Tag: North East Victoria

Rounding Third by Line Drive April 3rd 2019

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to the ‘Post Cods’ edition of Rounding Third. The North Eastern Baseball Association season is only a few weeks away. Training is back in full swing for the good folk who play for Wangaratta Rangers. The coaches have been putting the players through their paces and it has been good to see some new young fresh faces out on the diamond the past couple of weeks. The draw has been finalised and opening weekend will be Sunday the 7th of April. Rangers will be heading down the Hume to take on Benalla Bandits at Racecourse Reserve. More about that later. Now onto some news about what has been happening with the Cods.
Cods show plenty of fight
    This year the Cods had a bit of an interrupted preparation for their 6th trip to the Victorian Masters baseball Championships. It seemed every week there was a new challenge to put a Cod 35 and 45’s team on the park. However to the credit of the team managers, fellow Cods, and word of mouth, two teams proudly put the teal and black on in 2019. The Cods’s 35’s had the bare nine for the weekend, while the 45’s had one less. However both teams still did the North East proud. The 35’s had their best weekend on the diamond to date winning three and losing one over their four games, while the 45’s had their chances to notch a win but unfortunately fell just short. From all accounts from Line Drive’s spies in Ballarat,  all who suited up had a great time once again. Many have put their hand up for next year already. A big thank you to Ballarat Royals Baseball Club for putting on the weekend and the Alfredton Baseball Club who had very comfortable chairs to watch the game. A massive thank you to  Kingsley Collins who once again made the weekend run like clockwork. One thing for sure is that every Cod who does the four hour plus drive down from the North East to Ballarat and back again each year, continue to do so for the hospitality, camaraderie and a chance for a laugh, a drink and a bloody good weekend. Line Drive will return next year that’s for sure!
Cod banter
    The banter form the Cods was a little more subdued than past years. Maybe with the Shaun “Old School” O’Neil omission, the trip down was pretty tame. Enter Porepunkah’s Matty Shennan. The Punkah boys were running a little late and head Cod Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool was wondering where they were. Shennan was the first to pipe up and take on Pool on the chat. Shennan gave as good as he got on the chat and was asked to make sure he put his money where his mouth was on the diamond on Friday. From all reports from a Cod who was there, Matt Shennon gave a fine tribute to the sponsors with an epic Ice cream catch at left field. Not only did he play the two games for the 35’s, he was asked to bat nine and play right field for his third game of the day in the 45’s. A big first 24 hours, Shennan went on to have one of the more impressive rookie weekends many Cods have seen for a long time. Maybe a smoky for the pufferfish?
 
Socks maketh the uniform
    There have been many trends over the years with baseball uniforms. From the Knickerbocker look to the hemmed pant. From the hemmed pant to the un-hemmed baggy pant,  these have been quite subtle. The one area of the uniform that can make it stand out are under the pants, the humble sock. This year the Cods did some research and were able to get their hands on some old school style stirrup socks to jazz up the uniform. Five initial pairs were ordered and they have been a hit. Stirrup sock old timer,          Ash “Steel Panther” Meyers was suitably impressed with the colour and how it added to the complete package. Have a look for yourself below. Stirrup socks are back!
socks
Socks look pretty good 
The Pufferfish
    It has been a long operation for chief bean counter for the pufferfish award, Nathan “Fomo” Pool.  He has been tallying the votes and just generally waiting for those who went to Ballarat to get back to him. Meanwhile past winners Rob “Butts” Seymour, Ash “Steel  Panther” Meyers and Heath “Heater” Anders, are wondering if they are going to get their name engraved on the lump of wood for the second time. But the time has arrived to crown the 2019 Pufferfish winner. A rookie, Matty Shennan. Question is it silver or gold?
Thursday night training.
    Senior training is back for season 2019 and the Wangaratta Rangers encourage old and new players to come along, say hello and stay for a chat and a meal. Last week was a good old fashioned pie night and this week hot dogs are on the menu. During the year the players take it in turns to cook up a meal of their choice to the masses. One thing is for sure, the out of town travelers enjoy the meal. Remember $10 is all it costs and you always get plenty of food and drink for that amount. Hope to see you at training from 6pm Thursdays.
Season starts this weekend
    This weekend Wangaratta will head down the Hume to open their season against Benalla Bandits. Benalla have been very active over the summer time and it will be a good test to start the season. B-grade is from 11:30am while A-grade begins at 2:15pm at Racecourse Reserve Benalla. Drop in for a look if you are in the area on Sunday.
 
Now for the club stuff
  • Insurance for the season is now due. Check Teamapp and Wangaratta Rangers website for login details
  • Juniors Wednesday night from 5pm Come down and have a look.
  • Seniors training Thursday from 6pm and tea!
  • A and B grade both at Benalla Sunday from 11:30am
Thanks again and till next time,
Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive February 19th 2019

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to a February edition of Rounding Third. The heat has been well and truly on here in the north east of the state over the past four weeks. However with the heat, the busy committee at Rangers HQ have been working away feverishly behind the scenes to help improve the profile of the club and to make 2019 another extremely successful season. Now onto what has been going on. Line Drive went down to have a look last night and came away excited and encouraged by what is happening down at the ranch.
Junior Baseball back in full swing
    Junior coaches Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool and Owen “The Gaffer” Godenzi were very encouraged with the turnout for the first night Rangers Juniors 2019. From what I hear around the grounds, nineteen in the 8-14 year old range turned up for baseball drills while another twelve in the 5-8 year olds for T-ball. It was great to hear that Ranger senior players, Tetsu Kamiyama, Shaun “Old School” O’Neil, Kelsey “Dropsie” Burder,  were there to help out while Ranger legend Kevin Pool and Jamie Samuels ran the 5-8 year old with some parental help.
    In week 2, the boys and girls were put through their paces with a variety of hitting fielding and running drills. The three way rotation worked amazing and the smiles on both the kids and their parents faces was fantastic to see first hand. The talk after training and online has been extremely positive in how the nights are run with many participants now telling others to come along and have a go. The club is encouraging all players and supporters to come down, have a look, help out, see what all the hype is and get on board with what could be an exciting future for our club.  It will be on again over the next few Wednesday nights from 6pm at Targoora Park, Murdoch road Wangaratta.
Juniors look to return to the diamonds of the North East.
    The North Eastern Baseball Association are looking to run an under 14’s competition this coming winter season. The competition is proposed to be run on senior match days during term 2 of the school year which is from 28th of April till the 7th of July from 12:15pm-1:45pm. The Wangaratta Rangers are looking for any players interested aged 8-14 years old to be part of the new era of junior baseball in the north east. Spread the word and come along. In the mean time come along Wednesday nights to Targoora Park from 6pm. More information to follow.
Cod Season update
    The Cod season is well and truly upon all those who pull on the mighty teal and black of Cods Baseball. There has been a lot of back room talk about who is going to pull of the boots to go to Ballarat for the 2019 edition of Victorian Masters Baseball Championships. In the last edition of Rounding Third, it was noted that Cam “The Soak” Scott will not be making this years trip but since then a couple of other Ranger regulars have become unavailable too. One of the most prominent absentees will be perennial Golden pufferfish runner up and key Cod 45 player Rob ‘Beaker” Barbour. Fellow Cod Cam “Showtime” Rogers has declared the race extremely open this year with Beakers absence. Who is going to eat the extremely hot butter chicken this year Cam? Another front runner for the award was Shaun “Old School” O’Neil; who has also pulled the pin on his chance to take home the award. Could this give Rob “Butts” Seymour a free run at a second title?
    With the absence of some key cods in the 35+ category has seen an opportunity for some new Cods to earn their teal and black colours. New Cods this year sees Matt Shennan from Porepunkah, Aaron Holloway and Jono Rogers from Ringwood join the muddy bottom of the river environment that the Cods thrive in. Fellow Ranger Ross “Rossco” Johnson gets his Cod on this year for the first time. Welcome to the Cods men. Line Drive looks forward to hearing from his spies on the ground. Maybe “Cuts in the Cage” may be around to run their eye over the weekend as well
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Butts on a bike
    Speaking of Butts, it was good to see man about the northeast Rob “Butts” Seymour has joined the growing list of Ranger bikies! There have been a few posts popping up on social media of Butts enjoying his weekends on his new machine. It looks to be a very nice piece of machinery, and we all know Butts likes the best of the best.
Frosty Congratulations
    It was great to see over the summer that two of the coolest Rangers out there, got married in sunny beautiful Bali. A huge congratulation to Travis “Iceman” Frost and his wonderful bride Caz on their nuptials in front of their nearest and dearest. From all of us at Rangerland, Congratulations!
Muster night and training.
Muster night is fast approaching and the Wangaratta Rangers are on the lookout for new players. If you are interested in playing head down to Targoora Park on Wednesday 27th of February from 6pm onwards. All are welcome.
Ranger Club stuff
  • Working bee on final Friday of February from 5pm.
  • Muster night 27th February
  • Juniors Wednesday nights from 6pm.
  • Cods may have a run at some stage too!
Till next time
Go Rangers
Go Cods

