muckdogs

BATAVIA, NY -- It's cold. There are still patches of snow on the ground with more fluffy showers predicted for this week. But it's not too early to start thinking about spring.

In Arizona and Florida, pitchers and catchers have reported. And Friday Muckdogs faithful gather for the team's annual hot stove league dinner.

But before we look toward a new season, let's reflect once more on an incredible 2008 Muckdogs season.

How incredible? According to Brian Walton of Scout.com, it was remarkable in a number of significant ways.

With a record of 46-28 (.622) the Muckdogs posted the best winning percentage of any team in the St. Louis Cardinals system.

It was Batavia's first championship since 1963 and the first New York-Penn League championship for a Cardinal's affiliate since 1994.

The last Cardinals New York-Penn League affiliate to post a better record than the Muckdogs was the 1992 Hamilton (Ontario) Redbirds. That club went 56-20 (.737). Ironically, their manager was the current leader of the Memphis Redbirds, Chris Maloney.

No Cardinals minor league club at any level had registered a better record than the .622 2008 Muckdogs in the last 15 years! It is tops in the entire system since the 1993 Savannah Cardinals of the Single-A Sally League had a .662 winning percentage (94-48).

For more on the record setting season, read all of Brian's post.

Don't miss Friday's dinner. The 2008 season is well worth Batavians remembering, and we look forward to a great season in 2009 thanks to the Cardinals and Red Wings' organizations.

We just got up a post about a contest to name the new Batavia Muckdogs mascot and thought to give the readers of The Batavian a chance to share some of their suggestions. We've offered a few obvious choices—or maybe not obvious, who knows—but most folks will likely want to give their own. If that's the case, simply click the 'Other' option and type in your choice. We'll retrieve the suggestions from the poll site and post them in the comments field throughout the day.

If you would like to make your vote official, please download the official Name the Mascot form and drop it off at Dwyer Stadium.

This past December, at Batavia's Christmas in the City event, our sports editor, Brian Hillabush, snapped a photo of a stray dog decked out in a santa hat and a trench coat. That's him looking cool here to the right. Well, that dog was spotted a few more times after that, romaing the city, looking for a home.

Now, thanks to the Batavia Muckdogs, this stray dog has a home. He was adopted by the organization this morning and officially named as the Muckdogs new mascot. But there's one thing... He doesn't have a name! And the Muckdogs are hoping we can fix that.

Here are all the details:

On January 20th, 2009, in celebration of National Adopt a Mascot Day, the Batavia Muckdogs decided to officially adopt a very large, stray dog found sniffing around the City of Batavia.

The dog, which stands between five and six feet tall, weighs in at over 150 pounds, is brown with black patches, and has a very friendly smile.  He was first seen in early December at Christmas in the City.  The next sighting found him enjoying the sparkling lights at the Holland Land Office Museum’s Wonderland of Trees.  Apparently he likes to skate, because his travels took him to Falleti Ice Arena in early January.  Then he was seen meandering around TOPS where several children spotted him in front of the dog bone section. Recently, he drew lots of attention cooking it up at Pauly’s Pizza.

“I’ve seen the dog wandering around the area. He is very friendly and really enjoys being around kids. On top of that, he seems to love the game of baseball. For those reasons, I think he will find a good home at Dwyer Stadium,” said Travis Sick, general manager of baseball operations. “He’s a bit large, but we have a big yard here at Dwyer,” added Travis.

The new Muckdog’s mascot will make his first public appearance on Friday, January 23, 2009 at Jackson Elementary School in Batavia.

“Adopting a new pet is a huge responsibility. I think our staff and fans will do everything they can to make this dog feel right at home. I did a little research and I found this breed is really playful with kids, thrives on hotdogs, and excels at chasing batted balls,” said Casey Freeman, general manager of stadium operations.

The Muckdogs’ decision to adopt the dog was made when they learned the friendly canine needed a home.  The adoption took place at the Genesee County Animal Shelter, located in Batavia.

The Muckdogs will introduce a “Name the Mascot Contest” this week with entry forms available in the Daily News and at Dwyer Stadium. Fans have until February 13 to turn in their name suggestions for Batavia’s new best friend. The fan who comes up with the winning name for the pooch will receive a motorized scooter courtesy of Dr. Pepper and Snapple and four tickets to the Muckdogs’ home opener on Friday, June 19 vs Auburn. Fans interested can fill out the necessary form and mail it to Dwyer Stadium at 299 Bank Street, Batavia, NY 14020.

Dave Wellenzohn has a championship ring and had a great experience while meeting "great people in Batavia".

But he was let go as general manager of the Batavia Muckdogs after this season by the Rochester Red Wings, who are owned by the Rochester Red Wings Management, LLC.

