A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL, 2019-2119) - Page 36

Izz · 04-06-2017, 08:19 PM

2061 Preliminary Finals

Game 1 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Adelaide Venom

When asked if he was worried his team had been tired out by their 5-game Division Finals Series, Cowboys’ skipper Marcus Kent said, “Not at all. In fact, the longer the series the better. The more days Adelaide have sat out, the rustier and softer they’ll be, whereas we’re all toughened up and ready to wrestle.”

Quentin Welch got caught in a rundown between 2B and 3B in the bottom of the 1st, eventually getting tagged out by SS Sorenseon on 3B-side. The play was scored 8-5-4-6. A pair of Adelaide errors in the top of the 2nd saw runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 out, and McMullen took advantage of the opportunity, his drive down the RF line landing fair and bringing 1 runner home. He ended up at 2B while a strong return from Welch, playing in a fairly unfamiliar position, held Morrow at 3B. The next hitter popped out, the score 1-0 Christchurch.

It didn’t take long for Adelaide to equalize, Miguel Ibanez driving home Malcolm Pickhills with a 2-out single in the bottom of the inning. Greg Ahern hummed through the 1st 4, with 7 strikeouts. He did the buzzard 3 times in the 4th alone. With the crowd already hollering, Gary Young sent a fly 432 feet over LF - caught in the upper deck - to give Adelaide the advantage. 2-1 Venom.

Ibanez led off the 5th with a double but didn’t move from 2B until he had to take off his hitting gear and grab his fielding glove between innings. The Venom committed their 3rd error of the night in the bottom of the inning but this time avoided any damage.

Juhl (5.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 0BB, 3K) threw 86 pitches before coming off, having pitched only 4 days prior. Morrow tied the game up again in the 7th, leading off with a HR over left. The inning ended without more runs being scored, though Ahern (6.2IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 9K) took his seat with an out still to play. A 2-out single from Tomas Zartuche in the bottom of the 7th drove William Fenton home and put Adelaide back in the lead.

A trifecta of walks saw Christchurch load the bases with no outs in the 8th before Hauer sneaked a runner home via a choppy bouncer that Young charged but had no play, either at home or at 1B. Bases still drunk, score tied, zero out. Morrow struck out, and Adelaide were a double-play away from avoiding a bad situation. McMullen also struck out and Seinosuke Nakashima flied out to centre to end the half-inning. Still, the scores were now locked at 3, and Adelaide had used 4 pitchers in the inning, severely depleting them if the game went to extra time.

Aaron Fingleson took the mound in the top of the 9th, Adelaide desperately wanting a zero in the box. Matthew Utting, who’d struck out 3 times already, hit a 2-out single to centre but that was as much offense as Christchurch could muster. Whiskin came out for Christchurch. Fenton drew a 1-out walk but Ibanez ground into a 6-4-3 double-play.

Extra innings. Kelvin Pickills singled to begin the 10th and stole 2B as Hauer struck out, but could progress no further. Zartuche flared a single to right with 1 out in the bottom of the inning, and advanced to 2B on a 3-1 ground-out. Richard Moore walked to keep the inning alive, and then Young out-hustled 2B Nakashima to record an infield single. Malcolm Pickhills didn’t even look like swinging his bat, and Whiskin couldn’t find the plate, walking him on 5 and forcing the winning run home. Final score: 4-3 Adelaide, Zartuche going 3-5. The Venom managed 11 hits to Christchurch’s 7.

Game 1 - Cairns Crocs vs Central Coast Thunder

John Zglinicki struggled to pick his spots in the top of the 1st, perhaps because he hadn’t pitched for 12 days. He plunked Snell, who advanced to 2B on a ground-out, then scored off Correa’s 2-out single down the RF line. Jayden Downes didn’t show any rust, though, leading off the bottom of the inning with a 1st-pitch triple into the leftfield alley. He scored off a sac-fly to see the score levelled. With 2 outs, Tom Doig singled, stole 2B, advanced to 3B on a wild pitch, and scored off Toby Norris’s double to the left-centre wall. 2-1 Thunder.

Zglinicki was back on point in the 2nd, freezing up 2 hitters in a 1-2-3 inning. Miscommunication in the outfield in the bottom of the inning allowed Central Coast a runner aboard. The next hitter singled and Downes made it 2 hits from 2 at-bats with an RBI-single to left. 3-1 Thunder.

Snell, who’d ended the bottom of the 2nd with a U4-3 double-play, smoked his 2nd HR of the postseason in the 3rd, halving the deficit. In the 5th, Snell was again front and centre, driving Lecomte home with a 2-out single to left. An error from Zglinicki throwing to 1B extended the inning and left runners at 2nd and 3rd. Correa cashed in, his groundball finding space between 1B and 2B, and scoring both runners. 5-3 Cairns.

A pair of 2-out doubles in the bottom of the 6th saw Central Coast move to within a run of the Crocs. The Thunder had hit 4 doubles and a triple so far, whereas Cairns’ only XBH was Snell’s HR. The OotPB commentators were of the opinion that the Crocs’ outfield lacked range and were getting punished for it. Worsfold (5.2IP, 8H, 4ER, 1BB, 2K) came off in the 6th, while Zglinicki’s (6.0IP, 9H, 5R, 3ER, 0BB, 5K) night was a lot shorter than most of his had been this season.

Cairns showcased their aggressive baserunning in the 7th, pulling of a double-steal after Aitken had been walked to set up the double-play. PH Roneberg then singled to right, scoring 1. Donovan got hit and the bases were loaded with only 1 out. Foreman cracked a single to left and 2 runners scored, the former Central Coaster allowing himself a fist-pump at 1B. A double-play ended the inning, but the Crocs had jumped out to a 4-run lead.

The lead became 6 in the top of the 9th, Donovan pouncing on the 1st pitch he saw and sending it over the right-centre fences for a 2-run HR. Central Coast offered no resistance in the bottom of the inning, reliever Kent Wells picking up the save courtesy of throwing 3 innings, during which he allowed just 1 hit and struck out 3. Final score: 10-4 Cairns, in what turned out to be a thrashing.

Game 2 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Adelaide Venom

Vega walked to lead off the game, advanced to 2B on a ground-out, stole 3B and then scored on a ground-out to put Christchurch on the board in the top of the 1st. The Venom, as was their wont, didn’t need much hustle to tie things up. Zartuche, Welch and Moore all singled and viola, the score was back to level without an out being recorded. Young ground into a double-play, but the runner at 3B still scored, and now the Venom were ahead.

Christchurch had plenty of fighting qualities about them, though, and it took only 2 batters in the 2nd to see them regain the lead. Kelvin Pickhills got plunked and then Hauer launched his 4th dinger of the postseason, crushing an 0-2 fastball 433 feet over centrefield to make it 3-2. Morrow doubled off the base of the CF wall and McMullen cracked one back at the pitcher. It hit the mound and caromed off into leftfield, SS Carlos Acevedo unable to change the direction he’d been heading in to have a chance at the ball. An out later, Vega’s fly to the track at LF scored Morrow and the Cowboys finished the inning up by 2.

The score stayed the same until the bottom of the 3rd, when Moore delivered a 3-run bomb over CF to jump Adelaide back in front. Meanwhile, Arthur Hammer had found his groove, fanning 3 of the 4 hitters he faced in the 5th. Deas (4.0IP, 7H, 5ER, 2BB, 1K) had not, and left after 4, having thrown 87 pitches and allowing in 5 runs. An error by the relief pitcher gave Adelaide a chance to mount some pressure, and they succeeded, Fenton’s double driving in 2 to make the score 7-4.

Hauer, the number 3 overall draft pick of 2059, made it a 1-run game in the 6th, with his 2nd 2-run HR of the night. That signalled the end of Hammer’s outing (5.1IP, 6H, 6ER, 2BB, 7K) the 6-pitch hurler a real mixed bag. The Cowboys found themselves in trouble in the bottom of the inning, a hit batter, walk and wild pitch leaving runners on 2B and 3B with nobody out. Moore drove 1 home with a sharp single to right. Young walked and the bases were drunk. Malcolm Pickhills struck out and Norm Donaldson ground into a U6-3 double-play and Christchurch’s bench coach was caught on camera letting out a pent-in breath.

The scorers got a rest during the 7th and the 8th, both sides going out in order bar a 2-out Moore walk. Fingleson came out to throw the top of the 9th, his regular season record 47 saves from 49 attempts. McMullen ground out back to the pitcher. Sorensen walked. Vega flied out to the track at CF. Wurfel doubled down the 3B line, though McMullen didn’t risk coming home. Tying run in scoring position. Utting hit a towering fly, but it was more tower than distance and Fenton took a simple catch to end the game. Final score: 8-6 Adelaide, Christchurch keeping it close despite only 1 of their top order hitting over .200 for the postseason so far.

Zartuche had 3 hits for the 2nd game in a row, while Hauer’s 5 postseason bombs were in sharp contrast to the 14 he’d hit all regular season.

Game 2 - Cairns Crocs vs Central Coast Thunder

The score stayed at nil through 2 before Snell singled home Lecomte in the top of the 3rd to give the kids manning the old-fashioned scoreboard - added this season as a marketing ploy and kept because it worked so well - something to do. The score-kids had plenty more to do 2 batters later, Correa crushing his 5th roundtripper of the postseason and his 4th 3-run effort. 4-0 Cairns. Correa had another chance in the 4th to score some runners, but this time Ethan Humphries struck him out flailing with an excellent slider.

Meanwhile, Flemming was in fine form, perfect through 4 while striking out 3. He allowed his 1st baserunner of the night in the 5th, Doig leading off with a walk. Then Norris doubled over the head of the 3B, giving Central Coast a real chance to close the gap. Richard Humphrey singled wide of 2B and the Thunder had a run on the board. Karl Aston walked and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Flemming struck out Xavier Culaham on 3 pitches. Dermott Alcock singled to right and another run scored. Downes struck out as did Rory Budd, frozen up by a slider. 2 runs in the frame to Central Coast but it could’ve (should've?) been a lot worse.

Humphries (5.0IP, 10H, 4ER, 1BB, 3K) took a seat after 5, replaced by 15-game regular season winner Paul Colenutt. Flemming (6.0IP, 3H, 2ER, 2BB, 6K) was hooked an inning later, the game close despite Cairns’ obvious offensive superiority.

Colenutt threw 2 scoreless innings before being replaced, and Central Coast got through the top of the 8th unscathed also. Snell singled up the middle in the 9th for his 5th hit of the game and celebrated by stealing his 2nd base of the match. The hustle was rewarded when Correa doubled over the head of the CF and Snell crossed home plate without a throw.

Boston came out, defending a 3-run lead. Doig whiffed at a slider. Norris hit a fly deep to right but subbie Roneberg made a fine running catch. Humphrey ground out 5-3 and that was the ballgame! Final score: 5-2 Cairns, to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Correa was injured completing his double in the 9th, with no immediate word on how hurt he was. Snell’s 5-hit effort was the 6th of his major league career, but the 1st time he’d achieved it in the postseason. He was the 7th player ever to reach that mark in the playoffs and the 1st since the 2047 season.

Game 3 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Adelaide Venom

Adelaide announced that 28 y/o Keiran Cooper (.303/.336/.437, 61HR), who’d spent most of 2061 at triple-A but was on the playoff roster, had signed a 4-year extension. It was reportedly a decent-money deal, but it was hard to see how he’d fit into the outfield makeup of the Venom, with their current preferred outfielders either going through arbitration or signed to long-term deals.

Malcolm Pickhills jacked a solo bomb in the top of the 2nd to give Adelaide the early advantage, Christchurch fighting to keep their season alive. The score remained the same through 5, neither pitcher giving much away, though Umashankar Meenakshi had thrown 96 pitches to Rowlands’ 73. After walking a hitter in the 6th, Rowlands (5.1IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 4K) got yanked and his replacement made it through the next 2 outs unscathed.

Fookes doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning but was left stranded at 2B, Meenakshi getting the next 3 outs on 8 pitches. Welch singled to lead off the 7th and Donaldson bunted him into scoring position. Fenton was walked and Adelaide had their best chance to extend the lead. An out later, light-hitting Zartuche muscled a fly over the RF wall and Adelaide went ahead 4-zip. To add insult to injury, Moore, next up, latched onto a fastball over the heart of the plate and sent it bouncing off the upper tier. 5-0 Adelaide, a series sweep now almost certainly the outcome.

Gary ‘Glass’ Young hobbled off the field after making the final out of the 7th with a sore back and didn’t return. “Only precautionary,” the Adelaide trainer assured the commentary boxes. The homerun derby continued in the 8th, Pickhills slugging his 2nd of the night with a drive down the RF line. An error in the bottom of the inning allowed Christchurch a baserunner and Adelaide’s skipper decided Meenakshi (7.1IP, 5H, 0ER, 2BB, 6K), who’d thrown 121 pitches, was done for the night. His relief, Bailey Naylor, conceded a single but then got out of the inning via a 4-6-3 double-play.

Fenton started off the 9th in similar fashion to how Pickhills began the 8th, lofting one down the RF line and into the bleachers. Angus Wang, who’d replaced Young and was fielding the unfamiliar position of 2B, errored to begin the bottom of the inning and Morrow, next up, doubled home Christchurch’s 1st run of the night. Another run scored off a sac-fly but it was a case of too little far too late. Final score: 7-2 Adelaide and the unstoppable force were off to defend their 2059 and 2060 titles.

Moore (.500/.600/1.000, 2HR) snared series’ MVP.

Game 3 - Cairns Crocs vs Central Coast Thunder

Correa wouldn’t be available for the next few days thanks to a sprained thumb, leaving a bit of a hole in the middle of the Crocs’ lineup. In other news, Central Coast announced on the morning of Game 3 that 35 y/o Justin Auger (.283/.376/.512, 399HR) had signed a 2-year extension with the club. The 2-time SotY had played his entire big-league career to-date with the Thunder, and was “excited to continue the journey” with the franchise. The 2nd year of his contract was a vesting option.

Central Coast grabbed the lead in the 2nd, Humphrey singling Norris home from 2B. They had an opportunity to push the advantage with 2 outs, with runners at 2B and 3B, but Alcock struck out to end the inning. Juan Moran needed only 20 pitches to get through the 1st 3 innings, Cairns’ aggressive approach not paying dividends.

After 5 Moran had only thrown 40 pitches, in comparison to Kline’s 75. Kline did have 5 strikeouts to Moran’s 1, however, and had only given up 2 extra baserunners (4 hits to 3, 1 walk to none). Baker fell behind in the count to lead off the 6th, but cracked his 1-2 pitch into the centre-right alley and slid in safely to 3B. Leadoff triple, Cairns with the opportunity to draw even. Lecomte lined one to right and Norris couldn’t quite reach it. RBI-double, the go-ahead run now in scoring position with 3 outs still left. Snell ground out and Aitken was walked on 4 pitches. Foreman popped out. Donovan poked a fastball opposite field, over the head of the 3B and into the corner. Aitken held up at 3B but Lecomte breezed home to give Cairns the lead. Moran threw 33 pitches in the inning, his count now looking quite similar to Kline’s.

Humphrey doubled to begin the 7th and then Karl Aston twisted one around the foul pole for a 2-run homerun to give the lead back to Central Coast. Kline walked the next hitter and his night was over. de Lange, against his old team, came to the hill and Alcock fought his way to a 9-pitch walk. Downes bunted both runners ahead, the Thunder hoping to add some insurance. Rory Budd mashed a double, his 1st hit of the series, to score both runners. Auger was intentionally walked and then a balk was called, both runners moving up. Doig struck out for his 3rd time of the night and Norris ground-out to end the inning. 5-2 Central Coast, and there was still some fight left in this series yet. Kline's figures were 6.0IP, 6H, 4ER, 2BB, 5K.

An RBI-double from Lecomte in the bottom of the inning nicked a run off the deficit. Moran (7.0IP, 8H, 3ER, 1BB, 1K) retired after 7. With 1 out, Foreman singled and Donovan doubled, putting the tying run in scoring position. Chi-seong Lee, trying to fill the large shoes of Correa, struck out but Krajancic, who’d been having a lean postseason to-date, singled up the middle and both runners scored. Tie game.

Boston allowed the 1st 2 runners aboard in the top of the 9th, then injured himself hustling across to 1B to take a throw from Aitken for the 1st out. His replacement, Drew Hayes, came in cold with an unenviable job, trying to get the final 2 outs of the inning while halting the progress of 2 runners in scoring position. He warmed up by intentionally walking Auger to set up the double-play. Doig broke his bat and Hayes pounced on the ground-ball and threw home. Out! On the throw went to 1B but too late for the double-play. Norris, who’d already smoked 2 doubles, came up and went back just as quickly, striking out on 4 pitches, Hayes just blowing his fastball by him.

Still a tie game heading into the bottom of the 9th. Central Coast sent closer Domenic Purss to the middle. ‘Crackpot’ got Baker to ground-out up the middle, Alcock showing nice range to hunt it down and throw the slow-running catcher out. Lecomte’s hard grounder was much more easily dealt with, Alcock able to attack without having to charge. Snell worked a walk and then stole 2B on a 2-1 pitch, sliding in under the tag. “Risky,” breathed the commentators. The net result was 2 more balls and Aitken was aboard. Foreman ripped one to centre. CF Downes went back, back, back to the track and closed his glove on it to end the inning and send this thing into extras.

Hayes rifled through ‘em 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th as did Purss in the bottom of the inning. The 11th also went in order before Auger broke the drought with his 1st hit of the series, a single to right, to begin the 12th. Aitken showed nice extension to complete a 6-4-3 double-play, which was just as well for the Crocs, as Norris then hit his 3rd double of the night - equalling the extra-innings playoff game record. He was left at 2B, Humphrey grounding out to short.

Snell lofted one over the head of Norris to begin the bottom of the 12th, and very nearly tried triple but thought better of it, perhaps helped by the frantic ‘retreat’ hand gestures from his 3B coach. Aitken was intentionally walked. Foreman struck out, letting out a groan towards the stars before heading back to the dugout. Snell couldn’t help himself and took off for 3B on the 1st pitch of Donovan’s at-bat. Humphrey was up and snapping a throw like lightning. But perhaps he should’ve taken a second more to set because his effort was nowhere near the glove of the third-basemen. Instead it sailed into RF and Snell sailed around 3B and home, diving in dramatically even though there was no throw. Walk-off error? However the scorers decided to note it, the scorecard would always read 6-5 Crocs. A sweep thanks to a swipe!

Beau Snell (.714/.750/1.071, 1HR) was really the only choice for series’ MVP, getting the award in consecutive series. As well as the 2 doubles and HR he hit, he also stole 4 bases, though, he admitted, “None of that means anything if we don’t win the Championship.” He had appeared in 4 postseasons, with Hobart in 2051, and Melbourne in 2056-2057, as well as with Cairns this year, for a postseason stat-line of .427/.474/.581. He'd made his major-league debut as a fresh-faced 20 y/o in 2050 and had put up the worst full season of his career in 2061, but that was long forgotten about now, both by himself and the fans clogging talkback with his praises.

Izz · 04-10-2017, 05:13 AM

2061 Championship - Cairns Crocs vs Adelaide Venom

Preview: Who was willing to bet against the Venom making it a three-peat in a rematch of the 2059 Championship Series? Not many. Adelaide led the league in nearly every offensive category, their BA .295, OBP .372, SLG .482, runs scored 990, hits 1670, home runs 247. Surprisingly, their 542 extra-base hits was only good enough for 2nd-best, as were their 632 walks. Unlike last season, when they’d been viewed as being weak on the mound, this year their staff’s combined ERA of 3.74 was 2nd in the league, while their bullpen was rated the best, with an ERA of 3.03. They allowed the least hits (1425), and least home runs (134), while walking the 3rd-least (431), and striking out the 3rd-most (1122). They were prone to an error or two, their efficiency of .681 only 9th out of 16 teams.

Who were they up against? The Crocs qualified for the playoffs by taking out the 2nd wildcard, and had the worst regular season record (86-76) of all the postseason competitors. But they were no bunnies. Their BA of .284 was 2nd to Adelaide, and their OPS of .796 3rd-best. The 854 runs they’d scored was 4th-highest and they’d hit the 5th-most HRs, with 198. They were also a team that was hard to strike out, the 857 times they’d been whiffed the least of any AUNZBL team in 2061. On the pitching side, they were again well above-average. Their 4.32 ERA was 3rd-lowest, though their bullpen was a worry, ranked 9th with a 4.61 ERA. They gave up hits, 1576 of them (10th-ranked) and were sloppy in the field (.663 defensive efficiency, 2nd-worst). However, their pitchers blew guys away with regularity, the 1154 strikeouts they’d racked up the best of all pitching staffs.

The Venom had absolutely no injury worries, while Cairns had lost Doubleday during the Division Finals, and would also be without Correa for the Championship, his sprained thumb not healed to a point where he could take part. Boston, injured during the Game 5 victory over Central Coast, was listed as day-to-day with a sore back. The loss of Doubleday had been a blow, and the loss of Correa even more so, as the rookie, who’d bashed 28 regular season HRs and 5 postseason ones, had shown himself clear-headed and reliable, both at the plate and in the field, even if he was the type of guy who’d slip into the background unnoticed in the locker room most days.

Verdict: The bandwagoners were firmly in Cairns’ camp, the Crocs contesting only their 7th postseason since entering the league in 2036, but their 3rd Championship Series (without winning one). However, the bandwagoners readily admitted a Crocs’ victory was a long-shot, though Cairns' diehard fans had faith in an upset over their division rivals. But really, who was willing to bet against the record-setting Venom? Not this narrator. Adelaide in 6, with Cairns putting up a good fight but ultimately falling short.

Note: Trying a new format for the Championship Game recaps...

Game 1

Cairns would trot out 39 y/o Cameron Worsfold (4.01 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 1.45 WHIP) as their Game 1 starter. This was Worsfold’s 8th postseason campaign, his 5-8 record including a no-hitter in 2056. He’d be up against 30 y/o Greg Ahern (18-12, 3.99 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 1.16 WHIP), who’d returned to Adelaide in a blockbuster midseason trade and gone 9-3 once back in Venom colours. Ahern had racked up 200 strikeouts for the 6th consecutive season, and the 7th time in 8 full seasons.

Top of the 1st: With 1 out, Snell doubled into the RF corner but was almost tagged out after Donovan’s liner was snatched from the air by a lunging Young, whose throw to Acevedo was only a fraction late. Aitken popped out and the inning was over.

Top of the 2nd: Foreman hit a weak grounder to 3B and Pickhills made an uncharacteristically poor throw to see Foreman reach safely. No hit for him though, Pickhills charged with an error. Krajancic walked and an out later Baker pulled a double down the LF line to score Foreman. Lee ground-out to 1B but Krajancic scampered home to make it 2-nothing.

Bottom of the 2nd: Young led off with a single up the middle and an out later Donaldson made good contact with a fastball at the knees, sending it over the CF fence for a 2-run homer. Scores tied.

Top of the 3rd: Snell stayed hot with his 2nd hit of the night to begin the inning, this one a single past 1B, but Donovan ground into a U6-3 double-play to put paid to any thoughts of a rally. Aitken also singled wide of 1B and then Foreman walked, Ahern having trouble hitting his spots. Krajancic singled past 3B and a run scored. 3-2 Cairns.

Top of the 4th: Ahern continued to struggle for control, hitting Baker with the 1st pitch of the inning but got through the remainder with no further hurt added to the scoreboard.

Bottom of the 5th: Ibanez got a slider in the middle of the plate and cashed in, going solo over left to once again make it a tie-game.

Top of the 6th: Baker walked on 4 pitches and an out later Lecomte hit a sizzler down the 1B line. It bounced into the corner and Baker headed for home. Lecomte took off for 3rd and beat out the throw from the cut-off man. RBI-double and Cairns were back in front 4-3. Snell flied out to end the inning.

Bottom of the 6th: Welch led off with a double into left and tagged up for 3B on Moore’s deep fly-out. Young crushed a fastball over deep centre and it looked like it might fly forever. It did come down eventually, 440 feet from home plate. 5-4 Adelaide. Things then got really interesting. Donaldson singled and advanced to 2B on a wild pitch. Fenton smoked a high fly over the outstretched glove of Foreman in right. The ball bounced awkwardly off the fence and he headed for 3B. He got waved on by his 3B coach and headed for home. The throw came in... too late! Inside-the-park home run!!

That ended Worsfold’s night (5.2IP, 9H, 7ER, 1BB, 2K) and made the score 7-4.

Top of the 7th: Ahern (6.0IP, 6H, 4R, 2ER, 4BB, 2K) was replaced by Rhett Thurley, who immediately gave up a double to Donovan. Aitken singled to right and Donovan decided to take on Welch’s arm at RF and head for home. Bad decision. The throw was good and he was tagged out. Cairns then made another boneheaded decision, sending Aitken, who ran like a catcher, off to steal 2B. He was tagged so far away from the bag the commentators couldn’t even bring themselves to make jokes about it.

Bottom of the 7th: Zartuche led off with a single. 2 outs later he stole 2B and then scored off Young’s single down the RF line. 8-4 Adelaide.

Bottom of the 8th: Fenton cracked his 2nd dinger of the night, making it a 5-run game.

Top of the 9th: Fingleson came on to pitch, even with the difference 5. The 1st pitch he threw was a fastball high in the zone and Lecomte singled to left. Snell singled to right and advanced to 2B when a throw was made - unsuccessfully - at Lecomte heading for 3rd. A deep ground-out from Donovan scored Lecomte and Aitken walked on 4 pitches. Foreman struck out looking and Krajancic struck out swinging and that was all she wrote.

Final score: 9-5 Adelaide.

Young went 4-4 with a HR and 3 ribbies. Snell continued his hot postseason form, going 3-5. His 1st inning double meant he’d had an extra-base hit in every game of the playoffs so far.

Game 2

Cairns put Damian Flemming (14-8, 3.76 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.38 WHIP) on the mound, while 3-time 2061 shutout-thrower Arthur Hammer (17-8, 4.24 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.35 WHIP) would turn out for Adelaide.

Top of the 2nd: 2 up, 2 down, and then Krajancic drilled a fastball into the LF bleachers. 1-0 Cairns.

Top of the 3rd: 9-holer Lee, filling in for Correa at 3B, got his 1st hit of the postseason in style, launching a 439-foot bomb over CF. 2-0 Cairns. With 2 outs Donovan and Aitken singled, putting runners on the corners. Foreman popped out to 3B to complete the inning.

Top of the 4th: Dwyer doubled with 1 out and an out later Lee cracked a grounder into the hole between 3B and SS. RBI-single, the score now 3-0.

Bottom of the 4th: Flemming gave up his 4th 2-out walk but was yet to surrender a hit. He’d thrown 57 pitches to Hammer’s 74.

Bottom of the 5th: Ibanez recorded Adelaide’s 1st hit with an infield single to lead the inning off and then Acevedo made it 2 hits with a line drive that just found its way over the glove of Lecomte and into LF. Zartuche ground into a 5-4-3 double-play. Welch took a slider at the knees for strike 3 and Flemming had maintained his zeroes.

Top of the 6th: Krajancic led off with a single and an out later Baker hit a high double down the LF line. Runners on 2B and 3B, nobody out and Lee at the plate. He hit a groundball to 2B. Young attacked it, holding the runners, and made the play at 1B. Lecomte singled to right and both runners scored. 5-0 Cairns.

Bottom of the 6th: Moore pulled a cutter into the RF bleachers to begin the 6th and break up Flemming’s shutout. Flemming responded by striking out the next 3 hitters. 5-1 Cairns.

Top of the 7th: Hammer (6.0IP, 10H, 5ER, 1BB, 4K) was pulled, and none too soon for the home side. Donovan led off with a double and Aitken was intentionally sent to 1B. Foreman flied out to deep centre and Donovan advanced a base. Krajancic struck out looking at a fastball on the inside corner and Dwyer ground out. Still 5-1.

Bottom of the 7th: Flemming (6.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 4BB, 5K) also took a seat, and his replacement gave up a 2-out solo HR to Acevedo, who just got enough into his fly for it to clear the RF fence. 5-2 Crocs, the Venom inching their way closer.

Bottom of the 8th: Welch crushed a belt-high curveball, sending it 447 feet and into the centre-right seats. 5-3, all of Adelaide’s runs to-date coming from the longball. Moore walked and Young beat out the throw on a nubber for an infield single. Go-ahead run at the plate, nobody out. Pickhills popped out to 1B. Donaldson walked to load the bags. Fenton ground out to 2B, but Lecomte couldn’t turn the double-play which allowed a run to score. Ibanez popped out to the catcher to end the inning. 5-4 Cairns.

Top of the 9th: Could Cairns put some insurance on the board? They could not, retiring in order.

Bottom of the 9th: Marshall Whiffin came out to close, Boston’s back still troubling him. Acevedo led off with a double. Zartuche singled to right and Acevedo charged home to tie it up. Zartuche stole 2B without a throw, and Welch was intentionally walked, bringing PH Angus Wang to the plate. He ground into a 1-6-3 double-play. Could Young be the hero? He could, his single up the middle scoring Zartuche and winning the game for the Venom.

Final score: 6-5 Adelaide, the Crocs getting run down at the death, their weak bullpen getting found out.

Game 3

Adelaide’s Game 2 win gave them 12 straight playoff victories. They hadn't lost a postseason game since Game 4 of the 2059 Championship Series, also against Cairns. For their 1st away game of this match-up, they’d start 23-game regular season winner Umashankar Meenakshi (23-5, 3.39 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.24 WHIP), who’d thrown once so far this playoffs, for 7.1 innings of no-run ball. Cairns, desperately needing a win to give them a chance, put up Clint Kline (13-10, 4.15 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 1.22 WHIP), who was increasingly throwing less and less changeups and split-fingered fastballs, relying primarily on his regulation fastball and his forkball. If he was on, he was on, but if not, his forkball and fastball looked pretty similar and, excellent control or not, he provided only minimal challenge. Kline had given up 21 hits and 4 walks in his 17 previous innings of 2061 postseason ball.

Top of the 1st: Zartuch led off with a single up the middle, followed by Welch blistering a single to right. Kline recovered to induce 3 weak grounders, getting out of the inning unscathed.

Top of the 2nd: Kline got the 1st 2 outs with ease, but then plunked Ibanez to extend the inning. Acevedo latched onto a tame fastball, sending it opposite field and into the RF corner for an RBI-double. 1-0 Adelaide.

Top of the 3rd: With 1 out, Moore walked on 8 pitches only to become the 1st out of a round-the-horn double-play.

Bottom of the 3rd: Wayne Roneberg, playing CF today, recorded Cairns’ 1st hit of the game, singling over the head of the SS. 2 outs later he stole 2nd in a tight call, and the move paid off as Snell singled to right and Roneberg scampered home unopposed. 1-1.

Top of the 4th: The inning started with 2 amazing things. First, Malcolm Pickhills got a fastball way inside and high, and somehow still managed to make hard contact up the middle. Secondly, Lecomte showcased his Gold Glove skills, ranging over towards 2B, diving, and snatching the ball out of the air to deny Pickhills a hit.

Bottom of the 4th: Singles to Donovan and Krajancic with 1 out gave Cairns an excellent opportunity to jump into the lead, but Baker could only hit a soft grounder back to Meenakshi who started a 1-6-3 double-play to put a stop to the inning.

Top of the 5th: A 2-out throwing error by Lecomte extended the inning and saw runners on 1B and 2B. Moore immediately made Cairns pay, jumping on the 1st pitch of his at-bat and sending it over left-centre and into the seats. 3-run dinger. 4-1 Adelaide, Lecomte scuffing the dirt on his way back to the dugout mid-inning.

Top of the 6th: Donaldson pulled an outside fastball over left, and it had just enough legs to leave the park. 5-1 Venom.

Bottom of the 6th: Aitken parked a Meenakshi fastball over right-centre for a 1-out solo HR, the home fans finding some voice as he rounded the bases. They found more voice next at-bat, Foreman pouncing on a forkball and sending it to the same vicinity. Back-to-back jacks! 5-3 Adelaide.

Top of the 7th: Kent Wells replaced Kline (6.0IP, 5H, 5R, 2ER, 2BB, 1K), and got through the inning unscathed bar a 2-out single to Welch.

Bottom of the 7th: An error by Malcolm Pickhills on a regulation Baker grounder saw the catcher wind up at 2B, no outs yet recorded. He advanced to 3B on a ground-out and then Lee tagged a fastball over left. It had the legs and the game was all knotted up.

Bottom of the 8th: Meenakshi (7.0IP, 8H, 5R, 4ER, 0BB, 0K) came off, his relief getting the job done.

Top of the 9th: Cairns sent Boston to the mound, and he went 1-2-3 through the side, his fastball up near 160 km/h.

Bottom of the 9th: Fingleson took the hill for Adelaide. He got the 1st 2 outs on 3 pitches, and then Lecomte singled on the 4th pitch of the inning. On the 5th pitch Lecomte swiped 2B, the winning run now in scoring position. On the 7th pitch, Snell ground out to 2B and this thing was heading into double-figure innings.

Top of the 10th: 3 up, 3 down.

Bottom of the 10th: Aitken led off. On the 8th pitch of his at-bat he got a fastball up in the zone, having already fouled off several heaters. This one wasn’t no foul, though. He made good contact, though it looked like perhaps he’d gotten too far underneath the pitch. But no, the wind caught it and the converging outfielders could only watch as it traveled over the right-centre fence. Walk-off HR!

Final score: 6-5 Cairns, and they’d not only broken Adelaide’s postseason winning streak, but 1-2 looked a lot better than 0-3. Aitken’s 2 hits both went the distance, earning him PotG.

Game 4

Adelaide would send out Greg Ahern for the 2nd time this series, while Cairns opted for 28 y/o Harrison Mitchinson (8-14, 5.76 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.59 WHIP). Mitchinson threw a fastball, slider and screwball. He was one of only 2 established AUNZBL pitchers to throw a screwball, the other being 32 y/o teammate Hal Massingham, who had appeared 40 times out of the Crocs’ bullpen during the regular season.

Top of the 1st: Mitchinson got through the inning on 6 pitches, the final out being Moore, who popped out on a screwball.

Top of the 2nd: Young singled and Pickhills walked to start proceedings but both were left stranded, Mitchinson knuckling down to get the next 3 outs without the runners even advancing a base.

Bottom of the 2nd: Welch made an impressive leaping catch near the RF wall to end the inning, the commentators suggesting that the outfield might be where Welch was destined to play next year.

Bottom of the 4th: Ahern fanned his 6th, and that should’ve been the end of the inning but the dipping cutter went between Donaldson’s legs and all the way to the backstop, Kranjacic, the hitter, busting a beat to get to 1B safely. The wild pitch didn’t hurt the Venom, Ahern pulling off a sharp return catch off the next hitter to end the inning.

Top of the 5th: Both pitchers had allowed just 1 hit and 2 walks. Ahern had fanned 6 and thrown 70 pitches, while Mitchinson had struck out just 1 and thrown 58 pitches. Mitchinson eased through this inning too, with 3 groundballs equalling 3 outs.

Bottom of the 5th: Baker led off with a single, for only the 3rd hit of the game, but got no further than 1B.

Top of the 7th: Still no score, both pitchers and their defences operating at high capacity. Ahern had punched out 8 while giving up 2 hits and 2 walks on 93 pitches, while Mitchinson had conceded just the 1 hit, while walking 2 and fanning 2, on 79 pitches. Young led off the inning with his 2nd hit of the night, a single down the 3B line but was then cut down in a 6-4-3 double-play. Donaldson popped out and the score was still 0-0.

Bottom of the 7th: Krajancic rapped a cutter between the 1B bag and the first-baseman for a single to begin the inning. Dwyer popped out to shallow centre, 2B Young calling everybody else off to take the catch. Rhett Thurley came out to replace Ahern (6.1IP, 3H, 0ER, 2BB, 7K), and must’ve had his heart in his throat for a few moments after Baker made good contact on a fastball. LF William Fenton hunted it down, however, taking a good running catch. PH Cong Pi ground out 4-3 and the inning was over.

Top of the 8th: Fenton checked his swing but not in time, according to the umpire, going down on strikes for the 1st out. Ibanez cracked a screwball into the gap between 3B and SS for a single. Acevedo drove one deep to centre. It bounced in front of the wall and then over it for a ground-rule double, Ibanez having to turn around and head back to 3B. Acevedo left the field with a mild calf strain, but his double had broken down the wall, so to speak, Zartuche doubling down the 3B line and bringing both runners home. That marked the end of Mitchinson’s night (7.1IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K), though he didn’t deserve to go into the sheds behind on the board. 2-0 Adelaide.

Bottom of the 8th: Lecomte ground out 6-3. Fenton denied Snell extra-bases with a nice running catch. Donovan hit a hopper back to Thurley and was retired at 1B.

Top of the 9th: Pickhills struck out and Donaldson walked. Fenton hit one straight to Lecomte who began a 6-4-3 double play.

Bottom of the 9th: Fingleson on the mound. Aitken ground out to 1B. Foreman popped out to 1B, Moore making sizing it up nicely near the wall in foul territory. Krajancic flied out weakly to right to put the full stop at the end of the game.

Final score: 2-0 Venom, in a match that contained only 8 hits.

Game 5

Hammer would take on Worsfold, Cairns needing a win to keep their title chances alive, Adelaide just 1 victory away from three in a row.

Top of the 1st: The Venom started fast, Zartuche singling to begin the game and Welch doubling over the rightfielder’s head to bring Zartuche home. Moore followed up with a double of his own and Welch crossed home plate. Young’s pop-fly to left found grass. Runners on 1B and 3B, nobody out. Worsfold got ahead of Pickhills 0-2, but then gave him a fastball in the middle of the plate which Pickhills punched to left for an RBI-single. Donaldson finally flied out to be the 1st out of the game. Fenton drew a walk and the bases were drunk. Ibanez flared a single to shallow right and 2 runners scored. Surprisingly, Worsfold stayed on the mound, even though the game was in danger of slipping out of Cairns’ grasp before an inning had been completed. The punches kept coming. Acevedo, recovered from his calf strain of yesterday, singled between 3B and short, scoring another.

Adelaide had batted around, but the hurt didn’t look like stopping yet. Zartuche singled sharply to right and the bases were once again full. Welch struck out on 3 pitches and the crowd sighed in relief. They were back to groaning however when Moore cracked one over the head of RF. It bounced awkwardly off the fence and Moore slid in safely with a triple, all 3 runners scoring. Finally, Worsfold was done, the expression on his face one that could only be described as shell-shocked. Reliever Mike Darke struck out Young to end the inning, the hometown fans dead silent. 9-0 Adelaide.

Top of the 2nd: Darke got through the inning allowing just a single.

Bottom of the 2nd: A 4-6-3 double play snuffed out any joy that Crocs’ fans might’ve felt at seeing Krajancic pick up their 1st hit of the night.

Top of the 4th: Adelaide loaded the bases with 2 outs, some Crocs’ fans already leaving the stadium. More hurried after them after Ibanez lofted his 1-1 pitch down the LF line. If it stayed fair it was a slammer... and it stayed fair! Grand Slam, and it looked like the Cairns players had lost belief now too. Darke got yanked and his replacement struck out the final batter of the inning, but every Cairns player was examining their shoelaces as they trudged back to the dugout for the change of innings. 13-0 Adelaide.

Bottom of the 5th: Cairns got on the board via a Lee double followed by a Lecomte single. 13-1 Venom.

Bottom of the 6th: Hammer struck out the side, though he did allow a 2-out single.

Top of the 7th: The Venom players were already in party mode, but Pickhills’ 3-run blast nearly sent them over the edge, the team almost spilling out of the dugout and onto the field to celebrate. 16-1 Venom.

Bottom of the 7th: Hammer (6.0IP, 5H, 1ER, 2BB, 5K) took a seat, and was quickly handed a congratulatory beer. The Venom defence hadn’t clocked off yet, however, Ibanez making a great throw to see Snell tagged out trying to extend a double to a triple.

Bottom of the 8th: Krajancic went opposite field deep to score 2 but Cairns needed a lot more than that and fast. 16-3 Venom.

Top of the 9th: The Adelaide offense wasn’t done kicking yet. They loaded the bases with 1 out but only scored 1 more for their efforts. 17-3 Venom.

Bottom of the 9th: Cairns added 2 more consolation runs before the Venom recorded the final out and leaped into full celebration mode.

Final score: 17-5 Venom. Moore went 4-6 with 4 ribbies, while Ibanez was 2-6 with 6RBI.

Gary Young (.455/.500/.591, 1HR) received the Championship Series MVP for his consistent hitting.

Crocs’ GM Julio Sousa had only one thing to say to media when they cornered him on his way into the Cairns’ changing rooms: “Well that was humiliating, wasn’t it?” Then he pushed past the throng and through the door and that was the only soundbite journalists got from anyone within the Crocs organization until the next day. It got a lot airtime, however.

2061 Championship-winning Venom

Izz · 04-14-2017, 05:58 AM

2061 Season Leaderboards

Richard Moore was favourite to win the Jorge Diaz award, though John Dalton had a strong case, too.

HotY shaped up to be very interesting. Meenakshi, Zglinicki or Dean?

Izz · 04-16-2017, 02:23 AM

2061 Awards

Gold Gloves

Pitcher: Wally Moylan (Darwin Diggers)
Catcher: Kent Okolita (Darwin Diggers)
First Baseman: Luigi Dempster (Wellington Fury)
Second Baseman: Dylan Glynn (Newcastle Roos)
Third Baseman: Matthew Utting (Christchurch Cowboys)
Shortstop: Stéphane Lecomte (Cairns Crocs)
Left Fielder: Pancho Cruz (Kununurra Pioneers)
Center Fielder: Warren Chapple (Wellington Fury)
Right Fielder: Danny Caporn (Auckland Metros)

Brodie Backhouse Award

Aaron Fingleson had a season to remember, going 5-2, with 47 saves, a 2.18 ERA, a 3.23 FIP, and a 0.87 WHIP. His ERA+ was 214 and his FIP- 69. He posted a 1.5 WAR and struck out 95 hitters in 74.1 innings across 68 appearances. This was only Fingleson’s 3rd year full-time in the closer role. In 2059, as closer for Christchurch, he’d also won the Brodie Backhouse Award, making him the 1st pitcher to win it twice.

Central Coast's Domenic Purss (7-3, 42 sv, 2.39 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) got on the podium for the 2nd year running, while Hobart middle-reliever Addergoole Bintang (7-2, 7 sv, 2.25 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 0.97 WHIP) finished 3rd.

Super Slugger Awards

C: John Dalton - HOB - .312/.415/.573, 144-462, 96 runs, 37 doubles, 2 triples, 42HR, 119RBI, 73BB, 2SB, 550PA, 180 OPS+, 173 wRC+, 7.6 WAR

1B: Richard Moore - BRI - .333/.450/.562, 204-612, 129 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 37HR, 126RBI, 121BB, 1SB, 746PA, 164 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 7.7 WAR

2B: Andre Wiltshire - AUC - .355/.425/.579, 167-470, 88 runs, 30 doubles, 3 triples, 23HR, 94RBI, 55BB, 10SB, 532PA, 161 OPS+, 160 wRC+, 5.6 WAR

3B: Malcolm Pickhills - ADE - .269/.359/.517, 160-594, 107 runs, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 38HR, 118RBI, 78BB, 1SB, 681PA, 127 OPS+, 127 wRC+, 5.8 WAR

SS: Gary Young - ADE - .284/.361/.522, 174-613, 100 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 39HR, 110RBI, 57BB, 1SB, 696PA, 128 OPS+, 128 wRC+, 5.2 WAR

LF: Tomas Zartuche - ADE - .345/.386/.471, 241-699, 125 runs, 26 doubles, 10 triples, 14HR, 91RBI, 38BB, 63SB, 759PA, 124 OPS+, 126 wRC+, 3.9 WAR

CF: Domenic Guerin - KUN - .309/.366/.449, 205-663, 110 runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, 17HR, 90RBI, 43BB, 36SB, 732PA, 113 OPS+, 115 wRC+, 6.1 WAR

RF: Neil Bellett - CAN - .302/.421/.579, 150-497, 103 runs, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 35HR, 81RBI, 102BB, 3SB, 605PA, 160 OPS+, 161 wRC+, 6.4 WAR

DH: Axel Nankervis - SYD - .344/.382/.523, 239-694, 121 runs, 33 doubles, 2 triples, 29HR, 133RBI, 36BB, 3SB, 751PA, 135 OPS+, 136 wRC+, 4.8 WAR

Rookie of the Year

It had been a long time since RotY had attracted so much pre-awards discussion. Not only was there some decent talent that had migrated across from the ABC, there was also a strong crop of AUNZBL-raised youngsters.

Who would take home the gong in 2061? 31 y/o former ABC player Rodney Ellison. He hit .314/.376/.519, 145-462, with 72 runs, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 19HR, 82RBI, 46BB, 6SB, from 516PA. His OPS+ was 132, his wRC+ 133, and his WAR 3.8.

22 y/o Cairns’ sensation Mario Correa (.291/.321/.503, 28HR, 3.3 WAR) came in runner-up, while 21 y/o Whangarei CF Edgardo Rico (.340/.379/.451, 5HR, 3.8 WAR), took out 3rd.

Skipper of the Year

To the surprise of absolutely no-one, Luis Gonzalez took out Skipper of the Year for the 3rd year running. As per usual, Gonzalez’s speech was so bland as to be completely forgotten before the end of the evening.

Hurler of the Year

HotY was even more hotly anticipated than RotY had been. Would Dean, who’d set a new season record for WAR, and won 20 games for the 3rd season in a row - the 1st AUNZBL pitcher to do so - and in a mediocre team, no less, win 3 consecutive crowns? Or would Zglinicki, who’d topped the league in ERA and WHIP, and thrown a mammoth 257.1 innings for 23 wins, 3 of them shutouts, win for the 1st time? Or Meenakshi, who’d also won 23 games and only lost 5, in the middle of the Adelaide juggernaut, add to his 3 Championship rings with a HotY?

And the winner was...

John Zglinicki, who’d earned the nickname ‘Mr. Dependable’ from Thunder fans during the season thanks to throwing 10 complete games - equalling the record set in 2027 by Tu-an Tseng - and 8+ innings another 15 times, won in what the announcer said was a “very close contest.”

Zglinicki’s 2061 record was an astounding 23-8 from 34 starts, with a 2.41 ERA, 3.68 FIP, and 1.04 WHIP. In 257.1 innings he fanned 163, his ERA+ 193, FIP- 81, and WAR 6.1.

Barry Dean (20-11, 3.19 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 146 ERA+, FIP- 60, WAR 9.1) was 1st runner-up, while Umashankar Meenakshi (23-5, 3.39 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 137 ERA+, FIP- 84, 5.0 WAR) grabbed 3rd place.

Jorge Diaz Award

Richard Moore won the 2nd Jorge Diaz Award, capping off, in his words, “an unbelievable season.” The 29 y/o, who’d signed on with the Venom after 6 fruitless seasons with the Bandits, had nabbed his 1st Championship ring, as well as his 1st postseason series MVP, and now his 1st hitting award. He went .333/.450/.562, 204-612, 129 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 37HR, 126RBI, 121BB, 1SB from 746PA, with a 164 OPS+, 162 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR.

John Dalton (.312/.415/.673, 42HR, 180 OPS+, 173 wRC+, 7.6 WAR) well earned his runners-up placement, while Ronald Aitken (.318/.443/.546, 26HR, 158 OPS+, 154 wRC+, 6.6 WAR) quietly slipped in 3rd.

Izz · 04-16-2017, 02:46 AM

2061 Career Leaderboards

Aguirre needed just 10 HR in 2062 to make 700, with the 38 y/o half-jokingly telling a journalist he hoped his "body would hold up for another year."

Marcos Lopez found his way onto the all-time top 10 hits board.

Clint Aitcheson was still 2 wins short of 200 and looking very unlikely to reach the milestone, while Lance Ralston needed 9 wins in 2062 to get there.

Izz · 05-02-2017, 05:42 PM

Offseason

2061 Notes

ERA jumped to an all-time high of 4.66, 8 points higher than in 2060. BA equaled the highest-ever mark, set in 2058, of .271.

The Venom and Blue Sox had record attendances. So many passed through their gates, in fact, that they set the new #1 and #2 season attendance marks for any team in the history of the league. Adelaide’s season OBP of .372 was 2nd only to the 2045 Metros, who got on-base at a .377 rate. The 990 hits that the Venom put up was also the 2nd-best ever, once again behind the 2045 Metros, whose 1010 hits remained the only season haul greater than 1000.

Beau Snell and Glen Donovan’s 8 postseason doubles equaled the amount hit by Leo Jiang in 2037, while Stephane Lecomte’s 9 stolen bases was an outright record, surpassing the 7 Ralph Downes stole way back in 2023.

After 1 season in the ABC, and having played it for 2 teams, 42 y/o Zachary Woollett called it a day. Woollett would likely have been called catcher of his generation if he hadn’t shared his playing years with Jacob Blanksby, but he still amassed a great career, his AUNZBL career BA of .304 the best of any qualified catcher. His 1319 runs, 2608 hits, 457 doubles, 454HRs, 1462RBI, and 87.47 WAR were all 2nd-best among catchers, and his 1683 singles top. Would he make the Hall? Initial indications amongst voters were: ‘probably.’

