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Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• Return of the cranes

• Transit employees, police don't want homeless at station for Sunday breakfast

• Acampo man, 95, recalls undefeated football team

• News-Sentinel honored in newspaper contest

• Regional Roundup

• Public Meetings

November 21st, 2009

• Logbook

• Holiday drive spreads cheer to U.S. troops

• Galt High students want board to approve open-campus policy

• Poisoning victims remain hospitalized

• Expert: Half a mushroom cap can be deadly

• Tokay grad files claim over Lodi's Grape Bowl

• Lodi Middle School holds annual Turkey Trot

• Regional Roundup

• No motive or suspect in shooting

• Sacramento cop arrested for alleged kidnapping

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Chase ends in crash

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

November 17th, 2009

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Clarification

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Regional Roundup

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (165)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (70)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (29)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Government-run health care is a bad idea (17)
• Young woman fatally shot at Acampo home (17)
• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi (16)

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It's a small World (Series) after all

Vero Beach Devils Rays GM Katie Siegfried cheering on fellow Lodian Jason Bartlett

So it turns out Jason Bartlett isn't Lodi's only connection to the 2008 World Series.

While the Tampa Bay Rays' starting shortstop is a Lodi native, there is another Lodian connected with the club in Katie Siegfried, the co-general manager for the Vero Beach Devil Rays. Vero Beach is a Class-A affiliate of the Rays.

Siegfried has been the co-GM of the team for the last two years. Despite being only 27 years old, Siegfried has climbed her way to the executive post and handles the marketing, ticketing and community and public relations for the Devil Rays.

Siegfried says the Vero Beach organization has a very close relationship to the Rays and she even got to go to Games 1 and 2 of the World Series. She's hoping the Rays come back to Tampa Bay to win the series in Game 6 or 7, not only so she can go see more games and attend the after party, but also because, as part of the organization, she will get a World Series championship ring.

"It's not the ring that Jason gets. He gets the bling bling. I get the class C or B lower cubic zirconia ring," she said.

With Bartlett joining the Rays this year, the two former Lodi residents have crossed paths. They were acquaintances in high school, when Bartlett went to St. Mary's and Siegfried went to Tokay.

"To see him succeed here in Tampa is fun," said Siegfried. "I just purchased my Jason Bartlett T-shirt and wore it at the game on Thursday and was yelling JB. He is quietly having a really good series. When he got the sacrifice bunt, I was yelling M-V-P."

The Vero Beach Devil Rays didn't quite have the success the big-league Rays did this year, finishing with a 20-46 record in last place. Siegfried has had the opportunity to see many promising prospects come through her team, including up-and-coming pitcher David Price, who made the first minor league start for the Devil Rays earlier this season.

Off the field however, Siegfried, who graduated with a degree in sociology and broadcasting at Arizona State University, has led the charge for the team's increased community involvement and work with charitable organizations.

Her efforts have been recognized by the Florida State League, which the Devil Rays play in, as it has nominated her for the 2008 Rawlings Female Executive of the Year — the highest award given to females in the minor leagues.

Each minor league baseball league nominates a woman for the award, which will be announced in December at a luncheon at the baseball winter meetings in Las Vegas.

"It is pretty cool. I was put out there by all of the GMs and executives and while there are only 12 teams in our league, it is still an honor," she said. "Rawlings is doing this to help women in baseball. We are a limited number. I am one of only a few female GMs. Right now, there are only three that I know of and I think I am the highest ranking one."

When the Devil Rays' season ended this year, it ended a 29-year run in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Even though the Dodgers owned the team, it is an affiliate of the Rays. This year, the team was sold to the Ripken Baseball Group and will move from Vero Beach to Port Charlotte next season.

Siegfried is unsure what her future holds, but thinks she may get transferred to Arizona and continue to work for the Dodgers — a position she enjoys despite growing up as a Giants fan.

"I am not too worried. If I go back to Arizona that will be OK," she said. "I am a Sun Devil, so I wouldn't mind going back there but I have found a little place in my heart for Tampa and the Rays."

Siegfried said a decision will be made soon about her future, but in the mean time, she's just hoping the Rays can beat the Phillies.

"We are in the limbo but we are going out with a bang if the Rays win the World Series," she said.