A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL, 2019-2119) - Page 38

Izz · 01-09-2018, 04:10 AM

Offseason

2063 Notes

League ERA dropped to 4.57, the lowest mark since 2059, while BA fell to .268, the lowest since 2056.

The 340 doubles Auckland hit was the second-best season total since 2030, when the Heat hit 349.

ABC Wrap-up

Si-xun Qiao (.331/.415/.656, 57HR) broke the ABC homerun record with 1 game to spare, crunching number 57 in an 11-0 win over the Adelaide Artists.

The Canberra Capitals took out the Southern Division by winning the 162nd game of the season, their final record 101-61. The Melbourne Victory ended the season with a 100-62 record but would not play any more ball in 2063. Neither would the Sydney Highlife, who finished up at 99-63.

Kalgoorlie and Perth had to take things to a 163rd game to sort out the Western Division. The Gold Rush took the lead early and never relinquished it, winning 6-3. For the Sharks, who’d set the division pace all season, the loss was gutting. Sharks’ skipper Sterling Hodgson said, “Yeah, it’ll take a while for this to stop feeling raw, that’s for sure.”

Neither semi-finals series went past 4 games, Canberra disposing of Kalgoorlie 3-1 and Dunedin surprising the Broncos by the same margin.

The Grand Final was a tighter affair, Canberra eventually taking home the trophy in 6 games. Game 6 was notable for another reason, too. Achaius Muljana and Sterling Filby both returned from injury and were pushed into Canberra’s starting lineup, neither having appeared yet in the postseason. In his first at-bat Muljana went yard, and in his first at-bat Filby did too, marking the first instance in recorded post-War baseball history that this particular combination of events had occurred.

Golden Rookie went to 31 y/o catcher Gao Chin (.304/.371/.539, 32HR). Despite having debuted in the AUNZBL in 2055 as a 22 y/o, Chin had never been able to command an everyday spot despite what appeared to be obvious talent. No such trouble for him in the ABC, though, the Hobart Hammerheads putting him at #3 in their lineup.

Satya Susanti (17-10, 2.56 ERA, 2.58 FIP, 1.07 WHIP), hurrying towards 35 y/o, won Golden Arm for the second straight season and third time overall. As he had every season of the ABC thus far, Susanti finished atop the strikeout board with 251, the fifth time in 6 seasons that he’d broken the 250 barrier. Fans who wanted to see him pitch in the AUNZBL were getting used to the idea that it probably wouldn’t happen. Susanti was signed to an ABC contract until the end of the 2066 season, at which time he’d be pushing 38 y/o.

The sensation that was Si-xun Qiao (.331/.415/.656, 57HR) was the runaway winner for Golden Bat. The 33 y/o, 6’7” slugger had taken over the ABC, putting up a tremendous 10.0 WAR over the season to go with a 193 OPS+.

BL Wrap-up

San Jose and Asuncion won their respective pennants. San Jose made their first trip to the playoffs since 2051. Santiago and Belo-Horizonte took out the wildcards.

Santiago and Belo-Horizonte won their semi-final matchups at a canter. The Serie de Campeonato only lasted 5 games, Belo-Horizonte taking it out to win back-to-back titles. This was their third victory in 5 years, made all the more remarkable due to the fact they had the worst record of all the postseason contenders, and only reached the playoffs ahead of 3 other teams tied with the same record due to a complicated set of bylaws that didn’t include one-off playoff games.

This season’s Rookie award went to 26 y/o pitcher Luis Chahoud (10-5, 3.25 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.24 WHIP). Chahoud had been drafted by Guayaquil in 2055 and had debuted in the BL in 2058, pitching 12 innings in 6 relief appearances for 2 teams. After playing all of 2059 in the BL minors he’d gone to free agency and moved to the NABA. A year later his contract was purchased by the Highlife in the ABC, and he spent the 2061 season playing AAA-ball. He returned again to the NABA, spending a further 2 seasons there before signing with San Jose for the 2063 season. The Paraguayan said, “It’s been a rollercoaster, all right, but I like fun parks, so it’s been all good.”

Santiago’s Santiago ‘Lucky’ Gutierrez (11-6, 3.80 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) won Jarra de Ano. The 6’5” 25 y/o was heading to free agency and was very open about his goals. “The AUNZBL, of course.” Most of the local scouts thought he was good enough to make it in the world’s biggest league, too. Gutierrez threw a cutter, curve, forkball and changeup, though the latter was rarely used. And the jokes about him sharing a name with his team? “They were funny at first but they’re pretty boring now.”

27 y/o Justo Plvora (.327/.455/.496, 14HR) was only 5’9” though his frame was packed with muscle. He’d led the league in BA, WAR (6.1) and BB (99) and was noted as a guy who would stick around at the plate until the pitcher made a mistake. He too was coming up for free agency and the chatter was he also wanted to give the AUNZBL a go. His chances weren’t as good as Gutierrez’s, according to those in the know, but if could improve his power game a bit he might be a chance.

League News

42 y/o Jayden Pye (.262/.353/.451, 351HR) retired. Despite playing his last season as a Digger he said he’d like to be remembered as a Cowboy, the team he played 4 seasons with, his longest stint at any of the 11 clubs he’d represented. He was unlikely to ever find himself in the Hall but he deserved to be remembered as a toiler who never gave up.

While Pye’s retirement got a bit of airtime, it was certainly overshadowed by the retirement of the man many said was the greatest to ever play the game. 40 y/o Ismael Aguirre (.315/.373/.561, 703HR) announced his playing days were done. While this wasn’t shocking news, a lot of his fans in the Lower Americas had been hoping he’d head back home for a swansong. “Nope,” said Aguirre, “I’m done. Done and dusty, as you might expect. I’ve scaled heights I never dreamed of and I figure I should give it away before I slip back down to the base of the mountain.”

The 6-time Championship winner, 5-time Slugger of the Year, 3-time Gold Glover, and 14-time All Star retired as the league leader in the following categories: at-bats (11890), runs (1996), hits (3743), total bases (6666), singles (2263), doubles (740), homeruns (703), and RBIs (2143). The 431 bases he’d rounded in the 2055 season was still a season record, and his career slugging of .5606 ranked only behind Jorge Diaz (.5790), whose career had been less than half as long. He’d also be remembered as the person who started the call to change the SotY to the Jorge Diaz award, and was most certainly a shoe-in as a first-round Hall of Fame inductee.

Lance Ralston (196-143, 3.60 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.29 WHIP) also hung up his cleats. ‘The Missing Piece’ had played in the majors from 2045-2063, winning 4 Championships, including 3 in a row for the Bandits from 2049-2051, when he and Aguirre were the superstar faces of the club. 39 y/o Ralston was a postseason force, going 17-2 in 32 postseason games with an ERA of just 1.91 and an FIP of 2.69. During his Championship run with Brisbane he went 9-0 from 12 starts, putting up a 0.63 ERA in 2051. In fact, he put together a 16-game postseason win streak between 2048 and 2053, losing for the first time when it mattered the most, in the deciding Game 6 of Brisbane’s 4-2 series loss to Canberra. Ralston’s K/9 (8.2), HR/9 (0.6), WAR (77.8), FIP- (77), and postseason achievements all put him firmly in the running for the Hall.

Ralston would retire as the all-time league leader in WAR and strikeouts (2782). His 2054 season ERA of 2.08 was still an AUNZBL record. Surprisingly Ralston never won a HotY, though he had 4 podium finishes. He also went to 9 All Star Games and twice struck out 15 hitters in a game.

Notable Club Happenings

Cairns: Long-serving GM Julio Sousa retired, his only regret “not getting the Crocs a Championship.”

Canberra: The biggest news of the early offseason was the sale of the government-owned Canberra Cavalry to 51 y/o space industrialist Roy Moles. Moles, known to be understanding, charitable and unconcerned with the day-to-day minutiae of the businesses he owned, had made his fortune in the burgeoning space sector and was “beyond happy” to add a baseball team to his portfolio. The Sydney native had no plans to move to Canberra, so the owner’s office in Cavalry Stadium would remain empty most of the time.

This was big news for a whole lot of reasons. Cairns, Darwin, Kununurra, and Perth were still associated with the Australian Government but the fact that Canberra, the team based in the Australian capital, had been sold, apparently with no strings attached, kicked up a string of exceedingly convoluted conspiracy theories. From claims the government planned to move the capital to Darwin to fears that a nuclear strike was imminent and key government figures were hiding out under Ayres rock, the tongues wagged.

The Capital Holdings chairman, a woman with a face and name both as forgettable as each other, said in response to the inevitable question of why, “It’s simply a case of money. That, combined with a desire to streamline our investments, is why we have reached this decision.” That only fueled the fire, as the Cavalry had reported a healthy $18,000,000 profit following the season, a great return seeing as they’d netted a loss in 2062.

Perhaps the reason for selling was that even though the Cavalry had been close to the worst team in baseball for several seasons there was someone willing to buy them.

Central Coast: 55 y/o skipper Reginald Reddick missed the playoffs for the first time and found himself without a job. However, insiders claimed something was always going to come to a head seeing as Reddick and new GM Andrew Backhouse didn’t see eye to eye on much, and certainly not on recruitment. Reddick himself said he marched into Backhouse’s office the day the regular season ended and presented him with an ultimatum, “Either we do things my way or I’m out.” Now, a few weeks later, he was out. Reddick had never had a losing season as Central Coast’s manager. He would be replaced by 57 y/o bench coach Dermott Blackford, who’d had an 11-year career as a big-leaguer from 2029-2039. He’d pitched his first two seasons in the rotation for the Blue Sox before heading permanently to the bullpen. As well as playing for Sydney he also played for Perth, Central Coast, Wellington, Cairns, and Brisbane. Apparently, even at 57 years of age, he still liked to throw down and sometimes nudged 140 km/h with his heater.

Newcastle: GM Mitchell Franks retired. He was unlikely to be missed.

Notable Free Agent Signings/Player Contract Extensions

6 Apr: Sydney announced that 35 y/o Cody Watts (129-106, 3.77 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.24 WHIP) had agreed to a 3-year extension. Plenty of fans weren’t all that impressed with the news. The third year was a vesting option.

23 Apr: Christchurch tied up 26 y/o Beau Hauer’s (.289/.360/.469, 75HR) future, signing the burgeoning superstar to a 6-year extension. With about 3 1/2 years’ service time already under his belt, this deal looked set to account for at least the first 3 years of Hauer’s free agency eligibility. Long-serving Cowboys’ GM Juan Alvarado said of the deal, “We want Beau to anchor our lineup for a long time to come.”

23 Apr: 27 y/o Domenic Jones (33-44, 4.71 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 1.49 WHIP) negotiated a 7-year extension with Auckland, the final year being a player option. “Probably undervalued,” his agent said of the deal, “but ‘Clubhouse’ is primarily concerned with making sure his future is sorted out, especially after the UCL trouble he had a couple seasons ago.” While Jones’ 14-11 record in 2063 didn’t make for eye-catching reading, he’d had a real breakout season, his 6.1 WAR equal-second in the league along with his 3.49 FIP. He’d given up only 0.52 homeruns per 9 innings, a league-best. Eligible for free agency with another year and a half of service time, Jones certainly had ensured a regular payday for a long while.

23 Apr: Jones wasn’t the only extension Auckland announced. 25 y/o Song Liang (52-45, 4.50 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 1.36 WHIP), who’d shown himself to be a strong force on the mound over the last 2 seasons, inked his name to a 4-year extension.

23 Apr: 28 y/o southpaw Li Ayliffe (45-47, 4.52 ERA, 4.70 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) was extended for 4 years by Hobart, Prospects’ GM Drew Martin letting on that it was a “very good deal” for Hobart.

23 Apr: 28 y/o SS Aaron Gilleland (.251/.349/.360, 40HR) had made his major-league debut in 2057 but still had less (just) than 4 years’ service time. Central Coast bought out the rest of his arbitration with a 3-year deal.

23 Apr: Wellington and 25 y/o CF Gilberto Soberon (.283/.355/.435, 25HR) agreed to a 4-year extension. Soberon still needed to log another 3 1/2+ years before he’d be a free agent.

28 Apr: Metros’ fans rejoiced at the news that 23 y/o Callum McCabe (.295/.368/.443, 30HR) was now contracted until 2070. The 2058 #1 overall pick, claimed by the Metros from Adelaide off waivers, had put together a .324/.397/.505 stat-line in 2063, his OPS+ 137 and his WAR 4.3. Auckland’s coaching staff felt McCabe still had some way to go to reach his power ceiling but was “pretty well-rounded” in the rest of his offense. With it looking increasingly likely 26 y/o Andre Wiltshire (.318/.378/.467, 79HR) would head to market, McCabe was set to become the new face of the franchise (along with Rich Downes and Domenic Jones).

13 May: The top 5 free agents this season, according to OotPB TV, were:

29 y/o SP Roy Blake
26 y/o LF Tomas Zartuche
34 y/o RF John Foreman
36 y/o SP Ted Heathcote
26 y/o 2B Andre Wiltshire

Other players going to market included:

30 y/o SP Roderick Beresford
38 y/o SP Dan Pankhurst
30 y/o 2B Maurice Clemens
31 y/o CL Isaac Canavan
32 y/o 3B Arturo Medina
29 y/o 3B Nathaniel Bowden
31 y/o C Russell Smith
32 y/o C Yin-ti Zhuo
38 y/o RF Manuel Alou
40 y/o 1B Marcos Lopez
31 y/o SS Jay Saunderson
34 y/o SP Austin Ya
28 y/o RF William Fenton
32 y/o RF Alan Willey
31 y/o 3B Blake Rawnsley
38 y/o 1B Ed Geoghegan
35 y/o RF Gavin Howell (ABC)
31 y/o LF Achaius Muljana (ABC)
25 y/o SP Santiago Gutierrez (BL)
27 y/o 2B Justo Plvora (BL)
31 y/o 1B Jai Rowe
35 y/o LF Jason Hewitt
34 y/o SS Armando Santos
32 y/o CL Rich Steedman
28 y/o 3B Rod Albury
35 y/o SP Sapto Djojohadiskumo (ABC)

15 May: The first two AUNZBL signings of the offseason were both former ABC pitchers. Auckland offered 31 y/o Owen Donovan (62-58, 3.43 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) a 4-year contract, which he eagerly accepted. Though a starter in the ABC, it was unlikely he would be one in the AUNZBL, Auckland stating they might try him as a closer. He threw a fastball, slider and changeup, relying on excellent control rather than overpowering stuff or movement. The other signee was 38 y/o Ivan Parker (74-54, 2.94 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 1.10 WHIP), who Canberra signed for 2 years. Like Donovan, Parker was likely to operate out of the bullpen, the Cavalry also suggesting they might try him as their closer, though none of the pundits thought that was an especially viable move.

17 May: The Cowboys signed Sapto Djojohadiksumo (74-66, 3.40 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) to a 3-year deal, the final year being a vesting option based on innings pitched. He would slot into their rotation, which had been significantly weakened by both Heathcote and Pankhurst going to free agency. ‘Jojo,’ as most of his teammates called him, was a good all-round pitcher who threw a fastball, curve, slider and changeup. At only 5’10” he might well struggle with the lowered mounds of the AUNZBL but Christchurch management were optimistic he’d be a star.

20 May: ABC superstar Gavin Howell (.283/.379/.551, 211HR) was heading to the AUNZBL. The 6-time All Star and 2-time Golden Bat winner had signed with Darwin for 2 seasons. He’d only managed 24 games in 2063 due to injury but told reporters that he felt “as good as ever,” and was looking forward to “knocking a few out of the park” as a Digger.

23 May: If reports were to be believed, Christchurch were throwing cash around like confetti during the early part of this offseason. They announced not one but two marquee signings today. The first of those was Tomas Zartuche (.331/.374/.443, 42HR), a quality ‘get’ if there ever was one. Zartuche had signed for 7 years, the total value of the contract rumoured to be around $120 million. Zartuche, who’d led the league in hits the last 3 seasons and in steals 2 of the last 3, couldn’t wait to turn out for the Cowboys. “We’re gonna cover this town in trophies,” he said, his raised fist more fitting for a political rally than a baseball signing presser.

23 May: The second announcement was the premier pitching talent on the market this free agency. Roy Blake (97-82, 4.18 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.26 WHIP) had played on poor teams since his debut in 2056 for Kununurra until turning out in the postseason for Brisbane this year. Still, he’d held his own, throwing 4 shutouts in the last 2 seasons, his 18-10 effort in 2062 still fresh on everybody’s minds. His deal was reported to be in the region of $110 million across 6 years, the Cowboys confident he’d be the ace they needed in a ballpark that favoured pitchers. Blake threw 3 fastballs (regulation 4-seam, cutter, splitter) and a changeup, relying on good movement and control to keep hitters off-balance.

24 May: 39 y/o Sean Carr (.321/.383/.478, 270HR), who’d been a regular presence in the AUNZBL since 2045, would ply his trade, for the next 2 seasons at least, with the Hobart Hammerheads. Alan Sneddon had this to say about the general trend of aging veterans heading to the AUNZBL for a final payday: “I don’t think either the players or the teams have really thought this through. The ABC has very similar free agency and service time rules to the AUNZBL, and they currently start a player’s timer afresh, so to speak, when they join the league. So for players like Sean a 2-year deal isn’t really a 2-year deal, is it? It could very well end up becoming a 6-year deal if he doesn’t choose to retire at some point. He’ll get good money for the next 2 seasons, then have another season under full club control before becoming eligible for arbitration. What if he keeps getting offered arbitration for the next 3 seasons? Does he take it? After all, it’s guaranteed money. If teams do that regularly for the AUNZBL vets then we’re going to see a whole lot of old guys fused to ABC benches or creaking around the base-paths on zimmer frames.”

24 May: William Fenton (.244/.360/.391, 82HR) headed to Whangarei on a 1-year deal. Fenton had a reputation as a below-average regular season hitter but an excellent postseason bat (.316/.451/.566, 7HR, 2 MVP awards in 5 playoff campaigns).

25 May: 38 y/o Rowan Reardon was heading back to the ABC to close out his career. He’d played 3 seasons in the AUNZBL, part of the overall Championship-winning Cowboys in 2063 though he didn’t make the postseason squad. Overall he’d been underwhelming, not topping 30HR once. He’d agreed to a 2-year deal with the Canberra Capitals.

25 May: In disappointing news for fans hoping to see how Santiago Gutierrez (38-28, 3.93 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 1.32 WHIP) would fare in the majors, the 25 y/o signed for 3 years with the Juarez Locos. The third year was a player option, meaning he could still pursue options in the AUNZBL with youth still on his side.

26 May: The Sydney Highlife lured Nathaniel Bowden (.277/.331/.448, 91HR) across to the ABC on a 4-year deal.

27 May: John Foreman (.288/.352/.534, 398HR) made what many considered an unusual choice: he signed with the Cavalry for 2 seasons. He would likely hit behind Neil Bellett at 5 in the lineup, the third link in a lusty middle order. Foreman needed just 2 homeruns to join the 400-club.

28 May: Christchurch’s next big signing was Maurice Clemens (.244/.338/.463, 268HR). The 30 y/o 2B didn’t hit for average but he was a power threat. He’d signed a 6-year deal.

28 May: Austin Ya (95-130, 4.44 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 1.45 WHIP), who’d never reached the heights he looked capable of during an 11-year stint in Whangarei, was off to the ABC. He’d signed a 2-year deal with the Highlife, and was quoted as saying, “Bring on the higher mounds!”

28 May: Andre Wiltshire (.318/.378/.467, 79HR) chose Central Coast over the many other suitors vying for his signature. They’d signed him for 7 years, the only worry being Wiltshire’s tendency toward injury. ‘Otter,’ as he was known to his former Auckland teammates, had played only 79 games last season, and 117 and 118 the 2 seasons before that. Still, he was electrifying at the plate, with most scouts agreeing that with his swing he should be hitting several more homeruns a year than his season-best of 23.

29 May: Christchurch was at it again, this time signing Russell Smith (.282/.346/.451, 79HR) to a 2-year deal. He was the third catcher on their 40-man roster, joining Rowan Kimpton and Kade Wurfel. Where would he fit in? That was anybody’s guess at the moment. Alan Sneddon was of the opinion that Cowboys’ GM Juan Alvarado, who’d been at the helm since 2049 and missed the playoffs more than he’d made them, had “gone a bit silly,” and was just “buying players for the sake of it.” Christchurch had lost 8 players to free agency and had so far signed the exact same amount.

31 May: 34 y/o Rory Sproule (57-57, 4.11 ERA, 4.57 FIP, 1.35 WHIP) had headed to the BL after the 2057 season, where he’d put up good numbers (47-33, 3.23 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.15 WHIP), going to 4 All Star Games and coming second in the 2060 Jarra de Ano. Now he was returning for another shot at the big leagues, signing with Canberra for 2 years.

2 Jun: Christchurch unveiled signing number 9 and it was another doozy. Isaac Canavan (34-43, 242 sv, 3.22 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.07 WHIP) was joining them for the 2064 season. This would likely push Scott Carson back to a setup role but, as one analyst put it, “that’s going to be one hell of a one-two punch!”

3 Jun: The 2059 AUNZBL Rookie and Slugger of the Year, Jason Hewitt, was headed back to the ABC. He’d never quite scaled the heights of his debut year again and had recently admitted in an interview that not doing so “frustrated him.” He would turn out for Perth in 2064, having agreed to a 1-year deal.

4 Jun: Ed Geoghegan (.281/.364/.480, 420HR) held his arm theatrically across his eyes and said, “I can tell when I’m not wanted anymore.” While said in jest regarding the AUNZBL, there was truth in the comment. 39 y/o, 7-time All Star Geoghegan had only made 246 plate appearances in 2063 and freely admitted that he didn’t quite “have the punch” he used to. He’d signed for 2 years with the ABC’s Broome, the second year dependent on him playing 135 games in 2064. While never having hit more than 37 homers in a season, Geoghegan had always been a hitter pitchers respected, his career major-league OPS+ 122. He’d been a part of 3 Championship-winning teams: the 2058 Heat and the 2059-2060 Venom.

5 Jun: Alan Willey (.283/.342/.401, 99HR) was jumping across to the ABC, having signed a 4-year contract with the Broncos.

7 Jun: Darwin and 35 y/o Martin Boston (.327/.365/.406, 20HR) agreed to terms on a 3-year extension, the final year being a vesting option. The 5-time Gold Glove winner was “very settled” in Darwin and happy to “stay there a while longer.”

10 Jun: Arturo Medina (.263/.350/.450, 231HR) was back to the team that’d signed him as an amateur free agent back in 2049, the Darwin Diggers. He’d signed with them for 5 years, the 5th year being a vesting option based on plate appearances.

13 Jun: The Cavalry had declined to offer Jai Rowe (.284/.336/.453, 105HR) arbitration, sending the 31 y/o, who had 4 1/2 years’ service time, to free agency. Kununurra liked what they saw, though, signing him on a “value for money” 2-year contract.

19 Jun: Melbourne were eager to become a regular postseason threat. To that end, they snared Ted Heathcote (149-99, 3.90 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) on a 3-year deal. He’d be 39 at its conclusion but Aces’ GM Brendon Benbow was certain he’d give them value. “He’s canny,” Benbow said, “and canny is what we Aces need.” The 2064 Melbourne Aces would feature a strong rotation of Karl Blackwell, Heathcote, Ethan Humphries, Umashankar Meenakshi, and 16-game winner Dan Holz.

21 Jun: Wellington signed Jay Saunderson (.267/.321/.425, 142HR) for the 2064 season.

21 Jun: It was quite likely Blake Rawnsley’s (.236/.305/.416, 159HR) sub-200 2063 season counted against him getting a new AUNZBL contract. It didn’t stop Jakarta from taking a punt on him, however. They signed the heave-ho hitter for 2 years.

29 Jun: From being adjudged the third-best reliever in 2063 to no AUNZBL team offering a deal before the 2064 season. Record-breaking Rich Steedman, who’d recorded 103 saves over 3 AUNZBL seasons, today signed with the Perth Sharks on a 3-year deal. Twice picking up best reliever in the ABC before his time in the AUNZBL, Steedman answered a reporter’s question about whether he’d got any AUNZBL bites with the following: “Nobody got in touch. I’m a bit surprised, yeah, but I guess I have to just focus on what’s ahead, and that’s playing for Perth here in the ABC, which is something I’m really looking forward to.”

30 Jun: 38 y/o Yong-jun Chu (.300/.335/.425, 197HR) openly admitted he wasn’t confident he’d get an AUNZBL contract for 2064. “But,” he continued, “I was going to exhaust all my options and then some.” Chu needed 16 hits to get to 2500 and was willing to sacrifice a career .300 BA to get there. As it turned out, he didn’t even have to move house. His 2063 team, the Thunder, offered him a 1-year deal and he took it with both hands.

1 Jul: Central Coast signed Yin-ti Zhuo (.268/.404/.421, 94HR) for 2 seasons. While a low-key signing, this ranked as a canny move by Thunder management.

29 Jul: Manuel Alou (.295/.388/.490, 367HR) was also picked up by the Thunder, GM Backhouse continuing his love affair with aging veterans. Alou had signed for 1 season.

7 Aug: Roderick Beresford (56-52, 3.88 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) had led the baseball world on a merry chase over the offseason, speculation about who he’d sign with a common topic from the moment free agency kicked off. Finally he laid all the rumours to rest, appearing alongside Darwin management to announce he’d signed a 5-year deal with the club. That didn’t stop the rumours, however. They just changed shape, with word now going around that Beresford had become one of the highest paid players in the game. Beresford had put together 2 strong seasons in a poor Newcastle team across 2062-2063, his ERA+ in 2063 150, and Diggers’ fans were excited to see him at the head of their rotation.

10 Aug: Achaius Muljana (.317/.379/.498, 110HR) appeared to have given up on his ABC dream. The 31 y/o native of Papua New Guinea had instead signed with Jakarta for 4 years. AUNZBL teams may have been put off by the fact he’d been hit by injury both of the last 2 seasons and had managed just 7 homeruns from 487 plate appearances in 2063.

10 Aug: Marcos Lopez (.311/.359/.507, 455HR) would have another season to continue his climb up the all-time hitters leaderboard. The Cowboys had signed him for 2064.

12 Aug: Speculation had been rife that Dan Pankhurst (159-186, 4.45 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 1.42 WHIP) was going to head over to the ABC for a pre-retirement jaunt. That, however, turned out not to be the case. His team of the last 2 seasons, the Cowboys, offered him a 2-year deal and he snaffled it. “The numbers looked pretty good to me,” he told media with a big grin, “so I said ‘yes please!’ and here we are.” The second year was a vesting option dependant on games started.

1 Sep: Rod Albury (.285/.318/.388, 28HR) hadn’t been offered arbitration by Hobart at the end of the 2063 season, despite most analysts agreeing that he would be a valuable hitter in the right setup. No other AUNZBL teams appeared to agree with that assessment, though, and Albury found himself signing with the ABC’s Sydney Highlife instead. He’d inked his name to a 4-year deal and would join several other recent AUNZBL émigrés at the club.

11 Sep: Adelaide extended 33 y/o Malcolm Pickhills (.254/.355/.479, 268HR) for a further 2 seasons. An excellent 3B and a powerful slugger, Pickhills was a fan favourite all around the league and a great success story, becoming a face of the game despite not being picked until the 11th round of the 2050 draft.

30 Sep: On the eve of Opening Day, of the offseason’s notable agents, the BL's Justin Plvora had yet to find a team, as did Armando ‘Get The Tape’ Santos, with one analyst describing the devolution of his swing as being like “watching a blind man swing an axe at a sapling.”

Christchurch made by far the biggest WAR gains of the offseason, adding 15.3 to their roster. The Prospects gained 9.6 WAR thanks to their trading antics, while Brisbane surprisingly went into the 2064 season 12.3 WAR down on the finish of the 2063 season.

Notable Trades

20 Apr: The offseason was barely a day old before Wellington and Cairns pulled the trigger on a trade. 27 y/o Javier Rodriguez (.264/.313/.447, 47HR) was likely just coming into his prime but was surplus to requirements in Croc-town with the likes of Felino Saturno and Ewan Stenis waiting in the wings. The Fury gave up 33 y/o OF Peter Moy (.289/.344/.445, 131HR) and a 20 y/o prospect in return. Quite where Moy would fit into Cairns’ outfield remained to be seen.

2 Jun: The first day of the Winter Meetings got off to a cracking start. Wellington were deep into rebuild mode and looking to leverage what little assets they had. One of those assets was 29 y/o Carlos Aguilar (.280/.356/.382, 58HR), about to start the 4th year of a 5-year contract, a contract where half the value was in the final 2 seasons. Aguilar was an excellent SS/2B with more than 400 stolen bases but whose Fury career had been derailed thus far by injury (only 7 games in 2061 and 94 in 2063). He had 10 years of service time already but was still on the good side of 30 and would surely get some bites on the trading line.

He surely did. Hobart, after a whirlwind negotiation, parted with 5 minor leaguers all 24 y/o or younger. They were all position players and while none screamed ‘outstanding,’ 4 of the 5 looked capable of playing big-league ball sometime in the not-too-distant future.

2 Jun: Perth sent all 6’6” of 29 y/o Pete Rawnsley (39-43, 4.70 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.37 WHIP) to Kununurra in exchange for a 21 y/o prospect who most didn’t think would amount to all that much. Rawnsley had never been able to nail down a spot in a rotation but did throw 200+ innings in 2063, going 7-15 with an ERA a tick under 5. Early indications were the Pioneers would use him out of the bullpen.

3 Jul: 32 y/o Alwin de Lange (56-48, 135 sv, 3.96 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) was heading back to the team who he started with, Central Coast. To get him, the Thunder gave Whangarei 28 y/o IF Xavier Culaham (.254/.308/.423, 46HR) and an average pitching prospect.

16 Jul: Hobart finalized two trades today. The first was with Canberra and involved the Prospects parting with two 21 y/o’s, both projecting to have some pop. In return, they received 29 y/o LHP Stephen Lawless (23-36, 4.79 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 1.44 WHIP). 2063 was Lawless’s second full year in the rotation and he’d struggled, posting a 5.82 ERA, 5.31 WHIP and 116 FIP- but perhaps the pitcher-friendly climes of Prospects Ballpark would work in his favour.

16 Jul: Their other trade was with Auckland, who gave up 26 y/o OF Randall Oeltjen (.235/.283/.415, 23HR) for a couple young outfield prospects. Oeltjen went to the big-league plate 549 times in 2063, hitting 18 homeruns while striking out 113 times.

9 Sep: Hobart was quietly strengthening its squad via the trade table, even if they were stripping their farm system to do so. Today’s trade netted them 28 y/o 3B Jesus Vega (.245/.340/.383, 51HR) from the Cowboys, who’d decided Marcos Lopez was the man to fill the DH role this season. To get Vega Hobart dealt a 25 y/o AA-baller and a 21 y/o potential two-way player who looked like he might grow into a great pitcher.

Notable Injuries

8 Sep: Christchurch’s 29 y/o Edward Vance (47-26, 4.07 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 1.31 WHIP) would miss around the first month of the season with elbow tendinitis.

22 Sep: Canberra were struck a major blow before the season even started, with Neil Bellett (.290/.408/.531, 128HR) set to miss more than 3 months thanks to a fractured ankle.

26 Sep: Cong Pi (.256/.339/.379, 16HR) would be missing from Auckland’s lineup for the first month of the season. He’d fractured a rib.

NABA Wrap-up

The Olympia Shockwave comfortably finished atop the regular season standings with a 51-29 record. Canon City needed until the final game of the season to grab the NABA Cup Challenger’s spot, doing so in emphatic fashion with an 18-0 crushing of Jamestown.

They carried that form into the first game of the NABA Cup, shutting out Olympia 2-0, despite the Shockwave’s Gerald Tschiffely setting a NABA Cup record for strikeouts with 13 in 6 innings. The Shockwave fared little better in Game 2, Canon City scoring runs in each of the first 4 innings to take an unassailable grip on the game. They eventually won 8-1, managing 15 hits to Olympia’s 3. This was Canon City’s third NABA Cup victory.

The NABA’s best rookie was deemed to be 25 y/o Shockwave 2B Manuel Hernandez (.365/.445/.611, 5HR). He’d played in parts of 3 BL seasons before heading north, and posted an OPS+ of 200 in his first NABA season.

35 y/o Convicts’ SP Michael Stuart (7-5, 2.03 ERA, 2.54 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) won the Yosemite Award. This was Stuart’s 4th season in the NABA and 7th in the American Independent Leagues. He’d put together a 24-24 record in the AUNZBL from 2052-2057.

36 y/o Jeff Moore (.311/.400/.564, 15HR) held off all-comers to win the second hitter’s award of his career. The slugger, who’d played his entire pro career in the NABA, finishing with the best slugging and OPS, and was tied for most doubles. This was his first season as a Midland Warrior.

Other Notes

30 Sep: In what was almost universally described as a “sullen” announcement, the AUNZBL Commissioner addressed fans on the eve of the 2064 season. This was typical practice and was usually nothing more than a few minutes of fluff and clichés, ending in the proclamation that ‘this season would be the best one yet.’

This address included the fluff but in conclusion the Commissioner said, “I’m sure you fans will be pleased to hear - some very pleased, judging by their volume over the last few months - that the Origin All Star format is being retired and this season will mark a return to the previous format. That means a three-day event to be held from the 24-26th of December, complete with Homerun Derby, a Legends game, and plenty of engagement with the fans. The All Star Game will take place on the 25th of December and, as formerly, eligibility will not be dependent on a player’s place of birth but rather on which division they play for. We will release more details closer to the time.

“Also, again in response to the demands” - the Commissioner put a lot of emphasis on that last word - “of some fans, the public will get to have a greater say in who dons All Star jerseys. The process will be similar in many ways to voting for the Hall but it won’t be entirely fan-based. There will still be selection committees comprised of former players, so this should hopefully” - again, much emphasis on ‘hopefully’ - “still result in a game where the best players from the first half of the season get to duke it out. As mentioned earlier, more details will be released closer to voting time. Right now, though, it’s time to play ball and I’m sure this will yet again be the best season yet.”

Non-Baseball Historical Notes

2064 was a huge year in the history of humankind. Two separate but distinctly related scientific breakthroughs were made, catapulting humanity lightyears (if you’ll excuse the pun) ahead of where they had been.

The first came on June 16. Scientists working on one of the ASN space-bases orbiting Mars announced that they’d discovered a way to “mass-synthesize breathable atmosphere on a planetary scale.” Not only that, but the scientists claimed the process included harmlessly replacing existing planetary atmosphere. And wait, there was more! Atmospheres could be custom-built depending on the position of the planet - or moon - in the solar system.

It was pure science fiction and nobody quite believed it at first. The ability to terraform entire planets? No way!

But subsequent small-scale demonstrations proved the mass-synthesizing part accurate, even if most still doubted it could be done on a planetary scale.

Still, the idea was more than tantalizing and it didn’t take long - in political terms - for authorization to be given to conduct a large trial, the bill passing through the Senate on December 18th, 2064 in a very close vote. Europa, that moon of Jupiter that had long excited human curiosity and on which several temporary scientific bases currently sat, was the choice of the scientific team involved in the project. However that idea was vetoed over concern as to what might happen to the existing natural features of the moon. Instead, one of Europa’s sister-moons, the misshapen Thebe, was chosen. Work began immediately on constructing an electrical shield around Thebe - hundreds of satellites in a grid formation - so the experiment could begin.

Of course, we well know the rest and can only but wonder how history might’ve been shaped if that bill wasn’t passed through the Senate.

Suffice to say, the technology has been much refined since then, to the point where an entire planet the size of our Earth can be made fit for habitation in less than two Earth years.

Of course, like many great accomplishments, there is a dark side. If a planet can be terraformed to allow life, the reverse can also be true. And thus once Mars and Luna gained their independency - and quickly split into smaller countries - the Solar System saw itself in an arms-race-slash-cold-war situation, as all the governments fought to have planet-killers in their arsenal.

Many wonder why Luna was never terraformed but remains dome-bound. The answer is relatively simple - it is vital to Earth in its current form. To make Luna’s atmosphere denser might very well be catastrophic to our planet of origin.

The second discovery was announced on September 2nd by scientists based both in Kununurra and on the Mark II International Science Station (most historians agree that this station was the prototype of all our modern stations, albeit on a much smaller scale).

It was, in a word: speed. Interplanetary travel had been steadily improving since it had become a reality but it still took weeks to travel to Mars. This new breakthrough would make Mars just a day away.

In fact, the scientists enthused, Mars could be as close as 22 minutes but travel at the speed of light within a highly populated area of space was not advisable.

Light-speed engines had been theoretically possible for at least two decades but not practically attainable, both in regards to engine power, size and economy, and for the safety of those traveling. However, those obstacles had now apparently been overcome. The new engine was both quantum- and graviton-based, meaning it primarily achieved propulsion by deforming space. Safety measures that resembled artificial gravity engines but really just shielded the crewed areas of the ship from the function of the engine kept the life-forms aboard from feeling what would otherwise be the death-dealing effects of such a means of travel - as long as they took their pills beforehand!

Subsequent demonstrations showed that this discovery was just as real as its earlier cousin.

This was a still a dangerous way to travel - what would happen if the shield failed while the ship was under propulsion? - and the following decade is filled with stories of various mishaps and missing ships.

That subsequent decade also demonstrates a change in focus when it came to space exploration. Stars outside our Solar System were now in reach. And planets orbiting those stars could be terraformed for human habitation. The race for the stars had truly begun.

Propulsion technology would advance rapidly to the point where it sits today, the trip to our nearest neighbour star taking around 2-3 months instead of years. Starship engines are now more quantum-based than graviton-based, with rumours currently circulating that even further breakthroughs in riding the space-continuum waves may have been made.

What did this mean for baseball in 2064? Well, both primary discoveries were made before the start of the regular season, meaning the public at large was giddy with expectation of what the future might hold. And what better way to be positive than to enjoy a ballgame?

Izz · 01-09-2018, 06:07 PM

2064 Preseason Predictions

Coastal: Despite failing in their Championship defence last season, Adelaide were predicted to still be far too strong for the rest of the Coastal, even with two of their rotation (Ahern, Hurlson) not due back until the second half of the season. Darwin and Cairns would also be good but wouldn’t challenge for the division title.

East-West: Nobody would break the .500 mark in 2064, at least according to the experts. Brisbane would be the best of a sorry bunch to win the division while the once vaunted Central Coast would continue their downward slide under GM Andrew Backhouse.

NZ: Christchurch would tower above this division, cantering to the pennant. The rest of the teams would be poor, including the Metros, who boasted some of the best young talent in the league.

Southern: The surprise package of the 2064 season would be Hobart. Their offseason moves put them on target for a 100-win season, the stats-heads of the opinion that while the Prospects lacked superstars they had crafted an offensive lineup that would produce from 1 through 9. Melbourne would also have a good season but would be left battling for a wildcard.

Wildcard: Darwin would grab one slot, with Cairns the favourite to earn the other, though Melbourne would challenge the entire way.

Jorge Diaz Award: Richard Moore was a possibility to win his fourth in a row but the majority preseason pick was Brisbane’s Norm Blume. Beau Hauer, Glen Walsh and Ronald Aitken would also be in the frame.

Hurler of the Year: Zglinicki and Dean would battle it out, as the preseason pickers always picked. Adelaide’s Teddy Wigley would have another great season, while 27 y/o Canberra southpaw Brendan Southey would surprise in a coming of age campaign.

Prospect Watch: Of the rookies on big-league squads to begin 2064, there was a lot of buzz around the 2062 #1 overall pick, Brendan Penfold. He’d thrown 17.1 innings out of Canberra’s bullpen last season and had won a spot in the starting rotation this year after a good spring. The 23 y/o still had room to mature as a pitcher but most felt he’d make that progress pretty quickly. OotPB TV ranked him as their #5 prospect in baseball to start the season.

24 y/o Virgin Islander Tim Firth earned a March call-up to the Sluggers last season, hitting .257/.274/.386, with 2HR, from 18 starts. This season he’d fought off all-comers to be named Whangarei’s everyday catcher, and would hit at 5 in their opening day lineup. Firth was ranked 9th overall on the OotPB TV top prospect list.

ABC: Brisbane would snare the Northern, while both Townsville and Gold Coast would lose 100+ games. Sydney would not be denied in the Southern this season, with both Canberra and Melbourne posting impressive records but missing out on the playoffs. Adelaide would do enough to win the Western, while Jakarta would storm back after a poor 2063 to dominate the Overseas Division.

26 y/o Jakarta 1B Ted Blume would win Golden Bat, besting the locomotive that was Si-xun Qiao. Brisbane’s Jadili Majogo and Canberra’s Christos Spargo would also challenge.

Golden Arm would go to Sydney’s Randall Tilton, who’d fight off opposition from teammates Austin Ya and Bradley Boston to win. Both Blume and Tilton were products of the ABC draft, coming up through the ABC-affiliated high school and university leagues.

Izz · 01-14-2018, 04:44 PM

2064/2065 Season - October

Notable Performances

1 Oct: Barry Dean got Perth’s 2064 campaign off to a winning start, throwing 8 scoreless innings for just 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9. Perth won 2-0.

2 Oct: The season’s first shutout was recorded by Melbourne’s Karl Blackwell. He was masterful against the Fury, giving up a meagre 3 hits and 1 walk in a 94-pitch outing. He struck out 2 and induced 15 groundball outs. Melbourne mosied to a 5-0 victory.

2 Oct: John Foreman started the season on 398 homeruns. He went deep in Canberra’s Opening Day win over Darwin and found the fence again today, leading off the 4th with a solo shot to get him to 400. 34 y/o Foreman was thinking further ahead though, saying, “500’s not too far off, is it? If I keep hitting them like this I should do it before my 37th birthday.” Canberra eventually lost this encounter 5-3.

2 Oct: Auckland scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the 8th against Hobart to make the score 4-4. The 9th passed in scoreless fashion as did the 10th. Hobart rallied home a run in the 11th to go ahead, former Metro Randall Oeltjen’s RBI-double doing the honours. A pair of back to back doubles in the bottom of the inning saw Auckland tie things up again. Hobart unleashed in the 12th, however, sending 10 hitters to the plate and scoring 6 runs, 3 of those again coming from Oeltjen’s bat when he spanked a 3-run dinger. That about broke Auckland’s back, and the bottom of the inning was completed in only 11 pitches. 11-5 Hobart in an extra-innings blowout.

2 Oct: Sydney’s Bailey Kinnear was a walk-off hero tonight, bashing a 2-run homer in the 10th to give the Blue Sox a 4-2 victory over Adelaide.

2 Oct: Perth and Brisbane battled for 13 innings before the Heat scored their first run since the 4th to go up 4-3. Brisbane managed a pair of 2-out singles in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t manufacture the tying run to go down in a heartbreaker.

3 Oct: Pitching and defence were thrown by the wayside in this Cairns-Newcastle derby. Cairns scored 6 in the top of the 1st to take the early lead but Newcastle had tied the game at 7 runs apiece by the conclusion of the 2nd. 4 more runs in the 3rd, including a monster 473-foot Ronald Aitken homer, put Cairns back in front but their jubilation was short-lived, Newcastle putting on a 6-run show in the bottom of the inning to jump 2 in front. The lead wouldn’t change hands again, the final score 16-13 to the Roos, giving them 3 straight wins to start the year.

3 Oct: Canberra were thumped by Darwin 10-4 but Foreman continued his power game, going deep for the third game in a row.

5 Oct: Christchurch prevailed over Central Coast 6-5 in 12 innings. Beau Hauer went deep in his fourth straight game with a solo shot in the 6th.

5 Oct: Hobart belted Auckland 15-8, both sides putting runners on-base at a frenetic pace. The biggest star of the show was Hobart’s 9-hitter Ronald Arnott who went 3-3, with a walk, 3 runs, and 6RBI, half of those courtesy of a homer in the 8th.

6 Oct: The season’s first PotW award went to Beau Hauer. He hit .650/.667/1.300 across the first 5 games of the season, his 13-20 including 4 homeruns and a double.

6 Oct: The Crocs and Cowboys got to brawling in the bottom of the 6th innings of their clash. Mario Correa had just boosted his second homerun of the game to give Cairns a 4-0 lead. Claudio Lara fouled the next two from Roy Blake off, the second less a foul than the ball hitting the handle of the bat as he tried to sway out of the way. The following pitch collected him on the thigh and Blake took a few steps off the mound to tell Lara, “Sorry I lost control there but I was actually aiming for your head.” Lara dropped the bat and went looking for retribution. The benches emptied, as they were wont to do, and after a few minutes of push-and-shove both players were ejected. Lara was suspended the next morning for 2 games and Blake for 6, the Commissioner’s Office deeming that he was the instigator. The fight did wake up Christchurch’s dormant offense but they couldn’t quite pull off the victory, going down 4-3.

6 Oct: Andre Wiltshire went 4-5 in Central Coast’s 12-2 thrashing of Kununurra. He homered twice, plating a total of 8 runners. That equalled the Central Coast game record.

6 Oct: Teddy Wigley threw 8 scoreless innings in Adelaide’s 2-0 win over Auckland. The win was his second of the season and his 13th on the trot. He hadn’t lost a decision in 14 games.

8 Oct: Darwin whirled their way to a 15-1 defeat of Sydney, new recruit Gavin Howell hitting his second homer of the season in the carnage. Martin Boston went 3-5 with 2 runs and 4RBI to win PotG, while Willie Russell looked on track for a shutout before giving up a 1-out homerun in the top of the 9th.

10 Oct: Auckland walked off 4-3 winners against Darwin in a very literal interpretation of the saying thanks to Leo Walena’s loaded bases walk in the bottom of the 13th.

10 Oct: The Central Coast-Hobart game was close heading into the bottom of the 8th, the score 6-5 in Hobart’s favour. The game was no longer close when the 9th eventually rolled around. 14 hitters graced the plate, 9 runs scoring, Hobart winning the game 15-5. Carlos Aguilar, who went 3-5 in the victory, was “loving” his new team, further adding, “Everybody just knuckles down and plays for each other. It’s really great.” The win moved Hobart to 8-2 on the season and gave them a 6-game undefeated streak.

11 Oct: Wigley’s 13-game win streak came to an end at the hands of the Sluggers, who upset Adelaide 10-2, taking Wigley for 7 runs in 2.2 innings. Glen Donovan led the way with a 5-5 performance, which included a homerun.

12 Oct: 24 y/o Anastasio Candelaria had a day to remember even though his Bandits were crushed by the Cavalry 16-3. He collected 5 hits from 5 at-bats. For the victors, Foreman crunched 2 homeruns in a 3-4 performance, giving him a league-leading 7 for the season, while every hitter in the lineup hit safely.

13 Oct: He might’ve only played the first 2 games of the week before heading to the DL with a minor injury but Mario Correa’s performances were good enough to net him PotW. He was 4-6, 3 of those hits homeruns and the other a double.

14 Oct: Danny Caporn went 3-3 in Canberra’s 5-2 win over Brisbane. This was the 7th game in a row that he’d plated at least 1 runner.

14 Oct: Wellington took the lead early against Newcastle but weren’t able to hold them off, the Roos scoring 2 in the 7th to tie it. That was all the scoreboard action until the bottom of the 12th when Newcastle made good on their comeback, walking off 7-6 winners via a 2-out Nathan Kapuna single.

16 Oct: Caporn made it an 8-game ribbie streak when he launched a 3-run homer in the 4th innings of Canberra’s eventual 10-3 defeat of Sydney. He brought home another later in the game in a 2-4 performance.

17 Oct: That Zglinicki! He notched up a record-extending 13th career shutout, blanking the stuttering Venom on the back of 5 hits. He also fanned 5, cruising through the game on 107 pitches. That wasn’t all for this game, though. Central Coast went bananas with the bat in the second half, scoring 17 runs across the last 4 innings. Add that to the 3 they scored in the first 4 and they’d destroyed Adelaide 20-0! Leadoff hitter Nicholas Whalley was one of several players to record 3 hits, going 3-5. If he’d managed a single in one of his other chances he would’ve had a cycle.

17 Oct: Perth scored 3 in the 3rd to go ahead of Auckland 3-1 but that was all the scoring they would do in this one. The Metros hustled home 2 runs in the top of the 7th to tie it and then rallied home 3 in the 13th to go ahead. Perth managed a pair of 1-out singles in the bottom of the inning but that was as much as they could muster, Auckland staying with the game to win 6-3.

20 Oct: Nicholas Whalley had a whale of a week, hitting .500/.556/1.000 to win PotW. His 11-22 included 1 double, 2 triples and 2HR, while he scored 8 runs and drove in 8 runners.

20 Oct: Rich Downes had one helluva night in one helluva game between Auckland and Canberra. He went 5-6 in an 11-10 11th inning walk-off win, hitting 3 doubles to tie the AUNZBL extra-innings game record. This was the second time in his major-league career that he’d had a 5-hit game.

After 4 innings Canberra led 7-0, having chased off Auckland’s starting pitcher. The Metros didn’t score until the 6th, when they plated 3. They added 3 more in the 8th, and began the bottom of the 9th only one in arrears. Axel Zhou led off the frame with a single and 2 outs later Downes doubled him home. Neither team scored in the 10th. Canberra went on a 1-out tear in the 11th, jumping 3 in front. Enough, right? Wrong. Downes hit his 3rd double of the night in the bottom of the inning with nobody out and 2 on, scoring both runners. 2 outs later Tommy Worsfold doubled down the 3B line, scoring Downes. Cam Sweeny then hit a regulation groundball to the SS who threw it over the head of the 1B and into the stands. 2 base award, Worsfold taking his time to walk to home-plate for the winner.

11-10 Auckland, with Cavalry skipper Marty Horton only able to shake his head after the game and repeat, “Unbelievable!” Antonio Altagracia, Auckland’s manager, said with a smile, “We’ve got a way with extra-innings game, it seems.” So far 6 of Auckland’s 19 games this year had gone past regulation. They had a 4-2 record in them. This was their 6th win in a row, putting them a game ahead of the rest of the NZ at 11-8.

21 Oct: Blair Norris bulldozed his way through Wellington, shutting them out with a 6-hit, 1-walk, 5-strikeout performance. The Pioneers gave him plenty of run support, winning 10-0, 7 of their 9 starters getting 2 or more hits.

22 Oct: Newcastle and Christchurch fought for 4 1/2 hours before a victor was determined, the Roos eventually scoring 2 in the top of the 14th to win 7-5. They’d led for much of the game, 25 y/o closer Ke-yong Fang blowing his first save of the season in allowing the Cowboys to equalize in the bottom of the 9th. The equalizer came off the bat of Marcos Lopez, who belted a 433-foot homer, the third game in a row he’d landed one in the bleachers. But it was Newcastle who prevailed in the end, the Cowboys unable to make the most of their comeback.

23 Oct: Christchurch were the victors over the Roos today, the scoreline 7-1. Lopez bashed a 3-run homer in the 4th. For the night he was 2-4, with 3RBI, jumping him into a tie for the league RBI lead (26). He’d now homered in 4 straight games.

23 Oct: Baskoro Maryadi only got 1 at-bat in Kununurra’s 6-5 win over Wellington after subbing in late for a pinch-hitter. He made the most of it, though, touching ‘em all in the 11th with a leadoff, walk-off homerun. Maryadi was proving to be a jack of all trades utility for the Pioneers, splitting his 21 appearances between 2B, SS, LF and CF. “I don’t mind where I field,” he said in the sheds after the game, “as long as I’m on the field.”

24 Oct: Christchurch were shut out by Brisbane 6-0, meaning Lopez’s homerun streak was halted at 4 games.

24 Oct: One day you’re the extra-innings winner the next you’re the loser. Kununurra tied their game against Newcastle in the 8th, the score 3-3 heading into extras. The Pioneers went ahead in the top of the 11th via a Nick Ahern solo HR but Newcastle weren’t about to lie down. A 1-out single and walk put the winning run at 1B. Thomas Boniface made sure of it, though, drilling an 0-1 fastball 429 feet over right-centre for a walk-off 3-run dinger.

24 Oct: Auckland downed Sydney 6-2, Zhou going 4-5 at leadoff. That was the Metros 10th win on the trot, as they continued their recent trend of being fast out of the season gate. They would lose the following night.

24 Oct: Cairns and Darwin participated in the third 11-10 extra innings game of the month. After 2, the Crocs were up 5-0. Heading into the bottom of the 9th Cairns were still in front but only by 1, the score 6-5. That slender lead didn’t last long, Hector Banda leading off the inning with a solo HR. Top of the 10th Cairns jumped back in front via a Ronald Aitken leadoff homer. Bottom of the inning and Dustin Bacon levelled things up once more via the longball. The offense kept coming in the 11th, Cairns rallying home 3. It wouldn’t be enough to win it, though, Kent Okolita crunching a 3-run shot to make it a tie game once again. Cairns scored another in the 12th and this time held on despite Darwin loading the bases with 1 away in the bottom of the inning.

25 Oct: Another day and another extra-innings Crocs-Darwin game. Except this one was a lot lower scoring than yesterday’s affair. The opening run wasn’t scored until the 8th when Felino Saturno launched a solo homerun. Okolita soloed in the bottom of the 9th to send the game into extras. Bottom of the 12th and Darwin loaded the bases with 2 out before Lecomte drew a 4-pitch walk to give the Diggers a 2-1 victory.

27 Oct: Axel Zhou won PotW. He hit .529/.543/.706.

27 Oct: Christchurch prevailed 5-3 over Brisbane in a 10-inning contest. Matthew Utting was the hero for the Cowboys, walking them off with a 2-run homerun.

29 Oct: Adelaide’s Mitch Goddard singled 4 times from 6 at-bats in the Venom’s 11-3 thumping of Wellington. He drove home 2 runners in the process, giving him a 9-game RBI streak, the best of the season so far.

30 Oct: Goddard plated another runner in Adelaide’s 4-2 win over the Fury, extending his RBI streak to 10 games.

31 Oct: “A pitcher’s duel accentuated by errors” was how one recap of this game between Adelaide and Wellington was titled. Whether they meant ‘punctuated’ or were going for a play on words never became apparent in the story. The Venom went ahead by 2 in the bottom of the 7th but Wellington were able to tie the game in the 9th in part thanks to a dropped catch by the 2B. Both teams had opportunities from the 10th to 14th but couldn’t capitalize. It would take another pair of errors in the bottom of the 15th for the tie to be broken. Andrew Benbow reached when the SS fluffed a groundball. A pickoff throw then went wild and he advanced to scoring position. Carlos Acevedo singled wide of a lunging 2B and Benbow put his head down and headed around 3B for home. He dived in under the throw and Adelaide were the victors, 4 to 3.

Notable Injuries

6 Oct: Cairns fans were bemoaning the trade of Gary Baker (see Notable Trades/Signings below) after news that Cairns’ preferred catcher, Michael Baker (.526/.524/.842, 1HR), might be out of action for up to a month with a quad strain.

12 Oct: The Sluggers had a heavy injury toll to begin the season. Baskoro Subagja (0-1, 3.55 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.03 WHIP) was added to the list today, diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. He’d likely be out of the game until the second half of the season.

14 Oct: Veteran Manuel Alou (.373/.492/.471, 1HR) had started off the season hot for the Thunder but would have to cool his jets for 4 weeks after fracturing a rib while colliding with the RF wall.

15 Oct: Beau Hauer (.475/.488/.875, 5HR) hurt himself on the 11th but only received his diagnosis today. A strained abdominal muscle and at least 3 more weeks out of the game.

17 Oct: Not only did Danny Caporn (.400/.444/.720, 4HR) fail to extend his RBI streak to 9 games, he also injured himself, leaving in the 4th with a strained ribcage muscle. He’d be on the DL for around 3 weeks.

20 Oct: 20 y/o Yeijiro ‘Golden’ Nishio (.204/.216/.245, 0HR) started 2063 in rookie ball and finished it in double-A. This season the Brisbane scouting find was named the number 67 prospect in the league and also won the starting SS role in the bigs, where he’d put up a decent showing, posting a +1.3 ZR in 16 games. He was off to the DL with a partially torn labrum, and would be out for at least 6 weeks.

22 Oct: The Metros recruited 32 y/o SS Cam Sweeny (.354/.427/.532, 2HR in 93PA) on the cheap during the offseason. Sweeny hadn’t played a full season in the majors since 2059 for Darwin when he appeared in 145 games. Since then he’d been a bench-bat/injury call-up for Christchurch before becoming a free agent (he had less than 5 years ML service-time but had signed major-league contracts with the Cowboys each of his 4 years there). He’d been great offensively for Auckland so far, even if he wasn’t much chop holding the fort at short. Now, however, he was off to the DL for at least a month with a torn hamstring.

27 Oct: Song Liang (2-1, 3.76 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.52 WHIP) joined the Auckland casualty ward. His rotator cuff inflammation would keep him out of action for at least 3 months.

29 Oct: Sydney’s Lachlan Limeburner (.223/.284/.511, 8HR), currently tied for second in the AUNZBL HR charts, wouldn’t be swinging a bat for at least 5 weeks after he was diagnosed with a torn hamstring.

Notable Trades/Signings

3 Oct: 28 y/o Justo Plvora had given it a good shake but no AUNZBL team was prepared to bite for the 2064 season. He was hot property in the BL though, with Havana scooping him up on a 3-year deal. The final year was an option in his favour, meaning he could still chase his AUNZBL dream as a 30 y/o.

4 Oct: 34 y/o Gary Baker (.293/.360/.480, 243HR from 2051-2063) had been replaced as the Crocs’ everyday catcher last season by Michael Baker. By all accounts he wasn’t unhappy to be in the backup role at a club he’d played the better part of 9 years for. However, the Crocs weren’t too keen on paying a purported salary of $10 million to a benchwarmer, so today they sent him to Sydney, along with $3 million cash, in return for 34 y/o RHP Kohei Kawamata (31-37, 23 sv). The Blue Sox immediately elevated Baker to their starting lineup to replace incumbent catcher Jose Ojeda.

Kawamata had featured out of Sydney’s bullpen the last 2 seasons and had made 2 appearances from there already in 2064 but the Crocs fancied him as a fifth starter, a guy who could chew up some innings without walking too many. Kawamata had excellent control and his fastball regularly clocked 160+ km/h. Despite the velocity, his arm angle and the fact he wasn’t so good at concealing pitches out of his hand gave hitters a pretty clear view of what was coming.

12 Oct: Brisbane extended 28 y/o Sebastian Woodger (0-1, 6.00 ERA from 2 starts this season; 36-35, 4.07 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.33 WHIP), who’d just passed 5 years’ service-time, for a further 4 years.

13 Oct: Darwin announced club captain Kent Okolita (.270/.391/.514, 3HR in 2064; .272/.378/.469, 116HR career) had agreed to a 4-year extension. It was hard to believe the 30 y/o hadn’t yet accumulated 6 years of service time.

14 Oct: 45 y/o Blair Toohey just wouldn’t retire. He’d last been spotted in the AUNZBL in 2060, playing in 52 games for the Blue Sox. He’d then headed over to the BL for a second stint, playing 2 seasons for Guayaquil before turning out for Havana in 2063. He played well for them in 70 games, hitting .273/.409/.365, with 3 dingers, and even fielded 43 innings at 2B. Now he’d signed for the 2064 season with Santiago, saying to a local reporter: “I still feel good. One of the reasons I think I’ve lasted as long as I have is that my game isn’t based around power, it’s based around plate discipline. Plus, I’ve always been a larrikin at training. Helps to keep the body fresh, I reckon.”

15 Oct: 36 y/o Jeff Moore (.270/.347/.476, 177HR from 2048-2064 in the NABA), 2064 NABA Grand Canyon Award winner, needed a new club. It was widely acknowledged that while he’d been a NABA superstar for a long time, he didn’t quite have what it took to make it in the AUNZBL, even without taking his age into account. But the AUNZBL was no longer the only league in Australia. Still, it came as a surprise when the Hobart Hammerheads announced they’d signed him to a 2-year deal, the second dependent on games played. The day of his signing he was named at clean-up on the Hammerheads card to face Port Moresby and went 1-3 in a 4-2 loss.

“Of course I’d dreamed of playing in the Australian big-leagues,” Moore said after the game, “and while this isn’t the AUNZBL it’s still pretty damn big.”

16 Oct: 36 y/o Armando ‘Get The Tape’ Santos (.239/.303/.487, 127HR) wasn’t leaving Australia just yet. He’d signed a minor league deal with the Cavalry and been assigned to their rookie league team. Where he’d end up in their system remained to be seen.

21 Oct: 30 y/o 1B Glen Casey (.176/.222/.176, 0HR in 19PA in 2064; .285/.330/.387, 16HR career) was just warming the pine in Brisbane. A light-hitting 1B who’d likely be eligible for free agency after this season, Casey was a good contact hitter who Brisbane had often used at DH. The Bandits wanted an upgrade at catcher (not that 27 y/o Rupert Bethune - .338/.373/.549 so far this season - was a bad option) so dealt Casey and a 22 y/o pitcher who had the making of a middle of the rotation guy for Canberra’s backup catcher, 28 y/o Matt Cusack (.231/.333/.231, 0HR in 15 PA in 2064; .236/.296/.348, 19HR career). Cusack would immediately become Brisbane’s everyday guy behind the plate while Bethune was put on irrevocable waivers, there being a good chance someone would snaffle him.

30 Oct: Auckland wrapped up the future of #1 overall 2061 draft pick Axel Zhou (.333/.355/.470, 2HR), for the next 7 years at least. The 24 y/o, who already had over 2 years major-league service time, only had one demand in what Auckland management described as a “pleasant” negotiation process: that the final year of the deal be a player option.

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 25 y/o SS Alexander Whiffin didn’t make any headlines outside of Perth in October but obviously impressed the monthly awards’ selection committee. He hit .325/.366/.377, 37-114, scoring 11 runs while hitting 4 doubles and a triple. He plated 7 runners, walked 8 times, and stole 4 bases. Whiffin had jumped to the majors from AA ball and was known as a highly intelligent young man, even if one anonymous scout felt he’d be “playing in the Americas before long.”

Hurler of the Month: Karl Blackwell had a tremendous month. The Aces’ southpaw not only won each of his 6 starts but did so with a sub-2.00 ERA. His 1.69 ERA was matched by a 3.01 FIP and a 0.94 WHIP. He fanned 31 in 48 innings while putting up a 1.5 WAR. He led the league in ERA, wins, WAR, and H/9 (6.00).

Slugger of the Month: Mario Correa played just 21 games during the month due to injury but still put together SotM-worthy numbers. He hit .389/.415/.789, 35-90, with 17 runs, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 9HR, 33RBI, and 4BB. He topped the league in SLG, OPS, RBI, ISO (.400), XBH, and total bases (71). His BA was third-best, while his WAR (1.8) was second-highest.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: 40 y/o Lopez was playing like someone at the beginning of his career rather than the end. He hit .307/.323/.543 during the month, 7 of his 39 hits homers, 8 doubles. He was fast closing in on Ashley Snijders on the all-time hits list. Lopez had 3138, Snijders 3186. Just 49 more and Lopez would be third-best all-time. If he kept hitting the way he was hitting he’d overtake Alastair Mildren (3222) this season too.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: Cairns entered November with a 1-game lead over Darwin. Adelaide were a further 2 games back, having recovered somewhat after a shaky start.

East-West Division: Central Coast and Newcastle were all tied up, with Kununurra 3 games back. Last year’s feel-good team, Brisbane, had started off poorly, to be 5 games back and 5 games below .500 at the bottom of the division.

NZ Division: Auckland finished October with the best record in baseball, Christchurch 3 games behind.

Southern Division: Melbourne led Hobart by 2, Canberra and Sydney both spinning their wheels.

Wildcard: Too early to matter.

#

Two players finished October hitting better than .400. They were:

Glen Donovan (.404/.423/.587, 4HR)
Callum McCabe (.402/.500/.691, 7HR)

McCabe led the league in OBP, wOBA (.501), and WAR (2.1).

Malcolm Pickhills (.279/.336/.606, 10HR) led the league in homeruns.

Axel Zhou (.346/.366/.488, 2HR) had 44 hits, 1 better than anybody else.

Ronald Aitken (.328/.426/.569, 6HR) and Edgardo Rico (.350/.385/.447, 0HR) had both scored 26 runs, to lead the league.

Jose de la Cruz (.261/.363/.339, 1HR) was currently the best base-stealer in the AUNZBL, with 10 to his name. He’d only been caught once.

League-leader in walks was Fernando Contreras (.219/.361/.406, 4HR), with 22.

Tristan Agar (3-1, 2.08 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) led the league in FIP. Teammate Tommy Fomai (1-3, 3.95 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) had the best OAVG, of .195.

Barry Dean (2-3, 4.15 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) hadn’t had his best season start. He still managed to top the league in strikeouts (39) and K/9 (9.00).

Cairns’ trade get Kohei Kawamata (2-2, 3.53 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 0.90 WHIP) had the best WHIP among qualified pitchers.

Isaac Graham recorded 9 saves during the month, 1 more than anybody else.

As a point of interest, Scott Carson beat out Isaac Canavan for the closer’s role at the Cowboys, Canavan becoming a setup guy. Sources close to the 3-time league leader in saves said he wasn’t especially happy with the development but hoped to win the spot back. That might prove tough, though. Carson threw 11.2 innings in 11 games during October, picking up 1 win and 5 saves while not conceding a single earned run. Canavan had a 1-1 record from 11.0 innings in 13 appearances. He’d allowed 1 earned run during the month.

ABC Wrap-up

Gold Coast jumped out to a 1 1/2 game lead over Brisbane in the Northern.

Sydney won 23 games in the month, their lead over Canberra 6 1/2, and over Hobart 7. The Victory lost 20 to languish at the bottom of the Southern.

Broome held a 3-game advantage over Kalgoorlie in the Western.

Jakarta led Hamilton by 3 in the Overseas, with Port Moresby a further game back.

Ted Blume (.333/.515/.677, 9HR) won Golden Bat of the Month. He led the league in homers.

Satya Susanti’s (3-3, 2.35 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.25 WHIP) arm fell off during the offseason according to several noted ABC watchers. While his velocity was noticeably lower, he was still fanning guys at better than a batter an inning, whiffing 42 in 38.1 IP during October.

AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1

Izz · 01-23-2018, 05:57 PM

2064/2065 Season - November

Notable Performances

1 Nov: How often does a team get 13 hits in a game without scoring once? That was what happened to Christchurch today in their 4-0 loss to Kununurra. They racked up 13 hits but failed to safely cross homeplate. “We made some bad calls on the basepaths,” Cowboys’ skipper Marcus Kent admitted. “But all credit to the Pioneers. Whenever we got people on base they just upped it another level.” 3 Cowboys players got 3 hits in the game.

2 Nov: Cairns and Canberra tussled for 15 before the Crocs scored 3 in the top of the inning and finished the bottom of the frame in 6 pitches to win 11-8. The star of the game was Felino Saturno, who went 3-7 with 2 homeruns and 5RBI. The next day he found himself facing reassignment to AAA. New acquisition Miguel Ibanez (see Notable Trades/Signings below) went 4-6 with 2 walks from the leadoff spot in an excellent debut.

2 Nov: Sydney trounced Central Coast 16-1. Surprisingly, no Blue Sox batter got more than 2 hits.

2 Nov: Perth only managed 2 hits in this game, scoring a solitary run in the bottom of the 1st, but that was enough to win, Melbourne unable to get any runners to home plate. Perth’s run didn’t actually come via a hit either. Alexander Whiffin led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, advanced to 2B on a shallow ground-out and to 3B on a regulation ground-out. With the count 2-2 on Luigi Dempster, Aces’ pitcher Karl Blackwell threw a wild one and Whiffin scampered home. Perth did show good plate discipline to earn 6 walks.

2 Nov: Canberra’s Jorge Perez won PotW. He hit .433/.500/.800, with 3 homeruns.

5 Nov: Another 11-10 extra-innings game! This time it was Melbourne and Perth, who slugged it out for 10 innings before the Aces went ahead via a Caspar Purcell solo homer and held on to win. The Heat made 4 errors in the game, while the Aces committed 1. Defence across the league as a whole appeared under-par so far in 2064.

7 Nov: Newcastle entered this game against Darwin on an 8-game skid, Roos' skipper Andre Allan admitting his team were “desperate to get a W.” The Diggers took the lead in the 3rd but a 2-run Nicholas Bennett homer in the 6th put the Roos ahead. Darwin scored 2 in the 7th to regain the advantage but Newcastle leapfrogged ahead by 1 once more in the 8th. With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th Stephane Lecomte singled, advanced to 2B on a balk and scored after a throwing error by nervous closer Ke-yong Fang. The score remained the same until the top of the 13th, when Newcastle executed a 1-out double-steal, the lead runner scoring soon after thanks to a sacrifice fly. Darwin weren’t to be denied, however. Gustavo Sosa doubled with 1 away in the bottom of the inning. Cain Whalley walked and then Lecomte sent a fly into the right-field alley. It found grass and rolled to the wall. Both runners scored, Lecomte adjudged to have tripled. Walk off 6-5 win to Darwin and Newcastle had now lost 9 on the trot.

8 Nov: Newcastle avoided the ignominy of a 10-game losing streak by shutting out the Diggers 3-0. They did this despite losing 2 pitchers to injury. The 4 pitchers used conceded only 2 hits and 2 walks.

9 Nov: Adelaide’s Angus Wang went 5-5 in Adelaide’s 12-2 thumping of Christchurch. His barrage of hits included 2 doubles. The feat came in his first big-league game of the season, the 29 y/o catcher having been called up as an injury replacement for Norm Donaldson. This was also the first time in his pro career that Wang had collected 5 hits in a single game.

10 Nov: Vern Bull hit .571/.600/1.000, with 3HR, on his way to PotW.

11 Nov: Ramon Martinez went 5-5 in Kununurra’s 13-7 win over Adelaide. He hit a triple and homerun, scoring thrice while plating 5.

12 Nov: Voting for the All Star Game began, with the fans tentatively excited about the prospect. The Commissioner’s Office had released more details about voting, including that they would veto any All Star selection they felt was invalid, such as if a player who hadn’t played so far in the season because of injury was voted in. A fair few fans weren’t so excited about what they termed as ‘censorship’ from the sport’s governing body.

13 Nov: Canberra and Wellington tussled until the 12th, when the Fury hustled home the go-ahead run. The 3-2 victory was highlighted by a strong 8-inning performance from young Cavalry pitcher Seto Sukarto, who watched from the dugout as his 1-run lead disappeared in the 9th, 39 y/o ABC-import Ivan Parker blowing his third save of the season.

13 Nov: Newcastle scored 7 in the bottom of the 1st in their clash with Perth. The Heat clawed away at the deficit, finally equalizing the game in the 7th. Bottom of the 8th and the Roos bounced ahead again, scoring 5 more. That proved to be the final score, Newcastle with the 12-7 victory. In terms of frames scored in, Perth won 5-2.

13 Nov: The Sluggers were sitting dead last in the NZ Division, their record 16-24. One of the few bright spots in their season so far was Glen Donovan, whose .374 BA was the best in the league. So why on earth did the Sluggers demote him to AAA today? Answers weren’t immediately forthcoming but when pressed, skipper Mancio Lenihan said it was a “disciplinary matter.” He wouldn’t elaborate on what Donovan had done. Donovan himself couldn’t be contacted for comment. Whatever the case, the Sluggers beat Central Coast 7-3 to break an 8-game skid, replacement 1B Noah Budd going 2-4 in the win, both his hits homeruns. 24 y/o Budd had already started 26 games this season but had done so at DH rather than in the field.

14 Nov: Leo Walena jagged 5 hits from 6 at-bats in Auckland’s 3-1 overtime loss to Cairns. He hit 2 doubles and was responsible for driving in Auckland’s only run. Clint Kline, who’d found himself in the Crocs bullpen after starting the season in the rotation, got the win, pitching 3 scoreless innings, including the bottom of the 13th after Cairns scored 2 thanks to a combination of walks and singles.

15 Nov: Glen Donovan spent just one day in the minors, pinch-hitting a 3-run homerun in a 5-0 win by the Victoria Point Skyliners. Skipper Lenihan immediately put him back at clean-up, suggesting that whatever issue there was may have been between the GM and Donovan rather than his manager. The demotion-promotion seemed to have taken a toll, however, Donovan going 0-4, leaving 3 on-base, in what could only be described as a lacklustre outing. His Sluggers lost 5-4 to Cairns, who walked off winners in the 9th via a Calvin Hodnett (see Notable Trades/Signings below) single. Donovan wouldn’t be drawn on why he’d spent the last couple of days in limbo, saying only, “Can’t change what happened but would rather just look forward, thanks.”

15 Nov: Melbourne handed Auckland their seventh loss in a row, John Roberts delivering the fatal blow with a 2-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 12th. Auckland only got back into the game in the 9th, scoring 7 in a 10-man rally to go ahead. Vern Bull evened things up with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, which was the last scoring act until Roberts’ blast. The final score was 11-9.

15 Nov: Ikku Kichida got a rare start for Adelaide in their game against Hobart. It’d looked like he’d blown his opportunity, 0-4 after 9 innings. But the game went into the 10th thanks to Adelaide scoring 2 in the 9th to extend matters and Kichida made the most of his extra opportunity, crunching the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the 10th 407 feet over rightfield for a walk-off homerun.

16 Nov: Christchurch and Perth busted out the offense, the Cowboys eventually winning 16-10. Marcos Lopez continued to play like a 25 y/o, going 4-6, his hits including a double and HR and resulting in 5RBIs. Perth’s Alexander Whiffin tied the Perth game record for walks with 4. Despite scoring 10 runs, Perth only managed 9 hits.

16 Nov: Vincent Howell jacked a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to give Brisbane a walk-off 4-3 win over Central Coast.

