Result
Australia - 9 to 4

Australia's Record
2 wins - 2 losses

Brett's Fielding Position and the Batting Order
Playing centrefield
Batting at #2

Brett's Statistics - Game
Batting - 1 hit from 5 at-bats - single
------------------1 x run scored
------------------1 x strike out
------------------1 x grounded-into-double-play
Fielding - N/A

Brett's Plate Appearances
First at-bat
???handed pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Ground ball to second base
Out 4-to-3
Second at-bat
???handed pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Single
Went to third base on a hit
Scored on an error by the shortstop (the relay throw???)
Third at-bat
???handed pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Strike out
Fourth at-bat
???handed pitcher
Runner at first base - one down
Grounded into a double play - and from the 'play-by-play' report it looks like "first-to-shortstop-to-pitcher covering at first base"
Out 3-to-6-to-1 double play
Fifth at-bat
Led off the innings
Popped up to shortstop
Out F6

Email from Brett
Well I just played the most exciting most adrenaline filled game of my career!!!
It was absolutely awesome!!!!
A game we were never expected to come close in, we won 9-4 - kicking Japan's ass all over the field!!
Just one of those games where the opposition expected to walk all over us from the start didn't happen - and we have now shocked everyone!!!
Every Medal is up for grabs and we are going to do our best to get one
From the start of the game things were tough
then in the fourth inning I came up and broke up the no hitter
and from then on we got four straight hits and a 3-0 lead
We gave one run up in the third and then three in the fourth and I thought we were in trouble
But we stuck at it and came up with three runs in the seventh and eighth for a 9-4 win
Words can't describe how you feel when you play for your country and win a game you aren't expected to
There were about seventy-five Aussies in the crowd giving everyone heaps!!!
For as few that there was, they made a lot of noise!!!
So now we have a day off
Going to visit the Acropolis tomorrow and then see the sites before going after Greece in two days
If we win two games out of three then we go to the semi's - with a huge chance of a Medal!!!
Will email again soon
and thanks to everyone for the emails

Pre-Game Notes
Article from the Cairns Post

Japan and Canada look to extend unbeaten streak

Japan and Canada remain the only two unbeaten teams heading into day four of competition (18 August) in the Athens 2004 Olympic Baseball Tournament while reigning world champion Cuba suffered a rare loss to arch rivals Japan on day three and have a tricky encounter against Chinese Taipei to deal with on Wednesday.

NED vs. ITA
The first game of the day session is one of great importance for both teams.
The Netherlands (1-2) is trying to stay in the race for the medal round while Italy (0-3) is trying to salvage what has been a dreadful tournament so far.
Italy has been outscored 27-3.
JPN vs. AUS
The second game of the day session pits top team Japan (3-0) against Australia (1-2).
Last night Japan defeated two-time gold medallists Cuba 6-3 in what was the most advertised game of the tournament.
So far Japan's pitching has been solid and its line up, led by Norihiro NAKAMURA and Kenji JOJIMA have provided more than enough runs.
Australia will look to try to work its way back into medal contention.
GRE vs. CAN
Opposites collide in the first night session match with offensively charged Canada taking on a team that has been having problems with offence in Greece.
The host nation (0-3) has only scored five runs for the tournament while Canada is running on all cylinders (3-0) and riding a wave of momentum from winning its pre-Olympic tournament in Rome.
For the tournament, Pierre Luc La FOREST has five hits in 10 at bats with two home runs.
Canada's pitching has also been up to the task so far, posting a 0.67 earned run average.
TPE vs. CUB
The second game of the night session sees two of the better teams in the tournament clash with Cuba (2-1) against Chinese Taipei (2-1).
Tuesday night saw an Olympic rarity as Cuba lost for only the third time since baseball became an Olympic medal sport.
Chinese Taipei has improved after a difficult first game, a 7-0 loss against Canada, in which a strong wind helped negate Chinese Taipei's fielding and pitching advantages.
Chinese Taipei will try to duplicate Japan's feat in Stadium 1 at 19:30.

Game Reports
Article from the Cairns Post

A-ROOS ON THE HOP AFTER BEATING JAPAN 9-4!

