April 6, 2023 at 6:23 a.m.
Rhinelander adult baseball team taking shape
Team set to begin Dairyland League play May 14
That's changing this spring with a new team set to take to Stafford Field.
The Hodag Diamond Club is putting together a Rhinelander team for the Dairyland League of the Wisconsin Baseball Association. The team is set to play a 12-game schedule beginning May 14 in Merrill. Most games will be played on Sunday afternoons as part of a seven-team league.
Amateur baseball used to be big in Rhinelander several decades ago but, like men's fastpitch softball, interest slowly began to fizzle. To the best of the recollection of anyone in attendance Sunday during an organizational meeting, the last time Rhinelander had a team in the WBA was the early 2000s.
Considering the success that the RHS baseball and Rhinelander Post 7 American Legion baseball teams have had on the diamond the last few seasons, the Hodag Diamond Club was approached about the idea of fielding an adult team for recent graduates.
"We think it's a great opportunity for these younger guys and recent grads to play and sort of keep baseball strong in Rhinelander. I think it will be a good thing," Diamond Club president Todd Johnson said. "This is an opportunity for these guys to get back, play with old teammates and play hardball -and play competitive hardball. The teams that we're playing against, they're going to be good teams and they're going to have good pitching. It should be good, competitive games."
Johnson attended the Dairyland League's winter meeting this past February down in Medford, where Rhinelander was approved to join the league. The league features amateur teams from several northern and central Wisconsin towns and will split into two divisions this year. Rhinelander will be part of the larger, more competitive division that will vie for a spot in the WBA state tournament in August. Everest, Marshfield, Merrill, Minocqua, Wisconsin Rapids and Whittlesey make up the remainder of the seven-team league.
Since then, Johnson said, the ball has been rolling to drum up interest.
"It's just sort of putting out the feelers and the early responses that we got were favorable," he said. "If there wasn't any interest, then there wouldn't be any sense in doing this, but the response was overwhelmingly favorable."
So far, Johnson said, at least 15 players have expressed interest in playing this season, many of whom have graduated RHS within the last 10-12 years.
"I think we can put together a pretty darn strong team, especially getting a mix of some of the recent high school/legion players," he said. "Some of them went on to play college ball. Then we'll have some college players back. I think, on field, we can put out a pretty competitive team."
While certainly appealing to any former Hodag or Rebel players, Johnson said eligibility is open to anyone who lives within a 30-mile radius of Stafford Field.
"We'd like to have as many players as possible," he said. "We have as many as we want, initially but, for the state tournament, we can roster up to 20 for a potential state tournament team."
The team, with a moniker to be named later, is scheduled to play six times at Stafford Field beginning May 21 against Marshfield. With the exception of a Saturday night contest June 24 against Minocqua, all of the team's home games will have 1:30 p.m. Sunday start times.
"I think a lot of people will enjoy coming down to Stafford Field," Johnson said. "It's a great venue. It will be Sunday afternoons and you'll really be able to see a lot of the players that recently played down there. They're all high school, varsity players, legion players. I think it will be a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon."
Much of Sunday's meeting was spent discussing logistics of getting ready for the season - especially while snow is still on the ground. The team is working to find some time to hit, throw and practice inside the Hodag Dome - and then down at Stafford Field, once the snow melts. Dairyland League play actually begins May 7, but Rhinelander drew a bye during the first round, giving the team one more week to get ready for its opener.
"Six weeks out and, as we speak, we're just a couple of days out from the big April Fool's storm," Johnson said. "It's hard to look outside and truly think baseball at this time but, luckily, we've got a first-week bye. We play that second week and maybe we have a couple of the college guys back. We're going to count heavily on them to do some throwing for us."
Johnson said the Diamond Club is working to cover league fees and the purchase of bats to use for the wood-bat league but there will be some player costs involved to cover the purchase of jerseys and other items.
Those interested in playing can contact the Hodag Diamond Club via Facebook, or contact Johnson at 715-490-0194.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at jeremy@
rivernewsonline.com.
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