ABC Wrap-up

The 4 teams to contest the ABC postseason were Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Jakarta. The big news out of this was that 100-game winners Sydney, who had the 2nd-best record in the league, missed out on the playoffs due to Melbourne (104-58) winning their division. 35 y/o Perth skipper, Sterling Hodgson, was known around the league as a bit of a comedian. His Sharks, who’d gone 88-74, were contesting the postseason for the 1st time and he certainly saw the funny side of Sydney missing out. “It’s kinda like the runner-up beauty queen having nobody interested in dancing with her at the after-party while her less genetically-gifted cousin who’s only there as her guest is getting all the offers. Good thing none of the division winners this year played under .500, right? There might’ve been civil war.” On that last sentence, probably not. Hodgson was quite obviously overestimating the popularity of the ABC.

Perth took on Melbourne in one semi-final series and were thrashed 3-0, while Jakarta and Brisbane’s series went to 5 games, the Broncos shutting out the Stars in Game 5 by the score of 3-0 to progress to the Grand Final.

For the 1st time since the ABC’s inception, the Grand Final Series started on the same day as the AUNZBL’s Championship Series. Neither competition had teams from the same city playing, however, with plenty of Melbourne Aces’ fans saying they’d head off to watch the Melbourne Victory play just to see how former Ace Eddie Zglinicki would go.

Melbourne jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Brisbane fought their way back to make it 3-2. Game 6 was a tight affair, tied at 1 until the bottom of the 8th when former AUNZLBer’s Si-xun Qiao and Logan Eissens hit back-to-back jacks to give Melbourne the lead. They held on to win their maiden crown, the near capacity crowd as jubilant as the players. As one 32 y/o fan put it on her way out of the stadium, “It’s been a mighty long time since Melbourne’s had a champion ball club. It’s not something I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. This might not be the main league, but these lads are champions and we’ll celebrate with them. I’ll think I’ll come back for a few games next season, too.”

The Melbourne Aces had last won a championship in 2025 and only featured in 6 postseasons since. The Brisbane Broncos also enjoyed a strong fan showing during the postseason. Their AUNZBL equivalents had last played in the postseason in 2053, and had last played better than .500 in a season in 2054.

The ABC had its first ownership change the day after the offseason began. Josh Binns sold the Sydney Highlife to 53 y/o businessman Luigi Avery. Avery was not a known baseball fan, but he told media that he could “certainly see profit in the Highlife’s future, and a profile within the game to rival any team in any league.”

36 y/o Marshall Tipping (.297/.399/.574, 41HR), who’d jumped over to the ABC after 11 years in the AUNZBL, took out Golden Rookie.

Alice Springs’ closer Stefan Naismith (9-0, 44 sv, 0.94 ERA, 1.49 FIP, 0.69 WHIP) won both the reliever’s award as well as the Golden Arm award.

Gavin Howell (.289/.385/.606, 50HR) won Golden Bat for the 2nd time, after hitting 50HRs in a season for the 2nd time.

BL Wrap-up

Managua won the Norte Division but was their only postseason representative. From the Sur Division, Asuncion won the pennant, and Maracaibo and Santiago won the wildcard berths.

In a twist, both wildcards won the semifinals. The Serie de Campeonato went 7 games, with Maracaibo overcoming an early 3-run deficit to run out 4-3 winners. This was the Magnates 4th title, their 3rd in 4 years and their 2nd in succession.

29 y/o CL Octavio Ramirez (2-3, 31 sv, 1.66 ERA, 2.71 FIP, 0.74 WHIP) won the BL Rookie award as well as the BL’s Reliever gong. Ramirez had joined the Lima organization as a 20 y/o but couldn’t break out of the BL minors before heading to the NABA for several years. Now, in his 1st season back in the BL, he’d been lights out, putting together a remarkable season.

Christos Gill (10-4, 2.39 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.11 WHIP), in his 5th BL season, took out Jarra de Ano. The 32 y/o said he loved the Lower Americas. “Everything’s great, from the people to the scenery to the baseball. More relaxed, more in tune with life. Some guys have that drive to go back to Australia and prove themselves, but not me. I love my baseball here. I’m not sure I could say that when I was busting a gut trying to stay in the majors.”

36 y/o Antony Mansfield (.290/.392/.495, 20HR) had played 18 games for Kununurra in 2060, having returned from a 2-year BL stint. Now he was back in the BL, and had a good enough season to win Bateador de Ano.

League News

1 Sep - Opening Day (and beyond): Rumours, fuelled by anonymous insiders at both the Jakarta Stars and the Alice Springs Opals, began to swirl that the AUNZBL was attempting to lure some ABC teams across to its fold. Officially both teams vehemently denied the approaches, as did the AUNZBL Commissioner’s Office. The ABC Commissioner, when questioned on the topic, momentarily strayed from his usual belligerent persona, instead chuckling and saying, “That would indicate they’re a little bit scared of us, wouldn’t it? Not even 5 years old and we’re worrying them!” Then he returned to type, continuing, “In another 10 years we’ll surpass them, and in another 20 years they’ll be consigned to the history books! Mark my words!”

Notable Club Happenings

Auckland: The day the Preliminary Finals began, with the Metros, of course, only watching, skipper Vic Baxter was given the heave-ho. Baxter did not take well to his axing, marching into the downtown offices of owner Michael Faumina and delivering an expletive laden tirade to his newly ex-boss. Not that Baxter should’ve been surprised. In his 2 1/2 years in charge, the team hadn’t played better than .400-ball, finishing at 64-98 in 2061. BC Antonio Altagracia, who’d held the backup role for 5 seasons, was promoted to the skipper’s chair.

The day the offseason began, GM Kent Swan announced his retirement.

Canberra: 48 y/o Eduardo Sandoval had played 3 seasons of BL ball after the competition was formed, leading the league in HRs in 2043, his final year. After working as a manager in several of the semi-pros around Indonesia and Korea, Canberra hired him during last offseason to manage their big-league team. A baptism of fire, and one he didn’t acquit himself too well at. After leading the Cavalry to the worst record in the league (58-104), Sandoval was unceremoniously booted come the beginning of the offseason.

Hobart: Junior Munoz and Hobart agreed to go in “different directions” once the season finished. Munoz wasn’t fired, but his contract ended and no negotiations were forthcoming. After a 14-year apprenticeship as a bench coach (13 of those years for Canberra), 59 y/o Rafael Kelly, who’d played as high as AAA while fielding shortstop, would get his chance to be a big-league manager.

Melbourne: 67 y/o skipper Brett Rawnsley retired after 1 year in charge. That was the only year he’d managed in the majors, and he was happy to call it quits. “My contract with the club was up at any rate,” he said, “and so I’ve thought really hard the last few weeks about whether I want to keep doing this. But let’s face it, I’m old, and I actually think I’m a bit tired of watching baseball games.” As a player, Rawnsley had played 5 games for Sydney in 2021, recording 1 save.

Perth: 61 y/o Robert Chapman retired. He’d forever go down in Heat baseball lore as the skipper who broke their duck, leading the team to Championship Glory in 2058. He’d put together a 521-452 record in the 6 years he’d managed Perth, 2061’s record of 79-83 the 1st time he’d dipped below .500. The Heat were the only major-league ball club he’d led, and he’d impressed all and sundry with a sharp, analytical mind and a desire to try new strategies. What was he going to do now? “Don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve always wanted to try my hand at beekeeping. Or maybe cultivating new breeds of roses.”

He was replaced by 53 y/o BC Jose Mendez who, prior to joining the Heat organization in 2059, had spent 12 years as manager of Wellington’s AAA-affiliate, the Kaikoura Orange Sox. During that time, Mendez had won 3 AAA Championships, and played in 7 postseasons.

Notable Free Agent Signings/Player Contract Extensions

18 Apr: Kununurra announced 27 y/o CF Domenic Guerin (.290/.342/.434, 40HR) had agreed to a buyout of his arbitration years and then some. He’d signed a 6-year extension.

18 Apr: 23 y/o rising superstar Victor Doubleday (16-12, 3.28 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.33 WHIP) signed a 7-year extension with the Crocs. He had 3 years of service time currently, so could potentially be at Cairns for the 1st 4 years of his free agency eligibility.

18 Apr: Whangarei moved to wrap up 24 y/o Baskoro Subagja (17-26, 4.07 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.33 WHIP), signing him to a 6-year extension. Subagja threw a tremendous fastball along with an excellent forkball, complemented by a mediocre curveball and changeup. The Sluggers hoped he’d anchor their rotation for a long time to come. Many analysts felt that Subagja’s fastball, while not quite reaching 160 km/h, was one of the best a starting pitcher in the league had ever thrown.

18 Apr: 23 y/o Glen Walsh (.276/.318/.520, 43HR) had played only 1 season as an everyday 1B, but the 41 dingers he hit in 2061 was enough to convince Melbourne to buy out his arbitration. He’d agreed to a 5-year extension.

18 Apr: 24 y/o Norm Blume (.281/.343/.466, 46HR) had accumulated 4 years of service time, but 2061 was the 1st year he’d played every day. The burly 6’5” 1B led the league in RBI, as well as hitting 40 doubles and 30HR and Brisbane today signed him to a 4-year extension.

18 Apr: Hobart were hoping that 23 y/o John Dalton (.256/.361/.525, 79HR) would have plenty more seasons like the one he’d had in 2061, where he put up 7.6 WAR and led the league in HR, SLG, and OPS. To that end, both parties agreed to a 5-year extension, which would buy out Dalton’s remaining 3 years of arbitration.

18 Apr: 22 y/o Angel Rivera (.274/.314/.395, 26HR) made his debut for Darwin as an 18 y/o in 2058 and had been a regular presence in the lineup ever since. Rivera could field almost any position in front of home plate and looked as if he was developing into a decent hitter, too. Darwin signed him to a 6-year extension.

18 Apr: 30 y/o Rory Delaney (.294/.328/.413, 25HR) had been in and around the bigs since 2054 but still didn’t have 4 years of major-league service time. 2061 was the 1st year he’d been at the plate more than 502 times in a season and he put up a .322/.353/.437 stat-line, with 26 doubles, 4 triples and 7HR. Melbourne liked what they saw and worked out a 4-year extension with him.

18 Apr: Kununurra and 26 y/o slugger Ramon Martinez (.276/.367/.476, 51HR) hammered out a 6-year extension. Martinez had just under 2 years of service time.

18 Apr: 31 y/o SS Bailey Kinnear (.294/.363/.423, 67HR) made his major-league debut in 2054, but would only be eligible for free agency after next season. Sydney wanted him to stay on, though, and signed him to a 3-year extension.

8 May: The AUNZBL free agents filed 2 days earlier than their ABC counterparts, many analysts surprised the ABC didn’t move their filing date forward a day to match.

According to OotPB TV, who felt this year’s crop was “weak,” these were the top 5 AUNZBL free agents this offseason:

32 y/o RF John Foreman
29 y/o SP Ethan Humphries
35 y/o SP Matt Juhl
37 y/o SP Lance Ralston
29 y/o CL Isaac Canavan

Other free agents included:

37 y/o RF Sean Carr
31 y/o CL Brendan Neill
32 y/o CL Domenic Purss
36 y/o SP Baden Henderson
31 y/o CL Craig Lewis
27 y/o LF Christos Spargo
36 y/o SP Dan Pankhurst
38 y/o 1B Marcos Lopez
33 y/o LF Tom Doig
29 y/o LF Terence Guyatt
34 y/o SP Wally Moylan
28 y/o SP Rhett Meehan
30 y/o SP Willem Birss
39 y/o SP Cameron Worsfold
36 y/o 3B Yong-jun Chu
35 y/o SP Elijah Deas
34 y/o 1B Zachary Pengilly
29 y/o 3B Yoshihito Morimoto
28 y/o SP Roderick Beresford

10 May: The following notable ABC players filed for free agency:

30 y/o 3B Sebastian Horton
29 y/o LF Achaius Muljana
32 y/o SP Satya Susanti
32 y/o 3B Michael Waddingham

16 May: Kununurra rolled out the red carpet to announce the signing of 5-time All Star John Foreman (.289/.350/.531, 319HR) on a 2-year deal.

16 May: Matt Juhl (129-121, 4.01 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) was headed back to the Central Coast. He’d agreed to a 3-year contract.

16 May: Baden Henderson (149-140, 4.26 ERA, 4.23 FIP, 1.36 WHIP) still had 7-8 months left on the DL but that didn’t stop the Brisbane Broncos throwing him a contract offer. It was for 3 years and Henderson eagerly accepted. The 6’6” southpaw said, “I’m getting on in years and a torn flexor is not a nice injury, but just to know that the Broncos have faith in me to get back to my best has already helped with my recovery.” Brisbane GM Mark Bugbie told media it was “extremely exciting to have another pitcher of high calibre migrating across to the ABC.”

16 May: The ABC’s Melbourne Victory announced the addition of another former AUNZBLer to their ranks. Brendan Neill (40-48, 93 sv, 4.25 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) had signed for 2 seasons. Would he feature in the rotation or the bullpen? Victory skipper Rino Alisjahbana’s preference was for Neill to “carry on as he’d done for Darwin last season, and close out games for us.”

18 May: Central Coast lured Isaac Canavan (22-32, 147 sv, 3.28 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 1.12 WHIP) across with a meaty 2-year offer.

20 May: Ethan Humphries (62-48, 4.03 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.31 WHIP) signed a 6-year deal with Melbourne. “Yes,” he said when asked, “I’m well aware this is a hitter’s park, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do a good job for the team.”

23 May: It seemed like all the ABC teams were cashed up, at least to target the 2nd-tier AUNZBL stars. The Canberra Capitals joined the rush, signing Christos Spargo (.267/.309/.434, 94HR) for 4 years.

27 May: Zachary Pengilly (.261/.299/.431, 174HR) told reporters he had been considering heading off to the Americas on a “belated baseball OE” but put that on hold when the Sydney Highlife came calling. They offered him a 2-year deal and he took it, though the “lure of playing overseas” was still a strong one.

27 May: 39 y/o Trent Allan (.284/.379/.437, 225HR) had been a staple in the Blue Sox lineup since 2045 and he admitted it’d be “hard” not waking up every morning as part of the Sydney setup. Alice Springs was a completely different locale, but Allan felt it was the right one if he could no longer play for his beloved Blue Sox. The Opals had snared him on a 2-year deal, and a large part of his responsibilities would be “mentorship for the young guys coming through,” according to Alice Springs’ GM Malcolm Franks.

28 May: Roderick Beresford (33-31, 31 sv, 3.99 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 1.28 WHIP) had been badly affected by injuries the last 2 seasons, coinciding - though perhaps not coincidentally - with his move to the rotation. Still, for the right price he was a good gamble. At least Newcastle thought so, signing him for 2 years on a low-money deal.

28 May: Craig Lewis (36-47, 200 sv, 3.43 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 1.21 WHIP) was off to the Victory in the ABC. He’d signed on for 2 years.

28 May: Today Tom Doig (.255/.321/.478, 303HR) joined the Canberra Capitals on a 4-year deal.

8 Jun: “There’s nowhere else I want to play,” Domenic Purss (35-32, 112 sv, 3.65 ERA, 3.96 FIP, 1.32 WHIP) told journos upon announcement of his 3-year deal with Central Coast. With Isaac Canavan added to the ranks, the chances of Purss continuing to close out games were pretty low.

10 Jun: The Melbourne Aces liked good hitters, so they were a logical place for ABC star Sebastian Horton (.319/.385/.552, 130HR) to sign. He’d done so on a 4-year contract.

14 Jun: Veteran Sean Carr (.322/.384/.479, 266HR) would turn out for the Aces in 2062. He’d signed for 2 years.

19 Jun: The Fury and Wally Moylan (75-102, 5.18 ERA, 4.82 FIP, 1.46 WHIP) agreed to terms on a 3-year contract, the final year being a vesting option based on innings pitched. Moylan was regarded by most as a better pitcher than his stats reflected but always seemed to end up playing on poor teams. With Wellington in a rebuilding phase, it looked as if the trend was continuing for Wally.

20 Jun: 40 y/o Robert Bywaters (73-74, 344 sv, 3.40 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 1.29 WHIP) would play next season at least in the ABC. He’d signed a 1-year deal with Alice Springs, and joked with reporters, “Maybe if I stay real quiet they’ll forget and keep auto-renewing my contract until I qualify for arbitration under their league rules.”

22 Jun: Sydney would be Marcos Lopez’s (.315/.362/.513, 405HR) 5th AUNZBL team. He’d signed for 2 years, with the 2nd year a vesting option based on 135 games played.

24 Jun: “Yes, it’s only a 1-year deal,” Lance Ralston (191-140, 3.53 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 1.27 WHIP) said, “but the price was right, and they know I’ll do a job for them at the top of their rotation.” Who were the ‘they’? ‘They’ were Christchurch and the fact Ralston would be 38 y/o by the time the 2062 season began wasn’t dampening their enthusiasm at all. Ralston’s fastball had dropped off markedly over the last couple seasons but he still threw his curve, slider, splitter, and circle change as well as ever and mixed them all up with even more canniness than ever. “With Lance added to our rotation,” GM Juan Alvarado gushed, “we’ll be able to go even further than we did last season.”

2 Jul: Christchurch next added Dan Pankhurst (136-161, 4.49 ERA, 4.43 FIP, 1.43 WHIP) to their roster, signing him for 2 years, the 2nd year being dependent on 25 games started.

2 Jul: The Melbourne Victory snared another AUNZBL player, signing Terence Guyatt (.254/.329/.453, 200HR) for 4 years.

4 Jul: Another decent young pitcher was heading across to the AUNZBL. 28 y/o Rhett Meehan (49-43, 4.45 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.38 WHIP) had crossed the I’s and dotted the T’s on a 4-year contract with Alice Springs.

5 Jul: Cameron Worsfold (163-161, 4.46 ERA, 4.57 FIP, 1.41 WHIP) would have at least one more go around in the AUNZBL. The 39 y/o had signed a 1-year deal with Perth.

8 Jul: 34 y/o Al Rees (.282/.362/.500, 135HR), who’d slugged 44HRs for Townsville last season, would suit up in Wellington colours in 2062, and possibly 2063, the 2nd year of his contract having a team buyout option included.

20 Jul: After plenty of speculation, Yoshihito Morimoto (.325/.353/.390, 4HR) signed with Central Coast on a 3-year deal. Morimoto, who’d been restricted to 81 games last season due to injury, was looking forward to interacting with the Thunder fans. The charismatic 3B built up a cult following in whatever city he called home and, while he’d only played in Melbourne for 3 seasons, the fans were devastated to see him move on. Interestingly, Morimoto had only 2 seasons in the majors with a wRC+ and OPS+ above 100.

24 Jul: 38 y/o Rob Lane (.307/.377/.503, 289HR), who admitted that last season, where he’d fielded 100 games at SS and put up a -38.7 ZR, had been “monumentally embarrassing,” signed for 2062 with Perth, where he’d slot into the DH role. “Much better idea,” he said, grinning. “Of course, I’ll play wherever they put me, but I don’t think I should be allowed anywhere near the middle infield.”

29 Jul: Willem Birss (83-70, 4.42 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 1.39 WHIP) had ditched the AUNZBL in favour of the ABC, signing a 4-year contract with the Canberra Capitals.

31 Jul: 37 y/o Manuel Salinas (.311/.411/.379, 34HR) had sunk into obscurity over the last couple seasons, with just 91 big-league plate appearances for the Blue Sox in 2061. He would be playing in Sydney again in 2062, but for the ABC’s Highlife instead, having accepted a 2-year offer. The outspoken Salinas, known as much for his vehement dislike of Ismael Aguirre as for his playing ability, would need to start 135 games during the season to trigger the 2nd year of the contract. Salinas would join a Highlife roster full of former AUNZBL players.

4 Aug: 36 y/o Connor Chapman (129-131, 4.11 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 1.30 WHIP) joined Salinas at the Highlife. Chapman had signed for 2 years, the 2nd year being a vesting option based on innings pitched.

6 Aug: 29 y/o Elijah Lutz (.284/.343/.473, 84HR), who’d missed most of 2061 with injury, signed for 4 years with Kununurra.

8 Aug: In a completely surprising move, Michael Waddingham (.308/.353/.388, 12HR) signed a 2-year deal with the Carmel Generals in the NABA. The Carmel Generals were in 6th place and well off the pace with 17 games to play. Waddingham wasn’t immediately available for comment on why he’d decided to head to the weakest recognized pro-league, but his agent hinted at “dissatisfaction with the major-league signing process,” which seemed to translate to ‘no team of note had offered him a deal.’ If so, that was surprising, as Waddingham was an excellent contact hitter - even if he did sometimes struggle to deal with breaking pitches and had a very large strike zone - as well as an adequate 3B.

10 Aug: 28 y/o SP Pedro Montanez (68-68, 4.75 ERA, 4.39 FIP, 1.41 WHIP) had so far struggled in bad teams, but the pundits rated him highly. As did the Cowboys, who signed him to a 3-year deal and presented him to media like they’d just snared an All Star.

15 Aug: Elijah Deas (93-88, 4.50 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 1.42 WHIP) signed with the Perth Sharks for 3 years.

15 Aug: To the surprise of nearly everybody, Satya Susanti (62-35, 2.48 ERA, 2.34 FIP, 0.99 WHIP) wouldn’t be plying his trade in the AUNZBL in 2062. Instead, he would turn out for the Victory, but only for 1 season. According to insiders around the various AUNZBL clubs, Susanti’s asking price had been ‘outrageous.’ However, the Victory, while they wouldn’t reveal specifics, said they were “very happy” with the financial aspects of the 1-year deal and were “certain” that Susanti would help them to back-to-back crowns.

21 Aug: Adelaide offered 37 y/o Yong-jun Chu (.300/.334/.425, 187HR) a 1-year carrot, which he eagerly accepted. However, the very next day they put him on irrevocable waivers. Chu, who had reportedly earned $27 million as a Metro in 2060, was said to be none too happy with the move. An anonymous source from within the Adelaide camp said, “What did he expect? That he’d play 2B ahead of Young or 3B ahead of Pickhills? He’s depth and nothing more, and he should know that, focus on playing well in the minors and be ready to take his chance should it come during the season.”

21 Aug: 34 y/o Tim Sverdloff (81-75, 4.09 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 1.35 WHIP), HotY winner in 2055, hoped to resurrect his flagging career in the ABC. He’d signed for 2 years with Port Moresby, having spent most of the last 4 seasons with the Fury coming out of the pen.

23 Aug: In an amusing turn of events, Sydney claimed Yong-jun Chu off waivers, their GM saying, “I really don’t understand what Adelaide did at all. Why sign a guy to a big-league contract and then immediately take steps to remove him from the 40-man roster? It makes no sense, at least not to me. At any rate, Yong-jun will do well for us coming off the bench and I know he’ll be up for it if he needs to play for an extended period.”

4 Sep: 36 y/o Clint Aitcheson (198-123, 3.96 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 1.22 WHIP) was determined to get to 200 wins, even if he himself admitted he was now “throwing little league pitches.” He re-signed for the 2062 season with Melbourne.

30 Sep: On the eve of opening day, Achaius Muljana remained unsigned. Speculation was rife that he’d end up in the BL.

Notable Trades

14 Apr: Day 1 of the offseason and Wellington and Perth pulled the trigger on a trade that had obviously been in the works for most of the postseason. Perth sent 30 y/o C Yin-ti Zhuo (.267/.402/.419, 77HR), who’d been publicly unhappy at playing backup to Tadakuni Sasaki, along with a 24 y/o minor-league SS, across the ditch, while Wellington parted ways with 31 y/o fan favourite Luigi Dempster (.268/.333/.501, 197HR). Dempster said, “Look, I did know this was coming. Travis* called me into his office a few days ago and told me this was a possibility. I told him I’d really like to stay with the club, but that’s baseball I guess. We’re pieces in a puzzle and that puzzle changes shape pretty often. I’m just glad I’ve got the whole offseason to get settled in my new digs.”

* GM Travis Aitcheson

6 May: Cairns parted ways with 33 y/o Damian Krajancic (.263/.341/.419, 172HR), sending him to Christchurch in return for 28 y/o reliever Martin Silva (25-37, 39 sv) and a 20 y/o 1B prospect by the name of Ewan Stenis, who had been used as trade bait by a few organizations so far, but who projected to be a power-hitter of some calibre.

15 May: Brisbane and Wellington consummated a trade, Brisbane sending 26 y/o Jose Sardina (31-50, 5.39 ERA, 5.20 FIP, 1.46 WHIP) to Wellington along with cash in return for 22 y/o catching prospect Armando Morales. The Fury were excited to acquire LHP Sardina, especially as their rotation had been decimated by free agency. “He’s just about to hit his prime,” GM Aitcheson proclaimed, “and I can’t wait to see him do it in a Fury uniform.” Brisbane, on the other hand, felt they were banking on a sure thing for the future, even if Morales’ minor league stats were nothing special.

6 Jun: Every season there was one. A trade that just didn’t add up for one of the teams, that no matter how much you tried to mould it into something that made sense, it just didn’t. Adelaide and Cairns were the 2 teams involved, and judging by the looks on the faces of Cairns’ GM Julio Sousa and skipper Carlos Sosa at the presser, they also couldn’t believe what had happened. Adelaide were sending off 26 y/o LHP Umashankar Meenakshi (60-21, 3.85 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 1.34 WHIP) *plus* cash to the Crocs in return for 26 y/o utility Cong ‘Eagle Eye’ Pi (.190/.247/.329, 2HR), who had looked anything but impressive in his rookie season. Meenakshi certainly didn’t sound especially happy to be moving, which immediately doused any rumours of clubhouse tensions, while it was hard to see how Pi would even crack the Venom everyday lineup bar injuries.

Notable Injuries

28 Jul: Adelaide’s Teddy Wigley was an avid fisherman, which was the reason late night net-show All the Anglers wanted him as a guest. While demonstrating his casting technique, Wigley got a little over-enthusiastic and wrenched his shoulder. Gallantly shrugging it off, he continued with the show, even getting involved in the ‘Wrestling Mr. Kingfish’ segment, which pitted a selected guest against the mascot of local soccer club, the Kensington Park Kingfish, in a wrestling match. Unfortunately, scans the next day revealed a partial tear in Wigley’s labrum. He’d likely miss all of ST, but should be fit for the beginning of the season proper.

5 Sep: The 2nd day of ST and Christchurch fans were already groaning. Big free agent acquisition Lance Ralston tore his labrum and faced at least the 1st half of the season on the sideline. “Gutted,” was Ralston’s reaction. “Guess I put in too much over the offseason trying to wind the clock back a few years.”

22 Sep: Nigel Anderton looked set to miss the 1st month of the season with a separated shoulder.

26 Sep: Canberra would have to do without Jason Hewitt for October, at least. He had a fractured rib.

NABA Wrap-up

The Olympia Shockwave and Jamestown Originals finished the regular season all tied up, but Olympia snared the regular season crown with a 2-1 victory in the 1-game playoff. The 2 teams then prepared to face off for the NABA Cup, Jamestown in their 1st Cup appearance (they’d won the competition for its first 4 years, before the Cup was introduced). Olympia were looking to take home their 3rd Cup, and 2nd in 3 years.

The end result was a clean sweep to Olympia, who won both games by 1 run.

The season’s Rookie Award went to 28 y/o Canon City RHP Sam ‘Cappy’ O’Connor (9-5, 2.70 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 1.10 WHIP). O’Connor had played the last 4 seasons for Kalgoorlie in the ABC, jumping almost immediately across to the NABA at the conclusion of the 2061 season.

The Yosemite Award went to 37 y/o Elliot Devereux (10-2, 2.62 ERA, 2.54 FIP, 1.22 WHIP). Devereux was in his 4th NABA season, having featured in Newcastle’s bullpen from 2048-2057. In 2060, while playing for Memphis, he led the league in losses.

29 y/o Warwick catcher Arthur Middleton (.293/.418/.557, 17HR) put together a strong season and captured the Grand Canyon Award. This was Middleton’s 5th season in the Upper Americas, on his 4th different team. Middleton only made it to A-ball in the AUNZBL, but wasn’t ruling out a return. “Yeah, I’d like to crack the majors,” he said. “What player doesn’t? And I’ll be honest, I felt a little hard done by when Kununurra let me go and nobody else wanted me at their club. I felt I’d done enough to be offered an extension, or at least for another organization to pick me up. It was only A-ball, but I hit 21 homers and something like .280. But I’m better for playing overseas, I think. I know how to scrap and hustle and if I get another chance I’ll take it with both hands.” Middleton had gone undrafted in 2052, but then signed with Kununurra’s rookie league team. He wasn’t a great defensive catcher, and while he had some pop and could work the count, Kununurra let him go to free agency after the 2057 season.

Other Notes

Heading into the new season, the Diggers posted the biggest WAR loss, with a -8.6 mark. Wellington, who were 16.2 WAR down at the beginning of free agency, had added half that amount back, to have ‘only’ an 8.0 WAR loss. Adelaide, due to their trade of Meenakshi, lost -7.0 WAR.

Melbourne had the greatest gains, adding an overall +6.8 WAR to their roster. Central Coast were next best, at +4.0.

Izz · 05-03-2017, 06:40 PM

2062 Preseason Predictions

Coastal: Adelaide and Cairns would duke it out, the Venom picked to pip their rivals at the post for the division crown. Perth and Darwin would both be awful.

East-West: Another tight race, with Kununurra to edge out Central Coast by a couple games. Newcastle and Brisbane would both fail to play .500 ball.

NZ: Christchurch to win a race with the Sluggers by 3 games, Whangarei to make good on the performances they’d been threatening to put up the last few seasons. Auckland and Wellington would both stink up the joint.

Southern: All the division races were going to be close this season, according to the experts. Here Sydney would prevail over Hobart by a handful of games, while Melbourne would once again fail to live up to the hype and Canberra would be terrible.

Wildcard: Central Coast and Cairns, comfortably.

Jorge Diaz Award: New faces would adorn the podium this season, with 24 y/o Brisbane 1B Norm Blume the preseason favourite. Canberra’s Neil Bellett would give him a run for his money, and Auckland’s Andre Wiltshire would also be in the mix. Richard Moore, Gary Young and Vern Bull would also have strong seasons but ultimately miss out.

Hurler of the Year: John Zglinicki to go back-to-back, with Victor Doubleday hot on his heels. Matt Juhl would have an excellent season and Barry Dean couldn’t be counted out, with the pundits picking him to strike out more than 250 hitters this season.

ABC: Alice Springs, Melbourne Victory, Kalgoorlie Gold Rush, Port Moresby Kumuls were the 4 teams picked to make the ABC postseason, and the Overseas Division would be the most hotly contested, with only 4 games separating 1st and 3rd. Gavin Howell and Si-xun Qiao were the hot tips for Golden Bat, while Satya Susanti and Canberra’s NABA import J.R. Evans would joust for Golden Arm. The Hobart Hammerheads were picked to hit only 55 homers all season.

Izz · 05-07-2017, 07:58 PM

2062/2063 Season - October

Notable Performances

1 Oct: Christchurch DH Simon Morrow slugged 2 homers in the Cowboys’ 6-5 extra-innings win over Brisbane, earning top accolade in OotPB TV’s daily ‘Best Performances’ segment. The next morning, however, he found himself on a bus back to AAA-affiliate Balclutha Spiders. “Baseball’s weird,” was all he had to say when cornered by an intrepid journalist. Morrow longest stint in the majors had been his rookie year, 2059, where he hit .226/.297/.363, with 14HR, in 499PA.

2 Oct: 27 y/o Roy Blake was a decent pitcher who threw 3 different fastballs and a changeup. Across 2058-2059 he’d thrown well for Kununurra before being traded to Brisbane, where he’d not fared so well, losing 18 games last season (his FIP was a whole run lower than his ERA, highlighting the defensive woes that Brisbane had). He started 2062 off on the right foot, however, taking a perfect game into the bottom of the 6th before giving up a 2-out walk. He carried the no-hitter into the 8th, Cain Hayes breaking it up with a 2-out single. He conceded another single in the 9th but that was all she wrote, Brisbane gliding to a 3-0 win. Blake struck out 4 for a game score of 86. Brisbane didn’t score the game-clinching runs until the top of the 9th, when they took to a tiring Dan Pankhurst, who also threw a complete game but wouldn’t have felt nearly as happy about it as Blake.

2 Oct: Kununurra and Sydney jousted for 10 scoreless innings before the Pioneers hit three 2-out singles to score what would prove to be the winner. Blair Norris didn’t get the win for Kununurra, but he did throw 9 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 2. Closer Allen Jiang, who’d lost the game the previous night, took home the W. Norris, who had been known to give his teammates a public spray on occasion, shook his head when interviewed in the lockers after the game. “Some run support would’ve been nice,” he muttered. “Yeah, we won, but a shutout is way sexier than just being the guy who kept the team in it long enough to find a winner.”

4 Oct: Central Coast thumped Hobart 13-3. Justin Auger went 4-5 for the winners, hitting a Grand Slam in the 7th. The massive 441-foot effort was also the 400th round-tripper of Auger’s career. Now 36 y/o, Auger noted it was unlikely he’d make it to 500 home runs, but said he’d “give it his best shot.”

5 Oct: 25 y/o Rory ‘Super’ Karsumaatmaja certainly lived up to his nickname today. The RHP got his 1st ever major-league start, turning out for Sydney against Kununurra. He struggled at times to find the plate, walking 6, but the Pioneer hitters couldn’t find grass, the Blue Sox outfielders showing good range to snare several flies near the fence. Heading into the top of the 9th, no Kununurra batter had recorded a hit. Karsumaatmaja struck out Bob Lindner, the 1st opponent of the inning. Next up Ramon Martinez flied to out right-centre. John Foreman walked. And then Al Ayliffe struck out swinging. No-hitter!!!! Karsumaatmaja struck out 7 and threw 122 pitches, and said afterwards, “I honestly had no idea. With the amount of walks I’d given up I kinda figured one of them was a hit. But hey, I think I might retire now. Probably can’t get better than this.” This was the 1st no-hitter since Cameron Worsfold’s postseason effort in 2056 and the 1st regular season no-hitter since 2055.

8 Oct: Ismael Aguirre was cutting a distinctively aging figure on the field in 2062. The 38 y/o showed he still had some pop left today, though, going 3-3 in Hobart’s 5-4 loss to Newcastle, including 2 solo HRs, 1 in the 3rd and the other in the 6th, one of 3 dingers in the inning. Those 2 blows gave Aguirre 692 career home runs.

9 Oct: Glen Donovan took home the season’s 1st PotW award. The Crocs’ 1B hit .444/.500/.926 over the last 7 days, his 12-17 including 1 double and 4HR.

11 Oct: After losing his 1st two starts of the year, ‘Mr. Dependable,’ John Zglinicki, was back to his usual high standards, restricting Canberra to just 2 hits and a walk, striking out 5, in helping Central Coast to an 8-0 win. The shutout was the 7th of Zglinicki’s big-league career. The 2 hits and walk he allowed came from the first 3 hitters he faced, after which he was lights out, retiring the next 26 hitters of the game (he got a double-play to end the 1st).

12 Oct: Auckland, tipped to be competing for the league’s worst record preseason, had started their campaign off hot. After losing their first 2, they’d now won 10 straight, getting to that mark with a tense 1-0 victory over Sydney. They scored the only run of the game in the top of the 1st and managed to hold Sydney scoreless for the following 9 innings. Sydney would break the streak the following night with a 7-2 victory.

16 Oct: Richard Moore turned 30 y/o the day before the season began, and while entering his 8th year in the majors certainly made him a veteran, it felt like he’d been around for longer than that. The Adelaide lynchpin took home PotW with an impressive .560/.593/.880 stat-line, 2 doubles and 2HR included in his 14 hits.

16 Oct: It took 16 innings to separate Hobart and Kununurra, the Prospects finally getting the win via a solo walk-off HR to 27 y/o rookie 2B Ethan Rafferty. The final score was 4-3.

18 Oct: In his 1st start of the year, Blair Norris had thrown 9 scoreless innings but missed out on a shutout as Kununurra needed extra-time to win it. Today against Hobart, Norris went 9 again, but this time there was no need for extra innings. Kununurra cruised to a 4-0 win, Norris conceding just 4 hits and 1 walk while fanning 9.

19 Oct: Brisbane went bonza against Perth, crushing them 22-5. DH Glen Casey had a night to remember, going 5-6, and Arturo Medina equalled a league record set in 2044, scoring 6 runs in a 4-5 night. 2 of those runs came via the longball, and he also hit a double and collected 3 ribbies. All in all, Brisbane managed 27 hits and 5 walks, with 7 hitters recording 3 or more hits for the night.

20 Oct: Ed Geoghegan had struggled mightily to start the season, hitting .161 before Darwin’s clash with Whangarei. While a 1-4 effort in a 4-2 loss was nothing to write home about, that 1 hit was a solo HR in the 9th. In turn, that HR was the 400th of Geoghegan’s 14+ year career. Geoghegan was 37 y/o but hoped he had a “couple more years left in the big-time."

20 Oct: Perth got revenge for their shellacking yesterday, but did so against Auckland, bullying the Metros 21-1. 3 batters got 4 hits, and Barry Dean had more than enough run support to record his 3rd win of the season. He threw 7.1 innings for 5 hits, 1 walks and 1 earned run, as well as striking out 8. He led the league in strikeouts, with 38, in FIP, with 1.87, in IP, with 36.2, and in WAR, with 1.7. He’d also started 5 games, currently 1 more than any other pitcher.

22 Oct: Newcastle were down near the bottom of most league-tracked stats. They were also losing a lot, today dropping their 10th in a row, Central Coast giving them a 13-3 hiding. Next day, they’d bounce back, pounding the Thunder 8-1.

23 Oct: 2059 #1 overall pick Domenic Cook had spent the last 2 seasons looking overmatched against big-league pitching, only hitting .201/.282/.299 in 405PA last season. The 26 y/o appeared to have finally grown into his potential in 2062, however, as was evidenced by his .448/.500/1.103 week. He won PotW, hitting a mammoth 6 dingers in the process.

24 Oct: Canberra were socking it to all-comers, today winning their 10th in a row with a 5-4 victory over Kununurra in the 1st game of a 4-game set. 5 of their 10 wins had been by a solitary run. The Pioneers would bust out to halt the march the following day, crushing the Cavalry 15-6.

30 Oct: Damian Krajancic took home PotW. The journeyman RF, playing for Christchurch this season, his 5th team in 5 years, hit .462/.444/1.077, with 4 doubles and 4HR dominating his 12 hits.

Notable Injuries

7 Oct: 24 y/o Whangarei 2B Greg Kent (.294/.368/.529, 1HR), who could field basically every position bar catcher with a high level of expertise, would miss the next 3-4 weeks with a herniated disc in his back.

10 Oct: The Prospects would have to do without Adrian Stuart (.333/.357/.333, 0HR) for the next month or so while he recuperated a sprained elbow.

18 Oct: Lance Fookes (.229/.267/.471, 4HR) would be missing from Christchurch’s lineup for some time as he dealt with a chronically sore back.

23 Oct: Luis Cesta (.258/.289/.473, 6HR) could face up to a month on the DL with a quad strain.

24 Oct: Canberra, another unfancied team currently at the top of their division, had been seeing some good performances from 24 y/o Norman Blume (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 0.92 WHIP). Sadly, on the 21st Blume left the game injured and today the news was in: he needed a Tommy John and would likely be out of action for more than a year. Norman Blume was not to be confused with Norm Blume, the Brisbane 1B who led the league in RBI in 2061.

24 Oct: 22 y/o Cain Walley (.292/.364/.438, 1HR) looked set for a fruitful career. Darwin had called him up from AA in 2061 and he’d won the everyday CF role after a strong spring this season. He’d have to cool his heels for a little while now, though, with news that he’d fractured his hand after not dropping his wrists fast enough on an inside pitch. 6 weeks, at least, recovery time beckoned.

26 Oct: Tristan Agar (2-3, 3.75 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) and the Sluggers were dealt a blow, Agar set to miss nearly a year with a torn labrum.

26 Oct: Larry Booth (.354/.435/.394, 0HR), the league leader in steals with 13, had recurring back spasms. Nobody was quite sure of a return date, though the team trainer ventured a guess at “5-6 weeks, maybe. Hard to tell with this type of intermittent issue.”

31 Oct: 2061’s Rookie of the Year, Rodney Ellison (.247/.343/.333, 2HR), had a strained hammy and was expected to be on the DL for 5 weeks.

Notable Trades/Signings

6 Oct: 27 y/o Brent Dwyer (.412/.500/.824, 2HR in 2062, .252/.318/.437, 118HR career) inked his agreement to a 3-year extension with Cairns. Dwyer, a competent corner outfielder who typically chipped in with 25HR a year, would’ve been a free agent at season’s end.

6 Oct: 30 y/o Achaius Muljana (.326/.389/.525, 100HR) finally signed, agreeing to a 1-year deal with the Perth Sharks in the ABC. The 2060 and 2061 ABC Batting Champion was disappointed not to have cracked the AUNZBL, but said, “I’ll just have to put up good numbers again this season and force my way in.”

9 Oct: 24 y/o Gordon Ladds (.375/.423/.583, 1HR in 2062, .292/.396/.453, 41HR career) wasn’t the same force in the field as he had been during his rookie 2060 season. Still, he was now the guy Hobart built their offense around, and the Prospects were keen for him to stay in their uniform for a while yet. To that end they and he agreed to a 7-year extension which would buy out his remaining arbitration years and potentially keep him a Prospect for the 1st 4 years of his free agency.

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 26 y/o Baryai Venugopalan was Canberra’s everyday DH this season, and Cavalry management had plenty of confidence in the 6’0”, 104kg Wellington-born lad, having traded the guys ahead of him last year to make sure he had an open path to the role. He didn’t disappoint in October, hitting .293/.326/.472, 36-123, with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5HR, 17 runs, 14RBI, and 6 walks.

Hurler of the Month: 24 y/o Song Liang was one of a bunch of Metros firing on all cylinders to begin the season. Highly rated by all who watched him, Liang’s 2 previous seasons in the rotation had been poor, both because of the bad team surrounding him and the fact he’d been forced to hone his craft in the offensive cauldron that was the AUNZBL. In October he looked like an ace, however, going 5-1 from 6 starts, with a 1.98 ERA, 3.50 FIP, and 0.93 WHIP. He fanned 33 in 41 innings and led the league outright in wins.

Slugger of the Month: Rich Downes had been unlucky not to win RotY in 2060, and while last season had seen a dip in his production, he looked unstoppable to begin 2061. The Metros 1B hit .351/.387/.702 on his way to SotM, his 40-114 including 11 doubles, 1 triple and 9 home runs. He also scored 29 runs, drove in 32 runners, while walking 7 times. Surprisingly, he only led the league in 2 categories, extra-base hits (21), and total bases (80). At 26 years of age he rounded out a trio of young award winners, which excited the analysts and experts who were of the opinion this season ‘would establish a whole crop of new superstars - the guys whose careers you’ll be following closely for the next decade.’

Media Watch

Ismael Aguirre: While Marcos Lopez (.265/.328/.496, 7HR), 38 y/o like Aguirre, was giving the Blue Sox value, Aguirre was not doing much for the Prospects. He hit .222/.272/.342 during the month, his 2HR coming in 1 game. He still had some extra-base pop, hitting 8 doubles, but with an OPS+ of 60 he was certainly not helping lift a Hobart team who were dead last in plenty of offensive categories. He still needed 8HRs to reach 700, and even he admitted that “seems a long way off.” If he scored 38 more runs he’d be the 1st ever AUNZBL player to score 2000. He needed 34 more hits to get to 3700.

Lance Ralston: Ralston was still at least 2 months away from playing and 9 wins away from 200. In a candid interview with OotPB TV, Ralston admitted he might not reach that magic figure and if he did he’d have to do so with his off-speed stuff as his arm was “pretty buggered.”

Other Notes

Coastal Division: Cairns finished October on a 5-game tear, winning 21 in the month, to lead Adelaide by 2 and Darwin by 6. Perth were 9 behind, sputtering along like an overheating cartoon car.

East-West Division: Central Coast got off to a strong start, ahead of Kununurra by 3 and Brisbane by 4 heading into November. The Roos, at 11-18, didn’t have much bounce.

NZ Division: The surprise packet of the season so far, the Metros were tied for the 2nd-best record in the league and had a 4-game lead over their division rivals. Whangarei were the closest chaser, while Christchurch and Wellington were staggering along at the tail end of the division.

Southern Division: Canberra and Sydney were tied at the top, both 1 game over .500, while Hobart and Melbourne were tied at the bottom with the worst records in the league.

#

James Bacosa (.423/.444/.685, 6HR) was the only qualified hitter currently above .400. As well as leading the league in BA, the 26 y/o Slugger also topped the hits board, with 47, and the wOBA chart, with a .480 mark.

Canberra’s Neil Bellett (.343/.437/.706, 11HR) sat astride the HR, SLG, OPS, runs (30), ISO (.363), and WAR (2.1) boards. Bellett was either a singles or HR hitter, having hit just 4 doubles to go with his 11HR (from 35 hits) so far. He did have a very good eye, though, and was on track to walk 100 times for the season.

Ronald Aitken (.347/.500/.574, 5HR) led all-comers in OBP and walks (31). His skipper, Carlos Sosa, had only one complaint about his mild-mannered DH: “He’s just too modest. The man needs some swagger. He swaggers just a little bit more and he’d have cleared the fence another dozen times last season.” Aitken hit 26 homers in 2061, to go with a league-leading 54 doubles.

Bruno Budd (4-1, 1 sv, 1.91 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 0.85 WHIP) had been shifted into Adelaide’s bullpen after a complete game win on the 17th and had already made 5 appearances for 1 win, 1 loss and 1 save. While he’d surely fail to meet the qualifying criteria over the next month, he currently did and stood atop the ERA and WHIP boards.

Barry Dean (4-1, 3.78 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) got touched up in his last start, but still managed to lead the league in strikeouts (52), innings pitched (50.0), and WAR (1.8). He’d also started a league-leading 7 games, tied with 2 other players.

Christchurch’s Jeremy Hofmann (2-2, 3.63 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 1.33 WHIP) led the league in FIP.

Victor Doubleday (3-1, 3.89 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.03 WHIP) had the best K/9 mark, his 44 strikeouts coming at a rate of 10.7 every 9 innings.

Wellington’s Alejandro Valentin (4-1, 4.11 ERA, 4.44 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) had walked only 2 hitters in 35.0 innings while striking out 30, giving him a league-leading 15.00 K/BB rate and a 0.51 BB/9 mark.

Rod Bacon of the Diggers and Moeaktola Liao of the Metros were tied for the most saves, with 10 each.

ABC Wrap-up

Neither the Alice Springs Opals or the Jakarta Stars players seemed too bothered by the talk going on that the AUNZBL might be trying to tempt their organizations across the divide. Both teams led their divisions, the Opals ahead of Brisbane in the Northern by 1 game, and Jakarta winning 21 in October to lead the Overseas by 4.

Canberra and Melbourne were tied atop the Southern, with Sydney 2 games in arrears. Nobody in the Western was playing above .500, with Broome (13-18) the best of a bad bunch, ahead of Perth by 2. Even with the season just 1 month old, there was talk amongst ABC supporters of changing the playoff structure, with a lot of that carrying over from Sydney missing out last season despite winning 100 games.

36 y/o Julian Ramos (.363/.467/.657, 4HR) started his career in the BL as their #1 overall draft pick in 2047. In 2051 he’d migrated to the AUNZBL and played a platoon role for 2 teams across 2052-2056 before sinking back to the minors. The Metros had used him as a big-league bench bat/late-inning defensive sub in 2059 but he’d played all of 2060 in AAA. He’d then headed back to the BL for a season before his contract was purchased by Alice Springs. Ramos had already paid back their confidence in spades, leading the league in OBP, OPS, wOBA (.486), doubles (18), XBH (22), and WAR (2.3). For his efforts, he took out the monthly Golden Rookie Award and the Golden Bat Award.

Ex-AUNZBLer Caspar Green had been good without being great for the Broncos last season. He was sensational through October though, going 6-0 from 6 starts, his ERA 0.63, his FIP 2.39, and his WHIP 1.08. He struck out 43 in 42.2 innings and had an ERA+ of 645. Unsurprisingly, he won the month’s Golden Arm Award.

AUNZBL Standings, Nov 1

Izz · 05-10-2017, 12:28 AM

Narrator's Note

I'm sure you've noticed that the time between updates on this historical record have been lengthening. Why so? Let me explain.

First, I'm no longer monitoring emergency signals from the Belt. I thought there was an overkill of tedium while 'dump trucking,' but that was nothing compared to this job. At least onboard a ship when I needed a break from writing and researching I could go and do some maintenance, or run some piloting scenarios, or fill out some gaps in the Belt maps. Here, while I was only pulling 12-hour shifts, there was absolutely nothing to fill my time when I needed a rest from baseball history. And the kicker was, after 12 hours sitting at a monitor, waiting for emergency calls that never came (well, I got 1 in my 4 months at the job, so that was something at least - though due to distance and positioning, nobody was able to get to the distressed ship in time), I'd leave absolutely exhausted from doing not much and head straight to sleep.

Already introverted thanks to 3 years alone chasing space-garbage, I was at risk of becoming a complete hermit who could only communicate in hisses and growls. So I did what I had to do: I handed in my notice and went looking for work that would force me to interact with other people.

