunt single for the Whitecaps. Joe Tucker then put West Michigan in front for good with a two-run homer. It was Tucker’s second homer of the season and third of his professional career. All have been in August.

Peter added a two-run bases loaded single with no outs in the eighth against reliever Cal Stanke. The fifth West Michigan run scored when Angel Flores crossed the plate in the eighth on a ground ball double play off the bat of Audy Ciriaco.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Cory Wade tossed the first inning in a rehab assignment with the Loons. He allowed one hit and threw a total of 13 pitches. Garrett White then established a Loons team record with six innings of relief.

White struck out seven but walked two and allowed eight hits, including the home run by Tucker to take the loss.

All nine players in the Whitecaps lineup had a hit for the first time in exactly one month: The last occurrence was July 25 versus Wisconsin. Tucker, Peter and Alex Avila – the top three batters in the lineup – had two hits each.

West Michigan has won seven consecutive meetings with the Loons.

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — West Michigan Whitecaps pitchers Jon Kibler and Alfredo Figaro have been two of the top pitchers in the Midwest League all season. Today, it became official when the Midwest League announced Kibler and Figaro have been named to the post-season All-Star team. The post-season All-Star team was selected by the Field Managers of all 14 Midwest League teams.

The MWL Post Season All-Star team selects a player for every position, including a right-handed and left-handed starting pitcher and two relievers. Kibler is the lefthander with Figaro being named the righthander. This is the first time in Whitecaps history that West Michigan boasts two starting pitchers in the post season team. Kibler and Figaro are also the first starting pitchers to be named to the team since starter Jon Connolly in 2003.

Kibler has been the best pitcher in the Midwest League this season, leading the league in wins (14), ERA (1.75) and innings pitched (154.1). The former Michigan State product has been even more outstanding at Fifth Third Ballpark, posting a 10-2 record with 1.46 ERA. Kibler fired two complete games this season and was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week twice along with the Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Month in May.

Despite being promoted to High-A Lakeland on July 29, Figaro put together one of the top seasons in Whitecaps history. Figaro went 12-2 with a 2.05 ERA in 19 starts, including two complete-game shutouts. Figaro’s 12 wins and 2.05 ERA still ranks second in the Midwest League behind only his teammate Kibler. He also led the league in innings pitched (123.0) and shutouts (2) at the time of his promotion.

Kibler and Figaro provided one of the best one-two punches in Whitecaps history and in the Midwest League.

For more information on the post-season honors, contact the Whitecaps PR Department at 616-784-4131.

COMSTOCK PARK – With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the tenth, Joe Tucker drove in Cory Middleton on a sacrifice fly to give the Whitecaps a 3-2 victory over Great Lakes. West Michigan rallied from a 2-0 deficit early in the game to beat the Loons for the eighth straight time.

Paul Nardozzi retired 13 for the 14 batters he faced in 4.1 shutout innings of relief for the Whitecaps from the fifth through the ninth inning.

For the second day in a row, the Loons scoring was confined to the third inning. Parker Dalton went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles for Great Lakes, including a two base hit with two out in the third. Dalton scored on a single by Eduardo Perez, who in turn scored on a Roger Tomas throwing error during an infield single by Brandon Taylor.

Chris Carlson hit his tenth home run of the season in the fourth inning to cut the Loons lead in half, 2-1. West Michigan tied the game on an RBI triple by Kody Kaiser in the seventh.

Scott Green pitched the top of the tenth to earn his first professional victory and improve to 1-2.

Bob Zimmerman retired the first six Whitecaps batters he faced, but allowed three consecutive one out singles in the bottom of the tenth and the Tucker sac fly.

Former Tigers farmhand Juan Cedeno pitched 7.1 innings as the Loons starter and gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk.

For the second game in a row, all nine players in the Whitecaps lineup collected a hit.

Aaron Fuhrman made his first start in a Whitecaps uniform and allowed two runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings.

COMSTOCK PARK – Alex Avila padded the lead with a two-out, two run single in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 5-2 Whitecaps win over Great Lakes. West Michigan has won four in a row, climbed to .500 in the second half (32-32) and with 69 wins will finish with a winning overall record during the regular season.