Things happen fast in minor league baseball, and Wellenzohn found his new job quickly after searching since the end of the season.

Just yesterday, Wellenzohn was hired by the Savannah Sand gnats as  Director of Tickets and Sales.

"I was the one left holding the short end of the stick (after the season)," Wellenzohn said. "I'm thrilled to be leaving Batavia. I'm happy to be going to Georgia because I've lived there before. I'm looking forward to setting up residence and hopefully being there for a while."

Wellenzohn being happy about leaving Batavia has nothing to do with the people or his experience during the season. In his interview he used the words "bitter sweet" very often. 

Batavia won its first New York-Pennsylvania League title in 45 years on September 14 and he was let go on the 15th. 

"I would not trade my experience in Batavia for anything, but I wouldn't do it again either," Wellenzohn said. "It was bitter sweet and I was the only one that lost. But it was nice. We won a championship and I met a lot of nice people."

Wellenzohn literally was ready to move back to his home town of Buffalo. He had the moving truck booked, found an apartment and had an appointment to have his satellite TV set up.

After having no luck finding a job, he was just going to head home.

But he was hired by the Sand gnats yesterday and is now looking for a place to live there, while canceling his plans to move to Buffalo.

"One of my former employees at Jamestown is there and is the public relations director for NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, and she's helping me to find some housing. I need to find a place that allows dogs because I still have my trusty companion, my german shepard."

The Sand gnats are a full-season Class A team that is an affiliate of the New York Mets that plays in the South Atlantic League. The team has one of the oldest stadiums in the country, but there is talk of a new one being built in the near future.

He will be wearing his first championship ring when he starts his job on February 2.

"Baseball continues to move on and the calendar moves on," Wellenzohn said. "I'll be with a new team and a new affiliate, but I'll have my first championship ring on my finger. We won 50 games and that is neat. It's something I'll never forget."

A question to our city leaders ............ All those huge piles of snow recently deposited in the parking lot of Dwyer Stadium......  When it melts and it will, where will the water go? Let's guess together, shall we.  Water will seek the lowest level which at this time is the Visiting Clubhouse , the area around the deck and then right field. This water will be both above ground and below. Right Field is always the wettest spot due to the low spot that is and has been there for years. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the parking lot is part and parcel  a part of the stadium, which means it is covered by the existing lease with Rochester. I'll also guess that Rochester wasn't asked about using the stadium as a snow and ice dumping ground. 

I'm about to become a "former citizen" of Batavia in 2 weeks. It was a great and eventful , some might say CHAMPIONSHIP year. It's Jan. 14th, city of Batavia. GCC baseball starts in about 2 months.  Look at the mountains that continue to be built and ask :  "Did we think this thru?"  

 GOODBYE BATAVIA, IT'S BEEN AN ADVENTURE !           Dave Wellenzohn GM    NYPL 2008 Champions Batavia Muckdogs

Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle reports this morning that the Red Wings operations crew, Rochester Community Baseball, lost more than $250,000 on the Muckdogs in 2008 "in an effort to save professional baseball in Batavia." Because of that loss, not even a $150,000 profit pulled in by the Red Wings was enough to keep the company from losing nearly $95,000 for the year.

Naomi Silver, chief operating officer of RCB, spoke with Bob Matthews:

"Considering the poor economy, we're pretty happy with our overall financial statement. But Batavia was a tough nut. We won't stay in Batavia indefinitely if the operation continues to lose money."

Red Wings group outings and advertising set all-time record highs, according to Matthews. Not so rosy in Batavia.

"We expected to lose some money in Batavia due to startup costs at Dwyer Stadium, but attendance was disappointing," Silver said. "We're going to run the Muckdogs again next year, and this time we'll have a full offseason to sell tickets and advertising.

Attendance for the 2008 Muckdogs was 45,398, including the playoffs. That was up slightly over 2007. The Muckdogs won the NY-P league championship for the first time since 1963.

"Although the Batavia operation was unprofitable in 2008, we recognize that it was a transition year — and a losing year," RCB president Gary Larder said. "We are optimistic about an improved financial outcome in 2009."

Silver stressed that the company wants to keep the team in Batavia, "ideally" for 20 years, but she was careful to note that "we're taking our committment one year at a time."

Please check out the complete article by Bob Matthews.

From the Batavia Muckdogs:

Today, Red Wings Management, LLC announced that Travis Sick and Casey Freeman will accept new positions as general managers of the NY-Penn League champion Batavia Muckdogs’ front office.  Mr. Sick and Mr. Freeman were both instrumental in running the operation throughout the 2008 season.

