Category: Uncategorized

Rounding Third By Line Drive July 24th 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to this weeks massive edition of Rounding Third. It has been a couple of weeks since the last edition, so we will let you know how the Boys and Girls in Orange and Black have gone.
      A sunny Saturday was on hand over the weekend and Wodonga Warriors were welcomed to the Ranch. The early game was a cracking one with Warriors White serving it up to the Rangers Black in a preview for the preliminary final in two weeks. It went down to the wire with Rangers Black prevailing in a walk off victory 6-4. The late game was also hotly contested with Warriors Maroon taking the win by a run 8-7. Then the fun started. But more about that later in this big edition of Rounding Third. Let’s get to it.
It has happened. Spaniard meets the new Gus
     After weeks of speculation and not seeing Angus “Spaniard” Young and Alex “Gus” Gouveia in the same location (being the same person) both came face to face a couple of weeks back.. Let’s set the scene. Warm up was on and Spaniard took off with the rest of his Ranger brothers while Alex was still getting organised. Eventually Alex made it round to where the team was stretching. The rest of the squad could not believe what they were seeing. Two Gus’s!!!. Alex remarked there was no similarities while real Gus did point out “there are SOME similarities in the way we look”. This put many in the circle into fits of laughter with Alex still disputing that they look nothing alike. Gus played the first couple of innings for Black and was then replaced ironically by Alex in the lineup. For the record, Alex had a hit as did Gus. Alex likes to pitch as does Gus. Coincidence? I think not.
O’Neil has a Flashback!
     A few weeks ago at Benalla, Shaun “Flashback” O’Neil had a day to forget (see June 14th edition) However Sunday was the day where Flashback was to set the record straight. It could be said he had leather poisoning with his glove. But his fielding glove is not leather. So let’s call it synthetic leather poisoning. He was in everything. A touch here a touch there. Another one and even a double play. it must be said that the quick hands of Cam “The Soak” Scott helped him out with that one. O’Neil still disagrees. He did it in the field and did it all in the batting box too. His highlight? A towering shot just over the center field fence. Flashback played it up for his adoring family and the Ranger faithful gathered to watch his exploits. Flashback got what he so desired, the glass for Best on Ground. Flashback was keen to replicate his efforts from the previous week against Warriors white and while he was solid he could not quite get the glass again. He might need to invest in a better padded glove as he took a full force of a line drive at second. Lucky for him hit the right part of the glove. He may as well caught it bare handed. Maybe next week Flashback .
Lucky Ticket has been run and won
     The social event of the year has been run and won. Wangaratta Rangers Lucky Ticket had about ninety in attendance and all who were there had a cracking good time. Roast beef rolls went down a treat while all kept warm around the fires. The committee and members of the Rangers all pitched in and the draw ran like clockwork. So who won? The winner of the lucky ticket draw was the leader of men, the Pres Tony “Spinner” Smith. It was a popular win as Spinner puts in countless hours down at the club organising cleaning cooking playing and getting others to help out at the club. Spin was a bit shocked to win the draw but this writer thinks he is definitely a well deserved winner. Congratulations Spin. Enjoy!
Great day for baseball
     Two great games were played down at the Ranch over the past weekend. In the early game Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool pitched  with guile to keep the Rangers in the game while for Warriors White Fraser Chadwick threw a great game. It was neck and neck  with Warriors getting the jump with Ragers triking back with then Warriors to stretch their advantage again. Late in the game Wodonga had a chance to put a break on Rangers but were unable to capitalise on loaded bases with no one out. Rangers had one last chance to win it and with runners in scoring position Tetsu “Iron Chef” Kamiyama drove in the winning runs. A bigh quality, intense game of ball played hard, fair and played to win.
Warriors Represent
     Some of the Warriors stayed on for the Lucky ticket draw and enjoyed the hospitality of the Wangaratta Rangers. Golden Pufferfish, Ash Meyers lead the charge as usual ably supported by the golden tonsils of Chris “Enrique” Jones whose rendition of Hero was one to behold. Later on Enrique changed gears and asked for some Paul Simon “You can call me Al”. Enrique felt the music as did Michael “Bill” Clear who got some moves in on the dance floor. Maybe next year a Karaoke night hosted by Enrique and Bill could be organised. Thoughts anyone?
Call of the week
     Call of the week has to go to Whacko Jacko Wright who said he could “teach” Tetsu “Iron Chef” Kamiyama how to hit. Wow setting the bar hight there Jackson. Wonder if this week there may be a hitting competition between these two? If you rang a bookmaker to forma a market on that one you would be howled down in laughter. My odds Tetsu to win that one at $1.01. Jackson would be probably $201 to win. Sorry Jackson no chance against the little master.
Murdoch returns
     Legendary member of “Nambrok” Brad “Undies” Murdoch returned to the diamond over the past weekend. Undies has had a few commitments during this season but he suited up and played his role with fellow band members Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore, Kelsey “Dropsys” Burder and Dan “Griff” Griffin. Murdoch was good on the field but it is when the sky turns dark is where Murdoch and Nambrok excel. If you ever want to see a great impersonation of some Peter Garrett dancing just check out Murdoch. he has the mannerisms and moves down pat. Each time he busts it out it is just as good as the last. For the record the rendition of Creep by Nambrok was impressive as past years. Good times.
20170722_160055
Robbo and lefty impress on the bump 
     A positive to take out of Ragers Orange match against Bears Green a couple of weeks back was Andrew “Robbo” Robinsons continual development as a pitcher. In his two innings he threw with control, and with time will develop his understanding of the game. Simon “Lefty” O’Neil put in a couple of solid innings of work too. Two guys who have been away from the game for a long time but are getting better each and every week. Keep working hard at training gentlemen.
Chef Samuels is in the kitchen
Chef Butts aka Rob Seymour is having a break this week. After Buttchos and Kranskys the past two weeks, Chef Jamie “The Gaffer” Samuels is taking over. Pulled pork and coleslaw rolls is on the menu this week. Look for the post on the Rangers Facebook page and then vote if you want some or not. Training numbers have been great. Tune up for Orange vs Black this week by training hard and having a good feed.
IMG_20170720_220431_734
Come have a run and a feed
Orange vs Black 
     The final round of the regular season will see Ranngers Orange play Rangers Black this Sunday. Many players will be looking to fine tune their skills before the finals kick off next weekend. Remember if you are not available to play, let the club know and place it on Team app at https://wangarattarangers.teamapp.com/
Softball looks to return
     While having a chat to Kevin “The Legend” Pool he was saying that there has been some interest in getting softball going again over the summer time. It has been some time since softball has graced the diamonds of Targoora Park and now is the time to change all that, and look for expressions of interest in playing once again. It would fantastic if there are like minded readers of Rounding Third who are interested in playing Softball in the Albury Softball Association. For those who are interested in playing softball to get in contact with the club via email wangarattarangers@hotmail.com
Special shout out to Tabaret
     Clinton “Tabaret” Williams played his 350th game for his beloved Hawks Baseball Club up in Mildura over the weekend. Thanks to Grant “G” Tilley for the snippet.  “Infact, it was just about all about Willy. He pitched his 7th complete game, he gave up his 250th walk and he claimed his 200th strikeout”. A great bloke and a damn good ball player over the years. Great job #5.
Now for the Club News-
  • Orange vs Black from 1pm at Wangaratta.
  • Finals venues to be advised. Check on line for more details during the week
  • Ranger Ramble October 2017.
  • Merchandise is available. Grab a beanie for $25.
  • Subs are due see Jenko for details.
  • Training 6pm Thursday. The Gaffer cooking reply to poll on Facebook page
  • Checkout teamapp Wangaratta Rangers and follow us on Twitter.
Gotta stop somewhere. Read and share the good word about baseball in the Northeast of Victoria.
Till then
Go Rangers !!

