RiverHawks to Honor All-Time Team Friday

Published on June 10, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Rockford RiverHawks News Release


LOVES PARK, Ill. - The greatest players in Rockford RiverHawks history, as selected by fans, will be honored Friday.

The team will recognize the members of the All-Time RiverHawks Team, presented by The Hemmens Cultural Center, Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet and Johnny Pamcakes before the 7:05 p.m. game against Gateway. The first 1,000 fans will receive a poster featuring the 14 honored players.

In celebration of their 10th season, the RiverHawks offered fans the chance to decide who is the greatest player in team history at each position, from starting pitcher to shortstop to outfield. More than half a million votes were cast at the team website, RockfordRiverHawks.com.

The members of the All-Time RiverHawks Team, presented by The Hemmens, Lou Bachrodt and Johnny Pamcakes, are:

Outfielder Rich Austin (2002-04, 2010-) - Austin was Frontier League Most Valuable Player in 2004 and a member of Baseball America magazine's All-Independent League All-Star Team. He hit .359 with 15 home runs and 77 RBI for the RiverHawks, who won Rockford's first pro baseball pennant since the 1950 Rockford Peaches. Austin still holds team records in the latter two Triple Crown categories and is second on the all-time list in each as well. The player nicknamed "The Franchise" returned to Rockford in 2010 and broke his own team walks record. Austin is now the team's manager and a Rockford resident.

Outfielder Jason James (2006-10) - Name a significant RiverHawks hitting record, and James likely has it. James had a Frontier League-record 40-game hitting streak two years ago and was a Baseball America All-Indy first-team member. His .374 average that year was the highest in team history. He holds the career record in eight categories, including all three Triple Crown stats, and is the only player with 500 hits in a Rockford uniform. When the RiverHawks moved from the Frontier to the Northern League at the end of the 2009 season, James left the circuit in sixth place on the all-time hit list and No. 2 among active players. He was a three-time FL All-Star. He now plays for Fargo-Moorhead of the American Association.

Outfielder Tony Pigott (2002-03) - Pigott was a mainstay in center field in the team's first two years at Marinelli Field. was an all-star in 2002, the RiverHawks' first season in the Stateline. He is fourth on the team's all-time steals list. Pigott now resides in Rockford and is a youth baseball instructor.

Third baseman Ben Fjelland (2002-04) - Fjelland is one of just four players with 300 hits in a Rockford uniform. Though he played his last game in Rockford's 2004 pennant-clinching game at Marinelli Field, he is still among the leaders in several offensive categories. Fjelland was an all-star in '02, when he hit .344.

Shortstop Jono Brooks (2007-10) - Brooks is among the all-time leaders in home runs and stolen bases. His 24 homers is good for fifth on the all-time list. His 71 career steals in 3 seasons puts him in second place. Last year, Brooks' .972 fielding percentage led Northern League shortstops.

Second baseman Joe Anthonsen (2006-08) - Anthonsen hit .352 with a team-record 135 hits to win the 2008 Frontier League batting title. The leadoff hitter also scored a team-record 79 times that year. In the team's all-time records book, Anthonsen in third in runs (170) and steals (67) and fourth in hits (309). In 2007, Anthonsen's .974 fielding percentage led league second basemen. Anthonsen now plays for Sioux Falls of the American Association.

First baseman Patrick O'Sullivan (2010) - O'Sullivan threatened the team's single-season home run record until his only Rockford season ended early because of injury. O'Sullivan still hit .287 with 13 home runs, two short of the record, and 50 RBI. O'Sullivan, a Rockford resident, is now the team's hitting coach.

Catcher Kevin Ciarrachi (2002-05) - Ciarrachi returned from two shoulder surgeries to backstop the pennant-winning 2004 team. Ciarrachi, a Frontier League All-Star, threw out 25 percent of attempted base stealers that year. In the deciding game of the RiverHawks' first-round series against the Grizzlies, Ciarrachi had a run-scoring, extra-base hit in each of Rockford's last two offensive innings. Ciarrachi hit .277 in his four seasons as a RiverHawk and was charged with just eight passed balls.

Starting pitcher Garrett Bauer (2006-08) - Bauer was a starter in the 2006 Frontier League All-Star Game. The lefty won 23 times in three seasons, second in the record books. No pitcher in team history started more games than Bauer, and he holds seven career records, including strikeouts (317). On July 1, 2008, he struck out five batters in an inning, just the fourth occurrence in nearly 150 years of pro baseball and the first time it had happened in a Frontier League game.

Starting pitcher Tanner Watson (2005-07, 2009) - Watson, with 27 victories over two stints with Rockford, is the all-time wins leader. The only thing that kept the Canadian from multiple all-star appearances was late arrivals thanks to homeland security. In 2007, Watson had one of the all-time great Frontier League seasons. He set a single-season record with 11 wins and had the lowest ERA - 2.17 - and fewest hits allowed by a FL starter. Watson won a team-record seven consecutive starts from July 13 to August 20. Although he lost each of his last two starts, he came back on two days' rest to pitch a must-win game in the season finale. Watson struck out five in three hitless innings of relief to beat Kalamazoo and give the RiverHawks the wild card. Watson, with 242 strikeouts, is second on the all-time list.

Starting pitcher Kyle Wright (2009-10) - Wright is the only pitcher in team history with a pair of 10-win seasons. In 2009, he was a Frontier League All-Star, posted a 2.24 ERA to become the RiverHawks' first ERA champ since Shelley, and pitched a team-record seven complete games. Wright, with 20 wins in a Rockford uniform, is third on the all-time list. His 10 career complete games is the team record. He now pitches for Sioux City of the American Association.

Setup pitcher Dave Dowling (2005-07) - Dowling spent his entire career with the RiverHawks. He made 95 appearances, more than any other pitcher, and was regarded by many on-field personnel as the Frontier League's top lefty setup man. Dowling averaged nearly a strikeout an inning during his career, with a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio to boot. He was 12-16 with a 3.79 ERA, six saves and 141 strikeouts.

Closer Mike Marksbury (2006-08) - Marksbury, a two-time Frontier League All-Star, was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2007 break. He had 14 saves, a 1.33 ERA, a .119 opposing batting average and a strikeout and a half an inning at that point. Marksbury was 3-2 with a 4.58 ERA and 28 saves, the most in team history, in his two-plus seasons with the RiverHawks. He averaged more than a strikeout an inning.

Designated hitter Aaron McEachran (2004-05) - McEachran was the cleanup hitter for the 2004 championship team. He hit .332, second in the league, with 11 home runs and 62 RBI. The two-time All-Star hit 25 homers, third all-time, in a Rockford uniform. He also spent a year as the team's hitting coach after his playing career.

The Hemmens Cultural Center is located in downtown Elgin. From contemporary music and theatre to shows for the whole family, The Hemmens features popular acts in an intimate setting.

Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet of Rockford is Winnebago's County's premier Chevy dealer. Lou Bachrodt is located near Cherryvale Mall, just minutes from the stadium.

Johnny Pamcakes, located on E. State St. near Fairview, offers made-from-scratch breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The RiverHawks are members of the Frontier League, a 12-team independent professional baseball league in its 19th season. Advertising and ticket information is available by calling (815) 885-2255. Fans can also visit www.rockfordriverhawks.com.

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Frontier League Stories from June 10, 2011


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