Freeman, 31, joined the Muckdogs in May as the Director of Food and Beverage.  In that capacity, he was responsible for the significant upgrade to the food service operation at Dwyer Stadium.  Freeman’s background is in food and facility management.  He studied Hotel Resort Management at Finger Lakes Community College and earned a B.S. in Sport Studies at St. John Fisher College.  He performed an internship with the Red Wings organization in 2003.  Freeman will become the General Manager of Stadium Operations, effective November 11th.

Sick, 23, spent the 2008 season as Director of Ticket Operations for the Muckdogs, after joining the team in April.  Travis was born in Wayland, New York and attended Wayland-Cohocton Central School. He graduated from St. John Fisher College with a B.S. in both Sport Management and Business Management.  Travis was an intern with the Rochester Red Wings organization in 2007, working in the Group Sales and Promotions departments. He will become the General Manager of Baseball Operations November 11th.

In their new capacities, both gentlemen will sell group tickets and advertising, with Sick’s additional focus being on marketing, public relations and baseball matters , and Freeman’s on concessions, merchandise, website and stadium management.

“I am excited about the opportunity that we’ve been given,” said Travis Sick.  “We’re both very eager to get out there and start doing the job we know we can do for this franchise.  We’ve spent a season getting to know Batavia and its people, and I am confident we will do a job that will make the community proud.   This is a great time to be with an organization - coming off a championship season.  I can’t imagine it being any better.”

Casey Freeman added “We’ve learned a lot this past year, and will continue to learn.  But this is a job that we are both well prepared for and looking forward to.  We understand that there will be challenges in turning this into a high functioning franchise, but we like the enthusiasm we see in this town. I just returned from a New York Penn League meeting, and my goal is to bring this franchise up to the level of some of the other successful franchises in our league.  The other teams are very supportive of our efforts and they promise they will do all they can to share insight into their success. With that and the support of the Red Wings, we certainly have a great start.”

“We are very pleased to be able to retain these two fine young baseball executives within our organization”, stated Naomi Silver, Chairman of the Board of Red Wings Management and the Rochester Red Wings, its parent company.  “They did an outstanding job for us this past season and we are confident that they will be effective in their respective areas of responsibility.  These are two individuals who have a good working knowledge of how a baseball organization should run, and they each have a genuine interest in providing the fans and sponsors of Muckdogs baseball with a quality experience.  They will do what is necessary to grow this franchise.”

Both men will continue to work closely with Red Wings’ General Manager, Dan Mason.  “I see real talent in these two gentlemen.  They both know that it takes a lot of heart and a lot of hard work to make an organization a success.  They have skills and a work ethic that is critical to our line of work, and they love their jobs.  I think they both have very bright futures, and I am very pleased to be able to keep them both on our staff”, said Mason.

The Muckdogs front office will be launching a significant sales initiative this month in anticipation of a very positive public response following the capture of the New York Penn League Championship.  Mr. Mason stated “An organization can wait years for the kind of success we had on the field in our first year running this team.  The fan response has been really great.  It is an exciting time in this franchise’s history, and that of this community.  To have gone from the team almost disappearing to being the best in the League is incredible. Experience tells us that the year following a championship is always a big year and Travis and Casey are ready for that job.”

We were wondering when the Muckdogs would make their appearance in the Holland Land Office Museum's countdown of the Twenty-Five Things that Made Genesee County Famous. Well, they've made it. They broke the top ten. They come in at No. 9.

So we all know why we here in Genesee County love the Muckdogs—and we loved them all the more after the brought home the league title this summer. But how do the 'Dawgs make Genesee County famous?

Here's Pat Weissend, director of the Holland Land Office Museum:

Although Batavia is one of the smallest cities in America to have a Minor League franchise, the team consistently ranks near the top of the merchandise sold list. More than 100 Little League and softball teams across the country use Muckdogs as their team name.

Not to mention the world champs:

Many major leaguers began their professional careers in Batavia including World Series champions and current members of the Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Kyle Kendrick, Ryan Madson and JA Happ. National media outlets visited Batavia in 1998 when Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams played left field for the team. Some of the early Batavia greats were Jack Tighe, Dick Fowler, Manny Sanguillen and Doc Ellis. Clarence (Cito) Gaston led Batavia and the league in homers and runs batted in while playing for the 1966 Trojans. Gaston won two World Series as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1990s.

Congrats, Muckdogs!

OK, now that we're getting near the top of the list, it's time to start making some predictions. Surely, William Morgan will crack the top five. Bill Kauffman has got to be up there, too, as someone who has quite consciously made Genesee County famous with his book: Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette. A controversy over a transgender science teacher at a Batavia city school has to be at least number three.

