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.

 

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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 February 21 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to another summer snapshot of what is going on at Wangaratta’s one and only Rangers Baseball Club. Over the past week we have begun training, devised some big plans for the club rooms and even had a throw and a hit for good measure. We have welcomed some new faces around the club and all the usual suspects are gearing up for another season in the North Eastern Baseball Association. Before that there are plenty of things to discuss and other newsworthy items. Let’s get down to it.
T-Ball is a tearaway hit!
     Each Wednesday night the sultans of swing Bryan “Moose” Wilson, Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool along with Tony “Spinner” Smith and Kevin “The Legend” Pool have been putting the junior rangers through their paces. Last week saw over twenty kids running the bases hard and learning the skills of Rangers Rookie ball. In the next few weeks look for some exciting announcements about what the Ranger Rookies will be receiving. In the meantime look for Moose’s recaps on the Facebook site along with the clubs website. If you want to get involved head down to Targoora Park each Wednesday night from 6pm. All are welcome.
CODS update.
     Yes again some peoples favourite topic, CODS is almost here. The Older blokes have had a run around for the first time together for 2017 on Monday night. Looks like Rob “Butts” Seymour does not know when or how to slow down judging by his gravel rash on his leg. His excuse? He forgot he was wearing shorts. Good start to the cod season there. Since when have the cods boys slid in to base anyway? Bet you won’t see Rob “Beaker” Barbour doing that! In other Cod news, looks like all the usual suspects are gearing up for another trip the Victorian masters games in Ballarat. The carnival runs from March 17-19. Roll those arms over gentlemen they are going to get a workout!
Anyone seen the Big Cod Brownlie
     It has been a few weeks since Mick “the big Cod” Brownlie has been seen. Rumor has it he has put in a solid summer in preparation for his return to the Cod uniform in 2017. Brownlie has much to prove on the diamond this year. Wodonga’s Ash “Rockstar” Meyers is ready pumped and primed for the campaign ahead. Once again most eyes will be on Brownlie to see if he can defend his mantle as “The Big Cod”.
Wednesday night training
     Yes the Rangers boys and girls are back in training on Wednesday nights from 6:30pm down at Targoora Park. There are some new faces young and old looking to wear the orange and black this year for Wangaratta. Already the comments on some abilities to hit a ball have come into question. Jason “The Game” Jonker was questioning Cam “The Soak” Scott’s ability to hit the ball.  Later on while down in a short bit of infield work, Jonker failed to pick one ball up cleanly. This delighted the Soak taunting him “Just wait till you pick the ball up cleanly then how good will you be!” Once again the banter has started early.
Pres’s Prattle
     Tony “the master of Spin” Smith is a busy man once again leading the club from the front. In conjunction with line drive he is one of the main mouth pieces for this little club we call ours. Contrary to his name Spin is to the point and pulls no punches. He is a master grounds keeper over the summer time making sure the  surface of Rangers diamonds will be up to scratch once the season begins. Make sure you check out his posts on both the Rangers Facebook page and on the Rangers website. http://www.wangarattarangers.baseball.com.au
Spaniard living the summer siesta life.
     Well not entirely….. Angus “The Spaniard” Young has been plying his trade this summer with the Footscray Baseball Club. Talk is he enjoyed it so much that he is going to extend this to the Melbourne Winter season. Good luck Gus keep swinging and connecting.
The Rams are coming
     Saturday 4th March pencil it in Rangers and Codsters alike Croydon Rams will make a visit for a game and some true country baseball hospitality. If you are available for the game please let the club know and there will be a spot for you waiting and ready to go. More the merrier. Come down get involved and be seen around the club early on.
Rangers want you
     It takes many hard working individuals to make a club run smoothly. From chasing sponsors to cleaning up the diamonds, every little bit helps. Remember we play baseball because we love it and we love our club. We are all busy but come down get involved do a little bit to help out. Have a look, grab a rake, cook a meal, no matter what it is the club is always grateful.
Now for the Club stuff
  • Cods training next Monday night 6pm
  • T-ball Wednesday nights 6pm. Training 6:30pm
  • Practice match vs Croydon Saturday 4th March get along and get involved
  • Victorian Masters Games March 17-19 Ballarat
  • Bunnings BBQ if available let the club know
