Category: Australia

Rounding Third by Line Drive August 2024

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Rounding Third. It has been a little while since Line Drive has run his eye over the goings on in the North Eastern Baseball Association.

However over the past weekend, he was able to ride on out to the Ranger dome and catch up with some new, and many old faces who have been on the end of a bit of light hearted banter over the years in this little bit of writing.

This year the social media game has certainly gone up a notch which has been sensational for the clubs exposure. It’s been looking pretty schmick.

A big shout out goes to Rangers Grey who have been just out of luck most of this season. However they gritted their teeth yesterday and finished off the season with a walk off win over Bears Gold in A grade. It was fitting that Rob, “Butts” Seymour was the winning run across the plate. Great work ladies and gents.

A Grade grey season finished on a winning note. What is Kelsey looking at?

Next week sees the start of finals with the Rangers being represented across numerous grades. It is Grand Final weekend for the juniors too. The under 15’s will be playing Wodonga in the Grand final. Games to be played out at Targoora Park in Wangaratta. A BIG Sunday coming up this Father’s Day.

Line Drive will leave all other correspondence to the wonderful IT gurus we have at Wangaratta and the North Eastern Baseball Association. He is returning to his traditional values, with a bit of sass and some tongue in cheek observations of the varying individuals who play in the Orange,  Black (and Grey) of the Wangaratta Rangers. 

Now with all of that out of the way, what has been going on?

Soaks rambling dribble returns

Not much has been seen of Line Drive’s good friend Cam “The Soak” Scott over the 2024 season. Many have reported the diamonds have been much quieter, and let’s be honest, much more refined. On Sunday just gone, The Soak rode in to Ranger land to support his brothers and sisters of the Rangers with what many of you may know as his own unique approach to ‘talking it up’  Ably assisted by some current Rangers, Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker and past Ranger,

Scott “#Jenkoselbow” Jenkins, The Soak decided to run his mouth at Rangers B Grade vs Wodonga Warriors B Grade. First target. B grade “Skipper” Mick Wyatt, who had decided to take his turn on the pitchers rubber.

The Soak was in one of his upbeat weird kind of moods and he was choosing chaos.

“I’ve ridden down here just to watch you pitch number 11” Wyatt the chose to spike the next pitch into the dirt, and his next remark was “Shut up Cam!” When asked later about his grumpy outburst, Mick clarified that he was attempting not to laugh at what had been said.

With that in mind, many others in the B Grade dugout got a little bit of the bizarre inner workings of The Soaks mind too.

Another target was Paul, “6 dots” Maiden. Cam thought that one was pretty clever, however a little too clever for young Mikayla, “I find Line Drive boring” Jonker, where both Jenko and Cam had to explain the reference. Once explained, Mikayla doubled down on her dislike for cricket. Sadly still, the reference was lost. Sometimes, the banter is a little too refined and obscure and that is the way Cam likes it.

Peruzzo and his new veneers.

In between explaining obscure references to younger members of the side, The Soak turned his attention to Steve, “Fernando” Peruzzo and his nice looking veneers. It has been a while since Fernando has had a full smile, but they were certainly on show On Sunday. Cam asked Dan Wells if he should mention Fernando’s great, new looking chompers, and Dan was all in for it.

When mentioned, all Fernando did was well….smile.

Murdoch’s Moustache masterclass

Brad, “Undies” Murdoc, has been many things to many people over the years at Wangaratta. A great club person, knock around bloke, a great dancer to the odd midnight oil song, but one thing that is underestimated is the majestic nature of his upper lip. The Rangers do have a few great beards, but only one true superstar moustache. Undies owns that. The man of great beard, Scott Jenkins, did a little bit of commentary on the true style of Murdoch’s mo.

“Best tache in the Association” Jenko said…..It’s hard to argue with that commentary Jenko.

 It was also noted that Matt, “The Colonel” Sanders top lip is also looking nice and full of hair follicles too. Maybe Murdoch’s mo mantel is under threat in B grade? Watch this space for updates.

Dropsy’s new trick

It was duly noticed on the weekend, during the Rangers Grey vs Bears Gold game on diamond 1 that Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder has a new trick. Early on in the game, Burder surprised those watching by throwing his catchers helmet at the batter. Kyle Gilmore was even impressed as this was a new skill Burder has built into his repertoire this season. Dropsy no more? Never.

Always be Dropsy!

Mei see you around!

Mei Sato has really enjoyed her return to the diamond in season 2024. She is at every training and always looking for ways to improve. Mei had become ever reliable for the Wangaratta Grey in season 2024. Mei has filled a variety of positions over the season and under the watchful eye of Tesuya “Tets” Kamiyama, the improvement has been excellent. Mei was quoted as hoping the season was continuing. It’s always great to have positive up beat individuals like Mei involved at the club.

KK. The new queen of all things Rangers

Once just the domain of Line Drive, this year has seen many others take on small roles and responsibilities around getting information into the public domain. From creating many of the week to week posts on Instagram and Facebook, Mikayla “KK” Pool has turned her hand to the podcast world as guest host. From all reports, this has been well received as KK has basically threatened the playing group into listening to it. The players have responded by always having a a listen and giving it a like. If you would too would like to have a listen at what KK is producing, head over to the Wangaratta rangers Facebook page or look for it on Spotify or whatever podcast app you use.

What’s my name again?

It has come to Line Drive’s attention that a couple of the Godenzi’s like to mix names up.

Tanner Godenzi has a habit of calling Cam Scott Mick Wyatt, and Owen made a habit of calling Oscar Maiden “Issac”. It’s alright, Cam also gets Campbell a lot too. Coincidence?

Presentation time.

Line Drive may have had a little bit of a quieter year, but the club certainly has not. Games at Targoora park each week, to junior representative carnivals to social nights. The Rangers have certainly had a full plate in season 2024. Silver circle once again was a great night along with Junior Rangers movie night and now the upcoming presentation evening.

Leader of many, Owen “O” Godenzi was having a conversation with the young travellers from Melbourne and comparing presentation nights with their respective clubs. It was mentioned that this could be the biggest yet. Friday the 13th of September Wangaratta Turf Club is the venue. Food and entertainment is on the cards. Maybe a birthday song for the president too. Make sure you get your tickets. It is sure the be a great night.

Happy trails Ryan Kenny

Safe travels back home to treasurer Ryan, “Mr Canada” Kenny who has headed back to the northern hemisphere and home to Canada. Kenny managed a farewell appearance at a Rangers function over the Kings birthday weekend in June before relocating. True to form Kenny put in a big effort. Last to bed and was the first to rise from his swag. Rumour has it he was pretty happy the Rangers don’t have too many functions as they just always seem to be epic. That’s the Ranger way. Hope you have a read of this Ryan. You will be missed.

Anyone seen Old School?

Shaun “Old School” O’Neil got a little bit jumpy seeing Line Drive on Sunday. He was that jumpy that he decided to be named on the bench. “You can’t put me in there for anything this week!” However, true to Line Drive form, a special mention to Old School. Keep being you Old School.

Now onto the club stuff

Finals this weekend Sunday at Targoora Park. Murdoch road Wangaratta

Check out K.K’s podcast on Spotify. “you better” not my words, they are KK’s!

Training Wednesday from 6pm for Seniors

Presentation Night, Friday 13th of September at Wangaratta Turf Club. Tickets are available through the Rangers Facebook page.

C grade Rangers play Wodonga.

B grade  Rangers play Wodonga.

A grade Rangers Black play Bears Gold

That’s enough from me. Yes it is the old school way of doing things, but sometimes just writing it is a little bit easier and therapeutic for this scribe. Line Drive will be back again in the near future. Good luck to all this coming weekend for their finals no matter where you are reading from.

Have a great Fathers day out there. Miss you Dad.

Till then thanks for reading and….. just thought I would add another photo of Rangers Grey. Thanks to Mei Sato!

Some are the consummate professional for photos aren’t they!.

Go Rangers.

Rounding Third By Line Drive April 2024

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello there! Yes I’m back! The baseball tales from the North East of Victoria no one asked for, but you are aways here to read! It has been a while since the musings of Line Drive has been put down on paper. It was time to step away from the deck of the local cricket club and its unique blend of characters, and return to safe territory. It is time to place the spotlight back on the eclectic individuals who all come together to play under one banner. One club. The Wangaratta Rangers. It has been a great off season for many, so let’s get you up to speed with the goings on around Wangaratta and beyond.