Rounding Third by Line Drive June 27th 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. The weekend saw your Rangers guys and girls head up the Hume to Albury to take on perennial powerhouse NASC Bears. In the early game, the rapidly improving Rangers Orange got off to a slow start against Bears Gold. However the damage was already done with Bears running out 15-5 victors. In the late game, a vastly different Rangers Black looked to turn the tables on Bears Green. It was a very high quality game of baseball with some newer Rangers getting some good swings in, against a very good Bears pitcher. In the end Rangers Black could not make any inroads and lost by the score of 10-2. Credit to the Bears who tacked on runs here and there throughout the game. A big thanks to all traveling supporters of both clubs who braved some very indifferent baseball conditions. Your support every week is greatly appreciated by all who take the diamond. Now last weeks edition was epic, what has been happening in the past seven days?
A night out with the Rangers
     Jamie “The Gaffer” Samuels got to experience what it is like to head out with some of the Ranger boys on Friday night. She thought it was a good idea to partake in a social night with them via the Wangaratta Soccer Club. Early on she witnessed Tetsu “The Pest” Kamiyama in full flight and Rob “Butts” Seymour just having a good night. One thing to know Jamie is  when you see a way out you take it. Ask Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo how to do it.  Jamie had not learned that yet and witnessed all sorts of shenanigans. Let’s just say it ended with “The Pest” getting lost. Once again for those who know, it was just another standard night out with the Wangaratta Rangers.
Dropsy does it again.
     Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder had a cracker of a game down at Benalla last weekend. Looking back at the score book and stats sheet, Kelsey went five for five with all his other stats through the roof. Could he continue his hot streak this week against Bears Gold? Sadly not a chance. He lost all coordination behind the plate and could not even throw the ball back to the pitcher. If Shaun “Old School” O’Neil was there he would have been well pleased that the heat was off him for the week. Kelsey did admit to Line Drive spies that he owed a bit to the tin this week. Things improved for him as the day wore on and by the end Dropsy was gone and Kelsey was back. On a side note whatever Burder is doing with his swing he should keep doing it. Come have a look. Burder is burning it up.
Dinsdales know how to hit
     The apple does not fall far from the tree when it comes to Leah and Lauren Dinsdale. Both this year have shown the same approach to hitting as their father Ian “Dino” Dinsdale. “See ball hit ball.” Looking through the books, both put the ball in play regularly and are tough outs at the plate. This was definitely the case versus Bears Gold. Dinsdale gets on base with, Dinsdale driving in the run. Good work team Dinsdale.
The winter is here
     The past weekend saw a few changes to each team from the Thursday to the Sunday. Both Jamie “The Gaffer” Samuels and Bryan “Moose” Wilson dealt with the situation admirably. It just seemed to be a perfect storm. In the end our ‘we never forfeit’ attitude came to the fore with Kelsey Burder backing up in the second game as well as Simon “Lefty” O’Neil and “The Game” Jason Jonker. Brad “Undies” Murdoch stuck around all day too just in case something went wrong. Special mention to Kevin “The Legend” Pool who scored both games in some very cool conditions. To all injured out there look after yourselves we hope you get better soon.
Rangers Lucky Ticket is back
     That’s right on Saturday July 22 will see the annual Rangers Lucky Ticket night. Once again MC’s Cam “The Soak” Scott and
Scott “The Beard” Jenkins will be your hosts for the draw. Tickets are again $25, so see a club member for a ticket. Baseball brothers in arms, Wodonga Warriors, are keen for a cracking night with their Ranger brethren, and have purchased a book of tickets.  Baseball will be played on Saturday the 21st July against Wodonga before the draw so come along and have a look at some Saturday baseball. Look out for “The Golden Pufferfish” Ash Meyers to have a great day both on and off the field.
Ranger ramble is filling up
     Event Organiser Dan “The Griff” Griffin informs Line Drive that places on this years Ranger Ramble to Bendigo are rapidly filling up. Already Griff can confirm he has thirteen travellers for the sixth installment of this annual event. To those who are keen to go, better get paying and talk to Griff. One thing we know is that it will be a corker of a trip like the other five. This year’s theme is beach party. So get out your best Hawaiian shirts for a rocking fun weekend in October.
Victorian Winter Baseball Champs is almost here
     On July 8th and 9th the North Eastern Baseball Association will be hosting the Under 16’s winter championships at Targoora Park. This is a call out to all Rangers who are around on the weekend to pitch in and help out with a slot on Saturday or Sunday morning. This coming Saturday, President Tony “Spinner” Smith needs some help getting the ground up to usual high standard. So please spare and hour here or there and help out. Many hands make light work. A hour here or there means a lot to many. If all clubs could work together and help out then that would be awesome. Wear your work boots and be there at 9am.
Thursday Night Training
     This Thursday, a meal has yet to be decided upon but no matter. Look to get down to “The Ranch” and have a laugh, work on your skills and train hard for an hour. If you have a drill or something you wish to implement speak up. The more input the better. No request about a skill of baseball will be refused. Short sharp train hard and have fun. DJ Sarah will be in attendance once again. Let’s work on the positives and get around one another and enjoy this great game of baseball.
Team app news
     Team app is where you get your latest Ranger news about Line Drive and statistics. Download the app for android and apple from their respective stores. If you are player, post your unavailability so the coaches know what is going on. The more information the better. Search for Wangaratta Rangers and join. Spread the word and enjoy. http://www.teamapp.com
Now for the Club News-
  • This week both teams are up at Porepunkah.
  • U16 Winter championships July 8 and 9 Tagoora Park Wangaratta.
  • Ranger Ramble October 2017.
  • Merchandise is available. Grab a beanie for $25.
  • Subs are due see Jenko for details.
  • Training 6pm Thursday.
  • Checkout teamapp Wangaratta Rangers and follow us on Twitter. We can also be found on Facebook,.
Short and sharp this week. To all you readers out ther, like, share and spread the good word about the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. Stay warm this week as it is quite chilly in the North East….. and,
Go Rangers.

Rounding Third by Line Drive June 18 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. The winter championships have been run and won down in Geelong. From all accounts it was a very successful weekend with the North Eastern Baseball Association taking out the Division 2 title for the first time since 2006. Congratulations goes out to the twelve men who put their hand up to play over the three day event. A big mention also to all the supporters of the team who made it down to watch, help out and keep me, Line Drive, informed of what was happening on and off the diamond. He was very impressed with what he saw and made sure that it was shared as much as possible.
  This week, a sunny Sunday welcomed all players at Benalla. Rangers Black were too good for Benalla, while Rangers Orange put up a good fight against Porepunkah. However were not quite good enough to get the chocolates, going down 11-6. Both games were played hard and fair by all. Some rather amusing moments were witnessed by the traveling Rangers faithful and plenty were happy to have their say about it all too. What else is news?
The Big Moose
     Bryan Wilson is certainly having a season out. After taking on many of the pitchers of the North East and dispatching them to all parts of the outfield, he took his hot form down to Geelong and continued on his smashing way. Scribe at the ground Jamie “The Guvnnor” Samuels let Line Drive know that nearly everything Moose hit was hit hard. In the first game versus City, Moose hit a shot over left field to get North East to all square at 4 all. However he left his best for the last game in division 2 final vs Latrobe Valley. Moose’s second long ball of the tournament carried North East to their first title in 11 years. For his heroics he was awarded the final Most Valuable Player award. Congrats to Moose and to all who played over the Queens Birthday long weekend in Geelong.
Running demons strike again
     One thing those who play for Rangers have struggled with from time to time is how to run bases. You would think many who have played plenty of baseball would have this part of the game down pat. Let’s just say no. In the Benalla vs Rangers Black game meandering along quite nicely for the Rangers Black, Sean “Flashback” O’Neil, thought he would change all that. O’Neil had reached base  where Nathan “FOMO” Pool hit a routine fly ball to the outfield which was caught. For some reason O’Neil decided not to head back to first but took off for second. Ball was thrown to first and the innings was ended. Pool was not impressed as it cost him gold coins for the fines tin. He made sure he told O’Neil all about it as they walked out on the diamond. But then it just got stranger.
What the Hell Shaun?
     As the next inning began Pool was still roasting O’Neil about the previous play. Even centre fielder Scott “highsocksunday” Jenkins gave his two cents worth about flashbacks problems. Pool throws the ball and O’Neil makes his second error of the day. The boys continued to laugh at his misfortune. A hit or two and another error at second by O’neil had put Bandit runners on. How wold you get out of a jam like this? Maybe a couple of catches and a strike out? A double play and another out. First baseman Cam “The Soak” Scott had called to O’Neil that the ball was coming his way. He was hoping it wouldn’t. Pool was ready to have another crack at him but went back on the mound and threw one of hid wobblers. The Benalla hitter looked with glee at a ball he though he could handle. He swung hard and hit it straight to Scott at first base, who duly took the catch, turned stepped on first for the second out and threw the ball to second, where Tetsu “Ironchef” Kamiyama took it with glee for the very rare TRIPLE PLAY!. All walked off having a laugh with O’Neil looking very relieved, noting “If I hadn’t made those errors we could not have done that!” Nice to see the glass is half full Shaun.
Just like chooks and corn
     After the early game on the weekend a few of the boys lost a two dollar coin. Rob “Butts” Seymour remarked to another if you throw a two dollar coin down watch them clamber for it. Cam Scott liked this idea and found a two dollar coin in his bag and threw it into the grass. On cue fines master Dan “Griff” Griffin scratched away with others to look for the coin. Now who can name the rest in the image below?
20170618_130539
Who are these people?
Let’s play the shift.
     In the last innings of the early game versus Benalla Bandits, the coach sent the firepower to the mound. Tetsu “Ironchef” Kamiyama was summoned and as usual threw his variety of pitches. many of the balls were hit to the left side of the diamond  so the infield decided to put the shift on. Alex “Gus” Gouveia at third on the line, Nathan Pool filling the hole while Kyle Gilmore across over the other side of second. Now for this to work Tetsu needs to throw an inside pitch. Tetsu looks around knows where his field is. He throws his pitch outside so the Benalla Batter hits it with glee through the hole left at second base due to the shift. Benalla 1 Shift 0.
Big wraps on Robbo
     The peanut gallery was also discussing while watching Orange batting practice before their game, how they reckon Andrew “Robbo” Robinson is ready to go large. His cuts in practice were hit hard and far. Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore definitely thinks he ready to explode! This scribe is in agreeance with him as his swing is fluent and with more games he plays, the better he will get. Keep working hard on Thursday nights Robbo
RPG unlucky
     Robyn “RPG” Goulding was most unlucky in swinging the bat. In the third innings RPG had smacked a nice hit over shortstop but was robbed when the Poerpunkah outfield had sneakily come in. This lead to the peanut section of the Rangers crowd letting him know all about it. He did then move right over to the line for the next hitter. Ian “Dino” Dinsdale hit the ball almost exactly to the same spot and it was a base hit. Unlucky RPG.
Power to the ladies
     It was great to see a middle infield in the Rangers Orange lineup made up of the aforementioned RPG and “The Gaffer” Jamie Samuels. In the years of watching baseball in the North East this scribe cannot think of the last time this has occurred for the Wangaratta Rangers. Happy to be proved wrong on this one.
Jonker’s game
     Early on in the match against Porepunkah it was like Jonker vs Porepunkah. Now as you all well know he is one competitive beast. However over the first three innings Jonker had seven of nine plays off his own pitching. The booked read 1-3,1-3,1-3. Even at one point he thought of running over there himself and taking the play. Way to take the game on your Double J!
Congratulations
     A big congratulations from all at Wangaratta Rangers to Sheridan and Jackson on the safe arrival of Oliver Coddey Wright. Hope all is going well and see you soon at the Ranch.
 
