{"id":3186,"date":"2003-08-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2003-08-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T05:00:00","slug":"skipisbignewsinmadison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/madison-mallards\/2003\/08\/09\/skipisbignewsinmadison\/","title":{"rendered":"Skip is Big News in Madison"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE DUCK POND – First-year Madison Mallards manager Darrell Handelsman was frank about his job description while chatting before the start of the 2003 season. <\/p>\n

“I’m here to win games for the Mallards, and win them now,” Handelsman said. <\/p>\n

Yet in the same breath, he said there would be no playoffs-or-else mantra. <\/p>\n

Brought on board as only the second full-time skipper in the amateur Northwoods League, Handelsman offered no timetable for bringing postseason play to Madison for the first time since 1996. <\/p>\n

It took him all of a season. Half of a season, to be precise. <\/p>\n

The South Division first-half champion Mallards wrap up the regular season tonight in St. Cloud and begin a best-of-three divisional playoff series Sunday in Wausau vs. the Wisconsin Woodchucks. The winner moves on to the best-of-three championship series. <\/p>\n

“I’m excited for our guys to get an opportunity just to play in that atmosphere,” said Handelsman, who led the Waterloo Bucks to the Northwoods League title a year ago. “For us, this is gravy.”We never expected in a million years to be in the situation we’re in. Now we’ve got to win four games to win the whole thing.” <\/p>\n

The Woodchucks ran away with the second-half title and earned home-field advantage by virtue of the better overall record. Wisconsin boasts the most explosive offense in the league, topping the charts in batting average, home runs, runs, and walks. <\/p>\n

The Mallards will rely on the league’s second-rated pitching staff. Brian Kroll (4-4, 2.27 ERA) will pitch the opener, while Corey Cabral (5-2, 1.72) will take the hill for Game 2 Monday at Warner Park. <\/p>\n

“We’re two completely different teams,” Handelsman said. “They try to hit three-run homers and we try to play small ball. It’ll be a good matchup. <\/p>\n

“I’d like it to be a 3-2, 2-1 game. We can’t get into a slugfest with those guys.” <\/p>\n

After struggling a bit at the outset of the second half, the Mallards are (9-5) over the past two weeks. <\/p>\n

“I think after you win the first half and you know you’re in the playoffs, for a while you’re kind of lackadaisical,” said right-handed reliever D.J. Roshone. “Things are starting to click at the right time.” <\/p>\n

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