WINTER BASEBALL WEEK SEVEN

[oldmanriver]

Getting in early this week due to work commitments, here is the DBA predictions for this week.

BONBEACH v MORNINGTON The Jays copped a bit of a mauling from the Rustlers last week and will be looking to redeem themselves against the Pirates. The Pirates on the same hand will need to get back on the rails and will be penciling in this as a win. I just feel that the Pirates will have a bit too much firepower and should get the lollies in a contest that could givea good contest.

DANDENONG v BERWICK. The Angels have found some form and consistency of late and would be looking to go into the break with a consolidating win. The Dodgers will be out to continue the improvement they have displayed over the last few weeks. Should be a close game that could go either way. A toss of the coin says the Angels by a couple of runs over the young Dodgers.

DINGLEY v CHELTENHAM The match of the round and what a cracker it will be. The Rustlers have been displaying a power game with hitting and very solid defence. The Dingoes went from chocolates to boiled lollies in the space of six days after getting beat by the Tomatoes last weekend. This game should come down to who will play the best defence. Both sides are very evenly matched and another toss of the coin has come down heads with Cheltenham getting the nod just.

PAKENHAM V FRANKSTON. Will be a very interesting match with the Tomatoes taking their first trip down the Freeway to Puma land. Both teams have been up down more often than fireman and his ladder. Both teams are looking for consistency and looking to go into the break with a win. The Pumas will be looking for their third win while the Tomatoes will be looking to balance the win/loss ledger. I just feel that the Tomatoes will have a bit to much experience and with the mighty Frita stepping in to Manage the side this week in the absence of Smylesy should get the deal done.

Good luck to everybody this week.

[perfeckt]

Could be a classic Kevin Costner movie weekend. 'Waterworld.'

[frankthefalcon]

I received this in my Pigeon hole early this morning signed by Mr X.

Croydon V Westgarth.
Croydon have surprised many who expected them to be right down the bottom but some good pitching from Ward has kept them in most games allowing their experienced batting line up to add some runs and get some much needed early wins. Westgarth have struggled since coming up with a line up of young guys who just aren’t up to the grade yet, but did manage an upset win against Knox. A number of injuries has also not helped the garths cause. Mr X predicts a win to the Rams 10 -6.

Knox V Heathmont.
Reigning champs Heathmont head to Knox in an important game for them to remain in touch with the top two at the early stage. While Heathmont are (supposedly) a baseball side Mr X watched them a few weeks back and they looked like a combination of touring squad of WWE wrestlers and a slow pitch softball team who just waltzed from base to base and occasionally knocked a ball into the next suburb. Speed is not their forte but strong pitching from the Kennedys and Kerr Chapman is along with the potent line up. Knox have been coemptive and will most likely be fighting for that 4th spot position along with Greensborough and Research come the end of the year. Rice has been lights out in a number of games and coach Mitch Ayers has been leading from the front with his stick. Ayers has also been playing shortstop where he is able to cover more ground than any other SS in the league simply by standing in the position. Mr X Predicts a 9-4 win to Heathmont.

Research v Greensborough.
A rematch of a forgettable ground final 2 years ago, both teams will most likely be sporting very similar line ups from the day the Burra’s collected a mercy rule win. An extremely important game for both clubs who have not always gotten along so well. Lethborg is likely to start for Greensborough and when on is one of the state’s best young pitchers. Backed up with strong hitting with Blewjas, Sullivan, Hodges and Moore they should be able to score some runs off a Research staff which has given up the 2nd most runs in the league. Its defence that looks to be the Achilles of the Burra Boys so they’ll be hoping to score more than they let in. Research have an excellent hitting line up lead at the moment by Tom Dicker who has 7 home runs on the year already. Lethborg will need to limit the guys in front of dicker from getting on base and throw him inside so he can’t get his hands extended and take advantage of the little league park. However he won’t be able to take it easy on the likes of Davies, McDonald, Ross and Bedford. With a struggling Pitching line up hurt with injuries the roadrunners know they have to play gorilla ball to win. Will they be the alpha primate here? Mr X says yes at home roadrunners to win 11-10

RINGWOOD V GMBC
1 v 2 Match of the round. Both clubs would have been disappointed with how their respective seasons finished up and have started this year both looking like clubs on a mission. Ringwood will start the Australian version of Satchel Page Adam Bright who came off a summer of throwing 100 plus innings for Blackburn and a bunch more for the Aces forgettable 2012/13 campaign and lead it straight in to throwing complete games for Ringwood. Brightballs left handed offerings should provide plenty of trouble for the big 3 lefties at Monty in Booth, Kent and Squire and should also shut down their running game with his pickoff move, but they have plenty of right hand sticks to compensate. Monty will start Steele Ratcliffe a little right handed strike throwing machine. It seems Tom Bryce has taken off for greener pastures and it’s unlikely we will see him in a Monty (or Melbourne) uniform again. This means Radcliffe will have to be a work horse if Monty are really going to contend come the business end of the season against the likes of Ringwood and Heathmont. Both clubs will be looking to get to each other’s pen and take advantage of the 2nd or 3rd stringers. Mr X sees this as another tight one and is going to go with the hot hand of Monty for 5-4 win.