The Whitecaps have won nine consecutive meetings with the Loons.

Andrew Hess made his longest appearance of the season with 6.2 innings pitched as the Whitecaps starter. He allowed two runs on five hits to earn the victory and improve to 2-3.

Great Lakes scored for the third game in a row on an infield single by Jaime Ortiz in the first inning.

Cory Middleton gave West Michigan a 2-1 lead in the third inning on his sixth home run of the season, which was a two-run shot.

Brett Jacobson inherited a pair of base runners from Hess in the seventh inning and maintained a 3-2 lead by throwing 1.1 scoreless innings.

Second baseman Justin Henry made the play of the night with the tying run at first base and no outs in the top of the eighth inning. Henry cut off a ground ball off the bat of Jaime Ortiz that was headed toward center field. He then flipped behind his back to shortstop Audy Ciriaco to start a double play and end the Loons last threat of the game.

Noah Krol pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Whitecaps to earn his 11th consecutive save and 14th of the season.

Ortiz went 2-for-4 with a double and both Loons RBI.

COMSTOCK PARK – Great Lakes established a franchise record with 11 runs in the fourth inning as the Loons rolled to a 12-1 victory over the Whitecaps. The loss ended a nine game win streak against the Loons for West Michigan. Overall, the ‘Caps had won four in a row.

Eleven was also the most runs ever allowed in an inning by the Whitecaps. It matched an effort by the Lugnuts in Lansing on May 18, 1996.

It was just the third time this season that West Michigan has allowed ten runs or more in a game.

Brayan Villarreal made his Whitecaps debut with three shutout innings before the woes of the fourth. Villarreal gave up seven runs (6 ER) with just one out recorded in the inning.

Orlando Perdomo relieved Villarreal and gave up four more runs in the inning, which were earned as charged to Perdomo, but unearned charged to the team thanks to an error that occurred with Villarreal on the mound.

In the fifth inning, Francisco Lizarraga singled and scored and at that point, all nine Loons in the lineup had a hit and a run scored.

Alfredo Silverio put the Loons on the board with a grand slam. He finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, including one later in the fourth inning.

Kieran Mattison was assigned to the Loons from Double-A Jacksonville to start the game on the mound. He pitched six shutout innings to earn the win. It was his first appearance at Fifth Third Ballpark since the 2003 Midwest League All Star Game when he was a member of the Burlington Bees.

Blake Brannon earned a three-inning save for the Loons.

Wilton Garcia pitched 2.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief with no walks and four strikeouts to finish the game for West Michigan.

The Whitecaps broke up the shutout on a sacrifice fly by Audy Ciriaco on the eighth inning.

DAYTON, OH – Thad Weber earned his first professional victory and Scott Green retired all four batters he faced to complete a Whitecaps shutout of Dayton, 5-0.

Weber scattered four hits over 7.2 innings. He allowed one hit through the first five frames then gave up singles in each the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Weber finished with six strikeouts.

Three straight hits to start the top of the third, including a two-run single by Joe Tucker put the Whitecaps on the board, 2-0. Tucker became the seventh Whitecap this season with 40 RBI.

In the sixth inning Audy Ciriaco and Kody Kaiser became the first two Whitecaps with 50 RBI and it happened on consecutive pitches.

Ciriaco hit a bases loaded RBI infield single off starting pitcher Curtis Partch, to make the lead 3-0. Then Daniel Guerrero was brought into the game and allowed a two run ground rule double to Kody Kaiser for a 5-0 advantage.

Both Ciriaco and Kaiser had two hits.

Partch suffered his third loss in three starts this season against West Michigan and fell to 5-11 overall.

Justin Reed was 2-for-3 with a walk for Dayton.

It was the tenth shutout of the season for the West Michigan pitching staff.

DAYTON, OH – Alex Avila hit the first home run of his professional career in the first inning and set the tone for a 7-3 Whitecaps win in Dayton. The three run blast was the first hit of the game and followed two of the five walks issued in the first two innings by Dragons starter Juan Rafael.

Jordan Newton also went deep for West Michigan. He hit a solo shot in the fifth inning as part of a 3-for-4 performance that also included a double, a walk and an additional run scored.