  • Start of season 2nd of April (oh wow wee)
  • Follow us on Twitter @Wangrangers and on Team app.
More in the next few weeks. Thanks for reading and
Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive Summer Edition 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to the Summer edition of North Eastern Baseball favorite publication. It has been a quiet off season for the men and women of Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club but this will all change pretty soon with the season fast approaching. Once again this year the club will be professionally run by the master of the prattle President Tony “Spinner” Smith along with the motley crew of characters which make up the one and only baseball club in the rural city of Wangaratta. So if you are a first time reader I welcome you and for all you returning readers welcome back and hope you enjoy the insights into what is going down at “The Ranch”. Enough of the introduction let’s get down to what is going on and what is coming up.
Ranger Ramble another smashing success.
     It has been quite a break since our last little correspondence. Since then, twelve intrepid souls headed over to Adelaide for 2016 edition of Ranger Ramble. Now thinking back to then the weather was not kind to the South Australians. Cam “The Soak” Scott and Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo went a day ahead as a scout party and found out the op shop game in Adelaide is not nearly as good as Melbourne’s. When the other men arrived their outfits were pretty impressive. Though all agree wearing op shop shoes is not a great idea. Anyhow the highlight of the weekend was most certainly the AFL Grand final on the balcony down in Glenelg. A great day was had by all. To the organiser Daniel “The Griff” Griffin well done. Where to next men?
Happy Trails Dylan
     Over the summer the club waived goodbye for the time being to Dylan “Pickle” Cowan. Dylan and his lovely wife Marnie have headed back to America as Dylan got a offer for further study. He will be sadly missed by all of us at the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club and along with the wider sporting community. It was a very good article in the Wangaratta Chronicle highlight how much of an impression Dylan has left on countless people. Good luck on the studying Dylan. We will see you soon.
Nambrok take on the world.
     Over the Holiday period four intrepid members of Wangaratta’s favorite boy band “Nambrok” took what looked like one amazing trip overseas taking in Hawaii, Canada and the United States. From the pictures the boys posted on scoial media all were having a great time and left one Daniel “Hank Scorpio” McCullough behind for the year. Have a great year abroad Chopper. This writer is sure you will.
Golfing conundrums
     Now there are quite a few at the club who do like a hit of golf. Some play better than others. This was clearly evident one Novmeber morning with Testu “Iron Chef” Kamiyama, Rob “Butts” Seymour and Cameron “The Soak” Scott. The Soak was never in the hunt all daty at black bull where he once again gave a up a few golf balls into the numerous water holes around the course. Each time one of the others had a laughr at someone else expense they too would fall foul of the golf gods and their ball would disappear. By the end “The Soak” was clear winner with a ball score of six under. That’s six balls into the water, with four balls lost on on the one hole. If you play bBlack Bull, make sure you hit the ball straight. A wonderful but very unforgiving golf course.
Cods update.
     Yes Kelsey Burder’s favorite topic. CODS. The boys are suiting up for the annual trek to Ballarat from March 17 to 19. Already many of the boys are getting a bit excited for renewing acquaintances with old mates and the possibilities of new friendships. Big Cod Mick Brownlie is very psyched and is looking forward to renewing his friendship with Rob “Butts” Seymour. Not sure how Buttsy is felling about it. The boys will be getting together for run soon. Some specific training will be in order for Cod brother Rob “beaker” Barbour who is going to learn the art of where not to stand to get hit by a ball.
Let’s get together for a run
     Wednesday 15th February it has been decided to come down dust off the glove and shoes and come down for a hit and a run around. T-ball will be on as well so come along have a look at our future> Coaches Moose and The Legend Kevin Pool are doing a terrific job with the young guys and girls and more to help out the merrier. So be ready Wednesday 15th from 6pm. If you want to come down for a throw and a hit you are in!
Short one so here is some club news
  • Training 15th February
  • Possible game 4th March TBC
  • Victorian Masters Games March 17-19 Ballarat
  • Bunnings BBQ 25th March
So in all welcome back and most importantly spread the word about Wangaratta Rangers
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.
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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 August 24th 2016

