We at 'Flintoff & Dunn'
pride ourselves on the fact that we try to be fair in our judgements
and that we are never afraid to tell it like it is, regardless
of the situation
On this occasion we must give credit where it is due to Queensland's
hierarchy, management and team for playing this game in the proper
spirit and respecting the integrity of the competition
Only those Subscribers who have followed our reports over the
years might remember how critical we have been of teams who have
"tanked" in the final game when they did not need to
win - and Queensland have been one of the offenders in the past
Of course the Queenslanders
took some advantage of their well earned situation by allowing
their important stars Trent Durrington and Brett Roneberg to platoon
as the DH and this type of thing is perfectly acceptable, as is
playing any of their squad players who may not have had much game
time
What really annoyed us previously was when teams disrespected
the game and the famous competition by pitching "non-pitchers"
and playing players completely out of position so that hitters
on both teams could rack up ridiculous statistics that tarnished
the history and records from that competition!
We have been critical in the past so, on this occasion, we must
be fair enough to provide equally positive comment
Perhaps most importantly in this situation, they have produced
a most interesting and genuine contest for the spectators who
can be too often forgotten when teams take a narrow-minded and
selfish view of these situations - enough said!
Of course one of the most obvious measures of a team that is not
"tanking" is when they WIN!
Our hearty congratulations to the 2006 Queensland Rams who
have successfully climbed out of the basement from 2005 to become
one of the very rare teams to complete the preliminary rounds
undefeated
Another thing that may have been at the forefront of the Queensland
outlook for this game is the undeniable fact that it can be dangerous
to flirt with player's form in these types of situations and that
winning form is certainly good form
For one thing, you can bet that young pitching prospect Luke Thwaites
would have enjoyed the opportunity to somewhat erase the horror
memory of his AMLB debut in this tournament when he was roughed
up in relief by Australia Provincial
On this occasion he produced a pretty good start for his team
and this outing should put him in better stead for the future
Rams' relievers Gahan, Kearney and Loetzsch each did little wrong,
even if Kearney was greeted rudely by a triple and a home run
immediately upon his arrival
These guys got a nice little tune-up for the finals and they will
have more to offer
Young Los Angeles Angels pro Dylan Peacock would have also enjoyed
getting the opportunity for his AMLB debut and he could be quite
satisfied with a most promising performance against a red-hot
Queensland hitting lineup
The youngster showed his composure at this level by maintaining
his reputation for good control, even when he was under attack
from a few more hits that he'd have preferred
The usually solid Bradley Thomas was smacked around in this game
and that can happen - relief pitching is quite often a test of
character and every day is a new one!
Offensively, all of WA statistical leaders delivered for them
again in this game, apart from Clint Balgera who was walked three
times!
The Dale boys had two hits each, as did the consistent Mitch Graham
and Dan Floyd
Brandon Dale lifted his slugging percentage to .708 with his second
'big fly' of the carnival
Importantly for Queensland, by playing the game seriously, most
of their key hitters kept themselves locked-in, with the reliable
and dangerous Foster having three knocks while Sutherland, Utting
and Nilsson each added two more to their very good tournament
statistics
Josh Roberts and David Sutherland both left the yard at Aquatic
Reserve, Manly
In case we don't get another opportunity, we simply must mention
the debut Claxton Shield performance of Jay Nilsson who may not
have burst onto the scene with the eye-opening power of his 18yo
uncle David when he won the Helms Award in 1987, but he has shown
himself to be a remarkably consistent natural hitting talent and
the prolific Nilsson family would be justifiably proud of his
AMLB debut - the name Nilsson will be around for a while more!
As it turns out these teams will meet again in the semi-final
and, regardless of what has happened so far, we can usually expect
that baseball will dish up something unexpected and interesting
Good luck to both teams!
Queensland Rams will be heading
into the Finals of the 2006 Financial Wealth Claxton Shield with
an unblemished record after defeating Perth Heat 7-8 in a nail
biting game at Blacktown Olympic Park
Baseball fans were treated to an exciting night of sport with
two games running almost simultaneously when rain caused the Queensland
Rams versus Perth Heat game to be relocated to Diamond 2 at Blacktown
Olympic Park, and rescheduled to begin at 6:45pm
And whilst neither team were in threat of going home early, the
result of their game would determine the fate of the remaining
teams, with a win by Perth Heat knocking local favourites, New
South Wales Patriots, out of contention
From the outset, the Queensland Rams looked certain to run all
over Perth Heat, allowing only 1 hit in the first three innings,
whilst they piled on three runs in the first innings, thanks to
a lead-off double by Trent Durrington and a two-run homer by David
Sutherland
When Josh Roberts put another ball out of the park for Queensland
in the bottom of the third, Queensland and New South Wales fans
alike saw the game heading for the best result
But in the top of the fourth, the momentum swung a full 180 degrees
With Perth Heat’s Clint Balgara being walked and then advanced
on a wild throw, not only did Queensland’s defence appear
to show some cracks, but doubles by Brendon Dale and Daniel Floyd
also demonstrated the great offensive abilities of the Western
Australians as they halved the score line to 2-4
The fifth innings saw Perth Heat continue their fight back, scoring
two more runs with two hits including another double, this time
by Lachlan Dale levelling the scores at 4 runs each
In the top of the seventh inning, Luke Hughes hit a brilliant
triple to left-field and scored when Brandon Dale jacked one over
left-field for a two-run homer
Going into the bottom of the seventh, Queensland Rams trailed
by three runs after an error by Wade Dutton at second base allowed
Lachlan Dale to score
However, the decision by Perth Heat to replace opening pitcher
Dylan Peacock with Brad Thomas became a major turning point in
the game
Despite taking the first two outs quickly, Thomas walked both
Brett Roneberg, who entered the game for Trent Durrington,
and Josh Roberts consecutively
With two out and two runners on the bases, Queensland rose and
rallied to score four runs through two-base hits by both Andrew
Utting and David Sutherland to take the lead 8-7
Perth Heat were able to fend off Queensland in the bottom of the
eighth, not allowing the Rams to score despite loaded bases
Unfortunately, for Perth Heat, they could not find their earlier
offensive prowess and the game ended to cheers from the main grandstand
as Patriots fans witnessed Lachlon Dale beaten on a throw to third
base whilst trying to advance after tagging-up on Tim Kennelly’s
fly-out, giving the home-town favourites an opportunity to make
the finals
The 2006 Financial Wealth Claxton Shield Semi Final Series begins
on Friday 27th January when the undefeated Queensland Rams take
on Perth Heat at 3.00pm