Wichita Wingnuts News

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

It's 11:30 on a Thursday morning, not exactly a prime television viewing hour.

Flipping channels in his office in the back of the Wingnuts' clubhouse, manager James Beauchamp -- who goes by his middle name, Kash -- stops on a program about baseball in the 1960s.

Beauchamp's eyes light up as they drift back to his childhood, when he and his father, Jim, who played in the major leagues from 1964-73, developed a bond woven tighter by baseball. It began to develop when Kash uttered his first word -- ball.

Jim's superior talent alone would have made him a productive professional ballplayer, but he accentuated it by playing with an all-out style that he passed down to his son.

Beauchamp, 45, is still grinning as he reaches for a biography about Ty Cobb, his favorite player. He reads out loud a brief passage and through his words comes a self-appointed responsibility to make sure his father's memory -- and style of play -- live on.

"He was old school," Beauchamp said. "Hard-nosed, tough, fair and honest."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Two months ago, Brad Horning and Jeremy Schnedler were acquaintances who occasionally ran into each other at social functions.

They decided to meet at the Wingnuts' first game on May 8, and they happened to sit in section 118.

Since then, the term "section 118" has become obsolete. It's now known as "The Nuthouse."

Horning and Schnedler are the founding members, and the group of diehard Wingnuts fans has grown to about 30 fans, male and female, ranging in age from 23 to 37.

"It was a matter of a couple games where we'd meet in the parking lot and scream 'Go 'Nuts,' " said Horning, 37. "People would come over and introduce themselves, and we told them they could come sit with us."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Two nights after the worst home defeat of the season and about an hour after wasting a strong pitching performance, frustration set in for the Wingnuts. At least for manager Kash Beauchamp.

Beauchamp was ejected in the second inning of Wichita's doubleheader nightcap with Sioux Falls. His animated argument with home plate umpire Blake Felix may have been just what the Wingnuts needed. They followed it with three runs, carrying them to a 5-2 win.

Sioux Falls won Game 1 2-1 on a two-run home run by Grant Richardson in the sixth inning off Brad Davis. Both games were seven innings.

"I'm tired of getting my brains beat in by Sioux Falls," Beauchamp said. "We just got boat raced the first night (a 13-1 loss on Monday), and the first game was a heartbreaker, to have Brad go out and pitch that well."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

In taking two of the first three games from the Wingnuts at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium this week, Sioux Falls showed its superior offense and starting pitching. Despite Kevin Cheppenko's best efforts to match the Canaries' relief pitching in the series finale on Thursday, Sioux Falls proved its bullpen is more balanced.

Canaries relievers combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing Sioux Falls to hold on for a 6-5 win.

Sioux Falls is sending three starting pitchers to the All-Star game later this month, but on Thursday the American Association North Division first-half champions showed their bullpen can be dominant, too.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

During his seven-year major league career, though, Mohr never had a night like the one he had on Friday against Lincoln. A few more like it and Mohr could find himself back in a major league uniform soon.

Mohr had a double, two homers and a Wingnut-record six RBIs. His solo home run off the left-center field scoreboard broke a tie and helped Wichita to a 11-10 victory at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Brenan Herrera hit the pitch after Mohr's homer over the wall in left for back-to-back home runs and provided possibly the game's most key hit because closer Byron Embry allowed a run in the top of the ninth.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wingnuts' 15 minutes of fame appear to be winding down. Though manager Kash Beauchamp's tirade on Wednesday will stand up as a highlight of Wichita's inaugural season, the national attention the incident received is likely over as a new week begins.

At least one Wichita player, however, didn't welcome the attention.

"I'm a little bitter, to be honest with you," closer Byron Embry said. "Every baseball player in America who turned their television on and watched what happened wishes they had Kash Beauchamp as their manager. Everybody wishes they had a manager that will make a complete (jerk) out of himself on national television just because someone got cheated out of an at-bat."

The Wingnuts have become a known commodity because of Beauchamp's argument in the second game of a doubleheader against Sioux Falls, which included removing his shoe and putting it near home plate umpire Blake Felix's face and doing the same with his armpit.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Ask Chris Colton to pinpoint the moment he realized he possessed superior defensive capabilities and he doesn't refer to his seven-year professional baseball career.

Instead, Colton brings up his freshman year of high school in Georgia, when an opposing player hit a ball to right-center and Colton, shaded left, ran to track it down.

Colton made a diving catch and got up to throw out a runner trying to score from third base.

"I think that was the turning point of my baseball career right there," Colton said. "I thought to myself, 'Man, I'd like to do this for a living.' "

Colton, the Wingnuts' center fielder, has always prided himself on defense. It's the one constant in a group of tools that have proved inconsistent during his professional career, which began in 2002.

rRead the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Stephen Pearson put up numbers on Friday night that made up for the game he missed on Thursday.

A night after being benched by manager Kash Beauchamp in the midst of a slump, Pearson drove in runs in his first five at-bats with two homers, two doubles and a fielder's choice, then helped bring home two more in the 11th to tie the score.

Felipe Del Rosario ended the game with a bases-loaded line-drive single in the 11th, but it was Pearson's night. He single-handedly carried Wichita's offense and led the Wingnuts to an 8-7 win over Sioux City at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Maybe Wichita is taking advantage of favorable matchups. Maybe its better play on the road in the second half is just a coincidence. Maybe the players are getting plenty of sleep on the bus.

Or maybe, according to manager Kash Beauchamp, there is a good reason for the Wingnuts' improved play away from home.

"Making it a priority when we started the second half that we have to play better on the road," Beauchamp said.

The Wingnuts have found the road less treacherous in the second half, winning three of the last four series away from Lawrence-Dumont Stadium after winning one such series previously.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

There may be no explanation for Wichita being baffled Saturday by Sioux City's Cameron Cheek except that maybe the Wingnuts just don't hit well on Saturdays. Cheek shut out Wichita for five innings and the Explorers held on for a 2-1 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Cheek has been shuffled between the bullpen and starting rotation this season and entered the game with a 2-2 record and 4.53 ERA. Opposing hitters batted .311 against him.

Using a mix of off-speed pitches that he kept mostly on the outer half of home plate, Cheek avoided trouble on Saturday, allowing two runners into scoring position and retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced, including 11 in a row at one point.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wingnuts started the season with uncertainty around he infield.

Wichita knew what it had in Kevin Hooper, a former major leaguer who was approaching 1,000 professional hits. But the rest of the group -- which included since-departed players David Gates and Derek Schermerhorn -- was a major question mark.

With Stephen Pearson and Brenan Herrera stepping into starting roles, the infield has turned into Wichita's biggest strength, with all four members producing all-star quality seasons.

"They've been outstanding," Hooper said of his infield partners. "Pearson has been turning it on for us lately. We slotted him in the No. 4 hole about a week ago and he's been hitting ever since, and Herrera and (Kevin) Thompson have been steady for us all year long."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Barreling into the catcher on a play at the plate when necessary is just as much an aspect of Kash Beauchamp baseball as laying down a sacrifice bunt.

Beauchamp prefers a player who is willing to do both. The Wingnuts manager preaches equal parts small ball and hardball.

He learned an aggressive style during the 1960s and '70s from his father, the late Jim Beauchamp, who played 10 seasons in the major leagues and was a longtime minor league manager.

"I liked the way the game was played back then," Beauchamp said. "So that's kind of what I look for and that's kind of the way I played. I had to play that way. I was not an A-Rod-type talent." 

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Entering Friday, Richard Salazar had made 192 professional relief appearances and four starts. If he learns a windup and figures out how to control his digestive system, Salazar could be a perfect fit for the Wingnuts' rotation.

Salazar stepped into the N 5 starter's role and pitched six innings, allowing two runs in the Wingnuts' 8-3 win over El Paso at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Wichita's win, coupled with Sioux Falls' loss to St. Paul, leaves the Wingnuts 2 ½ games behind Sioux Falls for first place in the American Association North Division. They have seven games remaining in the season's first half.

"It's a huge lift for this club to find Salazar and for him to step up," Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp said. "He's got to learn to be a starter now. He was about to throw up after he came out of the game -- he was exhausted. But he left it all out on the mound and I respect him for the effort he gave."

Salazar inherited the role from Ronnie Ball and Demetri White, who were released this week after both failed as the No. 5 starter. Ball and White were Nos. 1 and 2 in the league in walks. Salazar provided a polar-opposite performance against the Diablos.

