The Wausau Woodchucks are an American baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. They play their home games at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin.
History
Athletic Park was previously occupied by the Wausau Timbers of the Class A Midwest League, who relocated after the 1990 season to Geneva, Illinois, to become the Kane County Cougars. The Timbers (and Wausau Mets before them) had hosted numerous future major leaguers including Edgar Martínez, Omar Vizquel, Harold Reynolds, and Mookie Wilson.
The Woodchucks began play in 1994 as one of the five original franchises in the Northwoods League, along with the Rochester Honkers, Manitowoc Skunks, Kenosha Kroakers, and Dubuque Mud Puppies. The Woodchucks are the only team among these five that has played continuously in its original city since the league's inception.
The team was known as the Wausau Woodchucks from 1994 to 1998, but the team name was changed to Wisconsin Woodchucks for the 1999 season, as they were the only remaining team in Wisconsin in the league at that time.
The Wisconsin Woodchucks won the Northwoods League championship twice, in 2001 and 2003. 2003 was a particularly notable season as Woodchucks team MVP was future MLB standout Ben Zobrist. Upon receiving the team’s MVP award, Zobrist reflected; “The Woodchucks have been good to me and given me so many opportunities. I’m excited to accept this award, not on behalf of my own achievement, but on behalf of everyone on the team.”
The Woodchucks' manager for the 2007–2009 seasons was Jim Gantner, a former Milwaukee Brewer who attended college at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Gantner had never managed a team previously, and the Woodchucks appealed to him as he had spent time in the area at a second home. Gantner became the team's president of baseball operations in 2009.
In 2022, the Woodchucks announced a return to their original team name—the Wausau Woodchucks—with a new logo and color scheme.
Woodchucks in MLB The following is a list of former Woodchucks to appear in Major League Baseball.
Name Year(s) with Woodchucks MLB accolades Justin Berg 2003 Lance Broadway 2004 Jay Buente 2004/2005 J. D. Davis 2012 Paul DeJong 2014 All-Star Zach DeLoach 2018 Daniel Descalso 2006 World Series champion Parker Dunshee 2014 Jerad Eickhoff 2010 Sam Freeman 2007 Dave Gassner 1998 Mike Gerber 2011 LuJames Groover 2021 Brent Headrick 2018 Tyler Heineman 2011 Casey Janssen 2001 C. J. Kayfus 2021 Taylor Kohlwey 2014/2015 Bryan Lavastida 2018 Nick Loftin 2018 Mark Lowe 2002/2003 Nate Mondou 2014 Jon Moscot 2010 Pat Neshek 2000 All-Star (2x) Wes Obermueller 1998 Jared Oliva 2014/2016 Ethan Pecko 2023 Kevin Pillar 2010 16.1 career bWAR Chris Reed 2009 Darin Ruf 2007 Brock Stassi 2010 Ka'ai Tom 2014 Pat Venditte 2007 Namesake of Pat Venditte Rule Steele Walker 2016 Danny Young 2013 Ben Zobrist 2003 All-Star (3x), World Series champion (2x), WS MVP
References
External links Wausau Woodchucks – official site Northwoods League – official site