DOCSLIB.ORG

REDLAND RAVE Issue 2.Pub

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

The Redlands Rave Compiled by Dorry Beutel 2017 - Issue 2 12 November, 2017 Junior League Bandits Games Reports Despite being tw o players dow n, our Junior League Bandits team recorded a narrow 9-8 w in over Pine Hills Lightning on Saturday 14th October. Ayden Champneys led the pitching striking out four batters and allow ing only five safe hits in his three innings pitched. Rays safe hits w ere by David Riley and Nathan Murray (Little League) w ho played up from Little League Rays to fill one of the positions in the Junior League Team. In the game against West Bulldogs on 28th October, Kai Poon w as impressive as starting pitcher, achieving six strikeouts and allow ing only three safe hits over his four innings on the mound. Gabe Kushi pitched the last inning w ith tw o strikeouts and allow ed only one hit from six batters. Rays batting against Bulldogs produced singles from Jamie Doran, Ayden Champneys, Ryan Baker and Hayden Row e, doubles from Kai Poon and Josh Wilson, a triple from Gabe Kushi and an infield home run w ith loaded bases from David Riley. Ayden Champneys, Jamie Croon and Gabe Kushi assisted in a double play and Kayne Saverin and David Riley took the only catches of the game. These phots of the Rays Junior League Bandits are curtesy of Sharon Pow- ell, Mum of Deegan Powell in the Senior League Rays Bandits team. Thanks for taking them and allowing me to use them in the newsletter. Editor INSIDE THIS ISSUE • Junior League Bandits Win • Did You Know?? • Meet 2 of Our Original Club Members • Editors Note • Meet Our Sub-Committee Part 1 • Our Sponsors • A Blast From the Past • From the Redland City Bulletin Online Issue 2 Page Meet Two of Our Original Club Members IT / Website Manager - Stephen Schneider Email: [email protected] - Ph: 0411 517 131 Stephen started playing baseball at the Hendra All-Stars Club w hen he w as six years old but his first year at Redlands w as in the 1989/90 season as a player in the U10’s Navajo team w hen the club w as called Southside Indians and w as affiliated w ith the current Indians Baseball Club. As a junior player, Stephen pitched and played 1st base and now , as a Senior, his primary positions have been centre field and pitcher. After playing for most of his junior career at Redlands, Stephen ventured to Windsor Royals for a season, and Carina Redsox for tw o seasons, before returning to Redlands. He is currently plays in the Division 3 Rays 2 team, as w ell as in the Masters team. Stephen represented Brisbane South throughout his junior career and in his final year of junior baseball, he played for Brisbane Metro. He w as a member of the Queensland team in 1995 and had three trips to the United States w ith Queensland Taipans. Stephen is our IT & Website Manager and looks after our w eb and Facebook pages and anything else to do w ith information technology. He is currently in his final semester at Bond University w here he is completing a degree in Sports Management. He is also a member of the GBL (Greater Brisbane League) Committee. Athol (Red) Cunningham Red started playing t-ball for Redlands in the 1991/92 season in the U8’s team w hen the club w as called the Southside Indians Baseball Club and he has played for Redlands in every summer season since then. During the w inter seasons, he played for other clubs including Mudgeeraba and Runaw ay Bay. He has also played in a number of representative teams including for Brisbane South, Metropolitan East Schoolboys, Queensland School- boys and the Australian Expos in w hich he participated in 3 tours playing against teams from Chicago, California, San Diego, San Francisco. While a Junior player, Red’s preferred positions w ere middle infield and relief pitcher but he played all positions at some time through his junior years and as a senior he has mainly played 2nd base, 3rd base, relief pitcher and catcher. He is also currently playing in the Division 3 Rays 2 team. When asked about his memories of early Redlands Baseball Club, Red commented “I have seen many changes with the club over the years. We have gone from a little shipping container on the hill as a canteen to the clubhouse it is today. The bottom field used to have 2 full diamonds and the field was big enough to have four tee ball games or 2 junior games going at once. As the fields were built over a dump, every time it rained, the underlying rocks