Thankfully, there's no shortage of demand for experienced spacers, especially so ones who've manned solitary craft. Jack of all trades, I am, apparently, as well as someone who survived a ship malfunction with both wits and body intact.

Long story short, I'm now gainfully employed on the crew of a hauler, pulling backup to everybody. That means I'm a busy body, though there are also considerable periods of down-time when we're just pointed at a destination and burning hydrogen. I share a cabin - bunk beds, just like when I was a kid Earth-side - but I do have access to the Nets, and can still trawl baseball history when I've the time and inclination.

But while the updates might've slowed down, and will continue to come through so for the foreseeable future, they will not stop. I've started this thing and I want to finish it, not just because unfinished projects frustrate me, but because this is a labour of love.

And while I'm not at liberty to divulge the clients, cargo or destinations of our ship, or the identities of any of our crew members (that latter is an unwritten rule but a wise one to adhere to), I will say some of the work so far has certainly been interesting. And I've only been on the job a few weeks!

Enough about that. Back to the baseball!

Izz · 05-16-2017, 09:32 PM

2062/2063 Season - November

Notable Performances

5 Nov: 41 y/o Jayden Pye was the oldest player in the majors and in a renaissance of sorts, having started 28 of Wellington’s 34 games so far. He really shone in today’s game against Adelaide, going 5-7 in the 15-inning 4-3 loss. His solo HR in the 9th tied the game up but he and his teammates weren’t able to get it done, Adelaide hustling home the winning run in the top of the 15th. Pye got his 5th hit of the night in the bottom of the inning via a 2-out single, but was left stranded. This was the 1st time in Pye’s 16+ year career in the majors that he’d successfully hit 5 times in a game, and no records could be immediately found of a player his age doing so. “Yeah,” he said, scratching his head, “it sure is nice, and I guess it shows that if you plug away and keep working at your game you can still have moments like these, even when you've got a zimmer-frame.”

5 Nov: Hobart went down 3-2 to Melbourne, managing just 5 hits. One of those hits came in the 2nd, off Aguirre’s bat. He jumped on a first-pitch fastball and deposited it over the left-centre fence for his 3rd HR of the season. Just 7 more to 700!

6 Nov: Sebastian Horton seemed to be adjusting to the AUNZBL. He picked up PotW with a .370/.452/.852 effort, including 4 homers.

6 Nov: Carlos Aguilar had spent most of last season injured but was looking back in fine fettle this year. Today he took it to his former club, the Perth Heat, going 5-8 in Wellington’s 12-8 victory. The win came in 13 innings. All of Aguilar’s hits were singles and this was the 4th time he’d put together a 5-hit game in the majors.

6 Nov: Arthur Hammer put together the 7th shutout of his career, blanking Whangarei on the back of 4 hits and no walks. Impressively, he struck out 11, his first 10+ strikeout game since the beginning of the 2058 season. Adelaide cruised to a 6-0 victory. Hammer was yet to be defeated this season, with a 4-0 record from 8 starts.

11 Nov: Hobart found some offense but lacked defense, sinking 9-8 to Sydney. Aguirre bludgeoned his 4th dinger of the season in the 8th, a 438-foot effort, in a 2-4 night. 694 career home runs!

12 Nov: Christchurch’s Edward Vance didn’t throw with particular virulence but he mixed his pitches up well and got them to drop like fruit from a tree when he was on. Today was an ‘on’ day, Cairns managing just 3 hits and 3 walks as Vance whizzed his way to a 7-0 shutout. He struck out 2 and got 16 flyball outs.

13 Nov: Canberra SS Nathaniel Bowden hit .464/.500/.857, his 13-28 full of 5 doubles and 2HR, on his way to PotW.

14 Nov: Plenty of teams were streaky in 2062. Sydney joined the streak club, on the plus side, winning their 10th in a row against the hapless Prospects by the score of 2-1. Rowan Reardon’s walk-off triple in the bottom of the 9th drove home the winner. This was only Reardon’s 4th game back in the majors after recovering from a broken kneecap. Sydney’s tear would end the next day.

15 Nov: Hobart dropped their 7th straight, losing to Whangarei 5-4 in the opening game of their series. Aguirre couldn’t be faulted in the loss, however, driving in all of the Prospects’ runs in a 2-4 outing. What was more, both his hits were of the fence-clearing variety. His 1st homer of the night came in the 2nd over leftfield and his 2nd came in the bottom of the 9th, a booming linedrive that hit the leftfield upper deck. Just 4 more to go!

15 Nov: In the ABC, Si-xun Qiao was setting a torrid home run pace. He homered in his 5th straight game today, equalling the ABC record. That dinger was his 20th of the season, putting him on track to smash 75. He was only 4 ahead of the pack however, with Gavin Howell chasing hard on 16, and 26 y/o Vern Whiskin, who cracked 43 in 2061, on 14. League ERA was at an unprecedented 4.14, with league average at .263. Last season had seen new records set in both columns, with a final ERA of 3.80 and BA of .259.

18 Nov: Christchurch might’ve lost 10-9 to Canberra in a rock ‘em sock ‘em affair, but Kelvin Pickhills could still hold his head high. Hitting clean-up he had a 5-5 night, blasting a 3-run HR in the 5th as part of 5RBI.

18 Nov: Sydney and Cairns exchanged noughts across 8 innings, Blue Sox starter Cody Watts conceding just 4 hits heading into the bottom of the 9th. The first 2 outs were flyballs, Watts having thrown 109 pitches and a bit down on velocity. Still, he wasn’t ready to come from the mound, he told reporters after the game, and backed himself to take this thing into extra innings. Ronald Aitken arrived at the plate and fought his way to a 2-2 count before sending the 8th pitch of the at-bat opposite field. It carried just over the glove of despairing leftfielder Martin Boston and into the stands for a walk-off home run. 1-0 Cairns, Aitken typically self-effacing post-match. “I think the breeze might’ve caught it a little bit. Any other day and ‘Dinky’ would’ve caught it at the warning track.” For the record, the wind was blowing in from centre at a healthy 14 km/h and Aitken’s winning blast was the only extra-base hit of the game.

20 Nov: Kelvin Pickhills took home PotW, hitting .464/.531/.857, 13-28, with 2 doubles, 3HR, and 11 ribbies.

20 Nov: ‘What on earth were Melbourne doing, continuing to put Angelo Spear on the mound start after start?’ Those were the sentiments of a great deal of the Aces’ fan-base, and certainly not unwarranted. 39 y/o Spear had trotted out to start 9 games in 2062, and so far was 0-5, with a 6.70 ERA, 6.55 FIP, and 1.62 WHIP. With a career ERA now over 4.00, there were even some beginning to wonder if the 221-game winner would deserve entry into the Hall post-retirement. With Dan Holz and Ethan Humphries on the DL for quite some time yet, Melbourne didn’t have a ton of options for the rotation, though rumour had it that Spear also had a clause in his contract guaranteeing that he be a starting pitcher.

Whatever the case, Spear had looked pretty awful since coming to Melbourne in 2060, and while being in a hitter’s park didn’t help, age was the real contributing factor.

It seemed Spear had realized that, for today he fronted media to announce he’d retire at the end of the season. “I’ve tried to ignore the signs because acknowledging them means I’ll have to stop playing the game I love, but it’s getting to the point now where I can see I have no choice. It’s amazing, really, that I’ve lasted as long as I have with all the shoulder injuries I’ve suffered. But you know what, I’d do it all again tomorrow. I’ve been part of 4 Championship-winning teams, won the most games of any pitcher in history, been to 8 All Star Games, and won a Hurler of the Year. That’s a pretty complete career, if I do say so myself. Now I just want to put together some good performances for the fans so I can end this thing on a high.”

20 Nov: Hobart and Perth took 4 hours and 45 minutes to complete their game, Perth eventually scraping home the winner in the bottom of the 16th for a 3-2 victory. Beau Paterson, starting only his 5th big-league game of the season, hit the walk-off single, going 2-7 on the night. Hobart held the lead from the 2nd until the 8th before Fei-hsien Chang levelled things up with a solo HR. All up, the Prospects used 8 pitchers, the Heat ‘just’ 6, Cameron Worsfold throwing 4.2 innings of hitless relief. Aguirre went 1-5, with 2 walks, for the losers.

22 Nov: Jai Rowe, who one commentator ungraciously declared had a “face like an evil log,” was the starring turn in Canberra’s 10-8 disposal of division rivals Sydney. He went 5-5, with 2 doubles, the 2nd time he’d posted 5 hits in the majors, and the 4th time in his pro career.

26 Nov: Adelaide made it tense, scoring 2 in the bottom of the 9th via a 2-out Richard Moore single to pull within 1, but couldn’t sneak the win, Hobart prevailing 10-9. Aguirre had 3 of the Prospects’ 15 hits, and his 3-run HR in the 5th was 1 of 4 team dingers. 697 career homers!

27 Nov: 24 y/o Noel Dickson was a defensive wizard, able to play any infield position with aplomb. He’d even filled in for 4 innings at CF for the Aces this season, pulling off a couple diving catches in the process. But it was his offense that had caught the eye over the past week, his .600/.619/.850 stat-line landing him PotW.

27 Nov: Song Liang just couldn’t lose. Riding the tsunami that were the Metros, he today threw 7.0 innings for 8 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 1 walk and 7 strikeouts to lead Auckland to a 7-2 win over Brisbane. That win was his 10th of the season, 3 more than any other pitcher, and his 10th without conceding a loss. He had an 11-game undefeated streak going. Teammate Rich Downes went 2-4 to nudge his BA back above .400, to .401. He’d first hit the .400 mark on the 14th, then dropped into the .390s until the 18th, and in the 8 games since then had pushed as high as .404 and dropped as low as .396.

27 Nov: Hobart were in the middle of a mini-resurgence, winning their 3rd in a row by defeating the vaunted Venom 14-9 in 10 innings. It was a come-from-behind victory. They scored 2 in the 9th to go ahead, but Adelaide equalized in the bottom of the inning. They then piled on 5 in the 10th to put the game to bed. Ignacio Maldonado led from the top, going 5-7. Aguirre also played a starring turn, his 2-4 driving in 4 runners. In the 10th he blasted a 2-run homer over left to put Hobart back in front. He needed just 2 more four-baggers now to get to 700, and only 6 more hits to reach 3700.

28 Nov: Perth and Canberra duked it out for 10 innings, with the Heat claiming a 16-15 walk-off victory. Both teams made 4 errors, while Canberra claimed 20 hits to Perth’s 17. The Cavalry pitchers (6 of them) gave up 7 walks, while the 5 used by Perth allowed 9. Of the 18 starting hitters, 6 recorded 3 or more hits, Baryai Venugopalan notching up 4-6, with 2HR and 5RBI. Perth skipper Jose Mendez was happy to take the win, but admitted the game “was a black mark in the book of defence.” He continued, “Really, it was a farce out there. A Greek baseball tragedy maybe. It was like everybody was wearing somebody else’s gloves or something.”

29 Nov: Malcolm Pickhills was creating craters in the bleachers. He went the distance in the 6th inning of Adelaide’s 7-2 win over Auckland with a 3-run blast, his 6th HR in the past 4 games. He’d go hitless the following night to end the streak.

Notable Injuries

1 Nov: Brock Lawless (1-5, 7.96 ERA, 6.35 FIP, 1.58 WHIP) would have around a month to reflect on why he’d started off the season throwing so badly. The Prospects’ ace had a strained oblique.

4 Nov: Perth catcher Tadakuni Sasaki (.284/.366/.580, 6HR) would be gone 2-3 months with a broken hand.

4 Nov: 2061’s #1 overall draft pick, Axel Zhou (.259/.344/.424, 2HR), who’d got his major-league debut in March last year and looked to be making a decent fist of things so far at CF for the Metros, had a very early end to his season. He had a broken bone in his elbow, and it would be at least 6 months before he could swing a bat in a game-day situation.

7 Nov: Hal Boxsell (.285/.343/.454, 4HR) faced a long haul of rest and recovery. He had a torn PCL and certainly wouldn’t be returning this season.

7 Nov: Kununurra closer Allen Jiang (4-1, 3 sv, 0.66 ERA, 1.78 FIP, 0.73 WHIP) would be on the DL at least 2 months with a strained hammy. “A big blow,” his skipper said. “He’s been in the form of his life so far this season.”

9 Nov: Cowboys’ LF Bryan McMullen (.289/.317/.463, 4HR) had an oblique strain that was expected to keep him out of the lineup for around 6 weeks.

9 Nov: Robin Seyler (.342/.436/.482, 4HR) had been punching way above his weight so far for Brisbane. He’d have to hope the hot streak continued after his return from an oblique strain. Medical staff figured he’d need about a month on the DL.

17 Nov: Melbourne would sorely miss Ethan Humphries (3-1, 3.29 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.13 WHIP) while he recovered from an inflamed shoulder. He wouldn’t likely be back until the end of February.

23 Nov: Announcing his retirement seemed to have rejuvenated Spear, who turned back the clock yesterday for Melbourne against Newcastle. After 5.1 innings he’d conceded just 3 hits, 2 walks and, more importantly, no runs, while striking out 2. Then... tragedy. He came from the mound clutching his elbow and this morning the verdict arrived: a strain, probably a minimum of 3 months on the DL. “At least I got the W,” he said later, putting on a brave face, “but I was hoping for a longer retirement lap, if I can be honest about it.” The Aces romped to an 11-0 win.

23 Nov: Wayne Roneberg (.333/.413/.517, 4HR) had a fractured hand. 7 weeks, minimum, before the Thunder LF would be back in action.

26 Nov: At only 31 y/o, Peter Moy (.292/.369/.396, 1HR) had a career injury tally longer than his arm. This time it was a partially torn labrum, which Fury medical staff figured would keep him sidelined for around 5 weeks.

29 Nov: Ignacio Maldonado (.222/.279/.338, 4HR) liked to crowd the plate and sometimes wore one for his efforts. Usually he’d grimace and dust himself off and head to 1B. Not today, however. Today he left the field clutching his thumb and quickly learned it was fractured. 4 weeks on the DL for Maldonado!

Notable Trades/Signings

10 Nov: Christchurch moved to buy out the remainder of 24 y/o Seinosuke Nakashima’s (.290/.377/.398, 1HR) arbitration, giving him a 3-year contract.

12 Nov: League heavyweights Adelaide and Central Coast engaged in a trade, the Venom sending 27 y/o Miguel Ibanez (.236/.305/.466, 8HR) to Thunder-town in exchange for 27 y/o reliever Phillip Hammond (0-1, 6.00 ERA) and gun 22 y/o pitching prospect Mei-shan Jiang.

22 Nov: It was certainly a trade 36 y/o Rowan Reardon (.262/.340/.429, 1HR in 47PA upon return from injury) didn’t expect. But unexpected or not, ‘Beast’ needed to pack his bags because the Blue Sox had just sent him to Christchurch in return for 31 y/o backup catcher Jose Ojeda (.207/.258/.207, 0HR from 32PA). Ojeda, a good defensive catcher with some power but a pretty poor swing otherwise, was going to be Sydney’s everyday catcher for the near future, with Patrick Wigmore (.215/.313/.326, 3HR) losing favour and getting demoted to AAA, and Tyler Pratly (.289/.327/.467, 2HR from 49PA) regarded as a decent bench bat but no longer with the physical attributes to play catcher every day. The Cowboys would plunk Reardon into the middle of their lineup. He was remarkably philosophical about the move: “Hey, at least I’m still getting paid. There was lots of times in the semi-pros when a team would just die with no warning and all us guys would spend the next week sitting in the pub hoping someone would buy us drinks. That sucked, let me tell you!”

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 30 y/o Sebastian Horton got off to a slow start in October, but looked good and comfortable at the plate during November. He hit .340/.391/.642, 36-106, scoring 19 runs, hitting 5 doubles and 9 homers, driving in 24 runners, walking 9 times, and stealing 2 bases.

Hurler of the Month: Two in a row for Song Liang. He started 6 games, won 5 and lost none, for a 1.64 ERA, 3.92 FIP, and 0.98 WHIP. He struck out 30 in 44.0 innings and while a fair few in the media felt the bubble had to burst sometime, Liang was full to the brim with confidence. “Amazing bunch of young lads we’ve got here,” he said upon hearing of his HotM win. “We’re all playing for each other and scrapping hard and getting it done. I really think we can go all the way this year.” For the season Liang was 10-1 with a 1.80 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 0.95 WHIP. He led the AUNZBL in ERA, wins, and WHIP.

Slugger of the Month: The way he was mashing pitching at the tail-end of November certainly helped Malcolm Pickhills take out SotM. He hit .304/.392/.725 for the month, his 31-102 including 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 12 bleacher bombs. He also scored 24 runs, drove in 32 runners, and walked 12 times. For the season Pickhills was hitting .268/.373/.571, his 17HRs giving him a share of a 4-way tie at the head of that race.

Media Watch

Ismael Aguirre: Perhaps the chill of the spring mornings in October had slowed Aguirre down some, because he looked much better in the warmer weather of November. Not vintage, of course, but certainly someone who could still ask questions of any pitcher he faced. He hit .290/.339/.523 during the month, accumulating 31 hits while stroking 6 home runs. 3 more hits and he’d have 3700, 2 more homers and he’d be at 700. He also scored 13 runs during November. Another 25 and he’d become the 1st AUNZBL player to touch home plate safely 2000 times.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: Adelaide (17-11) had caught up with Cairns (15-13) by month's end, both teams 9 games clear of 3rd-placed Darwin (12-16).

East-West Division: Central Coast (15-13) were cruising, 8 games ahead of Newcastle (14-14), while Kununurra (9-19) ended the month on a 6-game skid, 9 games behind the Thunder and 9 games below .500.

NZ Division: Auckland (17-11) continued the fairytale, though a 3-game losing streak to finish the month was a bit worrisome. Whangarei (13-15) dropped below .500 but still held 2nd spot, while Wellington (16-12) climbed into 3rd place, nipping at the Sluggers’ heels.

Southern Division: Canberra (16-12) and Sydney (16-12) still couldn’t be separated, with Melbourne (19-9) surging to within 2 games. Hobart (10-18) boasted the worst record in the league, at 20-37.

Wildcard: While this part of the postseason race wouldn’t get much attention until the tail end of December, either Adelaide or Cairns held 1 slot firmly in their grasp, while one of Canberra and Sydney had a 2-game buffer in the other slot. Melbourne were the team 2 games back, with Whangarei a further game in arrears.

#

Rich Downes (.395/.439/.677, 14HR) now dominated the leaderboards. He sat atop the BA, SLG, OPS, wOBA (.472), hits (88), total bases (151), and WAR (3.1) lists.

On the WAR board, he was ahead of Mitchell Cox (.368/.448/.574, 8HR) by a few decimal places.

The 3 players tied with Pickhills in the HR race were:

Justin Auger (.321/.419/.617, 17HR)
Neil Bellett (.290/.390/.580, 17HR)
Norm Blume (.346/.409/.649, 17HR)

Blume also topped the league in RBI (63), and XBH (35).

Bellett had scored 51 runs, 3 more than next-best Cox and Downes.

Yin-ti Zhuo (.302/.467/.459, 4HR) was relishing playing every day for Wellington after doing a lot of bench-warming in Perth. He led the league in OBP.

Ronald Aitken (.310/.455/.563, 12HR) had garnered the most walks, with 51 so far.

Teammate Stephane Lecomte (.302/.375/.374, 1HR) led the league in steals, with 20.

Cain Donaldson (.314/.408/.450, 2HR) was 2nd on the steals ladder (18), and also led the league in triples, having hit 6 to-date.

Norm Donaldson (.328/.417/.633, 14HR) had the best isolated power of any qualified hitter, with a mark of .306.

Barry Dean (7-3, 3.60 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) continued to lead the league in FIP, strikeouts (93), IP (95.0), games started (13), and WAR (2.9).

Victor Doubleday (6-4, 4.04 ERA, 3.40 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) was fanning hitters at a rate of 9.99 per 9 innings.

Christchurch’s Jeremy Hofmann (4-4, 3.84 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 1.43 WHIP) had only given up 1HR in 58.2 innings. Unsurprisingly, he led the league in HR/9 (0.15).

Austin Ya (6-3, 3.86 ERA, 5.24 FIP, 1.16 WHIP) was riding his luck to lead the league in H/9 (6.04), and OAVG (.190).

Moeaktola Liao had 18 saves, 1 more than any other closer.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane had overtaken the Opals at the top of the Northern, though with only a 1/2 game difference they might as well have been tied.

The Victory led the Highlife by 2 games in the Southern, with Canberra dropping off the pace slightly to be 3 games back.

Broome and Perth continued to be poor in the Western, both 7 games below .500. They were tied for the division lead, however, Kalgoorlie 2 1/2 games back.

Port Moresby had caught up to Jakarta, both teams at the top of the Overseas. Hamilton was 2 1/2 games back.

Si-xun Qiao (.295/.377/.652, 23HR) was still on pace for 60+ homers, ahead of Gavin Howell (.247/.343/.586, 19HR) by 4. He took out the monthly hitting award.

Marty Palmer (8-1, 2.33 ERA, 3.34 FIP, 1.02 WHIP) couldn’t believe how much better it was to be a pitcher in the ABC rather than the AUNZBL. “That lowered mound, wow,” he said. “It gives me the intimidation factor back.” He went 6-0 in November on his way to Golden Arm of the Month.

What of the rumours that had the AUNZBL trying to entice ABC teams to desert their brethren? They died down some during the month, but they refused to go away, with Port Moresby officials calling an unusual press conference on the 15th to “strongly deny” they’d received an approach from the AUNZBL, even though no media outlet had reported anything of the sort. The AUNZBL weren’t exactly denying things either, saying only that “factoring in the logistics of something like that would be quite an undertaking.” The ABC Commissioner would only say stonily when asked, “Contracts are contracts, and ours are ironclad and all of our member teams have signed them.” He wouldn't comment on how long these contracts were for, and no ABC team owner would do so either.

AUNZBL Standings, Dec 1

Izz · 05-22-2017, 01:58 AM

2062/2063 Season - December

2062 #1 Draft Pick

Canberra had this year’s #1 overall pick, and they went with 21 y/o RHP Brendan ‘Dragoon’ Penfold. Penfold had posted an 8-2 college record from 14 starts, and threw a sinker, split-fingered fastball, curve and regulation change. At only 6’0” he didn’t intimidate off the mound but he had potential to use his wiry frame to generate good pace and was already breaking bats. A smart kid, he also had a strong desire to win and would be a good clubhouse presence. The Cavalry slotted him straight into AA.

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

2061, Axel Zhou: Made his major-league debut in March last season. Named the #7 overall prospect in the league prior to the season commencing and after 2 games at AAA was called up to the bigs again, where he hit .259/.344/.424, with 2HR, in 96PA before suffering a season-ending broken elbow.

2060, Richard Page: Darwin’s bench catcher while they waited for him to mature into the power his 6’4” 104kg frame promised. Hitting .341/.431/.545, 2HR, from 52PA.

2059, Domenic Cook: Looked overmatched in 405 big-league PA in 2061, but not so this season. .260/.308/.516, with 17HR from 64 hits and 263PA. Doing a fine defensive job for the Bandits at SS too.

2058, Callum McCabe: Claimed off waivers by Auckland from Adelaide at the beginning of the 2061 season after the Venom tried to remove him from their 40-man due to what one analyst called a “combination of offseason over-recruitment and arrogance.” His OPS+ in 444 major-league PAs for the Metros that year was 77, but this season it was at 142, his WAR 2.3. So far he was hitting .342/.403/.536, with 8 dingers, from 248PA. He was doing a good job patrolling the LF corridors too, and according to most scouts still had plenty of growth in respect to both the contact and power aspects of his hitting game.

Notable Performances

2 Dec: Auckland dropped their 5th straight, Darwin scoring 3 in the 8th to run out 3-2 winners. Liang kept his win and undefeated streak alive, though, throwing 7 scoreless innings for only 3 hits. He struck out 4. His performance was good enough to be called 2nd-best of the day by OotPB TV, but the accolade surely would’ve felt much better if the box-score had a win next to his name.

3 Dec: Aguirre went hitless the 1st 2 games of the month, but cashed in today, his 3-6 a valuable contribution as Hobart opened up on all cylinders to beat Canberra 14-7. 2 of Aguirre’s hits were doubles, the 1st coming in a 10-run 5th-inning, the 2nd in the 7th. That was the 730th double of Aguirre’s career and his 3700th hit. Aguirre was 885 hits clear of the next-highest active player, 38 y/o Marcos Lopez (2815). Regarding the gap between 1st and 2nd on the hits board, Aguirre had now surpassed Alastair Mildren by 478 hits. Aguirre was also the active career leader in sacrifice flies, with 111.

4 Dec: John Foreman slugged pitchers around to the tune of .524/.600/1.286 over the last week to win the weekly award. His 11 hits included 4 doubles and 4HR.

5 Dec: Umashankar Meenakshi put up a good showing for Cairns against former team Adelaide, throwing 7 innings for just 1 earned run - if only the rest of his season to-date had been as miserly - and when he left the mound the score was locked 1-1. It was still the same heading into the bottom of the 9th. Sterling Boston walked the first 2 hitters before getting the first out of the inning. Keiran Cooper was intentionally walked and the bases were jammed. Tomas Zartuche struck out flailing, and Boston was replaced by Alwin de Lange. Quentin Welch pulled the 1-1 pitch over right and over the fence. Walk-off Grand Slam! That was Welch’s only hit of the night and only his 2nd homerun of the season.

5 Dec: John Zglinicki had Perth’s number, allowing just 3 hits through 8 innings, while walking none and whiffing 5. With the Thunder up by 7 and Zglinicki having only thrown 90 pitches, he was odds-on to ease to career shutout number 8 and number 2 for the season. But Beau Paterson, leading off the 9th, had other ideas. Zglinicki’s 1st pitch of the inning was a rare mistake, a belt-high fastball over the heart of the plate. Paterson lofted it way back over right and into the seats. Shutout shattered. That was all Perth could manage in the inning, Zglinicki making short work of the remaining 3 hitters, but oh what could’ve been. Zglinicki had a sense of humour about it, at least, joking in the aftermatch presser, “Couldn’t he have just watched that one through? I mean, he’d swung at the first pitch of his other 2 at-bats and done nothing but foul them off to the backstop. Wasn’t it time for a change in approach?”

8 Dec: Song Liang needed to be on-song to help a faltering Metros avoid 10 straight losses. He was. Up against a Melbourne lineup that boasted 6 starters with 10+ HR, Liang breezed through 8, giving up just 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5 and allowing no batters safely across home stripe. In fact, the shakiest he looked was in the top of the 1st when he allowed runners to reach 1B and 2B with only 1 out. The Metros’ problem over the last couple weeks had been their relief pitching, but new closer Connor Auty got through the 9th with 2 strikeouts, though he did give up a single and threw a wild pitch. 3-0 Auckland and their slide was arrested, temporarily, at least. Liang now had an 11-game win streak going, to go with a string of 13 undefeated starts.

9 Dec: Only able to manage 4 hits, it was surprising Hobart stayed as close to the Thunder as they did, in the end only losing by a solitary run in a 4-3 finish. Aguirre contributed 1 of those runs in the 7th, driving one just deep enough over left to get him 4 bags instead of 2. 9th HR for the season and 699th for the career.

10 Dec: “Whatta stoush!” Auckland pitcher Sam Beamish declared. He’d just thrown 5.2 innings of scoreless relief to help Auckland overcome Melbourne 7-6 in a 16-inning epic. It was a draining game for both teams, clocking in at just over 5 hours, but especially so for the Metros, who lost SP Ferry Schalk to a shoulder strain after just 1 inning. They used 5 more pitchers, holding onto a 6-5 lead heading into the top of the 9th. Connor Auty, however, could only crane his neck as Glen Walsh hit a game-tying solo HR. Then came the jousting, neither team able to break the deadlock for the next 7 innings. Then, bottom of the 16th, Rich Downes bullied a Rod Rowe changeup into the RF bleachers. Walk-off HR, and Downes finished with match stats of 3-8, a double, HR, 2 runs and 2RBI included.

11 Dec: Calvin Hodnett won only the 2nd PotW award of his career. He hit .455/.520/1.000, 10-22, with 1 double, 1 triple, 3HR, 6 runs, 11RBI and 3 walks.

12 Dec: At 26-41, Newcastle had the 2nd-worst record of the league behind Hobart (25-42), who’d just beaten them 3-2 yesterday in their series opener. Last season the Roos finished at 68-94 and hadn’t featured in the postseason since 2055, having last finished above .500 in 2057. Manager Zhang-sung Sun had been at the helm since 2060, having been hired from AA in the ABC because he was a strong disciplinarian, which GM Mitchell Franks felt was needed to get the team working together rather than as individuals. Apparently his tune had now changed, for today Sun was given his marching orders, much to the relief of some anonymous players, one who said, “Sun’s leadership approach is to yell louder than anybody else, and especially at anyone who might have a different opinion to him.” There was no word on who his replacement would be, only that it wouldn’t be 62 y/o BC Augusto Ortega, a personable chap who’d been in the role as long as Sun had been at the club, but who Franks didn’t feel was “quite ready to lead a ball club.” Another anonymous player said in response, “If Augusto isn’t ready now, at 62 years old, then when will he ever be ready?”

14 Dec: Newcastle hired 42 y/o Nathan Woodger to see out the rest of the season. Woodger, who’d touched AA in 2044 as a catcher and then retired in 2046 after nobody offered him another contract, had no experience as a coach of any description in either the AUNZBL, ABC, BL or NABA systems. He’d worked most recently as a skipper in a Western Australia semi-pro. His contract was only for the remainder of the season, but if he did well, Franks said, “There’ll certainly be discussions about a longer deal.” While it was hard to know what sort of managerial tendencies Woodger had, looking at available footage from his last semi-pro team seemed to indicate that he’d try a lot of different strategies, but that many of them would be reactive rather than proactive or based on player analysis. He did resemble former skipper Zhang-sung Sun in one key aspect, if his former players were to be believed: he was a hothead and not afraid to vent his feelings.

14 Dec: Going, going, going... gone! Aguirre’s 9th-inning flyball had just enough legs to carry over the leftfield fence. Number 700!!!. Hobart lost 4-3 to Newcastle, and that was Aguirre’s only hit of the night, but nobody would talk about anything else after the game. Aguirre, who was hitting just .160 in December, was reflective, saying, “What a journey. 5 different teams, a run of 6 Championships in 7 years, some bitter disappointments along the way. Y’know, I think I’m getting to the stage where I can look back on it objectively, too. These last few seasons have been a bit of a struggle, but I’m still enjoying my baseball, even if it feels like I’m swinging a lead bat sometimes. I’m just trying to goad these old bones along, taking it day by day, trying to do the best I can for the team.”

Newcastle’s new skipper, Nathan Woodger, who’d won his 1st game in charge, demonstrated his fiery tongue, growling out the following in the aftermatch presser, “Look, we won today, but you wouldn’t think so listening to all you chirpers. My first game in charge, too. Let’s focus on those things, shall we, not Ismael Aguirre reaching yet another milestone. Look, the guy can barely even hold the bat up to his shoulder now. I think he closes his eyes when he swings. Yeah, 700’s nice and all, but did he win the game for his team? No, he didn’t. A few years ago he might’ve, but not now. So why are you all focusing on a player in decline, when we should be focusing on a team that’s about to start a climb, the Newcastle Roos?”

The very next question? After a pause, a cheeky reporter said, “So, describe how it felt watching Aguirre’s home run from the dugout railing, especially knowing that it brought Hobart within 1 of your guys, with 2 outs up their sleeve.” Woodger was out of his seat halfway through the question, and out the door as it finished.

15 Dec: Sydney were quite chuffed with the results of the trade that had sent Rowan Reardon to Christchurch. Jose Ojeda, received in return, today hit in his 20th straight game, reaching the milestone with a 3-run HR in the 4th inning of an eventual 7-5 victory over the Metros. In 19 games since coming across to the Blue Sox Ojeda had contributed .390/.507/.780, with 6 doubles, 1 triple and 5HR scattered amongst 23 hits.

15 Dec: Mario Correa went 1-4 in the Crocs 12-4 victory over Newcastle. That solitary hit, a 3-run bomb in the bottom of the 1st, gave him a 5-game HR streak.

17 Dec: Song Liang continued his super season. Last start he’d thrown 7.2 innings for 2 runs (1 earned) before his bullpen blew his lead. Today he made sure of things, going the distance against Sydney, allowing just 3 hits while walking none and fanning 3, to lead Auckland to a 7-0 shutout victory. 12-game winning streak and 15-game undefeated streak. To sweeten matters even further, he brought Ojeda’s hitting streak to a crashing halt at 21 games, the catcher going 0-3 in the loss. Liang’s ERA for the season dropped to 1.39.

17 Dec: Cairns gave Mario Correa the day off on the 16th, many fans worrying at the possibility that the break in playing would put him off his homerun stride. They needn’t have worried. Correa went 1-3, that hit a solo HR in the 6th. Now with a 6-game HR streak going, Correa had equaled the AUNZBL record, a mark not reached since 2055 when Lance Fookes did so. “Yeah, it’s a bit of pressure, isn’t it?” Correa admitted after the game. “But if I just do what I’ve been doing, then if a pitch comes along that I can crush I’m sure I won’t miss out.”

18 Dec: Gary Young put together a stat-line of .467/.529/.867 to win PotW. He hit 3 doubles and 3HR.

18 Dec: Whether it was pressure or whether there were no pitches he could launch nobody would ever know. Whatever the case, Correa failed to go yard in Cairns’ 3-2 win over Newcastle, chilling his HR streak at 6. He was 1-4 on the night, that hit a single to lead off the bottom of the 2nd. Cairns won the game via a walk-off single to Ronald Aitken, the 2nd game in a row they’d won walk-off styles, much to the obvious ire of Newcastle skipper Woodger.

18 Dec: The Thunder and the Cavalry battled for 14 innings before Justin Auger cracked his 20th HR of the year to push the Central Coast just far enough ahead. A tired Cavalry lineup retired in order in the bottom of the inning and that was all she wrote, 7-6 Central Coast. Canberra had come from behind to level it in the 7th. The Thunder jumped 2 ahead in the 11th but Canberra pulled level again as quick as you please. Thunder skipper Reginald Reddick had his happy face on after the game. “Great display by the lads, showcasing the fighting spirit we prize so highly.” Central Coast were 6-1 in extra-innings games this season.

20 Dec: Correa might’ve missed out on hitting HRs in 7 straight games, but he found his stroke again after the off-day. He was responsible for all 3 of Cairns’ runs in their 3-2 victory over Wellington, courtesy of 2 homers. That put him on 23 for the season, tied at the top of that ladder with Neil Bellett. Cairns only managed 4 hits in the match, and 3 of those came from Correa’s bat.

23 Dec: Liang’s winning and undefeated streaks came to an end after Whangarei tagged him for 8 hits and a walk in 2.2 innings, leading to 7 runs. Auckland would go on to lose the game 8-3.

25 Dec: Andre Wiltshire was living up to the hype. Over the last week he hit .481/.500/.815, his 13-27 including 3 homers. Auckland’s regular 3-6 hitters were all averaging over .320.

29 Dec: Victor Doubleday was definitely grinning after today’s performance. He was too hot for the Bandits to handle, allowing only 4 hits and 1 walk in a 6-K shutout. Cairns waltzed to a 7-0 victory. Doubleday threw exactly 100 pitches for a game score of 84.

29 Dec: In a low-scoring affair, Central Coast pushed past Wellington 4-3 in 15 innings. The Thunder managed 15 hits and 4 walks, while the Fury put together 13 hits and 4 walks, but both teams struggled to capitalize on their chances. Aaron Gilleland’s solo HR in the 15th was the difference-maker, and 1 of only 2 homeruns in the game, the other coming off the bat of Will Glasson in the 1st.

29 Dec: “It’s raining goose feathers!” was the exclamation of the OotPB TV commentator at the startling conclusion of the game between the Roos and Venom. Up 5-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th, the Roos kept starter Nick Aston on the mound, happy at the opportunity to rest bullpen arms, especially as the Venom offense had never got going.

Richard Moore singled and Gary Young walked to start the inning, and Aston was replaced by newly-named All Star Alec Holz. Malcolm Pickhills singled to load the bases. Norm Donaldson then singled home Moore. 5-2 with 3 outs still left and the bases drunk. The commentary team began wondering if the Venom might be able to pilfer the win. Quentin ‘Goose’ Welch strolled to the plate, one analyst observing that Welch already had a walk-off Grand Slam this month, back on the 5th versus Cairns. “That won’t happen tonight, though,” he continued, “that’d be like getting hit by lightning twice.”

Welch watched the 1st pitch miss the zone high. He fouled the 2nd pitch to the backstop. The 3rd was a fastball in the bottom half of the zone. He made good contact over right. The RF tracked back to the wall but this one wasn’t coming down in the yard. Walk-off Grand Slam for the 2nd time in the month! Welch only had 5 homers for the season, but when they came, they sure came in style. Final score: 6-5 Adelaide.

Roos’ manager Woodger, only 15 games into his tenure and already with a reputation for snarly press conferences, didn’t even bother turning up to this one, instead sending a dejected Holz out to deal with the media. The presser was, unsurprisingly, short and sad, a couple of soft-hearted journalists even trying to cheer the pitcher up by shifting topic to the upcoming All Star Game but to no avail.

30 Dec: Called up on the 25th to cover injuries in the rotation, 36 y/o Wesley Blackford, who’d played for the Victory in the ABC from 2058-2060 before signing with Adelaide and getting 1 appearance out of the bullpen in 2061, wasn’t an intimidating pitcher. He threw a fastball topping out at around 145 km/h, along with a slider, a rarely seen changeup and a splitter. He’d been lit up on that 25th December start, conceding 10 hits for 7 earned runs in an 8-4 loss to Christchurch. It was a different story today, however. He showed plenty of the guile that often comes with age, allowing Newcastle only 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. He got better as the game wore on, too, 5 of his strikeouts coming from the 5th onward. First AUNZBL shutout, Adelaide slithering to a 7-0 win.

31 Dec: Overlooked for All Star selection, 28 y/o Brisbane DH Glen Casey responded in the best possible way, by continuing to get on-base, a lot. Yesterday he was 4-5 with a double and HR, today he went 3-5, with a double, and brought up a 20-game hit streak. Casey, who could really only play DH or 1B, wasn’t a typical first-baseman. He had very little homerun power, but was good at hitting the gaps and relatively difficult to strike-out, even if he swung at plenty of pitches. He finished the month leading the league in BA (see Other Notes, below, for more details).

Notable Injuries

1 Dec: Burt Trewartha (.278/.310/.417, 4HR from 117PA), the only player ever to hit 7 times in a single game, had started off the season at AAA before getting called up to the bigs as injury cover. He’d appeared in 33 games, though twice had been sent back to AAA for what turned out to be only 1-game stints. Now he was set for some time on the DL with an elbow strain. 6 weeks, give or take, according to Sluggers’ medical staff.

5 Dec: Beau Snell (.371/.422/.457, 1HR from 169PA) was done for the season thanks to torn ankle ligaments.

12 Dec: This morning their skipper got fired. This evening Roos’ star Guillermo Julio (.351/.412/.580, 12HR) fractured a hand whilst colliding with the leftfield wall. Prognosis: 6-7 weeks on the DL.

13 Dec: To add further insult, Newcastle SP Dean Ambrose (4-6, 4.37 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 1.43 WHIP), who’d left a game on the 8th with back pain, was today diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back. He wouldn’t be back until mid-February, at the earliest.

15 Dec: Miguel Ibanez (.245/.312/.469, 12HR) would be out for around 7 weeks with a partially torn labrum.

20 Dec: “I’m just glad I got to 700,” Aguirre (.237/.292/.410, 10HR) said when talking to press after news filtered out that he’d ruptured his Achilles and would take no further part in the season. When asked about his playing future, Aguirre was sober. “I don’t know, to be honest. Doc says 7-8 months for this, so if there are no setbacks I should be ready for next season, provided a team wants me. Even so, I have to seriously weigh things up. But it’s definitely way too raw for me to do that now. In a few months maybe. Right now I plan to be at every Prospects’ game for the rest of the season, cheering them along.”

Notable Trades/Signings

5 Dec: Auckland might’ve just dropped their 7th in a row the night before, Moeaktola Liao (3-4, 18 sv) blowing a 2-run lead in the bottom of the 9th to see them lose 6-5 to Darwin, but they still led the NZ by 5 games with a 36-25 record. And while the trade had surely been in the works for a while prior to its announcement today, it certainly seemed as if Liao was bearing the brunt of that loss. Auckland sent him over to Newcastle, tied with Kununurra at the bottom of the East-West, in return for 2 below-average prospects. Confusing? Yep, but a lot the Metros did was. Liao was certainly unprepared, putting up brave ‘no comments’ while bearing a bewildered expression when cornered at the airport. What effect his being moved on would have on the rest of the playing group remained to be seen.

6 Dec: Perth shipped off 27 y/o Aaron Gilleland (.270/.372/.395, 6HR) to the Thunder in return for a 21 y/o pitching prospect and a 24 y/o LF who didn’t look like he’d ever progress higher than single-A.

2062 All Stars

The NZ & Overseas All Stars submitted a pitching staff that included only 1 closer due to a lack of qualifying players in the role. The debate as to whether the AUNZBL All Star format was working had popped up in years past, but not with much fervour. However, after the announcement of this year’s All Star squads, that topic dominated fan and analyst discussion right up until All Star Day.

One former player turned pundit had the following, widely echoed opinion: “While the idea of this All Star format was an interesting one, and one that at inception was popular with the fans, it’s now time to put it aside and return to a format where each side has an equal pool of players to choose from. At any rate, the attempt to create a rivalry between players born outside of the Australian continent and those born on it is both antiquated and flawed, especially as New Zealand is no longer a separate nation, but a much-valued part of the Republic of Australia.

“Consider, too, the difference between the AUNZBL All Star Day and the ABC All Star Weekend. While the talent gulf between the two leagues is still all too apparent, the ABC certainly is doing the All Star thing much better. Not only do both sides have an equal number of players to choose from (not necessarily equal talent, but an equal number of players does more often than not mean a more equal spread of talent), but making a weekend of the occasion rather than cramming it in on a public holiday gives everything a much more genuine feel. Apart from that, a weekend gives time for a Home Run Derby, a Legends Game, and much more to keep the fans interested and excited.

Too, a full weekend means moving the game from park to park each year is something the host city can really get behind and has actual meaning, rather than just being a fleeting visit where the stars rush in on the morning of the game and rush back to wherever their team is playing as soon as the game finishes.”

In response to the hue and cry, the AUNZBL Commissioner responded by saying, “We are always open to ideas for the improvement of our great game and league. Certainly, we will take the viewpoints of our fans into consideration and will investigate whether the All Star Game can be improved during the offseason.”

Australian All Stars

SP Song Liang - AUC - 12-2, 1.89 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 0.91 WHIP
SP Marty Okolita - WHA - 9-4, 3.49 ERA, 3.18 FIP, 1.13 WHIP
SP Arthur Hammer - ADE - 8-2, 3.49 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.22 WHIP
SP Cody Watts - SYD - 5-3, 2.90 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 1.11 WHIP
SP Raymond Eykelbosch - SYD - 8-4, 3.84 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.24 WHIP
SP Eddie Rayner - KUN - 4-4, 3.01 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.22 WHIP
SP Victor Doubleday - CAI - 7-6, 4.29 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 1.23 WHIP
RP Alec Holz - NEW - 1-1, 10 sv, 0.53 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 0.98 WHIP
RP Adrian Lynch - CAN - 0-0, 0 sv, 13 hld, 1.20 ERA, 1.39 FIP, 0.73 WHIP
CL Rod Bacon - DAR - 6-3, 25 sv, 2.86 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 1.30 WHIP
CL Oliwa Lomu - MEL - 6-5, 17 sv, 2.70 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 1.30 WHIP
CL Bailey Naylor - ADE - 3-6, 20 sv, 3.29 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.15 WHIP
C Norm Donaldson - ADE - .320/.411/.616, 19HR
C Tommy Worsfold - AUC - .332/.414/.531, 12HR
1B Rich Downes - AUC - .351/.401/.585, 17HR
1B Norm Blume - BRI - .334/.404/.599, 22HR
1B Ronald Aitken - CAI - .320/.443/.578, 18HR
1B Justin Auger - CEN - .318/.405/.586, 21HR
2B Gary Young - ADE - .310/.382/.597, 17HR
2B Andre Wiltshire - AUC - .337/.394/.521, 13HR
3B Malcolm Pickhills - ADE - .264/.366/.549, 23HR
3B Sebastian Horton - MEL - .308/.364/.581, 23HR
SS Noel Dickson - MEL - .311/.356/.424, 3HR
LF Callum McCabe - AUC - .344/.417/.526, 10HR
LF Kelvin Pickhills - .321/.393/.560, 11HR
CF Mitchell Cox - NEW - .341/.422/.524, 11HR
CF Jayden Roneberg - AUC - .335/.400/.472, 4HR
RF Nick Ahern - KUN - .309/.419/.509, 10HR

NZ & Overseas All Stars

41 y/o Jayden Pye earned his 4th All Star jumper, and his 1st since 2054. He joked, “I seem to be getting better with age. Lock me in for the Jorge Diaz Award when I’m 50.”

SP Barry Dean - PER - 9-5, 3.80 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 1.23 WHIP
SP Damian Flemming - CAI - 4-2, 3.11 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 1.46 WHIP
SP Clint Kline - CAI - 8-2, 3.71 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.35 WHIP
SP Karl Blackwell - MEL - 6-5, 3.29 ERA, 3.98 FIP, 1.13 WHIP
SP Jeremy Hofmann - CHR - 5-6, 4.46 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 1.36 WHIP
SP Roderick Beresford - NEW - 4-6, 5.29 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.45 WHIP
SP Ted Heathcote - CHR - 6-3, 3.67 ERA, 4.11 FIP, 1.27 WHIP
RP Alwin de Lange - CAI - 3-1, 2 sv, 1.85 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 0.90 WHIP
RP Sterling Boston - CAI - 2-1, 1 sv, 2.79 ERA, 2.23 FIP, 1.00 WHIP
RP Cameron Dickinson - SYD - 6-2, 4 sv, 2.11 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 1.38 WHIP
RP Alec Albury - WEL - 0-1, 4 sv, 1.05 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 1.13 WHIP
CL Martin Silva - CAI - 5-2, 20 sv, 3.38 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.33 WHIP
C Yin-ti Zhuo - WEL - .302/.455/.488, 7HR
C Rupert Bethune - BRI - .306/.337/.452, 8HR
1B Richard Moore - ADE - .311/.410/.494, 15HR
1B Marcos Lopez - SYD - .312/.373/.517, 14HR
1B Baryai Venugopalan - CAN - .289/.332/.483, 16HR
2B Luis Cuesta - MEL - .273/.316/.508, 18HR
2B Beau Hauer - CHR - .281/.360/.498, 13HR
2B Angel Rivera - DAR - .303/.331/.472, 8HR
3B Mario Correa - CAI - .308/.350/.582, 24HR
3B Yoshihito Morimoto - CEN - .290/.333/.354, 1HR
SS Stephane Lecomte - CAI - .282/.352/.365, 3HR
SS Bailey Kinnear - SYD - .288/.391/.434, 6HR
LF James Bacosa - WHA - .317/.364/.474, 7HR
LF Jayden Pye - WEL - .283/.375/.472, 12HR
CF Edgardo Rico - WHA - .336/.382/.449, 3HR
RF Neil Bellett - CAN - .294/.391/.587, 25HR

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 2 months in a row for Sebastian Horton. The 3B hit .313/.379/.652 in December, his 35-112 including 6 doubles, 1 triple and 10HR. He also scored 23 runs, walked 10 times and stole 1 base.

Hurler of the Month: 25 y/o Darwin closer Rod Bacon sizzled in December, appearing in 16 games for 5 wins, 0 losses and 10 saves. He had an ERA of 2.70, an FIP of 2.59, and a WHIP of 1.08. In 16.2 innings he struck out 18 and allowed only 5 earned runs. For the season Bacon was 6-3, with 27 saves, putting him 3 clear of all other closers.

Slugger of the Month: Andre ‘Otter’ Wiltshire, another of the young Metros’ crowd, took SotM out. He hit .400/.457/.696, 46-115, with 25 runs, 4 doubles, 10HR, 32RBI, 12BB, and 4SB. For the season he was hitting .334/.390/.522, with 14HR. Sadly, however, he left a game injured on the 30th and found out on All Star morning that he had a fractured shoulder blade and wouldn’t play for at least a month.

Media Watch

Lance Ralston: The 38 y/o ‘Missing Piece’ was 1 start into a rehab assignment with Christhcurch’s AAA-affiliate, the Balclutha Spiders. He’d gotten through 6 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while whiffing 4. All his pitches looked down on, as one commentator liked to put it, ‘zip,’ with Ralston primarily throwing splitters and circle-changes with the occasional curveball, but he seemed to be getting as much movement as ever, and how much could one tell from the 1st start of a rehab stint? Could he get 9 wins in the 2nd half of the season? It’d be a tall order in a patchy Cowboys’ team, but if anybody could do it, Ralston could.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: The Venom and Crocs (both 17-12) couldn’t be separated after another hard fought month, with Darwin (20-9) leaping above .500 to be only 6 games back.

