Baseball in Madison, Wisconsin

Overview

The record of the Midwest League franchise in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Muskies are an interesting case. Madison generally fielded strong MWL teams, but those teams had few clear stars; all Madison's teams did was play excellent baseball. Tom Romano's MVP led the first Madison squad to a very strong season; they won 87 games, but lost in the playoffs. Although the teams which followed weren't as strong, few of them were weak. But Romano was Madison's last dominant player.

Some Muskies moved on to the Show. Scott Brosius played at Madison. So did Tim Belcher. The Canseco brothers were both Muskies: Jose for about a month in 1983, and Ozzie for most of three summers.

Madison's last MWL season was strange. The Muskies moved to Grand Rapids after 1993, but were replaced in Warner Park by the team from Springfield. They called themselves the Hatters, had a mouse for a mascot, and departed for Battle Creek the next summer.

Madison hosted the Midwest League All-Star Game in 1983.

Summary

• Midwest League seasons: 13
• Won/Lost overall: 926/859, .519
• Best season: 87/52, .626 (1982)
• Championship Playoffs Won: none
  • Championship Series Won/Lost: 6/11, .353
• Best MWL Won/Lost Record: 1 season

Madison's first franchise joined the Midwest League in 1982. This was an expansion franchise. The original Madison franchise moved to Grand Rapids (West Michigan) after the 1993 season; that franchise remains active.

The second Madison franchise moved to Madison from Springfield after the 1993 season. This franchise moved to Battle Creek (Michigan) after the 1994 season and now plays as Great Lakes (Midland, Michigan).

Seasonal Results
Other Leagues

Team Names

• Madison Muskies, 1982-1993
• Madison Hatters, 1994

Affiliations

• Oakland Athletics, 1982-1993
• St. Louis Cardinals, 1994

Officers, Managers, & Coaches

Ballpark

• Warner Park (new 1982)
  • sometimes known as the "Fish Bowl"

Attendance record

• 131,646 (1983)

Ballparks & Attendance

Best Seasons

• Hitter: Tom Romano (1982) .340, 26 HR, 98 RBI (MVP)
• Pitcher: Jeff Matulevich (1994) 30 saves; 2.84

Best Big League Career

• Terry Steinbach or Tim Belcher (1984)
  • ...or Jose Canseco....
  • ...and the Athletics sent lots of players here on rehab...

Awards

• 1982 Tom Romano (Most Valuable Player)
• 1991 Gary Jones (Manager of the Year)

Madison Highlights

Team Records

Hitters

• Batting: Tom Romano (1982) .340
• Home Runs: Tom Romano (1982) 26
• Runs Batted In: Tony Arias (1986) 103

Seasonal Hitting Leaders

Pitchers

• Wins: Mark Jarrett (1982) 14
• Won/Lost (10 decisions): Darin Kracl (1990) 10/2, .833
• Earned Run Average: Tony Ariola (1989) 1.86
• Strikeouts: James Chenevey (1988) 167

Seasonal Pitching Leaders

Notes

This summary originated as the December 10, 2000, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.

Sources

These pages draw heavily on several sources:

• Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, eds, The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Durham: Baseball America, 1997)
• Midwest League Media Guide and Record Book (Beloit: Midwest League, various years; title varies)
• Kevin Saldana, Today in Minor League Baseball History (???: SalFam Books, 1999)
• Baseball America's Almanac (Durham: Baseball America, various years)
• News sources.