and stones would be brought up all over the fields. This meant before any team could train we had to try and fill the plastic baseball bucket with rocks and after training we would have to rake the field and pick up more rocks even though another team was training after us. This continued for about five seasons”. Issue 2 Page 2 Meet Our SubMeet Sub-Sub---CommitteeCommittee Members Uniform Co-ordinator - Darryn Smallwood Email: [email protected] Darryn first became involved w ith Redlands Rays in 2014 w hen his son, Blake started playing T-Ball. During that season, he volunteered to help w ith grounds maintenance and, since then, has w orked w ith the grounds crew whenever he has the time. Darryn has 5 children and 2 jobs and is also uniform coordinator for his daughter’s netball team and assistant coach for Blake’s soccer team. He likes to help out w here he can as he knows that sporting clubs are only as strong as the people in it. This season Darryn has signed up for the role of club uniform co- ordinator and umpire for Blake’s Little League Bandits team. He is also continuing to w ork w ith the grounds crew to keep our fields looking as spectacular as they are. When asked, he commented “I like to help out where I can as I know that sporting clubs don’t run without help and are only as strong as the people in it”. Media Co-ordinator - Dorry Beutel Email: [email protected] Ph: 0408 730 423 I first became a baseball supporter w ith Redlands Baseball Club in 2007 w hen my elder grandson, Brett Riley, started playing T-Ball. Although I didn’t attend every game in the beginning, I w as hooked after watching the semi-finals of 2010 school boys softball state titles w here Brett’s team w as playing and sinc e then, w hen possible, I have attended every club baseball game. Those state titles w ere also responsible for my interest in scoring and for my ow n curiosity, I started by just marking runs and outs. How ever, as Brett w as a pitcher, before I knew it, I w as also noting pitch counts. I w as also an avid photographer and took thousands of action photos during Brett’s early playing years. In 2012, my younger grandson, David, also started playing and at his first club game, his coach handed me the score book. My reaction w as rather comical as I hadn’t seen a “proper” scorebook before. How ever, I quickly learned w hat to do and have been scoring for whatever team David has been in since then. I have even achieved Level 1 status w ith my Level 2 exam to come before the end of this season. Unfortunately, taking on the scoring role put an end to my action photography and my album is seriously lacking David's early action photos. At this year’s AGM, I volunteered to take on the Media Co-ordinator role and my focus is to get our club out there in the community media through the Redland City Bulletin online and in new spaper form as w ell as through our club’s Facebook page. I encourage everyone to introduce themselves to other members, get to know your fellow supporters and eventually you w ill get to make some great friends. Issue 2 Page 3 A Blast From the Past Our blast from the past this week takes us back to April 2012 when our club hosted that year’s Little League State Titles where eight regional teams from the greater Brisbane area, Gold Coast, North Queensland and Lismore competed for the right to contest the Australian Little League Championships at Tallebudgera on the Gold Coast. The Brisbane South team included ten Redlands Rays Little Leaguers and they finished the round robin competition undefeated. This ensured that Souths had home team advantage in the most exciting Little League grand final against Brisbane North that even the BQ officials had seen for a long time. The game was drawn at 5-5 through the 10th inning until Brisbane North brought 6 runners home in the top of the 11th. Unfortunately one of those runners knocked Souths’ catcher, Nick Johnstone, over at home plate ending with Nick being taken off to hospital for observation. The game was declared a win for Brisbane North even though the inning wasn’t completed. After some intense discussion between the Brisbane South Manager, David Badke, and the BQ offi- cials, it was decided that both teams would be allowed to participate in the National Champion- ships along with Far North Coast as the Queensland Country entry, and Gold Coast as the host team.
Recommended publications
  • 2010 CLAXTON 2010 in REVIEW! - by Peter Flintoff Section 1