Let's not be so conservative that we miss the opportunity to hail the Australian baseball team for its magnificent performance tonight in showing the rest of the world that we are indeed an elite baseball nation.

After a morale sapping start to the 2004 Olympic games tournament our men showed no signs of alarm and they have justified their resolve by coming through with a result that may prove to be of historic proportions, beating the table topping Japan 9-5.

And, it was not a performance built on any remarkable good fortune, but on the pure quality of our baseball talent!

OK, we will admit that by playing Japan in the fourth game of the tournament we may have dodged their front line pitching, but heck, nobody was giving us any sympathy when we did have to face what we are told were the star pitchers of Cuba and Chinese Taipei!

That is the way these competitions are shaped.

It is just as much about setting your tactical match-ups and player depth as it is about the luck of the schedule.
That being the case we must start with a moment of praise for our management team for getting it right and maintaining their confidence in the team under quite intense pressure.

Highly regarded youngster Phil Stockman, who is projected as a future major leaguer, got the important start for the 'A-ROOS' and, for the most part, he proved his potential with some first class "stuff' but he never looked entirely convincing facing the Japanese order for the second time through.
Stockman did his job with three scoreless innings before he allowed an opening run in the fourth and then he hit a log-jam in the fifth.
When he put a second runner on board in the fifth innings, Aussie manager Jon Deeble sensed that there was so little room for error that he lifted Stockman and he didn't hesitate to tap his left arm to summon our trump card from the bullpen.

We suspect that it was a pre-planned tactic to call for Graeme Lloyd at the first sign of trouble today?
No doubt a key to our plans was the much anticipated appearance of the most "decorated" pitcher / baseballer in Athens, Graeme Lloyd, a veteran of many seasons in the US major leagues and the owner of a couple of World Series rings from his days as a specialist lefty in the New York Yankees bullpen.
We could hardly expect to see the Lloyd of "World Series vintage" in 2004 with so little time on the diamond this year, but we were pleased to see him just the same!
With our hopes pinned on Lloyd's pitching prowess, the prospect of a successful game was very quickly repressed when the 'big fella' was stung for a three-run homer.

It quickly surrendered our hard-earned lead and allowed Japan to take over the ascendency in the game.

It was a deflating moment as we wondered if our victory hopes had vanished before our eyes.

However, it was soon clear that the important momentum gained from the win over Italy had brought about a positive mood change in the Australia dugout.

Where the pitchers had carried an unbearable load in the opening games, our hitters were warming to the task of asserting their authority.

In any case, our pitchers certainly steadied to put in another sterling performance with Lloyd regaining his composure to end the fifth innings... that was enough for him on this day.
While he was clearly short of work in game conditions and never likely to go long and it was an important hit-out... he will surely have a very important role in future games.

Young Ryan Rowland-Smith "tip toed" around a couple of hits and a walk to post a scoreless sixth before handing over to Australia's almost forgotten 10th player to reach the major leagues, former LA Dodgers left-hander Jeff Williams.

We may have wondered about the wisdom of calling upon Williams, who plays in the Japanese major league, to face players who have seen him before, but then it proved more important that he knew how to pitch to the hitters he faced!
In any case, it proved a master stroke as Williams made sure that he kept a tight lid on Japan's batters while ours went to work.

With growing confidence, most of the Australian hitters looked positive and dangerous at the plate and this ultimately reaped its result when we posted three-spots in each of the seventh and eighth innings to recapture the lead we had established earlier with three in the fourth.

That well worn saying about "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" was never more aptly applied than when talking about the abilities of David Nilsson.
As he has always seemed to do throughout his career, 'Big Dave' seemed to sense the importance of the occasion and he has rarely failed to deliver in big games.

Nilsson (yawn!) headlined the Australian batting today with 3-5 and a RBI via his eighth inning home run, but he received plenty of support with Van Buizen and Fingleson both supplying multi-hit and multi-RBI games.

Emerging SA youngster Tom Brice consolidated his fine Olympics with another two-hit game, as did another of our probable major league players of the near future in Glenn Williams.