Read the rest of the story HERE.
 

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Following Saturday's 4-3 loss to El Paso at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, there was no music, no banter and little hope. Wichita dropped to 3 ½ games behind Sioux Falls in the American Association with six to play in the first half.

The Wingnuts were saying all the things they would be expected to say in such a situation, but the downtrodden looks on their faces suggested they didn't really believe their own words.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Saturday's loss to El Paso was the Wingnuts' most devastating defeat of the season, since it left in peril Wichita's chances to win the American Association North Division. Sunday, when the Diablos defeated Wichita 5-2 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, the Wingnuts reached their low point. Bad baserunning and mental mistakes were prevalent and perhaps only overshadowed by Wichita's inability to deliver in the clutch.

The Wingnuts fell to 4 ½ games behind first-place Sioux Falls with five to play in the first half. Wichita has lost six of its last eight games and dropped its first home series of the season.

"Just an awful, awful day at the ballpark. Hopefully it doesn't get any worse than this," Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp said. "Run ourselves out of innings, have to take a guy out of the game for not hustling and it all comes back to haunt us."

Wichita's mistakes started early, when Blake Gailen attempted a two-strike bunt that rolled foul down the first-base line. The Wingnuts made two key outs on the bases and left 10 runners on base, getting little to show for their 13 hits.

The Diablos provided the difference with one swing, a three-run home run by Bryon Smith in the fourth inning off Wichita starter Justin Young. The Wingnuts intentionally walked Matthew Kent, putting runners on first and second to face Smith with one out.

Read the rest of the stort HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wingnuts scored more runs than they had in the previous four games combined, and Blake Gailen needed just an inning to establish a team record for RBIs.

Perhaps taking out their frustration over dimming playoff hopes that officially were dashed Monday, Wichita used a 12-run sixth inning to beat Shreveport and former Wranglers pitcher Thad Markray 16-2 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Gailen doubled and homered and totaled five RBIs in the sixth inning, when every player in the Wichita lineup -- including pinch-hitter Paul Bartolucci -- reached base at least once and Wichita took advantage of three errors by the Sports.

Before the game, Wichita signed Jose Amado and Leivi Ventura and released outfielder Heath Keel, who was tied for the team lead with five home runs. Wichita had scored four or fewer runs in six of its last eight games.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

When the umpires made a late infield-fly call in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday, it was evident the Wingnuts were about to become involved in the season's latest episode of manager drama.

Shreveport skipper Terry Bevington didn't disappoint. He was ejected shortly after he began protesting the call, which cost the Sports an out and a Wichita run.

But the agrument turned into a 15-minute spectacle with Bevington refusing to leave the field and Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp threatening to pull his team off it.

The Wingnuts managed to avoid more drama -- a more typical variety -- by breaking open a tie game with five runs in the sixth, propelling them to a 10-5 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

With the bases loaded and one out in the first, Wingnuts third baseman Michael Thompson hit a towering pop fly near the first base line. The umpires didn't call the infield fly, and when first baseman Adam Miller dropped the ball, Brenan Herrera attempted to score from third. 

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Eagle staff-

Sioux Falls pitchers silenced the Wingnuts for 13 consecutive innings in a 2-0 and 10-2 sweep on Tuesday in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Canaries (23-13) took a 1 ½-game lead over St. Paul in the American Association's North Division. Wichita (20-17), which got its lone runs in the seventh inning of the nightcap, fell 3 ½ games behind the Canaries.

Ryan Ford and Kris Regas combined on a four-hitter in the opener. Wichita loaded the bases twice against Ford, but he worked out of the jams by striking out three Wingnuts batters.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Eagle staff-

The Wingnuts' inaugural season opener against Sioux City was postponed on Wednesday because of rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday.

Today's game will be played as scheduled at 7:05 p.m. at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.  LISTEN LIVE HERE.  Friday's doubleheader, featuring two seven-inning games, starts at 5:05 p.m.

Left-hander Brad Davis is still slotted as the opening day starter for Wichita.  He spent last season in the Oakland Athletics organization, advancing to Triple-A Sacramento, and owns an 18-8 career minor league record.

Sioux City features former Wichita State infielder Nick McCoola.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wingnuts and St. Paul narrowly avoided more on-field drama and the Saints easily avoided a three-game sweep at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, beating Wichita 12-4 on Sunday afternoon.

A play at home plate riled up the Saints, but it didn't come close to escalating to the level of Saturday, when Wichita closer Byron Embry threw behind Kevin Sullivan, starting a brawl that saw eight players ejected and resulted in seven suspensions.

Wichita had mostly done its job in winning the first two games of the series, pulling to within a half game of the Saints, who are tied with Sioux Falls for first place in the American Association North Division. The season's first half concludes June 28.

With a chance to rise in the standings, the Wingnuts were done in by a poor starting pitching performance by Ronnie Ball and a relief corps that wasn't much better.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Fans in Wichita are getting their first look at the St. Paul Saints, independent baseball's flagship franchise, during their three-game series with the Wingnuts at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

The real fun, according to those who have experienced it, is getting to witness a game in St. Paul's Midway Stadium. That's where the Saints' popularity shines through their enthusiastic fan base and the clever promotions concocted by co-owner Mike Veeck.

"From Day 1, St. Paul has done it the right way," Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp said. "They have an unbelievable marketing guy in Mike Veeck. It's almost legendary what they have going there. They're the Yankees of independent baseball, no doubt about it."

Veeck is the son of former major-league owner Bill Veeck, who was known mostly for the innovative publicity stunts he brought to the game.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

By Bob Lutz, The Wichita Eagle-

It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon, a little more than six hours before game time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, and Michael Thompson is awaiting an interview inside the Wingnuts' dugout.

It's a time he asked for, since he's always at the park early anyway.

No other player will arrive for a while. Thompson probably even beats the manager, Kash Beauchamp.

Thompson is the epitome of a "first to arrive, last to leave" athlete, driven by something he doesn't even fully understand.

"From the time I was 2 years old," Thompson said, "I wanted to be a professional baseball player."

So here he is, 24 and playing third base for the Wingnuts after twice being released from major-league organizations.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The St. Paul Saints apparently don't take kindly to "Hakuna Matata" or attempted beanballs.

The hard feelings between St. Paul and the Wingnuts on Saturday started when the Saints took exception to the Disney music played during their batting practice. It boiled over when Wichita closer Byron Embry threw behind Saints right fielder Kevin Sullivan, starting a brawl that saw eight participants ejected.

The ninth-inning melee proved to be the main attraction, upstaging a brilliant pitching performance by Brad Davis in the Wingnuts' 5-2 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Wichita now sits a half-game behind the Saints in the American Association North Division.

The tension between the teams began to mount last weekend, when Wichita shortstop Kevin Hooper collided with Sullivan, then catching, during a play at the plate in St. Paul. Hooper and Sullivan got tangled up after the play, and the Wingnuts saw it as Sullivan laying on top of Hooper to prevent him from getting up.

Embry said he and Sullivan, former teammates with the Saints, are friends and he threw behind him to send a message.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Catching second-place Sioux Falls is the No. 1 item on the Wingnuts' checklist, but the real target is St. Paul, which leads the American Association North Division.

That's why it's nearly impossible to overstate the importance of Wichita's three-game series with the Saints at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The Wingnuts used timely hitting and dominant relief pitching to take the first game 7-5 on Friday and pull to within 1 ½ games of the Saints.

The Wingnuts remain a game behind Sioux Falls, which beat Grand Prairie 3-1 on Friday. Wichita has 15 games remaining in the season's first half.

"It's as big as it gets," Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp said. "Task one, you can put a check mark by it, but we've got two more tasks. It's all right there in front of us. I'd like to be in second place instead of third, but we play (Sioux Falls), too. It's gut-check time."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

By Kirk Seminoff, The Wichita Eagle-

Keep us in stitches

The Wichita River Kats. The Wichita Cracker Jaxx. The Wichita Wing Nutz. Or, please, none of the above. With the city's new professional baseball franchise beginning a name-the-team contest today, it seems the right time to review Wichita's past sports team nicknames. What good is history if we don't learn from it?

Especially bad history. (The Jobbers? C'mon.)