    2010 CLAXTON 2010 in REVIEW! - by Peter Flintoff Section 1

    Flintoff & Dunn’s AUSTRALIAN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - 2010 CLAXTON 2010 IN REVIEW! - By Peter Flintoff Section 1 VICTORIA EMERGES TO WIN 22ND CLAXTON SHIELD - LAST OF THIS FORMAT? Under assurance that Australia’s new National Baseball League would definitely commence at the end of 2010, this 2009/10 Claxton Shield was proclaimed to be the last of its kind. Similar to the previous competition, this program was designed to be as close as possible to what the National League might bring as a kind of “forerunner” to the new competition. As another progressive upgrade from the previous year, each of the five major state teams were scheduled to play two three-game weekend series against each other state on a “home & away” basis. The schedule comprised more games than the previous season with the abandonment of the “Showcase Round” from the 2008/09 competition. Standard programming was for a Friday night game plus a Saturday afternoon/night double- header, however, separate games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights were scheduled for Perth as a variation to this. Rained-out and/or postponed games were re-scheduled to be added to weekend programs for the return series between the same teams. At the conclusion of the 24 preliminary games played by each team the top placed team on the table was automatically qualified to host the best-of-three Grand Final series. The second placed team would host the third placed team in a best-of-three semi-final series for the right to play in the Grand Final. This Claxton Shield review is not intended to
  • FROM BULLDOGS to SUN DEVILS the EARLY YEARS ASU BASEBALL 1907-1958 Year ...Record

    FROM BULLDOGS to SUN DEVILS the EARLY YEARS ASU BASEBALL 1907-1958 Year ...Record

    THE TRADITION CONTINUES ASUBASEBALL 2005 2005 SUN DEVIL BASEBALL 2 There comes a time in a little boy’s life when baseball is introduced to him. Thus begins the long journey for those meant to play the game at a higher level, for those who love the game so much they strive to be a part of its history. Sun Devil Baseball! NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1981 2005 SUN DEVIL BASEBALL 3 ASU AND THE GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD > For the past 26 years, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. (See winners box.) The award is presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball stars J. D. Drew, Pat Burrell, Jason Varitek, Jason Jennings and Mark Prior. > Arizona State’s Bob Horner won the inaugural award in 1978 after hitting .412 with 20 doubles and 25 RBI. Oddibe McDowell (1984) and Mike Kelly (1991) also won the award. > Dustin Pedroia was named one of five finalists for the 2004 Golden Spikes Award. He became the seventh all-time final- ist from ASU, including Horner (1978), McDowell (1984), Kelly (1990), Kelly (1991), Paul Lo Duca (1993) and Jacob Cruz (1994). ODDIBE MCDOWELL > With three Golden Spikes winners, ASU ranks tied for first with Florida State and Cal State Fullerton as the schools with the most players to have earned college baseball’s top honor. BOB HORNER GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD WINNERS 2004 Jered Weaver Long Beach State 2003 Rickie Weeks Southern 2002 Khalil Greene Clemson 2001 Mark Prior Southern California 2000 Kip Bouknight South Carolina 1999 Jason Jennings Baylor 1998 Pat Burrell Miami 1997 J.D.
  • Nick Hogan Volunteer Assistant Coach Georgia State, 2009

    Nick Hogan Volunteer Assistant Coach Georgia State, 2009

    2009 NCAA ATLANTA REGIONAL GENERAL INFORMATION Quick Facts ........................................................................PANTHERS 1 Table of Contents ...............................................................1 Schedule and Directions ................................................... 2 Media Information ............................................................3 Season Preview ...............................................................4-6 Location ........................................................Atlanta, Ga. Preseason Polls/Honors .................................................... 7 Founded ....................................................................1913 Enrollment .............................................................30,000 COACHING & SUPPORT STAFF Nickname ........................................................... Panthers Coach Greg Frady ...........................................................8-9 Colors .................................Blue (PMS 286C) and White Coach Blaine McFerrin ................................................... 10 Affi liation ............................................ NCAA Division I Coach Brad Stromdahl ....................................................11 Conference ............Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Coach Nick Hogan........................................................... 12 President .............................Dr. Mark P. Becker/1st Year Support Staff ....................................................................12 Director of Athletics
  • Organization Organization 3-7 Front Office