Ten Australian batters combined to out-hit the mighty Japan 15-9 today.

We will make no apologies for ignoring the individual performances of the Japanese players, except to say that every member of their roster plays in their professional league and there are no "easy beats" amongst them.

The only thing we will mention is that Graeme Lloyd is unlikely to forget the name of the man who touched him up for that painful long-ball, the unfortunately titled Mr. Fukudome!
It sounds something like what many AFL footballers mutter about the stadium at Melbourne's Docklands... our apologies!!!

You will have to excuse Australia's long-suffering baseball community for savouring this significant moment in our history, but we have all become so acutely aware how much our sport needs the type of "political stimulus" that can only be generated by a bold showing at the Olympic Games.

We certainly don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but this victory over Japan has really given us a genuinely good chance to make the semi-finals, within touching distance of a medal!

One final slice of credit where it is due to the Channel SEVEN television broadcasters tonight for showing the last couple of innings of this great baseball game.
Of course, they probably sniffed a good result looming for Australia and this is fair enough we suppose.
If we keep getting good results like this we may yet get HALF the time devoted to coverage of other non-descript "team sports" not even involving Australia?
This was BETTER, but the word GOOD has not been mentioned!

RONEBERG SHINING AT 2004 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
Australia Keeping Medal Hopes Alive

Sea Dogs All Star outfielder Brett Roneberg has starred for the Australian National Team during the first four games at the Summer Olympics in Greece.

Roneberg is 4-for-17 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored as Australia is 2-2 so far in the tournament.

Roneberg snapped a scoreless tie with a two-run double in the sixth inning and drove in three runs in Australia's 6-0 win over Italy on Tuesday.

Roneberg then went 1-for-5 with a run in the Aussies 9-4 upset win over Japan on Wednesday.

Australia must win two of its final three games in round robin play to keep medal hopes alive.

Roneberg drove in 70 runs with 15 home runs and 25 doubles in 114 games before leaving the Sea Dogs.

Roneberg earned his first career All-Star selection earlier this campaign.

WE WON , WE WON , WE WON !!!!!

Australia defeated Japan last night with a mind blowing 5 run victory!!!

Our boys were simply too good for the Japanese favourites and blew them away with strong pitching efforts from Phil Stockman, Graeme Lloyd, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Jeff Williams.

An outstanding performance by all players.

Our boys are back and ready to win!!

ALTOONA CURVE - GAME NOTES FOR AUG. 18

Former Curve/Senators’ 1B-OF Brett Roneberg was 1-for-5 with a run scored as the starting centerfielder for Australia in their 9-4 upset of Japan.

The Aussies are now 2-2, while Japan fell to 3-1

Australian bats run hot against Japan

The Australian baseballers thought it was going to be a case of one, two, three strikes you're out of the Games as they prepared to face the all-conquering Japanese on Wednesday.

Disheartened after opening losses to Cuba and Chinese Taipei, the team was snapped out of it by stirring words from veteran pitcher Graeme Lloyd.

Since the speech the Australians' once-silent bats have exploded to life, slamming six unanswered runs against the Italians before combining for a 9-4 victory over tournament favourites Japan.

The pitching, too, has been effective - particularly San Diego Padres-contracted hurler Chris Oxspring, who held the Italians to one hit over eight shutout innings.

"Graeme just told us not to worry," Oxspring said.
"The teams we've faced the last few days have been outstanding. It was good to hear from him and get some experience."

Though Lloyd's outing on Wednesday was largely forgettable, yielding a three-run home run in the fifth inning, his words have made up for that.

With games against Greece, the Netherlands and Canada remaining in the round-robin stage of the tournament, the Australians require two more wins to reach the play-offs.
Wednesday's win over Japan will raise the team's collective confidence.

Riding Rodney van Buizen's three runs-batted-in performance, and the sharp relief pitching of Ryan Rowland-Smith and former Los Angeles Dodger Jeff Williams, the Australians trounced a team that had defeated the powerful Cubans the previous evening.

Dave Nilsson, fresh from a triple-A stint with the Atlanta Braves organisation, also proved the Australians have intimidating power - crushing a solo home run in the eighth inning off Japanese reliever Hirotoshi Ishii.

