Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations-General Manager Doug Melvin Announced as Keynote Speaker for All-Star Banquet

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – The top college baseball talent in the country will grace the confines of Historic Witter Field on July 21st this summer at the annual Northwoods League All-Star Game. The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters announced today that Marshfield Clinic be the presenting sponsor of the event. Marshfield Clinic was also the title sponsor the last time Wisconsin Rapids hosted the event in 2011.

“Marshfield Clinic is committed to helping its patients shine and being part of the 2015 Northwoods League All-Star Game helps accomplish that,” said Al Chaney, director of marketing & communications at Marshfield Clinic. “Many of our patients will want to be part the pageantry and fun. We'll help them to be healthy for the game. Marshfield Clinic is proud to be the sponsor of the 2015 Northwoods League All-Star Game in Wisconsin Rapids.”

The Marshfield Clinic All-Star Game festivities will begin on Monday, July 20th with an evening banquet at Hotel Mead & Conference Center honoring the players selected to the North and South Division All-Star teams. The banquet will feature a keynote address by Milwaukee Brewers President of Baseball Operations-General Manager Doug Melvin along with a question and answer session for the Brewers chief executive. The event will be emceed by Dick Jonckowski, the longtime public address announcer of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball, football and men’s basketball teams.

“We are very appreciative of the support from Marshfield Clinic to assist in making all of the events surrounding the All-Star Game fun for the entire community,” said Rafters general manager John Fanta. “Having Doug Melvin join us to launch the All-Star festivities at the banquet just adds to the excitement.”

A very limited number of tickets to the Marshfield Clinic All-Star Banquet at Hotel Mead & Conference Center on the evening of Monday, July 20th will be available to the public. Rafters season ticket package holders will have the first opportunity to reserve tickets for the All-Star banquet prior to the general public beginning on Tuesday, April 7th through Thursday, April 23rd. On Friday, April 24th, the same day 2015 single game tickets go on sale, any remaining banquet tickets will be made available to the general public. Tickets to the banquet will be $50 per person and will include a meal and access to the question and answer portion of the program with Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Rafters ticket office at 715-424-5400 or by stopping into the Rafthouse Team Shop.

Doug Melvin joined the Brewers on September 26, 2002 as the eighth general manager in franchise history and the 2015 season will mark his 13th year with the Brewers and 19th overall as a Major League General Manager. During his first 12 seasons in Milwaukee, the Brewers have amassed 957 regular season wins, and two appearances in the postseason, including the 2011 National League Central Division Championship. He was named the 2011 Major League Executive of the Year by Baseball America after the team won a franchise-record 96 games on the way to its first division title since 1982. In 2008, Melvin helped bring the franchise its first trip to the postseason in 26 years as the team captured the National League Wild Card with a 90-72 record. His mid-season acquisition of CC Sabathia from the Cleveland Indians was key to the Brewers 2008 postseason run and will go down as possibly the biggest trade in franchise history.

Prior to joining the Brewers, Melvin was the general manager of the Texas Rangers from 1996-2001. He helped the Rangers earn their first postseason appearance ever in 1996. Under his direction, the team won the American League West three times. Before joining the Rangers, Melvin spent nine years in the Baltimore Orioles organization as a special assistant to Owner Edward Bennett Williams and President Larry Lucchino beginning in 1986. He became director of player personnel in charge of minor league operations in November 1987 and added the title of assistant general manager under Executive Vice President and General Manager Roland Hemond in 1988.

Highly decorated, Melvin was named American League Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1996 and Major League Executive of the Year by the same publication in 1998 and 2011. He also earned that award from The Sporting News in 1996 and 2011. Melvin’s most recent honor was bestowed upon him on June 23, 2012 as he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame (1997) and the Chatham, Ontario, Sports Hall of Fame (2000).

As a player, Melvin pitched for six seasons in the minor leagues for Pittsburgh and the Yankees, going 29-19 with a 3.43 ERA. He was signed by Pittsburgh in 1972 and pitched two years before being released. After sitting out 1974 with a leg injury, he was signed by the Yankees by Pat Gillick and played four more years.

All-Star Event Itinerary

Monday, July 20-Hotel Mead & Conference Center

6:00 pm    Social Hour
7:00 pm    Marshfield Clinic Northwoods League All-Star Banquet in the Grand Ballroom

• Welcoming remarks
• Dinner
• All-Star player, coaches, & umpire introductions
• Guest speaker and Q&A– Doug Melvin

Tuesday, July 21-Witter Field

4:30pm    Gates Open

• Pre-game autograph session with NWL All-Stars

5:05 pm    Marshfield Clinic Home Run Challenge
7:05 pm    Marshfield Clinic Northwoods League All-Star Game

• Performance by XPOGO
• Postgame Fireworks Show

Rafters season ticket package holders still have the opportunity to reserve tickets to the 2015 Northwoods League All-Game presented Marshfield Clinic through Thursday, April 23rd. Call the Rafters front office at 715-424-5400 or stop by the Rafthouse Team Shop Monday-Friday, from 9:00am-5:00pm to secure yours today.

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The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.