Azza ties the knot

A massive congratulations goes out to Aaron “Azza” Parker who got married in the past couple of weeks to the lovely Kate. From all of us at the Rangers, we wish you a lifetime of happiness! Love your work #5!

Cods 2024

The start of the new baseball season brings together some of the older heads of the association, who combine their considerable talents into the one entity called The Cods. It has been a very quiet summer for The Cods with many being rather busy with other commitments. However, The Cods have been able to put a side together again this year, so they can see how good they ‘used to be,’ in the Victorian Masters Baseball championships, being held in Ballarat from the 5th to the 7th of April. Big Cod Nathan “FOMO” Pool has once again done the heavy lifting getting a place to rest some weary cod heads organised. There are a few new Codlings attending this year with some particular Rangers FINALLY being the right age now. Look for Daniel “The Griff” Griffin to put in a good display along with long time tailgater Brad “Undies” Murdoch, stepping up to be full Cod players. Not to mention Cod legends Ash Meyers and Damon Barker once again showing off their talents on the diamond in Ballarat. The Pufferfish award to the best Cod for the weekend is wide open, with some unavailabilities limiting the field. Line Drive is back in attendance after travelling the world last time around in 2023. Good luck gentlemen!

Driving the Hume.

It has been a big summer for a few families in the North East. After a very successful winter season in 2023, a clutch of Wangaratta Juniors thought they would play and refine their already considerable skills in different settings. Some headed off for Melbourne while others headed up to Albury to play in the Albury Wodonga Softball Association. Now with training back in full swing, it is definitely noticeable to Line Drive the confidence that this has brought to many of the younger players. This places them and the club in a good position for a great winter season in 2024. It is really pleasing to see this happening and full credit to parents, guardians, coaches, umpires and whoever else assisted in their development as ball players.

Juniors ready to go

Season 2024 is rapidly approaching. It has been a busy month down at “The Ranch”. The juniors are being put through their paces under the guidance of Under 12s coach, Daniel Wells and Under 15s coach, Nathan Pool. The numbers have been impressive in both junior grades coming off the back of a successful month of ‘come and try’ days. The club has decided to enter two Under 12s and two Under 15s teams into the winter comp for 2024. One of the Under 15s will be merged with the Benalla Bandits. If you are still interested come on down on Wednesday from 5pm to have a look and a throw.

New players a plenty

Another season approaches and it was time to find the baseball gear and head to training. The weather has been warm, training in natural light is something of an oddity. However, it has been worth the drive over to Wangaratta to see so many new and returning faces to the Wangaratta Rangers. Many have come off a season of softball over the summer time, while others have just heard about us and thought they would come down for a run around. It has been great. This scribe has a lot of names to learn and remember over the coming weeks of the season. Welcome to all, it’s wonderful to have you be a part of a great club.

Hitting the Gym

Line Drive has heard that a certain Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder has been hitting the gym in readiness for the upcoming season. This comes as a surprise to many that Kelsey has decided that NOW is the time to hit the weights. Maybe he is getting ready for the dancefloors of Ballarat? However it seems to have come at a cost. Poor Kelsey has been battling a bit of sickness the past couple of weeks. Coincidence? One wonders. Hope you’re feeling better Kelsey.

Trivia time

The Wangaratta Rangers is holding a trivia night on Friday the 19th of April which is to be held at the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Softball club located on Murdoch Road. Tickets can be bought via the Wangaratta Rangers Facebook page by clicking on the link below. It is sure to be a brilliant night for the club, however there will be a couple of noticeable absences with trivia masters, Line Drive and his wife being in Melbourne that night….. This does open up doors for another trivia master to take the helm and be awarded as the coveted champion of Targoora Park!! Congratulations to the ‘Cool Committee’ on arranging a ripper evening. Hannah Clancy and co have been working very hard!

Wangaratta Rangers Trivia April 19th 2024

Din Dins A doo dah

Training dinners will be back in full swing after training the week before the start of the season. This means there will be dinner on Wednesday 17th of April to be prepared by gourmet chef Aaron “Azza” Parker. Azza has kindly volunteered to cook the first week, and each week following will be on a volunteer basis. For those who are reading Rounding Third for the first time, then the deal is simple. Let us know if you are keen in partaking in dinner. And then for $10 you get a great feed and your first drink. A great way to sit down and have a chat after a good run around on the diamond. Line Drive is very appreciative of dinner at the club as much nicer eating at 7:30pm instead of 9pm! Please approach your coach if you would like to volunteer one week and whip up a feast for the masses after training.

Doing the groundwork.

A big shout out goes to the members of the club who have put in the hours over the summer time to continue to upgrade the diamond and surrounds at Targoora park. Just last week the running track from home to first and home to third have been completed. Not to mention a layer of sand that has been spread over the outfield filling in some of the lower spots. The ground is looking in good shape moving forward and that is a testament to many members of the club over the years.

Now onto the club stuff

  • Junior training Wednesday nights from 5pm at Targoora Park Wangaratta. All are welcome!
  • Seniors training this week is brought to you by Rob “Butts” Seymour and Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker. Be out on the field at 6pm ready to go.
  • First dinner will be the 17th of April. Thanks Azza.
  • Registrations are open and ready to go for the upcoming season. Check the Rangers player chat and the website (TBA) to register for the season. It is an easy process and quick too!
  • Trivia night Friday 19th April at the clubrooms- buy your tickets on Rangers Facebook page!
  • Good luck Cods for the weekend.

Anyhow, it is nice to be back, writing and bantering with you about the Rangers. Welcome to new readers and those who just like the musings of a rather average ball player. Much more will follow this upcoming season. So as per usual, spread the word, share and like.

Have a good week and…..

Go Rangers!

Rounding Third By Line Drive July 2023

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the July edition of Rounding Third. The season has been ticking along albeit in a stop start manner. This is due to weather, many a junior carnival and being the depths of winter in the North East, where many are looking to escape to warmer locations. Despite all of this, there was some baseball played over the weekend in Benalla and Wodonga respectively. Here are the results from Sunday 16th of July.

Under 12’s Rangers 11 lost to Wodonga Warriors 22.

Under 15’s Rangers 12 defeated Wodonga Warriors 6

C Grade Rangers 6 lost to Wodonga Warriors 11

B Grade Rangers Grey 15 defeated Benalla Bandits 8

B Grade Rangers Orange 19 defeated Wodonga Warriors 3

A Grade Rangers 15 defeated Wodonga Warriors 4

A big thank you to the hospitality of both Wodonga and Benalla respectively. Both grounds were in great condition, and from first hand experience, the Wodonga canteen was excellent. A big shout out to those who travelled to watch us play. It is much appreciated by all.

Now what else has been happening? In a word, heaps!

North East juniors represent.

At the beginning of July, the North Eastern Baseball Association headed over to Bendigo to play in the Under 14 Victorian Winter Baseball championships. In this case the North East were able to send not just the one side, but TWO sides to participate over the weekend. In a first for the association, North East were able to send a stand alone girls side to participate in Baseball Victoria’s all girls Winter Invitational. Line Drive must mention that the North East were the ONLY association who were able to put an all girls side together. On the Saturday the girls aged 11 to 17 got to play as North East, where on the Sunday, all the girls were mixed into the other Baseball Victoria Girls sides from throughout Melbourne. From all reports it was a hugely successful weekend with both boys and girls sides, learning a heap and playing very good baseball.

With thanks to Field of View sports photography

Over the past weekend North East headed off to Werribee as it was the under 12’s turn to test themselves against the other associations from around the state. They finished a very creditable 3rd overall in pool two with 2 wins and 3 losses for the tournament.

It has only been a few short years since the association took the plunge and relaunched the junior competition. In such a short span of time, the North East has been able to send a side away for all of the junior carnivals. Putting a girls invitational side together is fantastic for the growth of the game in the North East. One that every club should be certainly proud of. The next challenge for all of us in the baseball community is to continue to grow the game and gain opportunities and exposure for all our talented juniors. Line Drive has been talking this great game up for a long time. Now it’s up to the each one of us, young and old to keep the momentum up and show that we have a presence and a place in the communities of Albury, Benalla, Porepunkah, Wangaratta and Wodonga.

