Your fan guide to baseball in Wisconsin (other than the Brewers)

[ASFN Admin]

Milwaukee Brewers baseball has been a fixture of summers in the Cream City for 55 years, but there's also a rich history of the sport throughout the city that goes beyond the walls (and roof) of American Family Field.

And while you may still be waiting to taste the city's first World Series championship since 1957, you can rest assured there's plenty of high-level baseball to be played. Whether we're talking minor leagues, independent ball in the American Association of Professional Baseball or Wisconsin's massive footprint in the Northwoods League (for college-age players), the region is crawling with affordable, family-friendly trips to the diamond.

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Minor-league baseball​

Wisconsin is home to two affiliated minor-league teams, though both require a drive from Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, as most Brewers fans know, have been affiliated with the Brewers since 2009. The Midwest League, which houses Wisconsin, had been home to low Class A teams before a minor-league reorganization, moving Wisconsin one step closer to the Brewers as an Advanced Class A level.

• Who's playing? Top prospects and those employed by a Major League organization.
• Schedule: April through the first week of September this year.

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Wisconsin Timber Rattlers​

• Location: Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, Appleton (a little more than 100 miles north of Milwaukee).
• Tickets: $12-$55.
• Affiliation: Advanced Class A affiliate of Milwaukee Brewers.
• Famous alumni: Hall of Famer David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez are perhaps the franchise's two most famous alumni, though several eventual Brewers came through Wisconsin, including Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick.
• Current players of note: Pitching prospects Bishop Letson and Tyson Hardin are fascinating risers in the Brewers organization, and first baseman Blake Burke was a 2024 first-round (competitive balance) pick. Infielders Jadher Areinamo and Juan Baez are also among the organization's top 30 prospects. Fans will want to keep an eye on the prospect-loaded Carolina team of Class A, with several top-flight prospects making a name for themselves and possibly in line for a promotion to Wisconsin in the not-too-distant future. That includes one of the best prospects in baseball, Jesús Made.

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Beloit Sky Carp​

• Location: ABC Supply Stadium, Beloit (a little less than 80 miles southwest of Milwaukee).
• Tickets: $15-$24.
• Affiliation: Advanced Class A affiliate of Miami Marlins.
• Famous alumni: Numerous former Brewers, including Paul Molitor, played in Beloit back when the organization was known as the Snappers (the name change came in 2022, and the affiliation changed from 2004). Teddy Higuera, Greg Vaughn, Jim Gantner and B.J. Surhoff all played there, as did more recent players like Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder. More recently, current MLB all-stars Matt Olson and Matt Chapman played there when the franchise was affiliated with the Oakland Athletics.
• Current players of note: The top prospect in the Marlins organization, left-handed pitcher Thomas White, is on the roster. He's regarded as the No. 34 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. Another top-100 prospect, Noble Meyer (the No. 5 prospect in the Marlins organization), is a right-handed pitcher for the Sky Carp.
• What's a Sky Carp?It's a slang term for a goose that doesn't migrate.

Independent baseball​

The American Association of Professional Baseball has provided baseball fans with an alternative in recent years, including the Milwaukee Milkmen (which began in 2019) and the Lake Country Dockhounds in Oconomowoc (which began in 2022).

• Who's playing? Former minor (and major) leaguers looking to stay in baseball, high-level players trying to remain in the game and earn attention of big-league scouts.
• Schedule: Mid-May to Sept. 1.

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Milwaukee Milkmen​

• Location: Franklin Field, Franklin
• Tickets: $11-$51
• Famous alumni: It's not uncommon to see players with the Milkmen after they've played in the big leagues, including Manny Corpas, former MLB all-star Henderson Álvarez and even former Brewers pitcher and current announcer Tim Dillard. Current Brewers reliever Jared Koenig was prepared to begin the 2019 season with the Milkmen before he was traded.
• Current players of note: Former Brewers prospect Mario Feliciano, who played in three big-league games with Milwaukee, is on the roster. Former Greendale High School star Griffin Doersching, an ex-MLB draft pick, is an infielder.

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Lake Country DockHounds​

• Location: Wisconsin Brewing Company Park, Oconomowoc
• Tickets:$8-$62
• Famous alumni: Former big leaguers like Sterling Sharp (obviously not the new Hall of Fame football player) and Jon Duplantier played with the DockHounds last year. Duplantier signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers thereafter but was released to pursue professional baseball in Japan.
• Current players of note: Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Robert Gsellman is on the roster, one of two ex-MLB players listed.
• What's a DockHound?It refers to dogs on boats and docks in Lake Country during the summer.

Northwoods League​

Founded in 1994, the Northwoods League collegiate summer wooden-bat league has had a big footprint in Wisconsin, starting with the Wausau Woodchucks as one of the inaugural teams.

The league has since added squads in Madison (2001), La Crosse (2003), Eau Claire (2005), Green Bay (2007), Wisconsin Rapids (2010), Mequon (2012), Kenosha (2014) and Fond du Lac (2017). You're hard pressed to find a Major League roster today that doesn't include at least one alumnus of the league.

In Milwaukee, the Lakeshore Chinooks play on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon. The organization, co-founded with the help of Brewers legend Robin Yount, is about to enter its 13th season.

• Who's playing? Current college players with eligibility remaining looking to keep playing through the summer. Players haven't been drafted and aren't paid.
• Schedule: Late May through Aug. 9.

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Lakeshore Chinooks​

• Location: Kapco Park, Mequon
• Tickets:$10-$20.
• Famous alumni: Eventual Milwaukee Brewers Brian Anderson and Owen Miller (himself a Wisconsin native) have played for the Chinooks, as has Milwaukee native and current Kansas City Royals pitcher Alec Marsh. The league in general has had at least one alumni selected to every big-league all-star game since 2008, including Chris Sale, Max Scherzer, Curtis Granderson and (gulp) Pete Alonso.
• Current players of note: The Chinooks roster has numerous players who hail from Wisconsin.
• What's a Chinook? It's a salmon.

How far away are the other Wisconsin teams in the Northwoods League?​

• Kenosha Kingfish: 40 miles south of Milwaukee.
• Fond du Lac Dock Spiders: 65 miles northwest.
• Madison Mallards: 75 miles west.
• Green Bay Rockers: 115 miles north.
• Wisconsin Rapids Rafters: 175 miles northwest
• La Crosse Loggers: More than 200 miles northwest.

Current Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin played for the Dock Spiders for two seasons. Tampa Bay Rays top prospect Chandler Simpson, "the fastest man in baseball," also played for the Dock Spiders in 2021. Alonso played for the Madison Mallards in 2014. Future Cy Young winner Chris Sale played for La Crosse in 2008.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Your fan guide to baseball in Wisconsin (other than the Brewers)

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