Welcome Back
     The welcome backs just keep coming down at the Ranch. this week saw the return of Daniel Sacco to the colours of the Wangaratta Rangers. He looked eager to impress and threw a runner out at third and took a blinder of a catch late in the game against Porepunkah. He did three innings of work on the mound too. Nice to have you back and firing Sacco!
Tip and fill
     The tip and fill has returned after a long hiatus. Thanks to the good folk at Londrigan meats for the glasses for the best players of the week. So if you win it tap a fellow team mate on the shoulder and they are to fill it for you. Maybe not ask Shaun O’Neil this week after his wallet is empty after paying all his fines from Sunday’s game!
 
Game Changer is back
     Yes it’s back. Over the weekend the statistician mole Line Drive has been hard at work catching up on all the hits and misses of the North Eastern baseball Association season so far. The Orange batting stats are all almost done. It was some interesting reading for Orange men and women. Now if you are a player, head over the teamapp and check out the documents tab and have a look. For those of you who play in Rangers Black, this is still a work in progress. Line Drive will get to when he has a look at the score books again. It is a game changer!
Training this week
     This coming week. DJ Sarah Iwanuch is in the kitchen and look for it to be awesome as usual. Not completely sure what DJ Sarah is going to cook, but be prepared for lots of flavour. If you are keen for a meal bring $10 down and leave a comment online when the link become available. The last few weeks numbers have been impressive and everyone is loving getting down to the Ranch on a Thursday night. 6pm Thursday night. All are welcomed.
Lucky Ticket season
     Yes it is on again. On Saturday July 22, the Wangaratta Rangers Lucky Ticket Draw is on again. Tickets are $25 and available from club members. Tickets are limited so if you want one get in contact with one of the many friendly rangers players and officials.
Now for the club stuff
  • Training Thursday 6pm sharp
  • Beanies $25 see Jenko for details
  • Glove bags $5 See Spinner for details
  • Caps See Butts for details
  • Lucky ticket draw July 22nd, pencil it in for a cracking night. $25 a ticket… now available!
  • Fees are now due. See Jenko for details
  • Ranger Ramble 2017 October not to be missed
Thanks to all for the feedback. Hope you have a great week and till next time
Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive June 6th 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello once again and welcome to another insight into the the personalities and inner workings of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. Over the past couple of weeks it has been very entertaining down at the Ranch. Last week Rangers Orange played host Rangers Black or could we say Rangers Cods edition. The weather was average and the Rangers Cods got over the line. This week saw both teams head back up the Hume to start the second half of the season. Rangers Orange played a very positive brand of baseball against Wodonga Warriors White. However they were unable to get the points with Warriors hitting the ball hard all day to secure a 12-6 win over 7 innings. In the late game a few forced changes with unavailability and illnesses, Rangers Black bats got the job done early and were never headed against Warriors Maroon. Once again there was a good turnout for the juniors and a big thank you to those from both Wangaratta and Wodonga for participating between games. A week off next week with the Victorian Winter Baseball Championships being played down in Geelong. Good luck to all who have put their hand up to go and represent the good folk of North Eastern Baseball Association. Now onto what has been happening around the club.
End of an era.
     Many a boy band have parted ways in the past few years. One Direction is one that almost certainly comes to every readers mind. However one of Wangaratta’s finest bands “Nambrok” might be relocating within the confines of Wanagaratta. Band leader Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder is thinking of relocating. This means the band will have to change names. However membership has been pretty solid and only last week the core memberes were seen around town playing backyard golf and creatively carrying some couches to the tip. The name may change but the good times will always be the same.
Check those bats
     Is it just me or does there seem to be more long balls this year? Home runs aplenty have been crushed in the past couple of weeks. Now officially Rangers have the new smash brothers. Bryan “Moose” Wilson and Scott “The Beard” Jenkins. These two have been lighting it up with the long ball during the first half of the season. Moose with sheer power while Jenko has been working hard and now is reaping the benefits of his refined swing. There have been four blasts that have gone the distance while a couple of others have just fallen short of the fence. The bash borthers have ut their hands up to represent the North East next weekend. let’s hope they can continue to hit the ball hard and far!
Welcome back Number 7
     Welcome back to Angus “The Original Spaniard” Young who pulled on the Rangers colours for the first time in 18 months. Or as Nathan Pool like to call him Alex. You see there has been plenty of banter over the past month about recruit Alex Gouveia having more than a little bit of resemblance to Gus. Now many are wondering if they are the same person? Always seen Gus on his own and Alex but never seen them in the same place at the same time. On the playing side of things Gus picked up a hit and had a nice simple day in the field. Good to have you back Gus.
Rangers Merchandise. The best in the North East!
     New merchandise has arrived and already it has created a bit of a stir around the traps. The Wangaratta Rangers beanies are the fashion accessory of the winter. In the good old tangerine black and white, they look especially fashionable with what everyone wants on top. A brown and orange pom-pom. Already many have commented on how great they look and where can they get one from? At $25 a beanie stocks will not last. Get in quick and come be fashionable with the most fashionable baseball club in the north east!
20170601_204408
For $24.99 one of these could be yours
Thursday night dinner
     These have been a big hit this year. Last week once again numbers on the track were sensational and then many of them sat down to pizzas and a chat. This week there could a special appearance by Daniel “The Trip” Griffin. Now last time Griff cooked everyone raved about his kitchen abilities. Now this scribe believes this Thursday he is back for a return cook. This is one meal that is definitely not to be missed. If you want a feed let the club know on team app or on Facebook page to partake in what will once again be a great meal.
The Karma Bus
     How about this for karma. Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool was having a good chuckle about Cam “The Soak” Scott’s misfortune of succumbing to a condition as what he described as an old man’s disease. However a couple days later Pooly was not feeling the best and could not talk. This led to The Soak messaging Pooly with a two word text “sucked in!”.
Welcome lefty
     Last week a lefty wandered across the paddock and wanted to have a throw. He then put his hand up to throw a bullpen and threw very well too. A big Ranger Welcome to Simon “Lefty” O’Neil. He played very solid right field took a catch and threw everything in hard and flat. Hope you enjoy the rest of the season Simon.
Pitchers wanted
