1998 Michigan Battle Cats Roster
Team Record: 79-61
Finished 2nd in the MWL's East Division
Manager: Billy Gardner (79-61)
Affiliation: Boston Red Sox
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
Ballpark: C.O. Brown Stadium
Attendance: 107,137, Avg. 1,648 in 65 home dates
Playoffs - West Michigan Whitecaps 2 games, Michigan Battle Cats 1
The Michigan Battle Cats of the Midwest League ended the 1998 season with a record of 79 wins and 61 losses, finishing second in the league's East Division.
The Battle Cats scored 685 runs and allowed 631 runs. Shea Hillenbrand paced Michigan with 19 home runs, and Jeff Keaveney walloped 15 or more, too. Shea Hillenbrand accounted for 93 RBI and topped batters with significant playing time with a .349 average. Joe Thomas led the squad with 12 wins and a team-best 3.25 ERA, tops among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Players from the 1998 Michigan Battle Cats who spent time in Major League Baseball during their careers included Marty McLeary, Rontrez Johnson, Justin Duchscherer and Shea Hillenbrand.
Billy Gardner served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Ahumada | R | R | January 20, 1979 | 6'1" | 195 | Culiacan, Sinaloa MX |
| Chad Alevras | R | R | January 8, 1975 | 6'1" | 195 | Boulder, CO US |
| Rafael Arias | R | R | February 4, 1977 | 6'4" | 180 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Aaron Capista | S | R | May 31, 1979 | 6'2" | 189 | Joliet, IL US |
| Mark Cisar | R | R | May 22, 1975 | 5'11" | 185 | New Martinsville, WV US |
| John Curtice | L | L | November 1, 1979 | 6'4" | 210 | Richmond, VA US |
| Jorge DeLeon | R | R | September 26, 1974 | 6'2" | 170 | Ponce, PR |
| Justin Duchscherer | R | R | November 19, 1977 | 6'3" | 165 | Aberdeen, SD US |
| Mark Fischer | R | R | April 15, 1976 | 6'1" | 205 | Marietta, GA US |
| Michael Gancasz | R | R | May 16, 1974 | 6'1" | 210 | Phoenixville, PA US |
| Jess Graham | L | L | October 12, 1975 | 6'0" | 180 | Fairmont, WV US |
| Danny Haas | L | R | January 4, 1976 | 5'11" | 180 | Paducah, KY US |
| Keith Habig | R | R | October 23, 1973 | 6'0" | 175 | Grand Forks, ND US |
| Joe Hamilton | L | R | July 12, 1974 | 6'0" | 195 | Attleboro, MA US |
| Terry Hayden | L | L | June 26, 1975 | 6'6" | 215 | Detroit, MI US |
| Shea Hillenbrand | R | R | July 27, 1975 | 6'1" | 200 | Mesa, AZ US |
| Marcus Howard | R | R | October 3, 1975 | 6'0" | 200 | Dayton, OH US |
| Germaine Hunter | R | R | January 9, 1974 | 5'11" | 175 | Paducah, KY US |
| Rontrez Johnson | R | R | December 8, 1976 | 5'10" | 160 | Marshall, TX US |
| Jeff Keaveney | R | R | October 7, 1975 | 6'5" | 240 | Newton, MA US |
| Carlos Leon | S | R | August 31, 1979 | 5'10" | 181 | Cabimas, Zulia VE |
| Gary Locurto | L | R | May 25, 1978 | 6'1" | 200 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Jon Lyons | R | R | January 13, 1975 | 6'3" | 215 | Memphis, TN US |
| Larry Marino | R | R | October 11, 1974 | 5'10" | 185 | Towson, MD US |
| Paul McDaniels | L | R | March 2, 1977 | 6'2" | 200 | Bellflower, CA US |
| Marty McLeary | R | R | October 26, 1974 | 6'5" | 220 | Kettering, OH US |
| Tom Miller | R | L | May 18, 1975 | 6'1" | 195 | Westphalia, MI US |
| Jason Norton | R | R | April 9, 1976 | 6'3" | 205 | Mobile, AL US |
| Rick O'Dette | R | L | February 11, 1976 | 6'3" | 178 | Blue Island, IL US |
| Brian Partenheimer | R | L | April 13, 1975 | 6'5" | 230 | Huntingburg, IN US |
| Mike Rahilly | R | R | December 3, 1976 | 6'6" | 230 | Fort Lauderdale, FL US |
| Kenny Rayborn | R | R | November 22, 1974 | 6'4" | 210 | Hattiesburg, MS US |
| Mike Rupp | R | R | February 21, 1978 | 6'3" | 200 | San Diego, CA US |
| Junior Santana | R | R | November 22, 1977 | 6'3" | 190 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Lance Surridge | L | R | July 17, 1976 | 6'4" | 200 | St. Paul, MN US |
| Jeff Taglienti | R | R | November 13, 1975 | 6'0" | 210 | Waltham, MA US |
| Joe Thomas | L | L | January 25, 1975 | 6'3" | 225 | Buffalo, NY US |
| Byron Tribe | R | R | March 21, 1975 | 6'3" | 210 | Houston, TX US |
| Jeff Uccello | R | R | June 16, 1974 | 6'3" | 205 | Hartford, CT US |
Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games.
