UNDERBELLY: The inside information on Australian Rules Baseball for November 2008
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE:
- Single table rankings / Business / Top players
- Free Beer Day – Success?
- “Watch the face man” - Two very graphic scenes resulting from HBP's.
- ARB looks at minor league system
- The month that was
SINGLE TABLE RANKINGS THROUGH OCTOBER 2008 / BUSINESS / TOP PLAERS
1. New Zealand Outsiders: 32-23
Fan Interest: 72
Total Attendance: 153,159
Avg. Attendance: 5,673 (5,700)
Ticket Price: $13 AUD
Top Players (so far this season)
AVG: Fred Robin (LF, RF), .343
HR: Buford Burrow (3B), 21
RBI: Ronald Schulz (RF), 49
SB: Fred Robin (LF, RF), 17
OPS: Buford Burrow (3B), 1.019
ERA:
RHP Richard Gholston (SP), 3.71
W:
RHP Richard Gholston (SP), 8
SV: RHP Kareem Ritch (CL), 14
SO: RHP Richard Gholston (SP), 64
2. Adelaide: 30-25
Fan Interest: 76
Total Attendance: 231,221
Avg. Attendance: 7,973 (8,000)
Ticket Price: $13 AUD
Top Players (so far this season)
AVG: Millard “The Dragon” Wagers (LF), .359
HR: Millard “The Dragon” Wagers (LF) AND George Lopez (LF), 14
RBI: George Lopez (LF), 44
SB: Javier Espada (CF/RF), 8
OPS: Millard “The Dragon” Wagers (LF), 1.135
ERA: RHP Christopher Hensen (SP), 4.13
W: RHP Karl Keesee (SP), 6
SV: RHP Avelino Lugo (CL), 15
SO: RHP James Smith (SP), 78
3. Brisbane: 30-25
Fan Interest: 72
Total Attendance: 315,614
Avg. Attendance: 11,272 (11,300)
Ticket Price: $13 AUD
Top Players (so far this season)
AVG: Tomas Dueno (2B/3B/SS), .309
HR: Michael Smith (1B/DH), 26
RBI: Michael Smith (1B/DH), 49
SB: Curtis Thomas (2B/3B/SS), 10
OPS: Michael Smith (1B/DH), 1.022
ERA: LHP Robert Harrison (SP), 3.04
W: LHP Robert Harrison (SP), 7
SV: RHP John Finch (CL), 17
SO: LHP Robert Harrison (SP), 63
4. Sydney Premiers: 29-26
Fan Interest: 74
Total Attendance: 368,427
Avg. Attendance: 14,170 (14,200)
Ticket Price: $13 AUD
Top Players (so far this season)
AVG: Mark Mote (RF), .401
HR: Gregg Martin (3B), 16
RBI: Gregg Martin (3B), 45
SB: Millard Bennett (CF, LF), 10
OPS: Mark Mote (RF), 1.137
ERA: LHP Amadis Cataldo (SP), 3.33
W: LHP Edgar Villanueva (SP), 6
SV: RHP Luis Lanza (CL), 9
SO: LHP Edgar Villanueva (SP) AND RHP Osvaldo Cruz (SP), 58
5. Perth Bellsman: 23-32
Fan Interest: 63
Total Attendance: 189,826
Avg. Attendance: 6,780 (6,800)
Ticket Price: $13
TEAM NOTE – They have started going under the name “Bellsman” after a local newspaper referred to them as such. It just happened to catch on.
Top Players (so far this season)
AVG: Oscar Fabiano (CF) AND Joseph Oliveira (RF/CF), .280
HR: Hugh “Bones” Mollett (2B/SS), 14
RBI: Andrew Seybert (3B), 41
SB: Hugh “Bones” Mollett, 9
OPS: Hugh “Bones” Mollett, .949
ERA: RHP Abraham Diez (SP), 3.38
W: LHP Adam Roberts (RP) AND RHP Normal McLemore (SP), 4
SV: RHP Franky Torres (CL), 9
SO: LHP Oscar Duty (SP), 62
6. Melbourne: 21-34
Fan Interest: 67
Total Attendance: 431,451
Avg. Attendance: 15,980 (16,000)
Ticket Price: $13 AUD
Top Players (so far this season)
AVG: Ronnie May (2B), .345
HR: Alfonso Mijangos (1B/DH), 13
RBI: George Ryles (LF/RF), 43
SB: Mark Lococo (RF/LF), 15
OPS: Ronnie May (2B), .996
ERA: RHP Claude Stehle (SP), 3.45
W: RHP Edward “Scimitar” Hayes (SP) AND LHP Jose Acha (SP) AND RHP Claude Stehle (SP), 4
SV: RHP Chigemi Atsushi (CL), 6
SO: LHP Wayne Moser (SP), 90
Free Beer Day – Success?
After seeing the atmosphere, and seeing the promotion go off without anyone making a fool of themselves or any trouble with people leaving the stadium, Free Beer Day is considered a success by many. The other five teams view it as a success, and it's believed that they might actually copy Perth.
“If they copy us, then whatever,” said Perth owner Xavier Ellison. “We were the originals, and if they copy us that means that we must've had one hell of an idea. It's good for the league, and it's good for promoting this great sport in Australia.”
It was a concept that intrigued many, and opened the doors for the Cooper's Brewery to further their partnership with the ARB. November 29th, 2008 also happened to be Wallie Finkleman's birthday, who was at The Home of the Bell after being publicly invited to Free Beer Day.