     If anyone is interested in eating up a few innings on the mound please ask the gurus of Rangers pitching Nathan Pool and Aaron “Hunter” Parker. They are more than happy to lend their expertise and know-how to help you with the tough job of throwing a ball over the plate. Last week saw the promising debut of Andrew “Robbo” Robinson on the mound who put in a very encouraging display. Maybe soon Simon “lefty” O’Neil will get his turn for a throw. The more innings you throw the better you get at it! (unless you are Dropsy!)
Footy Capers
     Rob “Butt’s” Seymour took to Etihad Stadium before the Carlton vs North Melbourne a couple of Sunday’s ago. He started the game on fire picking up a couple of quick possessions earning the praise of his Carlton coaches. Later int he game he wanted to come off for a rest but that was not an option. Stay on was the instruction and all benches to be on the field too. Butt’s being well… Butt’s doubled back looped around and got his rest he wanted on the bench with the coaches being completely unaware to his sneaky ways. If you get a chance check out his action shot. Butts does show a little resemblance to a channel 9 journalist we shall not name in this edition.  You the reader can work that one out!
Baseball Victoria Winter Championships 2017
     The long weekend tradition that is the Winter Baseball Championships is on again over the Queens Birthday in Geelong. This year’s squad is a very nice blend of grizzled veterans and young bucks wanting to test their mettle and have a cracking good time against the other winter associations from across Victoria. Line Drive hears there could be a good crew of guys and girls going to tailgate the weekend. A couple of them could be “Wacko” Jacko Wright and Jamie “The Gaffer” Samuels. Enjoy the weekend have a laugh, support the clubs who put on a good show for all and watch the North East represent as they always do! For the rest of North Eastern Baseball Association enjoy your long weekend whatever you are choosing to do. Be safe.
Shout outs to Rangers near and far
     A special shout out goes to Sean “The Doc” Warfe who is keeping his keen baseball eye over what is going on down at the Ranch in season 2017. He has been a keen contributor to the Rangers Facebook page amongst other things. We all look forward to seeing you back in the future Doc. On another note it is good to see that this little insight is being read across the globe in Canada and in the United States. Thanks Chopper and Dylan.
Now for the club stuff
  • Training Thursday 6pm sharp
  • Committee meeting this Thursday after Griffins Gnoccchi 7:30pm Comment on dinner if you wish to have some on Facebook
  • Beanies $25 see Jenko for details
  • Glove bags $5 See Spinner for details
  • Caps See Butts for details
  • Victorian Winter Baseball Championships June 10-12 Geelong
  • Lucky ticket draw July 22nd pencil it in for a cracking night
  • Fees are now due. See Jenko for details
  • Ranger Ramble 2017 October not to be missed
Anyhow that’s enough for this week. Till next time
Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive April 11 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Another week has passed and it’s time for another insight into what has been going on down at Targoora Park. Home of Wangaratta’s only baseball club. The Wangaratta Rangers. Over the past weekend the weather was a bit wild and woolly for baseball. But it was still played none-the-less. A good crowd turned out on Sunday to battle the wind and infrequent showers, followed by periods of sunshine but then more passing showers came back through. In the early game, a new look Orange lineup jumped out of the gates early and raced to five to nil lead over the Porepunkah Panthers. However, to Porepunkah’s credit, they  knuckled down and ground the Orange ladies and gentlemen into the ground, to end up running out winners 13-6. More about that game later on. In the late game, Wangaratta Rangers Black welcomed Benalla Bandits to the ranch. The Rangers hitters got on top early and combined with a solid pitching and defense behind Bryan “Moose” Wilson and Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool, recorded a ten to nil win. Benalla really brought it to the Rangers, and it was a good hard competitive game of baseball. All stuck around for a drink and a laugh after the days play. It was really great to see the camraderie between the clubs. The season is going into a two week hiatus now with Easter weekend, and with ANZAC day falling on a Tuesday the following week, many may take the chance to get away for an extended break. Or get married.
As Cam ‘The Soak’ Scott will do on April 22nd. Congrats to Cam and Loz on their upcoming nuptials. But fear not! Baseball and this correspondent will be back on deck in the following weeks. Now down to other Ranger musings.
Surprise Dino! Look who’s come to play!
     Nothing much seems to surprise the seeimingly unflappable Ian “Dino” Dinsdale at any time. However over the weekend he was very unaware that two of his daughters Leah and Lauren had been playing baseball over the summer for Essendon Baseball Club. All to get ready to have a season with their father at Wangaratta. As Master of ceremonies, Tony Spinner Smith was giving a speech, the ladies hid out behind the club room waiting for the right moment to come around the corner in Rangers uniforms. When the moment was right the girls appeared and a very unsuspecting Dino had a lovely surprise. Nice work ladies!  A special thank you to all who came down and was a part of this lovely occasion.
300 to French
     A big shout out and congratulations from all of us in the North Eastern Baseball community to Brendon French, who is the first Wangaratta Ranger to play 300 games for the club. When you think the club has been in it’s present form for less than 20 years, that is a lot of games played by the loyal club man. His 300th was spent behind the plate, and as usual he did a sterling job. And even after his first game, he wasn’t done for the day. Frenchy put his hand up to line umpire the Rangers Black vs Benalla game. Another moment for the French family as it was Damien “Damo” French’s first game in the orange and black. Another special moment for one of the clubs great servants. Congratulations French, and  Damo, from all of us at the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club.
Better call the RACV Tets.
     Word has it that Tetsu, “Yes Chef” Kamiyama, had a little bit of car trouble on the way home from Wodonga last week. Many other rangers heading home from the game witnessed Tetsu’s misfortune. Word had it that Tets typically took it all in stride and continued on in his own very unique way. As usual Rob “Butts” Seymour was there to help out Tets and help get him back home. Good on you Butts!
O’Neil has not lost it
     Shaun, “Flashback” O’Neil, has returned to baseball for the first time in many years. Already he has made an impact both on and off the diamond. In the first game of the year against Wodonga, my spies tell me that he hit and chased down everything thrown and hit at him. Over the weekend, against Benalla, this hot start to the season continued. Flashback hit nearly everything including a big home run that hit an air conditioning unit on of the buildings over at Cathedral College. Flashbacjk has even set the trend on fashion by modeling an old Saint Blue and gold silky baseball jacket. It would be great to see if any other old ball players and current members of Wangaratta have any old uniforms or jackets hiding away in their cupboards. Get them out show off the heritage of North Eastern Baseball Association. Line Drive’s good mate, Cam “The Soak” Scott, has already got out his old Tyabb Bulldogs jacket out. He is looking forward to showing it off at a later date. Maybe a heritage week of old jersey and uniforms could be put in place? Just a thought.