Up, up and away

Joe Greene, director of group ticket sales for the Thunder and the new American Association baseball team, said there are few limitations to a winning nickname. It has to be in good taste, of course, and he'd like it to be creative and have a tie to the community.

And you know what that means.

"A lot of teams have tried something related to the Air Capital," Greene said. "We would like something not necessarily similar to that, but we're Wichita's team and we're going to be here for a very long time."

Wichita has already been home to the Blue Aces, Wings, Aeros, Jets, Pilots, Stealth, Aviators, Bombers and Dreamliners.

What's left? The Wichita Runways? Exit Rows? Tray Tables?

The W factor

Starting with the Wichita Wolves in 1914, more than a third of Wichita's 20 professional sports franchises have adopted "W" nicknames over the years. The double W is pleasing to the ear, but what's left after the Warlords, Wild, Wind, Wings, Witches, Wolves, Wranglers, Warriors, Weller, Wheatkings and Wolverines?

Maybe Water Bugs? Warblers? Werewolves? Whirligigs?

Thunder and...

With one office running the Thunder hockey team and a new baseball club, it's natural to think they might like being the Thunder and the Lightning.

But it's been done. Stockton, Calif., has the Thunder minor-league hockey club and the Lightning Arenafootball2 team. Greene didn't rule out the same names here, but didn't sound all that excited about the duplication, either.

What about...

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is located at the intersection of Maple and Sycamore. Anyone interested in a tree nickname? The Wichita Trunks? Twigs? Saps? Branches?
Isn't it time we take pride in our flatness? How about the Wichita Flatlanders?
Or combine ideas and make it the Wichita Planesmen.
Greene said the franchise doesn't have to start with "Wichita." Keep in mind "Kansas Jayhawks" is taken, however.
Please, step away from the nicknames with an X or Z ending. Red Sox, White Sox and Jazz are enough in this world.
Sports editor Kirk Seminoff, who requests the nickname be no longer than seven letters for the sake of Eagle headline writers, can be reached at 316-268-6278 or kseminoff@wichitaeagle.com.

Wichita Business Journal, by Pat Sangimino-

Wichita's newest professional sports team will officially be named Friday.

In addition the team will unveil a team logo and announce its field manager and pitching coach during a ceremony at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Wichita Pro Sports Inc., which owns and operates the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League, was selected by the city of Wichita during the summer to run a minor league baseball team.

"This is something new and exciting," says Josh Robertson, the team's general manager. "It's an expansion team that we get to build from scratch."

Team president Chris Presson says more than 30 candidates for the manager's job had been interviewed.

"There has been a lot of interest in the job," he says.

The team will play in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball and will play its games at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The season begins in early May.

The Wichita Wranglers, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, relocated to Springdale, Ark.

By Joanna Chadwick, The Wichita Eagle-

Wichita's American Association baseball team still doesn't have a name, but don't fret. It will have one soon. Really.

Wichita Pro Sports, which includes Thunder hockey and the unaffiliated baseball team, expects to announce the team name and the manager late next week.

The company held a name-the-team contest nearly two months ago. But no name was announced.

Turns out the naming was delayed because Wichita Pro Sports had been approached by two local companies interested in buying naming rights.

"We were pretty flattered with that," said Josh Robertson, the baseball team's general manager. "We had to go through the due process because of the stockholders and shareholders and decision-making. It needed to be a mutually-agreed upon name."

When that fell through, Robertson said four names were discussed -- Dust Devils, Spirit and Dreamliners, three of the top vote-getters in the name-the-team contest. He said Wichita Pro Sports also received calls and e-mails pushing the name Wingnuts.

"When we talk about branding it, we want a name that is new and fresh," Robertson said. "It shouldn't be forgotten about."

The naming of the team will now be decided by the owners.

However, Robertson said the prize package that was promised during the name-the-team contest will still be given, possibly at the same news conference as the team name announcement.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Heath Keel carefully watched the at-bat before his and stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with what he felt was a sound approach.

Lincoln reliever Vince Davis had just walked pinch hitter David Gates on five pitches, giving Keel a chance to provide a game-changing hit.

"There was a base open, so I knew I was going to have to make him throw a strike or put something in the zone," Keel said. "I went up there to see the pitches and see them well and basically not swing until I got a strike."

Keel worked a full count before depositing a changeup over the left field wall for a three-run home run, the difference in the Wingnuts' 8-5 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Tuesday.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Since Dustan Mohr had his contract purchased by the Colorado Rockies on May 27, the Wingnuts have been searching for someone to replace the void the seven-year major league veteran left in the offense.

While Wichita has made trades and signed free agents, the last two nights have proved that the best options to pick up Mohr's slack have been with the team all along.

Chris Colton came a home run short of the cycle and Heath Keel homered for the second consecutive game and scored three runs in the Wingnuts' 10-3 win over Lincoln on Wednesday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Colton and Keel have combined for five extra-base hits in the first two games of the series, both Wingnuts wins. They've showed that if they can produce offensively, Wichita's lineup can be equally dangerous.

"Every guy in our lineup can hit, 1 through 9," Keel said. "It's just a matter of getting the opportunities and carrying over a good at-bat to the next at-bat and a good game over to the next game."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Eagle staff-

Alliteration? Check.

Uniqueness? Check.

A nut with wings that provide a grip for the thumb and forefinger? Um... check.

Wichita's new baseball team will be called the Wingnuts.

Wichita Pro Sports, which owns the Thunder hockey team as well as the Wingnuts, revealed the team's name during a news conference Friday at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

A name-the-team contest was held this summer, but no name was announced until Friday. Wingnuts was chosen over the top vote-getters in the contest: Dust Devils, Spirit and Dreamliners.

"It's a very universal part," Wingnuts general Josh Robertson said. "'Wing' obviously ties in with the city of Wichita, and obviously you can do a lot with it."

The Wingnuts will begin play in May and compete in the American Association, an independent minor league not affiliated with Major League Baseball.

By Jeffrey Lutz, The Wichita Eagle-  

Several questions about the future of baseball in Wichita were answered on Friday afternoon, but none more important than the long-awaited announcement of the team's name.

At a news conference at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the team's ownership group, including former Wichita State and current Detroit Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson, pulled the cover from a poster that revealed Wichita's newest sports team:

The Wingnuts.

The Wingnuts will begin play next spring in the independent American Association, a 10-team league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The opening game will be May 7, likely in Wichita.

The logo is a mechanical nut with baseball bats for wings and baseball stitches for eyebrows. The team's colors are red, black and silver.

Wichitan Hank Haneberg won a contest to name the team and will receive season tickets to the Wingnuts and the Thunder hockey team.

"It was one of the original names submitted, and... it didn't make the final 10 list," general manager Josh Robertson said. "But as we were going through that month after the contest, Wingnuts re-emerged through phone calls and e-mails."

The field manager, also introduced Friday, is Kash Beauchamp. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982 but never reached the Majors.

"I'm the only guy in history to get a whole scouting staff fired, when Toronto selected me over Kirby Puckett," Beauchamp joked Friday.

He has managed at five stops in two independent leagues, covering eight seasons, and served as the Montreal Expos' hitting coach after his retirement as a player in 1995. He played at the Triple-A level with five organizations.

Beauchamp couldn't resist the opportunity to build a team from scratch and said he has already acquired three players. The team's pitching coach is Luke Robertson, brother of Nate and Josh.

"Not every player can play for me," Beauchamp said. "I demand more out of my players; I'm probably more of a Bill Parcells guy than a guy who's going to coddle his player. I'm a fiery manager."

Nate Robertson said he became excited about the opportunity to become involved in independent baseball when he saw a St. Paul Saints game during a Tigers road series against the Twins earlier this year.

It was easy for him to become involved in the ownership group, which includes Wichita-area attorneys and businessmen, because of his family ties.

"There's plenty of players out there that I know that I can point in this direction," Nate Robertson said. "We're looking for talent right now, and that will be a big part of it.

"Now, (promotional) ideas? I've got a minor in marketing, and we can always bounce around ideas."

The roster will be filled during Major League spring training in February and March, when independent league teams will be able to sign players released by big league organizations.

The American Association has an annual tryout camp in Fort Worth and the Wingnuts will set up similar camps in Wichita during the late winter months.

Beauchamp said the team will likely try to sign former Major Leaguers coming off serious injuries, along with young players looking to reach the highest level.