    Organization Organization 3-7 Front Office

    Organization Organization 3-7 Front Office ..........................................................................................3 Melbourne Ballpark .......................................................................... 4-5 Broadcast Information .........................................................................6 Aces Life Members ..............................................................................7 2019/20 ACES 2019/20 2019/20 Melbourne Aces 8-50 Manager Jon Deeble ...........................................................................9 Field Staff .....................................................................................10-11 Pitchers ........................................................................................ 12-30 Position Players ........................................................................... 31-50 HISTORY & RECORDS HISTORY History and records 51-91 Year-by-Year ................................................................................ 52-55 Highs and Lows .................................................................................56 Streaks ..............................................................................................57 All-Time Roster ............................................................................ 58-59 Aces in Major League Baseball ................................................... 60-61 Single Game Records ................................................................. 62-65 2018-19 IN REVIEW Single-Season Records ..............................................................
  • The History of School Baseball in Australia

    The History of School Baseball in Australia

    The History of School Baseball in Australia Baseball has been played in schools since the early 1900s. In New South Wales the longest running School Knockout happens to be in the sport of Baseball, the Proud Shield competition as it is known, began in 1908, and was won by Fort Street High. The sport is presently played in over 500 Secondary Schools around Australia. At the interstate level, competitions have existed since the 1940's, with some evidence suggesting competitions in the 1930's. These competitions involved New South Wales and Queensland teams with spasmodic representation from South Australia and Victoria. Throughout the 1970's and early 1980's only New South Wales and Queensland teams competed, until 1987 when Australian Capital Territory played in a three way Championship. Michael Chapman, the New South Wales Combined High Schools Baseball Convener, worked tirelessly throughout this time to have other States participate and for Baseball to come under the umbrella of the Australian Schools Sports Council. In 1988, Michael was elected the first National Secretary of the Australian Secondary School Baseball Association under the banner of the Australian Schools Sports Council. The Championship of 1988, held in Canberra, had four teams - New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. It was a trial Championship before the full acceptance into the Australian Schools Sports Council. The venue for the inaugural Australian Secondary Schools Baseball Championship was Oriole Stadium, Sydney in 1989 where Victoria also competed for the first time. This year sees us playing our 21 st Championship. With the greater interest in the community, baseball standards have improved in schools.
  • 2012/13 Baseball Australia Annual Report

    2012/13 Baseball Australia Annual Report

    2012/13 BASEBALL AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT Australian Government Australian Sports Commission WWW.BASEBALL.COM.AU CONTENTS: MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT MR DAVID HYNES 1 MESSAGE FROM THE ASC CHAIRMAN MR JOHN WYLIE 2 MESSAGE FROM THE CEO MR BRETT PICKETT 3 2012-13 BASEBALL AUSTRALIA PERSONNEL 5 FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2013 9 NATIONAL TEAMS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS 26 TECHNICAL OFFICIALS 41 PLAYER AND COACH DEVELOPMENT 43 PARTICIPATION 50 MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIP 52 ABL 2012/13 SEASON REPORT 54 BASEBALL AUSTRALIA DIAMOND AWARDS 58 MESSAGE FROM THE BASEBALL AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT On behalf of the Board of the Australian Baseball Federation, I am pleased to present the 2012/2013 Annual Report. Consistent with recent previous years, 2012/2013 was on the “business” side of the sport. We introduced a another action packed year for Australian Baseball, new completely integrated database, website and highlighted by the Canberra Cavalry winning competition management program for the entire Canberra’s first ever national baseball title. The Cavalry sport that we believe will achieve considerable capitalised on the significant momentum they had operational efficiencies and economic advantages been building over the past number of years, to claim for all stakeholders. The sport also now has a new the Claxton Shield in the ABL’s 3rd season and, in the and fresh brand that has been designed to reflect an process, became one of the Leagues most successful inclusive, contemporary and critically a unified sport. teams – both on and off the field. I am particularly pleased to report that the endless In addition to a wonderful sold out Championship hard work and dedication of so many is continuing series staged in Canberra, the League also hosted to pay off.
  • Australia's Premier Baseball Club