Chicks dig it
     Yeah that’s right, they dig playing baseball. It has been a great sight over the past couple of weeks, the number of ladies donning the Orange and Black of Wangaratta. As mentioned earlier, Leah and Lauren Dinsdale are playing the year with Dino but let’s not forget that the newest Nambrok member, Robyn “RPG” Percy-Goulding, has begun playing after being an avid supporter last year. Another lady has made a great impression too. Welcome to Jamie Samuels who has just fitted in seamlessly. Enjoy it ladies.
The Wright Stuff
     Another new player this year, Jackson “The Flash” Wright, is ready to make his mark on the North Eastern Baseball Association. He has already joined the High Sock Sunday squad as he likes the look of showing off the calves in the big high socks. He has the flash batting gloves and the bat to match. Watch for this kids speed on the bases, joining other known speedsters, as Azza “The Driver” Parker, and Shaun “Flashback” O’neil in tearing up the diamond. Exciting times ahead for Wangaratta Rangers.
Wyatt on the Hill
     The big Mick “Skipper” Wyatt, was like a kid in a toy shop over the weekend. He was excited to play baseball and was even ready for his turn on the mound. Mick got off to a ripping start getting a hit and then throwing out another returning player Steve Bryant who showed great sportsmanship to play for Porepunkah,  as they were a man down. When it came for the skipper to get on the hill and pitch for Rangers Orange, he stepped up and threw a fantastic three to four innings. He then made himself available if required for Rangers Black,  against Benalla. Once again another “A plus” effort from the man who will forever known as “The Skipper”.
The Prophet is all about the Cuts in the Cage 
     A little note came across this scribes social media accounts over the past week. Good friend of Line Drive, The Prophet, is running his eye over what is going on down at Ringwood Baseball Club. The Prophet’s first edition was an absolute cracker. There was a bit of name dropping which was very entertaining. The old Cod’s got a mention too. If you have not read it yet, check it out at https://cutsinthecage.wordpress.com/ It will be great to read the next installment.
Thursday Tea’s are here
     Chef, Tony “Spinner” Smith, will be hobbling around and cooking his famous savoury mince for dinner this Thursday night. The cost of the meal will be between $6 and $10 and you get a drink with that too. Come along, have a hit and a run around and get around your Ranger brothers and sisters. Stick around and learn to play some poker against Moose and all the other usual Ranger suspects. Have fun, share a laugh and ease yourself into a lovely Easter. An invite has been sent out on the team app so please accept it or reject there. If you do not have the app yet download it on-line and look for Wang Rangers. Team app has all your Wang Rangers news and events for season 2017.
Juniors 2017 
It has been great to hear on the radio this week about how North Eastern baseball Association are being proactive in the recruitment of juniors for the future. All clubs are working together so this year the association can send away an Under 12 team to the winter championships. Below is an excerpt from the Wangaratta Rangers website written by the President Tony Smith.
T-Ball and Under 12 Championship Training:
Under 12 training starts this Saturday 8th April from 3pm till 4.30pm at the grounds. Run by Kevin and some of the other players the aim is to get enough players to put in a representative side for the North East at the State Championships at Bendigo in late June. Kevin Pool is looking at players in the 8-11 years age brackets. A perfect opportunity for your youngster to get in to baseball and develop some skills and interest at an early age.
NEBA T-Ball Games: As an aside to the U12 training, NEBA are introducing T-Ball games to be held during the break between senior games on a Sunday. Due to start in Round 4, Sunday 7th May. The aim is to pool all available players to form sides to hold a proper
T-Ball Game. This is aimed at the 8 – 12 years bracket.
So if you know anyone who is interested please contact wangarattarangers@hotmail.com for more information.
Now for the club stuff
  • Fees are now due. See Scotty “The Big Show” Jenkins for more information
  • Thursday night Tea Spinner is the Chef. Get around it and cook too
  • Punters club is back. See the Soak for details
  • Happy Wedding Day Soak and Loz
  • Training 6pm Thursdays.
  • End of season trip date yet to be determined
  • Follow us on team app Wangaratta Rangers and on Twitter @WangRangers and http://www.wangarattarangers.baseball.com.au/
  • Frosty to return in the next couple of weeks
NEBA on a break
   Now games are scheduled for the next couple of weeks. Enjoy the time with your families and friends. Keep checking team app for updates and information in the meantime. Line Drive is off to watch the nuptials of Cam and Loz. Good luck to them..
Oh and Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive April 5th 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Welcome to this weeks edition of the goings on of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. This week saw the start of the 2017 North Eastern Baseball Association season. The men and women of the Rangers headed up the Hume highway to take on the Wodonga Warriors at Gayview Park Wodonga. In the early game, Rangers Orange were competitive but were out gunned by a very good Warriors White outfit. After viewing the score book, it seemed the game was quite close to begin with, but in the end the Warriors White got on top  In the end the score line was 23-7. In the late game, those wily Rangers Orange veterans hit the ball hard and had day out in the field running out victors 31-0. Once again thank you to all those Ranger supporters who headed up the Hume to enjoy Wodongas hospitality. Now the season is here what else is news on the Ranger front?
Coach Moose is making his mark.
     Bryan “Moose” Wilson is giving the coaching caper a real crack. He has taken on the role with great gusto and enthusiasm. His little anecdotes each week are great to read. His enthusiasm about the future direction of the club is hard to ignore and all us in the Ranger family will get behind him and help him out. More clubs need guys like Moose to step in and lead with new ideas and philosophies. It will be a cracking season not matter what the end result for the Orange and Black.
Wanna know the news get on team app.
     Yes yes Line Drive does go on about this each year but if you are unavailable for a game could you please place it on team app. This will help out Moose and his merry men each and every week to know exactly who is available and who is not. How do I join the Ranger team app you ask?  It’s easy. Download the ‘team app’ look up Wangaratta Rangers and join. Once you are confirmed you are in! Voting is being done via the app too, so when it is your turn to vote on a game just enter your votes and submit. For more information regard team app or anything on line please contact Cam “The Soak” Scott. Everyone should spread the gospel which is North Eastern Victoria Baseball.
Game changer returns for season 2017
     As like last year statistics will be done to the best of Line Drive’s score book reading ability on Game Changer. It has taken a bit of time to set up and will be updated as regularly as possible. Search for Wangaratta Rangers on Game Changer to have a look. Rangers Orange is a 2016 season while Rangers Black is 2017. Clicked the wrong year on one. Apologies for that but it will still work. It’s a game changer!
Thursday night training.
     Finally it’s happening. After years of discussion training is moving to Thursday nights. This has pleased Yarrawonga resident Cam “The Soak” Scott no end. It means he can play Wednesday night golf then go to training on a Thursday! Training will be at the normal time of 6pm and if you are unable to attend please let Moose know. Thursday night dinners soon to be announced so keep your eyes and stomachs open for some cracking meals!
New Rangers
     It’s great to see some new Ranger faces this year. Already many of them are making an impact. Nice to see the return of Shaun O’Neill to the club, he has fitted back seamlessly. Who would have thought otherwise. Over the next few editions Line Drive will have some more information about how the new recruits are traveling.
One game in and time to talk about the trip
     If you saw the Rangers Facebook site the other night, the man of many talents Daniel “CFA” Griffin has already put his thinking cap on about this years Ranger Ramble VI. As all of you know the fines tin is back in action this year, and as usual it is an honor system. You stuff up, you pay! Trip is open to all who play for the Rangers and the minimum qualification is to play three games. Already it looks like there could be some trip rookies to add to the motley crew of regulars who look forward to this weekend away each year.
Was that Murdoch in Monday’s paper?
     Speaking of Griffin, his good mate Brad “Undies” Murdoch and his magnificent moustache were in Monday’s Border Mail. Both were representing Springhurst CFA with distinction in the country fire championships. Now my question is, is that a fine to the tin for being in the paper Brad? Or maybe just half the usual five dollars for a photo? It will be up to the fines master to decide that one.
Griff and the tin. That you put your fines in.
     Yes the tin is back this year. Over the summertime some of the older heads were schooled in how to run a fines meeting. Wonder if any of those fines will make it into the Ranger vernacular this year. Only Griff and his merry men of the Wangaratta’s number one boy band Nambrok can ultimately decide upon that one.
On the punt.
     Avid tacticians of the punt Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool, Steve “Fernando Chompers” Peruzzo and Cam “The Soak” Scott have been having a red hot crack on the punt over the past few weeks. They have been up then they have been down and now they sit…exactly where they started. Still this will not deter the boys for the coming season as they know a big win here and there could make the end of season trip a little cheaper. Maybe Rubberam you could back Essendon all year to win the flag? Maybe??
Bunnings BBQ another success.
     Special mention to those who helped out with the Bunnings BBQ a couple of weeks ago. Once again it was worth the effort especially getting our name out in the community once again. Spearheaded by Tony “Spinner” Smith the club gained some valuable dollars towards future ideas and plans. Nice work ladies and gentlemen.
A picture tells a 1000 words!
     This year it would be great to see more and more photos of baseball from all games out there. Post them and share them and show that we do have a presence here in the North East of Victoria. From training to working bees to just being at the game the more exposure the better. You never know you might get your picture used in this esteemed publication too.
Ranger men
Just looking for another photo opportunity gentlemen. Thanks to Tania Pool for the image
This week in baseball
     This coming weekend will be a cracker. All games are going to be played in Wangaratta this Sunday from 11:30am. Rangers Orange play host to Porepunkah Panthers while Rangers Black will be playing Benalla Bandits in the late game starting at 2:15pm. Over on diamond two, Wodonga Warriors will be play Bears at the same corresponding times. Full canteen and bar facilities are available all day. Come buy a meat raffle ticket to win a meat tray supplied by our valued sponsor Londrigan Meats. Once again the Ausport van will be in attendance so give them a call if you need anything before they come up the Hume so you can make sure you have it there this Sunday. Come along and enjoy a day out at the Ranch.
Good positive vibes.
     Line Drive is tipping the hat to those at other clubs in the North Eastern Baseball Association who are working hard to recruit players and develop junior programs. In the past couple of weeks the good folk down at Benalla Bandits have been out and about running t-ball clinics in Benalla and getting their name out there. It’s nice to see Porepunkah have got new uniforms and both Wodonga and Bears are promoting the game within their communities. It is great to see the clubs are looking to enter an Under 12 team in the winter championships and if this happens then it is a massive step in the right direction of baseball in the north east. Keep talking the game, up keep writing articles and most importantly let’s all get behind the great game of baseball. As a collective we can make it work and grow the game we all love to play.
Now to the club stuff
  • Rangers Orange vs Porepunkah Panthers 11:30am Targoora Park Wangaratta
  • Rangers Black vs Benalla Bandits 2:15pm Targoora Park Wangaratta
  • Check out Presidents Prattle on Facebook Team app and at http://www.wangarattarangers.baseball.com.au
  • Follow Wang Rangers on Twitter
  • Working bee this Saturday 9am. If you are free come along to help out.
  • Training Thursday night 6pm come along all are welcome
  • This is the first mention of Rob “Butts” Seymour for the week. Hi Rob.
  • Subs are now due. See Jenko for more information.
  • Merchandise available from the club check out Facebook for more details.
Well that’s it for this week. Have a great week please share and spread the word. Just remember you never know where Line Drive may pop up next.
Oh and…………….
Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive Cods edition 2017