Posted on by LineDrive
Greetings and welcome once again to another week of news and stories about Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. The grand finals have been run and won in the North Eastern Baseball Association. All Finals were played in Wodonga at Gayview Park. Benalla and Wodonga Warriors started the day off with Benalla winning 12-0. In the morning final the men from Wangaratta Rangers Orange jumped NASC Bears Gold early and ran out winners 11-3. In the last game of the day after five tight innings bears opened the throttle and ran away with the final 17-3. It was a great day of Baseball in the North easy and special thanks needs to to go to the Wodonga Warriors Baseball Club for getting the grounds looking great and to all supporters who came down to watch throughout the day. So what else is news?
Orange go from strength to strength
     The Wangaratta Rangers Orange men have shown great improvement throughout the season. After a rough start early on, the boys knuckled down and were able to string together some wins for the end of the year. This was evident in the elimination final against Porepunkah Panthers. In the decider the following week, The orange bats came alive from the first inning and behind some great pitching by Brendon “#59” French the boys got the job done. Man of beard and memeber of the Nambrok crew Daniel “The Transporter” Griffin had a day out with the bat racking up hits at will. Griff has been in a purple patch of form with the bat and glove the past few weeks. Not to be out done Ranger cult hero Kyle “The Thrill” Gilmore lived up to his name and was instrumental in getting the out to end the game. The crowed roared for Gilly and was a fitting end to a great game.
Orange winning 2016
Winners are grinners Ranger Orange. Thanks to Tania Pool for the image
Kelsey “The mini bus” Burder steps up when it counts
     The last few weeks has seen Orange manager go through some tough times with his chargers. It all started with the savaging as mentioned in the previous edition of this column when the doyen of the Rangers, the man with the poison pen Kevin Pool savaged Burder for his pitching ability against Porepunkah. This has not stopped since with his men calling him “The Mini Bus”. A few members of the club could not work it out why he was being called a mini bus. The boys enlightened those who did not understand that he is only half a coach! So hence the name mini bus. This had stemmed from him forgetting gear amongst other things on gamedays. However when it came to grand final day Mini Bus  Burder was able to be upgraded to a fully fledged 57 seater coach. He called a great game from behind the plate and chased down every foul fly ball. He hit the ball hard and was constantly heard throughout the game. He was the leader of his pack. His pack responded by playing hard and fair. Congratulations Coach on a great job in 2016 with Wangaratta Rangers Orange.
Chopper Wiggle
     When standing in the batting box many base-ballers have habits that they do to get ready. Multi sport athlete and all round great guy Daniel “Chopper” McCullough has the bum wiggle while getting settled up at the plate. With the high hoop socks and always immaculate appearance it has become a ritual at each Ranger game. The wiggle worked as Chopper hit and had a day out at centre field. Now he is chuffed to have played in a winning final with his great mates The Nambrok Boys. It has been great having you down at the Ranger Ranch this year Chopper.
On base machine Doc
Sean “The Doc” Warfe mentioned that this is his first grand final win in a very long time and he was proud to be a Ranger for it. He should be as Sean has been in white hot form as an on base machine. In the past couple of weeks he racked up walk after walk and hit after hit. This gave the rest of the lineup a perfect launching pad to score the runs they did. Great stuff Sean!
Rangers Black fall short.
     With The Orange men winning in the curtain raiser, rangers Black were looking to defend their title against a very determined Bears Green. It was a game that had it all, great hitting, good defense but someone always has to win. In this case it was Bears Green. No matter what the Ranger men tried it just was not meant to be this year. After five tight innings the floodgates opened and Bears Green were never in trouble after that. The score does not give a true indication on how long the game was tight for. At the end of the day Bears Green was just too good. The Ranger boys stuck around and had a drink with their fellow baseball brothers after the game as it always should be done. Win lose or draw always stick around have a chat and a drink with the other clubs who worked hard to put on a great grand final day. That’s one thing Rangers should always be proud of. There is always next year gentlemen.