    Australia's Premier Baseball Club

    AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER BASEBALL CLUB FAMILY | FUN | COMMUNITY 2020/21 Branding & Sponsorship Opportunities PERTH HEAT AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER BASEBALL TEAM 6 CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE PAST 13 SEASONS 6 WEST AUSTRALIANS / PERTH HEAT PLAYERS HAVE PLAYED MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN THE UNITED STATES GRAEME LLOYD New York Yankees WARWICK SAUPOLD Detroit Tigers LIAM HENDRIKS Oakland Athletics LUKE HUGHES Minnesota Twins & Oakland Athletics MARK ETTLES San Diego Padres PETER MOYLAN Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers & Kansas City Royals ________________________________CLAXTON SHIELD CHAMPIONS ‘52 ‘75 ‘77 ‘78 ‘79 ‘85 ‘91 ‘97 ‘00 ‘08 ‘09 ‘11 ‘12 ‘14 ‘15 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Fun for the fan. Our 2020/21 tagline is simple but it also captures what a day at the ballpark means to our members and fans. It’s “Fun for the Fan”. One learning COVID-19 has demonstrated, sport without fans is empty. This summer, our fans are #1. As the Premier Baseball team in Australia, the Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat will again be driven towards championship success. Our goal is to keep making history, adding to our 15 Claxton Shields and setting the benchmark in the Australian Baseball League. Our commitment to the fans is driven by our community. The Perth Heat community is loyal, with families at the heart of our club. Engaging and collaborating with our three State associations - Baseball WA, Tee-ball WA and Softball WA - is what drives our connection to the grassroots. We are a collective as Diamond Sports with more than 20,000 participants. It’s fun to be a fan, and it’s also fun to be a corporate partner! Let’s play ball.
  • Portraits of People from Around the World Who Love Baseball. the Strength of Any Sport Can Be Measured by the Passion of Its Athletes and Fans

    Portraits of People from Around the World Who Love Baseball. the Strength of Any Sport Can Be Measured by the Passion of Its Athletes and Fans

    PASSION. Portraits of people from around the world who love baseball. The strength of any sport can be measured by the passion of its athletes and fans. In this, no sport surpasses baseball. The intensity of the game is mirrored in those who follow it, as is the explosive joy of a home run and the drama of a key strikeout. Just as the Olympic Games are not just a sporting event but an experience, so is baseball. Around the world, the reactions are the same and the emotions strongly felt. Young and old, rich and poor, male and female – in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, Australia and the Pacifi c Rim, people who love baseball wear their hearts on their sleeves. They have an emotional connection to the game whether it’s played in a stadium or on a sandy lot, by professionals or children or players with disabilities. It’s the passion and pride every athlete and fan feels when they say, “I am baseball.”™ And it’s the passion and pride baseball will always bring to the Olympic Games. “It begins with two kids, three kids, a group of kids – and a ball. Add a stick – call it a bat – and you have baseball.” Bernard Malamud Courtesy: National Geographic MEXICO UNITED STATES An explosive pitcher, Jesus threw a perfect game in the 2008 Alex began playing baseball at the age of two. Little League World Series. Jesus Sauceda Alex Morton 13-year-old Jesus Sauceda is a pitching ace and multi-position When Alex was two, he began to model his swing after Chipper fi elder for the Matamoros A.C.
  • Professional Baseball in Japan and Australia from the Viewpoint of Industrial Relations

    Professional Baseball in Japan and Australia from the Viewpoint of Industrial Relations

    The Otemon Journal of Australian Studies, vol. ῑ῎,pp.ῒ ῌ ΐ, ῐ῎῎ῒ ῌ῍ Professional Baseball in Japan and Australia from the Viewpoint of Industrial Relations Akira Morishima Otemon Gakuin University ῌῌ Introduction Professional Baseball in Japan of the season ῐ῎῎ῒ ended on October ῐΐ with the Seibu Lions winning the champion flag. In this year, however, people paid much more attention to the merging of Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes to Orix Blue Wave and to the antiῌemerging movement by the Japan Professional Baseball Players Asso- ciation+῍ ῌhereinafter referred to as “JPBPA”῍ rather than to the results of games ; al- though the year ῐ῎῎ῒ falls on the ῔῎ th anniversary for the Japanese Professional Baseball. This paper will deal with the course and result of the above affair as the organised reports of mine presented at the ῑ Joint Research Seminars in the form of paper. Furthermore, a brief comment will be made on the Australian Baseball, in order to prove that the idea of Australia having no tradition of baseball is wrong. ῏ ῍ Japan Professional Baseball Players Association ῌ“Chunichi Sports ” as of July ῏῎, ῐ῎῎ῒ῍ Japan Professional Baseball Players Association consists of ῐ central organisations ῌLabour Union and Corporate Juridical῍ and ῏ῐ Players parties of the respective Baseball Clubs. The goal of JPBPA as the Labour Union is the improvement of the working condi- tions and status of the players, while the goal of the Corporate Juridical is the develop- ment and prosperity of the whole Japanese Professional Baseball. JPBPA as the Labour Union was legally recognized as a labour union in ῏῕ΐ, introducing the free agent ῌFA῍ system in the offῌseaon of ῏ῑ.
  • Financial Statements 9