17 Nov: Perth’s Tadakuni Sasaki won PotW. He hit .464/.464/.857, with 3 four-baggers.

18 Nov: Auckland’s offense piled on 21 hits and 4 walks against Melbourne, thrashing the Aces in their house by 16 runs to 1. Richard Ashton went 4-5 for the Metros, while 2 others players collected 3 hits. One of those was cleanup hitter Axel Zhou, who earned PotG with a 3-5 performance. His hits included a homerun and he scored 4 times while also earning a walk. He only plated 2 but didn’t get out once with runners on base.

19 Nov: Despite pitching a no-hitter in his first ever big-league start back in 2062, 27 y/o Rory Karsumaatmaja had never nailed down a role in Sydney’s rotation. He started just a further 6 games in 2062, spending some time at closer and as a setup man. He spent all of 2063 as the Blue Sox closer, notching up 37 saves along with 7 wins and 7 losses. This season, he had once again taken up that mantle, finishing October with a 1-2, 5 save record. Sydney skipper Peter Massingham pushed ‘Super’ into the middle of the rotation to begin November, where he’d started 3 games prior to this 1, losing 2 and never going deeper than 6 innings. He had a game to remember this day, however. Newcastle were the opponent and they struggled to touch him. He went the whole game, striking out 3 and giving up just 4 hits and 3 walks alongside a fat zero in the score column. The offense chimed in too, the final score 11-0 in Sydney’s favour. Nigel Anderton contributed 2 homeruns, 1 a bases loaded shot. In a sadly predictable move from the ill-regarded Massingham, a couple days later Karsumaatmaja was back in Sydney's bullpen.

19 Nov: Melbourne and Whangarei jostled and jived, both teams’ hitters struggling to put willow on leather. The score was tied at 1 after regulation time and remained that way until the bottom of the 15th. James Bacosa doubled with 1 out, and with 2 outs Tim Firth nudged a single wide of 2B and Bacosa hustled home without a throw. 2-1 Sluggers. Melbourne’s pitchers struck out 15 in the game, while Whangarei’s punched out 13.

20 Nov: Christchurch left it late to overrun the Cavalry. Canberra held a 2-run lead going into the bottom of the 8th, the Cowboys yet to trouble the scorers. That quickly changed, Christchurch tying the scores before an out had been recorded. They couldn’t push any further ahead in that inning and Canberra went down quickly in the 9th. It only took 1 pitch in the bottom of the inning to send the Cavalry away with their tails between their legs. Kimpton got a fastball over the plate and sent it whizzing into the right-centre bleachers for a walk-off homerun.

21 Nov: Newcastle hadn’t scored a run in their last 4 games, shutout twice by Canberra and twice by Sydney. They got some slight revenge today, however, Kent Ju throwing a masterpiece to restrict the Blue Sox to just 4 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 3 and the Roos' offense finally lent some support in a 6-0 win.

21 Nov: Leo Walena was the hero for Auckland, slugging a solo leadoff homer in the bottom of the 10th to give his Metros a 3-2 victory over division rivals Wellington.

22 Nov: Dan Holz whitewashed Whangarei 2-0 on the back of 6 hits, 0 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The shutout was the first of Holz’s big-league career. The only offense in the game were the pair of runs Melbourne scored in the top of the 1st.

24 Nov: Darwin’s Angel Rivera picked up the weekly award. He hit .500/.593/1.091, 4 of his 11 hits going the distance.

24 Nov: 35 y/o Lance Fookes joined the 2000-hit club in Christchurch’s 10-4 win over Sydney. He reached the mark in the 2nd with a solo homerun, and celebrated in the 3rd with a 2-run blast.

26 Nov: Jose Amaya spanked 5 singles from 5 at-bats to spark Newcastle to an 18-6 thrashing of Auckland. Teammates Nicholas Bennett and Nathan Kapuna both had 4 hits, Kapuna scoring 5 runs to tie the Newcastle game record. Kapuna also cracked 2 homeruns.

26 Nov: In a hard-fought tussle, Christchurch went ahead of Sydney by 1 with half an inning to play. But the Blue Sox patiently drew 2 walks before, with 2 away, Toby Norris drove the first pitch he saw into the right-centre seats for a walk-off 3-run homerun. Sydney were thus 9-7 victors, Scott Carson blowing his first save attempt of the season.

27 Nov: “I guess I saw it coming,” Jose Mendez said. In his third year skippering the Heat, Mendez had just been given his marching orders by second-year GM Giralldo Ulrich. The Heat were sitting at 20-33 and Mendez was relatively philosophical about his dismissal. “Giralldo’s going about building the team in his image and I’m obviously not a part of that vision. I wish him luck. He’s going to need a whole lot of it.” There was no word on Mendez’s replacement, only that it wasn’t Carlos Quinones, the current bench coach, who was in his first season in the role.

28 Nov: Martin Boston had the 8th 5-hit game of his career, his 5-5 playing a lead role in Darwin’s 13-7 dismantling of Brisbane. Boston scored 3 runs and drove 1 runner in, the Diggers winning despite making 4 errors.

29 Nov: Perth named an interim manager, 44 y/o Venkata Yadgiri. Yadgiri had never managed before, at any professional level, nor had he worked as a coach in any capacity. He had also not played the game professionally, though it appeared he’d spent time on the semi-pro circuit in Indonesia and Korea. Nobody knew quite what to expect and his introductory presser was a very underwhelming affair. The only noteworthy thing about Yadgiri was the imposing figure he cut, a lean 6’5” in an ill-fitting suit.

The new hire seemed to work for the team, though, as they broke a 7-game skid with a 10-6 win over Adelaide. The performance was highlighted by a 3-5, 5RBI outing from Rich Downes (see Notable Trades/Signings below) and a 4-6 effort by leadoff hitter and rookie Carlos Alvarez.

29 Nov: Auckland fought with rivals Christchurch all the way before Chuk-yan Lung slugged a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 9th for a 6-5 victory. John Foreman (see Notable Trades/Signings below) had a great debut for the Metros, going 4-4 at cleanup, his first hit for the club a homerun in the bottom of the 1st. He hit another jack in the 7th to take him to 14 for the year, a tie for third-best in the league.

30 Nov: Central Coast overcame a 4-run deficit to tie their game with Wellington in the bottom of the 8th via a Gu Luo homer. Fast forward to the bottom of the 10th with 2 out and Jesus Fuentes at the plate. With the count 2-2 the 23 y/o SS got a pitch to pull and didn’t miss, sending it ricocheting off the upper tier for a walk-off homerun. 7-6 Wellington.

Notable Injuries

6 Nov: Ralph Zglinicki (.340/.383/.549, 7HR) tore his thumb ligament in a hard slide into base. The Canberra OF would be on the DL at least 6 weeks.

10 Nov: Canberra’s Brendan Southey (1-6, 6.93 ERA, 5.99 FIP, 1.73 WHIP) was not having the breakout season that the experts had predicted. And today’s diagnosis of shoulder inflammation meant his season was most likely over. His pitching coach wondered whether Southey had been “overthrowing due to expectation.”

11 Nov: Quentin Welch (.231/.315/.423, 4HR) would miss the next 4 weeks of the season with a hamstring strain. He’d played just 56 games for the Venom in 2063 due to injury.

13 Nov: Melbourne would be without Luis Cuesta (.275/.338/.483, 6HR) for the rest of the season. He’d ruptured his Achilles.

15 Nov: William Fenton (.283/.366/.491, 5HR) was off to the DL. The Whangarei OF had a bruised knee and would likely need 4-5 weeks recovery time.

17 Nov: Darwin would be without closer Rod Bacon (2-2, 12 sv, 5.06 ERA) for at least 3 months. He’d been diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. After his stellar efforts the last 2 seasons, Bacon had struggled to start 2064, though he held a share of the league lead in saves.

21 Nov: Bad news for the Metros. Axel Zhou (.300/.333/.445, 5HR) faced at least 6 weeks on the DL with a fractured hand.

22 Nov: Manuel Alou (.326/.442/.457, 3HR from 113PA) was off to the DL for the second time in as many months. A sprained thumb was the culprit this time and the team doctor estimated a 7-week layoff for the aging hitter.

25 Nov: The Metros faced another setback after Callum McCabe (.351/.424/.616, 12HR) hurt his elbow throwing the ball in their 7-6 extra-innings loss to Newcastle. McCabe had elbow tendinitis and was likely to miss 3 weeks. At the time of his injury, McCabe led the league in SLG, OPS, wOBA (.444), and WAR (2.8).

28 Nov: Canberra would be without Jack Pye (.293/.367/.408, 2HR) for the next month while he recovered from a sprained elbow.

28 Nov: Fernando Contreras (.211/.362/.411, 9HR) had a strained ACL. He’d be on the DL for at least 6 weeks.

29 Nov: If there was one thing the Crocs were worried about this season it was the depth of their rotation. They had further reason to be worried today when Nalukea Alana (3-3, 5.71 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 1.51 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn elbow ligament. If Cairns were worried, Alana doubly so. It’d be 11-12 months before he pitched competitively again, and that was as long as nothing went wrong during his recovery and rehab.

Notable Trades/Signings

2 Nov: Cairns’ new GM, 60 y/o Christian Nelson, made a move today that got plenty of criticism from local fans but would probably turn out in the Crocs favour. He dealt 26 y/o OF Claudio Lara (.329/.457/.529, 3HR in 2064; .250/.361/.397, 32HR career) to Central Coast in return for 29 y/o CF Miguel Ibanez (.205/.244/.299, 3HR in 2064; .242/.296/.449, 104HR career) and some cash. Former number 1 draft pick Ibanez was an excellent outfielder and a potent slugger, provided the right spot for him was found in the lineup. He was contracted until 2067. Lara was a patient hitter but a below-average CF, with a career ZR of -24.8 in the position after 2461.2 innings.

4 Nov: Christchurch pulled off, quite possibly, the biggest trade of the league’s history, at least according to the current crop of analysts who went absolutely gaga over it.

The Cowboys gave up 5 prospects to the Heat, including the 15th overall pick of the 2062 draft, 20 y/o Gerry Mitchinson, who was well on track to become a dominating starting pitcher.

Who did they get in return? None other than 3-time HotY and 6-time All Star Barry Dean (2-4, 4.84 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.23 WHIP in 2064; 124-69, 3.45 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.15 WHIP career). While Dean hadn’t publicly stated he was unhappy in Perth, anonymous reports stated he was ‘becoming a little bit weary of being the guy who always had to carry the team.’ No more carrying the team now. He’d be the ace for the defending champions, a club that had the best bullpen in the majors and one of the better offenses. Dean was contracted until 2065 but most expected the Cowboys to quickly try to work out an extension.

Alan Sneddon thought the move was great for all involved. He said, “Great for Barry. He hadn’t been looking himself through the first month of the season. Not injured or anything, just tired. Tired of playing at a level nobody else in his team could reach. I expect to see him dominate 90 percent of his remaining starts this regular season and then play a big role in the playoffs.

“This is also great for Perth. Yes, the fans are howling right now, as is to be expected, but Heat management has to think long-term. Yes, it’s nice having the best pitcher in the league on your team but what use is it if you can’t win when he’s not on the mound and can only sometimes provide enough offense to win when he is? This trade has given them another future-ace who should be ready about the time the rest of the farm is. The fans won’t be upset then, I can promise you.

“And this is great for Christchurch, for the obvious reasons and more. They made all the moves in the offseason, and signed the best free agent pitcher, Roy Blake, to a 6-year deal. Problem is, while Blake is good, he’s not great, or at least he hasn’t shown that greatness yet. And, in all fairness, while the rest of the rotation is above-average there’s nothing there that makes opposition hitters shake in their boots. Now, with Dean in the mix, the rest of the rotation will benefit even when he’s not pitching. Think too, of the amazing bullpen the Cowboys have. But what use is an amazing bullpen if the rotation is continually leaking runs?

“This is a massive trade for all the right reasons, and I’m as excited as anybody else to watch Dean pitch for a contender.”

4 Nov: Melbourne extended 29 y/o Dan Holz (2-2, 3.49 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.09 WHIP in 2064) for 4 years. Southpaw Holz had a career 53-42 record.

5 Nov: Hot on the heels of the Dean news, Christchurch announced that 32 y/o Matthew Utting (.288/.380/.432, 4HR in 2064; .275/.353/.460, 190HR career) had agreed to a 2-year extension. The 5-time Gold Glove winner was a constant presence in the middle of Christchurch’s line-up and was known for saying about his role at 3B, “If I don’t get my uniform dirty I haven’t done my best for the team.” His career ZR at 3B, across 2055-2064, was +114.5.

6 Nov: Cairns were back at the trade table, this time consummating a deal with Kununurra. 34 y/o 2B Beau Snell (.205/.256/.329, 1HR from 79PA in 2064; .322/.374/.416, 57HR career) would head across to the Pioneers, along with a decent 21 y/o OF prospect, in return for 31 y/o RF Nick ‘Pirate Face’ Ahern (.298/.388/.440, 2HR in 2064; .253/.353/.475, 185HR career).

Whether Ahern would be an everyday player in Croc-town remained to be seen, with his biggest competition, 23 y/o Ernan Pullenza, having big raps within the organization. Snell, last year’s batting champion, also looked set to warm the bench, his poor defence a big issue and 1B and DH already sewn up.

Perhaps, Sneddon opined, Kununurra’s real target was the 21 y/o prospect. Joe Moles was already a stellar defender and had plenty of offensive upside. He was probably a year or two away from making the bigs but Sneddon didn’t doubt that he would.

8 Nov: Perth were unloading their stars, today sending 30 y/o Calvin Hodnett (.264/.340/.419, 4HR in 2064; .290/.367/.506, 230HR career) to Cairns for 4 prospects, 2 of whom looked like sure things.

Sneddon was more disparaging of this trade, at least the Cairns’ end of it. “What are they thinking, I wonder?” he asked. “That’s 3 outfielders traded for already this month, and the second in 3 days. Hodnett’s a good get, for sure, even if he comes with a hefty salary attached, but what was the point of trading for Ahern? Saturno and Pullenza are more than good enough bench bats who can only benefit from spending time in a major-league environment. All Ahern is going to get is frustrated. There’s depth and then there’s waste. This, I firmly believe, is the latter. Sources tell me Hodnett’s salary is similar to Snell’s, so any budget opened up by Snell’s trade is gone just like that. What I’m really hoping won’t happen here is for Saturno and Pullenza to be moved on. That would be disastrous for this club in almost every way, in my opinion.”

17 Nov: The trade punches kept flying. “I didn’t see this one coming at all,” Sneddon admitted on his now-nightly show. Perth sent two minor-league catchers to Auckland, one 28 years-old and probably unlucky not to have broken into the majors yet, the other 22 years-old and with the high power ceiling that many AUNZBL catchers seemed to have. In return they netted none other than 28 y/o Rich Downes (.292/.326/.450, 5HR in 2064; .322/.377/.505, 96HR career). Downes was still a season-and-a-half away from free agency and while his WAR so far this season was only 0.1 it couldn’t be expected to stay there. Still, there were several independent scouts who said his mechanics were getting worse rather than better. He would hit at third in the Perth lineup.

Sources said that Downes was happy to leave Auckland, even for Perth, suggesting some friction within the clubhouse.

17 Nov: The second trade also involved Auckland but wasn’t quite of the same blockbuster nature. They sent 29 y/o LHP Jose Sardina (3-3, 4.13 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.41 WHIP in 2064; 50-79, 5.24 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 1.46 WHIP career) to division rivals Wellington in return for 28 y/o SS Richard Ashton (.267/.337/.345, 0HR in 2064; .260/.328/.360, 14HR career) and a 21 y/o infield prospect. Sardina wasn’t very happy at being moved on, saying to reporters, “I don’t understand this. We, Auckland, are leading the division so why does it look like they’re suddenly selling guys?”

Sneddon agreed with the pitcher’s sentiment. “Doesn’t make a lot of sense, for me. I could understand in January if they’re 10 games back but not in the middle of November when they’re tied for the division lead. Sure, they’ve been struggling to win recently but to suddenly just give up on them, or appear to, is pretty hard on the players. Unfair too. Why should the guys out there busting their guts for the team and the fans want to keep doing that if they know their front office doesn’t have faith in them?”

24 Nov: Perth moved to lock up Rich Downes’ future, nutting out a 3-year extension with their newly acquired star. Downes had just over 4 years service time, so the deal would likely only buy out his first year of free agency. The 28 y/o was hitting .269/.321/.308 since coming across and was yet to send one out of the park.

29 Nov: Cairns and quietly-spoken Ronald Aitken (.283/.396/.491, 8HR in 2064; .293/.412/.506, 201HR career) worked out a 7-year extension, the final year being a team option. 30 y/o Aitken seemed almost embarrassed when discussing the deal with the media throng. “Just happy to have my future sorted out,” he said in response to most questions. Aitken was one of the more popular figures in the game, perhaps due to his humble demeanour and ready smile.

29 Nov: “I just can’t read them,” Sneddon said when discussing this trade. He was talking about the Metros, who’d acquired 34 y/o John Foreman (.263/.347/.474, 12HR in 2064; .287/.352/.532, 410HR) from Canberra in exchange for 33 y/o Cam Sweeny (.368/.429/.568, 3HR from 110PA in 2064; .252/.320/.408, 45HR career) and the better catching prospect they’d got from Perth in the Downes trade.

“I mean,” Sneddon continued, “this makes great sense if they’re wanting to remain competitive this year but if that was the case why trade away Downes, who’s a better all-round hitter, younger, and cheaper? And if this is a reaction to the injuries to Zhou and McCabe I’m doubly confused as that would be a reaction of a team that wants to keep winning right now, which is something Auckland management hasn’t given any signs of wanting to do.”

Foreman only shrugged his shoulders when approached by media on arrival at Auckland airport. “I never unpacked all season just because I was expecting something like this. Ask the wife; we’ve been living out of boxes ever since I signed with the Cavalry in May. But at least this time around I’m not getting shifted to a team at the bottom of their division. That’s something, I guess.”

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 23 y/o Felino Saturno had caught the public’s imagination during his March call-up in 2063 and was showing he had what it took to play every day in 2064. Despite spending a handful of games down in AAA he won the November Rookie award by hitting .319/.367/.571 in the 22 games he played. His 29-91 included 8 doubles and 5HR. He scored 13 runs, plated 20 runners and walked 6 times.

Hurler of the Month: 25 y/o Wendell Chatfield was one of those players who was somehow fairly well known outside of the local fans despite never having achieved a whole lot on the paddock. He was Canberra’s fourth round draft pick in 2058 and was now in his fourth major-league season with them. He threw 5 pitches, a weak fastball, a curve that was still a work-in-progress, plus a decent slider, splitter and fork, and relied on hitting the corners to be effective. And he was very effective in November, going 5-1 from 6 starts, his ERA 2.84, his FIP 3.66 and his WHIP 1.24. He had an ERA+ of 152 for the month and an FIP- of 84. In 38 innings he fanned 24 and walked only 5.

Slugger of the Month: Tashiaki Yano had turned a few heads last season with the ease with which he’d jumped from A-ball into the majors. First month of this season he’d struggled, as many second-year players did. Not so in November, however. The 24 y/o hit .348/.388/.634, 39-112, with 14 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 28RBI, 8 walks and 2 stolen bases. Brisbane’s hitting coach said that Yano still had “a ways to go to fulfil his potential, particularly in his plate discipline and, related to that in many ways, his overall power.” Once he’d figured those parts of his game out, the coach continued, “he’d be a real force to be reckoned with.”

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Lopez wasn’t quite as potent in November but he still put together a good month, hitting .276/.325/.431, his 32 hits including 3 doubles and 5 homeruns. He headed into December only 16 hits behind Snijders, and 52 off Mildren. Lopez led the league in ribbies, with 54 so far.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: Cairns (15-13) were steady through the month but found themselves neck and neck with a resurgent Venom (18-10), Darwin (13-15) falling to 3 games back.

East-West Division: Central Coast (16-12) put together another good month to finish with the outright division lead. Brisbane (19-9) and Kununurra (17-11) weren’t about to let the Thunder streak away, however, putting together excellent months to be just 2 games back. Newcastle (9-19), meanwhile, stumbled badly to finish at the bottom of the division, 7 games off the leaders and 5 games below .500.

NZ Division: Auckland (11-17) stumbled along but somehow didn’t lose the division lead. Christchurch (14-14) were just par but thanks to Auckland’s struggles finished the month tied with the Metros at the top of the NZ pile. Wellington (16-12) fought their way above .500 to sit just a solitary game back.

Southern Division: The Aces (15-13) were streaky but did enough to hold the division lead, the Cavalry (16-12) 3 games back but 1 below the .500 mark. Hobart (12-16) continued to do little to justify the preseason hype, falling to 5 games off .500.

Wildcard: Either Adelaide or Cairns held the first slot, while Brisbane and Kununurra were tied for the second spot. Auckland, Christchurch, Darwin and Wellington were in the hunt, with Canberra also lurking close by.

#

Edgardo Rico (.362/.390/.447, 0HR) had crashed his way to the top of the batting averages by month’s end. He also led the league in hits (85) and runs (42).

Malcolm Pickhills (.286/.356/.598, 17HR) was relishing his move to clean-up in Adelaide’s line-up. He led the league in homers, ISO (.312), and was tied with McCabe for WAR (2.8).

Larry Booth (.320/.427/.380, 0HR) was hitting singles at a fantastic rate. He also had the best OBP among qualified hitters and had stolen the most bases (18).

Carlos Aguilar (.296/.425/.352, 0HR) was demonstrating superb patience, his 47 walks the best in the league.

Gu Luo (.312/.323/.592, 13HR) had only managed 2 walks in 227PA but was hitting hard, his 31 extra-base hits the top mark, along with his 129 total bases.

Blair Norris (5-5, 2.24 ERA, 2.55 FIP, 0.98 WHIP) wasn’t getting the run support he deserved, a fact he was quite happy to point out in interviews. He led all qualified pitchers in ERA, FIP, HR/9 (0.31), IP (88.1), and WAR (3.4).

Barry Dean (5-5, 3.66 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) was settling into his new environs in Christchurch well. He continued to lead all-comers in total strikeouts (88) and strikeouts per 9 innings (9.47).

Young Croc star Victor Doubleday (8-2, 3.48 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) led the league in wins while teammate Kohei Kawamata (3-4, 3.33 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 0.96 WHIP) continued to have the best WHIP, and also the best BB/9 (0.80). He walked just 1 hitter in 32 innings in November.

Adelaide’s Moeaktola Liao and Central Coast’s Trent Millar both had 15 saves, 1 more than a trio of chasing closers.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane (31-25) leapfrogged Gold Coast (30-27) to lead them by 1 1/2 games in the Northern.

Sydney (42-14) continued to soar above the pack, their lead in the Southern 14 1/2 games at the end of November.

Broome (28-29) slumped while Kalgoorlie (32-25) rose, the latter 4 games ahead in the Western.

Jakarta (34-23) held a slender 1-game lead over Hamilton (33-24) in the Overseas.

36 y/o Zachary Pengilly (.324/.383/.659, 16HR) impressed in November to win Golden Bat.

Bradley Boston (8-3, 3.19 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) hadn’t given up a single homerun through the first 2 months of the season.

AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1

Izz · 02-08-2018, 03:08 AM

2064/2065 Season - December

2064 #1 Draft Pick

19 y/o high school baller Warren Collard had the distinction of being this season's number 1 overall draft pick. Collard hit .505 against high school competition and while he’d patrolled the outfield corners for his team, Canberra wanted to train him as a 3B. He projected to have good power, both over the fence and into the gaps. He was noted as an extremely loyal young man who had a decent work ethic and barely took a day off sick.

However, one anonymous source from his former school said, “Warren’s a gifted athlete, for sure, but he has some learning disabilities that were never properly treated due to his athletic prowess. Put it this way: hopefully his coaches stick to visual tutelage rather than giving him anything to read.”

Canberra assigned Collard to their rookie league team, the Nelson Bay Pelicans.

A quick look at how the previous 4 #1 draft picks were doing:

2063, Vinnie Hanscombe: Rated the #17 prospect in the league by OotPB TV prior to the season beginning, Hanscombe was dominating double-A with a stat-line of .329/.407/.429. Last season he’d recorded two 5+ hit games in single-A and plenty thought he’d earn a March call-up, at least, to the Aces this year.

2062, Brendan Penfold: Won a spot in the Canberra rotation this season, and they currently ranked him as their second starter. He’d had his struggles, his ERA+ through 12 starts 91. He had 5 wins and 5 losses, a 4.74 ERA, a 4.23 FIP, and a 1.79 WHIP. Still, he’d struck out 51 from 62.2 innings and his pitching coaches said he still had “mountains of room for improvement,” both in his individual pitches and his control of them. He’d been ranked the league’s #5 prospect prior to the season.

2061, Axel Zhou: Currently injured, Zhou was proving an important cog in Auckland’s lineup when fit. He’d hit .300/.333/.445, with 5HR, in 211PA. He’d missed the entire 2063 season due to an injury suffered during spring training but he’d didn’t appear hampered by any ill aftereffects.

2060, Richard Page: Playing behind Kent Okolita would always be a tough ask, but Page did appear to be lagging. Last year he hit less than .200 in 114 plate appearances across 45 games. This season his stat-line was .214/.283/.286, with 0HR, from a measly 46PA. “He’s 25 years old now,” a source within the organization lamented, “but he's shown little improvement in selecting which pitches to swing at and therefore a lot of his contact is weak.”

Notable Performances

1 Dec: Player of the Week went to Newcastle’s Nathan Kapuna. He hit .586/.636/1.034, his 17 hits including 4 doubles and 3 homers. 26 y/o Kapuna would qualify for free agency at the end of this season.

2 Dec: Justin Auger leaped to the top of the RBI boards with his fourth Grand Slam of the season in Central Coast’s 9-1 defeat of Newcastle. The Slammer was his 7th of this calendar year. For his career ‘Crazy Eyes’ had 24 major-league Grand Slams, though he’d not managed a walk-off one yet.

2 Dec: Wellington forced their game against Cairns to extra innings thanks to a 2-run rally in the bottom of the 9th. The score remained tied at 5 until the top of the 12th when Chi-seong Lee blasted a 2-out 3-run dinger. The Fury led off the bottom of the inning with a walk but put up no further resistance, falling 8-5.

3 Dec: Both teams committed 3 errors but the contest was still a gripping one, Kununurra heading into the bottom of the 9th holding onto a 1-run lead thanks to a pair of 3-run innings in the 6th and 7th. They’d outhit Auckland 14-7 at that point but the hometown fans weren’t counting the Metros out of it just yet. Their confidence proved to be well-founded. Rodney Trembath led the inning off with a single before Chuk-yan Lung launched a 2-1 fastball deep to right. It kept on going and he got to touch ‘em all with a 2-run walk-off homer. Final score: 7-6 Auckland as they fought to maintain a tenuous advantage in the NZ.

4 Dec: Christchurch looked like they had this one well in hand, their lead 4 heading into the bottom of the 9th. However, their recently erratic bullpen (primarily Scott Carson in this case) conspired to let the Sluggers back into the contest, Tim Firth tying the game with a 2-out 3-run homer. Christchurch managed 2 baserunners in the 11th but that was all the extra-innings threat they offered. Glen Donovan did the honours for Whangarei in the bottom of the 12th, crushing a Canavan heater 441 feet over dead centre for a walk-off winner. 7-6 Whangarei.

4 Dec: A pair of solo homeruns did the deed for Brisbane in the bottom of the 9th in their clash with Melbourne. The Aces had snuck ahead by 1 in the top of the inning and looked like winning it when a bottom of the inning double-play snuffed out a baserunner and left them just 1 dismissal short of victory. But then Norm Blume put a 3-1 fastball into the seats to tie it up. This was followed by Tashiaki Yano crunching an 0-1 curveball deep over centrefield for his second bomb of the night. Walk-off 8-7 Brisbane win, Melbourne’s Oliwa Lomu's blown save his first of the season.

8 Dec: Newcastle 1B Todd Fisher won PotW, hitting .500/.500/.923.

9 Dec: It took 13 innings to separate Brisbane and Perth, the Bandits doing the dirty in the top of the 13th via a sacrifice fly. Earlier, Perth had equalized in the bottom of the 9th to prolong matters but in the end couldn’t avoid crashing to their 41st defeat of the season. Brisbane’s Terence Stuart rapped 4 singles from 6 at-bats.

10 Dec: Claudio Banda was magnificent in blanking the Roos on the back of 6 hits and 0 walks. He only struck out 2 but got through the game in 93 pitches, Newcastle skipper Andre Allan scratching his head after the game and saying, “Yeah, he got through his work quickly, all right. Suddenly I looked up at the scoreboard and it was the 8th and I could’ve sworn it was still the 5th. It wasn’t just a low pitch-count, either. His reset and pitch-picking processes are very quick. Next time we face him I’ll have to remind our hitters to slow things down a bit and put him off his rhythm.” Banda’s Crocs didn’t make it easy for their pitcher, either, not getting on the board until the bottom of the 6th and committing a couple of errors. The final score was 2-0 to Cairns.

10 Dec: Adelaide came from behind to tie the game in the 6th inning of their clash against Sydney. That was all the scoring until the bottom of the 12th. Andrew Benbow led off the inning with a walk, was bunted into scoring position and an out later scored off a Mitch Goddard single. 5-4 Adelaide, their 38-28 record only good enough for second in the Coastal.

10 Dec: Canberra piled on 20 hits to dispose of Darwin 12-5. Jay Watts and Jorge Perez both went 4-5. Despite the hit parade no Cavalry batter went downtown. By contrast, 2 Diggers hitters cleared the fences, out of only 5 hits.

11 Dec: Matthew Utting provided some big bang in Christchurch’s 9-1 defeat of Cairns. The burly 3B went 4-4, 3 of those hits traveling out of the park. He went deep in the 4th over right, hit a monster 435-foot jack over right-centre in the 6th, and led off the 8th with a first-pitch bomb over right. This was the second time in his big-league career that Utting had hit 3 homers in a game. Barry Dean went the whole 9 for the Cowboys, looking at a shutout until, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Calvin Hodnett pulled a 2-0 pitch into the bleachers for a solo homer. Dean was throwing a few tater balls this season, having given up homeruns in each of his last 5 starts. In fact, in his 14 starts so far, he’d only gone 3 without having to crick his neck to watch a fly clear the fences.

11 Dec: Up 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, Wellington must’ve felt somewhat comfortable. The first out came easily enough, a regulation ground-ball to the shortstop. Then Matt Cusack nudged one down the 1B line for a single. 2 pitches later Rupert Bethune got a fastball to drive and mashed it 439 feet over straightaway centre to make it a 1-run game. Pete Mulholland doubled over the head of the 3B. Vincent Howell flied out and Wellington needed just 1 more out to hold on. Closer Ronald Cornell fell behind Andy Davies 2 and 0. The 2-0 pitch was up in the zone and Davies drilled it into the right-field alley. RBI-double and the game was tied. New pitcher. Larry Booth struck out swinging to send this into extras. Wellington started a 2-out rally in the top of the 10th, getting runners to 2B and 3B but that was where they stayed. Brisbane juiced the bases with 1 away in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a hit batter, a pop-up double and an intentional walk. An out later Pete Mulholland drew a walk-off walk to give the Bandits an improbable 4-3 victory. Skipper Timothy Donaldson said in the after-match presser, “It’s wins like these, the ones we probably didn’t deserve, that will really count when we’re tallying up at the end of the season.”

11 Dec: Central Coast and Kununurra also went 10 innings in their matchup, though this game was never one-way traffic. The Thunder went ahead by 4 after 4 but Kununurra had tied it back up by the end of the 6th. The Thunder pushed their way in front in the 7th by 1 and added 2 more in the 9th. Kununurra tied the game in the bottom of the inning without recording an out thanks to a 3-run Rhett Allan jack. Come the bottom of the 10th and Al Ayliffe delivered the walk-off magic via a 2-run homer. 9-7 Kununurra. That hit was the twelfth walk-off hit of Ayliffe’s major-league career, and his ninth walk-off homerun.

12 Dec: Justin Auger touched ‘em all for the fourth game in a row, providing all the scoring in Central Coast’s 5-2 loss to Kununurra.

13 Dec: Central Coast dropped their third in a row against Kununurra, getting belted 8-3. Auger could only single to end his HR streak at 4.

13 Dec: Victor Doubleday got OotPB TV’s #1 performance of the day with a 9.1 inning outing against Christchurch. The only run he gave up was a homer in the 5th to Maurice Clemens, Miguel Ibanez having also hit a solo homerun in the top of the inning. Fast-forward to the top of the 10th and Cairns piled on 4 runs, 3 of those via a Mario Correa jack, to jump ahead 5-1. Doubleday threw 1 pitch in the bottom of the inning, inducing a pop-out to the shortstop before being replaced. Sterling Boston battled through the next 2 hitters but got them both out to ensure a Cairns’ victory. Doubleday allowed only 4 hits and 1 walk in his 9.1 innings, fanning 10. He had a league-leading 11 wins for the season.

14 Dec: Melbourne romped to a 10-0 victory over Newcastle. Karl Blackwell was the star of the show, throwing a 6-hit, 0-walk, 3-strikeout shutout. The shutout was his second of the season. After winning October Hurler of the Month, Blackwell had gone 1-5 in November and was now 1-1 after 3 starts in December. 36 y/o journeyman catcher Mi-yuan Bargenquat went 4-4 in the victory, with a walk, 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4RBI.

15 Dec: Young Tim Firth won PotW. The dashing 24 y/o hit .417/.440/1.042, his 10 hits including 3 doubles and 4 homeruns.

15 Dec: It took 14 innings for the Roos to prevail over the Fury 6-3. 24 y/o Nicholas Bennett was the talk of the town after the game, having gone 6-7, with 3 runs and 2RBI. Not only did he safely hit 6 times, he also cycled. He hit singles in the 1st, 9th, and 12th, a homerun in the 5th, a double in the 7th, and a triple in the 14th. That triple gave Newcastle the go-ahead run. A pitch later Hektor Knittle blasted a 2-run homer to give the Roos insurance. Baby-faced Bennett only shrugged after the game and said, “Well, I had enough chances at it, didn’t I? It’s not often a guy gets so many at-bats in one game.”

15 Dec: Christchurch dropped their fourth straight to fall 3 games below .500, Melbourne edging past them 8-7. Marcos Lopez had just 1 hit in the game, a 7th-inning RBI single. That hit, however, moved Lopez to third-outright on the all-time hits leaderboard ahead of Ashley Snijders. Lopez now had 3187 hits. He needed only 36 more to surpass Alastair Mildren in second spot.

15 Dec: Justin Auger dished his eighteenth and nineteenth homers of the season in Central Coast’s 6-4 win over Hobart. The first was a 3-run affair in the 1st, while the second was a 2-run walk-off blast in the bottom of the 9th. The shots leapfrogged Auger to the top of the season homerun board.

15 Dec: There was also walk-off homerun magic in the Cairns-Kununurra clash. With the scores locked at 3 in the 10th, the Pioneers scored the go-ahead run thanks to a throwing error. Miguel Ibanez wasn’t going to let that put him off his stride, however. After Peter Moy walked to lead off the bottom of the inning, Ibanez stroked a fly into the left-centre stands for a 2-run walk-off dinger.

18 Dec: Yoshihito Morimoto scored a run in Central Coast’s extra-innings 4-3 walk-off win against Hobart, giving him a 10-game run-scoring streak. He went 3-5 across the game. Richard Humphrey got the winner for the Thunder, bashing a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the 11th.

21 Dec: In a game bereft of offense, Auckland’s John Foreman still managed to deliver a highlight reel moment. Perth had gone ahead in the 5th by 1 and looked certain to edge out a tight one, Auckland only able to muster 2 hits through 8 innings. That all changed rather quickly in the bottom of the 9th. Cam Kline led off with a single and was bunted into scoring position. Callum McCabe fouled off several before hitting a single wide of 2B. Kline held up at 3B and Foreman strode to the plate. One pitch later it was all over, the league HR leader adding another to his total with a 417-foot blast over left-centre. 3-run walk-off effort, the Aces stealing a 3-1 victory.

22 Dec: Hektor Knittle had taken to Newcastle (see Notable Trades/Signings below) like a fish to water. He bashed his way to PotW by hitting .520/.556/.920, with 3 homers. In the 9 games he’d played since the trade he’d hit .462/.512/.872, with 5 dingers.

22 Dec: Central Coast and Adelaide had jousted a fair amount over the previous few seasons, with their rivalry played up in the media at every opportunity. They delivered on that rivalry in today’s game, Adelaide ahead 5-1 heading into the bottom of the 8th only for Yin-ti Zhuo to club a Grand Slam to tie things up. Neither team was able to break the deadlock until the top of the 13th. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 away, Malcolm Pickhills doubled Li Hayes home to push Adelaide back ahead. Quentin Welch followed up with a walk and the bases were loaded. Norm Donaldson made sure the Venom got maximum benefit, sending a 1-2 curveball into the left-centre bleachers. Grand Slam and Central Coast were broken, quickly surrendering in the bottom of the frame, Adelaide 10-5 winners.

28 Dec: Brisbane treated Sydney’s pitchers with contempt, racking up 22 base hits in their 11-1 victory. Norm Blume went 4-6 with a double and HR while Brendon Marris was 4-4, all singles, with a walk.

29 Dec: He mightn’t have made the All Star team due to injury curtailing his game time but Beau Hauer stood out in the 4 other games played during the week, hitting .467/.529/1.000, with 2 homers, to win his second PotW for the season.

29 Dec: Kununurra were upset 9-4 by Wellington. For the Pioneers, Ramon Martinez went 1-3, with a walk and 2 ribbies. The hit was a homerun in the 6th, giving him a 4-game homerun streak, equalling the best mark of the season so far.

30 Dec: Martinez couldn’t clear the fences as Kununurra reversed yesterday’s result with their own 9-4 win over the Fury. He did nearly make it 5 games in a row with a deep double off the RF wall in the 8th to cap off a 2-5 night.

30 Dec: It was a game for the purists. Auckland and Canberra couldn’t break a nil-all deadlock until the bottom of the 10th when, with 1 out, the Cavalry went single, single, intentional walk, walk-off single to emerge victorious. Auckland ace Domenic Jones went 7.2 innings, giving up only 2 hits and 3 walks, but ended up on the losing side.

Notable Injuries

2 Dec: Hobart lost Ignacio Maldonado (.261/.406/.383, 3HR from 143PA) to the DL for the second time in the season. He’d strained an abdominal muscle and faced 5-6 weeks on the sidelines.

2 Dec: Nathan Kapuna (.258/.322/.434, 9HR) had a sprained elbow. 5-6 weeks on the DL for him, too.

7 Dec: Wellington added another to their growing injury ward. Zachary Quinn (4-5, 4.04 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.34 WHIP) had recurring back spasms. “Injury like this, it’s always hard to estimate recovery time,” the team doctor said when asked. “But I figure a good 6 weeks at least.”

9 Dec: Wendell Chatfield (7-3, 2.81 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 1.29 WHIP) faced 2-3 months out with an elbow strain.

9 Dec: Christchurch looked set to lose Pedro Montanez (4-7, 4.89 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.48 WHIP) until at least early March with ulnar nerve irritation.

11 Dec: Gary Young (.282/.343/.471, 10HR) was well acquainted with the frustration of being on the DL, his career injury list making for long reading. This time it was a fractured thumb - an injury he’d also suffered in 2048, the year he made his big-league debut - and the estimated recovery time was 6 weeks.

13 Dec: Sydney had already been without Lachlan Limeburner (.223/.284/.511, 8HR from 102PA) for a chunk of the season after he tore his hamstring at the end of October. Now he was done for the campaign thanks to a fractured ankle.

15 Dec: Cairns needed to make-do without Mario Correa (.304/.343/.552, 16HR) for the next 3 or so weeks. He had an oblique strain.

17 Dec: Jay Watts (.342/.408/.476, 7HR) would miss 3-4 weeks with a hamstring strain. Watts had the third-best BA in the league at the time of his injury.

17 Dec: Central Coast’s Zach Merritt (5-5, 4.64 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) was gone for the rest of the season with a torn rotator cuff.

19 Dec: Mitchell Cox (.290/.361/.465, 6HR) joined Canberra’s overflowing injury ward. His fractured finger would take around a month to heal.

20 Dec: And another one bites the dust. 39 y/o Ivan Parker (2-2, 15 sv, 2.61 ERA), who Canberra had been using at closer before elevating to the rotation to cover injuries, was gone-burger for the season. He had a torn rotator cuff, which would be tough to rehab at his age.

22 Dec: Jack of all trades Bagaskoro Maryadi (.331/.397/.517, 5HR from 133PA), who was doing an admirable job off the bench for Kununurra, would spend the next 5-6 weeks warming his couch while he recovered from an intercostal strain.

22 Dec: Jesus Vega (.264/.392/.409, 8HR) had shoulder tendinitis. Hobart would be without his services for at least 6 weeks.

24 Dec: Leo Walena (.273/.335/.386, 7HR) was only 22 y/o but already into his third AUNZBL season. The Auckland 3B had torn the meniscus in his knee and would be out for a month.

Notable Trades/Signings

2 Dec: Jack Binns (3-6, 4.39 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.19 WHIP in 2064; 75-72, 4.47 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.30 WHIP) was one of those pitchers whose underlying stats showed a much better performer than his W-L and ERA did. Noted as an extremely diligent trainer who always made time for the fans, Binns was one of the Blue Sox’s most beloved players, his image regularly on the local celebrity gossip shows.

Binns could’ve made it in the bigs as a hitter if he so chose, according to the team’s batting coach, who said, “He regularly puts them out of the park in practice. He’s just a natural.” However, pitching was his chosen trade, the 29 y/o stating he had no desire to “do a Welch*.”

The Blue Sox today announced, much to the delight of the fans, that Binns had agreed to a 4-year extension, the final season a player option.

*Quentin Welch - who’d made the switch from major-league starting pitcher to major-league starting hitter as a 24 y/o

3 Dec: Christchurch negotiated a deal with 30 y/o Edward Vance (3-3, 5.02 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.62 WHIP in 2064 through 6 starts; 50-29, 4.12 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 1.32 WHIP career) to buy out his remaining arbitration years and the first year of free agency. The 4-year deal was, according to Vance’s manager, “in the club’s favour but acceptable to both parties.” Despite having won 18 games in 2062 and 19 in 2063 Vance was currently only Christchurch’s fifth-choice starter.

9 Dec: Cairns and Perth engaged in another trade, the Crocs lightening their outfield load by sending 30 y/o LF Jose de la Cruz (.260/.353/.331, 2HR in 2064; .282/.394/.370, 6HR since debut last season) and cash to the Heat in exchange for 29 y/o 2B Angus Beckett (.273/.321/.305, 0HR in 2064; .281/.320/.379, 8HR career) and a pitching prospect.

Sneddon was critical of this deal also. “Again, I don’t get it. Okay, I guess Cairns are shedding a bit of salary but I’m having to dig to find even that as a positive. Yes, the Crocs have been playing Ahern at 2B the last week or so but that’s not because they have no options, that’s because of poor roster management. They sent Jarod Boxsell down to AAA at the end of last month. Struggling offensively, definitely, but more than capable of playing good defense at 2B and a guy who’ll only get better the longer he spends in the majors. Beckett’s a cheap option, true, and he hit .280 last season but he doesn’t have great range at 2B and has a weak arm and is just going to spoil what was a pretty well-balanced lineup. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a talking head who’s never run a ball club.”

10 Dec: “Hey,” Sneddon told those watching at the beginning of his show, “do you fancy having your very own baseball-player-slash-butler? If so, give Perth GM Giralldo Ulrich a call. He seems on a mission to finish the calendar year with a totally different roster to that which he started the year with and he’s open to all offers. I’ve heard he likes moon-dust. Offer some of that, and I bet Sasaki* could be all yours.”

In truth, while it did seem that Perth were having a fire-sale, today’s trade was slightly more nuanced than first appeared. Perth sent 25 y/o C/DH Hektor Knittle (.232/.305/.333, 3HR from 187 PA) to Newcastle in exchange for 28 y/o LHP Ashley Lightfoot (4-0, 2 sv, 3.04 ERA from 23 relief appearances) and a 20 y/o pitching prospect.

Heat fans were understandably upset at losing Knittle, with the German-born catcher looking at last like he had grown into the enormous power potential that saw him make the top prospects list from 2060-2063, debuting at #29 and moving right up to #7 prior to the 2063 season, even if most of his good swings this year were currently going into outfielders’ gloves. In return, Perth got a serviceable bullpen arm that their new skipper thought might be closer material (not that he had much else to work with)...

...And the number 4 overall pick from last year’s draft, 20 y/o Cooper ‘Nine Fingers’ Dempsey. Dempsey, the scouts said, could be Barry Dean-like in a couple seasons, with a fastball that would be hard to rival. For now, though, he’d head off to short-A.

Maybe in a couple seasons Perth fans might have something to be happy about.

*Tadakuni Sasaki, Perth’s everyday catcher

19 Dec: Adelaide sent 26 y/o Mitch Goddard (.315/.343/.474, 11HR) off to Canberra in exchange for 31 y/o RF Danny Caporn (.304/.347/.503, 7HR from 174PA) and a 23 y/o SS who was decent defensively but would only ever be a singles hitter.

Sneddon’s take? “Adelaide obviously think Caporn will help them win this year. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and I can’t see the Venom offering him an extension. He’s a sharp outfielder, especially in right, has good speed and is always a threat to steal. He also looks to be on a bit of a contract drive, so Adelaide could well get some value.

“I feel sorry for Goddard. Came up through the Venom system, making a good fist of the DH role but now shunted off to the Cavalry, who aren’t out of contention in the Southern but everybody knows they’re not real contenders, especially with the amount of guys they have injured. Still, he’s a good get for Canberra. He’s under club control for a while yet and he’s a good guy to have around the place. Once Bellett and Watts are back he’ll extend their lineup nicely.”

30 Dec: “And, yet again,” Sneddon told his viewers, “I’ve got egg on my face.” Why? Sneddon had been sure Adelaide’s move to acquire 31 y/o Danny Caporn from Canberra was solely to help them this year. Adelaide GM Santiago Rodriguez obviously felt differently. He fronted the press today to tell them that Caporn had agreed to a 4-year extension.

“Absolutely stoked,” was Caporn’s reaction. “To be wanted by the best club in the game is a real honour.” Since coming across, Caporn had hit .400/.419/.667, with 2HR, from 7 games.

2064 All Stars

The major talking point leading up to the naming of the All Star squads wasn’t the new format but rather the new voting system. Plenty of fans were sceptical as to whether their votes would have all that much weight on the final picks. One talkback caller grumbled, “I’ve voted but I don’t know why I bothered. I know the Commissioner and his goons will just put whoever they want in All Star jumpers anyway.”

Would that be the case? Here are the teams for the Coastal-East-West All Stars and the Southern-NZ All Stars.

Coastal-East-West All Stars

SP Roderick Beresford (DAR) - 10-5, 3.16 ERA, 114.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 6.2 K/9, 1.5 WAR
SP Victor Doubleday (CAI) - 12-2, 3.07 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 2.2 WAR
SP Blair Norris (KUN) - 6-7, 2.64 ERA, 109.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 3.7 WAR
SP Zachariah Pond (DAR) - 5-7, 4.39 ERA, 96.1 IP, 1.49 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Tristan Stobbie (PER) - 8-3, 2.69 ERA, 77.0 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 1.5 WAR
SP Nelson Thurgood (BRI) - 8-5, 2.56 ERA, 112.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 3.8 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP John Zglinicki (CEN) - 8-5, 3.57 ERA, 118.1 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 2.5 WAR
RP Brian Hanbridge (KUN) - 6-0, 1.37 ERA, 39.1 IP, 1.45 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 0.8 WAR
RP Allen Jiang (ADE) - 2-1, 1.91 ERA, 37.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, 1.1 WAR
CL Ke-yong Fang (NEW) - 2-0, 19 SV, 1.39 ERA, 32.1 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 0.6 WAR
CL Aaron Fingleson (CAI) - 1-0, 21 SV, 1.49 ERA, 36.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 0.5 WAR
CL Moeaktola Liao (ADE) - 3-3, 23 SV, 2.41 ERA, 37.1 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 0.7 WAR
C Kent Okolita (DAR) - .280/.392/.455, 246 AB, 11 HR, 0 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
C Tadakuni Sasaki (PER) - .275/.315/.521, 236 AB, 14 HR, 0 SB, 117 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
1B Ronald Aitken (CAI) - .284/.401/.509, 289 AB, 14 HR, 0 SB, 133 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
1B Justin Auger (CEN) - .286/.364/.520, 294 AB, 19 HR, 2 SB, 138 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
1B Richard Moore (ADE) - .280/.374/.502, 293 AB, 19 HR, 0 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B Domenic Cook (BRI) - .263/.340/.519, 270 AB, 17 HR, 1 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
2B Andre Wiltshire (CEN) - .319/.400/.485, 295 AB, 10 HR, 10 SB, 139 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
3B Malcolm Pickhills (ADE) - .257/.330/.502, 269 AB, 17 HR, 0 SB, 119 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
SS Carlos Acevedo (ADE) - .304/.333/.470, 270 AB, 11 HR, 8 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
SS Nicholas Bennett (NEW) - .316/.344/.500, 304 AB, 11 HR, 3 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
SS Stéphane Lecomte (DAR) - .310/.370/.397, 310 AB, 1 HR, 24 SB, 110 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
LF Guillermo Julio (NEW) - .326/.360/.479, 307 AB, 8 HR, 16 SB, 121 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
LF Júlio Salazar (KUN) - .304/.343/.436, 227 AB, 5 HR, 17 SB, 108 wRC+, -0.3 WAR
LF Tashiaki Yano (BRI) - .280/.323/.495, 311 AB, 17 HR, 2 SB, 116 wRC+, 0.7 WAR
CF José Amaya (NEW) - .274/.317/.395, 263 AB, 6 HR, 4 SB, 90 wRC+, -0.2 WAR
RF Rodney Ellison (SYD) - .285/.349/.422, 263 AB, 8 HR, 0 SB, 109 wRC+, 1.0 WAR

Southern-NZ All Stars

SP Tristan Agar (WHA) - 5-3, 3.36 ERA, 99.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 2.4 WAR
SP Li Ayliffe (HOB) - 8-1, 2.86 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 1.8 WAR
SP Karl Blackwell (MEL) - 8-7, 3.63 ERA, 104.0 IP, 1.29 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Barry Dean (CHR) - 7-7, 3.69 ERA, 114.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 2.8 WAR
SP Ethan Humphries (MEL) - 7-4, 3.99 ERA, 94.2 IP, 1.33 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 1.9 WAR
SP Domenic Jones (AUC) - 7-4, 4.09 ERA, 103.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP José Sardiña (WEL) - 6-5, 3.90 ERA, 97.0 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Seto Sukarto (CAN) - 8-3, 3.59 ERA, 80.1 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 1.6 WAR
RP Brian Bryant (WEL) - 4-3, 3.47 ERA, 49.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 0.6 WAR
RP Jayaratha Mhari (SYD) - 2-2, 2.20 ERA, 57.1 IP, 0.85 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Scott Carson (CHR) - 2-2, 11 SV, 4.15 ERA, 26.0 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 14.2 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Isaac Graham (HOB) - 1-2, 19 SV, 1.74 ERA, 31.0 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 0.4 WAR
C John Dalton (HOB) - .265/.394/.516, 215 AB, 14 HR, 7 SB, 135 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
C Tim Firth (WHA) - .309/.341/.534, 262 AB, 13 HR, 0 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
1B Nigel Anderton (SYD) - .293/.345/.548, 263 AB, 16 HR, 0 SB, 135 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
1B Glen Donovan (WHA) - .320/.353/.498, 231 AB, 9 HR, 0 SB, 122 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
1B Lance Fookes (CHR) - .292/.334/.529, 308 AB, 18 HR, 0 SB, 132 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
1B John Foreman (AUC) - .264/.344/.521, 292 AB, 21 HR, 0 SB, 124 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
1B Javier Rodríguez (WEL) - .316/.379/.511, 282 AB, 10 HR, 5 SB, 136 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
2B Axel Nankervis (SYD) - .288/.333/.503, 306 AB, 16 HR, 2 SB, 121 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
3B Matthew Utting (CHR) - .273/.361/.461, 267 AB, 11 HR, 0 SB, 119 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
SS Richard Ashton (AUC) - .291/.364/.406, 278 AB, 4 HR, 3 SB, 113 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
SS Jorge Pérez (CAN) - .278/.348/.461, 295 AB, 13 HR, 11 SB, 118 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
LF Pedro Mercado (MEL) - .294/.384/.496, 262 AB, 13 HR, 19 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
LF Tomas Zartuche (CHR) - .339/.386/.423, 310 AB, 1 HR, 24 SB, 124 wRC+, 1.0 WAR
CF Edgardo Rico (WHA) - .361/.389/.439, 305 AB, 0 HR, 20 SB, 123 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
CF Gilberto Soberón (WEL) - .310/.344/.496, 226 AB, 10 HR, 7 SB, 122 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
RF Caspar Purcell (MEL) - .255/.349/.510, 239 AB, 17 HR, 2 SB, 123 wRC+, 0.1 WAR

How did they match up to the fan picks? For the Southern-NZ All Stars, Vern Bull, Glen Walsh, Beau Hauer, and Neil Bellett, all with the most votes in their positions, didn’t get picked. Why not? Bellett was simple, according to the selection committee. He hadn’t played yet this season due to injury so why should he get an All Star jersey? Hauer didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify (3.1PA per team game - same as in previous seasons), while Bull and Walsh didn’t “have the form to justify selection.” In fact, overall the Southern-NZ All Stars looked very different to the fan picks, and the talkback lines ran hot with indignation. The Coastal-East-West All Stars were much more closely aligned with the fan vote, though Mario Correa was a notable omission due to being injured.

The Commissioner’s Office resolutely defended the final decisions, saying, “While this is obviously an event for the fans, it’s also an event to reward the best players of the first half of the season. Popularity off the field does not ensure performance on the field and it seems the opposite is true too. While the voice of the fans is highly appreciated and is certainly considered, we wish this event to be primarily a reward for on-field achievements.”

That did nothing to dampen the anger of those out for baseball blood, with many threatening to boycott the All Star fixture.

2064 All Star Game

Blair Norris was chosen as the starting pitcher for the Coastal-East-West All Stars while Barry Dean was favoured for the Southern-NZ All Stars. Despite the protests of a few the game was sold out, with not a seat in Venom Ballpark spare.

The Southern-NZ took the early lead, Dean striking out the side in the bottom of the first to the roars of the crowd. The Coastal-East-West tied it up in the 2nd before Carlos Acevedo put them ahead with a solo homerun in the 3rd. The fans loved that but then went absolutely silly after the next man up, Andre Wiltshire sent a fly into the left-field alley. Showcasing his wheels and helped by an awkward bounce off the wall, Wiltshire motored around 3B and headed for home. The entire stadium rose to their feet to see him dive home ahead of the throw for an All-Star inside-the-park homerun.

Once the noise died down, commentator Alan Sneddon said, “Well, I think the aggro some fans have towards this fixture and the AUNZBL in general has been well and truly drowned out. And drowned out as it should be, by the incredible athletic feats of the players, not by tone-deaf press releases from the game’s governors.”

That proved to be all the scoring until the bottom of the 8th when the Coastal-East-West tacked on some insurance. They coasted through the top of the 9th to win 4-1.

In an amusing note, there was obviously some kind of mix-up between the Commissioner’s Office and the official scorers for the game, as the official box score didn’t include logos for either team or team names, instead detailing a contest between Team 1 All Stars and Team 2 All Stars.

Wiltshire, who went 1-2 with that sensational inside-the-park homer, was named All Star MVP.

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: Tim Firth dominated proceedings in December. He hit .367/.420/.711, 33-90, with 15 runs, 7 doubles, 8 homers, 29RBI, and 8BB. He was given his first All Star cap and was deemed so good that he also won Slugger of the Month. The handsome catcher - he’d already made a fair few ‘eligible bachelor’ lists - was looked up to by his teammates despite his youth and lack of big-league experience. Glen Donovan said this of Firth, “The guy knows what to say and when to say it. If you’re having a slump he’ll be beside you in the dugout giving you encouragement, if you’re on a hot streak he’ll be singing your praises and slapping your back. He’s just a real team guy, someone you love having on your side.”

Hurler of the Month: Dan Pankhurst had the nickname ‘Giant Killer’ though nowadays, he revealed, some of his teammates had taken to calling him ‘The Old Man of the Mound.’ Old or not, he owned the mound in December, going 5-0 from 6 starts, his ERA 1.49, his FIP 3.32, and his WHIP the best of the month among qualified pitchers, at 0.87. He wasn’t striking out all that many hitters anymore, fanning just 19 in 48.1 innings but he was showing the guile that often came with age, mixing his four pitches up well and inducing a lot of weak contact. Pankhurst was, however, closing in on an unenviable mark: 200 career losses. He currently had 191, by far the most among active pitchers and the 5th-most of all time.

Slugger of the Month: see Rookie of the Month, above.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Lopez hit .318/.362/.514 during the month, collecting 34 hits. In fact, he would head into January with the equal-most bases of any hitter in the league (174), and was tracking to make it to both 200 hits and 30 homeruns. For the season he was hitting .300/.336/.497. Not bad for a guy who would turn 41 in less than 2 months. He needed only 19 more hits to pass Alastair Mildren and become the second-hittingest batter of all-time.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: The Venom (14-12) couldn’t continue their November momentum, while Cairns (18-8) shrugged off the injury to Correa to leap 4 games ahead of Adelaide. Darwin (15-11) were humming along nicely as well, a further 2 games back and looking to chase Adelaide down.

East-west Division: Brisbane (17-9) followed up their excellent November with an equally strong December, overtaking the Thunder (13-13) at the head of the division to lead them by 2. Kununurra (15-11) finished the month on equal pegging with Central Coast. Newcastle (15-11) recovered from their disastrous November to be just 1 game below .500.

NZ Division: Christchurch (13-13) were once again par but this wasn’t enough to keep them at the top of the division. Auckland (16-10) jumped out to a 3-game lead, the acquisition of John Foreman appearing to be a pretty good move. Wellington (7-19) began performing to expectations, finishing the month 11 games below .500 and 10 games off the division pace.

Southern Division: Canberra (14-12) did enough to poke their noses in front of Melbourne (10-16), who struggled for consistency all month.

Wildcard: Adelaide, Central Coast, and Kununurra all shared the same record, though 3 did not fit into 2. Darwin were 2 games back, the Cowboys 3, and Melbourne and Newcastle 5.

#

There was plenty of variety on the batting leaderboards.

Edgardo Rico (.360/.388/.438, 0HR) lead the league in BA, hits (121), runs (61), and WAR (3.3).

Larry Booth (.331/.438/.391, 0HR), who missed out on All Star selection due to injury, topped the OBP stakes.

John Foreman (.261/.338/.506, 22HR) led the HR race by 2.

Teammate Callum McCabe (.333/.412/.566, 13HR) didn’t qualify for the All Star Game due to lack of game-time. If the fixture had been a week later, however, he would have. He led the league in SLG, OPS, and weighted OBA (.420).

Tied with Marcos Lopez for most bases was Nicholas Bennett (.320/.347/.521, 14HR, 174TB).

Newcastle’s Todd Fisher (.259/.297/.399, 6HR) wasn’t having an inspiring season, yet somehow had 29 doubles, 5 more than anybody else.

Justin Auger (.282/.368/.502, 19HR) was at the head of the RBI chart, with 72.

Ronald Aitken (.289/.410/.508, 15HR) had the most walks (60) and was tied for the most extra-base hits (38). He shared that latter mark with Domenic Cook (.261/.333/.528, 20HR), who had the league’s best isolated power (.268).

Victor Doubleday (13-2, 3.06 ERA, 3.62 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) had a monster first-half. He topped all qualified pitchers in wins, H/9 (6.54), OAVG (.202), and K/9 (9.36).

Barry Dean (8-7, 3.60 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 1.14 WHIP) might no longer have the best K/9 rate in the league but he still had the most strikeouts, with 125, and boasted the best strikeout to walk ratio, with 5.43.

Blair Norris (7-7, 2.72 ERA, 2.92 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) had the best FIP and WAR (3.7), and was tied with Roderick Beresford (11-5, 3.08 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) for best WHIP.

Nelson Thurgood (9-5, 2.49 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) made the All Star Game but didn’t pitch. He led all-comers in ERA and HR/9 (0.30).

John Zglinicki (10-5. 3.33 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 1.12 WHIP) was averaging 7.5 innings per start. He’d thrown 135.1 innings so far this season, 13 more than any other pitcher.

Moeaktola Liao had 24 saves, the most of any closer.

Halfway through the season, BA was sitting at .268, the same mark as last season. ERA, however, was only 4.34, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since 2050. The overall ERA that year was 4.26.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane (46-36) extended their lead in the Northern to 8 1/2 games, Gold Coast (38-45) continuing to slump.

There was no catching Sydney (59-22) in the Southern, none of the other teams above .500.

Kalgoorlie (45-38) were fending off the Perth Sharks (41-41) in the Western, Kalgoorlie’s lead only 3 1/2 games.

Jakarta (51-32) managed to extend their lead over Hamilton (48-35) to 3 games.

Ted Blume (.338/.463/.633, 24HR) had certainly bloomed this season. He had the fourth-best BA in the ABC, and led the league in homers, though Si-xun Qiao (.323/.391/.586, 23HR) was right in his rearview mirror.

Hamilton’s Warren Gray (10-3, 1.69 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 0.89 WHIP) left the AUNZBL after the 2061 season with a 40-47 career record, having lost 15 and 14 games respectively in his final 2 seasons. He had a 37-25 record after 2 and a half seasons in the ABC and boasted the league’s best ERA, FIP, and WHIP so far this season. His 112 strikeouts placed him third on that ladder and his 10 wins tied him for second.

AUNZBL Standings, Jan 1

Izz · 02-21-2018, 06:26 PM

2064/2065 Season - January

Hall of Fame

There was only 1 new player on the ballot this year, 51 y/o Ashley Snijder, who had surprisingly only retired from pro-ball in 2059 after making a comeback to the AUNZBL at age 45 in 2058, playing 15 games for the Roos. 4 other players returned to the ballot.

Results

The AUNZBL had a first-ballot entry for the third year in a row. Ashley Snijders received 98.8% of the vote and would join 4 other first-basemen, Elliot Wilkins, Jarrod Guerin, Kelvin Ackland and, of course, the man who Snijders spent so much of his career feuding with, Alastair Mildren. He was the first 1B inducted under the new system.

In a move that brought some gasps and a few boos from the crowd, Alastair Mildren himself came out to announce Snijders’ induction. It could have gone terribly wrong but Mildren painted a picture of praise for Snijders and once the latter mounted the stage the two shared a hug, this time to ahhs and applause from the audience. Mildren said later, “I begged and begged the Induction Committee that I be allowed to welcome Snijders to the Hall. I made all kinds of promises, some on the life of my children, that I wouldn’t make it a spectacle, and finally they agreed. It was a great moment, and one I’m exceedingly happy to have been a part of.”

Snijders finished his AUNZBL career with a remarkable record. His stat-line of .301/.400/.527 across more than 20 seasons was a testament to his offensive prowess, as were his 3186 hits, 602 homeruns, and 564 doubles. He also plated 1903 runners and walked 1689 times, while striking out 1846 times in 10581 plate appearances. He won 3 Slugger of the Year Awards, as well as 1 Gold Glove, and went to 14 All Star Games, 11 of those consecutively. 3 times he led the league in homeruns and 5 times he finished a season with an OPS of greater than 1.000. The only blemish in his great career was the same as Mildren’s: no rings. Snijders was inducted in a Cavalry uniform.

These were the full voting results:

1B Ashley Snijders - 98.8
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2B Bill Bransington - 20.1
1B Matt Panther - 11.1
LF Lindsay Colson - 9.0
2B Mike Wurfel - 8.6

Wurfel had certainly fallen out of favour with the voters, dropping all the way from 77.8% on the ballot 2 years ago to 8.6% this season.

Notable Performances

1 Jan: Ramon Martinez hit a solo homerun in Kununurra’s 3-1 win over Newcastle. He’d homered in 6 of the last 7 games and 7 of the last 9. Today’s homer gave him a 10-game scoring streak.

1 Jan: Despite having more than double the baserunners of their opponents, it took a Reginald Puckeridge walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th for Auckland to beat Sydney 2-1. It took Sydney until the top of the inning to score, Lachlan Barnett’s RBI-double only their fourth hit of the night. Metros’ pitcher Nelson Casey was named the #1 overall performer of the day across the league thanks to his 8 innings of 3-hit, 2-walk, 6-strikeout, 0-ER ball.

2 Jan: Martinez wasn’t able to continue his scoring streak, going 0-4 in Kununurra’s 5-2 win over Newcastle. Central Coast’s Andre Wiltshire, however, slugged a homerun in a 4-2 win over Perth, giving him a 10-game scoring streak. He’d also been clearing the fences regularly, going deep in 4 of his last 5 games. Wiltshire would go scoreless the following night.

2 Jan: Nelson Thurgood gave Christchurch goose eggs, fanning 8 in a 6-hit shutout. Brisbane eased to a 5-0 victory.

3 Jan: Christchurch’s offense was being made to look foolish by Brisbane’s starting pitchers. Tonight it was Sebastian Woodger, who threw one of the games of his career, blanking the Cowboys on the back of just 2 hits. He walked none and struck out 7, Brisbane winning 4-0.

4 Jan: The Cowboys started a 4-game set with Kununurra and for the first 6 innings it looked like their misfiring offense would continue to sabotage them. The Pioneers had built a 4-run lead but the Cowboys showed some hustle to cut that in half in the bottom of the 7th. In the bottom of the 8th they again showed heart, putting pressure on the field and tying the game up with 1 out. A Bryan McMullen double scored the go-ahead run and Scott Carson held on to record the save, though his heart was doubtless in his mouth when Jai Rowe belted a 2-0 fastball deep to centre. It hit the wall and Rowe could only steamroll into 2B and watch as Ramon Martinez was struck out swinging at a giant curveball. 5-4 Christchurch victory.

5 Jan: Darwin and Melbourne left pitching and defence at the stadium gates today, instead treating fans to a spectacle of offense. Melbourne held on to win 17-14, the Aces hitting just 4 homeruns while Darwin didn’t knock a single pitch out of the park. Melbourne’s Sebastian Horton starred with a 5-5 night, his hits including a double and HR and resulting in 3 scored runs and 4 runners batted in. On the Diggers’ side of the ledger, 22 y/o Hector Banda went 5-7, with a double, 2 runs and an RBI.

5 Jan: Barry Dean gave up 5 runs on 12 hits in 8 innings for Christchurch against Kununurra, though advanced metrics indicated this was less bad pitching than bad luck and some sluggish infield play. Still, he managed to come away without an L next his name. The score was tied at 5 after 9 innings and remained that way through the 10th and 11th, neither team posing any threat. Isaac Canavan rattled through the Pioneers in 6 pitches to finish the top of the 12th. Wes Corless led off the bottom of the inning with a 6-pitch walk. Zartuche looked to bunt him ahead but quickly saw the count go to 2-2. He fouled one off before taking a mighty lick at a fastball. The contact was good, great in fact, and the ball went sailing into the upper tier of the right-centre stands. Walk-off 2-run dinger, Christchurch winning 7-5.

6 Jan: Miguel Ibanez (plus some poor fielding) was the difference for Cairns against Perth, the Crocs winning 7-5. Ibanez, hitting at 8 in the lineup, went 3-4 with 3 runs and 5 ribbies. All 3 of those hits were of the homerun variety. The first came in the 5th, Ibanez putting the first pitch he saw into the leftfield bleachers. The second came in the 6th, a booming line drive to a similar part of the stands. And finally, in the 8th, Ibanez broke the 5-all deadlock with a another line-drive into the leftfield seats, worth 2 runs.

6 Jan: 21 y/o Brendan Bartholomew, a late-innings sub, proved to be the hero for Melbourne, bashing a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 12th to help them defeat Darwin 5-4. The Aces had already improbably put themselves back in the contest, scoring 4 in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game up. Bartholomew was the #2 overall pick in the 2061 draft, and last season had played all year off the big-league bench after finishing 2062 in A-ball. He projected to have tremendous power.

7 Jan: Central Coast routed the Cavalry 16-5. Yoshihito Morimoto topped the Thunder hitters with a 4-5 night, the typically free-swinging SS also drawing 2 walks. Aaron Gilleland ‘only’ went 2-4, with 2 walks, but was responsible for 6 runners scoring.

9 Jan: Christchurch belted out 21 base hits on their way to a 14-4 whipping of Hobart. Rowan Kimpton was the worst of the Cowboys’ hitters, only managing 1-6. Lance Fookes went 4-6, and 3 other players managed 3 hits. Among those was Marcos Lopez, who went 3-5. He now had 3214 career hits. Just 9 more to overtake Mildren!

11 Jan: Auckland fought back in the 9th to tie up their game in Whangarei and force extra innings. The score stayed locked up until the bottom of the 11th when Whangarei’s backup catcher Chien-shih Liu, getting a rare start, led off with a homerun. 4-3 Whangarei.

12 Jan: PotW went to Jose de la Cruz who, while he mightn’t have been happy about being shipped off to Perth from Cairns, was cracking along well enough with the bat. He hit .520/.586/.800, with 2HR. Since the trade he was hitting .321/.425/.420, with 3 jacks.

13 Jan: Axel Zhou cycled in Auckland’s 9-7 loss to Central Coast. 1st-inning double, 3rd-inning single, 5th-inning triple, and 7th-inning solo homer. “Yeah, I kinda knew I had the chance when I came up that last time,” Zhou said, “but I wasn’t really thinking about it too much. Just got a pitch I could hit, I guess.”

14 Jan: Claudio Banda was quietly doing a sterling job for Cairns. He threw 7 innings for 2 earned runs in today’s 8-2 win over Sydney, giving him a 15-game undefeated streak. In fact, he’d only started 16 games this season and hadn’t lost since his first one, on the 21st of October.

14 Jan: Andre Bond took toll of Kununurra’s pitching, going 5-5 with a double, homerun, 3 runs and 3RBI. He wasn’t the only Prospects hitter to savage the opposition, Hobart gunning their way to a 12-3 victory.

15 Jan: Canberra tied their game against Melbourne in the bottom of the 9th thanks to a 2-run inning. Both runs came during the at-bat of Jorge Perez but the homerun he hit only counted for 1RBI. The previous pitch had been thrown to the backstop and Garrett Barnett, who’d led the inning off with a triple, came home unopposed. The game, however, went to Melbourne. They loaded the bases in the top of the 11th thanks to 2 walks and a single before Glen Walsh brought them all home with Grand Slam down the RF line. 10-6 Melbourne was the final score, Canberra retiring in order in the bottom of the inning.

17 Jan: All the action in today’s Sydney-Melbourne clash came in the final 2 innings. With the score locked at 1 in the top of the 8th, Sydney scored 3 two-out runs to go ahead. Marty Downes reduced the deficit to 1 in the bottom of the inning with a 2-run bleacher bomb over left but Sydney added an insurance run in the top of the 9th. After a leadoff walk, Javier Flores got the next 2 outs and Sydney were looking comfortable. Manny Chavez then singled and the runner on 1B went all the way to 3rd. Mi-yuan Bargenquast rifled a single between third and short, scoring a run. Sadao Taniguchi pulled one down the 1B line. Chavez scored and Bargenquast headed around 3B and home. He dived in unopposed and the Aces had improbably won 6-5.

19 Jan: Glen Walsh snared PotW with a .483/.516/.931 effort. His 14 hits included 5 doubles, 1 triple and 2 homers.

19 Jan: Newcastle’s Dean Ambrose threw 8 scoreless innings in the Roos’ 5-2 win over Perth. He got the W to move to a 10-game win streak. He had won those 10 games from 11 starts.

19 Jan: Claudio Banda allowed 2 runs (only 1 earned) against Auckland but got just enough offense from his teammates to see Cairns to a 3-2 win. Banda threw 6 innings, his bullpen a scoreless 3, Aaron Fingleson notching up a league-leading 30th save for the season.

19 Jan: Christchurch outlasted Darwin to win 6-5 in 10 innings. In the top of the 1st Marcos Lopez blasted his 21st homerun of the season, a 2-run effort that tied him with Alastair Mildren on the all-time hits board. In the 3rd he drove a single into shallow centre to own second spot outright. “What an honour!” the 40 y/o exclaimed post-match but said little else. He still remained 500+ hits shy of Ismael Aguirre. For the season he had 87RBI, the most in the league.

19 Jan: In a game bereft of offense, Canberra managed just 5 hits in 14 innings while Wellington put together 8 and came away 2-1 winners. Mitchell Cox, recently of Canberra (see Notable Trades/Signings, below), broke the back of his old team with a walk-off dinger in the bottom of the 14th. Both starting pitchers - Seto Sukarto (CAN), Alejandro Valentin (WEL) - went 8 innings for 1 run, Valentin fanning 9 to earn the #1 overall performance of the day on OotPB TV.

20 Jan: Victor Doubleday’s January had been lean until this point, his record 0-2 from 3 starts. He was dominant today against Auckland though, even if he was pitching within himself, conceding just 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 and allowing nobody across homeplate. Cairns squeaked home 1-0, the only run a Felino Saturno homer in the 6th.

22 Jan: Central Coast hustled home 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to send their contest against Brisbane into extra innings. Only 1 extra inning, as it turned out. The Bandits sent 10 hitters to the plate, scoring 6 runs, and then sent the Thunder packing in the bottom of the inning on 8 pitches for an 11-5 victory. The Bandits had 19 hits in the contest, Tashiaki Yano leading with 4-5, including 2 homeruns and 6 ribbies.