Rounding Third By Line Drive Summer 2019 edition.

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the summer edition Rounding Third. It feels like it has been an eternity since we last had a chat. However the time is right to let you know what has been going on around the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball/Softball Club. The season is long past in the memory and a new committee has taken over the reins. Well not brand new. Just a few people have been shuffled around into new portfolios. The Ranger Ramble was another highlight and well there has been a plethora of birthdays. But we will get to all of that later. Hope you enjoy the read.

Pool is the new President.

    Local rubber-arm and world traveller Nathan “FOMO” Pool has taken over the top job at Wangaratta Rangers Baseball/Softball Club. Now regular readers know about Nathan’s credentials to be the top dog. 300 games, son of club legend Kevin Pool, a regular at Vic Winter carnivals for North East and regular attendee for CODS masters. Former president Tony “Spinner” Smith has moved over to become the treasurer. All other positions remained the same. A big thank you to Spinner and his work in the past four years as president and to Scott “Daddy Mack” Jenkins who now moves back into general committee from treasurer. Already the club are looking forward to season 2019. The next meeting will be this Friday the 11th of January from 7pm at the clubrooms. All are welcome.

30 is the new forty or is 40 the new 30?

    This year down at the club there has been a plethora of milestone birthdays. This year has seen Nathan Pool, Cam Scott and Mick “The Skipper” Wyatt all celebrate the big 40, while Scott “Big Daddy” Jenkins, Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore have celebrated 30. Over the past couple of months, the club has welcomed a couple more with Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder and offsider Sam “Goggles” Grigg joining the 30 brigade. Welcome to your respective clubs gentlemen.

Ranger Ramble VII run and won.

    In 2018 The Rangers end of season trip was another roaring success. The theme was western, and what a theme it was. From gunslinger Scott Jenkins, to Brad Undies Murdoch and Woody, Sam Grigg as Jesse, Jamies Samuels and Rob Seymour as Indians, Cam Scott and Lauren Dinsdale as bar staff, Nathan Pool and Daniel Griffin riding inflatable horses, it seemed everyone had a pair. We not everyone. Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder thought outside the square and came as a Western Bulldog footballer. Pretty inventive the writer thought. Anyhow the trip was to Phillip island and it was a great trip down. Once at San Remo and having the stretch of the legs the crew were met by a Ranger from afar Daniel “Hank Scorpio” McCullough who had flown in from Canada the night before. One thing is for sure Daniel “The Griff” Griffin is a great trip planner and this year did not disappoint. Who won best dressed you ask? Word has it Cam “The Soak” Scott took home the chocolates a source down on the trip tells me. Hope all who ventured down had a wonderful time.

Cod Season    

    Yes yes I have been very quiet since the end of the past winter season but now as the weather is warm our attention turns to the 2019 Victorian Masters Baseball Carnival. Once again hosted by those wonderful folks in Ballarat from 15th to 17th of March. Once again the Cods are looking for players for their 35 plus and their 45 plus line ups. There will be a couple of changes this year and one notable absentee will be Line Drive’s close friend Cam “The Soak” Scott. Due to a clash of dates he will not be making the trip. Fear not he will be still soaking it up! However Line Drive’s travelling fans may make another appearance. One knows for sure the Esmond Street boys like a trip to Ballarat for the weekend. Sorry Kelsey you will not see Line Drive and The Soak in the one place once again. For more information on Cods Masters Baseball and if you are interested on donning the Cods uniform check out https://www.facebook.com/Codsmastersbaseball for all your Cods needs.

Wangaratta Rangers juniors

 T-ball has been an exceptional success leading into the Christmas break with on average 30 kids having a crack at t-ball and now into junior baseball. Coaches Nathan Pool, Owen “The Gaffer” Godenzi are impressed with how the kids have taken to the game we all love. Looking at the posts online there has been many positive reviews of how the club is going about the development of baseball in Wangaratta. In the past week a new site has been set up for Junior baseball information. https://www.facebook.com/wangarattarangersjuniorbaseball/ is the link and there will be more content added to the site as we move towards the commencement of t-ball and junior baseball in late January early February. If you are interested in playing please email the club wangarattarangers@hotmail.com. We hope to see you soon down at Targoora Park.

Pickle Ball what is it?

    Now here is something that is completely different to the usual baseball news. Wangaratta’s favourite Canadian import Bryan “Moose” Wilson has been hard at it getting another game he loves off the ground in Wangaratta. The name of the game is pickle ball. The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It can be played using wooden or composite paddles in singles or doubles configuration. It is played on a court similar to the size of a badminton court and from all reports is a lot of fun. For those who are interested in having a hit for something different check out https://www.facebook.com/Wangaratta-Pickleball-494957764332723/

It’s been a while

I know a few of you out there has been wondering what had happened to Line Drive. He has a quiet few months on the information front. It was another good year for the club where many plans turned into achievements and there are many more good things in the pipeline in 2019. Come to think of it, he just suffered from the curse that was writers block and a little self doubt over whether or not do people like reading about what’s going on in North Eastern Baseball. That has now passed and is now looking forward to getting back into what is going on around the traps. Hope all out there has had a wonderful Christmas and new year period and looking forward to an enjoyable 2019.