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Wodonga Warriors know how to style it at the Grand Final
     With Wangaratta’s ground being underwater again, the Grand Final was moved up the Hume to Wodonga’s Gayview Park. The ground was in much better shape than Wangaratta’s and was the perfect choice for the final. The boys had it looking tidy and sensational and the canteen was stocked. One more point of difference was their fire drum. It was portable. This does not sound any different to many fire drums around the state but the main point of difference as it was a washing machine drum in a shopping trolley. This made it very easy for the Warrior boys to wheel it around and keep warm wherever they were. Each year our Warrior brothers entertain and support the grand final in the best way possible. With good humor and fun. On behalf of Wangaratta Rangers, thank you for your hospitality all season with our ground being unplayable. All for the good of baseball in the North East.
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Ready for action Warrior style!
Seasons over Let’s celebrate with strange phone calls
     Sunday night the Ranger family gathered back at Targoora Park for Pizzas supplied by Cafe Martini and a catchup and debrief about the days play. All celebrated in style round the fire with some “interesting” conversations on the telephone. Thinking back over past grand final nights this is nothing unusual. In the past few years phones have been broken random strangers called, so in all was just another night at Ranger land really.
Presentation night Saturday 24th September
     Same place as last year upstairs at Cafe Martini Wangaratta, 6pm onwards Saturday 24th September. All are welcome and Annual general meeting will take place before the presentation. Come along celebrate a great year in true Ranger style.
Ranger Ramble 2016 Radelaide 
     Voted the best club trip by any club in the north east for another year is only a month and days away. A theme has been decided upon. It will be $25 best op shop with tags to be still on the garments. This is for authenticating the stipulations and conditions. A prize is awarded to the Ranger with the best choice of threads. Those who are going get saving and be ready for a cracker of a weekend. Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo and Cam “the Soak” Scott are so excited they booked an earlier flight and arrive on the Thursday! More details to follow.
Season may be over, time for T-ball
     In the coming months T-ball will begin again for another summer. Look for more details on the Wangaratta Rangers website in the coming weeks for more details. One thing is for sure Bryan “Moose” Wilson is raring to go with his budding ground of future Rangers.
Photos galore!!!
     It was great to see on the Facebook page an assortment of photos from both Wangratta Rangers Black and Wangartta Rangers Orange games. The photos that were shared were sensational. It gives a real picture of what Rangers are all about. A family. A friend  of Line Drive wished the club good luck on Sunday morning from London. Claire Smith may be on the other side of the planet but she had time to thinkk about the family that is Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. On behalf of myself Line Drive and all other members of the club we thank our supporters, scorers, sponsors for season 2016. We hope to see you all out there cheering us on in 2017.
Ranger News 
  • Presentation 24th September pm Cafe Martini Wangaratta. All welcome
  • Ranger Ramble 2016 September 30th to October 3 Adeliade
  • If you have a community Raffle book please get it back to the club ASAP
  • T-Ball to begin after daylight saving start. More details will follow later
  • Follow us on twittter @WangRangers on Team App and on Facebook
  • New stubby holders available See Butts for details
  • Can we mention CODS yet? Please can we? Oh wait I did!
  • Note the editor is away so if it not makes sense apologies!
Well that’s it for this edition. Been another big season. I seem to say that each year. To all who I have thanked mentioned throughout the year or maybe not thank you. Till our next time thanks for reading and….
Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive August 11th 2016