Kody Kaiser drove in two runs with a pair of hits including a double in the first two innings for the Whitecaps. He has 52 RBI to lead the team.

Mauricio Robles started on the mound for West Michigan and struck out six hitters in 2.2 innings but was removed from the game following his third consecutive walk, which drove in a run in the third.

Robles left with a 5-3 lead and Paul Nardozzi followed with four shutout innings of relief work to earn the victory.

Whitecaps batters walked a total of ten times during the game and stole five bases. Rafael walked six and gave up six runs on six hits in five total innings pitched.

Justin Henry walked three times and stole two bases. Kaiser also stole a pair of bases.

West Michigan has won six of the last seven games and is 34-33 in the second half. It is the first time since July 11 that the Whitecaps have had a winning record in the half.

DAYTON, OH – Jordan Newton played a role in all four scoring rallies for the Whitecaps in a 5-4, 10 inning victory in Dayton. West Michigan has won the first three games in the series, which is the last of the regular season, and will try for a sweep Monday afternoon.

In the second inning, the Whitecaps took a 1-0 lead when Roger Tomas drove in Chris Carlson with a two-out single. Newton moved Carlson to third on a ground ball.

After Dayton tied the game, 1-1 on an RBI double by Jake Kahaulelio in the third, Kody Kaiser hit a two-run homer in the fourth. The blast was Kaiser’s tenth of the year and followed a Newton single. It gave West Michigan a 3-1 advantage.

Dayton pulled within 3-2 on a home run by Neftali Soto to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but Newton led off the sixth with a solo shot for a 4-2 Whitecaps lead.

The Dragons clawed their way back to a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Brandon Waring and an RBI single by Devin Mesoraco.

No one scored again until the top of the tenth when Chris Carlson led off with a single. Pinch runner Chris White stole second and eventually scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Newton.

Wilton Garcia tossed three shutout innings of relief for West Michigan to earn the victory. Noah Krol pitched a perfect bottom of the tenth to earn his 15th save of the season. Krol has converted 12 straight save opportunities.

With runners at first and second for Dayton and one out in the bottom of the ninth, the 4-4 tie was preserved on a ground ball double play that featured a back handed pick up and flip by shortstop Joe Tucker, followed by a bare-handed catch and subsequent throw to first.

DAYTON, OH – A pair of home runs accounted for all of the Whitecaps scoring in a 5-4 loss in Dayton on the final day of the regular season. The Dragons avoided a four game sweep.

Kody Kaiser hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning, which pulled the Whitecaps within a run, but neither team scored for the rest of the game.

The blast by Kaiser was his second of the series as he finished the regular season as West Michigan’s team leader in home runs with 11 and RBI with 57.

It is the lowest RBI total to ever lead the Whitecaps. D. T. Cromer had 58 RBI to lead the 1994 squad.

Dayton took its first lead of the series on a two-run double by Brandon Waring in the first inning and went on to grab a 5-0 lead by the end of the third.

Pinch hitter Frankie Meade drove in Kevyn Feiner with the Dragons third run in the second inning. Jason Bour blasted a two-run home run in the third.

Aaron Fuhrman was the starting pitcher for the Whitecaps. He left the game after four innings with five runs allowed on 11 hits, which matched the most hits allowed in a single game by a West Michigan pitcher this season.

Joe Tucker put the Whitecaps on the scoreboard with a solo homer to lead off the fourth. It was his third blast of the season, all of which occurred in the last four weeks.

Andrew Hess pitched three shutout innings to keep the Whitecaps in the game and Scott Green threw a scoreless eighth.

The Dayton bullpen produced two shutout innings by Derrick Conatser and a 1.1 inning save by Aguido Gonzalez.

Daniel Guerrero established a new team record by making his 40th career start for the Dragons. He allowed both homers and a total of 10 hits over 5.2 innings, but earned the victory.

Jordan Newton went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored for the Whitecaps to finish the season with a career-long 12 game hitting streak.

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The West Michigan Whitecaps, in conjunction with the Midwest League, announced today that OF Kody Kaiser was named the Midwest League Player of the Week for the week of August 25-September 1.