Get well Keith Quinn

a shout out to a great baseball/softball person Keith Quinn who had a bit of bad luck over the under 14 weekend in Bendigo. From all reports Quinny is on the mend. Hope to see you again at the local diamond Quinny.

Tetsu did what?????

Over a long, long period of time, Tetsu Kamiyama has had the reputation of being one if not the best import ever to play in the North Eastern Baseball Association. He has hit many a home run, turned dozens of double plays and thrown countless runners out with those slick soft hands of his. Last weekend in Wodonga Line Drive witnessed something that he has never seen before from the little master. A dropped ball on a tag play to second base. The play was executed to perfection by catcher Aaron Parker and pitcher Nathan Pool, who threw a perfect throw to Tets. All Tets needed to do was catch the ball and tag Jesse Griffiths, who all but given up getting back to second base. However, Tets dropped the ball! Much to the surprise of all on the diamond, both dugouts, spectators, scorers, and even people walking past the ground. Some cars even slowed down to see what the commotion was about. Never mind Tets. It happens to all of us from time to time. Better pay the tin on Wednesday night number 9.

Got the tricks here Tets! Photo courtesy of Lauren Grenfell.

Lucky ticket is a week away

The 2023 Rangers Lucky Ticket draw is on again on Saturday 29th of July. It is the one big function we have each year and it would be great for all to get behind it. From selling some tickets to helping out on the night, every little bit helps. Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder has done a power of work again to get the night up an running, and from those who have been before, it is always a great night. Tickets are $25 and drop the club a message if you are looking for a ticket.

Kelsey OMG!

It is hard enough to hit a moving ball. As mentioned above, it is very hard to catch a moving ball. However Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder has out done himself once again. Dropsy was his usual laconic self behind the plate, even throwing out a runner or two. However he saved his best work for in the batters box. At one point while a pitch was coming towards the plate. Kelsey let out a rather audible OMG! and in the next movement, he proceeded to hit the ball! A very interesting skill to demonstrate there Dropsy. One thing is for sure, you never cease to surprise us all at the Rangers.

Look up! Photo courtesy of Lauren Grenfell

The Soak a threat on the base paths

Well not really. If you have seen how Line Drive’s good mate Cam “The Soak” Scott runs it is no where near lightning pace. However a little useless stat for you people who like all things statistics, it may be the most bases The Soak has swiped in over 15 years! How many you may be wondering? The answer is two. Note this information has no real fact in it. Line Drive just though it would be of some interest to those who have known Cam over the years and knows how he runs! In a word, Poorly.

Sunday dinner at the Town and Country

Don’t forget after the games against Porepunkah on Sunday that the club head to our great sponsor the Old Town and Country Tavern for dinner. From a report which came across Line Drive’s desk over the weekend, the last one was the biggest one for the season. More surprisingly this was after all games were cancelled in Wangaratta due to the state of the grounds! Maybe see you there for dinner on Sunday.

The Club is the sum of its members

Again the weather has played havoc on the fixture, with grounds being waterlogged hampering the ability to get continuity into the season. All clubs throughout the association work very hard behind the scenes week in and week out to get their diamonds prepared and playable. All volunteer time and money from the clubs own pockets. If you have been down to Wangaratta recently, you can see a home run fence, and off diamond pitching area has been completed. Also to mention the undercover area in front of diamond one and the extension of fences on diamonds two and three. The club is only as strong as all of you who give up your time to help out after work on week days and the weekends. Remember when it’s your turn to help out, just get in and get it done. By doing that one little bit makes the club run all the more smoothly.

Late in the day vibes at Wodonga July 16th 2023 Photo Lauren Grenfell

Now onto the club stuff

Rangers welcome Porepunkah Panthers Sunday Targoora Park

Rangers Orange vs Benalla at Benalla.

Lucky Ticket July 29th

After home games dinner at Old Town and Country Tavern.

Training from 6pm Wednesday. Dinner next week brought to you by B grade.

If it reads a little different this week, Line Drive’s proof reader is having a break this week. Please like and share.

Till next time.

Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive June 2023

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to another monthly installment of Rounding Third. It has been a busy six weeks since the last edition. The weather has turned for the colder and many a player in the North East certainly felt that over the past weekend.

The many characters of Wangaratta ventured up to the picturesque Ovens Valley to a winter time Porepunkah. It was a big day of baseball in very wintry and slippery conditions, but all players who braved the conditions equipped themselves exceptionally well. 

C-grade were thereabouts once again, with a win just around the corner one feels. In B-grade it was an old school day, where it was a real team effort to get the win. A complete masterpiece from the veteran, Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker helped be the anchor for the Orange men.

In A-grade, a stellar outing on the pitching rubber from Aaron Parker, and plenty of hitting especially from a returning Ross Johnson and Brendan “CammaaaaaH” Cameron, saw Rangers grind out a win against the Panthers. 

This week, is a week off with the under 18’s winter championship being held in Wangaratta. Let’s hope the weather improves over the week. What else is news?

Results from Sunday June 19th

Below are the results from all teams Sunday June 19th 2023

Under 12’s

Rangers 18 defeated Porepunkah 17

Under 15’s

Rangers 7 defeated Porepunkah 2

C grade

Porepunkah 10 defeated Rangers 5

B grade

Rangers Orange 20 defeated Porepunkah 3

Rangers Grey Washout

A Grade

Rangers 16 defeated Porepunkah 1

A great week from all at Wangaratta. Special mention goes out to Josh Wells, who is the current owner of the Ranger homerun hat in under 15’s. How about that score in the under 12’s game!? A fantastic result for the youngest Rangers, by all reports they are getting better and better with each passing week. Line Drive ran his eye over the C-grade side, and there is a lot to like! Good to see the veteran, Ian “Dino” Dinsdale still plying his trade at first base too. That elusive first win is just around the corner one feels!

Winter has arrived up the Ovens Valley.

It’s been a while Nambrok.

As mentioned above, Rangers Orange had a solid win over Porepunkah. Excellent hitting from Mick, “the Skipper” Wyatt and a complete game on the hill from Jason, “Sunscreen” Jonker, helped reinvigorate the group and spurred them on to deliver a complete performance.

Special mention goes out to the members of a group once know as “Nambrok….” A name that has not been seen in these writings for some time.  The boys from Nambrok wound back the clock and put in a performance not seen for some time. Highlights included Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder throwing out a runner, Sam, “Goggles” Grigg getting a very rare hit to the catcher and legging it out to first.

For those who don’t know that would be scored as a hit to 2!  Let’s also not forget Brad, “Undies” Murdoch who played with a clear mind and a clearer stomach. I think that will be left there. Where was it left Undies?

Ross Johnson light it up!!!!

Ross, “Rossco” Johnson was back in Rangers colours for his first game of the year on Sunday. There was plenty of musings about Rossco from Cam, “The Soak” Scott and Shaun, “Old School” O’Neil about his numerous mentions on a baseball podcast. The funny thing was that Rossco had not even heard, nor known there was a podcast. Well there is a reason why the number 18 has been mentioned a lot in the local media. When on, he can really hit a good ball. When reflecting on the book after the game on Sunday, it was noted that he had had 5 hits from 6 at bats. He even managed to hit it into his own ankle as well. Good day on the diamond number 18.

CammaaaaaH

After a slow start t the season, Brendan, “CammaaaaaaH” Cameron is swinging a hot stick as of late. After breakout hitting against Wodonga, single handily getting the Rangers over the line, CammaaaaaaH continued this over the weekend in Porepunkah. Another three hits for Cameron. However, he did have to pay his dues for taking off for 3rd base late in the game. The tin graciously accepts your monetary donation. Stay swinging a hot stick CammaaaaaaaaH.

The upgrades continue at the Ranch

A few more upgrades down at Targoora park over the past month. The issues with the lighting have been fixed, while a new bull pen area has been put into use with lighting and all, giving extra flexibility and opportunities to refine ones skills. A new PA system has also been installed ready to go for lucky ticket evening on July 29th. Speaking of that if you wish to get a ticket, they are only $25. Please see someone from the club and they will be more than happy to sell you one!

