Per-game average sets 56-year franchise record; season attendance is best since full-stadium renovation
DAVENPORT, Iowa (September 4, 2015) - An average of 3,906 fans per game attended Quad Cities River Bandits home games at Modern Woodmen Park this season, setting a new record for the highest per-game average for a season in the 56-year history of the Quad Cities Midwest League franchise. A total of 250,004 attended River Bandits regular season games this year, setting the single-season attendance record since the full-stadium renovation following the 2003 season.
The 2015 season also saw five of the largest single-game home crowds - all 7,106 or larger - for the Quad Cities franchise since the start of the 2002 season. On July 31, a crowd of 8,207 at Modern Woodmen Park was the ballpark's largest single-game attendance since the full-stadium renovation. The attendance records were achieved despite weather postponing six River Bandits home games - the most of any Midwest League team this season.
"The quarter-million fans who came to the ballpark this season showed again why the Quad Cities is the No. 1 minor league sports market," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "We are tremendously grateful for the dedication and support of the best fans in minor league baseball, who make Modern Woodmen Park the No. 1 minor league ballpark in America!"
Quad Cities' total home attendance of 250,004 this season was the fourth-most since the franchise joined the Midwest League in 1960 and the highest since 1995. For each of the eight seasons under Main Street Baseball, more than 200,000 fans have attended Quad Cities River Bandits games at Modern Woodmen Park - a streak unprecedented in Quad Cities sports history.
"With their record-setting support, our fans have put their outstanding mark on a memorable season of River Bandits baseball," said General Manager Andrew Chesser. "We look forward to celebrating this achievement and another playoff run on the field with our fans beginning Thursday, Sept. 10, at Modern Woodmen Park."
The Quad Cities franchise record for single-season attendance is 260,471 - a mark set in 1994 as the Quad City River Bandits, an affiliate of the Houston Astros. That season's per-game average of 3,755 was the highest for the franchise until 2014, when the River Bandits had a then-franchise-record 3,885 fans per game.
UP NEXT: Tickets are on sale at riverbandits.com and the Modern Woodmen Park box office for the River Bandits' first home playoff game Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. For all 2015 playoff home games, box seat tickets will be $9 each, while all bleacher and general admission tickets will be $5 each. Current ticket plan holders (12 games or more) receive free playoff tickets by making a $100-per-seat renewal deposit toward a 2016 ticket package. Group area picnic pricing for 2015 playoff games is the same as regular season pricing, with full details at riverbandits.com/groups. Suite rentals, including 16 tickets per suite, are $350 per game. Only tickets for the Sept. 10 game are available before the playoffs. Tickets for other possible playoff home games will be made available once the game becomes necessary. A full playoff schedule is available at riverbandits.com.
BANDITS POUND SEASON-HIGH 19 HITS IN WIN AT BELOIT
Nick Tanielu, Ramon Laureano and Luis Reynoso each homer in 14-2 road victory
BELOIT, Wis. (September 6, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits center fielder Bobby Boyd, first baseman Bryan Muñiz and catcher Garrett Stubbs each had three hits, and all 10 Quad Cities River Bandits batters had at least one of the team's 19 hits - its most since 2012 - to become the first team in baseball to win 88 games, with a 14-2 victory over the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field Sunday afternoon.
River Bandits All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu opened the scoring with a two-out, first-inning solo home run, and designated hitter Ramon Laureano and second baseman Luis Reynoso added sixth-inning home runs to carry Quad Cities (43-26 second half, 88-49 overall) to a 10-0 lead in support of right-hander Elieser Hernandez (3-3), who struck out six batters in 5 2/3 innings for his first win since Aug. 7.
Snappers right-hander Brett Graves (12-8) retired the game's first two batters before Tanielu swatted his sixth home run - and first since Aug. 8 - over the left-field wall for a 1-0 Quad Cities lead. In the third inning, Reynoso hit a leadoff single to center field, and Tanielu grounded a two-out RBI double down the third-base line. After Muñiz walked, right fielder Drew Ferguson lifted a fly-ball RBI double down the right-field line, and Laureano hit a fly-ball, two-run single into right field to make it 5-0. The first five runs came with two outs.
Hernandez kept Beloit without a hit until the fourth inning, when shortstop Mikey White hit a leadoff single down the third-base line. After walking left fielder Max Kuhn, Hernandez struck out the next three batters to strike out the side for the second straight inning.
Graves kept his team's deficit at 5-0 until the sixth inning, when Laureano led off with a home run to left-center field - his fourth of the season and first since July 4. Stubbs then singled to right field, and shortstop Kristian Trompiz reached on an infield single, before Graves was removed with no outs. On right-hander Rob Huber's first pitch, Reynoso launched a three-run home run over the left-field wall for his first home run since July 26, 2014, with rookie-level Greeneville. Graves was charged with the first eight earned runs on 11 hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five-plus innings. Two batters after Reynoso, Boyd lifted a one-out fly ball toward Kuhn, who missed the catch in left field, allowing Boyd to reach second base. Muñiz brought in Boyd with single to center field to make it 10-0.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Hernandez walked center fielder Justin Higley, and White hit a double to left field. Hernandez allowed Kuhn's RBI groundout and third baseman Jose Brizuela's RBI double to left-center field before getting the second out, and left-hander Zach Davis got the final out of the inning to keep a 10-2 lead. Hernandez was charged with two earned runs on three hits and two walks.