"With the Wranglers, we never had a say in what happened with the roster," said Josh Robertson, who was assistant GM with the Double-A team that left town at the end of the 2007 season.

"Getting to build a team from the ground up -- and our sole motivation is to win a championship -- that's probably the biggest part of it for me."

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

A major-league baseball season is 162 games, making it difficult to place significant importance on any one game. Lose one and it can be brushed off with the "it's a long season" cliche.

Not so in the American Association, a league in which teams vie for playoff contention during two 48-game halves.

The Wingnuts' season is one month old today and they're already past the halfway point of the first half.

"It goes real fast," Wichita infielder Kevin Hooper said.

Perhaps no games have taken on the importance of Wichita's current six-game road trip to Sioux Falls and St. Paul, two teams in contention in the AA's North Division. Through Friday, the Saints led the division at 17-10 while Sioux Falls and Wichita sat 1 ½ games behind.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Eagle staff-

Andrew Bennett hit a bases-loaded fielder's choice in the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday night to lift the St. Paul Saints to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Wingnuts.

St. Paul, the American Association's North Division leaders, rallied from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to force extra innings. Brent Krause's solo home run in the eighth tied the score at 4-4.

The Saints manufactured the game-winning run with two outs in the 10th. Ben Thomas doubled, Ryan Priddy was intentionally walked and Scooter Jordan walked to load the bases. Wichita brought in reliever Doug Hurn to face Bennett.

Bennett hit a grounder to the left side that shortstop Kevin Hooper fielded and tried to force Priddy at third. But Priddy slid in ahead of the throw, and Thomas scored the winning run on the play.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Eagle staff-

The St. Paul Saints used two big innings to knock out the Wingnuts, taking the final game of a weekend series 9-7 on Sunday in St. Paul, Minn.

Wichita took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but St. Paul responded with five runs in the bottom of the third -- two of which scored on bases-loaded walks.

The Wingnuts used a four-run fifth to grab a 6-5 lead.  The Saints regained control by scoring four runs in the sixth inning.  Wingnuts starting pitcher Brad Davis (3-4) took the loss.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Watch video of the announcement of Wichita's newest baseball team, as well as interviews with manager Kash Beauchamp, owner Nate Robertson and more.

Click on the link here.

Eagle staff-

Beau Torbert homered twice, including a tiebreaking shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, boosting Sioux Falls to a 9-7 victory over the visiting Wingnuts on Wednesday.

Sioux Falls scored two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to send Wichita to its third straight loss.

Torbert, Josh Patton and Ben Van Inderstine each drove in two runs for the Canaries, who moved ahead of the Wingnuts into second place in the American Association's North Division.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

For a team looking to permanently break out of a hitting slump, Alexander Francisco was probably the last pitcher the Wingnuts wanted to see.

Francisco has played the role of stopper for Sioux City this season, entering with a 4-0 record and earning the decision in more than half of the Explorers' seven wins.

Francisco never pitched with the lead Monday, but the three runs Sioux City scored in the top of the 10th inning gave him his fifth victory and allowed the Explorers to beat Wichita 3-1 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Francisco pitched nine shutout innings before departing a scoreless tie.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

WICHITA, Kansas, Nov. 21, 2007 – Unless you are a Wingnut, you probably don’t recognize the names Jason Beasley, Carter McQuigg, Kellen Raab, Cory Shepherd and Stephen Pearson.  They are the first five players acquired by the Wichita Wingnuts.  The sixth is a very familiar name, former WSU Shocker Derek Schermerhorn.

Click the video link to watch the report by KSN’s Casey Walkup.

BY BOB LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Pete Rose finished his career with 4,256 hits. You think he remembers every one?

No way. Not even someone as self-absorbed as Rose can remember that many hits.

Kevin Hooper -- former Wichita State Shocker, current Wichita Wingnut -- has exactly one hit in the big leagues. He remembers it. He'll always remember it. It is burned into his hard drive, right next to the birth of his first child, Lucy.

July 21, 2005, Comerica Park, Detroit.

Hooper was with the Tigers after having been called up from Triple-A Toledo 17 days earlier. He hadn't had many opportunities, and he wasn't sure he was going to get one on this night, either.

It was the ninth inning and the Tigers trailed the Minnesota Twins 10-3 on a steamy night. Many in the crowd of 23,769 had headed home.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The step forward the Wingnuts' offense took Sunday paled in comparison to the leap made by center fielder Chris Colton.

Mired in a 1-for-29 slump that saw his batting average drop 44 points, Colton broke out with three singles and three runs scored. Wichita used a three-run fifth inning to beat Sioux City 5-1 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"It felt kind of good," Colton said. "I feel like I was pressing a little bit during the last five or six or seven games. I just wanted to come out here today and just relax."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Check out KWCH reporter Megan Strader's story on the Wingnuts, their nutty fans and the Nut House section at Lawrence Dumont Stadium.

You can watch the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

With the Wingnuts' offense enduring a recent dry spell, the pitching staff has shown itself capable of letting the hitters off the hook.

Wichita delivered a pair of clutch hits in the seventh but struggled again with missed opportunities. Those didn't matter, as Justin Young delivered the Wingnuts' second straight dominant pitching performance.

Young pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings and Byron Embry survived a tenuous ninth to notch the save in Wichita's 3-2 win over Sioux City on Friday at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The end of the fourth inning was probably a good time for an on-field promotion featuring Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp kicking a football.

Wichita had just left the bases loaded and any outlet for Beauchamp to release some frustration was a good one.

Beauchamp didn't get rid of all his frustration, though. He was hanging onto five more innings of it after the Wingnuts left nine men on base in Sioux City's 6-0 win on Saturday at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"Same (stuff), different day," Beauchamp said. "Guys better start figuring out how to get runs in, that's all I've got to say. I'm not going to look at this (stuff) all year, I can promise you that, as far as getting guys in scoring position and we can't hit a groundball."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

It can't be argued that the Wingnuts are better off without Dustan Mohr. He brought to the team a component that is nearly impossible to replace: multiple years of major league experience and production.

Add to that the fact that, at 31, Mohr is still in his prime, and his departure represents a big blow to the Wingnuts' offense.

But it's hard to argue with the results since Mohr's contract was purchased by the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday. The Wingnuts went 3-1 in their first four games without Mohr, one of the team's home run threats. Since his departure manager Kash Beauchamp's brand of small ball has become more prevalent.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wingnuts' big inning on Tuesday started with something small.

First baseman Stephen Pearson, looking to break out of a slump that has seen him relegated to a bench role while his average dropped to .171, led off the bottom of the third with a bunt single. It led to a six-run inning and an 8-1 Wichita win over Sioux Falls at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Pearson made a splash -- literally -- in Wichita's second game, hitting a home run into the Arkansas River beyond right field. Since, he has struggled, losing playing time at first base to David Gates.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

In the Wingnuts' 20-game history, it has become clear that on the independent baseball level, games are just as easily lost as they are won.

Wichita lost one Wednesday. The Wingnuts outhit Sioux Falls and had more flash with two long home runs, but they couldn't overcome poor pitching and defense in the Canaries' 7-4 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

The Wingnuts fell to 7-2 at home. In many of those wins, they took advantage of opponents' mistakes and compounded them with timely hitting, solid defense and strong starting pitching.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Though the Wingnuts had a 7-2 home record entering Thursday's game against Sioux Falls, five of the wins had come by three runs or fewer, leading manager Kash Beauchamp to conclude that hardly any lead was safe.

Against the Canaries, even the slimmest advantage was in good hands with Brad Davis. The Wichita starting pitcher took a shutout into the ninth, pitching the Wingnuts' first complete game in a 5-1 victory at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Wichita took two of three games in the series.

Davis, Wichita's opening day starter, was in control from the start. He didn't walk a batter and went to two three-ball counts. He struck out seven, allowed three hits and didn't allow a run until Beau Torbert struck him for a solo home run with one out in the ninth.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wingnuts' road trip to Lincoln lasted about 155 miles and three hours in each direction. The rest of the bus rides in the American Association aren't nearly that easy.

Lincoln is the closest league city to Wichita. The Wingnuts have already endured an 18-hour bus trip this season and a 10-hour one. They could have it worse. The league's longest trip is from El Paso to St. Paul -- 1,631 miles and about 24 hours.