23 Jan: Barry Dean started against the club he’d been the face of earlier in the season and played a pivotal role in Christchurch’s 8-2 victory. He threw 8 innings, allowing 2 runs on the back of 5 hits and a walk. He fanned 9, giving him 151 strikeouts for the season, 24 more than any other pitcher.

23 Jan: Kununurra outhit Darwin 13-9 but couldn’t translate that into victory, the Diggers edging past the Pioneers 4-3 in 12 innings. The winning run didn’t come in spectacular fashion, Stephane Lecomte leading off the top of the 12th with a walk, advancing to 2B on a sac-bunt and scoring an out later thanks to Kent Okolita’s squeaky single wide of the shortstop. In the bottom of the inning Ramon Martinez’s long fly hit the top of the centrefield wall, earning him a double but that was as far as he could progress.

24 Jan: Claudio Banda’s undefeated streak came to an end at 16 games. He gave up 5 runs (4 earned) in Cairns’ 8-5 loss to Whangarei. The score only looked as close as it did thanks to a 4-run 9th for the Crocs, the surge briefly giving Whangarei fans clammy hands.

24 Jan: Canberra were left ruing missed opportunities as Newcastle came from behind, first to tie the game in the 8th and then to walk off winners in the 11th, Hektor Knittle going master-blaster with a lead-off walk-off homer. The final score was 5-4 Newcastle, with the Roos only putting together 7 base hits to Canberra’s 14.

24 Jan: Having won in extra innings in the first game of this important inter-division set, Brisbane were yesterday consigned to a 14-2 shellacking at the hands of Central Coast. Their bats answered back today, however, big-time. The final score was 17-1, 4 Brisbane hitters getting 3 hits. Tashiaki Yano tripled and homered in a 3-4 night, with 4 runs and 4RBI. The win put Brisbane 1 game ahead of Central Coast in the East-West.

25 Jan: Hobart defeated Adelaide 5-4 in 11 innings. The Venom went ahead in the top of the 11th, Gary Young sac-flying Chuk-yan Lung home. But Moeaktola Liao struggled with his control in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases via a single and 2 walks before walking in the tying run. He then fell behind Ian Drage 3-1 and couldn’t find the plate on the next pitch to surrender a walk-off walk. Liao could only shake his head after the game, saying, “I can’t remember the last time I was that wild. Little league, maybe?”

25 Jan: The final game of this Brisbane-Central Coast set proved to be as entertaining as the previous 3. The Bandits led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, Sebastian Woodger throwing 8 innings for just 3 hits and 3 walks, getting 15 groundball outs. Tai Hoi Kao came out to make sure the gate was shut but immediately gave up singles to Justin Auger and Manuel Alou. He recovered to strike out the next 2 before Aaron Gilleland walked on 4 pitches. Nicholas Whalley, 0 for 3 to this point, strode to the plate and got a belt-high fastball first up. He pulled it over left and it just kept going, landing beyond both the despairing glove of the leftfielder and the fence. Walk-off Grand Slam! 4-3 victory to Central Coast and the division was tied up once more.

26 Jan: Tashiaki Yano had a bonza week to win the player’s award. He hit .520/.538/1.240, his 13 hits including 5 homeruns, 1 double and 1 triple.

26 Jan: Gary Young was still a superstar, even if his aging and battered body was beginning to protest the label. He took centre stage in Adelaide’s 7-2 victory over Brisbane, bashing 3 homeruns. All were solo shots, coming in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. The final dinger was the biggest, measured at 445 feet over straightaway centre. This was the second time in his big-league career that Young had achieved this feat. The first time had been all the way back in 2051.

26 Jan: Canberra didn’t score their opening run against the Cowboys until the bottom of the 6th but showed tenacity to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th and walk off winners in the 11th. Rookie Garrett Barnett hit the walk-off single for a 3-2 victory.

27 Jan: Roderick Beresford dished out the pain to Hobart, restricting them to just 5 hits and 1 walk in a 6-0 shutout win. The Diggers’ ace only struck out 2, cruising through the game on 95 pitches of mostly weak contact. The shutout was the first of Beresford’s big-league career.

27 Jan: Both teams got hits aplenty but neither could consistently convert scoring opportunities, the Roos finally victorious 5-4 over Sydney after 13 innings. Sydney tied it in the 9th thanks to a throwing error from the right-fielder. In the 13th the Roos loaded the bases with nobody out. With 1 away Angus Wheeler tagged up and made it safely home after taking on the leftfielder on a medium-depth fly-out; his collision with the catcher knocked the ball loose. The win took the Roos to 56-52, 4 games back in the East-West and 2 outside of a wildcard. Ashley White, who hit the game-winning sac-fly, said to press after the game, “We’re fighting hard and we’re in with a shot at the postseason, so wins like this are just super-special right now.”

28 Jan: Two days ago Gary Young belted 3 homeruns. Today he hit for the cycle in Adelaide’s 12-4 thrashing of Brisbane. He got it all done pretty quickly, too, tripling in the 1st, doubling in the 2nd, singling in the 4th and homering in the 5th. All up he was 4-5 with 2 runs and 6RBI. This was the first time he’d hit for the cycle in the majors, though he’d done so in single-A back in 2048. “What can I say,” Young said, “except that this is turning out to be a pretty good week.”

28 Jan: Kununurra recovered from letting in a game-tying 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Perth 5-4 in 11 innings. They took the lead back via a leadoff homer from Rhett Allan and made quick work of Perth in the bottom of the inning despite allowing a 2-out single.

28 Jan: There were a few reasons why Cairns were the best team in the majors this season. One of those was their tenacity. Central Coast had that quality too, as displayed by their 3-run rally (all runs coming via an Auger bomb) in the top of the 9th to tie the game up. In the bottom of the 10th Calvin Hodnett let loose a bomb of his own, this one worth 2 runs and netting the Crocs a 6-4 victory. Hodnett’s fly over right, measured at 450 feet, left the stadium to be claimed by some lucky passer-by.

29 Jan: It was the month of the 3-homer game. Today it was Mario Correa’s turn. The Cairns’ slugger had been somewhat quiet on the homerun front until now, his season tally before this game 18, good enough for fifth-best on the team. He busted out his first in the 1st, sending a fastball just far enough over right to score 2 runs. He bashed one to nearly the same spot in the 6th, this one also worth 2. In the 7th, with the bases loaded, he pulled another over right to put the game well out of Central Coast’s reach. That didn’t stop the Thunder from making the Crocs nervous, Central Coast piling on 5 in the 9th, but ultimately they fell short, losing 9-6. Correa’s 8RBI equalled the Cairns’ club record.

29 Jan: Canberra prevailed over Christchurch 6-5 in a 13-inning contest. Scott Carson blew his fourth save of the season in the 9th, Canberra scoring the tying run via a Mitch Goddard RBI-single. Christchurch got 2 aboard in the top of the 12th, including a runner on 3B, with just 1 away but Maurice Clemens ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double-play. They loaded the bases in the 13th with 2 out but couldn’t score anybody. Bradley Mant led off the bottom of the inning with a double off the base of the right-centre wall before progressing to 3B on a Damian Rees’ single. Garrett Barnett flied out to left and Mant took off for home. The throw was off target just enough for Mant to dive in under the tag and get his team the win.

29 Jan: Darwin fought their way past Hobart 6-5 in 12 innings. A throwing error on a steal attempt put Ramon Ramos on 3B. Two walks later and Angel Rivera whipped a single wide of 1B, Ramos scoring unopposed. At 56-54 the Diggers were 15 games shy of Cairns at the top of the Coastal but were still very much in the wildcard hunt, only 3 games out of the second slot.

30 Jan: Auckland whitewashed Newcastle 4-0 off the back of 16 hits, Axel Zhou leaving 7 runners on-base. However, the more eye-catching part of the box score was the fact Newcastle managed only 1 hit, a single in the 3rd. Auckland pitcher Xavier Morrall threw 7 innings, allowing only 2 walks beside that 1 single while fanning 7. Reliever Martin ‘Stubblebeard’ Booth was perfect the last 2 innings, striking out 3 along the way. From 52 games in 2064, the 24 y/o 6’6” pitcher had an 8-5, 10 save record.

31 Jan: Leading 2-1 heading into the top of the 9th, Auckland watched as Nathan Kapuna tied things up with a solo homerun over right. Undeterred, Tommy Worsfold, leading off the bottom of the inning, sent a linedrive skidding over right-centre and into the bleachers for a walk-off HR. 3-2 Auckland and they finished the month with a 6-game lead in the NZ.

Notable Injuries

14 Jan: Edward Vance (6-6, 5.31 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.54 WHIP from 13 starts) had signed a 3-year extension with the Cowboys in December. Now it might not be until December of next season that he would pitch again after being diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament. His injury gave highly-touted 23 y/o rookie Robbie Chadfield a chance. Chadfield threw 2 fastballs (regulation, split-fingered), a curveball, a slider and a changeup and ticked all the scouting boxes as far as stuff, movement and control were concerned.

14 Jan: October Rookie of the Month Alexander Whiffin (.245/.325/.300, 1HR) had dipped since the beginning of the season, his OPS+ currently a paltry 69. He’d have some time to reflect on how he could improve thanks to a fractured thumb, estimated to keep him on the DL for 5-6 weeks.

19 Jan: Wellington’s Gilberto Soberon (.297/.340/.471, 11HR) would be out for the next 3 weeks with a bone bruise on his wrist.

23 Jan: Larry Booth (.314/.425/.387, 0HR) wouldn’t play for at least a month thanks to a fractured foot.

Notable Trades/Signings

2 Jan: “I know it seems like I spend a lot of time being confused at some of the trades that take place in this league,” Sneddon began today’s show with, “but I’m not playing up for the cameras or anything, I really am completely confused. And both of today’s trades have me scratching my noggin like I’ve had a thousand mozzie bites.”

The first trade in question was another one involving Perth. 27 y/o Tadakuni Sasaki (.277/.317/.523, 15HR in 2064; .299/.359/.514, 114HR career) was off to the Blue Sox in exchange for 3 prospects, 2 of whom looked likely to pitch in the bigs at some stage.

“Look, we know what Perth are up to already,” Sneddon said. “Their GM obviously has a bet with a mate about how many times he can generate headlines like ‘Has the Heat gotten to Perth?’ throughout the season. But, in all fairness, I can understand his end of this trade somewhat. Sasaki’s a free agent at the end of this season and he’s not sticking around in that pit of mediocrity a second longer than he has to. So why not leverage his value now to a team that is pushing for the playoffs and improve that farm system?

“But on Sydney’s side of things, what are they thinking? This is so obviously a win now move but there’s no way they’re taking home anything but a wooden spoon this year. They’re dead last in the Southern, 34-50, 9 games off the pace and 16 games below .500. Plus they already traded for Gary Baker at the beginning of the season, another guy who’ll be off to market at season’s end. Are the Blue Sox hoping to sign Sasaki to an extension? That must be what they’re thinking because otherwise it’s a seriously dumb move - not that Sox GM Keith Rodriguez is known for making smart moves.

“If they can extend Sasaki - and that’s a big if, considering he made the All Star team while playing for arguably the worst offense in the league, so he knows he'll have plenty of free agent value - then this might be a good get for them.”

2 Jan: The second trade involved Adelaide and Auckland. Adelaide parted ways with 33 y/o Quentin Welch (.233/.304/.400, 6HR in 240PA in 2064; .290/.375/.479, 187HR career), a young pitcher who projected to be a mid-rotation guy, and cash. In return they got 28 y/o Chuk-yan Lung (.299/.375/.518, 17HR in 2064; .307/.368/.514, 40HR career).

“Great get by Adelaide,” Sneddon enthused. “Lung was doing really well in the middle of Auckland’s order and has less than 3 years’ service time. He’ll give the Venom that punch down the stretch that Welch hasn’t looked like being able to deliver yet this season.

“As far as the Auckland end goes, again I’m both shaking and scratching my head. Expensive, injury-prone veteran - there’s talk that Welch’s contract is worth about $16 million a year - in exchange for a guy just about to hit his best years plus the #16 overall pick from last year’s draft, who’s already playing in AAA. Welch is contracted until the end of next season at the earliest - the last year of his contract is a team option - and every time he bends down to scoop a ball up the fans are scared he’s going to hurt himself.

“I just don’t understand how this works from Auckland’s perspective. If they’ve finally decided they do actually have a realistic chance at the playoffs, surely keeping Lung is the better option. If they’re still thinking a couple seasons down the line then surely keeping Lung is the best option. Hopefully Welch will throw egg in my face and have a stellar second half but I’m just not seeing any upside here for the Metros.”

8 Jan: Not a blockbuster trade by any stretch of the imagination but perhaps a key one in the race for the Southern pennant. Canberra, 44-46, 1 game back from Melbourne, sent 2 prospects to Wellington in exchange for 25 y/o RHP Cain Withers. Who? Withers had put up respectable figures for Wellington, going 5-6 from 19 starts, with a 4.07 ERA, 4.62 FIP, and 1.28 WHIP. Last season, his first in the rotation, saw him go 12-11 with a 4.40 ERA, 4.74 FIP, and 1.49 WHIP. A whippet on the mound, Withers hid his pitches relatively effectively and was still developing his control. Canberra, whose rotation had been devastated by injury, slotted him into second in their rotation.

9 Jan: Brisbane were involved in a real fight in the East-West, tied with Central atop the division, both teams with a 52-38 record. The Bandits already had the best starting pitching in the league but wanted to deepen their rotation further so traded with Whangarei for 26 y/o RHP Tommy Fomai (6-9, 4.48 ERA, 4.62 FIP, 1.25 WHIP in 2064; 21-32, 5.03 ERA, 5.09 FIP, 1.52 WHIP career). In return they gave up 2 prospects.

Fomai threw a curveball, slider, changeup and 3 fastballs and while he’d never be a world-beater looked to have matured into a lower-half of the rotation guy who’d put in consistent performances. He was also an irrepressible clubhouse presence, known for disrupting locker-room interviews with various pranks, his favourite of which was standing in the background pulling faces or posing awkwardly.

16 Jan: Wellington parted ways with 36 y/o 1B/3B Al Rees (.245/.302/.510, 3HR in 53PA) and a 20 y/o international scouting find, sending them to Canberra in return for 29 y/o Mitchell Cox (.290/.361/.465, 6HR in 246PA in 2064; .279/.353/.419, 62HR career).

18 Jan: 29 y/o Umashankar Meenakshi (5-9, 5.15 ERA, 4.75 FIP, 1.54 WHIP in 2064; 93-57, 4.26 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.39 WHIP career) wasn’t having a great year in Melbourne and had struggled in the 20 starts he made for them last season after being traded across by Cairns. Still, Aces’ management had faith in the 6’6” southpaw, today signing him to a 6-year extension.

Sneddon’s thoughts? “From what I’ve heard, it’s mid-range as far as price goes, so probably a decent deal for Melbourne. Meenakshi’s been shown up a wee bit, in my opinion, since he left the climes of Adelaide but he’s not as bad a pitcher as some would like to say. Put a good shortstop and second-baseman behind him and he’ll get through a few innings for you without too much damage. What surprises me about the Aces is that they have 3 southpaws in their rotation and their home park is a right-handed hitters dream. But hey, they’re 3 games up in the Southern right now, so what do I know?” Sneddon was often wondering what he did or didn’t know.

20 Jan: On the 14th, 25 y/o Andre Bond (.264/.349/.378, 6HR in 2064; 262/.339/.358, 12HR career) collected 5 hits for Hobart against Kununurra, the second time he’d hit 5 times in a game in his fledgling major league career. 6 days later and he was packing his bags to head to Whangarei in return for 30 y/o OF Ian Drage (.250/.435/.313, 0HR in 23PA in 2064; .233/.327/.331, 8HR in 562 career PA) and a 20 y/o outfielder who looked like he might crack the majors by next season.

25 Jan: Wellington sent 27 y/o OF Warren Chapple (.297/.342/.411, 4HR in 2064; .266/.293/.367, 24HR career) to Canberra in exchange for a 20 y/o pitcher who’d moved directly from Canberra’s International Complex to single-A ball.

28 Jan: Auckland management seemed to have realized they weren’t just in with a postseason shot in 2064 but that the NZ Division was theirs to lose. Today they added some veteran firepower without weakening their existing roster, though they did trade away the decent pitching prospect gained from Adelaide in the Welch trade. Today’s deal was with Melbourne, who were also leading their division but only hovering at .500.

34 y/o Caspar Purcell (.244/.340/.446, 19HR in 2064; .267/.358/.451, 279HR career) had made the All Star team this year but had dropped off the pace badly in January, hitting just .205 with 2HR. He would head back across the ditch, along with cash, to Auckland, the team he had started his career at and with whom, reportedly, he had a bit of a beef with thanks to their letting him go to free agency in 2060. In return Melbourne would get 32 y/o RHP Alec Albury (4-2, 3 sv, 4.54 ERA in 2064) and the 24 y/o prospect mentioned earlier.

Sneddon’s brief summary: “Melbourne dump some salary and get a future star, though their fans would surely want them to win now. Auckland get salary and a possibly disgruntled former player but one who will provide some punch from the bottom of the lineup and solidify their hold on the division.”

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: Overall, January was an underwhelming month for the new guys on the block. By weight of his power game, Felino Saturno took out RotM for the second time this season. He hit .219/.297/.524, 23-119, with 19 runs, 2 doubles, 10 homeruns, 24RBI, and 11 walks.

Hurler of the Month: Aaron Fingleson was back to looking like the guy who’d won 2 Brodie Backhouse Awards after struggling in new digs Cairns last season. He appeared in 16 games in January, winning 3 and saving 11. He did blow 2 saves but that wasn’t enough to deny him HotM, his stat-line 2.45 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 1.25 WHIP. For the season he was 4-0, with 34 saves and a 1.75 ERA. He had 4 more saves than any other closer in the league.

Slugger of the Month: Alas, it would not be a Cairns’ award triple. SotM went to Central Coast’s Andre Wiltshire, who’d played every game so far this season and been especially impressive in January. He hit .369/.462/.613, 41-111, with 28 runs, 3 doubles, 8HR, 32RBI, and 19 walks. In 132 plate appearances he only struck out 11 times. For the season Wiltshire was hitting .338/.419/.536, with 20 dingers. He led the league in OPS, wOBA (.406), runs (86), and WAR (4.4), and was tied with Marcos Lopez in RBI (93).

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Despite having made his way to #2 overall on the hits leaderboard and with there being little chance of him catching up to Aguirre, Lopez still had the public’s attention during the second half of the month. After all, here was a 40 y/o who was leading his team in homeruns, ahead of guys like Lance Fookes and Maurice Clemens, as well as leading the league in RBI. Lopez was only average in January, hitting .250/.301/.444, though he kept his power game going, hitting 7 homeruns from 31 overall hits. He was still a chance to get 200 hits for the first time since the 2059 season and looked on track to hit 30+ homeruns for the 9th time in his 17+ year career.

Last Year’s Top Players Watch

2063’s Top Rookies

2063 Rookie of the Year, Jay Watts: Had missed 3 weeks of December with a strained hammy but was showing that last season was in no way beginner’s luck. He was hitting .339/.401/.478 from 322PA, his 98-289 including 14 doubles, 1 triple and 8HR. He’d scored 38 runs, driven in 41 runners, and walked 29 times. 134 OPS+, 2.8 WAR.

Chuk-yan Lung: Traded by Auckland to Adelaide to begin the month, Lung was showing a steady plate presence. .308/.374/.514, 130-422, 75 runs, 22 doubles, 1 triple, 21HR, 71RBI, 37 walks, 473PA. 135 OPS+, 1.9 WAR.

Scott Carson: Held onto the closer’s role despite Isaac Canavan joining the roster. Was doing a decent job, though had at times shown a propensity to panic when under pressure. 2-2, 24 saves from 41 games, 2.86 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 58 strikeouts from 44.0 innings. ERA+ of 153, FIP- 53, WAR 1.2.

2063’s Top Pitchers

2063 Brodie Backhouse Award winner and 3rd-place in Hurler of the Year, Rod Bacon: Suffered biceps tendinitis mid-November, was now rehabbing at AAA. Prior to the injury, the man adjudged best reliever in the game 2 seasons running had struggled. 2-2, 12 saves from 21 games, 5.06 ERA, 4.76 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 17 strikeouts from 21.1 innings. He’d blown 3 saves. 87 ERA+, 109 FIP-, 0.0 WAR.

2063 Hurler of the Year, Barry Dean: Was a much happier camper in Christchurch than he had been in Perth, giving up half as many homeruns per 9 innings thus far. 11-8 from 22 starts, 3.42 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 1.15 WHIP, 156 strikeouts from 161.2 innings pitched, 141 ERA+, 72 FIP-, 4.7 WAR. Leading the league in strikeouts and K/9 (8.68), second in FIP and a few decimal places back in the WAR stakes.

Karl Blackwell: Not doing so great despite winning an All Star berth, though he did have 2 shutouts to his name. 8-11 from 22 starts, 4.58 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.44 WHIP, 74Ks from 131.2 IP, 96 ERA+, 97 FIP-, 1.9 WAR.

2063’s Top Hitters

2063 Jorge Diaz Award Winner, Richard Moore: While he was tied for second in the league in homeruns, Moore’s season thus far wasn’t at quite the same level it had been the last 3, so it was highly likely there would be a new Hoodie crowned this year. .290/.394/.511, 124-427, 75 runs, 13 doubles, 27HR, 63RBI, 70BB, 1SB, 503PA, 140 OPS+, 3.4 WAR.

Vern Bull: Melbourne’s favourite underdog story, now 35 y/o, looked as if age might be catching up with him. .261/.348/.474, 97-371, 62 runs, 10 doubles, 23HR, 60RBI, 48BB, 425PA, 118 OPS+, 3.5 WAR. There was a growing chorus among fans that he be moved to 1B or DH.

Domenic Cook: A star rather than a superstar this season. .269/.336/.511, 110-409, 64 runs, 23 doubles, 2 triples, 24HR, 58RBI, 39BB, 3SB, 453PA, 123 OPS+, 4.0 WAR, +11.0 ZR at 2B.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: Cairns (22-7) extended their lead by 8 games during the month, Adelaide (14-15) stuttering to be 12 games behind. Darwin (13-16) were also rocked by the Crocs’ intense pace to finish the month 15 games in arrears.

East-West Division: Brisbane (13-16) could not maintain the pressure and found themselves level with Central Coast (15-14) at month’s end. Kununurra (12-17) had a poor month to be 3 games behind, while Newcastle (16-13) wouldn’t give up to be only 4 games off first.

NZ Division: Auckland (19-10) put their foot to Christchurch’s (16-13) throat, extending their lead to 6 games despite a good showing by the Cowboys. Wellington (19-10) pushed to be just 2 games below .500 heading into February.

Southern Division: Canberra (12-17) sagged to allow Melbourne (16-13) to overtake them, the Aces finishing the month 3 games clear.

Wildcard: Either Brisbane or Central Coast held the first slot, by 1 game, while Adelaide currently had the other berth, the Cowboys hot on their tails, 1 game back. Kununurra were close by, 2 games behind, while Darwin and Newcastle jostled for position a further game in arrears.

#

Edgardo Rico (.353/.375/.421, 0HR) still led the league in batting average, his quick wrists and great hand-eye coordination aiding his cause because he was swinging at just about everything.

John Foreman (.271/.342/.515, 29HR) held onto the HR lead, by 2.

Mario Correa (.296/.335/.558, 22HR) found himself with the best slugging percentage among qualified hitters, and was also tied with 4 other players for the most extra-base hits (50).

One of those players was teammate Ronald Aitken (.303/.425/.523, 20HR) who also led the league in walks, with 85.

The other 3 players with 50 extra-base hits were Perth’s Luigi Dempster (.236/.297/.437, 17HR), Sydney’s Axel Nankervis (.291/.336/.500, 22HR), and Melbourne’s Glen Walsh (.282/.325/.499, 25HR).

Tashiaki Yano (.303/.342/.523, 25HR) had rounded the most bases of any hitter, with 240 next to his name.

Guillermo Julio (.322/.358/.474, 11HR) had the most hits (148), and was also tied with Wes Corless (.264/.301/.441, 8HR) for most triples, with 8.

Larry Booth (.314/.425/.387, 0HR) had the best OBP by a few decimal places.

Tomas Zartuche (.309/.361/.393, 2HR) had 37 stolen bases, the most in the AUNZBL.

Dean Ambrose (14-5, 4.24 ERA, 4.31 FIP, 1.35 WHIP) and Victor Doubleday (14-4, 3.53 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.14 WHIP) were tied atop the pitching charts with the most wins.

Doubleday also led the league in H/9 (6.88), and OAVG (.211).

Tristan Stobbie (10-6, 2.64 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) had the best ERA among qualified pitchers.

Blair Norris (9-10, 2.97 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 1.11 WHIP), who would be up for free agency this year, topped the league in FIP and WAR (4.7), the latter by a slim margin over Barry Dean.

Kohei Kawamata (9-8, 3.80 ERA, 4.75 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) continued to defy the odds. He led the league in WHIP, BB/9 (0.72), and K/BB (5.73). One opposing manager said this about him during the month, “He’s a conundrum, isn’t he? Let’s be honest, he doesn’t throw any great pitches, even if sometimes the radar gun clocks him at 164 km/h. I mean, every time a guy makes contact you’re thinking it might go out of the park. But I guess hitters are always aware that pretty much everything he throws will be in and around the strike-zone so they can’t afford to be too patient.” Kawamata’s BB/9 was 0.50 better than the next-best qualified pitcher.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane (60-51) saw their lead drop by 1 game, to 7, with Alice Springs (53-58) now their closest rival.

Sydney (77-32) had a magic number of just 30 heading into February.

Perth (61-50) leapfrogged Kalgoorlie (59-52) in the Western.

Jakarta (70-41) streaked away from Hamilton (59-52) in the NZ, the Stars leading by 11 games at month’s end.

Ted Blume (.349/.464/.620, 29HR) had his face plastered all over the ABC leaderboards. He led the league in HR, OBP, SLG, OPS, wOBA (.464), RBI (87), runs (82), hits (144), XBH (56), TB (256), and WAR (6.2).

Randall Tilton (13-4, 2.28 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 1.02 WHIP) was the ABC’s Golden Arm for January. The 28 y/o was an ABC product, drafted in 2059 and making his major-league debut that same year. He hadn’t become a Sydney regular until 2062 but won 18 games last season with an FIP of just 3.40 and was currently tied for the league lead in wins this season.

AUNZBL Standings, Feb 1

Izz · 02-25-2018, 06:09 PM

2064/2065 Season - February

Notable Performances

1 Feb: Cairns extended their 2064 record in 1-run games to 18-7 but they needed until the bottom of the 9th to win this one against Brisbane. Ronald Aitken was the man, leading off the frame with a solo jack over right. 4-3 Crocs, Aitken’s only hit of the night worth a win.

2 Feb: Gary Young won PotW for the sixth time in his career, hitting .414/.433/1.103, with 1 double, 2 triples, and 5HR in his 12-29. Young had slugged 3 homers in a game as well as hit for the cycle over the past week.

2 Feb: To celebrate his PotW award, Young hit a single in the 6th inning of Adelaide’s 5-3 win over Darwin. The hit was the 2000th of his career. The 37 y/o said, “I seem to have taken a while to get there, haven’t I?” He’d only played 150+ games in 3 seasons since his debut in 2048.

2 Feb: Kununurra looked to have this game comfortably in the bag heading into the 9th, their lead over Canberra 4 runs. Garrett Barnett led off with a double and Al Rees walked. Ralph Zglinicki struck out swinging before Jay Watts singled wide of 2B to score a run. Mitch Goddard got frozen up by a curveball to strike out, bringing Jack Pye to the plate. With the count 2-1 the 25 y/o got a fastball in his wheelhouse and sent it the distance, tying the game with a 3-run homer. Canberra’s excitement proved to shortlived, however. Jai Rowe led off the bottom of the inning and pulled the third pitch he saw into the leftfield bleachers for a walk-off homerun. Final score: 8-7 Kununurra.

2 Feb: Brisbane walloped Cairns 12-3, putting together 20 base hits in the process. Yeijiro Nishio contributed 4-5, while 4 other hitters got 3.

5 Feb: Glen Donovan joined an elite club today. In Whangarei’s 13-6 win over Newcastle, the burly DH went 2-5 with 2 runs and 8RBI. Both of those hits were homeruns and both were Grand Slams. The first was an emphatic stamp on a 9-run 2nd inning, his fly measured at 437 feet over centre. He came up again in the top of the 3rd and pulled his first pitch over right. It landed well beyond the fence, scoring a further 4. Whangarei didn’t get another runner across home-plate in the game but still cruised to a comfortable victory.

5 Feb: Auckland defeated Christchurch 7-5 without scoring more than 1 run in any given inning. They were a constant threat, putting together 17 base hits but could only put up sticks in the scoring column. Christchurch contributed 4 of their 5 runs via a single blast, Maurice Clemens clearing the bases in the 3rd with a slammer. The win pushed the Metros’ lead over the Cowboys in the NZ to 7 games.

6 Feb: Canberra beat Hobart 9-8 in 10 innings, the winning run coming in unusual circumstances. Jorge Perez reached on an error by 2B Carlos Aguilar, Aguilar’s throw sailing over the head of the 1B and into the stands. Perez ended up at 2B and headed to 3B on Warren Chapple’s deep fly-out to centre. Jay Watts was intentionally walked to set up the double-play. With the count 1-1 Mitch Goddard sent a groundball towards 2B and Perez headed for home. Inexplicably Aguilar opted to go for the fielder’s choice at home-plate rather than the double-play. The umpire called safe, much to the protestations of the catcher and Hobart’s manager, and the game was done.

“It was a brain explosion, plain and simple,” Aguilar said later. “I guess I wanted to make up for putting the guy in scoring position in the first place. I had to take a couple steps in to field the ball and I guess I thought that the time it would take me to turn, set and throw to the shortstop would mean we’d get just one out and would lose. But I’ve watched the tape now and I can see that not as much time had passed as I thought and I should’ve gone for the double-play.”

Skipper Joe Turner defended Aguilar in the postmatch presser. “Look, I’m not going to be too hard on the guy. These things happen in the heat of battle, especially when you’re a bit fatigued. It was a 50-50 decision either way. If anything I still think the call should’ve been out at home. The replays, in my opinion, show the tag to be simultaneous with Perez touching home-plate and my view is that in those situations the defence should get the call.”

Hobart had a mare in the field, committing 3 errors, with a few conspiracy-oriented talkback callers suggesting there had been some match-fixing going on.

7 Feb: Guillermo Julio rapped out 5 hits from 5 at-bats in Newcastle’s 9-3 brush-off of Whangarei. He hit a double and a homer, scoring 3 times and driving in 2. This was the fourth time the 29 y/o had collected 5 hits in a game in the majors.

7 Feb: A pair of 3-run homers in the 8th saw Christchurch leap past Auckland to an 8-6 win, thus avoiding a series whitewash. Earlier in the game, John Foreman became the first player to 30HR in 2064, hitting his third Grand Slam of the season.

8 Feb: A pair of doubles in the bottom of the 9th helped Central Coast tie up their game against Newcastle. In the bottom of the 11th Gu Luo slugged a 3-run homer to see the Thunder walk off with a 6-3 win.

8 Feb: Auckland hit 5 homeruns to 1 against Kununurra but finished on the wrong side of the win-loss column, the Pioneers scoring twice in the bottom of the 9th to be 7-6 winners.

9 Feb: Tashiaki Yano went .440/.440/.800 to win PotW.

9 Feb: Dean Ambrose’s winning streak came to a halt at 12 games. He threw 5.1 innings for 5 earned runs in Newcastle’s 6-4 loss to Central Coast.

9 Feb: Rod Bacon, back from injury, picked up the win in Darwin’s 11-inning 3-2 win over Perth. Perth didn’t score until the top of the 9th, Bacon coming out midway through the inning and conceding the game-tying run (unearned as the CF dropped a regulation fly). He got out of a jam in the 10th and cruised through the 11th. 2 walks and a single in the bottom of the inning gave Darwin the walk-off victory, Gavin Howell doing the business. The ABC import was struggling in the AUNZBL, hitting just .205 in 402PA as well as putting up a -13.5 ZR in rightfield.

12 Feb: Perth fans had every right to feel aggrieved as their team once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Up by 4 with just the final half of the 9th to play, the Heat conspired to allow Brisbane to tie the game up, the 2 walks and hit batter not helping matters one iota. Brisbane threatened in the bottom of the 10th but couldn’t win it, while Perth missed a go-ahead opportunity in the top of the 11th. They had a runner in scoring position with only 1 out again in the 12th but couldn’t convert. Bottom of the 12th and Sam Richards doubled down the 1B line with 1 away. Richards stole 3B and Anastasio Candelaria was given a free pass. Brendan Marris punched a single between 1B and 2B and Richards scooted home to see Brisbane to a 7-6 victory.

12 Feb: Whangarei’s Ashley Tillett was not a guy you wanted on the mound with the game tied in the late innings which made his role as closer a wee bit odd. He had 25 saves for the season, that was true, but he also had a loss streak going that today stretched to 10 games. He came on in the bottom of the 9th with the game tied at 3. 3 batters later and Kununurra had engineered a 4-3 victory, 25 y/o Tillett cutting an unhappy figure as he trudged off the ground. Skipper Mancio Lenihan still had confidence in his young charge, saying, “It’s all a learning curve, isn’t it, and one that will hold him in good stead in years to come.”

14 Feb: Guillermo Julio picked up 5 hits for the second time in the month. Cairns were the victims this time around and Julio wasn’t the only Roo who cashed in. He went 5-6 with 4 runs and 2RBI. Hektor Knittle went 4-5, with 3 runs and 5RBI, a pair of 2-run homers helping that latter number. The final score was 17-9, Newcastle putting 20 hits on the board. Julio’s BA jumped to second-best in the league.

14 Feb: Malcolm Pickhills bashed his 32nd homer of the season to tie John Foreman at the head of that board. The shot, a solo effort in the 6th, was also the 300th round-tripper of 33 y/o Pickhills’ big-league career. It also proved to be the difference in this game, Adelaide holding on to beat Sydney 2-1.

14 Feb: Wellington fans were delighted to see their team rise above .500, something not seen at this stage of the season since 2060. It took them 11 innings to get there, however, Javier Rodriguez delivering a walk-off homerun to help the Fury to a 6-5 win over Melbourne.

14 Feb: Christchurch pulled to within 2 of a staggering Auckland with a 7-6 10-inning win over Central Coast, their 6th win on the trot. An RBI-triple from Jesus Fuentes put the Thunder ahead in the top of the inning but the Cowboys showcased their power in the bottom of the frame. Matthew Utting led off with a game-tying homerun and Maurice Clemens followed with a game-winning one. The Cowboys had 6 players with 20+ homeruns but nobody with more than 25.

15 Feb: Central Coast stopped Christchurch’s streak with a 12-4 victory. John Zglinicki went the entire game, not allowing any runs until the bottom of the 8th. Andre Wiltshire was 2-5 with 3RBI, giving him 101 for the year. He was the first player past the 100RBI mark in 2064.

16 Feb: Beau Hauer punished AUNZBL pitching over the last week, hitting .480/.500/1.080, with 3 doubles and 4HR. This was his third PotW award in 2064. He currently led the league in SLG with a .555 mark.

17 Feb: Cairns didn’t get on the board until the 7th in the opening clash of their series with Christchurch. They were still down by 2 in the bottom of the 9th but Scott Carson had another of the wild outings that were becoming a little too familiar for Cowboys’ fans, walking 2 and balking before Miguel Ibanez sac-flied a run home. Carson hit the next batter and then watched Peter Moy sneak a single between 1B and 2B. The tying run beat out the throw home and only a sharp catch 1 batter later by 3B Matthew Utting stopped Cairns from winning it all there and then. Aaron Fingleson completed the top of the 10th in 8 pitches. Mario Correa led off the bottom of the inning with a double before Carson plunked his second batter of the night. He then fought for 9 pitches with Calvin Hodnett but Hodnett won the war, crushing a line-drive over right and into the bleachers for a walk-off 3-run homer. 7-4 Cairns, the Cowboys, in the truest baseball sense of the phrase, ‘blowing it.’

18 Feb: The Cowboys and Crocs again fought it out into extra innings, though this time Christchurch finished on top 5-2. It was Cairns who once more came from behind to tie things up, Hodnett’s 8th-inning solo homer locking the scores at 2. Neither team could mount any threats until the top of the 13th when Bryan McMullen and Tomas Zartuche both hit 1-out singles to give Christchurch the go-ahead opportunity. Lopez’s sharp liner was just as sharply speared by SS Chi-Seong Lee but late sub Luis Rios came through, spanking the first pitch he saw over the head of the RF for a 2-run triple. Next up, Lance Fookes bashed a double off the right-centre wall and the Cowboys had a 3-run buffer. Hodnett led off the bottom of the frame with a single and Michael Baker would’ve had a 2-run homer if not for Ibanez climbing the fence to haul in a fine catch. All that amounted to nought on the scoreboard, Christchurch levelling up the series.

18 Feb: Perth had scored the least runs of any AUNZBL team so far in 2064, while Canberra sat mid-table for that stat. Both teams brought plenty of offense today, however. Perth led 8-4 heading into the 9th but their bullpen, ranked 12th out of 16, let them down again. Warren Chapple slugged a 2-run homer and 3 batters later Mitch Goddard hit a 3-run effort to put Canberra up by 1. Luigi Dempster tied things back up in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot down the LF line. In the 11th Chapple got hit by a pitch with the count 3-0. He stole 2B and 2 pitches later swiped 3B before scoring when the third-baseman fluffed a grounder. The twists weren’t finished yet. Jose de la Cruz began the bottom of the inning with a well-worked walk. Paddy Faulkner lay down the sac-bunt. It looked too long and the pitcher whipped it to 2B. Cruz was adjudged safe, to the howls of the players and Canberra’s skipper, who found himself ejected from the game. Rich Downes then doubled into the RF corner to tie the game up and put Faulkner at 3B with nobody out. Dempster ground out. Hal Boxsell was intentionally walked. Seinosuke Nakashima fell behind 1-2 but then Domenic Carr threw a slider that didn’t slide. Instead it flew high over the catcher’s head and all the way to the backstop. Faulkner cruised home and Perth had won 11-10. They were the deserved winners, having put together 19 hits and 9 walks. Canberra were the unlucky losers, having made the most of their fewer scoring opportunities.

19 Feb: Tensions were running high in Game 3 of the Christchurch-Cairns series. Not just between opposing players, though there was plenty of chatter on the diamond, but also between Cowboys’ pitchers Isaac Canavan and Dan Pankhurst. Pankhurst, suited up though he wasn’t likely to pitch in the series, was helping out in the bullpen. While Canavan was warming up during the top of the 9th the pair got into a heated exchange which quickly escalated to pushes and shoves. Teammates and coaches just as quickly intervened and order was restored. Canavan came out to record the final two outs in the bottom of the 9th of a 14-9 Cowboys win. Neither player would elaborate post-match, though an anonymous source inside the camp allegedly said, “Isaac is all about Isaac and he’s been crapping on all year about how he should be the closer. Thing is, while he’s definitely a gun on the mound, off it he just can’t be bothered doing anything for anybody else, and manages to spend a lot of time pissing his fellow battery mates off. Anyway, Dan thought he’d give him some of his own back and well, things escalated. Really, it’s just a symptom of a team full of competitive guys fighting for a playoff spot. And the heat up here in Cairns probably didn’t help.”

It was a game for the long ball, Cairns hitting 3 and Christchurch 4. Barry Dean had a poor night, giving up 7 runs from 6 innings, but still came away with the win, while Kohei Kawamata was knocked out of the game after 3. Every member of Christchurch’s starting lineup, bar Rowan Kimpton, collected 2 or more hits. Kimpton’s only hit was a 3-run homer in the 1st. Hodnett had a 3-game HR streak going.

19 Feb: Kununurra put Central Coast to the sword with a 15-4 victory. Catcher Rhett Allan led the way for the Pioneers, going 3-4 with a walk, 3 runs and 4RBI. He hit a double, triple and homerun.

20 Feb: In a fitting conclusion to their series, Cairns walked off 3-2 victors over Christchurch to square it at 2-all. Felino Saturno led off the bottom of the 9th and reached base thanks to a pitch grazing his forearm. An out later Ibanez doubled deep to left-centre. 1 batter later Ronald Aitken singled over the head of 2B and Saturno scored the winning run.

20 Feb: In the longest game so far this season, Brisbane levelled the score with Wellington in the top of the 9th via a Norm Blume solo homer. 8 innings later Norm Blume put the Bandits ahead with a 3-run homer, the final score 10-7. Both teams had opportunities in the innings prior, Wellington even loading the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 16th, but tenacity kept both teams in it. The game lasted 5 hours and 19 minutes, Blume the best of the hitters with a 4-8 night, which included a double, 2 homeruns, and 5RBI.

20 Feb: It’s not often a pitcher gets tagged with a loss after going 8 innings for just 1 hit but that was exactly what happened to Whangerei’s Baskoro Subagja against Hobart. Neither team had scored through 8 and a half, and Subagja came out to begin the bottom of the 9th. John Dalton singled and Subagja was replaced by Pedro Ortega. Adam Cox flayed the second pitch of Ortega’s night deep to centre. It didn’t quite have the legs to go all the way but it went far enough for a walk-off double. The Sluggers put together 9 hits and 2 walks but didn’t trouble the scorers, the middle of their lineup having a poor night.

21 Feb: Norm Blume was once again the star for Brisbane, this time in a much lower-scoring contest against Canberra. With the scores knotted at 1, Blume strode to the plate to lead off the bottom half of the 9th. The 2-2 pitch was a cut fastball low in the zone but Blume didn’t miss, getting underneath it and sending it 434 feet over centre. 2-1 walk-off win to Brisbane, their lead in the East-West steady at 4 games.

23 Feb: Axel Nankervis won PotW. The Sydney 2B hit .520/.556/.840, with 2 doubles and 2HR among his 13 hits.

23 Feb: Christchurch got back to winning ways but had to work hard to do so. The scores were tied at 4 after 9, Melbourne’s Ethan Humphries throwing all 9 innings, allowing Christchurch across home-plate in just 1, the 6th. Neither side got a further baserunner until Maurice Clemens’ 2-out single in the bottom of the 12th. Lopez also managed a 2-out single in the 13th but Melbourne weren’t even looking like getting anybody on. As it turned out, the win came in the 14th without a base hit. With 1 out Rowan Kimpton made 2B off a nubber when the catcher’s throw to 1B sailed into the RF corner. Matthew Utting was walked to set up the double-play but pitcher Tadiyuki Okubo, into his 3rd inning, was struggling to find the plate. Clemens walked on 4 pitches. Wes Corless slapped his 2-0 pitch towards 2B. The throw home was in time and the Cowboys had 1 out in the inning left. Bryan McMullen watched 4 pitches go past. 3 balls, 1 strike. He fouled off the next. The 3-2 was high and the winning run walked home. 5-4 Cowboys to keep them in a tie for the second wildcard slot and within touch (4 games) of Auckland in the NZ.

24 Feb: Austin Susumna cruised to a 4-0 victory over Darwin. The mid-rotation Auckland starter conceded only 4 hits while walking 1 and punching out 8. The 26 y/o had moved into the rotation in November. This was his 17th start in the majors.

25 Feb: Terence Stuart went 5-5 to pace Brisbane to a 12-6 win over Newcastle. His 5-for included a triple. He also scored 5 runs. The Bandits put together 20 base-hits in the win, while Newcastle scored their 6 runs off just 8 hits and 3 walks.

25 Feb: Canberra rode all over the Blue Sox, defeating them 17-4. It was a team effort, with 4 players getting 3 hits and a further 3 collecting 2. Of their 20 hits, 14 were singles.

26 Feb: Brisbane made this one look like less of a contest than it was with an 8-run 9th to beat Newcastle 15-7. Domenic Cook went 3-4 with 2 homeruns while Tashiaki Yano was 1-4 with 1HR, both players finishing the day on 35 dingers, 1 shy of Malcolm Pickhills. Cook had hit 11 homers in February with 2 days still to play.

26 Feb: The offense that had been lacking league-wide for most of the season looked to have returned in February. Sydney and Canberra scored 26 runs between them, Canberra storming back in the bottom of the 9th to win 15-11. They started the inning 4 runs behind and got those runs back with only 1 out recorded. An intentional walk and an infield single later saw Jorge Perez at the plate and he smoked the first pitch of his at-bat deep over left for a walk-off Grand Slam. Despite the carnage only Perez managed 3 hits, finishing with 3-6.

27 Feb: Glen Donovan hit his 3rd Grand Slam of the month, this one coming in the 9th inning to seal a 9-4 Whangarei win over Darwin.

28 Feb: Adelaide rattled Central Coast 15-5, doing so on the back of 23 base hits. Astoundingly, only 1 homer was hit in the game, by Adelaide’s Ben Murphy. Everybody in the Adelaide lineup got at least 2 hits, with 5 hitters having a 3-hit night.

28 Feb: Canberra scored 15+ runs for the third game out of their last four, demolishing Sydney 15-4. Sydney’s pitchers struggled for control, walking 10 hitters on top of 14 hits.

Notable Injuries

13 Feb: Melbourne closer Oliwa Lomu (2-4, 34 sv, 3.78 ERA) was done for the regular season with a strained hammy. With an estimated recovery time of 8 weeks, Lomu might be available for the last act of the playoffs, were the Aces to make it that far.

14 Feb: Carlos Aguilar (.316/.417/.373, 1HR) would be out for about a month with a torn meniscus.

14 Feb: The Fury’s Alejandro Valentin (6-9, 4.19 ERA, 4.58 FIP, 1.30 WHIP) would spend the majority of the offseason recovering from surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. When interviewed about the injury he said, only half-jokingly, “Maybe I should just retire now so I can get a fresh elbow.” AUNZBL regulations then, as they still are now, stated that players could only play with the bodies that they were born with. No replacements or enhancements allowed, with the testing for these just as rigorous as for PEDs.

15 Feb: Gordon Ladds (.273/.392/.401, 11HR) wasn’t likely to be back this season. He had a biceps strain.

18 Feb: 2063 #1 overall draft pick Vinnie Hanscombe (.286/.319/.448, 3HR from 113PA) had gotten his call-up to the bigs in the latter part of January. He’d started consistently at SS since then, even if most pundits thought he should transition to 1B or DH as soon as possible. He was off to the DL now with a quad strain. He might be back for the final few games of the regular season and he might not.

19 Feb: Central Coast, 4 games back in the East-West (tied with Kununurra) and 1 game outside the second wildcard slot, would not be able to call on the services of Luis Nunez (8-7, 3.98 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 1.22 WHIP) for the rest of the season. Nunez had strained his forearm.

20 Feb: Marty Okolita (2-2, 3.25 ERA, 4.73 FIP, 1.06 WHIP from 7 starts) had made his way back to the bigs after his torn labrum but looked less than a shadow of his former self. His fastball had fallen from 160 km/h to barely reaching 143 km/h and the rest of his pitches had similarly declined. He was also struggling to hit his spots and observers noted he looked ‘almost scared’ on the mound. At any rate, he was back off to the DL with shoulder inflammation. Would the 35 y/o be able to make it back from this latest injury? Only time would tell.

22 Feb: The Diggers, 3 games back in the wildcard, would be without Roderick Beresford (14-8, 3.79 ERA, 4.41 FIP, 1.19 WHIP) for a handful of starts just when they most needed him. Their ace had suffered a rotator cuff strain and was likely to be out at least 3 weeks.

Notable Trades/Signings

9 Feb: Brisbane moved to buy out 27 y/o Matt Mulholland’s arbitration time with a 4-year extension. The 6’11” pitcher was 11-5 on the season, with a 3.41 ERA, 4.47 FIP, and 1.20 WHIP in 2064. For his career he was 29-22, with a 3.99 ERA, 4.46 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP. Known as a guy who might hide lizards in teammates batting gloves, Mulholland still hadn’t got used to speaking to media, saying briefly (ums excluded from quote), “Yeah, just stoked to know that I’m good enough to play at this level. Hope I’m here a while yet.”

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 26 y/o Jayden Koka had been a March call-up in 2060, 2061, and 2063, though his sole appearance in 2063 was as a late-innings defensive sub. The 3B was getting more playing time in the majors this season, and did enough in February to win RotM. In 25 games he hit .321/.357/.523, 35-109, with 11 runs, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 3HR, 26RBI, 5 walks, and 4 stolen bases. In 56 games for the season he’d put up a 2.8 WAR and a 135 OPS+.

Hurler of the Month: For the second month in a row, a reliever was adjudged the best pitcher in the league. Brisbane’s 26 y/o closer, Tai hoi Kao, had a superb month, putting together a 1-0, 9 save record from 13 appearances. His ERA was a miserly 0.60, his FIP an equally stingy 1.95, and his WHIP 1.07. He threw 15 innings, fanning 24 hitters at a K/9 of 14.4. Kao was in his rookie year, having not been called up to the majors until the end of October. Still, he’d managed to put together a 4-4, 29 save record from 56 games, his coaches saying he could still improve his 160 km/h fastball some more, and might even be in the running for Rookie of the Year honours.

Slugger of the Month: SotM could have gone to any one of several Bandits hitters who tore up the league in February. Norm Blume got the nod, putting aside several quiet months to have a monster 28 days. He hit .391/.426/.755, 43-110, with 21 runs, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 9HR, 28RBI, and 7BB. 2064 was still tracking to be his least productive full season in the majors but if he kept this form up through the final stretches and into the postseason Brisbane might seriously challenge for the title. While Blume was contracted with Brisbane until the end of 2065, next season was a player option and rumour had begun circulating that he’d exercise that option to test his market value.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Hit .271/.375/.385 in February, his 26 hits including just 5 doubles and 2HR. Still, he drew 15 walks, his experience at the plate paying off even if his swing wasn’t so hot. It looked as if he’d fall short of 200 hits and he might well miss out on 30HR too. Even so, this was a season most 40 year-olds would be proud of and one that was already better than his last season.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: Cairns (12-14) dipped in Killer Feb, the Venom (15-11) reducing their deficit by 3 games to be 9 back heading into the final stretch. Darwin (12-14) also sagged, finishing the month at an even .500, still 15 games in arrears.

East-West Division: Brisbane (18-8) pushed the pedal to the metal, surging away from Central Coast (13-13) to lead by 5 games. Kununurra (15-11) sat a further game back, pressuring for a wildcard spot. Newcastle (11-15) fell below .500, much to the disappointment of their fans.

NZ Division: Auckland (12-14) also faltered in the heat, allowing Christchurch (15-11) to pull within 3. Wellington (14-12) finished the month at .500.

Southern Division: Melbourne (15-11) doubled their lead over Canberra (12-14), who finished the month 6 games below .500.

Wildcard: This was a tense, multi-faceted race. Adelaide held the first slot with a 2-game buffer, though they’d be painfully aware that if they struggled in March it was entirely possible they’d miss out on the postseason entirely. Central Coast and Christchurch were tied for the second slot, while Kununurra lurked just 1 game back. Darwin and Wellington still had an outside chance, 5 games in arrears.

#

The batting leaderboards continued to be full of different faces.

Edgardo Rico (.347/.372/.418, 0HR) remained the batting leader, though Andre Wiltshire (.346/.419/.540, 24HR) had surged to be within 1 point, and had even led for a couple days during the month.

Wiltshire did lead the league in hits (187), RBI (111 - tied), runs (104), and wOBA (.409).

Tied with Wiltshire for the RBI lead was Brisbane’s Tashiaki Yano (.311/.343/.555, 36HR). Yano also had the most bases of any hitter, with 318.

Yano’s 36 homeruns gave him a share of that leaderboard alongside Malcolm Pickhills (.254/.345/.525, 36HR).

Beau Hauer (.333/.392/.581, 29HR) topped the league in SLG and OPS.

Ronald Aitken (.303/.423/.533, 26HR) led in OBP and walks (103). He needed 8 runs to achieve the runs-walks double-double.

Domenic Cook (.274/.345/.551, 35HR) had the best WAR of any hitter (5.5) and had the most extra-base hits (67).

Todd Fisher (.258/.303/.384, 8HR) had 42 doubles, 6 more than any other hitter.

Julio Salazar (.289/.335/.420, 11HR) had nicked 45 bases, top of the field.

John Dalton (.261/.372/.545, 30HR) had the best isolated power, with a .284 mark.

Dean Ambrose (16-6, 4.37 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 1.36 WHIP) and Teddy Wigley (16-11, 3.76 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.41 WHIP) shared the league lead in wins.

Tristan Stobbie (11-7, 2.52 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 1.16 WHIP) was the only qualified starting pitcher with an ERA under 3.00.

Barry Dean (15-9, 3.79 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 1.21 WHIP) had battled his way to third-equal on the wins ladder. He was league leader in FIP, Ks (194), K/9 (8.85), and WAR (5.5).

Domenic Jones (12-8, 3.55 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.12 WHIP) led the league in WHIP.

Moeaktola Liao had a 1-save lead over the rest of the closer pack. He had 38 so far.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane (73-64) maintained their 7-game lead in the Northern, none of the other teams playing above .500.

Sydney (96-41) nearly made it 100 wins by the end of February. As it was, the division title was all theirs as was the title of ‘favourite’ heading into the postseason.

Perth (77-59) extended their lead over Kalgoorlie (73-64) to 4 1/2 games.

Jakarta (84-53) kept distance between themselves and Hamilton (73-64) but couldn’t push their lead any further.

Ted Blume (.346/.470/.642, 38HR) was a hot shot for a Triple Crown. Not only did he lead in those 3 major categories, he also had the best OBP, SLG, OPS, wOBA (.471), ISO (.296), and WAR (8.0). He also led in runs (103), hits (174), RBI (114), XBH (73), and TB (323). He’d won 4 of a possible 5 monthly hitting awards.

Bronson Dean (17-7, 2.36 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 1.00 WHIP) broke through the 200 strikeout mark during the month, finishing with 202. He was also tied for most wins, and was well up the leaderboard in every other major category.

Both Blume and Dean were ‘home grown’ ABC talents, a fact much trumpeted by the league’s governing body.

AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1

reds1 · 02-25-2018, 07:17 PM

Great write up! If only Glen Donovan could have saved one of his grand slams for Hobart!

Izz · 03-10-2018, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reds1

Great write up! If only Glen Donovan could have saved one of his grand slams for Hobart!

Thanks, reds1!

____

2064/2065 Season - March

Notable Performances

1 Mar: Today was an off-day, allowing teams to gear up for the final charge. There would be another off-day on the 14th and, unlike previous seasons, no off-day before the final series. In the Coastal, the Crocs had a magic number of 16. For the East-West the Bandits’ number was 20, while Auckland’s sat at 22, the NZ currently the closest division race. The Aces had a magic number of 19 in the Southern, most of the experts of the opinion only catastrophe would rob them of the pennant. For the wildcards, Adelaide’s magic number was 24, and Central Coast and Christchurch were at 25, with both slots still open to any of the 4 current contenders.

2 Mar: Following on from his contract news (see Notables Trades/Signings below), Domenic Cook won PotW for the third time in his career. He hit .476/.543/1.286, half of his 10 hits worth maximum bases. He also slugged 2 doubles.

2 Mar: Cook’s teammate Norm Blume went 1-4 in Brisbane’s 6-1 loss to Sydney. His solitary hit, a single in the 3rd that drove in Brisbane’s only run, gave him a 20-game hit streak. He was the first batter this season to hit in 20+ games.

2 Mar: They hadn’t been a chance since October but it took until today for Perth to be mathematically eliminated from finals contention. They lost 6-3 to Whangarei, the Sluggers’ Tim Firth the star of the night, his 2-4 both homeruns.

2 Mar: Barry Dean fanned 9 in 7.1 innings of 4-hit, 4-walk, 2-run, 0-earned run pitching for Christchurch against Newcastle. The strikeout haul pushed him to 203 for the season. He was the first pitcher past 200 in 2064 and might be the only one, with next-best Victor Doubleday on only 165. The Cowboys didn’t get on the board until the bottom of the 7th and didn’t win it until the bottom of the 10th, Beau Hauer hitting a walk-off single to snare his team a 3-2 victory. Christchurch were now within 2 of Auckland, who surrendered 5-2 to Canberra.

3 Mar: Wellington led 1-0 against Kununurra until the bottom of the 8th when Karl Kapua bashed a game-tying four-bagger. In the bottom of the 10th, Rhett Allan delivered the Pioneers the win with a walk-off solo homerun. 3-2 Kununurra, moving them into a 3-way tie for the second wildcard slot.

4 Mar: Chuk-yan Lung tore apart Cairns today, his 5-5 impelling Adelaide to a 9-4 victory. His hits included 2 doubles and a homerun, with him scoring 4 times and plating 3 runners.

4 Mar: Dylan Durrington had been toiling away in the middle of Darwin’s rotation this season, mostly unsuccessfully. He was on point today, however, throwing a complete game 3-hit shutout. He also walked 3 and only struck out 1 but picked up a staggering 18 ground-ball outs. Darwin cruised to a 12-0 victory, David Anderton going 3-4 with a double, homerun, 3 runs and 5RBI.

4 Mar: Blume’s hit streak ended at 21 games. He was 0-4 in Brisbane’s 5-2 loss to Sydney.

4 Mar: After Auckland came back to tie this one up in the 8th, Canberra made sure they put more than enough distance between themselves and their rivals in the 10th with a 5-run inning. Glen Casey iced it after the go-ahead run had been scored with a Grand Slam, his first in the majors. The atypically light-hitting 1B had only 20 career big-league homers to his name and just 4 for this season. Canberra won by the final score of 7-2.

4 Mar: Wellington gave Kununurra the bash, running over their opponents 14-0. Amongst their 19 base hits were a pair of 4-fors for the 1 and 2 hitters, Gilberton Soberon (4-6) and Mitchell Cox (4-5). The Fury scored all their runs across the 3rd to 5th innings.

6 Mar: Christchurch moved within 1 game of Auckland (who dropped their clash with Sydney 4-3) after battling past Brisbane 11-9 in 11 innings. The big inning of the game was the 6th. The Bandits rattled off 4 runs, a pair of homeruns from Domenic Cook and Rupert Bethune helping matters, to take a 6-run advantage. The Cowboys quickly fought back, helped by back-to-back Brisbane errors, sending 11 hitters to the plate and tying the game up. That was all the scoring through regulation time. Beau Hauer led off the bottom of the 11th with a first-pitch single and Lance Fookes followed with a first-pitch game-winning homerun over right-centre.

7 Mar: Sydney converted 5 base hits and 3 walks into 5 runs, defeating Auckland 5-3. The Metros put together 11 hits, 6 of them worth extra-bases, but couldn’t conjure up the win. Over in Christchurch Barry Dean went the whole game to help the Cowboys secure a 6-2 victory over Brisbane. Not only did this give Dean a share of the league lead in wins, it also gave the Cowboys a share of the division lead. Asked what it was like to be throwing at this point in the season with the playoffs a big possibility, Dean said, “Yeah, it’s a different feeling all right. Lots of extra pressure but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

7 Mar: Melbourne and Adelaide fought for 13 innings before the Aces walked off 3-2 winners via a Tu-fu Ang RBI-single. Malcolm Pickhills hit his 37th homer of the season in the loss to regain a share of the HR lead.

7 Mar: Kununurra and Newcastle also scrapped for 13 innings before a winner was decided. The Roos prevailed 5-4, a sacrifice fly from Todd Fisher bringing home the winning run. The scorer of that run, Rick Muirhead, had earlier battled for 12 pitches before driving a single over the head of the shortstop.

8 Mar: Sydney (56-89) kissed any mathematical chances of making the postseason goodbye, eliminated after their 6-3 loss to Auckland.

8 Mar: Darwin littered the Ballpark of Darwin with 20 base hits on their way to a resounding 12-5 defeat of Cairns. Stephane Lecomte went 4-5 with 3 doubles, while Arturo Medina’s 4-5 included 2 homers. Cairns’ fans were worried. While their team had the best record in the majors and led the league in homeruns, their pitching was a constant worry. A thirteenth-ranked bullpen and eleventh-ranked rotation did not bode well for postseason success.

9 Mar: Tim Firth hit .500/.542/1.045 to win PotW. He hit 3 doubles and 3HR and was the favourite of most media types to win RotY.

9 Mar: Axel Nankervis recorded a 20-game hit streak for the first time in his career. He went 2-7 in Sydney’s slug-fest 13-inning 11-10 win over Auckland. Rodney Ellison hit 2 homeruns in a 2-4 night. He also drew 4 walks, tying the Sydney extra-innings game record, the last of which brought home the winning run. He plated 6 runners and scored 3 runs in what he called “an exhausting night.”

9 Mar: Kununurra only managed 1 run in their game against Newcastle but it was enough to win, Rhys Whitford in superb form for the Pioneers. In only his third major league start, the 23 y/o gave up just 4 hits while striking out 4 to record the shutout, racing through the game on only 80 pitches.

9 Mar: Perth rallied to score 5 across the 8th and 9th to tie up their clash with Central Coast. 28 y/o Jarrod Squire, who hadn’t seen big-league action since 2060, came out as a pinch-hitter to lead off the bottom of the 12th. With the count 2-0, Roy Trevelyan tried a split-fingered fastball. It crossed the plate at belt-height and Squire punished it over left for a walk-off homerun. 10-9 Perth, the Heat proving a thorn in the Thunder’s side.

10 Mar: Auckland busted out 20 base hits to beat Brisbane 14-2. The Bandits were only 2-7 for the month so far, the Thunder very much in their rear view mirror. After a couple games out of the starting lineup, John Foreman returned with a 2-3 performance, including a homerun, before being subbed for the late innings.

10 Mar: Central Coast routed the Cavalry 15-5, Jesus Fuentes tying the Thunder game record for doubles with 3. Andre Wiltshire was just 0-1 with 2 walks but managed to get plunked twice, the second very nearly resulting in him charging the mound.

11 Mar: Eddie Rayner threw the 12th shutout of his career, leading Kununurra to a 10-0 thrashing of Christchurch. He gave up just 4 hits and 3 walks, fanning 2, and moved into outright second place on the career shutout board, behind John Zglinicki.

11 Mar: One of the 4 hits Rayner gave up was to Beau Hauer. Hauer had now hit in 20 consecutive games, though his RBI-streak of 8 games came to an end.

11 Mar: Auckland’s offense was hot for the second night in a row, the Metros this time dumping the Bandits 15-6. 4 Auckland players had 2-hit nights, while a further 2 players collected 3 hits.

12 Mar: It was a day for big headlines. First, Barry Dean pushed Christchurch 2 games clear in the wildcard with a 3-hit, 1-walk shutout of Kununurra. He struck out 7 to win his 17th decision of the year, moving him into a share of the league lead. The Cowboys’ offense got behind their ace, too, the end result a 13-0 thrashing. Beau Hauer went 3-5, homerun number 31 for the season included, to extend his hitting streak to 21 games.

12 Mar: Next, Mario Correa launched 3 homers in a game for the second time this season, lifting Cairns to a 14-0 whipping of the hapless Heat. As he had against the Thunder, Correa drove home 8 runners, this time via a 2nd-inning solo homerun, a 3rd-inning 3-run bomb and a final 3-run 6th-inning effort. Two of the switch-hitters' dingers came from the left-side of the plate and the other from the right. A grinning Correa, who didn’t clear 400-feet with any of his drives, said when interviewed in the changing sheds, “It seems to be feast or famine at the moment. Only 6 homeruns in the 35-something games since that last trifecta and then boom, everything I hit is clearing the fences again. Whatever, I’ll take it!”

Correa was just the second player to hit 3 homers in a game twice in a season. The other to do so was Noel Liu back in the AUNZBL’s inaugural campaign. Liu had both of his 3 homer games in March.

Back in the present, Kohei Kawamata threw 8 innings for 8 hits, no walks and no runs, dropping his BB/9 for the season to 0.67. The next-best among qualified starters was John Zglinicki at 1.54.

12 Mar: The biggest highlight of the day came from Newcastle’s Kent Ju. Ju was having a painful season. Heading into today’s encounter he was leading the league in losses, with 17. He had 8 wins, one of which was a 4-hit shutout recorded back in November. Only in his second season in the bigs, he’d lost 18 games in 2063, a league-worst, and had already gained a reputation for being prickly with the media but a lot of that was likely due to the amount of times he was talking to them after a loss.

Ju had no prickles today, though he was a constant thorn in Hobart’s side. He sat them down in order through the first 4 innings before giving up a 1-out walk in the bottom of the 5th. That batter went nowhere, soon trudging back to the dugout with his team retired. Ju needed only 8 pitches to get through the 6th. Despite a couple of stalwart at-bats in the 7th he once again went 1-2-3. The 8th was over almost before it began, the first 2 hitters retired on the first 2 pitches of the inning and the final batter flying out on the fourth.

Possibly because of that speediness it seemed most fans in the stadium didn’t realize that Ju was on a no-hitter.

Gavin Odgers hit a crisp line drive into centrefield to start the bottom of the 9th but the leftfielder showed good range to pluck it out of the air for the first out. Now the fans realized what was at stake and even though Ju wasn’t from their team and Hobart only needed 1 run to tie the game a slow chant of his name began to circle the ground. Ignacio Maldonado crunched his 0-1 pitch into the space between 1B and 2B. Todd Fisher somehow extended far enough to snatch it. 2 away. Also with the count 0-1, Carlos Aguilar picked slider but got underneath it, popping it sky-high. SS Nicholas Bennett waved everybody away, including a frantic Ju, and pocketed the final out. No-hitter!

It was a tight game all the way, Newcastle sneaking in 1-0, scoring the winner in the 5th. For Hobart, the loss halted an 8-game charge, knocking precious momentum out of a late bid for a postseason berth.

The AUNZBL now had a 3-season no-hitter streak going. Domenic Jones threw a no-hitter last season, and Rory Karsumaatmaja, in his first big-league start, pitched a no-hitter in 2062. Both Jones and Karsumaatmaja walked multiple batters, however, while Ju allowed just one free pass. He also struck out 5, and saw his season ERA fall below 6.00.

12 Mar: Almost lost amongst the highlight carnage was the fact that Axel Nankervis’s hit streak ended at 22 games. He went 0-3 in Sydney’s 10-2 loss to Whangarei, though he did take a pitch to the bicep in the 3rd.

13 Mar: Whangarei closer Ashley Tillet broke his 10-game losing streak by throwing a scoreless 9th and 10th before Whangarei walked off 3-2 winners over Sydney. Since that tenth loss back on the 12th of February Tillett had appeared in 11 games, recording 9 saves and blowing none.

13 Mar: Hobart got some revenge on Newcastle after yesterday’s no-hitter, Jason Brewster strong-arming his way to a 5-hit shutout. He walked 1 and struck out 11. Incidentally, his only previous major-league shutout was also against Newcastle, last season. The Prospects won 5-0.

13 Mar: Beau Hauer was held hitless in Christchurch’s 12-1 loss to Kununurra, to end his streak at 21 games. The only homerun hit in the game came from the bat of Matthew Utting in the 2nd inning, giving the Cowboys a lead they quickly lost. The big damage came in the 7th, Hobart getting on an avalanche roll, the 15 hitters that went to the plate scoring 10 runs.

13 Mar: Both Auckland’s and Brisbane’s starting pitchers were in fine fettle. For the Metros, Nelson Casey went 7 innings for 2 hits and 0 runs, though he did give up 6 free passes. Sam Woodger threw 7.2 innings of 3-hit, 3-walk ball for Brisbane, also for no pain on the scoreboard. Brisbane doubled to begin the bottom of the 8th but a sac-bunt gone wrong saw Matt Cusack thrown out at 3B.

After 9 the scorecard read goose eggs. In the top of the 10th, Tai Hoi Kao, throwing his second inning, sent Quentin Welch and Cong Pi back to the dugout swinging. Then pinch-hitter Rodney Trembath collected an 0-1 fastball in his wheelhouse and sent it the distance over right-centre to break the deadlock. Next up, Terence Murdock put paid to a curveball, giving the Metros back-to-back homers and a 2-run lead. Owen Donovan, who’d spent time in the rotation but was currently the Metros’ closer, wrapped up the bottom of the inning in 11 pitches.

2-0 to Auckland, their lead in the NZ now at 3 games. The Bandits, meanwhile, had lost 4, the Pioneers looming just 1 game behind them in the East-West.

16 Mar: Felino Saturno won the season’s penultimate PotW. He clubbed 5 homeruns to go with a stat-line of .450/.542/1.200. He had 33 homers for the season, putting him in a tie for sixth across the league.

16 Mar: The Sluggers were officially eliminated from contention after a 4-3 loss to Auckland.

16 Mar: In that loss, Edgardo Rico went 2-4. His first hit was a double off the very first pitch of the game. That was his 200th hit for the season. He was the first player to get to that mark in 2064.

16 Mar: Melbourne and Perth battled for 6 hours and 10 minutes before a winner could be decided. The last scoring act of regulation time was in the 8th, Perth loading the bases before scoring the equalizer off a sac-fly. In the bottom of the 10th Perth led off with a double but couldn’t profit. The Aces bunted a runner into scoring position in the 13th but the final 2 outs of the inning came quickly. In the 16th Melbourne got a runner all the way to 3B with 2 outs remaining but a 3-pitch strikeout was followed by a first-pitch ground-out. Seinosuke Nakashima belted a pitch deep to centre in the bottom of the inning but CF Marty Downes climbed the wall and came down with the catch.

Finally, in the top of the 19th, Melbourne’s offense erupted. 10 hitters went to the plate and a combination of singles, walks, a double and an error scored 5 runs. Perth gamely got a run back in the bottom of the inning but could muster no more than that, Melbourne winning an exhausting encounter 9-5. Aces’ bench coach Vaughan Skuse, who’d been Perth’s hitting coach for 20 years prior to this season, fronted Melbourne’s post-match presser and led off with, “Well, that was a helluva thing, wasn’t it?”

Only 1 homerun was hit, along with 8 doubles and 1 triple.

17 Mar: The Crocs were slow to get going in today’s matchup with Canberra. The Cavalry led 4-0 going into the 7th. Mario Correa led off the inning with a homerun and not long thereafter Miguel Ibanez hit a fly to the longest part of the outfield. The 2 runners already on base cantered home and Ibanez rounded 3B and didn’t slow. The relay throw was a fraction too late and the game was all tied up via a 3-run inside-the-park homer! In the top of the 9th Felino Saturno put the Crocs ahead via a monster solo homerun over left-centre. The Cavalry couldn’t respond and Cairns went on to win 5-4. The win was their 91st of the season and gave them the Coastal Division pennant. They were the first team to clinch in 2064.

Aaron Fingleson, who recorded his 43rd save of the season said, “It’s a great feeling, all right, but we know we’ve got a lot of work to do yet.” Cairns had last won their division in 2059 but had only missed the postseason once since then.

17 Mar: Barry Dean looked set to record his second consecutive shutout, heading into the top of the 9th of Christchurch’s derby with Hobart having allowed just 5 hits and 1 walk while fanning 8. He got the first out easily enough, John Dalton lofting a well-hit fly into the centrefielder’s glove. Then Randall Oetjen singled. Shinkichi Aoki hit a regulation groundball to 3B. Matthew Utting looked to start a round-the-horn double-play but his throw was awful, sailing over the head of the 1B and into the crowd. The runners ended up on 2B and 3B and Cowboys’ skipper Marcus Kent trotted out to lead his ace off the mound. Scott Carson gave up back-to-back singles and both runners scored, ruining Dean’s runs column (though only 1 was earned). Carson clung on for the save, Christchurch winning 4-2, so at least Dean got the W next to his name. The win was his 18th of the season, giving him the league lead.

17 Mar: Auckland kept a 3-game distance between themselves and Christchurch with a 1-0 win over Whangarei. That solitary run, however, didn’t come until the bottom of the 10th, Cam Kline’s 2-out single breaking the drought. Whangarei’s Randolph Filby had possibly the best game of his major-league career, throwing 8 innings of no-run ball on the back of 3 hits and 4 walks.

17 Mar: Sydney dealt Central Coast their 6th loss in a row, pulling the Thunder ever further away from their postseason goal. The Blue Sox piled on 13 runs to the Thunder’s 7, racking up 20 base-hits in the process. Four Sydney batters had 3-hit nights.

17 Mar: Brisbane defeated Kununurra for the third game in a row, giving them 4 games of breathing space in the East-West. It was a hard-fought win for the Bandits, a frantic 14th-inning seeing them go ahead by 2 runs. Scot McAuley finished off the bottom of the frame in 6 pitches to see Brisbane to a 7-5 win.

19 Mar: 22 y/o Wes Corless was a free-swinging soul, having managed just 23 walks from 531 plate appearances prior to today’s matchup with Adelaide. The Christchurch CF made every swing count in this game, going 5-5 with a homerun and 2 runs, helping the Cowboys to a 10-6 win. The scores were tied after 9 but Christchurch loaded the bases in the top of the 10th and Marcos Lopez made it a 4-run game with a Grand Slam over left. It was his second slammer of the season and his first hit of the night. He was batting in the 9-hole for this one.

19 Mar: Perth lost their 100th game of the season, falling 7-3 to Wellington.

20 Mar: The Aces were headed to the playoffs for the second season in a row, clinching the Southern with a decisive 12-3 victory over closest rivals Canberra. Manager Khullana Vijayshree, in his third year at Melbourne’s helm, was excited about his team’s prospects this season: “Last year we scraped into the postseason, really, but this year we’re fair dinkum in on merit. Any punters out there who want to put a sneaky twenty on us winning the Championship, well, you might just be in for a big payday.”

20 Mar: Auckland ensured they’d make their first postseason appearance since 2047 with a hard-fought 5-4 win over Central Coast. “We might even earn a bye,” John Foreman said after the game, “which would give us a real leg up.” First, though, Auckland had to focus on winning their division pennant. The Cowboys beat Adelaide 4-1 to keep the gap between the two NZ teams at just 2 games.

