The Russell Crowe Invitational

[mrbucket]

Originally Posted by Izz

Noice!

Sweet as comment bro.

[mrbucket]

November 2002

6 November, 2002
Auckland rookie Callum Macdonald releases a cover of Eminem's Without Me. It is terrible.

The Shield
Canberra easily fend off challenges from Bendigo and Melbourne. Winning each series 3-0. As November ends, they've split the series with the Newcastle Ducks 1-1, we'll find out who wins in the December update.

November Award Winners

Kiwi Batter of the Month: Randolph Throsby (Canterbury, LF) -- with star Rhys McLeod out for half of the month, Throsby stepped up for his side with a .398 batting average, 8 home runs, and 21 RBIs. Unfortunately not enough for wins as Canterbury went 8-18 in November.
Kiwi Pitcher of the Month: Seb Degruchy (Taranaki) -- Degruchy has been unremarkable in his career to date, it didn't help that he went down injured last season with a nasty shoulder inflammation that took him out for 8 months. He returned from injury this month and has been outstanding. He earned a 5-0 record over 5 starts. He threw 35 innings, struck out 27 and compiled an ERA of 1.54
Kiwi Rookie of the Month: Vaughan Belgrove (Tasman, LF) -- not a great month for rookies. Belgrove was the best with a .163 batting average, 15 hits, 4 home runs, 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored. He chalked up 9 walks and got a .250 on-base percentage.

Kangaroo Batter of the Month: Rex Dulihanty (Adelaide, CF) -- last season's MVP picks up his second batter of the month award. In November, he hit .337 with 6 home runs, 18 RBIs and scored 21 runs.
Kangaroo Pitcher of the Month: Seb Hanscombe (Geelong) started to deliver for the Green Sox as he picks up his second pitcher of the month award. Over November, he went 5-0 over 5 starts, posting a 0.56 ERA over 32.1 innings and striking out 27.
Kangaroo Rookie of the Month: Seb Edlich (Canberra, SS) took advantage of his chances during November. He went .260 with 1 home run and 10 RBIs.





The Bay of Plenty Steamrollers have leaped out in front in New Zealand with a 20-6 record in November. Canberra also take a similar lead in Australia as they go 18-8. The real riser though is Geelong, who jump up from 10th to 5th in Australia with a 17-9 record in November as they finally get their stuff together.

[Izz]

Originally Posted by mrbucket

Sweet as comment bro.

Chur chur!

[mrbucket]

December 2002

1 December, 2002
The Newcastle Ducks beat the Canberra Power in their three match series to secure The Shield. Their first defense of the Shield will be against the Taranaki Bulls. The Canberra Power successfully defended the Shield 7 times and held it for 58 days. (taken from the start of the season)

2 December, 2002
Terrible news for Otago as they lose closer Yen Ouwerkerk to injury for four months. Ouewerkerk led the league in saves last season with 55. It's a huge blow but the Thunderbolts do have a decent replacement for that role.

5 December, 2002
The Newcastle Ducks have their first Shield defense against the Taranaki Bulls and immediately lose it. They managed to hold onto the Shield a mere 4 days. Taranaki will next defend it against the Wellington Lions.

The rookie draft happens. We'll cover three picks from each from Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand
The Northland Giants used their #2 pick to grab Rex Mekville, a pitcher from Victoria University of Wellington. Scouts are predicting that this 6'7"/235lbs monster will develop into a fantastic starter. His slider could be potentially off the charts and has had a handy fastball, changeup, and forkball pitch as well. He got a signing bonus of $2.5m.

The Tasman Sunbirds used their #3 pick to grab Kumsa Vaartjes, he had been drafted by the Vikings last year but who never signed with the organisation. This time round, he accepted a signing bonus of $1.4m from the Sunbirds. He has the making of a fantastic hitter.

The Hawke's Bay Vikings used their #6 pick to grab Tye Basnfield form the Auckland University of Technology. He has the makings of a great all-round hitter and a good defensive player. He accepted a signing bonus of $900k.

