Back in the days when major league doubleheaders were held frequently, Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame shortstop Ernie Banks was known to say cheerfully, "Let's play two!"
And "two" is the operative word for the 2010 Wood River American Legion baseball program, which will field two "A" teams instead of one during the Area C southern Idaho league schedule of doubleheaders.
One team, the established Wranglers with players in the 16 to 19 age range, will play a 40-game summer season. The other team, the Mud Dogs, consists of mostly 14-16 year-old players, or current freshmen and sophomores in high school. The Mud Dogs have 34 games scheduled.
The Mud Dogs are designed to fill a gap in the overall Wood River summer baseball program, which hasn't had a Babe Ruth 13-15 year old program for several years.
Program director and Wood River Wranglers head coach Matt Nelson said, "After careful consideration and the availability of players this summer, we have come up with the Wrangler and Mud Dogs rosters.
"The new coaches for the Mud Dogs are two former players of mine, Sean Bunce and Tyler Israel. They were both captains and great guys. Sean and Tyler are volunteering their time and expertise to the young kids in the program this summer."
Wranglers and Mud Dogs will meet for the season doubleheader debut Thursday, June 3 at 4 p.m. at Founders Field, Hailey. The Wranglers travel to Kimberly Friday.
Last year, the Wranglers (25-18, 13-4 home, 6-6-4 in doubleheaders) finished right in the middle of the 17-team league pack with a 16-16 league record, good for the eighth seed in the Area C tournament. Wood River won three of its five games in the tournament to finish fifth overall—scoring 297 runs (7.8 per game) and yielding 232 (6.1) on the season.
The top-seeded Bonneville Bees of Idaho Falls (32-5), league champion by an 8-4 score over #3-seeded Upper Valley of St. Anthony, went on to win the State "A" American Legion title 16-2 over the Emmett Blue Devils on the Orofino diamond.
Since Upper Valley defeated the Buhl Tribe (29-11) by a 6-5 score for third place at state, the results meant that the Area C league had three of the top four teams at state in 2009. Only Bonneville, Upper Valley and Buhl qualified for state from Area C.
From last year's Wranglers squad, veterans like Greg Wakefield, Michale Brunker and Bryan Bray have moved on. But there is plenty of experience back led by this year's graduating seniors Keven Abbott, Shane Friesen, Jimmy Hague, Juan Martinez and Tyler Peters.
Friesen led the 2009 Legion squad in pitching with a 7-2 record including a no-hitter in Wood River's 8-0 victory over Treasure Valley that nailed down the championship of the Wes Miller Memorial tournament last June 11-14 in Nampa. But Friesen isn't listed on the depth chart as a pitcher in 2010.
Juniors are pitcher Jake Freeman, Zach Israel, Tazmin Lyons, Alex Padilla, Alex Thomas, Nathan Farrow, Brandon Beall and John Siegel. Current sophomores are Collin Dean, Braxton Parish and Connor Braatz. The freshman on the 17-player roster is Nick Brunker.
On the Mud Hogs are 13 players including the sophomores Haiden Aitken, Ryan Buell and Kevin Cooley, plus freshmen Gage Jorgenson, Cam Benson, Finn Isaacson, Tim Boyle, Gray David, Joe McGonigal, Dylan Simpson, Ben Williams, Marshall Reyburn and Kyle Clark.
WR Day Baseball Camps
Wood River is building its baseball foundation with a pair of day baseball camps this month for boys and girls ages 9-13.
Nelson said, "The Wood River Day Baseball Camps in June are an opportunity for the young kids in the program—Rec League, All-Stars and Babe Ruth players—to meet with and be coached by our high school players and their coaches."
"It should be a ton of fun and a great learning experience. You'll learn more about the fundamentals of hitting, pitching, catching, throwing and fielding. It will be a fundraiser to help the American Legion team with its player fees and travel."