East-west Division: Central Coast (17-12) remained the only team playing better than .500 in the division, their lead over their rivals extended by 2, to 10 games.

NZ Division: Auckland (12-17) stumbled through December, Christchurch (18-11) rising from the bottom of the division ladder to pull within 5 games.

Southern Division: Canberra (10-19) had a banana-skin month, slipping from 5 games above .500 to 4 games below. Sydney (19-10), on the other hand, surged ahead, finishing December 9 games clear. Melbourne (8-21) were awful, 12 games under .500 at month’s end.

Wildcard: Either Adelaide or Cairns had a 6-game buffer in slot 1, with Darwin holding onto the 2nd spot, 4 games ahead of Christchurch, and 6 games clear of Canberra, Wellington and Whangarei.

#

Rich Downes (.349/.398/.590, 19HR) only hit .264 in December, and therefore slipped off most of the top leaderboard spots he’d held at the beginning of the month. He still led the league in hits, though, with 120 to his name.

The new BA leader was Glen Casey (.369/.421/.515, 4HR).

Neil Bellett (.295/.390/.597, 27HR) was 1 clear at the top of the HR board.

Norm Donaldson (.323/.416/.612, 19HR) found himself back atop the SLG and wOBA (.429) boards.

Norm Blume (.338/.406/.610, 24HR) led all qualified hitters in RBI (89), XBH (46), and total bases (211).

Yin-ti Zhuo (.294/.448/.473, 7HR) had an OBP to die for, while Alan Sneddon (.269/.413/.364, 2HR) led the league in walks, with 70.

Another prolific walker, Ronald Aitken (.321/.445/.588, 20HR), topped the OPS charts.

Cain Donaldson (.301/.406/.413, 3HR) had scored the most runs (72), while Stephane Lecomte (.291/.357/.376, 3HR) had nicked the most bags, with 29.

Malcolm Pickhills (.266/.371/.568, 26HR), skinny goatee and all, led the league in WAR by a whisker, with a 4.1 mark. Zhuo and Norm Donaldson were a few decimal places behind him. Pickhills was also fractionally ahead of Bellett in the ISO stakes, with .302.

Song Liang (12-2, 2.28 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 0.96 WHIP) got beat up a bit his last 2 starts, only managing 5.2 innings across both of them. Still, he continued to lead the league in wins, ERA, WHIP, H/9 (6.77), and OAVG (.206).

Marty Okolita (9-4, 3.40 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 1.08 WHIP) was putting in a big push as he headed towards free agency. He now was at the head of the FIP and K/9 (9.28) boards.

Barry Dean (9-5, 3.87 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 1.23 WHIP) soldiered on in another mediocre Perth team. He’d struck out 130 so far, started 19 games, thrown 137.1 innings, and reached 4.2 WAR, all league bests. A couple of analysts were worried he was being overused and might suffer the consequences 2 or 3 seasons down the track.

At the halfway point, league ERA was sitting at 4.61, and league BA at .272.

ABC Wrap-up

Alice Springs had regained the advantage in the Northern, Brisbane stomping at their heels just 1 game back.

Melbourne continued to lead the Southern, with Canberra in their slipstream, 1 game in arrears. Sydney had dropped to 3 games back. All 3 teams were playing better than .600 ball.

Perth, 7 games below .500, now held the outright lead in the Western, Adelaide 4 games behind. Broome went 7-19 for the month to drop to 6 games off the pace and below .400 for the season.

Jakarta surged ahead in the Overseas, leading Port Moresby by 6. Hamilton were a further 1/2 game back.

30 y/o Hamilton Hawks' LF Luke Maggs took out ABC rookie award for December. Sick of playing a platoon role in the AUNZBL (he’d done so for 3 teams from 2058-2061), Maggs had signed a 4-year deal with Hamilton and was loving getting the opportunity to once again play every day. He hit .320/.386/.510 during the month.

Another new recruit took out the month’s Golden Arm award. Harrison Mitchinson was 5-0 in December, with a 0.70 era, allowing just 3 earned runs in 38.2 innings. Last season for Cairns in the AUNZBL, Mitchinson had gone 8-14 with a 5.76 ERA and 4.67 FIP. He’d also signed a 4-year deal, with the Canberra Capitals.

Si-xun Qiao, the overwhelming biggest vote-getter amongst position players of both teams for the ABC All Star Game, had 32 home runs at the halfway mark. Gavin Howell was 4 back on 28, while Joshua Angwin slugged 10 during the month to have 25, good enough for 3rd.

AUNZBL Standings, Jan 1

Izz · 05-28-2017, 11:10 PM

2062/2063 Season - January

Hall of Fame

3 new players featured in this year’s vote: Brock Wakely, Rory Lowe, and Carl Bristcoe. Would Brodie Backhouse and Mike Wurfel finally make it? Would Wakely get in on his 1st ballot?

Results

And the results delivered... 2 new Hall of Famers, the first inducted since 2056.

On his 3rd ballot, Backhouse finished with 88% voter approval to become the first relief pitcher inducted into the Hall. “A relief, actually, if you’ll excuse the terrible pun,” he said at the mid-morning ceremony, “I’d feel a bit of a dunce if I had an award named after me but wasn’t deemed good enough to make the Hall of Fame.” Backhouse was inducted in Hobart colours.

The Hall had its first 1st-ballot entry since the change to the induction rules. Wakely didn’t just squeak in either, with 95.8% voters of the opinion his plaque deserved to grace the hallowed walls. While Wakely played for 4 different organizations over the course of his 21-year major-league career, he chose to be inducted as a Metro, wearing the uniform of the team that developed him and that he played his last 2 seasons with. Wakely still led the career AUNZBL ladders in games (3039) and WAR (113.70). He was the only player so far to have appeared in more than 3000 games.

Wurfel fell just 2.2% short of the threshold, while no other players came close.

These were the full voting results:

3B Brock Wakely - 95.8
CL Brodie Backhouse - 88.0

_______

2B Mike Wurfel - 77.8
2B Bill Bransington - 20.1
LF Lindsay Colson - 8.8
SP Dylan Cully - 5.6

_______

SP Sterling Dunlop - 4.9
C Danny Goodwin - 4.2
SP Luke Bodkin - 3.5
SP Xing-hua Ling - 3.5
SP Rory Lowe - 0.4
RF Carl Bristcoe - 0.4

Notable Performances

1 Jan: In a surprising result, the NZ & Overseas All Stars ran away with this year’s installment, 11-4. There was no letup, however, in the debate as to whether the All Star Game needed restored to its previous format.

3 Jan: Glen Casey’s hit streak came to a crashing halt at 20, the Cavalry restricting him to 0-3 in their 8-5 win over Brisbane.

6 Jan: Barry Dean came from the mound after 8 innings versus Christchurch, his Heat up 2-1. Dean had allowed 8 hits but struck out 11 in an outing he later described as a “real hit or miss affair.” Half an inning later and things had changed, Christchurch rattling out 7 runs, 4 of them before an out had been recorded. There wasn’t a single home run to be seen in the rally, the final score 8-2 Christchurch.

8 Jan: Keiran Cooper would be on the DL for a couple weeks with a sore shoulder, but he managed to snaffle PotW before heading there. Over the first 7 days of January he hit .654/.667/.923, his 17-26 including 4 doubles and 1HR.

8 Jan: Adelaide whipped Wellington 11-4, handing the Fury their 10th loss in a row. Wellington would get back on the podium the next night, restricting the Venom to just 3 hits and 3 walks in a 5-3 victory.

9 Jan: Stephane Lecomte hit the walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to see Cairns to an 8-7 win over Darwin. That marked his 5th hit for the night, from 6 at-bats. He hit a double and a triple as well, to score 2 runs and drive in 2 runners.

9 Jan: Melbourne favourite Vern Bull, always the first name on people’s tongues when the topic of baseball fairytales came up, went 2-6 in the Aces’ 13-inning 10-5 win over Hobart. In the 3rd he slugged a 2-run home run, the 300th time he’d done so in the majors. Hobart took the lead with a 5-run 2nd inning, but that was all the scoring they’d do in the match, Melbourne nipping runs off the lead in the 5th and 6th before scoring 3 in the 8th to level it. Then, in the 13th they rallied 5 across home plate to put the result beyond doubt. Apart from Bull, veteran Sean Carr, being used in a backup role this season, had a great night, going 4-5 with 2HRs. His 1st HR in the 8th tied the game up, while his 2nd in the 13th put Melbourne in front. Sebastian Horton also hit 2 dingers in a 4-6 outing.

12 Jan: Umashankar Meenakshi had been struggling at Cairns, no question, having 7 times in 20 starts conceded 10 or more hits. He was just fine today, though, keeping Melbourne full of zeros with a 4-hit, 1-walk, 6-strikeout display. The Crocs cruised to a 6-0 win, Meenakshi shrugging his broad shoulders after the game and saying, “Yeah, I don’t really know what to make of it. I’m still preparing the same, still thinking about the game the same, still throwing the same. Today was nice, but I’ve put together a few other good performances over the last few weeks, too, so hopefully things will even out in my favour over the rest of the season.”

12 Jan: Having finished his rehab assignment, Lance Ralston was back on the mound for Christchurch against Hobart. Nervous? “Yep,” he admitted before the match, “always am first couple starts after hurting myself.” Nerves were perhaps evident in the fact he gave up 5 walks, but Ralston had never been a precision pitcher. He certainly no longer threw hard, but his pitch sequences and movement were still top notch, and Hobart could only manage 3 hits before Ralston retired after 7.1 innings. More importantly, he put 0 in the runs column, Christchurch winning a low-scoring affair 2-0. Ralston’s 1st win of the season, and the 192nd of his big-league career.

12 Jan: After 1 inning of this one had been completed, Adelaide scoring 4 (thanks to a William Fenton Grand Slam) and Whangarei 6, it looked like an afternoon slugfest was on the cards. The Sluggers scored another in the 2nd to make it 7-4, and then a 449-foot 3-run Li Hayes’ HR in the 4th leveled things up. That, however, proved to be all the offense for the next 10 innings before, in the top of the 15th, Tomas Zartuche singled, stole 2B, advanced to 3B on a ground-out and scored off a Gary Young sac-fly. In the bottom of the inning Domingo Dominguez singled to lead off but Ian Drage ground into a U6-3 double-play to bring any ideas of a rally crashing down. Final score: 8-7 Adelaide, who were only 5-8 in extra-innings games this season.

13 Jan: Cain Donaldson was on fire in Sydney’s 15-2 demolition of Perth. He went 4-5, his 4 hits equating to a cycle. He singled in the 1st, tripled in the 2nd, doubled in the 4th before walking in the 5th and grounding out in the 7th. But he got one last opportunity at the plate and didn’t miss out, bringing up his cycle with a Grand Slam in the top of the 9th. “I wonder if anybody’s ever brought up a cycle that way before?” Donaldson asked press, but nobody had the answer at hand. The 5 runs Donaldson scored tied the Sydney game record.

13 Jan: When it rained it poured. Gordon Ladds held Hobart steady with a 5-hit barrage as they made their way - shakily - to a 6-4 victory over Christchurch. Not only that, but Ladds also hit for the cycle, the 2nd player to do that in the day. He doubled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, tripled in the 6th, singled again in the 7th, and homered in the 9th.

15 Jan: 32 y/o Gary Baker would be a free agent at season’s end and was trucking along at his usual level. He hit .522/.522/.870 over the last week to snare PotW.

15 Jan: ‘Mr. Dependable’ was at it again, confounding the Darwin hitters to help Central Coast romp to a 10-0 win. A runner reached on an error in the bottom of the 1st, meaning Zglinicki never had a chance at a perfect game but he carried the no-no into the 5th before Ed Geoghegan broke it up with a single. That was the only hit the Diggers could manage and such was Zglinicki’s control that nobody could draw a walk either. To cap off a wonderful game, Zglinicki struck out the side in the bottom of the 9th. This was his 2nd shutout of the season and the 8th of his young career (he wouldn’t have 6 years of ML service time until the middle of next season).

15 Jan: In that same game, Thunder CF Jayden Downes hit in his 20th consecutive outing, going 4-5 to make sure of the feat.

15 Jan: Will Glasson brought up 2000 career hits with an 8th-inning single in Wellington’s 5-3 loss to Brisbane. 34 y/o Glasson, in his 3rd season in Fury colours after spending 9+ major-league years in Melbourne, was a career .291 hitter, with 245 four-baggers.

15 Jan: Perhaps Venom management needed to release a book called The Art of the Walk-Off Grand Slam. They were at it again today versus Kununurra. Down 7-5 heading into the bottom of the 9th, they faced off against Kununurra’s current closer, 30 y/o Tim Oliver, who had 5 losses to go with only 11 saves and an ERA of 6.92. LF Wendell Eykelbosch ground out to begin the inning but that was the only out Oliver would register. Zartuche singled, as did Li Hayes and Moore. Bases loaded. Gary Young (not ‘Goose’ Welch) came to the plate and pulled the 1-1 down the LF line. It flirted with the foul line all the way to the fence and even then looked like it might die before getting there. But the wind gave it an extra push and over the fence it went, the hapless LF not able to get there in time. Boom shakalaka! 7-5 Venom, walking off via Grand Slam for the 3rd time this season!

18 Jan: Ralston was once more in fine fettle, conceding 1 run in the 1st inning of Christchurch’s 7-1 defeat of Cairns, and no more in the following 8. He struck out 7, conceding just 5 hits and only walking 1 in a complete-game performance. 2-0 for the season and 193 wins for the career.

19 Jan: Teddy Wigley allowed 7 hits and 2 walks, but no runs, his shutout sneaking up on the OotPB TV commentary team who were too busy singing the praises of Adelaide’s offense to notice Wigley’s feat. The Venom stormed to an 11-0 victory.

20 Jan: Jayden Downes continued to churn out the hits. His 1-4 in a 6-1 loss to Melbourne gave him a 25-game hit streak.

22 Jan: Gary Young picked up his 2nd PotW award of the season, hitting .407/.484/.852, with 4HR.

24 Jan: Downes’ hit streak came to an end at 27 games after he went 0-4 in Central Coast’s 8-1 thrashing of Christchurch. “Fun while it lasted,” he said, “but I’ll admit the pressure was building.”

29 Jan: 22 y/o Angel Rivera won PotW by hitting .520/.538/1.000, with 4 doubles, 1 triple and 2HR scattered amongst his 13 hits. Rivera had debuted in 2058 as an 18 y/o and almost had 4 years of ML service time already. Hitting .335 for the season, Rivera currently sat 3rd on the BA leaderboard.

29 Jan: Alan Sneddon was a hustler whom the fans loved, as well as one of the sharpest baseball minds going round, but he’d never been known as an aggressive player. Over the course of his 17+ year career, when his team had gone to a-brawling he’d usually been at the back of the crush rather than the front of it. That wasn’t the case today, however. Kununurra’s Edwin Osborne, 23 y/o and trying to cement his place in the major leagues, gave up a solo HR to Cain Whalley in the top of the 3rd which put the score at 1-0. Next up Sneddon fouled off the 1st pitch and then took one to the crest of his helmet. Was it intentional? Probably not: replays suggested it was a splitter that got away from Osborne.

Sneddon wasn’t quite so forgiving. He was struggling at the plate this season, hitting only .244 (though his OBP was a healthy .391), with a slugging percentage of .329. And he’d only gone 1 for his last 14, with a solitary walk. Maybe that simmering frustration caused him to drop his bat and charge the mound, tackling the surprised Osborne to the ground. Not that Osborne stayed surprised for long, quickly breaking free of Sneddon’s grasp and jamming his face into the dirt. Both benches cleared, as was par for the course, but Sneddon and Osborne writhed about on the ground for a few more seconds before everybody else piled on. Once the dust settled both players were ejected and the game proceeded, Darwin shooting out to a 9-4 lead before Kununurra rallied to score 4 in the bottom of the 9th and make it close. The next morning both players learned they’d be suspended for 7 games each. Sneddon was apologetic, telling media, “Yeah, I’ll cop that fair and square. I let emotion get the better of me, and it’ll probably be good for me to cool my heels in the dugout for a few days.”

29 Jan: In a game bereft of offense, Clint Kline guided his Crocs home with a masterful 3-pitch, 0-walk shutout, beating the Heat 1-0. He struck out 5 in what was the 1st shutout of his major-league career.

29 Jan: Karl Blackwell, at 27 y/o, looked be coming of age this season, holding his own for Melbourne while throwing half his games out of a pitcher’s park. He threw an away gem today, though, restricting the Fury to just 3 hits while walking none and fanning 6. Melbourne took until the later innings to secure the victory, eventually winning 5-0.

30 Jan: In his last start, Victor Doubleday fanned 10 in 5.0 innings on the way to a W in Cairns’ 11-7 win over Whangarei. He allowed 5 runs (4 earned), though, to take the gloss off the effort. In today’s 5-2 win over Perth, at Heat Stadium, he threw 7.0 innings for only 4 hits and 2 earned runs, as well as notching up 14 strikeouts, falling 1 short of his previous best, recorded in March last season.

30 Jan: An Edwin Hayes’ 2-run dinger in the top of the 9th drew Melbourne level with Wellington and forced the game into extra innings. For the Fury, Vic Collins led off the bottom of the 10th with a double. Will Glasson was walked and an out later Gilberto Soberon reached on an error by the 2B to juice the bags. Fernando Contreras ground into a 6-2 fielder’s choice. 25 y/o switch-hitter Warren Chapple came to the plate, 1-4 with 2RBI on the night so far. Chapple had fast hands and a large strikezone, and last season, after having had big-league time each of the previous 3 campaigns as injury-fill, had cemented his place in the lineup, even if his OPS+ was only 71. He’d played in 102 games before tonight this season, hitting a mediocre .247/.282/.345, with 7HR. But heroes are often born of strange circumstances, and he surely etched himself into the hearts of local fans when he sent his 1-2 pitch deep over left-centre and into the stands. Extra-inning walk-off Grand Slam! None of the runs were credited as earned but that would’ve been scant solace to Aces’ closer Oliwa Lomu, who racked up his 7th loss of the season. 8-4 Fury win.

31 Jan: Rafael Hurlson swore black and blue after his side’s 17-1 thrashing at the hands of cellar-dwellers Hobart that he hadn’t been headhunting, but rather had been struggling with gripping the ball. That wasn’t what Gordon Ladds thought, however, and neither did his teammates, judging by how quickly they swarmed the field after Ladds took exception to a pitch to the chest. This all happened in the bottom of the 1st, after Hurlson hit the first 3 batters (including Ladds) he faced.

While Hurlson might’ve pled innocent, it certainly seemed that Adelaide had a bone to pick with Hobart. Bruno Budd plunked the 1st hitter of the 2nd, Roy Blake hit another in the 4th and then took out Adare Subadio in the 6th. Subadio left the game injured, the home fans hollering bloody murder, but only suffered a badly bruised knee. While tensions remained near boiling through the rest of the game they didn’t bubble over again, the regular runs Hobart were scoring probably helping matters. The Prospects didn’t hit a single Venom batter, Brock Lawless throwing 7 innings for 3 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts and 1 run.

The Commissioner suspended Ladds for 2 games, the 3rd time he’d faced that punishment in his young career, and Hurlson for 6, obviously not entirely believing his protestations.

31 Jan: Metros’ skipper Antonio Altagracia could only describe the mood in the changing sheds as “shell-shocked” after his charges conceded 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th to see Brisbane walk off 9-8 winners. Robin Seyler and Domenic Cook both boosted 3-run homers, Cook’s the walk-off winner, with Arturo Medina sac-flying in the other run. Both home runs came from the 1st pitch of the at-bat. The loss saw Auckland drop off top spot in the NZ Division for the 1st time this season.

Notable Injuries

1 Jan: Eddie Rayner (4-4, 3.01 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 1.22 WHIP) would take no part in today’s All Star Game. In fact, he wouldn’t be taking any further part in the regular season at all thanks to an inflamed shoulder.

3 Jan: Canberra’s Nathaniel Bowden (.303/.360/.481, 12HR) would be out for around 4 weeks with a strained rib cage muscle.

5 Jan: Yin-ti Zhuo (.295/.449/.470, 7HR) paid a big price for blocking access to home plate in Wellington’s 8-3 loss to Newcastle on the 4th. In the ensuing collision he fractured a finger and was going to miss at least 5 weeks.

10 Jan: Whangarei refused to say whether 30 y/o relief pitcher Arthur Gilder (2-4, 3 sv, 5.40 ERA) would face any punishment for the incident that sent him to the DL with severe bruising to his knee. He’d be there about a week, according to Sluggers’ medical staff, having sustained the injury after getting into a physical altercation with his son’s Junior League coach.

What caused the fight? Apparently Gilder was unhappy his son, a SS on the team, wasn’t getting subbed into the game while, in Gilder’s words, captured on vid by another spectator, “All the useless kids were getting a go.” After discovering that yelling at the coach wasn’t helping matters, Gilder found his way around the wire fence that separated the seats from the field and confronted the coach in the dugout. It didn’t take long for fists to start flying, but the coach was no slouch, deftly evading Gilder’s blows before propelling him into the dugout’s wooden bench. Gilder’s knee took the brunt of the blow and thus ended the fisticuffs. While no police charges were laid over the incident, Gilder was quickly banned for life from attending Junior League games and had to pay a hefty donation/fine to his son’s team. His son remained on roster, and was said to be ‘super embarrassed’ at his Dad’s actions.

18 Jan: A big blow for the Venom, with iron man Arthur Hammer (9-3, 3.96 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.31 WHIP), who’d never spent a day on the DL during his pro career before now, facing over a year on the sidelines after tearing his flexor tendon. Hammer, 1 win short of 100 for his career, “couldn’t believe” what had happened, but knew he’d hurt himself bad when it happened. “I felt a kinda pop, and then a moment later, pain. Lots and lots of pain.”

23 Jan: Sluggers’ catcher Paddy Mildren (.266/.304/.452, 16HR) had himself a fractured wrist and would be out 6-7 weeks.

23 Jan: Rod Albury (.265/.305/.341, 4HR), Darwin’s first-choice SS this season despite being better suited to the 3B corner, was done for the season. He’d torn ligaments in his ankle.

26 Jan: Bert Allan (.248/.302/.454, 17HR) had a hip strain. The Kununurra star wouldn’t be back in 2062.

26 Jan: Whangarei’s James Bacosa (.299/.347/.431, 7HR) would be on the DL until early March thanks to an intercostal strain.

29 Jan: It would take at least 5-6 weeks for Cain Donaldson’s (.285/.399/.386, 4HR) intercostal strain to heal. The 32 y/o said, “This is a bit of a new experience for me. I’m not used to having injuries I can’t play through.”

31 Jan: Malcolm Pickhills (.274/.379/.573, 28HR), 2nd in the WAR stakes with 5.1, was looking at a mid-March return after being diagnosed with a fractured wrist.

Notable Trades/Signings

7 Jan: The Sluggers, 6 games back in the NZ, felt they’d pulled off a real coup, acquiring 27 y/o 1B/DH Glen Donovan (.306/.350/.497, 15HR) from the high-flying Crocs in exchange for 26 y/o RF Ben Murphy (.245/.300/.422, 7HR) and a 22 y/o pitching prospect. Donovan was diplomatic when asked how he felt about the move: “It’s a big change, for sure, but also a new challenge, and I’ll throw myself into it like I do every challenge.”

11 Jan: Kununurra and Hobart engaged in a trade. Hobart parted ways with 20 y/o SS Setia Soedjatmoko, drafted in 2061 and rated the 73rd prospect in the AUNZBL on Opening Day. In return, they received 27 y/o LHP Li Ayliffe (5-11, 4.93 ERA, 4.81 FIP, 1.38 WHIP) and cash to cover his arbitration estimate for next season.

24 Jan: Effectively gone for the season, Kununurra sent off 28 y/o star reliever Allen Jiang (4-1, 3 sv, 0.61 ERA), whose season had been interrupted by injury, to Central Coast, who already had the 5th-best bullpen in the league (along with the best starting pitchers). Kununurra would receive a 20 y/o OF prospect and a 23 y/o 2B who wasn’t likely to ever break into the majors.

26 Jan: Whangarei and Brisbane exchanged players. 27 y/o corner OF Burt Trewartha (.268/.306/.402, 4HR from 122PA) would become a Bandits, while 28 y/o 3B Jacob Sheppard (.318/.389/.449, 4HR) would become a Slugger.

30 Jan: 30 y/o Dean Brewster (.281/.353/.358, 1HR) was on the move again, Brisbane - who’d acquired him from Sydney in 2060 - using him and a 21 y/o pitching prospect to entice Newcastle to let go of 31 y/o LHP Nick Aston (5-10, 5.24 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 1.62 WHIP). Aston, who’d been traded by Wellington to Christchurch in 2060, and then by Wellington to Newcastle in 2061, was ambivalent about the move. “No, it’s not nice having to pack up bags and house and family all the time, but that’s just part of the game I guess. Most players would probably like trades to be rubbed out of the game, but I guess it’s a big source of excitement for the fans, to see if their club can make some shrewd moves and turn them from pretender to contender within the course of a season.” Aston found out about the trade a couple hours after throwing 5 innings for the W in a 5-4 Newcastle win over Christchurch the night before.

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 22 y/o Cain Whalley had bounced back well from the fractured hand he suffered at the end of October, shining in 27 games played in January. He hit .360/.402/.588, 41-114, with 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, 2 triples and 4HR hit, 11 runners batted in, 7 walks drawn and 3 bases stolen.

Hurler of the Month: 25 y/o Willem Throsby was in his 1st full season as a starter in the Diggers’ rotation but if January was any indication, he’d be there for a good while yet. In 6 starts he went 5-0, with a 2.57 ERA, 3.58 FIP, and 0.93 WHIP. He shouldered 42.0 innings of work, punching out 33 hitters while allowing just 12 earned runs.

Slugger of the Month: The new power-hitting face of the league was Neil Bellett. At only 6’1”, Bellett didn’t have quite the stature of a Diaz or Aguirre, but he had something else going for him: a very judicious eye. He might be a ‘singles or homer’ hitter but he wasn’t going to swing at much outside of the zone, and would quite happily take a base on balls if nothing good was on offer. He hit .340/.475/.713 in January, his 32-94 including 5 doubles and 10HR. He also scored 19 runs, brought home 21 runners, and walked a whopping 24 times. For the season, Bellett was hitting .306/.411/.624, with 37HR (and only 14 doubles). He led the league in SLG, OPS, HR, wOBA (.433), ISO (.318) and WAR (5.3).

Last Year’s Top Players Watch

2061’s Top Rookies

2061 Rookie of the Year, Rodney Ellison: Hamstrings had given Ellison issues in 2062, the RF appearing in just 68 games so far. .291/.355/.406, 76-261, 31 runs, 12 doubles, 6HR, 33RBI, 23BB, 1SB, 290PA, 1.7 WAR, OPS+ 101.

Mario Correa: Lighting it up. .314/.351/.599, 132-421, 71 runs, 19 doubles, 1 triple, 33HR, 106RBI, 27BB, 1SB, 462PA, 4.7 WAR, OPS+ 145.

Edgardo Rico: A hamstring strain kept him out for 3 weeks of January but ‘Crash’ was looking just as good as he had last season. .334/.379/.436, 128-383, 54 runs, 22 doubles, 4 triples, 3HR, 30RBI, 22BB, 33SB, 414PA, 3.3 WAR, OPS+ 115.

2061’s Top Pitchers

2061 Brodie Backhouse Award Winner, Aaron Fingleson: The 2-time BBA Winner had been relegated to the setup role this season, and while he openly admitted to being ‘bemused’ by the situation, was still putting his best foot forward. 4-4, 3 sv, 2.54 ERA, 3.54 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 69K from 56.2 IP in 52 games. 0.9 WAR, ERA+ 181.

2061 Hurler of the Year, John Zglinicki: Had overcome a slow start to the year to be 12-6 from 22 starts, with a 3.01 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.05 WHIP. 83K from 149.1 IP, 2.3 WAR, ERA+ 152. Led the league in WHIP and shutouts (2).

Barry Dean: Had grown a mustache in an attempt to disguise how ridiculously young he looked, and while that had partially worked the move was unlikely to help him win 20+ games 4 years running. 11-7 from 24 starts, 3.46 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 1.19 WHIP, 171K from 176.2 IP, 6.1 WAR, ERA+ 133. Led the league in IP, strikeouts, FIP, and WAR.

Umashankar Meenakshi: Either Cairns wasn’t agreeing with him, or he wasn’t quite as formidable without Adelaide’s offense behind him (not that the Crocs weren’t a decent offensive team). 9-11 from 23 starts, 5.18 ERA, 4.64 FIP, 1.50 WHIP, 96 strikeouts from 144.1 IP, 1.9 WAR, ERA+ 89.

2061’s Top Hitters

2061 Jorge Diaz Award Winner, Richard Moore: Having a good season, but not particularly standing out above Adelaide’s other offensive dynamos. .317/.413/.499, 139-439, 75 runs, 17 doubles, 21HR, 80RBI, 76BB, 523PA, 2.9 WAR, OPS+ 140.

John Dalton: Back performing at the level his 2059 and 2060 seasons suggested was his typical, though a pinched nerve in his neck had put him on the DL for 3 weeks in November. .209/.324/.395, 55-263, 39 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 12HR, 48RBI, 40BB, 4SB, 309PA, 1.5 WAR, 89 OPS+.

Ronald Aitken: Quietly dominating. .314/.447/.562, 127-404, 86 runs, 23 doubles, 1 triple, 25HR, 78RBI, 94BB, 510PA, 4.2 WAR, OPS+ 165. Led the league in OBP and walks.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: The Venom (18-10) had managed to pull 1 game clear of the Crocs (17-11), while Darwin (17-11) were 7 games back at 64-50.

East-West Division: The Thunder (15-13) were only just above par in January, but that’s all they needed to be, their lead 11 games.

NZ Division: Auckland (12-16) continued to falter down the stretch, with the Cowboys (18-10) going from strength to strength and taking the division lead for the 1st time during the season on the evening of the 31st.

Southern Division: Sydney (17-11) were cruising, no other team in the division closer than 14 games.

Wildcard: Cairns were well in front in slot 1 with a 10-game cushion. 6 games behind, Darwin held 2nd spot, 4 games clear of Auckland. Brisbane (54-60) were the next closest chasers, 10 games in arrears.

#

Jayden Downes (.356/.375/.424, 3HR) was a free swinger but led the league in BA. As long as he didn’t slump horribly over the last 2 months of the season, he’d finish with a .300+ BA for the 5th season running. He’d never finished with an OBP higher than .366.

Angel Rivera (.339/.363/.516, 10HR) currently led the league in hits (161) and doubles (36). His 55 XBH put him 3rd overall.

Rich Downes (.348/.403/.586, 24HR) topped the XBH (58), and TB (266) boards.

Injured Cain Donaldson (.285/.399/.386, 4HR) had scored 92 runs, 4 more than any other player.

Stephane Lecomte (.287/.349/.379, 3HR) topped the league in steals, with 38.

Song Liang (15-4, 2.69 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.06 WHIP) was still Auckland’s go-to starter. He led the league in ERA and wins.

Austin Ya (9-10, 4.21 ERA, 5.16 FIP, 1.34 WHIP) was always hard to hit. His H/9 (7.25) and OAVG (.218) were the best in the AUNZBL. His problem was control. So far he’d allowed 69 walks, 2nd-worst behind Sam Woodger (10-6, 3.93 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.45 WHIP).

Marty Okolita (12-5, 3.73 ERA, 3.29 FIP, 1.11 WHIP) had a K/9 mark of 9.64, 0.05 ahead of Victor Doubleday (10-9, 4.64 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.25 WHIP).

Rod Bacon (8-4, 32 sv) led the saves board by 1.

Sydney (.291/.360/.447) had the best BA of all the AUNZBL teams, while Adelaide (.286/.362/.458) had the best OBP and OPS. They were the only 2 teams with an OPS above .800. Hobart (.241/.308/.382), meanwhile, were the only team with an OPS below .700. Their BA was 17 points lower than any other team.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane and Alice Springs continued to tussle, the Broncos a nose in front heading into February with a half-game lead.

The Southern Division was too hot to handle, Melbourne (73-38) ahead of Canberra (71-40) by 2, Sydney (70-41) a further game back. Due to the ABC playoff structure, only 1 of those teams would play postseason ball in 2062, much to the displeasure of all 3 managers, particularly considering the state of the Western Division.

Perth (50-61) led the Western by 1 game over Adelaide (49-62). Broome (47-64) were 3 games behind and last-placed Kalgoorlie (46-65) were just 4 back. Sydney Highlife skipper Alan Hassett expressed his thoughts this way: “It’s an absolute disgrace and travesty that there might be a team vying for the ABC Grand Final Trophy who only managed the 10th-best record during the regular season.”

Jakarta held a 7 1/2 game lead in the Overseas over Hamilton, who were at an even .500. Port Moresby had a disastrous month, going 9-19, to plummet below .500 and 10 games back.

This month’s Golden Rookie was awarded to 28 y/o Christos Spargo (.304/.360/.510, 17HR), who hit .355/.405/.598 during the month. Spargo had posted a 4.0 WAR, already 1.5 higher than his best AUNZBL effort, put together during an injury-interrupted 2060 season.

Satya Susanti showed his class in January, going 6-0 from 6 starts. He fanned 47 from 43.0 innings pitched and sat atop the season leaderboards in the ERA (1.75), wins (18), FIP (2.27), WHIP (0.98), H/9 (6.63), HR/9 (0.35), OAVG (.202), K/9 (10.07), strikeouts (173), and WAR (6.0) categories. Southpaw Susanti was an interesting fish. He threw a fastball, a splitter and a cutter. No pure breaking balls, no real off-speed stuff. Just different types of heat, which he disguised superbly. He was on track for 26 wins, but even if he only got to 20 would still be the 1st ABC player to that milestone.

All eyes were on Si-xun Qiao (.279/.374/.610, 40HR), the Victory 1B slugging his 40th home run of the season on the 30th, finishing January on a 3-game HR streak. By virtue of his power dominance, Qiao also led the league in SLG, OPS, wOBA (.416), ISO (.330), XBH (62), TB (264), RBI (104), runs (80), and WAR (5.1).

AUNZBL Standings, Feb 1

Izz · 06-03-2017, 05:41 AM

2062/2063 Season - February

Notable Performances

2 Feb: On short rest, Ralston threw 5.0 innings for 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. That was good enough for the win as Christchurch pounded Wellington 10-3. 6 more to 200.

5 Feb: Tomas Zartuche hit .485/.514/.606, 16-33, to win PotW.

6 Feb: Gary Young continued his fine season with a 5-5 performance in Adelaide’s 10-0 pantsing of division rivals Cairns. This marked the 3rd instance that Young had hit 5 times in a major-league game. The win was centred around catcher Li Hayes’ Grand Slam in the 5th, part of a 7-run inning. Hayes had forced his way into Adelaide’s everyday catcher role during January, at least for now, relegating Norm Donaldson to a DH/bench role.

7 Feb: Brisbane had to be delighted with the short-term results of their trade to net Nick Aston. In just his 2nd start for his new club, Aston held Melbourne scoreless off the back of 6 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 5 in the 11-0 hammering, saying after the game, “I’m really enjoying this new environment, it’s been very welcoming. It’s really nice to have the lads trust me so quickly.”

8 Feb: Scouts said that while Zachary Quinn could throw 5 pitches, he was “a master of none.” Today, though, he was certainly master of Sydney, restricting the Blue Sox to just 4 hits, fanning 5, and leading Wellington to a 3-0 shutout. He only threw 95 pitches. The win was just his 6th of the year, to go with a league-leading (tied) 14 losses.

8 Feb: Darwin were searching for their 9th win on the trot, while Auckland were just looking for a way to keep their noses above .500 and arrest their second-half slide. Down 4-2 in the 5th, Auckland tied it up with good old-fashioned hustle. That was all the scoring through regulation innings. A dropped catch in RF in the top of the 11th gave Darwin a golden opportunity and one they wouldn’t miss. The error sparked a 2-out rally and before the Metros knew what had happened the Diggers had sent 3 runners safely across home-plate. In the bottom of the inning, the Metros’ first 2 hitters doubled and singled respectively, putting sentinels on each corner. An error by the 3B allowed a run to score, and an out later Downes singled home another. Comeback on the cards? Most definitely. Wiltshire’s RBI-single tied things up, and left runners at 2B and 3B, before another error, this time at SS, allowed Downes to score the winning run. Final score: 8-7 Metros.

11 Feb: Wiltshire was doing his best to inspire his teammates as the Metros, now 5 games behind in the division and 10 games behind in the wildcard, struggled to reignite their season. Wiltshire’s 3-5, including a HR and 4 ribbies, helped Auckland to an 8-5 victory over Melbourne. The winning runs came courtesy of a 5-run 9th, the Aces folding on 6 pitches in the bottom of the inning. Wiltshire, who earned PotG, could also celebrate a 20-game hit streak, the 1st of his major-league career.

11 Feb: The Diggers busted out against the Venom, crushing them by the score of 19-2 on the back of 20 hits and 8 walks. The biggest star of the night was 9-hitter Ruben Zumaya, who became the 3rd player of the season to hit for the cycle. Zumaya got all the hard stuff out of the way early, tripling in the 2nd, doubling in the 3rd, and homering in the 5th. After grounding out in the 7th, he singled in the 8th to record the feat. Zumaya also scored 4 runs and plated 4 runners.

11 Feb: Canberra led 6-2 heading into the 7th of their clash with Cairns before the Crocs looked certain to steal victory, scoring 2 each in the 7th, 8th, and 9th. Not to be deterred, however, Canberra took to Crocs’ closer Martin Silva, 2 singles leading off the bottom of the 9th followed by Matt Cusack bringing ‘em all home with a walk-off 3-run dinger. Catcher Cusask had slugged 22 homeruns in AAA this season before getting called back to the bigs (he’d appeared in 120 major-league games in 2061). This was his 3rd HR in the top-flight.

12 Feb: Wiltshire took home PotW, hitting .500/.552/.846.

13 Feb: A 2-run Norm Blume HR in the top of the 9th broke the deadlock between Brisbane and Christchurch, helping the Bandits to a 7-5 victory. The dinger was Blume’s 2nd of the night, moving him to 32 for the season. Brisbane’s closer Rich Steedman allowed 1 hit but otherwise looked comfortable in recording the save, getting through the inning on just 8 pitches. The save was Steedman’s 30th of the season. He was yet to blow a save in 2062, though he had lost 4 games after coming on in tie situations.

14 Feb: Wiltshire’s hit streak came to a screeching halt at 22 games, the Cowboys not only keeping him hitless, but also demolishing the Metros 16-3. “They came at us quick and hard and never let up,” Wiltshire said after the game. “They rattled us and we didn’t respond well. That’s far more disappointing to me than my personal run coming to an end.” Auckland made 3 errors in the game - 1 by Wiltshire - which contributed to 3 unearned runs. Lance Fookes went deep twice for the Cowboys.

14 Feb: Roy Blake had thrown 9 innings his last start for Brisbane, allowing 13 hits and walking 2 in a 4-2 loss to Melbourne. He went all 9 again today, but the result was very different. This time he allowed just 5 hits and walked only 1 to lead the Bandits to a 6-0 shutout victory over Sydney. He struck out 3 in his 2nd whitewash of the season.

15 Feb: Neil Bellett became the 1st player to 40HR this season, his 8th-inning solo shot the go-ahead run in Canberra’s come-from-behind 6-5 victory over Adelaide. He was 3 homers clear of Mario Correa, who also went yard in the Crocs’ 4-2 win over Central Coast.

15 Feb: 25 y/o Gustavo Sosa had got a big-league cup of coffee in both 2059 and 2061 but this season had cemented himself at 3B for Darwin, starting 101 games so far. The Cuban demonstrated his chops today, going 5-5 with a double and HR, in Darwin’s 18-3 thrashing of Melbourne. He also scored 5 runs, equalling Darwin’s game record.

15 Feb: Sosa wasn’t the only player to do the 5-hit parade on this day. Axel Nankervis, who admitted last month he was “feeling a bit flat” this season, churned out 5 hits from 6 at-bats in Sydney’s 13-6 whipping of Brisbane. Nankervis, hitting .303 for the year, might be feeling a bit flat, but the 2 doubles he hit put him on 34 for the season, in a tie for 3rd in the league. He also slugged his 13th HR of the year, in which area he was well off his typical pace.

16 Feb: Could Bellett get 50? He went deep in the 5th inning of a Canberra and Adelaide punch-up that ended with Adelaide coming from behind to win 18-13. 41 dingers for the season so far, putting him on track to hit 51. Tomas Zartuche also had a night to remember, going 5-6 for the Venom. All up, 7 homers were struck, as well as 10 doubles.

16 Feb: The last couple days were all about the batters. Whangarei’s Edgardo Rico became the latest to get 5 hits, going 5-6 to help the Sluggers pummel Kununurra 12-1. He hit a HR and a double, scored 3 runs and plated 2 runners in, as he described it, “a busy night.”

17 Feb: “Wow!” was all an exhausted Zartuche could manage immediately after his side’s 13-4 dust-up of the Cavalry. For the 2nd night in a row, Zartuche went 5-6. He scored 3 runs, same as yesterday, and drove in 1 runner, same as yesterday. However, instead of a double he hit a triple, and also stole his 37th base of the season. Skipper Luis Gonzalez was as full of praise as it was possible for him to be. With an expressionless face, he intoned, “When you’ve got a leadoff guy getting on-base as much as Zartuche has been the last couple days you’ll run up some big scores.”

19 Feb: Unsurprisingly, Zartuche won PotW. While he didn’t get 5 hits in yesterday’s 2-1 victory over Melbourne, he did go 3-5 with a double and a triple, to finish the week hitting .571/.579/.914, his 20-35 including 3 doubles, 3 triples and 1HR. He scored 11 runs too, only 1 less than he managed in the entire month of January (though he did miss the 1st week or so with injury).

19 Feb: 26 y/o Chuk-yan Lung was spotted by a Kununurra scout in October plying his trade in a NSW ‘bush’ league (that was the fashionable term at the time for a semi-pro operating in either of Queensland, NSW or Victoria). A mediocre defender in the outfield corners or at 1B, the 6’3” Lung immediately caught the scout’s eye when he came to the plate. “Fluid swing, good plate coverage, decent pitch awareness,” the report said. “Far better than his competition. In fact, probably ready for the bigs right now.”

Minimum wage in the majors was like hitting the jackpot for Lung, who signed that evening with the Pioneers. He was given 113PA in AAA, where he hit .359/.460/.587, with 6 home runs, before being called up to the majors in mid-December as a bench bat. A joy to interview, the wide-eyed Lung was already a journalist favourite to talk to while a game was in progress, his catchphrase of ‘Sheiks and Beaks,’ uttered whenever anything exciting happened on the field, already appropriated by several baseball show anchors.

He wasn’t interviewed during the game today, however, getting a rare start at RF instead, but was still the star of the show. He went 2-4, slugging 2 homers, his 2-run effort in the bottom of the 9th getting the Pioneers within a whisker of Perth. The final score was 6-5 Heat, but it was Lung who did a lap around the field postgame, signing autographs and posing for photos with the home fans. “What are your goals?” a reporter asked him. Lung shrugged and smiled. “I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. One game at a time, for me.”

20 Feb: Darwin and Christchurch battled for 14 innings before Jesus Vega gave the Cowboys a walk-off victory via a 2-run HR, his only hit of the night. Rod Bacon, 2nd in the league with 37 saves, blew his 9th save of the year in the bottom of the 9th to see Christchurch tie it up. The Cowboys only scored in the 2nd, 9th, and 14th innings but managed to sneak out 5-3 victors.

21 Feb: Darwin couldn’t quite get up over Christchurch, going down 7-6. 1B Dustin Bacon went 2-4, slugging a HR for the 3rd game in a row. He also scored a run, having now done so for 15 games on the trot. He led the league in runs scored, with 101. His run streak would end after the off day.

23 Feb: Gao Chin led the way for Newcastle as they defeated Canberra 9-3. He was 5-5, with a double and HR to go with 2 runs scored and 3 driven in.

23 Feb: Isaac Canavan became the 1st pitcher to 40 saves for the season, helping Central Coast hold off Adelaide 4-3.

24 Feb: Whangarei and Auckland duelled for 9 scoreless innings, both starters going 8, Auckland’s Nelson Casey only allowing 3 hits. The drought was broken in the top of the 10th when Glen Donovan led off with a solo HR. Whangarei scrambled home another run and Rodney Ducat picked up his 25th save of the season with a wily 6-pitch effort in the bottom of the inning.

25 Feb: January HotM Willem Throsby brought up his 11th straight win in style, allowing just 6 hits and 2 walks in a 6-strikeout shutout against Sydney. Darwin didn’t win the game until the bottom of the 9th, new trade recruit William Fenton fighting his way to a 12-pitch walk and advancing to 3B on Angel Rivera’s double. Kent Okolita whiffed and Dustin Bacon was intentionally walked. With the bases loaded Wes Blenkhorn threw too far inside to Ed Geoghegan, who had a habit of crowding the plate. He took the pitch on his arm and the winning run strolled safely home.

26 Feb: Damian Krajancic clobbered 5HR over the past week, hitting an overall .520/.552/1.200, to take out PotW.

26 Feb: Christchurch’s Jeremy Hofmann had a right to look furious at the conclusion of his side’s 5-2 loss to the Aces. He’d thrown 7.2 innings of no-hit baseball (6 walks included) before coming from the mound with his team up 2-0. They still held that lead heading into the bottom of the 9th and Melbourne were still yet to register a hit. Everything then changed very quickly. Noel Dickson led off the inning with a single, breaking up the combined no-hitter. That led to a pitching change and Carl Rowlands quickly got Tu-fu Ang to pop out to CF. Vern Bull didn’t swing his bat once in earning a 5-pitch walk. Sebastian Horton hit a 1st-pitch single and the bases were loaded, the winning run at 1B. Caspar Purcell popped out to the catcher. Jose Villegas walked a run in on 4 pitches. Luis Cuesta watched 2 cutters miss the plate. The 3rd cutter was waist-high and he pulled it over LF. Over and into the stands. Walk-off Grand Slam, and Hofmann’s immediate response was to hurl a rolled-up towel at the dugout wall and storm off to the changing sheds. Melbourne scored 5 runs off only 3 hits, and got away with committing 4 errors - 3 of them by catcher Bull.

28 Feb: It wasn’t one of his better outings, but Barry Dean did enough both to get his 13th win of the season and to break through the 200 strikeout barrier. He gave up 11 hits and 2 walks for 4 runs in 6.0 innings of Perth’s 12-10 win over Auckland, and also struck out 5, putting him on 204 punch-outs for the season. Interestingly, the stats-heads’ aftermatch analysis was of the opinion that Perth’s defence let Dean down bigtime.

28 Feb: Angel Rivera managed just 1 hit from 5 at-bats in Darwin’s 6-3 victory over Whangarei. That was good enough, however, to give him a 20-game hit streak.

28 Feb: Roy Blake took a 1-hit start into the 9th inning of Brisbane’s game against Hobart. 2nd batter of the inning, Adrian Stuart, recorded Hobart’s 2nd hit of the game and at the same time broke up Blake’s shutout attempt. Stuart’s fly only just had enough legs to clear the LF fence, but clear the fence it did. The final score was 6-1 Brisbane.

28 Feb: 3 runs in the 4th were enough for Christchurch to get up over Adelaide 3-2. The winning pitcher was Lance Ralston, who threw 6.2 innings for 5 hits, 6 walks, 2 strikeouts and 2 earned runs. “Yeah, I was spraying it a bit in the 7th, wasn’t I?” he said. “But we somehow got out of it only 1 run worse off.” 4 of Ralston’s walks, and 1 of his hits, came in that inning. He moved to 195 career wins.

Notable Injuries

6 Feb: Central Coast’s everyday 1B for 2062, Adam Cox (.274/.315/.396, 11HR) would be out with a hamstring strain for the next month or so. 26 y/o Cox had been with Melbourne but wasn’t offered arbitration at the end of last season after spending 2 years playing in a back-up role. Central Coast signed him on the cheap, as was their wont, and had started him in 112 games so far. While he wasn’t setting the world on fire, he was playing the role asked of him, especially defensively, where he’d put up a +9.2 ZR and a 1.116 efficiency.

11 Feb: Alan Sneddon’s (.246/.390/.329, 3HR) frustrating season continued. After leaving a game on the 7th injured he found out today that the hamstring was torn rather than strained and that he might be struggling to make it back before the end of the regular season.

11 Feb: Newcastle catcher Yen-nien Liu (.254/.333/.369, 9HR) wasn’t expected to be back this season thanks to a sports hernia.

12 Feb: Metros’ fans could be heard groaning all over the city after receiving news that Callum McCabe (.321/.397/.473, 10HR) was unlikely to play any further part in the regular season after spraining his ankle.

14 Feb: Marty Okolita (12-7, 3.99 ERA, 3.62 FIP, 1.13 WHIP) was done for the campaign thanks to biceps tendinitis. The 33 y/o Sluggers’ K-machine had 179 strikeouts at a rate of 10.07 every 9 innings.

14 Feb: Canberra’s Matt Cusack (.268/.354/.375, 3HR in 130PA) was also finished for 2062. He had sprained his knee.

16 Feb: Guillermo Julio (.344/.408/.565, 13HR from 346PA) would head to the DL with a fracture for the 2nd time this season. This time it was a fractured foot, and he was looking at a month out.