Kaiser is getting hot at the right time of the year, heading into the playoffs on a seven-game hitting streak. The Oklahoma native hit .423 (11-for-26) with four doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBI in seven games last week for the ‘Caps. Overall on the season, Kaiser hit .260 (102-for-392) and led the team in home runs with 11 and RBI with 57 in 110 games.

Kaiser was drafted by the Tigers in the 15th round of the June 2007 draft and is in his second season of professional baseball. The switch-hitting outfielder played baseball at Oklahoma City University.

This is the seventh time the Whitecaps have won the MWL Player of the Week award. The seven awards are the most won by the ‘Caps since the 1997 season when they won eight awards on way to a record-breaking season of 92-39.

For more information on Kaiser and the award, please contact the Whitecaps PR Department at 616-784-4131.

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The West Michigan Whitecaps, in conjunction with the Detroit Tigers, announced today the Whitecaps 2008 playoff roster as they begin their run for a three-peat in the Midwest League. LHP Jon Kibler will be activated from the disabled list, and RHP Brayan Villarreal was removed from the roster and sent to Lakeland.

Kibler was the best pitcher in the Midwest League this season, leading the league in wins (14) and ERA (1.75). The southpaw from Freeland, Md., has been even more outstanding at Fifth Third Ballpark, posting a 10-2 record with 1.46 ERA. Kibler fired two complete games this season and was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week twice along with the Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Month in May.

Kibler is slated to start Game 1 for West Michigan in South Bend Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The full first-round schedule with the South Bend Silver Hawks listed below.

Game 1 - Wednesday, Sept. 3 at South Bend, 6:30 p.m.
Game 2 - Thursday, Sept. 4 at West Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Game 3 - Friday, Sept. 5 at West Michigan, 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

The first 1,000 fans through the gates for Thursday’s game will receive Curtis Granderson bobbleheads presented by Aquafina. Thursday is also another Thrifty Thursday with two hot dogs for $2, $2 soft pretzels and $2 soft drinks and domestic beers. Fans will also be treated to a Farm Bureau Insurance post-game fireworks show. For playoff tickets, visit the Whitecaps Ticket Office or call at 616-784-4131.

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The Detroit Tigers and West Michigan Whitecaps announced today a four-year extension to the organizations’ Player Development Contract that continues their partnership through 2014.

“The Tigers are delighted to be entering into this extension with the Whitecaps,” said Dan Lunetta, Tigers Director of Minor League Operations. “The partnership is a testament to the solidarity of the relationship the Whitecaps and Tigers enjoy with each other.

“Our gratitude is extended to Lew, Denny, Scott and Jim for the opportunity to ensure that Whitecaps and Tigers fans will enjoy this continued relationship for many years to come. Also, many thanks for the great fan support from the West Michigan community. They truly make the baseball experience at Fifth Third Ballpark one of the best in all of baseball.”

The Whitecaps have been the Tigers Single-A Midwest League affiliate since 1997 and own a 932-729 (.561) record in 12 seasons. The Whitecaps have also won five Midwest League Championships with four titles coming with the Tigers in 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2007 while making the playoffs nine times in 12 seasons, including five straight seasons since 2004.

“Our relationship with the Tigers has worked well over the last 12 years,” said Lew Chamberlin, Whitecaps CEO/Managing Partner. “You only have to look at the success the Whitecaps have had on the field to see how successful the Tigers affiliation has been. The rehabs and all the other support from Detroit makes this affiliation a natural fit. Dave Dombrowski, Dan Lunetta and all of the Tigers minor league personnel have been a pleasure to work with. We are pleased and proud to extend this partnership through the 2014 season.”

A number of prospects and current stars have come through West Michigan thanks to the Tigers affiliation. The list includes Brandon Inge, Joel Zumaya, Francisco Cordero, Robert Fick, Matt Joyce, Ryan Raburn, Cameron Maybin, Jeff Weaver along with managers Bruce Fields, Phil Regan, Matt Walbeck and Tom Brookens. The Whitecaps have also had current Tigers on rehab assignments the past two years with Kenny Rogers, Curtis Granderson and Magglio Ordonez.

SOUTH BEND, IN – South Bend used a pair of first round draft picks to retire 16 Whitecaps batters in a row during an error-plagued 5-3 victory over West Michigan. The Silver Hawks hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three first round playoff series.