20 Mar: Hal Boxsell hit a 450-foot 2-run extra-innings walk-off homerun to give Perth a 6-4 victory over Wellington. The lusty blow came in the bottom of the 10th and mathematically eliminated the Fury from contention in 2064.

20 Mar: Brisbane defeated Whangarei 6-2, a 4-run 4th putting them in the clear. Tashiaki Yano contributed 3 runs via homerun that inning. The jack was his 40th of the season, making him the first player to that mark. John Foreman and Malcolm Pickhills lingered just behind him on 39.

21 Mar: Barry Dean might not have pitched today but he was all smiles after Christchurch scored the go-ahead run in the 10th against Adelaide and held on to win 11-10. The win gave Christchurch, at worst, a postseason wildcard berth. Dean, who’d been part of Perth’s 2058 Championship-winning squad but partially tore his labrum 2 innings into his first postseason start, was champing at the bit to “get amongst it” in the playoffs, having not tasted the postseason since that campaign. The loss was Adelaide’s fourth in a row, and came despite Carlos Acevedo and Richard Moore both having 2 homer nights. The Venom were now 2 games off the second wildcard and faced the very real possibility that not only might they miss the playoffs for the first time since 2058 but that their dynasty days might be done.

21 Mar: John Foreman bashed a 2-run homerun in Auckland’s 6-2 win over Central Coast to give him 40 for the season, the sixth time he’d reached that mark in 11 full seasons.

21 Mar: Whangarei featured 19 players on their box score in a full demonstration of what was commonly called ‘March Madness,’ or the extended roster rules that came into effect on March 1 of every season. The ST-like substitutions did the job for them today, however, as they rallied to beat Brisbane 6-4 in 11 innings, late-inning sub Mario Vazquez leading off the top of the 11th with a solo homerun to put the Sluggers in front. For the losers, Yano went 3-4, his hits including his 41st homerun of the season.

22 Mar: Li Ayliffe blanked Kununurra 8-0 on 5 hits, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts. The 29 y/o southpaw had been a shining light in Hobart’s rotation and, according to his manager, “fully deserved” his first career shutout. Ayliffe, however, wasn’t named PotG. That honour went to John Dalton, whose 3 hits were a triple and 2 homeruns.

22 Mar: The Venom beat Christchurch 6-5 in 10 innings, Norm Donaldson the walk-off winner with a 2-out solo homerun. In the 9th Malcolm Pickhills tied the game up with a 2-run shot, his 40th of the season. Isaac Canavan, who blew the save and recorded the loss, admitted post-match, “Yeah, a few of us lads might’ve been out on the bottle a bit late last night, celebrating and all.”

22 Mar: Perth hadn’t dropped a game since reaching that 100-loss mark, Rich Downes hitting a gigantic 467-foot homerun in the bottom of the 9th to see them walk off 4-3 winners over Wellington in this one.

22 Mar: Newcastle lost 6-5 to Darwin, putting an end to any hopes they might’ve held of snaring the remaining wildcard.

23 Mar: The season’s last PotW went to 25 y/o Melbourne CF Marty Downes, who hit .433/.485/.733. Downes had been drafted in 2058 by Whangarei as a hitter but in 2059 they decided to try him as a pitcher at single-A. While Downes definitely had potential that way he switched back to hitting in 2060, and had to be happy he did so as he made his major-league debut that season before being traded to Melbourne. He’d played a handful of games in 2061 and again in 2063 before cementing the big-league CF position in 2064.

23 Mar: On the morning of the first game of the final series of the regular season the following was yet to be decided: East-West Division; NZ Division; second wildcard. Brisbane, off to play Hobart, had a 3-game advantage over Kununurra, who would take on Adelaide. This was a big series owing to the fact that the Pioneers currently held the second wildcard slot by 1 game over the Venom. Central Coast, 2 games back in the wildcard, travelled to Whangarei while Darwin, also 2 games back, would play Christchurch, the Cowboys still with a chance of claiming the NZ, 2 games adrift of Auckland. The Metros would take on Cairns.

23 Mar: The Bandits defeated Hobart 4-3, all of their runs coming in the 6th. The win guaranteed them a trip to the playoffs, though they still needed another win (or Kununurra to lose) to secure the East-West pennant.

23 Mar: Kununurra dashed Adelaide 11-5, opening up a 2-game gap in the wildcard race. Malcolm Pickhills clubbed a 3-run homer in the 5th for the losers, his 41st roundtripper of the season, while Ramon Martinez anchored the home side with a 3-5 night, his hits including a double and his 36th homer of the season.

23 Mar: The Thunder pulled to within 2 in the wildcard with an 8-2 defeat of Whangarei. John Zglinicki went the whole game for his 17th win of the season. The 29 y/o had thrown 250.2 innings this regular season, the third time in his career he’d surpassed the 250 innings mark. This was his seventh complete game performance in 2064. In 2063 he threw 10 complete games, 7 the season before that and 10 in 2061. He was the only player in AUNZBL history to throw 10 complete games in a season twice.

Thunder pitching coach Lance Horton was asked if he thought the heavy workload 29 y/o Zglinicki had carried so far in his career would impact him later on. Horton laughed and said, “Maybe if he was one of those guys who insisted on working out in the bullpen on his days off, but John’s not really into all that.” He paused before continuing, “In all seriousness, however, it’s not something we can foretell. We just have to monitor how’s he doing now as well as do all we can to make sure his recovery routines are solid. John’s a fairly robust guy and one of the reasons he can go so deep is that he doesn’t try to throw every fastball at 150 clicks. He’d rather finesse guys than blow them away, even though he’s perfectly capable of doing the latter if he wants. Actually, it’s quite rare to see him throw 120+ pitches in a game; I think he’s only done that 4 or 5 times in all his starts this season.* Barry Dean, on the other hand, well, let’s just say I’d be more worried about his workload than most of the other guys in the league.”

Dean had thrown 120+ pitches 12 times in 33 starts, which was right around his career season average.

*Zglinicki had started 34 games, throwing 120+ pitches in 5 of them

23 Mar: Auckland got tipped over 6-3 by Cairns, the Crocs charging home late to win. A 5-run 8th ruined Song Liang’s night, the pitcher saying afterward, “Maybe I shouldn’t have come out for that inning. Skip asked me if I was okay and I said yeah, of course, even though I was blowing a bit.”

23 Mar: Darwin slipped 3 games adrift in the wildcard while Christchurch pushed to within 1 game of Auckland thanks to a 9-1 win. Rookie David Romo, called up in March after making the trip between the bigs and AAA a few times earlier in the season as injury cover, went 4-5 with a double and homerun.

23 Mar: Both Perth and Newcastle were long out of contention this season but they combined to produce the most enthralling game of the day. Scoring was sparse through regulation innings, Newcastle knotting the game at 2 in the bottom of the 8th. Perth put together a 2-out rally in the top of the 10th, scoring 2, but former Heat prospect Hektor Knittle wasn’t going to let his old club off so easy, his 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning tying things up once more. Perth got a runner into scoring position via a walk and sacrifice bunt in the 12th but a pair of strikeouts ended that threat.

A 2-out error in the top of the 14th gave Perth an undeserved opportunity to go in front but they couldn’t use it. In the bottom of the inning Newcastle juiced the bases with 1 away. Nathan Kapuna struck out looking. Knittle came to the plate and sent a 1-0 fastball soaring over centrefield. CF Carlos Alvarez tracked it back to the wall, leaped, and came down with it, robbing Knittle of a walk-off Grand Slam, the German-born catcher jogging back to the dugout with a wry smile on his face.

In the 17th, Alvarez led off with a single. He was bunted into scoring position and batted home by Rowan Rollings. 2 more singles loaded the bases and an out later Sterling O’Connell got pinned by an inside pitch, bringing a second run home. Newcastle had nothing left to give, surrendering in the bottom of the inning on 4 pitches. 6-4 win to Perth in 17 innings, one fan saying, “If only they’d shown this kind of fight in the first 5 months of the season.” On the 16th they’d lost a 19-inning epic against Melbourne.

24 Mar: Brisbane wrapped up the East-West title with a 5-3 win over Hobart. Yeijiro Nishio contributed 3 of the Bandits’ 9 hits, including a double and triple, in a 3-5 knock. This was the second year in a row that Brisbane had been Division Champions.

24 Mar: Kununurra disposed of Adelaide 3-0, Susila Kathirithamby throwing 8 innings for 4 hits, 4 walks and no runs while striking out 13 Venom hitters. This was the fourth time this season that 22 y/o Kathirithamby had struck out 10 or more hitters. The young Papuan mixed up his fastball and curveball to great effect, occasionally supplementing those pitches with weak sliders and changeups. The win gave Kununurra the final wildcard berth and shunted Adelaide out of contention. This would be the Pioneers’ first trip to the playoffs since 2061, and their sixth appearance since joining the AUNZBL in 2048.

24 Mar: If Central Coast had beaten Whangarei they would’ve held onto postseason hope for at least one more day. As it turned out, they surrendered weakly to the Sluggers 8-1.

24 Mar: Christchurch defeated Darwin 6-2, the 3rd inning featured three consecutive homeruns, the middle effort an inside the park affair. The 3 homers came in 4 pitches, Marcos Lopez finishing off the trifecta with his 28th four-bagger of the season. To remain in postseason contention Darwin would’ve needed 2 things to happen: they had to defeat Christchurch and Adelaide had to down Kununurra. Neither thing took place so the Diggers were well and truly April spectators this year.

24 Mar: John Foreman brought the magic to help Auckland beat Cairns and maintain a 1-game lead in the NZ Division. He came out to bat for the final time in the game in the bottom of the 9th with 2 out, 2 on and Auckland down by 2. Aaron Fingleson, leading the league with 46 saves, missed with a splitter low and away. He followed up with an inside fastball at 158 km/h. Foreman was quicker, getting out in front and pulling it deep over left and into the stands. 3-run walk-off homer, number 41 for the season, to give Auckland a 5-4 win and some confidence against a pitcher they might end up facing in the Championship Series. This was Fingleson’s fifth blown save of the season but only his first loss.

25 Mar: Auckland could take more confidence into the postseason after holding Cairns scoreless in today’s encounter. Domenic Jones threw 8 innings, conceding just 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 11. Auckland didn’t get on the board until the 7th, Brent Dwyer’s 2-out solo homerun sparking a rally that ended up being the only scoring inning of the night. 3-0 Auckland. Christchurch succumbed 6-3 to Darwin, despite Beau Hauer’s 4-5, meaning Auckland snared their first pennant since 2046.

26 Mar: Christchurch finished the regular season with a comfortable 8-1 win over Darwin, none of the Diggers’ players looking especially enthusiastic at the plate or in the field. Beau Hauer went 2-3 with a pair of 2-run dingers. That effort, plus yesterday’s 4-5, saw him sneak past Edgardo Rico (1-4 today) to claim the 2064 batting crown with a .342 average. Rico had 653PA to Hauer’s 581 but a hitter needed only 502 to qualify and Hauer met the mark.

Notable Injuries

2 Mar: Kununurra, jostling for a wildcard, would be without Al Ayliffe (.255/.298/.461, 28HR) until the final throes of the regular season thanks to a separated shoulder.

6 Mar: A blow for the Venom, Gary Young (.280/.351/.516, 21HR from 417PA) to miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs were Adelaide to hold onto their wildcard spot. He had a fractured hand, a “fitting pair,” he said, for the fractured thumb he’d suffered earlier in the season. The other kicker of this injury was that the final year of his contract was a vesting option based on 550PA. He’d been unlikely to get there before now but most certainly wouldn’t after this. There was no word on whether the Venom were seeking to offer him an extension. Young had played in the Adelaide system since being drafted #2 overall in 2046.

7 Mar: Guillermo Julio (.327/.373/.490, 17HR) was done for the season with a strained hamstring. Julio was tied for the league lead in hits (193) at the time of his injury and would finish the year 1 run shy of 100.

8 Mar: Central Coast had pulled to within 2 games of Brisbane in the East-West but would have to do without mid-lineup lynchpin Justin Auger (.287/.376/.480, 27HR) for 1-2 weeks while he recovered from a bruised knee.

8 Mar: Sadao Taniguchi (.270/.303/.426, 9HR) would not be on hand to help Melbourne with the rest of the regular season or the postseason were they to make it. His fractured thumb would take at least 6 weeks to heal.

9 Mar: Julio Salazar (.287/.331/.412, 11HR) was done for the season. He’d torn a muscle in his back and could expect a torturous offseason of recovery and rehab.

10 Mar: Vern Bull (.265/.352/.456, 26HR) would miss 1-2 weeks with knee inflammation. The Aces still led the Southern but had seen their lead cut to 4 games, a resurgent Hobart on a 7-game winning streak.

15 Mar: Quentin Welch (.258/.336/.404, 11HR) was touch and go to be back before the postseason. He’d suffered an intercostal strain. Since coming across to Auckland from Adelaide, Welch had hit .286/.369/.409, with 5HR.

16 Mar: Larry Booth (.303/.415/.378, 1HR) had a quad strain but Brisbane’s medical staff expected him to be right before the end of the regular season.

17 Mar: “Yeah,” Antonio Altagracia said in response to a comment from a reporter, “this isn’t the type of news I want right now.” The Metros skipper was talking about the injury diagnosis for Callum McCabe (.313/.397/.532, 27HR). The soon-to-be superstar had broken his knee cap and was targeting a return to action during next season’s spring training. The Metros were 3 ahead in the NZ, and even if their division bid somehow failed they were almost certain to get a wildcard slot.

24 Mar: Martin Boston (.321/.359/.393, 1HR) would be of no further assistance to Darwin for the remaining 3 games of the regular season, or the postseason were everything to fall in the Diggers’ favour. He had an MCL strain.

25 Mar: Christchurch had lost Edward Vance to long-term injury in January and now wouldn’t have Roy Blake (11-16, 4.34 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 1.36 WHIP) available for the postseason either. Their big money offseason acquisition had a strained forearm. He’d be able to resume training towards the end of June but that was of no help to a Cowboys outfit hoping to defend last year’s title.

Notable Trades/Signings

1 Mar: In a move which many felt was evidence that Brisbane expected Norm Blume to exercise his player option come the offseason, the Bandits signed 28 y/o Domenic Cook (.274/.345/.551, 35HR in 2064; .265/.326/.483, 142HR career) to a 4-year extension, the 4th-year a player option. Cook had been drafted first overall in 2059 and made his big-league debut that same season. He played 131 games in the majors in 2060 and had been ensconced in the top flight since then. While he had over 5 years’ service-time already he wouldn’t have been eligible for free agency until after the 2065 season. Cook was not only a potent slugger but also a very able 2B, his ZR for this season +12.6.

3 Mar: “We’re extremely happy to be keeping the core of this team together for a few more seasons,” Bandits GM Victor Leseberg enthused to media after announcing that 25 y/o Larry Booth (.298/.414/.364, 0HR in 2064; .292/.382/.364, 5HR career) had signed a 6-year extension. Booth, who’d been in the majors since age 19, would’ve been a free agent at season’s end but would now remain a Bandit for some time yet. Booth was injury prone but an exceptionally fastidious trainer as well as highly intelligent. Leseberg, who’d started his tenure in Brisbane at the beginning of their glory run from 2049-2053, went on to say, “These guys will bring a few more Championships to Brisbane, mark my words!”

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Lopez played a reduced role in March, starting just 16 games and appearing in 18. Still, he hit .305/.369/.492 to hold him in good stead heading into the playoffs. Of his 18 hits, 3 were homeruns. For the season he finished with a stat-line of .286/.339/.469, his 180 hits including 29 doubles, 1 triple and 28 homeruns. He now had 3279 career hits but still needed 17 homeruns to get to 500.

Other Notes

As mentioned in Notable Performances, Beau Hauer (.342/.401/.601, 36HR) finished with the league’s best batting average. He also topped the AUNZBL in SLG, OPS (he was the only player above 1.000), wOBA (.417), and WAR (6.1). Did a maiden Hoodie await? Alan Sneddon thought so, saying, "Despite missing 3 weeks in October, Hauer's stood above the competition, with Andre Wiltshire possibly his closest competition."

Edgardo Rico (.341/.366/.409, 0HR) was just pipped at the BA post by Hauer but finished with the most hits of any batter, recording 211.

3 other players had 200 or more hits in 2064:

Andre Wiltshire (.335/.410/.524, 27HR, 209 hits)
Jai Rowe (.301/.345/.481, 26HR, 202 hits)
Nicholas Bennett (.312/.334/.474, 20HR, 200 hits)

Wiltshire also had 128RBI and 121 runs, both league bests.

3 players finished the season on 41 homeruns:

John Foreman (.270/.338/.519, 41HR)
Malcolm Pickhills (.246/.336/.512, 41HR)
Tashiaki Yano (.300/.334/.538, 41HR)

Yano hit for the most bases of any batter in 2064, finishing with 357.

Ronald Aitken (.301/.412/.523, 29HR) led the league in OBP and walks (110). He was the only player to complete the runs-walks double-double in 2064, finishing with a 101-110 mark.

Richard Moore (.281/.388/.493, 37HR) came agonizingly close to a runs-walks double-double, with 99 runs and 103 walks.

For the second season running nobody made it to 50 steals, Tomas Zartuche (.294/.352/.375, 4HR) again topping the league with 48. This was the first full season in Zartuche’s career that he hadn’t hit .300+, his extra-base hit total also well down on previous seasons.

Zartuche’s teammate Lance Fookes (.282/.329/.488, 29HR) finished 1 ahead of Ronald Aitken for most extra-base hits, accumulating 73 over the course of the season.

John Dalton (.267/.368/.564, 37HR) had his best season since 2061’s 180 OPS+ effort, topping the league in isolated power (.296).

Todd Fisher (.260/.304/.380, 9HR) led the league in doubles, with 47, while Sadao Taniguchi (.270/.303/.426, 9HR) managed 10 triples, 1 more than any other hitter.

Alan Sneddon’s pick for Hurler of the Year? “Pretty hard to go past Barry Dean again, though not too many other pitchers have especially stood out. Maybe Aaron Fingleson will collect both the Brodie Backhouse and the Hottie.”

Dean (18-9, 3.38 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 1.16 WHIP) had turned around his poor start in Perth, finishing tied for the league lead in wins, as well as top of the FIP, strikeout (231), K/9 (8.77) and WAR (6.7) charts. He was the only pitchers to reach 200 strikeouts this season.

Tristan Stobbie (12-8, 2.74 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) had stepped up admirably in Dean’s absence in Perth, finishing with the best ERA among qualified starters.

Tied with Dean for wins were Dean Ambrose (18-9, 4.07 ERA, 4.13 FIP, 1.32 WHIP) and Teddy Wigley (18-14, 3.68 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.38 WHIP), Wigley following up on his 20-win 2063 in the best possible way, though he wouldn't feature in this year's postseason festivities.

Dan Holz (11-10, 3.50 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.12 WHIP) had the league’s best WHIP, while Melbourne teammate Karl Blackwell (14-12, 4.14 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) had the best HR/9 rate of 0.57, no mean feat for a southpaw who pitched half his starts in right-handed hitter-friendly Aces Ballpark.

Kohei Kawamata (14-10, 3.65 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.13 WHIP) remained the only qualified pitcher to go the whole season with a BB/9 of less than 1.00, his final mark 0.71. He also led the league in K/BB, with 5.63.

Kununurra’s young gun Susila Kathirithamby (13-9, 3.63 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 1.27 WHIP) topped the H/9 (7.47), and OAVG (.221) boards.

Aaron Fingleson (7-1, 47 saves) lead all closer by 5 saves, his ERA a tidy 1.62.

ABC Wrap-up

The ABC’s four postseason contenders in 2064 were Brisbane (83-79), Sydney (108-54), Perth (90-72), and Jakarta (95-67).

Kalgoorlie (86-76) and Hamilton (84-78) were unlucky to miss out, losing to Perth and Jakarta, respectively, in their divisions.

The AUNZBL regular season finished 1 day earlier than the ABC’s.

Ted Blume (.346/.469/.650, 47HR) was unlucky to miss out on a Triple Crown, Anekelea Kolet (.351/.390/.472, 8HR) winning the BA race. Blume dominated nearly every other offensive category, however, finishing the season with a 9.42 WAR, second only to the 10.00 mark Si-xun Qiao set last season.

Two pitchers hit the 20-win mark in 2064, Bronson Dean (20-8, 2.40 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 1.00 WHIP) and Pete Dryden (20-8, 2.73 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 1.10 WHIP). Like his AUNZBL namesake, Dean led the league in strikeouts with 239, though he was only second in K/9 (9.55).

AUNZBL Standings, EORS

RMc · 03-10-2018, 09:00 PM

Do you actually play out the seasons of the leagues outside Australia? I'm curious to see what the rest of the world -- and the world of baseball -- looks like.

Izz · 03-10-2018, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMc

Do you actually play out the seasons of the leagues outside Australia? I'm curious to see what the rest of the world -- and the world of baseball -- looks like.

The BL (Beisbol Latino) plays out roughly concurrently to the AUNZBL, though the season is around 2 months shorter and starts on Dec 1. The advent of the ABC has seen some changes in the BL. Whereas previously it used to be chock-full of mediocre or aging former AUZNBL players, now it is showcasing a lot more local talent. The BL has two levels of minors, with both minor league affiliates based in the same city as the parent teams. The BL is classified as an independent league and takes in all of Central and South America. Apart from adding minors after a few years there has been no further expansion.

While each offseason there are often BL players with a shot at making the AUNZBL, not too many do. However, it's been fairly common for AUNZBL players to head to the BL for a stint and then return to the AUNZBL, or for mid-minor league players to hone their craft in the BL before heading back for a crack at the big-time.

Here's a screenshot of current standings, plus a couple of history and records:

____

The NABA (North American Baseball Agreement) runs an 80-game season from the 1st of June each year. It has evolved from being a first past the post competition to having a 3-game series between the first- and second-placed teams for the NABA Cup. However, the Cup is really a secondary affair for players and fans with the primary emphasis being on who wins the regular season.

The NABA is classified as an independent league and operates with reserve rosters. It boasts a mixture of local talent plus BL castoffs and guys who get released early in their careers from AUNZBL minor league affiliates. A couple of local players have made the AUNZBL. One of those, Gerald Tschiffely, recently returned to the NABA after 7 seasons away, leading the league in wins last season. Another, Fernando Contreras, is currently with the Wellington Fury but will be eligible for free agency at the conclusion of this season.

The NABA has not expanded since inception, mostly due to the volatile politics of the Upper Americas post-War.

Here is a screenshot of the most recent season plus a couple for history and records:

_____

For other independent leagues referenced in this history (Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Australian semi-pros, for example) stats are not easily found and many of the leagues have short, turbulent histories anyhow.*

*In game terms, they don't exist but are flavour text to give game-generated International/Independent Free Agents, older scouting discoveries, and newly generated staff who weren't previously players a history

I don't pay all that much attention to the leagues outside Australia, really - I write up recaps after each season and take a quick look at their best players to see who might have a shot at the majors, but I don't give them the day-by-day analysis I give the AUNZBL.

Izz · 03-12-2018, 03:48 AM

2064 Division Finals

Game 1 - Kununurra Pioneers vs Brisbane Bandits

Division rivals Brisbane and Kununurra locked horns once more.

Ramon Martinez led off the top of the 2nd with a long drive over centrefield. It kept going, in the words of a fired-up commentator, “all the way to Souvenir City!” 1-0 Kununurra. Brisbane got a couple of runners aboard in the bottom of the inning but were put to bed with a fine 6-4-3 double-play.

With 2 outs in the 3rd and a runner on 3B, Jayden Koka collected a 2-0 fastball and sent it the distance over left. 3-0 Pioneers.

Yeijiro Nishio led off the bottom of the frame with a double to right and scored an out later off Terence Stuart’s soft single over the glove of the 2B. Blair Norris (2.1IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 1K) looked in all kinds of discomfort and was soon escorted from the mound, trainer in tow. An out later Norm Blume tied the game with a jack over left-centre.

Norris’s replacement, LHP Ethan Andrews, continued to struggle in the 4th, loading the bases with no outs. Nishio’s grounder scored 1 and he hustled to beat out the double-play. Larry Booth popped a double into the leftfield corner, scoring another and Stuart brought another home via ground-out. Tashiaki Yano continued the pain with a double to centre, Booth scoring the fourth run of the inning. Blume and Domenic Cook walked to load the bases again and bring Rupert Bethune to bat for the second time in the inning. He belted a double down the LF line, his third hit of the night, to clear the bases and suddenly Kununurra were way behind the play. 10-3 after 4, Brisbane leaping ahead with a 7-run inning.

Yano drove 2 more home in the 5th before scoring on a 2-out throwing error. 13-3 Brisbane, the home fans in rowdy voice.

Sebastian Woodger (6.0IP, 6H, 3ER, 0BB, 7K) retired after 6, high-fiving his teammates in the dugout before heading to the showers.

That was all the scoring in this one, Gerald Nelson throwing 3 innings for the long save. Final score: 13-3 Brisbane. Yano and Bethune both went 3-5, while Kununurra’s 8 hits came from only 4 hitters.

After late night scans, Norris was found to have a mild abdominal strain and should be fully fit for his next start.

Game 1 - Melbourne Aces vs Christchurch Cowboys

Barry Dean versus Karl Blackwell - last year’s HotY versus last year’s first HotY runner-up.

Both pitchers and hitters looked nervous in the 1st, Dean getting through proceedings on 7 pitches despite allowing a single. Blackwell’s first pitch of the night hit Tomas Zartuche on the thigh and the speedy OF swiped 2B off the very next pitch. However, that was where he stayed, Blackwell finding his range to ease through the next 3 batters.

Pedro Mercado led off the 2nd with a single and then Gold Glove-candidate Matthew Utting flubbed a pickup to see runners at 1B and 2B with no outs. 1 dismissal later Rory Delaney singled up the middle and the bases were juiced. Noel Dickson ground into a 1-2 force-out at home and Marty Downes went down 6-3 to end the threat.

The Aces continued to get base hits, putting runners on the corners with nobody away in the 3rd but Dean got a pop-out and induced a regulation 6-4-3 double-play to once again stop the threat. Blackwell, meanwhile, looked untroubled through the early stages, allowing no base hits across 3 innings and throwing only 27 pitches, 20 in the strikezone.

Melbourne finally got on the board in the 4th, Sebastian Horton depositing a belt-high changeup into the LF stands. John Roberts followed with a homer even further back to give the Aces a 2-run lead.

In the bottom of the 5th, after the second out, still having allowed no hits, Blackwell (4.2IP, 0H, 0ER, 1BB, 4K) motioned to the dugout for assistance and soon came from the mound. No word was given as to what the injury might be. His replacement, fellow southpaw Dan Holz, got the final out of the inning and retired them in order in the 6th, the Cowboys still hitless.

Rory Delaney led off the top of the 7th with a single, was bunted to 2B and headed for home an out later off Vinnie Hanscombe’s shallow single to centre. CF Wes Corless swooped on the ball and sent it towards the plate. “Out,” the umpire hollered to the delight of Dean and the home fans and to the shock of Delaney and the Aces’ dugout.

Fookes broke up the no-hitter in the 7th with a 1-out solo shot over right. 2-1 Aces with 2 to play.

Dean (8.0IP, 9H, 2ER, 0BB, 6K) left after 8, replaced by Scott Carson who walked the first batter he faced. He recovered to get through the inning unscathed. Rick Jeffreys came out to throw the bottom of the 9th for the Aces. He’d been moved from setup to closer midway through February after Oliwa Lomu’s injury. Fookes singled with 1 away. Corless bashed one up the middle and 2B Dickson made a great diving stop. The result was still a single, though, as he had no play at 2B or 1B. Clemens mis-hit one towards 3B and Horton charged in to grab it. His throw to 1B was wild, the ball sailing into the stands. Clemens was awarded 2B but, more importantly, the tying run came home unopposed and the winning run now stood at 3B with 2 outs still to play. Gustavo Sosa, a 7th-inning pinch-hit sub, was walked to set up the double-play.

Out came Rowan Kimpton, 0-3 to this point. He watched a cutter hit the bottom of the strikezone. Jeffrey’s next pitch was another cutter, this one chest-high.

There was no doubt the moment it was hit. The ball bounced off the concrete upper tier in right and the crowd went nuts. Walk-off Grand Slam!

The Cowboys, who’d been outclassed for the first two-thirds of the game, won it at the death, the final score 6-2. Aces’ skipper Khullana Vijayshree was honest in his post-match appraisal. “We didn’t take advantage of our early opportunities, that was the problem. If we’d done that then the pressure would’ve been reversed and the outcome much different. As it happened there was just a feeling, wasn’t there, when that bottom of the 9th started, that they were going to go chockers on the bases and do something special in front of their fans. And so they did. Bonza for them, not so nice for us.” Then, with a shrug, “Didn’t help that we threw Kimpton a pie, either.”

Game 2 - Kununurra Pioneers vs Brisbane Bandits

The wind carried a Jayden Koka fly just far enough in the top of the 1st to count for maximum bases. 3 hitters later Philip Akhurst singled home Jai Rowe before Al Ayliffe crunched an RBI-double into the RF corner. Domenic Guerin snuck a single down the 3B line and another runner scored. Ayliffe also headed for home but was thrown out by LF Booth. 4-0 Kununurra after half an inning.

Ramon Martinez’s solo HR in the 3rd made it a 5-run game. Brisbane got their first runs in the bottom of the frame, Booth hitting a 2-out triple and scoring off Terence Stuart’s double. 5-1 Pioneers.

Nelson Thurgood (3.0IP, 7H, 5ER, 1BB, 1K) was replaced after 3. Susila Kathirithamby (6.1IP, 7H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K) looked mostly untroubled through 6, his fastball sometimes touching 164 km/h. He was subbed 1 out into the 7th after plunking Cook with a curveball.

Bottom of the 8th and Stuart pulled Brisbane 1 run closer with a 2-out solo homer. 5-2 Pioneers. Kununurra got that run back in the 9th to keep a 4-run buffer heading into the bottom of the inning.

Pete Rawnsley, who had a 6-7, 34 save record after the Pioneers decided he’d be a better closer than starter, came out to see the Bandits off. Brisbane managed a 2-out single but that was it.

Final score: 6-2 Pioneers, the series back on level pegging.

Game 2 - Melbourne Aces vs Christchurch Cowboys

Ted Heathcote to start for the Aces against the team he helped to Championship glory last season.

Beau Hauer gave his old teammate a feisty greeting in the bottom of the 1st, pulling a curveball into the rightfield bleachers to get Christchurch’s account underway. 1-0 Cowboys.

A leadoff Corless triple in the 2nd was immediately converted to runs via an Utting single. A single and walk later and the bases were full with nobody out. A strikeout followed before Zartuche looped a single into left, scoring 1. Marcos Lopez ground into a 6-4-3 double-play to end the rally. 3-0 Christchurch.

Melbourne pulled 2 runs back in the top of the 3rd, Hanscombe cracking a 2-out double over the head of RF Bryan McMullen. They would’ve tied the game had Clemens not leaped and plucked a sharp Glen Walsh line-drive out of the air at short. 3-2 Cowboys.

A sac-fly scored Hauer in the bottom of the inning to make it a 4-2 game. Walsh came up to bat again in the 5th with 2 one and 2 out. He got a 1-2 cut fastball over the plate and sent it deep, deep, deep to right-centre. It landed in the upper deck and Melbourne took the lead 5-4.

McMullen doubled with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th and Zartuche walked on 4 pitches to end Heathcote’s night. The Cowboys then executed a double-steal, McMullen diving in safe under the tag. Lopez, who’d ground into a double-play with the bases full earlier in the game, did not make the same mistake twice. He drove the 1-1 pitch back over left and into the crowded seats. 3-run homer and the Cowboys were back in front. Heathcote was (6.1IP, 9H, 6ER, 2BB, 5K) caught on camera shaking his head before turning and marching out of the dugout and up the dressing room tunnel. 7-5 Cowboys.

Pedro Montanez (7.0IP, 4H, 5ER, 2BB, 3K) was subbed for the 8th, Isaac Canavan getting through the inning on 6 pitches. Carson trotted out to close proceedings and got it done despite a jittery 1-out walk. Final score: 7-5 Christchurch, and they were looking at a sweep.

Melbourne did a great job of converting the scoring chances they had, their 5 runs coming off just 4 hits and 3 walks.

Off Day

The worst possible news for Melbourne and Karl Blackwell. Their ace had torn his UCL. He’d miss all of next season.

Game 3 - Kununurra Pioneers vs Brisbane Bandits

Akhurst drilled a 2-out triple into the RF corner in the bottom of the 1st, scoring 2 runners and giving Kununurra the early lead. 2-0 Pioneers.

Roman Woods put up Brisbane’s opening hit of the night in the 3rd, leading off with a skittering single to right. He was forced out next at-bat but Nishio hustled to beat out the throw and avoid the double-play. Nishio then stole second on a pitch-out, catcher Elijah Lutz’s throw a looper that almost didn’t make it to 2B. Booth singled him to 3B and Stuart’s weak grounder towards 1B allowed him to score. 2-1 Pioneers.

The Pioneers loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the inning, an error by the usually dependable Domenic Cook at 2B not helping matters. Akhurst sac-flied a runner home and then Ayliffe pounded a double off the base of the CF wall to score the remaining 2 runners. 5-1 Kununurra, none of the runs counted as earned.

Matt Mulholland (3.0IP, 6H, 5R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K) didn’t come out for the 4th. “Unlucky,” said the primary commentator and his cohorts agreed.

Back-to-back doubles to begin the 5th saw Brisbane bite a run off the deficit. Nishio singled to centre and an out later stole 2B again, though this time not off a pitch-out. Stuart got himself another RBI-ground-out and the Bandits took the field down by just 2.

Ayliffe hit an RBI-single in the bottom of the 5th to make it 6-3. It became 8-3 next inning when Koka spanked a 2-run 2-out dinger to the longest part of centrefield.

A Nishio single followed by a Booth double ended Eddie Rayner’s night in the 7th. Stuart picked up his third productive out ribbie of the evening, sac-flying Nishio home. 8-4 Kununurra, Rayner finishing up with a stat-line of 6.1IP, 7H, 4ER, 2BB, 3K.

Nishio and Booth combined again in the 9th to give Brisbane scant hope but Rawnsley climbed the mound for the final out and didn’t falter, Stuart grounding out 6-3. Final score: 8-4 Pioneers and they had a chance to take out the series tomorrow at home. The middle of Brisbane’s lineup was woefully inadequate, while the middle of Kununurra’s lineup, Jai Rowe (0-4) notwithstanding, provided the bulk of the Pioneers’ offense.

Game 3 - Melbourne Aces vs Christchurch Cowboys

Ethan Humphries immediately found himself in trouble when Zartuche led off the game with a single and then stole 2B. 2 ground-outs to the 2B side saw him advance and then score. 1-0 Cowboys.

A 2-base throwing error gave Melbourne a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning and Glen Walsh’s RBI-single up the middle tied the game up. 1-1 after 1.

In the 2nd, with 2 runners on, Maurice Clemens did what he was hired by the Cowboys to do: provide lower-lineup power. He sent a flat line-drive whizzing over the head of the leftfielder and into the bleachers. 3-run homer. Humphries struggled to regain his rhythm after that ferocious blast, allowing 3 singles while getting 1 out. He got Fookes to fly out to left to end the inning and stalked off, muttering viciously to himself. 4-1 Cowboys.

Hanscombe picked up a 2RBI-single in the bottom of the inning after his groundball kicked off Utting’s glove and headed into left. Walsh then gave the Aces back the lead with a stern drive that carried over the centrefield fence. 5-4 Aces with only 2 innings gone.

Neither side scored in the 3rd, one commentator joking that was just as well “otherwise I’d have used up all my voice before the game was halfway done.”

Humphries (5.0IP, 7H, 4ER, 0BB, 1K) was subbed after 5 and Corless immediately profited, hitting a triple over the outstretched glove of the rightfielder. An out later Kimpton’s deep ground-out to 2B scored Corless to tie the game back up. 5-5 midway through the 6th.

The game didn’t stay level for long, John Roberts hitting a long 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning, ending Dan Pankhurst’s night in the process (5.0IP, 12H, 7R, 6ER, 0BB, 4K). 7-5 Melbourne.

Lopez drove home McMullen with 1 away in the 7th. An out later, with 2 runners aboard, Gustavo Sosa came out to pinch-hit and punched a single wide of the shortstop. It was worth 2 ribbies and put the Cowboys back in front by 1. Utting was drilled by the very next pitch, a 152 km/h fastball, and spent a few moments glaring at the pitcher before taking his base.

Mercado levelled things up in the 8th with a leadoff solo homerun.

Jeffreys came out to pitch the 9th and he’d be having nightmares again tonight after Hauer, with the count 1-2, fouled a couple off before stroking a fly deep over right and into the seats to put Christchurch up by 1, a series sweep in their grasp. Bottom of the inning, Carson walked Noel Dickson to put the tying run aboard. Marty Downes laid down a fine sacrifice bunt and nearly beat out the throw to 1B. Hanscombe singled over the SS and Dickson charged home. Tie game, winning run at 1B, Walsh and Bull to bat. An angry Carson turned up the heat and struck them both out. This one was headed to extras!

Christchurch retired in order in the 10th. Mercado led off the bottom of the inning with a single to centre but was left stranded at 2B.

Dickson walked to begin the bottom of the 11th and was bunted into scoring position. He made 3B on a ground-out but couldn’t score, Walsh bouncing out 5-3. Utting and Kimpton singled in the 12th to give Christchurch an opportunity and a wild pitch put them both in scoring position. Clemens was walked. McMullen struck out and pitcher Tadiyuki Okubo bellowed with delight. His celebrations were a touch too early, Zartuche's crisp single to right scoring the go-ahead run. Lopez ground out but the Cowboys once again had the chance to close out the series.

Bull wore a pitch on his arm but became the first victim in a 6-4-3 double-play. Horton singled up the middle. Roberts whipped a groundball down the 3B line but Utting was quickly across and fired a bullet to 1B to retire him. 10-9 Christchurch in a series sweep that was a lot closer than it looked.

Beau Hauer (.429/.429/.857, 2HR) picked up the third postseason Series MVP of his career. For the Aces, young Vinnie Hanscombe (.500/.500/.571, 0HR) shone.

Game 4 - Kununurra Pioneers vs Brisbane Bandits

Cook partially atoned for his expensive error last night with a solo homerun in the top of the 2nd, the first scoring act of the night. 1-0 Bandits. Next at-bat he redeemed himself further with another solo jack. 2-0 Brisbane.

The 9-1 lineup combination of Nishio and Booth produced 2 baserunners yet again in the 5th, Nishio singling and Booth patiently drawing a free pass. Stuart walked to load the bases. 3 outs still to go with the meat of the Bandits’ order coming up meant a prime opportunity for Brisbane to stamp their authority on the contest. Yano popped out to 3B. Blume walked in a run, accompanied by commentary aside of, “Well, that was his best bet, seeing as the ball looks like a peanut to him at the moment.” Blume was 1-12 so far in this series, his only hit a homerun back in Game 1.

Cook also walked, Norris not wanting to throw the double-homer hitter anything near the plate. 4-0 Brisbane and Norris’s night was done. Rupert Bethune struck out but Sam Richards punched a single up the middle, scoring 2. Woods popped out and the frame finished with the score 6-0. Norris (4.1IP, 5H, 6ER, 4BB, 2K) sat glumly in the dugout, undoubtedly contemplating why everybody in the crowd was cheering but he felt like mud.

On the other side of the mound Woodger looked comfortable through 5, giving up just 3 hits and 2 walks, his defence chiming in with 3 double-plays.

Nishio and Booth both singled to start off the 6th before Stuart went opposite-field down the LF line and into the seats. 3-run cannon shot and this game was Brisbane’s to lose. 9-0 Bandits.

An error in the bottom of the 6th extended Kununurra’s inning and Martinez took advantage to double home their first run. With the shutout broken up, Bandits’ skipper Timothy Donaldson decided not to risk Woodger’s arm and subbed him off. Woodger had gone 6.0 innings for 5 hits, 2 walks, 1 run, 0 earned runs, and 4 strikeouts.

The Bandits loaded the bases in the 8th, amongst which Cook drew his 3rd consecutive walk, nobody wanting to give him the chance at a 3-dinger game. A pair of pop-outs ended Brisbane’s chance to dish out more pain. Jose Martinez earned the long save with 3 innings of relief, Kununurra pretty toothless except for Guerin, who went 3-3 as well as being hit by a pitch. Final score: 9-1 Bandits to force a Game 5.

Cook went 2-2 with 2 homeruns and 3 walks.

Game 5 - Kununurra Pioneers vs Brisbane Bandits

Booth drove a 162 km/h Kathirithamby fastball wide of CF for a stand-up triple to begin the bottom of the 1st and was sac-flied home a batter later. Later that inning a 2-out error by 1B Rowe loaded the bases and Richards knocked 2 runners home with a single down the leftfield line. 3-0 Bandits.

A fantastic running catch by Booth ended the top of the 2nd and denied Elijah Lutz his first hit of the series and Kununurra at least 1 run.

Cook got hit for the second time in the game in the 3rd, sparking some comment that his bat-flip after his final homer in the last game might’ve raised the ire of the Kununurra players. Cook didn’t make a scene, however, instead waving the trainer off and jogging to 1B; both pitches that’d hit him were curveballs, incidentally. Cook had been hit 3 times this series, all by Kathirithamby. Bethune walked and the bases were loaded, Yano having singled earlier. Richards struck out and Woods flied out to centre to end the inning.

There were no issues for Thurgood through 5, the 27 y/o conceding just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 3. He’d thrown only 51 pitches, while Kathirithamby had thrown 100. Unsurprisingly, the Kununurra starter didn’t come out for the 6th, his figures 5.0IP, 4H, 3R, 1ER, 4BB, 3K.

Stuart singled a run home in the 6th before Yano went 1RBI better with his single. 6-0 Brisbane.

Finally, Kununurra broke their duck in the 8th, Collins hitting a solo homer over left. The lead returned to 6 in the bottom of the frame, Yano singling a run home. Thurgood took the mound for the 9th and gave up a leadoff double to Rowe. He recovered to get the final 3 outs and could now add complete postseason game to his list of career highlights. His match stats were 9.0IP, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 4K.

Final score: 7-1 Brisbane, a comprehensive comeback from being down 2-1 in the series.

Terence Stuart (.333/.375/.667, 2HR) took out Series’ MVP, driving in 11 runners. Norm Blume hit just .105/.261/.263.

Izz · 03-14-2018, 05:44 PM

2064 Preliminary Finals

Game 1 - Brisbane Bandits vs Cairns Crocs

The behemoth that was Matt Mulholland would duel with the much slighter but no less imposing Victor Doubleday.

Brisbane gave themselves a scoring opportunity straight away. Booth walked to begin the game, stole 2B off the next pitch and was advanced to 3B on a ground-out. Yano walked and then Blume found some form, sending a 2-2 changeup just far enough over left to give him a 3-run homer instead of a fly-out. 3-0 Brisbane, Doubleday throwing 35 pitches in the inning.

Nishio and Booth combined in the 2nd to give Brisbane runners at 1B and 2B with 1 out but Stuart ground into a 4-6-3 double-play to end the threat. The bottom of the 2nd saw a double-play of a different sort. Felino Saturno struck out swinging and Michael Baker was thrown out trying to steal 2B on the same play. Quizzical looks were exchanged with the dugout but Baker said after the game, “I read the call right, we just lacked a bit of execution, is all.”

Blume definitely had his strut back, dropping the head of his bat on a 3-2 fastball in the 3rd and sending it the distance over left-centre. 4-0 Brisbane.

Cairns loaded the bases with 2 away in the 4th and scored their first run after Ernan Pullenza took a pitch to the arm. That was all they could manage, Mulholland showing rare sportsmanship by asking both the hitters he plunked that inning if they were okay. 4-1 Brisbane.

With 1 out in the 5th Doubleday (4.1IP, 5H, 4ER, 5BB, 7K) surrendered his 5th walk of the night and was brought from the mound. He had such good stuff today he struggled to control it.

Mulholland (5.0IP, 4H, 1ER, 2BB, 3K) sat down for the 6th and Mario Correa greeted new pitcher Tommy Fomai with a leadoff solo homerun over left-centre. 4-2 Cairns, the Crocs well within striking distance.

In the bottom of the 7th, Miguel Ibanez singled and Chi-seong Lee’s sacrifice bunt was so well-placed it turned into a bunt-single. Ronald Aitken came to the plate and got a pitch to pull first up. He made sure of it, putting a 3-run tater into the RF stands and giving the Crocs the lead for the first time in the game. An out later Calvin Hodnett singled, bringing Correa to the plate. The 0-2 fastball was right in his wheelhouse and he didn’t miss. “Fogeddaboudit!” the commentator shouted, the ball landing on the stadium roof in left-centre. And just like that, the Crocs were up by 3. 7-4 Cairns in a 5-run hammer drop.

Richards began the 8th with a triple into the RF corner and scored an out later when Nishio ground out to short. Booth doubled but was left stranded. 7-5 Crocs.

Aaron Fingleson took the mound for the 9th, his form this season a sharp contrast to his struggles last campaign. Yano took 1 pitch to go down 6-3. Blume struck out swinging, as did Cook. Final score: 7-5 Cairns.

Game 1 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Auckland Metros

A fully-rested Dean would take on the pride of Auckland, Domenic Jones.

Both pitchers got through the first 2 unscathed, Jones giving up 3 hits and a walk, Dean 1 hit. In the bottom of the 4th John Foreman got a cutter on the outside half of the plate and sent it into the left-centre stands. 1-0 Auckland.

Christchurch locked it back up in the 5th thanks to Fookes’ 2-out RBI-double. A great catch by McMullen denied Auckland the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning, Dean making sure to give his RF a hearty pat on the rump for his efforts.

Jones (5.2IP, 6H, 1ER, 2BB, 6K) was subbed with a runner on 1B and 1 out to go in the 6th, and endured a nervous moment as his replacement gave up a single. But Zartuche could only fly out to CF to end the inning. A pair of 1-out singles in the bottom of the inning gave Auckland a prime chance to jump ahead but Dean made short work of the next 2 hitters.

Lopez led off the 7th with a single and advanced to 3B when Hauer’s trickler towards 1B somehow eluded the grasp of Foreman and found its way into right. Fookes cracked his second double of the night to score both runners and give Christchurch a 2-run buffer.

Richard Ashton singled home Cam Kline in the bottom of the frame, Auckland mounting a 2-out rally against a tiring Dean. Axel Zhou made good contact on a fly to centre but Corless had room to hunt it down for the final out of the inning. 3-2 Christchurch.

McMullen began the 8th with a single, was bunted to 2B and reached 3B when Lopez hit a ferocious single to centre. Hauer clipped a single into RF to drive home an insurance run. Fookes was doubled up, the score at the half-inning 4-2. Dean remained on the mound for the bottom of the 8th. He got the first 2 outs before Reginald Puckeridge singled. Quentin Welch then laid into a cutter over right and sent it the distance to tie this one up!

The very first pitch of the 9th was a chest-high fastball. Corless locked on and lifted off. His line-drive had just enough carry to find the seats beyond the RF fence. 5-4 Christchurch, Dean the first man out of the dugout to congratulate the 22 y/o. 2 outs later Russell Smith, preferred at catcher over Kimpton today due to his prowess against lefties, came to the plate. He was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 6 men left on base before now. All of that was quickly forgotten, however, when he drove a slider into the left-centre bleachers. 6-4 Christchurch with half an inning to play.

Carson, who’d blown the save last outing, had the assignment to shut down the league’s best offense. Declan Bagshaw struck out swinging. Cam Kline, 3-4 to this point, went down chasing a curveball in the dirt. Ashton sent an 0-1 fastball opposite field down the RF line but it curved foul at the last minute. 2 pitches later he was blown away. Final score: 6-4 Christchurch, Carson punching out the side and more than slightly happy about it.

The Cowboys put together 17 hits and 2 walks but struggled to convert chances. Dean (8.0IP, 12H, 4ER, 0BB, 4K) stayed in the game an inning too long and was a mixed bag even before the 8th.

Game 2 - Brisbane Bandits vs Cairns Crocs

A 2-base throwing error by SS Lee in the top of the 2nd gave Brisbane 2 runs - 1 would’ve scored regardless - and put a runner that should’ve been out in scoring position. Kent Wells knuckled down to get the final 2 outs but Brisbane found themselves with an unearned 2-run advantage.

Pullenza injured himself in the 3rd while in the process of taking an excellent tumbling catch that denied Bethune RBI and extra-bases. Turned out he'd sustained a sprained thumb and would be unlikely to take any further part in the postseason.

After 4 innings Wells had thrown 84 pitches, Woodger just 51. Wells (5.0IP, 6H, 2R, 0ER, 1BB, 7K) got through the 5th unscathed and was then subbed for Claudio Banda. Woodger was giving up deep flies in the bottom of the 6th but his outfield showed good range to hunt them down. However, they couldn’t hunt down Baker’s 2-out smash, the Cairns’ catcher launching a 2-run four-bagger to tie the game up. That inning was Woodger’s last of the night, for figures of 6.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 0BB, 7K.

Cairns loaded the bases with no outs in the 7th but were unable to capitalize, the SS taking a fine catch off a line-drive and then being the pivot man in a 4-6-3 double-play. Cook hit a 1-out triple in the 8th, which led to Bethune being given a free pass to set up the double-play. An out later Woods hit a sharp single to left to drive home the go-ahead run. 3-2 Brisbane.

Correa and Baker both managed 1-out singles in the bottom of the inning but Brisbane stranded them there, 5 pitchers combining to get the inning done.

Tai Hoi Kao strode out for the 9th. Aitken cracked a fastball deep to right-centre. Richards tracked it back into the shadow of the wall and took the catch. Ibanez’s drive into left found the base of the wall and he slid safely into 2B. Angus Beckett ground out 4-3 but Ibanez moved up to 3B. Peter Moy hit a 2-1 fastball right to CF to end the game.

Final score: 3-2 Brisbane, in a fight to the last out. Booth continued his hot postseason with a 3-4 night. His postseason BA was .462 and his OBP .600.

Game 2 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Auckland Metros

Hauer hit his third homerun of the postseason in the top of the 1st to put Christchurch up 1-0. Auckland wasted no time in equalizing, Foreman’s deep fly-out to CF bringing a runner home in the second half of the frame. 1-1 with 1 done.

Christchurch hit the most homeruns of any team during the regular season, and demonstrated again in the 3rd why a pitcher could never let his guard down against them. With the count 1-1 Clemens unleashed on a changeup that stayed up in the zone and sent it into the left-centre bleachers. 2-1 Christchurch.

In the bottom of the frame, a 2-out error extended the inning and gave Auckland 2 baserunners. Puckeridge brought them both home with a deep double to CF. 3-2 Metros. In his next at-bat Puckeridge went better than double, cracking a 2-run homerun to give Auckland a 3-run advantage.

The Cowboys got a run back in the 6th, Hauer’s third hit of the night an RBI-single. Auckland ended the inning by turning their fourth double-play of the contest. 5-3 Metros.

Kline hit a long RBI-double in the bottom of the inning to restore the 3-run advantage and send Montanez off to the showers. He then stole 3B and scored off Ashton’s single to left. New pitcher Robbie Chadfield hit Zhou, who exchanged a few words with him while removing his arm guard. Foreman then walked and the bases were juiced. Kimpton jogged from behind the plate to talk with his young pitcher and the words of wisdom helped, Chadfield making quick work of the next 2 hitters to get out of the inning. Montanez (5.1IP, 10H, 7R, 5ER, 2BB, 1K) had looked ineffective for much of his outing.

A wild pitch scored a Cowboys’ runner in the 7th to make the score 7-4 in Auckland’s favour. Chadfield hit his second batter in the bottom of the inning, Caspar Purcell the victim this time and also responding with a few choice words. An out later Kline belted the fourth homer of the night, Auckland’s advantage now 5.

Song Liang (7.0IP, 10H, 4ER, 1BB, 5K) took a seat for the final 2 innings and watched the relief get through without cause for panic. Final score: 9-4 Metros. The Cowboys ground into 5 double-plays.

Game 3 - Brisbane Bandits vs Cairns Crocs

Nelson Thurgood didn’t allow a hit through 3, while Kohei Kawamata gave up just 1 hit as well as hitting 1 batter. Baker led off the 4th with a single but didn’t progress any further than 1B.

A 1-out Richards’ triple in the bottom of the 5th, his second of the series, presented the first real scoring opportunity of the game and a walk later Nishio’s shallow pop-out to right was deep enough for Richards to tag up and score. 1-0 Brisbane.

After 6 Thurgood had given up just 3 hits and walked none, while Kawamata had also allowed 3 hits, while walking 1 and plunking 2. Ibanez fought his way to a 2-out walk in the top of the 7th and Thurgood’s night was done. He’d thrown 107 pitches. Chi-seong Lee immediately singled off the relief but Angus Beckett could only ground out to 3B. Thurgood (6.2IP, 3H, 0ER, 1BB, 4K) looked just as good today as he had in the complete Game 5 victory in the Division Finals.

The bottom of the 7th and top of the 8th passed in order, Kawamata still on the mound to begin the bottom of the 8th. Stuart became the third hit batter of the night, the Brisbane skipper strolling out to ask why the umpires hadn’t given Kawamata any warnings. The inning ended with a 2-6-3 double-play.

Kao appeared for the 9th, 1 run in the bank, the middle of Cairns’ lineup on show. Correa duked the first pitch of the inning between 1B and 2B for a single. Aitken walked and Kao paced the mound. Saturno hit one sharply up the middle. It was stopped by SS Nishio who flicked it to Cook for 1. The throw to 1B wasn’t in time, and the Crocs were a sac-fly or deep ground-out away from tying it up. Ibanez struck out on a massive curveball and Kao hollered into his glove. Lee fell behind 0-2 before fouling a changeup off. Next was a 160 km/h low in the zone. Lee was late on it, the ball spinning out in front of the plate. Bethune pounced and rifled to 1B. In time and Brisbane had held on to win it!

Final score: 1-0 Bandits, to give them a chance to win the series at home. Kawamata (8.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 1BB, 2K) threw as well as one could in a losing cause, both sides only managing a combined total of 8 hits.

Game 3 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Auckland Metros

Auckland jumped 2 runs ahead in the top of the 1st via the bat of John Foreman. The blast was Foreman’s fifteenth career postseason homer. Leo Walena latched onto a curveball very next pitch, sending it all the way over right. 3-0 Auckland.

Fookes battled 9 pitches in the bottom of the frame before hitting his second dinger of the postseason, this one worth 2 runs. 3-2 Metros in an action-filled 1st.

In the 3rd Ashton was thrown out at home after taking on Zartuche in left on a Zhou single. The Cowboys got runners to 2B and 3B in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t profit. Pankhurst struck out 3 in the 4th, allowing a 2-out single in between. Corless went yard to begin the bottom of the inning, flaying a high 2-0 fastball into the sea of spectator gloves in the leftfield seats. Tie game.

The Metros grabbed the lead back in the 6th, Caspar Purcell singling the go-ahead run home. Kline then delivered a 2-out 2-run triple to give Auckland some distance and send Pankhurst (5.2IP, 10H, 6ER, 2BB, 6K) to the showers.

Nelson Casey (5.1IP, 5H, 3ER, 4BB, 2K) was subbed after allowing a 1-out walk in the bottom of the inning. Zhou began the 7th with a double and scored 2 batter later. Robbie Chadfield recovered to strike out the side but a 4-run lead looked pretty big right now.

In the bottom of the 8th, Hauer went opposite field for a single before Fookes walked, giving Christchurch 2 runners with no outs. Corless popped out and Utting swung through a fastball in his wheelhouse. Kimpton bashed a single to left but hit it too hard for Hauer to try for home. With the bases loaded Clemens went down swinging at a low curve.

McMullen led off the bottom of the 9th with a ground-out to 1B. Zartuche was dismissed 4-3 and Lopez 5-3 for an inning of weak grounders. Final score: 7-3 Auckland, Zhou and Walena both going 3-5.

Game 4 - Brisbane Bandits vs Cairns Crocs

Booth led off the bottom of the 1st with a double to the rightfield corner. Stuart then followed up with a double to the leftfield corner, Doubleday again struggling to pick his spots. Yano singled to left before Blume tamely grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Stuart scored, however, to give Brisbane a quick 2-run lead.

Doubleday extended the 2nd inning with a 2-out throwing error, which was followed by a Nishio double. He got a chance to redeem himself, however, when Booth grounded back to him and he didn’t make the same mistake twice, this time setting himself before underhanding to 1B for the inning-ending out.

On the other side of the mound, Mulholland cruised through the first 3, giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk while fanning 4.

Blume singled home Stuart in the 3rd. Bethune’s single an out later juiced the bases, but Doubleday got out of the jam, first striking out Richards and then watching LF Jarod Boxsell make a fine running catch to dismiss Woods.

Cairns got back to within 1 in the 4th thanks to a 2-run homer from Hodnett. 3-2 Brisbane.

Nishio and Booth combined in the bottom of the frame with back-to-back singles. Nishio took on the throw to advance to 3B and did so safely, Booth trailing in his wake to 2nd. An out later Yano walked to load the bags. Brisbane had 10 hits and a walk already. Blume flied out to left and Nishio scored. Cook became Doubleday’s 5th strikeout victim and the Cairns’ fans scattered around the stadium breathed a sigh of relief that the damage wasn’t worse. 4-2 Brisbane. Would they rue these missed opportunities come the conclusion of this contest?

An error by Cook at 2B extended the top of the 5th and, as so often happened, runs came, Beckett blooping an RBI-single into left. 4-3 Brisbane.

Bethune opened the bottom of the frame with a double to deep centre. An out later Woods got just enough of a fastball to clear the leftfield fence. 2 runs on the board and Brisbane had a little bit of breathing space. Doubleday (4.1IP, 12H, 6ER, 1BB, 5K) trudged from the mound behind his skipper. This was his 4th postseason as a starter and he seemed to be getting worse each time. Mullholand (5.0IP, 4H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 5K) didn’t come out for the 6th but he could reflect much more happily on his outing.

Neither team troubled the scorers in the 6th or 7th. Beckett doubled to lead off the 8th and advanced to 3B on Boxsell’s soft ground-out. Baker flied out to CF and Beckett cantered home to reduce the deficit to 2. 6-4 Brisbane.

Booth singled in the bottom of the inning and advanced to 3B on a wild throw from Baker on his steal attempt. Stuart singled him home. Yano beat out the throw for an infield single. Blume’s liner was plucked out of the air by a leaping Lee at SS. Cook flied out to left and Ibanez tracked down Bethune’s fly to end the inning. 7-4 Brisbane.

Kao faced down Correa and struck out him on an inside changeup. Aitken drew a walk. Saturno continued his poor offseason with a fly out to CF before Ibanez was froze up by a curveball to strike out for the fourth time in the game. And, just like that, Cairns were done for the season.

Final score: 7-4 Bandits, and they'd knocked out the regular season's best team. Brisbane outhit Cairns 17-6, Booth going 4-5 and Stuart and Yano 3-for. They'd progressed to the Championship despite Blume and Cook both hitting less than .200 for the postseason thus far.

Many had feared the Crocs would be let down in the playoffs by their pitching but the opposite came to pass. Their offense struggled, the 7 runs they put up in Game 1 the most they could manage in the series. The Crocs had now played in 6 of the last 7 postseasons without winning any rings. Cairns’ skipper Raul Guerra didn’t have much to offer when interviewed post-match. “Back to the drawing board, I guess. We’re good enough, there’s no doubt about that, but we just haven’t quite done it yet. We will though, rest assured!”

Booth (.600/.684/.733, 0HR) was deservedly named Series’ MVP, his postseason stat-line sitting at .486/.591/.714 heading into the Championship Series.

Game 4 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Auckland Metros

Dean would have to be at his best, as would his defence behind him, if Christchurch were any chance of sending the series to Game 5.

He rushed through the top of the 1st in 6 pitches, while a 4-6-3 double-play helped Jones avoid any damage in the bottom of the inning.

The 2nd didn’t start so well, Foreman crunching his third homer of the series over right-centre, Dean shaking his head as he watched it go. Utting delivered Christchurch’s first hit of the night in the bottom of the 3rd but was quickly sent packing thanks to another double-play. McMullen followed with a double down the 3B line and Zartuche’s hot shot up the middle scored him. 1-1 after 3.

Auckland went back ahead in the 5th, though a double-play off the plate meant nobody got credited with the RBI. 2-1 Metros.

Kimpton, a late inclusion against southpaw Jones, got a slider to hit in the bottom of the 5th and sent it high, wide and handsome over left-centre. It was worth 2 runs, Clemens having doubled off the first pitch of the inning. A throwing error put McMullen on 2B and then Zartuche legged it out on a weak grounder towards short to get to 1B without a throw, McMullen coasting into 3B. The Auckland infield had a quick huddle, Foreman with some words of wisdom, before returning to their positions to face Lopez, who’d already ground into 3 double-plays this series. Christchurch avoided that fate this time around thanks to a Zartuche steal. Lopez then flied out to right but it wasn’t deep enough for McMullen to take on Kline’s strong arm. Hauer sent a groundball hurtling towards the 1B hole. Foreman dived across, knocked it down, barehanded it and tossed to Jones covering at 1B. “Out!” came the call and Hauer couldn’t believe it. Skipper Marcus Kent was out of the dugout and between his star and the umpire in a flash. Argument ensued and Kent was tossed. Hauer, meanwhile, had been restrained and led away to the dugout by Zartuche and Lopez. 3-2 Christchurch, their fans sending a bevy of boos at the 1B umpire.

With 2 out in the top of the 6th and the count 2-2 on Puckeridge, Dean sent a fastball too far inside and hit the catcher on the arm. Words were exchanged but Kimpton got in front of Puckeridge before he could charge the mound. After a few more moments Puckeridge threw down his bat and gloves and walked very slowly to 1B. The drama didn’t stop there. Welch got a 1-2 curveball low and outside but somehow managed to send it bubbling over right-centre and into the seats. 2-run homerun and Puckeridge spent his whole trot around the bases chattering at Dean’s back. 4-3 Metros, the air around the stadium crackling with tension.

Corless was thrown out stealing in the bottom of the inning, the crowd thunderous in their displeasure.

Dean (6.2IP, 9H, 4ER, 0BB, 7K) was pulled after 2 outs in the 7th with a runner on 3B, CF Corless then making a fine running catch to end the inning and keep Christchurch in touch. Puckeridge got a round of abuse from the crowd before his next at-bat in the 8th and when he grounded out 6-3 the jeers were even louder.

Christchurch retired in order in the bottom of the 8th and Carson came out for the 9th, the Cowboys desperately wanting to keep things close. The young closer struck out the side, and the “Cowboys” chant that went around the ground as Fookes prepared in the on-deck circle was deafening. Owen Donovan, who’d lost the opening game of the series, took the mound. Fookes hit a 1-0 fastball into centre for a leadoff single. Corless hit a fly deep to centre and for a moment the crowd was silent in expectation. But it didn’t have the legs, Zhou gloving it on the warning track. Clemens got frozen up by a slider to strike out. Utting let a low 2-2 changeup go and was livid when it was called strike 3. Series over, replays suggesting the call could’ve gone either way. Puckeridge gave Utting a patronizing helmet rub on his way to celebrate with his teammates and for a second it appeared that Utting might chase him down. But he took a deep, shuddering breath and instead walked to the dugout to join his similarly pained teammates.

Final score: 4-3, and both these teams wouldn’t forget this spiteful series in a hurry.

Jones (8.0IP, 7H, 3ER, 1BB, 3K) only threw 85 pitches, the Cowboys’ hitters opting for aggression against him. Kline (.444/.444/.833, 1HR) was named Series’ MVP. He had an extra-base hit in every game.

Izz · 03-21-2018, 06:58 PM

2064 Championship - Brisbane Bandits vs Auckland Metros

Preview - courtesy of The Professor and Friends - A Baseball Show

For this year’s Championship Series Preview Show, Alan Sneddon was joined by 61 y/o Carl Spruijt.

Spruijt was one of the early ‘baseball refugees,’ hailing from what was known pre-War as The Netherlands. He found his way to Australia around 2020, and made his big-league debut as an 18 y/o in 2022 for Adelaide. In 2028 he was traded to Brisbane midseason and played a part in their run to Championship glory that year. He then became the league’s youngest ever free agent, at just 25 years of age.

He played in the majors until 2033, hitting .273/.307/.374, with 72 homeruns from 1402 hits. Spruijt officially retired from the game in 2035 and very soon found a place at the newly formed Out of the Park Baseball TV. He’d worked there ever since, bar a 2-year stint as Adelaide’s PA announcer across 2045-2046. He later said about that job, “Some guys love it. Personally, I found it the most boring thing ever. It was just so repetitive. All the fun stuff, like collecting lineup cards and giving the managers and umpires a hard time before the game, was done by assistants, so all I had to do was bellow stuff out over the loudspeaker. Not that, like now, anybody actually listened to what I was saying, anyway.”

Spruijt has featured in this history before, in excerpts taken from a discussion panel show called Two-Platoon during the 2036 offseason.

AS: Welcome to this Championship Preview edition of The Professor and Friends. Today I’m joined by a familiar face to everybody who watches OotPB TV, Carl Spruijt. Welcome along, Carl!

CS: *facing camera* Just so you know folks, this was mandatory. I was threatened with the sack if I didn’t come on today.

AS: *laughs*

CS: I mean, look at this guy. He’s been retired, what, a year? And he’s already got his own show. Nightly. Can you believe that? A nightly show for a guy who’s still in his broadcasting diapers. And then there are guys like me, who’ve done their dues for 30 years and have got to queue up just to be this guy’s guests once a year.

AS: So which is it? Did you queue up, or were you told you’d get fired if you didn’t come on?

CS: *grins* And so my story unravels. Anyway, Alan, what do you make of this postseason so far?

AS: Hey, that’s my question!

CS: And I thought I asked it beautifully, thank you.

AS: *facing camera and shuffling papers* The things I have to put up with as the new guy.

CS: *snorts* Golden boy, more like. Anyway, it’s been, as always, a fun-filled postseason. I really thought -

AS: By the way folks, we don’t really hate each other. At least not yet. Truth is, I’ve been trying to get Carl on the show for ages but he’s always busy with other commitments. Or at least that’s what he always tells me.

CS: *winks at camera*

AS: Sorry Carl, you were saying?

CS: So gracious. Thank you, you well-mannered young man. I was saying I thought Kununurra might dump Brisbane in the Division Finals. Nobody would’ve expected it, even though they only finished 2 games back in the East-West. I guess it’s that they’re lacking any real stars, Blair Norris aside, though the Kununurra fans can never seem to make up their mind as to whether he’s a star or a brat, while the Bandits appear packed to the rafters with them at the moment. Stars I mean. I couldn't possibly comment on the others. At any rate, the Pioneers took it to Game 5 but didn’t front when it counted so didn’t deserve to move on.

AS: The other series?

CS: Went about as expected. Melbourne deserved to be in the playoffs, definitely, but it would’ve been the upset of the century if they’d done in Christchurch.

AS: Next year?

CS: I don’t know. Look, they’ve made the postseason two years running, which is great for them, though admittedly they’ve done so in what has become the weakest division in the league. In all fairness to them, they’ve built a good squad. Thing is, they just don’t seem to have it come the postseason. It didn’t help that Blackwell was throwing the game of his life in Game 1 and then tore his UCL. You could just see the team’s morale drop and then when the Cowboys hit that walk-off Grand Slam, well, it was to Melbourne’s credit that they fought so hard the next 2 games.

AS: I thought they were unlucky actually. They could just as easily have been the team sweeping the series if a few things fell their way instead of Christchurch’s.

CS: Fair point. But long story short, they got dumped out in straight sets and to anybody skimming through baseball history books in 50 years that’s all they’ll see.

AS: So, Prelim Finals. Did you pick Brisbane to beat Cairns?

CS: Honestly? No. In hindsight though, it shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was. The Bandits are a pretty good pitching unit, while Cairns isn’t, and the Bandits are sharp in the field, too, while Cairns were surprisingly quite sloppy across the season. And the Crocs are full of sluggers. If a couple of them hit a bad patch of form the wheels will fall off the team wagon and that’s essentially what happened. Brisbane’s main men, Blume and Cook, weren’t in great touch either but they got enough from the guys around them and their pitchers to pull it off.

AS: Blume hit .286/.353/.714 in the series, with 2 homers. Certainly not terrible!

CS: Yes, that’s true. And he drove in almost half of their runners, so he got important hits. Still, he wasn’t the imposing plate presence we expect him to be.

AS: He hasn’t been all season though, has he? OPS of less than .800, while playing every game. Quite a down year heading into free agency.

CS: If he’s front and centre in a Brisbane Championship win none of that will matter.

AS: Fair point. The Auckland-Christchurch series?

CS: I know that, despite Auckland winning the NZ Division, Christchurch had the better stats across the season but I picked Auckland to win and they came through.

AS: I know. Most of the rest of us picked Christchurch.

CS: You were all blinded by the Dean factor.

AS: But, but, Barry Dean!

CS: Yeah, he’ll go down as one of, if not the, best, for sure. But...

AS: But?

CS: Dean can’t win 3 games in a 5-game series. And with the injury in March to Roy Blake, the Cowboys were underdone. If I were them, I would’ve started Chadfield ahead of either Pankhurst or Montanez but even then I think it would’ve been a struggle. Especially as it turned out that Dean didn’t throw particularly great either. His FIP was over 5, so it wasn’t a case of his defence letting him down. He gave up at least 9 hits in each of his postseason starts, and 2 homers per game, too. That shouldn’t have been unexpected, though, should it? After all, this was his first real postseason and the weight of expectation sitting squarely on his shoulders was huge. Ace for the defending champs, everybody in Christchurch talking about how he’s going to make them the new Venom, and so on.

AS: How will the Cowboys go next season?

CS: They’re losing a few pitchers this free agency, and I don’t think they can afford to be as wild as they were last year, signing every free agent with a pulse, but they’ll play postseason ball, I’m sure. Chadfield’s going to be a star, and Dean’s off contract at the end of next season so you can be sure he’ll be going full banana to push his value through the roof.

AS: So, in short, the two best teams are about to play for the Championship. Does that about sum it up for you?

CS: Well, whoever the two teams are contesting the Championship Series, they will be the two best teams, just by reason of survival. But yes, I do think the two most deserving teams are there this year.

AS: *rolls eyes with a grin* Semantics, semantics.

CS: Much like advanced stats, semantics are very important. Sometimes.

AS: *laughs* So, let’s dissect the Bandits and Metros. First up, Brisbane. What is your overall impression of them, Carl?

CS: Well, the impression my eye gives me is that they’re a team full of guys who are pretty to watch at the plate and pitchers who are honest toilers but not much more. But sometimes our eyes can be mistaken, can’t they?

AS: Yep, they sure can. Brisbane are just mid-range offensively, with only 2 guys hitting above .300 over the season. I know Booth missed the qualifying mark for a full season by 2 plate appearances but I’m going to include him anyway.

CS:: And while they’ve got Yano, Blume and Cook in the meat of their lineup, that’s where all their power is, unlike a few other teams who seem to have power from 2-8.

AS: Do their pitchers match your eye test?

CS: Again, not really. Their starters had the sixth-best ERA in the league, so I guess that’s mid-range, but their bullpen was fourth-best, and they allowed the third-least hits and the fourth-least homeruns. So they’re actually a lot stronger of a pitching unit than I think a lot of fans give them credit for. The stats say, in fact, that their pitching is better than their hitting, even if it’s their hitters who get all the attention.

AS: There are, however, 2 areas their staff does struggle. Walks and strikeouts. Eleventh-best for both of those, which is not usually a great combination for success.

CS: No, it’s usually not. But here they are. Their excellent defensive efficiency - third-best - is probably a big help there.

AS: I want to talk about their hitting a bit more. I agree, it’s really weird looking at their overall stats for the season because the impression I have when I see their lineup is ‘Hot damn!’

CS: What makes you exclaim so, Alan?

AS: Blume, Yano and Cook probably, as you mentioned earlier. Booth as well, even if I’m scared he’s going to hurt himself every time he swings the bat.

CS: Yeah, those first 3 you mentioned definitely look sexy at the plate. Booth not so much but he’ll fight every pitch you throw him, and the rest of the team feeds off his energy.

AS: And still, despite all that, Brisbane were down in the bottom half of the competition in walks earned -

CS: Tenth, 480.

AS: - and only 6th in BA and 8th in runs scored.

CS: So how did they get this far, then?

AS: Their pitching and defence?

CS: Yes, plus they play for each other. That’s not quantifiable and a lot of the younger stats-heads will tell me it’s a load of codswallop but you look at that clubhouse and they all love being part of that team and celebrate each other’s successes as if they were their own. That's what got them past Cairns when another team who wasn’t so in-tune would’ve been sent packing.

AS: So that’s Brisbane. They have no major injury concerns. Jesus Solis, but he wouldn’t have been in the postseason rotation anyway. Carl, overall impressions of Auckland?

CS: Well, we all know what your thoughts on Auckland are, don’t we?

AS: *laughs* Yeah we do. I spent most of the season saying their front office was a mess and didn’t know whether they wanted to win or not.

CS: And how do you feel now?

AS: In all honesty? Mostly the same. Look, I’m not saying they don’t deserve to be here. They have a fantastic pitching unit when their starters are fit, especially given they play half their games in hitter-friendly Metropolis. And to begin the year they had Rich Downes, Callum McCabe, Axel Zhou, more than enough young stars to offset Andre Wiltshire heading for greener pastures. Sure they’ve still got McCabe, though he won’t play any part in this series, and Zhou, but a lot of their moves this season left me confused.

CS: Interestingly, Downes hit just 11 homeruns this year, down from 33 last year.