By then, however, the game was well won, and the losses to Cuba and Chinese Taipei all but forgotten.

Australia ends Japans string of Successes

Australia scored a surprise 9-4 victory over the previously unbeaten Japan in their preliminary round Olympic baseball match.

Australia took charge briefly in the fourth inning when Brett Roneberg, David Nilsson and Glenn Williams each got a run.

But Japan struck back with one of their own at the end of the fourth and made Australian pitcher Graeme Lloyd pay for his loosener in the fifth.
Kosuke Fukudome struck a towering home run and with two teammates on bases Japan collected three runs and took the lead.

But in the seventh inning Australians Thomas Brice, Andrew Utting and Brett Tamburrino all scored runs as Japan relieved pitcher Daisuke Miura with Hirotoshi Ishii after five hits.

With Australia leading 6-4, the game was put virtually out of reach in the eighth inning when Nilsson hit a home run off another new pitcher Yuya Ando.
In the same inning Brendan Kingman and Utting were both batted in for another three-run effort.

Needing six runs in the final inning to win, Japan went hitless as Australian pitcher Jeff Williams wrapped up the match.

Australia has three more preliminary round games to play.

Australia hands Japan first loss

Australia's bats came to life in a balanced and timely hitting display to defeat favoured Japan 9-4 at the Olympic Baseball Centre on Wednesday.

Australia improved to 2-2, while Japan fell to 3-1 in the preliminary round of play.

Catcher David NILSSON (AUS) and shortstop Rodney van BUIZEN (AUS) led a 15-hit attack, which picked apart the vaunted Japanese pitching staff.

Fourteen of the team's hits were singles, the exception being NILSSON's eighth-inning home run to right field, one of three hits and two runs from the former USA Major League All-Star.

The game started out as a pitching duel between Phil STOCKMAN (AUS) and Naoyuki SHIMIZU (JPN).
The two starters threw three scoreless innings each, before Australia found its groove.

Centrefielder Brett RONEBERG's (AUS) one-out single was the first hit off SHIMIZU, and it opened the floodgates.
The next four batters singled, and suddenly it was 3-0 to Australia.

Japan and its team of professional league all-stars clawed back, however.

After scoring a run in the fourth, Japan put runners on first and third.
Australian manager John DEEBLE, trying to protect his lead, called in 11-year USA Major League veteran Graeme LLOYD (AUS).
But rightfielder Kosuke FUKUDOME (JPN) rocked LLOYD's first pitch over the right field wall for a 4-3 lead.

Australia's nit-pick attack was not finished.

Another string of five singles in the seventh, including four off pitcher Daisuke MIURA (JPN), put the Aussies back in front for good, 6-3.

The representatives from Oceania padded their lead with three more runs in the eighth inning, keyed by NILSSON's solo shot and a two-out, two-run single by van BUIZEN, who led the team with three RBI (Runs Batted In).

Ryan ROWLAND SMITH (AUS) pitched one inning to pick up the win.

Jeff WILLIAMS (AUS) threw three scoreless innings and struck out the Japanese side in the ninth for the save.

Five Japanese pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts but could not extinguish the hot Australian bats when it counted most.

MIURA, who gave up three runs in one inning of work, took the loss.

Pitcher SHIMIZU (JPN) concedes Aussies better than expected

Starting pitcher Naoyuki SHIMIZU conceded Australia's batters were ''better than expected'' after the powerful Japanese line up was pounded 9-4 in the Olympic Men's Baseball competition today.

Despite the loss, SHIMIZU insisted his team was not disheartened.

"It has no bad influence on our mood," said SHIMUZU afterwards.
"We play one game at a time and feel that we can go a long way.
I am in good condition, but feel slightly tired, since our previous game against Cuba was last night"

Australia's baseballers shock Japan

Australia's baseballers handed medal favourites Japan their first defeat of the 2004 Games on Wednesday when they beat the Asian side 9-4 in Athens.

Japan and Cuba have been tipped as the competition's medal favourites.