The two camps are scheduled for Monday through Wednesday, June 14-16 at Founders Field and June 21-24 at Hailey's Nelson Field, from 9-11 a.m. each day. Cost is $100 for early registration before June 11, and $120 if paid on the day of the camp.
Email Nelson at Mnelson@blaineschools.org, or call him at 721-2784.
2010 WR Wranglers American Legion Baseball
This year's schedule for the 2010 Wood River American Legion Wranglers "A" baseball program (40 regular-season games—22 home and 18 away). All home games at Founders Field, Hailey. This year's Area C "A" league includes 17 teams. Both games count in the league standings for each doubleheader. Home games in bold.
DATE, DAY OPPONENT LOCATION
June 3, Thursday WR Mud Dogs Home, 4/6
June 4, Friday Kimberly Away, 4/6
June 7, Monday Snake River Home, 4/6
June 8, Tuesday Idaho Falls Rangers Tautphus Park, 2/4
June 9, Wednesday Pocatello Razorbacks Home, 12/2
June 11, Friday Bonneville Home, 4/6
June 14, Monday Buhl Away, Ferris Park, 5/7
June 15, Tuesday Twin Falls Home, 3/5
June 16, Wednesday Blackfoot Home, 4/6
June 17, Thursday Nampa tournament Rodeo Park, Nampa
June 18, Friday Nampa tournament Rodeo Park, Nampa
June 19, Saturday Nampa tournament Rodeo Park, Nampa
June 20, Sunday Nampa tournament Rodeo Park, Nampa
June 22, Tuesday Upper Valley Home, 1/3
June 23, Wednesday Burley Green Sox Away, 4/6
June 28, Monday Skyline Grizzlies Away, 4/6
July 5, Monday Bear Lake Home, 4/6
July 6, Tuesday Canyon Ridge Home, 4/6
July 9, Friday Jerome Away, 3/5
July 13, Tuesday Pocatello Rebels Home, 3/5
July 14, Wednesday Hillcrest Home, 4/6
July 16, Friday Marsh Falls American Falls, 12/2
July 19, Monday "A" tournament play-in game TBA
July 21, Wednesday Area C "A" tournament American Falls
July 27, Tuesday State "A" tournament Burley
2010 WR Mud Dogs American Legion Baseball
This year's schedule for the 2010 Wood River American Legion Mud Dogs "A" baseball program (34 regular-season games—14 home and 20 away). All home games at Founders Field, Hailey. Both games count in the league standings for each doubleheader. Home games in bold.
DATE, DAY OPPONENT LOCATION
June 3, Thursday WR Wranglers Home, 4/6
June 9, Wednesday Upper Valley St. Anthony, 1/3
June 14, Monday Idaho Falls Rangers Tautphus Park, 2/4
June 15, Tuesday Bonneville Idaho Falls, 12/2
June 19, Saturday Marsh Falls Home, 12/2
June 21, Monday Blackfoot Away, 3/5
June 22, Tuesday Pocatello Razorbacks Hallawell Field, 12/2
June 25, Friday Canyon Ridge Twin Falls, 4/6
June 29, Tuesday Twin Falls Away, 3/5
June 30, Wednesday Burley Green Sox Away, 4/6
July 1, Thursday Kimberly Home, 4/6
July 6, Tuesday Bear Lake Home, 11/1
July 8, Thursday Snake River Moreland, 4/6
July 12, Monday Skyline Home, 4/6
July 13, Tuesday Jerome Home—Nelson Field, 3/5
July 15, Thursday Hillcrest Home, 12/2
July 16, Friday Buhl Away, Ferris Park, 6/8
July 19, Monday "A" tournament play-in game TBA
July 21, Wednesday Area C "A" tournament American Falls
July 27, Tuesday State "A" tournament Burley
Wood River High School graduating senior Keven Abbott fields a Founders Field grounder during an April game in Hailey. Abbott is one of the Wolverine regulars suiting up for the Wranglers American Legion team in 2010. Photo by David N. Seelig