AS: That could be attributed to the turbulence of going from being the face of a franchise to having to pack up and play for the worst team in baseball.

CS: It could...

AS: You think he’s an early decliner? He’s only 28.

CS: Yes and no. I think he’ll hit more than 11 homers next year but I do think he’s on the downward trajectory of his bell-curve. He reminds me of that 1B who came through with Wellington in the 2040s, Quentin Stennings. Won Rookie of the Year and everybody was saying ‘Hold onto your hats, here’s the next big thing.’ Took home Slugger of the Year 2 seasons later, again 2 seasons after that but by 30 years-old was on his way out of the league. Never got to 2000 hits or 300 homers and just faded away to the BL where he couldn’t even consistently crack their first-grade side.

AS: Well, I guess we’ll see. I also guess I need to eat some humble pie on the trade that got Auckland Quentin Welch from Adelaide. Hit .281/.368 after coming across, so gave them some value down the stretch. And he hit .333/.375/.733 with 2 homeruns in the series against Christchurch. So I suppose GM Chin’s decision to bring another veteran presence across for the playoff run wasn’t a bad one. Though I still think not trading for him would’ve been the better option.

CS: I think Auckland have given a pretty good account of themselves. They struggled for most of the season to have their best starting pitchers healthy, as was evidenced by their ninth-overall starters’ ERA, but still managed to win enough games to have the second-best record in the league.

AS: Fair point. And their bullpen, despite playing in a hitters’ park, was the absolute best in the league.

CS: Even though they didn’t settle on a closer until midway through the campaign!

AS: And even though Zhou and McCabe spent decent stints on the DL they still managed the best BA in the league.

CS: Now you’re getting it. Most hits, second-best OBP, even if they had fourth-least walks, second-best OPS, fourth-most runs, pitchers who struck out more batters than any other team bar one.

AS: As a complete aside, did you know that the Darwin Diggers played in a staggering 59 games decided by 1 run this season, more than any other team, and had a record of 36-23 in those games, and yet still didn’t make the postseason?

CS: That just confirms to me that they weren’t really that good. Anyway, I like the Metros. I think they’re a pretty well-balanced team. They won’t be a well-balanced team if they keep the same roster next season but they are for winning right now. They’d be better with McCabe but they brushed off the Cowboys easily enough without him so I don’t think they’ll lack any confidence going into this series.

AS: Apart from McCabe they’re injury free. Well, Ferry Schalk’s still at least 4 months away after his Tommy John but he hurt himself during spring so didn’t play any part in the season proper.

CS: Should be a tight contest, then.

AS: Agreed. So, who do you see winning it?

CS: Well, Auckland had the wood over Brisbane in the regular season, 9-3.

AS: So the Metros for you then.

CS: Not so fast. Let me mull this over a bit. Auckland also had the better regular season record, though 3 games across 162 isn’t a massive difference. But Brisbane handled their first 2 postseason assignments with aplomb, dominating in a must-win Game 5 Division Final, and coming through against the best regular season team, the Crocs, while looking pretty assured in the process.

AS: My impression watching the Brisbane-Cairns series was that no lead Brisbane had was ever safe.

CS: Probably because of how the Crocs won Game 1. But the Bandits learned from that, and while the same thing almost happened in Game 2, it didn’t. Game 3 was just a good pitching duel, while Game 4 they never looked in trouble.

AS: So Brisbane are your pick, then?

CS: No. I think I’ll go Auckland.

AS: What tips the scales in their favour?

CS: John Foreman. He’s got something to prove. Last year Kununurra were picked preseason to be in the playoffs. Foreman started slow for them and got traded to Wellington. He wasn’t happy about that, if you’ll recall, though he was a lot happier when he played a part in tipping Kununurra out of playoff contention late in the season. Back in 2060 the Central Coast, another contending team, traded him to Cairns, who missed the playoffs that year. So twice in recent memory he’s been the guy contenders have used as trade bait to strengthen their roster down the stretch.

AS: And this year it went the other way.

CS: Yep, so he’ll be eager to show that he’s a guy who can help a team bring home the bacon. He went deep 3 times against Christchurch from 5 hits, and they were all angry homers, I reckon, just ‘get the hell outta here and show all those doubters what I really am’ shots.

AS: Okay, so look out for some Angry Foremans during the Championship Series. Heh, I think I might start throwing that into commentary. ‘Hey, there’s goes a 450-foot Angry Foreman, just snarling all the way to top tier.’

CS: Whatever floats your boat, Alan.

AS: Long or short series?

CS: At least 6 games. Actually, here we go, Auckland in 7, Foreman to win it with a walk-off in the 11th. Well, I’m serious about the first bit, anyway. And who are you picking?

AS: I’m going Brisbane, just because you went Auckland. And because I think Blume and Cook are going to wake up and crush it this series. Also, I expect to see Yano clear the fences a couple times. He’s due.

CS: How many games?

AS: They’ll do it in 6.

CS: How about a friendly wager?

*camera pans out to long-distance shot and music starts to play in the background*

AS: *raised voice* And that’s all the previewing we have time for folks. Tune in tomorrow night for the wash-up of Game 1. After the break we’ll watch a highlight package of the best moments of Brisbane’s regular season and playoff run.

#

The official OotPB TV pick was the same as Sneddon’s - Brisbane in 6 - primarily because this was Auckland’s first postseason in 17 years.

Game 1

Brisbane would send out southpaw Sebastian Woodger (12-9, 3.67 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 1.27 WHIP) to tackle the Metros. He’d thrown exactly 6 innings in each of his 3 postseason starts thus far this season, for a 2-0 record at 2.50 ERA, 3.59 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP. He’d also struck out 18 in 18 innings while only walking 2. He would be up against Song Liang (4-6 from 15 starts, 4.50 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 1.35 WHIP), who had recovered well from an inflamed rotator cuff. In his single postseason start this year he’d gone 7 innings for 4 earned runs, giving up 2 homers.

Booth began the game by punching an 0-1 fastball into centre for a double. Stuart then sent a double into the left-centre alley and Brisbane were on the board before most of the home fans were back from queueing up for beer and hot chips. Yano struck out but Blume singled to left to put runners on the corners. Cook could only ground into a U6-3 double-play to end the inning. 1-0 Brisbane.

The bottom of the frame started with Kline and Walena both walking and was followed by a double-steal attempt. Bethune threw the ball into leftfield and Kline streaked home. 1-1, a runner at 3B without a hit or an out. Zhou doubled to left to score Walena and the Metros took the lead, Woodger pacing the mound. An out later Zhou stole 3B, the Metros applying the heat early. Puckeridge walked and the pitching coach strolled out to calm Woodger down. It didn’t work. The next pitch was a curveball in the middle of the zone and Welch singled another run home. Purcell flied out and Ashton struck out and the inning was done, Woodger throwing 35 pitches in the process of giving up 3 runs. 3-1 Auckland.

Kline singled with 1 out in the bottom of the 2nd before Richards dropped a regulation fly to allow Walena aboard. Brisbane looked rattled. Woodger got out of the jam without penalty but he’d already thrown 59 pitches.

Leading off the top of the 3rd Nishio bunted down the 3B line for a single but could progress no further.

Kline kept getting in the game, taking a nice catch in the rightfield corner shadow to deny Blume a leadoff hit in the 4th. He couldn’t reach Cook’s drive into the alley though, Cook coasting into 2B. With 2 outs Richards lined Brisbane’s fourth double in 4 innings into the leftfield alley, scoring Cook. Woods’ single kicked off 2B Welch’s glove before reaching the outfield. Richards raced home and the game was tied. Nishio kept the inning alive with a single and then Booth flicked a single past 1B to score Woods. 4-3 Bandits in the middle of the 4th.

Woodger was still nervous, his throw to 1B off Bagshaw’s comebacker in the bottom of the inning pulling Blume off the bag. Nimble of mind as well as body, Blume tagged Bagshaw to get the out.

In the 5th, with 1 out, Blume got a forkball first up and punished it over left and into the bleachers. 5-3 Brisbane. They had 10 hits to Auckland’s 4.

Foreman made it a 1-run game in the bottom of the frame with his fourth 'Angry Foreman' of the postseason. 5-4 Bandits.

With 1 out in the 7th Stuart singled past 1B. Yano struck out and with the count 2-1 on Blume, Stuart swiped 2B. The move worked, Blume continuing his good night with an RBI-single up the middle. Liang (6.2IP, 12H, 6ER, 0BB, 4K) came from the mound, replaced by Martin Booth who got Cook to ground out 5-3. Brisbane had given themselves a 2-run buffer.

Woodger (6.0IP, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 4K) made it 4 postseason games in a row where he’d thrown exactly 6 innings. He’d recovered well from his nervous start. He was replaced by Beau Wellby, who’d thrown 6 innings in relief for 4 earned runs. Kline sent a 1-0 fastball towards the right-centre fence but Richards showcased his skill, leaping at the wall and coming down with the ball in his glove. Walena singled and then Zhou went tater-tot over left to tie the game up. Wellby was replaced by Tommy Fomai, whose postseason ERA was 8.44. Foreman somehow made it to 1B safely on his chopper down the 3B line and flapped his arms at the crowd. They obliged with a cacophony of cheers and applause. Puckeridge then ground into a 5-4-3 double-play to shut the crowd up. 6-6 after 7.

Anastasio Candelaria came out to pinch-hit, his first appearance of the postseason, with 2 outs in the 8th and got plunked. Matt Cusack also came out as a pinch-hitter but ground out to end the inning.

Welch hit the first pitch of the bottom of the 8th, a 160 km/h fastball, to CF for a regulation fly out. Purcell hit the next pitch, another 160 km/h fastball, into the leftfield alley for a double. Brent Dwyer came out to pitch-hit and was sent to 1B. Tommy Worsfold followed as another pinch-hitter and hit a crisp single up the middle. Purcell scored without a throw and Auckland had the lead. Kline flied out. Walena walked, the bases now loaded, Fomai still on the mound. Zhou hammered a single to left and Dwyer scored an insurance run. Now Fomai was marched, replaced by Scott McAuley. Foreman took his place at the plate, every part of his stance menacing. He fouled off the first pitch. Missed the second. Got hold of the third and McAuley didn’t even bother to look. It wasn’t Foreman’s longest homerun but it might just be his biggest. Grand Slam! 12-6 Auckland after an 8th-inning eruption!

Booth stayed on for the 9th and the Bandits went down in order.

Final score: 12-6 Auckland. Foreman went 3-5, with 2 homers, 2 runs and 5 ribbies. Zhou also went 3-5, for 3 runs and 4RBI, his hits including a double and a dinger. Blume went 3-4 for Brisbane, including a homerun. Auckland didn’t walk a single hitter.

Game 2

Brisbane put their best pitcher this postseason, Nelson Thurgood (14-12, 4.55 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.36 WHIP), on the mound for this one. He was 2-1 from 3 playoff starts, with a 2.89 ERA, 4.70 FIP, and 0.96 WHIP. In his last start he’d gone 6.2 innings for just 3 hits, 1 walk and no runs. He would take on Nelson Casey (11-7, 3.93 ERA, 4.21 FIP, 1.37 WHIP), the weak link in Auckland’s postseason rotation. Casey threw 6 pitches, though 4 of them were different types of fastball, and relied on above-average movement to keep hitters off-balance. His HR/9 across the season was a career best at 0.6, the first time in his big-league career that he’d given up less than 1 homer per 9 innings in a season.

Casey didn’t have the most auspicious start, hitting Booth on the shin after getting ahead 1-2 to begin the 1st. Stuart advanced Booth on a ground-out and an out later Blume singled him home to once again give the Bandits the early advantage. A wild pitch moved Blume into scoring position and he duly scored off Cook’s single to left. 2-0 Brisbane.

Bottom of the inning, Kline led off with a bunt-single but got doubled up 4-6-3.

Thurgood struggled with his control in the 3rd, hitting 2 batters on the way to loading the bases with 2 outs. Zhou, the second batter hit, had a few words to say to the catcher before he took 1B. Foreman came to the plate and the crowd roared. He dispatched the 1-0 pitch solidly into RF for a single, and 1 runner came home. Walena got a fastball he could pull on the 8th pitch of his at-bat and sent it down the rightfield line. Richards tracked it back to the wall, jumped... and came down empty. Another slammer and Auckland had snatched back the lead! 5-2 Metros after 3, the Brisbane fielders looking decidedly dejected on their way to the dugout for the change of inning.

Cook led off the 4th with a single and Bethune fought his way to a walk. Richards hit a weak grounder back to the pitcher but Auckland could only turn the first half of the double-play. Runners at the corners with 1 away. Woods singled to right and Cook scored. Richards wheeled it to 3B, diving in safe. Nishio hit an RBI-single up the middle and the Brisbane dugout was back to smiling and chattering. 5-4 Auckland.

Brisbane yanked Thurgood (3.0IP, 5H, 5ER, 0BB, 1K) for the 4th, replacing him with William Christian.

Kline tripled to start the bottom of the 5th, his drive finding the longest part of centrefield. Ashton ground out 5-3 but Brisbane couldn’t stop Kline from scoring. 6-4 Metros.

Casey’s (5.0IP, 7H, 4ER, 1BB, 3K) night was done after 5, rookie Gavin Main taking his place. Main’s only other postseason outing was a 1.2 inning affair in Auckland’s only loss to Christchurch, where he gave up 8 hits for 3 runs. With 2 outs, Nishio singled and Booth got aboard after Foreman couldn’t handle a grounder down the 1B line. Stuart singled up the middle to make it a 1-run game but Yano could only fly out to left to end the inning. He was now 0-9 in this series. 6-5 Auckland.

Bagshaw became the third Auckland batter to get hit in the bottom of the inning, giving the Metros runners at 1B and 2B with 2 away. Kline walked and the bases were loaded. Jose Martinez came to the mound and got the final out of the inning via a tame fly to CF.

The top of the 7th saw Blume given out 5-3 in a very tight play before SS Ashton pulled off a diving catch to grab Cook’s drive up the middle. Bethune’s chopper to 3B saw him easily thrown out to end the frame.

3B Woods also pulled off a fine diving catch in the bottom of the inning to dismiss Zhou. Foreman’s ground ball found space between Woods and the SS, seeing him safely aboard for his third hit of the night. Walena singled to right and Foreman hustled into 3B. Puckeridge struck out. Welch hit a slow bouncer towards 1B. Blume hustled in, flipped it to Martinez and the call was safe. Blume couldn’t believe it but the umpire was unmoved. Foreman scored. Purcell punched a single through the infield into leftfield and Walena scored from 2B. Martinez was replaced by Wellby who froze up Bagshaw for an inning-ending strikeout. 8-5 Brisbane after 7.

Booth came to the mound for Auckland in the 8th, hoping to keep his postseason ERA at 0.00. Richards singled to left. Woods hit one back to the pitcher who started a 1-6-3 double-play. Nishio singled to right and Booth was replaced by Xavier Morrall. Booth ground out to 2B to end the inning.

Auckland retired in order in the bottom of the inning and Donovan came out for the top of the 9th. Stuart ground out to 1B. Yano finally got a base hit and made it a worthwhile one, tripling into the leftfield corner. Blume struck out looking a slider and Cook couldn’t find space wide of 3B to go down 5-3.

Final score: 8-5 Auckland, and they were creating all the big moments so far. Foreman went 3-4 to be hitting .667 for the series. Nishio’s 3-4 gave him a .714BA for the 2 games thus far.

Game 3

For the first game of Brisbane’s home stand, Auckland sent out their ace, southpaw Domenic Jones (16-8, 3.46 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.13 WHIP). He’d been pretty efficient in his 2 starts against Christchurch, going 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA, 3.39 FIP, and 1.17 WHIP). Like his fellow postseason starting pitchers and many of the bullpen, this was his first playoff campaign but he wasn’t fazed one iota. “Yep, we’re favourites,” he said in a pre-game interview, “and deservedly so. We might drop one or two but I honestly can’t see us getting beat.” Jones would face off against Matt Mulholland (12-10, 3.91 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 1.28 WHIP), who leveraged every centimetre of his 6’11” frame to good effect. He was 1-1 from 3 playoff starts, his ERA 3.46, FIP 3.55, and WHIP 1.31.

Zhou cracked a 2-out double in the top of the 1st and Foreman walked but Auckland couldn’t turn the baserunners into runs.

Jones didn’t allow a baserunner through the first 2 innings, finishing the 2nd in 6 pitches, while Mulholland picked up 4 first-ball outs in 3 innings (he also gave up 2 first-ball hits). It was 3 up, 3 down again for Jones in the bottom of the 3rd, Woods’ first-ball pop-out sandwiched by strikeouts.

Mulholland responded with a pair of strikeouts of his own in the top of the 4th, this game a real pitcher’s duel so far. Booth led off the bottom of the inning with the Bandits’ first hit, a roller past 1B that kept on rolling to the wall. Leadoff triple and the Bandits had the opportunity to open the scoring for the third game in a row. Stuart whacked a grounder up the middle for a single and Brisbane had the lead. 1-0 Bandits after 4.

Following the pattern of the first 2 games of this series, Brisbane didn’t hold their lead for long. Welch led off the 5th with a fly to right-centre that landed 435 feet away from home-plate. Tie game.

Ashton led off the top of the 6th with a single to left and Zhou showed composure to go from 1-2 to a walk. Foreman made poor contact and was thrown out 4-3 but advanced both runners. With memories of Game 2’s deal breaking Grand Slam, Walena was walked, thus setting up the double-play but also loading the bags. Puckeridge continued his dismal postseason with a strikeout - he was yet to get a hit in this series - and Welch ground out up the middle. Missed opportunity for the Metros, Brisbane surely buoyed by being able to keep the threat contained.

A 2-out error at 3B in the bottom of the inning saw Stuart safe at 1B but Walena redeemed himself next batter, throwing a bullet to retire Yano and end the inning.

Mulholland notched strikeout number 7 in the 7th but then hit pinch-hitter Cong Pi to give Auckland a free baserunner. Kline singled to centre as did Ashton, the bases loaded once more. Wellby trotted out to replace Mulholland, his postseason 7.04 ERA not encouraging, though the fact he hadn’t allowed 5 inherited runners to score balancing that out somewhat. Zhou just needed 1 pitch to break that streak, however, his soft single to right plating the go-ahead run. Foreman came to the plate and the commentators wondered hopefully if he might hit another Championship Series Slam. He did not, grounding a 2-2 fastball into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. 2-1 Brisbane, Mulholland (6.1IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K) looking at a loss.

Cook managed a 1-out infield single on a high-hopper to 3B, only the fourth hit Jones had given up so far. Bethune slogged one deep to right but Kline tracked it back and pulled off an over-the-shoulder catch, earning loud applause from his pitcher. Richards ground out to 2B and Auckland remained in the lead.

Wellby nailed Puckeridge in the ribcage with 1 out in the top of the 8th and Puckeridge faced the pitcher down for a few moments before heading to 1B. The umpire gave Wellby a warning, the pitcher responding with a shrug. As the Cowboys’ fans had, the Bandits’ crowd on the 1B side gave Puckeridge plenty of lip, the Auckland catcher somehow an easy target for the ire of opposition fans. Welch’s groundball back to the catcher resulted in a force-out at 2B, the fans giving Puckeridge more stick as he circled back to the dugout. Purcell struck out and the inning was over.

Bottom of the inning, and Jones, who’d only thrown 86 pitches to this point, retired Woods 1-3 for the first out. Nishio ground out to short but Booth lined a single to left. Stuart doubled over the head of the rightfielder and Booth scampered all the way home from 1B. Tie game again, Jones shaking his head in frustration. Yano flied out to right and the inning was done. 2-2 the score heading into the 9th.

Kao struggled to find the zone to Pi, walking him on 5 pitches. Kline chased a couple bad ones to strike out and Ahston also went down swinging, unable to get in front of an inside fastball. Zhou got frozen up by a fastball on the outside corner to end the frame.

Jones (8.0IP, 6H, 2ER, 0BB, 3K) was replaced by closer Donovan for the bottom of the inning. Blume flied out to left. Cook singled to left. Bethune ground into a U4-3 double-play and this game was headed to extras.

Walena threaded the needle 2B-side for a 1-out single in the 10th. Puckeridge struck out for the third time in the game and the crowd loved it. A wild pitch allowed Walena into scoring position but Kao blew Welch away with a 162 km/h heater.

The bottom of the inning passed without any baserunners. McAuley replaced Kao for the 11th. He got the first 2 outs easily enough but Kline’s groundball down the 3B line eluded a diving Brendon Marris, who’d subbed into the field that inning. Kline rounded 2B but slammed on the brakes, settling for a double instead. Ashton popped out and the inning was done.

Martin Booth subbed in for the bottom of the 11th and gave up a leadoff single to Larry Booth (no relation). Stuart hit a hard line-drive to right but Kline tracked it down on the run. Yano struck out looking. Booth advanced to 2B on an errant pickoff throw but Blume could only fly out to right.

Foreman drew a 1-out walk in the 12th and advanced to 2B on Walena’s weak ground-out. Puckeridge ground out to 3B, this time reacting to the abuse from the crowd with a rude gesture.

Bethune’s 1-out single in the bottom of the 12th was followed by Anastasio Candeleria’s 2-out single. Marris went down 4-3.

Bottom of the 13th, with 1 away, Stuart walked and Yano singled. Blume got done by a curveball that nicked the outside corner. Cook walked. Carlos Yanez took the mound. His second pitch was a low heater, touching the radar gun at 161 km/h. Bethune scooped it into right-centre and it landed in open pasture. Stuart galloped home for a walk-off Brisbane victory!

Final score: 3-2 Bandits, McAuley picking up the win on the back of 3 scoreless innings. Foreman had a ‘miss’ night, going 0-4 with 2 walks, while the 2 walks that led to the loaded bases situation in the 13th were the first that the Metros had surrendered all game.

Skipper Timothy Donaldson was a happy camper at the post-match presser. “1-2 looks a lot different from 0-3, doesn’t it? And we’ll take a lot from the nature of that win, especially how we shut down their scoring opportunities.”

On why none of the fans liked Auckland’s Reginald Puckeridge that much? “Look, opposition fans love a villain, don’t they? I’m sure the Metros’ fan-base just as strongly love having Puckeridge on their team. He’s a fighter who’s, and this is a compliment, who’s playing at a much higher level than his natural talent indicates he should. And that’s all down to his hard work and his love of the game. He’s also got a pretty thick skin, by all accounts, so I doubt this will faze him too much.” But, the journo in question persisted, is it a good look for the game for the fans to be raining abuse down on his head? Donaldson shrugged. “As long as there’ve been sports fans there’ve been guys on opposition teams they haven’t liked. It’s just a natural part of the fan process. Just don’t start sending the guy suspicious parcels or abusing his family when you see them on the street, or anything stupid like that. Otherwise it just adds to the theatre of our great game.”

Game 4

Liang and Woodger would have another go-around.

The 1st passed in order, as did the top of the 2nd, Woodger striking out 4 of the 6 hitters he faced. Cook became the game’s opening baserunner in the bottom of the 2nd when he drew a walk but then became the first act in a routine 6-4-3 double-play.

Woodger was still perfect after 3, while Liang had allowed just the walk.

Kline got the game’s first hit leading off the 4th, his bunt catching the infield on their heels. Walena’s singled up the middle and Kline motored all the way to 3B. Zhou lined one towards RF but 2B Cook leaped to pluck it out of the air. Foreman singled to right, driving the opening run home, though Walena was thrown out trying to make 3B. Puckeridge struck out on 3 pitches, the crowd giving him a rousing round of sarcastic applause as he hurried to put on his catcher’s gear. 1-0 Auckland.

Brisbane remained hitless, Liang striking out 2 of the 3 hitters in the bottom of the 4th.

Woodger fanned 2 more in the 5th, taking his game tally to 7. Blume lined a single to centre in the bottom of the frame to give Brisbane their first base hit. Cook then doubled into the LF corner. Blume pulled up at 3B, Brisbane now only a hit away from potentially taking the lead. Bethune hit a powerful single into shallow centre and Blume scored. Tie game, Cook at 3B, no outs. Liang’s first pitch to Richards was wild, and Cook cantered home to give Brisbane the lead. Bethune moved into scoring position. Richards popped out to stifle the rally. Woods flied out but Nishio kept the inning alive with a crisp single to centre. Bethune, who ran like a log rolling uphill, held up at 3B. Booth flied out to right to end the inning. 2-1 Brisbane after 5.

With 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th Blume threaded a single between 3B and short, bringing Cook to the plate. Cook had doubled his last at-bat and went better this time, sending a line-drive over the left-centre fence. 2-run jack. Bethune singled as did Richards, the Bandits mounting a 2-out rally. Woods got clipped by a frustrated Liang, though replays suggested the pitch got away from him rather than was intentionally thrown. Nishio sent the first pitch of his at-bat rolling up the middle and it found centre-field, scoring 2 runners. Liang (5.2IP, 9H, 6ER, 1BB, 4K) came from the mound, his good start long forgotten. Morrall, his relief, struck out Booth to end the hurt. 6-1 Bandits.

Woodger finally went longer than 6 innings this postseason, easing through the Metros in order in the 7th. He was replaced by McAuley for the 8th, Woodger's figures for the game 7.0IP, 4H, 1ER, 0BB, 7K.

Purcell walked to begin the top of the 8th only to become the lead victim in a 6-4-3 double-play. Bagshaw singled to left to extend the inning but was left at 1B.

Brisbane were unable to add to their lead in the bottom of the inning and McAuley stayed on the mound for the 9th. Walena ground out 4-3. Zhou cracked one up the middle. Nishio managed to reach it before it hit outfield grass but had no play on the speedy centrefielder. Foreman flied out to right. Puckeridge ground out to 2B and Brisbane had levelled the series.

Final score: 6-1 Bandits, Woodger the deserved PotG. 8 of Brisbane’s hits came from 4 players - Blume, Cook, Bethune and Nishio.

Game 5

Perhaps in a bid to make sure their best starters were available for Game 6 and 7 (if needed), the Bandits sent Tommy Fomai (12-13, 4.61 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 1.31 WHIP) out to the mound. Fomai had made 5 postseason appearances so far, for an 0-2, 13.50 ERA, 8.79 FIP, 2.25 WHIP record. 3 of the 10 hits he’d given up were four-baggers. Known for his love of ‘interview-bombing,’ where he stood in the background while other players were being interviewed while making weird faces or poses, Fomai also gave up some unfiltered soundbites. When asked how he felt about getting a Championship Series start, Fomai responded with, “Yeah, pretty $%&! awesome. Can’t wait to get out there and fan some of those $%&!@%&#!” For Auckland, Casey would get his second start of the series.

Ashton mashed a 1-out single in the top of the 1st but that was as far as he got.

Bottom of the inning and Stuart also delivered a 1-out single, Yano following up with a single of his own. Blume got a 1-1 fastball he could pull over left and he sent it all the way for his fifth homerun of the playoffs. 3-0 Bandits after 1.

Woods led off the bottom of the 2nd with a single, advanced to 3B on the back of 2 ground-outs, before scoring off a Stuart double. Yano walked and Blume added another RBI to his tally with a single up the middle. A wild pitch advanced both runners and Auckland’s pitching coach came out to calm Casey down. The chat didn’t work, the next 2 pitches well outside the zone, Cook taking the easy walk. Bethune’s groundball up the middle was well fielded by SS Ashton, who took it to 2B for the inning-ending unassisted force-out. 5-0 Brisbane, the Metros reeling under the early assault.

Fomai looked much happier starting the game than he had coming out of the pen, easing through the first 3 on the back of 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. Both of those Ks came in the 3rd.

Casey got through the bottom of the 3rd in order, none of the hitters getting the ball past the infield. Booth opened the bottom of the 4th with a sharp single to left. An out later he stole 2B, scampering to 3B thanks to a terrible throw from catcher Puckeridge that ended up in CF. Of course, the crowd made sure Puckeridge knew all about his error, a chant of ‘Puck-face Puckeridge, Puck-face Puckeridge’ reverberating around the stands. Yano ground-out to short but deep enough that Booth got home without being challenged. 6-0 Bandits.

Brisbane’s outfield chased down a couple of well-hit flies in the top of the 5th to back up their pitcher. Casey (4.0IP, 8H, 6ER, 2BB, 2K) was replaced by Tristan Eastick for the 5th and Cook welcomed him to the postseason with a moon shot over left. Bethune and Richards followed with singles before Woods somehow popped a double into shallow right, the ball finding grass and spinning away from Kline. 1 run scored. Nishio crunched a line-drive towards left but Ashton made a nice jumping catch before flipping the ball behind his back to 2B in time for Welch to tag Woods for the double-play. Spectacular but not as satisfying for the players involved as it would’ve been had the score-line been reversed. Booth’s grounder ended the inning, Brisbane in charge at 8-0.

Foreman stroked a 2-out single in the top of the 6th and Walena followed with a double into the rightfield corner. Walena, however, injured his hand diving into 2B and was replaced by Cong Pi. It was only a bruise, the Auckland medical staff assured the various commentary teams, and Walena would probably be able to play through it with the right dosage of painkillers. Puckeridge had the opportunity to drive in Auckland’s first runners but was struck out watching a fastball hit the middle of the zone. The crowd jeered and a commentator opined, “Looks to me like the banter is getting to him. He hasn’t got a single hit yet this series, dropping his BA to .111 for the postseason, his only walk came in Game 1, and his defence has been pretty poor. If I were his skipper I’d rest him for Game 6 because he’s only bringing the rest of the team down at the moment.”

Fomai went through Auckland 1-2-3 in the top of the 7th and Auckland leftie Roman Ramirez got through the bottom of the inning without troubling the scorers.

The Bandits kept Fomai on for the 8th. Kline led off with a single but Ashton ground into a double-play, though he was not happy with the call at 1B. Zhou popped out and Fomai might have a chance at a Championship Series shutout!

Brisbane went 3 up, 3 down in the bottom of the 8th and Fomai marched out to the mound for the 9th. Foreman was first up and lined a single to centre. Fomai wasn’t able to get a throw to 1B in time on Pi’s tapper back towards the mound and Auckland had 2 runners aboard with no outs, their best scoring opportunity of the game. Tommy Worsfold came out to pinch-hit for Puckeridge, much to the amusement of the crowd, but struck out looking. And then, inexplicably, Fomai’s night was done, the pitcher having a lively conversation with his manager before trudging off the mound. Wellby replaced him and struck out Welch. Purcell looped one into left and Booth ranged over for an easy catch.

Final score: 8-0 Brisbane, and Auckland looked bereft of ideas. Fomai (8.1IP, 9H, 0ER, 0BB, 7K) threw 122 pitches in his outing and wasn’t allowed to speak to media after the game, which was probably a wise move on his manager’s part. Blume continued his strong series with a 2-4, 4RBI night, while Foreman went 3-4 for the losers. Yano, tied for the league in homers during the regular season, was yet to hit a single one this playoffs, despite having played all 3 series.

The Championship headed back to Auckland in a totally different state to how it had arrived in Brisbane, with the Bandits only needing 1 win to seal it.

Game 6

With Game 5’s gamble paying off for Brisbane they came into Game 6 just 1 win away from Championship glory. Thurgood would get his second start in enemy territory, this time taking on Auckland ace Jones, who’d thrown 8 innings in Auckland’s 3-2 Game 3 loss in Brisbane. Auckland did not rest Puckeridge, hoping he’d bounce back in front of their home fans. Walena would play 3B despite his bruised hand.

Booth sent a hot shot through the hole on the right-hand side to begin the game. Stuart’s grounder found Walena at 3B who showed no ill effects from his bruise to start a 5-4-3 double-play. Yano ground out up the middle to finish the frame, Jones completing the inning in just 5 pitches.

Auckland got a 1-out runner in scoring position in the bottom of the inning thanks to an Ashton double and an out later Foreman did what Foreman did, launching an 8th-pitch up-in-the-zone fastball over leftfield and into the seats. 2-0 Auckland.

Welch led off the bottom of the 2nd with a single but Purcell ground into a 6-4-3 double-play.

The Nishio and Booth combo struck once again in the top of the 3rd, both runners singling with 2 away. Stuart, however, could only ground out to end the mini rally.

Kline started the bottom of the frame with a single but Auckland quickly turned their second double-play of the game to clear the bases.

The top of the 3rd began with a Yano double and Jones didn’t want to give Blume anything to hit, walking him on 4 pitches. Cook went down looking on a bevy of fastballs before a wild pitch to Bethune advanced both runners. Jones recovered to strike Bethune out and Richards popped up to finish the inning.

Walena’s 1-out single in the bottom of the inning was followed an out later by Welch’s second homer of the series, a first-pitch fly to deep right. 4-0 Auckland.

Zhou led off the bottom of the 6th with a soft single to left. Foreman then blasted his second four-bagger of the game, and fifth in the series, over left-centre to raise Auckland’s score by 2 more, the fans chanting his name as he rounded the bases. Thurgood (5.0IP, 9H, 6ER, 0BB, 3K) came from the mound, the OotPB TV commentators of the opinion that “Auckland had Thurgood’s number, with the exception of Puckeridge, who struck out both at-bats against him.” Wellby came out for his ninth postseason appearance and fifth in this series. Puckeridge broke his drought somewhat with a 1-out walk, ball 4 a call that could've gone either way. 6-0 Auckland after 6, the Brisbane fans in attendance surely wondering where their team had disappeared to.

After 7, Jones had thrown 93 pitches for 5 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and no runs.

Bagshaw led off the bottom of the frame with a single and Kline, somewhat surprisingly, bunted him into scoring position. Ashton popped out before Zhou hit a hard single to left. Bagshaw rounded 3B and headed for home but Booth’s throw was pinpoint perfect, Bethune catching it, blocking the plate and holding onto the ball to get the out.

Nishio started the 8th with a double, clapping his hands in an attempt to invigorate his teammates. Booth ground out 4-3 in a tight call, Nishio moving to 3B. Stuart singled wide of a diving Walena and Jones' shutout was broken up. That proved to be it for Jones (7.1IP, 7H, 1ER, 1BB, 5K) this game, Yanez coming out to replace him and immediately inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double-play.

Gerald Nelson, who hadn’t thrown since the series in Kununurra, where he’d made two 3-inning appearances without conceding a run, came to the mound for the bottom of the 8th. Foreman walked, thus missing the chance to homer for a third time. Walena flied out and then Puckeridge got hit. He advanced a couple steps towards the mound and Nelson just stood calmly, watching him. Bethune got in front of his fellow catcher and the moment passed, Puckeridge taking his base. Welch popped out and Purcell hit a fly straight down rightfield’s throat.

Auckland brought Donovan out for the 9th despite the lead being 5, highly conscious that there’d be no tomorrow if they somehow blew this one. Blume slapped the first pitch of the inning to short and was duly thrown out. Cook’s grounder up the middle looked set to give him the same fate as Blume but Welch’s throw went wild, sailing into the seats to put Cook on 2B. Bethune singled down the RF line and Cook scored an unearned and unwanted - by the Metros, at least - run. Richards struck out and so did Woods to bring this one to a conclusion.

Final score: 6-2 Auckland, Foreman the star with a 2-3, 2 homer, 4RBI night. We were headed to a Game 7 and after their performance today at home Auckland had to be the favourites.

Game 7

All or nothing, do or die for both teams. In the lead-up, Sneddon enthusiastically told the viewers that “both teams had more pressure on them than you can shake a stick at.”

Who was he picking to take home the bacon? “Brisbane,” he said. “Yes, that seems against the grain, doesn’t it, with Auckland having won so comfortably in all their home games so far. But the Metros have Liang on the mound, who’s looked pretty poor this postseason and in this series. 21 hits in 12.1 innings will never end well, and he only didn’t get the loss in Game 1 thanks to his offense pulling him out of the fire in the 7th and 8th. The Bandits, on the other hand, are throwing the ball to their ace, Sebastian Woodger, who will make his sixth start of the playoffs and who looked confident and assured last time out in a 7-inning, 4-hit performance. A few in the Bandits’ fan base wanted Mulholland to get the gig but Brisbane have made the right choice for sure. If your ace is mostly rested then you have to start him. While there’s no tomorrow in terms of this season, there’ll be plenty of tomorrows of regrets for whoever loses this one, but at least Brisbane won’t have to regret not sending their ace into battle when they had the opportunity to do so.”

Auckland skipper Antonio Altagracia persisted with the out-of-form Puckeridge for this must-win game, keeping him at 5 in the lineup to face the left-handed Woodger.

Liang was in fine fettle in the top of the 1st, retiring the Bandits in order. Woodger wasn’t quite so settled, nailing Kline with the first pitch of the bottom of the inning, a fastball that got away from him. The crowd booed and Kline gave Woodger a stare before trotting to 1B. Woodger settled down to induce a weak return grounder from Walena which he whistled to 2B to start a 1-6-3 double-play. Zhou popped out and the inning was done, Woodger having only thrown 8 pitches.

Puckeridge drew a 1-out walk in the bottom of the 2nd to be the game’s first baserunner and then Welch’s fly got pushed back infield by the strong wind and was caught at the warning track by the rightfielder.

Richards provided the game’s first base-hit in the top of the 3rd, leading off with a thread-the-needle single between 1B and 2B. That was where he stayed for the rest of the inning, Liang easing through the next 3 hitters.

With 2 out in the bottom of the inning Kline squeezed one past 3B and into the LF corner. He dived in safe with a triple, his second of the series and third of the postseason. Walena walked and Zhou got too far underneath a fastball, popping out to 1B to end the mini-threat.

Liang retired the first 2 hitters in the 4th easily enough before Blume connected with an 0-1 pitch over centre. It kept travelling, despite the efforts of the wind to knock it down, and just made it over the fence for the game’s opening run. Cook followed up with a single and Bethune walked. Richards flied out to finish the frame. 1-0 Brisbane.

In the bottom of the 4th all 3 Auckland hitters made good contact, sending deep flies to the outfield. But Brisbane’s centrefielder and rightfielder showing good range to hunt down and catch each of the flies.

Purcell’s leadoff single in the bottom of the 5th was only Auckland’s second hit of the night. Ashton followed up with the Metros’ third hit, a soft single to left. Bagshaw’s ground-out to the edge of the CF grass advanced both runners and then Kline pulled a knee-high fastball down the leftfield line and into the stands. 3-run jack and 3-1 Auckland after 5.

The 6th passed without any scoring, though Brisbane managed 2 baserunners in the top of the inning.

Woods socked a homerun to lead off the 7th, bringing the Bandits to within 1. 3-2 Auckland.

Rhett Morgenstern replaced Woodger (6.0IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 1K) for the bottom of the 7th. Ashton and Bagshaw both singled with 1 out, bringing up Kline, who already had a homerun and a triple. He struck out looking this time up before Walena struck out flailing at a wicked slider.

Liang (7.0IP, 6H, 2ER, 2BB, 1K) was replaced by Martin Booth for the 8th, the Auckland starter leaving with the lead after a much better showing than in his last 2 starts. Yano got a low 2-2 fastball that he got under, sending it just far enough over right-centre to earn maximum bases. What a time for your first homerun of the postseason! Tie game. Blume singled to left. Cook hit a hard grounder to 3B and hustled to beat out the double-play throw. Bethune lifted a fly into the left-centre alley but Bagshaw made a diving catch to rob Bethune of extra bases and, more importantly, give Brisbane a go-ahead opportunity. Richards flied out to centre and the top of the 8th was over. 3-3 ballgame.

The bottom of the inning immediately became contentious. Zhou struck out but the umpire ruled catcher’s interference and sent Zhou to 1B. Bethune was not happy, immediately in the umpire’s grill. His skipper got out there in time to stop his catcher being ejected and somehow avoided ejection himself, though he too jawed with the umpire for a good minute. A 2-2 fastball tailed in and hit Foreman and for a moment it looked like the benches might clear but Foreman was an old pro and jogged down to 1B without even looking at the pitcher. The stage was set for Puckeridge to be the hero and he took it with both hands, sending a 2-0 fastball over the narrow part of left and into the bleachers. 3-run homerun! Puckeridge took his time rounding the bases, basking in the frenetic cheers of his home crowd. McAuley replaced Morgenstern and rolled through the rest of the inning.

Brisbane skipper Donaldson was out again after the final out of the 8th to give the home-plate umpire a further piece of his mind and this time got himself thrown out, much to the delight of the crowd.

Donovan came out for the top of the 9th to protect Auckland’s 3-run lead. Woods tapped one straight back to Donovan for a 1-3 putout. Nishio popped out to left. Auckland were 1 out away from Championship victory and their dugout was fair bursting with players ready to leap over the railing and rush the field. Booth worked a walk to extend their wait. Stuart took a mighty lick at an 0-1 slider and popped it way up. SS Ashton waved everybody away and pocketed the catch before just as quickly pocketing the ball and being mobbed by his teammates.

Final score: 6-3 Auckland in as drama-filled a Game 7 as one could get without a bottom of the 9th walk-off slammer.

Nobody but John Foreman (.444/.516/.889, 4HR) could be awarded Championship MVP, despite him not getting a hit in the decider. He was gracious in victory, saying, “A really tough series against a really tough team. It could’ve gone either way but I guess looking back it’ll be a tale of the home teams. I’ve no doubt the Bandits will be in the mix again next season just as I’ve no doubt we will be too. I hope we can have a rematch of this series in next year’s Championship.”

Bethune (.269/.367/.308, 0HR) wasn’t as gracious in defeat. The catcher was adamant the interference call against him was incorrect and didn’t care if he was fined or suspended by the Commissioner’s Office for having his say. “Absolute rubbish, mate. I mean the replays showed it. There was no contact, none at all, between me and the batter. Yeah, my glove was pretty close to his swing arc but it never touched his bat and I know a side angle would show a good few centimetres between them. It’s just disappointing, really, to see this series decided by an umpire’s mistake. Yeah, I know that it was another couple hitters before the homerun but we should never have been in that situation in the first place. Actually, it’s more than disappointing, in my opinion. It’s disgusting and I hope we get an apology.”

No apology was forthcoming, the Commissioner’s Office backing up their umpire. They did, however, waive a fine or suspension for Bethune, acknowledging that “emotions would’ve been high in the immediate aftermath of losing such a tight Championship Series.”

Auckland had last won the Championship in 2047, which was also the last time they had made the postseason. This was their sixth Championship.

2064 Championship-winning Metros

Izz · 03-21-2018, 11:13 PM

2064 Season Leaderboards

Despite Foreman's Championship-winning heroics, Beau Hauer was the favourite to win the Jorge Diaz Award. Andre Wiltshire and Tashiaki Yano also got some pre-Awards buzz.

Hurler of the Year? Barry Dean seemed to be the name on everybody's lips, though uttered cautiously, as if to say, 'It'd be nice if there was someone more deserving but I can't think of anybody just at the moment.' John Zglinicki was another option, one of a cluster of pitchers who'd finished on 17 wins.

2064 Career Leaderboards

Marcos Lopez sat comfortably in second place on the all-time hits leaderboard, with plenty wondering if he would stick around for another AUNZBL season. Martin Boston moved into ninth place, only 193 hits shy of 3000. If 'Dinky' could stay healthy for the next couple seasons he'd easily make 3000 and might even go on to challenge Lopez for second spot.

Justin Auger needed just 4 homers to get to 500, while Lopez was 17 shy but unlikely to make the milestone. John Foreman hit the homerun top 10 for the first time in his career.

Izz · 03-28-2018, 07:30 PM

2064 Awards

Gold Gloves

Pitcher: Eddie Rayner (Kununurra Pioneers)
Catcher: Fernando Contreras (Wellington Fury)
First Baseman: Noah Budd (Whangarei Sluggers)
Second Baseman: Domenic Cook (Brisbane Bandits)
Third Baseman: Matthew Utting (Christchurch Cowboys)
Shortstop: Stéphane Lecomte (Darwin Diggers)
Left Fielder: Martin Boston (Darwin Diggers)
Center Fielder: Edgardo Rico (Whangarei Sluggers)
Right Fielder: Vic Collins (Kununurra Pioneers)

Brodie Backhouse Award

Aaron Fingleson was the favourite to take home a third Brodie Backhouse Award, though Isaac Graham kept getting mentioned as well, the Hobart closer having gone well in a poor team, only blowing 2 saves across 44 attempts.

The winner was adjudged to be Fingleson. The upcoming free agent went 7-1, with 47 saves, in 71 appearances in 2064, his ERA a miserly 1.62, his FIP 3.13, and his WHIP 0.97. He struck out 81 in 78.0 innings while conceding just 50 hits and 26 walks. His WAR was 1.5, his ERA+ 273, and his FIP- 70.

“Just happy I could make up for last season,” he said during his acceptance speech, “and a bit sad we couldn’t come home with the trophy.” He’d appeared in one postseason game, fanning 2 in a 1-inning save.

Isaac Graham (4-2, 42 sv, 1.82 ERA, 3.14 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 1.2 WAR, 242 ERA+, 73 FIP-) pulled in second, and Scott Carson (5-3, 37 sv, 2.79 ERA, 2.38 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, 1.8 WAR, 158 ERA+, 55 FIP-) third.

Super Slugger Awards

C: John Dalton - HOB - .267/.368/.564, 128-479, 98 runs, 27 doubles, 2 triples, 37HR, 99RBI, 72BB, 12SB, 565PA, 5.8 WAR, 144 OPS+, 141 wRC+

1B: Ronald Aitken - CAI - .301/.412/.523, 183-608, 101 runs, 38 doubles, 5 triples, 29HR, 97RBI, 110BB, 1SB, 728PA, 5.4 WAR, 148 OPS+, 141 wRC+

2B: Beau Hauer - CHR - .342/.401/.601, 178-521, 91 runs, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 36HR, 109RBI, 50BB, 581PA, 6.1 WAR, 163 OPS+, 163 wRC+

3B: Malcolm Pickhills - ADE - .246/.336/.512, 140-570, 86 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 41HR, 93RBI, 76BB, 1SB, 651PA, 4.5 WAR, 123 OPS+, 121 wRC+

SS: Jorge Perez - CAN - .288/.368/.465, 179-621, 119 runs, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 24HR, 74RBI, 75BB, 22SB, 708PA, 4.1 WAR, 121 OPS+, 122 wRC+

LF: Pedro Mercado - MEL - .316/.402/.511, 172-544, 106 runs, 23 doubles, 4 triples, 25HR, 78RBI, 74BB, 31SB, 633PA, 5.2 WAR, 142 OPS+, 140 wRC+

CF: Axel Zhou - AUC - .319/.361/.518, 154-483, 71 runs, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 19HR, 69RBI, 26BB, 27SB, 522PA, 4.7 WAR, 131 OPS+, 131 wRC+

RF: Calvin Hodnett - CAI - .282/.377/.486, 167-593, 94 runs, 27 doubles, 2 triples, 30HR, 100RBI, 84BB, 7SB, 690PA, 4.2 WAR, 128 OPS+, 124 wRC+

DH: Andre Wiltshire - CEN - .335/.410/.524, 209-624, 121 runs, 29 doubles, 4 triples, 27HR, 128RBI, 72BB, 16SB, 719PA, 5.3 WAR, 148 OPS+, 149 wRC+

Rookie of the Year

There were a few rookies in the mix for this year’s award. The Sluggers’ dashing young catcher, 24 y/o Tim Firth, came away with it, and nobody was surprised, especially seeing as Firth was already the anchor in the Sluggers’ lineup, hitting at 3. He put together a .299/.341/.511 rookie season, his 167-558 including 37 doubles and 27 dingers. He also scored 65 runs and plated 105 runners. The one downside in his game was a lack of plate discipline; he only walked 27 times. His WAR was 4.8, and his OPS+ 123.

The big-swinging excitement machine that was 24 y/o Felino Saturno (.245/.311/.492, 25 doubles, 37HR, 171 strikeouts - most in the league - 137-559, 1.1 WAR, 110 OPS+) came in second. 26 y/o Jayden Koka (.302/.340/.492, 27 doubles, 9HR, 98-325, 2.9 WAR, 119 OPS+) sidled into third.

Skipper of the Year

With Adelaide missing the postseason for the first time in forever, it looked very unlikely that Luis Gonzalez would win a sixth-straight Skipper of the Year. This turn of events actually gave what was colloquially called the ‘Lettuce Award’ - all sandwiches need it but it’s not why you eat them - some buzz. Would Crocs’ Raul Guerra, who managed his team to the best record in the AUNZBL, win a maiden Skipper of the Year? How about Auckland’s Antonio Altagracia, who’d led his team to Championship glory? Another win for 2054 Skipper of the Year Timothy Donaldson perhaps, who’d seen his team very nearly do the improbable and snatch the Championship after ousting Cairns in the Preliminary Finals?

Most fans were picking Guerra, the common argument being something like this one, “The postseason is really about the players stepping up. Sure, managers can lose playoff games but they can’t do much to win them. However, during the regular season managers do a lot to help their teams get to the postseason by how they manage their bullpen and lineup, as well as the overall roster and the individual players on said roster. Provided the players do their thing on the park, of course. And depending on whether they’ve got a decent roster to work with, too.”

The awards committee didn’t agree with the fan consensus, though they probably didn’t disagree too much with the reasoning behind it. They gave the award to 61 y/o Antonio Altagracia. Altagracia had been Auckland’s manager for 3 seasons and was 1-year into a 4-year extension. When he was promoted from bench coach to skipper he’d inherited a team that hadn’t won more than 64 games in the previous 3 seasons. His first year in charge Auckland went 79-83 for a second-place division finish. In 2063 the Metros poked their nose above .500, finishing 82-80. And this campaign, despite being picked preseason to plummet back to losing ways, Auckland had flourished under his guidance, finishing up 91-71, with the NZ Division title in their back pockets, as well as a first Championship in 17 years.

Some might argue that Auckland’s success was due more to their young prospects maturing than anything on Altagracia’s part but the counter-argument could also be made that the Metros’ young stars needed the right big-league environment to reach their potential. Whatever the case, Altagracia was the 2064 Skipper of the Year.

Hurler of the Year

Had there been a better pitcher in the AUNZBL than Barry Dean? Even when he wasn’t as dominating as usual he still stood head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. He won the Hottie for the fourth time, twice as many times as any other pitcher in the league’s history. He went 18-9 in 2064, with a 3.38 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP. He threw 237 innings, striking out 231 along the way, putting up a league-leading 6.9 WAR to go with an ERA+ of 130 and an FIP- of 72. With a career mark of 140-74, Dean was going at nearly 2 wins to every loss. Longevity might be a worry, however, at least based on how often analysts mentioned it. Dean averaged around 120 pitches an outing, whereas most other starting pitchers averaged around 100.

Brodie Backhouse winner Aaron Fingleson came second, surprising many, while Championship-winning Domenic Jones (16-8, 3.46 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 186K from 231.1 IP, 4.7 WAR, 127 ERA+, 83 FIP-) made the podium for the first time in his career.

Jorge Diaz Award

Beau Hauer? John Foreman? Andre Wiltshire? Ronald Aitken? These were a few of the names floating around in the lead-up to Awards Night but there didn’t seem to be any clear frontrunner. What everybody did seem sure of, though, was that Richard Moore wouldn’t win a fourth Hoodie in a row.

Christchurch might not have defended their Championship title but they did go boom-boom in the night’s top two awards. 27 y/o Beau Hauer added the 2064 Jorge Diaz Award to the Super Slugger he’d received earlier in the night. His stats are detailed in the Super Slugger Awards section, above. What was interesting to note was that he topped the league in WAR despite injury limiting him to 134 games and 581PA. He was also the only qualified hitter to finish 2064 with an OPS above 1.000.

Ronald Aitken (stats in Super Slugger Awards, above) finished second in the votes - the voting results weren’t made public yet in this era - the second time he’d finished in the top 3 of this award. As well as taking home RotY in 2057, Aitken had also won 3 Super Sluggers and 1 Gold Glove. He also hadn’t missed an All Star Game since his first selection in 2058. Andre Wiltshire (stats in Super Slugger Awards, above) was third.

Izz · 04-10-2018, 12:36 AM

Offseason

2064 Notes

League BA stayed static at .268, though league ERA dropped all the way to 4.41, the lowest it had been since 2054. Were teams scoring that many fewer runs? While scoring had dropped, it also seemed that fielding efficiency had worsened as well, leading to more unearned runs crossing home-plate.

Hobart set an unenviable record in 2064, recording the fewest at-bats (5347) of any team in AUNZBL history. Only last season they’d tied the previous record, set by their counterparts of 2024, with a measly 5421 at-bats. The 184 bases they stole, however, was the second-most of all-time, behind the 2039 Roos, who nabbed 194.

ABC Wrap-up

The Highlife brushed aside the Broncos 3-0 in one semi-final, while Jakarta put away Perth 3-1 in the other matchup.

Jakarta defeated Sydney in the first 3 games of the Grand Final, each a 1-run victory. Game 3 went 17 innings before the Stars walked off 3-2 winners. Sydney came back in Game 4 with a combined 3-0 shutout, Bradley Boston throwing 8 superb innings for the win. Game 5 saw Ted Blume rediscover his form - he’d only had 1 hit in the 4 games prior - with a 2-homer night, Jakarta easing to a 9-5 victory to seal the series. This was Jakarta’s third Championship in the 7 seasons the ABC had been playing.

This year’s Grand Final series wrapped up the day before the AUNZBL Championship Series was due to begin and the AUNZBL Commissioner couldn’t resist the opportunity to throw a little bit of kindling on the simmering feud between the two leagues. “I guess you could liken it to the curtain-raiser before the main event,” the Commissioner told a journalist during an interview. “Kind of like the celebrity softball game before the All Star Game. Fun to watch but nowhere near the same level. And you certainly wouldn’t hear anybody discussing the result or the player performances around the water cooler the next day.”

The response from the ABC? “Perhaps the AUNZBL Commissioner would be better served focusing on the AUNZBL and its associated leagues rather than anywhere else. That is what he gets paid to do, after all.”

This year’s Golden Rookie Award went to AUNZBL-import Austin Ya (15-7, 3.05 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 1.15 WHIP). In his first season since coming across from the Sluggers, where he’d played for 11 seasons, Ya led the ABC in WAR (5.8), FIP (2.77), and K/9 (9.66).

Golden Arm was never going to go to anyone else but Bronson Dean (20-8, 2.40 ERA, 3.10 FIP, 1.00 WHIP), the 5’8” handlebar-mustachioed 26 y/o coming of age in 2064. He fanned 239, 30 more than any other pitcher, while also leading the league in WHIP and games started (36), as well as finishing in a tie for the league lead in wins. Apparently his nickname around the clubhouse was 'Midget Racer.'

‘Blooming Ted Blume,’ one unnamed player reportedly said during the season, annoyed at how the Jakarta 1B seemed to be hogging all the headlines. Not that Blume (.346/.469/.650, 47HR) didn’t deserve the spotlight. He won Golden Bat at a canter, leading the league in nearly everything (except BA, which denied him a Triple Crown). Such was his plate presence that not only did he record 205 hits, he also earned 127 walks while scoring 130 runs and only striking out 52 times. His 9.4 WAR was complemented by a 209 OPS+ and his manager reckoned the 26 y/o could get better still. “Yeah, we figure he can get even better at picking his pitches, so, well, watch out league.”

BL Wrap-up

Havana (63-49) won the Norte Division and Asuncion (69-43) the Sur. Both of the wildcards this year came from the Sur Division, Belo Horizonte qualifying with the same record as Havana while Lima finished the season with a 61-51 record.

Havana swept Belo Horizonte in one semi-final matchup while Lima stunned Asuncion in the other, also pulling off a sweep.

The Serie de Campeonato was more evenly matched, Havana eventually triumphing in 6 games. The win was the second for Havana, and came in their first postseason appearance since 2058. They’d last won in 2048, the first time they’d made the playoffs.

The best rookie of the BL season was 25 y/o Javier Lopez (.294/.367/.462, 16HR). The Lima 1B had got a few cups of coffee in BL first-grade in 2061 and 2061 but this was his first full season.

38 y/o Marty Morrow (13-2, 2.55 ERA, 2.68 FIP, 1.08 WHIP) dominated the mound on his way to Jarra de Ano. Despite finishing runner-up in 2053 in the AUNZBL AAA Hurler of the Year voting, Morrow found himself without a team in the offseason and headed over to the Americas, playing first in the NABA before migrating to the BL, where he’d been a fixture since 2057.

Justo Plvora (.316/.433/.471, 15HR) won Bateador de Ano for the third year in a row, the same amount of seasons he’d topped the WAR charts.

League News

4 Aug: The first day of the preseason saw the AUNZBL make two big announcements.

First, the designated hitter was being removed from all AUNZBL-associated minor leagues. Why? The Commissioner had this to say: “Over the last few seasons it has been observed that defence league-wide is declining. After a thorough investigation involving all the clubs, right down to the rookie league level, it has been concluded a large part of the problem lies with the fact that players rated as having decent offensive potential but below-average defensive potential are put into the DH role as soon as they start playing pro-ball. While there is some platooning in this respect, because these players know their progress up the minor league levels will be based only on their offense, defensive training is neglected. But then if they get to the major-league level they often suddenly find that they’re not the first choice DH and are forced to field positions that they don’t have the skillset for.

“While it’s certainly possible to improve one’s defensive skills in the majors, the minors are a far more appropriate place for this and part of the reason for their existence.

“So, with those thoughts in mind along with our desire for the AUNZBL to continue to be the world’s premier baseball competition in all aspects, we have decided, and the owners have agreed to, remove the designated hitter from the minor leagues. This will force players to learn a position as they progress, giving them much more value to their parent organizations in the long run, as well as ensuring fans always get to see the best possible battle between bat and glove.

“An issue of concern was raised by the owners, however. Removal of the DH means pitchers need to hit and run the bases, which could result in greater risk of injury. While that concern is certainly valid, our research suggests the risk of injury is not particularly elevated. The use of pinch-hitters and runners will reduce that even further.”

The second announcement was a change in the Hall of Fame voting dates.

“With the recent changes to the All Star Format,” the Commissioner said, barely hiding a grimace at the mention of the All Star Game, “we have become worried that Hall of Fame inductions might become lost in the melee of the regular season, which would be terribly sad as well as disrespectful to the baseball greats being honoured. To make sure that doesn’t happen we are moving Hall of Fame voting and inductions to the offseason. The next voting period will begin on June 1, 2066 and the results will be announced on July 1, 2066, with inductions to take place on July 4.

“We are confident this minor adjustment will propel the Hall to its rightful place in the forefront of every baseball fans’ consciousness.”

The adjustment to the Hall of Fame voting and inductions was almost universally agreed with. The removal of the DH from the minors was a cause of much greater debate.

Notable Retirements

Matt Juhl only started 3 games in 2064, spending the rest of the season coming out of the bullpen. Seeing the writing on the wall, the 38 y/o, who would’ve been a free agent anyway, chose to hang up the cleats and glove. In 2052, his first season as an AUNZBL starting pitcher, Juhl had won 18 games and in 2054 and 2055 had won 16, his 2055 season worth 5.1 WAR. However, he’d struggled to live up to expectations since then, only recording 1 further winning season across the rest of the his career. That came in 2061, for Christchurch, his 14-10 effort worth 5.6 WAR. He won 3 rings with Central Coast and was selected as an All Star 3 times. Despite his apparent underachievement it was estimated that Juhl had earned close to $150 million across his 15-year major-league career.

40 y/o Rex Herbert, 2nd on the all-time saves leaderboard, called it quits after toiling away in AAA for his final season. He was part of Perth’s championship squad in 2058 as well as Christchurch’s in 2063, though didn’t operate as closer in either of those seasons. He’d made his debut for Cairns in 2046 and appeared in the majors for 7 different clubs. He retired as an 11-time All Star and a career ERA+ of 158.

Herbert’s last turn as a closer came in 2057. In the following years he wasn't shy to express the opinion that he’d been “hard done by” in not being given the closer’s role at the clubs he’d signed with. Herbert retired as the all-time leader in games played, with 1031 major-league appearances to his name.

Notable Club Happenings

Adelaide: Legendary GM Santiago Rodriguez retired, though he stated that the Venom’s failure to make the postseason “played no part in his decision.”

Central Coast: The Thunder had been competitive in 2064, finishing just 4 games out of the division lead and 2 games back in the wildcard. But competitive wasn’t good enough for GM Andrew Backhouse, who got rid of his second manager in as many seasons. Dermott Blackford, who’d been bench coach for the team for 2 years before getting promoted, was out on his ear. Both parties were respectful in their statements to media but Backhouse was quickly garnering a reputation in baseball circles as impatient and rash.

Perth: It was clear-out time for the league’s worst team. Interim skipper Venkata Yadgiri (41-66) got the boot, with nobody in the least surprised. Yadgiri himself didn’t seem overly disappointed, telling one enterprising journo who tracked him down, “At least it gives me a foot in the door.” He didn’t define which door he now had a foot in, with a few late-night shows making jokes like, “He’s now got a foot firmly placed in the exit door!” The current CEO of Best West Ltd - which was still apparently government-affiliated - also sent GM Giralldo Ulrich packing. Ulrich had helmed Perth for two uninspiring campaigns, this year up with their worst period in history (2050-2052, where they won less than 60 games each of those 3 seasons). Best West’s CEO, an instantly forgettable suit, told press that the “shareholders” in his company were “especially disappointed with Ulrich’s gutting of the roster.” A counter-point to that argument, noted by a couple of analysts, was that Perth were now poised to make a profit for the first time in a long time, which would only benefit the club in the long run. Still, they agreed that Ulrich was “not overly competent” and improving Perth’s finances “might not even have entered his considerations.”

Sydney: Blue Sox GM Keith Rodriguez was given his marching orders. The 58 y/o Upper American had been directing the Blue Sox organization for 7 years. They’d made the playoffs four times during his tenure but had played worse than .500 the last 2 seasons. 2064 was Rodriguez’s worst year in charge, the Blue Sox finishing up with a 64-98 record, with only the Heat losing more games. 66 y/o skipper Peter Massingham wisely retired after 2 poor years in charge. Massingham had been an AUNZBL manager since 2051, when he led Whangarei to a 94-68 season. Sadly that was the only year he’d skippered a team to a plus-500 record. He finished his career with a 1055-1213 W-L. Bench coach Norm Yabsley’s contract was not renewed, either, meaning the Blue Sox needed a GM, manager and BC, plus a hitting coach, before the offseason progressed too far.

Whangarei: Sluggers’ brass decided not to extend manager Mancio Lenihan’s contract. The 59 y/o had a long managerial career in the BL and AUNZBL rookie leagues but his 2 seasons in charge of the Sluggers had been mediocre.

Notable Free Agent Signings/Player Contract Extensions

24 Apr: Auckland bought out the rest of 22 y/o Leo Walena’s (.272/.316/.385, 29HR) arbitration and then some, signing him to a 6-year extension. Walena had put together a 3.2 WAR season in 2064 and the Metros felt he still had some room yet before he met his full potential.

24 Apr: 23 y/o John Ramirez (26-28, 4.71 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 1.46 WHIP) started out 2064 promisingly but dipped over the final two-thirds of the season. Still, the Roos wanted him around long-term so extended him for 6 years. This bought out his remaining 3 arbitration years and his first 3 years of free agency. Roos’ GM Antony Ralston said of the deal, “Look, we can’t lose. Ramirez is the type of player anybody would want at their club. A tireless competitor, throws from the wrong side of the mound, skilful and a nice guy to boot. Now we just need to surround him with some more quality pitching and we’ll have a team that can challenge deep into the 2065 playoffs.”

24 Apr: Newcastle also signed 24 y/o Nicholas Bennett (.294/.319/.445, 56HR) to a 5-year extension. Bennett had 4 years’ service time and had put up 4.0+ WAR both of the last 2 seasons.

24 Apr: Brisbane and 27 y/o Nelson Thurgood (26-23, 4.79 ERA, 4.56 FIP, 1.46 WHIP) agreed to terms on a 5-year extension. Thurgood had a little over 3 years’ service time and in 203.2 innings across 2064 had put up a 3.74 FIP.

24 Apr: 26 y/o Carlos Acevedo (.279/.309/.438, 63HR) belted 27 homers in 2064 while hitting .301. He had 4 years and 49 days service time already but Adelaide figured they wanted him to be their shortstop for some time to come, extending him for 6 years.

24 Apr: It was hard to believe 25 y/o Mario Correa (.303/.337/.543, 141HR) had been playing in the majors for less than 5 seasons. The free-swinging 3B today agreed to a 6-year extension with Cairns. If he were to see it through with them he’d play his first 10 campaigns in Crocs’ colours. All reports were that Cairns’ weren’t stiffing him in the money department either (as often tended to happen in arbitration deals), such was the esteem they held him in.

24 Apr: Canberra offered 25 y/o Jorge Perez (.278/.351/.422, 39HR) a 7-year extension and the SS eagerly accepted. “Baseball life can be short sometimes,” he said, “and while I might have got better year-by-year deals if I’d committed to arbitration, I also might’ve been without a job once I hit free agency. This way my future is secure until I’m 32, 33 years-old, and that means I can just concentrate on playing baseball without worrying about money matters.”

26 Apr: Cairns moved to secure another of their young guns, extending 23 y/o Ernan Pullenza (.247/.336/.454, 37HR) for 7 years. Pullenza had exactly 3 years of service time and had given a good accounting of himself in 2064, hitting .289/.386/.598, with 30 homeruns from just 404 plate appearances. He still had ‘miles to go’ to reach his power potential according to his hitting coach, Ruben Nieves, widely acknowledged around the league as a guy who knew his way around a bat. Pullenza had been the 80th overall pick (the last to go in round 5) in 2060 and had made his big-league debut in 2062 after spending 2061 in rookie and A-ball.

14 May: Free Agency Filing Day! This year’s top 5 free agents were:

29 y/o SP John Zglinicki
27 y/o 1B Norm Blume
28 y/o C Tadakuni Sasaki
34 y/o SP Blair Norris
30 y/o 2B Axel Nankervis

Other free agents included:

36 y/o SP Tristan Agar
26 y/o RF Nathan Kapuna
32 y/o 1B Nigel Anderton
30 y/o SP Pete Dryden (ABC)
30 y/o SP Pedro Montanez
37 y/o 2B Gary Young
35 y/o CL Aaron Fingleson
31 y/o CL Martin Silva
29 y/o SP Jose Sardina
32 y/o CL Isaac Canavan
34 y/o LF Cain Donaldson
34 y/o C Gary Baker
34 y/o 2B Bailey Kinnear
30 y/o SP Jason Brewster
28 y/o RF Ignacio Maldonado
26 y/o SP Kioniko Mullion
28 y/o LF James Bacosa
34 y/o C Fernando Contreras
41 y/o 1B Marcos Lopez
35 y/o 2B Al Ayliffe
30 y/o RF Vic Collins
30 y/o 1B Angus Wheeler
29 y/o C Richard Humphrey
33 y/o 3B Yoshihito Morimoto
39 y/o RF Manuel Alou
34 y/o CF Jayden Downes
35 y/o SP Marty Okolita
33 y/o SP Willie Russell
28 y/o 1B Dustin Bacon
32 y/o SP Claudio Banda
28 y/o SP Jose Ramirez
27 y/o SP Willem Throsby
34 y/o 1B Luigi Dempster

16 May: The first free agent AUNZBL signing was a player from the ABC. Melbourne acquired the signature of 28 y/o C Bayu Layar (.261/.331/.408, 90HR in just over 6 ABC seasons). Layar was highly regarded in the ABC as an excellent defensive catcher and Melbourne’s plan was to play him as their everyday man behind the plate and shift Vern Bull to DH. “Finally,” one fan told talkback radio upon hearing the news. “Though this should’ve been done a few years ago while Vern was still in his prime.”

17 May: Brisbane decided to take a punt on Pete Dryden (98-73, 3.46 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 1.24 WHIP), who’d just come off a 20-game win season for the ABC’s Highlife. Dryden threw a regulation fastball, a splitter, a slider and a changeup and had hurled over 200 innings in every full season he’d played.

23 May: Axel Nankervis (.302/.343/.495, 230HR) recommitted to Sydney on a 7-year deal, which would see him earning an AUNZBL wage until the end of the 2071 season. The Blue Sox were excited to have him back and were now intent on “putting the rest of the pieces of the puzzle around him.”

24 May: Central Coast already had a healthy rivalry going with division counterparts Brisbane, stoked in no small part by Ismael Aguirre signing with the Bandits once he hit free agency and then going on to win multiple Championships. Now Thunder fans had another axe to grind, with Brisbane snaring the biggest free agent on the market this offseason, former Central Coast ace John Zglinicki (115-64, 3.49 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.11 WHIP). The all-time league leader in shutouts, 29 y/o Zglinicki had agreed to a 7-year deal, the final year being a team option. Brisbane were over the moon to have secured Zglinicki’s services. “A real coup,” GM Victor Leseberg enthused. “One of the best pitchers in the league, hands down, who I’d back to take down anybody else head to head. His record speaks for itself and I just couldn’t be happier to see him leading my rotation.” Interestingly, one of Leseberg’s first acts as Bandits’ GM after being hired back in 2049 was to entice Ismael Aguirre to the club.

25 May: 42 y/o Paul ‘Wild Card’ Colenutt had played 3 seasons in the ABC, amassing a 39-26 record, including a 17-win season in 2063 at 40 years of age. Last year he’d looked more his age, his FIP- across the season 115. Time to hang up the glove, right? Wrong. He’d signed a 2-year contract with the Blue Sox, the second year a vesting option based on games started, though it would be highly unlikely he found his way into the rotation.

25 May: Central Coast fans had some news that might cheer them up today, GM Andrew Backhouse fronting media to present Nathan Kapuna (.242/.299/.415, 88HR) along with a 6-year contract. Kapuna’s career numbers mightn’t make for overwhelming reading but, as Backhouse pointed out in a post-signing interview, it was widely agreed that Newcastle had put Kapuna in the majors way too early. However, his last 2 seasons showed he had matured into a strong middle-of-the-lineup bat and, at only 26 years-old, his best was still to come. “He and Andre*,” Backhouse continued, “will form a fine one-two punch, with fine support from Justin*.”

*Andre Wiltshire and Justin Auger

25 May: Angus Wheeler (.280/.331/.454, 130HR) was off to the ABC, having signed a 4-year deal with Hamilton.

28 May: Wellington signed Dustin Bacon (.266/.364/.437, 127HR) for 3 years. Of some concern would be the fact Bacon only hit 15 homeruns last season and 12 the year before.

29 May: A spate of arm injuries across 2063 and 2064 had seen Marty 'K.O.' Okolita (94-72, 4.07 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.23 WHIP) go from feared strikeout machine (1599 in 1442.2 IP) to batting practice arm. To his credit he’d battled back to the big-league stage in 2064, going 2-2 with a 3.25 ERA from 7 starts but he would only ever be a shadow of his former self. Still, he wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. He didn’t waste too much time looking for AUNZBL offers, instead focusing on the ABC. Townsville offered him a 2-year contract, second year a vesting option, and he grabbed it.

31 May: 2-time Gold Glove RF Ignacio Maldonado (.255/.331/.405, 92HR) signed with Adelaide on a 1-year deal.

2 Jun: 2055’s #1 overall draft pick, Vic Collins (.257/.316/.431, 107HR), had not reached the stellar heights he had been expected to during his AUNZBL career, despite making his big-league debut the year he was drafted. In fact, 2059 was the only season he’d racked up a full season’s worth (502) of plate appearances. Injury was partly to blame, along with most clubs seeing him as a platoon player rather than an everyday man. Now he was off to try his luck in the ABC, today agreeing to a 4-year deal with Broome.

3 Jun: Today was the first day of the Winter Meetings, known traditionally as the time when all the owners and GMs boozed it up behind closed doors on the Gold Coast or in Queenstown or someplace similar and came to a few days later with enormous hangovers and having negotiated all sorts of weird and wonderful trades. In actuality, there was far less partying than assumed, at least on the part of the General Managers, and everybody came with an agenda in mind. In recent years, player agents had taken to crashing the event as well, hoping to catch potential employers in a generous mood. This year a few player signings were negotiated on the first day of the meetings. Most notable among these were two of OotPB TV’s remaining ‘Top 5.’

3 Jun: First, Norm Blume (.293/.352/.506, 158HR) and Kununurra came to terms on a 4-year deal, the fourth year being a player option. Kununurra GM Phil Duff, who only had 5 years’ experience in running a ball club but had quickly made a name for himself as a shrewd, calm executive, was more than happy with the signing. “Norm will bring a massive amount to this ball club,” Duff told reporters. “He’ll set an excellent example as a trainer, he’s sharp, very adaptable to changing circumstances and level-headed. He might not be a leader in the traditional sense, but his actions will set an example the rest of the lads will want to follow.”

3 Jun: Former Pioneer Blair Norris (151-120, 4.10 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.30 WHIP) moved across to the Coastal Division, signing a 2-year deal with the Crocs. Interestingly, the second year was a team option. Alan Sneddon was of the opinion this was to “ensure ‘Bulldozer’ doesn’t get carried away with admiring himself in the locker-room mirrors but instead focuses on doing his best for the team so they’ll keep him on for the next season.” Crocs’ skipper Raul Guerra said Norris “would have to battle it out in spring with all the other starters but he’s certainly been an ace in his career until now and we’re sure he’ll continue to be so for us.” Norris had started his major-league career in 2053 with Kununurra and had never put on another uniform. “I’m sure I can handle it,” he said.

3 Jun: Sydney put forward the best pitch for 3-time Brodie Backhouse Award Winner Aaron Fingleson (66-57, 232 sv, 3.12 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 1.18 WHIP), signing him for the next 3 seasons. The third season was a vesting option based on games closed. “Curious that a relief pitcher would agree to a clause like that,” Sneddon said. “For Fingleson himself, of his 12 seasons in the league he’s only spent 5 as a full-time closer, and only 4 of his last 6. He’ll be 38 y/o for the last year of that contract, so if Sydney decide they don’t want him for that final year, hey, just don’t use him as closer in 2066.”