North East finish fourth.

Big shout out goes to all the players and families who headed down to Geelong over the Kings Birthday weekend to represent the North Eastern Baseball Association. They boys once again acquitted themselves well over the six game being competitive right until Monday. Line Drive heard the new uniforms looked great too.

The tin is a rattling.

The past weekend in Porepunkah saw another sighting of the fines tin. This time some weight was definitely added to it. From strike outs, to errors, to people not recognising players in their own team, there was a gold coin donation or two going on. The usual suspects paid their dues but Line Drive suspects there are a few out there who are dodging the tin. Now who would that be????

Dinners have returned

A very welcome return this season has been the Wednesday night dinner.  After a bit of a false start last month with a wonderful Lasagna supplied by Lauren”Mrs Soak” Scott, dinners in the past few weeks have returned with a vengeance. Last week was team Orange turn, Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burders chicken and pesto pasta, and this week Tony “Spinner” Smith will represent team Grey. For $10 it’s a great feed with a drink. Most  importantly, a great chance to get together for a chat and a laugh after training.

Clubs are always better when you get involved!

Who is Line Drive

Yes, there was a voice of Line Drive on the latest Rangers podcast, but who is to say that it’s the only person who looks over these notes? Maybe as noted in the Rangers chat, just a mouthpiece and a bit of deepfake technology? Just food for thought. Those in the know, know the real story!

Now to the club stuff

  • Training Wednesday. Juniors 5pm, Seniors ready to roll at 6pm
  • Dinner after training. Spinners specialty this week $10 with a drink from 7:30pm on-wards.
  • Under 18’s winter championships on 24th and 25th of June. If you can spare an hour let the club know to help out.
  • Please make sure you are all paid up on the club fees front.
  • Rangers Lucky ticket on Saturday 29th of July. $25 a ticket. Talk to someone at the club for your lucky ticket.
  • Nothing to do Sunday? The Rangers are heading to the Wangaratta derby on Sunday 25th of June. Magpies vs Rovers. All are welcome to come along and spend the afternoon watching the local footy. Wangaratta showgrounds.
  • Lauren ‘Mrs Soak’ Scott will soon be hitting you all up to buy a ticket and a shirt, in support of Project 365, who are putting on another show at the Wangaratta Rodeo on Saturday November 25th…. potential end of season / pre Xmas gathering? Tickets will be available soon via their Facebook page, ‘Project 365 Wangaratta, U Can Cry’ All in support of positive mental health!

Well that’s it for this edition. Another enjoyable piece of writing. Till next time….

Go Rangers

Line Drive Presents The Voodoo Diaries 14th November 2022

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the third edition of the Voodoo Diaries. The Pan Pacific Games 2022  have come to a close over the weekend on the Gold Coast and many of the Voodoo have now returned to Western Australia, and a very soggy Victoria.

Over the course of the last couple of days, there has been numerous messages of support for one another.

For many, yes, the struggle is real. For Line Drive, this is the final diary entry for Voodoo, and he will be closing the 2022 Voodoo Baseball book.

Let’s recap what has happened since the last time Line Drive ran his eye over the ‘goings on’ at Voodoo.

Voodoo: So close!

After finishing games of the 35 plus competition with three wins, a draw, and a loss, the Voodoo men had earnt the right to play for the gold medal against local club Surfers Paradise. In the preliminary round, Voodoo had fought back to record a draw and they were ready to get that extra run to get the win this time. Jude Power was given the nod to start and after a couple of trouble free innings, lost the radar. Surfers were able to capitalise on a couple of errors by Voodoo to get out to a four run lead. Voodoo began to string hits together and started to have runners in scoring position. However, Surfers hung tough and were able to get out of the jam.

Voodoo needed some good clean quick innings and behind Luke Hornstra, this was able to occur.

Voodoo tacked on a run, while Surfers were able to plate another.

Hornstra was commanding on the mound, and with some good defense from Brendan Simmons at third base, it ensured another quick innings. Consecutive hits by the Voodoo lower order, allowing another run to score. Momentum was beginning to shift Voodoos way. Soon the bases were loaded.

Enter Brendon Simmons. Over the years Line Drive has been witness to some clutch moments in games, and this was no different. Simmons was able to turn on an inside pitch with a foul line hugging triple into the right field corner, clearing the bases and levelling the game. Poor Nathan Pool was really blowing hard after scoring from first base.  The sensational crowd in attendance were now in the game and Surfers were searching for answers.

Time was at a premium and with Surfers last to hit, the men of Voodoo were hoping for a quick inning. However Surfers were able to get back to back hits and put a runner at second base. Voodoo coach John Kus rolled the dice one more time but however it was not meant to be. Surfers were able to score the winning run on a walk off with the score being 6 to 5. A great ovation from the crowd greeted both teams after the match. A quality game befitting of a gold medal match. Congratulations to Surfers Paradise for the gold medal.

But Voodoo? The first time this side has entered a masters competition! From the start of the week many had never played on the same team, let alone know each another. A silver medal is a wonderful achievement and something which is to be celebrated and reflect upon as ‘bloody awesome!’

TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK!

MVP to Luke Hornstra

A massive congratulations goes out to Luke Hornstra who was recognised as the most valuable player in the Pan Pacific Games Masters 35 plus division. Hornstra, who for Voodoo, was the most consistent performer  throughout the week. From starting pitcher in the first game, to hitting countless balls to all parts of the diamond throughout the week. He was consistent as ever. Great effort Luke.

What about me?

In the last edition when comparing Jude “Seabiscuit” Power and Josh Grahams pitching states over, however many innings it was…. another thrower had a little bit of a “what about me?” moment. It was overlooked that maybe Davis Long’s three strike outs should have been included in the conversation. On reflection of this oversight Line Drive believes there was nothing further to add.

Canyonerooooooo

A big shout out to Dennis Smith, who, with the use of his Canyonero, helped ferry people and gear to and from the games each day. Smith, like so many others, just played his role and with no fuss. It was noted on Thursday as the boys were heading home, that the truck parked next to Dennis’s made his Canyonero look very small. The general comment was, maybe Dennis needs to upgrade to the next level. He just smiled and replied “you need to have a truck license for that” Fair enough Dennis.

Pool mishaps

For those who know Nathan “FOMO” Pool, know that there does not seem to be a baseball sanctioned trip away without Nath hurting himself. From bumps on the head, to mishaps around pool tables, Nathan is a bit unlucky! Now, this has extended to mini van doors. Poor Nathan managed to bump his toe exiting a van. Compared to past exploits, it was nothing to worry about. Just be careful Nathan. FOMO can sometimes work against you.

Laux Linguistics

“Shut up Buttsy stop being so annoying!”, was Ben Laux go to phrase towards Rob Seymour for the week. Of course this was all tongue in cheek. Laux loves Butts, as we all do. Not bad for country baseballers! Seriously though Butts, “We love you….”

Fun times and life long friends.

Voodoo was an idea that was hatched a long time ago. Many of the players knew of each other from past carnivals and trips together over a decade ago. However, this was the first time that all were now part of the same side. As the week progressed, many of the players spoke about how seamlessly the side had come together and how much they all enjoyed each others company.  For some, it was great to be able play alongside long time adversaries, and for others, it was being able to share the same diamond with players they have known for a long time. All bought in to the Voodoo, and found that Voodoo is lucky….

just some snaps from the week. Line Drive didn’t take enough photos!

From Line Drive

It has been pretty quiet for Line Drive in the season 2022. The idea of Line Drive writing about Voodoo was mentioned by a friend, who asked if Line Drive was going to write about the week at the Pan Pacs on the Gold Coast. Line Drive had honestly had not given it a thought.

However when the name, “The Voodoo Diaries” was thrown up, it gave Line Drive an opportunity to first talk about baseball in a unique way, and secondly, give players and other interested parties an interest in Voodoo to keep up to date with what was happening at the Pan Pacs.

It became more evident over the week, just how many people actually read these stories.

So many people asked if Line Drive was going to be there this week. I would disappear for a while to collect my thoughts with a soda water, and decipher my thoughts about the day’s play on and off the field. Some would wonder what I was doing, while those who know Line Drive say, “that’s what he does.” 