Posted on by LineDrive
Greetings and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. Wow what a weekend the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club have had. It all started on Saturday night with the successful running of North Eastern Baseball function of the year; Wangaratta Rangers Silver Circle. The successes continued on into Sunday with The Rangers Black squad a few players down getting over a determined and dogged Benalla Bandits. The end score was not a true reflection of how competitive this game was. The Rangers Orange squad had he week off. Hope they had a nice day on the couch wherever that may have been. Next week It’s finals time at Springdale Heights Lavington. More about that later. What else is news? I hope you keep reading!
Silver Circle Lucky Ticket a smashing success
     Over the past weekend saw the holding of the annual North Eastern Baseball function of the year; Wangaratta Rangers Lucky Ticket Draw. There was a good crowd in attendance once again and Rob “Butts” Seymour thinks it was was the best one yet. Plenty of fun was had on the microphone, in the coin toss, and of course on the lucky ticket draw. All members of the club chipped in and lent a hand when it was needed. This enabled the night to be another runaway success. The roast beef rolls supplied by Londrigan Butchers was extremely well received. The bar staff led by The Pres Tony “Spinner” Smith were outstanding behind the jump. Now onto next years event where the club will be looking to keep the good vibe of the evening rolling.
Late night grooving at Targoora
     Once the draw was done and dusted, the lights were dimmed and many of the Rangers faithful let their hair down with some very amusing dance moves. Brad “Undies” Murdoch and Cheyne Gilmore were very impressive with their moves to Darude “Sandstorm” which left the crowd cheering for more. Kelsey “Burderonthedancefloor” Burder did not disappoint with his great rendition of Peter Garrett dancing. Very hard to top that. When the Club shut up for the night the Kelsey kept the good vibes rolling by playing Lowrider by War. A classic! Good taste in music Kelsey
Tetsu arrives!
     Late on Saturday night when the good folk down at Targoora were having a wow of a time Tetsu “IronChef” Kamiyama appeared out of nowhere! Sadly he missed the end of the draw but was enjoying himself at the wonderful dance moves that were out on the dance floor at Club Targoora Saturday night.
Black get the job done with eight players!
     Last Sunday While the Orange boys had the week off, the Wangaratta Rangers Black squad traveled down to Benalla once more to take on the Benalla Bandits. Benalla’s home ground has held up probably the best in the association this winter and once again thank them for their hospitality in getting a game of baseball in. Rangers Black only had eight players of varying fitness at their disposal after the previous nights festivities down at Targoora Park. However it did not seem to have any effect on the men as they hit and ran and played with greater intensity. They did not have it all their own way as Benalla hit the ball and made Rangers Black earn their win. Travis “Iceman” Frost was so relaxed in the batting box that he sent his bat into orbit over the fence and almost collecting a few spectators with it. For the record it was strike three too.
Hold onto that bat Frosty
Hips don’t lie
Wyatt the Ball Magnet  
     Seems to not be a week that goes by that Mick “The Skipper” Wyatt does not seem to get plugged by the ball. It happened twice on the weekend. There is one person who can solely sympathise with him being one Rob “Beaker” Barbour. Beaker can get hit by a ball when not even playing. Try that for luck.
KP the man with the poison pen
     A couple of weeks ago known Peter Garret fan Kelsey Burder decided to spice things up and bit and thought pitching looked quite easy. So he wrote the team sheet out and started himself on the hill for the Orange squad. After an inning where he failed to achieve an out for 40 minutes Burder decided to throw the ball to The reliable one Jason “Gamer” Jonker . This did not go unnoticed by ranger legend Kevin pool who is his weekly write up in the Wangaratta Chronicle was savage on his thoughts about Burder’s pitching abilities. When asked what he though of KP’s remarks, Kelsey in his usual laconic way said he agreed and Kev did not miss with his opinion that he should stick to catching. Check out last Friday’s edition of the Chronicle for the writeup (5/8/2016)
Finals time
     The season is done and now two weeks of finals. Rangers Orange will play Porepunkah Panthers at Springdale at 11:30am Sunday while Rangers Black will tackle Wodonga Warriors White at 2:15pm. Both must win to progress. These two games will not be easy and once again will be played in good spirit by all teams involved. If you go nothing to do Sunday come up to Springdale Heights near the Springdale tavern and come see some baseball North East style! Best of luck to all competing clubs.
Bunnings BBQ this Weekend
     This Saturday all the Ranger legends will be cooking a snag and saying hello at Bunnings in Wangaratta. Drop in say hi to the friendly Ranger folk grab a snag. Everyone loves a Bunnings snag. The season may soon be over but here at the ranger land there are many great plans in the pipeline for the club to improve upon. All are welcome.
Ranger Merchandise
      Coming soon new ranger merchandise. Most notably stubby holders. Everyone loves a Wangaratta Rangers Stubby holder don’t they!  Man of action Rob Seymour will be sourcing these from a good place soon. Look to get one. They always go quick!
T-Ball to return
     Watch this space ladies and gentlemen. Bryan “Moose” Wilson is already thinking of drills and skills the young future Rangers are going to develop this spring and summer time down at the Ranch. So sweet new Ranger tops are in the pipeline and more details about this will follow in upcoming editions. Make sure you keep up to date on Teamapp, Twitter and Facebook.
Ranger Club News
  • Finals this week Sunday Springdale Heights. All welcome spread it!
  • Bunnings BBQ August 13th, Roster up on Facebook page please have a look
  • Follow us on Facebook Twitter and Teamapp. Look for Wang Rangers.
  • Presentation Cafe Martinis September 24th
  • Ranger Ramble Adelaide Grand final weekend September 30th
  • T-ball to begin in coming months. More details to follow
  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY AZZA PARKER!!!
Well that’s it for this weeks edition. Big weekend ahead. Thanks for reading
Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive August 1st 2016