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the yearly wrap up of the Cods trip to the Victorian Masters Baseball Championship. This year’s carnival was once again hosted by those wonderful group of volunteers who year in and year out put on a great event in Ballarat. The boys headed off full of beans Thursday night ready for three days of baseball. After day one the Cods were sitting at one win and one loss. A competitive loss to the Big Cat’s Tomatoes. They boys were able to reverse the result by over hauling a fast starting Traralgon 9-4 Day two only one game was played by the boys where they were comprehensively outplayed by a hard hitting Doncaster 16-1. They boys headed off out for the day and were able to regroup on Sunday and defeat Tassie 7-0. At the end of the weekend Cods finished with an even ledger of two wins and two losses. Now that is the playing side of things done. what other shenanigans did the Cods get up to?

Warm up’s are overrated

     After a big Friday of baseball Cods turned up Saturday full of confidence that they were able to get another win on the board. All there in uniform early. Had a throw to stretch the arms. That was nothing out of the norm. However the next part came to a shock of some Codsmen. A bit of a warm up hit. When it came to game time this tactic did not pay off. Doncaster ran hot with the bat where the Cods were playing more like goldfish than Cods. In the analysis after the game there was a motion passed that we do not have a warm up hit before the game. Who’s idea was that?

Short stop who would be one?

     Seems to this writer that short stop is a cursed place. The Cods in three game have tried numerous shortstops and still no one is able to field a ball cleanly there. Cam ” Showtime” Rogers even dragged himself out of the position yesterday. Next to have a crack at it on Saturday was Rob “Butts” Seymour. who picked it up cleanly but throwing it was a problem. Finally by Sunday Cods had sorted their issues out with the position with Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool turning two unassisted double plays. One of them was like a stretching first baseman with the side arm throw. Looked very pretty.

Making mistakes, paying the price

     This year second year Cod Mark “Scoota” Farrow was charged with the job of leading the nightly fines meeting. Plenty was offered up to the panel and many fines were paid. Brendon French’s fine was triple as he decided to “glove” pump  the ball three times before her threw it to first. Still he threw him out by a number of steps. No one was spared with close to $200 being handed over the the Cods Masters Trust. It has been speculated that the money sill go towards new Cods playing hats and maybe new socks for all.

Office burn

Who would have thought that at this time of year you would get sunburn in Ballarat! After the past couple of years of adverse conditions Ballarat put the weather on for the weekend. After a windy start Friday morning the day turned into one that was quite harsh on the skin. Jason “The Office” Jonker felt it more than most. His head and face were beetroot red with that lovely sun-glass line. Of course he paid the price for it. He did take it all in good jest saying well he is an office worker.

The wild pitch

Speaking of Jonker he did have an interesting outing on the mound on Friday. There was talk in the dugout about how many batters you are allowed to hit. Jonker thought he would test it. He managed to hit three batters with the ball. However he did hit the same batter twice! The first time Jonker hit the batter he was in shock, the second time round it was just hilarious. He was not along to the hitting a batter illness. Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool managed to hit one or two too. At the end of the day we are masters and I am sure they would not have hurt too much.

Cods 6
Was this a straight one Jason? Image courtesy Brendon French

Virtual Golf Superstars

     What to do after an early game Saturday? Play some golf. But we don’t want to walk and we don’t have clubs? Oh lets play Virtual Golf. Not much walking but the thrill of hooking and slicing the ball none-the-less. The boys headed out to the Golfers Lounge and enjoyed the afternoon punting having a laugh and for Steve “The Hulk” Maggs breaking stuff. After a tough opening hole where The Hulk and Cam “The Soak” Scott pressed the wrong button and took a +9 Maggsy looked to belt the cover off his next drive. He made solid contact but the driver decided to separate from the shaft, leaving Maggsy holding the stick. In the game of ambrose Pooly and Barks took the choccies much to the annoyance of Robe “Beaker” Barbour and Rob “Butts” Seymour. If you get a chance head out to the golfers lounge for darts and virtual golf. Afterwards the darts came out and from memory Shane “Tatts” Tatterson was showing a dead eye for the big scores. As long as you beat Butts then it’s a good day!

Who wants to be the Golden Pufferfish?

    There were a few making a play for the title of Golden Pufferfish 2017. Big Cod Mick Brownlie was not there to feend his title so both Ash “Metalhead” Meyers and Rob “Beaker” Barbour made a play for the title. Both presented their cases very strongly but only one could win read on to see who it was.

Real Men Pitch day four

     Ash “Metalhead” Meyers had been spruiking to anyone who would listen that real me pitch day four. Meyers had played some good ball and was thrown the ball to pitch Sunday. backed up by sparkling defense and good offense Meyers threw four innings of shut out baseball. He made a final play for the “Golden Pufferfish” for the best Cod for the weekend. He won by a clear margin for his hitting, his defense and his all round sportsmanship on and off the field. Meyers did it all. Congratulations Ashley Meyers. I heard the Big Cod Mick Brownlie will be looking to regain the trophy in 2018. Meyers will be looking to go back-to-back.

Cods 3
The hard task of voting for the Golden Pufferfish. Image courtesy of Brendon French

Beaker in the clear

     After last year’s misadventures Rob “Beaker” Barbour was able to stay out of the path of mis hit baseballs. Instead him and Tony “Spinner” Smith did a sterling job of managers for the weekend. On behalf of all Cods thank you Beaker and Spin. Special mention to Brendon French for taking photos and documenting how the weekend unfolded. Hope to see more images on the Cods page soon.

Tassie Hospitality

     A big thank you goes out to those great blokes at Tassie Tigers Baseball. Friday night Chris “Chalky” Chalker invited the Cods to dinner at the Park Hotel and for a few beers. The Cods took up the offer and had a good feed and a punt on their behalf. At the end of the day this is what masters is about. Meeting others and having a laugh a beer and having a good time. Always good to see good people.

Ballarat Thank you

     A big thank you needs to go to Kingsley Collins and the Ballarat Baseball community for the work and effort putting on a wonderful weekend of Masters Baseball. We all love coming down the Hume and participating in a well run professional competition. The links we make with other teams makes the trip all worth it. We look forward to 2018.

Future Cods

     It has been floated that there may be two Cods teams next year. There is an idea that a 45+ team could be entered as well as 35+. Now it’s up the fellow Cods and new Cods to put their hand up and don the teal and black in 2018. We want you the former ball player. It’s not a huge commitment as well all enjoy just playing the game. If you are interested to be a Cod let us know via the Cods Masters Baseball on Facebook.