The rabble of writing a piece, which would then be sent to my editor, Line Drive’s wonderful wife,

Lauren “Mrs Soak” Grenfell, who would then say; “what the f*** does some of this mean?”

Random waffle and note taking would then be turned from rambling prattle of someone who is spewing nonsense, to exactly what you read now. I really thank you Lauren for your efforts as it’s not easy dealing with someone so far away typing on a phone, usually a couple of soda waters in!

I would like to say THANKYOU for the opportunity to come along, play some baseball, meet and spend time with new people and great mates, and then get the opportunity to write about it all.

What I write is always done with my usual spin on a story, and from what I observe over the many hours of the day. For me, making a diary of the times we have away is easier for me to be involved in.

To the players of Voodoo, umpire Greg Howard and scorer Michelle Burge Pratt, you all were wonderful in accepting me into it all.

Voodoo Pan Pacific Masters 2022-

Owen Godenzi

John Kus

Luke Hornstra

Davis Long

Josh Graham

Dennis Smith

Shigernauri Suzuki

Tom Rynberk

Ross Johnson

Nathan Pool

Rob Seymour

Damon Barker

Brendan Simmons

Jude Power

Ben Laux

Cameron Scott

Will Brooker (motivational speaker the bead master)

Bradley Pratt (3rd base coach interesting signs though)

Michelle Burge Pratt (scorer)

Greg Howard (Umpire)

Well, that’s enough from me. Line Drive WILL return. Is it Cod season yet? I hope you enjoyed the read.

I have truly enjoyed bringing it to you all.

Go Voodoo!!!!!

Line Drive presents The Voodoo Diaries 10th November 2022

Posted on by LineDrive
There is always one who doesn’t get the memo

Hello and welcome to the next instalment of Line Drive, “Voodoo Special” at the Pan Pacific Games on the Gold Coast. After a relaxing Monday off, the boys took to the field on Tuesday. In damp conditions, Voodoo defeated Wolfpack (Coffs Harbour) 8-0. Then, in a very good game of baseball, Voodoo fought back to draw 7 all against Surfers Paradise. On Thursday morning, after a few nervy moments, Voodoo defeated the Ray’s (Gold Coast) 11 to 5. A complete master class by John Kus steered the men through choppy waters, to make the Gold medal game on Saturday!
On Thursday afternoon, Voodoo came up against a red hot Good Bunts (Gold Coast).
Voodoo finishing on the wrong end of a 12-3 scoreline. At the end of the the day, you can’t win them all! But you can have fun, which the boys have a had a lot of this week.
Now that you’re up to date with all that, here is a recap of the past few days on the Gold Coast.

Seagulls…..
Long time readers of Line Drive know that Rob “Butts” Seymour has always been a source of real entertainment. Butts is a real foodie. Loves a good meal and has a real respect for others food choices around him. The seagull in Butts was out being his pesky self once again this week, asking the usual “Are you going to finish that?” Another trick he has now dded to his repertoire, is his ability to take a slurp of your drink. Many a person fell to this trick over the past couple of days, where it was said that Butts didn’t pay for a drink all night, but ended up very merry.
Even Luke Hornstra got the real Rob Seymour experience. Seagull Butts proceeded to hound and chase him down the street before Luke had a chance to even have a bite of his late night snack. Classic Butts!

Let me Explain.
There are those who use their words wisely and there are those who don’t. Some use creative language and some have a pretty lazy vocabulary. Line Drive (and his editor) pride themselves on accuracy and informing the reader in a way that all can understand.
Others, like to elaborate, embelish and give what we call in Voodoo speak as, a ‘Judetorial.’
To be able to ‘Judertorialise’, is only available to people by the name of Jude.

Shirts so bad they’re good.
A big talking point around the Pan Pacific Masters Games has been the Voodoo evening attire. Line Drive finds it hard to describe separately but as a collective, it looks brilliant. Many other competitors have complimented many a member of Voodoo on the choice of the shirt. Keep a keen eye out in the next few days on the Gold Coast as the shirts will surely get a run again.

Shigenauri shines bright.
Voodoo Masters is made up of many varied and wonderful individuals, coming from far and wide to put their hand up to play. Shigernauri Suzuki made long trek from Perth Western Australia, to play with his mates from Traralgon Red Sox. He may not have played with the boys for the good part of ten years, but it’s like he only left yesterday. In a conversation with Line Drive after Thursday’s game, Shiger said he is just so appreciative to have had the opportunity to come along, play with Voodoo, and share time with great friends, old and new.
We can’t wait to see you again in two years Shiger!

A team effort.
As part of Prattys playbook, Bradley Pratt spoke in a wide ranging email about the importance of helping out your fellow Voodoo. With the spa having heating issues at the resort, Owen Godenzi took it upon himself to warm it up himself. Kettle after kettle of hot water went in, so much so that it became an obsession.
Your effort was duly noted O!

Barker and Graham. Some kind of Voodoo magic!
With the Voodoo already assured a spot in the gold medal game, the squad had the opportunity to rest some weary arms and legs. Two such individuals took it upon themselves to see out the final round of matches on Thursday. Josh Graham was happy to throw some innings and Damon Barker, with a crook leg put his hand up to catch. As mentioned above there was no word of grizzle, they got the job done for the team.
From all who are part of Voodoo, your selflessness does not go unnoticed.

Stat’s that exist that do matter.
The word spreading around Voodoo, is that Josh Graham may have more strikeouts per 7 innings than Jude Power. Baseball just throws up so many curveballs. Isn’t that right Jude?

Voodoo vs Surfers – GOLD MEDAL MATCH
Saturday 12th November afternoon livestream. Yes that’s right. Voodoo vs Surfers 4pm VIC local time, if you want to see the legends if Voodoo in action for the gold medal game we would love you to tune in.
Link- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM97QNmELUnkTa1rQJaBVvA

GO VOODOO!!

Just another day at Voodoo. Saturday watch the livestream.

Rounding Third by Line Drive August 2022

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the latest installment of Rounding Third. The season is coming to a close and it has been another fantastic one for Wangaratta Rangers. Four out of five teams are playing finals and there is plenty going on over the next few weeks down at the Ranch. Line Drive thought it was time to talk about, and celebrate, the awesome happenings with many of the characters who are part of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club.

This weekend, finals will be played at Targoora park in Wangaratta on Sunday. A big day for all those who support local baseball, and what it is in the North Eastern Baseball Association.

A new Ranger

A big congratulations goes to Jamie Samuels and Angus “Gus” King on the safe arrival of their little boy named William. We’re all so proud of you and we hope to see you down at the grounds this coming week. 

What’s on in Wangaratta!

After a couple of years of little, to no activity on the social front, the next month sees The Rangers come alive with activity. The lucky ticket draw returns for year 2022. Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder has been busy working away to get this social function sorted, and it is slated for Saturday the 17th of September. For those who have been in the past, it has always been a great night of food and frivolity, with all in the club pitching in to put on a great shindig. This year is no different. So if you are interested in a lucky ticket please get into contact with your closest Ranger contact and they will happily sell you one. See you there!

Prelim and Prosecco

This Sunday, lovers of baseball will be treated to some cracking games of baseball in Targoora park. The Lady Rangers have put their heads together and come up with a way to celebrate the final game of the season at Wangaratta by putting on a bit of a ‘Ladies Day’…. The brain child of D’Melza Pool, it has been received enthusiastically and a great way to say thankyou to all the ladies who have put a massive effort from junior mornings to senior afternoons assisting in the smooth running of Sunday baseball. The culmination will be a shared with grazing table of goodies. All ladies welcome, please bring something to add to the grazing table. Mrs Soak, Lauren, will also be on the scout for the best crowd participation, there may or may not be a prize involved.

Pooly takes one for the team. O’Neil gets the choccies

Why is it always when Line Drive comes to post, something with Shaun “Old School” O’Neil happens? A few weeks back Old School was looking for Line drive to write an apology on his glowing reference to the season he was having. Since then his form deserted him. Line Drive held firm. His luck changed last weekend, as he was fortunate enough to take the win in the Bears Lucky ticket draw. This marks the second year in a row (memory deserting me) that a Rangers player has taken the big prize. A few of the Ranger men had a good time at the event, and Nathan “The Pres” Pool was kind enough to drive. All that will be said about this, is that Pooly has taken his turn of driving. If you ever had given Tetsu Kamiyama a lift then you would know what it is all about!