17 Feb: It was likely Brisbane's Glen Casey (.338/.386/.457, 4HR) would recover from his strained ribcage muscle in time to return for the last few games of the season.

21 Feb: Vic Collins (.286/.356/.428, 8HR from 335PA) had swung his last bat for the season thanks to an oblique strain.

26 Feb: Rookie Hobart 2B Ethan Rafferty (.271/.330/.340, 3HR, +17.7 ZR) was unlikely to be back this season after being diagnosed with an intercostal strain.

Notable Trades/Signings

24 Feb: Division rivals Darwin and Adelaide snuck through a waiver wire trade, Adelaide parting ways with 27 y/o OF William Fenton (.252/.379/.416, 14HR), while Darwin sent 28 y/o LF Andrew Benbow (.269/.355/.378, 11HR) south. It was an interesting move for both teams, with Adelaide’s lead over Darwin only 6 games (the Crocs were sandwiched in between), and it looking certain both would feature in the postseason.

27 Feb: Cairns signed 32 y/o C Gary ‘Dusty’ Baker to a 2-year extension. Baker was hitting .288/.352/.466, with 15HR, in 2062, and .295/.362/.486, with 232HR, lifetime. He admitted he’d taken a bit of a pay cut to stay a Croc, but that it “was completely worth it” to be part of a team environment he loved.

Month Awards

Rookie of the Month: 25 y/o Gustavo Sosa complemented his 5-hit effort in the middle of the month with the season’s last RotM award. He hit .307/.381/.495, 31-101, with 23 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2HR, 19RBI, 11BB, and 7 stolen bases.

Hurler of the Month: Willem Throsby made it 2 months in a row with a 4-0 effort from 5 starts. His ERA was 2.55, his FIP 4.11, and his WHIP 1.25. He sent down 35.1 innings, striking out 27 along the way. Throsby had an 11-game win streak going together with a 15-game undefeated streak.

Slugger of the Month: To cap off a Diggers’ trifecta, Darwin catcher Kent Okolita took home his 1st ever SotM. The 29 y/o hit .384/.525/.808 in February, going 28-73, with 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 8HR. He also scored a whopping 27 runs, plated 28 runners, and walked 23 times.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: Lopez turned 39 on the 24th of February, and finished the month 88 hits short of 3000. If he were to reach the mark he’d be only the 5th player to do so in the history of the league, and the 3rd with a career BA over .300. Lopez had a poor February, only hitting .238/.288/.426 for 24 hits, but was having a good season overall, with a stat-line of .296/.348/.498, alongside 168 hits and 26HR.

Duarte Vasche: 45 y/o Vasche, who’d played 3 major-league seasons for the Aces from 2045-2047, was named in Darwin’s extended roster on March 1st after putting together a 2-1, 3.29 ERA record from 63.0 innings across 36 relief appearances at AAA. As a 23 y/o, Vasche had been a member of the 2041 San Jose Gobernadores, and therefore one of the founding players of the BL. As well as having played 1 season in the NABA (2059), Vasche had played 17 seasons in the BL across different stints. He was overjoyed at the opportunity to pull on a big-league jumper again, even though he realistically admitted it was unlikely he’d actually take the field.

Jayden Pye: Vasche made 41 y/o Pye the 2nd-oldest player on a major-league roster this season. Unlike Vasche, however, Pye had played in 110 big-league games in 2062, racking up 473PA so far for the Fury. He didn’t look overmatched at the plate, either, hitting .286/.387/.494 so far, with 17 doubles and 22HR gracing his 114 hits. His OPS+ was 129. In the field he looked okay during the 36 games he’d played 1B, but not so during the 45 games he’d started at LF. While he’d only made 2 errors, his ZR of -12.2 and EFF of .829 showed that age had at least caught up to his outfield legs. Amazingly, for someone with nearly 17 years of major-league service time under his belt, Pye was still 96 hits short of 2000.

Other Notes

Coastal Division: This division was by far the most interesting in 2062. Adelaide (15-11) couldn’t separate themselves from Cairns (15-11), who remained just 1 game shy of the lead. Charging up on them both were Darwin (19-7), who headed into the home straight only 3 games back.

East-West Division: Central Coast (18-8) looked set to be the 1st team to clinch a division in 2062, their magic number just 5, no other team in the division closer than 18 games back.

NZ Division: Christchurch (15-11) did enough to extend their lead over the dying Metros (10-16) to 6 games.

Southern Division: Sydney (11-15) stumbled in February, but it didn’t matter, as the rest of the division was so far in arrears it would take something miraculous if any of them were to overtake the Blue Sox.

Wildcard: Cairns and Darwin were near certainties to occupy the 2 wild card slots, with Auckland the closest chasing team, 13 games back from the Diggers. It was highly likely that whoever took out wildcard slot number 1 would earn an opening playoff round bye.

#

Neil Bellett (.304/.408/.605, 42HR) remained atop the SLG, OPS, HR, wOBA (.425), ISO (.302), and WAR (5.7) boards.

Jayden Downes (.356/.377/.431, 3HR) led the BA race.

Richard Moore (.331/.427/.519, 25HR) found himself with the best OBP among qualified hitters.

Angel Rivera (.338/.368/.498, 12HR) was 1 hit shy of 200, and also led the league in runs, with 105. He was tied for the lead in doubles with Fei-hsien Chang (.270/.318/.505, 29HR), both players with 40. Chang’s 71 XBH was also a league-best.

Tomas Zartuche (.347/.388/.480, 8HR) had 14 triples to his name, 4 more than any other player.

Norm Blume (.299/.368/.542, 35HR) was 11RBI clear of all other hitters, with 131.

Ronald Aitken (.300/.425/.534, 30HR) had not only reached his personal season HR best with 22 games to spare, he was also the only hitter with more than 100 walks, with 105 so far.

Stephane Lecomte (.287/.353/.376, 4HR) had 46 steals, and projected to the only player to reach 50 this season.

Rich Downes (.338/.395/.566, 29HR) had rounded the most bases, with a tally of 317 thus far.

Song Liang (16-7, 3.54 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) and Clint Kline (16-3, 3.09 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.15 WHIP) were tied for the league lead in wins.

Midseason trade acquisition Carlos Yanez (7-5, 2.89 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) was turning out just peachy for the Thunder. He led the AUNZBL in ERA, WHIP, H/9 (6.67), and OAVG (.207).

Barry Dean (13-8, 3.75 ERA, 2.94 FIP, 1.24 WHIP) was soldiering on despite the inadequacies of the team around him. He led all qualified pitchers in FIP, strikeouts (204), IP (213.2), and WAR (7.4).

Isaac Canavan had 41 saves to his name, 3 more than Rod Bacon.

League BA was up to .273 heading into March, with ERA matching last season’s 4.66 effort.

ABC Wrap-up

Brisbane had pulled 3 games clear of Alice Springs in the Northern.

Melbourne were now just 1 game ahead of Sydney in the Southern, with Canberra only 2 games behind. It looked extremely likely that the teams with the 2nd- and 3rd-best records in the league would miss out on the postseason.

If Perth (64-73) could hold onto their 5-game advantage in the Western they would appear in their 2nd consecutive postseason. They’d made it with a sub .500 record last year, too.

Jakarta saw Dunedin suddenly appear in their rearview mirror in the Overseas, the Outlaws putting together a 23-4 run in February to pull within 2 1/2 games.

23 y/o Mike Lundgren (.288/.364/.508, 20HR) took home both the monthly Rookie Award and Hitter Award. He also got involved in a vicious brawl on the 27th, which saw 40 y/o Marshall Whiffin knocked out. Both players were suspended for 9 games, with Whiffin completely unbelieving of the result. “I took a right hook to the jaw and could’ve been trampled and suffered serious injury, and I get suspended for the same amount of time as the guy who decked me. Decked me for absolutely no reason, I might add, too.” Lundgren was half-apologetic when fronting media the next morning, saying, “Maybe I misread the situation. But when a pitch zeroes in on your head like that straight after a home run’s been hit, it’s an easy thing to do. If I could go back in time I might react differently, yeah, but at the same time I might not.”

Satya Susanti only managed 1 win during February to sit on 19 wins heading into March.

Si-xun Qiao (.273/.364/.573, 43HR) hadn’t been able to keep up his frantic homerun pace, managing just 3 in February. He was still tracking to reach 50, but not many more.

AUNZBL Standings, Mar 1

Izz · 06-07-2017, 08:00 PM

2062/2063 Season - March

Notable Performances

1 Mar: Angel Rivera went 0-5 in Darwin’s 6-5 loss to Whangarei, thus ending his hit streak at 22 games. Darwin tied the game in the top of the 9th, but Whangarei needed just 3 batters in the bottom of the inning to win via a walk-off single.

1 Mar: Christchurch’s Lance Fookes went 1-5, with 2 walks, in the Cowboys’ 14-inning 6-5 loss to Adelaide. That solitary hit gave him a 20-game hit streak, the 1st time in his 11+ year career that he’d reached that feat. Christchurch led the game until the bottom of the 9th, when 9-hitter Mitch Goddard hit a game-tying 2-run homer. Christchurch had opportunities to score in the top of the 11th and 14th but couldn’t bring anybody safely home. Adelaide, on the other hand, didn’t even manage a solitary extra-innings baserunner until the bottom of the 14th. Keiran Cooper led off with a single, was bunted to 2B, advanced to 3B on a nubbed ground-out, and then scored the winner off a wild pitch.

2 Mar: 26 y/o Baryai Venugopalan didn’t get that many headlines, probably because he played for a Canberra team with a below-average market size and no current superstars to attract coverage (Neil Bellett wasn't quite at superstar status yet, and some thought he didn't have the personality to ever get there). Venugopalan wasn’t doing too shabby in his 1st full-length season, though, having already gone deep 23 times. Today he became the latest player to hit in 20 consecutive games, going 1-5 in Canberra’s 7-6 win over Wellington.

2 Mar: In a game where Hobart used 17 position players and Brisbane 15 (such was March madness), it took until the bottom of the 14th for the 2 teams to be separated. Brisbane led 5-0 after 4 before Hobart stormed back with 4 in the 6th and took the lead with a 2-run 8th. Domenic Cook scored all the way from 1B off a Jay Watts single in the bottom of the 9th to lock the scores, and 5 innings later Brisbane put together a run of singles to walk off 7-6 winners. As well as using 17 position players, Hobart also sent 8 pitchers to the mound, and 1st-year skipper Rafael Kelly admitted after-match, “Yeah, there’ll be a few tired bodies tomorrow, that’s for sure.”

3 Mar: Fookes’ hit streak ended at 21 games. He went 0-4 in Christchurch’s 6-5 loss to Sydney.

4 Mar: Central Coast became the 1st pennant winner of 2062, clinching their division with an 8-2 win over Wellington. Reginald Reddick said the job wasn’t done yet for his charges, however: “We’ve got to stick to our bloody guns, mate, because we want that first round bye and right now we’re a bit off the pace.” Central Coast had an 85-59 record, while both Adelaide and Cairns had an 88-56 W-L.

5 Mar: James Bacosa took home PotW with a .556/.594/1.074 effort. His 15 hits included 3 doubles, 1 triple, and 3HR.

5 Mar: The Venom paralysed the Roos with a 19-0 thrashing. Greg Ahern threw 8.1 innings for just 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 8 in 121 pitches. “Yeah, I could’ve stayed in for the shutout,” he said, “but I guess Luis* wants to make sure I don’t get unnecessarily injured before the playoffs.” The Venom slugged 7 homeruns, including a pinch-hit Grand Slam by Norm Donaldson.

*Luis Gonzalez - Adelaide manager

6 Mar: Cairns defeated Brisbane 4-1, ensuring they would travel to the postseason, either as a wildcard or as a division champion. They were currently 1 game back from Adelaide.

6 Mar: The Venom were also guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, marking the occasion with a Robinson Saldana 3-hit shutout of Newcastle. The Roos went down 3-zip, Saldana walking 1 and fanning 5.

6 Mar: Venugopalan went deep for a 2-run walk-off HR to see Canberra get past Kununurra 9-7 in 10 innings. His hitting streak had now extended to 24 games.

6 Mar: Rod Bacon became the 2nd closer to 40 saves, though he could’ve been forgiven for thinking after 7 that he wouldn’t be needed. Perth led the Diggers 6-2 going into the bottom of the 8th before Darwin busted out an 11-man rally, scoring 6. Bacon hurriedly warmed up and came out for the top of the 9th. He walked a hitter and struck out 2 others, getting through the inning in 19 pitches. 8-6 victory to the Diggers.

8 Mar: Victor Doubleday became the 2nd pitcher past 200 strikeouts in 2062, fanning 7 in 7.0 innings in his side’s 5-4 win over Auckland.

8 Mar: The off day might’ve put Venugopalan off his stride, for his hit streak ended at 24 after he went 0-2, with a walk and a sacrifice bunt, in Canberra’s 9-6 loss to Brisbane. The Bandits scored 4 in the 8th to tie it up, 3 of those via a Jay Watts homer, and then walked off winners after Norm Blume blasted his 38th four-bagger of the season, worth 3 runs, in the 9th. Watts was only 12 games into his big-league career, but had already hit 6 doubles and 4HR in 21 hits.

9 Mar: Darwin dropped today’s fixture against Hobart 5-1 but were still celebrating into the night. Auckland had also lost, defeated 9-2 by Cairns, meaning it was now mathematically impossible for them to overtake the Diggers and snatch a wildcard spot. This would be Darwin’s 1st trip to the playoffs since 2057, which outing marked an end to a 7-year postseason streak.

9 Mar: In that 9-2 win over Auckland, Mario Correa cracked his 40th homerun of the season.

9 Mar: “A special day, a very special day,” Domenic Guerin said. “Of course, the season might’ve gone better, but I’ll still take this.” He collected 3 hits from 3 at-bats in Kununurra’s 16-14 victory over Central Coast. All 3 of those hits went out of the park. He went solo in the 1st, hit a 3-run shot in the 2nd, and soloed again in the 7th. He also walked 3 times, scoring 4 runs. John Foreman won the game for the Pioneers with a walk-off 2-run homer in the bottom of the 9th after Central Coast had scored 4 in the 8th to level it up.

10 Mar: Sydney beat Adelaide 9-8 in 10 innings to win the Southern Division title, but that wasn’t the big talking point of the contest. Leading off, Martin Boston hit the 1st pitch of the game between 1B and 2B and reached 1B safely for the 2500th time of his career. But ‘Dinky’ wasn’t finished there. He went on to hit 5 more times, including driving in the go-ahead run with a double in the 10th. The 34 y/o was also a strong possibility to win a 5th Golden Glove, with a +15.0 ZR in LF. Not usually a self-promoter, Boston had a cheeky jibe for reporters after the game, “I think March 10th should be hereafter known as Boston Day, and be a State Holiday. Hell, why not a National Holiday?” This was the 7th time Boston had hit safely 5 or more times in a game. Interestingly, he brought up his 2000th hit in a 5-5 performance.

10 Mar: Roy Blake threw his 3rd shutout of the season, blanking Canberra on the back of 4 hits and 1 walk. He only struck out 1 hitter, but also only threw 89 pitches. Brisbane got home 1-0, Larry Booth scoring the game’s only run with a solo shot in the 5th.

11 Mar: Greg Ahern threw a complete game to help Adelaide defeat Sydney 5-3. He struck out 8, in so doing becoming the 3rd pitcher past 200 strikeouts.

11 Mar: Barry Dean negated his side’s poor offense by throwing a 1-hit shutout against Melbourne, Perth winning 4-0. Dean gave up his solitary hit in the 2nd so a no-hitter was never in question. He walked 1 and struck out 7 in his 4th career shutout.

11 Mar: 34 y/o Lance Fookes joined the career 300 club, going deep in Christchurch’s 9-6 win over Whangarei. Fookes had 28HR for the season.

12 Mar: Andre Wiltshire took out the penultimate PotW award, hitting .583/.643/1.375, 8 of his 14 hits going for extra bases (2 doubles, 1 triple, 5HR). After yesterday’s game he qualified for the batting leaderboards once again, and found himself at the top of the BA (.363), OBP (.425), OPS (1.005), and wOBA (.427) ladders.

12 Mar: Rich Steedman made it 35 saves without blowing one, throwing a scoreless 9th in Brisbane’s 8-7 win over Central Coast.

13 Mar: Norm Blume hit HR #40 in Brisbane’s 3-2 loss to Central Coast.

13 Mar: Newcastle trailed for 8 innings before rallying in the bottom of the 9th to score 3 and beat Kununurra 3-2. Kununurra catcher Rowan Kimpton sighed during the aftermatch presser and said, “Kinda sums up our season, doesn’t it?”

13 Mar: Cairns sank to a 9-2 loss at the hands of Darwin. Stephane Lecomte was 1-4 for the Crocs, and stole his 50th base of the season. Willem Throsby was the winning pitcher, throwing a 117-pitch complete game. He now had a 12-game win streak and an 18-start undefeated streak going.

15 Mar: Adrian Stuart helped the Prospects thrash the Aces 16-0 by going 5-5, with a double, a walk, 2 runs, and 4RBI. Melbourne could only manage 1 hit all game.

15 Mar: Another day, another heartbreaking loss for the Pioneers. Up 6-4 over Newcastle heading into the bottom of the 9th, they conspired to lose 9-6. Todd Fisher singled 2 runners in, before pinch-hitter Angus Wheeler sent ‘em home winners with a 3-run walk-off dinger.

16 Mar: Christchurch won the NZ Division for the 11th time in their history, clinching the pennant with a 6-2 victory over Hobart.

16 Mar: Moeaktola Liao saved game number 40 for the season, coming on in the 9th with a runner on 2B and a run just scored to close out the game for Newcastle. He got the remaining 2 outs to see the Roos beat Brisbane 4-1.

18 Mar: Xavier Culaham became the 4th player this season to hit for the cycle. He did so in Central Coast’s 14-4 humiliation of Auckland. The scoreline, however, didn’t tell the whole story. The game was tied at 4 after 9, and remained locked up until the 11th, when Central Coast went bananas, sending 13 hitters to the plate and scoring 10 runs. Culaham homered in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, and tripled in that 10-run 10th.

18 Mar: Hit by minor injuries in his last couple starts, Ralston joked to press that he “might need a tow truck” to help him off the mound today. He didn’t, throwing 7 innings for the win in Christchurch’s 9-5 defeat of Hobart. He was responsible for all 5 of Hobart’s runs. 5-2 on the season with a 5.21 ERA and 4.80 FIP, but now just 4 wins shy of 200.

18 Mar: Darwin needed until the bottom of the 9th to shake off Canberra 6-5, though when Throsby came from the mound after 7 the Diggers were ahead 5-1. But while he didn’t get what would’ve been a well-deserved victory, he did extend his run of undefeated starts to 19, equalling the 6th-best streak of all-time.

19 Mar: The year’s last PotW award went to... Melbourne’s Caspar Purcell, who hit .524/.565/1.429, his 11-21 including 2 doubles, 1 triple and 5HR.

19 Mar: The Sluggers couldn’t wait until the season ended. They lost their 10th in a row today, sinking 11-2 to Adelaide. They only got on the scorecard in the 9th.

19 Mar: 4-time All Star Bailey Kinnear hit safely in his 20th straight game, going 1-4 in Sydney’s 10-3 bruising of Perth.

20 Mar: The final off day of the regular season saw all the postseason teams decided. Yet, there was still excitement in the Coastal Division, where Adelaide had managed to pull 1 game clear of Cairns, while Darwin lurked menacingly just 2 games adrift. While all 3 were assured of playoff berths, the 2 best teams in this division would get a 1st-round bye, and Darwin skipper Gavin Brigatti, for one, was “pretty keen on that idea.”

Darwin had a tough series in the Central Coast to close out their regular season, while Adelaide would head over to Kununurra, and Cairns to Christchurch for their respective matchups.

21 Mar: Hobart chilled Kinnear’s hot streak at 20 and upset the Blue Sox 7-4. Kinnear was 0-3 in the loss.

21 Mar: The Sluggers triumphed 3-2 over Perth to get back that winning feeling. Baskoro Subagja was the winning pitcher, fanning 10 in 7.0 innings while allowing just 2 hits, 1 walk and 0 runs.

21 Mar: Adelaide disposed of Kununurra 5-3 to remain 1 game clear atop the Coastal. All of the Pioneers’ runs came via the long ball, Nick Ahern hitting #34 for the year, Rowan Kimpton his 27th, and John Foreman #30.

21 Mar: Cairns and Christchurch tussled for 13 innings before Mario Correa, Brent Dwyer and Gary Baker combined to score 2 runs. Reliever Drew Hayes valiantly threw his 3rd inning of the game to close the Cowboys out. Final score: 4-2 Crocs. Cairns used 8 pitchers to the Cowboys’ 5.

21 Mar: Darwin saw their hopes of gaining a first-round bye slip a little further away, Central Coast defeating them 4-1. Isaac Canavan saved his 48th game of the season for the Thunder.

22 Mar: Barry Dean finished his season on a good note, throwing a complete game against Whangarei to help the Heat to a 7-1 win. He allowed 6 hits and only 1 walk, and struck out 13, his best match-tally of the campaign and the 6th time he’d struck out 10+ in 2062. “Yeah, I let a bit of my frustration out today,” he said. “Really went after guys, challenged them.” The run Dean allowed came in the 1st inning. Dean’s 2062 stat-line was 15-10, 3.42 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 1.17 WHIP. He was the only Perth starting pitcher to finish with a winning record, and moved to a career mark of 106-53 after 6 seasons.

22 Mar: Adelaide moved to 99-61 with an 11-7 win over the Pioneers. They’d looked down and out through 6, falling behind 7-0 before scoring 5 in the 7th to get back into contention. They levelled the game in the 9th and then piled on 4 runs in the 10th thanks to a pair of 2-run homers from Welch and Cong Pi.

22 Mar: Cairns refused to let Adelaide shake them. They defeated Christchurch 8-4 to remain just 1 game back.

22 Mar: Darwin reliever Brad Beaton wasn’t feeling so good after today’s 6-3 loss to Central Coast. Starter Zachariah Pond got into trouble in the 8th, allowing 2 baserunners, but picked up 2 outs along the way before getting spelled by Beaton. Beaton then gave up a triple, double and single to see 4 runs score and Central Coast snatch the lead. Canavan strolled out in the bottom of the 9th to record the easy save and equal the career high he’d set last season, of 49 saves. Could he become only the 3rd closer in AUNZBL history to save 50 games in a season? He had 2 fixtures left to etch his name in the record books.

23 Mar: Adelaide finally faltered, getting overrun by Kununurra 8-3.

23 Mar: Cairns, however, did not falter, winning an entertaining fixture against Christchurch 7-5. With 1 game to play, both Adelaide and Cairns were tied for the Coastal Division lead.

23 Mar: While the Diggers and Thunder wouldn't face off in the playoffs unless both teams made the Championship Series, Central Coast were certainly giving themselves confidence heading to the postseason dance. Their league-best pitching held strong to hold off Darwin 3-1. Canavan struck out 2 in the 9th inning, bringing up save number 50. “A bit tired,” he said when asked how he felt, “but if I get the chance tomorrow to go for 51, then I’m all in.” Willem Throsby took the loss, ending his winning and undefeated streaks at 12 and 19 respectively. “One more and I would’ve been tied for second all-time,” he lamented, “and while I’m only young, given the vagaries of life as a pitcher, I might not get another shot.” 25 y/o Throsby was in his 1st year full-time in Darwin’s rotation and would finish the regular season with a 16-8 record.

23 Mar: It was a dead rubber, the Blue Sox looking forward to postseason action, the Prospects to vacations spent licking wounds, but the fierce division rivals still weren’t giving each other an inch in the penultimate game of the season. Nobody scored through 9. Or through 10. In the top of the 11th, with 1 out, John Dalton launched a 3-1 Rory Karsumaatmaja fastball over right-centre. There was no doubt where it was going as soon as it was hit, but Dalton stood and watched it fly anyway. Then he started his lap of the bases... at a pace barely above walking. A couple of Blue Sox infielders exchanged words with him but he didn’t speed up. His opposite number, Jose Ojeda, jawed at him for a few moments before allowing him across home plate, to which Dalton responded by cupping his ear and laughing.

Adare Subadio was next up and the at-bat started normally enough. 2 balls, called strike, foul. Then Karsumaatmaja threw a fastball at his back. Intentional or not, Subadio wore it, uttered some expletives, threw his bat down and charged the mound. On the way he threw his helmet at Karsumaatmaja, but the throw sailed wide. Ojeda rushed out to protect his pitcher but an elbow to the chest from Subadio sent him sprawling unceremoniously on his backside. The brawl was brutal, Subadio suffering a cut to his cheek from a Karsumaatmaja punch, and several other players looking worse for wear afterwards.

“It’s been building all season,” Prospects 1B/OF Adrian Stuart said to media post-match. “They’ve spent every game disrespecting us, win or lose, and when we give them a taste of their own medicine they can’t handle it. If you give you’ve got to expect to get.”

The AUNZBL Commissioner didn’t share those views, handing both players 10-game suspension and issuing a strongly-worded statement about ‘stamping this aspect of the game out.’ Subadio said he wouldn’t appeal his suspension, but Sydney and Karsumaatmaja, predictably, planned to contest. Dalton escaped without any sactions, despite his inciting actions and the fact he was first out of the Prospects’ dugout to join the fray.

24 Mar: Adelaide put the hurt on Kununurra, punishing them 22-1. 6 of their 9 starting position players picked up 3+ hits, with Tomas Zartuche going 4-7. Welch went 3-5, hitting two 3-run homeruns.

24 Mar: Despite Adelaide’s display of strength, the Coastal Division would need an extra game to decide who’d take home the pennant. Clint Kline led the Crocs to a 4-2 victory over Christchurch, his 8 scoreless innings giving him a league-topping 19th win for the season.

24 Mar: Canavan didn’t have the opportunity to record save 51. The Thunder were behind all game against Darwin until scoring 2 in the 8th to tie it. Darwin went back ahead in the 10th by 2, and Central Coast could only manage an Aaron Gilleland solo HR in the bottom of the inning. 4-3 Diggers and they were happy to be heading to the postseason on a winning note.

25 Mar: Crocs skipper Carlos Sosa was uncharacteristically opinionated when talking to media before the extra game. “Look, I understand there needs to be a division winner,” he said, “but surely there are other ways of arriving at one. In this case, the extra game won’t affect either team, as we’ll both have a first-round bye, but I’d be upset if we didn’t have the bye and were giving our first-round opponents an extra day’s rest - a day which we didn't get."

Perhaps Sosa’s attitude rubbed off on his players because they were uniformly lethargic. Greg Ahern led the way for Adelaide, throwing 8.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing 7 hits and fanning 6. He left having thrown 105 pitches and watched his relief get the final out and keep the Crocs scoreless. Richard Moore slugged 2 homers for the Venom as they barely broke a sweat to win 5-0 and grab the 13th division title of their history.

Notable Injuries

3 Mar: Glen Donovan (.316/.358/.491, 19HR) joined Whangarei’s lengthy injury ward with chronic back soreness. While medical staff were reluctant to give a timeframe on his return, the likelihood was he wouldn’t be back this season.

6 Mar: Darwin would likely be without catcher Kent Okolita (.285/.402/.493, 24HR) for the 1st round of the playoffs. 29 y/o fan favourite Okolita had strained an oblique while running the bases. Okolita’s 5.5 WAR for the season had him in 4th place amongst all AUNZBL hitters.

7 Mar: Neil Bellett (.304/.406/.595, 42HR) wouldn’t be back this season thanks to a strained ribcage muscle. “Disappointed for sure,” he said. “I was giving 50 a good tilt, but I guess there’s always next year.” The Cavalry, although 2nd in the Southern, were 13 games behind Sydney and 12 games below .500.

9 Mar: Calvin Hodnett (.304/.390/.545, 28HR) didn’t admit it outright, but the impression was clear that the 28 y/o, who had been rubbed out for the remainder of the season with knee tendinitis, wasn’t too upset that he wouldn’t have to endure the last couple weeks of Perth’s miserable 2062 campaign. Currently the Heat were 66-81, with the 4th-worst record in the league.

10 Mar: Central Coast would be without SP Juan Moran (11-8, 3.95 ERA, 4.70 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) for the postseason. In fact, he probably wouldn’t be back in action until mid-October as he needed decompression surgery on the radial nerve in his elbow.

12 Mar: Rotator cuff inflammation meant Karl Blackwell (10-8, 3.31 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 1.14 WHIP) would play no further part in Melbourne’s season.

16 Mar: Maurice Clemens (.230/.339/.459, 36HR) finished the season with a biceps strain.

19 Mar: Wrist tendinitis would keep Gordon Ladds (.289/.390/.494, 24HR) out of Hobart’s lineup for the last series of the season.

23 Mar: Adelaide had only just got Malcolm Pickhills (.275/.384/.579, 29HR from 426PA) back from injury, but were set to lose him again, this time with a sprained elbow. The really bad news? It was very doubtful he’d play any part in their playoff campaign.

Notable Trades/Signings

11 Mar: Darwin extended 27 y/o LHP pitcher Allan Tipping (13-9, 3.56 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) for 3 years, thus buying out the rest of his arbitration.

24 Mar: On the last day of the season, Whangarei and Brisbane pushed through a waiver wire trade, one that seemed, at least to the OotPB TV analysts, “weird.” 34 y/o Armando Santos (.211/.276/.434, 26HR) would suit up for Brisbane for the last game of the season, while Whangarei would get 27 y/o rookie March call-up Nigel Wedemeyer and a 23 y/o prospect. Brisbane were the team who signed Santos from the NABA in 2058 on a 6-year deal, which deal still had 1 year to play out. Before being traded to Whangarei, Santos had spent most of the 2059 season in AAA, where he crushed 51HR. He had 122 major-league dingers, 102 of those in a Whangarei uniform.

Media Watch

Marcos Lopez: The now 39 y/o finished the season with a 2-4 performance against Hobart, including a 3-run HR in the 1st inning. That bomb gave him 30 for the season and 435 for his career. “I still feel in fine fettle,” he said after the game when discussing his future. He had another year on his contract, the vesting option of 135 games having kicked in. Lopez had played all 162 games of the season, the 1st time he’d done so since 2059. He hit .298/.349/.499 for the year, collecting 194 hits. He needed just 62 more to join the elite 3000-club.

Duarte Vasche: The 45 y/o didn’t just warm the pine in March. He made 2 relief appearances, throwing 5.1 innings in 2 losing efforts. Sadly, it was clear that he no longer belonged at this level, his FIP across those 5.1 innings over 8.

Jayden Pye: A free agent once the postseason concluded, Pye apparently didn't have any plans going forward. “I’ve had a really enjoyable season,” he said, “and I just want to hold that feeling for a little while longer. Pye started 120 games in 2062, and appeared in 129 total for 546PA, his highest number of plate appearances since 2057. He hit .283/.379/.489, with 26HR. That was the best full season OPS of his career, and he hadn’t hit more HRs since 2054. What did he credit as the reason behind his great season? “Age. Well, wisdom, more so. It’s taken me this long to figure out that there’s nothing wrong with staying a while at the plate.” Pye had always been a relatively patient hitter but it did appear that aspect of his hitting craft was continuing to improve as he aged. Pye had just shy of 17 years major-league service time and a career stat-line of .263/.353/.453, with 341 career four-baggers.

Other Notes

Jayden Downes (.360/.382/.438, 4HR) took home the batting crown, but only drew 17 walks in 539PA. Still, the 32 y/o would have given himself decent value heading into free agency.

3 players finished the season tied on 42 home runs. They were:

Neil Bellett (.304/.406/.595, 42HR)
Norm Blume (.297/.364/.551, 42HR)
Mario Correa (.304/.342/.574, 42HR)

Bellett also led the league in SLG, OPS, wOBA (.420), and ISO (.292).
Blume topped the AUNZBL in RBI (149), XBH (81 - tied), TB (358).
Correa accumulated the highest WAR of any hitter in 2062, with a 6.1 mark.

Tied with Blume for most extra-base hits was Fei-hsien Chang (.263/.310/.492, 32HR), who hit 47 doubles, 4 more than anybody else.

Richard Moore (.331/.432/.533, 32HR) led the league in OBP.

He also achieved the runs-walks double-double (120-117). The only other player to do this was Ronald Aitken (.298/.420/.540, 36HR, 115 runs, 117 walks). Both Moore and Aitken were tied for most free passes in the league.

Tomas Zartuche (.346/.387/.483, 12HR) led the league in hits for the 2nd season running, collecting 227. He also led the league in runs scored (122), and triples (14).

5 other players reached the 200 hits milestone:

Angel Rivera (.328/.359/.496, 15HR, 222 hits)
Rich Downes (.326/.382/.545, 32HR, 213 hits)
Richard Moore (206 hits)
Edgardo Rico (.348/.388/.443, 5HR, 203 hits)
Yoshihito Morimoto (.298/.334/.363, 1HR, 201 hits)

Stephane Lecomte (.277/.339/.357, 4HR) was the only player to steal 50 bases. He finished with 51.

Clint Kline (19-5, 2.82 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) had made a good case for a 2nd HotY award. He finished the season atop the ERA, wins, BB/9 (1.05), and K/BB (6.04) boards, and was also 2nd in WHIP, 3rd in FIP, and 2nd in WAR (6.0).

For the 2nd season running, nobody came close to Barry Dean (15-10, 3.42 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 1.17 WHIP) in the WAR stakes (9.0). Dean led the AUNZBL in WAR, FIP, strikeouts (237), and innings pitched (245.0). Could he win HotY with his stats? 2051 HotY Wilson Lara didn’t think so. “Look,” he said, “if it was judged purely on peripherals - WAR, FIP, even strikeouts - than he’d be a shoe-in. There was no better pitcher in the league than Dean this season, especially so when you look at the team he played on. But wins is still a pretty big deal. I’m not saying it should be, but it’s a sexy stat and one that a casual baseball fan can glance at and assess performances and worth to a team. So no, I don’t think he’ll get the gong. He might get on the podium, but that’s no given either.”

2 other players made it past 200 strikeouts in 2062:

Greg Ahern (18-10, 3.48 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 226 strikeouts)
Victor Doubleday (15-12, 4.54 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 223 strikeouts)

Doubleday also finished with the best K/9 rate among qualified pitchers (9.38). He was the only qualified pitcher to be striking out more than a batter an inning.

Isaac Canavan (5-6, 50 sv) became just the 3rd player in AUNZBL history to reach the 50 save mark, and the 1st since 2036 when Ian Naismith set the record with 51. Canavan had saved 49 games in 2060, and was now, with Sean Morrow, the only player to reach that mark or higher twice. Despite putting together 99 saves across those 2 seasons, 30 y/o Canavan was still 3 shy of 200 career saves.

Brisbane closer Rich Steedman (4-5, 39 sv) didn't blow a save the entire season. If he saved his next 13 attempts in 2063 he'd find himself on the all-time saves streak leaderboard.

League ERA finished at the same mark as 2061 (4.66). League BA reached an all-time high of .272.

ABC Wrap-up

The ABC regular season still had 2 days to play before postseason festivities kicked off. 3 of the 4 playoff teams were already decided, Melbourne representing the Southern Division, Perth the Western, and Jakarta the Overseas. Brisbane and Alice Springs were still brawling in the Northern, and were playing in each other in the final series of the season to make things even more interesting. Alice Springs had won the 1st game of their set, and were on a 6-game winning streak, while Brisbane had lost their last 3 to see their lead cut to 1 game.

Satya Susanti didn’t become the 1st ABC pitcher to 20 wins. He severely sprained his ankle near the end of February, rubbing him out for the season. He also wouldn’t be available for Melbourne in the playoffs either. However, the 20-win barrier was broken in 2062, by former AUNZBL pitcher Bradley Boston. Boston had snared 19 wins in 2061, and went 1 better in 2062, with a 20-11 record. Sadly, his team, the Sydney Highlife, despite winning 97 games with 2 to play, wouldn’t feature in the postseason.

Si-xun Qiao (.272/.361/.559, 47HR) looked set to fall short of 50HR.

AUNZBL Standings, EORS

Izz · 06-12-2017, 12:43 AM

Narrator’s Note

Well, things just got... different. And I’m not talking baseball.

Short story: It appears I’m now stand-in captain on an A-class (severely-modified) hauler, running as fast as my fuel will allow me, heading for the supposed sanctuary of a hollowed-out chunk of rock and metal in the Asteroid Belt, with stars-know what else on my trail and a helluva lot of questions needing answered.

Longer story: This all begins innocuously enough. We’re docked at Combes Station on the edges of the Kuiper Belt. Our consignment has been delivered and our captain plus the chief officer have trekked in-station to sign off the necessaries and scout out more work. The rest of the crew - bar me and Lupo*, a gangly (as all spaceborn are) 18 year-old on his first tour and training to be a ship mechanic - are also ashore, letting off steam.

The two of us are stuck a-ship due to lack of seniority, which doesn’t bother me so much but has Lupo stalking the corridors, muttering viciously. Because I feel sorry for the kid, I volunteer to man the bridge and send him off to run low-level maintenance diagnostics in the engine room. He’s not happy about that, either, but he’s the type of person who will cool down once focused on something else. My tasks: keep an eye on the refuel, monitor station-chatter from those ashore - emergency channels only - and make sure no strangers enter our bay. If any do, well, I know how to increase the voltage on our anti-tamper services to something between ticklish and lethal.

For those who might be unfamiliar with the Solar System beyond Neptune, new as it all still is, Combes Station is one of the fresh-faced commercial joint-venture stations, specifically built to service the interstellar vessels heading to Alpha Centauri, Barnard’s Star, and Ophiuchus and Aquarius. Combes has no political affiliations, and is well outside the radius of the various Earth-, Luna- and Mars-associated stations. It’s bright, it’s glittery, it’s full of the promise of exciting times, but once you look past the flashing lights and neon signs you’ll see peeling paint, maintenance bots in desperate need of repair, and shady dudes lurking near most intersections.

I’m expecting about twelve hours of downtime before crew start staggering back in various states of intoxication. So, with the monitors arranged for easy viewing, I start watching the 2062 AUNZBL playoffs. I’m halfway through Game 2 of the Cowboys-Diggers series when the captain’s emergency channel goes off.

No preamble, no sounding out who’s on bridge duty, just a breathless, “Cut the fuel, cut the tethers. Drift, but point towards-” he rattles off a nav point “-and be ready to run.”

That’s it.

“Roger,” I say. I don’t ask any questions; there is obviously no time for that. In two seconds I’ve stopped the refuel and disengaged the hoses. The fuel caught between pump and ship sprays around the docking bay, marking everything it touches flammable.

I key internal comms. “Lupo, buckle in. We’re about to move and it mightn’t be pretty.”

The tethers are keyed to port-authority and any attempt to drop them without authorization will start a myriad alarms all across the station. That doesn’t worry me. What does is whether or not the bay gate will automatically peel back and give me access to space. If nobody in port-authority has over-ridden it there shouldn’t be an issue but if whatever trouble the captain is facing is somehow official, then we might do nothing more than put a dent in the station shell.

As soon as I drop the first tether, sure as sage, an alarm within the bay starts blaring, accompanied by a flashing red light. After the second tether drops we begin to pull hard at our moorings, like a dog who knows his lead is about to be unbuckled. A quick check of the monitors shows me the gate peeling back, exposing the blackness of space and sucking anything not bolted down into the void. The airlock leading to the station-proper should now be in lockdown mode. That is good and bad. Good because nobody can now bust in and stop us - manual override of the gate won't be instantaneous either - but bad because it means the captain and the rest of the crew are stuck station-side, their only escape route from whatever it is they are facing cut off.

I drop the last three tethers at once and we skid towards space faster than a platypus down a waterslide.

“What the hell is going on?” Lupo shouts over comms. Obviously hasn’t buckled himself in.

“Zip it and buckle,” I say. “I’m about to touch engines so there’ll be hell of a jolt.”

Emergency comms cuts in again. Captain: “Save this. Make sure you bloody well save this. This is live feed but there’s also archive as well. Should be all of it. Get the hell out of here. Fast.”

I can’t be sure but it sounds like he’s trading gunfire with somebody. A moment later and the feed he’s sending is on the monitors, across all screens, showing me the world the captain is seeing fifteen times over.

There’s gunfire all right, but not much of it is coming from him. Looks like he’s alone, which can’t be a good sign. He briefly turns sideways; he’s backed up against our airlock. Guilt courses through me but there’s nothing I can do. He pokes his arm around the corner and squeezes off a couple shots, pulls back as the chatter of gunfire answers him.

The door to the bridge bursts open and I whirl, thinking the mystery gunmen are somehow aboard. It’s Lupo, blood streaming down the side of his face from a cut on his forehead - he should’ve buckled in like I said! - his eyes wild. Before he can unleash what are surely a torrent of expletives he sees the monitor. The expletives still make it out of his mouth but they’re soft, confused.

“Buckle in,” I tell him, kindly. Neither of us know what the hell is going on but I definitely know we can’t stay here.

He drops into a chair and I turn my attention back to the monitors. The sound of station alarms can be plainly heard but the gunfire has stopped. Captain’s breathing heavy, checking the charge on his gun.

By now we’ve cleared dock, our momentum spinning us toward who-knows-where. Hands quivering, I input the nav point the captain transmitted, get a bearing and touch engines. Two quick thrusts to point us in the right direction. Our tanks are three-quarters full, which should be enough to get us there as long as we don't burn too much in one go.

Lupo swears again and I look back up at the monitors. For a moment I think we’ve lost the feed, but then I realize the captain’s body-cam is pressed against the floor. Then everything shudders, once, twice, three times.

“They shot him again,” Lupo says, hands on head. “They shot him again.”

We’ve got to run. I don’t have time for playback, and I’ve got to keep focused. I ask while double-checking our exit route and slowly increasing burn, “What happened?”

“Something came over the loudspeaker. Sounded official. Captain listened, then walked into the open. I think his hands were up. A bunch of guys in station security were facing him down, weapons galore. Then the one in front fired. Captain must’ve figured he was going to because he tried to turn but not quick enough. Went down. And then you saw the rest.”

I certainly had. Captain dead, chief officer unaccounted for. I have a thought. Keying all emergency comms open and hoping we’re not out of range yet, I say, calm as I can, “Rabbit holes. Rabbit holes. Duck and low, stay unofficial.”

Hopefully I haven’t stuffed up the spacer lingo too much.

Lupo is fiddling with his buckle. Panicking.

“Stay,” I tell him. “We might have to burn hard.”

He stares at me for a moment, then settles. “What's going on?”

I have no idea and say as much.

“Where are we headed?”

“Captain sent me a nav point. We’re going there. Near as I can tell, it’s in the Asteroid Belt. We’ve got enough fuel to get there.”

He nods. Who knows if he’s actually processing what I’ve told him, but he doesn’t say anything else for a while. Neither do I. Just trying to concentrate on the immediate.

About twenty minutes later there’s an explosion. I watch it on our rear cams, a ball of flame briefly licking the vacuum of space before subsiding. I don't need to replay and zoom to know the cause and location. Our bay, probably when someone manually opened the airlock and flooded the fuel-stained area with oxygen.

A lot more time has passed as we head on our steady way. It’s safe to say we’re in shock. Lupo figures it’s best if he keeps himself busy down in engineering. I’ll stay on bridge duty, keeping an eye out for any fuel trails in the distance behind us.

There might be ships on our tail, there might not be. My gut says there is, but if so, I can’t do much about it until we get to the Asteroid Belt, and even then not a whole lot. It’s not like there are clusters of asteroids I can lose pursuers in.

A quick trawl through the nav history shows this vessel has been where we’re going a couple times before, and what scant visual I can find that relates seems to indicate it’s a hollowed-out asteroid. I’ve heard of smuggler scoops before, but mostly dismissed them as hyperbole. Now I’ll get to see one. From the outside at least. Captain never gave any instructions as to what to do once we got there.

I’ve watched all the footage he beamed across a few times, and the trail of events seems to be: captain and chief officer exit the merchant’s office, both pretty happy with how things have gone (I check our collective bank balance from the bridge, and it looks like payment, plus a bonus for quick delivery, has already been deposited). A few steps later and suddenly all hell breaks loose. A group of black-clad gunmen appear from a bunch of doorways - vacant merchant house, by the looks - and open fire. Our chief officer goes down before she can even look surprised. Captain takes one to the arm, a skimmer, but somehow not more than that, and makes off at a rate of knots down an adjacent corridor. The gunfight proceeds in a similar fashion - running, fired at, fire back, running, fired at, etc - until he gets to our bay airlock. He makes no attempt to open it. Instead he sends us the livestream and hunkers down.

There are a couple things that I flag as interesting. Twice there’s good enough footage for me to examine the captain’s attackers. While their faces and bodies are fully covered, it’s easy enough to see that to a person they’re wearing full body armour - flexible and light enough for them to run; the type used by most national armed forces. Their weapons don’t lead me away from that conclusion. In fact, each gun is quite obviously Mars-tech.

Secondly, the group that kills our captain is not the same as the one that engaged in running combat with him. The second group is decked out in station security uniforms, their faces plainly visible above moderate-budget chest-plates and below basic visored helmets. They're only seen in-feed once the captain walks into the open, hands raised, and that takes place after a lull in the fighting. Seems to me like the other group skedaddled just before the cops showed up. Yet, while this new lot didn't act before the call for surrender was made over the station comms, they barely hesitated before shooting, and then apparently made sure the job was done.

I don’t know what to make of this yet. The Mars-tech weapons seem far too obvious and the cops, well, either they were in cahoots or jittery as all get out. Add in that all the corridors were empty, no bystanders, no 'bots, no nothing, and the scenarios are plain chilling.

There is one thing I do know for certain, however: the newsfeeds are calling what happened on Combes Station an act of piracy. A bounty has been placed on our ship. By dint of association, Lupo and I are now wanted criminals.

It'll take at least a week for us to reach our destination, and my brain is about played out from watching reruns of what happened. It’s like I’ve been given a single number at the end of a sequence and have to figure out what precedes it with no clues other than that final number. This’ll probably sound like an odd decision, but I think I’m going to lose myself in baseball history for a while. Maybe that’ll give my subconscious room to work. It's not like I've got a whole lot else to do right now other than wait, either.

It's also probably not a smart move to 'break radio silence', as it were, and even stranger to do so via my baseball history. But something's telling me it'll be a good idea to make sure our side of the story is out there somewhere, and you folks reading along know me as well as anyone, and you're all smart enough to make your own decisions and, well, now I'm just blathering.

I think it's time to finish watching Game 2 of the Cowboys-Diggers series while drinking some hot tea. We better have some left.

*Name has been changed - Lupo was his choice, not mine...

darkcloud4579 · 06-22-2017, 03:26 PM

Man, this is an epic read. Caught up and just amazed.

Izz · 06-22-2017, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

Man, this is an epic read. Caught up and just amazed.

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it

Izz · 06-30-2017, 11:21 PM

2062 Division Finals

Game 1 - Sydney Blue Sox vs Central Coast Thunder

Central Coast loaded the bases in the bottom of the 1st before recording an out but managed only 1 run thanks to a Gu Luo sac-fly. In the top of the 2nd, Miguel Ibanez, already battling the flu, made a magnificent diving catch to rob Marcos Lopez of extra bases but was injured on the play. Sprained elbow, the dressing room confirmed. Ibanez would definitely be out the rest of this series.

A 2-out Axel Nankervis triple in the 3rd scored 2 runners and gave Sydney the lead. They extended the lead in the 4th, Rodney Ellison singling Lopez home. Bailey Kinnear then hit a ground-rule double to right-centre and Ellison had to put on the brakes and stay at 3B. Jose Ojeda sac-flied him home. Cain Donaldson singled and Martin Boston hit a double with the authority of a clean-up batter, scoring both runners and ending John Zglinicki’s night. The misery didn’t end there, however. Nankervis reached thanks to an error at SS before Nigel Anderton went high, long and handsome over left. 3-run HR and the score had ballooned to 9-1.

Ellison robbed sub-CF Jeremy Skinner of a HR in the bottom of the inning, climbing the wall to haul in a superb catch. Kinnear crushed a cut fastball in the 5th for a solo dinger. Skinner wasn’t to be denied his next at-bat, however. He laid into a waist-high cutter and put it into the RF bleachers to give his team 3 runs and cut the deficit to 6.

Sydney added another in the 7th. Justin Auger sent one just deep enough down the RF line in the bottom of the 8th for a solo HR, and that was all the scoring in this one. Final score: 11-5 Sydney. Jack Binns (6.0IP, 7H, 4ER, 2BB, 3K) went okay, while reliever Keng-chi Tu threw 3 innings for a save, keeping the Sydney pen rested. John Zglinicki (3.2IP, 9H, 7R, 6ER, 0BB, 2K) certainly wasn’t Mr. Dependable in this one and could only shrug when discussing his performance. “They just kept tagging me,” he said. “I didn’t feel bad out there, didn’t feel like I was over-balancing or trying to throw too hard. Sometimes if a couple guys get hits the whole line-up gains confidence, and I think that’s what happened today.”

Game 1 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Darwin Diggers

Beau Hauer silenced the Darwin fans in the top of the 1st, cracking a fastball into the LF bleachers. 1-0 Christchurch. Darwin levelled it up in the 2nd and then went ahead, both runs scoring on awkward ground-outs. Lance Fookes drove Hauer home in the 3rd with a double before William Fenton ended the inning with a nice running catch to deny Rowan Reardon a double and an RBI.