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome once again, to a cold winters edition of Rounding Third. It has been a rather wet and damp week here in North East Victoria. This has played havoc with the scheduling of games where three out of the five venues where baseball is played, have been unplayable.
Finally, after much deliberation, Benalla Bandits were able to hold two games a couple of weeks ago. In the early game, Wangaratta Rangers Black scored a convincing win over Wodonga Warriors White. Special mention to players who filled in for Warriors White and helped them field nine for the game.
While in the late game, from all reports, was a cracker. Benalla Bandits came out winners over a dogged Rangers Orange outfit by three runs. A huge thankyou goes out to those who came, played, umpired, scored and ran the canteen at Benalla.
     Over the past weekend, three out of the four games were able to get up and running. The Rangers Black men tackled a red hot Bears Green who proved too strong for Rangers, while in the late game the Rangers Orange boys got a positive result over a brave Porepunkah Panthers 9-7. Only one week before the finals begin and the Rangers men look to get themselves right for the finals. Hopefully there will be some sunshine in the North East to help dry the already sodden ground, but hey that is winter baseball isn’t it?
Welcome back #13
That ball is going iin the wrong direction #25
All in the stance #4
Rain Rain go away
     More rain during the week has not helped the boys and girls down at Targoora Park. It has been almost five weeks since the boys have been able to train on their own diamond as the ground is just waterlogged. Ranger identity, Rob “I am never angry” Seymour, says he has never seen the diamond this wet. Many others around the club are scratching their heads to remember when they last saw diamond one being the muddy soggy mess it is. The problem is that the club have not been on it, but at the same time, it has not improved. Fingers crossed we get some sunny days in the weeks ahead to help dry the ground out a bit. This will be a topic of much discussion in the weeks to come.
The Burgers are better at the Benalla Canteen
     A very big thank you needs to be extended to the Benalla Bandits Baseball Club who helped out by hosting two games over the past weekend. One other point of difference is the BBQ canteen and fire pit. The fire took a bit to get going last Sunday but it was nice and toasty for the finish to the Rangers Black vs Warriors White match. Even better was the array of good food to eat at the Canteen. Someone asked Mick “The Skipper” Wyatt a question while in the middle of a burger. He could not answer as the burger was in his words “soooo good”. This was backed up by Bryan “Moose” Wilson and others. Next time if you go to baseball in Benalla grab a snag and a burger from them. It is worth it.
 
