The Kalamazoo Growlers pitching coach played for the Wisconsin Rapids Twins in 1964

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. – When the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters host the Kalamazoo Growlers on Sunday, it’ll be a special night for one member of the Growlers coaching staff, pitching coach Pedro Sierra.

Sierra, 76, is a former Negro League baseball player who went on to sign and play in the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins farm systems, that latter of which brought him to Wisconsin Rapids for the 1964 season.

In his lone season playing at Witter Field with the Twin’s single-A affiliate, Sierra made 37 appearances and 16 starts, compiling an 8-10 record with a 4.08 ERA over 159 innings pitched. His eight wins tied for second most on the team that season.

In all, Sierra played for five seasons in the Twin’s system, also playing for the Erie Sailors of the New York-Pennsylvania League, the Bismarck-Mandan Pards of the Northern League and the Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Western Carolinas League. Sierra then moved on to the Washington Senators farm system, where he had success pitching at the double-A level with the Pittsfield Senators in 1970-71.

The La Habana, Cuba native pitched for four seasons in the Mexican League from 1972-1975 before retiring. Sierra made his return to baseball as a pitching coach in 2002. He coached in Pennsylvania, Taiwan and New Jersey before being hired as the Growlers pitching coach in December 2014.

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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), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.raftersbaseball.com.