"It's better (in Wichita) because two years ago I managed in Pensacola," Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp said. "I've made those 24-hour bus trips. I don't care if you're laying down or not, those are hell. You start getting cabin fever and everything else on those things."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Independent leagues can help ease the anguish of players cut loose by big-league organizations.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

There is no direct path to independent baseball. Players end up there after productive major-league careers, mediocre college seasons and years toiling in the minors.

The most difficult path, however, is settling for independent ball after being released by a major-league organization. Players that begin spring training with the certainty of a spot on a minor-league roster end it without a job and few options.

It's an experience shared by Wingnuts players Brad Davis, Byron Embry and Michael Thompson. Between them, they have been released six times. It's nearly impossible to see it coming and nothing can prepare a player for the heartbreak attached to it.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

There will be no first-round draft picks, no top prospects, no big-money players.

Independent baseball, by definition, is starkly different from affiliated ball, in which a major-league organization focuses its efforts first on developing players and second on winning.

Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, former top Kansas City Royals prospects who made stops in Wichita with the now-departed Wranglers, won't be roaming Lawrence-Dumont Stadium this summer.

But independent baseball offers its own redeeming qualities. The Wingnuts, playing their first season in the American Association, start the regular season at home Wednesday against Sioux City.

"Very few of them have given up on the dream (of playing in the majors), but there are lot of guys in indy ball who love baseball," said J.J. Cooper, who covers independent leagues for Baseball America.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The Wranglers finished last in the Texas League in attendance from 2004-07, a major reason they relocated to Arkansas.

If the Wingnuts plan to bring more fans to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, they've taken an interesting first step.

Chris Presson, president of Wichita's American Association independent baseball team, set ticket prices for the Wingnuts' inaugural season 99 cents higher than those of the Wranglers -- it will cost $5.99, $7.99, and $10.99 to attend a Wingnuts game.

Presson admits the on-field product won't be as strong, but says the team will offer a unique experience that isn't necessarily all about baseball.

"For us, it has to be about the entertainment value," Presson said. "We can't always depend on the product we'll have on the field. We'll have to depend on other outlets we have in the stadium."

To read the rest of the story click HERE.

By BARRY LEWIS Tulsa World-

Grove native and former Tulsa Oilers outfielder Jim Beauchamp, who won the Texas League's 1963 Player of the Year award before a long career in the major leagues, died of leukemia on Tuesday at a hospice in Union City, Ga., just outside of Atlanta. He was 68.

Beauchamp played for the Oilers from 1959-61, 1963 and in 1974. The Oilers reached the playoffs in all five years he played with them.

"Those were special times for my dad," Beauchamp's son, Kash, said on Wednesday. "He loved coming to Tulsa, playing in front of his friends and family. Tulsa was a special place for him.

In 1960, Beauchamp helped the Oilers win the TL pennant and Pan-American Series.

In 1963, Beauchamp, an outfielder, batted .337 with 105 RBIs to boost the Oilers to another pennant. His 31 homers were the most ever hit in a season by a Tulsa player whose home games were at Oiler Park (1934-80).

After the season, he was called up by the St. Louis Cardinals. During his ML playing career from 1963-73, he also was with Houston, the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati and the New York Mets.

With Houston in 1965, he became the first Astros player to hit a home run in the Astrodome during an exhibition with the New York Yankees. Earlier in the game, Mickey Mantle hit the Astrodome's first homer.

"Who would've thought the first two Astrodome homers would be hit by two players who grew up about 20 miles from each other," Kash Beauchamp said.

Just as was the case with his teammate Willie Mays, their last appearances as players in the majors were with the Mets in the 1973 World Series. Beauchamp batted .279 as a pinch-hitting specialist in 50 games for the Mets that season.

"When Willie came to the Mets, my dad gave him his uniform number, 24," Kash Beauchamp said. "And Willie hit his last major league home run with my dad's bat."

In 1974, Beauchamp ended his playing career as a player-coach with Tulsa. He made a triumphant return to the Oilers with a walkoff homer in the home opener that set the tone for helping Tulsa win the American Association pennant. Kash Beauchamp, who played 14 years in the minors and recently was named the manager of the American Association's new Wichita Wingnuts, was a batboy for the '74 Oilers.

After managing in the minors from 1975-90, Jim Beauchamp was a coach for the Braves from 1991-98, earning a World Series ring in 1995. During the past nine seasons, Beauchamp remained in the Braves' organization, most recently as a minor league outfield coordinator and this past season as a consultant. Last March, he participated in his 50th spring training in pro baseball.

Jim Beauchamp was born August 21, 1939, in Vinita, but grew up in Grove. Although he attended Oklahoma State before signing with St. Louis, Beauchamp was a devoted Oklahoma football fan.

"Doctors were only giving him until October, but my dad was a battler," Kash Beauchamp said. "Two things he wanted to be around long enough to see this fall was the birth of his sixth grandchild and another OU football season -- and he did both. (OU coach) Bob Stoops called and talked with my dad several times this fall and that meant a lot."

Among the baseball notables calling their condolences to the Beauchamp family have been Braves manager Bobby Cox, Atlanta outfielder Jeff Francouer, ex-Braves infielders Jeff Blauser and Mark Lemke, and former slugger Cecil Fielder.

Jim Beauchamp died at Southwest Christian Hospice, which had received about $1 million over the past 15 years from the Jim Beauchamp Celebrity Golf Classic.

Three memorial services are being planned, with the first in Atlanta in mid-January. Others will be held at Phenix City, Ala., and at Grove's Jim Beauchamp Field in the spring.

Survivors include Beauchamp's wife, Pam, two sons and three daughters.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Instead of focusing on the 10 runners they left on base, a general lack of clutch hitting and an error that led to an unearned run, the Wingnuts can instead focus on the result.

Wichita beat Fort Worth 5-1 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Tuesday and will wait a day to focus on the negatives, since winning has a way of erasing them.

"The negatives are going to be addressed tomorrow," Wichita closer Byron Embry said. "A win's a win and you take them any way you can get them. Not always are they pretty. There were some things in this ballgame tonight that could have gotten us beat."

Wingnuts starter Leonard Landeros prevented that from happening, delivering Wichita's second straight strong pitching performance.

To read the rest of the story click HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

A career .218 hitter in April during his seven years in the major leagues, Dustan Mohr is used to slow starts. That's why he doesn't panic when he gets off to one.

Dropped from the No. 4 spot in the batting order to No. 6 because he entered Wednesday batting .171, Mohr responded by delivering a two-hit game, including a two-run home run that gave the Wingnuts the lead and, ultimately, a 4-3 win over Fort Worth at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"I've always been that way and I don't know why," Mohr said. "For whatever reason I start slow and as the season progresses I get better. Hopefully tonight was a step in the right direction. I haven't been feeling bad, there's just nothing to show for it."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

The game was still in doubt when Wingnuts left fielder Heath Keel took a step off third base in anticipation of the next pitch.

He was discussing strategy with manager Kash Beauchamp, and neither Keel nor Beauchamp knew that Fort Worth third baseman Aaron Sisk still had the ball. When Keel strayed off the bag he was tagged out, a victim of the hidden-ball trick.

Little League play or not, it worked. Keel's out squashed a potential big fourth inning, and Fort Worth followed with a four-run fifth that carried the Cats to an 11-3 win at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Fort Worth salvaged the final game of the four-game series and handed the Wingnuts their first loss at home.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

An indication of how different Independent League baseball is from affiliated ball surfaced when the Wichita Wingnuts' spring training roster was released this week.

On it, a category of "Rank" is listed, indicating how many years of professional baseball a player has logged.

The ranks range from rookie to veteran, with Limited Service (LS) Nos. 1-5 in between. Only a select number of players from each rank can be included on a roster.

It's almost as complicated as it sounds, but Wingnuts manager Kash Beauchamp seems to have it figured out.

"You just need to know the facts that you're allowed four veterans (players with at least five years of professional experience)," Beauchamp said. "And we have to have four rookies if we go with a 22-man roster."

The Wingnuts open camp today at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, starting a process that will see the roster cut from 28 to probably 22, though the number can go as low as 20.

Teams in the American Association can carry 24 players during the first two weeks of the season. Wichita's season starts May 7 at home against Sioux City after a three-game exhibition schedule.