Now for the club stuff

  • Committee meeting Friday 11th January from 7pm all are welcome
  • Junior baseball to fire back up late January Early February. more information to follow
  • Cods Masters March 15th to 17th if interested let the Codsters know via their page
  • Know anyone interested in playing drop us a line at wangarattarangers@hotmail.com
  • Check us out on Facebook the web, Twitter and on teamapp.
  • Anyone for golf? Might be time for a hit. Who is keen? Let Cam know

That’s it and till next time

Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive July 17th 2018

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to the mid winters edition of Rounding Third. Over the past few weeks Line Drive has had his winters hiatus. He returned this week to find out what the folk down at Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club have been up to the on and off the diamond. Since the last edition, Rangers Black and Orange have had mixed fortunes. Rangers Black dropped their first game of the year being blanked 10-0 by a very good Bears Green outfit. Since then they have ground out two wins over Benalla Bandits 18-8 and the past weekend defeating bears Gold 15-1. The latter result does not show how tight this game was until the Rangers offences, lead by Tetsu Kamiyama woke out of a Sunday morning slumber to break the game open late in the 5th inning.
    Rangers Orange have had three pretty good weeks. First of all they got the win over Bears Gold and then held on to defeat Porepunkah Panthers 9-8. However they came crashing back to Earth on Sunday going down 25-0 against Bears Green. With scores like that there are always highlights, so keep reading to find out who made the highlight reel this week. Next week rangers play host at Targoora Park on Saturday to Wodonga Warriors. So get down come have a look at some North Eastern Baseball if you are in the area.
Now onto what is going around the place at The Ranch
Lucky ticket this Saturday. Do you have one yet?
    This coming weekend sees the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball/Softball Club’s annual Lucky Ticket night. Hearing from those who have gone in past years, it has always been a cracking night and this year will be no exception. Once again all the regulars will be there but unfortunately, one thing will be missing. The hosts with best tweed sports coats in the North East Scott “Big Daddy” Jenkins and Cam “The Soak” Scott. With those being absent, look for the golden tonsils of Kyle “Gillypop” Gilmore and the one who never misses out, Nathan “Fomo” Pool to step into the breach. Tickets are still available from the club at $25 a piece. Roast beef rolls on the menu. The starts at 6pm at Targoora Park Murdoch Road Wangaratta. Drop the club a line or ask a club member if you  want a ticket.
Slamming Sammy steps up.
    it was a pretty tough going for the Rangers Orange boys and girls in the first few innings of Sunday’s game. Bears pitcher Tom Simmons was on a roll. He was striking out batters at will and those who made contact hit it straight to the Bears Green defense. Three and two thirds innings down not one Rangers Orange player had reached base. Enter number nine hitter Jamie “Slamming Sammy” Samuels who nonchalantly walked up to the plate and stepped into the batters box. Simmons delivered a high fast ball. Slamming Sammy said, “I like the look of that” and swung at the first pitch. Crack! The ball went flat over the head of the second baseman giving centre field no chance of getting to it. Jamie trotted up the line for the first hit of the game for Rangers Orange.The bench erupted with cheers as the perfect game was gone. One thing is for sure that when the next hitter got to the plate there was some serious heat coming their way. The poor batter was young Damien “Damo” French. Let’s just say the next three pitches were fired out at a fair velocity. Still you cannot take the hit away from Slamming Sammy Samuels!
Jamie gets a hit
Did I just get the first hit of the game? Thanks to Brendon French for the image
Dropsy at it again
   . Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder had an interesting game on Sunday. He spent a fair bit of the time on the ground as catcher and once he went to the outfield, he made anything that was routine, not look so routine. His best effort came late in the seventh inning where a simple fly ball buckled him at the knees and he took the catch almost lying down. One thing for sure his quick wit was still there by firing off one liners in reply to his catching ability.  Still, when you look at the score book it says Fly out to 9 (Right Field)
The Rookie
    Oh what are we to call Owen “O” Godenzi? The past weekend the men and women of Rangers Black worked it out. You see the new shirts arrived this weekend and Godenzi has been playing out of the foreign number of 31. However as soon as he slipped on the orange and Back of number 51, O was transformed into the “The Rookie”. The Rookie took to the hill and threw a very good game of baseball.  He went seven innings scattering four hits while striking out five batters. The big swing returned too with The Rookie hitting the ball hard and far into the outfield. Maybe, just maybe, this is the nickname for you number 51?
 
Azza in the name of glove
    Aaron Parker flashed the leather on multiple occasions up at Springdale Heights. First a ripping slips catch followed by some fancy glove work and multiple chances to throw runners out. At one point every time the ball went in the air many players and opposition players just called out “Azza it’s yours”. Way to let your glove do the talking at short stop Azza.
Azza flash the leather
Azza just showing the glove. Thanks to Brendon French for the image
Jenko vs O’Neil
    Scotty Jenkins was his acerbic best as he was throwing plenty of verbal jibes at Shaun “Old School” O’Neil’s ability to play outfield. From memory of the game on Sunday I think Old School played pretty well taking all chances in the field and getting a couple of hits as well. What did Jenko do one wonders? Have a look on Game Changer and you might find out.
Two games to go before finals.
    Yes only two games before finals. The club is calling on you all out there to make the effort come out to training on Thursday nights. This week the Good Doctors are cooking. If you want a good feed come out Thursday night from 6pm. You will not be disappointed.
The trip destination has been revealed.
  This years Rangers end of season trip has a distinctive island theme. Beaches, sand and good times. There may be some go-karting for known rev head Rob “Butts” Seymour. Last Thursday Daniel “The Griff” Griffin revealed that the Rangers are off to Phillip Island! Yes it will be a distinctive party like atmosphere for the road trip down to the penguin parade and the wildlife parks of Cowes. Now what is this years theme? That is yet to be decided. Will all of the big six return for a seventh trip? Start saving those pennies boys and girls as Ranger Ramble VII will be a ripper.
The Spaniard is living the dream
    Everyone’s Favorite Spaniard Angus “Gus” Young is currently making his way around the globe. From what Line Drive understands (via Gus’s Instagram, he is sampling the good life in Croatia. That Croatian football shirt he had on certainly did suit him and looks to be settling into life as the international traveller. Keep having a good time number 21.
 
Anyone seen Beaker?
    Yes Rob “Beaker” Barbour has disappeared again. Nathan “Fomo” Pool inquired about his whereabouts the other night at training. So it might be time to shake the tree again and maybe Beaker might fall out of it. Maybe he will appear this Saturday for the Lucky ticket night in Wangaratta? Any sightings of Beaker please let us know below is a picture of him.
Beaker
Where is Beaker????
Now to club stuff
  • Fees are due. They are cheap. $50 to be direct debited to the club. Message Scotty Jenkins for how to do this
  • Lucky ticket 6pm Saturday night Targoora park. Tickets are $25 and available from club members
  • Games are Saturday vs Wodonga at home. Please place on Team app if you are unavailable this weekend
  • North Eastern Baseball Association Presentation night Friday August 10th North Albury Sports Club. Please let Spinner know by Friday if you wish to attend.
  • Game reports are available on the website http://www.wangarattabaseball.com
Well that is about it for this week. Stay warm and dry and
Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive June 27th 2018