Bradburn has a day out in Benalla
     Young hard swinging lefty Jack Bradburn had a day out versus Benalla a fortnight ago. From all reprots Jack hit the ball hard and was cool calm and collected on the diamond. Great job Jack, we hope the hot form continued over the past weekend at Porepunkah.
Bit cold men??
Trying to arty at Benalla
Spirit is the key
     One thing the Rangers boys pride themselves is team spirit. This was clearly evident over the weekend where Dan “Always in the Paper” McCullough put his hand up to help out Benalla. He took a few catches, got a few hits and qualified for the trip as well. Much must be said about the rest of the boys availability week in week to don the orange and black in rather adverse conditions. A big mention needs to go to those who come watch us each week in whatever the conditions throw at them. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Trip away get excited.
     I seem to talk about this every week but it’s getting closer. Master of trip Daniel “The Griff” Griffin has installed a “2IC” for the trip. His name is Cam “The Soak” Scott. So excited is Soak that he and Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo are going a day early to scope out the place, and work out the “lay of the land” of RAdelaide. It has been a few years since Soak has been there but the boys will be looking forward to watching the footy and some baseball, over the South Australian public holiday long weekend.
Tin is found!
The Ranger fine tin has been a hot topic of conversation over the past few weeks. Many Ranger faithful have racked up a decent amount of IOU’s for the tin, however no one has been able to locate it. Finally the club got a lead. It happened to be hidden in such a safe place that even Rob “Butts” Seymour could not remember till now. So now is the time to pay up and have some fun.
Silver Circle Lucky Ticket is one week away!!!
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, this event is shaping up to be a cracker. Tickets are $25 and can still be bought from members of the club.Word is Angus Young will be in attendance. It will be great to see him and everyone who comes out to “The Ranch” for a great night. For those who read this and have tickets please get them back to Scotty Jenkins this week.
 
Lolly Lolly gonna get me some red frogs
     One real bonus each week in the Rangers dugout, is the selection of lollies on offer to the members of the team to keep their energy up. Di Parker certainly selects the best lolly mix each week. By the end of the game there is never manyleft. She has yet to tell us what brand the lollies are. My tip, The Natural Confectionary company. Thanks Di.
 
Bunnings BBQ 
     The Wangaratta Rangers baseball Club has secured a Saturday at Bunnings Wangaratta. The Pres Tony “Spinner” Smith has been busily hustling up the numbers to man the BBQ. Get involved, come down for a sang and support the club. Saturday August 13th is the time. Check Wangaratta Rangers on Facebook for more details.
 
Welcome back The Jet Set
     Welcome back from overseas to Travis “Iceman” Frost and Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool. Both have returned with an array of different caps and plenty of great tales to tell. From following online, it looks like they all had a great time. Now they have come back for the nitty gritty end of the season, and to help the Rangers Black quest for back to back flags.
 
Wednesday night tea
     Good friend of Line Drive, Cam “The Soak” Scott will be back in the kitchen this week. On the menu, Bangers and Mash with corn on the cob and gravy! Come down on Wednesday night for a chat, a feed and a laugh. Mick already says he wants Spins food.
Rangers Club 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  Benalla venue TBA
  • Rangers Orange vs Bears Gold venue TBA
  • Caps. See Butts for more details
  • Punters club money is due. See Cam Scott for more information
  • Bunnings BBQ August 13th, More details to follow
  • Follow us on Facebook Twitter and Teamapp. Look for Wang Rangers.
  • Ranger Ramble Adelaide Grand final weekend September 30th
  • Happy horse birthday too August 1st!!! Punters might be an omen!!!
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