Familiar names inhabit the roster, from former Shockers Kevin Hooper and Derek Schermerhorn to ex-major leaguer Dustan Mohr to players who played in the Texas League against the now-departed Wranglers.

Hooper and Mohr played in the majors, but few others have gone higher than Double A.

The Wingnuts have plenty of players with promise, however. The ace of the pitching staff will likely be left-hander Brad Davis, a 25-year old who reached Triple A with the Oakland Athletics organization. He's 18-8 with a 3.76 ERA in three minor-league seasons.

"Everybody in Independent ball was after this guy big-time," Beauchamp said. "You just wonder why a guy with that kind of success got released."

Gustavo Mata and Kellen Raab are candidates to join Davis in the rotation.

The bullpen will be anchored by closer Byron Embry, a veteran of three major-league organizations and several independent teams who has 57 career saves and has struck out more than 11 per nine innings during his 11-year career.

"I got ideas of who may start, but this is going to be an extremely competitive spring training," Beauchamp said. "There's five starting (pitching) spots out there that are going to go to the five best starting prospects, and it's up for grabs."

Joining Embry, Mohr and Hooper as a veteran is David Gates, who peaked in Double A with the Los Angeles Angels.

He has a 16-homer season to his credit and will occupy a spot in the middle of the lineup.

He'll be joined there by Mohr, who has played for five major league teams, and Mike Thompson, a third baseman who hit 19 homers in Class A last season. Outfielder Chris Colton is another home run threat.

With as much power as Wichita has, Beauchamp isn't opposed to small ball. He'll call on his top- and bottom-of-the-order hitters to steal bases and sacrifice bunt to give RBI chances to the sluggers.

"We've got the right-handed power, which I think is going to play well in this ballpark," Beauchamp said. "But I think what people are going to be surprised with is the speed that we have. All of our outfielders can run."

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Filling a roster for an independent league team, especially one in its first season, incorporates a number of methods.

There is some luck involved. If Dustan Mohr wasn't a friend and former teammate of Kevin Hooper, the Wingnuts likely wouldn't be the employer of Mohr, who spent much of the previous seven seasons in the major leagues.

Word of mouth is another important aspect. Especially so for the Wingnuts, whose manager, Kash Beauchamp, is a veteran of independent baseball and a favorite of many players at that level.

"I took a massive pay cut to come here because of Kash Beauchamp, and it's worth every penny," Wichita closer Byron Embry said.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Byron Embry enters a baseball game accompanied by the eerie chimes of the song "Rest in Peace" -- the theme song of the professional wrestler known as "The Undertaker."

Embry wears his hat low, throws in the upper 90s and treats every save as if it were his most important one yet.

The Wingnuts closer has all the components of a dominant ninth-inning pitcher.

"The intimidation thing is not an act," Embry said. "I want every hitter, every fan, everybody in the ballpark to know that when I come in the ballgame, it's over. Everybody drive home safely, buckle up. It's over."

He has the closer's act down, and his performance has backed up his bravado. In 12 seasons in the minor leagues and independent ball, Embry, 31, has racked up more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Justin Young is a self-professed contact pitcher, one who consistently throws in the strike zone, lets batters put the ball in play and relies on his defense.

In his first two starts, the Wingnuts' pitcher allowed a little too much contact -- as hitters batted .311 against him in two no-decisions.

Monday, Young's style was effective. He allowed four hits and struck out six while getting 10 groundball outs in the Wingnuts 2-1 win over Fort Worth in the first game of a four-game series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Brenan Herrera provided the game-winner for Wichita, a tiebreaking solo homer off Dan Grybash in the fifth inning and 5,211 fans saw the Wingnuts improve to 4-0 at home.

"Any time I go out and throw there's going to be a lot of balls put into play," Young said. "I try to work quick for the (defense) and keep them in the ballgame."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

By Jason Beck / MLB.com-

The Tigers signed another member of their rotation to a long-term contract, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal with left-hander Nate Robertson.

The contract is worth $21.25 million -- $4.25 in 2008, $7 million in 2009 and $10 million in 2010. That 2010 salary jumps to $11 million if Robertson pitches either 400 innings in 2008 and 2009 combined, or 200 innings in 2009 alone.

Robertson has been a member of Detroit's rotation since being called up late in the 2003 season and has proven himself capable of taking a heavy workload. He has averaged 195 innings per year over his four full Major League seasons, including 208 2/3 innings during the regular season in 2006.

A three-week stint on the disabled list with a tired arm cost Robertson some innings last year following a solid start to the season. He finished with a 9-13 record and a 4.76 ERA, allowing 199 hits over 177 2/3 innings with 119 strikeouts.

If the Tigers were going to work out a longer-term contract with the 30-year-old lefty, now was probably going to be the time to do it. He was eligible for arbitration for the second time and would've been eligible for free agency after the 2009 season. Thus, the new contract essentially buys Detroit an extra year, much like the Tigers did with Dontrelle Willis last month.

Robertson, Willis and Jeremy Bonderman are all under contract through the 2010 season.

Nate Robertson is a co-owner of the Wichita Wingnuts.  His brother Josh is Wingnuts general manager, while his brother Luke is the Wingnuts pitching coach.

Eagle staff-

David Gates hit a double and a home run and drove in four runs, helping the Wingnuts beat Sioux City 10-6 and earn a split of a doubleheader Sunday in Sioux City, Iowa.

Wichita pounded out 15 hits in the seven-inning game, and built an 8-0 lead after 3 ½ innings. Heath Keel had three RBIs to aid the attack.

Lack of timely hitting hurt the Wingnuts as they dropped the opener 2-1 -- Wichita left 10 men on base.

Wingnuts starting pitcher Gustavo Mata threw a complete game.

Notes -- Wichita has today off, then begins a three-game series on Tuesday in El Paso.... The Wingnuts also traded infielder Brandon Carter to the Grand Prairie Airhogs for future considerations today and activated pitcher Ronnie Ball.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Former Wichita State and current Wichita Wingnuts Infielder Kevin Hooper, as well as former WSU Pitcher and Wingnuts employee Ben Keiter appeared on KAKE Sports Overtime live on Sunday Night.

Check out the video here.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle- Derek Schermerhorn's first professional baseball season included a promotion within the Chicago Cubs organization and ended with his release. But he wasn't about to let his pro career end after 146 at-bats.

Looking for a path back to affiliated ball, Schermerhorn accepted an offer this winter to play for the inaugural version of the Wichita Wingnuts, an independent team in the American Association.

It isn't the path Schermerhorn expected, but independent ball is for those whose careers have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

"I got over getting released," Schermerhorn said. "I realize that happens to people, but I still know that I have what it takes to play up there (in the minors). It'll be nice to prove to people that I can still play."

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Last season, the St. Paul Saints led the American Association in attendance, averaging 6,205 fans for its 48 home dates.

It has been two days, but the Wingnuts are averaging 6,326 fans. That pace isn't expected to be kept up, but it's a better start than even the team expected. And it's evidence that getting fans to come watch baseball at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is possible.

The now-departed Wranglers finished last in the Texas League in attendance from 2003-07, a major reason the team relocated to Arkansas.

"The first thing I've got to say is thanks to the city of Wichita for coming out and supporting us like that," manager Kash Beauchamp said after the team's first game on Thursday, which drew 5,874 fans. "That was incredible, and we're really appreciative of the fans."

The Wingnuts have taken advantage of prime high-attendance opportunities. Fans curious to see the inaugural game packed Lawrence-Dumont on Thursday, and the start of the River Festival made for a happening downtown on Friday night.

The stadium has 6,100 seats, but fans have packed the terrace down the first base line and used the picnic seating beyond the outfield fences.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY MATT BROWNING, Wichita Eagle correspondent-

Game 1 featured what it takes to be a successful club. Wichita starter Justin Young pitched well and was backed by near flawless defense. Some timely hitting late in the game completed a 4-3 victory in eight innings.

The solid fundamentals disappeared after the Wingnuts built a 7-3 lead after three innings in the nightcap. Wild pitches, inability to find the strike zone and bad defense cost Wichita its lead. But the Wingnuts' offense produced 15 hits in a 9-8 victory, also in eight innings, before a crowd of 6,779 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Young wasn't overwhelming in the first game, but he did just enough.