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. Week 9 of the North Eastern Baseball Association was played across the diamonds of the North East of Victoria. This past weekend saw the Rangers ladies and gentlemen head up the Hume to Wodonga, to take on the Wodonga Warriors. Rangers Orange opened the day against Wodonga Warriors White. Rangers jumped out of the blocks, took the lead and never looked troubled by white running out 17-3 winners. In the late game, Rangers Black exploded in the first innings piling on the runs to take a 11-0 lead after the top of the first. Wodonga then knuckled down and played good baseball to slowly claw their way back into the contest. However the damage was already inflicted and the end result saw a 15-3 victory to Rangers Black. Once again the diamond in Wodonga was in tip top condition and the canteen excellent. A huge thank you once again goes to the Ranger supporters who travel week in and week out in all sorts of weather to support the boys and girls. It is greatly appreciated by all the players. Now onto what has been going on down at Ranger Land. I would not be doing it justice if I do not say that plenty has been happening on and off the diamond. So let’s get into it.
Frenchies plays catch.
    While watching and scoring the first game on Sunday it was noted that French was throwing to French. Brendon “Frenchy” French was the pitcher while Damien “Damo” French was the catcher. Frenchy as usual threw a good game while Damo did not put a foot wrong behind the plate. In many other cases of father son pitcher catcher combinations is generally the other way around. One thing for sure is that this may not be the last time this year the French combination is used in Orange. Now how many other instances has this happened over the years of Baseball in Wangaratta? Might be a question to be put to the living legend Kevin Pool. Good stuff team French.
Junior capers.
    In between games at Wodonga over the weekend, the Wangaratta Rangers and Wodonga Warriors invited juniors of all ages to come down have a hit and a run around at Gayview park. It was extremely pleasing to see that there were over twenty kids running around having a hit of baseball out on the ground. Now this may not sound like a big deal but one thing the clubs are looking to push are the juniors. There a few members down at The Ranch thinking about how the club can introduce new players, young and old, to baseball across the North Eastern Baseball Association clubs. If you are reading this and know of anyone who may be interested in coming down for a hit, a catch, and a throw, they are more than welcome to come along. Or if you are just interested in what it is all about come have a look too! Spread the good word about baseball.
Pool puts the Rangers through their paces
    With numbers returning to the track after a couple of weeks off and some poor weather, Coach and media darling Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool decided to split the players into their Orange and Black squads respectively. So half would hit in the cage while the other half had a run around on the diamond. When it came to rangers Black, the boys started out just a little rusty. This frustrated the coach no end and the boys paid by having to do old fashioned push ups. It had been a while since many of the boys had done that many push ups. About half way through the muscle memory returned and the throwing and plays improved remarkably. To finish it off there was a follow the ball activity from Owen “O” Godenzi and this really got the steam coming out form under the caps of Rangers Black. Look back now after the weekend maybe the hard hit out was just what the boys needed as they were flawless in the field and took an 11-0 lead after one inning. One thing is for sure, if you put the work in on the track it helps on game day. Training is from 6pm on Thursdays at Targoora park.
Thursday night tea.
    Last week saw the return of the Thursday night dinner. The schnitzels, mash and gravy served up by The Dinsdale family was sensational. Not to mention there was dessert too. It definitely drew the punters in after training. At one point there was very little noise around the room, as all were tucking in to a great dinner. Thank you very much for that. This week the man who knows his cuts of meat Aaron “Azza” Parker looks to be the chef in control. Last week could be a hard act to follow Azza!
Who’s been seen in what caps?
    There was a bit of discussion around about a couple of ranger players seen in an opposition players cap. Now we are not going to name names as they know who they are, but just be aware the custodian of the tin is not impressed. So look for a fair old fashioned penalty coming the way of the said individuals. That’s all I am going to say on that.
Soak makes it to 100 
    It has only taken 11 years but a big well done has to go to Line Drive’s good friend Cam “The Soak” Scott, who played his 100th game for Wangaratta over the weekend. It did come to the Soak as a bit of a surprise and he had no idea what his wife Lauren “Mrs Soak” Scott, was up to on Saturday arvo. The Soak thought it was nice that Mrs Soak was telling him to go out to footy or down the street. So finally after some persuasion The Soak headed out. Even on Sunday before baseball in Wodonga he had no idea of what was going on. In the final pep talk, Coach Pool let Cam know it was his hundreth game and he turned around to a banner that was made for him. “Congratulations the Soak on your hundredth game. You have a social life of an 18 year old so that’s why it has taken so long for you to reach the milestone” commented Coach Pool. Lucky for his supporters who came over from Yarrawonga for the game, Cam had a good day out on the diamond. One thing for sure is that he is very humbled and appreciative of the kind wishes sent his way this week.
Thanks Mr Soak
Soak 100
 
O’Neil update
    This week Shaun “Old School” O’Neil batted ninth and played nine in the field. For those who do not know that position, it is right field. He was up to his old school shenanigans out there by finally being able to call Ross “Smoko” Johnson across to catch a fly ball which was clearly in right field. The pitcher did remark at one stage to a first baseman “Gee Old School is moving well out there”. Wonder what story Old School will bring to the table next week.
Round ten baseball in Wanagratta.
    This coming round of baseball will be an absolute cracker. In the early game at Targoora Park rangers Orange take on Bears Gold followed by the top of the table clash between Rangers Black and Bears Green. The first meeting for the year saw Rangers Black sneak over the line with a hard fought victory. Look for Bears green to bring their A game to topple Rangers Black and put themselves back at the top of the ladder. Rangers Black will scrap and fight right to the very end on Sunday afternoon. If you are in the area come down and have a look. Full canteen and bar will be in operation. First pitch in the late game is 2:15pm.
Very happy Ranger news
    The Ranger family has grown by one. Man of the beard and all round good guy Scott “Grumpy” Jenkins is now a dad! Jenko and his lovely partner Jodie have welcomed into the world on Sunday a little girl by the name of Poppy Carol Jenkins. Mum and bub are doing well. From all of us at Wangaratta Rangers Congratulations to Jodie and Scott. I think the boys and girls of the Ranger faithful will catch up with you soon for a soda water or two to celebrate.
Think I will finish on that very splendid news!
Now to the club stuff
  • Training this Thursday from 6pm. Azza has kindly volunteered to cook for the crew this week. Thanks Azza. If interested answer to the poll on the Rangers Facebook page
  • This weeks games are at home in Wangaratta. If you are unavailable please place it on team app. As said before, the more information the better and more accurate we can put teams out each week
  • New playing caps available See Butts for one
  • Lucky tickets available. Ask the club member for one for the 21st of July. Games to be played on the Saturday before the draw.
  • Fees due- get the banking details from Jenko to pay your fees.
  • Want a Dad joke? Go see king of Dad jokes, Jason “Sunscreeen” Jonker for one. He is happy to help you out. (Jenko it’s time to take note)
  • Rangers vs NASC Bears this Sunday. Canteen and bar in operation. Help out Griff by doing a shift in the canteen
  • Ranger Ramble VII October 19-21
  • Follow us on Twitter @wangrangers and teamapp Wangaratta Rangers http://www.wangarattabaseball.com
Go Jenko, Jodie and Poppy and, as per usual,
Go Rangers.

Rounding Third by Line Drive June 6th 2018

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to the first true winter edition of Rounding Third. Over the past couple of weeks the Rangers teams squared off, with Rangers Black getting the chocolates and bragging rights over their Rangers Orange counterparts. It was a competitive game watched on by a healthy crowd at the annual Ranger family day. The game gave the opportunity for many players to try playinh a different position and have a good hit out against their fellow Rangers brothers and sisters. A big shout needs to go out to “The Pres” Tony “Spinner” Smith who worked tirelessly all day to put on a great show for all the Wangaratta families and supporters. It has been said before, but it needs saying again, clubs are only as good as the people who run them. We are fortunate and very privileged to have the likes of Spinner involved in the club. Now onto other news form the past couple of weeks. Who has been up to what, and other club business.
Listen to Rossco Old School
    In the Orange versus Black game, Shaun “Old School” O’Neil had one of those days that you like to forget. Early on in the game, a fly ball was hit straight up in the air. Nine times out of ten or ninety nine times out of a hundred old school would be a safe bet. However this was the one occasion. Much to the surprise pitcher Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker, the ball spilled out of Old Schools new pristine glove. “Old School” said it was Pooly’s fault and blamed the bird that flew past the sun in the sky, and it being on a Sunday, for missing the catch. Later on in the innings another ball was it up in O’Neil’s direction. Number one pen hater from Porepunkah, Ross “Rossco” Johsnon bellowed, “SHAUN!!!!!!”, making it evidently clear that he needed to catch the next one. Luckily for Shauns wits he did. At the end of the first inning O’Neil’s fielding was all square. Remembering a quote from a previous edition, a poor tradesman blames his tools, Old School.
 