Other fans claimed that the Bellsman were trying to kiss up to ARB's Board of Directors leader. Perth fans were just excited that their very loud and often found as annoying bell ringing and chants would be complemented with free alcoholic beverages.
Perth and Melbourne set to do battle, both teams struggling at the bottom of the table. Once the third inning finished, the score tied at 2-2, a 54 minute rain delay interrupted the action on the field. The action in the crowd picked up. Fans chanted, danced, rang their bells, and enjoy their free beer despite the long rain delay. It certainly was a special atmosphere, and who would've ever thought that a rain delay could help it?
The crowd of 6,799, exactly one less of a sellout, were apart of what could have been their highlight of the season. In the bottom of the seventh, down 6-5 to Melbourne, LF Foster Dealba came up with two on and one out. In one mighty swing of the bat, he crushed a hanging changeup off of 34 year old lefty reliever Ron Fetter.
The three run blast put Perth ahead 8-6, sent the crowd into raptures as loud as any 40,000+ crowd, and was all the Bellsman needed to win. It was certainly the best night in Perth baseball in it's very short history, in a season that sees them struggling.
“Watch the face man” - Two very graphic scenes resulting from HBP's.
In Brisbane's 9-4 victory at the Adelaide Baseball Field, two gruesome occurrences saw Brisbane players getting plunked by erratic pitches.
Back-to-back, Adelaide right-handed starter Christopher Hensen lost his control and caught CF Tommy Fisher right square in the nose with a changeup on the inside that forgot to change. It fractured Fisher's nose, he was taken out, but would continue on the next few days with a facemask.
The very next batter was the ninth hitter, C Columbus Emmer. Another changeup on the inside that forgot to change, and Emmer went of holding his left eye. It was announced that he had a scratched cornea, and would be out for 1-2 weeks.
“I don't know what to say,” said Hensen after the game. “It was a horrible day for me, and I feel even worse for Fisher and Emmer than I do for by 5.2 inning game. I can only hope to forget about this game, remember how to throw changeups, and have a better game next time.”
After the two HBP's were shown on many sports highlight shows for about a week, Hensen pitched 7.1 IP at home vs. Sydney, but the Premiers came back later on the game to win 6-5 and disallow a win for Hensen. He went 8 IP at Perth, but reliever Eduardo Castro and closer Avelino Lugo coughed the game up in the 9th and Perth won 6-3.
Hensen finally picked up a win against New Zealand after throwing 6 IP in a 6-5 victory at home. “It feels like the nightmare is finally over,” said Hensen after the game against the Outsiders.
ARB looks at minor league system
After the draft in May, all six teams found themselves with plenty of reserves. With these excess players sitting on a reserves list, and plenty of other players already signing up for the combine trials that start in January, the Board of Directors are already planning a minor league system that is expected to take place next year.
There will be three levels, much like the setup used in the United States. Level One is the bottom of this totem pole, Level Two sandwiched in the middle, and Level Three being the final step just before the main level.
“We have taken a look at the reserves list on each team, and it's quiet shocking that these guys aren't playing any baseball,” said ARB founder Wallie Finkleman. “They get coaching, they go through the training, but they just rot on the reserves. That doesn't help the advancement of these players if they don't play in actual games.”
The 2009 ARB Draft will see ten rounds, serpentine-style. It's expected that more will try out in the combine, and that there will be plenty of undrafted players who can get snapped up in free agency afterwards.
The month that wasNovember 7th – 30 year old right-handed start Osvaldo Cruz gives a solid 3-hit shutout vs. Perth as Sydney goes on to win 8-0 at Premier State Field.
On the same day, Brisbane's 36 year old power hitting SS Curtis Thomas slammed a 489 foot home run to left field. There was one on in Brisbane's four-run 11th inning on the road at the Adelaide Baseball Field. Thomas already hit a solo home run earlier in the 3rd. Brisbane beat Adelaide 11-7 in 11 innings.
November 8th – The Player of the Week went to C Diego Velazquez (New Zealand Outsiders). He hit .619 in 21 AB, 4 HR and 10 RBI.
November 10th – Brisbane 1B Michael Smith hit three home runs in Adelaide. Brisbane won 9-4.
November 15th – Michael Smith's amazing week was honored with Player of the Week. He hit .391 in 23AB, 7 HR and 12 RBI.
November 17th – An amazing night for the New Zealand Outsiders as they picked up an 11-0 win on the road against Brisbane. 3B Buford Burrow hit for the cycle in Bank of Queensland© Stadium. Not only that, but Outsiders RHP Josef “The Hammer” Cunningham pitched a 3-hit shutout.
November 18th – Melbourne's 34 year old LHP Jose Acha pitched a 3-hit shutout at home vs. Adelaide in a 10-0 win.
November 22nd – 3B “Amazing” Gilbert Sternberg (Adelaide) won Player of the Week. Amazing Gil hit .524 in 21 AB, 2 HR and 9 RBI.
November 29th – LF George Ryles (Melbourne) was Player of the Week. He hit .423 in 26 AB, 2 HR and 9 RBI.
December 1st – Starting lefty Robert Harrison (Brisbane) was named Pitcher of the Month. He went 5-1 in six games, with a 1.70 ERA.
The Batter of the Month went to 1B Michael Smith (Brisbane). He hit .273 in 110 AB, hitting 16 HR and 32 RBI.