What do you think? What's your number one?

Be sure to keep your browser tuned to the Holland Land Office Museum in the coming weeks. We could see our number one by the end of the year.

 The Batavia Muckdogs won the New York-Pennsylvania League title this past season with a sweep of Jamestown. It was Batavia's first championship since 1963.

Now the honors come rolling in.

Manager Mark DeJohn was named St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Manager of the Year by Scout.com for guiding the Muckdogs to the title.

"“To be very honest with you, I would put it right up there as probably one of my most rewarding years that I’ve spent in the game,” DeJohn told Scout.com.

It is DeJohn's second season in Batavia and the second year the Cardinals have been the parent organization of the Muckdogs.

Pitcher Scott Gorgen was named 2008 Minor League Rookie Starter of the Year after going 5-2 with a 2.32 ERA for the Muckdogs.

Adam Reifer was as good as they come in the closer role, making 23 saves for Batavia, including a 1 2/3 inning save in the championship win. He was named the 2008 Minor League Rookie Reliever of the Year in the Cardinal organization.

Four former Batavia Muckdogs just earned World Series rings.

The Philadelphia Phillies just beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 to win the World Series 4 games to 1, claiming the first team title in 28 years.

Philadelphia used to be the parent club of the Muckdogs before St. Louis took over two years ago and some players on the team got their professional baseball start in Batavia.

First baseman Ryan Howard hit six homers in Batavia, playing 48 games in 2001. Second baseman Chase Utley batted .307 while playing 40 games in 2000.

Starting pitcher J.A. Happ went 1-2 in 11 starts for Batavia in 2004 and reliever Ryan Madson had a 5-5 record in 15 starts in 1999.

 The Philadelphia Phillies are moving on to the World Series after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, and several of the players on that roster started their professional baseball career in Batavia.

The Phillies were the parent club of the Batavia Muckdogs before the St. Louis Cardinals took control two seasons ago and they developed some quality players that are now going to have a shot to win a Major League Baseball title. 

Philadelphia beat the Dodgers 5-1 in the NLCS and are moving on to the "Fall Classic" for the first time since 1993.

First baseman Ryan Howard hit six home runs in 48 games for the Muckdogs in 2001, including a shot to right field that is often talked about as the longest in Dwyer Stadium history.

Second baseman Chase Utley had a .307 batting average while playing 40 games with Batavia in 2000.

Starting pitcher J.A. Happ started 11 games and went 1-2 for the Muckdogs in 2004 and reliever Ryan Madson went 5-5 in 15 starts for Batavia back in 1999.

 These former Batavia Muckdogs along with the rest of the Philadelphia Phillies will open up the World Series next Wednesday against either the Tampa Bay Rays or the Boston Red Sox.

Tampa Bay currently leads that series 3-1.

On Thursday, October 16th from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. the Batavia Muckdogs will be at the Holland Land Office Museum with the New York – Penn League Championship T-Shirts.

While you’re at the Holland Land Office Museum, bring your camera and get your picture taken with the League Championship Trophy.

The t-shirts are available in black and grey and cost $18 for adult sizes small to extra large and $19 for sizes double x and larger.

Can’t make it to the Holland Land Office Museum on Thursday? The t-shirts are available at Dwyer Stadium, the Holland Land Office Museum, Red Wings Team Store at Frontier Field and on the web at www.muckdogs.com

Bob DiCesare's column today for the Buffalo News is about Dave Wellenzohn, the job he did for the Batavia Muckdogs and his quest for another position with a minor league baseball team.

“The minute Rochester came in they pretty much stripped me of all authority, which was fine,” he said. “It made financial sense to run it out of Rochester. But I was still the GM. I handled all the baseball ops and I was pretty much the face of the team. I had my radio show and all that so that was good for me because I knew I was pretty much putting together my resume for the next job.”

Wellenzohn promised himself that he wouldn’t let his state of limbo undermine his passion for the sport. He got on the field before Batavia home games, microphone in hand, and worked to stir up the crowd. He drove seven hours to Lowell, Mass. for the Muckdogs semifinal playoff opener, then turned around after the three-hour game and drove straight back to Batavia. No wonder the team’s booster club stepped outside the box and named him its Fan of the Year. It was just another strange occurrence in the most unorthodox of seasons with the grand ending still waiting to be written.

Attention all you Muckdogs fans and supporters! if you haven't heard, Muckdogs championship t-shirts are available for purchase! Check out the website, muckdogs.com (direct link here: http://muckdogs.com/index.asp?orgid=67&storyid=315&sid=FD4A130C-FED5-441D-8157-560D0254FB2F), for more info!