Jenko’s gets a little shirty.
    it was a rather shaky start to the first derby game of the year for the black team. Resident first baseman and man about town, and the state, Cam “The Soak” Scott notified the coaches that it would be best to give up the position to multi sport athlete and coming first baseman, Scott “The Beard” Jenkins. As the game began, Jenko trotted out to right field where Cam was also headed. He was surprised and a little bit dark that he was now playing first base. “No one told me” retorted Jenkins. “Stuff it I will use this glove” was another comment. Fair to say like the aforementioned Shaun O’Neil, the first innings was not all plain sailing. He was still mumbling about it once he came off the diamond. Must be something about playing first base and getting grumpy at Wangaratta!
 
Raining hits for Gilmore
    Current master of the tin Kyle “Can hit more” Gilmore had a day out against the Rangers Black pitchers. Everything he saw was dispatched with ease to all parts of the outfield throughout the game. The only thing stopped him from having a perfect day out with the maple was fellow Esmondian, Kelsey “Dropsie” Burder who certainly did not live up to that nickname with the catch he took to rob Gilly of a perfect day. Slide in, dive forward, take the catch and stick the landing is how you can describe Burders take. Still a great hitting display from one of the Ranger favorites.
New man on the bump
    Over the past few weeks, man of facial hair Brad “Undies” Murdoch, has become a bit of an innings eater for the Rangers Orange guys and girls. It is great to see the big spindly frame of a man get up there and throw strikes. This was first the case in Rangers vs Warriors game a few weeks back and he repeated the efforts in the local derby. It helps when another gets on the hill and gives our wonderful throwers a well deserved rest. Look out for his wicked fast ball! Word is he is developing a second pitch. Wonder if he will call his new pitch the anteater?
 
Where are we going Griff?
    The season is already half gone. Many around Ranger land are now turning their attention to the end of season trip Ranger Ramble VII will be upon us in October. This year was suppose to be a far trip but it has been altered slightly to a mystery trip. At this moment only Daniel “The Griff” Griffin knows where the Ranger faithful are headed. Many think Nathan “FOMO” Pool has guessed the place, but even he is not so sure of where that is. More to the point what will the theme be? After seeing the social media posts of the Esmond street boys and girls, could double denim be the theme? More details will be released soon about the mystery destination.
 
The big 6
    Talk around the dinner table last week always seems to go back to the trip. It was remarked that there are only six Rangers that have been on all six trips. Now they know who they are, but can anyone else outside the inner sanctum of dinner last Thursday night name them? In all honesty there is no surprise who the six are. But will they all make it to Ranger Ramble VII?
 
Round robin round 2018
    The North Eastern Baseball Association had a ‘Cent a Number’ draw and round robin day over the past weekend. Players from all clubs in the association came together to play in mixed teams and have a good fun day of baseball. Judging by the images taken by Daniel Blanchard on the North Eastern Baseball Association Facebook page, it was a cracking day. Others I have spoken to enjoyed the day and welcomed the efforts of all involved in the association. It was a good day for the Ranger family as Jenko took second place and The Pools took 3rd place.
 
Winter Championships are here
    the 2018 Victorian Winter Baseball Championships are here again and the North Eastern Baseball Association have once again put a very competitive side together for their annual pilgrimage to Geelong. Managed once again by Ed Simmons, the North Eastern men are looking to go back to back. This year it looks like it will be a very even division with both Latrobe Valley and Sunraysia putting together strong squads. Don’t count out Dandenong U/23 either. The boys have one game Saturday and two on the Sunday, with the final games on Monday deciding on who takes the shield home in 2018. To all players and supporters who are heading down to Geelong this year, good luck keep warm and most importantly have a good time playing baseball. Line Drive wants to hear about it all when you come back.
Season part 2
    The 2018 North Eastern baseball Association returns after the June long weekend. Both Rangers squads are looking forward to a good second half. Coach Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo and Mick “Skip” Wyatt were impressed with how their chargers, Rangers Orange played in the first seven games. Likewise man of may nicknames and hats Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool with his Rangers Black squad. Aaron “Azza” Parker is looking forward to a big second half as are stalwarts Brendon “Frenchy” French and Brenton “Plugger” Miller. Damien “Junior” French is looking to build on his good start with the bat too. One thing isfor sure, there will be plenty of fun on and off the diamond in the coming ten weeks. Just remember, if you are unavailable please place it on teamapp so the coaches know in advance. As said before the more information the better.
Now onto the club stuff
  • Silver Circle 21st July Tickets available soon
  • Vic Winter Championships June 9-11 Geelong. Good luck to all who are going
  • Seasons recommences Sunday 17th June. Draw up on website this week sometime
  • New caps from Butts are available see his if you want one
  • Subs are now due See Jenko for more details
  • Thank you to all our wonderful sponsors check them out on Teamapp and www.wangarattabaseball.com
  • Training Thursday nights 6pm Targoora Park Murdoch Road Wangaratta. All are welcome
  • Follow on Facebook and Twitter @wangrangers
Well that’s it for this week. Stay warm and if you are participating in winery walkabouts this weekend stay safe.
Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive May 22nd 2018

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. The skies were grey over the diamonds of the North Eastern Baseball Association during the weekend, but that did not stop the men and women of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club from heading back up the Hume to Wodonga for the weekend’s round of matches. In the early game, Rangers Black overcame Wodonga Warriors White 28-2. In the late game, Rangers Orange pushed Warriors Maroon right to the end. The final score was 12-5. Once again thank you to the hospitality of Wodonga Warriors and to all our travelling supporters who made the trip. Next week, Rangers Orange will be playing Rangers Black in Wangaratta. More about that later. Now onto what has caught the eye of Line Drive over the past couple of weeks.
Who was that on the screen?
    It may have not been mentioned in a previous edition, but it has not gone unnoticed. The good Doc’s Sean and Sarah Warfe have been living the good life in Canada over the past few weeks. The Warfes were lucky enough to be in attendance to watch the Seattle Mariners no hit the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only was being there awesome but then they were pictured on the jumbo screen of the stadium and the television broadcast. To complete the occasion they got a game ball and a hat signed. Nice work Doc’s. One question to be asked is to the master of the tin, Kyle Gilmore. If you are on television in the states then is that a larger donation to the tin due to exchange rates?
Where is Beaker?
    The question has to be asked. Where is Rob “Beaker” Barbour? Last sighted four weeks ago. Now we all know he is alive but his reasons for not being available are very blunt. The past two weeks have been very simple “No good”. Well  we hope this week you are felling a bit better Beaker. Hope to see you down at he Ranch this coming Sunday.
North Eastern Rep Baseball time 
    It’s back for another year and five Rangers players are heading to Geelong over the long weekend to test themselves against the other Victorian Winter Baseball associations. Last year the boys from Kelly country took out the division 2 title, and are looking to go back to back this year. Once again there has been a fantastic response from those in the competition who have put their hand up and wish to represent the North Eastern Baseball Association. I am lead to believe that it will be a full list of players. The Winter Championships will be held over the Queens birthday long weekend in Geelong. More information in upcoming editions of Rounding Third.
 