3 Jun: Brisbane scooped up another ex-Central Coaster, signing Richard Humphrey (.275/.342/.467, 84HR) for the next 2 seasons. Humphrey would either have to share catching duties with incumbent Rupert Bethune or be used at DH, which would shift the defensively suspect Tashiaki Yano into an outfield corner.

3 Jun: Central Coast’s pitching stocks weren’t so hot at the beginning of this offseason but after today’s signing fans had a little more hope. Tristan Agar, who’d put up a 59-45 record in his 6 AUNZBL seasons, 2 of which had been severely disrupted by injury, was coming to the Thunder on a 3-year deal, the final season a vesting option based on innings pitched. At 36 years-of-age, Agar would surely start to decline soon but GM Backhouse, who loved a veteran or three, was equally sure Agar would "add value to the team for more than next season."

11 Jun: Marcos Lopez (.310/.357/.505, 28HR), who’d be close to 42 y/o by the start of 2065 season, would be seen in the AUNZBL for another year. He’d signed a 1-year deal with Melbourne and knew going in that he wouldn’t be an everyday player. “That’s okay,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll get some chances as the season goes on. There’s not much better than sitting in the dugout drinking it all in, anyway.”

13 Jun: 2062 batting crown winner Jayden Downes (.301/.325/.375, 34HR) was off to the ABC, signing for 2 seasons (the second a team option) with the Highlife. Downes was a slap-and-tickle guy, someone who’d hit a lot of singles and draw very few walks. When he’d led the league in 2062 with a .360 BA, he’d only managed 28 extra-base hits out of 183, while walking just 17 times in 539PA. He was an excellent outfielder but that wasn't to be enough to get him an AUNZBL contract. “Look,” he said, “there were definitely teams interested but they all seemed to be considering me as a platoon guy and I want to play every day. So here I am.” When asked whether Downes would be playing every day, Highlife skipper Alan Hassett responded, “The season’s a long way off yet. We’ll have to wait and see but Jay is a player of high calibre so I’m sure he’ll acquit himself well.”

14 Jun: Another old man of the AUNZBL found himself a team for 2065. Manuel Alou (.294/.387/.486, 371HR) only appeared in 74 games in 2064 due to injuries but Hobart liked the look of him in their lineup for next season. He’d signed for 2 years, though the second was a vesting option based on 550 plate appearances.

14 Jun: Cain Donaldson was heading back to the ABC after 6-year stint with the Blue Sox. He’d signed a 2-year deal with the Perth Sharks. Last season he’d hit just .231/.335/.307, with 3 homers and 31 stolen bases. At 34 years of age he still had some playing years left and wanted to spend them, he said, “enjoying my baseball, knowing I've accomplished all I could in my time in the AUNZBL.”

14 Jun: Brisbane added some veteran depth to their lineup, signing Gary Young (.288/.359/.534, 435HR) on a 2-year deal, the second year a vesting option based on PA. When fit Young had proved himself a valuable part of Adelaide’s lineup, where he’d played his whole big-league career (2048-now) to date. He had a career slugging percentage of .534 and a career OPS+ of 133, and had been around both of those marks across his last 4 seasons.

15 Jun: Gary Baker (.291/.359/.476, 252HR) cut quite a portly figure at 6’0” and 120kg. He’d been reduced to a secondary catching role both of his last 2 seasons and understood where that left him in the AUNZBL, instead signing with Jakarta in the ABC on a 2-season deal, which would automatically become 3 seasons unless Jakarta released him. ABC rules saw clubs only have to enter arbitration with players after 3 years’ service-time.

17 Jun: Perth re-signed Jose ‘The Real Deal’ Ramirez (93-91, 4.40 ERA, 4.76 FIP, 1.36 WHIP) for the 2065 season.

20 Jun: Kununurra signed 30 y/o Jose Sardina (60-87, 5.06 ERA, 5.03 FIP, 1.23 WHIP) to a 3-year deal. Sardina was viewed by many analysts as a pitcher who was better than his stats but had played for bad teams and was also hampered by the low AUNZBL mounds. He stood at only 5’9”.

22 Jun: Brisbane signed Nigel Anderton (.284/.350/.499, 254HR) to replace Norm Blume. 3-time All Star Anderton had signed a 2-year contract, and when asked its value couldn’t help but smile as he said, “It’s an agreeable amount.”

26 Jun: The Bandits were flush with cash if reports were to be believed and their signing frenzy this offseason certainly backed those claims up. Today they netted the final remaining free agent on OotPB TV’s top 5 list, Tadakuni Sasaki (.303/.362/.518, 125HR). He’d signed a 7-year deal, an anonymous source close to the Commissioner’s office tipping off media that Sasaki would be one of the top 2 highest paid players in the game if the 2065 season started today. Brisbane now had 3 good catchers in the mix. Sasaki would surely be their everyday catcher, so would Bethune move to DH and Humphrey to back-up or AAA, or were there still more twists to come this offseason?

27 Jun: Pedro Montanez (95-91, 4.56 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 1.37 WHIP) was off to Hobart, having agreed to a 2-year contract with the club. The second year was a player option.

1 Jul: Sydney added another bullpen arm, signing Isaac Canavan (41-49, 243 sv, 3.15 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) for 3 seasons, the final year of the deal a player option. He proudly told media he’d been promised the closer’s role. Where that left Aaron Fingleson was uncertain. The way Fingleson's contract appeared to be structured, he’d only have a guaranteed payday the next 2 seasons unless he was traded to a team willing to use him as closer in 2066. Alan Sneddon thought the whole thing was amusing: “Look, Canavan’s already got a reputation for being a disruptive guy in the clubhouse. Whether that’s deserved or not, I don’t know. What tickles my funny bone a little bit is that he’s already causing disruption at his new club but this time it’s not really his fault. It’s the fault of Sydney management for promising him something they implied but didn’t actually promise to Fingleson. Both guys are Brodie Backhouse winners and while objectively I’d probably say Canavan is the better pitcher, Fingleson does have the weight of 3 Brodie Backhouse Awards on his belt while Canavan only has 1. I don’t know how Fingleson feels but if he is upset I certainly wouldn’t blame him. I understand Canavan’s point of view, too. He wants to be the closer and good on him for getting that written into his contract.”

5 Jul: In somewhat of a surprise and a blow, Kioniko Mullion (49-47, 4.80 ERA, 4.74 FIP, 1.46 WHIP), who many felt was just about to come of age as a pitcher, chose to leave the AUNZBL for the ABC. Kalgoorlie had signed him to a 4-year deal.

14 Jul: To the surprise of plenty of Darwin fans, the Diggers declined to go to arbitration with Willem Throsby (42-40, 4.66 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 1.34 WHIP), allowing him to become a free agent. Just as surprisingly, it seemed no other AUNZBL team rated him either, or wasn’t willing to offer what Jakarta were, at least. He signed a 4-year contract, his agent telling media that “it’s an okay deal, though obviously I think he’s worth a lot more.” When pressed, he went on to say, “Look, I can’t give specifics but let’s just say yearly it’s somewhere around what an above-average player might expect to get but not what a good player would earn. Throsby, in my opinion, most definitely qualifies as a good player.” That really didn’t clear anything up, except that Jakarta had probably got themselves a good deal.

16 Jul: Bailey Kinnear (.290/.363/.420, 111HR) struggled in 2064, his OPS just .680. Kununurra figured the 5-time All Star and 2063 SS Super Slugger winner would bounce back, signing him to a 2-year deal. The second year was a team option with, according to the rumour-mill, a ‘modest’ buy-out.

24 Jul: Central Coast added Luigi Dempster (.262/.327/.486, 273HR) to their roster on a 2-year deal.

24 Jul: 35 y/o Brad King (94-87, 4.33 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 1.35 WHIP) had once been the most exciting young pitcher in the AUNZBL. Nicknamed ‘The Wizard,’ Diggers’ fans would turn up to games wearing capes and carrying wands, waving them about whenever he struck a hitter out, which he did over 200 times a season between 2051-2054. Then in 2055 after 8 starts, he got rubbed out for nearly a year with a damaged elbow ligament and upon returning struggled to find the plate. In 2057 he walked a league-leading 109 hitters and next season found himself fighting to make the bullpen. He spent the final 3 years of his contract in the Darwin minors, no other team willing to trade for him. In 2063 he signed with Wellington and spent the season in their AAA-affiliate. In 2064 he signed up with Whangarei on a minor-league deal and found himself in their big-league bullpen on Opening Day. Apart from the month of February he spent the entire season in the majors, going 4-8, with a 5.33 ERA, 5.22 FIP, and 1.51 WHIP across 74.1 innings in 55 games. Now he was off to Townsville in the ABC on a 2-year deal, reportedly “just happy to be playing.”

24 Jul: Fernando Contreras (.229/.350/.411, 117HR) would play on in the AUNZBL, at least for another season. He’d signed with the Blue Sox for 2 seasons, the second year a team option. Contreras was a very patient hitter, though he was just as likely to strike out as he was to earn a walk. In 406PA in 2064 he walked 68 times and fanned 116 times.

25 Jul: “The ABC’s calling me,” Willie Russell (80-99, 4.70 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 1.42 WHIP) sang at a light-hearted presser announcing his signing with the Perth Sharks. The 33 y/o Upper American had signed for 2 years.

31 Jul: The Bandits’ bullpen was getting a makeover this offseason. Martin Silva (42-49, 103 sv, 4.21 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.34 WHIP) was the latest acquisition, the sometime closer signing a 1-year contract.

4 Aug: Yoshihito Morimoto (.321/.351/.383, 6HR) signed with Wellington for 2 seasons. GM Travis Aitcheson said that Morimoto was “just the spark the Fury needs.”

8 Aug: Wellington added some more value to their roster, signing Jason Brewster (53-64, 4.25 ERA, 4.80 FIP, 1.33 WHIP) to a 2-year deal.

9 Aug: Al ‘Grand Slam’ Ayliffe (.261/.324/.437, 266HR) joined the Jakarta Stars on a 3-year deal, the final year a vesting option based on games played. Ayliffe hit 29 homers in 2064, the second-highest season tally of his career.

9 Aug: The Brisbane Broncos signed Claudio Banda (62-73, 4.68 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.44 WHIP). Banda had agreed to a 4-year contract and had been promised a spot in the rotation for the length of the deal.

31 Aug: “Just glad to have a team for next year,” James Bacosa (.290/.334/.427, 59HR) said when quizzed about how he’d felt as the offseason passed by without him securing a contract. “I’ll admit, I was beginning to get a little worried.” The former Slugger had signed for 2065 with Adelaide.

30 Sep: On the eve of Opening Day, it was clear Brisbane had won the offseason WAR battle. They had added 24.6 WAR to their roster, with Wellington next-best at 5.1. Whangarei were the biggest losers, down 7.8, while Christchurch were very quiet during the offseason and entered down 5.6 WAR on last season. Hobart also had a net loss of 5.6 WAR.

Notable Trades

22 Apr: It was confusing enough that there were 2 Roy Blake’s pitching in the AUNZBL but that confusion was now set to be compounded as both of them would be playing in the same division. Adelaide today sent 27 y/o RHP Roy Blake (16-11, 4.54 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.48 WHIP) plus cash across the ditch to Auckland in exchange for 2 prospects. Blake, who threw 4 pitches and got very good movement on all of them, would slot into the lower half of Auckland’s rotation.

23 Apr: 25 y/o Alexander Whiffin (.250/.332/.313, 2HR), who’d taken out Rookie of the Month in October, needed to pack his bags and get on a flight from Perth to Sydney. In return, the Heat would acquire a 20 y/o pitching prospect who looked set for big things.

30 May: Canberra shuffled 26 y/o corner outfielder Ralph Zglinicki (.276/.314/.385, 10HR) to Hobart in exchange for 28 y/o right-handed reliever Gilberto Gutierrez (16-17, 7 sv) and 23 y/o OF Jason Yegammai, who had the distinction of appearing in 12 big-league games in March this season without one trip to the hitter’s circle.

30 May: 28 y/o Javier Rodriguez (.273/.324/.467, 74HR) was heading from Wellington to Sydney in exchange for 2 prospects. Rodriguez had been sent by Cairns to the Fury last offseason and had made a good fist of things at his new club, hitting .291/.345/.506, with 36 doubles, 8 triples, and 27HR. He had plenty of competition in Sydney for the 1B or DH roles but was upbeat when interviewed at the airport. “We’ll just see how it goes. If I play as well as I know I can the rest should sort itself out.”

3 Jun: The first day of the Winter Meetings were full of trades, though only one was big enough to get more than a passing mention around the baseball shows. Auckland shifted 26 y/o Brody Moles (.372/.425/.471, 1HR from 136PA across 2 seasons) and an outfield prospect to Adelaide in return for 27 y/o catcher Li Hayes (.297/.343/.474, 46HR) and cash. Hayes, who’d displaced fan favourite Norm Donaldson as the Venom’s everyday catcher, had seemingly been overtaken himself by 29 y/o catcher Angus Wang, who’d been around the big-league roster since 2057 as an injury-replacement/backup. There was also rumour circulating that Adelaide were making a big play for Tadakuni Sasaki. Somewhat surprisingly, Hayes still had less than 3 years major-league service time under his belt.

12 Jun: Auckland traded 30 y/o LF Brent Dwyer (.257/.320/.442, 157HR) to Sydney in exchange for some high-minors pitching depth. Dwyer had spent most of the 2064 season at AAA, though he’d been part of Auckland’s playoff squad, making 2 plate appearances, one of which was a walk that later earned him a run.

25 Aug: Adelaide sent 36 y/o LHP Ryan Digby (45-69, 258 sv) plus a 21 y/o prospect across to Melbourne in exchange for 27 y/o 2B Noel Dickson (.268/.323/.359, 16HR). Dickson was a Gold Glove winner (2064) at SS but the Venom figured he’d go just as well on the other side of the diamond. Digby was no longer the fearsome late inning pitcher he once had been, his slider all but having disappeared and his changeup as mediocre as ever. His fastball had lost a few kilometres but still fizzed as much as it ever had, which was probably what was keeping him in the bigs.

Notable Injuries

13 May: Cairns sent 18 y/o international scouting find Albert Garcia out to get to know the fans. He shook a lot of hands over the course of the afternoon but apparently did so with too much vigour, team medical staff announcing the next day he was suffering from a sore elbow and was to “carefully monitored during future fan engagement sessions.”

7 Sep: Brisbane’s 2064 closer Tai hoi Kao, who’d recorded 35 saves in his rookie season, had an inflamed shoulder and would miss the first 2 months of the season.

10 Sep: Perth's Jose de la Cruz would miss at least the first 3 weeks of the season thanks to a strained oblique.

13 Sep: Central Coast’s closer last season, Trent Millar, had a torn triceps and wasn’t expected to return until the second half of the campaign.

21 Sep: New Wellington recruit Yoshihito Morimoto had a strained groin and would miss most of October.

22 Sep: Melbourne’s Pedro Mercado could miss up to a month of the season thanks to a strained hammy.

26 Sep: Another injury blow for the Thunder before a competitive pitch had been thrown. Justin Auger would miss over a month with a fractured hand.

NABA Wrap-up

The regular season was never in doubt, Olympia leading the pack from start to finish, eventually winning the first-past-the-post race by 8 games. The fight to see who would provide the other half of the NABA Cup fixtures was much tighter, Carmel needing until the final day of the regular season to book a berth ahead of Warwick.

Despite Warwick thrashing the Generals 12-3 in Game 1 it was Olympia who proved too strong, winning both of their home games to snare their fourth NABA Cup.

26 y/o Julio Alvarez (.321/.352/.497, 11HR), in his first season in the NABA after coming across from the BL, won the Yellowstone Award. Alvarez led the league in SLG, RBI (55), XBH (31), and total bases (150).

Gerald Tschiffely (8-3, 1.68 ERA, 2.86 FIP, 0.92 WHIP) won his second Yosemite Award in 3 seasons. Tschiffely led the league in ERA, WHIP, H/9 (6.10), OAVG (.191), and K/9 (8.28).

29 y/o Antonio Longoria (.302/.369/.405, 3HR) took out the Grand Canyon Award. Longoria led the league in runs (56), stolen bases (33), and WAR (3.5).

Izz · 04-12-2018, 05:36 AM

2065 Preseason Predictions

Coastal: The experts picked the Venom to win 100 games on their way to a convincing division win. Darwin would win 90 while Cairns, despite having the most impressive power in the league, wouldn’t play above .500. Perth fans would have to endure more pain, the team expected to give the 2024 Christchurch Cowboys’ record of 114 losses a close shave.

East-West: Brisbane would win the division comfortably, none of the other teams playing above .500. Kununurra, who made the playoffs last season, would lose nearly 100 games

NZ: The NZ Division would be the hottest in baseball in 2065. Christchurch would take it out but both Auckland and Wellington would win 90+ games.

Southern: Hobart failed to live up to expectations last season but they’d do the job this season, at least according to the pundits. The other 3 teams in the division might push them close at various points during the campaign but would all finish below .500.

Wildcard: Darwin, Auckland and Wellington would fight it out for the 2 spots.

Jorge Diaz Award: Richard Moore would bounce back from his ‘poor’ 2064 to win his fourth Jorge Diaz Award. Tashiaki Yano would be in the mix, as would Beau Hauer and Andre Wiltshire. Norm Blume might give it a shake, too.

Hurler of the Year: Backed by Christchurch’s offense, Barry Dean would win 20 for the fourth time in his career. This would net him his fifth Hoodie, though teammate Robbie Chadfield would take the league by storm and push Dean all the way past the winner’s post. Darwin’s Allan Tipping was picked, for some reason, to also be a contender, as were Auckland’s Domenic Jones and Song Liang.

Prospect Watch: 23 y/o Bhanu ‘Big House’ Milind had the #3 ranking on OotPB TV’s prospect list to start the season. He hadn’t been especially impressive during ST but Hobart figured he was ready for the big leagues and had slotted him into the 5 spot in their rotation. Milind was the second-overall pick of the 2063 draft.

22 y/o Tye Albury played A-ball for all of 2064, winning Slugger of the Year with a .308/.393/.533 stat-line, his 58 extra-base hits including 25 doubles, 13 triples and 20 homeruns. He was also an excellent outfielder and Wellington figured he was good enough to make the jump from single-A to the majors. He was their starting leftfielder to begin the season. Albury was ranked as the 23rd overall prospect in the league.

ABC: Brisbane would win the Northern after a tight race with Alice Springs. The Southern would be awful, except for the Highlife, who would win 100+ games. Broome would surprise in the Western, squeaking past Adelaide with Kalgoorlie also in the mix. Jakarta would be way too strong in the Overseas.

There would be no stopping Ted Blume snaring back-to-back Golden Bats, though Si-xun Qiao would take out the homerun race if he remained healthy.

Austin Ya would take out Golden Arm, with Gordon Brown and new ABC recruits Kioniko Mullion and Willem Throsby in hot pursuit.

Izz · 04-15-2018, 03:22 AM

2065/2066 Season - October

Notable Performances

1 Oct: Barry Dean got 2065 off to a winning start, coming off the best in a pitcher’s duel with Melbourne’s Dan Holz. The final score was 1-0 to Christchurch, and Dean stayed on the mound the entire game for his 7th career shutout. He allowed just 5 hits and 1 walk while fanning 8. He also threw just 96 pitches.

3 Oct: Sydney and Wellington put on the first extra-innings game of the season, battling it out for 15 innings before Mitchell Cox put Wellington in the winner’s circle with a solo walk-off homer. The last scoring act during regulation innings came in the 6th when Wellington hustled the tying run home. Both teams had plenty of chances in extras but couldn’t make them count until Cox’s blast.

3 Oct: Cairns were well in control of this one heading into the bottom of the 9th, leading Newcastle 5-1. Starting pitcher Kent Wells stayed on the mound but that proved to be a mistake as he hit Hektor Knittle with the first pitch of the inning and then surrendered a double to Thomas Boniface off the very next pitch. He was replaced by Josh Duggan who got Jose Amaya to ground out 5-3. Knittle came home to score but when Temaki Hokualohi lined out back to the pitcher to reduce Newcastle’s available outs to 1, the game looked done and dusted. Ashley White kept the inning alive with a single to shallow right-centre and Boniface scored. Yen-nien Liu walked before Jack Watkins punched a single to left-centre, scoring another and making it a 1-run game. Nick Bond doubled over the head of centre and the game was all tied up. Phillip Hammond trotted to the mound and Nicholas Bennett duly hit a walk-off single, his teammates mobbing Watkins at home-plate. 6-5 Newcastle in a game they hadn’t looked like competing in until that final frame.

3 Oct: Hobart scored 4 runs in the 8th to tie their game against Adelaide. Neither side scored in the 9th but Richard Moore boosted the Venom into the lead with a solo homer in the 10th. Adam Cox led off the bottom of the inning with a solo shot of his own to even the score once more. 2 outs later Jesus Vega walked, stole 2B and took 3B on a bad throw from the catcher before scoring the winning run when 1B Moore dropped the throw on Gordon Ladds’ routine ground-ball to the left side. 6-5 Hobart.

4 Oct: Central Coast went torrential against Darwin, battering them 21-6. Luigi Dempster was 5-6 with 2 doubles in the middle of the order but he wasn’t the biggest star of the night. Leadoff hitter Nick McConnell went 4-5 with 2 walks, his hits including 2 homers and a double. His first dinger, in the 2nd, was a first-pitch Grand Slam that travelled 441-feet over centrefield. In the bottom of the 4th he doubled home 2 more runners. In the 5th he again came to the plate with the bases loaded and pulled the 0-1 pitch into the leftfield bleachers. 10RBI, a new AUNZBL record! For the losers, David Anderton went deep for the third game in a row, sending 2 into the stands in a 2-3 night.

5 Oct: Bhanu Milind gave an excellent accounting of himself in his first big-league start, allowing no hits and just 2 walks through 6 innings against Adelaide. He started the 7th with a walk to Richard Moore and landed awkwardly in his follow-through after the last pitch of the at-bat. He hobbled from the field, medical staff later confirming a mild ankle sprain. Adelaide scored the go-ahead run later that inning before piling on the pain in the top of the 9th. 13 hitters went to the plate and 9 runs scored. 10-0 Adelaide in a score that didn’t accurately reflect the contest.

6 Oct: After 9 innings, neither Newcastle or Melbourne had troubled the scorers. Offseason ABC recruit Bayu Layar came to the plate with 2 on in the bottom of the 10th and with the count 3-2 drove a fastball over the leftfield fence. 3-0 walk-off win to the Aces. In an aside, club legend Vern Bull was playing a backup role to Layar to begin the season, with Marcos Lopez preferred at DH. Independent observers were of the opinion that 36 y/o Bull had declined significantly over the offseason, to the point where 41 y/o Lopez was the better-looking offensive player. Bull was contracted with Melbourne for 2066 but that final year would only kick in if he had 480 plate appearances in 2065.

6 Oct: Cairns left it late to deal Auckland their first loss of the season. Down by 1 heading into the bottom of the 9th, the Crocs got 2 runners aboard with 1 out. Felino ‘Excitement’ Saturno strode to the plate and 6 pitches later was celebrating with his teammates after touching ‘em all. 3-run walk-off homer to give Cairns an 8-6 win.

7 Oct: 32 y/o Maurice Clemens would surely remember Christchurch’s 7-6 win over Central Coast for a long while. In the bottom of the 6th he mashed a 451-foot jack over centre to give him 300 major-league homeruns. He celebrated that feat in the bottom of the 8th with another homerun, this one a boomer over left. 10RBI-man McConnell led off the top of the 9th with a solo homerun to pull the Thunder within 1 but Scott Carson recovered to strike out 2 of the next 3 and ensure the Cowboys the win.

7 Oct: Cairns toppled Auckland for the second game running and for the second game running needed some walk-off magic to do the trick. Miguel Ibanez led off the bottom of the 10th with the scores tied at 2 and went opposite-field, launching a fly into the rightfield seats to give the Crocs a 3-2 victory.

8 Oct: Hobart and Darwin needed 12 innings before one could be crowned winner. This time it was Hobart by the score of 4-3, Gordon Ladds scoring in the top of the 12th on the back of a 2-out Carlos Aguilar double.

12 Oct: The season’s first PotW was Norm Blume. He hit .423/.452/1.115, 5 of his 11 hits earning him maximum bases.

12 Oct: In a seesawing encounter, Canberra overcame Darwin 7-6 in 11 innings. The Cavalry had trotted ahead in the 8th on the back of a solo Jorge Perez homer followed soon after by a 2-run Neil Bellett blast but Darwin rallied home 2 runs in the top of the 9th to tie it up. Jose Morales slugged a homerun in the top of the 11th to put Darwin back in front before Martin Boston singled home an insurance run. The Diggers could’ve done with a bit more insurance, however, Canberra walking off winners in the bottom of the inning thanks to a combination of walk, triple, single, double.

12 Oct: The Crocs savaged the Pioneers 18-1 in a game where they scored more runs than they had base hits. The majority of the damage was inflicted in the 5th, the Crocs sending 16 hitters to the plate and making the most of their opportunities, scoring 13 runs. Ewan Stenis had two at-bats in the frame, the first resulting in an opposite-field Grand Slam over right and the second a 3-run bomb over left. Ronald Aitken’s jack in the 2nd gave him a 3-game HR streak. On the mound, Victor Doubleday eased through 8.1 innings, allowing just 6 hits, Kununurra’s solitary run coming off the bat of Norm Blume in the top of the 1st.

13 Oct: Whangarei denied Perth what would’ve been just their second win of the season with a 4-run bottom of the 9th, a 3-run Jacob Sheppard homerun giving the Sluggers a walk-off 6-3 victory. Perth’s new skipper, 53 y/o Benjamin Colcott, hadn’t managed at a professional level before, and his press conferences across the first 2 weeks of the season had gotten increasingly more and more despondent. Today all he could manage was a shrug and, “Well, that was an awful ending, wasn’t it?”

14 Oct: Quentin Welch played a starring role in Auckland’s 12-inning 7-6 win over Melbourne. He went 5-6, his final hit a single in the 12th that moved John Foreman from 1B to 3B, allowing him to score off a wild pitch to Declan Bagshaw. This was the first time veteran Welch had collected 5 hits in a game.

18 Oct: Hobart walked off 4-3 winners against high-flying division rival Canberra in a 13-inning encounter. Hobart scored 2 to tie it up in the bottom of the 9th before a trio of singles in the 13th gave them the victory.

18 Oct: Newcastle out-punched Central Coast in a 13-12 win, the Thunder scoring 5 in the top of the 9th to almost force an unlikely continuation. They had the tying run in scoring position with only 1 out but couldn’t get the runner past 3B. Both Andre Wiltshire and Claudio Lara had 4 hits for Central Coast, while Nicholas Bennett was the best of the Roos, going 3-4.

19 Oct: Bennett took out PotW honours with a .571/.571/1.000 stat-line.

19 Oct: Perth snared their second win of the season, beating Brisbane 7-2. They scored 5 in the bottom of the 1st and eventually coasted to victory. A shoddy defensive effort from the Bandits, resulting in 4 errors, didn’t help matters. For the season Perth were now 2-16.

20 Oct: Edgardo Rico’s 3rd-inning double in Whangarei’s 4-3 win over Darwin gave him a 20-game hit streak. Rico was tied for the most hits in the league, with 36, and a couple decimal places back in the BA race.

22 Oct: Barry Dean gave up 6 runs in 5 innings of uncharacteristically flat pitching but was saved from the loss by a late-innings Cowboy comeback. Rookie Eduardo Maldonado hit a solo homerun in the 8th to make it a 4-run game. In the top of the 9th Christchurch batted around, scoring 5, Maldonado contributing a 2-run double to kick-start the process. Scott Carson hurried out to the mound for the bottom of the inning and sent Kununurra back in order. 7-6 Christchurch.

24 Oct: Wellington defeated Canberra 9-6. Yoshihito Morimoto led the way at the top of the order with a 5-5 night, which included a double and a triple.

25 Oct: Rico extended his hit streak to 25 games with a 1-4 effort in Whangarei’s 8-7 victory over Hobart. The Sluggers scored 4 in the top of the 9th for a comeback victory, their sixth win on the trot.

25 Oct: Central Coast and Auckland were locked at 3 each after 9 innings, the last scoring act for both teams happening back in the 5th. In the top of the 12th, with 1 out, Hayden Nohea went yard over right-centre to score 3. The Thunder added another and the result was sealed, Auckland only able to manage a 2-out single in the bottom of the frame. 7-3 win to Central Coast, Auckland suddenly having lost 4 straight to find themselves at the bottom of the NZ despite having a 14-10 record.

26 Oct: Beau Hauer won PotW. He hit .419/.455/.871, with 4HR.

27 Oct: Newcastle squeezed past Kununurra 8-7 in 10 innings. Temaki Hokualohi had the winning hit, a 2-out walk-off double off the base of the CF wall. The hit was also Hokualohi’s fifth of the night. The Roos had 17 hits to Kununurra’s 8.

30 Oct: Edgardo Rico’s hit streak finally came to an end at 27 games. ‘Crash’ went 0-4 in Whangarei’s 4-0 loss to the red-hot Cavalry, 40 y/o former ABC starting pitcher Ivan Parker recording his eighth save of the season after coming to the mound in the 9th with 2 on and none out. Rico’s streak didn’t quite put him in the top 5 all-time for the AUNZBL. The fifth-best mark was 29, reached by several players.

30 Oct: Darwin scored 2 in the 8th to tie up their tussle with Cairns. They then added another in the top of the 9th to take the lead for the first time. Felino Saturno didn’t let them have the lead for long, leading off the bottom of the inning with a 426-foot bash over centre. 4 batters later and the Crocs had loaded the bases. Ewan Stenis nubbed one in front of the plate and Peter Moy headed for home. Kent Okolita dashed out to grab the pill but couldn’t grip it cleanly. He snared it on the second go and dived for Moy but Moy’s slide had already carried him across home-plate. Walk-off 5-4 win to Cairns!

31 Oct: Newcastle’s Dean Ambrose didn’t even get through the entire first inning of his start against Sydney. The inning started with a walk. Ambrose then gave up 5 consecutive singles before getting his first out, which also resulted in a run scoring. Then Jason Russell hammered a double over the CF's head, scoring 2 more. Another single followed before the 3B couldn’t handle a groundball, allowing a seventh runner to cross home-plate. Fernando Contreras struck out swinging but if Ambrose thought his horror was over he had another thing coming. Axel Nankervis came to the plate and 6 pitches later was doing the four-bag trot after launching a 3-run jack over left. 10-0 Sydney before the 1st was even done. Newcastle, to their credit, didn’t lie down, the final score 12-8 to the Blue Sox. Nankervis went 3-5 with 5RBI, while Guillermo Julio and Nicholas Bennett both went 4-5 for the Roos.

31 Oct: The Fury quieted the Thunder 15-7, 7 of their 9 starting batters getting 2 or more hits. Andre Wiltshire was a shining light for Central Coast, going 4-4, with a walk, 3 runs and 4RBI. 2 of his hits were doubles and the other 2 homeruns.

31 Oct: Christchurch had dropped the first 2 of their set with lowly Perth and things were tight in this one, too, the score 3-3 heading into the 9th. The Cowboys’ bats exploded in the top of the inning however, to score 7 runs. Perth managed a double in the bottom of the inning but that was it, the Cowboys well and truly extinguishing the Heat 10-3.

Notable Injuries

5 Oct: Vinnie Hanscombe (.167/.375/.167, 0HR from 8PA) would miss at least the next 4 weeks of Melbourne’s campaign with a quad strain.

7 Oct: Central Coast were having a hard time with injuries to start 2065. Tristan Agar (1-0, 4.15 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 1.27 WHIP) came from the mound in yesterday’s game against Christchurch after 1.2 innings and today was told he would miss the next 4 months with shoulder inflammation. “Not ideal,” he told journos, “but it is what it is, I guess.”

7 Oct: Gilberto Soberon (.324/.343/.588, 2HR) was gaining a reputation for getting hurt. This time it was an intercostal strain and he’d miss at least the next 5 weeks of Wellington’s 2065 efforts.

7 Oct: Newcastle’s Thomas Boniface (.412.474/.882, 2HR) had a strained oblique. He’d probably miss about the next month.

13 Oct: Javier Rodriguez (.261/.314/.413, 1HR) wouldn’t be in Sydney’s lineup for at least the next 4 weeks thanks to a strained oblique.

16 Oct: The Thunder were in all sorts of strife. A day after learning that SP Joshua Beers (0-1, 7.94 ERA, 10.28 FIP, 1.94 WHIP) had torn his triceps and would be on the DL for the next 3 months, further depleting an already weakened staff, the diagnosis for SP Wesley Blackford (0-2, 4.72 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.58 WHIP) came in: ruptured finger tendon, quite possibly season-ending. The Thunder had 4 starting pitchers on the DL and 2 relievers.

18 Oct: More injury woes for Central Coast, though not affecting their pitching staff this time. Jesus Fuentes (.254/.312/.437, 3HR) had a hip strain and was expected to miss 4-5 weeks of action.

19 Oct: Sebastian Horton (.365/.420/.540, 2HR) was off to the DL with plantar fasciitis. 6 weeks was his estimated recovery time.

22 Oct: Calvin Hodnett (.306/.367/.639, 6HR) was done for the season thanks to a broken bone in his elbow. Cairns, 8-12 to begin 2065, would miss his consistency. Hodnett was set to be a free agent at season’s end unless he and the Crocs worked out an extension.

Notable Trades/Signings

4 Oct: Yesterday Allan Tipping (62-43, 4.17 ERA, 4.55 FIP, 1.32 WHIP) threw 8 innings of shutout ball in his first start of the season. Today he signed a 3-year extension with the club. 29 y/o leftie Tipping was one of those guys who always seemed to over-perform. One scout said of him: “His stuff is nothing special, but it gets the job done.” And that about summed Tipping up.

7 Oct: Adelaide and Canberra engaged in a trade. The Venom sent 30 y/o LF Andrew Benbow (.320/.346/.560, 2HR in 2065; .275/.341/.402, 56HR career) to the Cavalry in exchange for 26 y/o 2B Jack Pye (.320/.346/.400, 0HR in 2065; .263/.333/.350, 16HR career). Benbow filled an immediate outfield need for the Cavalry, but Alan Sneddon was of the opinion that Adelaide had got the better end of this deal. “Nice move by new Venom GM Liam Harney,” Sneddon said. “He moves on a guy who would be a free agent at the end of the season anyway and who only put up 0.7 WAR last season for a youngster with less than 3 years’ service-time. Adelaide says they’ll play Pye at DH to begin with but he’s a more than adequate defender who’ll provide good backup if any of their middle-infield get injured.”

12 Oct: Central Coast extended 27 y/o Claudio Lara (.343/.452/.543, 1HR in 2065; .256/.365/.399, 43HR career) for 4 years. The deal bought out the remaining 2 years of Lara’s arbitration and would keep him employed in the AUNZBL for the first 2 years he was eligible for free agency.

14 Oct: 31 y/o Teddy Wigley (1-2, 5.94 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 1.44 WHIP in 2065; 86-68, 4.55 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 1.41 WHIP career) and Adelaide agreed to terms on a 5-year extension, the final year a team option.

17 Oct: Cowboys’ fans were in raptures today upon learning that 29 y/o Barry Dean (2-1, 1.54 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 0.81 WHIP in 2065; 142-75, 3.38 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) had signed a 6-year extension with the club. “Super happy,” Dean told a reporter. “I’ve got my future well and truly sorted out with a club that’s not only focused on bringing home the trophy but has the team to do it. Let’s do this!”

24 Oct: Newcastle were delighted to announce that 29 y/o Guillermo Julio (.282/.311/.366, 1HR 2065; .317/.370/.454, 94HR) had recommitted to the club for a further 7 years, the final year a team option. Julio had 81 career triples, tied for 6th on the all-time leaderboard.

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 23 y/o Hector Moran made his major-league debut last season, playing in 8 games for the Sluggers. He’d cemented himself as Whangarei's first-choice 2B this season, putting up a +5.2ZR over the first month. He was involved in 161 outs (58 put-outs, 103 assists - 30 double-plays) without making a single error. He’d also shown himself to be handy with the bat, hitting .310/.372/.460, his 31-100 including 4 doubles, 1 triple and 3HR. He’d driven in 17, scored 13 times, and walked 10 times.

Hurler of the Month: 24 y/o Brendan Penfold started 7 games in October, 1 more than any other pitcher, and won 6 of them, his ERA 3.54, his FIP 3.62 and his WHIP 1.33. He threw 40.2 innings, fanning 37 hitters. The 2062 #1 overall draft pick was a big part of Canberra’s hot start to 2065.

Slugger of the Month: The Thunder might be languishing at the bottom of the East-West by some margin but that wasn’t down to the efforts of Andre Wiltshire. The 2B had been in career-best form, hitting .356/.433/.653 across the month, with 10 homeruns from 42 hits. He’d also hit 5 doubles, scored 26 runs, plated 23 runners, walked 16 times and stolen 2 bases. He was only a few decimal points off the league lead in WAR and was tied for second in homeruns.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: How was the old man of the league going? Not too well, in all honesty. Lopez had been the preferred DH for the first couple weeks before finding himself on the bench. He hit .200/.228/.200 across the month, his 11 hits all singles.

Martin Boston: ‘Dinky’ moved 36 hits closer to 3000, finishing the month with 2843. He hit .303/.344/.387, with 7 doubles and a HR. Alan Sneddon said of Boston partway through October, “The guy’s swing is still as loose as it was when he entered the league. And this despite him always seeming to be carrying some niggle or other. The injuries he’s suffered across his career will prevent him chasing down Aguirre at the top of the hits board but I can see him playing until he’s 40-plus and I think he’ll overtake Lopez in second spot.” Boston was about 110 days away from turning 37. 6 hits more and he’d overtake Young-tae Lee in seventh spot on the leaderboard.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: The Venom started off the month slow but asserted their dominance in the second half, heading into November with a 7-game lead over next-closest Cairns. To be fair, the Crocs and the rest of the division were awful, all playing less than .400-ball, while Perth won a paltry 6 games in the opening month.

East-West Division: Brisbane, Kununurra and Newcastle couldn’t be separated after a month of competition, while Central Coast were 5 games in arrears with 10 wins to their name.

NZ Division: Every team in the NZ had a good opening month, Auckland with a 1-game lead over Christchurch to finish proceedings, while Wellington and Whangarei were just a single game further back.

Southern Division: Canberra were the hottest team in baseball, winning 22 in October, the Blue Sox their closest division rival, 8 games back and 1 below .500. Melbourne were shaky early while Hobart once again failed to live up to the preseason hype.

Wildcard: Too early.

#

Edgardo Rico (.414/.469/.552, 2HR) finished the month at the top of the BA board, despite going hitless on the 30th and 31st. He also had the league's best OBP.

Nicholas Bennett (.410/.417/.631, 5HR) hovered a few points behind Rico in the batting race but led the league in hits, with exactly 50.

Christchurch rookie David Romo (.400/.424/.447, 0HR) might’ve felt unlucky not to get RotM, though perhaps the injury he suffered on the 25th that kept him out of the last week of the month counted against him. As well as hitting .400 in October, he also stole the most bases, doing so 12 times.

David Anderton (.272/.380/.680, 11HR) was the best homerun hitter in the opening month of the season and also led the league in XBH (20), and ISO (.408).

Mitch Goddard (.354/.417/.708, 10HR) led the league in SLG, OPS, wOBA (.470), and total bases (80).

Larry Booth (.355/.461/.430, 0HR) played 27 games and scored 27 runs to top the AUNZBL in that category.

Teammate Tashiaki Yano (.350/.398/.581, 7HR) drove in a league-leading 34 runners in October.

Ronald Aitken (.274/.425/.411, 3HR) and Neil Bellett (.287/.429/.584, 8HR) both had 24 walks, best in the league.

Chi-seong Lee (.327/.372/.538, 4HR) had the AUNZBL’s best WAR (1.8) by a few decimal places. The +7.8ZR he put up would’ve helped with that.

Adelaide’s Mei-shan Jiang (4-0, 1.58 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) had the best ERA among qualified pitchers.

John Ramirez (2-1, 3.20 ERA, 2.18 FIP, 0.99 WHIP) had the best FIP, K/BB (9.52), and WAR (1.8).

Jeremy Toohey (3-2, 2.23 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 0.92 WHIP) led all-comers in WHIP and HR/9 (0.22).

Victor Doubleday (3-1, 2.90 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 1.24 WHIP) had 42 strikeouts, while Jose Ramirez (0-3, 4.89 ERA, 4.45 FIP, 1.43 WHIP) had the best K/9 (9.77).

John Zglinicki (5-1, 3.20 ERA, 4.19 FIP, 1.11 WHIP) threw 45 innings across 6 starts.

Moeaktola Liao led the league in saves by 1. He had 9.

ABC Wrap-up

Nobody in the Northern was over .500 at the end of October. Alice Springs (14-15) was the best of the bunch and took a 1-game lead into November.

Canberra (17-12) led Sydney (16-12) by 1 game in the Southern.

Adelaide (20-9) had a 1-game buffer over Perth (19-10) in the Western.

Dunedin (18-11) were 3 games ahead of Hamilton (15-14) in the Overseas.

Lachlan Limeburner (.301/.348/.488, 5HR) won Rookie of the Month honours.

Cam Pye (4-1, 1.48 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 0.90 WHIP) was the ABC’s Pitcher of the Month, capping October off with a 4-hit shutout on the 30th.

There was just no stopping Ted Blume (.365/.477/.702, 8HR). He stormed home to win a fifth straight PotM, though Gold Coast’s Alastair Lawson (.268/.322/.571, 10HR) led the ABC in homeruns.

AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1

Izz · 04-25-2018, 11:24 PM

2065/2066 Season - November

Notable Performances

1 Nov: Barry Dean started against former club Perth, the media labelling it a ‘grudge match’ after Dean was reported to have made some unfavourable comments about his former club during the week. Christchurch took a 1-run lead in the 2nd but Perth battled back in the 5th to tie it up. 3 Heat errors in the 8th allowed the Cowboys to retake the advantage, 3 runs hustling across home-plate. Dean threw a scoreless 8th and then Christchurch made sure of proceedings in the 9th. Matthew Utting launched the 8th Grand Slam of his career in the middle of a 6-run inning. Dean hit the first batter of the 9th, an act of tiredness rather than malice, before being replaced, the Cowboys cruising to a 10-1 win. Dean’s stat-line was 8.0IP, 7H, 1ER, 2BB, 6K.

2 Nov: Fresh off his Slugger of the Month win, Andre Wiltshire took out Player of the Week. He hit .455/.556/.955, his 10 hits including 2 doubles and 3 homers. He also walked 5 times.

2 Nov: The Sluggers, on a 5-game skid, went ahead in the 8th against Wellington thanks to a 2-run Marco Auty homer. They still held that 1-run lead heading into the bottom of the 9th. With 1 out Tye Albury cleared the fences to tie things up. An out later Luigi Auger sent one down the leftfield line just far enough for a walk-off 4-3 Fury win. Whangarei’s losing run continued.

3 Nov: Adelaide had the chance to win their 10th straight going into today’s contest with Christchurch and for the majority of the game it looked like they’d do just that. Both sides traded runs in the 1st and then Adelaide went ahead via a Carlos Acevedo solo homer in the 4th. That was all the scoring until the bottom of the 9th. Kelvin Pickhills led off with a single and was bunted into scoring position. Maurice Clemens singled to left. Eduardo Maldonado sent a flyball into the right-centre alley. It found space, landing near the wall and ricocheting back towards centre. Pickhills scored the tying run and Clemens held up at 3B. Gustavo Sosa was walked to load the bases and set up the double-play. The second pitch to Zartuche bounced on home-plate and the catcher couldn’t smother it. It rolled to the backstop and Clemens came home unopposed to score the winning run. Walk-off wild pitch and the Cowboys were 3-2 winners.

3 Nov: A pair of doubles in the bottom of the 10th gave Darwin a 5-4 win over Melbourne. The Diggers had come from behind in the 7th and 8th (via a 2-run Arturo Medina homerun and a solo Martin Boston jack) to force extras.

4 Nov: Hobart beat up Cairns 14-5. Gordon Ladds boosted 2 homeruns for the Prospects, giving him a 4-game HR streak. He’d hit 6 dingers in those 4 games.

4 Nov: Auckland disposed of Sydney 15-5. The runs mostly came in clumps. They scored 5 in the bottom of the 1st, batting around, and 8 in the 5th, sending 12 hitters to the plate. Their 5th-inning pile-on included no four-baggers.

4 Nov: In a day for big scores, the Cavalry routed the Bandits 16-4, putting up 20 base hits in the process. They only hit 1 homerun, a 3-run blast in the 2nd, and did most of their scoring in the 5th after Mitch Goddard reached on the first pitch of the inning when the pitcher couldn’t collect the throw from the 1B on a deep ground-out. 15 hitters went to the plate in all that inning, resulting in 10 runs. Andrew Benbow was 4-4 with 2 doubles.

5 Nov: Sydney halted Auckland’s winning ways at 9 games in a row, defeating the Metros 6-5. The Metros had more baserunners but couldn’t get it done, Sydney leaving just 1 man on across the whole game.

5 Nov: Nelson Thurgood cruised through 8 for Brisbane against Canberra, the Bandits ahead 5-zip heading into the bottom of the frame and Thurgood looking at a shutout. The first hitter he faced hit a grounder towards 1B. The ball took a hop and bounced off the heel of the first-baseman’s glove. The next hitter singled to put runners on the corners. Arnold Kalman then ground into a double-play but the runner at 3B scored and Thurgood’s shutout bid was over. “The game’s cruel like that sometimes,” Thurgood said with a shrug post-match. “But we still got the win, so that’s what counts.” He threw 9.0 innings for 6 hits, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 2 walks and 4 punch-outs.

7 Nov: Adelaide came off the winner against Newcastle in a low-scoring contest. With the scores tied at 1 in the bottom of the 9th and 1 away, Norm Donaldson clocked a 2-0 changeup way back over left-centre for a walk-off solo homer. After playing the backup role last season, Donaldson was once again the Venom’s preferred everyday catcher and had already tagged 7 homeruns.

8 Nov: Everybody loves an extra-innings, walk-off Grand Slam. Well, unless you’re the team who cops it, and especially not if you’re the pitcher who delivers the unfortunate pitch. If you’re the fortunate hitter, on the other hand, it’s a moment never to be forgotten. 33 y/o rookie Fortunato Tolento was such a man in Sydney’s 6-2, 13-inning defeat of Kununurra. Eddie Rayner was the pitcher, being used by the Pioneers at closer this season, though most felt his arm had deteriorated to the point he should only be used in long relief. He’d thrown a scoreless 12th already, though Axel Nankervis’s deep fly-out to CF should’ve triggered some alarm bells for Kununurra management. Lachlan Barnett ground out 6-3 to begin the bottom of the 13th. Rodney Ellison then legged out a stand-up triple to the rightfield alley. Brent Dwyer was intentionally walked and John Roberts earned a walk. Tolento, in only his fourth start of the season, had already singled in the 7th and last time up made good contact on a fly-out to centre. The first pitch Rayner threw him was a waist-high sinker. Tolento crushed it and stood a moment watching it disappear over centrefield. It landed well beyond the wall and the 43,000 Pioneers fans in the stadium went wild.

For Tolento, not only was this a walk-off Grand Slam but it was also the first major-league homerun of his career. Tolento had entered the AUNZBL as a Lower American independent league free agent in 2062 and after playing the last 3 seasons in AAA had got the call-up to the Blue Sox bench early this season. Speaking through an interpreter he said, “Just amazing. I could never dream of this moment and yet here it is. I will carry the ball in my pocket for the rest of my life.”

9 Nov: Gordon Ladds might’ve only played half the week due to injury (see Notable Injuries, below) but that half was still good enough to net him PotW. He hit .533/.588/1.600, 5 of his 8 hits homeruns. He also hit a double, scored 8 runs and drove in 8 runners. Not a bad effort for a 4-game workload.

11 Nov: The Bandits piled some pain on the Sluggers in the first game of their set with a 15-4 win. Despite hitting safely 20 times, Brisbane only managed 4 extra-base hits: a double, a triple and 2 bleacher features. Tashiaki Yano was the source of 2 of those hits, the triple and a homer, in a 3-5 night. Tadakuni Sasaki and Roman Woods also had 3 hits.

12 Nov: John Ramirez threw just the second single-pitcher shutout of the season, blanking Darwin on the back of 2 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 10 and said after the game, “I was just in the zone tonight. Lights out, whatever you want to call it. I was rolling, baby!” Newcastle won 5-0.

13 Nov: The hapless Heat slumped to their 10th straight loss, falling 10-6 to Kununurra. Norm Blume went 3-4 with 2 doubles and homerun #17 for the season. The Heat had won only 1 game so far in November and were 7-34 so far on the season, a winning percentage of just 17.1.

13 Nov: The Crocs beat Wellington in extra innings for the second night running and for the second night running the winning blow came off the bat of Felino ‘Excitement’ Saturno. Yesterday he hit a solo homer in the top of the 10th to see Cairns to a 3-2 victory and tonight he blasted a solo shot in the top of the 11th to help Cairns get up 4-3. Saturno had only had 101PA so far in 2065 after missing over 2 weeks of October with a back strain but he already had 9 homeruns. Inexplicably the Crocs were playing him at 2B, which was a terrible idea. His ZR from 27 games was -8.6, his range factor a paltry 4.58, and his efficiency a horrifying .856.

14 Nov: Perth got a win! They scored 3 in the 1st, 1 in the 2nd, and 4 in the 5th and that was enough to hold off Kununurra 8-6.

16 Nov: Carlos Acevedo hit .519/.536/.815 to win PotW.

17 Nov: Brisbane and Central Coast engaged in a tense low-scoring affair. Matt Mulholland threw 8 innings for 3 hits, 3 walks and no earned runs, easily his best outing of the season so far. Central Coast’s Sam Woodger hurled 7.2 innings for 5 hits and 5 walks but somehow also didn’t concede any runs. After 9 neither side had scored. Brisbane led off the top of the 10th with a single and advanced the runner to scoring position but an intentional walk followed by a double-play snuffed out that opportunity. Claudio Lara smoked a double into rightfield to start the bottom of the inning and Aaron Gilleland followed with a sharp single into the hole between 3B and short. Walk-off 1-0 Central Coast win!

18 Nov: Canberra made a whopping 5 errors but were still too good for Christchurch, winning the final game of their series 9-6 to complete a sweep and hand the Cowboys their sixth straight loss.

18 Nov: Norm Blume had his eight-straight multi-hit game, going 2-5 in Kununurra’s 9-1 win over Adelaide. He was hitting .401 for the season and had his face plastered at the top of most of the hitting leaderboards.

18 Nov: Sydney levelled it up with Perth in the top of the 9th via a Hulama Alkina solo homerun that was projected to travel 460 feet, doing so in front of less than 24,000 masochistic Heat fans. In the top of the 11th Sydney manufactured the go-ahead run and the few fans remaining headed for the turnstiles. A pity for them, as Rich Downes slugged a 1-out double before Reginald Collyer pulled a 1-0 splitter over leftfield. It just had enough legs to clear the fence and send Perth off 4-3 winners.

19 Nov: It wasn’t a good game to be a pitcher, Hobart dishing up 21 base hits and Auckland 15 in an eventual 12-8 Prospects’ win. Bob Lindner went 4-4 for Hobart, while teammate John Dalton was 3-6 with 4 ribbies. Getting a rare start, Auckland’s Reginald Puckeridge was 2-4 with a homerun.

19 Nov: Christchurch needed 13 innings to break their 6-game losing streak, fighting past Wellington 5-2. A Matthew Utting homerun in the 8th tied the game up and it was his double that drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th.

20 Nov: What does a 13-7 score-line usually mean? A free-flowing game where one team generally held ascendency for most of the match? Not in today’s contest between Adelaide and Sydney. A Norm Donaldson solo jack made it a 1-run game in the 8th and Adelaide forged level in the 9th. Isaac Canavan walked 2 in the top of the 10th but also got the first 2 outs. Then Brody Moles singled the go-ahead run home. That signified a pitching change as well as the Venom going all snarly. The next 2 hitters both hit RBI-singles before Malcolm Pickhills bashed a 3-run homerun. That was followed by a hit batter and 2 more singles. All up, Adelaide waved home 7 runners in the frame. Sydney scored once in the bottom of the inning but the Venom got the glory. Donaldson hit 2 homers in a 4-5, 3RBI night.

20 Nov: Alejandro Valentin’s bid for a shutout was thwarted by David Romo’s 1-out solo homerun in the top of the 9th. Valentin threw 8.1 innings, Romo’s blast just the third hit the Wellington pitcher had surrendered. He walked none and fanned 6, the Fury defeating Christchurch 4-1.

21 Nov: Angel Rivera propelled Darwin to a 13-5 shellacking of Kununurra with a 5-5 night. Included in his hits were 2 triples and a homerun. His homer came in the 5th. His first triple arrived in the 6th, a drive down the rightfield line that hit the fence and caromed back into centrefield. He tripled for the second time in the 8th, another booming liner that bounced at the warning track in right-centre. The record for triples in a game was 3, held by Hall-of-famer Vinnie Egan (2021) and Trent Allan (2050). Rivera was the fourth player this season to triple twice in a match and the second to do so while also going yard.

21 Nov: Warren Chapple wasn’t one of the noted homerun hitters in Canberra’s lineup but he’d already parked 6 leading into today’s game against Newcastle. He sent his seventh one into the bleachers in the bottom of the 9th, worth 3 runs and a walk-off celebration, the Cavalry winning 11-9.

21 Nov: “The problem with an ace,” Cowboys’ skipper Marcus Kent lamented after his side’s 2-1 victory over Wellington, “is that it’s always so tempting to leave him in for that extra inning and probably sixty percent of the time it’s the wrong thing to do.” However, that was exactly what Kent did with Dean, bringing him out for the 8th with Christchurch holding onto a slender 1-0 lead. Dean gave up a leadoff single and a 2-out double, and the tying run scored. Fortunately for the Cowboys and Dean, Lance Fookes got the lead back in the top of the 9th via a 2-out dinger that hit the yellow line at the top of the fence next to the rightfield foul pole. Scott Carson surrendered 2 walks but completed the business and Dean went home with his fifth win of the season.

22 Nov: A 3-run homer in the 8th put Hobart back on level pegging with Auckland before a Jesus Vega Grand Slam in the top of the 9th thrust the Prospects into the lead for the first time. 4 runs would be the difference, Hobart completing a 9-5 victory.

22 Nov: Cairns put on a show, belting the Bandits 15-4. 4 players had 3 hits, backup catcher Rex Abbott among them, his 3-6 netting him 5RBI.

23 Nov: Angel Rivera won PotW with a .500/.531/1.033 effort. He scattered 2 doubles, 4 triples, and 2 homeruns among his 15 hits.

24 Nov: “When you’re on, you’re on,” Cairns’ skipper Raul Guerra said of his ace Victor Doubleday, who’d just subdued Central Coast with a 2-hit, 1-walk shutout. He struck out 8, the Crocs rolling to a 9-0 win. Doubleday gave up his solitary walk in the 2nd and his first hit in the 3rd. Aitken led the way offensively, his 3-5 including a double and homerun. The shutout was the third of Doubleday’s career.

24 Nov: Marcos Lopez had his third 2-hit game in a row, sinking his second dinger of the season in the bottom of the 9th to send Melbourne’s clash with Brisbane into overtime. Back-to-back 2-out doubles (the second a ground-rule affair) in the bottom of the 11th saw the Aces snatch a 4-3 victory.

25 Nov: Perth busted out big-time against Adelaide, smashing them 17-zip. They were constantly on-base, amassing 23 base hits and 9 walks. 5 players had 3 or more hits, Jose de la Cruz, 4-5 with a double and a triple, as well as 2 walks, 4 runs scored, and 3RBI, the best of them. Amazingly, the Heat didn’t hit a single homerun. On the mound, Jose Ramirez followed up an impressive last outing (7.1IP, 4H, 0ER, 3BB, 7K) with a 4-hit goose-egg fest. He walked 1 and struck out 8 for the first shutout of his career. Adelaide’s 4 hits were shared by Brody Moles and James Bacosa, with 2 each.

25 Nov: The Cowboys disposed of the Sluggers 16-7, most of the pain coming in the 6th when they sent 13 hitters to the plate, scoring 9 runs. They scored more than they hit, managing only 13 base hits to go with 6 walks.

30 Nov: Domenic Cook was unstoppable over the last week, hitting .560/.621/.880. While only 4 of his 14 hits went for extra-bases (2 doubles, 2HR) he scored 10 runs. Every one of the 6 games he played during the week resulted in multiple hits for the 2B.

30 Nov: 3 runs in the top of the 9th gave Newcastle a 1-run lead over Whangarei but the Sluggers tied things up in the bottom of the inning by means of a 1-out squeeze bunt. The OotPB TV commentary team were less than impressed at the move by rookie Sluggers’ manager Harry Fallon, even though it worked.

“Albrecht leads off the inning with a double,” the colour comments guy said after the dust settled at home-plate, “and gets to 3B on a ground-out. Whangarei have 2 outs up their sleeve to get him home. What to do, especially as Albrecht runs like he’s got two wooden legs. Worsfold’s not a power guy, that’s true, but the infield’s playing in so you’ve got to back him to at least get one into the outfield. Instead, first pitch, Fallon calls a suicide bunt. There’s a reason you hardly ever see those: they don’t work! This should never have worked. Maybe with Rico at 3B and the infield at normal depth it has a chance but Albrecht? My great-grandfather could’ve beat him to home-plate. Yeah, Worsfold positioned his bunt nicely and I guess nobody was expecting the play but wow, that should’ve been an easy out and a lost game. Instead the reaction time is slow and the throw is high and off the bag and the call is safe and the game’s all tied up. An unbelievably poor managerial decision rewarded by blind luck. Like pulling a royal flush on the river.”

As it turned out, the Sluggers did still lose it. In the top of the 12th the Roos scored twice. Whangarei got a run home in the bottom of the inning, a conventional double into the RF corner scoring the runner, but couldn’t tie it up again. 6-5 Newcastle.

30 Nov: Perth would not finish November on a winning note, despite showing commendable hustle in their clash with Darwin. The game was tied at 2 after 9, Darwin poking their noses in front in the 11th by 1. Bethara Pane clocked his first major-league homerun in the bottom of the frame to tie things back up again. In the 12th, Darwin got their first 2 hitters aboard. An out later Fook Chin sent a fly into the deepest part of centrefield and legged out a triple, scoring both runners. The Heat managed to load the bases with 2 away in their turn to hit but Pane couldn’t be the hero twice, striking out to end the game, the Diggers winning 5-3.

Notable Injuries

5 Nov: Diggers’ CF Nathan Gurney (.316/.345/.421, 1HR) wasn’t likely to return this season after he suffered a broken kneecap.

5 Nov: The Venom would need to do without Teddy Wigley (2-3, 4.34 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.31 WHIP) for the next month while he recovered from a torn meniscus.

5 Nov: Luis Cuesta (.241/.298/.375, 1HR) had missed the majority of last season after rupturing his Achilles. Now he’d strained his hamstring. The injury wouldn’t be season-ending this time around but he could expect to miss at least 6 weeks.

5 Nov: Whangarei’s Andre Bond (.355/.375/.442, 1HR) fractured his wrist when he was upended by a hard slide at the 2B bag. 5 weeks on the DL for him.

6 Nov: Hobart’s hot lad, Gordon Ladds (.330/.434/.698, 11HR), hurt his elbow yesterday taking a catch at the wall. The diagnosis today was that it was a sprain and would take approximately 5 weeks to heal.

7 Nov: Whangarei lost another infielder, Hector Moran’s (.307/.362/.447, 3HR) sore elbow set to keep him on the DL for about a month.

9 Nov: The struggling Crocs were dealt a blow with news that star Mario Correa (.310/.349/.444, 2HR) would miss at least 2 months with a strained PCL.

13 Nov: Last year’s league leader in ERA, Tristan Stobbie (1-5, 6.59 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 1.66 WHIP) had not been going so well this season, though that wasn’t because he was pitching badly. No, it was down to the abysmal Perth defence so perhaps Stobbie wasn’t too upset to hear he’d be out of action for about 2 months with elbow inflammation.

14 Nov: Manuel Alou (.230/.378/.310, 2HR) herniated a disc in his back and would miss around a month.

19 Nov: Callum McCabe (.287/.398/.473, 7HR) suffered his second injury of the season, though this one would keep him out much longer than the strained rib cage muscle suffered in late October had. Then he’d sat on the DL for a week. This time it would be more like 5 weeks, according to the best estimates of Auckland’s trainer. With 2 out, he’d collided with the 3B in the bottom of the 9th of Auckland’s loss to Hobart when trying to go from 1B to 3B. To add ignominy to injury, he was given out, his injury the final act of the game.

25 Nov: Gilberto Soberon (.333/.373/.507, 2HR from 75PA) was only just over a week back from his last injury when he went down again. High ankle sprain this time and another 5 weeks on the DL beckoned.

28 Nov: Darwin’s Martin Boston (.312/.345/.406, 2HR) was off to the DL with an intercostal strain. He’d be out for around 4 weeks. Boston needed 120 more hits to reach 3000.

Notable Trades/Signings

13 Nov: 27 y/o Brian Bryant (3-2, 3.14 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 1.14 WHIP in 2065; 15-12, 4.05 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.39 WHIP career) spent Friday the 13th packing his bags and catching flights. Wellington had traded him to Kununurra in exchange for a 21 y/o OF prospect who projected to have outstanding power.

24 Nov: “Do you ever get the feeling nobody wants you?” 28 y/o Chuk-yan Lung (.277/.344/.426, 6HR in 2065; .301/.359/.483, 54HR career) asked reporters who’d tracked him down at Adelaide’s domestic terminal. He was on his way to Darwin, having been traded by the Venom to the Diggers in return for a couple prospects. Last season Auckland had traded Lung to Adelaide and while he’d performed well there he hadn’t quite reached the heights he had for the Metros. Still, he was a valuable asset and the Diggers were hoping he’d get them out of the hole they’d dug for themselves.

24 Nov: The Crocs, equal with Darwin in the Coastal at 22-28, 7 games shy of Adelaide, also made a move. They shipped off 32 y/o Nick Ahern (.190/.346/.333, 1HR in 26PA in 2065; .251/.351/.468, 188HR career) to Whangarei in return for 30 y/o 3B Jacob Sheppard (.250/.328/.359, 3HR in 2065; .269/.343/.408, 43HR career) and a prospect. Ahern had publicly stated he was unhappy with the lack of game time he’d been getting since last season’s trade to Cairns but it wasn’t immediately apparent if Whangarei would use him as an everyday player either. Cairns, on the other hand, were more than happy with Sheppard’s acquisition as it would give them a fully functioning infield for the first time in 2065. Where Felino Saturno would now fit into the lineup was uncertain but surely they had to find some way to play their equal-top homerun hitter (11).

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 24 y/o Crocs DH Ewan Stenis had featured in 5 games across the last 2 seasons but fought his way onto the big-league roster to start 2065 and hadn’t looked like leaving it. The Dutch scouting discovery hit .305/.336/.514 in November, his 32-105 including 7 doubles and 5 dingers. He scored 13 runs, helped 21 runners score and walked 3 times.

Hurler of the Month: Another 24 y/o took out HotM. 6’6” Martin ‘Stubblebeard’ Booth led the league in wins, with 8 for the season so far. He snared 6 of those sweet double-Us in November, from 6 starts, his ERA 2.00, his FIP 3.78, and his WHIP 1.29. He threw 45 innings, more than any other pitcher during the month, fanning 20. Booth threw a fastball, curve and a work-in-progress changeup, though his coaches were of the opinion that the change would become his best pitch if he gave it proper attention.

Why was he called ‘Stubblebeard’? Not because he struggled to grow facial hair, as it turned out. “Yeah,” he said when asked, scratching his chin in embarrassment. “In 2060 I was down in rookie ball and I decided to not shave until I got moved back up a level. I’d finished 2059 in A-ball, y'see, and I was a bit miffed to be back down a couple levels. As it turned out I stayed the whole season in rookie ball, so the beard got pretty bushy. At the end of season function we were having a barbie and I was on grill duty and I thought I’d put on a show for the kids. I was flipping steaks and twirling snarlers, y’know, the whole shebang. And I’ve got the heat right up there, giving those things the Hungry Jacks flavour. So anyway, I’m right into it and then all of the sudden a flame shoots out from the grill and my beard is right in its path. My life flashed before my eyes. Lucky someone nearby had a fire extinguisher and put it out before it got out of hand. My beard went from bushy to stubbly in an instant and I got me a nickname that just won't go away.”

Slugger of the Month: Carlos Acevedo was Adelaide’s #3 hitter this season, a move which raised some eyebrows at the beginning of October. Those eyebrows were probably still raised, though now more likely out of astonishment at his efforts to-date. He had a stellar month, hitting .442/.462/.735, with 7 doubles, 1 triple, and 8 homeruns among 50 hits. He scored 24 runs, plated 27 runners, walked 4 times and stole 1 base. Acevedo finished the month hitting .384/.407/.651 for the season, leading the league in BA, hits (89), and WAR (3.5). His 16 homers saw him tied for third on that board.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Played 18 games in November, hitting .236/.257/.333, 2 of his 17 hits homers. He needed 15 homeruns to get to 500 and had now passed 3300 hits, finishing the month on 3307.

Martin Boston: Boston’s injury would see him miss most of December, which was not ideal when you were closing in on 37 y/o and chasing 3000 hits. He collected 37 of the 157 he needed in November, finishing the month on 2880.

Justin Auger:: Justin Auger completed his rehab assignment on the 28th and started for Central Coast versus Adelaide on the 29th. He was 2-4 on the night, his second hit, in the 9th a solo homerun. He needed just 3 more four-baggers to become the sixth player to reach the 500 mark. He also needed only 11 more hits to reach 2500.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: The Venom (14-14) saw their lead shrink to 5 games, Cairns (16-12) reversing their October efforts, though they still remained 3 games below .500. Darwin (16-12) were a further game back. Perth (8-20) were marginally better than last month.

East-West Division: Three teams were still fighting it out at the top, with Newcastle (15-13) 1 hop ahead of Brisbane (14-14) and 2 ahead of Kununurra (13-15). Central Coast (16-12) had fought their way back to near respectability, entering December 4 games in arrears and 5 games below .500.

NZ Division: The NZ remained the hottest division in baseball. Auckland (16-12) extended their lead to 3 games, while Whangarei (15-13) pushed up into second spot. Christchurch (13-15) were below par, dipping to 4 games behind while Wellington (13-15) also struggled, 5 games back. Every team, however, remained above .500 after 2 months of play.

Southern Division: Canberra (14-14) still had the best record in the league despite just playing .500-ball across November. Hobart (19-9), surged into the Cavalry’s rearview mirror, finishing the month 5 games back.

Wildcard: Whangarei had a 2-game buffer in top slot, while Christchurch and Hobart were tied up in the second spot, 1 game ahead of Wellington, 2 games ahead of Brisbane, and 3 games ahead of Kununurra and Sydney (14-14).

#

Norm Blume (.373/.419/.693, 19HR) owned top spot on the SLG, OPS, wOBA (.463), HR, runs (50), ISO (.320), XBH (35), and TB (158) boards.

Nicholas Bennett (.358/.380/.543, 8HR) had 49RBI to his name, 1 more than any other hitter.

Larry Booth (.356/.440/.454, 1HR) led all qualified hitters in OBP, while Ronald Aitken (.272/.423/.476, 10HR) had drawn 3 more walks than anybody, with 40.

Sadao Taniguchi (.312/.359/.491, 5HR) led the league with 23 steals.

Mei-shan Jiang (7-1, 1.87 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.02 WHIP) turned 26 on December 1. He was the only qualified pitcher with an ERA under 2.00. His 0.37 HR/9 was also the best in the league.

John Ramirez (4-3, 3.84 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 1.03 WHIP) continued to lead the league in FIP and WAR (2.7).

Roderick Beresford (7-2, 3.26 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 0.98 WHIP) rode his luck through the first 2 months of the season. He had the AUNZBL’s best WHIP.

Barry Dean (6-3, 3.39 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) led the league in punch-outs (80) and innings pitched (87.2), though Greg Ahern (3-6, 5.34 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 1.31 WHIP) had the best K/9 rate (9.84) and Domenic Jones (7-2, 2.38 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 1.01 WHIP) the best K/BB (8.00). Jones also had the best walks per 9 innings rate, with 0.83.

Moeaktola Liao held onto his 1-save lead. He had 18.

ABC Wrap-up

Somehow the ABC had passed through a major rule change in July without so much as a media ripple. Back at the beginning of preseason a rule was quietly passed that players would now only be eligible for free agency after 7 years of major league service time. The PU hadn’t been consulted on this change, and apparently only became aware of it at the beginning of November when several players who would’ve been eligible for free agency at the completion of this season under the old rules approached them.

“Despicable,” the PU Steward growled to media at a hastily-arranged presser. “We’re disappointed to say we were concerned something like this might happen but it actually happening is a nightmare for all ABC-contracted players, especially the young stars who’ve progressed through the ABC systems and were eager to test their value at free market this offseason. We’ll be vigorously pursuing our legal options in this matter, as a change like this, without any consultation of the employees involved, smells very much like illegal restraint of trade.”

The ABC would not respond when asked for comment.

The AUNZBL had words on the matter, though. The AUNZBL Commissioner said, “This is an obvious move by an obviously afraid league. They know their best and brightest will want to play in the AUNZBL as soon as they are eligible and this is a desperate attempt on their part to stave off the inevitable.”

2064 Golden Arm winner Bronson Dean was one of the players immediately affected by this rule change. He wasn’t known as a player to court controversy but did publicly express how “disappointed” he was, both with the rule change and the “apparent collusion by league and owners to keep this knowledge from the players.”

2064 Golden Bat winner Ted Blume had signed a 4-year extension with Jakarta during the offseason, thus keeping him in the ABC until he was at least 30 years-old, but he was quick to jump to the support of his fellow players, saying, “I signed my deal with Jakarta in good faith back in April, sure that they had the best interests of their players in mind. However, now I wish I could go back and stop myself putting pen to paper.”

Jakarta were quick to respond, saying they were “one of a handful of teams who opposed this change,” and only didn’t speak out on the matter “due to implied threats our playing license would be revoked if we did so.”

The ABC kettle was suddenly close to boiling over, it seemed.

Meanwhile, on the field...

Alice Springs (32-25) had a strong November which was just as well because Brisbane (31-26) did also. 1 game separated the 2 Northern Division teams heading into December.

Canberra (27-30) slumped badly in November, finding themselves all the way down the bottom of the Southern at the end of the month. Sydney (34-22) charged into first spot, 4 games ahead of Melbourne (30-26), and 6 ahead of Hobart (28-28).

Perth (35-22) leapfrogged Adelaide (32-25) in the Western.

Dunedin (34-23) extended their lead in the Overseas to 6, Port Moresby (28-29) now their closest rivals.

27 y/o Gold Coast RF Andre Lawson (.244/.289/.493, 16HR) wasn’t even on-base 30% of the time. His 16 dingers were good enough to lead the league, however.

Sydney’s Randall Tilton (7-3, 1.31 ERA, 2.67 FIP, 0.92 WHIP) won November’s Golden Arm thanks to his miserly start to the season. He led the ABC in ERA, FIP, WHIP, H/9 (6.34), OAVG (.197), and WAR (2.8). His 7 wins also gave him a share of that lead.