 

Cods 4
This could be you next year Image courtesy of Brendon French

To all Cods 

Brendon French, Tony Smith, Ben Barker, Shane Tatterson, Nathan Pool, Rob Seymour, Cam Rogers, Steve Maggs, Mark Farrow, Rob Barbour, Steve Peruzzo, Jason Jonker, Ash Meyers and Cam Scott hope to see you all again in 2018. To past Cods and future Cod we hope to see you on the diamond soon.

Cods baseball stuff

  • New hats next year
  • Want tape see Scooter
  • Tatterson racks up the hits
  • Chalky thinking he was barred from Cods page Saturday night
  • Beaker does not go out past 11pm
  • Fernando Peruzzo claims pop ups for hits
  • Jonker invests in sunscreen shares
  • Pool flies under the radar AGAIN!
  • Butts missing Mick Brownlie
  • Who will be new Cods in 2018
  • Meyers Golden Pufferfish 2017

Hope you have enjoyed the read and most importantly

Go Cods

Rounding Third By Line Drive March 14th 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello again and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. Another week has passed and this means another week closer to the opening round of the North Eastern Baseball Association 2017 Winter season. But first there is one more very important event happening which one member of the boy band known as “Nambrok” love talking about and discussing…Cod 2017 is upon the North East. More about that in the upcoming insights into the goings on around the club. So let’s get down to it.
Coach Moose is here
     It is with great anticipation and excitement that Wangaratta’s favourite Canadian Bryan “Moose” Wilson has put his hand up to be in charge of the Rangers this season. Moose is already making an impression with his work on Wednesday nights. He has installed the every happy-go-lucky Rob “Butts” Seymour as his right hand man. Now it is our job as Ranger players and supporters and get behind him and help him out as much as possible. Good stuff Moose we all wish him the best for the 2017 season.
Bicycle..Bicycle..I want to ride my Bicycle
     Over the past weekend Cam “the Soak” Scott and Scott “The Beard” Jenkins went on a ride out to Oxley. All very sedate and a nice 15km trundle for a coffee and home again. It was all going very well as the boys rode along the bike path, talking and solving the problems of the world. The boys closed in on Oxley where The Soak saw a little bit of a dip through the dirt. Soak accelerated toward it thinking he could go down it. As he got closer he realized he could not. It was all too late for the Soak and he toppled over the edge and off his bike into the ditch. The Beard was reaching for his phone but The Soak recovered quickly to laugh it off and keep riding. He said it did not hurt. But this scribe knows him too well. Let’s just say he should stop thinking he is 21 when out riding like that!
Wake up Kelsey
     How’s the new car Kelsey? Miss an alarm did we? Typical Kelsey took it all in his stride and got the car at a later stage after a minor setback.  The minor setback was only 1500 kilometers to the north in Queensland but what’s a plane hop or two away for this guy. Not much. Wonder if he has fixed his alarm now?
Master Cods 
     Well it has been a while since anything has been said in substance about the Cods. So here is the time to get up-to-date with all the comings and goings in the Cod squad. This coming weekend we will see a collection of “legends” suit up in the teal and black and test themselves against others of similar ability and ideals. Ballarat is once again hosting the Victorian Masters Championships and the Cods look to hopefully win a game and more importantly catch up with some old friends and have a good time playing baseball. There have been a few personnel changes with Brendon French returning to the squad after a year off. Injuries have played havoc with the men too. Rob Seymours legs should be good to go for the weekend while Porepunkah superstar Heath Anders will be sorely missed. Big Cod Mick Brownlie is unavailable so his title as best Cod is up for grabs.
Look for a big weekend from “The Ringwood Connection” of Cameron “No highsocks” Rogers and Steve “Maggsy” Maggs. Theses cod brothers are fired up and ready to roll. Rob ‘beaker” Barbour has bought a new bike helmet to wear while walking around the diamond so the sky won’t fall on him. Tony “Spinner” Smith has done a power of work in the back ground and is looking forward to get out on the diamond. Steve “Chompers” Peruzzo is biting at the bit to have a hit. While others Like Shane Tatterson and Ben Barker are just keeping it all on a slow burn. What will the Wodonga Wizard Ashley Meyers bring to the table this year? Can Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool be elastic in nature for the entire weekend? So many questions.
So what will the Cods expect this year? Same as past years. This year we will not see a battle on the diamond against Tassie Tigers. however rest assure there will be plenty of verbal battles off the field, particularly, Tassie will look to try and get one over the Codsters. Will it happen though? There will be plenty of updates throughout the weekend of how the Cods are fairing as Line Drive will wander down and cast an eye over yesterday’s heroes.
Bunnings BBQ
     In a couple of weeks the club have another opportunity to spread the gospel of Baseball by manning the BBQ at Bunnigs Wangaratta. If you are available for a few hours please get in contact with Spinner or anyone else on the committee as every little bit helps. Check out the Facebook page for more information.
The Numbers game
     Now playing numbers are a very personal thing. Wangaratta Rangers needs your help to chase down who has played and is playing in what number. So far the club have a vast majority of playing numbers but they know there are a few more out there. So if you have played in the past few years and have a number please let the club know. They don’t want double ups as the club are ordering new shirts with names and numbers. If you want a name and number as a supporter then let the club know as this can be arranged too.
The training game
     With Cods soon to be over for another year, training will be on Wednesday nights down at the Ranch from 6pm. Come along and watch the future of the club with t-ball and then have a throw and a hit. All are welcome. If you are not going to make it please let Moose or Buttsy know. More communication the better. Dinner will return soon. Wonder who can cook the best this year??
Insurance matters
     This is more so for the older brigade who may be out playing this weekend but you are able to pay your insurance through the Wangaratta Rangers Website. If you need help with this please contact Cam Scott for more details on how to pay your insurance.
Club stuff
  • Cods Masters This coming weekend Ballarat 17-19 March
  • Bunnings BBQ Saturday March 25th
  • Season Opener April 2
  • Training 6pm Wednesday let Moose know if you are available or not
  • Soaks Wedding 22nd April…..
Anyway enough this week. Have a good weekend Cods. Should be a blast as usual oh and more importantly…..
Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive Presentation Edition 2016

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to the presentation edition of Rounding Third. The ranger family got together over the weekend to celebrate season 2016 at their valued sponsor Cafe Martini in Wangaratta. Plenty of laughs were had with all in attendance having a good chance to mingle, chat and joke with one another. Most awards were given out and received graciously, some awards were in good jest and won by deserving recipients. More about that later.
MVP Matters
This year The Rangers decided to use teamapp for all voting purposes, to award the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award. Ranger IT guru and good friend of Line Drive, Cam “The Soak” Scott was busy each week lining up four players, scorers or supporters  to vote on who they thought played well in the Orange and Black. The votes were then tallied and presented on Saturday night. Two very deserving winners were announced. In the Rangers Orange the award went to Jason “JJ” Jonker by a clear margin from Kelsey Burder and Brendon French respectively. For Rangers Black, ol Rubberarm Nathan Pool was crowned MVP for season 2016 in front of Aaron Parker and Scott Jenkins, who had a breakout year with the bat. Congratulations to all winners
Who spat the dummy?? It was a suprise!
    One of the more prestigious trophies awarded each year is to the person who had a a bit of a breakdown. Cam “The Soak” Scott, surprisingly, was awarded the dummy spit for his meltdown up at Porepunkah. By all accounts from the man with the poison pen, Kevin Pool,  it was a beauty. When asked about the award Cam did respond with “oh yeah it was well deserved. Gee it was a good dummy spit. One of my best”. It looks like he spared Scott “The Beard” Jenkins from being given the trophy.
Seymour goes back to back on the fly!
     Merchandise guru and wannabe DJ Rob “Buttsy” Seymour was rapt with going back to back in the annual fly ball award. Butts won this award by a short margin last year, but this year he opened up a gap on his opposition that could not be bridged. He is already talking about a three-peat for next year. In the off season look to see Buttsy wanting to spin some decks on the local pub scene.
Strike outs shared
     The annual whiff bat was taken out by both, Kyle “The Thrill” Gilmore and Tony “Spinner” Smith, for season 2016. Their strike outs came in batches of multiples which placed them at the top for the award. Both were not surprised by being declared joint winners. Never mind boys it will be time for someone else to step forward next year.
Coach Burder a man of many words
     Kelsey “mini bus” Burder can be a man of many words, or actually no words at all. When quizzed on any aspects of games and the season, Burder trotted out the line “uhhh I don’t remember this game” followed by the next line when asked about another game of “uhhh I don’t remember this game either”. One has to question if he remembers winning the B grade premiership this year? The one thing he does remember is how poor he threw on the mound against Porepunkah and still managed to get votes for the game!
Ranger Ramble in Radelaide 2016
     This weekend the boys are off to Adelaide to watch some footy, baseball and celebrate the end of another great season. All the usual suspects will be in attendance. Ably led by Daniel “The Griff” Griffin, the boys will enjoy the sites and sounds which Adelaide is known for. The day is always one to look for, being the main theme day. The theme this year is $25 Op Shop. Anything spent over the amount is into the tin for all to enjoy. Looking at the weather forecast, it is going to be cold. I wonder how that will affect the fashion icons such as Brad “Undies” Murdoch and Daniel “Chopper” McCullough? Not to mention Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool who goes all out year after year. All will be revealed at 7am Friday at the airport.
12106750_10204882184761449_6022693062644792394_n
Last years dress up. This year is Adelaide and Op Shop.
Cods news
     Victorian Masters will be held once again in Ballarat March 17-19 2017. There has already been strong interest shown by past players and reigning Cod master Mick “Big Cod” Brownlie. The one condition if he goes is that Rob Seymour must go too. Masters is open to all  who are north of the age of 35. Check out Cods Masters Baseball on Facebook for more details over the next few months. Once again as the Cods get older they still think they are as good as they once were!
Ranger Club news
Committee meeting in October .
Stubby holders available for purchase from the club. See Butts for one
Cods Masters information. More to follow
Ranger Ramble in Radelaide is on 30th-2nd of October. Good luck boys!
Check out the photos on our Facebook page.  Thanks to Brendon French for the pics.
Make sure you are available for the game in Benalla Mick Wyatt!!
Well that’s about it this time round. Once again thanks to all our valued sponsors out there and most importantly, you the readers and supporters of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. Till next time,
Go Rangers!