Boof visits the Ranger Ranch
    Man of the DBA radio show Rob “Boofa” Bowen made an appearance at Wangaratta a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a mission for him to find the ground at first. After organising with Cam ‘The Soak” Scott to meet him at the ground in Murdoch road, Boof got close to the ground and called Cam. Cam assured him the ground was not too far away and keep heading out the road and if you see Ranger man (and now Ranger kid) you are there. Cam arrives at the ground to find no one arrived yet. Another phone call. Boof had driven out 8kms to the new roundabout at Oxley. Finally after a little more two way communication Boof found the ground. He had got tired of the food where he was staying and wanted to come find some baseball people. Lucky for him a good crew turned up in poor conditions for Azza’s Burgers and a good chat. It was great to catch up and talk about all the great things and projects we have in the pipeline for Wangaratta Rangers and North Eastern Baseball. thanks for the visit Boof. Thanks for the kind words on the baseball forum too.
Rangers Family fun day.
    This coming Sunday Rangers Orange play host to Rangers Black in a shootout at Targoora Park. However that is not the only action going on down at The Ranch. It is going to be the annual Wangaratta Rangers Family Day and the club welcomes all players, sponsors and supporters. The flyer below explains what is on offer and your hosts The Wangaratta Rangers hope to see you all there. The game begins at 1:45pm. Rangers Orange will be looking to get some revenge on Rangers Black. As always it will be a competitive game played in great spirit. Spread the word. The more spoken about Wangaratta Baseball, the better.
rangers family day
Cent a number returns.
    The good folk who run The North Eastern baseball Association currently have a little cent a number raffle going on. The premise is simple. Take an envelope, open the envelope, whatever the ticket number that’s how much you pay. An example is if you draw ticket 650 then the cost of the ticket is $6.50. Simple? The cent a number draw is going to be held down at Targoora Park Wangaratta on Sunday 3rd of June. Discounted drinks and food will be provided. If you want a ticket please get in contact with anyone who plays in the North Eastern Baseball Association. All clubs have tickets to sell. Your involvement in the association is appreciated.
Round Robin 3rd of June
    In case you have noticed on the Facebook site on Sunday 3rd of June in conjunction with the cent a number draw the North Eastern Baseball Association will be holding a round robin day. Players from all clubs are encouraged and warmly invited to make themselves available where shortened games of baseball with mixed teams will take to the diamonds of Targoora Park. Each club is looking for numbers and I know at Wangaratta, there has been a call out for players who are available. So if you are available please support the association and their efforts. if you are interested in coming down for a look and  buy a ticket in the cent a number raffle then that would be great too.
Thursday night feeds
    As mentioned before the Thursday night feeds have been impressive. However things are heading towards the depths of winter and the meals are slowing down. For those who travel to train and play, the Thursday night feed is fantastic, as at times, one who travels may not arrive home till after 9:30pm. This week will dinner be snags and bread. It doesn’t matter what you cook, it is all about getting together having a chat and laugh together after training. If you just do one for the year then that is one less someone else chooses to do. If you do choose to provide a meal the club will reimburse you for your efforts.
Merchandise update
    Yes it’s all about the merch down at Targoora Park. Beanies are still available from Scott “Thirtysomething” Jenkins and new caps have been order by “Boston” Rob Seymour. Boston thinks he has found the holy grail of caps and when they arrive they will look great. If you wish to order other items please talk to radio personality Nathan Pool about warm up tops, numbered playing tops and just for a good chat really. A big thank you to our sponsors for their support of the club. Check out wangarattabaseball.com for more details about our sponsors or download Teamapp and search for Wangaratta Rangers.
Now to the club stuff
  • Rangers Family day this Sunday from 1pm all are welcome Targoora Park.
  • If you are unavailable to play, please use Teamapp to say you are unavailable. If you do not say anything, then the coaches assume you are ready to play. More communication means the better for all.
  • Fees are due, see Scotty for more information.
  • Cent a number tickets available, see a club member for your ticket or email the club wangarattarangers@hotmail.com
  • Round Robin day Sunday 3rd of June in conjunction with cent a number draw.
  • Victorian Winter Baseball Championships June long weekend in Geelong.
  • Training Thursday night 6pm All welcome.
A bit of a different one this week. Sometimes you need to plug all the good things that clubs do and all the good folk who love to play baseball in the north east of the state.
Till next time 
Go Rangers 

Rounding Third By Line Drive May 8th 2018

Posted on by LineDrive
  Hello and welcome to this edition of Rounding Third. As mentioned in past editions, the North Eastern Baseball Association 2018 season is well underway with the guys and girls who make up Wangaratta’s only baseball club have a very successful start to the winter season. Four rounds have been completed and the Rangers Black men and women sit on top of the ladder with four wins from four games. After a close first week loss, Rangers Orange got back on track nicely recording three wins in row after defeating Porepunkah in a hard fought game on Sunday. The end score was 9-4. In the late game Rangers Black ran out comfortable winners over Benalla 28-1. A big thank you to all of the support week in week out, those who travel with the club all over the North East to support the Rangers. It is greatly appreciated. Now what else has been happening since the last edition? Line Drive will do his best to bring you all up to speed.
Four games in and the Rangers are firing.
    As mentioned above the Wangaratta Rangers boys and girls have got off to a cracking start. This is very evident in the case of Rangers Orange. After a rather indifferent year with the bat last year, there has been a noticeable shift in hitting this season. The bats have come alive and all players are contributing. Throughout the line up, on and off the bench, all players are contributing nicely. Coaches Mick “The Skipper” Wyatt and Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo are leading very well and the players are responding. It was pleasing to see the mustached one, Brad “undies” Murdoch chasing down everything hit in his direction out in centre field. His long stride gets to fly balls that many of us may not reach!
Rangers Black has had a shifting order over the start of the season due to availability, but they have also started the season in solid fashion. Media darling Nathan “FOMO” Pool is working his chargers hard, challenging each player to work hard at  training on Thursday night. This was definitely the case last week, when Aaron “Azza” Parker’s hard work paid off in the game against Bears Green by having a three hit game. Keep getting along to training from 6pm Thursday night ladies and gentlemen. Hard work pays off.

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Nathan Pool- The Voice of Wangaratta Baseball
    For years the club has had a good relationship with the local media outlets throughout Wangaratta, but for some reason this year it has gone to a new level. Generally you hear the results on the radio maybe on a Wednesday or a Thursday and some other times maybe a snippet about what is going on down at the club. Each week, Coach and man of many hats, talents and never misses out on anything Nathan “FOMO” Pool, is a regular contributor on the radio each week.  Many have remarked to Line Drive throughout the North East, that they have heard baseball on the radio in the morning. For this writer, this is most pleasing, as it gives us a presence in the North East along with the other clubs of the association. Mind you Pool does like to mention one player an awful lot in those radio snippets. Isn’t that right O?
Pesky pens
    There were mutterings around at Porepunkah over the weekend about a pen being destroyed on the ground. Now this sounds strange to speak about, but it got the tongues wagging on who got upset with this pen. It started when Ross “Rossco” Johnson was quite upset with himself for doing something wrong while batting, that he decided to try and pick the pen up and throw it off the ground. However he failed miserably at his attempt. So incensed with this, he took to smashing the pen to bits with the end of the bat. New fines master Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore remarked that we could have a new leader in a certain “anger” award this early on in season 2018. One wants to know what did the pen do to deserve this tragic end Rossco?
Junior Baseball Week 1 2018
    It was pleasing to see over the weekend how Benalla, Porepunkah and Wangaratta pooled their resources to have some junior baseball happening between games. It was great to see that two little mini games were played and the turnout from the three clubs was encouraging. Some have come for another hit from last year while there were a few new faces as well. The North Eastern Baseball Association and it’s clubs are looking to keep pursuing this between games during the 2018 season. If you wish to know more contact your local club and they will point you in the right direction.
The tin custodian 
    After a couple of years Daniel “The Griff” Griffin has relinquished the reins of the tin. Many wondered who was going to take over this prestigious role within the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. This year, Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore has taken up the role of master of the tin. Already he has left his mark on the role. As usual there are the fines for strikeouts, errors, incorrect uniform and photos in the local newspaper, Gilmore has added a new twist. The twist is, if any of your Rangers apparel with the club logo on it touches the ground then a fine shall be paid. It does not discriminate, anything with the logo is payable. Already, a couple of weeks into the new regime and many have learnt real fast to respect their Ranger merchandise a little bit more. Though some other choices of apparel have drawn fines too haven’t they Old School?
 