    Financial Statements 9

    Contents Page Directors' report 2 Consolidated statement of comprehensive income 5 Consolidated statement of financial position 6 Consolidated statement of changes in equity 7 Consolidated statement of cash flows 8 Notes to the consolidated financial statements 9 Directors' declaration 22 Independent Audit Report 23 The financial report was authorised for issue by the Directors on 30 October 2018 Australian Baseball Federation Inc. & its controlled entities Directors' report For the year ended 30 June 2018 The Directors present their report together with the consolidated financial statements of the Australian Baseball Federation Incorporated ('Parent', 'BA') and its controlled entities ('the Group') for the financial year ended 30 June 2018 and the auditor's report thereon. Principal activities The principal activities of the Group during the course of the financial year was to conduct, encourage, promote, advance, standardise, control and administer all forms of the sport of baseball in and throughout Australia. The Australian Baseball Federation Inc. acquired the remaining equity stake (75%) in the Australian Baseball League Pty Ltd from Major League Baseball on 1 July 2016. The Group continued to operate the business of the League in the financial years following the acquisition. Form of entity and place of business The parent entity of the Group, the Australian Baseball Federation is an Incorporated Association registered in South Australia. Under its Statement of Rules and Purposes, the liability of members is limited to $1 per member. At the date of this report, the Australian Baseball Federation's registered office - and principal place of business - is located at Suite 5, 65- 67 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island, Queensland.
  • Baulkham Hills Baseball Club - First Grade 1970

    Baulkham Hills Baseball Club - First Grade 1970

    CONTENTS LIFE MEMBERS .............................................................................................................................. 2 PAST OFFICE BEARERS............................................................................................................... 2 OFFICE BEARERS FOR 1999-2000 .............................................................................................. 3 30 FABULOUS YEARS ................................................................................................................... 4 Preface................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Forward ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Points of Interest from all Those Years ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Extracts from Annual Reports ........................................................................................................................................................... 33 NSWBL Grade Club Championships Won by Baulkham Hills ......................................................................................................... 38 Baulkham Hills Baseball Club - First Grade 1970 ............................................................................................................................
  • 2009 CLAXTON 2009 in REVIEW! - by Peter Flintoff Section 2

    2009 CLAXTON 2009 in REVIEW! - by Peter Flintoff Section 2

    Flintoff & Dunn’s AUSTRALIAN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - 2009 CLAXTON 2009 IN REVIEW! - By Peter Flintoff Section 2 WEST AUSTRALIA WINS BACK-TO-BACK FOR DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY SHIELD With our long-awaited new National League cast aside for at least another summer, the 2008/09 season saw a slightly revamped and upgraded Claxton Shield competition, much along the same lines as the quite successful 2007/08 version. The 2008/09 Claxton Shield would be conducted under the banner of the 75th DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY of the competition. To celebrate this, teams agreed to wear “modified retro uniforms” from their traditional baseball past. The most significant change was the abandonment of the Australian Provincial team that had enjoyed Claxton Shield status since the 2002 competition. Even though ‘Flintoff & Dunn’ have been staunch supporters of the Provincial concept and its place in a balanced six-team competition, we had to accept the reality of the direction chosen by Baseball Australia. In a nutshell, they were doing their best to prepare for the new National League with a similar “Home and Away” style schedule, involving series of games in each state. In order to provide some extra opportunity for “provincial players” to compete in the 2008/09 Claxton Shield, a pre-competition draft was organised whereby each of the State teams could select one “import” player. History would show that Western Australia scooped the pool when they selected ACT slugger Nick Kimpton with the last pick. He went on to win the prestigious Helms Award, while helping WA to secure back-to-back national championships.