Quad Cities added a pair of runs off Huber in the seventh inning, when Stubbs hit a one-out single to left-center field, Reynoso drew a two-out walk, left fielder Jason Martin hit an RBI single to center field, and Boyd grounded an RBI single down the third-base line off left-hander Mike Fagan to make it 12-2. In a two-run ninth inning against right-hander Koby Gauna, Martin drew a one-out walk, Boyd singled to center field, third baseman Wander Franco grounded an RBI double down the first-base line, and Muñiz's RBI groundout made it 14-2.
After Davis went 2 1/3 scoreless innings, right-hander Eric Peterson worked around two singles in a scoreless ninth inning to end the game.
BELOIT'S 2-RUN 8TH ROBS BANDITS OF FINALE WIN
Quad Cities finishes with best winning percentage in full-season MiLB, sets franchise ERA mark
BELOIT, Wis. (September 7, 2015) - The Beloit Snappers scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead and eventual regular season finale victory at Pohlman Field Monday afternoon over the Quad Cities River Bandits, who finished with the best winning percentage in full-season Minor League Baseball for the first time in franchise history.
In addition to their .638 winning percentage, the River Bandits (43-27 second half, 88-50 overall) had their second-best regular season record in franchise history, trailing only the 91-46 mark of the 1992 Quad City River Bandits. At the end of the Minor League Baseball regular season Monday, only the River Bandits, the Houston Astros Class-A affiliate, and the Houston Astros Double-A affiliate Corpus Christi (89-51 in the Texas League) led professional baseball with records 38 games above .500.
After posting a season-high 19 hits Sunday, the River Bandits stole a season-high six bases Monday. Center fielder Bobby Boyd had three stolen bases to match his season high and finish the season with 40 stolen bases - the highest total by an Astros minor leaguer, the third-most in the Midwest League, and the most by a Quad Cities player in 10 years. Boyd also began the scoring Monday. In a scoreless game in the fourth inning, Boyd drew a one-out walk and stole second base with All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu batting. With first baseman Bryan Muñiz batting, Boyd stole third base - the fourth time he had stolen two bases in the same inning this season - and scored on Muñiz's line-drive RBI single - the River Bandits' first hit - to right-center field for a 1-0 Quad Cities lead.
The Snappers (29-40, 55-84) answered in the bottom of the inning against right-hander Rogelio Armenteros. Shortstop Mikey White drew a leadoff walk, and third baseman Jose Brizuela hit a one-out, two-run home run to right field for a 2-1 Beloit lead. After the home run, Armenteros only allowed two baserunners on a single and a walk, with neither advancing to scoring position. Armenteros finished a career-high seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Quad Cities tied the game in the top of the fifth inning. River Bandits right fielder Ramon Laureano doubled to left field and went to third base on a flyout by shortstop Kristian Trompiz. After second baseman Jose Fernandez walked, a double steal scored Laureano. In the sixth inning, Boyd hit a leadoff double down the left-field line, stole third base and scored when catcher Argenis Raga overthrew third base.
Right-hander Lachlan Madden (0-2) started the eighth inning with a 3-2 lead by walking center fielder Justin Higley. On first baseman Gabriel Santana's sacrifice, Madden overthrew first base, allowing Higley to score and Santana to reach third base. Designated hitter Joe Bennie hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly to right field. Right-hander Ryan Gorton (1-0) earned the win with perfect eighth and ninth innings.
The River Bandits finished the season setting 56-year Quad Cities Midwest League franchise records for players (61), pitchers (37), and starting pitchers (20), which all led the Houston Astros minor league system. Quad Cities' Midwest League-leading and franchise-record 2.65 team ERA this season was the lowest by a Houston Astros-affiliated domestic team - major or minor league - since 1970, when the Columbus (Ga.) Astros held a 2.57 ERA in the Double-A Southern League.
The River Bandits open a best-of-three Western Division Semifinal at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. In Game 1, River Bandits right-hander Joshua James (7-4), whose 2.63 ERA led Astros minor leaguers and was fifth in the Midwest League, is scheduled to face Kernels right-hander Felix Jorge (6-7), whose 2.79 ERA ranked seventh in the league.
UP NEXT: Tickets are on sale at riverbandits.com and the Modern Woodmen Park box office for the River Bandits' first home playoff game Thursday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m. against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. For all playoff home games, box seat tickets are $9 each, and general admission tickets are $5 each. Current ticket plan holders (12 games or more) receive free playoff tickets by making a $100-per-seat renewal deposit toward a 2016 ticket package. Group area picnic pricing for 2015 playoff games is the same as regular season pricing, with full details at riverbandits.com/groups. Suite rentals, including 16 tickets per suite, are $350 per game. Tickets for playoff home games beyond Sept. 10 will be made available once the game becomes necessary. A full playoff schedule is available at riverbandits.com.