Van Buizen stars in baseball upset over Japan

ROD Van Buizen experienced the disappointment of the Australia's baseball performance at the Sydney Olympics and today he walked away with a match winning performance hitting three RBI's when Australia downed the previously undefeated Japan 9-4 on Day 5.

In a tremendous display, the Australian batters were in sparkling form with 15 hits forcing the Japanese to use five pitchers in an attempt to stop the run scoring.

In contrast, Australian starting pitcher Phil Stockman threw with good control while Japanese based closing pitcher Jeff Williams finished off allowing only a single hit in three innings.

Australia seized the initiative at the top of the fourth inning with lead-off singles by Brett Roneberg and Dave Nilsson.
Roneberg and Nilsson scored after successive singles by Glenn Williams and Brendan Kingman and a third run was added when Tom Brice batted in Williams.

Japan immediately pegged a run back when Shinya Miyamoto scored from Norihiro Nakamura's sacrifice fly ball off Stockman.

Disaster then struck Australia at the bottom of the fifth when Kosuke Fukudome homered off Graeme Lloyd with two runners on base for the Japanese to take a 4-3 lead.

However Australian regained control in the seventh inning when Van Buizen scored Brice before Gavin Fingleson's single saw Andrew Utting and Brett Tamburrino score giving Australia a 6-4 advantage.

An inning later saw Nilsson hit a home run over the right field wall and Van Buizen capped off a memorable day with line drive double which scored Kingman and Utting.

"Hitting is like a snowball. When one guy starts it, it can just start rolling like a snowball," said Van Buizen.

Head coach Jon Deeble and Nilsson were thrilled with the performance.

"This was an absolute team effort today.
We are a good ball club and no one should underestimate us.
All we can do is keep winning and we will get to the semi-finals," said Deeble.

Nilsson said the victory confirmed the team's medal aspirations.
"We really persevered after our first two losses and have stayed focussed," said Nilsson.

Tomorrow (Day 6) is a rest day and Australia's next game is against Greece with Craig Anderson named at the starting pitcher.

Comments
Rodney van BUIZEN (AUS) - shortstop
On Australia's 15 hits
"Hitting is like a snowball. When one guy starts it, it can just start rolling like a snowball."
On his two hits and three runs batted in
"I felt good and hit the gaps."
On beating undefeated Japan
"We always believed we could win. It's not as though didn't feel we had a chance. We're good enough to beat any team."

Jon DEEBLE (AUS) - manager
On upsetting Japan
"Actually, we played the same game we played in game one. We are a good ball club, too. No one should underestimate us."
On upcoming games
"All we have to do is keep winning and we will get to the semi-finals."
On the team's performance in the tournament
"So far we have had some good pitching and batting. We also played good defence."
On his choice of MVP in the game
"This was an absolute team effort."

David NILSSON (AUS) - catcher
On the team's performance
"We really perservered. We didn't make any changes and stayed focussed. We kept playing well and had some good pitching."
On their future expectations in this tournament
"This victory confirms our high hopes for an Olympic medal."

Kiyoshi NAKAHATA (JPN) - manager
On Australia
"We were completely out-strengthed. The pace of the game was completely controlled by Australia."
On today's game following last night's win
"We wanted to win all the preliminary games, but we lost one. It's important to continue from this point on and I want to use this loss as factor for motivation."

Naoyuki SHIMIZU (JPN) - starting pitcher
On today's pitching
"In the fourth inning I let in some runs because I was tired, but I felt that I was able to pitch pretty well."
"I was able to throw all my pitches until the fourth inning."
On his thoughts after letting in runs
"I didn't panic when they got some hits and I was able to maintain my composure. But, Australia's batting was a lot better than I expected."
On today's game following last night's win
"Today's loss will not affect the team at all."

Kosuke FUKUDOME (JPN) - rightfielder
On today's game
"We won yesterday and it feels bad to have lost today."
"We have no excuses and we must win under any circumstances."
On Australia
"I have played against them before and was familiar with them; they have a lot of good players."

Norihiro NAKAMURA (JPN) - third baseman
On today's game
"When they get hits off you like that, there's nothing you can do. We have to think more next time."