Australia
The Melbourne Sting used their #1 pick to grab Koi-Sho Chu from Knox Grammar School where he played a star role in their way to winning the Australian High School Competition. His slash line was .476/.621/.862. He's expected to turn into a disciplined player, skilled at drawing walks, with above average raw power.

The Sydney City Sharks used their #4 to pick to grab Zachariah Ollson, also from Knox Grammar -- and Chu's partner in crime. Ollson is less disclipined than Chu but possess a fair more power

The Bendigo Gold Rush used their #5 pick to get Seb Buckby from the University of Adelaide. He possesses a lot of power in his 6'4"/215lbs frame -- after two years at university level, he's second in career home runs.

26 December, 2002
The Taranaki Bulls managed to successfully defend the Shield against challenges from Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Queensland but lose it to the Canberra Power who grab it back again. It's almost like these games didn't matter if it just ended up back where it started! Taranaki successfully defended 3 times, and held the Shield for 17 days. Canberra will next defend the Shield against Queensland in the new year after the all-star break.

December Awards

Kiwi Batter of the Month: Finlay Mackay (Bay of Plenty, RF), that's his second batter of the month award this season (out of a possible 3!), he's completely tearing it up for the Steamrollers and a huge reason for their success. In December, he put up a .382 batting average, 12 home runs, 25 RBIs, 26 runs scored, and a .462 on-base percentage.
Kiwi Pitcher of the Month: Randolph Alport (Waikato) -- last's season rookie of the year picks up his second lifetime pitcher of the month award. He posted a 5-0 record in December with a 0.96 ERA. Over 37.1 innings he collected 42 strikeouts and kept the opposition to a .221 average.
Kiwi Rookie of the Month: Euan Mackay (Canterbury, CF), this 31 year old is a rookie it appears. He picked up a .308 average with 5 RBIs and 10 runs scored over December.

Kangaroo Batter of the Month: Zachariah Birss (Queensland, LF) has been a bright spot in Queensland's dire 8-17 December. He put up .330 with 7 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 23 runs scored.
Kangaroo Pitcher of the Month: Jai D'antonio (Canberra), last season's reliever of the year picks up December's pitcher of the month award. He collected 7 saves and 16 strikeouts in 12 innings, holding the opposition to .351 and posting a 4.50 ERA and a 3-0 record.
Kangaroo Rookie of the Month: Willem Robilliard (Adelaide) -- this is his second rookie of the month award this season. Over December he hit .347 with 5 home runs, 16 RBIs and 21 runs scored.





Bay of Plenty and Canberra put daylight between them and their competition in their individual conferences. The New Zealand conference barely changes from a month ago but there's a bit more movement in Australia. Adelaide and Sydney City rise a fair bit while Queensland and Geelong fall.

Once again, the Geelong Green Sox proves a disappointment to their fans hoping for a winning season. It's still not too late to turn it around, they might be 16 games behind Canberra, but they're only 5 games off from a playoff spot.

[mrbucket]