Games two and three, if necessary will be held at Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

West Michigan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on RBI singles by Chris Carlson and Jordan Newton.

In the bottom of the first, three Whitecaps errors led to four South Bend runs (three unearned runs) against ace pitcher Jon Kibler.

West Michigan retaliated with a single run in the top of the second on an RBI single by Justin Henry. That hit trimmed the score to 4-3, but the Whitecaps could get no closer.

Jarrod Parker, who was the Diamondbacks first round draft choice in 2007, retired the last 13 Whitecaps batters he faced with six total innings pitched. The 2008 first round pick of Arizona, Daniel Schlereth relieved Parker and retired three in a row to start his outing.

But to open the eighth, third baseman Eli Rumler committed the fifth of six South Bend errors on the night. Schlereth went on to set down the next three in a row and strand Henry at third base.

Jordan Newton led off the top of the ninth with a double to account for the only West Michigan hit after the second inning. Audy Ciriaco then reached on an error with one out.

However, Clay Zavada induced a ground ball double play off the bat of Roger Tomas to end the game.

South Bend scored its last run in the fifth thanks to one of five errors committed by the Whitecaps.

Kibler pitched four innings and allowed all five runs (4 ER) while Paul Nardozzi threw four shutout innings of relief.

Sean Coughlin was 4-for-4 for the Hawks with two RBI.

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — Game two of the Midwest League first round series between the West Michigan Whitecaps and South Bend Silver Hawks has been postponed due to rain. The game will be moved to Friday, September 5th at 7 p.m. with game three (if necessary) on Saturday, September 6th at 7 p.m.

Tickets for tonight’s game will be valid for tomorrow’s game or any remaining playoff game this season. The tickets will also be good for any home date in April or May of 2009.

The first 1,000 fans through the gates for Friday’s game will receive Curtis Granderson bobbleheads, presented by Aquafina. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Fans will still be treated to the Farm Bureau Insurance fireworks show following Friday’s game.

For more information on the postponement, contact the Whitecaps Front Office at 616-784-4131.

COMSTOCK PARK – With seven runs in the first two innings and six shutout innings by starting pitcher Thad Weber, the Whitecaps blasted South Bend, 11-0 to force a decisive game three in a first round playoff series. The third game will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at Fifth Third Ballpark.

It was the most lopsided playoff victory in team history, besting an 11-2 triumph at Wisconsin on Game Three of the Midwest League Championship Series on September 11, 1996.

With one out in the bottom of the first, the Whitecaps recorded three consecutive RBI singles followed by an RBI sacrifice fly by Kody Kaiser for a 4-0 lead.

In the second inning, Chris Carlson delivered a two-out RBI walk and Alex Avila stroked a two-run single to right for a 7-0 advantage.

Carlson and Justin Henry each had two RBI for West Michigan while Alex Avila drove in three runs in the first two innings.

South Bend starting pitcher Cristian Beltre lasted just two innings and gave up seven runs (6 ER) on seven hits and two walks.

Tom Layne helped spare the Silver Hawks bullpen with five innings of relief, but allowed a four run rally in the bottom of the sixth, which featured five hits, an RBI hit by pitch of Kyle Peter and an RBI sacrifice fly by Joe Tucker, which provided the final margin of victory. Henry also had a two run single in the sixth inning.

Weber struck out seven batters over six innings and yielded just two hits with one walk. Andrew Hess followed with a scoreless inning of relief and Orland Perdomo pitched two shutout innings to seal the victory.

The Whitecaps outhit South Bend, 15-4.

West Michigan has won the last four decisive playoff games in which it has appeared. The last such loss was in game three of the Eastern Division Championship Series against Lansing in 2002.

COMSTOCK PARK – South Bend scored two unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning en route to a 3-2 victory, which eliminated the Whitecaps in game three of a first round playoff series.

It is the earliest that West Michigan has been eliminated since 2003 when it did not qualify for the post season.

Mauricio Robles of the Whitecaps and Pat McAnaney for South Bend each pitched five shutout innings to start the game. McAnaney allowed just one hit and retired the first 10 West Michigan batters of the game.

