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Here is our Preview of the Queensland Team

OK, OK, Queenslanders allow us a moment of gloating on this occasion (and on others as we rub our chests with a tremendous record in our previews to date!)
You may have been angry about our downcast preview of your chances last season, but you must admit that we were pretty close to the mark!

So, with that backdrop leading up to the 2006 Claxton Shield, I guess that you fine people in Australia's far north-east would be mildly pleased that we have instantly elevated you from last place in 2005 to a very creditable third in 2006?

Sorry, there are no "smoke and mirrors" here, the reason is simple - the quality of players in your squad is, unlike last season, worthy of this type of recognition!

And, unlike our assessment of WA's prospects for 2006, the Rams can easily claim that their squad has been clearly strengthened rather than weakened

On the offensive side, out goes former Florida Marlins' signing Brett Baker who batted .385 in six appearances for the Gold Coast Cougars, Scott Browning who batted .294 from five games in 2005 and David Bylett who batted .333 in five games at Claxton 2005
I guess that you have to add here veteran utility/pitcher Todd Fairbrother who has batted .185 in 32 games over the years for Queensland as well as owning a 3-4, 8.62ERA pitching record
Also missing, but hardly likely to be missed, are little known catcher Shane Watson and outfielder Luke White who have both hit below the "Mendoza Line"

While the Rams pitching has been bolstered with the influx of young professionals for Blacktown 2006, they might still feel the loss of well performed John Veitch who has carried the team in recent campaigns with his 6-2, 3.25ERA record from 16 games dating back to the 2001 IBLA
Veitch was also the Golden Arm Award winner from the 2003 Claxton Shield
Other pitchers missing from the 2006 squad are Adam Battaglene (1-1, 6.93ERA from 2000), Tristan Loetzsch (0.00ERA from just 0.1ip), Daniel Paradise (0-0, 2.13ERA from nine games) and Chris Mowday 0-3, 6.42ERA in AMLB
However Mowday was much better in the USA where he pitched in the minor leagues for Toronto, Oakland and the Chicago Cubs for a 24-19, 4.20ERA over several seasons - he will be missed more than most

Headlining the inclusions for Queensland is the welcome addition of 2004 Helms Award winner Brett Roneberg who had reached 'AAA' with the Florida Marlins before playing 'AA' ball with both Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh

Our 2004 Athens Olympic Silver Medallist has battled his (long and painful) way back from a nasty shoulder injury to play for Australia again at the 2005 World Cup in the Netherlands and he has recently re-signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the upcoming season

Roneberg has always been a superb performer, when available, on Aussie soil and we reckon that he will be jumping out of his skin to remind everyone what a tremendous natural talent he is

Brett may not have been quite ready to play his best in Holland, but we're guessing that he'll be really dangerous at Blacktown next week!

He already owns a .301 record from 120 games as a relative youngster with Brisbane and Queensland - only the very elite players can boast that kind of early career resume

Former Melbourne Reds favourite Andrew Utting will also add experience to the Rams' offence and defence even though his .207 AMLB average from 111 games looks modest, most of this was produced when he was a youngster and we must remember that he did briefly reach 'AA' and 'AAA' level with the Baltimore Orioles - he is a dangerous hitter
Also playing this year is Brad Dutton who batted .333 for QLD in 2003 and the highly rated Cleveland Indians signing Jay Nilsson
They tell me that Jay Nilsson can hit more like his famous uncle David than his almost-as-famous pitching father Bob!
Both of these ancestors are 'Flintoff & Dunn AMLB Hall-Of-Famers' so there is reason to be scared of him - very scared!!

Pitching wise, the loss of Veitch and Mowday, in particular, is possibly more than balanced in the positive direction by the inclusions of past and present professionals James Albury, Tristan Crawford, Matt Haynes, Drew Naylor and Luke Thwaites - as well as the unknown right arm of Mark Kearney
Albury owns a 5-0. 1.15ERA record from 2004 and a 2-2, 4.83ERA 2005 record with the Rookie League Gulf Coast Red Sox
Crawford pitched for a 2-1, 4.94ERA record in AMLB along with a good 11-7, 4.06ERA pro record in rookie and 'A' ball with the Minnesota Twins organisation
Haynes pitched just two games for Queensland, but he boasts an 8-7, 3.77ERA record in 'A' baseball with the Cleveland Indians
Thwaites has played Rookie League ball with the Twins, while Naylor is a recent signing with the Philadelphia Phillies

The Conclusion

Much like the theory about a "woman scorned", history has taught us to beware a Queenslander (or any other baseball team) when its pride has been dented in the same way that the Rams endured at Claxton Shield 2005

Not only would we naturally expect them to hit back hard under any circumstances, but they will also find this challenge easier with the welcome addition of some more talented and experienced players

We have a hunch that the Queensland Rams will shade the WA Heelers for third place this year and that will place them just one win away from playing for all the marbles - as we said, anything can happen at this stage!

What ever happens it will be fun to watch some of their emerging young stars strutting their stuff and the restoration of one of Australia's most talented young stars in Brett Roneberg
It may be the springboard he needs to become our 22nd major league player!

Before we move on from the 'Sunshine State', we must pay another tribute to one of its most famous and underrated sons Trent Durrington
Major League stalwart Trent has been unable to do justice to his undoubted talents during the short tournaments in Australia, but he deserves tremendous credit as one of the few big name players who consistently makes himself available to support baseball on Australian diamonds
We dip our caps to you Trent, you are a true Aussie hero and it is high time that you got the respect you deserve!
As Australia's No.1 baseball journalist Adrian Dunn wrote in our latest publication - "Trent Durrington is an example to all young and aspiring baseballers in the way he prepares himself to play every day and in the way he conducts himself on and off the field"
Could anyone disagree? - not likely!