Alphabet Racing is here.

The brainchild of Cam “The Soak” Scott, alphabet racing was floated as an idea in the players chat on Sunday and by Wednesday, The Soak had twenty six willing Rangers to have a crack at something that is really, just pure luck. Over the following thirteen weeks, The Soak will pour over the results of Melbourne’s racing, totaling winners and placeings, with the most points in November winning. A bit of fun and those involved do not have to lift a finger! It’s great to see Scotty Jenkins and Azza Parker getting involved as well. All part of the Ranger family. Good luck to all involved. Let’s see how the letters fall come November 26th. Pooly’s favourite letter is ‘D’ by the way…..

Future is looking very bight

Line Drive had the pleasure of watching the under 15’s train on Thursday night. It was awesome to watch.  Hitting, fielding, the lot . A big shout out to Nathan Pool in the under 11s and Owen Godenzi and their bands of helpers in  their tutelage of  the juniors. Big thankyou to Lyster Inc in their support of junior baseball in Wangaratta.

A special shout out to Mikayla Pool for her photos and posting results on the Rangers page on Facebook. It has been great to read the results on Monday.

Fence Fantastic

If you have not been down to Targoora park recently then you are in for a very nice surprise. Diamond one is now fully fenced. This will change the game immensely. Now players will have to chase everything! From an aesthetics point of view, Bryan “Moose” Wilson remarked “It looks like a baseball field”.

Line Drive agrees. It has been a big project, but great to see this plan coming to fruition. 

AGM time

2nd of October is the time for the Annual General Meeting. Come along get involved in a great growing club of Wangaratta. Positions vacant this year are for President, treasurer and four committee members. If you are interested let us know!

Now for Club stuff

  • All games at Targoora Park Juniors and seniors this coming weekend.  Prelim and Prosecco from 1pm!
  • Lucky Ticket Draw 17th September
  • Presentation Day- at Old Town Country Tavern 2nd October
  • Great job Griff on the season.
  • New playing  tops available see club members to get your top.

Till next time

Go Rangers!

Rounding Third By Line Drive June 2022

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome back to the little look into the North Eastern Baseball Association. What is happening around the traps at Wangaratta Rangers?

Yes it has been a while since my last writing but they say sometimes less is more when it comes to this sort of stuff, and well you the readers have probably been wondering where Line Drive has been. Or maybe just happy to wait until he was ready to write again.

North Eastern Baseball season so far

The Northeast season is well under way, with Rangers fielding three Senior and two Junior teams in the 2022 season. All Ranger sides have been blessed with fantastic numbers which is most pleasing for all involved down at the Ranch. Juniors are progressing very well with many players putting their hand up to play in the North Eastern representative sides at under 14 and under 18 level respectively.

In the Seniors, Ranger stalwarts Ross “Legoman” Johnson, Nathan “FOMO” Pool, Tetsuya “look at me” Kamiyama and new to Rangers this season Johnathan “Hot Shot” Taylor travelled to Geelong with the rest of North East’s best to have a crack at the Winter Championships. By all accounts all were just as good as last time they attended pre-covid.

Over the weekend of June 25 and 26, North Eastern Association were given the opportunity to host the winter U/18 championships at Wangaratta. After a phone call to some club legends it was determined that it was the first U/18 side from the North East in a representative carnival in 12 years. Lead once again by Pool and NEBA legend Ed Simmons, the side were competitive in all games and learnt a lot about representative baseball over the two days of the carnival. Special mention to Nick “Fifty percent” Jonker who was awarded the the medal for North East’s best. Nice work fifty percent. Let’s work toward seventy five percent!

Under Fourteens are off to Bendigo

The North East U/14 side are heading over to Bendigo this weekend for their return after 12 years at a winter championship. The Rangers are well represented in this division and club coach Owen “Big Table” Godenzi is heading over as team manager. Good luck to all players, support staff and anyone else making the drive over to Bendigo.

O’Neil is on fire

One player who is just having an absolute wow of a season is Shaun “Old School” O’Neil. He is definitely going old school this current season against all sides in the A grade competition. Not to mention his banter with the other members of the side, pretty much telling everyone else how to do it. From this viewpoint, he can mouth off as much as he likes after coming off another 4 for 4 performance in the last round of A grade action. Just don’t turn up to training please Old School, it’s obviously working for you!

Frenchy comes up clutch!

A big shout out goes to Brendon “Frenchy” French who liaised with great ranger sponsor, Middy’s Electrical Wangaratta, to install new lights for the batting cage. Now with more energy efficient and reliable lighting, the cage can now be used with utmost confidence that the lights will stay on throughout the night at training. However, Frenchy wasn’t finished there.

With Tony “Spinner” Smith, they were able at a pinch, to get diamond four available for use on the Sunday. Special thanks to STY Metals for use of their truck to manoeuvre the artificial mound into place for use in Sunday’s matches. A big thank you to both for your efforts to go above and beyond!

Volunteers Thank you!

A MONUMENTAL THANK YOU must go out to those from all clubs of the North Eastern Baseball Association who gave up their time over the weekend to assist in a smooth running of the Under 18’s winter championships. From talk around the ranch, many of you continue to go above and beyond in assisting with marking grounds, cooking barbecues and helping in the canteen to ensure that the North East put on a great weekend.

Thursday night dinners hitting the spot.

It is great to see the return of the Thursday night meal in season 2022. Many a Ranger, especially those who travel, are very happy to partake in a meal for the bargain price of $10 with a drink. So far dinners have been Spinners mince, to Pool’s potatoes and White’s meat and potatoes. Rob “Butts” Seymour was very happy with the leftovers! It demonstrates the great club spirit and willingness to have a meal together. This week we have Griff’s hot dogs and coke for $5. Bargain! Get down there Thursday night.

Town and Country Tea Sundays

After home games on a Sunday, many of the Ranger family have been heading over to the major sponsor, The Town and Country Tavern for dinner. This year the turn outs have been fantastic with many taking the chance to get together and chat about the days play. A big thank you to the visiting clubs who have also taken then opportunity to dine with us. There are still a few more dates coming up after home games. Be sure to stop into the Town and Country Tavern for a soda water or a meal.

Presentation evening.

This year Rangers presentation night will be held on Saturday October 1st 2022 at the Town and Country Tavern Wangaratta. President Nathan Pool was letting Line Drive know early, so we are all ready to celebrate season 2022. The Juniors will begin presentation with the under 11s and under 15s respectively, followed by dinner, care of the Town and Country Tavern.

Senior presentation will follow the Annual General Meeting (which is usually held on presentation day)

Beginning time is yet to be determined. All tickets need to be pre purchased prior to the event. Keep an eye out on the socials for more details.

Mid winter break

With the Juniors winter championships in Bendigo this weekend, it gives the many volunteers of the North Eastern Baseball Association a breather weekend.

Baseball will resume on the 10th of July for the run in to the finals in August. Daniel “Levels” Griffin and his merry band of helpers have been keeping the canteen ticking over this year very nicely. It has been hectic but with the aid of a roster, it has made the running of the canteen much smoother. Just remember to check your shift times and day. If you cannot make it please arrange a swap with someone else. Be sure to get a canteen card from Griff as you get a good discount on Sundays! See Griff for more details.

In other news in Baseball

A big shout out goes two absolute superstar legends of Hawks Baseball Club in Mildura.

Ben “Barnold” Arnold, played his 300th game for the blue and gold last weekend. Barnold is part of the institution of Hawks Baseball and is to be congratulated on his milestone.

Another pillar of the club, Clinton “Tabaret” Williams, is set to play his 400th game this coming weekend (July 2nd). Line Drive, really enjoyed his three years in Sunraysia where these two superstars still are, apart of a fabulous club.

Line Drive wishes he could be there (no accommodation) to enjoy the game and festivities, but congratulates both on these fantastic landmark achievements. Enjoy the night!