Watsonia V North Balwyn
Two relatively young clubs and two clubs with possibly the best pitching staffs in the league. Unfortunately for how great their pitching is both their hitting is equally terrible. Obviously North Balwyn’s best hitter is Huber and he is off presenting to the UN or NATO or the Atomic Energy committee in Russia so he won’t be able to help the stingers. Averaging less than 2 runs a game makes it hard on the talented pitching staff of Wiggins, Aaron and Mann and they will be hoping the can string a few more than 1.7 this game. Watsonia have the Formisano brothers, Abels, Gardiner and Pendlebury all division 1 summer experienced pitchers but apart from Jarryd Rogers there is not much offense to support these guys. Lets face it these teams are not going to see finals action but their pitching could provide those who are headaches as the season goes on. Watsonia will win this one 2-1.

ODDS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE THIS WEEKEND:

T.Dicker intentionally walked with the bases loaded 7/1
North Balwyn & Watsonia playing 0-0 draw 3/1
Knox to run out of food feeding the Heathmont squad EVENS

Mr X.

[perfeckt]

Love your work Mr. X, and thanx FTF for passing on his thoughts. Good stuff!

[farnt]

'...combination of touring squad of WWE wrestlers and a slow pitch softball team' GOLD Mr X and thank you for the contribution.

Two questions - What happened with Tom Brice, and is Gardiner playing this year at Watsonia?

[runningbunt]

Tom Brice has been picked up by a Chec' team. Heads to Europe this week I think.

[Deleted]

Great work OMR and Mr X. It will be interesting to see how your prognostications work out for what might be a damp round of winter baseball (on Saturday, at least).

Out in the sticks - otherwise known as the GBA - a few fascinating games are in prospect. Games that are all-important in view of a shortened A Grade season (sixteen games each, with a couple of byes).

Again with depth in all senior grades, Guild should do it comfortably over Corio, which remains winless but has impressed plenty with its competitiveness and its preparedness to step up to A Grade this season knowing that it was probably not quite as well equipped as a couple of other clubs who were reluctant to make the move.

A Corio win would be a popular result around the league and it would add further interest to an already pretty even competition.

At home to Deakin, third-placed Brewers can guarantee that the game will go ahead regardless of weather. The Brew Crew focused its attentions on infield work at training on Thursday, knowing that defence - on the synthetic surface - might be central to its chances to gain an important fourth win for the season.

With Rory Meddick out for the season and Adam Irons missing the next half dozen games (with work), the Brewers are vulnerable. They will need a strong start from Ross Hipke and will be aiming to put the heat on Blues workhorse Chris Webb from the get-go.

Anybody's guess. Maybe the Brewers by one or two.

Although on an upward trend at club level, Bacchus Marsh will be without Shane Lindsay but still have enough pitching to make it a contest against Werribee, which has a win and a draw (against Ballarat). The key to this game could be the Bacchus pitching, where there are front-line options in Roland Shaw (who was terrific against the Brewers last week) and Trent Pantelleresco, who is capable of holding any side but is still prone to control problems.

With Manager Earl Byrne in great form with the bat, the Marsh should score enough to post their third win.

Fourth-placed Bellarine faces an improving East Belmont Saints that has handed out a couple of hidings, has been on the receiving end and last week snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Lara (an early fancy for the pennant that has the bye this week).

The pitching of neither side is overpowering and the Bears have enough old heads around the place to do some damage, although the sides are evenly matched in runs for and against for the season.

Expect some free-scoring from both sides. The Bears to be ahead when it matters most.

On another issue mentioned here, I believe that Tom Brice played with GMBC B Grade in Melbourne Winter League last week.

www.geelongassociation.baseball.com.au

[legend]

Frank Falcon has a Pigeon hole?

[The Jack]

A few games washed out already.
www.mwbl.baseball.com.au/?Page=86215

[Goblin]

B Grade Melb Uni defeated Ess approx 4-1. Stevie Lehmann had a day out behind the plate and also with the bat.

B Res Melb Uni defeated Ess approx 9-3

Great job to all at Melb Uni as regards the ground condition.

Despite the torrential downpour over night Straw Field was in 1st rate condition. Certainly shows what great drainage can manage.

[Deleted]

Guild smashed Corio 17-2 in the GBA this afternoon, while Bacchus Marsh posted its third win - 8-1 over Werribee.

Bellarine took the long handle to the East Belmont starter with a big first couple of innings setting up its 8-2 result.

Deakin pulled off an upset of sorts with a 4-0 whitewash of Ballarat Brewers, who struggled to get runners past second.

Lara had the A Grade bye.

www.geelongassociation.baseball.com.au

[oboy29]

Monash Uni Get up over LaTrobe Uni 10-1 in Bgrade LaTrobe getting up comfortably in the reserves

[Deleted]

Westgarth up 6-4 in the 1s, and also winning in A Reserves (unsure of the score). 3rds & 4ths were washed out.