The old phantom play
    Late in the second game many of the Ranger spectators were wondering what the heck was going on with what should have been a straight forward out to first base. Rob “Butts” Seymour decided to take it upon himself with the help of Tetsu “Iron Chef’ Kamiyama to spice up a straight forward position 6 to 3. Ball is hit to Butts at shortstop where most would throw to first base. He decided to flick it towards Tetsu who at second base was a bit shocked by receiving the ball and had to then make a quick throw over to Owen “O” Godenzi at first for the out. Now for scoring sake that should go in the book as a put out 6-4-3, giving another statistic to Tetsu. Think you may pay a fine for that one too Butts.
Dinner Thursday? Rangers have got you sorted.
    Thursday night dinner has been a roaring success so far in season 2018. From Spinner’s spiced mince and potato, to last week at short notice, Tetsu’s Burgers, many have been taking the opportunity after training to sit around have some dinner and have a laugh. This week Aaron “The Butcher” Parker is cooking his amazing steak sandwich. If you wish to come for a look or partake in a great meal please comment on the poll on the Rangers Facebook page.
Now onto the club stuff
  • Fees are now due. See Scott “Straight Outta My Twenties” Jenkins for more details on how to pay                       (Happy 30th Jenko)
  • New playing tops are being ordered. Please see Pooly if you wish to get a top with your name and desired number on it
  • Rangers are playing at Springdale Heights this coming week. Let the club know of your availability via teamapp
  • Training Thursday 6pm. Followed by tea
  • New playing caps on order will arrive soon
  • Rangers Family day May 27th check out flyer on Facebook page.
  • Rep baseball returns over the June long weekend. Let the club know if you are interested in attending
  • Want away socks? Interested? Talk to The Soak for more details
  • Round robin and cent a number function Sunday 3rd of June Targoora Park
That’s about it this week. It had been a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading and
Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive Summer 2018 edition

Posted on by LineDrive
Hello and welcome to the summer edition of Rounding Third. It has been a busy spring and summer down at the Ranch with the new infield and drainage settling in and looking a treat. Line Drive has certainly been enjoying himself soaking in all the different places he has had the pleasure of frequenting. So it is a bit of a blessing that he has taken some time out of his busy summer schedule to sit down and let you know what is happening down at Wangaratta’s one and only baseball club. Hope you enjoy the read.
Diamond upgrade summer update
    Well the turf is down and the grass has been growing like crazy. The legend Kevin Pool and “The Pres” Tony “Spinner” Smith have been doing a sterling job mowing and watering the infield. There were some really wet days in late November/early December and the ground drained beautifully. Now the grass is beginning to spread and will probably just need a light top dressing to even it out in places. From what it was, to what it is now is remarkable. Another new edition to the space down at Targoora Park are some concrete bollard tables out the front of the clubroom. Already, it gives a much more welcoming feel to the space. More improvements look to be on the way and Line Drive will keep you updated on all of them. A special mention to all who have done a bit over the past 4 months in getting the diamond and clubrooms up to scratch.
Ground upgrade
Now that is starting to look like a nice diamond
Cods News
    The 2018 Cods campaign is looking to take off to new heights this year. Wait, I will rephrase that. The Cods are looking to raise themselves off the bottom of the Murray river and head downstream to Ballarat in 2018. What started as an idea has really gathered momentum. This year the Cods are looking to enter a 35 plus team and a 45 plus team. Already demand has been strong, with many returning for another year while others have had a year or two off. The Cods are looking to get back there over the March 16th,17th and 18th and are still looking to shore up 45 plus numbers, the more the merrier. Rob “Beaker” Barbour has already been drawing up training regimes in readiness for their introduction to the age group 45 plus baseball. So if you are interested, jump over to Cods Masters Page on Facebook and drop us a line. It is a ripping weekend of baseball and laughs and more baseball. The older we get the better we are.
Old School O’Neil has plenty to say….
    Looks like this year some of your Ranger favorites will be gracing the diamonds of Ballarat for the first time. It will be the largest influx of rookies the Cods has ever seen. One in particular has already had plenty to say. Shaun “Old School” O’Neil has already challenged the fines system, and the might, of seasoned Cod campaigners. Fine master guru Mark “Scooter” Farrow has already been made aware of this insubordination and has dealt with it swiftly. Another thing about Old School O’Neil is that he is the youngest Cod this year, and by a few years too.  Come to think of it his glove might be older than he is! Below is a picture of the glove.
Now that, is old school.
Other notable Cods
    Rumor has it that Travis “Iceman” Frost will be heading to Ballarat for a Cods appearance, as will a couple of legends from Porepunkah Panthers. Heath Anders is making a return this year and has already sworn off the mountain bike before the weekend. Paul Meddings is another who is looking to make his mark on the weekend for the first time. It will make the voting for the ‘Golden Pufferfish’ all the more interesting as the days and nights wear on. Ash “Steel Panther” Meyers is looking to retain his trophy after a strong tournament off the field and most notably on the field. Ash informs me that his phone is already fueled up with plenty of rocking tunes and is counting down the days to Cods 2018. The former Iron Chef, Tetsu Kamiyama is coming back for another run. His first since being an inaugural member.
Who likes new merch? We do.
    New merchandise has been ordered for Wangaratta this coming season. Rob “Butts” Seymour put in a power of work to come up with the design of the new Ranger warm up shirt. It was quite the task too. Just getting the sponsors and the design looking great, took a great deal of time and effort. But he is pleased with the end result. As is the Ranger faithful who have placed a large order for the coming season. If you have not ordered one yet then don’t despair. There are a few extras in the order so you too, can look the part in your Ranger gear for season 2018. They will be here before the start of the season. To go with the beanies, hoodies and caps we certainly are the trend setters of North Eastern Baseball.
Rangers shirts 2018
Coming to Wangaratta real soon
    Now on the subject of merch, The Cods that be down in the depths of the Murray, have come up with a new shirt for the 2018 Cod season. Over at Cods Master baseball, there was a call that went out for some tag lines and mottos. The Cods then elected the two best mottos and they are to be placed on the front and the back of the new t-shirt. On the front, the winning motto was “Hook, Linedrive and Sinker” while on the back the phrase “In Cods we trust” , will grace the uniform. Personally, Line Drive likes that his name is in there on one of the shirts. Even if it is by accident. Decide for yourself.
Proposed front Cod
Proposed back Cod
Nambrok boys have been very quiet
    Not much has been heard about the Nambrok gentlemen as of late. Last time to my knowledge, Brad “Undies” Murdoch was stuck in traffic somewhere. Daniel “The Griff” Griffin has been playing some fine tennis throughout the summer months and is looking at a big campaign this coming season. He has also been thinking about trip locations already. After last years Bendigo trip it will be hard to top. Also, is Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder still coaching the Cods? Maybe a training run soon to run your eye over the playing group? So many questions and yet no definitive answers to them. Maybe in the next edition there may be some more detail.
Now for the club stuff
  • Committee meeting Wednesday Night 7:30pm Targoora Park. All are welcome to attend.
  • Make sure you download the app from teamapp.com search Wangaratta Rangers. Calendar is continually being updated.
  • Website will be updated when new information comes to hand and link to line drive through site. http://www.wangarattabaseball.com
  • If you playing Cods then the insurance needs to be paid via members login on website. Same process as last year.
  • Check out our sponsors via the tab on the website. Your continued support is appreciated.
  • Follow us @wangrangers on twitter.com
  • New shirts will be available before the beginning of the 2018 season. Beanies, caps and stubby holders still available.
That’s it for this one. Have a good week, and in 2018,
“Go Rangers”
“Go Cods”