South Bend scored first in the top of the sixth inning off reliever Wilton Garcia. Collin Cowgill hit a one out solo home run to break the scoreless tie.

In the bottom of the sixth, Joe Tucker delivered a two out, two-run single to give West Michigan a 2-1 advantage.

Bryan Shaw allowed both runs but recorded a victory with two innings of work because South Bend took the lead for good in the top of the seventh.

With one out in the seventh, Derrick Walker reached on a throwing error by shortstop Audy Ciriaco. Jo Jo Batten then singled against Garcia.

Reliever Brett Jacobson entered the game and hit a batter, walked Matt Oxendine with the bases loaded to drive in the tying run and left due to an injury with an 0-2 count on Ollie Linton.

Paul Nardozzi came on to face Linton and allowed an RBI sacrifice fly, which drove in Batten and gave South Bend a 3-2 edge.

Daniel Schlereth pitched a scoreless eighth and Clay Zavada threw a scoreless ninth to hold off the Whitecaps, who left two on base in the bottom of the ninth.

Zavada earned his second save of the series.

The Silver Hawks will play Dayton in the best-of-three Eastern Division Championship Series, which begins Sunday.

Entry Filed under: General, Post-Game Reports

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The awards continue to pour in for Whitecaps pitcher Jon Kibler as he was named the Tigers 2008 Minor League Pitcher of the Year for his stellar season at West Michigan.

Kibler was the best pitcher in the Midwest League this season, leading the league in wins (14) and ERA (1.75). His ERA was second best in all the minor leagues. The southpaw from Freeland, Md., was even more outstanding at Fifth Third Ballpark, posting a 10-2 record with 1.46 ERA. Kibler fired two complete games this season and was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week twice along with the Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Month in May.

The Tigers drafted the former Michigan State product in the 30th round of the June 2007 draft. Overall, Kibler posted a 14-5 record with 1.75 ERA with 126 strikeouts and only 32 walks in 23 starts in just his second season of professional baseball. Kibler etched his name in the Whitecaps record book with his stingy 1.75 ERA, which ranks second in ‘Caps history behind only Jon Connolly’s 1.41 ERA in 2003.

This is the third straight year that a Whitecap was awarded the Pitcher of the Year honors with LHP Duane Below winning the honor in 2007 and RHP Burke Badenhop in 2006. Kibler is also the ninth Whitecap to win the award.

Former Whitecap Ryan Strieby was awarded the Tigers Player of the Year honors for his season at High-A Lakeland. Strieby hit .278 with a Florida State League-leading 29 home runs and 94 RBI for the Flying Tigers this season. Strieby helped lead the Whitecaps to the 2007 Midwest League Championship.

Entry Filed under: General, Press Releases

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The West Michigan Whitecaps have already brought home many prestigious post-season awards on the field, but now they are in the running to taking home the Promotion of the Year. Dave Rozema’s karate kick bobbleleg giveaway on July 9 has been selected as one of the top 10 promotions in all of minor league baseball during the 2008 season.

Minor League Baseball is holding a week-long vote on its website, milb.com, between the top 10 promotions of the year to find Minor League Baseball’s Promotion of the Year. Fans can find the story on the home page of the Whitecaps website, www.whitecapsbaseball.com, or www.milb.com to cast their vote until Wednesday, Sept. 24 at noon.

“This undoubtedly would be one of the top honors in Whitecaps history,” said Mickey Graham, Whitecaps Marketing Manager. “Last offseason we couldn’t think of a better way to honor Grand Rapids native son and hero then with one of the highlights of his career.”

Rozema’s infamous karate kick occurred on May 14, 1982 with the Tigers hosting the Minnesota Twins. A brawl broke out on the field, prompting the Tigers reliever to run out of the dugout and attempt a flying karate kick at Twins infielder John Castino. Rozema’s kick missed its mark as he ended up with eight torn ligaments in his knee and a season-ending injury.

The karate kick bobbleleg immortalizing Rozema was handed out to the first 1,000 fans to enter Fifth Third Ballpark prior to the Whitecaps home game against Clinton on July 9.

When reached for a quote at his Grand Rapids home, Dave Rozema said, "Wax on, wax off.”