Rounding Third By Line Drive June 27th 2016

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome again to another edition of North Eastern baseball’s one and only look into the people and personalities of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. Over the weekend both teams were in action at Springdale Heights in Lavington. Wangaratta Rangers Black too on Porepunkah Panthers in the early game. The boys got the job done by the score of 13-6. While in the late game the Wangaratta Rangers Orange crew proved no match to a well drilled Bears Green. They were gallant in defeat by the score of 10-0. Thanks goes to those who umpired, did the scoring and went along to support the lads. This coming weekend there is a general bye as The Victorian State Winter U/16’s Baseball Championships are being held in Wangaratta. So if you want your baseball fix come along and have a look at that!. What else is news this week……
 
Soaks Kitchen Report.
     Last Wednesday it was great to see fourteen of the Ranger faithful turn up for Soaks Kitchen of Pulled Chicken, coleslaw and chips. It was well received by the punters that The Soak Cam Scott did not have any to take home! He did however save a bit for Mrs Soak Lauren Grenfell who was very grateful for it for her dinner. So now who’s turn is it to put on the spread Wednesday night?
 
Silver Circle Lucky Tickets
     Once again Silver Circle Lucky tickets are available from members of the club for the August 6th extravaganza! Tickets are selling fast so contact who you know in the club to get yours as soon as possible. This is our main fundraiser for the year so be great for all of you tom come along and have a good night at The Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. If you are keeping score of most ticket seller Bryan “Moose”Wilson is leading that stat.
 
Under Sixteens Rep is here in Wangaratta July 2 and 3
     Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club is again hosting the Victorian State Winter U/16’s Baseball Championships over July 2 and 3. Once again like all the other clubs in the competition we have some roles and duties to fulfill. “The Pres”Tony Smith has been a busy bee with others getting the place looking great for the upcoming weekend. Now it is up to the rest of us to give him a hand over the two days. Come down, spend some time around the club, help out the association. The more club members available will make it all run smoothly once again. Nothing better than spending time with you baseball brothers and sisters. Fingers crossed the weather stays dry and clear for a few days to give the grounds a bit more of a chance to look even better. For those reading this from afar and coming to Wangaratta we hope you enjoy your weekend in the North East.
Mystery of Lucky ticket solved.
     Last week a tale was told about a mystery person winning a lucky draw. Now more information came to light in the week where it was a person sitting right beside Mick “Skipper”Wyatt after the game in Wodonga. This person did not say anything while Mick was telling the tale of the mystery winner. The only way he spilt the beans was in a phrase to Lauren Grenfell. “Well that pays for the trip”. When questioned on this the cheeky one also said ït’s for the trip too”. Well played number 12…Well played!
 
We’re all going on a summer holiday!
     Well not all of us but a few are lucky enough to pack their bags and head overseas for a week or two. Some are getting to watch some Baseball in their travels. Others are going to be sampling some of the best stuff Asia has to offer. Safe travels to those venturing off for a few weeks. This scribe is pretty sure there will be plenty of updates across all social media platforms to make the rest of us jealous about.
Punters Club update
     In a sentence….going along……yeah let’s just say going along. Come on gentlemen! We need a bit of spark in this department. Otherwise a small dividend will be available in the end. The more banter there is the better we go. Be brave put your hand up to have a crack and lets see if it can be turned around.
Batting cage Wednesday night
     Get down to the Ranch this Wednesday night for some much needed hitting practice in the cage. A meal will be on offer as per the usual Wednesday night so let Chef Spin know if you wish to partake in some awesome food. Get down and get around the club ladies and gents. It’s going to be a big couple of weeks!
 
Ranger News
  • Fees are due. See Scott for details
  • If you are paying week to week for umpire money let Cam know where you are up to.
  • U/16’s winter Championship weekend July 2nd and 3rd Wangaratta. Shifts to be posted on Facebook
  • Skippers Night July 2nd
  • Dinner Wednesday night 6pm down at the ranch
  • Silver Circle Saturday August 6th $25 a ticket. See club members for a ticket!
  • Bunnings BBQ Sat 13th August. Need 3 per shift. 8:30am to 4pm
It’s a short one this week. I am sure there will be more to report after the next weekend. Have a great week and…………………..
Go Rangers