Both sides jabbed and blocked through 6, neither team able to break the deadlock. Bernie Sneddon led off the 7th with a pinch-hit single and was bunted ahead to 2B. Whether having Sneddon lurking at 2B played on Zachariah Pond’s mind or not we’ll never know, but Kelvin Pickhills worked the count to 2-0, fouled a couple off, then rode the rocket 425 feet over left-centre. 2-run homer and Christchurch had jumped ahead 4-2. That certainly rattled the Diggers, Hauer called safe after Dustin Bacon juggled a regulation throw at 1B. Fookes then singled to right and Hauer put his head down, aiming for 3B. Alan Sneddon’s throw was awful, ending up in the dirt in front of the dugout. Hauer scored and Fookes pulled up at 2B. 5-2 Cowboys.

Ed Geoghegan doubled down the 1B line to start the bottom of the inning, and then eased his bulk across to 3B after SS Jesus Vega booted a Gustavo Sosa grounder. Any thoughts of a rally were quickly extinguished by Hauer. With 1 out and the count 1-2, Darwin initiated a hit-and-run. Cain Whalley made hard contact but Hauer, at 2B, leaped high and snared the catch. Geoghegan tried to turn and get back to 3B but he had no hope, tagged well short. The score remained 5-2 Christchurch.

38 y/o Lance Ralston made an appearance out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 8th, getting the 1st out of the inning with a runner on 1B. Later in the inning, with 2 on, Bernie Sneddon made a nice running catch in LF to send Darwin into the field with no fruits from their labours once more. Fookes made the margin 4 with a solo HR in the 9th. The blast projected to carry 441 feet and was Fookes’ 5th-hit of the night, the 1st time the 34 y/o had accomplished that feat in the majors. He became only the 8th player to achieve the 5-heat feat in the playoffs.

Final score: 6-2 Christchurch. Ted Heathcote (6.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K) got the win, while 5 relievers combined to throw the last 3 innings. Pond (7.1IP, 12H, 5R, 4ER, 1BB, 5K) got beaten up for the loss.

Game 2 - Sydney Blue Sox vs Central Coast Thunder

Back-to-back doubles to begin the game put Sydney up 1-0, and then a 2-out error by the usually excellent Yoshihito Morimoto at 3B allowed another run to score. The lead was added to in the 2nd, but only by 1, a strong throw from Aaron Gilleland in LF seeing Jose Ojeda tagged out at home plate to end the inning.

Ellison showed off his defensive chops once more in the 3rd, a fine running catch robbing Wayne Roneberg of leadoff extra-bases. Sydney were struck a blow after 4, Cody Watts (4.0IP, 5H, 0ER, 0BB, 3K) not returning to the mound thanks to an unspecified injury. Roneberg’s 10-pitch walk in the 5th sparked a mini-rally for the Thunder, and he scored their opening run an out later. Luo’s double into the RF corner scored another to make the score 3-2 after 5. A shallow ground-out to 2B enabled the tying run to score in the 6th. At the conclusion of the inning Central Coast had managed 10 base hits to Sydney’s 5.

Auger led off the bottom of the 7th with a double off the centre-right wall, and then Luo smoked a 2-run homer into the RF bleachers. 5-3 Central Coast. A Downes’ RBI-single in the 8th extended the lead to 3. Matt Juhl (8.0IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K) retired after 8, and 50-save man Isaac Canavan trotted to the mound. Lopez immediately reminded him that the postseason is a step up from the regular season, doubling into the left-centre alley. Blake Rawnsley struck out to go to 0-8 for the series, and Ellison ground out to short. Kinnear singled up the middle and Lopez scampered home to make it a 2 run game with 1 out to go. Ojeda muscled a full count fastball up the middle for a single and Kinnear legged it out to 3B. Donaldson walked and the bases were loaded. Canavan wiped some sweat from his brow and glared next hitter, Boston, down. Boston made good contact on a fastball, but got under it too much, the result a regulation fly-out to CF.

Final score: 6-4 Central Coast, the injury to Cody Watts surely working in their favour. Morimoto went 4-5 to make up for his error, while Luo was 3-5, with a double, HR, and 3 ribbies.

Game 2 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Darwin Diggers

Darwin rallied the opening run home in the bottom of the 2nd. The driver-in of the run, Ruben Zumaya, made 2 great lunging catches at SS in the top of the 3rd to stop a potential Cowboys’ comeback, leaving a runner stranded at 1B.

That was all the scoring until the bottom of the 5th, when Whalley singled home Sosa, making it 2-0. Willie Russell was excellent for Darwin through 6, allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk while fanning 4. Jeremy Hofmann (5.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K), meanwhile, only lasted 5 innings. His relief, Pedro Montanez, took 24 pitches to get through the 6th, walking 2 and striking out 2 in the process.

Russell (7.0IP, 3H, 0ER, 1BB, 5K) was pulled after a fine 7-inning performance. Darwin put together another rally of singles in the 8th, scoring 3 to take a 5-run advantage into the 9th. Hauer singled with 1 out to give the travelling fans some hope of a comeback but Fookes ground into a U6-3 double-play to end the game. Final score: 5-0 Darwin to level the series.

Alan Sneddon showed he still knew how to get the jump on a pitcher, swiping his 16th postseason bag in his 9th postseason.

Game 3 - Sydney Blue Sox vs Central Coast Thunder

Morimoto continued his hot series, lifting his BA to .800 with a leadoff single in the 1st. He stole 2B, advanced to 3B on a ground-out, and then scored when Luo beat out the throw on a grounder to the edge of the outfield grass. 1-0 Thunder after 1.

Another infield single, this time to Adam Cox, following a walk to Gilleland, put Central Coast runners on 1B and 2B in the 2nd. Xavier Culaham then threaded the gap between 2B Nankerivs and 1B Anderton to bring Gilleland home. Both runners advanced a base on the throw to the catcher. Roneberg’s deep fly out to left scored another, giving the Thunder an early grasp on the game.

Morimoto pulled off a stunning diving catch to rob Anderton of a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, before making another fine play to end the inning, this time charging a weak roller and throwing the runner out at 1B.

The game became a lot closer in the bottom of the 3rd. Donaldson twisted a 2-out double down the LF line before Kinnear cleared the left-centre fence to make it a 1-run game. A sliding Roneberg catch in the 5th made sure Ojeda couldn’t make a dash for home from 2B. Richard Humphrey gave the Thunder some breathing space in the 6th with a 2-run shot over left, and in so doing ended Raymond Eykelbosch’s night (5.0IP, 6H, 5ER, 3BB, 2K).

Reliever Zach Merritt allowed a walk and then struck out the side. Carlos Yanez (7.0IP, 6H, 2ER, 2BB, 4K) sat down after 7 to watch anxiously from the dugout. Kinnear doubled with 1 out in the 8th but that was as far as he went. Downes’ singled home Morimoto in the 9th to push the difference to 4. Auger singled to keep the inning alive and then Luo broke the game open with a flyball that just kept going over right. 3-run dinger and the score was now 9-2. The 2-out rally wasn’t finished yet, however. Humphrey, Gilleland and Cox all singled to see another run score before Culaham popped out. He had been both the 1st and last out of the inning. Despite a couple nicely struck flies, Sydney retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to see Central Coast take a 2-1 series’ advantage.

Final score: 10-2 Thunder. Central Coast managed 15 hits and 4 walks to Sydney’s 7 and 2.

Game 3 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Darwin Diggers

The Christchurch hitters made good contact on Willem Throsby in the bottom of the 1st, finally scoring a run via a 2-out Fookes’ double. Throsby then surrendered a pair of walks to see the bases loaded before getting Utting to pop out to end the inning.

An error on a routine throw from short to 1B in the 2nd saw Kent Okolita wind up at 2B with no outs, but Dan Pankhurst held his nerve to get through the inning unscathed, Okolita eventually stranded at 3B. Throsby found himself in more trouble in the bottom of the 3rd, loading the bases with no outs. Rowan Reardon hammered a single to left with such malice that only 1 runner could score. The next 3 hitters retired tamely, Christchurch unable to make the most of their opportunity.

After 5, Pankhurst had only allowed 1 hit and 1 walk. Despite looking in much better nick in the 4th and 5th, Throsby (5.0IP, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 4K) came from the mound, having thrown 107 pitches.

After 7, Pankhurst had conceded just 1 more hit. He’d struck out 3 of his 4 victims over the last 2 innings. Kelvin Pickhills almost went yard in the top of the 8th, instead settling for an RBI-double. 3-0 Cowboys.

Pankhurst went through the Diggers in order in the 8th, all 3 outs recorded as 6-3. The Cowboys extended their advantage in the 9th, Matthew Utting diving in under a tag to score off a sac-fly.

‘Giant Killer’ Pankhurst came out for the bottom of the 9th, much to the delight of the hometown fans. He had 5 shutouts to his name across a 14+ year major-league career, but none in the postseason. Alan Sneddon ground out to the third-sacker. 1 down. Angel Rivera snuck one through the gap between 1B and 2B and Christchurch’s skipper immediately trekked to the mound, signalling to the bullpen as he did so. Okolita popped out to the catcher and Bacon struck out and there was the game. Final score: 4-0 Christchurch, with most in the media of the strong opinion Pankhurst (8.1IP, 3H, 0ER, 1BB, 4K) should’ve been left in with 4 runs in the bank. He didn’t seem too miffed after the game, though, saying, “We won, and that’s what matters. I know we had some runs up our sleeve, but I was getting a bit tired and if the Darwin lads had put together another couple of hits off me things might’ve got a bit dicey.”

Game 4 - Sydney Blue Sox vs Central Coast Thunder

Cody Watts had a sore elbow. It would only be a couple weeks before he’d be fully recovered, according to the team doctors, but that was long enough to rule him out of the playoffs.

Zglinicki and Binns, both on only 3 days’ rest, would face off again. A pair of 2-out singles plus a wild pitch saw the Thunder score in the top of the 1st. Roneberg bunted his way on-base in the 3rd but was quickly doubled up 3-6-3. Ojeda’s single down the 1B line in the bottom of the inning was Sydney’s 1st hit of the night, Zglinicki looking much sharper so far than in Game 1.

Anderton led off the bottom of the 4th with a double into the RF corner, and scored 2 outs later on Ellison’s fister to centre. 1-1. Zglinicki found himself with runners on the corners and only 1 out in the 5th but was unperturbed, striking out the next hitter and getting a weak groundball out to end the threat.

Both pitchers continued duelling, the scores still knotted at 1 after 7. Binns (7.0IP, 7H, 1ER, 2BB, 4K) was yanked for the 8th, and his relief got through the inning unscathed despite giving up a 2-out walk and single. Lopez’s 2-out double in the bottom of the inning gave Blake Rawnsley a chance to bring home the go-ahead run, but the 3B could only tamely ground out 4-3, taking him to 0-15 for the series.

Zglinicki (8.0IP, 5H, 1ER, 3BB, 2K) was replaced by Canavan for the bottom of the 9th, who gave up a 2-out single but otherwise looked untroubled, striking out 2 in the inning.

This one was headed for extra-time. Auger and Luo singled to start the 10th. Kinnear’s leaping catch robbed Humphrey of a base hit and possible RBI. Gilleland took a fastball at the knees for strike 3, and late-game sub Damon Liao ground-out 6-3. Sydney couldn’t manage a baserunner in the bottom of the inning.

Culaham singled to lead off the 11th and was bunted into scoring position by Roneberg. Morimoto flied out and Downes went down 6-3. Once again, Sydney couldn’t put anybody on base.

Central Coast were retired in order in the 12th. Donaldson singled with 2 outs and then stole 2B on a run-and-hit play that turned out to be a ball. 4 pitches later Boston popped out and that was the end of that threat.

Gilleland singled to begin the 13th (Central Coast had 13 hits to Sydney’s 7), and was bunted to 2B, where he stayed for the remainder of the inning. The meat of Sydney’s lineup were retired in order in the bottom of the inning.

Morimoto led off the 14th with a single against a tiring Keng-chi Tu, who had already thrown 3 innings. He stayed in, however, and got a groundball up the middle for a U6-3 double-play. Auger popped out and the game remained tied. Rawnsley got his 1st hit of the series to begin the bottom of the inning, singling down the 1B line. Ellison almost threaded the needle between 3B and short, but got on-base anyway, beating out a throw from the edge of the outfield grass. Kinnear bunted, the ball whisking down the 1B line and fair. Downes, moved to 1B from CF late in the game, was slightly hesitant in playing it and the end result was Kinnear safe at 1B and the winning run at 3B, nobody out. Ojeda didn’t swing his bat once, earning a 5-pitch walk-off walk to end this thing!

Final score: 2-1 Sydney in an epic. Tu got a well-deserved win, throwing 4 innings of extra-time relief, while Zglinicki had nothing to show for a nerveless 8-inning performance. Ojeda, 2-4 with 2 walks, was still pumped up after 14 innings squatting behind the plate, saying, “That’s what playoff baseball is all about, man. Neither team giving an inch, and scrapping all the way until the winning run.”

Game 4 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Darwin Diggers

Pond versus Heathcote, round 2. A dropped pop-up in the bottom of the 1st gave Christchurch a prime opportunity to take the early advantage, putting runners on 1B and 2B with nobody out. Hauer ground into a 1-6-3 double-play, but Fookes hit a crisp single to right to see a run score. 1-0 Christchurch.

Okolita led off the 2nd with a double over the head of the CF, but as soon as the ball was dead signalled to the trainers, pointing at his ankle. Replays showed he rolled it touching the bag, and soon the diagnosis was confirmed: a sprain. No further playoff action for him. Vega singled to begin the bottom of the 3rd, stole 2B, and hustled to 3B on a shallow ground-out. One again Hauer ground-out, Vega staying put, but Fookes made sure of things, crushing a fastball into the right-centre bleachers to make the score 3-0.

Geoghegan started the 5th with a double to LF, and scored 2 outs later off a Whalley single up the middle. 3-1 Cowboys. They moved another run closer in the 6th, Fenton delivering the RBI-single. Heathcote (5.1IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 1K) was subbed during the inning, his velocity noticeably lower than last inning.

Pond (6.0IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 6K) threw 90 pitches before coming off. Back-to-back 2-out doubles to Wes Corless (his 1st hit of the series) and Vega in the bottom of the 7th enabled the Cowboys to tack on another run as they looked to close out the series.

The difference was still 2 heading into the 9th, and Ryan Digby came to the mound to close things out. Zumaya got frozen up by a slider on the outside corner, while Whalley was denied a base hit by a leaping catch form SS Vega. A Digby heater at the knees fooled Sneddon and the game and series was over.

Final score: 4-2 Christchurch. Fookes (.500/.529/1.063) picked up series’ MVP, clobbering 3 doubles and 2HR from 8 hits.

Game 5 - Sydney Blue Sox vs Central Coast Thunder

With Watts out injured, Eykelbosch would turn out for the Blue Sox on just 2 days’ rest. He’d take on Matt Juhl, who’d last pitched in Game 2. Damon Liao got his 1st start of the postseason in RF.

Sydney took the lead in the top of the 1st, Anderton’s 2-out double down the 3B line driving Nankervis home. Morimoto led off the bottom of the inning with a two-bagger, hustled to 3B on the next hitter’s ground-out, and scored off Auger’s deep grounder to 2B.

Ellison tamed a fastball to put Sydney up 2-1 in the 2nd. The Thunder were left chewing their nails when Matt Juhl (3.0IP, 3H, 2ER, 0BB, 2K) hobbled from the mound at the conclusion of the 3rd. Mild hamstring strain, team medicos said later, and could be managed day-to-day. Central Coast’s hitters responded to the injury with typical hustle, tying the game up in the bottom of the inning.

Eykelbosch (4.1IP, 9H, 2ER, 0BB, 1K) came from the mound after allowing an infield single in the 5th but no damage came of the basepath incursion. The top of Sydney’s lineup (Donaldson, Boston, Nankervis) worked the go-ahead run across home plate in the 6th without surrendering an out, and the bottom half of the lineup hustled home some insurance in the 7th.

Adam Cox got the home fans drumming the seats with a 2-run blast in the bottom of the 8th, the 384-foot first-pitch effort tying the game up. Canavan took the mound in the top of the 9th. Kinnear got called out on strikes. Ojeda was robbed of extra bases by a fine running catch by LF Gilleland. Donaldson was a regulation out to RF. Sydney closer Wes Blenkhorn, who’d had a very unhappy series so far (2.2IP, 8H, 5ER, 1BB, 1K) headed out for the bottom of the inning. Downes singled past 2B. Auger chased a curveball off the plate to become a strikeout victim. Luo’s soft fly found grass in LF to put runners on 1st and 2nd with just 1 out. Humphrey drilled a fastball up the middle and into CF. Downes dived home without a challenge and the Thunder had come from behind to walk off 3-2 series winners! Final score: 5-4.

Central Coast managed 16 hits to Sydney’s 10. This was the 2nd year running the Blue Sox had been bundled out in the Division Finals. Gu ‘Go’ Luo won series’ MVP with a .455/.480/.818 effort. He was 10-22 with 2HR and 8RBI.

Izz · 08-30-2017, 04:48 PM

2062 Preliminary Finals

Game 1 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Greg Ahern eased through the top of the 1st, inducing 2 popups before ending the inning with a well-constructed strikeout of Auger. Southpaw Cam Kneale, in his 1st start of the postseason, didn’t start off so assured. He walked Tomas Zartuche before getting a regulation groundball to short. Sadly, however, Xavier Culaham couldn’t hit his target at 2B and instead of Adelaide being 2 down with nobody on, they were instead none down with 2 on. An out later, Richard Moore hit a deep double to centre, scoring Zartuche. That was all the damage the Venom could inflict, taking a 1-0 lead.

Ahern didn’t handle Auger so well his next time up in the 4th, the Thunder star latching onto a cut fastball and depositing it way back in the right-centre bleachers. Tie game. The battle between the 2 continued in the 6th, Ahern fanning Auger on 3 pitches.

The scores were still knotted after 6, Central Coast with 7 base hits to Adelaide’s 3. Ahern gave up a 2-out single in the 7th and was pulled. He’d thrown 6.2 innings for 8 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, and 9 strikeouts. He’d thrown 113 pitches to Kneale’s 83, his counterpart with only 1 K next to his name.

Adelaide sparked somewhat to life in the bottom of the 7th, snatching the lead via a 2-out RBI single from 9-hitter and DH Mitch Goddard. Central Coast were retired in order in the top of the 8th. Venom catcher Li Hayes showed why he was currently favoured ahead of Norm Donaldson in the bottom of the inning, his 421-foot fly extending the Venom’s lead to 2. Thunder catcher Humphrey was left cursing next hitter after he dropped a Gary Young foul pop-up. 2 pitches later Young cleared the right-centre fence to make it 4-1. Kneale (7.2IP, 8H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 1K) came from the mound shortly thereafter.

Bailey Naylor, back as Adelaide’s closer after 2 seasons in the setup role, strode out for the 9th. He had a 6-12 regular season record, with 32 saves. Luo singled up the middle off Naylor’s 1st pitch. Humphrey flied out to centre. Gilleland walked, bringing the tying run to the plate. Cox struck out looking. Culaham struck out swinging and Adelaide held on to win. Final score: 4-1 Venom.

Luo continued his hot postseason form, going 3-4. The Venom attempted 3 steals and were gunned down each time.

Game 1 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Even though Cairns earned a first-round postseason bye, they didn’t get home advantage for their matchup with Christchurch. This was because the Crocs’ got to the playoffs on a wildcard, whereas Christchurch won their division.

Neither side scored through 2. Top of the 3rd, and Stephane Lecomte led off with a single before Gary Baker obliterated a changeup, putting it 431 feet back over left-centre. 2-0 Cairns. Jeremy Hofmann responded by upping the pace, fanning 2 of the next 3. Hofmann was still angry in the 4th, striking out 2 more, bellowing with clenched-fist delight each time.

Utting’s double in the bottom of the 6th was only the 2nd hit of the night for Christchurch, though they’d drawn 3 walks off Victor Doubleday. Next man up, Hauer, made it 4 walks before Fookes slapped the 1st pitch of his at-bat to left for a single. Bases full. Doubleday didn’t seem to want to throw to Kelvin Pickhills, who patiently walked a run home. Reardon spanked a pitch up the middle, but Lecomte broke quickly to snare it, starting an easy 6-4-3 double-play to end the inning. 2-1 Crocs.

Hoffman (6.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 4K) was replaced by Ralston for the 7th, the wily veteran demonstrating his guile, striking out 2 of the 3 hitters he faced, doing so with a fastball that barely touched 140 km/h.

Doubleday walked his 6th of the night to begin the 7th, but immediately worked a 6-4-3 double play before striking out only his 3rd victim of the night. Ralson stayed on for the 8th, giving up an infield single to begin the inning. A 3-6-3 double-play cleared the bases, before Ronald Aitken fought his way to a 7-pitch single. Correa singled to right and Aitken attempted to go from 1B to 3B. RF Reardon was having none of that, the 37 y/o showcasing his tremendous arm to see Aitken tagged out.

Christchurch sent closer Digby out for the 9th, desperate to keep the difference 1. Digby got through the inning unscathed and the Cowboys readied themselves to face Crocs’ closer Martin Silva, who had a 9-5, 37 save record for the regular season. Pickhills walked on 9 pitches. Reardon ground out 5-3, but the tying run advanced to scoring position. Krajancic flied out to right. Hayes walked, and Seinosuke Nakashima was sent out as a pinch-hitter. The move didn’t work, as he went down on a regulation ground-ball to 2B.

Final score: 2-1 Cairns. Doubleday (8.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 7BB, 3K) was plenty wild, his 7 walks equalling the AUNZBL postseason game record, set in 2023 by Rick Hoolahan and seen again in 2034 with Russell Puckeridge on the mound.

Game 2 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Central Coast opened their account in the 3rd, Morimoto coming home off an Auger single after an error by Moore at 1B put him in scoring position. An out later Humphrey went long, deep and handsome, crushing a fastball into the centrefield bleachers to score 3 more. Adelaide sac-flied 1 home in the bottom of the inning to make it a 3-run game.

The Venom got on the board again in the 4th, Welch singling home Young to make it 4-2. Mitch Goddard blooped a 2-out RBI-single in the bottom of the 5th to reduce Central Coast’s lead to 1. The pattern was broken up in the bottom of the 6th, the Venom unable to score despite several deep flies.

Auger cracked his 2nd double of the night in the 7th, driving a run home to give Central Coast a little bit of breathing space. Gu Luo followed up with a 2-run drive over right-centre. 7-3 Central Coast.

Adelaide put men on 2B and 3B with 1 out in the bottom of the inning before Humphrey couldn’t handle a regulation fastball, chasing it back to the fence. 1 run scored and the other runner advanced to 3B. Young blistered a single to left to make the score 7-5. Moore singled and Zglinicki (6.1IP, 12H, 5ER, 1BB, 3K) came from the mound after another disappointing postseason outing. Reliever Allen Jiang got the next 2 outs without any trouble, the Thunder heading into the 8th with a 2-run lead.

Robinson Saldana’s (7.0IP, 10H, 7R, 4ER, 1BB, 7K) night was also done and Aaron Fingleson got through the inning unscathed despite an error by the shortstop and a wild pitch.

An errant throw in the bottom of the 8th by Thunder 2B Luo, usually a stellar defender, saw the Venom bring the go-ahead run to the plate with nobody out. Cong Pi singled to left and the bases were juiced. Zartuche ground into a U6-3 double-play but a runner scored to make it 7-6. Goddard singled up the middle and Andrew Benbow crossed home plate with the game-tying run. Young hit his 3rd two-bagger of the night to score Goddard and give Adelaide the lead. Moore hit a fly deep, deep to right-centre but Liao chased it down, his running catch ending the inning.

Naylor come out for the 9th and needed only 1 pitch to get Morimoto to ground out. Downes struck out on a massive curveball. Auger ground out 5-3. Final score: 8-7 Adelaide, who snatched it at the death.

Goddard went 4-4 for the Venom, while Auger was 3-5 for Central Coast with 2 doubles.

Game 2 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

All eyes were on Dan Pankhurst, coming off that 8.1-inning, 3-hit, 0-run performance against Christchurch. He would take on Damian Flemming, who had struggled through the last couple months of the regular season.

Pankhurst eased through the 1st inning, getting 2 soft groundball outs to go with a strikeout. Flemming, however, immediately found himself in trouble, giving up a triple to leadoff hitter Vega. Utting’s deep ground-out to 2B scored Vega and Flemming massaged the mound with his heel. Two outs later Fookes doubled off the left-centre wall, scoring off Kelvin Pickhills follow-up single. 2-0 Cowboys after 1.

Cairns’ nabbed 1 back in the 2nd, Dwyer’s 2-out single bringing home Correa, who’d led off the inning with a single. Correa tied the game in the 3rd with a 2-out single to right scoring a hustling Lecomte.

Utting drilled a changeup that was left high in the zone down the RF line and into the bleachers in the bottom of the inning, giving Christchurch back the lead. 3-2 Cowboys.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the 6th, when Flemming got himself in early trouble, walking the first 2 hitters of the inning. He got the next 2 outs before Hayes somehow made contact with a fastball very low and away, singling up the middle to score both runners. 5-2 Cowboys.

Pankhurst (6.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K) retired after 6, replaced by Ralston, who got his usual standing O as he trotted to the mound. He went 1-2-3 through them to move to 3.1 scoreless 2062 postseason innings. Flemming (6.0IP, 7H, 5ER, 3BB, 2K) also sat down after 6, comprehensively losing this battle of the extreme groundballers. Souhtpaw Umashankar Meenakshi was his replacement. Meenakshi got through the inning on 8 pitches.

Ralston took a great return catch in the top of the 8th on his way to another scoreless inning. Fookes crushed the 1st pitch of the bottom of the inning, a belt-high Meenakshi fastball, over the CF wall to put the Cowboys 4 runs in front. That run meant Ralston started the 9th. Rodriguez flared a single to right. Lara got jammed up on an inside fastball, going down on strikes. Dwyer swung through a deceptively straight fastball to also strikeout, and Ralston was replaced by Whiskin for the final out. Whiskin froze up Murphy with a giant curve and this one was done and dusted!

Final score: 6-2 Christchurch to level the series. Ralston fanned 4 in his 2.2 innings, reminding plenty of his glory days.

Game 3 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Moore led off the top of the 2nd with a double off the leftfield wall but was left stranded at 3B. Pi doubled in the 3rd but also couldn't progress to homeplate. A pair of singles to Central Coast in the bottom of the 3rd gave them their first scoring opportunity with only 1 out on the board. Downes singled up the middle, scoring 1, before Auger got a fastball he could pull. And pull it he did, sending it deep over right for a 3-run homer. 4-0 Central Coast as they fought to stay alive in the postseason.

They weren’t done yet, though, Liao doubling to right and scoring off a 2-out Gilleland single to left. Rafael Hurlson was a dejected man coming from the mound at inning’s end.

An angry Young destroyed a Juhl fastball to begin the 4th, sending it onto the upper deck of the leftfield stands. Moore and Acevedo both singled just over the glove of SS Culaham. Welch chopped a single up the middle and just like that Adelaide had the bases juiced with nobody out. Hayes’ soft single to left scored 1, reducing the deficit to 3 and keeping the bases at maximum passenger allowance. An out later, Pi sac-flied another runner home, the inning ending with the score 5-3.

Culaham belted a HR to begin the bottom of the inning, Hurlson’s ERA at 18.00. He got the next out and was then removed, having thrown 3.1 innings for 7 hits, 6 earned runs, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts.

An error on an awkward bounce in right saw Morimoto wind up at 2B. He advanced to 3B on a ground-out and came home on a wild pitch. 7-3 Thunder. It became 8-3 when Luo singled home Auger, who’d walked earlier. 8-3 Thunder, the 5-run advantage restored.

The action settled down after that, both sides retiring in order in the 5th. The scorers were back in action in the 6th, Hayes grooving a slider 437-feet back into the left-centre stands, scoring 2. Liao robbed Benbow of extra bases with a sensational diving catch and Juhl blew Pi away with some high heat. 8-5 Central Coast.

Juhl (7.0IP, 8H, 5ER, 1BB, 5K) took a seat after 7. A pair of walks by his relievers brought the tying run to the plate with 1 out but the Venom couldn’t do anything with the opportunity.

Canavan marched out for the 9th. Pi walked on 5 pitches. Zartuche struck out. Goddard hit a fastball nearly in the dirt up the middle for a single. Young fanned on a great sinking fastball. Moore ground out weakly to 1B and the Thunder were still alive.

Final score: 8-5 Central Coast.

Game 3 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Vega singled to begin the game but hurt his neck soon after when sliding hard into 2B to break up a double-play. While not seriously injured, he would miss at least the rest of this series. 19-game winner Clint Kline, who’d got through the season basically throwing only a fastball and a forkball, eased through the first 2 innings, fanning 3 hitters. He lost his rhythm a bit in the 3rd, hitting 2 batters, but got through the inning without the scoreboard changing.

The Crocs got a rally going in the bottom of the inning, Baker opening the scoring with an RBI-single. Lecomte led the charge on a double-steal and Utting argued with the 3B umpire for a good minute after Lecomte was called safe. Aitken drove another run home with a hard ground-out to 2B before Baker chanced his luck on a shallow fly-out from Correa. Reardon’s throw was a fraction high and Baker was called safe. 3-0 Cairns.

Rodriguez showcased some fine defensive 1B skills in the top of the 5th, swiping a tag for the 2nd out after a high throw pulled him off the bag before charging a soft grounder and racing Hayes back to 1B for the final out of the inning.

Heathcote (4.1IP, 8H, 3ER, 2BB, 2K) was pulled after allowing a 1-out walk in the 5th, having thrown 89 pitches in less than 5 innings.

Seinosuke Nakashima, Vega’s injury replacement, singled in the 6th, Christchurch’s 1st hit since Vega’s game opening single. Sadly for the Cowboys that did not spark a rally, Rodriguez again showing how it was done to start a U3-6 double-play to end the inning.

A 2-out Reardon double in the 7th opened Christchurch’s account, Fookes scampering home all the way from 1B. Ralston came to the mound with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th and engineered 2 groundball outs. It was possible he forgot he wasn’t at his home park when the inning ended, however, as he tried to gee the fans up with some enthusiastic arm-waving. The effort didn’t work, instead earning him a few boos, though most Crocs’ fans remembered Ralston fondly from his 2 seasons in their colours.

Nakashima hit his 2nd single of the night in the 8th and Kline (7.2IP, 5H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K) was marched from the mound, surely satisfied with his efforts. Ralston gave up his 1st run of the postseason in the bottom of the inning, Lara’s deep double scoring Rodriguez.

4-1 Cairns heading into the top of the 9th, Silva on the mound. Fookes ground out back to the pitcher. Kelvin Pickhills went down 5-3. Reardon lined out to right. Final score: 4-1 Crocs to put themselves within a game of the Championship Series. All 6 of Silva’s pitches were in the strike zone. As well as shining defensively, 1B Rodriguez also went 3-4 and scored a run.

Game 4 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Both defences traded blows through the first 2 innings. Liao bounced a single over the head of 3B in the bottom of the 3rd, driving Culaham home and giving Central Coast the lead. Morimoto then singled Liao home and the Thunder jumped ahead 2-zip. Aggressive baserunning on Downes’ single to right put runners at 2B and 3B, Morimoto scoring off Auger’s ground-out. Luo then drove Downes home. 4-0 Thunder after 3.

Ahern again didn’t look his usual self in the 4th but got through the inning without damage. He struggled through the 5th, throwing 25 pitches, but didn’t come out in the 6th. He went 5.0IP for 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, and only 2 strikeouts. Reliever Bruno Budd, whose arm had dramatically dropped off in 2062, gave up 2 singles before surrendering a 3-run dinger to Culaham. He was yanked and a menacing Apaghana Potluri fanned 2 of the next 3.

Cam Kneale had only thrown 72 pitches after 7. He looked to have eased through the 8th as well until Liao dropped a regulation 2-out fly in right. Next up, Zartuche punched a single to left and the runner scored, putting a listless Adelaide on the board. Kneale stayed on for the 9th. Young singled to left. Moore crushed a single to the same vicinity. Acevedo flied out to right, Liao making no mistake this time. Welch got rung up on a fastball. Benbow ground out 4-3 and this series was all tied up.

Final score: 7-1 Thunder, Kneale deservedly going the whole game (9.0IP, 7H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, 3K).

Game 4 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Nakashima continued his good form from the previous game, leading off this encounter with a single to the edge of the RF grass. He advanced to 2B on a passed ball and scored when Utting doubled into the RF corner. Doubleday settled down after that, retiring the next 3. 1-0 Cowboys after half-an-inning.

Baker allowed his 2nd passed ball in the top of the 2nd after Reardon drew a leadoff walk. Doubleday’s frustration with the veteran catcher was obvious. 2 pitches later and Baker couldn’t handle the pill again, Reardon coasting to 3B. Doubleday resorted to changeups and got the strikeout. He walked the next, got a strikeout, then walked another to juice the bases with Utting back up. Utting made nice contact but a combination of hitting to the longest part of the field coupled with the wind kept the ball in the park, the end result an easy catch to the CF. Doubleday gave the air a one-two punch but avoided any conversation with his catcher as they headed to the dugout.

In the 3rd, Rodriguez’s double and Lara’s walk gave Cairns a good opportunity with 1 away but they couldn’t convert. Doubleday, who walked 7 in 8 innings his last start, walked the first 2 hitters in the bottom of the inning, giving him 5 already in this game. He got a 6-4-3 double-play to ease the pressure some but Reardon barrelled a single to right to drive the runner on 3B home. 2-0 Cowboys.

After walking his 6th to begin the 5th, Doubleday was yanked, remonstrating with his manager all the way to the dugout. An out later, after a balk saw the runner move to 3B, Fookes’ sac-fly brought him home. 3-0 Cowboys, Doubleday going 4.0 innings for 3 hits and 6 walks. He struck out 4.

Hofmann also walked the first hitter in the bottom of the inning, and was also subbed, though he’d been throwing much better than his counterpart and had only delivered 70 pitches. His relief, Scott McAuley, gave up a single down the RF line to Lee, who advanced to 2B as Murphy dived in safe at 3B. Lecomte singled up the middle and both men scored. Suddenly it was a 1-run game! An out later Aitken walked and a couple pitches later Cairns went for the double-steal. Rather than firing to 3B, however, Hayes rifled a shot to 2B, and Aitken was comfortably tagged out. Correa flied out and the score was 3-2 Cowboys after 5. Hofmann’s match figures were 4.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 3K.

Christchurch added to their lead in the 6th, Corless’s nub ground-out seeing the runner at 3B rush home. Baker continued his mare behind home plate, allowing another passed ball which saw runners at 2B and 3B but Wells dialled up the velocity to strike out Utting and end the inning. 4-2 Cowboys.

In the bottom of the inning, Lara singled and Dwyer doubled, giving Cairns 2 runners in scoring position. Murphy walked on 4 pitches. Bases loaded, 1 out. Lee ground out to 1B but Murphy’s hard slide prevented a double-play and allowed Lara to cross home-plate unchallenged. The inning ended with Cairns again back within 1 run.

Gold Glove winner Utting made an error in the bottom of the 7th, allowing the leadoff hitter, Baker, aboard. Groundball pitching and good fielding meant Cairns were unable to profit.

Rodriguez hustled up the line to beat out a throw from the catcher in the bottom of the 8th, putting the tying run at 1B with no outs. Lara singled wide of the shortstop. Tying run at 2B, go-ahead run at 1B. Dwyer ground into a 3-6-3 doubleplay, Rodriguez now at 3B but with 2 out. Murphy struck out and Christchurch held onto their lead.

Nakashima led off the top of the 9th with a single and advanced to 3B on Utting’s single to right. Hauer’s fly to the RF wall allowed Nakashima to tag up and come home, giving the Cowboys some insurance.

Digby marched out for the bottom of the inning, his handlebar moustache bristling in the breeze. Lee drove the 1-0 pitch into vacant pasture in left for a single. Lecomte singled up the middle past a diving Nakashima and Lee put the afterburners on to dive in safely at 3B. Baker’s fly to left wasn’t deep and was an easy out but Lee had wheels and came home to make it a 1-run game. Aitken continued his dismal postseason, struck out looking at a fastball on the outer half of the plate. Correa ground out to Utting and the Cowboys had held on to send this to a Game 5 back in Christchurch.

Final score: 5-4 Cowboys. Nakashima, with his 2-3 also including a walk and 2 runs, took out PotG.

Game 5 - Central Coast vs Adelaide Venom

Zglinicki versus Saldana for the decider, Central Coast fans sure Zglinicki was due to live up to his ‘Mr. Dependable’ nickname.

Both pitchers eased through the 1st. Both leadoff hitters made base in the 2nd but a double-play ended Central Coast’s chance at early runs and Zglinicki showed good guile to retire the next 3 in his half of the inning.

The Adelaide infield turned another DP in the 3rd while Central Coast weren’t quite quick enough to double up Zartuche in the bottom of the inning. He advanced to 2B on Goddard’s pop fly into vacant space in shallow CF, both the CF and SS hesitating to call the catch. Young struck out watching 3 fastballs in a row and the threat was over.

Adelaide showcased some nice outfield defence in the 4th, while Acevedo showcased his wheels in the bottom of the inning to beat out a double-play. No damage was down, however, the score still knotted at zero after 4.

Humphrey and Gilleland both singled to begin the 5th before Young started a 4-6-3 double-play with a behind-the-back flip. Culaham flied out to centre and Humphrey was left stranded at 3B. Welch then put a large blemish on Adelaide’s defensive display, throwing the ball into the dugout from 3B at the beginning of the 6th, Liao ending up in scoring position. Morimoto ground out to 1B but Liao advanced to 3B and it looked certain the deadlock would be broken. Downes crushed a fly to the RF warning track and Liao tagged up, coming home without a throw. 1-0 Central Coast.

Young started the bottom of the inning with a double down the 3B line. An out later Acevedo drove a single up the middle and Young took on the throw to dive home safely. Tie game again. Acevedo, who’d advanced to 2B on the throw home, stole 3B in a tight call, the Thunder 3B coach getting thrown out of the game after nudging the umpire with his chest in the ensuing dramatics. Welch made up for his error by twisting a line-drive into the LF corner. RBI-double and the Venom were in front. Hayes singled up the middle, Welch wisely pulling up at 3B. Benbow flied out to right and Welch took on the throw to make it 3-1.

3 batters, 3 groundball outs in the top of the 7th. Zglinicki was beginning to throw up in the zone, as evidenced by 2 fly outs to deep right in the bottom of the inning. Young then crunched another fly over left, only this one didn’t fall inside the fence. Solo HR, Young’s 3rd of the series, to push the difference to 3 runs. Moore went opposite field, doubling to left, to extend the inning but Acevedo ground out to 3B for the final out.

Saldana (7.0IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K) had a fine outing, taking his seat in the dugout in the 8th to watch proceedings. Reliever Aaron Fingleson was menacing, striking out the first 2 hitters of the inning before getting a broken-bat grounder for the 3rd out. Zglinicki (7.0IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 3K) also headed to the bench for the 8th but cut a very different figure to his opposite, undoubtedly mulling over his poor overall postseason showing.

The Venom couldn’t add any more insurance in the bottom of the inning and Naylor came out to close the game. Morimoto led off with a single and Downes followed with a humpback liner to centre. Tying run at 1B, no outs. Auger struck out. Luo also struck out, both batters frozen up. Humphrey swung through a 1-2 fastball and that was the series done and dusted!

Final score: 4-1 Venom, and Adelaide had the opportunity to make it 4 in a row! Young (.429/.455/.952, 3HR) deservedly took out series MVP.

Game 5 - Cairns Crocs vs Christchurch Cowboys

Flemming, with 1 awful postseason start so far, would again tackle Pankhurst, who was 2-0 in the 2062 playoffs with a 1.26 ERA.

Aitken, 1-13 before tonight’s game, rode a 2-2 fastball into the RF bleachers in the top of the 1st to give Cairns a quick 1-run advantage. Flemming induced 3 groundball outs to run through Christchurch in the bottom of the inning.

Cairns continued making good contact on Pankhurst through the next 2 innings but weren’t able to profit. Hayes singled up the middle in the bottom of the 3rd to record the Cowboys’ first hit of the night but could advance no further than 2B.

In the 4th, Baker got thrown out at 3B on a Correa single thanks to another terrific throw from Reardon. A batter later, Rodriguez drilled a Pankhurst fastball off the CF wall for an RBI-double to push Cairns further ahead. Utting then made another uncharacteristic error to allow Lara aboard, Rodriguez gliding into 3B in the process. Dwyer dribbled out to the pitcher to end the threat.

Kelvin Pickhills started the bottom of the inning with a walk, advanced to 2B on a wild pitch and scored 2 outs later when Reardon singled to right. 2-1 Crocs.

Correa got picked off at 1B after singling in the 6th, which was a pity as the next 2 hitters singled. Next man up, Dwyer, also singled to bring 1 runner home. Murphy continued the rally, his sharp single to left scoring another to make it 4-1.

Lecomte’s leadoff single in the 7th signalled the end of Pankhurst’s night (6.0IP, 10H, 5ER, 1BB, 3K), this performance a far cry from his previous 2. An out later Aitken singled off reliever McAuley, and Lecomte cheekily led a double-steal, Hayes’ throw well late. Correa was intentionally walked, bringing up Rodriguez. He got plunked for the second time in the match, allowing Lecomte to cross home-plate without harassment. Lara struck out but Dwyer managed an infield RBI-single. Murphy cracked the first pitch of his at-bat into CF for another single, this one scoring 2 runners. 8-1 at the 7th-inning stretch mark, Cairns cruising towards a series victory.

Flemming (6.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 4K) was replaced for the bottom of the inning.

The score was still the same heading into the 9th, Carl Rowlands giving the home fans something to cheer about, striking out 4 of the first 5 hitters he faced. Reliever Cain Sheng, who’d thrown the 7th and 8th, came to the mound for the bottom of the inning with the possibility of recording a save should he go the whole inning. He was on point, striking out Utting to end the game and give Cairns the series win.

Final score: 8-1 Crocs. There was only ever 1 team in it this day. Rodriguez went 3-3, with 2 runs, 1 double, 2RBI, and 2 HBP. He was also named series MVP, cranking out a .526/.571/.632 stat-line.

Izz · 09-07-2017, 12:20 AM

2062 Championship - Cairns Crocs vs Adelaide Venom

Preview: A rematch of last year’s Championship, and while history suggested that in these scenarios the challenger usually won it, it was hard to bet against the Venom making it 4 on the trot.

The defending champs had once again been the offensive powerhouse of the AUNZBL, leading the league in BA (.297), OBP (.371), SLG (.474), OPS, runs scored (1009), hits (1722), and walks (643). They’d hit the 2nd-most XBH (553) and the 3rd-most jacks (216). They were mid-league pitching-wise however, their combined ERA of 4.36 only 6th-best, the runs they’d allowed (761) 5th-best, and their hits conceded (1510) 7th-best. They had topped all-comers in strikeouts, though, ringing up 1194 across the season.

The Crocs were midrange when it came to BA (.274 - 7th), OBP (.341 - 8th), and hits (1525 - tied for 8th). However, they’d safely touched home plate 868 times, 2nd only to their opponents. This was perhaps because of their 208 homers (4th), combined with the hustle that saw them steal 131 bases (2nd). Their bullpen was the best in the league, featuring a 3.70 ERA, and their starters 4th-best, with a 4.44 ERA. They’d allowed the 3rd-least homeruns (163), and walked the 3rd-least hitters (466). They were also strikeout experts, fanning 1182, 2nd to the Venom.

The Venom would welcome back Malcolm Pickhills, recovered from his elbow sprain, and were only missing Arthur Hammer, who wouldn’t be playing again until January 2064 at the earliest. Cairns would have to continue to do without Beau Snell, still recuperating the ankle ligaments he tore in December.

Verdict: As nice as it would be to see Cairns get their maiden Championship, as well as best the team that’d beaten them in 2 of the last 3 Championship Series, it was just too hard to go past Adelaide, who didn’t seem quite as deep as last year’s edition but were still nearly breaking offensive records all over the shop. Venom in 6.

Game 1

Two strikeout machines would tangle horns. Victor Doubleday (15-12, 4.54 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 1.28 WHIP, 223 Ks) against Greg Ahern (18-10, 3.48 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 226 Ks). Doubleday had been wild in the Preliminary Finals, walking 13 in 12 innings while only striking out 7. Ahern had only walked 2 in 11.2 IP while doing ‘The Buzzard’ 11 times.

The first pitch of the game was a cutter over the middle of the plate. Ahern might’ve thought he could get away with a warmup pitch but Lecomte had other ideas, socking it 402 feet into the rightfield bleachers. 1-0 Cairns and the Adelaide fans were stunned into early silence. 2 pitches later and Ahern threw another cutter, this one below Baker’s knees. But Baker’s batspeed was still good and he clobbered it down the narrow side of left. It kept going and going and cleared the fence. 2-0 Cairns, the section of the LF stadium full of Cairns fans in full roar.

Aitken jumped on an 0-1 slider, sending it skidding into the RF alley, and arrived at 2B standing up. Ahern wandered around the mound, muttering viciously. Correa ground out to 2B for the first out of the game, Aitken advancing to 3B in the process. Rodriguez hit a grounder up the middle and Young ranged across, throwing him out at 1B. He had no play on Aitken though, who crossed home-plate to tick the score over to 3-0. Lara walked and stole 2B thanks to a high tag from Acevedo but Dwyer ground out to Young to end the inning.

Zartuche singled to left to begin the bottom of the inning, the home fans beginning to find their voice once more. 2 outs later Young singled to right on a first-pitch hit-and-run, putting runners on the corners. Pickhills, in his first at-bat since the 19th of March, walked to load the bases. Welch took a mighty cut at a 1-1 fastball but could only pop out to the catcher. Threat over, score unchanged.

Ahern was a different pitcher in the top of the 2nd, striking out 2 and getting a regulation groundball to 1B for the final out. Doubleday also collected 2 punch-outs in the bottom of the inning.

Zartuche singled again to begin the bottom of the 3rd, and an out later Moore rifled a single to right. Once again, Adelaide had runners on the corners, young Doubleday working up a sweat. Young walked on 5 pitches and the bases were juiced. Pickhills showed no inclination to swing, walking on 6 pitches to bring home Adelaide’s opening run. Welch ground out to 2B but Pickhills’ hard slide prevented a double-play and allowed a run to score. Benbow walked, Doubleday’s 4th of the night so far, and the bases were again full. Acevedo could only ground out to 3B and Doubleday hurried from the mound with his team somehow still in the lead. 3-2 Crocs.

Hayes made it a tie-game with 2 outs in the bottom of the 4th, sending a mid-strikezone fastball into the LF bleachers. The fans roared, especially when Doubleday (3.2IP, 5H, 3ER, 5BB, 4K) walked Moore and was led from the mound by his manager. He’d thrown 99 pitches in less than 4 innings, the vaunted Venom hitters giving him a good working over. His relief, Hal Massingham, got the final out of the inning on 1 pitch.

By contrast, Ahern had thrown 56 pitches in 4 innings. With 1 out in the 5th he walked Lecomte, who then stole 2B on a changeup, arriving miles ahead of the throw. Baker took one to the shin, yelped and hopped, and then headed to 1B. Aitken struck out and Correa hit a deep fly to left but only as far as the fielder’s glove. 3-3 the score remained.

The 2 walks Pickhills had drawn already had obviously scrubbed off any rust he had, for after fouling a couple off he got a pitch to hit and didn’t miss, recording the 4th four-bagger of the night to give Adelaide the lead. 4-3 Adelaide.

Moore got in on the homerun act in the bottom of the 6th, his solo shot over right-centre making it 5-3. A nice lunging catch by RF Zartuche in the 7th robbed Lee of extra-bases, Cairns having been unable to mount any scoreboard pressure since the opening half-inning.

Fingleson replaced Ahern (7.0IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 6K) for the 8th, and proceeded to strike out Baker, Aitken and Correa, all 3 batters frozen up. Naylor’s card came up for the 9th, and he gave up a first-pitch single up the middle to Rodriguez. Lara struck out looking at a fastball at the knees, and Dwyer swung through a fastball on the outer edge of the plate. Murphy went down swinging too, and this one was in the books.

Final score: 5-3 Adelaide, Cairns completely outclassed after their stellar start. Zartuche, Hayes and Moore both collected 2 hits.

Game 2

League-leader in wins Clint Kline (19-5, 2.82 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) would front for Cairns, while Rafael Hurlson (11-9, 4.97 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 1.53 WHIP), who’d been blown up for 6 earned runs in 3.1 innings in his start against the Thunder, was Adelaide’s choice. So far over his career Hurlson had flattered to deceive. The eye-test said he should strike out plenty while keeping the ball in the park but a career ERA of 5.50 suggested otherwise. His career FIP, however, was a whole run lower, at 4.37. The 2.7 WAR he’d put up in 2062 was the best of his nearly 6-year major-league career.