Entry Filed under: General, Press Releases

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — When the Whitecaps open their 16th season in 2009, listeners in West Michigan can keep their radio dial tuned to WBBL-AM 1340 for every pitch. The West Michigan Whitecaps and Citadel Broadcasting have agreed on a three-year extension that will keep Whitecaps broadcasts on their flagship station WBBL-AM 1340 through 2011.

Whitecaps games have been heard on WBBL for the last five seasons, dating back to their championship season in 2004. Several number of games will again be available throughout West Michigan on the Whitecaps Radio Network.

“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Citadel and look forward to another three years on WBBL,” said Whitecaps Vice President of Sales Steve McCarthy. “WBBL is the local sports leader in radio so the last five seasons have been successful for all parties involved.”

“We’re thrilled to grow together with the Whitecaps after partnering with Lew Chamberlin and the Whitecaps the past five years,” said Matt Hanlon, President, Midwest Region for Citadel Broadcasting. “WBBL is the home for sports on the radio in West Michigan, so it makes sense for us to continue our relationship with a spectacular organization like the Whitecaps.”

Entry Filed under: General, Press Releases

HERE's an AWESOME-lookin' Whitecap....




sorry....couldn't help myself

COMSTOCK PARK, MI — The West Michigan Whitecaps will begin their 16th season at Fifth Third Ballpark on Thursday, April 9 against the South Bend Silver Hawks at 6:35 p.m. The Whitecaps will also conclude the 2009 regular season at home with a three-game series against the Fort Wayne Wizards from September 5-7.

While the Whitecaps will look to regain that championship form on the field next year, fans coming to Fifth Third Ballpark will enjoy a variety of entertainment acts throughout the entire season. Farm Bureau Insurance Fireworks are always a fan favorite and are back with 20 post-game shows this season, including every Saturday night beginning in May and every Wednesday night beginning in June.

The Whitecaps will unveil a new promotion called Tiger Fridays for six Fridays on June 5, June 12, June 26, July 17, July 31 and August 28. Each Tiger Friday will feature a former Detroit Tigers player in attendance and signing autographs during the game. Altogas Thrifty Thursdays also makes a return for nine dates with $2 beers, $2 pretzels, $2 Pepsi products and two hot dogs for $2.

“We’re thrilled to release the 2009 schedule full of fun and family entertainment,” said Whitecaps Promotions Coordinator Brian Oropallo. “We’ve worked on bringing back all of the fan favorites from past years and added a new weekly promotion of Tiger Fridays. We’ll continue to pursue and add entertainment to the list this offseason to provide the best experience at Fifth Third Ballpark in 2009.”

The schedule also consists of three School Days games on May 27 and 28 against Quad Cities and June 2 against Great Lakes. These three dates have a special start time of 11 a.m. to allow school field trips to make the game as the school year winds down. A pre-game clinic has been added to the schedule on Saturday, May 9 where fans will be given the unique opportunity to take part in an on-field clinic with Whitecaps players and coaches prior to the Whitecaps game.

The Whitecaps will once again help the fight against cancer during home games this year. Breast Cancer Awareness Day is set for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, which features a number of fundraising activities for the Grand Rapids affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Prostate Cancer Awareness Day will be Sunday, June 14 with proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society.

Other fan favorites the Whitecaps are bringing back next season include Peanut Free Days (May 26-27), The Famous Chicken (September 5), Field of Dreams (July 17), Myron Noodleman (May 29), Human Slinky (July 7), Rubberboy (August 4) and ZOOperstars! (July 4).

General game times for 2009 are as follows: 6:35 p.m. Mon.-Fri. (April-May), 7 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (May-Sept.) and 2 p.m. all Sundays and Saturday, April 11.

Fans can purchase season tickets and mini-plans on Monday, November
3 through the team’s website, www.whitecapsbaseball.com, or by calling 616-784-4131. Individual tickets are scheduled to go on sale in early December.

Click here for a full copy of the team’s 2009 schedule.

Entry Filed under: General, Press Releases

That's our Lap! Maggs will never have to worry about being fanless!