AUNZBL Standings, Dec 1

01-09-2018, 04:10 AM	#741
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	Offseason Offseason 2063 Notes League ERA dropped to 4.57, the lowest mark since 2059, while BA fell to .268, the lowest since 2056. The 340 doubles Auckland hit was the second-best season total since 2030, when the Heat hit 349. ABC Wrap-up Si-xun Qiao (.331/.415/.656, 57HR) broke the ABC homerun record with 1 game to spare, crunching number 57 in an 11-0 win over the Adelaide Artists. The Canberra Capitals took out the Southern Division by winning the 162nd game of the season, their final record 101-61. The Melbourne Victory ended the season with a 100-62 record but would not play any more ball in 2063. Neither would the Sydney Highlife, who finished up at 99-63. Kalgoorlie and Perth had to take things to a 163rd game to sort out the Western Division. The Gold Rush took the lead early and never relinquished it, winning 6-3. For the Sharks, who’d set the division pace all season, the loss was gutting. Sharks’ skipper Sterling Hodgson said, “Yeah, it’ll take a while for this to stop feeling raw, that’s for sure.” Neither semi-finals series went past 4 games, Canberra disposing of Kalgoorlie 3-1 and Dunedin surprising the Broncos by the same margin. The Grand Final was a tighter affair, Canberra eventually taking home the trophy in 6 games. Game 6 was notable for another reason, too. Achaius Muljana and Sterling Filby both returned from injury and were pushed into Canberra’s starting lineup, neither having appeared yet in the postseason. In his first at-bat Muljana went yard, and in his first at-bat Filby did too, marking the first instance in recorded post-War baseball history that this particular combination of events had occurred. Golden Rookie went to 31 y/o catcher Gao Chin (.304/.371/.539, 32HR). Despite having debuted in the AUNZBL in 2055 as a 22 y/o, Chin had never been able to command an everyday spot despite what appeared to be obvious talent. No such trouble for him in the ABC, though, the Hobart Hammerheads putting him at #3 in their lineup. Satya Susanti (17-10, 2.56 ERA, 2.58 FIP, 1.07 WHIP), hurrying towards 35 y/o, won Golden Arm for the second straight season and third time overall. As he had every season of the ABC thus far, Susanti finished atop the strikeout board with 251, the fifth time in 6 seasons that he’d broken the 250 barrier. Fans who wanted to see him pitch in the AUNZBL were getting used to the idea that it probably wouldn’t happen. Susanti was signed to an ABC contract until the end of the 2066 season, at which time he’d be pushing 38 y/o. The sensation that was Si-xun Qiao (.331/.415/.656, 57HR) was the runaway winner for Golden Bat. The 33 y/o, 6’7” slugger had taken over the ABC, putting up a tremendous 10.0 WAR over the season to go with a 193 OPS+. BL Wrap-up San Jose and Asuncion won their respective pennants. San Jose made their first trip to the playoffs since 2051. Santiago and Belo-Horizonte took out the wildcards. Santiago and Belo-Horizonte won their semi-final matchups at a canter. The Serie de Campeonato only lasted 5 games, Belo-Horizonte taking it out to win back-to-back titles. This was their third victory in 5 years, made all the more remarkable due to the fact they had the worst record of all the postseason contenders, and only reached the playoffs ahead of 3 other teams tied with the same record due to a complicated set of bylaws that didn’t include one-off playoff games. This season’s Rookie award went to 26 y/o pitcher Luis Chahoud (10-5, 3.25 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.24 WHIP). Chahoud had been drafted by Guayaquil in 2055 and had debuted in the BL in 2058, pitching 12 innings in 6 relief appearances for 2 teams. After playing all of 2059 in the BL minors he’d gone to free agency and moved to the NABA. A year later his contract was purchased by the Highlife in the ABC, and he spent the 2061 season playing AAA-ball. He returned again to the NABA, spending a further 2 seasons there before signing with San Jose for the 2063 season. The Paraguayan said, “It’s been a rollercoaster, all right, but I like fun parks, so it’s been all good.” Santiago’s Santiago ‘Lucky’ Gutierrez (11-6, 3.80 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) won Jarra de Ano. The 6’5” 25 y/o was heading to free agency and was very open about his goals. “The AUNZBL, of course.” Most of the local scouts thought he was good enough to make it in the world’s biggest league, too. Gutierrez threw a cutter, curve, forkball and changeup, though the latter was rarely used. And the jokes about him sharing a name with his team? “They were funny at first but they’re pretty boring now.” 27 y/o Justo Plvora (.327/.455/.496, 14HR) was only 5’9” though his frame was packed with muscle. He’d led the league in BA, WAR (6.1) and BB (99) and was noted as a guy who would stick around at the plate until the pitcher made a mistake. He too was coming up for free agency and the chatter was he also wanted to give the AUNZBL a go. His chances weren’t as good as Gutierrez’s, according to those in the know, but if could improve his power game a bit he might be a chance. League News 42 y/o Jayden Pye (.262/.353/.451, 351HR) retired. Despite playing his last season as a Digger he said he’d like to be remembered as a Cowboy, the team he played 4 seasons with, his longest stint at any of the 11 clubs he’d represented. He was unlikely to ever find himself in the Hall but he deserved to be remembered as a toiler who never gave up. While Pye’s retirement got a bit of airtime, it was certainly overshadowed by the retirement of the man many said was the greatest to ever play the game. 40 y/o Ismael Aguirre (.315/.373/.561, 703HR) announced his playing days were done. While this wasn’t shocking news, a lot of his fans in the Lower Americas had been hoping he’d head back home for a swansong. “Nope,” said Aguirre, “I’m done. Done and dusty, as you might expect. I’ve scaled heights I never dreamed of and I figure I should give it away before I slip back down to the base of the mountain.” The 6-time Championship winner, 5-time Slugger of the Year, 3-time Gold Glover, and 14-time All Star retired as the league leader in the following categories: at-bats (11890), runs (1996), hits (3743), total bases (6666), singles (2263), doubles (740), homeruns (703), and RBIs (2143). The 431 bases he’d rounded in the 2055 season was still a season record, and his career slugging of .5606 ranked only behind Jorge Diaz (.5790), whose career had been less than half as long. He’d also be remembered as the person who started the call to change the SotY to the Jorge Diaz award, and was most certainly a shoe-in as a first-round Hall of Fame inductee. Lance Ralston (196-143, 3.60 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.29 WHIP) also hung up his cleats. ‘The Missing Piece’ had played in the majors from 2045-2063, winning 4 Championships, including 3 in a row for the Bandits from 2049-2051, when he and Aguirre were the superstar faces of the club. 39 y/o Ralston was a postseason force, going 17-2 in 32 postseason games with an ERA of just 1.91 and an FIP of 2.69. During his Championship run with Brisbane he went 9-0 from 12 starts, putting up a 0.63 ERA in 2051. In fact, he put together a 16-game postseason win streak between 2048 and 2053, losing for the first time when it mattered the most, in the deciding Game 6 of Brisbane’s 4-2 series loss to Canberra. Ralston’s K/9 (8.2), HR/9 (0.6), WAR (77.8), FIP- (77), and postseason achievements all put him firmly in the running for the Hall. Ralston would retire as the all-time league leader in WAR and strikeouts (2782). His 2054 season ERA of 2.08 was still an AUNZBL record. Surprisingly Ralston never won a HotY, though he had 4 podium finishes. He also went to 9 All Star Games and twice struck out 15 hitters in a game. Notable Club Happenings Cairns: Long-serving GM Julio Sousa retired, his only regret “not getting the Crocs a Championship.” Canberra: The biggest news of the early offseason was the sale of the government-owned Canberra Cavalry to 51 y/o space industrialist Roy Moles. Moles, known to be understanding, charitable and unconcerned with the day-to-day minutiae of the businesses he owned, had made his fortune in the burgeoning space sector and was “beyond happy” to add a baseball team to his portfolio. The Sydney native had no plans to move to Canberra, so the owner’s office in Cavalry Stadium would remain empty most of the time. This was big news for a whole lot of reasons. Cairns, Darwin, Kununurra, and Perth were still associated with the Australian Government but the fact that Canberra, the team based in the Australian capital, had been sold, apparently with no strings attached, kicked up a string of exceedingly convoluted conspiracy theories. From claims the government planned to move the capital to Darwin to fears that a nuclear strike was imminent and key government figures were hiding out under Ayres rock, the tongues wagged. The Capital Holdings chairman, a woman with a face and name both as forgettable as each other, said in response to the inevitable question of why, “It’s simply a case of money. That, combined with a desire to streamline our investments, is why we have reached this decision.” That only fueled the fire, as the Cavalry had reported a healthy $18,000,000 profit following the season, a great return seeing as they’d netted a loss in 2062. Perhaps the reason for selling was that even though the Cavalry had been close to the worst team in baseball for several seasons there was someone willing to buy them. Central Coast: 55 y/o skipper Reginald Reddick missed the playoffs for the first time and found himself without a job. However, insiders claimed something was always going to come to a head seeing as Reddick and new GM Andrew Backhouse didn’t see eye to eye on much, and certainly not on recruitment. Reddick himself said he marched into Backhouse’s office the day the regular season ended and presented him with an ultimatum, “Either we do things my way or I’m out.” Now, a few weeks later, he was out. Reddick had never had a losing season as Central Coast’s manager. He would be replaced by 57 y/o bench coach Dermott Blackford, who’d had an 11-year career as a big-leaguer from 2029-2039. He’d pitched his first two seasons in the rotation for the Blue Sox before heading permanently to the bullpen. As well as playing for Sydney he also played for Perth, Central Coast, Wellington, Cairns, and Brisbane. Apparently, even at 57 years of age, he still liked to throw down and sometimes nudged 140 km/h with his heater. Newcastle: GM Mitchell Franks retired. He was unlikely to be missed. Notable Free Agent Signings/Player Contract Extensions 6 Apr: Sydney announced that 35 y/o Cody Watts (129-106, 3.77 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 1.24 WHIP) had agreed to a 3-year extension. Plenty of fans weren’t all that impressed with the news. The third year was a vesting option. 23 Apr: Christchurch tied up 26 y/o Beau Hauer’s (.289/.360/.469, 75HR) future, signing the burgeoning superstar to a 6-year extension. With about 3 1/2 years’ service time already under his belt, this deal looked set to account for at least the first 3 years of Hauer’s free agency eligibility. Long-serving Cowboys’ GM Juan Alvarado said of the deal, “We want Beau to anchor our lineup for a long time to come.” 23 Apr: 27 y/o Domenic Jones (33-44, 4.71 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 1.49 WHIP) negotiated a 7-year extension with Auckland, the final year being a player option. “Probably undervalued,” his agent said of the deal, “but ‘Clubhouse’ is primarily concerned with making sure his future is sorted out, especially after the UCL trouble he had a couple seasons ago.” While Jones’ 14-11 record in 2063 didn’t make for eye-catching reading, he’d had a real breakout season, his 6.1 WAR equal-second in the league along with his 3.49 FIP. He’d given up only 0.52 homeruns per 9 innings, a league-best. Eligible for free agency with another year and a half of service time, Jones certainly had ensured a regular payday for a long while. 23 Apr: Jones wasn’t the only extension Auckland announced. 25 y/o Song Liang (52-45, 4.50 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 1.36 WHIP), who’d shown himself to be a strong force on the mound over the last 2 seasons, inked his name to a 4-year extension. 23 Apr: 28 y/o southpaw Li Ayliffe (45-47, 4.52 ERA, 4.70 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) was extended for 4 years by Hobart, Prospects’ GM Drew Martin letting on that it was a “very good deal” for Hobart. 23 Apr: 28 y/o SS Aaron Gilleland (.251/.349/.360, 40HR) had made his major-league debut in 2057 but still had less (just) than 4 years’ service time. Central Coast bought out the rest of his arbitration with a 3-year deal. 23 Apr: Wellington and 25 y/o CF Gilberto Soberon (.283/.355/.435, 25HR) agreed to a 4-year extension. Soberon still needed to log another 3 1/2+ years before he’d be a free agent. 28 Apr: Metros’ fans rejoiced at the news that 23 y/o Callum McCabe (.295/.368/.443, 30HR) was now contracted until 2070. The 2058 #1 overall pick, claimed by the Metros from Adelaide off waivers, had put together a .324/.397/.505 stat-line in 2063, his OPS+ 137 and his WAR 4.3. Auckland’s coaching staff felt McCabe still had some way to go to reach his power ceiling but was “pretty well-rounded” in the rest of his offense. With it looking increasingly likely 26 y/o Andre Wiltshire (.318/.378/.467, 79HR) would head to market, McCabe was set to become the new face of the franchise (along with Rich Downes and Domenic Jones). 13 May: The top 5 free agents this season, according to OotPB TV, were: 29 y/o SP Roy Blake 26 y/o LF Tomas Zartuche 34 y/o RF John Foreman 36 y/o SP Ted Heathcote 26 y/o 2B Andre Wiltshire Other players going to market included: 30 y/o SP Roderick Beresford 38 y/o SP Dan Pankhurst 30 y/o 2B Maurice Clemens 31 y/o CL Isaac Canavan 32 y/o 3B Arturo Medina 29 y/o 3B Nathaniel Bowden 31 y/o C Russell Smith 32 y/o C Yin-ti Zhuo 38 y/o RF Manuel Alou 40 y/o 1B Marcos Lopez 31 y/o SS Jay Saunderson 34 y/o SP Austin Ya 28 y/o RF William Fenton 32 y/o RF Alan Willey 31 y/o 3B Blake Rawnsley 38 y/o 1B Ed Geoghegan 35 y/o RF Gavin Howell (ABC) 31 y/o LF Achaius Muljana (ABC) 25 y/o SP Santiago Gutierrez (BL) 27 y/o 2B Justo Plvora (BL) 31 y/o 1B Jai Rowe 35 y/o LF Jason Hewitt 34 y/o SS Armando Santos 32 y/o CL Rich Steedman 28 y/o 3B Rod Albury 35 y/o SP Sapto Djojohadiskumo (ABC) 15 May: The first two AUNZBL signings of the offseason were both former ABC pitchers. Auckland offered 31 y/o Owen Donovan (62-58, 3.43 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) a 4-year contract, which he eagerly accepted. Though a starter in the ABC, it was unlikely he would be one in the AUNZBL, Auckland stating they might try him as a closer. He threw a fastball, slider and changeup, relying on excellent control rather than overpowering stuff or movement. The other signee was 38 y/o Ivan Parker (74-54, 2.94 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 1.10 WHIP), who Canberra signed for 2 years. Like Donovan, Parker was likely to operate out of the bullpen, the Cavalry also suggesting they might try him as their closer, though none of the pundits thought that was an especially viable move. 17 May: The Cowboys signed Sapto Djojohadiksumo (74-66, 3.40 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) to a 3-year deal, the final year being a vesting option based on innings pitched. He would slot into their rotation, which had been significantly weakened by both Heathcote and Pankhurst going to free agency. ‘Jojo,’ as most of his teammates called him, was a good all-round pitcher who threw a fastball, curve, slider and changeup. At only 5’10” he might well struggle with the lowered mounds of the AUNZBL but Christchurch management were optimistic he’d be a star. 20 May: ABC superstar Gavin Howell (.283/.379/.551, 211HR) was heading to the AUNZBL. The 6-time All Star and 2-time Golden Bat winner had signed with Darwin for 2 seasons. He’d only managed 24 games in 2063 due to injury but told reporters that he felt “as good as ever,” and was looking forward to “knocking a few out of the park” as a Digger. 23 May: If reports were to be believed, Christchurch were throwing cash around like confetti during the early part of this offseason. They announced not one but two marquee signings today. The first of those was Tomas Zartuche (.331/.374/.443, 42HR), a quality ‘get’ if there ever was one. Zartuche had signed for 7 years, the total value of the contract rumoured to be around $120 million. Zartuche, who’d led the league in hits the last 3 seasons and in steals 2 of the last 3, couldn’t wait to turn out for the Cowboys. “We’re gonna cover this town in trophies,” he said, his raised fist more fitting for a political rally than a baseball signing presser. 23 May: The second announcement was the premier pitching talent on the market this free agency. Roy Blake (97-82, 4.18 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.26 WHIP) had played on poor teams since his debut in 2056 for Kununurra until turning out in the postseason for Brisbane this year. Still, he’d held his own, throwing 4 shutouts in the last 2 seasons, his 18-10 effort in 2062 still fresh on everybody’s minds. His deal was reported to be in the region of $110 million across 6 years, the Cowboys confident he’d be the ace they needed in a ballpark that favoured pitchers. Blake threw 3 fastballs (regulation 4-seam, cutter, splitter) and a changeup, relying on good movement and control to keep hitters off-balance. 24 May: 39 y/o Sean Carr (.321/.383/.478, 270HR), who’d been a regular presence in the AUNZBL since 2045, would ply his trade, for the next 2 seasons at least, with the Hobart Hammerheads. Alan Sneddon had this to say about the general trend of aging veterans heading to the AUNZBL for a final payday: “I don’t think either the players or the teams have really thought this through. The ABC has very similar free agency and service time rules to the AUNZBL, and they currently start a player’s timer afresh, so to speak, when they join the league. So for players like Sean a 2-year deal isn’t really a 2-year deal, is it? It could very well end up becoming a 6-year deal if he doesn’t choose to retire at some point. He’ll get good money for the next 2 seasons, then have another season under full club control before becoming eligible for arbitration. What if he keeps getting offered arbitration for the next 3 seasons? Does he take it? After all, it’s guaranteed money. If teams do that regularly for the AUNZBL vets then we’re going to see a whole lot of old guys fused to ABC benches or creaking around the base-paths on zimmer frames.” 24 May: William Fenton (.244/.360/.391, 82HR) headed to Whangarei on a 1-year deal. Fenton had a reputation as a below-average regular season hitter but an excellent postseason bat (.316/.451/.566, 7HR, 2 MVP awards in 5 playoff campaigns). 25 May: 38 y/o Rowan Reardon was heading back to the ABC to close out his career. He’d played 3 seasons in the AUNZBL, part of the overall Championship-winning Cowboys in 2063 though he didn’t make the postseason squad. Overall he’d been underwhelming, not topping 30HR once. He’d agreed to a 2-year deal with the Canberra Capitals. 25 May: In disappointing news for fans hoping to see how Santiago Gutierrez (38-28, 3.93 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 1.32 WHIP) would fare in the majors, the 25 y/o signed for 3 years with the Juarez Locos. The third year was a player option, meaning he could still pursue options in the AUNZBL with youth still on his side. 26 May: The Sydney Highlife lured Nathaniel Bowden (.277/.331/.448, 91HR) across to the ABC on a 4-year deal. 27 May: John Foreman (.288/.352/.534, 398HR) made what many considered an unusual choice: he signed with the Cavalry for 2 seasons. He would likely hit behind Neil Bellett at 5 in the lineup, the third link in a lusty middle order. Foreman needed just 2 homeruns to join the 400-club. 28 May: Christchurch’s next big signing was Maurice Clemens (.244/.338/.463, 268HR). The 30 y/o 2B didn’t hit for average but he was a power threat. He’d signed a 6-year deal. 28 May: Austin Ya (95-130, 4.44 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 1.45 WHIP), who’d never reached the heights he looked capable of during an 11-year stint in Whangarei, was off to the ABC. He’d signed a 2-year deal with the Highlife, and was quoted as saying, “Bring on the higher mounds!” 28 May: Andre Wiltshire (.318/.378/.467, 79HR) chose Central Coast over the many other suitors vying for his signature. They’d signed him for 7 years, the only worry being Wiltshire’s tendency toward injury. ‘Otter,’ as he was known to his former Auckland teammates, had played only 79 games last season, and 117 and 118 the 2 seasons before that. Still, he was electrifying at the plate, with most scouts agreeing that with his swing he should be hitting several more homeruns a year than his season-best of 23. 29 May: Christchurch was at it again, this time signing Russell Smith (.282/.346/.451, 79HR) to a 2-year deal. He was the third catcher on their 40-man roster, joining Rowan Kimpton and Kade Wurfel. Where would he fit in? That was anybody’s guess at the moment. Alan Sneddon was of the opinion that Cowboys’ GM Juan Alvarado, who’d been at the helm since 2049 and missed the playoffs more than he’d made them, had “gone a bit silly,” and was just “buying players for the sake of it.” Christchurch had lost 8 players to free agency and had so far signed the exact same amount. 31 May: 34 y/o Rory Sproule (57-57, 4.11 ERA, 4.57 FIP, 1.35 WHIP) had headed to the BL after the 2057 season, where he’d put up good numbers (47-33, 3.23 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 1.15 WHIP), going to 4 All Star Games and coming second in the 2060 Jarra de Ano. Now he was returning for another shot at the big leagues, signing with Canberra for 2 years. 2 Jun: Christchurch unveiled signing number 9 and it was another doozy. Isaac Canavan (34-43, 242 sv, 3.22 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.07 WHIP) was joining them for the 2064 season. This would likely push Scott Carson back to a setup role but, as one analyst put it, “that’s going to be one hell of a one-two punch!” 3 Jun: The 2059 AUNZBL Rookie and Slugger of the Year, Jason Hewitt, was headed back to the ABC. He’d never quite scaled the heights of his debut year again and had recently admitted in an interview that not doing so “frustrated him.” He would turn out for Perth in 2064, having agreed to a 1-year deal. 4 Jun: Ed Geoghegan (.281/.364/.480, 420HR) held his arm theatrically across his eyes and said, “I can tell when I’m not wanted anymore.” While said in jest regarding the AUNZBL, there was truth in the comment. 39 y/o, 7-time All Star Geoghegan had only made 246 plate appearances in 2063 and freely admitted that he didn’t quite “have the punch” he used to. He’d signed for 2 years with the ABC’s Broome, the second year dependent on him playing 135 games in 2064. While never having hit more than 37 homers in a season, Geoghegan had always been a hitter pitchers respected, his career major-league OPS+ 122. He’d been a part of 3 Championship-winning teams: the 2058 Heat and the 2059-2060 Venom. 5 Jun: Alan Willey (.283/.342/.401, 99HR) was jumping across to the ABC, having signed a 4-year contract with the Broncos. 7 Jun: Darwin and 35 y/o Martin Boston (.327/.365/.406, 20HR) agreed to terms on a 3-year extension, the final year being a vesting option. The 5-time Gold Glove winner was “very settled” in Darwin and happy to “stay there a while longer.” 10 Jun: Arturo Medina (.263/.350/.450, 231HR) was back to the team that’d signed him as an amateur free agent back in 2049, the Darwin Diggers. He’d signed with them for 5 years, the 5th year being a vesting option based on plate appearances. 13 Jun: The Cavalry had declined to offer Jai Rowe (.284/.336/.453, 105HR) arbitration, sending the 31 y/o, who had 4 1/2 years’ service time, to free agency. Kununurra liked what they saw, though, signing him on a “value for money” 2-year contract. 19 Jun: Melbourne were eager to become a regular postseason threat. To that end, they snared Ted Heathcote (149-99, 3.90 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) on a 3-year deal. He’d be 39 at its conclusion but Aces’ GM Brendon Benbow was certain he’d give them value. “He’s canny,” Benbow said, “and canny is what we Aces need.” The 2064 Melbourne Aces would feature a strong rotation of Karl Blackwell, Heathcote, Ethan Humphries, Umashankar Meenakshi, and 16-game winner Dan Holz. 21 Jun: Wellington signed Jay Saunderson (.267/.321/.425, 142HR) for the 2064 season. 21 Jun: It was quite likely Blake Rawnsley’s (.236/.305/.416, 159HR) sub-200 2063 season counted against him getting a new AUNZBL contract. It didn’t stop Jakarta from taking a punt on him, however. They signed the heave-ho hitter for 2 years. 29 Jun: From being adjudged the third-best reliever in 2063 to no AUNZBL team offering a deal before the 2064 season. Record-breaking Rich Steedman, who’d recorded 103 saves over 3 AUNZBL seasons, today signed with the Perth Sharks on a 3-year deal. Twice picking up best reliever in the ABC before his time in the AUNZBL, Steedman answered a reporter’s question about whether he’d got any AUNZBL bites with the following: “Nobody got in touch. I’m a bit surprised, yeah, but I guess I have to just focus on what’s ahead, and that’s playing for Perth here in the ABC, which is something I’m really looking forward to.” 30 Jun: 38 y/o Yong-jun Chu (.300/.335/.425, 197HR) openly admitted he wasn’t confident he’d get an AUNZBL contract for 2064. “But,” he continued, “I was going to exhaust all my options and then some.” Chu needed 16 hits to get to 2500 and was willing to sacrifice a career .300 BA to get there. As it turned out, he didn’t even have to move house. His 2063 team, the Thunder, offered him a 1-year deal and he took it with both hands. 1 Jul: Central Coast signed Yin-ti Zhuo (.268/.404/.421, 94HR) for 2 seasons. While a low-key signing, this ranked as a canny move by Thunder management. 29 Jul: Manuel Alou (.295/.388/.490, 367HR) was also picked up by the Thunder, GM Backhouse continuing his love affair with aging veterans. Alou had signed for 1 season. 7 Aug: Roderick Beresford (56-52, 3.88 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) had led the baseball world on a merry chase over the offseason, speculation about who he’d sign with a common topic from the moment free agency kicked off. Finally he laid all the rumours to rest, appearing alongside Darwin management to announce he’d signed a 5-year deal with the club. That didn’t stop the rumours, however. They just changed shape, with word now going around that Beresford had become one of the highest paid players in the game. Beresford had put together 2 strong seasons in a poor Newcastle team across 2062-2063, his ERA+ in 2063 150, and Diggers’ fans were excited to see him at the head of their rotation. 10 Aug: Achaius Muljana (.317/.379/.498, 110HR) appeared to have given up on his ABC dream. The 31 y/o native of Papua New Guinea had instead signed with Jakarta for 4 years. AUNZBL teams may have been put off by the fact he’d been hit by injury both of the last 2 seasons and had managed just 7 homeruns from 487 plate appearances in 2063. 10 Aug: Marcos Lopez (.311/.359/.507, 455HR) would have another season to continue his climb up the all-time hitters leaderboard. The Cowboys had signed him for 2064. 12 Aug: Speculation had been rife that Dan Pankhurst (159-186, 4.45 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 1.42 WHIP) was going to head over to the ABC for a pre-retirement jaunt. That, however, turned out not to be the case. His team of the last 2 seasons, the Cowboys, offered him a 2-year deal and he snaffled it. “The numbers looked pretty good to me,” he told media with a big grin, “so I said ‘yes please!’ and here we are.” The second year was a vesting option dependant on games started. 1 Sep: Rod Albury (.285/.318/.388, 28HR) hadn’t been offered arbitration by Hobart at the end of the 2063 season, despite most analysts agreeing that he would be a valuable hitter in the right setup. No other AUNZBL teams appeared to agree with that assessment, though, and Albury found himself signing with the ABC’s Sydney Highlife instead. He’d inked his name to a 4-year deal and would join several other recent AUNZBL émigrés at the club. 11 Sep: Adelaide extended 33 y/o Malcolm Pickhills (.254/.355/.479, 268HR) for a further 2 seasons. An excellent 3B and a powerful slugger, Pickhills was a fan favourite all around the league and a great success story, becoming a face of the game despite not being picked until the 11th round of the 2050 draft. 30 Sep: On the eve of Opening Day, of the offseason’s notable agents, the BL's Justin Plvora had yet to find a team, as did Armando ‘Get The Tape’ Santos, with one analyst describing the devolution of his swing as being like “watching a blind man swing an axe at a sapling.” Christchurch made by far the biggest WAR gains of the offseason, adding 15.3 to their roster. The Prospects gained 9.6 WAR thanks to their trading antics, while Brisbane surprisingly went into the 2064 season 12.3 WAR down on the finish of the 2063 season. Notable Trades 20 Apr: The offseason was barely a day old before Wellington and Cairns pulled the trigger on a trade. 27 y/o Javier Rodriguez (.264/.313/.447, 47HR) was likely just coming into his prime but was surplus to requirements in Croc-town with the likes of Felino Saturno and Ewan Stenis waiting in the wings. The Fury gave up 33 y/o OF Peter Moy (.289/.344/.445, 131HR) and a 20 y/o prospect in return. Quite where Moy would fit into Cairns’ outfield remained to be seen. 2 Jun: The first day of the Winter Meetings got off to a cracking start. Wellington were deep into rebuild mode and looking to leverage what little assets they had. One of those assets was 29 y/o Carlos Aguilar (.280/.356/.382, 58HR), about to start the 4th year of a 5-year contract, a contract where half the value was in the final 2 seasons. Aguilar was an excellent SS/2B with more than 400 stolen bases but whose Fury career had been derailed thus far by injury (only 7 games in 2061 and 94 in 2063). He had 10 years of service time already but was still on the good side of 30 and would surely get some bites on the trading line. He surely did. Hobart, after a whirlwind negotiation, parted with 5 minor leaguers all 24 y/o or younger. They were all position players and while none screamed ‘outstanding,’ 4 of the 5 looked capable of playing big-league ball sometime in the not-too-distant future. 2 Jun: Perth sent all 6’6” of 29 y/o Pete Rawnsley (39-43, 4.70 ERA, 5.00 FIP, 1.37 WHIP) to Kununurra in exchange for a 21 y/o prospect who most didn’t think would amount to all that much. Rawnsley had never been able to nail down a spot in a rotation but did throw 200+ innings in 2063, going 7-15 with an ERA a tick under 5. Early indications were the Pioneers would use him out of the bullpen. 3 Jul: 32 y/o Alwin de Lange (56-48, 135 sv, 3.96 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) was heading back to the team who he started with, Central Coast. To get him, the Thunder gave Whangarei 28 y/o IF Xavier Culaham (.254/.308/.423, 46HR) and an average pitching prospect. 16 Jul: Hobart finalized two trades today. The first was with Canberra and involved the Prospects parting with two 21 y/o’s, both projecting to have some pop. In return, they received 29 y/o LHP Stephen Lawless (23-36, 4.79 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 1.44 WHIP). 2063 was Lawless’s second full year in the rotation and he’d struggled, posting a 5.82 ERA, 5.31 WHIP and 116 FIP- but perhaps the pitcher-friendly climes of Prospects Ballpark would work in his favour. 16 Jul: Their other trade was with Auckland, who gave up 26 y/o OF Randall Oeltjen (.235/.283/.415, 23HR) for a couple young outfield prospects. Oeltjen went to the big-league plate 549 times in 2063, hitting 18 homeruns while striking out 113 times. 9 Sep: Hobart was quietly strengthening its squad via the trade table, even if they were stripping their farm system to do so. Today’s trade netted them 28 y/o 3B Jesus Vega (.245/.340/.383, 51HR) from the Cowboys, who’d decided Marcos Lopez was the man to fill the DH role this season. To get Vega Hobart dealt a 25 y/o AA-baller and a 21 y/o potential two-way player who looked like he might grow into a great pitcher. Notable Injuries 8 Sep: Christchurch’s 29 y/o Edward Vance (47-26, 4.07 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 1.31 WHIP) would miss around the first month of the season with elbow tendinitis. 22 Sep: Canberra were struck a major blow before the season even started, with Neil Bellett (.290/.408/.531, 128HR) set to miss more than 3 months thanks to a fractured ankle. 26 Sep: Cong Pi (.256/.339/.379, 16HR) would be missing from Auckland’s lineup for the first month of the season. He’d fractured a rib. NABA Wrap-up The Olympia Shockwave comfortably finished atop the regular season standings with a 51-29 record. Canon City needed until the final game of the season to grab the NABA Cup Challenger’s spot, doing so in emphatic fashion with an 18-0 crushing of Jamestown. They carried that form into the first game of the NABA Cup, shutting out Olympia 2-0, despite the Shockwave’s Gerald Tschiffely setting a NABA Cup record for strikeouts with 13 in 6 innings. The Shockwave fared little better in Game 2, Canon City scoring runs in each of the first 4 innings to take an unassailable grip on the game. They eventually won 8-1, managing 15 hits to Olympia’s 3. This was Canon City’s third NABA Cup victory. The NABA’s best rookie was deemed to be 25 y/o Shockwave 2B Manuel Hernandez (.365/.445/.611, 5HR). He’d played in parts of 3 BL seasons before heading north, and posted an OPS+ of 200 in his first NABA season. 35 y/o Convicts’ SP Michael Stuart (7-5, 2.03 ERA, 2.54 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) won the Yosemite Award. This was Stuart’s 4th season in the NABA and 7th in the American Independent Leagues. He’d put together a 24-24 record in the AUNZBL from 2052-2057. 36 y/o Jeff Moore (.311/.400/.564, 15HR) held off all-comers to win the second hitter’s award of his career. The slugger, who’d played his entire pro career in the NABA, finishing with the best slugging and OPS, and was tied for most doubles. This was his first season as a Midland Warrior. Other Notes 30 Sep: In what was almost universally described as a “sullen” announcement, the AUNZBL Commissioner addressed fans on the eve of the 2064 season. This was typical practice and was usually nothing more than a few minutes of fluff and clichés, ending in the proclamation that ‘this season would be the best one yet.’ This address included the fluff but in conclusion the Commissioner said, “I’m sure you fans will be pleased to hear - some very pleased, judging by their volume over the last few months - that the Origin All Star format is being retired and this season will mark a return to the previous format. That means a three-day event to be held from the 24-26th of December, complete with Homerun Derby, a Legends game, and plenty of engagement with the fans. The All Star Game will take place on the 25th of December and, as formerly, eligibility will not be dependent on a player’s place of birth but rather on which division they play for. We will release more details closer to the time. “Also, again in response to the demands” - the Commissioner put a lot of emphasis on that last word - “of some fans, the public will get to have a greater say in who dons All Star jerseys. The process will be similar in many ways to voting for the Hall but it won’t be entirely fan-based. There will still be selection committees comprised of former players, so this should hopefully” - again, much emphasis on ‘hopefully’ - “still result in a game where the best players from the first half of the season get to duke it out. As mentioned earlier, more details will be released closer to voting time. Right now, though, it’s time to play ball and I’m sure this will yet again be the best season yet.” Non-Baseball Historical Notes 2064 was a huge year in the history of humankind. Two separate but distinctly related scientific breakthroughs were made, catapulting humanity lightyears (if you’ll excuse the pun) ahead of where they had been. The first came on June 16. Scientists working on one of the ASN space-bases orbiting Mars announced that they’d discovered a way to “mass-synthesize breathable atmosphere on a planetary scale.” Not only that, but the scientists claimed the process included harmlessly replacing existing planetary atmosphere. And wait, there was more! Atmospheres could be custom-built depending on the position of the planet - or moon - in the solar system. It was pure science fiction and nobody quite believed it at first. The ability to terraform entire planets? No way! But subsequent small-scale demonstrations proved the mass-synthesizing part accurate, even if most still doubted it could be done on a planetary scale. Still, the idea was more than tantalizing and it didn’t take long - in political terms - for authorization to be given to conduct a large trial, the bill passing through the Senate on December 18th, 2064 in a very close vote. Europa, that moon of Jupiter that had long excited human curiosity and on which several temporary scientific bases currently sat, was the choice of the scientific team involved in the project. However that idea was vetoed over concern as to what might happen to the existing natural features of the moon. Instead, one of Europa’s sister-moons, the misshapen Thebe, was chosen. Work began immediately on constructing an electrical shield around Thebe - hundreds of satellites in a grid formation - so the experiment could begin. Of course, we well know the rest and can only but wonder how history might’ve been shaped if that bill wasn’t passed through the Senate. Suffice to say, the technology has been much refined since then, to the point where an entire planet the size of our Earth can be made fit for habitation in less than two Earth years. Of course, like many great accomplishments, there is a dark side. If a planet can be terraformed to allow life, the reverse can also be true. And thus once Mars and Luna gained their independency - and quickly split into smaller countries - the Solar System saw itself in an arms-race-slash-cold-war situation, as all the governments fought to have planet-killers in their arsenal. Many wonder why Luna was never terraformed but remains dome-bound. The answer is relatively simple - it is vital to Earth in its current form. To make Luna’s atmosphere denser might very well be catastrophic to our planet of origin. The second discovery was announced on September 2nd by scientists based both in Kununurra and on the Mark II International Science Station (most historians agree that this station was the prototype of all our modern stations, albeit on a much smaller scale). It was, in a word: speed. Interplanetary travel had been steadily improving since it had become a reality but it still took weeks to travel to Mars. This new breakthrough would make Mars just a day away. In fact, the scientists enthused, Mars could be as close as 22 minutes but travel at the speed of light within a highly populated area of space was not advisable. Light-speed engines had been theoretically possible for at least two decades but not practically attainable, both in regards to engine power, size and economy, and for the safety of those traveling. However, those obstacles had now apparently been overcome. The new engine was both quantum- and graviton-based, meaning it primarily achieved propulsion by deforming space. Safety measures that resembled artificial gravity engines but really just shielded the crewed areas of the ship from the function of the engine kept the life-forms aboard from feeling what would otherwise be the death-dealing effects of such a means of travel - as long as they took their pills beforehand! Subsequent demonstrations showed that this discovery was just as real as its earlier cousin. This was a still a dangerous way to travel - what would happen if the shield failed while the ship was under propulsion? - and the following decade is filled with stories of various mishaps and missing ships. That subsequent decade also demonstrates a change in focus when it came to space exploration. Stars outside our Solar System were now in reach. And planets orbiting those stars could be terraformed for human habitation. The race for the stars had truly begun. Propulsion technology would advance rapidly to the point where it sits today, the trip to our nearest neighbour star taking around 2-3 months instead of years. Starship engines are now more quantum-based than graviton-based, with rumours currently circulating that even further breakthroughs in riding the space-continuum waves may have been made. What did this mean for baseball in 2064? Well, both primary discoveries were made before the start of the regular season, meaning the public at large was giddy with expectation of what the future might hold. And what better way to be positive than to enjoy a ballgame? __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report

01-09-2018, 06:07 PM	#742
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2064 Preseason Predictions 2064 Preseason Predictions Coastal: Despite failing in their Championship defence last season, Adelaide were predicted to still be far too strong for the rest of the Coastal, even with two of their rotation (Ahern, Hurlson) not due back until the second half of the season. Darwin and Cairns would also be good but wouldn’t challenge for the division title. East-West: Nobody would break the .500 mark in 2064, at least according to the experts. Brisbane would be the best of a sorry bunch to win the division while the once vaunted Central Coast would continue their downward slide under GM Andrew Backhouse. NZ: Christchurch would tower above this division, cantering to the pennant. The rest of the teams would be poor, including the Metros, who boasted some of the best young talent in the league. Southern: The surprise package of the 2064 season would be Hobart. Their offseason moves put them on target for a 100-win season, the stats-heads of the opinion that while the Prospects lacked superstars they had crafted an offensive lineup that would produce from 1 through 9. Melbourne would also have a good season but would be left battling for a wildcard. Wildcard: Darwin would grab one slot, with Cairns the favourite to earn the other, though Melbourne would challenge the entire way. Jorge Diaz Award: Richard Moore was a possibility to win his fourth in a row but the majority preseason pick was Brisbane’s Norm Blume. Beau Hauer, Glen Walsh and Ronald Aitken would also be in the frame. Hurler of the Year: Zglinicki and Dean would battle it out, as the preseason pickers always picked. Adelaide’s Teddy Wigley would have another great season, while 27 y/o Canberra southpaw Brendan Southey would surprise in a coming of age campaign. Prospect Watch: Of the rookies on big-league squads to begin 2064, there was a lot of buzz around the 2062 #1 overall pick, Brendan Penfold. He’d thrown 17.1 innings out of Canberra’s bullpen last season and had won a spot in the starting rotation this year after a good spring. The 23 y/o still had room to mature as a pitcher but most felt he’d make that progress pretty quickly. OotPB TV ranked him as their #5 prospect in baseball to start the season. 24 y/o Virgin Islander Tim Firth earned a March call-up to the Sluggers last season, hitting .257/.274/.386, with 2HR, from 18 starts. This season he’d fought off all-comers to be named Whangarei’s everyday catcher, and would hit at 5 in their opening day lineup. Firth was ranked 9th overall on the OotPB TV top prospect list. ABC: Brisbane would snare the Northern, while both Townsville and Gold Coast would lose 100+ games. Sydney would not be denied in the Southern this season, with both Canberra and Melbourne posting impressive records but missing out on the playoffs. Adelaide would do enough to win the Western, while Jakarta would storm back after a poor 2063 to dominate the Overseas Division. 26 y/o Jakarta 1B Ted Blume would win Golden Bat, besting the locomotive that was Si-xun Qiao. Brisbane’s Jadili Majogo and Canberra’s Christos Spargo would also challenge. Golden Arm would go to Sydney’s Randall Tilton, who’d fight off opposition from teammates Austin Ya and Bradley Boston to win. Both Blume and Tilton were products of the ABC draft, coming up through the ABC-affiliated high school and university leagues. Attached Images __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report Last edited by Izz; 01-12-2018 at 12:55 AM.

01-14-2018, 04:44 PM	#743
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2064/2065 Season - October 2064/2065 Season - October Notable Performances 1 Oct: Barry Dean got Perth’s 2064 campaign off to a winning start, throwing 8 scoreless innings for just 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9. Perth won 2-0. 2 Oct: The season’s first shutout was recorded by Melbourne’s Karl Blackwell. He was masterful against the Fury, giving up a meagre 3 hits and 1 walk in a 94-pitch outing. He struck out 2 and induced 15 groundball outs. Melbourne mosied to a 5-0 victory. 2 Oct: John Foreman started the season on 398 homeruns. He went deep in Canberra’s Opening Day win over Darwin and found the fence again today, leading off the 4th with a solo shot to get him to 400. 34 y/o Foreman was thinking further ahead though, saying, “500’s not too far off, is it? If I keep hitting them like this I should do it before my 37th birthday.” Canberra eventually lost this encounter 5-3. 2 Oct: Auckland scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the 8th against Hobart to make the score 4-4. The 9th passed in scoreless fashion as did the 10th. Hobart rallied home a run in the 11th to go ahead, former Metro Randall Oeltjen’s RBI-double doing the honours. A pair of back to back doubles in the bottom of the inning saw Auckland tie things up again. Hobart unleashed in the 12th, however, sending 10 hitters to the plate and scoring 6 runs, 3 of those again coming from Oeltjen’s bat when he spanked a 3-run dinger. That about broke Auckland’s back, and the bottom of the inning was completed in only 11 pitches. 11-5 Hobart in an extra-innings blowout. 2 Oct: Sydney’s Bailey Kinnear was a walk-off hero tonight, bashing a 2-run homer in the 10th to give the Blue Sox a 4-2 victory over Adelaide. 2 Oct: Perth and Brisbane battled for 13 innings before the Heat scored their first run since the 4th to go up 4-3. Brisbane managed a pair of 2-out singles in the bottom of the inning but couldn’t manufacture the tying run to go down in a heartbreaker. 3 Oct: Pitching and defence were thrown by the wayside in this Cairns-Newcastle derby. Cairns scored 6 in the top of the 1st to take the early lead but Newcastle had tied the game at 7 runs apiece by the conclusion of the 2nd. 4 more runs in the 3rd, including a monster 473-foot Ronald Aitken homer, put Cairns back in front but their jubilation was short-lived, Newcastle putting on a 6-run show in the bottom of the inning to jump 2 in front. The lead wouldn’t change hands again, the final score 16-13 to the Roos, giving them 3 straight wins to start the year. 3 Oct: Canberra were thumped by Darwin 10-4 but Foreman continued his power game, going deep for the third game in a row. 5 Oct: Christchurch prevailed over Central Coast 6-5 in 12 innings. Beau Hauer went deep in his fourth straight game with a solo shot in the 6th. 5 Oct: Hobart belted Auckland 15-8, both sides putting runners on-base at a frenetic pace. The biggest star of the show was Hobart’s 9-hitter Ronald Arnott who went 3-3, with a walk, 3 runs, and 6RBI, half of those courtesy of a homer in the 8th. 6 Oct: The season’s first PotW award went to Beau Hauer. He hit .650/.667/1.300 across the first 5 games of the season, his 13-20 including 4 homeruns and a double. 6 Oct: The Crocs and Cowboys got to brawling in the bottom of the 6th innings of their clash. Mario Correa had just boosted his second homerun of the game to give Cairns a 4-0 lead. Claudio Lara fouled the next two from Roy Blake off, the second less a foul than the ball hitting the handle of the bat as he tried to sway out of the way. The following pitch collected him on the thigh and Blake took a few steps off the mound to tell Lara, “Sorry I lost control there but I was actually aiming for your head.” Lara dropped the bat and went looking for retribution. The benches emptied, as they were wont to do, and after a few minutes of push-and-shove both players were ejected. Lara was suspended the next morning for 2 games and Blake for 6, the Commissioner’s Office deeming that he was the instigator. The fight did wake up Christchurch’s dormant offense but they couldn’t quite pull off the victory, going down 4-3. 6 Oct: Andre Wiltshire went 4-5 in Central Coast’s 12-2 thrashing of Kununurra. He homered twice, plating a total of 8 runners. That equalled the Central Coast game record. 6 Oct: Teddy Wigley threw 8 scoreless innings in Adelaide’s 2-0 win over Auckland. The win was his second of the season and his 13th on the trot. He hadn’t lost a decision in 14 games. 8 Oct: Darwin whirled their way to a 15-1 defeat of Sydney, new recruit Gavin Howell hitting his second homer of the season in the carnage. Martin Boston went 3-5 with 2 runs and 4RBI to win PotG, while Willie Russell looked on track for a shutout before giving up a 1-out homerun in the top of the 9th. 10 Oct: Auckland walked off 4-3 winners against Darwin in a very literal interpretation of the saying thanks to Leo Walena’s loaded bases walk in the bottom of the 13th. 10 Oct: The Central Coast-Hobart game was close heading into the bottom of the 8th, the score 6-5 in Hobart’s favour. The game was no longer close when the 9th eventually rolled around. 14 hitters graced the plate, 9 runs scoring, Hobart winning the game 15-5. Carlos Aguilar, who went 3-5 in the victory, was “loving” his new team, further adding, “Everybody just knuckles down and plays for each other. It’s really great.” The win moved Hobart to 8-2 on the season and gave them a 6-game undefeated streak. 11 Oct: Wigley’s 13-game win streak came to an end at the hands of the Sluggers, who upset Adelaide 10-2, taking Wigley for 7 runs in 2.2 innings. Glen Donovan led the way with a 5-5 performance, which included a homerun. 12 Oct: 24 y/o Anastasio Candelaria had a day to remember even though his Bandits were crushed by the Cavalry 16-3. He collected 5 hits from 5 at-bats. For the victors, Foreman crunched 2 homeruns in a 3-4 performance, giving him a league-leading 7 for the season, while every hitter in the lineup hit safely. 13 Oct: He might’ve only played the first 2 games of the week before heading to the DL with a minor injury but Mario Correa’s performances were good enough to net him PotW. He was 4-6, 3 of those hits homeruns and the other a double. 14 Oct: Danny Caporn went 3-3 in Canberra’s 5-2 win over Brisbane. This was the 7th game in a row that he’d plated at least 1 runner. 14 Oct: Wellington took the lead early against Newcastle but weren’t able to hold them off, the Roos scoring 2 in the 7th to tie it. That was all the scoreboard action until the bottom of the 12th when Newcastle made good on their comeback, walking off 7-6 winners via a 2-out Nathan Kapuna single. 16 Oct: Caporn made it an 8-game ribbie streak when he launched a 3-run homer in the 4th innings of Canberra’s eventual 10-3 defeat of Sydney. He brought home another later in the game in a 2-4 performance. 17 Oct: That Zglinicki! He notched up a record-extending 13th career shutout, blanking the stuttering Venom on the back of 5 hits. He also fanned 5, cruising through the game on 107 pitches. That wasn’t all for this game, though. Central Coast went bananas with the bat in the second half, scoring 17 runs across the last 4 innings. Add that to the 3 they scored in the first 4 and they’d destroyed Adelaide 20-0! Leadoff hitter Nicholas Whalley was one of several players to record 3 hits, going 3-5. If he’d managed a single in one of his other chances he would’ve had a cycle. 17 Oct: Perth scored 3 in the 3rd to go ahead of Auckland 3-1 but that was all the scoring they would do in this one. The Metros hustled home 2 runs in the top of the 7th to tie it and then rallied home 3 in the 13th to go ahead. Perth managed a pair of 1-out singles in the bottom of the inning but that was as much as they could muster, Auckland staying with the game to win 6-3. 20 Oct: Nicholas Whalley had a whale of a week, hitting .500/.556/1.000 to win PotW. His 11-22 included 1 double, 2 triples and 2HR, while he scored 8 runs and drove in 8 runners. 20 Oct: Rich Downes had one helluva night in one helluva game between Auckland and Canberra. He went 5-6 in an 11-10 11th inning walk-off win, hitting 3 doubles to tie the AUNZBL extra-innings game record. This was the second time in his major-league career that he’d had a 5-hit game. After 4 innings Canberra led 7-0, having chased off Auckland’s starting pitcher. The Metros didn’t score until the 6th, when they plated 3. They added 3 more in the 8th, and began the bottom of the 9th only one in arrears. Axel Zhou led off the frame with a single and 2 outs later Downes doubled him home. Neither team scored in the 10th. Canberra went on a 1-out tear in the 11th, jumping 3 in front. Enough, right? Wrong. Downes hit his 3rd double of the night in the bottom of the inning with nobody out and 2 on, scoring both runners. 2 outs later Tommy Worsfold doubled down the 3B line, scoring Downes. Cam Sweeny then hit a regulation groundball to the SS who threw it over the head of the 1B and into the stands. 2 base award, Worsfold taking his time to walk to home-plate for the winner. 11-10 Auckland, with Cavalry skipper Marty Horton only able to shake his head after the game and repeat, “Unbelievable!” Antonio Altagracia, Auckland’s manager, said with a smile, “We’ve got a way with extra-innings game, it seems.” So far 6 of Auckland’s 19 games this year had gone past regulation. They had a 4-2 record in them. This was their 6th win in a row, putting them a game ahead of the rest of the NZ at 11-8. 21 Oct: Blair Norris bulldozed his way through Wellington, shutting them out with a 6-hit, 1-walk, 5-strikeout performance. The Pioneers gave him plenty of run support, winning 10-0, 7 of their 9 starters getting 2 or more hits. 22 Oct: Newcastle and Christchurch fought for 4 1/2 hours before a victor was determined, the Roos eventually scoring 2 in the top of the 14th to win 7-5. They’d led for much of the game, 25 y/o closer Ke-yong Fang blowing his first save of the season in allowing the Cowboys to equalize in the bottom of the 9th. The equalizer came off the bat of Marcos Lopez, who belted a 433-foot homer, the third game in a row he’d landed one in the bleachers. But it was Newcastle who prevailed in the end, the Cowboys unable to make the most of their comeback. 23 Oct: Christchurch were the victors over the Roos today, the scoreline 7-1. Lopez bashed a 3-run homer in the 4th. For the night he was 2-4, with 3RBI, jumping him into a tie for the league RBI lead (26). He’d now homered in 4 straight games. 23 Oct: Baskoro Maryadi only got 1 at-bat in Kununurra’s 6-5 win over Wellington after subbing in late for a pinch-hitter. He made the most of it, though, touching ‘em all in the 11th with a leadoff, walk-off homerun. Maryadi was proving to be a jack of all trades utility for the Pioneers, splitting his 21 appearances between 2B, SS, LF and CF. “I don’t mind where I field,” he said in the sheds after the game, “as long as I’m on the field.” 24 Oct: Christchurch were shut out by Brisbane 6-0, meaning Lopez’s homerun streak was halted at 4 games. 24 Oct: One day you’re the extra-innings winner the next you’re the loser. Kununurra tied their game against Newcastle in the 8th, the score 3-3 heading into extras. The Pioneers went ahead in the top of the 11th via a Nick Ahern solo HR but Newcastle weren’t about to lie down. A 1-out single and walk put the winning run at 1B. Thomas Boniface made sure of it, though, drilling an 0-1 fastball 429 feet over right-centre for a walk-off 3-run dinger. 24 Oct: Auckland downed Sydney 6-2, Zhou going 4-5 at leadoff. That was the Metros 10th win on the trot, as they continued their recent trend of being fast out of the season gate. They would lose the following night. 24 Oct: Cairns and Darwin participated in the third 11-10 extra innings game of the month. After 2, the Crocs were up 5-0. Heading into the bottom of the 9th Cairns were still in front but only by 1, the score 6-5. That slender lead didn’t last long, Hector Banda leading off the inning with a solo HR. Top of the 10th Cairns jumped back in front via a Ronald Aitken leadoff homer. Bottom of the inning and Dustin Bacon levelled things up once more via the longball. The offense kept coming in the 11th, Cairns rallying home 3. It wouldn’t be enough to win it, though, Kent Okolita crunching a 3-run shot to make it a tie game once again. Cairns scored another in the 12th and this time held on despite Darwin loading the bases with 1 away in the bottom of the inning. 25 Oct: Another day and another extra-innings Crocs-Darwin game. Except this one was a lot lower scoring than yesterday’s affair. The opening run wasn’t scored until the 8th when Felino Saturno launched a solo homerun. Okolita soloed in the bottom of the 9th to send the game into extras. Bottom of the 12th and Darwin loaded the bases with 2 out before Lecomte drew a 4-pitch walk to give the Diggers a 2-1 victory. 27 Oct: Axel Zhou won PotW. He hit .529/.543/.706. 27 Oct: Christchurch prevailed 5-3 over Brisbane in a 10-inning contest. Matthew Utting was the hero for the Cowboys, walking them off with a 2-run homerun. 29 Oct: Adelaide’s Mitch Goddard singled 4 times from 6 at-bats in the Venom’s 11-3 thumping of Wellington. He drove home 2 runners in the process, giving him a 9-game RBI streak, the best of the season so far. 30 Oct: Goddard plated another runner in Adelaide’s 4-2 win over the Fury, extending his RBI streak to 10 games. 31 Oct: “A pitcher’s duel accentuated by errors” was how one recap of this game between Adelaide and Wellington was titled. Whether they meant ‘punctuated’ or were going for a play on words never became apparent in the story. The Venom went ahead by 2 in the bottom of the 7th but Wellington were able to tie the game in the 9th in part thanks to a dropped catch by the 2B. Both teams had opportunities from the 10th to 14th but couldn’t capitalize. It would take another pair of errors in the bottom of the 15th for the tie to be broken. Andrew Benbow reached when the SS fluffed a groundball. A pickoff throw then went wild and he advanced to scoring position. Carlos Acevedo singled wide of a lunging 2B and Benbow put his head down and headed around 3B for home. He dived in under the throw and Adelaide were the victors, 4 to 3. Notable Injuries 6 Oct: Cairns fans were bemoaning the trade of Gary Baker (see Notable Trades/Signings below) after news that Cairns’ preferred catcher, Michael Baker (.526/.524/.842, 1HR), might be out of action for up to a month with a quad strain. 12 Oct: The Sluggers had a heavy injury toll to begin the season. Baskoro Subagja (0-1, 3.55 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.03 WHIP) was added to the list today, diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. He’d likely be out of the game until the second half of the season. 14 Oct: Veteran Manuel Alou (.373/.492/.471, 1HR) had started off the season hot for the Thunder but would have to cool his jets for 4 weeks after fracturing a rib while colliding with the RF wall. 15 Oct: Beau Hauer (.475/.488/.875, 5HR) hurt himself on the 11th but only received his diagnosis today. A strained abdominal muscle and at least 3 more weeks out of the game. 17 Oct: Not only did Danny Caporn (.400/.444/.720, 4HR) fail to extend his RBI streak to 9 games, he also injured himself, leaving in the 4th with a strained ribcage muscle. He’d be on the DL for around 3 weeks. 20 Oct: 20 y/o Yeijiro ‘Golden’ Nishio (.204/.216/.245, 0HR) started 2063 in rookie ball and finished it in double-A. This season the Brisbane scouting find was named the number 67 prospect in the league and also won the starting SS role in the bigs, where he’d put up a decent showing, posting a +1.3 ZR in 16 games. He was off to the DL with a partially torn labrum, and would be out for at least 6 weeks. 22 Oct: The Metros recruited 32 y/o SS Cam Sweeny (.354/.427/.532, 2HR in 93PA) on the cheap during the offseason. Sweeny hadn’t played a full season in the majors since 2059 for Darwin when he appeared in 145 games. Since then he’d been a bench-bat/injury call-up for Christchurch before becoming a free agent (he had less than 5 years ML service-time but had signed major-league contracts with the Cowboys each of his 4 years there). He’d been great offensively for Auckland so far, even if he wasn’t much chop holding the fort at short. Now, however, he was off to the DL for at least a month with a torn hamstring. 27 Oct: Song Liang (2-1, 3.76 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 1.52 WHIP) joined the Auckland casualty ward. His rotator cuff inflammation would keep him out of action for at least 3 months. 29 Oct: Sydney’s Lachlan Limeburner (.223/.284/.511, 8HR), currently tied for second in the AUNZBL HR charts, wouldn’t be swinging a bat for at least 5 weeks after he was diagnosed with a torn hamstring. Notable Trades/Signings 3 Oct: 28 y/o Justo Plvora had given it a good shake but no AUNZBL team was prepared to bite for the 2064 season. He was hot property in the BL though, with Havana scooping him up on a 3-year deal. The final year was an option in his favour, meaning he could still chase his AUNZBL dream as a 30 y/o. 4 Oct: 34 y/o Gary Baker (.293/.360/.480, 243HR from 2051-2063) had been replaced as the Crocs’ everyday catcher last season by Michael Baker. By all accounts he wasn’t unhappy to be in the backup role at a club he’d played the better part of 9 years for. However, the Crocs weren’t too keen on paying a purported salary of $10 million to a benchwarmer, so today they sent him to Sydney, along with $3 million cash, in return for 34 y/o RHP Kohei Kawamata (31-37, 23 sv). The Blue Sox immediately elevated Baker to their starting lineup to replace incumbent catcher Jose Ojeda. Kawamata had featured out of Sydney’s bullpen the last 2 seasons and had made 2 appearances from there already in 2064 but the Crocs fancied him as a fifth starter, a guy who could chew up some innings without walking too many. Kawamata had excellent control and his fastball regularly clocked 160+ km/h. Despite the velocity, his arm angle and the fact he wasn’t so good at concealing pitches out of his hand gave hitters a pretty clear view of what was coming. 12 Oct: Brisbane extended 28 y/o Sebastian Woodger (0-1, 6.00 ERA from 2 starts this season; 36-35, 4.07 ERA, 4.29 FIP, 1.33 WHIP), who’d just passed 5 years’ service-time, for a further 4 years. 13 Oct: Darwin announced club captain Kent Okolita (.270/.391/.514, 3HR in 2064; .272/.378/.469, 116HR career) had agreed to a 4-year extension. It was hard to believe the 30 y/o hadn’t yet accumulated 6 years of service time. 14 Oct: 45 y/o Blair Toohey just wouldn’t retire. He’d last been spotted in the AUNZBL in 2060, playing in 52 games for the Blue Sox. He’d then headed over to the BL for a second stint, playing 2 seasons for Guayaquil before turning out for Havana in 2063. He played well for them in 70 games, hitting .273/.409/.365, with 3 dingers, and even fielded 43 innings at 2B. Now he’d signed for the 2064 season with Santiago, saying to a local reporter: “I still feel good. One of the reasons I think I’ve lasted as long as I have is that my game isn’t based around power, it’s based around plate discipline. Plus, I’ve always been a larrikin at training. Helps to keep the body fresh, I reckon.” 15 Oct: 36 y/o Jeff Moore (.270/.347/.476, 177HR from 2048-2064 in the NABA), 2064 NABA Grand Canyon Award winner, needed a new club. It was widely acknowledged that while he’d been a NABA superstar for a long time, he didn’t quite have what it took to make it in the AUNZBL, even without taking his age into account. But the AUNZBL was no longer the only league in Australia. Still, it came as a surprise when the Hobart Hammerheads announced they’d signed him to a 2-year deal, the second dependent on games played. The day of his signing he was named at clean-up on the Hammerheads card to face Port Moresby and went 1-3 in a 4-2 loss. “Of course I’d dreamed of playing in the Australian big-leagues,” Moore said after the game, “and while this isn’t the AUNZBL it’s still pretty damn big.” 16 Oct: 36 y/o Armando ‘Get The Tape’ Santos (.239/.303/.487, 127HR) wasn’t leaving Australia just yet. He’d signed a minor league deal with the Cavalry and been assigned to their rookie league team. Where he’d end up in their system remained to be seen. 21 Oct: 30 y/o 1B Glen Casey (.176/.222/.176, 0HR in 19PA in 2064; .285/.330/.387, 16HR career) was just warming the pine in Brisbane. A light-hitting 1B who’d likely be eligible for free agency after this season, Casey was a good contact hitter who Brisbane had often used at DH. The Bandits wanted an upgrade at catcher (not that 27 y/o Rupert Bethune - .338/.373/.549 so far this season - was a bad option) so dealt Casey and a 22 y/o pitcher who had the making of a middle of the rotation guy for Canberra’s backup catcher, 28 y/o Matt Cusack (.231/.333/.231, 0HR in 15 PA in 2064; .236/.296/.348, 19HR career). Cusack would immediately become Brisbane’s everyday guy behind the plate while Bethune was put on irrevocable waivers, there being a good chance someone would snaffle him. 30 Oct: Auckland wrapped up the future of #1 overall 2061 draft pick Axel Zhou (.333/.355/.470, 2HR), for the next 7 years at least. The 24 y/o, who already had over 2 years major-league service time, only had one demand in what Auckland management described as a “pleasant” negotiation process: that the final year of the deal be a player option. Month Awards Rookie of the Month: 25 y/o SS Alexander Whiffin didn’t make any headlines outside of Perth in October but obviously impressed the monthly awards’ selection committee. He hit .325/.366/.377, 37-114, scoring 11 runs while hitting 4 doubles and a triple. He plated 7 runners, walked 8 times, and stole 4 bases. Whiffin had jumped to the majors from AA ball and was known as a highly intelligent young man, even if one anonymous scout felt he’d be “playing in the Americas before long.” Hurler of the Month: Karl Blackwell had a tremendous month. The Aces’ southpaw not only won each of his 6 starts but did so with a sub-2.00 ERA. His 1.69 ERA was matched by a 3.01 FIP and a 0.94 WHIP. He fanned 31 in 48 innings while putting up a 1.5 WAR. He led the league in ERA, wins, WAR, and H/9 (6.00). Slugger of the Month: Mario Correa played just 21 games during the month due to injury but still put together SotM-worthy numbers. He hit .389/.415/.789, 35-90, with 17 runs, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 9HR, 33RBI, and 4BB. He topped the league in SLG, OPS, RBI, ISO (.400), XBH, and total bases (71). His BA was third-best, while his WAR (1.8) was second-highest. Media Watch Marcos Lopez: 40 y/o Lopez was playing like someone at the beginning of his career rather than the end. He hit .307/.323/.543 during the month, 7 of his 39 hits homers, 8 doubles. He was fast closing in on Ashley Snijders on the all-time hits list. Lopez had 3138, Snijders 3186. Just 49 more and Lopez would be third-best all-time. If he kept hitting the way he was hitting he’d overtake Alastair Mildren (3222) this season too. Other Notes Coastal Division: Cairns entered November with a 1-game lead over Darwin. Adelaide were a further 2 games back, having recovered somewhat after a shaky start. East-West Division: Central Coast and Newcastle were all tied up, with Kununurra 3 games back. Last year’s feel-good team, Brisbane, had started off poorly, to be 5 games back and 5 games below .500 at the bottom of the division. NZ Division: Auckland finished October with the best record in baseball, Christchurch 3 games behind. Southern Division: Melbourne led Hobart by 2, Canberra and Sydney both spinning their wheels. Wildcard: Too early to matter. # Two players finished October hitting better than .400. They were: Glen Donovan (.404/.423/.587, 4HR) Callum McCabe (.402/.500/.691, 7HR) McCabe led the league in OBP, wOBA (.501), and WAR (2.1). Malcolm Pickhills (.279/.336/.606, 10HR) led the league in homeruns. Axel Zhou (.346/.366/.488, 2HR) had 44 hits, 1 better than anybody else. Ronald Aitken (.328/.426/.569, 6HR) and Edgardo Rico (.350/.385/.447, 0HR) had both scored 26 runs, to lead the league. Jose de la Cruz (.261/.363/.339, 1HR) was currently the best base-stealer in the AUNZBL, with 10 to his name. He’d only been caught once. League-leader in walks was Fernando Contreras (.219/.361/.406, 4HR), with 22. Tristan Agar (3-1, 2.08 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) led the league in FIP. Teammate Tommy Fomai (1-3, 3.95 ERA, 4.98 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) had the best OAVG, of .195. Barry Dean (2-3, 4.15 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) hadn’t had his best season start. He still managed to top the league in strikeouts (39) and K/9 (9.00). Cairns’ trade get Kohei Kawamata (2-2, 3.53 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 0.90 WHIP) had the best WHIP among qualified pitchers. Isaac Graham recorded 9 saves during the month, 1 more than anybody else. As a point of interest, Scott Carson beat out Isaac Canavan for the closer’s role at the Cowboys, Canavan becoming a setup guy. Sources close to the 3-time league leader in saves said he wasn’t especially happy with the development but hoped to win the spot back. That might prove tough, though. Carson threw 11.2 innings in 11 games during October, picking up 1 win and 5 saves while not conceding a single earned run. Canavan had a 1-1 record from 11.0 innings in 13 appearances. He’d allowed 1 earned run during the month. ABC Wrap-up Gold Coast jumped out to a 1 1/2 game lead over Brisbane in the Northern. Sydney won 23 games in the month, their lead over Canberra 6 1/2, and over Hobart 7. The Victory lost 20 to languish at the bottom of the Southern. Broome held a 3-game advantage over Kalgoorlie in the Western. Jakarta led Hamilton by 3 in the Overseas, with Port Moresby a further game back. Ted Blume (.333/.515/.677, 9HR) won Golden Bat of the Month. He led the league in homers. Satya Susanti’s (3-3, 2.35 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.25 WHIP) arm fell off during the offseason according to several noted ABC watchers. While his velocity was noticeably lower, he was still fanning guys at better than a batter an inning, whiffing 42 in 38.1 IP during October. AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1 Attached Images __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report Last edited by Izz; 01-23-2018 at 05:25 PM.