Rounding Third by Line Drive October 16th 2017

Posted on by LineDrive
Welcome to an out of season edition of Rouding Third. Since the last update, there has been plenty going on.
That last sentence is an understatement. There has been a heap of good stuff happening at Wangaratta’s one and only Baseball Softball club. More about that later. Let’s get into it.
Presentation day another success.
    Thanks to Cafe Martini Wangaratta, the Ranger family all gathered for a presentation lunch and a catch up to reflect on another successful year. Man for all seasons and multi sport athlete Scott, “The Big Show” Jenkins did a sterling job putting together all the trophies for season 2017. This year plenty of new categories were presented with Jenkins taking out the prestigious fly ball award. Perennial Fly Ball award winner Rob Seymour was suitably impressed it was not him, as his name is on there up to six times! For the record, Jenkins is only the 5th winner of the award in seventeen years!
In other awards Nathan Pool capped a stellar season by taking out Rangers Black MVP while Brendon “59” French and Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker shared the Orange honors. Best first year player was Jackson “Whacko Jacko” Wright. Congratulations to all award winners and hope to see you all out there again next year.
DJ Iwanuch Club person of the year.
    “DJ Sarah” Iwanuch has had a massive year. Not only has she learned how to score baseball, played the odd game here and there and ran the tunes at training on Thursday nights, she also put together the Rangers presentation visuals and pretty much had a go at everything. Many agreed at the club that she was a deserving recipient of the Club person of the year award. From all of us at Wangaratta, congratulations and thanks for all your hard work during season 2017.
Dragey turns his hand to a new sport.
    Line Drive was just sifting through the pages of social media when he came across a little bit of news about 2015 Rangers Black premiership player Mark “The Rage” Drage. Dragey did not play in season 2017, but he has been far from idle. Dragey has put his fleet of foot ability to good purpose. He has been terrorizing defenses in the Murray Cup for the Wangaratta based North East Knights Rugby League Football Club. From all reports Drage had a cracking year by taking out the mens best and fairest award by one vote. Cricket, Baseball, Rugby League, Drage has many strings and is good at all of them. Congratulations Dragey. Enjoy the touch footy on Monday nights in Yarrawonga-Mulwala.
T-Ball and Softball Wednesday Nights.
    Another initiative over the summer months is to try and get some social softball happening down at Targoora Park on Wednesday nights over the summer time. So far the response has been positive. A couple of Wednesday’s ago fourteen showed up for a social hit and a bit of a game. Rumour has it there are more to come. T-ball has started for the kids on the same night at the same venue. If you are not doing much, come along Wednesday nights from 6pm. Targoora Park Murdoch Road Wangaratta.
Ground update.
     For many a year it has been proposed that the ground be drained. Not much was done about it. However Winter 2016 happened and there was a realisation that something needed to be done to improve the surface. After much discussion, planning and deal making it has finally been completed. The infield on the main diamond has been drained and turfed. Leader of men Tony “Spinner” Smith coordinated the Rangers group looking for assistance for four days over the past four weekends. Wangaratta responded. From digging out the dirt on the first day to cutting slits in pipes, trenching, laying pipe, moving and raking sand, moving irrigation, and laying turf, the job is now complete. Nathan “Rubberarm” and Kevin “The Legend” Pool put in a power of work with the pipe laying and turfing and pretty much everything else. It has been a huge operation. A massive thank you goes out to every single player and supporter of Wangaratta who gave up their time over the past four weeks to get this enormous task completed. This is something that Wangaratta Rangers should be proud of and proof that a little club with loyal committed members can achieve just about anything. Now what is the next improvement? Maybe a new bar for the clubrooms? Think big dream big.

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Turfing Tales.
    There has been plenty of laughs over the past four weekends and some terse moments. One highlight on Saturday was Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore deciding to try what can only be described as heartburn between bread. You see Gilly was challenged by good mate Brad “Undies” Murdoch to try a concoction of a “Pie Mac” For those who do not know what one of these are, that’s fine. It is a McDonald’s Big Mac with a meat pie inserted into the burger. Gilly tried his best to finish it but unfortunately the “Pie Mac” defeated him. He gave no reason why it did. Maybe the indigestion could have been an issue.
    In other turfing tales, many are suffering from very sore legs and backs from carrying turf all day. Late on day four Kev Pool asked the innocuous question if the wheel barrow had sand to Cam “the Soak” Scott. The Soak replied with a “yes” as he walked towards the barrow. Unfortunately Kev did not hear it so he asked him again.  Cam replied a little louder “YES”. Kev then asked him again where Cam said YES IT DOES very loudly. Turfing does cranky things to cranky people folks.
    It was good to see that Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker had learned his lesson from Cods earlier in the year. He was the first to apply the SPF 50+ each day and reapply when necessary. He was not going to have a repeat of his impressive sunglasses burn marks from a sunny Ballarat in March.
Ranger Ramble VI is here
    Yes the annual Rangers trip is on this coming weekend. Master of the tin Daniel “The Griff” Griffin has counted the coins in the tin and organised a trip that will not disappoint. Friday’s theme is “Snean” or “Jorts”, where Saturday the theme is beach day at the Bendigo Races. There are always many standouts on a trip like this with many vying for the best dressed trophy for Friday. There are a few Ranger rookies this year and it is always great to have some newbies on these occasions. What will they wear? How will they punt on the Saturday? One thing is for certain and that is that everyone enjoys themselves. Have a good weekend you lot and be safe.
Happy Birthday Fernando and Radelaide
Happy birthday to Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo and Lise “Radelaide” Cambareri who one has celebrated a milestone birthday while the other is soon approaching it. A ripping time was had by all down at Peruzzo land where the massive bonfire captivated many most of the night. Special mention to Aaron “Aldibags” Parker who kept himself warm by fitting into an Aldi Bag. Great night everyone!
CODS update
     Is it safe to talk about this now? Yes of course it is. CODS masters baseball will be back in March 2018. Already many have been canvassing the idea of having two teams. One for 35 plus and another for the 45 plus competition. The Cods have been proactive in locking in a coaches for 2018. Kelsey “Dropsys” Burder, is the 35 plus Manager while Rob “Beaker” Barbour has put his hand up for the newly formed 45 plus age group. If you are keen, head over the Cods Masters Baseball at https://www.facebook.com/Codsmastersbaseball/ and look for upcoming information. Watch this space as there is plenty going on behind the scenes.
New website.
    The Wangaratta rangers Website has shifted addresses. The old site still works and there is a link to the new Wangaratta Rangers website on the home page. The page has all the links you need to contact the club and to read Line Drive each and every week. The new location for all your rangers news is http://www.wangarattabaseball.com
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Now for the Club stuff
  • Ranger Ramble on this coming weekend
  • T-Ball and Softball down at “the Ranch” Wednesday nights from 6pm. All welcome
  • Welcome to the new committee. Jamie Samuels and Kelsey Burder have joined the executive
  • Cods Masters in 2018 looking for 45 plus players.
  • Next committee meeting to be confirmed.
Well that’s it. Off for a break. Will speak to you all soon
Go Rangers