Sponsor Corner

A big thank you to a couple of our long time sponsors for season 2022-

Londrigan Beef and Lamb

Londrigan Beef & Lamb is in North East Victoria. We raise our own cattle using ethical methods and HGP free. Our cattle are bred and raised in a way to produce top quality meat for the home and professional cooks. When in Wangaratta drop in to 130 Rowan Street or visit the website http://www.londriganbeefandlamb.com.au/

Quantech Design

Quantech Design Pty. Ltd. (QD) is a Wangaratta based company supplying contract mechanical engineering, design and drafting to industry.

The company was established in 2005 and has quickly grown to become a recognised professional service provider that is relied upon by many companies within our fields of expertise.​ For more information visit http://quantechdesign.com.au/

Now for more club stuff

  • Please make sure you are up to date with playing subscriptions for season 2022. If you require more information please contact Spinner.
  • Under 14’s Bendigo 2nd and 3rd of July. Good luck to all!
  • Happy Birthday to Ross Johnson. How old now?
  • Merchandise available from the club. Hit up Butts for a really nice, warm hoodie for this cold weather. Maybe some beanies available too!
  • Teamapp is still there and ticking along, check us out on all the other socials for all your Rangers information.
  • Training from 5pm Thursday for Juniors and 6pm for Seniors @ Targoora Park Wangaratta. All welcome.

Well that’s about it for this edition. Until next time. Line Drive will return

Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive Cods Edition April 2022

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to a special edition of Rounding Third; The Cods Masters Baseball Edition. Over the past weekend 22 players from Albury, Wodonga, Porepunkah and Wangaratta put their hand up to go represent the Cods in the Victorian Masters Baseball Championships held in Ballarat from April 1-3. This year the Cods were able to field two teams in the 35 plus and 45 plus age groups. It was nicely balanced with both teams having eleven players.

Day one saw the Cods 35’s win one/lose one while the Cods 45’s had a similar pattern with their two matches. On Saturday both sides put in a solid effort with the opposition proving much stronger, while on Sunday, similar theme with both sides having a dip but not getting over the line. Another enjoyable weekend had by all in Ballarat. Now with the formalities of how the sides went neatly wrapped up, I wonder what else happened?

Bulldog holds court.

This year’s Master of the penalties is one, Matthew “Bulldog” Carmody.  Matt is one who is born to lead a group of bottom feeders like the Cods. He made his presence felt by coming in white hot Thursday night. Great friend of Line Drive, Cam “The Soak” Scott copped the full force of cyclone Carmody after a 4 hour drive from the border.  The Soak was caught on the ropes and did not know what was going on. One thing for sure is that if Bulldog says hello to you, make sure you reply straight away!!! Isn’t that right Soak?

Mick’s greatest hits.

Mick Wyatt’s hit parade continues with a collection of some of his greatest hits. Early on Friday morning, Wyatt was a ball magnet. He was hit by the ball in his first two plate appearances! Many of the Cods were hoping he would be hit again in his third plate appearance, but instead he got a base hit instead. However for Wyatt, the day just continued to improve, as he hit the ball to all parts of the field in the second game. Lucky for Mick he was not hit by a pitch again for the rest of the weekend.

Barker: Just doing Barker like things

One of Porepunkah’s finest, Damon “Barks” Barker had a chance at a rare feat on Friday at Vic Masters. The chance at the fabled cycle. For those who are reading for the first time, a cycle is a single base hit, double, triple and a home run.  Barks got the single, home run and the pesky triple out of the way.  However Barks got “peacocked” by one, Tetsuya “Mr Chow” Kamiyama. With the game almost done and dusted, Tets failed as Nathan “Fomo” Pool called out to “READ THE ROOM!!!” to give Barks a chance at a rare feat. Tets got a base hit and that ended the chance as the Cods were far enough in front.

In true humble Barker style, he just moved on. However Barks got the ultimate prize. He was awarded the pufferfish for best Cod in 2022. Congratulations to Barks. Great stuff

Everyone hits at Cods

When you decide to put your hand up to play masters, there are two basic principles to play Cods by. For yourself, get a hit. As a team, score a run. Amazing to say that ALL 22 cods have achieved the first principle on day ONE! Over a conversation with a couple of fellow Cods, it has been ticked off. Through all the years of attending the masters, this scribe cannot think of a year that every single Cod player got a hit in for the weekend.

Nice socks men!

One for the Cods history books.

One Seymour is better than none

It was bit of bad luck that perennial Cods favourite, Rob “Butts” Seymour was a notable absentee for the latest edition of Cod Ballarat 2022, with some commenting it was not the same without Butts there.  However, a Seymour was still in attendance. Buttsy’s brother, Tim “Brother Butts” Seymour donned Cods colours for another year. Year in and year, out Tim just slides into the team like a well fitting old baseball mitt. As usual, he ran fast, caught fly balls and hit the ball to all parts of the field, doing his job like a typical Seymour does. Tim had such a good time he finished in the placings for the pufferfish award This made Ash Meyers “I didn’t know the Seymour’s had teeth! Then i saw Timmy smiling. Who knew! A happy Seymour! Sure we will see him once again in Cods colours in 2023!

Whiteman has a new shiny toy

Sean Whiteman bought himself a new shiny piece of equipment. A very nice looking blue and white baseball bat. Many a Cod player commented on how nice and shiny the gloss white paint and blue handle looked but were wondering, are there many hits in it? Unfortunately for Shaun in his first couple of at bats with the new stick, he neglected to use it for its intended purpose. It was more of an ornament while up at the plate. By Sunday this had been rectified and to all concerned the bat was being used for it’s intended purposes.

Nice play gents

Scoot on down the road. Just watch the face.

Many of the Cods players decided to try a new mode of transportation around Ballarat over the weekend. No Uber’s, no taxis, no bicycles. The scooter became the ‘go to’ ride of choice to get between places. Some Cods were adventurous enough scoot back to the rooms from the baseball diamonds.

From Nathan Pool ripping a skid (with the attitude to match it) into the accommodation, then Tetsuya Kamiyama almost riding into a sign, scooters were going everywhere. Some just rode them around town before they went back to their rooms. The talk around masters on the Saturday and the Sunday was that there was a player from one of the teams who had come off their scooter and tasted the pavement. The person involved had a nice reminder on their face. Ironically the player almost achieved a matching one on Sunday after a baseball jumped off a bump and hit the other cheek. Now who would that be?

“Oh No…”

The phrase no one wants to hear when the ball is hit in your general direction on the baseball diamond, is a player calling out “Oh no…!” before it even reaches them. This happened to Nathan “Fomo” Pool, who had the misfortune of knowing what was going to happen next after the “oh no” was verbalised. The ball trickled out of the glove and behind Pooly at shortstop. In all the years Pooly has been playing baseball, he says it’s up there with one of the worst errors he’s ever made. Still he stuck with the next few and made amends for his first audible “oh no” moment in a long time.

Cods and Saturday Quaddies are not friends.

Ash Meyers said this was the year. This was the year the Cods will get the first leg and get into the Saturday Sydney quaddie. He proudly proclaimed this while at the local establishment Saturday morning. He gathered 12 hardy souls to go into partnership with picking the numbers. The boys were feeling good until Meyers let everyone know around the table that NO ONE had picked the favourite in the first leg, but taken the field in the second leg. Problem is, the first leg is more important than the second in this matter. Meyers probably shouldn’t have told us what was left out. So, what happens next? Yes you got it, the favourite wins and, for the 6th year in succession, Cods fail to get the quaddie out of the gate. Cods will try again next year.

Is there something in the water in the North east?

A few other sides were shocked to see so many left handers in the Cods 35 plus lineup. So were the Cods! The distribution through the lineup was one that was most interesting. Instead of right ,left,right,left…….let’s just put them altogether. At one point the lineup read as follows first six hitters were-

  1. left handed
  2. left handed
  3. right handed
  4. left handed
  5. left handed
  6. left handed

Many an opposition side were wondering what was in the water in the North East? It was observed that most of the leagues lefties were in Ballarat for the weekend. The reason for clustering them altogether? No reason. Maybe the managers were amusing themselves. Back when the season starts, normality will return to the batting lineups.

