The 2009 season has gone by like blur;

I really cannot believe that it is over.

 No playoffs and 80 losses aren't fun;

Just remember that this is only the end of year number one.

 For 2010 plans are already being made;

There's plenty to do so no trips to Dade.

We wrap up the season with seven questions that are usually asked;

Giving answers for them is a duty with which I am usually tasked.

One of those questions isn't "Why does the end of the season cast such a pall?"

I don't have that answer, but I do have the final edition of This Week in Timber Rattlers Baseball.

Usually, I've recapped the Timber Rattlers games from the previous week.  There were just four games played -- all losses -- since the last column.  That made six straight losses and Wisconsin ended the season with 12 losses in the last 13 games.  To sell that as a strong ending to the season would be like selling a Kate Beckinsale movie with ads showing her all bundled up in a Parka and cold weather gear.  Winning six in a row or 12 of the last 13 would have made a tough season a little easier to write about..much like two of the three Underworld movies were easier to watch with Kate...

To put a bow on the season, here are seven questions that I can almost guarantee that I will get when I go out to do speaking engagements this off season.

What went wrong?

Offense.  There wasn't any.  I know that a lot of people will point to the pitching prospects and all the walks handed out by the staff as a whole.  But, here are a few stats:

Rattlers record when scoring four or less: 23-64

Team Batting Average: .236

Largest deficit erased in a win: Three runs

I'll take that last one first.  If the Rattlers were down by four or more runs in any game -- at any point in any game -- they could not make up the deficit.  Even a three-run hole was tough.  They rallied from a three run deficit just five times during the year.

We did some actual research in the office yesterday.  The .236 team batting average was the lowest in team history.  In 15 seasons, the .236 average checks in at #15.

In 87 of the 139 games played this season, the Rattlers scored four or fewer runs.  That is very little margin for error.  Picture a game where the Rattlers score four runs.  In that same game, the starting pitcher has a quality start - (six innings with three or less earned runs).  Okay, it's 4-3 with the Rattlers up one heading into the final three innings.  One run is not much of a cushion for the bullpen.

Who impressed you the most?

Wily Peralta.  Good velocity, a couple of out pitches, and he picked up how to pitch very quickly.  I know that a few people see him as a reliever in the major leagues.  But I really want to see how he develops as a starting pitcher in the system.  He should get the bump up to Brevard County next season and he should do well down in the Florida State League.

Before you get started with a "What about Brett Lawrie?" line of questioning, I answered that a few weeks ago when he got moved to Huntsville.  I think that he favorably compares offensively to Adam Jones.  Lawrie put up similar numbers -- and in some cases better numbers --  to what Jones did when he was a Rattler in 2004.  And Lawrie was only about six months older than the All-Star outfielder for Baltimore.  Also, remember that Jones was a shortstop with the Timber Rattlers and made it to the All-Star Game as a centerfielder.  Does this mean that Lawrie has a position switch in his future?  I think that he will be at second for the near future.

Any highlights or games that stand out for the year?

Miller Park.  April 28.  The first time the Chiefs really got BROCKED!

Brock Kjeldgaard hit a two run homer at Miller Park to put the Rattlers ahead in front of almost 18,000 fans.

Where do all the players go?

Some guys will head to instructional league.  Others will head home or back to school.  

The stadium closes down for the off-season, right?

Wrong.  Time Warner Cable Field is open Monday through Friday; 9am through 5pm from now until the March.  We have people there selling wall signs and tickets and program ads and picnics.  Plus, Fang's Reading Program is starting to get cranked up for the 2010 school season.  There is plenty happening there to keep the staff busy during the off season.

Anything new for 2010?

A few things are set in stone.  Namely, I'll be going to Lake County with the team for the first time and a team from Bowling Green, Kentucky will be visiting Time Warner Cable Field for the first time.  The Midwest League is expanding to 16 teams for 2010.  The Lake County Captains, a Cleveland Indians affiliate, and the Bowling Green Hot Rods, a Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, are joining the party.  This means a switch in the schedule.  The Rattlers will welcome four teams from the East and will go to the other four teams.  The visits will last three days.

There may be a few new things for 2010 to announce over the next few months.  Check the Rattlers website for the latest details.

Any idea on the players for 2010?

A few.  Imagine 3/5 of the starting rotation as Eric Arnett, Kyle Heckathorn, and Maverick Lasker.  After that, I think that it's anybody's guess.

When's Opening Day?

April 8, 2010.  The Rattlers will host the Kane County Cougars at 6:35pm.  Here's to hoping that weather and the crowds remain just as good as they were in the 2009 season.

Personal question: I saw a recent status update on your Facebook page that went a little something like this: Chris Mehring just got off the scale.  And in the words of Ron Burgundy, "I'm not even mad.  That's amazing."  So, how much did you weigh at the end of the season?

The answer is somewhere on the page of former Brewers slugger Johnny Briggs at Baseball Cube.

To wrap up the column, I usually put up a song from a million years ago when I was at WSUP at UW-Platteville.  But, to wrap up this column here's the Fan Appreciation video that was put together by our production crew.

I'll be around in the comments and at Rattler Radio.  Plus, Dan has offered to let me pop in from time to time with a column every now and then during the off-season.  But, right now, I'm going to get caught up on my DVR, clean up around the trailer, and hope that the next 209 days go by as quickly as possible.

Until that time, so long, everybody.  Go Packers!  And Thank You.