Comstock Park, MI - When fans enter the gates for the West Michigan Whitecaps 16th Opening Day next April, they will see a new and improved Fifth Third Ballpark. While not undergoing quite as drastic a change as New York Yankees fans are seeing with the new Yankee Stadium, Fifth Third Ballpark is experiencing a substantial facility upgrade. The $1.5 million renovation project now under way is designed to maximize fan comfort and ballpark sustainability for the next 15 years and beyond.

Topping the list of upgrades is the replacement of the red box seats with wider, more comfortable seats. Beyond the instantly noticeable color change from red to dark blue, the new box seats will provide fans with a wider seating space and vented slat chair backs. Irwin Seating Company of Grand Rapids, the world’s leading manufacturer of public seating and original installer of Fifth Third Ballpark’s box seats, has been hired to complete the seating project.

A special new feature will be the creation of a premium seating area by replacing the box seats in sections 115, 117 and 119 with top-of-the-line padded seats. The premium chairs feature 3″ upholstered cushion seats as well as vented chair backs. Rear mount cup holders will be installed on both the padded seats and the box seats.

Going hand-in-hand with the seating upgrade is an improvement to the backstop netting behind home plate. Two of the four poles supporting the netting will be removed completely and the netting itself will be replaced with a modern, thinner safety net that will allow for better viewing.

Whitecaps Vice President Jim Jarecki said that fan experience is the primary reason for upgrading the ballpark seating and backstop.

“Providing a comfortable environment is a top priority,” said Jarecki. “The positive fan experience is the backbone of our business, and this seating upgrade will enhance the fan comfort level. The padded premium seats, combined with the visibility improvement of the new netting, will convert the home plate area to the most desirable seats in the ballpark, as they are at most other Major League and Minor League ballparks.

Another upgrade aimed at fan comfort is the addition of tent coverings over the two Altogas Barbeque areas, at the ends of the first- and third-base concourse. A 20’ by 50’ tent structure will cover most of the picnic areas and provide protection from the elements, both during the early-season April games and during the heat of the summer, while maintaining an open-air feel.

Other “fan comfort” upgrades include:

* New cash registers at all concessions stands that integrate credit and gift cards, replacing the outdated registers for more efficient service to customers.

* New carpeting in the luxury suite hallways and upgraded air conditioning along the third base side suite level. The air conditioning was upgraded on the first base side last season. Other small flooring projects, such as in the suite stairwell and the home clubhouse, will be completed as well.

* Electrical system upgrades along the concourse to allow for additional concessions carts with new food and beverage items.

In addition to the noticeable upgrades, several maintenance projects are under way at Fifth Third Ballpark:

* The playing field is currently being renovated; the sod replacement project completed a year ago did not address some deeper issues - literally - with aging drainage and irrigation systems that are no longer meeting expectations. The new drainage system will allow the field to drain at 10 inches of rain per hour, a significant improvement over current drainage capabilities. The work is being done by Lohmann Sports Field out of Marengo, IL, which has also worked with such sports fields as those at the University of Notre Dame and the Great Lakes Loons. Field work is expected to be completed by November 5.

* The ballpark roof covering the front office and concourse area is being replaced by Modern Roofing Inc., a Whitecaps season ticket holder for 15 years.

* Re-lamping and re-aiming of the field lights to maintain compliance with Minor League Baseball guidelines.

* The main entrance and parking area road have been repaved, and cracks are being sealed throughout the parking area.

* Concrete and railings are being repaired throughout the ballpark.

“These improvements will allow Fifth Third Ballpark to be a viable entertainment destination for the next 15 years,” said Jarecki. “This ballpark has aged well with the work we’ve put into it over the past 15 years, and with this major undertaking, Whitecaps fans will continue to enjoy a top-notch facility in the future.”

Lew Chamberlin, Whitecaps CEO and Managing Partner, said the club has a philosophy of reinvesting its money into the Whitecaps-owned stadium, and this is yet another such investment.

“Because we are a privately owned facility, we have always had the advantage of reinvesting in the ballpark when and where we choose without the constraints of public taxpayer approval,” Chamberlin said. “Over the years we’ve reinvested literally millions of dollars into improvements at Fifth Third Ballpark. This latest project is just another example of our philosophy of reinvesting in our facility to maintain and improve the fan experience.”

Entry Filed under: General, Press Releases