01-23-2018, 05:57 PM	#744
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2064/2065 Season - November Notable Performances 1 Nov: How often does a team get 13 hits in a game without scoring once? That was what happened to Christchurch today in their 4-0 loss to Kununurra. They racked up 13 hits but failed to safely cross homeplate. “We made some bad calls on the basepaths,” Cowboys’ skipper Marcus Kent admitted. “But all credit to the Pioneers. Whenever we got people on base they just upped it another level.” 3 Cowboys players got 3 hits in the game. 2 Nov: Cairns and Canberra tussled for 15 before the Crocs scored 3 in the top of the inning and finished the bottom of the frame in 6 pitches to win 11-8. The star of the game was Felino Saturno, who went 3-7 with 2 homeruns and 5RBI. The next day he found himself facing reassignment to AAA. New acquisition Miguel Ibanez (see Notable Trades/Signings below) went 4-6 with 2 walks from the leadoff spot in an excellent debut. 2 Nov: Sydney trounced Central Coast 16-1. Surprisingly, no Blue Sox batter got more than 2 hits. 2 Nov: Perth only managed 2 hits in this game, scoring a solitary run in the bottom of the 1st, but that was enough to win, Melbourne unable to get any runners to home plate. Perth’s run didn’t actually come via a hit either. Alexander Whiffin led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, advanced to 2B on a shallow ground-out and to 3B on a regulation ground-out. With the count 2-2 on Luigi Dempster, Aces’ pitcher Karl Blackwell threw a wild one and Whiffin scampered home. Perth did show good plate discipline to earn 6 walks. 2 Nov: Canberra’s Jorge Perez won PotW. He hit .433/.500/.800, with 3 homeruns. 5 Nov: Another 11-10 extra-innings game! This time it was Melbourne and Perth, who slugged it out for 10 innings before the Aces went ahead via a Caspar Purcell solo homer and held on to win. The Heat made 4 errors in the game, while the Aces committed 1. Defence across the league as a whole appeared under-par so far in 2064. 7 Nov: Newcastle entered this game against Darwin on an 8-game skid, Roos' skipper Andre Allan admitting his team were “desperate to get a W.” The Diggers took the lead in the 3rd but a 2-run Nicholas Bennett homer in the 6th put the Roos ahead. Darwin scored 2 in the 7th to regain the advantage but Newcastle leapfrogged ahead by 1 once more in the 8th. With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th Stephane Lecomte singled, advanced to 2B on a balk and scored after a throwing error by nervous closer Ke-yong Fang. The score remained the same until the top of the 13th, when Newcastle executed a 1-out double-steal, the lead runner scoring soon after thanks to a sacrifice fly. Darwin weren’t to be denied, however. Gustavo Sosa doubled with 1 away in the bottom of the inning. Cain Whalley walked and then Lecomte sent a fly into the right-field alley. It found grass and rolled to the wall. Both runners scored, Lecomte adjudged to have tripled. Walk off 6-5 win to Darwin and Newcastle had now lost 9 on the trot. 8 Nov: Newcastle avoided the ignominy of a 10-game losing streak by shutting out the Diggers 3-0. They did this despite losing 2 pitchers to injury. The 4 pitchers used conceded only 2 hits and 2 walks. 9 Nov: Adelaide’s Angus Wang went 5-5 in Adelaide’s 12-2 thumping of Christchurch. His barrage of hits included 2 doubles. The feat came in his first big-league game of the season, the 29 y/o catcher having been called up as an injury replacement for Norm Donaldson. This was also the first time in his pro career that Wang had collected 5 hits in a single game. 10 Nov: Vern Bull hit .571/.600/1.000, with 3HR, on his way to PotW. 11 Nov: Ramon Martinez went 5-5 in Kununurra’s 13-7 win over Adelaide. He hit a triple and homerun, scoring thrice while plating 5. 12 Nov: Voting for the All Star Game began, with the fans tentatively excited about the prospect. The Commissioner’s Office had released more details about voting, including that they would veto any All Star selection they felt was invalid, such as if a player who hadn’t played so far in the season because of injury was voted in. A fair few fans weren’t so excited about what they termed as ‘censorship’ from the sport’s governing body. 13 Nov: Canberra and Wellington tussled until the 12th, when the Fury hustled home the go-ahead run. The 3-2 victory was highlighted by a strong 8-inning performance from young Cavalry pitcher Seto Sukarto, who watched from the dugout as his 1-run lead disappeared in the 9th, 39 y/o ABC-import Ivan Parker blowing his third save of the season. 13 Nov: Newcastle scored 7 in the bottom of the 1st in their clash with Perth. The Heat clawed away at the deficit, finally equalizing the game in the 7th. Bottom of the 8th and the Roos bounced ahead again, scoring 5 more. That proved to be the final score, Newcastle with the 12-7 victory. In terms of frames scored in, Perth won 5-2. 13 Nov: The Sluggers were sitting dead last in the NZ Division, their record 16-24. One of the few bright spots in their season so far was Glen Donovan, whose .374 BA was the best in the league. So why on earth did the Sluggers demote him to AAA today? Answers weren’t immediately forthcoming but when pressed, skipper Mancio Lenihan said it was a “disciplinary matter.” He wouldn’t elaborate on what Donovan had done. Donovan himself couldn’t be contacted for comment. Whatever the case, the Sluggers beat Central Coast 7-3 to break an 8-game skid, replacement 1B Noah Budd going 2-4 in the win, both his hits homeruns. 24 y/o Budd had already started 26 games this season but had done so at DH rather than in the field. 14 Nov: Leo Walena jagged 5 hits from 6 at-bats in Auckland’s 3-1 overtime loss to Cairns. He hit 2 doubles and was responsible for driving in Auckland’s only run. Clint Kline, who’d found himself in the Crocs bullpen after starting the season in the rotation, got the win, pitching 3 scoreless innings, including the bottom of the 13th after Cairns scored 2 thanks to a combination of walks and singles. 15 Nov: Glen Donovan spent just one day in the minors, pinch-hitting a 3-run homerun in a 5-0 win by the Victoria Point Skyliners. Skipper Lenihan immediately put him back at clean-up, suggesting that whatever issue there was may have been between the GM and Donovan rather than his manager. The demotion-promotion seemed to have taken a toll, however, Donovan going 0-4, leaving 3 on-base, in what could only be described as a lacklustre outing. His Sluggers lost 5-4 to Cairns, who walked off winners in the 9th via a Calvin Hodnett (see Notable Trades/Signings below) single. Donovan wouldn’t be drawn on why he’d spent the last couple of days in limbo, saying only, “Can’t change what happened but would rather just look forward, thanks.” 15 Nov: Melbourne handed Auckland their seventh loss in a row, John Roberts delivering the fatal blow with a 2-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 12th. Auckland only got back into the game in the 9th, scoring 7 in a 10-man rally to go ahead. Vern Bull evened things up with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning, which was the last scoring act until Roberts’ blast. The final score was 11-9. 15 Nov: Ikku Kichida got a rare start for Adelaide in their game against Hobart. It’d looked like he’d blown his opportunity, 0-4 after 9 innings. But the game went into the 10th thanks to Adelaide scoring 2 in the 9th to extend matters and Kichida made the most of his extra opportunity, crunching the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the 10th 407 feet over rightfield for a walk-off homerun. 16 Nov: Christchurch and Perth busted out the offense, the Cowboys eventually winning 16-10. Marcos Lopez continued to play like a 25 y/o, going 4-6, his hits including a double and HR and resulting in 5RBIs. Perth’s Alexander Whiffin tied the Perth game record for walks with 4. Despite scoring 10 runs, Perth only managed 9 hits. 16 Nov: Vincent Howell jacked a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to give Brisbane a walk-off 4-3 win over Central Coast. 17 Nov: Perth’s Tadakuni Sasaki won PotW. He hit .464/.464/.857, with 3 four-baggers. 18 Nov: Auckland’s offense piled on 21 hits and 4 walks against Melbourne, thrashing the Aces in their house by 16 runs to 1. Richard Ashton went 4-5 for the Metros, while 2 others players collected 3 hits. One of those was cleanup hitter Axel Zhou, who earned PotG with a 3-5 performance. His hits included a homerun and he scored 4 times while also earning a walk. He only plated 2 but didn’t get out once with runners on base. 19 Nov: Despite pitching a no-hitter in his first ever big-league start back in 2062, 27 y/o Rory Karsumaatmaja had never nailed down a role in Sydney’s rotation. He started just a further 6 games in 2062, spending some time at closer and as a setup man. He spent all of 2063 as the Blue Sox closer, notching up 37 saves along with 7 wins and 7 losses. This season, he had once again taken up that mantle, finishing October with a 1-2, 5 save record. Sydney skipper Peter Massingham pushed ‘Super’ into the middle of the rotation to begin November, where he’d started 3 games prior to this 1, losing 2 and never going deeper than 6 innings. He had a game to remember this day, however. Newcastle were the opponent and they struggled to touch him. He went the whole game, striking out 3 and giving up just 4 hits and 3 walks alongside a fat zero in the score column. The offense chimed in too, the final score 11-0 in Sydney’s favour. Nigel Anderton contributed 2 homeruns, 1 a bases loaded shot. In a sadly predictable move from the ill-regarded Massingham, a couple days later Karsumaatmaja was back in Sydney's bullpen. 19 Nov: Melbourne and Whangarei jostled and jived, both teams’ hitters struggling to put willow on leather. The score was tied at 1 after regulation time and remained that way until the bottom of the 15th. James Bacosa doubled with 1 out, and with 2 outs Tim Firth nudged a single wide of 2B and Bacosa hustled home without a throw. 2-1 Sluggers. Melbourne’s pitchers struck out 15 in the game, while Whangarei’s punched out 13. 20 Nov: Christchurch left it late to overrun the Cavalry. Canberra held a 2-run lead going into the bottom of the 8th, the Cowboys yet to trouble the scorers. That quickly changed, Christchurch tying the scores before an out had been recorded. They couldn’t push any further ahead in that inning and Canberra went down quickly in the 9th. It only took 1 pitch in the bottom of the inning to send the Cavalry away with their tails between their legs. Kimpton got a fastball over the plate and sent it whizzing into the right-centre bleachers for a walk-off homerun. 21 Nov: Newcastle hadn’t scored a run in their last 4 games, shutout twice by Canberra and twice by Sydney. They got some slight revenge today, however, Kent Ju throwing a masterpiece to restrict the Blue Sox to just 4 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 3 and the Roos' offense finally lent some support in a 6-0 win. 21 Nov: Leo Walena was the hero for Auckland, slugging a solo leadoff homer in the bottom of the 10th to give his Metros a 3-2 victory over division rivals Wellington. 22 Nov: Dan Holz whitewashed Whangarei 2-0 on the back of 6 hits, 0 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The shutout was the first of Holz’s big-league career. The only offense in the game were the pair of runs Melbourne scored in the top of the 1st. 24 Nov: Darwin’s Angel Rivera picked up the weekly award. He hit .500/.593/1.091, 4 of his 11 hits going the distance. 24 Nov: 35 y/o Lance Fookes joined the 2000-hit club in Christchurch’s 10-4 win over Sydney. He reached the mark in the 2nd with a solo homerun, and celebrated in the 3rd with a 2-run blast. 26 Nov: Jose Amaya spanked 5 singles from 5 at-bats to spark Newcastle to an 18-6 thrashing of Auckland. Teammates Nicholas Bennett and Nathan Kapuna both had 4 hits, Kapuna scoring 5 runs to tie the Newcastle game record. Kapuna also cracked 2 homeruns. 26 Nov: In a hard-fought tussle, Christchurch went ahead of Sydney by 1 with half an inning to play. But the Blue Sox patiently drew 2 walks before, with 2 away, Toby Norris drove the first pitch he saw into the right-centre seats for a walk-off 3-run homerun. Sydney were thus 9-7 victors, Scott Carson blowing his first save attempt of the season. 27 Nov: “I guess I saw it coming,” Jose Mendez said. In his third year skippering the Heat, Mendez had just been given his marching orders by second-year GM Giralldo Ulrich. The Heat were sitting at 20-33 and Mendez was relatively philosophical about his dismissal. “Giralldo’s going about building the team in his image and I’m obviously not a part of that vision. I wish him luck. He’s going to need a whole lot of it.” There was no word on Mendez’s replacement, only that it wasn’t Carlos Quinones, the current bench coach, who was in his first season in the role. 28 Nov: Martin Boston had the 8th 5-hit game of his career, his 5-5 playing a lead role in Darwin’s 13-7 dismantling of Brisbane. Boston scored 3 runs and drove 1 runner in, the Diggers winning despite making 4 errors. 29 Nov: Perth named an interim manager, 44 y/o Venkata Yadgiri. Yadgiri had never managed before, at any professional level, nor had he worked as a coach in any capacity. He had also not played the game professionally, though it appeared he’d spent time on the semi-pro circuit in Indonesia and Korea. Nobody knew quite what to expect and his introductory presser was a very underwhelming affair. The only noteworthy thing about Yadgiri was the imposing figure he cut, a lean 6’5” in an ill-fitting suit. The new hire seemed to work for the team, though, as they broke a 7-game skid with a 10-6 win over Adelaide. The performance was highlighted by a 3-5, 5RBI outing from Rich Downes (see Notable Trades/Signings below) and a 4-6 effort by leadoff hitter and rookie Carlos Alvarez. 29 Nov: Auckland fought with rivals Christchurch all the way before Chuk-yan Lung slugged a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 9th for a 6-5 victory. John Foreman (see Notable Trades/Signings below) had a great debut for the Metros, going 4-4 at cleanup, his first hit for the club a homerun in the bottom of the 1st. He hit another jack in the 7th to take him to 14 for the year, a tie for third-best in the league. 30 Nov: Central Coast overcame a 4-run deficit to tie their game with Wellington in the bottom of the 8th via a Gu Luo homer. Fast forward to the bottom of the 10th with 2 out and Jesus Fuentes at the plate. With the count 2-2 the 23 y/o SS got a pitch to pull and didn’t miss, sending it ricocheting off the upper tier for a walk-off homerun. 7-6 Wellington. Notable Injuries 6 Nov: Ralph Zglinicki (.340/.383/.549, 7HR) tore his thumb ligament in a hard slide into base. The Canberra OF would be on the DL at least 6 weeks. 10 Nov: Canberra’s Brendan Southey (1-6, 6.93 ERA, 5.99 FIP, 1.73 WHIP) was not having the breakout season that the experts had predicted. And today’s diagnosis of shoulder inflammation meant his season was most likely over. His pitching coach wondered whether Southey had been “overthrowing due to expectation.” 11 Nov: Quentin Welch (.231/.315/.423, 4HR) would miss the next 4 weeks of the season with a hamstring strain. He’d played just 56 games for the Venom in 2063 due to injury. 13 Nov: Melbourne would be without Luis Cuesta (.275/.338/.483, 6HR) for the rest of the season. He’d ruptured his Achilles. 15 Nov: William Fenton (.283/.366/.491, 5HR) was off to the DL. The Whangarei OF had a bruised knee and would likely need 4-5 weeks recovery time. 17 Nov: Darwin would be without closer Rod Bacon (2-2, 12 sv, 5.06 ERA) for at least 3 months. He’d been diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. After his stellar efforts the last 2 seasons, Bacon had struggled to start 2064, though he held a share of the league lead in saves. 21 Nov: Bad news for the Metros. Axel Zhou (.300/.333/.445, 5HR) faced at least 6 weeks on the DL with a fractured hand. 22 Nov: Manuel Alou (.326/.442/.457, 3HR from 113PA) was off to the DL for the second time in as many months. A sprained thumb was the culprit this time and the team doctor estimated a 7-week layoff for the aging hitter. 25 Nov: The Metros faced another setback after Callum McCabe (.351/.424/.616, 12HR) hurt his elbow throwing the ball in their 7-6 extra-innings loss to Newcastle. McCabe had elbow tendinitis and was likely to miss 3 weeks. At the time of his injury, McCabe led the league in SLG, OPS, wOBA (.444), and WAR (2.8). 28 Nov: Canberra would be without Jack Pye (.293/.367/.408, 2HR) for the next month while he recovered from a sprained elbow. 28 Nov: Fernando Contreras (.211/.362/.411, 9HR) had a strained ACL. He’d be on the DL for at least 6 weeks. 29 Nov: If there was one thing the Crocs were worried about this season it was the depth of their rotation. They had further reason to be worried today when Nalukea Alana (3-3, 5.71 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 1.51 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn elbow ligament. If Cairns were worried, Alana doubly so. It’d be 11-12 months before he pitched competitively again, and that was as long as nothing went wrong during his recovery and rehab. Notable Trades/Signings 2 Nov: Cairns’ new GM, 60 y/o Christian Nelson, made a move today that got plenty of criticism from local fans but would probably turn out in the Crocs favour. He dealt 26 y/o OF Claudio Lara (.329/.457/.529, 3HR in 2064; .250/.361/.397, 32HR career) to Central Coast in return for 29 y/o CF Miguel Ibanez (.205/.244/.299, 3HR in 2064; .242/.296/.449, 104HR career) and some cash. Former number 1 draft pick Ibanez was an excellent outfielder and a potent slugger, provided the right spot for him was found in the lineup. He was contracted until 2067. Lara was a patient hitter but a below-average CF, with a career ZR of -24.8 in the position after 2461.2 innings. 4 Nov: Christchurch pulled off, quite possibly, the biggest trade of the league’s history, at least according to the current crop of analysts who went absolutely gaga over it. The Cowboys gave up 5 prospects to the Heat, including the 15th overall pick of the 2062 draft, 20 y/o Gerry Mitchinson, who was well on track to become a dominating starting pitcher. Who did they get in return? None other than 3-time HotY and 6-time All Star Barry Dean (2-4, 4.84 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.23 WHIP in 2064; 124-69, 3.45 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 1.15 WHIP career). While Dean hadn’t publicly stated he was unhappy in Perth, anonymous reports stated he was ‘becoming a little bit weary of being the guy who always had to carry the team.’ No more carrying the team now. He’d be the ace for the defending champions, a club that had the best bullpen in the majors and one of the better offenses. Dean was contracted until 2065 but most expected the Cowboys to quickly try to work out an extension. Alan Sneddon thought the move was great for all involved. He said, “Great for Barry. He hadn’t been looking himself through the first month of the season. Not injured or anything, just tired. Tired of playing at a level nobody else in his team could reach. I expect to see him dominate 90 percent of his remaining starts this regular season and then play a big role in the playoffs. “This is also great for Perth. Yes, the fans are howling right now, as is to be expected, but Heat management has to think long-term. Yes, it’s nice having the best pitcher in the league on your team but what use is it if you can’t win when he’s not on the mound and can only sometimes provide enough offense to win when he is? This trade has given them another future-ace who should be ready about the time the rest of the farm is. The fans won’t be upset then, I can promise you. “And this is great for Christchurch, for the obvious reasons and more. They made all the moves in the offseason, and signed the best free agent pitcher, Roy Blake, to a 6-year deal. Problem is, while Blake is good, he’s not great, or at least he hasn’t shown that greatness yet. And, in all fairness, while the rest of the rotation is above-average there’s nothing there that makes opposition hitters shake in their boots. Now, with Dean in the mix, the rest of the rotation will benefit even when he’s not pitching. Think too, of the amazing bullpen the Cowboys have. But what use is an amazing bullpen if the rotation is continually leaking runs? “This is a massive trade for all the right reasons, and I’m as excited as anybody else to watch Dean pitch for a contender.” 4 Nov: Melbourne extended 29 y/o Dan Holz (2-2, 3.49 ERA, 4.28 FIP, 1.09 WHIP in 2064) for 4 years. Southpaw Holz had a career 53-42 record. 5 Nov: Hot on the heels of the Dean news, Christchurch announced that 32 y/o Matthew Utting (.288/.380/.432, 4HR in 2064; .275/.353/.460, 190HR career) had agreed to a 2-year extension. The 5-time Gold Glove winner was a constant presence in the middle of Christchurch’s line-up and was known for saying about his role at 3B, “If I don’t get my uniform dirty I haven’t done my best for the team.” His career ZR at 3B, across 2055-2064, was +114.5. 6 Nov: Cairns were back at the trade table, this time consummating a deal with Kununurra. 34 y/o 2B Beau Snell (.205/.256/.329, 1HR from 79PA in 2064; .322/.374/.416, 57HR career) would head across to the Pioneers, along with a decent 21 y/o OF prospect, in return for 31 y/o RF Nick ‘Pirate Face’ Ahern (.298/.388/.440, 2HR in 2064; .253/.353/.475, 185HR career). Whether Ahern would be an everyday player in Croc-town remained to be seen, with his biggest competition, 23 y/o Ernan Pullenza, having big raps within the organization. Snell, last year’s batting champion, also looked set to warm the bench, his poor defence a big issue and 1B and DH already sewn up. Perhaps, Sneddon opined, Kununurra’s real target was the 21 y/o prospect. Joe Moles was already a stellar defender and had plenty of offensive upside. He was probably a year or two away from making the bigs but Sneddon didn’t doubt that he would. 8 Nov: Perth were unloading their stars, today sending 30 y/o Calvin Hodnett (.264/.340/.419, 4HR in 2064; .290/.367/.506, 230HR career) to Cairns for 4 prospects, 2 of whom looked like sure things. Sneddon was more disparaging of this trade, at least the Cairns’ end of it. “What are they thinking, I wonder?” he asked. “That’s 3 outfielders traded for already this month, and the second in 3 days. Hodnett’s a good get, for sure, even if he comes with a hefty salary attached, but what was the point of trading for Ahern? Saturno and Pullenza are more than good enough bench bats who can only benefit from spending time in a major-league environment. All Ahern is going to get is frustrated. There’s depth and then there’s waste. This, I firmly believe, is the latter. Sources tell me Hodnett’s salary is similar to Snell’s, so any budget opened up by Snell’s trade is gone just like that. What I’m really hoping won’t happen here is for Saturno and Pullenza to be moved on. That would be disastrous for this club in almost every way, in my opinion.” 17 Nov: The trade punches kept flying. “I didn’t see this one coming at all,” Sneddon admitted on his now-nightly show. Perth sent two minor-league catchers to Auckland, one 28 years-old and probably unlucky not to have broken into the majors yet, the other 22 years-old and with the high power ceiling that many AUNZBL catchers seemed to have. In return they netted none other than 28 y/o Rich Downes (.292/.326/.450, 5HR in 2064; .322/.377/.505, 96HR career). Downes was still a season-and-a-half away from free agency and while his WAR so far this season was only 0.1 it couldn’t be expected to stay there. Still, there were several independent scouts who said his mechanics were getting worse rather than better. He would hit at third in the Perth lineup. Sources said that Downes was happy to leave Auckland, even for Perth, suggesting some friction within the clubhouse. 17 Nov: The second trade also involved Auckland but wasn’t quite of the same blockbuster nature. They sent 29 y/o LHP Jose Sardina (3-3, 4.13 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.41 WHIP in 2064; 50-79, 5.24 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 1.46 WHIP career) to division rivals Wellington in return for 28 y/o SS Richard Ashton (.267/.337/.345, 0HR in 2064; .260/.328/.360, 14HR career) and a 21 y/o infield prospect. Sardina wasn’t very happy at being moved on, saying to reporters, “I don’t understand this. We, Auckland, are leading the division so why does it look like they’re suddenly selling guys?” Sneddon agreed with the pitcher’s sentiment. “Doesn’t make a lot of sense, for me. I could understand in January if they’re 10 games back but not in the middle of November when they’re tied for the division lead. Sure, they’ve been struggling to win recently but to suddenly just give up on them, or appear to, is pretty hard on the players. Unfair too. Why should the guys out there busting their guts for the team and the fans want to keep doing that if they know their front office doesn’t have faith in them?” 24 Nov: Perth moved to lock up Rich Downes’ future, nutting out a 3-year extension with their newly acquired star. Downes had just over 4 years service time, so the deal would likely only buy out his first year of free agency. The 28 y/o was hitting .269/.321/.308 since coming across and was yet to send one out of the park. 29 Nov: Cairns and quietly-spoken Ronald Aitken (.283/.396/.491, 8HR in 2064; .293/.412/.506, 201HR career) worked out a 7-year extension, the final year being a team option. 30 y/o Aitken seemed almost embarrassed when discussing the deal with the media throng. “Just happy to have my future sorted out,” he said in response to most questions. Aitken was one of the more popular figures in the game, perhaps due to his humble demeanour and ready smile. 29 Nov: “I just can’t read them,” Sneddon said when discussing this trade. He was talking about the Metros, who’d acquired 34 y/o John Foreman (.263/.347/.474, 12HR in 2064; .287/.352/.532, 410HR) from Canberra in exchange for 33 y/o Cam Sweeny (.368/.429/.568, 3HR from 110PA in 2064; .252/.320/.408, 45HR career) and the better catching prospect they’d got from Perth in the Downes trade. “I mean,” Sneddon continued, “this makes great sense if they’re wanting to remain competitive this year but if that was the case why trade away Downes, who’s a better all-round hitter, younger, and cheaper? And if this is a reaction to the injuries to Zhou and McCabe I’m doubly confused as that would be a reaction of a team that wants to keep winning right now, which is something Auckland management hasn’t given any signs of wanting to do.” Foreman only shrugged his shoulders when approached by media on arrival at Auckland airport. “I never unpacked all season just because I was expecting something like this. Ask the wife; we’ve been living out of boxes ever since I signed with the Cavalry in May. But at least this time around I’m not getting shifted to a team at the bottom of their division. That’s something, I guess.” Month Awards Rookie of the Month: 23 y/o Felino Saturno had caught the public’s imagination during his March call-up in 2063 and was showing he had what it took to play every day in 2064. Despite spending a handful of games down in AAA he won the November Rookie award by hitting .319/.367/.571 in the 22 games he played. His 29-91 included 8 doubles and 5HR. He scored 13 runs, plated 20 runners and walked 6 times. Hurler of the Month: 25 y/o Wendell Chatfield was one of those players who was somehow fairly well known outside of the local fans despite never having achieved a whole lot on the paddock. He was Canberra’s fourth round draft pick in 2058 and was now in his fourth major-league season with them. He threw 5 pitches, a weak fastball, a curve that was still a work-in-progress, plus a decent slider, splitter and fork, and relied on hitting the corners to be effective. And he was very effective in November, going 5-1 from 6 starts, his ERA 2.84, his FIP 3.66 and his WHIP 1.24. He had an ERA+ of 152 for the month and an FIP- of 84. In 38 innings he fanned 24 and walked only 5. Slugger of the Month: Tashiaki Yano had turned a few heads last season with the ease with which he’d jumped from A-ball into the majors. First month of this season he’d struggled, as many second-year players did. Not so in November, however. The 24 y/o hit .348/.388/.634, 39-112, with 14 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 28RBI, 8 walks and 2 stolen bases. Brisbane’s hitting coach said that Yano still had “a ways to go to fulfil his potential, particularly in his plate discipline and, related to that in many ways, his overall power.” Once he’d figured those parts of his game out, the coach continued, “he’d be a real force to be reckoned with.” Media Watch Marcos Lopez: Lopez wasn’t quite as potent in November but he still put together a good month, hitting .276/.325/.431, his 32 hits including 3 doubles and 5 homeruns. He headed into December only 16 hits behind Snijders, and 52 off Mildren. Lopez led the league in ribbies, with 54 so far. Other Notes Coastal Division: Cairns (15-13) were steady through the month but found themselves neck and neck with a resurgent Venom (18-10), Darwin (13-15) falling to 3 games back. East-West Division: Central Coast (16-12) put together another good month to finish with the outright division lead. Brisbane (19-9) and Kununurra (17-11) weren’t about to let the Thunder streak away, however, putting together excellent months to be just 2 games back. Newcastle (9-19), meanwhile, stumbled badly to finish at the bottom of the division, 7 games off the leaders and 5 games below .500. NZ Division: Auckland (11-17) stumbled along but somehow didn’t lose the division lead. Christchurch (14-14) were just par but thanks to Auckland’s struggles finished the month tied with the Metros at the top of the NZ pile. Wellington (16-12) fought their way above .500 to sit just a solitary game back. Southern Division: The Aces (15-13) were streaky but did enough to hold the division lead, the Cavalry (16-12) 3 games back but 1 below the .500 mark. Hobart (12-16) continued to do little to justify the preseason hype, falling to 5 games off .500. Wildcard: Either Adelaide or Cairns held the first slot, while Brisbane and Kununurra were tied for the second spot. Auckland, Christchurch, Darwin and Wellington were in the hunt, with Canberra also lurking close by. # Edgardo Rico (.362/.390/.447, 0HR) had crashed his way to the top of the batting averages by month’s end. He also led the league in hits (85) and runs (42). Malcolm Pickhills (.286/.356/.598, 17HR) was relishing his move to clean-up in Adelaide’s line-up. He led the league in homers, ISO (.312), and was tied with McCabe for WAR (2.8). Larry Booth (.320/.427/.380, 0HR) was hitting singles at a fantastic rate. He also had the best OBP among qualified hitters and had stolen the most bases (18). Carlos Aguilar (.296/.425/.352, 0HR) was demonstrating superb patience, his 47 walks the best in the league. Gu Luo (.312/.323/.592, 13HR) had only managed 2 walks in 227PA but was hitting hard, his 31 extra-base hits the top mark, along with his 129 total bases. Blair Norris (5-5, 2.24 ERA, 2.55 FIP, 0.98 WHIP) wasn’t getting the run support he deserved, a fact he was quite happy to point out in interviews. He led all qualified pitchers in ERA, FIP, HR/9 (0.31), IP (88.1), and WAR (3.4). Barry Dean (5-5, 3.66 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) was settling into his new environs in Christchurch well. He continued to lead all-comers in total strikeouts (88) and strikeouts per 9 innings (9.47). Young Croc star Victor Doubleday (8-2, 3.48 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) led the league in wins while teammate Kohei Kawamata (3-4, 3.33 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 0.96 WHIP) continued to have the best WHIP, and also the best BB/9 (0.80). He walked just 1 hitter in 32 innings in November. Adelaide’s Moeaktola Liao and Central Coast’s Trent Millar both had 15 saves, 1 more than a trio of chasing closers. ABC Wrap-up Brisbane (31-25) leapfrogged Gold Coast (30-27) to lead them by 1 1/2 games in the Northern. Sydney (42-14) continued to soar above the pack, their lead in the Southern 14 1/2 games at the end of November. Broome (28-29) slumped while Kalgoorlie (32-25) rose, the latter 4 games ahead in the Western. Jakarta (34-23) held a slender 1-game lead over Hamilton (33-24) in the Overseas. 36 y/o Zachary Pengilly (.324/.383/.659, 16HR) impressed in November to win Golden Bat. Bradley Boston (8-3, 3.19 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) hadn’t given up a single homerun through the first 2 months of the season. AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1 Attached Images __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report Last edited by Izz; 01-24-2018 at 03:11 PM. Reason: Editing

02-08-2018, 03:08 AM	#745
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2064/2065 Season - December 2064/2065 Season - December 2064 #1 Draft Pick 19 y/o high school baller Warren Collard had the distinction of being this season's number 1 overall draft pick. Collard hit .505 against high school competition and while he’d patrolled the outfield corners for his team, Canberra wanted to train him as a 3B. He projected to have good power, both over the fence and into the gaps. He was noted as an extremely loyal young man who had a decent work ethic and barely took a day off sick. However, one anonymous source from his former school said, “Warren’s a gifted athlete, for sure, but he has some learning disabilities that were never properly treated due to his athletic prowess. Put it this way: hopefully his coaches stick to visual tutelage rather than giving him anything to read.” Canberra assigned Collard to their rookie league team, the Nelson Bay Pelicans. A quick look at how the previous 4 #1 draft picks were doing: 2063, Vinnie Hanscombe: Rated the #17 prospect in the league by OotPB TV prior to the season beginning, Hanscombe was dominating double-A with a stat-line of .329/.407/.429. Last season he’d recorded two 5+ hit games in single-A and plenty thought he’d earn a March call-up, at least, to the Aces this year. 2062, Brendan Penfold: Won a spot in the Canberra rotation this season, and they currently ranked him as their second starter. He’d had his struggles, his ERA+ through 12 starts 91. He had 5 wins and 5 losses, a 4.74 ERA, a 4.23 FIP, and a 1.79 WHIP. Still, he’d struck out 51 from 62.2 innings and his pitching coaches said he still had “mountains of room for improvement,” both in his individual pitches and his control of them. He’d been ranked the league’s #5 prospect prior to the season. 2061, Axel Zhou: Currently injured, Zhou was proving an important cog in Auckland’s lineup when fit. He’d hit .300/.333/.445, with 5HR, in 211PA. He’d missed the entire 2063 season due to an injury suffered during spring training but he’d didn’t appear hampered by any ill aftereffects. 2060, Richard Page: Playing behind Kent Okolita would always be a tough ask, but Page did appear to be lagging. Last year he hit less than .200 in 114 plate appearances across 45 games. This season his stat-line was .214/.283/.286, with 0HR, from a measly 46PA. “He’s 25 years old now,” a source within the organization lamented, “but he's shown little improvement in selecting which pitches to swing at and therefore a lot of his contact is weak.” Notable Performances 1 Dec: Player of the Week went to Newcastle’s Nathan Kapuna. He hit .586/.636/1.034, his 17 hits including 4 doubles and 3 homers. 26 y/o Kapuna would qualify for free agency at the end of this season. 2 Dec: Justin Auger leaped to the top of the RBI boards with his fourth Grand Slam of the season in Central Coast’s 9-1 defeat of Newcastle. The Slammer was his 7th of this calendar year. For his career ‘Crazy Eyes’ had 24 major-league Grand Slams, though he’d not managed a walk-off one yet. 2 Dec: Wellington forced their game against Cairns to extra innings thanks to a 2-run rally in the bottom of the 9th. The score remained tied at 5 until the top of the 12th when Chi-seong Lee blasted a 2-out 3-run dinger. The Fury led off the bottom of the inning with a walk but put up no further resistance, falling 8-5. 3 Dec: Both teams committed 3 errors but the contest was still a gripping one, Kununurra heading into the bottom of the 9th holding onto a 1-run lead thanks to a pair of 3-run innings in the 6th and 7th. They’d outhit Auckland 14-7 at that point but the hometown fans weren’t counting the Metros out of it just yet. Their confidence proved to be well-founded. Rodney Trembath led the inning off with a single before Chuk-yan Lung launched a 2-1 fastball deep to right. It kept on going and he got to touch ‘em all with a 2-run walk-off homer. Final score: 7-6 Auckland as they fought to maintain a tenuous advantage in the NZ. 4 Dec: Christchurch looked like they had this one well in hand, their lead 4 heading into the bottom of the 9th. However, their recently erratic bullpen (primarily Scott Carson in this case) conspired to let the Sluggers back into the contest, Tim Firth tying the game with a 2-out 3-run homer. Christchurch managed 2 baserunners in the 11th but that was all the extra-innings threat they offered. Glen Donovan did the honours for Whangarei in the bottom of the 12th, crushing a Canavan heater 441 feet over dead centre for a walk-off winner. 7-6 Whangarei. 4 Dec: A pair of solo homeruns did the deed for Brisbane in the bottom of the 9th in their clash with Melbourne. The Aces had snuck ahead by 1 in the top of the inning and looked like winning it when a bottom of the inning double-play snuffed out a baserunner and left them just 1 dismissal short of victory. But then Norm Blume put a 3-1 fastball into the seats to tie it up. This was followed by Tashiaki Yano crunching an 0-1 curveball deep over centrefield for his second bomb of the night. Walk-off 8-7 Brisbane win, Melbourne’s Oliwa Lomu's blown save his first of the season. 8 Dec: Newcastle 1B Todd Fisher won PotW, hitting .500/.500/.923. 9 Dec: It took 13 innings to separate Brisbane and Perth, the Bandits doing the dirty in the top of the 13th via a sacrifice fly. Earlier, Perth had equalized in the bottom of the 9th to prolong matters but in the end couldn’t avoid crashing to their 41st defeat of the season. Brisbane’s Terence Stuart rapped 4 singles from 6 at-bats. 10 Dec: Claudio Banda was magnificent in blanking the Roos on the back of 6 hits and 0 walks. He only struck out 2 but got through the game in 93 pitches, Newcastle skipper Andre Allan scratching his head after the game and saying, “Yeah, he got through his work quickly, all right. Suddenly I looked up at the scoreboard and it was the 8th and I could’ve sworn it was still the 5th. It wasn’t just a low pitch-count, either. His reset and pitch-picking processes are very quick. Next time we face him I’ll have to remind our hitters to slow things down a bit and put him off his rhythm.” Banda’s Crocs didn’t make it easy for their pitcher, either, not getting on the board until the bottom of the 6th and committing a couple of errors. The final score was 2-0 to Cairns. 10 Dec: Adelaide came from behind to tie the game in the 6th inning of their clash against Sydney. That was all the scoring until the bottom of the 12th. Andrew Benbow led off the inning with a walk, was bunted into scoring position and an out later scored off a Mitch Goddard single. 5-4 Adelaide, their 38-28 record only good enough for second in the Coastal. 10 Dec: Canberra piled on 20 hits to dispose of Darwin 12-5. Jay Watts and Jorge Perez both went 4-5. Despite the hit parade no Cavalry batter went downtown. By contrast, 2 Diggers hitters cleared the fences, out of only 5 hits. 11 Dec: Matthew Utting provided some big bang in Christchurch’s 9-1 defeat of Cairns. The burly 3B went 4-4, 3 of those hits traveling out of the park. He went deep in the 4th over right, hit a monster 435-foot jack over right-centre in the 6th, and led off the 8th with a first-pitch bomb over right. This was the second time in his big-league career that Utting had hit 3 homers in a game. Barry Dean went the whole 9 for the Cowboys, looking at a shutout until, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Calvin Hodnett pulled a 2-0 pitch into the bleachers for a solo homer. Dean was throwing a few tater balls this season, having given up homeruns in each of his last 5 starts. In fact, in his 14 starts so far, he’d only gone 3 without having to crick his neck to watch a fly clear the fences. 11 Dec: Up 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, Wellington must’ve felt somewhat comfortable. The first out came easily enough, a regulation ground-ball to the shortstop. Then Matt Cusack nudged one down the 1B line for a single. 2 pitches later Rupert Bethune got a fastball to drive and mashed it 439 feet over straightaway centre to make it a 1-run game. Pete Mulholland doubled over the head of the 3B. Vincent Howell flied out and Wellington needed just 1 more out to hold on. Closer Ronald Cornell fell behind Andy Davies 2 and 0. The 2-0 pitch was up in the zone and Davies drilled it into the right-field alley. RBI-double and the game was tied. New pitcher. Larry Booth struck out swinging to send this into extras. Wellington started a 2-out rally in the top of the 10th, getting runners to 2B and 3B but that was where they stayed. Brisbane juiced the bases with 1 away in the bottom of the inning, thanks to a hit batter, a pop-up double and an intentional walk. An out later Pete Mulholland drew a walk-off walk to give the Bandits an improbable 4-3 victory. Skipper Timothy Donaldson said in the after-match presser, “It’s wins like these, the ones we probably didn’t deserve, that will really count when we’re tallying up at the end of the season.” 11 Dec: Central Coast and Kununurra also went 10 innings in their matchup, though this game was never one-way traffic. The Thunder went ahead by 4 after 4 but Kununurra had tied it back up by the end of the 6th. The Thunder pushed their way in front in the 7th by 1 and added 2 more in the 9th. Kununurra tied the game in the bottom of the inning without recording an out thanks to a 3-run Rhett Allan jack. Come the bottom of the 10th and Al Ayliffe delivered the walk-off magic via a 2-run homer. 9-7 Kununurra. That hit was the twelfth walk-off hit of Ayliffe’s major-league career, and his ninth walk-off homerun. 12 Dec: Justin Auger touched ‘em all for the fourth game in a row, providing all the scoring in Central Coast’s 5-2 loss to Kununurra. 13 Dec: Central Coast dropped their third in a row against Kununurra, getting belted 8-3. Auger could only single to end his HR streak at 4. 13 Dec: Victor Doubleday got OotPB TV’s #1 performance of the day with a 9.1 inning outing against Christchurch. The only run he gave up was a homer in the 5th to Maurice Clemens, Miguel Ibanez having also hit a solo homerun in the top of the inning. Fast-forward to the top of the 10th and Cairns piled on 4 runs, 3 of those via a Mario Correa jack, to jump ahead 5-1. Doubleday threw 1 pitch in the bottom of the inning, inducing a pop-out to the shortstop before being replaced. Sterling Boston battled through the next 2 hitters but got them both out to ensure a Cairns’ victory. Doubleday allowed only 4 hits and 1 walk in his 9.1 innings, fanning 10. He had a league-leading 11 wins for the season. 14 Dec: Melbourne romped to a 10-0 victory over Newcastle. Karl Blackwell was the star of the show, throwing a 6-hit, 0-walk, 3-strikeout shutout. The shutout was his second of the season. After winning October Hurler of the Month, Blackwell had gone 1-5 in November and was now 1-1 after 3 starts in December. 36 y/o journeyman catcher Mi-yuan Bargenquat went 4-4 in the victory, with a walk, 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 4RBI. 15 Dec: Young Tim Firth won PotW. The dashing 24 y/o hit .417/.440/1.042, his 10 hits including 3 doubles and 4 homeruns. 15 Dec: It took 14 innings for the Roos to prevail over the Fury 6-3. 24 y/o Nicholas Bennett was the talk of the town after the game, having gone 6-7, with 3 runs and 2RBI. Not only did he safely hit 6 times, he also cycled. He hit singles in the 1st, 9th, and 12th, a homerun in the 5th, a double in the 7th, and a triple in the 14th. That triple gave Newcastle the go-ahead run. A pitch later Hektor Knittle blasted a 2-run homer to give the Roos insurance. Baby-faced Bennett only shrugged after the game and said, “Well, I had enough chances at it, didn’t I? It’s not often a guy gets so many at-bats in one game.” 15 Dec: Christchurch dropped their fourth straight to fall 3 games below .500, Melbourne edging past them 8-7. Marcos Lopez had just 1 hit in the game, a 7th-inning RBI single. That hit, however, moved Lopez to third-outright on the all-time hits leaderboard ahead of Ashley Snijders. Lopez now had 3187 hits. He needed only 36 more to surpass Alastair Mildren in second spot. 15 Dec: Justin Auger dished his eighteenth and nineteenth homers of the season in Central Coast’s 6-4 win over Hobart. The first was a 3-run affair in the 1st, while the second was a 2-run walk-off blast in the bottom of the 9th. The shots leapfrogged Auger to the top of the season homerun board. 15 Dec: There was also walk-off homerun magic in the Cairns-Kununurra clash. With the scores locked at 3 in the 10th, the Pioneers scored the go-ahead run thanks to a throwing error. Miguel Ibanez wasn’t going to let that put him off his stride, however. After Peter Moy walked to lead off the bottom of the inning, Ibanez stroked a fly into the left-centre stands for a 2-run walk-off dinger. 18 Dec: Yoshihito Morimoto scored a run in Central Coast’s extra-innings 4-3 walk-off win against Hobart, giving him a 10-game run-scoring streak. He went 3-5 across the game. Richard Humphrey got the winner for the Thunder, bashing a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the 11th. 21 Dec: In a game bereft of offense, Auckland’s John Foreman still managed to deliver a highlight reel moment. Perth had gone ahead in the 5th by 1 and looked certain to edge out a tight one, Auckland only able to muster 2 hits through 8 innings. That all changed rather quickly in the bottom of the 9th. Cam Kline led off with a single and was bunted into scoring position. Callum McCabe fouled off several before hitting a single wide of 2B. Kline held up at 3B and Foreman strode to the plate. One pitch later it was all over, the league HR leader adding another to his total with a 417-foot blast over left-centre. 3-run walk-off effort, the Aces stealing a 3-1 victory. 22 Dec: Hektor Knittle had taken to Newcastle (see Notable Trades/Signings below) like a fish to water. He bashed his way to PotW by hitting .520/.556/.920, with 3 homers. In the 9 games he’d played since the trade he’d hit .462/.512/.872, with 5 dingers. 22 Dec: Central Coast and Adelaide had jousted a fair amount over the previous few seasons, with their rivalry played up in the media at every opportunity. They delivered on that rivalry in today’s game, Adelaide ahead 5-1 heading into the bottom of the 8th only for Yin-ti Zhuo to club a Grand Slam to tie things up. Neither team was able to break the deadlock until the top of the 13th. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 2 away, Malcolm Pickhills doubled Li Hayes home to push Adelaide back ahead. Quentin Welch followed up with a walk and the bases were loaded. Norm Donaldson made sure the Venom got maximum benefit, sending a 1-2 curveball into the left-centre bleachers. Grand Slam and Central Coast were broken, quickly surrendering in the bottom of the frame, Adelaide 10-5 winners. 28 Dec: Brisbane treated Sydney’s pitchers with contempt, racking up 22 base hits in their 11-1 victory. Norm Blume went 4-6 with a double and HR while Brendon Marris was 4-4, all singles, with a walk. 29 Dec: He mightn’t have made the All Star team due to injury curtailing his game time but Beau Hauer stood out in the 4 other games played during the week, hitting .467/.529/1.000, with 2 homers, to win his second PotW for the season. 29 Dec: Kununurra were upset 9-4 by Wellington. For the Pioneers, Ramon Martinez went 1-3, with a walk and 2 ribbies. The hit was a homerun in the 6th, giving him a 4-game homerun streak, equalling the best mark of the season so far. 30 Dec: Martinez couldn’t clear the fences as Kununurra reversed yesterday’s result with their own 9-4 win over the Fury. He did nearly make it 5 games in a row with a deep double off the RF wall in the 8th to cap off a 2-5 night. 30 Dec: It was a game for the purists. Auckland and Canberra couldn’t break a nil-all deadlock until the bottom of the 10th when, with 1 out, the Cavalry went single, single, intentional walk, walk-off single to emerge victorious. Auckland ace Domenic Jones went 7.2 innings, giving up only 2 hits and 3 walks, but ended up on the losing side. Notable Injuries 2 Dec: Hobart lost Ignacio Maldonado (.261/.406/.383, 3HR from 143PA) to the DL for the second time in the season. He’d strained an abdominal muscle and faced 5-6 weeks on the sidelines. 2 Dec: Nathan Kapuna (.258/.322/.434, 9HR) had a sprained elbow. 5-6 weeks on the DL for him, too. 7 Dec: Wellington added another to their growing injury ward. Zachary Quinn (4-5, 4.04 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 1.34 WHIP) had recurring back spasms. “Injury like this, it’s always hard to estimate recovery time,” the team doctor said when asked. “But I figure a good 6 weeks at least.” 9 Dec: Wendell Chatfield (7-3, 2.81 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 1.29 WHIP) faced 2-3 months out with an elbow strain. 9 Dec: Christchurch looked set to lose Pedro Montanez (4-7, 4.89 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.48 WHIP) until at least early March with ulnar nerve irritation. 11 Dec: Gary Young (.282/.343/.471, 10HR) was well acquainted with the frustration of being on the DL, his career injury list making for long reading. This time it was a fractured thumb - an injury he’d also suffered in 2048, the year he made his big-league debut - and the estimated recovery time was 6 weeks. 13 Dec: Sydney had already been without Lachlan Limeburner (.223/.284/.511, 8HR from 102PA) for a chunk of the season after he tore his hamstring at the end of October. Now he was done for the campaign thanks to a fractured ankle. 15 Dec: Cairns needed to make-do without Mario Correa (.304/.343/.552, 16HR) for the next 3 or so weeks. He had an oblique strain. 17 Dec: Jay Watts (.342/.408/.476, 7HR) would miss 3-4 weeks with a hamstring strain. Watts had the third-best BA in the league at the time of his injury. 17 Dec: Central Coast’s Zach Merritt (5-5, 4.64 ERA, 4.09 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) was gone for the rest of the season with a torn rotator cuff. 19 Dec: Mitchell Cox (.290/.361/.465, 6HR) joined Canberra’s overflowing injury ward. His fractured finger would take around a month to heal. 20 Dec: And another one bites the dust. 39 y/o Ivan Parker (2-2, 15 sv, 2.61 ERA), who Canberra had been using at closer before elevating to the rotation to cover injuries, was gone-burger for the season. He had a torn rotator cuff, which would be tough to rehab at his age. 22 Dec: Jack of all trades Bagaskoro Maryadi (.331/.397/.517, 5HR from 133PA), who was doing an admirable job off the bench for Kununurra, would spend the next 5-6 weeks warming his couch while he recovered from an intercostal strain. 22 Dec: Jesus Vega (.264/.392/.409, 8HR) had shoulder tendinitis. Hobart would be without his services for at least 6 weeks. 24 Dec: Leo Walena (.273/.335/.386, 7HR) was only 22 y/o but already into his third AUNZBL season. The Auckland 3B had torn the meniscus in his knee and would be out for a month. Notable Trades/Signings 2 Dec: Jack Binns (3-6, 4.39 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.19 WHIP in 2064; 75-72, 4.47 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.30 WHIP) was one of those pitchers whose underlying stats showed a much better performer than his W-L and ERA did. Noted as an extremely diligent trainer who always made time for the fans, Binns was one of the Blue Sox’s most beloved players, his image regularly on the local celebrity gossip shows. Binns could’ve made it in the bigs as a hitter if he so chose, according to the team’s batting coach, who said, “He regularly puts them out of the park in practice. He’s just a natural.” However, pitching was his chosen trade, the 29 y/o stating he had no desire to “do a Welch.” The Blue Sox today announced, much to the delight of the fans, that Binns had agreed to a 4-year extension, the final season a player option. Quentin Welch - who’d made the switch from major-league starting pitcher to major-league starting hitter as a 24 y/o 3 Dec: Christchurch negotiated a deal with 30 y/o Edward Vance (3-3, 5.02 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.62 WHIP in 2064 through 6 starts; 50-29, 4.12 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 1.32 WHIP career) to buy out his remaining arbitration years and the first year of free agency. The 4-year deal was, according to Vance’s manager, “in the club’s favour but acceptable to both parties.” Despite having won 18 games in 2062 and 19 in 2063 Vance was currently only Christchurch’s fifth-choice starter. 9 Dec: Cairns and Perth engaged in another trade, the Crocs lightening their outfield load by sending 30 y/o LF Jose de la Cruz (.260/.353/.331, 2HR in 2064; .282/.394/.370, 6HR since debut last season) and cash to the Heat in exchange for 29 y/o 2B Angus Beckett (.273/.321/.305, 0HR in 2064; .281/.320/.379, 8HR career) and a pitching prospect. Sneddon was critical of this deal also. “Again, I don’t get it. Okay, I guess Cairns are shedding a bit of salary but I’m having to dig to find even that as a positive. Yes, the Crocs have been playing Ahern at 2B the last week or so but that’s not because they have no options, that’s because of poor roster management. They sent Jarod Boxsell down to AAA at the end of last month. Struggling offensively, definitely, but more than capable of playing good defense at 2B and a guy who’ll only get better the longer he spends in the majors. Beckett’s a cheap option, true, and he hit .280 last season but he doesn’t have great range at 2B and has a weak arm and is just going to spoil what was a pretty well-balanced lineup. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a talking head who’s never run a ball club.” 10 Dec: “Hey,” Sneddon told those watching at the beginning of his show, “do you fancy having your very own baseball-player-slash-butler? If so, give Perth GM Giralldo Ulrich a call. He seems on a mission to finish the calendar year with a totally different roster to that which he started the year with and he’s open to all offers. I’ve heard he likes moon-dust. Offer some of that, and I bet Sasaki* could be all yours.” In truth, while it did seem that Perth were having a fire-sale, today’s trade was slightly more nuanced than first appeared. Perth sent 25 y/o C/DH Hektor Knittle (.232/.305/.333, 3HR from 187 PA) to Newcastle in exchange for 28 y/o LHP Ashley Lightfoot (4-0, 2 sv, 3.04 ERA from 23 relief appearances) and a 20 y/o pitching prospect. Heat fans were understandably upset at losing Knittle, with the German-born catcher looking at last like he had grown into the enormous power potential that saw him make the top prospects list from 2060-2063, debuting at #29 and moving right up to #7 prior to the 2063 season, even if most of his good swings this year were currently going into outfielders’ gloves. In return, Perth got a serviceable bullpen arm that their new skipper thought might be closer material (not that he had much else to work with)... ...And the number 4 overall pick from last year’s draft, 20 y/o Cooper ‘Nine Fingers’ Dempsey. Dempsey, the scouts said, could be Barry Dean-like in a couple seasons, with a fastball that would be hard to rival. For now, though, he’d head off to short-A. Maybe in a couple seasons Perth fans might have something to be happy about. Tadakuni Sasaki, Perth’s everyday catcher 19 Dec: Adelaide sent 26 y/o Mitch Goddard (.315/.343/.474, 11HR) off to Canberra in exchange for 31 y/o RF Danny Caporn (.304/.347/.503, 7HR from 174PA) and a 23 y/o SS who was decent defensively but would only ever be a singles hitter. Sneddon’s take? “Adelaide obviously think Caporn will help them win this year. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and I can’t see the Venom offering him an extension. He’s a sharp outfielder, especially in right, has good speed and is always a threat to steal. He also looks to be on a bit of a contract drive, so Adelaide could well get some value. “I feel sorry for Goddard. Came up through the Venom system, making a good fist of the DH role but now shunted off to the Cavalry, who aren’t out of contention in the Southern but everybody knows they’re not real contenders, especially with the amount of guys they have injured. Still, he’s a good get for Canberra. He’s under club control for a while yet and he’s a good guy to have around the place. Once Bellett and Watts are back he’ll extend their lineup nicely.” 30 Dec: “And, yet again,” Sneddon told his viewers, “I’ve got egg on my face.” Why? Sneddon had been sure Adelaide’s move to acquire 31 y/o Danny Caporn from Canberra was solely to help them this year. Adelaide GM Santiago Rodriguez obviously felt differently. He fronted the press today to tell them that Caporn had agreed to a 4-year extension. “Absolutely stoked,” was Caporn’s reaction. “To be wanted by the best club in the game is a real honour.” Since coming across, Caporn had hit .400/.419/.667, with 2HR, from 7 games. 2064 All Stars* The major talking point leading up to the naming of the All Star squads wasn’t the new format but rather the new voting system. Plenty of fans were sceptical as to whether their votes would have all that much weight on the final picks. One talkback caller grumbled, “I’ve voted but I don’t know why I bothered. I know the Commissioner and his goons will just put whoever they want in All Star jumpers anyway.” Would that be the case? Here are the teams for the Coastal-East-West All Stars and the Southern-NZ All Stars. Coastal-East-West All Stars SP Roderick Beresford (DAR) - 10-5, 3.16 ERA, 114.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 6.2 K/9, 1.5 WAR SP Victor Doubleday (CAI) - 12-2, 3.07 ERA, 102.2 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 2.2 WAR SP Blair Norris (KUN) - 6-7, 2.64 ERA, 109.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 3.7 WAR SP Zachariah Pond (DAR) - 5-7, 4.39 ERA, 96.1 IP, 1.49 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.0 WAR SP Tristan Stobbie (PER) - 8-3, 2.69 ERA, 77.0 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 1.5 WAR SP Nelson Thurgood (BRI) - 8-5, 2.56 ERA, 112.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 3.8 K/9, 2.8 WAR SP John Zglinicki (CEN) - 8-5, 3.57 ERA, 118.1 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 6.0 K/9, 2.5 WAR RP Brian Hanbridge (KUN) - 6-0, 1.37 ERA, 39.1 IP, 1.45 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 0.8 WAR RP Allen Jiang (ADE) - 2-1, 1.91 ERA, 37.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 7.6 K/9, 1.1 WAR CL Ke-yong Fang (NEW) - 2-0, 19 SV, 1.39 ERA, 32.1 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 0.6 WAR CL Aaron Fingleson (CAI) - 1-0, 21 SV, 1.49 ERA, 36.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 9.4 K/9, 0.5 WAR CL Moeaktola Liao (ADE) - 3-3, 23 SV, 2.41 ERA, 37.1 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 0.7 WAR C Kent Okolita (DAR) - .280/.392/.455, 246 AB, 11 HR, 0 SB, 130 wRC+, 2.7 WAR C Tadakuni Sasaki (PER) - .275/.315/.521, 236 AB, 14 HR, 0 SB, 117 wRC+, 1.7 WAR 1B Ronald Aitken (CAI) - .284/.401/.509, 289 AB, 14 HR, 0 SB, 133 wRC+, 2.3 WAR 1B Justin Auger (CEN) - .286/.364/.520, 294 AB, 19 HR, 2 SB, 138 wRC+, 2.0 WAR 1B Richard Moore (ADE) - .280/.374/.502, 293 AB, 19 HR, 0 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.0 WAR 2B Domenic Cook (BRI) - .263/.340/.519, 270 AB, 17 HR, 1 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.7 WAR 2B Andre Wiltshire (CEN) - .319/.400/.485, 295 AB, 10 HR, 10 SB, 139 wRC+, 2.3 WAR 3B Malcolm Pickhills (ADE) - .257/.330/.502, 269 AB, 17 HR, 0 SB, 119 wRC+, 2.5 WAR SS Carlos Acevedo (ADE) - .304/.333/.470, 270 AB, 11 HR, 8 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.9 WAR SS Nicholas Bennett (NEW) - .316/.344/.500, 304 AB, 11 HR, 3 SB, 125 wRC+, 2.7 WAR SS Stéphane Lecomte (DAR) - .310/.370/.397, 310 AB, 1 HR, 24 SB, 110 wRC+, 2.9 WAR LF Guillermo Julio (NEW) - .326/.360/.479, 307 AB, 8 HR, 16 SB, 121 wRC+, 1.9 WAR LF Júlio Salazar (KUN) - .304/.343/.436, 227 AB, 5 HR, 17 SB, 108 wRC+, -0.3 WAR LF Tashiaki Yano (BRI) - .280/.323/.495, 311 AB, 17 HR, 2 SB, 116 wRC+, 0.7 WAR CF José Amaya (NEW) - .274/.317/.395, 263 AB, 6 HR, 4 SB, 90 wRC+, -0.2 WAR RF Rodney Ellison (SYD) - .285/.349/.422, 263 AB, 8 HR, 0 SB, 109 wRC+, 1.0 WAR Southern-NZ All Stars SP Tristan Agar (WHA) - 5-3, 3.36 ERA, 99.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 6.9 K/9, 2.4 WAR SP Li Ayliffe (HOB) - 8-1, 2.86 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 1.8 WAR SP Karl Blackwell (MEL) - 8-7, 3.63 ERA, 104.0 IP, 1.29 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 2.3 WAR SP Barry Dean (CHR) - 7-7, 3.69 ERA, 114.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 2.8 WAR SP Ethan Humphries (MEL) - 7-4, 3.99 ERA, 94.2 IP, 1.33 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 1.9 WAR SP Domenic Jones (AUC) - 7-4, 4.09 ERA, 103.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 2.1 WAR SP José Sardiña (WEL) - 6-5, 3.90 ERA, 97.0 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 1.7 WAR SP Seto Sukarto (CAN) - 8-3, 3.59 ERA, 80.1 IP, 1.31 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 1.6 WAR RP Brian Bryant (WEL) - 4-3, 3.47 ERA, 49.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 0.6 WAR RP Jayaratha Mhari (SYD) - 2-2, 2.20 ERA, 57.1 IP, 0.85 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 0.9 WAR CL Scott Carson (CHR) - 2-2, 11 SV, 4.15 ERA, 26.0 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 14.2 K/9, 0.7 WAR CL Isaac Graham (HOB) - 1-2, 19 SV, 1.74 ERA, 31.0 IP, 0.87 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 0.4 WAR C John Dalton (HOB) - .265/.394/.516, 215 AB, 14 HR, 7 SB, 135 wRC+, 2.6 WAR C Tim Firth (WHA) - .309/.341/.534, 262 AB, 13 HR, 0 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.5 WAR 1B Nigel Anderton (SYD) - .293/.345/.548, 263 AB, 16 HR, 0 SB, 135 wRC+, 1.4 WAR 1B Glen Donovan (WHA) - .320/.353/.498, 231 AB, 9 HR, 0 SB, 122 wRC+, 1.2 WAR 1B Lance Fookes (CHR) - .292/.334/.529, 308 AB, 18 HR, 0 SB, 132 wRC+, 1.7 WAR 1B John Foreman (AUC) - .264/.344/.521, 292 AB, 21 HR, 0 SB, 124 wRC+, 1.5 WAR 1B Javier Rodríguez (WEL) - .316/.379/.511, 282 AB, 10 HR, 5 SB, 136 wRC+, 1.9 WAR 2B Axel Nankervis (SYD) - .288/.333/.503, 306 AB, 16 HR, 2 SB, 121 wRC+, 1.8 WAR 3B Matthew Utting (CHR) - .273/.361/.461, 267 AB, 11 HR, 0 SB, 119 wRC+, 2.8 WAR SS Richard Ashton (AUC) - .291/.364/.406, 278 AB, 4 HR, 3 SB, 113 wRC+, 2.0 WAR SS Jorge Pérez (CAN) - .278/.348/.461, 295 AB, 13 HR, 11 SB, 118 wRC+, 1.6 WAR LF Pedro Mercado (MEL) - .294/.384/.496, 262 AB, 13 HR, 19 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.5 WAR LF Tomas Zartuche (CHR) - .339/.386/.423, 310 AB, 1 HR, 24 SB, 124 wRC+, 1.0 WAR CF Edgardo Rico (WHA) - .361/.389/.439, 305 AB, 0 HR, 20 SB, 123 wRC+, 2.9 WAR CF Gilberto Soberón (WEL) - .310/.344/.496, 226 AB, 10 HR, 7 SB, 122 wRC+, 1.1 WAR RF Caspar Purcell (MEL) - .255/.349/.510, 239 AB, 17 HR, 2 SB, 123 wRC+, 0.1 WAR How did they match up to the fan picks? For the Southern-NZ All Stars, Vern Bull, Glen Walsh, Beau Hauer, and Neil Bellett, all with the most votes in their positions, didn’t get picked. Why not? Bellett was simple, according to the selection committee. He hadn’t played yet this season due to injury so why should he get an All Star jersey? Hauer didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify (3.1PA per team game - same as in previous seasons), while Bull and Walsh didn’t “have the form to justify selection.” In fact, overall the Southern-NZ All Stars looked very different to the fan picks, and the talkback lines ran hot with indignation. The Coastal-East-West All Stars were much more closely aligned with the fan vote, though Mario Correa was a notable omission due to being injured. The Commissioner’s Office resolutely defended the final decisions, saying, “While this is obviously an event for the fans, it’s also an event to reward the best players of the first half of the season. Popularity off the field does not ensure performance on the field and it seems the opposite is true too. While the voice of the fans is highly appreciated and is certainly considered, we wish this event to be primarily a reward for on-field achievements.” That did nothing to dampen the anger of those out for baseball blood, with many threatening to boycott the All Star fixture. 2064 All Star Game Blair Norris was chosen as the starting pitcher for the Coastal-East-West All Stars while Barry Dean was favoured for the Southern-NZ All Stars. Despite the protests of a few the game was sold out, with not a seat in Venom Ballpark spare. The Southern-NZ took the early lead, Dean striking out the side in the bottom of the first to the roars of the crowd. The Coastal-East-West tied it up in the 2nd before Carlos Acevedo put them ahead with a solo homerun in the 3rd. The fans loved that but then went absolutely silly after the next man up, Andre Wiltshire sent a fly into the left-field alley. Showcasing his wheels and helped by an awkward bounce off the wall, Wiltshire motored around 3B and headed for home. The entire stadium rose to their feet to see him dive home ahead of the throw for an All-Star inside-the-park homerun. Once the noise died down, commentator Alan Sneddon said, “Well, I think the aggro some fans have towards this fixture and the AUNZBL in general has been well and truly drowned out. And drowned out as it should be, by the incredible athletic feats of the players, not by tone-deaf press releases from the game’s governors.” That proved to be all the scoring until the bottom of the 8th when the Coastal-East-West tacked on some insurance. They coasted through the top of the 9th to win 4-1. In an amusing note, there was obviously some kind of mix-up between the Commissioner’s Office and the official scorers for the game, as the official box score didn’t include logos for either team or team names, instead detailing a contest between Team 1 All Stars and Team 2 All Stars. Wiltshire, who went 1-2 with that sensational inside-the-park homer, was named All Star MVP. Month Awards Rookie of the Month: Tim Firth dominated proceedings in December. He hit .367/.420/.711, 33-90, with 15 runs, 7 doubles, 8 homers, 29RBI, and 8BB. He was given his first All Star cap and was deemed so good that he also won Slugger of the Month. The handsome catcher - he’d already made a fair few ‘eligible bachelor’ lists - was looked up to by his teammates despite his youth and lack of big-league experience. Glen Donovan said this of Firth, “The guy knows what to say and when to say it. If you’re having a slump he’ll be beside you in the dugout giving you encouragement, if you’re on a hot streak he’ll be singing your praises and slapping your back. He’s just a real team guy, someone you love having on your side.” Hurler of the Month: Dan Pankhurst had the nickname ‘Giant Killer’ though nowadays, he revealed, some of his teammates had taken to calling him ‘The Old Man of the Mound.’ Old or not, he owned the mound in December, going 5-0 from 6 starts, his ERA 1.49, his FIP 3.32, and his WHIP the best of the month among qualified pitchers, at 0.87. He wasn’t striking out all that many hitters anymore, fanning just 19 in 48.1 innings but he was showing the guile that often came with age, mixing his four pitches up well and inducing a lot of weak contact. Pankhurst was, however, closing in on an unenviable mark: 200 career losses. He currently had 191, by far the most among active pitchers and the 5th-most of all time. Slugger of the Month: see Rookie of the Month, above. Media Watch Marcos Lopez: Lopez hit .318/.362/.514 during the month, collecting 34 hits. In fact, he would head into January with the equal-most bases of any hitter in the league (174), and was tracking to make it to both 200 hits and 30 homeruns. For the season he was hitting .300/.336/.497. Not bad for a guy who would turn 41 in less than 2 months. He needed only 19 more hits to pass Alastair Mildren and become the second-hittingest batter of all-time. Other Notes Coastal Division: The Venom (14-12) couldn’t continue their November momentum, while Cairns (18-8) shrugged off the injury to Correa to leap 4 games ahead of Adelaide. Darwin (15-11) were humming along nicely as well, a further 2 games back and looking to chase Adelaide down. East-west Division: Brisbane (17-9) followed up their excellent November with an equally strong December, overtaking the Thunder (13-13) at the head of the division to lead them by 2. Kununurra (15-11) finished the month on equal pegging with Central Coast. Newcastle (15-11) recovered from their disastrous November to be just 1 game below .500. NZ Division: Christchurch (13-13) were once again par but this wasn’t enough to keep them at the top of the division. Auckland (16-10) jumped out to a 3-game lead, the acquisition of John Foreman appearing to be a pretty good move. Wellington (7-19) began performing to expectations, finishing the month 11 games below .500 and 10 games off the division pace. Southern Division: Canberra (14-12) did enough to poke their noses in front of Melbourne (10-16), who struggled for consistency all month. Wildcard: Adelaide, Central Coast, and Kununurra all shared the same record, though 3 did not fit into 2. Darwin were 2 games back, the Cowboys 3, and Melbourne and Newcastle 5. # There was plenty of variety on the batting leaderboards. Edgardo Rico (.360/.388/.438, 0HR) lead the league in BA, hits (121), runs (61), and WAR (3.3). Larry Booth (.331/.438/.391, 0HR), who missed out on All Star selection due to injury, topped the OBP stakes. John Foreman (.261/.338/.506, 22HR) led the HR race by 2. Teammate Callum McCabe (.333/.412/.566, 13HR) didn’t qualify for the All Star Game due to lack of game-time. If the fixture had been a week later, however, he would have. He led the league in SLG, OPS, and weighted OBA (.420). Tied with Marcos Lopez for most bases was Nicholas Bennett (.320/.347/.521, 14HR, 174TB). Newcastle’s Todd Fisher (.259/.297/.399, 6HR) wasn’t having an inspiring season, yet somehow had 29 doubles, 5 more than anybody else. Justin Auger (.282/.368/.502, 19HR) was at the head of the RBI chart, with 72. Ronald Aitken (.289/.410/.508, 15HR) had the most walks (60) and was tied for the most extra-base hits (38). He shared that latter mark with Domenic Cook (.261/.333/.528, 20HR), who had the league’s best isolated power (.268). Victor Doubleday (13-2, 3.06 ERA, 3.62 FIP, 1.10 WHIP) had a monster first-half. He topped all qualified pitchers in wins, H/9 (6.54), OAVG (.202), and K/9 (9.36). Barry Dean (8-7, 3.60 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 1.14 WHIP) might no longer have the best K/9 rate in the league but he still had the most strikeouts, with 125, and boasted the best strikeout to walk ratio, with 5.43. Blair Norris (7-7, 2.72 ERA, 2.92 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) had the best FIP and WAR (3.7), and was tied with Roderick Beresford (11-5, 3.08 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) for best WHIP. Nelson Thurgood (9-5, 2.49 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) made the All Star Game but didn’t pitch. He led all-comers in ERA and HR/9 (0.30). John Zglinicki (10-5. 3.33 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 1.12 WHIP) was averaging 7.5 innings per start. He’d thrown 135.1 innings so far this season, 13 more than any other pitcher. Moeaktola Liao had 24 saves, the most of any closer. Halfway through the season, BA was sitting at .268, the same mark as last season. ERA, however, was only 4.34, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since 2050. The overall ERA that year was 4.26. ABC Wrap-up Brisbane (46-36) extended their lead in the Northern to 8 1/2 games, Gold Coast (38-45) continuing to slump. There was no catching Sydney (59-22) in the Southern, none of the other teams above .500. Kalgoorlie (45-38) were fending off the Perth Sharks (41-41) in the Western, Kalgoorlie’s lead only 3 1/2 games. Jakarta (51-32) managed to extend their lead over Hamilton (48-35) to 3 games. Ted Blume (.338/.463/.633, 24HR) had certainly bloomed this season. He had the fourth-best BA in the ABC, and led the league in homers, though Si-xun Qiao (.323/.391/.586, 23HR) was right in his rearview mirror. Hamilton’s Warren Gray (10-3, 1.69 ERA, 2.44 FIP, 0.89 WHIP) left the AUNZBL after the 2061 season with a 40-47 career record, having lost 15 and 14 games respectively in his final 2 seasons. He had a 37-25 record after 2 and a half seasons in the ABC and boasted the league’s best ERA, FIP, and WHIP so far this season. His 112 strikeouts placed him third on that ladder and his 10 wins tied him for second. AUNZBL Standings, Jan 1 Attached Images __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report Last edited by Izz; 02-08-2018 at 02:37 PM.

02-25-2018, 07:17 PM	#748
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	Great write up! If only Glen Donovan could have saved one of his grand slams for Hobart! __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

03-10-2018, 09:00 PM	#750
RMc All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,616	Do you actually play out the seasons of the leagues outside Australia? I'm curious to see what the rest of the world -- and the world of baseball -- looks like. __________________ "We're all behind our baseball team..."

03-21-2018, 11:13 PM	#755
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2064 Season & Career Leaderboards 2064 Season Leaderboards Despite Foreman's Championship-winning heroics, Beau Hauer was the favourite to win the Jorge Diaz Award. Andre Wiltshire and Tashiaki Yano also got some pre-Awards buzz. Hurler of the Year? Barry Dean seemed to be the name on everybody's lips, though uttered cautiously, as if to say, 'It'd be nice if there was someone more deserving but I can't think of anybody just at the moment.' John Zglinicki was another option, one of a cluster of pitchers who'd finished on 17 wins. 2064 Career Leaderboards Marcos Lopez sat comfortably in second place on the all-time hits leaderboard, with plenty wondering if he would stick around for another AUNZBL season. Martin Boston moved into ninth place, only 193 hits shy of 3000. If 'Dinky' could stay healthy for the next couple seasons he'd easily make 3000 and might even go on to challenge Lopez for second spot. Justin Auger needed just 4 homers to get to 500, while Lopez was 17 shy but unlikely to make the milestone. John Foreman hit the homerun top 10 for the first time in his career. Attached Images __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report

03-28-2018, 07:30 PM	#756
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2064 Awards 2064 Awards Gold Gloves Pitcher: Eddie Rayner (Kununurra Pioneers) Catcher: Fernando Contreras (Wellington Fury) First Baseman: Noah Budd (Whangarei Sluggers) Second Baseman: Domenic Cook (Brisbane Bandits) Third Baseman: Matthew Utting (Christchurch Cowboys) Shortstop: Stéphane Lecomte (Darwin Diggers) Left Fielder: Martin Boston (Darwin Diggers) Center Fielder: Edgardo Rico (Whangarei Sluggers) Right Fielder: Vic Collins (Kununurra Pioneers) Brodie Backhouse Award Aaron Fingleson was the favourite to take home a third Brodie Backhouse Award, though Isaac Graham kept getting mentioned as well, the Hobart closer having gone well in a poor team, only blowing 2 saves across 44 attempts. The winner was adjudged to be Fingleson. The upcoming free agent went 7-1, with 47 saves, in 71 appearances in 2064, his ERA a miserly 1.62, his FIP 3.13, and his WHIP 0.97. He struck out 81 in 78.0 innings while conceding just 50 hits and 26 walks. His WAR was 1.5, his ERA+ 273, and his FIP- 70. “Just happy I could make up for last season,” he said during his acceptance speech, “and a bit sad we couldn’t come home with the trophy.” He’d appeared in one postseason game, fanning 2 in a 1-inning save. Isaac Graham (4-2, 42 sv, 1.82 ERA, 3.14 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, 1.2 WAR, 242 ERA+, 73 FIP-) pulled in second, and Scott Carson (5-3, 37 sv, 2.79 ERA, 2.38 FIP, 0.99 WHIP, 1.8 WAR, 158 ERA+, 55 FIP-) third. Super Slugger Awards C: John Dalton - HOB - .267/.368/.564, 128-479, 98 runs, 27 doubles, 2 triples, 37HR, 99RBI, 72BB, 12SB, 565PA, 5.8 WAR, 144 OPS+, 141 wRC+ 1B: Ronald Aitken - CAI - .301/.412/.523, 183-608, 101 runs, 38 doubles, 5 triples, 29HR, 97RBI, 110BB, 1SB, 728PA, 5.4 WAR, 148 OPS+, 141 wRC+ 2B: Beau Hauer - CHR - .342/.401/.601, 178-521, 91 runs, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 36HR, 109RBI, 50BB, 581PA, 6.1 WAR, 163 OPS+, 163 wRC+ 3B: Malcolm Pickhills - ADE - .246/.336/.512, 140-570, 86 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 41HR, 93RBI, 76BB, 1SB, 651PA, 4.5 WAR, 123 OPS+, 121 wRC+ SS: Jorge Perez - CAN - .288/.368/.465, 179-621, 119 runs, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 24HR, 74RBI, 75BB, 22SB, 708PA, 4.1 WAR, 121 OPS+, 122 wRC+ LF: Pedro Mercado - MEL - .316/.402/.511, 172-544, 106 runs, 23 doubles, 4 triples, 25HR, 78RBI, 74BB, 31SB, 633PA, 5.2 WAR, 142 OPS+, 140 wRC+ CF: Axel Zhou - AUC - .319/.361/.518, 154-483, 71 runs, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 19HR, 69RBI, 26BB, 27SB, 522PA, 4.7 WAR, 131 OPS+, 131 wRC+ RF: Calvin Hodnett - CAI - .282/.377/.486, 167-593, 94 runs, 27 doubles, 2 triples, 30HR, 100RBI, 84BB, 7SB, 690PA, 4.2 WAR, 128 OPS+, 124 wRC+ DH: Andre Wiltshire - CEN - .335/.410/.524, 209-624, 121 runs, 29 doubles, 4 triples, 27HR, 128RBI, 72BB, 16SB, 719PA, 5.3 WAR, 148 OPS+, 149 wRC+ Rookie of the Year There were a few rookies in the mix for this year’s award. The Sluggers’ dashing young catcher, 24 y/o Tim Firth, came away with it, and nobody was surprised, especially seeing as Firth was already the anchor in the Sluggers’ lineup, hitting at 3. He put together a .299/.341/.511 rookie season, his 167-558 including 37 doubles and 27 dingers. He also scored 65 runs and plated 105 runners. The one downside in his game was a lack of plate discipline; he only walked 27 times. His WAR was 4.8, and his OPS+ 123. The big-swinging excitement machine that was 24 y/o Felino Saturno (.245/.311/.492, 25 doubles, 37HR, 171 strikeouts - most in the league - 137-559, 1.1 WAR, 110 OPS+) came in second. 26 y/o Jayden Koka (.302/.340/.492, 27 doubles, 9HR, 98-325, 2.9 WAR, 119 OPS+) sidled into third. Skipper of the Year With Adelaide missing the postseason for the first time in forever, it looked very unlikely that Luis Gonzalez would win a sixth-straight Skipper of the Year. This turn of events actually gave what was colloquially called the ‘Lettuce Award’ - all sandwiches need it but it’s not why you eat them - some buzz. Would Crocs’ Raul Guerra, who managed his team to the best record in the AUNZBL, win a maiden Skipper of the Year? How about Auckland’s Antonio Altagracia, who’d led his team to Championship glory? Another win for 2054 Skipper of the Year Timothy Donaldson perhaps, who’d seen his team very nearly do the improbable and snatch the Championship after ousting Cairns in the Preliminary Finals? Most fans were picking Guerra, the common argument being something like this one, “The postseason is really about the players stepping up. Sure, managers can lose playoff games but they can’t do much to win them. However, during the regular season managers do a lot to help their teams get to the postseason by how they manage their bullpen and lineup, as well as the overall roster and the individual players on said roster. Provided the players do their thing on the park, of course. And depending on whether they’ve got a decent roster to work with, too.” The awards committee didn’t agree with the fan consensus, though they probably didn’t disagree too much with the reasoning behind it. They gave the award to 61 y/o Antonio Altagracia. Altagracia had been Auckland’s manager for 3 seasons and was 1-year into a 4-year extension. When he was promoted from bench coach to skipper he’d inherited a team that hadn’t won more than 64 games in the previous 3 seasons. His first year in charge Auckland went 79-83 for a second-place division finish. In 2063 the Metros poked their nose above .500, finishing 82-80. And this campaign, despite being picked preseason to plummet back to losing ways, Auckland had flourished under his guidance, finishing up 91-71, with the NZ Division title in their back pockets, as well as a first Championship in 17 years. Some might argue that Auckland’s success was due more to their young prospects maturing than anything on Altagracia’s part but the counter-argument could also be made that the Metros’ young stars needed the right big-league environment to reach their potential. Whatever the case, Altagracia was the 2064 Skipper of the Year. Hurler of the Year Had there been a better pitcher in the AUNZBL than Barry Dean? Even when he wasn’t as dominating as usual he still stood head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. He won the Hottie for the fourth time, twice as many times as any other pitcher in the league’s history. He went 18-9 in 2064, with a 3.38 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP. He threw 237 innings, striking out 231 along the way, putting up a league-leading 6.9 WAR to go with an ERA+ of 130 and an FIP- of 72. With a career mark of 140-74, Dean was going at nearly 2 wins to every loss. Longevity might be a worry, however, at least based on how often analysts mentioned it. Dean averaged around 120 pitches an outing, whereas most other starting pitchers averaged around 100. Brodie Backhouse winner Aaron Fingleson came second, surprising many, while Championship-winning Domenic Jones (16-8, 3.46 ERA, 3.73 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 186K from 231.1 IP, 4.7 WAR, 127 ERA+, 83 FIP-) made the podium for the first time in his career. Jorge Diaz Award Beau Hauer? John Foreman? Andre Wiltshire? Ronald Aitken? These were a few of the names floating around in the lead-up to Awards Night but there didn’t seem to be any clear frontrunner. What everybody did seem sure of, though, was that Richard Moore wouldn’t win a fourth Hoodie in a row. Christchurch might not have defended their Championship title but they did go boom-boom in the night’s top two awards. 27 y/o Beau Hauer added the 2064 Jorge Diaz Award to the Super Slugger he’d received earlier in the night. His stats are detailed in the Super Slugger Awards section, above. What was interesting to note was that he topped the league in WAR despite injury limiting him to 134 games and 581PA. He was also the only qualified hitter to finish 2064 with an OPS above 1.000. Ronald Aitken (stats in Super Slugger Awards, above) finished second in the votes - the voting results weren’t made public yet in this era - the second time he’d finished in the top 3 of this award. As well as taking home RotY in 2057, Aitken had also won 3 Super Sluggers and 1 Gold Glove. He also hadn’t missed an All Star Game since his first selection in 2058. Andre Wiltshire (stats in Super Slugger Awards, above) was third. __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report

04-12-2018, 05:36 AM	#758
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2065 Preseason Predictions 2065 Preseason Predictions Coastal: The experts picked the Venom to win 100 games on their way to a convincing division win. Darwin would win 90 while Cairns, despite having the most impressive power in the league, wouldn’t play above .500. Perth fans would have to endure more pain, the team expected to give the 2024 Christchurch Cowboys’ record of 114 losses a close shave. East-West: Brisbane would win the division comfortably, none of the other teams playing above .500. Kununurra, who made the playoffs last season, would lose nearly 100 games NZ: The NZ Division would be the hottest in baseball in 2065. Christchurch would take it out but both Auckland and Wellington would win 90+ games. Southern: Hobart failed to live up to expectations last season but they’d do the job this season, at least according to the pundits. The other 3 teams in the division might push them close at various points during the campaign but would all finish below .500. Wildcard: Darwin, Auckland and Wellington would fight it out for the 2 spots. Jorge Diaz Award: Richard Moore would bounce back from his ‘poor’ 2064 to win his fourth Jorge Diaz Award. Tashiaki Yano would be in the mix, as would Beau Hauer and Andre Wiltshire. Norm Blume might give it a shake, too. Hurler of the Year: Backed by Christchurch’s offense, Barry Dean would win 20 for the fourth time in his career. This would net him his fifth Hoodie, though teammate Robbie Chadfield would take the league by storm and push Dean all the way past the winner’s post. Darwin’s Allan Tipping was picked, for some reason, to also be a contender, as were Auckland’s Domenic Jones and Song Liang. Prospect Watch: 23 y/o Bhanu ‘Big House’ Milind had the #3 ranking on OotPB TV’s prospect list to start the season. He hadn’t been especially impressive during ST but Hobart figured he was ready for the big leagues and had slotted him into the 5 spot in their rotation. Milind was the second-overall pick of the 2063 draft. 22 y/o Tye Albury played A-ball for all of 2064, winning Slugger of the Year with a .308/.393/.533 stat-line, his 58 extra-base hits including 25 doubles, 13 triples and 20 homeruns. He was also an excellent outfielder and Wellington figured he was good enough to make the jump from single-A to the majors. He was their starting leftfielder to begin the season. Albury was ranked as the 23rd overall prospect in the league. ABC: Brisbane would win the Northern after a tight race with Alice Springs. The Southern would be awful, except for the Highlife, who would win 100+ games. Broome would surprise in the Western, squeaking past Adelaide with Kalgoorlie also in the mix. Jakarta would be way too strong in the Overseas. There would be no stopping Ted Blume snaring back-to-back Golden Bats, though Si-xun Qiao would take out the homerun race if he remained healthy. Austin Ya would take out Golden Arm, with Gordon Brown and new ABC recruits Kioniko Mullion and Willem Throsby in hot pursuit. Attached Images __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report