He loaded the bases in the second inning, but got out of the jam. Two innings later, the Explorers' Alex Llanos scored off Chad Gabriel's single, and with runners on second and third and one out, Young induced a groundout to second base and a fly ball to left field to limit the damage.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

When Blake Gailen crossed the plate with the Wingnuts' first franchise run in the bottom of the first inning, fans were still piling into Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

A packed house for a professional baseball game in Wichita has been a rare occurrence during the last few years, but the Wingnuts accomplished it on their first night.

When the fans finally finished arriving in the third inning, attendance reached 5,874 -- just short of the 6,111 capacity. The nearly-packed house witnessed a victory, as the Wingnuts topped Sioux City 7-4.

"I didn't really know what to expect," said Wingnuts second baseman Derek Schermerhorn, who played at Wichita State. "I know they've been promoting us well. I was hoping it would be a good turnout, and it was."

When gates opened at 6 p.m., an hour before game time, only a handful of fans took their seats. Half an hour later, the attendance was still modest.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

BY FERNANDO SALAZAR, The Wichita Eagle-  

Check out the Wichita Eagle's photo spread of the Wingnuts opening night HERE.

The Wingnuts won their first ever game, 7-4, on Thursday night over the Sioux City Explorers.  The near capacity crowd of 5,874 was just short of a sellout!

The Wingnuts will play a doubleheader with Sioux City today beginning at 5:00 p.m.  Admission for both games is free with your Wichita Riverfest Button.  Due to Riverfest fans can only enter the Stadium tonight via the Sycamore Street Entrance!

BY BOB LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-  

Who knows what we'll be saying about the Wichita Wingnuts in a month or two. If they don't figure out their cashless system for buying concessions and souvenirs, they might be run out of town by June.

I just know that for one night -- Opening Night (delayed by a day) on Thursday -- Lawrence-Dumont Stadium was a fun place to be. Except, perhaps, for those who spent two or three innings standing in line waiting to purchase a hot dog with a card, not a bill.

I have faith the Wingnuts' management will iron out that problem and that buying a cold beverage won't be as time-consuming as purchasing a new car.

I'm even thinking the Wingnuts, who play in the independent American Association, have a chance to thrive in a town that has never found consistent love for affiliated professional baseball.

It bothered me greatly when the Double-A Wranglers, a Texas League franchise for 21 years, scooted out of town after the 2007 season for the greener pastures of Northwest Arkansas. I guess it scared me to think anyone could consider the pastures in Northwest Arkansas greener than ours.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Check out the KSN Video Here.

By Linda Mares, KWCH TV-12-

VIDEO HERE 

There's less than three months before the first Wingnuts home game at Lawrence Dumont stadium.

Before you head out to the ball game, there is something you should know: no cash allowed.

Lawrence Dumont will be the first stadium in the country to move to a cashless system.

The Wichita Wingnuts General Manager, Josh Robertson, says this will help ticket and concession lines move faster and will cut down on theft as well.

"One thing I've heard numerous complaints of at Lawrence Dumont is the waiting in line at concession stands," he says.

Robertson says automated registers will be placed at concession stands so people can select what they want, slide their pre-paid card, and continue watching the ball game.

"If you want your refund in cash back at the end of the night, you're able to do that. If not, the card will be good for two years."

The city says it will benefit from this change as well.  According to the team's lease agreeement, which hasn't been finalized, the city doesn't make money unless the Wingnuts profit.

To find out more about the system, click on the Total Venue Control link at the top left.  The company features a video showing the cashless system at work.

KWCH TV 12-

Bruce Haertl sat down with Wichita Wingnuts shortstop Kevin Hooper on Sports Sunday this past weekend.

Check out the Interview HERE.

BY JEFFREY LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-

Dustan Mohr took a deep breath, swallowed his pride and started dialing. He still hadn't fully come to grips with how, after spending much of the previous seven years in the major leagues, he had been unable to find a job.

But he was finally ready to do something about it.

So this winter he called Kevin Hooper, a former Triple-A teammate who had recently signed to play for the independent Wichita Wingnuts. Hooper suggested Mohr join him.

"I said, 'OK, I'll think about it,' " Mohr said. "I gave it some more time and decided I really didn't want to sit at home and wait for the call (from a major-league team). I figured it'd be better for me to be playing than sitting at home."

After talking it over with manager Kash Beauchamp and general manager Josh Robertson, Mohr signed with the Wingnuts on March 13. The team begins its inaugural season against Sioux City tonight at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Read the rest of the tory HERE.

By Darren Rovell, CNBC-

There are either great fans in Trenton, New Jersey and Casper, Wyoming or we really got this seeding thing wrong. For the second time, a No. 1 seed has fallen to a No. 16 seed, as the Connecticut Defenders, the bat doubling as the submarine, was throttled by the No. 16 seed Trenton Thunder.

The truth is that the Trenton Thunder should have never been a No. 16 seed, but we were going by their old logo and once we became aware of their new logo, it changed the dynamic of this first round matchup. That being said, we're still shocked the Defenders lost.

I should also mention that the Defenders weren't aware of the competition until it was underway yesterday, thanks to the fact that several e-mails that I had sent before this whole thing started bounced back to me. So maybe it's all due to the power of getting the word out as well.

Congratulations to all those who have advanced--the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the Trenton Thunder, the Salem Avalanche, the Wichita Wingnuts and the Savannah Sand Gnats.  Wichita defeated Inland Empire taking 71% of the 2109 votes cast.

Here are today's matchups. Please note, although the polls will remain up and the tally will still be active, the winners will be determined by 9 a.m. ET on Saturday.

On Monday, we'll complete the first round with the following matchups: #8 Clearwater Threshers vs. #9 Worcester Tornados, #5 Greensboro Grasshoppers vs. #12 Quad City River Bandits, #4 Williamsport Crosscutters vs. #13 Charleston River Dogs, #6 Gary Southshore Rail Cats vs. #11 Chico Outlaws, #3 Lakewood BlueClaws vs. #14 Lehigh Valley IronPigs, #7 Toledo Mudhens vs. #10 Everett Aquasox and #2 Clinton Lumberkings vs. #15 Lake County Captains.

LORI O'TOOLE BUSELT, The Wichita Eagle-

Women planning to attend today's 7:05 p.m. Wichita Wingnuts baseball home opener against the Sioux City Explorers have a surprise in store: redecorated restrooms.

Three Lawrence-Dumont Stadium public women's restrooms now are repainted and revamped, each with its own theme: sunflowers, baseball and bright colors and artwork. Features include "Lil' Rookie' changing stations, stenciled designs and framed photos.

The facelifts were the idea of Amy Wilds, director of community relations for Wichita Pro Sports, which owns the Wingnuts.

To read the rest of the story click HERE.

BY BOB LUTZ, The Wichita Eagle-  

The old ballpark shows her age with every passing winter.

It sits in a pristine spot, west of the Arkansas River, with a spectacular view of Wichita's changing downtown. It is a treasure in this community, which is why we can never, ever ignore her.

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is up there in years and needs our love and attention. And even though affiliated professional baseball pulled up roots and left for Arkansas, replaced by an independent league franchise nobody knows a lot about, the stadium's place in the city remains the same.

Wichita would not be the same without a robust and attractive Lawrence-Dumont.

I don't know how the Wingnuts, Wichita's venture into independent baseball, will do. There are so many unknowns. Right out of the chute, I wonder how the Wingnuts can charge 99 cents more for a ticket than the Wranglers and do really well at the box office considering that the Wranglers never really caught on with a better quality of baseball.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

By Darren Rovell, CNBC-  

At the beginning of March, we embarked on this massive project. We asked for your help to name the best logo in all of Minor League Baseball. Well, after more than 525,000 votes, here we are. We’re down to the final two.

The #3 seed Southern Illinois Miners come from Marion, Illinois and represent the independent Frontier League. Their opponent? The #12 seed Wichita Wingnuts, who made it to our finals, despite the fact that they will play their very first game in May. (To be honest, we thought we’d be writing about them anyway, because they will operate the nation’s first cash free ballpark.) The Wingnuts are also independent, representing the American Association.

To help make your decision a little easier, I decided to interview both mascots about their lives and what they would do if they took home the title. You can see their comments below. If you want to just vote, simply go to the poll.

Please take your vote seriously. There's a lot on the line here.

#3 Southern Illinois Miners vs. #12 Wichita Wingnuts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Biz Poll 
Which logo do you like best to win it all?   