For the second game running Lecomte was determined to grab proceedings by the scruff of the neck. This time, off the second pitch of his at-bat, he zinged a line-drive over the head of 1B Moore and into the RF corner. He didn’t even slow to contemplate whether he should pull up at 2B, leading off with a stand-up triple! Baker hit the first pitch of his at-bat deep to centre but only as far as the CF’s glove. Lecomte tagged up and jogged home. 1-0 Cairns.

Aitken then doubled into the LF alley before advancing to 3B on Correa’s ground-out. Rodriguez bashed a fastball over the head of the CF for an RBI-double. 2-0 Cairns, and Hurlson had only thrown 13 pitches while facing 5 batters and seeing 2 runs score. A great dive and throw by 2B Young robbed Lara of a potential RBI-single and brought the inning to a halt.

In the bottom of the inning Kline needed only 2 pitches for the first 2 outs before striking out Moore with a 4-pitch combo.

Dwyer singled to lead off the 2nd, Hurlson’s struggles from the previous series continuing. Murphy also singled, both runners advancing on Lee’s ground-out. Lecomte hit an opposite-field single to bring Murphy home and then stole 2B without a throw, Hayes unable to hold onto the ball. Baker struck out and Aitken delivered a long fly-out to centre. 3-0 Cairns.

The first pitch of the bottom of the inning was a 142 km/h fastball in the middle of the zone. Young absolutely flattened it to centre, the ball clearing the 424 foot boundary with ease, crashing into the upper tier. 3-1 Cairns. The official distance on Young's jack was 477 feet.

Adelaide were going after Kline, trying to cash in on his fastballs, which he tended to throw early to get ahead in the count before using his forkball as his out pitch. After 3 innings he’d only thrown 27 pitches to Hurlson’s 51, the only hit he’d given up Young’s mammoth homer.

Dwyer led off the 4th with a single, and an out later Lee weaved a double down the 3B line. Lecomte collected his third hit of the night, his single bringing home both runners. He then stole 2B again, though this time got it done with a hard slide, the impact dislodging the ball from Young’s grip. Baker latched onto a Hurlson changeup, depositing it well back in the left-centre bleachers. 3-run jack, the score now 7-1. Hurlson (3.1IP, 10H, 7ER, 1BB, 2K) got yanked, this performance even worse than his last.

Moore singled in the 4th and Young showed he had Kline’s measure, cracking his 0-1 pitch over leftfield. It didn’t quite have the legs of his first blast but it was long enough. 2-run homerun. 7-3 Crocs.

In the 6th Lecomte, aboard thanks to a fielder’s choice, chanced his luck once too often, finally gunned down trying to swipe 2B. Zartuche found his way to 1B leading off the bottom of the inning thanks to a wayward pitch grazing his ankle. An out later he scampered to 2B without a throw, Baker unable to get a clean grip on the ball out of his glove. Moore’s fly out to the RF warning track enabled Zartuche to ease over to 3B. Could Young hit 3 dingers in 3 at-bats? No, but he did draw a 7-pitch walk. Pickhills cracked a fastball towards the LF alley but Dwyer made a superb lunging catch to end the inning and keep the margin 4.

Welch doubled to begin the bottom of the 7th but could progress no further. Young came up again in the 8th with 2 outs and Moore at 1B via walk. He singled up the middle and Kline was replaced by Sterling Boston. Pickhills could only ground out to 2B to end the inning. Kline (7.2IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 5K) had thrown 105 pitches and allowed all his runs via HR.

Silva took the mound for the bottom of the 9th, the difference still 4. Welch popped a single into shallow CF and decided to try for 2B. Lara’s throw was on point and Welch was tagged out well short. Benbow struck a crisp line-drive towards right only for Correa to snatch it out of the air for the out. Acevedo struck out looking and Cairns had tied the Championship back up.

Final score: 7-3 Crocs. Lecomte had stolen 8 bases already this postseason, and had a 6-game playoff steal streak going. Young, 3-3 with a walk, was the only hitter to have Kline’s number, even though Kline was only throwing an early-140s fastball and a 125-130 km/h forkball.

Game 3

For their first game in enemy territory, Adelaide would start with Robinson Saldana (15-8, 4.65 ERA, 4.31 FIP, 1.49 WHIP). Damian Flemming (9-9, 4.71 ERA, 4.34 FIP, 1.58 WHIP), whose 2062 had been his worst season in recent memory, was Cairns’ choice. A strong wind blowing in from CF would surely put a spring in both pitchers’ steps.

Neither team threatened through 2, though Adelaide accumulated 2 base hits and Cairns had 1 hit batter. Pi led off the 3rd with a single up the middle but got doubled up 6-4-3. Murphy opened the bottom of the inning with a walk and slid hard to stop a double-play. Lecomte walked and then Baker tattooed a 3-2 fastball into the LF bleachers. 3-run HR! Baker had now homered in each of the first 3 Championship Games.

In the 4th, Lecomte muffed a regulation ground-ball from Young to allow the slugger to reach 1B safely. Pickhills singled, giving Adelaide 2 runners aboard with 1 out. Welch doubled into the RF alley, scoring 1. Benbow struck out and then Acevedo blooped a single into shallow right, the ball barely landing on the right side of the foul-line. Pickhills and Welch scored and the game was all tied up.

Rodriguez led off the bottom of the inning with a single and then stole 2B, getting a good jump on the usually alert Saldana. An out later Dwyer’s nubber played itself perfectly for him, allowing him to reach 1B without a throw. Runners on the corners with 1 out. Murphy bounced one to 3B and Pickhills started a crisp 5-4-3 double-play to end the inning.

A Zartuche 0-out walk followed by a steal put Adelaide in a prime position to move ahead in the 5th. Hayes quickly made sure they did just that, doubling past a diving 3B. Moore was walked and Flemming came from the mound. In Game 2 Adelaide were aggressive against Kline, today they were patient, making Flemming throw 84 pitches to 21 hitters. Young singled home another run, both he and Moore advancing a base on the throw home. That’s where they stayed, the score 5-3 after 4 and a half.

Lee hit a 2-out triple in the bottom of the 7th but Lecomte was unable to drive him home. Saldana (7.0IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 3K) retired after 7, Fingleson needing only 5 pitches to retire Cairns 2-3-4 hitters. A throwing error by RF Murphy in the 9th enabled Hayes to score, giving Adelaide a 3-run buffer.

Naylor trotted out for the bottom of the 9th. 1B Moore robbed Rodriguez of at least a single with a nice diving catch. Lara walked on 4 pitches. Dwyer popped out to 3B. Murphy half-swung at a 1-2 fastball and that was enough to end the game. Final score: 6-3 Adelaide. Flemming (4.0IP, 7H, 5R, 2ER, 2BB, 3K) went to 1-2 for the postseason. Cairns could only manage 5 hits all game. Welch was 3-4 with a double, run and RBI.

Game 4

Ahern versus Doubleday, the young Crocs’ ace hoping he could make the Venom hitters swing a bit more than last start.

Doubleday didn’t get off to the best start, walking leadoff man Zartuche on 4 pitches. He atoned himself a couple pitches later, his snap move to 1B catching Zartuche napping. Moore and Young both singled with 2 outs but Pickhills could only ground out to 1B to end the mini-rally.

Correa started off the bottom of the 2nd in the best possible way, cracking the 6th pitch of his at-bat into the RF bleachers. 1-0 Cairns.

Young’s leadoff single in the 4th was followed an out later by Doubleday’s 20th walk of the postseason, to Welch. Doubleday amped up the savage to strike out the next 2 and leave both runners stranded. Doubleday was looking much more at ease at his home ground, striking out 2 in the 5th to give him 6 for the game. Ahern was also looking good, allowing only 2 hits through 5, the majority of contact against him along the ground.

Doubleday walked 2 and fanned 2 in the 6th, finishing the inning with a 12-pitch strikeout. He responded with a double-fist pump but his manager looked a little pensive: Doubleday had already thrown 110 pitches to Ahern’s 63. Ahern needed only 8 pitches to get through the bottom of the inning. Despite movement in the bullpen, Sosa stuck with Doubleday for the beginning of the 7th. Acevedo’s leadoff single put paid to that however, and Kent Wells made his way to the mound. An out later Zartuche ripped his 3rd single of the night to left and Acevedo scampered home from 2B to tie the game up. Zartuche then got caught stealing for the 2nd time in the game and, despite a couple 2-out singles, the inning ended at 1-1. Doubleday (6.0IP, 6H, 1ER, 4BB, 8K) was good but his skipper would surely have liked an extra inning or 2 from him.

Baker’s soft single up the middle to start the bottom of the inning ended up with him at 2B, CF Benbow getting handcuffed by the bounce. Aitken was intentionally walked and Correa ground into a 4-6-3 double-play. Rodriguez continued his strong postseason, pulling a fastball over the RF fence. 2-run homer and Cairns were back in front. 3-1 Crocs after 7.

With 1 out in the 8th, Welch doubled over the head of RF. Benbow fanned for the 4th time in the game and Acevedo ground out back to the pitcher. Fingleson replaced Ahern (7.0IP, 4H, 3ER, 1BB, 4K) for the bottom of the inning and immediately gave up a single to Dwyer. Murphy hit a soft groundball back towards Fingleson who rifled it to 2B in the hope of starting a double-play. His throw, however, was bad and CF Benbow had to break quickly to cut it off. Lee hit a deep fly to left, Zartuche catching it with his back against the wall. Dwyer tagged up at 2B and made it to 3B without a throw. With the count 0-2 Cairns started a run-and-hit. Lecomte watched a splitter miss low and away and Murphy slid in safely to 2B. 9 pitches later and Lecomte had fought his way to a walk. Bases loaded, 1 away. Baker, though, could only ground out to short, starting a 6-4-3 double-play. 3-1 Cairns the score remained, Adelaide still in it.

Silva got Pi to pop out to Lecomte to begin the top of the 9th. Zartuche singled to centre. He was 4-4 on the night, with 1 walk. Hayes struck one firmly along the 3B line. Lee swooped on it and around the horn it went for a game-ending double-play.

Final score: 3-1 Cairns, the series now even at 2 games apiece. It was a frustrating loss for the Venom, as they had 11 base hits and 4 walks to Cairns’ 5 hits and 2 walks.

Game 5

Both teams trotted out pitchers who hadn’t started yet this postseason. Adelaide turned to Teddy Wigley (8-8, 4.96 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 1.47 WHIP), who’d thrown 2.1 scoreless relief innings in the series against Central Coast. Cairns went with southpaw Umashankar Meenakshi (15-14, 5.02 ERA, 4.63 FIP, 1.55 WHIP), who’d been a star in Adelaide’s 2059-2061 Championship-winning teams. This postseason he’d thrown 7.1 innings of relief, 2 of those in the first game of this series.

Correa fumbled a regulation groundball to allow leadoff hitter Zartuche aboard in the top of the 1st. Zartuche then went for the steal and was caught short, as he'd been regularly this postseason.

Lecomte drove the first pitch of the bottom of the inning into RF for a single but Baker’s crisp groundball to short was tailor-made to start a 6-4-3 double-play. Rodriguez led off the bottom of the 2nd with a double down the RF line. Lara punched a single to right and Cairns had runners on the corners with nobody out. Dwyer popped out but Murphy took a pitch to the arm. Bases full. Lee struck out and Lecomte sent the first pitch of his at-bat straight to LF for a regulation out. Wigley wiped the sweat from his brow on his way to the dugout.

Meenakshi looked completely untroubled on the mound, allowing no runners other than the opening error through 3. Zartuche singled to lead off the 4th but wasn’t on the bases for long, the first victim in a 5-4-3 double-play. Wigley wasn’t giving an inch either, keeping Cairns to zero through 4 while allowing 5 hits.

After 5, both pitchers had thrown 69 pitches. A fine catch by Murphy in the 6th robbed Pi of extra-bases and kept Benbow, who’d singled earlier, at 1B. Benbow then stole 2B before Zartuche cracked a line-drive into the LF alley. He slid in safely with a triple and Adelaide had broken the deadlock. 1-0 Venom.

They held the lead for 1 whole out before Rodriguez bashed a fastball high, long and handsome over CF for a solo HR. 1-1 after 6.

Both pitchers got through the 7th but the sound off the bat and the length of the fly outs suggested they were tiring. Cairns subbed Meenakshi (7.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 1BB, 5K) for the 8th. Murphy pulled off another great catch, even better than his last, to again rob Pi of a double and possible RBIs.

Wigley (7.0IP, 7H, 1ER, 1BB, 3K) also sat down for the 8th. The scores were still locked at 1 heading into the 9th. Cairns sent Silva to the mound, and Hayes hit his first pitch, a low curve, off the LF wall for a stand-up double. Lecomte made a great diving catch to retire Young and Moore was walked to set up the double-play. Pickhills also walked, and the bases were drunk, Welch at the plate. He hit a hot grounder towards 2B. Correa broke quickly and fired a bullet home for the force-out. Baker then unloaded to 1B in time for the inning-ending twin killing.

Adelaide also sent their closer, Naylor, out for the bottom of the inning. Lara ground out to 2B. Dwyer was retired 5-3 and Murphy also ground out to 2B. This thing was headed to extras.

Silva retired Adelaide in order in the 10th. Baker singled with 2 outs in the bottom of the inning but was left at 1B.

Hayes singled with 1 out in the 11th and then Murphy pulled off his third stunner of the night, climbing the wall to rob Young of the go-ahead HR. Moore then ground-out to end the inning. Correa singled to open the bottom of the inning but couldn’t progress further.

Pickhills jumped on an inside fastball in the 12th, curling it down the RF line and into the bleachers, too far back for Murphy to steal it. Solo HR, the stadium groaning as one. Pinch-hitter Rex Abbot came to the plate to open the bottom of the inning and was soon retired 5-3. Murphy also ground out in the same fashion, bringing 9-hitter Lee to the plate. He slapped the first pitch he faced to right and into the glove of Pi. Game over.

Final score: 2-1 Adelaide in a fascinating contest. One more win for Adelaide to become the first team to win 4 Championships in a row and the first to reach the 8-Championship threshold.

Game 6

Back in Adelaide, and once again Kline would take on Hurlson, most Venom fans of the opinion Saldana would’ve been a much better option. Hurlson's 2062 postseason ERA was sitting at 17.55.

But Hurlson was the choice of Adelaide skipper Luis Gonzalez so the fans would have to get behind him. He started off well, fanning both Lecomte and Baker. Then he walked Aitken on 4 pitches before getting Correa to ground out. The happy pitcher shared a laugh with 1B Moore as they strolled to the dugout.

Bottom of the inning and leadoff man Zartuche singled to left. Hayes followed with a brisk single up the middle before Moore doubled over the head of CF Lara, scoring both runners. 2-0 Adelaide and there was still 3 outs left in the 1st. Young spanked a 3-0 fastball for a double over the head of RF Murphy. Moore scored but all eyes were on Young who was waving frantically for a trainer. He immediately came from the field. No word was forthcoming on his injury.

This presented a bit of a problem for the Venom, with their infield backup Welch playing as DH. Catcher Norm Donaldson subbed in for Young but where would he field?

The break seemed to settle Kline, who got through the rest of the inning without too much trouble.

The Venom fielders presented themselves for the top of the 2nd. Pickhills moved across from 3B to 2B. Hayes moved from catcher to 3B and Donaldson slotted in behind the plate. The change in defensive alignment didn’t appear to bother Hurlson too much. He struck out 2 of the 4 hitters he faced, allowing just a 2-out single.

Lee led off the top of the 3rd with a single and advanced to 3B on Lecomte’s follow-up single to right. Zartuche made a fine catch to dismiss Baker but Lee tagged up and came home unopposed to put Cairns on the board. Lecomte then decided to steal 2nd but Donaldson showed he still had some zing in his arm, firing to the SS in time. Aitken kept the inning going with a single, as did Correa, his pop-up finding grass near the RF foul line. Rodriguez, however, went down swinging on 3 pitches. 3-1 Adelaide, Hurlson with 5 punch-outs so far.

Moore singled to begin the bottom of the inning and Donaldson, who many felt had been unlucky to be riding the pine for most of the season, doubled into the LF alley. Runners at 2B and 3B, nobody out, Kline struggling to keep his pitches down in the zone. Pickhills squeezed a single past 1B and Moore scored. Welch fanned, Benbow popped out, but Acevedo cracked a single up the middle to score another and keep the inning alive. 5-1 Adelaide after 3.

To add insult to injury in the 4th, Lee’s throw from the 3B-side to retire Zartuche was off target, allowing the speedster to reach safely out of the leadoff spot. Hayes then crushed a waist-high fastball way back over CF. 441 feet back in fact. 2-run homer and Adelaide were well in charge. Kline (3.0IP, 9H, 7R, 6ER, 1BB, 3K) was brought from the mound, his face telling the whole sorry story.

The hurt wasn’t finished for Cairns. An out later Donaldson singled to right and then Pickhills rode the bullet train, sending a fastball into the back of the centre-right lower deck. 9-1 Adelaide.

Aitken nearly got 2 back for Cairns in the 5th, the top 2 inches of the wall robbing him of a HR. Lecomte, who’d singled earlier, did score to inch the Crocs closer.

Dwyer doubled home Rodriguez next inning, and also left the field injured. Hamstring tightness was the verdict from the dressing room. He was replaced by 21 y/o Ernan Pullenza. Dwyer’s double ended Hurlson’s night, which was again all over the place but looked as if it would end with a Championship victory. An error by stand-in 3B Hayes allowed Murphy aboard before Lee’s fly-out to right gave Pullenza the chance to score a postseason run.

And ho, another injury! This time it was RF Pi after throwing home in an attempt to get Pullenza out. Again, the Adelaide medical staff gave no word on the nature or severity of the injury. He was replaced by Wendell Eykelbosch. 9-4 Adelaide after 5 and a half. Hurlson went 5.1 innings for 10 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 1 walk and 7 strikeouts.

Moore led off the bottom of the 6th with an opposite-field solo HR over left. 2 outs later Acevedo got in on the longball action, this one worth 3 runs. The Crocs’ mood was summed up well when next-up, Eykelbosch, hit a slow grounder between 1B and 2B. Neither player showed any urgency and the ball made it into RF. 13-4 after 6.

Rodriguez jacked a 2-run HR in the 7th to make it 13-6. That was the final scoring act of the game, the Venom players and staff getting closer and closer to bursting out of the dugout until, when the game-ending 6-4-3 double-play was turned, they spilled out and the raucous celebrations began. Cairns, on the other hand, would have hard work consoling themselves, now the unlucky losers in 3 of Adelaide’s 4-Championship run.

Final score: 13-6 Venom, to stamp their mark on AUNZBL history.

Richard Moore (.435/.536/.739, 2HR from 10 hits) took out the Series’ MVP.

Lecomte equalled the postseason record he’d set in 2061, of 9 stolen bases, while Zartuche set a new record for amount of times caught stealing, getting nabbed 5 times from 7 attempts. As they’d done in each of their previous Championship victories in this run, Adelaide didn’t just win the decider, they dominated it.

2062 Championship-winning Venom

04-06-2017, 08:19 PM	#701
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2061 Preliminary Finals 2061 Preliminary Finals Game 1 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Adelaide Venom When asked if he was worried his team had been tired out by their 5-game Division Finals Series, Cowboys’ skipper Marcus Kent said, “Not at all. In fact, the longer the series the better. The more days Adelaide have sat out, the rustier and softer they’ll be, whereas we’re all toughened up and ready to wrestle.” Quentin Welch got caught in a rundown between 2B and 3B in the bottom of the 1st, eventually getting tagged out by SS Sorenseon on 3B-side. The play was scored 8-5-4-6. A pair of Adelaide errors in the top of the 2nd saw runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 out, and McMullen took advantage of the opportunity, his drive down the RF line landing fair and bringing 1 runner home. He ended up at 2B while a strong return from Welch, playing in a fairly unfamiliar position, held Morrow at 3B. The next hitter popped out, the score 1-0 Christchurch. It didn’t take long for Adelaide to equalize, Miguel Ibanez driving home Malcolm Pickhills with a 2-out single in the bottom of the inning. Greg Ahern hummed through the 1st 4, with 7 strikeouts. He did the buzzard 3 times in the 4th alone. With the crowd already hollering, Gary Young sent a fly 432 feet over LF - caught in the upper deck - to give Adelaide the advantage. 2-1 Venom. Ibanez led off the 5th with a double but didn’t move from 2B until he had to take off his hitting gear and grab his fielding glove between innings. The Venom committed their 3rd error of the night in the bottom of the inning but this time avoided any damage. Juhl (5.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 0BB, 3K) threw 86 pitches before coming off, having pitched only 4 days prior. Morrow tied the game up again in the 7th, leading off with a HR over left. The inning ended without more runs being scored, though Ahern (6.2IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 9K) took his seat with an out still to play. A 2-out single from Tomas Zartuche in the bottom of the 7th drove William Fenton home and put Adelaide back in the lead. A trifecta of walks saw Christchurch load the bases with no outs in the 8th before Hauer sneaked a runner home via a choppy bouncer that Young charged but had no play, either at home or at 1B. Bases still drunk, score tied, zero out. Morrow struck out, and Adelaide were a double-play away from avoiding a bad situation. McMullen also struck out and Seinosuke Nakashima flied out to centre to end the half-inning. Still, the scores were now locked at 3, and Adelaide had used 4 pitchers in the inning, severely depleting them if the game went to extra time. Aaron Fingleson took the mound in the top of the 9th, Adelaide desperately wanting a zero in the box. Matthew Utting, who’d struck out 3 times already, hit a 2-out single to centre but that was as much offense as Christchurch could muster. Whiskin came out for Christchurch. Fenton drew a 1-out walk but Ibanez ground into a 6-4-3 double-play. Extra innings. Kelvin Pickills singled to begin the 10th and stole 2B as Hauer struck out, but could progress no further. Zartuche flared a single to right with 1 out in the bottom of the inning, and advanced to 2B on a 3-1 ground-out. Richard Moore walked to keep the inning alive, and then Young out-hustled 2B Nakashima to record an infield single. Malcolm Pickhills didn’t even look like swinging his bat, and Whiskin couldn’t find the plate, walking him on 5 and forcing the winning run home. Final score: 4-3 Adelaide, Zartuche going 3-5. The Venom managed 11 hits to Christchurch’s 7. Game 1 - Cairns Crocs vs Central Coast Thunder John Zglinicki struggled to pick his spots in the top of the 1st, perhaps because he hadn’t pitched for 12 days. He plunked Snell, who advanced to 2B on a ground-out, then scored off Correa’s 2-out single down the RF line. Jayden Downes didn’t show any rust, though, leading off the bottom of the inning with a 1st-pitch triple into the leftfield alley. He scored off a sac-fly to see the score levelled. With 2 outs, Tom Doig singled, stole 2B, advanced to 3B on a wild pitch, and scored off Toby Norris’s double to the left-centre wall. 2-1 Thunder. Zglinicki was back on point in the 2nd, freezing up 2 hitters in a 1-2-3 inning. Miscommunication in the outfield in the bottom of the inning allowed Central Coast a runner aboard. The next hitter singled and Downes made it 2 hits from 2 at-bats with an RBI-single to left. 3-1 Thunder. Snell, who’d ended the bottom of the 2nd with a U4-3 double-play, smoked his 2nd HR of the postseason in the 3rd, halving the deficit. In the 5th, Snell was again front and centre, driving Lecomte home with a 2-out single to left. An error from Zglinicki throwing to 1B extended the inning and left runners at 2nd and 3rd. Correa cashed in, his groundball finding space between 1B and 2B, and scoring both runners. 5-3 Cairns. A pair of 2-out doubles in the bottom of the 6th saw Central Coast move to within a run of the Crocs. The Thunder had hit 4 doubles and a triple so far, whereas Cairns’ only XBH was Snell’s HR. The OotPB commentators were of the opinion that the Crocs’ outfield lacked range and were getting punished for it. Worsfold (5.2IP, 8H, 4ER, 1BB, 2K) came off in the 6th, while Zglinicki’s (6.0IP, 9H, 5R, 3ER, 0BB, 5K) night was a lot shorter than most of his had been this season. Cairns showcased their aggressive baserunning in the 7th, pulling of a double-steal after Aitken had been walked to set up the double-play. PH Roneberg then singled to right, scoring 1. Donovan got hit and the bases were loaded with only 1 out. Foreman cracked a single to left and 2 runners scored, the former Central Coaster allowing himself a fist-pump at 1B. A double-play ended the inning, but the Crocs had jumped out to a 4-run lead. The lead became 6 in the top of the 9th, Donovan pouncing on the 1st pitch he saw and sending it over the right-centre fences for a 2-run HR. Central Coast offered no resistance in the bottom of the inning, reliever Kent Wells picking up the save courtesy of throwing 3 innings, during which he allowed just 1 hit and struck out 3. Final score: 10-4 Cairns, in what turned out to be a thrashing. Game 2 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Adelaide Venom Vega walked to lead off the game, advanced to 2B on a ground-out, stole 3B and then scored on a ground-out to put Christchurch on the board in the top of the 1st. The Venom, as was their wont, didn’t need much hustle to tie things up. Zartuche, Welch and Moore all singled and viola, the score was back to level without an out being recorded. Young ground into a double-play, but the runner at 3B still scored, and now the Venom were ahead. Christchurch had plenty of fighting qualities about them, though, and it took only 2 batters in the 2nd to see them regain the lead. Kelvin Pickhills got plunked and then Hauer launched his 4th dinger of the postseason, crushing an 0-2 fastball 433 feet over centrefield to make it 3-2. Morrow doubled off the base of the CF wall and McMullen cracked one back at the pitcher. It hit the mound and caromed off into leftfield, SS Carlos Acevedo unable to change the direction he’d been heading in to have a chance at the ball. An out later, Vega’s fly to the track at LF scored Morrow and the Cowboys finished the inning up by 2. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the 3rd, when Moore delivered a 3-run bomb over CF to jump Adelaide back in front. Meanwhile, Arthur Hammer had found his groove, fanning 3 of the 4 hitters he faced in the 5th. Deas (4.0IP, 7H, 5ER, 2BB, 1K) had not, and left after 4, having thrown 87 pitches and allowing in 5 runs. An error by the relief pitcher gave Adelaide a chance to mount some pressure, and they succeeded, Fenton’s double driving in 2 to make the score 7-4. Hauer, the number 3 overall draft pick of 2059, made it a 1-run game in the 6th, with his 2nd 2-run HR of the night. That signalled the end of Hammer’s outing (5.1IP, 6H, 6ER, 2BB, 7K) the 6-pitch hurler a real mixed bag. The Cowboys found themselves in trouble in the bottom of the inning, a hit batter, walk and wild pitch leaving runners on 2B and 3B with nobody out. Moore drove 1 home with a sharp single to right. Young walked and the bases were drunk. Malcolm Pickhills struck out and Norm Donaldson ground into a U6-3 double-play and Christchurch’s bench coach was caught on camera letting out a pent-in breath. The scorers got a rest during the 7th and the 8th, both sides going out in order bar a 2-out Moore walk. Fingleson came out to throw the top of the 9th, his regular season record 47 saves from 49 attempts. McMullen ground out back to the pitcher. Sorensen walked. Vega flied out to the track at CF. Wurfel doubled down the 3B line, though McMullen didn’t risk coming home. Tying run in scoring position. Utting hit a towering fly, but it was more tower than distance and Fenton took a simple catch to end the game. Final score: 8-6 Adelaide, Christchurch keeping it close despite only 1 of their top order hitting over .200 for the postseason so far. Zartuche had 3 hits for the 2nd game in a row, while Hauer’s 5 postseason bombs were in sharp contrast to the 14 he’d hit all regular season. Game 2 - Cairns Crocs vs Central Coast Thunder The score stayed at nil through 2 before Snell singled home Lecomte in the top of the 3rd to give the kids manning the old-fashioned scoreboard - added this season as a marketing ploy and kept because it worked so well - something to do. The score-kids had plenty more to do 2 batters later, Correa crushing his 5th roundtripper of the postseason and his 4th 3-run effort. 4-0 Cairns. Correa had another chance in the 4th to score some runners, but this time Ethan Humphries struck him out flailing with an excellent slider. Meanwhile, Flemming was in fine form, perfect through 4 while striking out 3. He allowed his 1st baserunner of the night in the 5th, Doig leading off with a walk. Then Norris doubled over the head of the 3B, giving Central Coast a real chance to close the gap. Richard Humphrey singled wide of 2B and the Thunder had a run on the board. Karl Aston walked and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Flemming struck out Xavier Culaham on 3 pitches. Dermott Alcock singled to right and another run scored. Downes struck out as did Rory Budd, frozen up by a slider. 2 runs in the frame to Central Coast but it could’ve (should've?) been a lot worse. Humphries (5.0IP, 10H, 4ER, 1BB, 3K) took a seat after 5, replaced by 15-game regular season winner Paul Colenutt. Flemming (6.0IP, 3H, 2ER, 2BB, 6K) was hooked an inning later, the game close despite Cairns’ obvious offensive superiority. Colenutt threw 2 scoreless innings before being replaced, and Central Coast got through the top of the 8th unscathed also. Snell singled up the middle in the 9th for his 5th hit of the game and celebrated by stealing his 2nd base of the match. The hustle was rewarded when Correa doubled over the head of the CF and Snell crossed home plate without a throw. Boston came out, defending a 3-run lead. Doig whiffed at a slider. Norris hit a fly deep to right but subbie Roneberg made a fine running catch. Humphrey ground out 5-3 and that was the ballgame! Final score: 5-2 Cairns, to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Correa was injured completing his double in the 9th, with no immediate word on how hurt he was. Snell’s 5-hit effort was the 6th of his major league career, but the 1st time he’d achieved it in the postseason. He was the 7th player ever to reach that mark in the playoffs and the 1st since the 2047 season. Game 3 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Adelaide Venom Adelaide announced that 28 y/o Keiran Cooper (.303/.336/.437, 61HR), who’d spent most of 2061 at triple-A but was on the playoff roster, had signed a 4-year extension. It was reportedly a decent-money deal, but it was hard to see how he’d fit into the outfield makeup of the Venom, with their current preferred outfielders either going through arbitration or signed to long-term deals. Malcolm Pickhills jacked a solo bomb in the top of the 2nd to give Adelaide the early advantage, Christchurch fighting to keep their season alive. The score remained the same through 5, neither pitcher giving much away, though Umashankar Meenakshi had thrown 96 pitches to Rowlands’ 73. After walking a hitter in the 6th, Rowlands (5.1IP, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 4K) got yanked and his replacement made it through the next 2 outs unscathed. Fookes doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning but was left stranded at 2B, Meenakshi getting the next 3 outs on 8 pitches. Welch singled to lead off the 7th and Donaldson bunted him into scoring position. Fenton was walked and Adelaide had their best chance to extend the lead. An out later, light-hitting Zartuche muscled a fly over the RF wall and Adelaide went ahead 4-zip. To add insult to injury, Moore, next up, latched onto a fastball over the heart of the plate and sent it bouncing off the upper tier. 5-0 Adelaide, a series sweep now almost certainly the outcome. Gary ‘Glass’ Young hobbled off the field after making the final out of the 7th with a sore back and didn’t return. “Only precautionary,” the Adelaide trainer assured the commentary boxes. The homerun derby continued in the 8th, Pickhills slugging his 2nd of the night with a drive down the RF line. An error in the bottom of the inning allowed Christchurch a baserunner and Adelaide’s skipper decided Meenakshi (7.1IP, 5H, 0ER, 2BB, 6K), who’d thrown 121 pitches, was done for the night. His relief, Bailey Naylor, conceded a single but then got out of the inning via a 4-6-3 double-play. Fenton started off the 9th in similar fashion to how Pickhills began the 8th, lofting one down the RF line and into the bleachers. Angus Wang, who’d replaced Young and was fielding the unfamiliar position of 2B, errored to begin the bottom of the inning and Morrow, next up, doubled home Christchurch’s 1st run of the night. Another run scored off a sac-fly but it was a case of too little far too late. Final score: 7-2 Adelaide and the unstoppable force were off to defend their 2059 and 2060 titles. Moore (.500/.600/1.000, 2HR) snared series’ MVP. Game 3 - Cairns Crocs vs Central Coast Thunder Correa wouldn’t be available for the next few days thanks to a sprained thumb, leaving a bit of a hole in the middle of the Crocs’ lineup. In other news, Central Coast announced on the morning of Game 3 that 35 y/o Justin Auger (.283/.376/.512, 399HR) had signed a 2-year extension with the club. The 2-time SotY had played his entire big-league career to-date with the Thunder, and was “excited to continue the journey” with the franchise. The 2nd year of his contract was a vesting option. Central Coast grabbed the lead in the 2nd, Humphrey singling Norris home from 2B. They had an opportunity to push the advantage with 2 outs, with runners at 2B and 3B, but Alcock struck out to end the inning. Juan Moran needed only 20 pitches to get through the 1st 3 innings, Cairns’ aggressive approach not paying dividends. After 5 Moran had only thrown 40 pitches, in comparison to Kline’s 75. Kline did have 5 strikeouts to Moran’s 1, however, and had only given up 2 extra baserunners (4 hits to 3, 1 walk to none). Baker fell behind in the count to lead off the 6th, but cracked his 1-2 pitch into the centre-right alley and slid in safely to 3B. Leadoff triple, Cairns with the opportunity to draw even. Lecomte lined one to right and Norris couldn’t quite reach it. RBI-double, the go-ahead run now in scoring position with 3 outs still left. Snell ground out and Aitken was walked on 4 pitches. Foreman popped out. Donovan poked a fastball opposite field, over the head of the 3B and into the corner. Aitken held up at 3B but Lecomte breezed home to give Cairns the lead. Moran threw 33 pitches in the inning, his count now looking quite similar to Kline’s. Humphrey doubled to begin the 7th and then Karl Aston twisted one around the foul pole for a 2-run homerun to give the lead back to Central Coast. Kline walked the next hitter and his night was over. de Lange, against his old team, came to the hill and Alcock fought his way to a 9-pitch walk. Downes bunted both runners ahead, the Thunder hoping to add some insurance. Rory Budd mashed a double, his 1st hit of the series, to score both runners. Auger was intentionally walked and then a balk was called, both runners moving up. Doig struck out for his 3rd time of the night and Norris ground-out to end the inning. 5-2 Central Coast, and there was still some fight left in this series yet. Kline's figures were 6.0IP, 6H, 4ER, 2BB, 5K. An RBI-double from Lecomte in the bottom of the inning nicked a run off the deficit. Moran (7.0IP, 8H, 3ER, 1BB, 1K) retired after 7. With 1 out, Foreman singled and Donovan doubled, putting the tying run in scoring position. Chi-seong Lee, trying to fill the large shoes of Correa, struck out but Krajancic, who’d been having a lean postseason to-date, singled up the middle and both runners scored. Tie game. Boston allowed the 1st 2 runners aboard in the top of the 9th, then injured himself hustling across to 1B to take a throw from Aitken for the 1st out. His replacement, Drew Hayes, came in cold with an unenviable job, trying to get the final 2 outs of the inning while halting the progress of 2 runners in scoring position. He warmed up by intentionally walking Auger to set up the double-play. Doig broke his bat and Hayes pounced on the ground-ball and threw home. Out! On the throw went to 1B but too late for the double-play. Norris, who’d already smoked 2 doubles, came up and went back just as quickly, striking out on 4 pitches, Hayes just blowing his fastball by him. Still a tie game heading into the bottom of the 9th. Central Coast sent closer Domenic Purss to the middle. ‘Crackpot’ got Baker to ground-out up the middle, Alcock showing nice range to hunt it down and throw the slow-running catcher out. Lecomte’s hard grounder was much more easily dealt with, Alcock able to attack without having to charge. Snell worked a walk and then stole 2B on a 2-1 pitch, sliding in under the tag. “Risky,” breathed the commentators. The net result was 2 more balls and Aitken was aboard. Foreman ripped one to centre. CF Downes went back, back, back to the track and closed his glove on it to end the inning and send this thing into extras. Hayes rifled through ‘em 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th as did Purss in the bottom of the inning. The 11th also went in order before Auger broke the drought with his 1st hit of the series, a single to right, to begin the 12th. Aitken showed nice extension to complete a 6-4-3 double-play, which was just as well for the Crocs, as Norris then hit his 3rd double of the night - equalling the extra-innings playoff game record. He was left at 2B, Humphrey grounding out to short. Snell lofted one over the head of Norris to begin the bottom of the 12th, and very nearly tried triple but thought better of it, perhaps helped by the frantic ‘retreat’ hand gestures from his 3B coach. Aitken was intentionally walked. Foreman struck out, letting out a groan towards the stars before heading back to the dugout. Snell couldn’t help himself and took off for 3B on the 1st pitch of Donovan’s at-bat. Humphrey was up and snapping a throw like lightning. But perhaps he should’ve taken a second more to set because his effort was nowhere near the glove of the third-basemen. Instead it sailed into RF and Snell sailed around 3B and home, diving in dramatically even though there was no throw. Walk-off error? However the scorers decided to note it, the scorecard would always read 6-5 Crocs. A sweep thanks to a swipe! Beau Snell (.714/.750/1.071, 1HR) was really the only choice for series’ MVP, getting the award in consecutive series. As well as the 2 doubles and HR he hit, he also stole 4 bases, though, he admitted, “None of that means anything if we don’t win the Championship.” He had appeared in 4 postseasons, with Hobart in 2051, and Melbourne in 2056-2057, as well as with Cairns this year, for a postseason stat-line of .427/.474/.581. He'd made his major-league debut as a fresh-faced 20 y/o in 2050 and had put up the worst full season of his career in 2061, but that was long forgotten about now, both by himself and the fans clogging talkback with his praises. 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; 04-06-2017 at 08:20 PM.

04-10-2017, 05:13 AM	#702
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2061 Championship - Cairns Crocs vs Adelaide Venom Preview: Who was willing to bet against the Venom making it a three-peat in a rematch of the 2059 Championship Series? Not many. Adelaide led the league in nearly every offensive category, their BA .295, OBP .372, SLG .482, runs scored 990, hits 1670, home runs 247. Surprisingly, their 542 extra-base hits was only good enough for 2nd-best, as were their 632 walks. Unlike last season, when they’d been viewed as being weak on the mound, this year their staff’s combined ERA of 3.74 was 2nd in the league, while their bullpen was rated the best, with an ERA of 3.03. They allowed the least hits (1425), and least home runs (134), while walking the 3rd-least (431), and striking out the 3rd-most (1122). They were prone to an error or two, their efficiency of .681 only 9th out of 16 teams. Who were they up against? The Crocs qualified for the playoffs by taking out the 2nd wildcard, and had the worst regular season record (86-76) of all the postseason competitors. But they were no bunnies. Their BA of .284 was 2nd to Adelaide, and their OPS of .796 3rd-best. The 854 runs they’d scored was 4th-highest and they’d hit the 5th-most HRs, with 198. They were also a team that was hard to strike out, the 857 times they’d been whiffed the least of any AUNZBL team in 2061. On the pitching side, they were again well above-average. Their 4.32 ERA was 3rd-lowest, though their bullpen was a worry, ranked 9th with a 4.61 ERA. They gave up hits, 1576 of them (10th-ranked) and were sloppy in the field (.663 defensive efficiency, 2nd-worst). However, their pitchers blew guys away with regularity, the 1154 strikeouts they’d racked up the best of all pitching staffs. The Venom had absolutely no injury worries, while Cairns had lost Doubleday during the Division Finals, and would also be without Correa for the Championship, his sprained thumb not healed to a point where he could take part. Boston, injured during the Game 5 victory over Central Coast, was listed as day-to-day with a sore back. The loss of Doubleday had been a blow, and the loss of Correa even more so, as the rookie, who’d bashed 28 regular season HRs and 5 postseason ones, had shown himself clear-headed and reliable, both at the plate and in the field, even if he was the type of guy who’d slip into the background unnoticed in the locker room most days. Verdict: The bandwagoners were firmly in Cairns’ camp, the Crocs contesting only their 7th postseason since entering the league in 2036, but their 3rd Championship Series (without winning one). However, the bandwagoners readily admitted a Crocs’ victory was a long-shot, though Cairns' diehard fans had faith in an upset over their division rivals. But really, who was willing to bet against the record-setting Venom? Not this narrator. Adelaide in 6, with Cairns putting up a good fight but ultimately falling short. Note: Trying a new format for the Championship Game recaps... Game 1 Cairns would trot out 39 y/o Cameron Worsfold (4.01 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 1.45 WHIP) as their Game 1 starter. This was Worsfold’s 8th postseason campaign, his 5-8 record including a no-hitter in 2056. He’d be up against 30 y/o Greg Ahern (18-12, 3.99 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 1.16 WHIP), who’d returned to Adelaide in a blockbuster midseason trade and gone 9-3 once back in Venom colours. Ahern had racked up 200 strikeouts for the 6th consecutive season, and the 7th time in 8 full seasons. Top of the 1st: With 1 out, Snell doubled into the RF corner but was almost tagged out after Donovan’s liner was snatched from the air by a lunging Young, whose throw to Acevedo was only a fraction late. Aitken popped out and the inning was over. Top of the 2nd: Foreman hit a weak grounder to 3B and Pickhills made an uncharacteristically poor throw to see Foreman reach safely. No hit for him though, Pickhills charged with an error. Krajancic walked and an out later Baker pulled a double down the LF line to score Foreman. Lee ground-out to 1B but Krajancic scampered home to make it 2-nothing. Bottom of the 2nd: Young led off with a single up the middle and an out later Donaldson made good contact with a fastball at the knees, sending it over the CF fence for a 2-run homer. Scores tied. Top of the 3rd: Snell stayed hot with his 2nd hit of the night to begin the inning, this one a single past 1B, but Donovan ground into a U6-3 double-play to put paid to any thoughts of a rally. Aitken also singled wide of 1B and then Foreman walked, Ahern having trouble hitting his spots. Krajancic singled past 3B and a run scored. 3-2 Cairns. Top of the 4th: Ahern continued to struggle for control, hitting Baker with the 1st pitch of the inning but got through the remainder with no further hurt added to the scoreboard. Bottom of the 5th: Ibanez got a slider in the middle of the plate and cashed in, going solo over left to once again make it a tie-game. Top of the 6th: Baker walked on 4 pitches and an out later Lecomte hit a sizzler down the 1B line. It bounced into the corner and Baker headed for home. Lecomte took off for 3rd and beat out the throw from the cut-off man. RBI-double and Cairns were back in front 4-3. Snell flied out to end the inning. Bottom of the 6th: Welch led off with a double into left and tagged up for 3B on Moore’s deep fly-out. Young crushed a fastball over deep centre and it looked like it might fly forever. It did come down eventually, 440 feet from home plate. 5-4 Adelaide. Things then got really interesting. Donaldson singled and advanced to 2B on a wild pitch. Fenton smoked a high fly over the outstretched glove of Foreman in right. The ball bounced awkwardly off the fence and he headed for 3B. He got waved on by his 3B coach and headed for home. The throw came in... too late! Inside-the-park home run!! That ended Worsfold’s night (5.2IP, 9H, 7ER, 1BB, 2K) and made the score 7-4. Top of the 7th: Ahern (6.0IP, 6H, 4R, 2ER, 4BB, 2K) was replaced by Rhett Thurley, who immediately gave up a double to Donovan. Aitken singled to right and Donovan decided to take on Welch’s arm at RF and head for home. Bad decision. The throw was good and he was tagged out. Cairns then made another boneheaded decision, sending Aitken, who ran like a catcher, off to steal 2B. He was tagged so far away from the bag the commentators couldn’t even bring themselves to make jokes about it. Bottom of the 7th: Zartuche led off with a single. 2 outs later he stole 2B and then scored off Young’s single down the RF line. 8-4 Adelaide. Bottom of the 8th: Fenton cracked his 2nd dinger of the night, making it a 5-run game. Top of the 9th: Fingleson came on to pitch, even with the difference 5. The 1st pitch he threw was a fastball high in the zone and Lecomte singled to left. Snell singled to right and advanced to 2B when a throw was made - unsuccessfully - at Lecomte heading for 3rd. A deep ground-out from Donovan scored Lecomte and Aitken walked on 4 pitches. Foreman struck out looking and Krajancic struck out swinging and that was all she wrote. Final score: 9-5 Adelaide. Young went 4-4 with a HR and 3 ribbies. Snell continued his hot postseason form, going 3-5. His 1st inning double meant he’d had an extra-base hit in every game of the playoffs so far. Game 2 Cairns put Damian Flemming (14-8, 3.76 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 1.38 WHIP) on the mound, while 3-time 2061 shutout-thrower Arthur Hammer (17-8, 4.24 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.35 WHIP) would turn out for Adelaide. Top of the 2nd: 2 up, 2 down, and then Krajancic drilled a fastball into the LF bleachers. 1-0 Cairns. Top of the 3rd: 9-holer Lee, filling in for Correa at 3B, got his 1st hit of the postseason in style, launching a 439-foot bomb over CF. 2-0 Cairns. With 2 outs Donovan and Aitken singled, putting runners on the corners. Foreman popped out to 3B to complete the inning. Top of the 4th: Dwyer doubled with 1 out and an out later Lee cracked a grounder into the hole between 3B and SS. RBI-single, the score now 3-0. Bottom of the 4th: Flemming gave up his 4th 2-out walk but was yet to surrender a hit. He’d thrown 57 pitches to Hammer’s 74. Bottom of the 5th: Ibanez recorded Adelaide’s 1st hit with an infield single to lead the inning off and then Acevedo made it 2 hits with a line drive that just found its way over the glove of Lecomte and into LF. Zartuche ground into a 5-4-3 double-play. Welch took a slider at the knees for strike 3 and Flemming had maintained his zeroes. Top of the 6th: Krajancic led off with a single and an out later Baker hit a high double down the LF line. Runners on 2B and 3B, nobody out and Lee at the plate. He hit a groundball to 2B. Young attacked it, holding the runners, and made the play at 1B. Lecomte singled to right and both runners scored. 5-0 Cairns. Bottom of the 6th: Moore pulled a cutter into the RF bleachers to begin the 6th and break up Flemming’s shutout. Flemming responded by striking out the next 3 hitters. 5-1 Cairns. Top of the 7th: Hammer (6.0IP, 10H, 5ER, 1BB, 4K) was pulled, and none too soon for the home side. Donovan led off with a double and Aitken was intentionally sent to 1B. Foreman flied out to deep centre and Donovan advanced a base. Krajancic struck out looking at a fastball on the inside corner and Dwyer ground out. Still 5-1. Bottom of the 7th: Flemming (6.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 4BB, 5K) also took a seat, and his replacement gave up a 2-out solo HR to Acevedo, who just got enough into his fly for it to clear the RF fence. 5-2 Crocs, the Venom inching their way closer. Bottom of the 8th: Welch crushed a belt-high curveball, sending it 447 feet and into the centre-right seats. 5-3, all of Adelaide’s runs to-date coming from the longball. Moore walked and Young beat out the throw on a nubber for an infield single. Go-ahead run at the plate, nobody out. Pickhills popped out to 1B. Donaldson walked to load the bags. Fenton ground out to 2B, but Lecomte couldn’t turn the double-play which allowed a run to score. Ibanez popped out to the catcher to end the inning. 5-4 Cairns. Top of the 9th: Could Cairns put some insurance on the board? They could not, retiring in order. Bottom of the 9th: Marshall Whiffin came out to close, Boston’s back still troubling him. Acevedo led off with a double. Zartuche singled to right and Acevedo charged home to tie it up. Zartuche stole 2B without a throw, and Welch was intentionally walked, bringing PH Angus Wang to the plate. He ground into a 1-6-3 double-play. Could Young be the hero? He could, his single up the middle scoring Zartuche and winning the game for the Venom. Final score: 6-5 Adelaide, the Crocs getting run down at the death, their weak bullpen getting found out. Game 3 Adelaide’s Game 2 win gave them 12 straight playoff victories. They hadn't lost a postseason game since Game 4 of the 2059 Championship Series, also against Cairns. For their 1st away game of this match-up, they’d start 23-game regular season winner Umashankar Meenakshi (23-5, 3.39 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.24 WHIP), who’d thrown once so far this playoffs, for 7.1 innings of no-run ball. Cairns, desperately needing a win to give them a chance, put up Clint Kline (13-10, 4.15 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 1.22 WHIP), who was increasingly throwing less and less changeups and split-fingered fastballs, relying primarily on his regulation fastball and his forkball. If he was on, he was on, but if not, his forkball and fastball looked pretty similar and, excellent control or not, he provided only minimal challenge. Kline had given up 21 hits and 4 walks in his 17 previous innings of 2061 postseason ball. Top of the 1st: Zartuch led off with a single up the middle, followed by Welch blistering a single to right. Kline recovered to induce 3 weak grounders, getting out of the inning unscathed. Top of the 2nd: Kline got the 1st 2 outs with ease, but then plunked Ibanez to extend the inning. Acevedo latched onto a tame fastball, sending it opposite field and into the RF corner for an RBI-double. 1-0 Adelaide. Top of the 3rd: With 1 out, Moore walked on 8 pitches only to become the 1st out of a round-the-horn double-play. Bottom of the 3rd: Wayne Roneberg, playing CF today, recorded Cairns’ 1st hit of the game, singling over the head of the SS. 2 outs later he stole 2nd in a tight call, and the move paid off as Snell singled to right and Roneberg scampered home unopposed. 1-1. Top of the 4th: The inning started with 2 amazing things. First, Malcolm Pickhills got a fastball way inside and high, and somehow still managed to make hard contact up the middle. Secondly, Lecomte showcased his Gold Glove skills, ranging over towards 2B, diving, and snatching the ball out of the air to deny Pickhills a hit. Bottom of the 4th: Singles to Donovan and Krajancic with 1 out gave Cairns an excellent opportunity to jump into the lead, but Baker could only hit a soft grounder back to Meenakshi who started a 1-6-3 double-play to put a stop to the inning. Top of the 5th: A 2-out throwing error by Lecomte extended the inning and saw runners on 1B and 2B. Moore immediately made Cairns pay, jumping on the 1st pitch of his at-bat and sending it over left-centre and into the seats. 3-run dinger. 4-1 Adelaide, Lecomte scuffing the dirt on his way back to the dugout mid-inning. Top of the 6th: Donaldson pulled an outside fastball over left, and it had just enough legs to leave the park. 5-1 Venom. Bottom of the 6th: Aitken parked a Meenakshi fastball over right-centre for a 1-out solo HR, the home fans finding some voice as he rounded the bases. They found more voice next at-bat, Foreman pouncing on a forkball and sending it to the same vicinity. Back-to-back jacks! 5-3 Adelaide. Top of the 7th: Kent Wells replaced Kline (6.0IP, 5H, 5R, 2ER, 2BB, 1K), and got through the inning unscathed bar a 2-out single to Welch. Bottom of the 7th: An error by Malcolm Pickhills on a regulation Baker grounder saw the catcher wind up at 2B, no outs yet recorded. He advanced to 3B on a ground-out and then Lee tagged a fastball over left. It had the legs and the game was all knotted up. Bottom of the 8th: Meenakshi (7.0IP, 8H, 5R, 4ER, 0BB, 0K) came off, his relief getting the job done. Top of the 9th: Cairns sent Boston to the mound, and he went 1-2-3 through the side, his fastball up near 160 km/h. Bottom of the 9th: Fingleson took the hill for Adelaide. He got the 1st 2 outs on 3 pitches, and then Lecomte singled on the 4th pitch of the inning. On the 5th pitch Lecomte swiped 2B, the winning run now in scoring position. On the 7th pitch, Snell ground out to 2B and this thing was heading into double-figure innings. Top of the 10th: 3 up, 3 down. Bottom of the 10th: Aitken led off. On the 8th pitch of his at-bat he got a fastball up in the zone, having already fouled off several heaters. This one wasn’t no foul, though. He made good contact, though it looked like perhaps he’d gotten too far underneath the pitch. But no, the wind caught it and the converging outfielders could only watch as it traveled over the right-centre fence. Walk-off HR! Final score: 6-5 Cairns, and they’d not only broken Adelaide’s postseason winning streak, but 1-2 looked a lot better than 0-3. Aitken’s 2 hits both went the distance, earning him PotG. Game 4 Adelaide would send out Greg Ahern for the 2nd time this series, while Cairns opted for 28 y/o Harrison Mitchinson (8-14, 5.76 ERA, 4.67 FIP, 1.59 WHIP). Mitchinson threw a fastball, slider and screwball. He was one of only 2 established AUNZBL pitchers to throw a screwball, the other being 32 y/o teammate Hal Massingham, who had appeared 40 times out of the Crocs’ bullpen during the regular season. Top of the 1st: Mitchinson got through the inning on 6 pitches, the final out being Moore, who popped out on a screwball. Top of the 2nd: Young singled and Pickhills walked to start proceedings but both were left stranded, Mitchinson knuckling down to get the next 3 outs without the runners even advancing a base. Bottom of the 2nd: Welch made an impressive leaping catch near the RF wall to end the inning, the commentators suggesting that the outfield might be where Welch was destined to play next year. Bottom of the 4th: Ahern fanned his 6th, and that should’ve been the end of the inning but the dipping cutter went between Donaldson’s legs and all the way to the backstop, Kranjacic, the hitter, busting a beat to get to 1B safely. The wild pitch didn’t hurt the Venom, Ahern pulling off a sharp return catch off the next hitter to end the inning. Top of the 5th: Both pitchers had allowed just 1 hit and 2 walks. Ahern had fanned 6 and thrown 70 pitches, while Mitchinson had struck out just 1 and thrown 58 pitches. Mitchinson eased through this inning too, with 3 groundballs equalling 3 outs. Bottom of the 5th: Baker led off with a single, for only the 3rd hit of the game, but got no further than 1B. Top of the 7th: Still no score, both pitchers and their defences operating at high capacity. Ahern had punched out 8 while giving up 2 hits and 2 walks on 93 pitches, while Mitchinson had conceded just the 1 hit, while walking 2 and fanning 2, on 79 pitches. Young led off the inning with his 2nd hit of the night, a single down the 3B line but was then cut down in a 6-4-3 double-play. Donaldson popped out and the score was still 0-0. Bottom of the 7th: Krajancic rapped a cutter between the 1B bag and the first-baseman for a single to begin the inning. Dwyer popped out to shallow centre, 2B Young calling everybody else off to take the catch. Rhett Thurley came out to replace Ahern (6.1IP, 3H, 0ER, 2BB, 7K), and must’ve had his heart in his throat for a few moments after Baker made good contact on a fastball. LF William Fenton hunted it down, however, taking a good running catch. PH Cong Pi ground out 4-3 and the inning was over. Top of the 8th: Fenton checked his swing but not in time, according to the umpire, going down on strikes for the 1st out. Ibanez cracked a screwball into the gap between 3B and SS for a single. Acevedo drove one deep to centre. It bounced in front of the wall and then over it for a ground-rule double, Ibanez having to turn around and head back to 3B. Acevedo left the field with a mild calf strain, but his double had broken down the wall, so to speak, Zartuche doubling down the 3B line and bringing both runners home. That marked the end of Mitchinson’s night (7.1IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K), though he didn’t deserve to go into the sheds behind on the board. 2-0 Adelaide. Bottom of the 8th: Lecomte ground out 6-3. Fenton denied Snell extra-bases with a nice running catch. Donovan hit a hopper back to Thurley and was retired at 1B. Top of the 9th: Pickhills struck out and Donaldson walked. Fenton hit one straight to Lecomte who began a 6-4-3 double play. Bottom of the 9th: Fingleson on the mound. Aitken ground out to 1B. Foreman popped out to 1B, Moore making sizing it up nicely near the wall in foul territory. Krajancic flied out weakly to right to put the full stop at the end of the game. Final score: 2-0 Venom, in a match that contained only 8 hits. Game 5 Hammer would take on Worsfold, Cairns needing a win to keep their title chances alive, Adelaide just 1 victory away from three in a row. Top of the 1st: The Venom started fast, Zartuche singling to begin the game and Welch doubling over the rightfielder’s head to bring Zartuche home. Moore followed up with a double of his own and Welch crossed home plate. Young’s pop-fly to left found grass. Runners on 1B and 3B, nobody out. Worsfold got ahead of Pickhills 0-2, but then gave him a fastball in the middle of the plate which Pickhills punched to left for an RBI-single. Donaldson finally flied out to be the 1st out of the game. Fenton drew a walk and the bases were drunk. Ibanez flared a single to shallow right and 2 runners scored. Surprisingly, Worsfold stayed on the mound, even though the game was in danger of slipping out of Cairns’ grasp before an inning had been completed. The punches kept coming. Acevedo, recovered from his calf strain of yesterday, singled between 3B and short, scoring another. Adelaide had batted around, but the hurt didn’t look like stopping yet. Zartuche singled sharply to right and the bases were once again full. Welch struck out on 3 pitches and the crowd sighed in relief. They were back to groaning however when Moore cracked one over the head of RF. It bounced awkwardly off the fence and Moore slid in safely with a triple, all 3 runners scoring. Finally, Worsfold was done, the expression on his face one that could only be described as shell-shocked. Reliever Mike Darke struck out Young to end the inning, the hometown fans dead silent. 9-0 Adelaide. Top of the 2nd: Darke got through the inning allowing just a single. Bottom of the 2nd: A 4-6-3 double play snuffed out any joy that Crocs’ fans might’ve felt at seeing Krajancic pick up their 1st hit of the night. Top of the 4th: Adelaide loaded the bases with 2 outs, some Crocs’ fans already leaving the stadium. More hurried after them after Ibanez lofted his 1-1 pitch down the LF line. If it stayed fair it was a slammer... and it stayed fair! Grand Slam, and it looked like the Cairns players had lost belief now too. Darke got yanked and his replacement struck out the final batter of the inning, but every Cairns player was examining their shoelaces as they trudged back to the dugout for the change of innings. 13-0 Adelaide. Bottom of the 5th: Cairns got on the board via a Lee double followed by a Lecomte single. 13-1 Venom. Bottom of the 6th: Hammer struck out the side, though he did allow a 2-out single. Top of the 7th: The Venom players were already in party mode, but Pickhills’ 3-run blast nearly sent them over the edge, the team almost spilling out of the dugout and onto the field to celebrate. 16-1 Venom. Bottom of the 7th: Hammer (6.0IP, 5H, 1ER, 2BB, 5K) took a seat, and was quickly handed a congratulatory beer. The Venom defence hadn’t clocked off yet, however, Ibanez making a great throw to see Snell tagged out trying to extend a double to a triple. Bottom of the 8th: Krajancic went opposite field deep to score 2 but Cairns needed a lot more than that and fast. 16-3 Venom. Top of the 9th: The Adelaide offense wasn’t done kicking yet. They loaded the bases with 1 out but only scored 1 more for their efforts. 17-3 Venom. Bottom of the 9th: Cairns added 2 more consolation runs before the Venom recorded the final out and leaped into full celebration mode. Final score: 17-5 Venom. Moore went 4-6 with 4 ribbies, while Ibanez was 2-6 with 6RBI. Gary Young (.455/.500/.591, 1HR) received the Championship Series MVP for his consistent hitting. Crocs’ GM Julio Sousa had only one thing to say to media when they cornered him on his way into the Cairns’ changing rooms: “Well that was humiliating, wasn’t it?” Then he pushed past the throng and through the door and that was the only soundbite journalists got from anyone within the Crocs organization until the next day. It got a lot airtime, however. 2061 Championship-winning Venom 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

