The Woodchucks began play in 1994 as one of the five original franchises in the Northwoods League, along with the
Rochester Honkers,
Manitowoc Skunks,
Kenosha Kroakers, and
Dubuque Mud Puppies. Only the Woodchucks and Honkers continue to play in their original cities to this day. The Woodchucks filled the void left by the
Wausau Timbers of the Class A
Midwest League, who relocated after the
1990 season to
Geneva, Illinois, to become the
Kane County Cougars. The team was known as the
Wausau Woodchucks from 1994 to 1998, but the team name was changed to
Wisconsin Woodchucks for the 1999 season, as they were the only remaining team in Wisconsin in the league at that time. The Woodchucks' manager for the 2007–2009 seasons was
Jim Gantner, a former
Milwaukee Brewer who attended college at the
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Gantner had never managed a team previously, and the Woodchucks appealed to him as he had spent time in the area at a second home. Gantner became the team's president of baseball operations in 2009. On February 2, 2022, the Woodchucks announced their return as the Wausau Woodchucks, with a new logo and color scheme. ==Woodchucks in MLB==