#3 Southern Illinois Miners  

#12 Wichita Wingnuts 

Vote here to see results  - http://www.cnbc.com/id/23898413/site/14081545

First up, is John the Miner from Southern Illinois since he had a day off to rest up for the contest.

Darren: John, we've already had a performance-enhancing drugs controversy in this contest. Let's be honest. You look ripped. Is it all natural?

John the Miner: It’s all natural. We’re good, law abiding people here in the heartland. Keep in mind, I’m only one year old. Performance enhancing drugs are just not worth the risks, especially for a young logo such as myself.

Darren: Do you lift weights or is it all from mining?

John the Miner: I don’t use free weights or anything like that, but I definitely do some heavy lifting down in the mines. I also like to stay in shape by playing baseball and golf. I can use my custom pick axe bat for mining, playing baseball and playing golf in Southern Illinois.

Darren: What's the difference between a miner and a Wingnut?

John the Miner: I think the main difference is that a miner risks his life to collect important resources that provide people energy, and a wingnut is an inanimate metal object. In fact, you’d probably need a miner to get the ore needed to produce a wingnut.

Darren: What will you do if you win CNBC.com's minor league logo contest?

John the Miner: I want to focus on the task at hand before I start planning any celebration, but I’d probably celebrate with my friends, Lucky the Canary, Grounder the Mole and Dynamite. My son, Lil John, would provide the music, of course.

Now, let’s hear from the folks in Wichita.

Darren: Mr. Wingnut, what is your name?

Wingnut: It’s just Wingnut. MISTER Wingnut if you’re nasty.

Darren: Those eyebrows of yours. They are quite thick. I think I just realized they are baseball laces. Is that correct?

Wingnut: Not since Michael Dukakis, twenty years ago, has a set of eyebrows this manly and prolific been on the national stage representing such hope and promise for the future. Unlike Mikey, however, I won’t be coming in second though – yanowudeyemsayin?!

I digress . . . yes, you’re right, they are baseball laces in all their red-threaded glory. They look a heck of a lot more refined lately -- before I hooked up with a great salon here in town and let their waxing services split the red-laced sea of my brow, I went through a nasty “uni-lace” phase that made me look like Sesame Street’s Bert, only angrier. Speaking of facial hair, it looks like my competition, Miner Boy, could use an introduction to Mr. Razor. Paging Mr. Simpson. Mr. Homer Simpson, please visit the white courtesy phone for a message and a shave!

Darren: What's a Wingnut anyway and how'd you wind up in Wichita?

Wingnut: Wingnuts, in the mechanical sense, are a nut with metal pinnings to increase torque and allow the nut to be secured and loosened with your fingers versus a tool. Easy on, easy off – like the Southern Illinois Miner’s Mother’s pants! In the political sense they are people who are deeply mired in a conservative mindset, not that we have a lot of deeply conservative people here in Kansas (ahem). In the malicious, schoolyard sense, they are people with big (and laughable) ears but we’re changing the perception on who’s laughing lately.

I didn’t so much chose Wichita as Wichita choose ME. The ownership had a public contest to submit names and then to choose a name from entrant finalists. Wichita, as you might know, is the Air Capital of the World. While there are not any actual wingnuts used in the manufacturing of most planes (particularly the plane’s/jet’s wings) we are “nuts” about our “wings” here in town.

Darren: Why do you feel you're stronger than a miner from Southern Illinois?

Wingnut: Have you seen my teeth and my stare? And the metal thingies coming out of my head?! Bottom line, Mr. Miner, it’s going to take a lot more than your HGH-enhanced arms, your cutesy beard, cheesy grin and thorn-encrusted bat to get past this much anger when it is coming straight at your head at approximately 90 MPH . . . even in a dark mine shaft where you might feel most at home.

Darren: What will you do if you win CNBC.com's minor league logo contest?

Wingnut: Honestly?! It’s just another day being Mr. Wingnut, my friend. I don’t need the readers of the Sports Biz blog to tell me how handsome, intimidating and awesomely-awesome I am. I kid, I kid. Truth be told, I’ll probably spend the night partying – jumping from bolt to bolt for a quick turn around. You know how we champions like to party! Then I’ll use my “best logo in all the land” contract incentive clause bonus check to FINALLY complete my collection of all 172 episodes of Wings on DVD. I just love those Hackett brothers and their Nantucket hijinx!

By Carrie Rengers, The Wichita Eagle-

Did Sacha Baron Cohen strike again? People magazine is reporting that the actor famous for playing the character Borat is the one who pulled the recent filming prank at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport that is leading to a policy revision.

But Victor White, director of airports, isn't so sure it was Cohen.

"It's an interesting debate," White says.

(See what you think. Check out video at Kansas.com/business by clicking the link to the right.)

Cohen has been filming a movie about a Borat-style character named Bruno, who is an Austrian fashion reporter.

Regardless of whether Cohen was in Wichita, the debate is giving the airport some great worldwide attention.

"Wichita Mid-Continent Airport is on the minds of people around the world right now," White says.

There haven't been such happy outcomes at other places where Cohen, or the wanna-be Cohen, and his filming team have visited.

For instance, staff and members at Central Community Church were not amused by a mid-March visit. One staff member blogged that the crew tried to ruin a church event. "By God's power and providence, the plan was thwarted," he wrote.

And the marketing director for KWCH, Channel 12, lost his job over approving the film crew's visit to his station, though nothing was filmed there because the "reporter" (Cohen?) who was supposed to show up never did.

White says he's heard of a number of other stops the crew has made across Kansas. He says the crew had a permit to film at Kansas City International Airport but never used it.

"The assumption is after their cover was blown here... they decided not to show up in Kansas City after all," White says.

It's hard to imagine the somewhat juvenile footage from the airport here making Cohen's movie, but it sounds like White would buy a ticket one way or the other.

Did he see "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"?

"Oh, yes," White says.

He admits he has a strange sense of humor, but when asked if he liked "Borat," White thinks it's best not to say.

"No comment," he says.

The other Final Four

People may mock the WichitaWingnuts' name, but they've got to give props to the new baseball team's logo.

It's in the Final Four of CNBC.com's logo contest for minor league baseball.

"I'm surprised we've made it this far," says Joe Robertson, Associated advertising's associate creative director, who created the logo. "It's pretty crazy."

The logo features a personified baseball who has a wingnut for a hat.

So far, the Wingnuts have beat teams like the Trenton Thunder, whose logo is a large storm cloud with a baseball bat for a bolt of lightning.

"When we went up against them, I thought it was all over," Robertson says.

Final Four voting ends at 8 a.m. today (Click here to vote in the poll). If the Wingnuts make it to the finals, they'll compete against the Southern Illinois Miners. Voting will begin immediately.

So if the Wingnuts win, does Robertson get a raise?

"I wish," he says. "It's CNBC. I don't think we get anything."

Location, location

Lisa Vermillion recently discovered her Get Fit Bee Fit in Valley Center is strategically located for meeting celebrities.

Well, at least one so far.

The fitness center and tanning salon is just down from the Kansas Coliseum, where Keith Urban played last month. His personal trainer called Get Fit to ask if Urban could come work out before the show.

"We were like uh, yeah," Vermillion says. "Of course he can."

Urban's trainer and bodyguard showed up a couple of hours before he did.

"We think to probably check out and make sure there weren't 10,000 people there," Vermillion says.

Only the people who happened to be working out were there.

"We didn't tell anybody," Vermillion says.

Urban exercised for about an hour, which included elliptical training and free weights.

Vermillion says if she hadn't known it was him, she would have thought he was simply an average joe.

"He was a very cute average joe," she clarifies.

And she's hoping he won't be the last celebrity visitor.

"We're hoping because we didn't blab our big mouths that word might get around," she says. "It was just fun... to have a celebrity in our little town of Valley Center."

You don't say

"Elvis. Fire the Colonel; dump the drugs and the entourage. Live, man."

--Carolyn Russell, whose public relations firm was profiled in the national newspaper Public RelationsTactics, which asked her what historical figure she'd most like to offer some counseling.

By: Darren Rovell, CNBC-

We called it the Minor League Baseball Logo Contest, but we should have called it a "Miner" contest, as the Southern Illinois Miners bested the Wichita Wingnuts, 55 percent to 45 percent, in the final matchup that ended this morning at 9 am ET.