2003 All-Star Game

Kiwi Conference All-Stars
SP Randolph Alport (WAI) - 10-2, 1.95 ERA, 110.2 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 4.4 WAR
SP Randolph D'antonio (OTA) - 10-2, 2.08 ERA, 99.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, 4.4 WAR *
SP Karmatman Prithviraj (BOP) - 7-3, 2.48 ERA, 90.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 2.1 WAR
SP Dhananjay Spijker (TAR) - 7-5, 2.47 ERA, 102.0 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 1.5 WAR
SP Domenic Sverdloff (OTA) - 6-3, 2.92 ERA, 104.2 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 4.2 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Tye Sverdloff (NOR) - 5-6, 2.84 ERA, 95.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 1.9 WAR
SP Rex Uridge (NOR) - 6-1, 2.11 ERA, 102.1 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 11.2 K/9, 4.3 WAR *
SP Randolph Vankrimpen (BOP) - 10-0, 1.40 ERA, 109.2 IP, 0.94 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 3.1 WAR *
RP Tye Haggers (OTA) - 1-4, 1.60 ERA, 45.0 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 0.7 WAR
RP Çetin Henssen (HB) - 0-0, 1.84 ERA, 29.1 IP, 0.92 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, 1.0 WAR
RP Callum Mackay (WAI) - 3-2, 1.77 ERA, 35.2 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 7.8 K/9, 0.3 WAR
CL Willem Gordam (CAN) - 1-1, 14 SV, 1.17 ERA, 30.2 IP, 1.30 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Fðrat Lambregts (HB) - 4-1, 19 SV, 0.21 ERA, 43.0 IP, 0.56 WHIP, 13.4 K/9, 2.5 WAR
CL Domenic Mackay (WAI) - 2-1, 16 SV, 1.17 ERA, 30.2 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 12.0 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Yen Ouwerkerk (OTA) - 1-1, 14 SV, 0.85 ERA, 31.2 IP, 0.92 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 1.2 WAR
C Hou-kang Goei (HB) - .270/.339/.361, 244 AB, 2 HR, 1 SB, 98 wRC+, 1.6 WAR *
C Kian Macdonald (OTA) - .287/.336/.407, 258 AB, 5 HR, 108 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C Baden Mackay (CAN) - .275/.367/.459, 229 AB, 9 HR, 131 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Domenic Brusnahan (OTA) - .300/.424/.529, 280 AB, 16 HR, 1 SB, 161 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
1B Jai Sverdloff (TAR) - .331/.402/.566, 311 AB, 17 HR, 5 SB, 171 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
1B Tse-peng Tsui (TSM) - .318/.393/.540, 198 AB, 11 HR, 162 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
2B Kâtip Hulleman (AUC) - .320/.450/.532, 269 AB, 13 HR, 3 SB, 171 wRC+, 3.3 WAR *
2B Tye Jeffes (TAR) - .291/.397/.547, 203 AB, 13 HR, 14 SB, 164 wRC+, 3.5 WAR *
3B Zachariah Atteridge (TAR) - .299/.367/.431, 288 AB, 5 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
3B Ciaran Mackay (BOP) - .298/.364/.624, 255 AB, 20 HR, 175 wRC+, 3.7 WAR *
3B Ciaran Macleod (NOR) - .328/.398/.556, 302 AB, 16 HR, 167 wRC+, 3.8 WAR *
SS Jai van Haren (WEL) - .280/.334/.421, 321 AB, 11 HR, 5 SB, 110 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
LF Randolph Throsby (CAN) - .346/.420/.586, 295 AB, 17 HR, 5 SB, 182 wRC+, 4.2 WAR
LF Senri van Oosten (WEL) - .278/.353/.526, 291 AB, 17 HR, 137 wRC+, 2.4 WAR *
LF Willem Wellby (TAR) - .354/.414/.643, 308 AB, 21 HR, 2 SB, 194 wRC+, 4.9 WAR
CF Domenic Sheelah (BOP) - .350/.433/.597, 226 AB, 10 HR, 7 SB, 193 wRC+, 3.6 WAR *
RF Rex Macdonald (TAR) - .287/.372/.589, 282 AB, 21 HR, 5 SB, 163 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
RF Finlay Mackay (BOP) - .369/.480/.686, 287 AB, 25 HR, 1 SB, 221 wRC+, 5.6 WAR
RF Rhys Macleod (CAN) - .393/.491/.733, 135 AB, 11 HR, 241 wRC+, 2.6 WAR

Represented teams: Otago (6), Taranaki (6), Bay of Plenty (5), Canterbury (4), Hawke's Bay (3), Northland (3), Waikato (3), Wellington (2), Auckland (1), Tasman (1)