Just an image of some average left hander from Cods

Spinner can do it all

Tony “Spinner” Smith is the ultimate team man. From gathering all the players date of birth, data entry and organising two sides for entry, to scoring his first game of baseball in 20 years (he did it twice) and being a clutch hitter off the bench, Spinner did the jobs that need to make Cods the well oiled machine many have become accustomed to. It’s a big job to organise blokes from different clubs to come together and gather the data required for entry. From everyone involved in Cods in 2022 they are very appreciative of the efforts Spinner put into make this happen. Great job Spin.

Cods baseball would like to thank

It has been a big effort by many people over the past six months to make sure the Victorian Masters Baseball carnival was a great success. A big shout out to the hosting clubs of Ballarat Royals and Alfredton Baseball clubs who coordinated and made the weekend an extremely enjoyable one. To Rick Tresize who took on the job of coordinating the draw and all that goes with that task, a big pat on the back. To the umpires, players of all teams, scorers, photographers (yes KC Line Drive saw what you did!) a massive thank you to you for making it another fantastic weekend of baseball, stories and revelling in the fact we are getting older but we still love the game like when we were young.

To the Cods crew of game day managers 35 plus of Mick Wyatt and Heath Anders and Damon Barker and Tetsuya Kamiyama for guiding the 45 plus. Nathan Pool for coordinating accommodation, to those who drove down from the north east and to all players who had a ripping time. If I have forgotten anyone I apologise! And for spelling names wrong too!

Cods 35 plus for 2022 were

Mick Wyatt, Heath Anders, Scott McCallum, Cam Scott, Brendan Cameron, Shaun Whiteman, Shaun O’Neil, Ross Johnson, Nathan Pool, Brendan Simmons Paul Meddings

Cods 45 plus for 2022 were

Damon Barker, Tetsuya Kamiyama, Ash Meyers, Randy Skippen, Jason Jonker, Tony Smith, Steve Peruzzo, Tim Seymour, Adam Rosser, Adrian Quinton, Rian Banks

Not to forget no 1 ticket Cods holder Matt Carmody for his role as master of penalties.

Hope you enjoyed the read. These are only some of the stories from a great weekend. All is in good fun and faith. Till next time

Go Cods.

Rounding Third by Line Drive March 2022

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the March edition of Rounding Third. Over the past month, the good folk in Wangaratta have been busy getting organised for the upcoming 2022 North Eastern Baseball Association season. Some great things are happening  down at the Ranch. Ground progress now real with the home run fence progressing, and the second annual country cup between Wangaratta and Strathfieldsaye has been played and won. Cods is fast approaching and the busy bees in charge of that have been frantically confirming birth dates and getting organised for the trip to Ballarat.

What else has been happening? Please continue reading.

Country Cup result- Rangers hold onto the cup for another year

Over the labour day long weekend, Wangaratta welcomed Strathfieldsaye to the ranch for the second edition of the Beyond Blue Country cup. New skipper Ross Johnson was looking forward to his chargers having a good hit out against a quality opponent. Numbers were good for Rangers with fourteen players putting their hand up to take part in the game for a great cause. The Rangers offence got started early, putting runs on the board to back up pitchers Jason Jonker and Brendon French. Johnson continued to tinker with the lineup tossing Tetsuya Kamiyama in as pitcher as well. The Dodger hitters jumped on Kamiyama’s variety of pitches and worked themselves back into the contest. Nathan Pool closed it out after a nervy last innings with the end result 16-12, Rangers way. Once again the game was played in great spirits. So much so, that one Ranger favourite took it upon himself to show some of the visitors the sights of Wangaratta later on. A big pat on the back to organisers on both sides from the visiting Strathfieldsaye Dodgers and Wangaratta Rangers.

A big thank you to the supporters of both clubs who came along and enjoyed the afternoon of baseball.

Special mention goes to Londrigan Meats for donating the sausages and hamburgers, and Greg Rothenberger for the donations of the two $100 Ausport vouchers. In all over $1600 was donated to Beyond Blue.

Next year back to Bendigo.

Cods update

The weekend is soon to arrive! The Cods are assembling! Car pooling details are being discussed! Uniforms are being dugout of the cupboard. Socks ensembles are being finalised. The Victorian Masters Baseball is upon twenty two intrepid Cods, on the weekend of April 1st in Ballarat. This year there is an even split between the two teams; 11 in the 35 plus division and 11 in the 45 plus. So it looks like many a Cod is going to get a bit of game time, which is great for all involved. One of the most difficult decisions for the masters of Cods is what to wear? You see with the balmy northern Italy like climate of the North East of Victoria (as I type, it’s 29 degrees) at this time of year, it comes as a bit of a shock to the Cods thermostats as they venture south and up the hill to Ballarat. One Cod has already packed for every weather event. Best be prepared one thinks. Once again Line Drive will be present giving an update here and there about the goings on of all Cods related content for the weekend.

Pufferfish goings on

With two sides once more venturing to Ballarat, the race for the pufferfish is sure to be red hot this year.With a few returning past winners, the race is looking to really step up a gear this time round. One thinks that there might be a dark horse or two looking to take the trophy out for the work on the diamond. Mick “Tap n Go” Wyatt is looking for a big return to Cods this year and has put in work over the off season. Another who is crushing the ball at training is his great mate, Steve “The Farmer” Peruzzo.

After his stellar performance off the bench over the long weekend telling everyone how to play and then backing it up, look for Shaun “Old School” O’Neil to be back with a vengeance and looking to gamble his way to the top of the vote cards. The Porepunkah men are return to the Cods this year, and with a smattering of superstars from Albury Wodonga area, anyone could snatch the trophy.

Good luck to all who are attending this year. Safe drive down the Hume and see you all in Ballarat.

Meyers, Carmody, Johnson and Whiteman…. Cods Carpool Karaoke

Two of the bigger personalities of the Cods collective are raring for Ballarat. They are Wodonga’s Matt Carmody and Ash Meyers. Meyers, a two time pufferfish will be regaling stories of past years, while for Carmody, this is his maiden voyage with the Cod collective. Just to add a bit more flavour to the car pool, Ross “Lego man” Johnson and Sean Whiteman complete the quartet. If you are fly on the wall in that car it will be an entertaining ride to Ballarat. Speaking of that, who is taking Tetsu? Those who have been on road trips with Tets, know what I am talking about!

Juniors take to the diamond

Over the past six weeks it has been great to see the Junior Rangers out on the diamond before the seniors.

The chatter about baseball has all been positive and the Rangers are looking for more juniors for the upcoming season. The club has the equipment, we are just looking for a more players. If you know of anyone who is interested please drop a line to The Rangers via email or on the socials.

We would love to see you in Ranger Orange in season 2022.

Warning track installed, now for a fence!

The warning track has been installed, the fence is soon to be erected. Head of all things fence related, Nathan “FOMO” Pool, is looking for more sponsors to place their advertising on the home run fence. I believe it is a very good deal as mentioned before. For $400 you get your business on prime real estate and that is for the lifetime of the sign. For more information please contact the club. It doesn’t matter where your business is, we are happy to advertise!

New warning track. Now for a fence!

Calling for umpires

Like all sports across the North East, baseball is not immune to the shortage of officials to umpire matches each week. The Wangaratta Rangers are looking for persons who are willing to umpire games on a Sunday each week. Re-numeration is available for each game. The club is calling out any former players or umpires living in the area who are interested in making a some extra cash and spending some Sundays on the diamond with us, to get in contact with the club via email wangarttarangers@hotmail.com or via our socials.

An umpires training course is slated at this stage for Sunday the 9th of April in Wangaratta.

Now to the club stuff

  • Victorian Masters Baseball- April 1st to 3rd 2022 Ballarat. Safe drive to all travelling.
  • Umpires course slated for 9th April in Wangaratta.
  • RSA course 26th April. Contact club if interested.
  • Training- 5pm Juniors, 6pm Seniors Thursday nights Targoora Park Wangaratta.
  • Special thanks this week to sponsors Old Town and Country Tavern, Londrigan Meats and Plumbforce Plumbing. Locals support us, let’s support them.
  • Pay your insurance via the logins on Teamapp or via the website https://wangarattabaseball.com/
  • Looking for more Juniors and Seniors, come down and find out how much fun baseball is.

Well that’s it for this edition. Line Drive will be reporting over the weekend so look for Cods updates from Ballarat.

Til next time

Good luck Codsters

and

Go Rangers !!