Rounding Third by Line Drive July 18 2016

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to another edition of Rounding Third. Once again, weather has played havoc with the scheduling of games and grounds in the North Eastern Baseball Association. The last couple of weeks, Targoora park has just been too wet to play any games on. However the weather gods smiled on the the ladies and gentlemen of the North East this past weekend,  with glorious sunny conditions greeting the teams on their visit to Gayview park in Wodonga. In the early game, The Orange men took on Wodonga Warriors White. Behind a stellar performance on the mound by Jason Jonker, The Orange boys could not get over the line. While in the late game, The Rangers Black squad got the job done over Warriors Maroon by twelve runs. Next week, Rangers Black travel to Springdale Heights to take on Warriors white while Rangers Orange head the other way to tackle Benalla Bandits. It has been a couple of weeks since the last line drive, so what else is news? Continue reading and you will find out.
Man of Action
     With the weather being so ordinary over the past couple of weeks, it has been great to see many members of the North Eastern Baseball community band together to try and get games played and grounds up to scratch. This was clearly evident over the Winter Under sixteens championships a couple of weeks back, where the clubs banded together and managed to get the job done under such adverse conditions. This sense of community has continued, with Wodonga allowing us to transfer our home games from the weekend to their ground, as sadly, ours is still not up to scratch due to the amount of moisture in the turf.. However it was not as simple as just moving the games to Wodonga. Much correspondence was had between Tony “Spinner” Smith and  Michael “Bill” Clear, the vice president from Wodonga. From the Wodonga end, Bill has done a power of work and communication with Wangaratta. He was even down there on Saturday mopping up water and making sure the ground was in a safe and playable condition. Throughout the whole process, Bill has let everyone know what is happening and how it is all going. He has taken it upon himself to help keep everyone in the loop about games, teams and player availability. It is such a big effort to keep a club running and individuals like Bill help clubs run smoothly. Just remember to do your little bit for your club. It does not matter how small it is, every little bit helps.
 Rangers instagram
Pokemon Go craze is here
     The boys of Wangaratta Rangers are not immune to the Pokemon go craze. While playing at Wodonga over the weekend, The Nambrok boys were catching them all and defending their gyms while tackling the game against Warriors in front of them. At one point Kyle “Doug” Gilmore was rapt that there was a Pokemon left behind to defend their ‘gym’. He even remarked that Wangaratta’s Pokemon game was stronger than Wodonga. After the game was done, trip organiser and all round good guy, Daniel “The Griffin” took flight looking around for more Pokemon. Last time he was seen, he was stopping in multiple locations attempting to catch them all. More updates to following in the coming weeks on how they attempt to be Pokemon Grand Masters.
Payback
     Mick, “The Skipper” Wyatt, got a little taste of his own medicine over the weekend. The Skipper plate umpired the first game of the day and called a third strike on Tony, “Spinner” Smith. In the second game the roles were reversed. Spinner called a third strike on Skipper. The boys in the dugout thought it was an even up for an earlier decision. When asked if this was the case Mick just replied with a low voiced “yep”. This sent the dugout into hysterics. Very humble pie there Mick.
 
Routine Routine all in the Routine
     Cam, “The Soak” Scott, is a man of routine on game days. From getting organised in the morning to making sure he stops in Rutherglen when playing in Albury Wodonga, he is a man of routine. However, The Soak had a change over the weekend with rather poor results. It’s safe to say some were surprised with Cam’s reaction to his poor day. But that’s sport and all deal with a run of bad luck differently. Still, by the end of the game he was able to have a laugh about it. There is always next week Cam.
Silver Circle Lucky Ticket is fast approaching
     If you have not already got a ticket to the one and only Rangers Lucky Ticket draw, make sure you do. Hosts Cam Scott and Scott Jenkins have discussed their outfits for this year and going on last years, the event is shaping up to be a cracker. Tickets are $25 and can be bought from members of the club. If you do want one, just drop into Londrigan Meats in the Wangaratta Plaza, they have a book for sale on the counter. Date is Saturday 6th August, 6pm at “The Ranch”.
Ranger Ramble 2016.
     Venue is Adelaide. Flights are booked. Final piece of the puzzle has been completed. Accommodation is organised. Now, all that needs to happen is the punters club getting some wins so we  can fund a bit more of the trip. Jet setters Nathan Pool and Travis Frost are already dreaming of a big return for the group in Las Vegas. They have talked about it so let’s hope they back it up. Trip is from Friday 30th September to Monday 3rd of October. Remember, four games to qualify or other monetary compensation is required.
Where is the tin?
     Talking of monetary requirements…anyone seen the tin? There are a few of the Ranger faithful who may owe a little bit of coin from over the past few weeks. The club may not have played much but still the penalties tick over. If you do something silly (there are plenty of us out there) then make sure you pay your dues.
Tip your hat to Butts
     Rob “Butts” Seymour is a man of many hats. He has worked very hard over the past few months perfecting the new look of the Wangaratta Rangers playing caps along with the North Eastern Baseball Association representative side. Finally, he has put it all together and there are some ripping playing caps getting around. If you want one see Butts at training or on game day. He will let you know the price.
Well done Damo French
     Young Ranger Damian French represented the Bendigo side at the under fourteens representative carnival held over the previous weekend in Melbourne. From the looks of things Damo held his own playing a variety of roles for his adopted side. He had a great weekend capped off with Most Valuable Player honours for Bendigo. Great job Damo.
Three weeks to go
     Only three weeks left in the North Eastern Baseball Association season. Get down and get around the club for the run into the August finals. It would be great to see as many faces as possible down at The Ranch before the end of the season. Drop in for a chat, a throw or even dinner. All are welcome at Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club.
 
Rangers News
  • Fees are due. See Scott Jenkins for more details
  • Silver Circle August 6th from 6pm. Tickets are selling fast $25.
  • Training Wednesday night from 6pm. Food will be available.
  • Rangers Black vs Warriors White Springdale 11:30am
  • Rangers Orange vs Benalla Benalla 1pm
  • Caps. See Butts for more details
  • Family Day- date to be confirmed. Spinner to update shortly.
  • Punters club money is due. See Cam Scott for more information
  • Bunnings Barbecque middle of August, More details to follow
  • Follow us on Facebook Twitter and teamapp. Look for Wang Rangers.
  • Ranger Ramble Adelaide Grand final weekend September 30th
  • Happy birthday to Mrs Soak Lauren Grenfell
That’s it from me this week and
Go Rangers