Introducing the Kane County Cougars
The fourth installment of our Midwest League team features a club that's probably pretty well-known around South Central Kentucky. It's not a team popular because of its affiliation, but rather one player who donned its uniform just a few seasons ago. That team is the Kane County Cougars and that player is getting close to another shot at a World Series title.
TEAM: Kane County Cougars
MLB AFFILIATE: Oakland Athletics (2003)
LOCATION: Geneva, IL
FIRST SEASON: 1991
STADIUM (CAPACITY): Elfstrom Stadium (7,400) 2009 RECORD: 76-64, 3rd place Western Division, 1st Half Western Division Champion, Swept 2-0 by Burlington in Round One of MWL playoffs
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 2001 (11 postseason appearances)
NOTABLE MLB ALUMNI: 109 players; Alex Gonzalez (1996), A.J. Burnett (1998), Josh Beckett (2000), Miguel Cabrera (2001), Joe Blanton (2003)
VS. BOWLING GREEN: 3 games; June 4-6 at Bowling Green
When it comes to boasting a location near a major city, Kane County may be the head of the MWL class. Based in Geneva, Illinois, the Cougars are located just 35 miles from Chicago. The Cougars are Kane County's first modern venture in pro baseball after two clubs played in nearby Aurora and Elgin in 1915 during the long-defunct Bi-State League's one season. After a long spell without minor league baseball, Geneva and Kane County celebrated after the 1990 season when the Wausau Timbers left Wisconsin bound for the borders of the Windy City.
When the club first arrived in Kane County, the Baltimore Orioles affiliate opened up a brand new stadium, Elfstrom Stadium, which still serves as the Cougars den. In its first season, Kane County set a high bar for on-field success, racing to 42 wins during the first half of the season. Ultimately they advanced to the playoffs that season before being swept by Madison in the first round, 2-0. A year later, after a 61-76 record, the Orioles left town to be replaced by the Florida Marlins.
The first three years with Florida were winning seasons, ending in a 1995 first-round playoff loss to West Michigan. After a losing season in 1996, things looked bleak again in 1997. The Cougars found themselves at the bottom of their division with a 33-37 record at the all-star break before a big turnaround. Led by Chicago White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik, Kane County 'flipped the script' with a 37-31 record to win the second half championship and a trip to the playoffs. Once in the postseason, Kane County swept both Wisconsin and Cedar Rapids to advance to their first championship series. While giving Lansing all it could handle the Cougars ended up just short, losing a decisive game five to give Lansing the title.
That 1997 season became the epitome of what Kane County has done for the last dozen years: a good team that will likely make the playoffs while housing some future big league players. In 1998 they just missed postseason baseball but featured current New York Yankee A.J. Burnett. After a playoff appearance in 1999, Josh Beckett pitched in Kane County for the 2000 squad, helping them rack up 74 wins. A year later, with a team led by big league all-stars Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) and Adrian Gonzalez (Padres), Kane County piled up a franchise-best 88 wins while sweeping their way through the playoffs. The title was well-earned, but bittersweet, as the championship series against South Bend was called after one game due to the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The club switched affiliations in 2003, moving from Florida to the Oakland Athletics. The A's prospects continued the Marlins' winning ways by returning to the playoffs in five of the next seven seasons, ultimately finishing as MWL runners-up in 2004 and 2006.
In addition to relatively successful teams on the field, one more thing has remained a constant in Geneva: Cougars advancing to the major leagues. In addition to the aforementioned players, the Marlins affiliation produced major league all-stars in Charles Johnson (1993), Ryan Dempster (1996), and Alex Gonzalez (1996), as well as 2003 National League Rookie of the Year Dontrelle Willis (2002). Under the A's umbrella, reliever Huston Street (2004) grabbed the 2005 AL Rookie of the Year award while another Oakland closer, Andrew Bailey (2007), is among the favorites for this year's rookie honor.
But, the greatest Cougar of them all, at least in South Central Kentucky, is none other than Joe Blanton. After being drafted in 2002, the Edmonson County native pitched in Kane County in '03, remarkably his only full season in the minor leagues. Blanton led the Cougars to the playoffs with a modest 8-7 record, but sterling 2.57 ERA. He averaged more than six innings per start while striking out 144 batters, a 9.7 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio. A year later, on September 21, 2004, Blanton made his major league debut with Oakland, never to return to the minors again.
NEXT WEEK: Peoria Chiefs (Chicago Cubs)
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between