Kangaroo Conference All-Stars
SP Vaughan Bellett (SYD) - 8-4, 2.90 ERA, 83.2 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
SP Vaughan Fingleson (QLD) - 7-5, 2.63 ERA, 89.0 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 11.3 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Willem Guyatt (GEE) - 4-5, 3.24 ERA, 83.1 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.5 WAR *
SP Seb Hanscombe (GEE) - 6-7, 3.27 ERA, 88.0 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 1.9 WAR *
SP Willem Mccarthy (BEN) - 8-4, 2.76 ERA, 97.2 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 2.7 WAR
SP Rex Mclaren (TAS) - 7-3, 2.89 ERA, 90.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 7.3 K/9, 1.9 WAR
SP Randolph Owbridge (CNB) - 7-1, 2.13 ERA, 84.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 1.5 WAR
SP Jai Van buizen (SYD) - 5-4, 3.08 ERA, 84.2 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 5.7 K/9, 1.5 WAR
RP Vaughan Mccarthy (MEL) - 3-1, 2.02 ERA, 40.0 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 13.9 K/9, 1.3 WAR
RP Seb Vantassell (CNB) - 2-1, 1.47 ERA, 36.2 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 1.2 WAR
CL Willem Backhouse (BEN) - 1-1, 17 SV, 0.80 ERA, 33.2 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 13.9 K/9, 1.5 WAR *
CL Willem Colcott (QLD) - 0-2, 16 SV, 1.93 ERA, 28.0 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 12.9 K/9, 1.0 WAR
CL Jai dejong (ILL) - 1-4, 19 SV, 3.12 ERA, 34.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, 9.9 K/9, 0.6 WAR *
CL Tye Dhu (ADE) - 1-2, 15 SV, 1.27 ERA, 28.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 0.9 WAR
C Zachariah Caporn (NEW) - .293/.332/.425, 259 AB, 6 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.9 WAR *
C Willem Fouracre (GEE) - .325/.383/.440, 234 AB, 3 HR, 136 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
C Yoo-ngan Jue (CNB) - .280/.373/.511, 225 AB, 13 HR, 148 wRC+, 3.1 WAR *
1B Seb Brajak (CNB) - .299/.374/.482, 284 AB, 11 HR, 142 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
1B Tye Custello (ILL) - .332/.380/.548, 283 AB, 17 HR, 159 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
2B Rex Alldred (QLD) - .295/.378/.510, 241 AB, 10 HR, 3 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
2B Seb Redelius (MEL) - .330/.416/.493, 221 AB, 7 HR, 151 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
2B Zachariah Tautor (SYD) - .285/.363/.502, 281 AB, 15 HR, 137 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
3B Vaughan Eykelbosch (GEE) - .262/.367/.482, 282 AB, 15 HR, 136 wRC+, 2.9 WAR *
3B Baden Gettingby (ADE) - .340/.404/.542, 297 AB, 12 HR, 164 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
3B Willem Robilliard (BEN) - .314/.392/.514, 290 AB, 14 HR, 5 SB, 149 wRC+, 3.3 WAR *
SS Vaughan Fewings (ILL) - .287/.341/.438, 320 AB, 8 HR, 4 SB, 114 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
SS Yin-ti Shuang (NEW) - .289/.402/.508, 197 AB, 11 HR, 158 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF Zachariah Birss (QLD) - .270/.398/.580, 281 AB, 22 HR, 165 wRC+, 3.1 WAR *
LF Domenic Redelius (CNB) - .344/.459/.581, 291 AB, 13 HR, 186 wRC+, 4.3 WAR *
LF Baden Stennings (ILL) - .288/.362/.486, 292 AB, 15 HR, 136 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
CF Vaughan Courcha (TAS) - .310/.374/.427, 335 AB, 3 HR, 27 SB, 121 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
CF Rex Dulihanty (ADE) - .288/.364/.548, 299 AB, 17 HR, 1 SB, 147 wRC+, 3.2 WAR *
CF Tye Geaner (QLD) - .314/.372/.444, 306 AB, 7 HR, 32 SB, 129 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
RF Jai Bansfield (BEN) - .329/.378/.439, 319 AB, 1 HR, 15 SB, 126 wRC+, 2.1 WAR *
RF Willem Woodger (SYD) - .300/.420/.563, 213 AB, 13 HR, 179 wRC+, 3.1 WAR *

Represented teams: Canberra (5), Queensland (5), Bendigo (4), Geelong (4), Illawarra (4), Sydney City (4), Adelaide (3), Melbourne (2), Newcastle (2)

* represents a previous all-star selection.

