Northwoods Madison Mallards

Five Confirmed Players to Appear in MLB and Alumni Game

Published on July 26, 2011 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Madison Mallards News Release


MADISON, WI - July 26, 2011. The Madison Mallards are excited to announce that several former Major League Baseball players have been confirmed to appear in the 6th annual Mallards MLB and Alumni Game August 14th at the "Duck Pond," which will begin at 5:05 p.m.

Five former MLB players will make appearances, with the headlining appearance to be made by baseball's all-time hits leader Pete Rose. Rose will not be playing in the game.

The five confirmed former big leaguers are as follows:

Pete Rose - Rose, whose career spanned from 1963 to 1986, is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), and at-bats (14,053). He won three World Series rings ('75, '76, '80), three batting titles ('68, '69, '73), one Most Valuable Player Award ('73), two Gold Gloves ('69, '70), the Rookie of the Year Award ('63), and made 17 All-Star appearances at five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B and 1B).

Jim Gantner - Gantner, a Fond du Lac, Wisconsin native, played with the Milwaukee Brewers for his entire career spanning 1976 to 1992. In 1,801 games, Gantner hit .274 with 1,696 hits. He scored 726 runs and drove in another 568 and had a career on-base percentage of .319. He was a member of the 1982 Brewers team that went to the World Series. Gantner is no stranger to the Northwoods League, as he was named manager of the Wisconsin Woodchucks for the 2007 season.

Jay Johnstone - Johnstone played for eight different major league clubs, most notably the Chicago Cubs from 1982 to 1984, and accumulated a .267 batting average with 102 home runs and 531 RBI over his 20-year career. As a Los Angeles Dodger in 1981 he hit a pinch-two run home run in game four of the World Series against the New York Yankees to help win the game 8-7. Johnstone was known for keeping clubhouses loose with random pranks and gimmicks.

Bill Lee - Lee played from 1969 to 1982 for the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos. In 1973, he went 17-11 with a 2.95 ERA for the Red Sox and was selected to the American League All-Star team. Lee started two games in the 1975 World Series for the Sox, including the pivotal game seven against the Cincinnati Reds. He was an effective finesse pitcher, throwing an eephus pitch dubbed the "Spaceball."

Jerry Reuss - Reuss spent 22 seasons in the majors as a left-handed pitcher from 1969 to 1990. He played for eight different teams during his career, including the Dodgers, Pirates, Brewers, and Cardinals. Reuss is one of only 29 players to have played major league baseball in four decades. He went 220-191 with a 3.64 ERA in his career, and also notched 1,907 strikeouts. He was a two-time All- Star (1975 and 1980), won a World Series championship in 1981 with the Dodgers, and was named the 1980 National League Comeback Player of the Year.

The alumni game has featured other prominent players in baseball history, including Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew (2006), Ferguson Jenkins (2007), Rollie Fingers (2008), Paul Molitor (2009), and Robin Yount (2010).

Gates to the game will open at 3:00 p.m. and there will be a pre-game autograph session where fans will have the chance to meet Pete Rose and the rest of the MLB and Mallards alumni.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as the Mallards announce other participants expected to make an appearance at the game, including the list of former Mallards' players.

The Madison Mallards are members of the 16-team summer collegiate Northwoods League. Great seats remain for all games! Fans can purchase tickets one of three ways: 1) online, 2) over the phone by calling the ticket office at 608.316.DUCK (3825), or 3) in-person at the "Duck Pond." Group tickets, including hospitality areas perfect for company outings are on sale as well.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Northwoods League Stories from July 26, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central