By Zane Miller
In the 62-season long history of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the team has gone 8 for 16 in championship finals appearances, to go along with making 23 postseason appearances in total. As of this writing, Wisconsin’s best regular season record came in 1978 at 97-40, while their worst came in 2015 at 50-89. These are the top five single seasons by starting pitchers that I felt have stood out the most during the team history of the Timber Rattlers.
In total, the team has won 10 championships, coming in 1960, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 2012. The team was previously known as the Fox Cities Foxes from 1958 to 1966, before becoming the Appleton Foxes from 1967 to 1994.
5. Fred Rath (1966)
The 80th overall pick of the 1965 draft out of Baylor by the Chicago White Sox picked up a 17-3 record in 1966 with the Foxes, doing so on the strength of five home runs, 36 earned runs and 127 hits allowed in 169 innings pitched, taking a 1.92 ERA. Fox Cities finished the year at 77-47 to reach the 1966 playoffs, sweeping the Cedar Rapids Cardinals two games to none in the finals to win the third championship in franchise history. Rath would make his major league debut with the White Sox in 1968.
4. Don Eddy (1969)
After being signed as an amateur free agent by the White Sox in 1966, Eddy went 18-3 with the Foxes in 1969, allowing nine home runs, 33 earned runs and 134 hits in 164 innings for an ERA of just 1.81. Appleton claimed an 84-41 showing during the 1969 season, winning their fifth championship in franchise history. Eddy would make his major league debut with the White Sox in 1970.
3. Rich Devincenzo (1983)
The 149th overall pick of the 1980 January draft out of Miami Dade by the Montreal Expos earned an 18-6 record with the Foxes during the 1983 season, courtesy of 10 home runs, 50 earned runs and 141 hits over the course of 179 and two-thirds innings, getting an ERA of 2.50. Appleton finished with an 87-50 record to make the 1983 playoffs, defeating the Waterloo Indians two games to one in the first round, before taking down the Springfield Cardinals three games to one, clinching back-to-back titles and their eighth championship in franchise history.
2. Rich Gossage (1971)
The 204th overall pick of the 1970 draft out of Wasson High School in Colorado by the White Sox scored an 18-2 record with the Foxes in 1971 as he allowed just nine home runs, 38 earned runs and 141 hits over 187 innings pitched for a 1.83 ERA. Appleton went 79-44 to qualify for the 1971 playoffs, losing to the Quad Cities Angels two games to one in the first round. Gossage would make his major league debut with the White Sox in 1972. In 2008, Gossage was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 310 career saves and a World Series championship in 1978.
1. LaMarr Hoyt (1978)
The 109th overall pick of the 1973 draft out of Keenan High School in South Carolina by the New York Yankees took a 18-4 record with the Foxes in 1978, giving up just nine home runs, 61 earned runs and 187 hits in 189 innings for a 2.90 ERA. Appleton earned their franchise-best regular season record at 97-40 to qualify for the 1978 playoffs, sweeping the Waterloo Indians two games to none in the first round, before defeating the Burlington Bees two games to one in the finals to take their sixth championship in franchise history. Hoyt would make his major league debut with the White Sox in 1979.
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