04-14-2017, 05:58 AM	#703
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2061 Season Leaderboards 2061 Season Leaderboards Richard Moore was favourite to win the Jorge Diaz award, though John Dalton had a strong case, too. HotY shaped up to be very interesting. Meenakshi, Zglinicki or Dean? 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

04-16-2017, 02:23 AM	#704
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2061 Awards 2061 Awards Gold Gloves Pitcher: Wally Moylan (Darwin Diggers) Catcher: Kent Okolita (Darwin Diggers) First Baseman: Luigi Dempster (Wellington Fury) Second Baseman: Dylan Glynn (Newcastle Roos) Third Baseman: Matthew Utting (Christchurch Cowboys) Shortstop: Stéphane Lecomte (Cairns Crocs) Left Fielder: Pancho Cruz (Kununurra Pioneers) Center Fielder: Warren Chapple (Wellington Fury) Right Fielder: Danny Caporn (Auckland Metros) Brodie Backhouse Award Aaron Fingleson had a season to remember, going 5-2, with 47 saves, a 2.18 ERA, a 3.23 FIP, and a 0.87 WHIP. His ERA+ was 214 and his FIP- 69. He posted a 1.5 WAR and struck out 95 hitters in 74.1 innings across 68 appearances. This was only Fingleson’s 3rd year full-time in the closer role. In 2059, as closer for Christchurch, he’d also won the Brodie Backhouse Award, making him the 1st pitcher to win it twice. Central Coast's Domenic Purss (7-3, 42 sv, 2.39 ERA, 2.96 FIP, 1.18 WHIP) got on the podium for the 2nd year running, while Hobart middle-reliever Addergoole Bintang (7-2, 7 sv, 2.25 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 0.97 WHIP) finished 3rd. Super Slugger Awards C: John Dalton - HOB - .312/.415/.573, 144-462, 96 runs, 37 doubles, 2 triples, 42HR, 119RBI, 73BB, 2SB, 550PA, 180 OPS+, 173 wRC+, 7.6 WAR 1B: Richard Moore - BRI - .333/.450/.562, 204-612, 129 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 37HR, 126RBI, 121BB, 1SB, 746PA, 164 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 7.7 WAR 2B: Andre Wiltshire - AUC - .355/.425/.579, 167-470, 88 runs, 30 doubles, 3 triples, 23HR, 94RBI, 55BB, 10SB, 532PA, 161 OPS+, 160 wRC+, 5.6 WAR 3B: Malcolm Pickhills - ADE - .269/.359/.517, 160-594, 107 runs, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 38HR, 118RBI, 78BB, 1SB, 681PA, 127 OPS+, 127 wRC+, 5.8 WAR SS: Gary Young - ADE - .284/.361/.522, 174-613, 100 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 39HR, 110RBI, 57BB, 1SB, 696PA, 128 OPS+, 128 wRC+, 5.2 WAR LF: Tomas Zartuche - ADE - .345/.386/.471, 241-699, 125 runs, 26 doubles, 10 triples, 14HR, 91RBI, 38BB, 63SB, 759PA, 124 OPS+, 126 wRC+, 3.9 WAR CF: Domenic Guerin - KUN - .309/.366/.449, 205-663, 110 runs, 30 doubles, 6 triples, 17HR, 90RBI, 43BB, 36SB, 732PA, 113 OPS+, 115 wRC+, 6.1 WAR RF: Neil Bellett - CAN - .302/.421/.579, 150-497, 103 runs, 31 doubles, 1 triple, 35HR, 81RBI, 102BB, 3SB, 605PA, 160 OPS+, 161 wRC+, 6.4 WAR DH: Axel Nankervis - SYD - .344/.382/.523, 239-694, 121 runs, 33 doubles, 2 triples, 29HR, 133RBI, 36BB, 3SB, 751PA, 135 OPS+, 136 wRC+, 4.8 WAR Rookie of the Year It had been a long time since RotY had attracted so much pre-awards discussion. Not only was there some decent talent that had migrated across from the ABC, there was also a strong crop of AUNZBL-raised youngsters. Who would take home the gong in 2061? 31 y/o former ABC player Rodney Ellison. He hit .314/.376/.519, 145-462, with 72 runs, 34 doubles, 2 triples, 19HR, 82RBI, 46BB, 6SB, from 516PA. His OPS+ was 132, his wRC+ 133, and his WAR 3.8. 22 y/o Cairns’ sensation Mario Correa (.291/.321/.503, 28HR, 3.3 WAR) came in runner-up, while 21 y/o Whangarei CF Edgardo Rico (.340/.379/.451, 5HR, 3.8 WAR), took out 3rd. Skipper of the Year To the surprise of absolutely no-one, Luis Gonzalez took out Skipper of the Year for the 3rd year running. As per usual, Gonzalez’s speech was so bland as to be completely forgotten before the end of the evening. Hurler of the Year HotY was even more hotly anticipated than RotY had been. Would Dean, who’d set a new season record for WAR, and won 20 games for the 3rd season in a row - the 1st AUNZBL pitcher to do so - and in a mediocre team, no less, win 3 consecutive crowns? Or would Zglinicki, who’d topped the league in ERA and WHIP, and thrown a mammoth 257.1 innings for 23 wins, 3 of them shutouts, win for the 1st time? Or Meenakshi, who’d also won 23 games and only lost 5, in the middle of the Adelaide juggernaut, add to his 3 Championship rings with a HotY? And the winner was... John Zglinicki, who’d earned the nickname ‘Mr. Dependable’ from Thunder fans during the season thanks to throwing 10 complete games - equalling the record set in 2027 by Tu-an Tseng - and 8+ innings another 15 times, won in what the announcer said was a “very close contest.” Zglinicki’s 2061 record was an astounding 23-8 from 34 starts, with a 2.41 ERA, 3.68 FIP, and 1.04 WHIP. In 257.1 innings he fanned 163, his ERA+ 193, FIP- 81, and WAR 6.1. Barry Dean (20-11, 3.19 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, 146 ERA+, FIP- 60, WAR 9.1) was 1st runner-up, while Umashankar Meenakshi (23-5, 3.39 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 137 ERA+, FIP- 84, 5.0 WAR) grabbed 3rd place. Jorge Diaz Award Richard Moore won the 2nd Jorge Diaz Award, capping off, in his words, “an unbelievable season.” The 29 y/o, who’d signed on with the Venom after 6 fruitless seasons with the Bandits, had nabbed his 1st Championship ring, as well as his 1st postseason series MVP, and now his 1st hitting award. He went .333/.450/.562, 204-612, 129 runs, 25 doubles, 2 triples, 37HR, 126RBI, 121BB, 1SB from 746PA, with a 164 OPS+, 162 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR. John Dalton (.312/.415/.673, 42HR, 180 OPS+, 173 wRC+, 7.6 WAR) well earned his runners-up placement, while Ronald Aitken (.318/.443/.546, 26HR, 158 OPS+, 154 wRC+, 6.6 WAR) quietly slipped in 3rd. __________________ 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

04-16-2017, 02:46 AM	#705
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2061 Career Leaderboards 2061 Career Leaderboards Aguirre needed just 10 HR in 2062 to make 700, with the 38 y/o half-jokingly telling a journalist he hoped his "body would hold up for another year." Marcos Lopez found his way onto the all-time top 10 hits board. Clint Aitcheson was still 2 wins short of 200 and looking very unlikely to reach the milestone, while Lance Ralston needed 9 wins in 2062 to get there. 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

05-03-2017, 06:40 PM	#707
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2062 Preseason Predictions 2062 Preseason Predictions Coastal: Adelaide and Cairns would duke it out, the Venom picked to pip their rivals at the post for the division crown. Perth and Darwin would both be awful. East-West: Another tight race, with Kununurra to edge out Central Coast by a couple games. Newcastle and Brisbane would both fail to play .500 ball. NZ: Christchurch to win a race with the Sluggers by 3 games, Whangarei to make good on the performances they’d been threatening to put up the last few seasons. Auckland and Wellington would both stink up the joint. Southern: All the division races were going to be close this season, according to the experts. Here Sydney would prevail over Hobart by a handful of games, while Melbourne would once again fail to live up to the hype and Canberra would be terrible. Wildcard: Central Coast and Cairns, comfortably. Jorge Diaz Award: New faces would adorn the podium this season, with 24 y/o Brisbane 1B Norm Blume the preseason favourite. Canberra’s Neil Bellett would give him a run for his money, and Auckland’s Andre Wiltshire would also be in the mix. Richard Moore, Gary Young and Vern Bull would also have strong seasons but ultimately miss out. Hurler of the Year: John Zglinicki to go back-to-back, with Victor Doubleday hot on his heels. Matt Juhl would have an excellent season and Barry Dean couldn’t be counted out, with the pundits picking him to strike out more than 250 hitters this season. ABC: Alice Springs, Melbourne Victory, Kalgoorlie Gold Rush, Port Moresby Kumuls were the 4 teams picked to make the ABC postseason, and the Overseas Division would be the most hotly contested, with only 4 games separating 1st and 3rd. Gavin Howell and Si-xun Qiao were the hot tips for Golden Bat, while Satya Susanti and Canberra’s NABA import J.R. Evans would joust for Golden Arm. The Hobart Hammerheads were picked to hit only 55 homers all season. 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; 05-03-2017 at 06:44 PM.

05-07-2017, 07:58 PM	#708
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	2062/2063 Season - October 2062/2063 Season - October Notable Performances 1 Oct: Christchurch DH Simon Morrow slugged 2 homers in the Cowboys’ 6-5 extra-innings win over Brisbane, earning top accolade in OotPB TV’s daily ‘Best Performances’ segment. The next morning, however, he found himself on a bus back to AAA-affiliate Balclutha Spiders. “Baseball’s weird,” was all he had to say when cornered by an intrepid journalist. Morrow longest stint in the majors had been his rookie year, 2059, where he hit .226/.297/.363, with 14HR, in 499PA. 2 Oct: 27 y/o Roy Blake was a decent pitcher who threw 3 different fastballs and a changeup. Across 2058-2059 he’d thrown well for Kununurra before being traded to Brisbane, where he’d not fared so well, losing 18 games last season (his FIP was a whole run lower than his ERA, highlighting the defensive woes that Brisbane had). He started 2062 off on the right foot, however, taking a perfect game into the bottom of the 6th before giving up a 2-out walk. He carried the no-hitter into the 8th, Cain Hayes breaking it up with a 2-out single. He conceded another single in the 9th but that was all she wrote, Brisbane gliding to a 3-0 win. Blake struck out 4 for a game score of 86. Brisbane didn’t score the game-clinching runs until the top of the 9th, when they took to a tiring Dan Pankhurst, who also threw a complete game but wouldn’t have felt nearly as happy about it as Blake. 2 Oct: Kununurra and Sydney jousted for 10 scoreless innings before the Pioneers hit three 2-out singles to score what would prove to be the winner. Blair Norris didn’t get the win for Kununurra, but he did throw 9 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 2. Closer Allen Jiang, who’d lost the game the previous night, took home the W. Norris, who had been known to give his teammates a public spray on occasion, shook his head when interviewed in the lockers after the game. “Some run support would’ve been nice,” he muttered. “Yeah, we won, but a shutout is way sexier than just being the guy who kept the team in it long enough to find a winner.” 4 Oct: Central Coast thumped Hobart 13-3. Justin Auger went 4-5 for the winners, hitting a Grand Slam in the 7th. The massive 441-foot effort was also the 400th round-tripper of Auger’s career. Now 36 y/o, Auger noted it was unlikely he’d make it to 500 home runs, but said he’d “give it his best shot.” 5 Oct: 25 y/o Rory ‘Super’ Karsumaatmaja certainly lived up to his nickname today. The RHP got his 1st ever major-league start, turning out for Sydney against Kununurra. He struggled at times to find the plate, walking 6, but the Pioneer hitters couldn’t find grass, the Blue Sox outfielders showing good range to snare several flies near the fence. Heading into the top of the 9th, no Kununurra batter had recorded a hit. Karsumaatmaja struck out Bob Lindner, the 1st opponent of the inning. Next up Ramon Martinez flied to out right-centre. John Foreman walked. And then Al Ayliffe struck out swinging. No-hitter!!!! Karsumaatmaja struck out 7 and threw 122 pitches, and said afterwards, “I honestly had no idea. With the amount of walks I’d given up I kinda figured one of them was a hit. But hey, I think I might retire now. Probably can’t get better than this.” This was the 1st no-hitter since Cameron Worsfold’s postseason effort in 2056 and the 1st regular season no-hitter since 2055. 8 Oct: Ismael Aguirre was cutting a distinctively aging figure on the field in 2062. The 38 y/o showed he still had some pop left today, though, going 3-3 in Hobart’s 5-4 loss to Newcastle, including 2 solo HRs, 1 in the 3rd and the other in the 6th, one of 3 dingers in the inning. Those 2 blows gave Aguirre 692 career home runs. 9 Oct: Glen Donovan took home the season’s 1st PotW award. The Crocs’ 1B hit .444/.500/.926 over the last 7 days, his 12-17 including 1 double and 4HR. 11 Oct: After losing his 1st two starts of the year, ‘Mr. Dependable,’ John Zglinicki, was back to his usual high standards, restricting Canberra to just 2 hits and a walk, striking out 5, in helping Central Coast to an 8-0 win. The shutout was the 7th of Zglinicki’s big-league career. The 2 hits and walk he allowed came from the first 3 hitters he faced, after which he was lights out, retiring the next 26 hitters of the game (he got a double-play to end the 1st). 12 Oct: Auckland, tipped to be competing for the league’s worst record preseason, had started their campaign off hot. After losing their first 2, they’d now won 10 straight, getting to that mark with a tense 1-0 victory over Sydney. They scored the only run of the game in the top of the 1st and managed to hold Sydney scoreless for the following 9 innings. Sydney would break the streak the following night with a 7-2 victory. 16 Oct: Richard Moore turned 30 y/o the day before the season began, and while entering his 8th year in the majors certainly made him a veteran, it felt like he’d been around for longer than that. The Adelaide lynchpin took home PotW with an impressive .560/.593/.880 stat-line, 2 doubles and 2HR included in his 14 hits. 16 Oct: It took 16 innings to separate Hobart and Kununurra, the Prospects finally getting the win via a solo walk-off HR to 27 y/o rookie 2B Ethan Rafferty. The final score was 4-3. 18 Oct: In his 1st start of the year, Blair Norris had thrown 9 scoreless innings but missed out on a shutout as Kununurra needed extra-time to win it. Today against Hobart, Norris went 9 again, but this time there was no need for extra innings. Kununurra cruised to a 4-0 win, Norris conceding just 4 hits and 1 walk while fanning 9. 19 Oct: Brisbane went bonza against Perth, crushing them 22-5. DH Glen Casey had a night to remember, going 5-6, and Arturo Medina equalled a league record set in 2044, scoring 6 runs in a 4-5 night. 2 of those runs came via the longball, and he also hit a double and collected 3 ribbies. All in all, Brisbane managed 27 hits and 5 walks, with 7 hitters recording 3 or more hits for the night. 20 Oct: Ed Geoghegan had struggled mightily to start the season, hitting .161 before Darwin’s clash with Whangarei. While a 1-4 effort in a 4-2 loss was nothing to write home about, that 1 hit was a solo HR in the 9th. In turn, that HR was the 400th of Geoghegan’s 14+ year career. Geoghegan was 37 y/o but hoped he had a “couple more years left in the big-time." 20 Oct: Perth got revenge for their shellacking yesterday, but did so against Auckland, bullying the Metros 21-1. 3 batters got 4 hits, and Barry Dean had more than enough run support to record his 3rd win of the season. He threw 7.1 innings for 5 hits, 1 walks and 1 earned run, as well as striking out 8. He led the league in strikeouts, with 38, in FIP, with 1.87, in IP, with 36.2, and in WAR, with 1.7. He’d also started 5 games, currently 1 more than any other pitcher. 22 Oct: Newcastle were down near the bottom of most league-tracked stats. They were also losing a lot, today dropping their 10th in a row, Central Coast giving them a 13-3 hiding. Next day, they’d bounce back, pounding the Thunder 8-1. 23 Oct: 2059 #1 overall pick Domenic Cook had spent the last 2 seasons looking overmatched against big-league pitching, only hitting .201/.282/.299 in 405PA last season. The 26 y/o appeared to have finally grown into his potential in 2062, however, as was evidenced by his .448/.500/1.103 week. He won PotW, hitting a mammoth 6 dingers in the process. 24 Oct: Canberra were socking it to all-comers, today winning their 10th in a row with a 5-4 victory over Kununurra in the 1st game of a 4-game set. 5 of their 10 wins had been by a solitary run. The Pioneers would bust out to halt the march the following day, crushing the Cavalry 15-6. 30 Oct: Damian Krajancic took home PotW. The journeyman RF, playing for Christchurch this season, his 5th team in 5 years, hit .462/.444/1.077, with 4 doubles and 4HR dominating his 12 hits. Notable Injuries 7 Oct: 24 y/o Whangarei 2B Greg Kent (.294/.368/.529, 1HR), who could field basically every position bar catcher with a high level of expertise, would miss the next 3-4 weeks with a herniated disc in his back. 10 Oct: The Prospects would have to do without Adrian Stuart (.333/.357/.333, 0HR) for the next month or so while he recuperated a sprained elbow. 18 Oct: Lance Fookes (.229/.267/.471, 4HR) would be missing from Christchurch’s lineup for some time as he dealt with a chronically sore back. 23 Oct: Luis Cesta (.258/.289/.473, 6HR) could face up to a month on the DL with a quad strain. 24 Oct: Canberra, another unfancied team currently at the top of their division, had been seeing some good performances from 24 y/o Norman Blume (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 0.92 WHIP). Sadly, on the 21st Blume left the game injured and today the news was in: he needed a Tommy John and would likely be out of action for more than a year. Norman Blume was not to be confused with Norm Blume, the Brisbane 1B who led the league in RBI in 2061. 24 Oct: 22 y/o Cain Walley (.292/.364/.438, 1HR) looked set for a fruitful career. Darwin had called him up from AA in 2061 and he’d won the everyday CF role after a strong spring this season. He’d have to cool his heels for a little while now, though, with news that he’d fractured his hand after not dropping his wrists fast enough on an inside pitch. 6 weeks, at least, recovery time beckoned. 26 Oct: Tristan Agar (2-3, 3.75 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.05 WHIP) and the Sluggers were dealt a blow, Agar set to miss nearly a year with a torn labrum. 26 Oct: Larry Booth (.354/.435/.394, 0HR), the league leader in steals with 13, had recurring back spasms. Nobody was quite sure of a return date, though the team trainer ventured a guess at “5-6 weeks, maybe. Hard to tell with this type of intermittent issue.” 31 Oct: 2061’s Rookie of the Year, Rodney Ellison (.247/.343/.333, 2HR), had a strained hammy and was expected to be on the DL for 5 weeks. Notable Trades/Signings 6 Oct: 27 y/o Brent Dwyer (.412/.500/.824, 2HR in 2062, .252/.318/.437, 118HR career) inked his agreement to a 3-year extension with Cairns. Dwyer, a competent corner outfielder who typically chipped in with 25HR a year, would’ve been a free agent at season’s end. 6 Oct: 30 y/o Achaius Muljana (.326/.389/.525, 100HR) finally signed, agreeing to a 1-year deal with the Perth Sharks in the ABC. The 2060 and 2061 ABC Batting Champion was disappointed not to have cracked the AUNZBL, but said, “I’ll just have to put up good numbers again this season and force my way in.” 9 Oct: 24 y/o Gordon Ladds (.375/.423/.583, 1HR in 2062, .292/.396/.453, 41HR career) wasn’t the same force in the field as he had been during his rookie 2060 season. Still, he was now the guy Hobart built their offense around, and the Prospects were keen for him to stay in their uniform for a while yet. To that end they and he agreed to a 7-year extension which would buy out his remaining arbitration years and potentially keep him a Prospect for the 1st 4 years of his free agency. Month Awards Rookie of the Month: 26 y/o Baryai Venugopalan was Canberra’s everyday DH this season, and Cavalry management had plenty of confidence in the 6’0”, 104kg Wellington-born lad, having traded the guys ahead of him last year to make sure he had an open path to the role. He didn’t disappoint in October, hitting .293/.326/.472, 36-123, with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5HR, 17 runs, 14RBI, and 6 walks. Hurler of the Month: 24 y/o Song Liang was one of a bunch of Metros firing on all cylinders to begin the season. Highly rated by all who watched him, Liang’s 2 previous seasons in the rotation had been poor, both because of the bad team surrounding him and the fact he’d been forced to hone his craft in the offensive cauldron that was the AUNZBL. In October he looked like an ace, however, going 5-1 from 6 starts, with a 1.98 ERA, 3.50 FIP, and 0.93 WHIP. He fanned 33 in 41 innings and led the league outright in wins. Slugger of the Month: Rich Downes had been unlucky not to win RotY in 2060, and while last season had seen a dip in his production, he looked unstoppable to begin 2061. The Metros 1B hit .351/.387/.702 on his way to SotM, his 40-114 including 11 doubles, 1 triple and 9 home runs. He also scored 29 runs, drove in 32 runners, while walking 7 times. Surprisingly, he only led the league in 2 categories, extra-base hits (21), and total bases (80). At 26 years of age he rounded out a trio of young award winners, which excited the analysts and experts who were of the opinion this season ‘would establish a whole crop of new superstars - the guys whose careers you’ll be following closely for the next decade.’ Media Watch Ismael Aguirre: While Marcos Lopez (.265/.328/.496, 7HR), 38 y/o like Aguirre, was giving the Blue Sox value, Aguirre was not doing much for the Prospects. He hit .222/.272/.342 during the month, his 2HR coming in 1 game. He still had some extra-base pop, hitting 8 doubles, but with an OPS+ of 60 he was certainly not helping lift a Hobart team who were dead last in plenty of offensive categories. He still needed 8HRs to reach 700, and even he admitted that “seems a long way off.” If he scored 38 more runs he’d be the 1st ever AUNZBL player to score 2000. He needed 34 more hits to get to 3700. Lance Ralston: Ralston was still at least 2 months away from playing and 9 wins away from 200. In a candid interview with OotPB TV, Ralston admitted he might not reach that magic figure and if he did he’d have to do so with his off-speed stuff as his arm was “pretty buggered.” Other Notes Coastal Division: Cairns finished October on a 5-game tear, winning 21 in the month, to lead Adelaide by 2 and Darwin by 6. Perth were 9 behind, sputtering along like an overheating cartoon car. East-West Division: Central Coast got off to a strong start, ahead of Kununurra by 3 and Brisbane by 4 heading into November. The Roos, at 11-18, didn’t have much bounce. NZ Division: The surprise packet of the season so far, the Metros were tied for the 2nd-best record in the league and had a 4-game lead over their division rivals. Whangarei were the closest chaser, while Christchurch and Wellington were staggering along at the tail end of the division. Southern Division: Canberra and Sydney were tied at the top, both 1 game over .500, while Hobart and Melbourne were tied at the bottom with the worst records in the league. # James Bacosa (.423/.444/.685, 6HR) was the only qualified hitter currently above .400. As well as leading the league in BA, the 26 y/o Slugger also topped the hits board, with 47, and the wOBA chart, with a .480 mark. Canberra’s Neil Bellett (.343/.437/.706, 11HR) sat astride the HR, SLG, OPS, runs (30), ISO (.363), and WAR (2.1) boards. Bellett was either a singles or HR hitter, having hit just 4 doubles to go with his 11HR (from 35 hits) so far. He did have a very good eye, though, and was on track to walk 100 times for the season. Ronald Aitken (.347/.500/.574, 5HR) led all-comers in OBP and walks (31). His skipper, Carlos Sosa, had only one complaint about his mild-mannered DH: “He’s just too modest. The man needs some swagger. He swaggers just a little bit more and he’d have cleared the fence another dozen times last season.” Aitken hit 26 homers in 2061, to go with a league-leading 54 doubles. Bruno Budd (4-1, 1 sv, 1.91 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 0.85 WHIP) had been shifted into Adelaide’s bullpen after a complete game win on the 17th and had already made 5 appearances for 1 win, 1 loss and 1 save. While he’d surely fail to meet the qualifying criteria over the next month, he currently did and stood atop the ERA and WHIP boards. Barry Dean (4-1, 3.78 ERA, 2.73 FIP, 1.20 WHIP) got touched up in his last start, but still managed to lead the league in strikeouts (52), innings pitched (50.0), and WAR (1.8). He’d also started a league-leading 7 games, tied with 2 other players. Christchurch’s Jeremy Hofmann (2-2, 3.63 ERA, 2.72 FIP, 1.33 WHIP) led the league in FIP. Victor Doubleday (3-1, 3.89 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 1.03 WHIP) had the best K/9 mark, his 44 strikeouts coming at a rate of 10.7 every 9 innings. Wellington’s Alejandro Valentin (4-1, 4.11 ERA, 4.44 FIP, 1.09 WHIP) had walked only 2 hitters in 35.0 innings while striking out 30, giving him a league-leading 15.00 K/BB rate and a 0.51 BB/9 mark. Rod Bacon of the Diggers and Moeaktola Liao of the Metros were tied for the most saves, with 10 each. ABC Wrap-up Neither the Alice Springs Opals or the Jakarta Stars players seemed too bothered by the talk going on that the AUNZBL might be trying to tempt their organizations across the divide. Both teams led their divisions, the Opals ahead of Brisbane in the Northern by 1 game, and Jakarta winning 21 in October to lead the Overseas by 4. Canberra and Melbourne were tied atop the Southern, with Sydney 2 games in arrears. Nobody in the Western was playing above .500, with Broome (13-18) the best of a bad bunch, ahead of Perth by 2. Even with the season just 1 month old, there was talk amongst ABC supporters of changing the playoff structure, with a lot of that carrying over from Sydney missing out last season despite winning 100 games. 36 y/o Julian Ramos (.363/.467/.657, 4HR) started his career in the BL as their #1 overall draft pick in 2047. In 2051 he’d migrated to the AUNZBL and played a platoon role for 2 teams across 2052-2056 before sinking back to the minors. The Metros had used him as a big-league bench bat/late-inning defensive sub in 2059 but he’d played all of 2060 in AAA. He’d then headed back to the BL for a season before his contract was purchased by Alice Springs. Ramos had already paid back their confidence in spades, leading the league in OBP, OPS, wOBA (.486), doubles (18), XBH (22), and WAR (2.3). For his efforts, he took out the monthly Golden Rookie Award and the Golden Bat Award. Ex-AUNZBLer Caspar Green had been good without being great for the Broncos last season. He was sensational through October though, going 6-0 from 6 starts, his ERA 0.63, his FIP 2.39, and his WHIP 1.08. He struck out 43 in 42.2 innings and had an ERA+ of 645. Unsurprisingly, he won the month’s Golden Arm Award. 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

05-10-2017, 12:28 AM	#709
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	Narrator's Note Narrator's Note I'm sure you've noticed that the time between updates on this historical record have been lengthening. Why so? Let me explain. First, I'm no longer monitoring emergency signals from the Belt. I thought there was an overkill of tedium while 'dump trucking,' but that was nothing compared to this job. At least onboard a ship when I needed a break from writing and researching I could go and do some maintenance, or run some piloting scenarios, or fill out some gaps in the Belt maps. Here, while I was only pulling 12-hour shifts, there was absolutely nothing to fill my time when I needed a rest from baseball history. And the kicker was, after 12 hours sitting at a monitor, waiting for emergency calls that never came (well, I got 1 in my 4 months at the job, so that was something at least - though due to distance and positioning, nobody was able to get to the distressed ship in time), I'd leave absolutely exhausted from doing not much and head straight to sleep. Already introverted thanks to 3 years alone chasing space-garbage, I was at risk of becoming a complete hermit who could only communicate in hisses and growls. So I did what I had to do: I handed in my notice and went looking for work that would force me to interact with other people. Thankfully, there's no shortage of demand for experienced spacers, especially so ones who've manned solitary craft. Jack of all trades, I am, apparently, as well as someone who survived a ship malfunction with both wits and body intact. Long story short, I'm now gainfully employed on the crew of a hauler, pulling backup to everybody. That means I'm a busy body, though there are also considerable periods of down-time when we're just pointed at a destination and burning hydrogen. I share a cabin - bunk beds, just like when I was a kid Earth-side - but I do have access to the Nets, and can still trawl baseball history when I've the time and inclination. But while the updates might've slowed down, and will continue to come through so for the foreseeable future, they will not stop. I've started this thing and I want to finish it, not just because unfinished projects frustrate me, but because this is a labour of love. And while I'm not at liberty to divulge the clients, cargo or destinations of our ship, or the identities of any of our crew members (that latter is an unwritten rule but a wise one to adhere to), I will say some of the work so far has certainly been interesting. And I've only been on the job a few weeks! Enough about that. Back to the baseball! __________________ 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; 05-12-2017 at 07:04 AM.

06-12-2017, 12:43 AM	#715
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	Narrator’s Note Narrator’s Note Well, things just got... different. And I’m not talking baseball. Short story: It appears I’m now stand-in captain on an A-class (severely-modified) hauler, running as fast as my fuel will allow me, heading for the supposed sanctuary of a hollowed-out chunk of rock and metal in the Asteroid Belt, with stars-know what else on my trail and a helluva lot of questions needing answered. Longer story: This all begins innocuously enough. We’re docked at Combes Station on the edges of the Kuiper Belt. Our consignment has been delivered and our captain plus the chief officer have trekked in-station to sign off the necessaries and scout out more work. The rest of the crew - bar me and Lupo, a gangly (as all spaceborn are) 18 year-old on his first tour and training to be a ship mechanic - are also ashore, letting off steam. The two of us are stuck a-ship due to lack of seniority, which doesn’t bother me so much but has Lupo stalking the corridors, muttering viciously. Because I feel sorry for the kid, I volunteer to man the bridge and send him off to run low-level maintenance diagnostics in the engine room. He’s not happy about that, either, but he’s the type of person who will cool down once focused on something else. My tasks: keep an eye on the refuel, monitor station-chatter from those ashore - emergency channels only - and make sure no strangers enter our bay. If any do, well, I know how to increase the voltage on our anti-tamper services to something between ticklish and lethal. For those who might be unfamiliar with the Solar System beyond Neptune, new as it all still is, Combes Station is one of the fresh-faced commercial joint-venture stations, specifically built to service the interstellar vessels heading to Alpha Centauri, Barnard’s Star, and Ophiuchus and Aquarius. Combes has no political affiliations, and is well outside the radius of the various Earth-, Luna- and Mars-associated stations. It’s bright, it’s glittery, it’s full of the promise of exciting times, but once you look past the flashing lights and neon signs you’ll see peeling paint, maintenance bots in desperate need of repair, and shady dudes lurking near most intersections. I’m expecting about twelve hours of downtime before crew start staggering back in various states of intoxication. So, with the monitors arranged for easy viewing, I start watching the 2062 AUNZBL playoffs. I’m halfway through Game 2 of the Cowboys-Diggers series when the captain’s emergency channel goes off. No preamble, no sounding out who’s on bridge duty, just a breathless, “Cut the fuel, cut the tethers. Drift, but point towards-” he rattles off a nav point “-and be ready to run.” That’s it. “Roger,” I say. I don’t ask any questions; there is obviously no time for that. In two seconds I’ve stopped the refuel and disengaged the hoses. The fuel caught between pump and ship sprays around the docking bay, marking everything it touches flammable. I key internal comms. “Lupo, buckle in. We’re about to move and it mightn’t be pretty.” The tethers are keyed to port-authority and any attempt to drop them without authorization will start a myriad alarms all across the station. That doesn’t worry me. What does is whether or not the bay gate will automatically peel back and give me access to space. If nobody in port-authority has over-ridden it there shouldn’t be an issue but if whatever trouble the captain is facing is somehow official, then we might do nothing more than put a dent in the station shell. As soon as I drop the first tether, sure as sage, an alarm within the bay starts blaring, accompanied by a flashing red light. After the second tether drops we begin to pull hard at our moorings, like a dog who knows his lead is about to be unbuckled. A quick check of the monitors shows me the gate peeling back, exposing the blackness of space and sucking anything not bolted down into the void. The airlock leading to the station-proper should now be in lockdown mode. That is good and bad. Good because nobody can now bust in and stop us - manual override of the gate won't be instantaneous either - but bad because it means the captain and the rest of the crew are stuck station-side, their only escape route from whatever it is they are facing cut off. I drop the last three tethers at once and we skid towards space faster than a platypus down a waterslide. “What the hell is going on?” Lupo shouts over comms. Obviously hasn’t buckled himself in. “Zip it and buckle,” I say. “I’m about to touch engines so there’ll be hell of a jolt.” Emergency comms cuts in again. Captain: “Save this. Make sure you bloody well save this. This is live feed but there’s also archive as well. Should be all of it. Get the hell out of here. Fast.” I can’t be sure but it sounds like he’s trading gunfire with somebody. A moment later and the feed he’s sending is on the monitors, across all screens, showing me the world the captain is seeing fifteen times over. There’s gunfire all right, but not much of it is coming from him. Looks like he’s alone, which can’t be a good sign. He briefly turns sideways; he’s backed up against our airlock. Guilt courses through me but there’s nothing I can do. He pokes his arm around the corner and squeezes off a couple shots, pulls back as the chatter of gunfire answers him. The door to the bridge bursts open and I whirl, thinking the mystery gunmen are somehow aboard. It’s Lupo, blood streaming down the side of his face from a cut on his forehead - he should’ve buckled in like I said! - his eyes wild. Before he can unleash what are surely a torrent of expletives he sees the monitor. The expletives still make it out of his mouth but they’re soft, confused. “Buckle in,” I tell him, kindly. Neither of us know what the hell is going on but I definitely know we can’t stay here. He drops into a chair and I turn my attention back to the monitors. The sound of station alarms can be plainly heard but the gunfire has stopped. Captain’s breathing heavy, checking the charge on his gun. By now we’ve cleared dock, our momentum spinning us toward who-knows-where. Hands quivering, I input the nav point the captain transmitted, get a bearing and touch engines. Two quick thrusts to point us in the right direction. Our tanks are three-quarters full, which should be enough to get us there as long as we don't burn too much in one go. Lupo swears again and I look back up at the monitors. For a moment I think we’ve lost the feed, but then I realize the captain’s body-cam is pressed against the floor. Then everything shudders, once, twice, three times. “They shot him again,” Lupo says, hands on head. “They shot him again.” We’ve got to run. I don’t have time for playback, and I’ve got to keep focused. I ask while double-checking our exit route and slowly increasing burn, “What happened?” “Something came over the loudspeaker. Sounded official. Captain listened, then walked into the open. I think his hands were up. A bunch of guys in station security were facing him down, weapons galore. Then the one in front fired. Captain must’ve figured he was going to because he tried to turn but not quick enough. Went down. And then you saw the rest.” I certainly had. Captain dead, chief officer unaccounted for. I have a thought. Keying all emergency comms open and hoping we’re not out of range yet, I say, calm as I can, “Rabbit holes. Rabbit holes. Duck and low, stay unofficial.” Hopefully I haven’t stuffed up the spacer lingo too much. Lupo is fiddling with his buckle. Panicking. “Stay,” I tell him. “We might have to burn hard.” He stares at me for a moment, then settles. “What's going on?” I have no idea and say as much. “Where are we headed?” “Captain sent me a nav point. We’re going there. Near as I can tell, it’s in the Asteroid Belt. We’ve got enough fuel to get there.” He nods. Who knows if he’s actually processing what I’ve told him, but he doesn’t say anything else for a while. Neither do I. Just trying to concentrate on the immediate. About twenty minutes later there’s an explosion. I watch it on our rear cams, a ball of flame briefly licking the vacuum of space before subsiding. I don't need to replay and zoom to know the cause and location. Our bay, probably when someone manually opened the airlock and flooded the fuel-stained area with oxygen. A lot more time has passed as we head on our steady way. It’s safe to say we’re in shock. Lupo figures it’s best if he keeps himself busy down in engineering. I’ll stay on bridge duty, keeping an eye out for any fuel trails in the distance behind us. There might be ships on our tail, there might not be. My gut says there is, but if so, I can’t do much about it until we get to the Asteroid Belt, and even then not a whole lot. It’s not like there are clusters of asteroids I can lose pursuers in. A quick trawl through the nav history shows this vessel has been where we’re going a couple times before, and what scant visual I can find that relates seems to indicate it’s a hollowed-out asteroid. I’ve heard of smuggler scoops before, but mostly dismissed them as hyperbole. Now I’ll get to see one. From the outside at least. Captain never gave any instructions as to what to do once we got there. I’ve watched all the footage he beamed across a few times, and the trail of events seems to be: captain and chief officer exit the merchant’s office, both pretty happy with how things have gone (I check our collective bank balance from the bridge, and it looks like payment, plus a bonus for quick delivery, has already been deposited). A few steps later and suddenly all hell breaks loose. A group of black-clad gunmen appear from a bunch of doorways - vacant merchant house, by the looks - and open fire. Our chief officer goes down before she can even look surprised. Captain takes one to the arm, a skimmer, but somehow not more than that, and makes off at a rate of knots down an adjacent corridor. The gunfight proceeds in a similar fashion - running, fired at, fire back, running, fired at, etc - until he gets to our bay airlock. He makes no attempt to open it. Instead he sends us the livestream and hunkers down. There are a couple things that I flag as interesting. Twice there’s good enough footage for me to examine the captain’s attackers. While their faces and bodies are fully covered, it’s easy enough to see that to a person they’re wearing full body armour - flexible and light enough for them to run; the type used by most national armed forces. Their weapons don’t lead me away from that conclusion. In fact, each gun is quite obviously Mars-tech. Secondly, the group that kills our captain is not the same as the one that engaged in running combat with him. The second group is decked out in station security uniforms, their faces plainly visible above moderate-budget chest-plates and below basic visored helmets. They're only seen in-feed once the captain walks into the open, hands raised, and that takes place after a lull in the fighting. Seems to me like the other group skedaddled just before the cops showed up. Yet, while this new lot didn't act before the call for surrender was made over the station comms, they barely hesitated before shooting, and then apparently made sure the job was done. I don’t know what to make of this yet. The Mars-tech weapons seem far too obvious and the cops, well, either they were in cahoots or jittery as all get out. Add in that all the corridors were empty, no bystanders, no 'bots, no nothing, and the scenarios are plain chilling. There is one thing I do know for certain, however: the newsfeeds are calling what happened on Combes Station an act of piracy. A bounty has been placed on our ship. By dint of association, Lupo and I are now wanted criminals. It'll take at least a week for us to reach our destination, and my brain is about played out from watching reruns of what happened. It’s like I’ve been given a single number at the end of a sequence and have to figure out what precedes it with no clues other than that final number. This’ll probably sound like an odd decision, but I think I’m going to lose myself in baseball history for a while. Maybe that’ll give my subconscious room to work. It's not like I've got a whole lot else to do right now other than wait, either. It's also probably not a smart move to 'break radio silence', as it were, and even stranger to do so via my baseball history. But something's telling me it'll be a good idea to make sure our side of the story is out there somewhere, and you folks reading along know me as well as anyone, and you're all smart enough to make your own decisions and, well, now I'm just blathering. I think it's time to finish watching Game 2 of the Cowboys-Diggers series while drinking some hot tea. We better have some left. Name has been changed - Lupo was his choice, not mine... __________________ 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; 06-12-2017 at 07:05 PM.

06-22-2017, 03:26 PM	#716
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	Man, this is an epic read. Caught up and just amazed. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)