The all-star game took place in Melbourne in front of a packed crowd in the Melbourne Cricket Ground (which has been permanently re-purposed for baseball but still retains it's old name)



It was a tight low-scoring affair, tied up at 2-all after the 6th innings. The Kiwis were the one to blink first though as the Australians scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th. The Kiwis had no answer and had to accept defeat.

[mrbucket]

2003 Queenstown Classic

The quickfire knockout competition in Queenstown produced a number of surprises as top teams fell like confetti in the opening rounds. Bay of Plenty, Otago, Canberra, and Taranaki were all out before the Quarter-final stage.

The Auckland Aces were deserved winners as they defeated the Waikato River Bandits 5-1 to win it all.





With the new year festivities of the All-Star game and Queenstown Classic out of the way. It was back to the regular season!

[mrbucket]

January 2003

24 January, 2003
The first cycle of the season comes from Seb Tsou of the Canberra Power in their 5-4 win over the Sydney City Sharks.



The Shield
Canberra survived challenges from Queensland, Adelaide, and Melbourne. They've gone 1-0 up in the series against Newcastle, with the final two games in February.

Stat Watch
As we gear up towards the end of the season. We'll see if anyone is on track to grab any significant achievements.

50+ Home Runs? Finlay Mackay (Bay of Plenty) is currently on track for 52.

150+ RBIs? Both are currently tracking under but Baden Dejong (Auckland) and Ciaran Mackay (Bay of Plenty) are projected to get 144.

30-30 Club? Tye Jeffes (Taranaki) is currently projected to just miss out with 37 home runs but only 26 stolen bases.

20+ Wins? We've got three players currently projected. Randolph Alport (Waikato) with 24, Willem Ladds (Bendigo) with 20, and Randolph Vankrimpen (Bay of Plenty) with 20.

January Award Winners

Kiwi Hitter of the Month: Domenic Brusnahan (Otago, 1B) -- he hasn't quite lived up to his hype but post all-star break, he's found his groove. In January, he batted .400 with 8 home runs, 15 RBIs, and 17 runs scored.
Kiwi Pitcher of the Month: Randolph Alport (Waikato) -- this is the second month in a row for Alport, who has been absolutely fantastic. He went 3-0 in 4 starts, achieved a 1.69 ERA and struck out 26 over 26.2 innings this month.
Kiwi Rookie of the Month: Callum Macdonald (Auckland, SS) -- Macdonald was great in the Queenstown Classic for Auckland and continued his good form right throughout January. He got a .298 average and 9 RBIs over January.

Kangaroo Hitter of the Month: Tye Lapthorne (Tasmania, RF) -- after a fantastic rookie year last season we haven't heard much from Lapthorne but he's been key to their 11-5 resurgence in January with a .371 batting average, 4 home runs, 17 RBIs, and 13 runs scored.
Kangaroo Pitcher of the Month: Willem Ladds (Bendigo) restricted batters to a .222 average over the month of January. Putting up a 3-0 record, he got 10 strikeouts over 20 innings, and got himself a 0.45 ERA.
Kangaroo Rookie of the Month: Willem Robilliard (Adelaide) picks up his third Rookie award of the season. He got a .274 batting average in 16 games, picking up 2 home runs, 12 RBIs, and 8 runs scored.





Not too much movement in the standings as Bay of Plenty and Canberra move to a 10 game lead over their competition. The Tasmania Tigers have a good month as they shift from 8th to 3rd in the Australian conference.

[mrbucket]

February 2003

9 February, 2003
The Otago Thunderbolts were dealt a blow when they found out that their all-star closer Yen Ouwerkerk will not be returning this season. He was injured in December and expected to return by the playoffs but his recovery has been extended by another 12 months.

11 February, 2003
Russell Crowe is miffed when he isn't nominated for an Academy Award despite not appearing in any films last year.

12 February, 2003
The Canberra Power defend the first Shield challenge of the month against the Newcastle Ducks but they falter in the first two games of the series to the Illawarra Hawks who'll now take the Shield.

The Power successfully defended the Shield 4 times, and held it for 48 days.

The Hawks will go on to defend against the Bendigo Gold Rush. Their next defense will be in March against the Tasmania Tigers.

18 February, 2003
Rex Alldred has a massive effort against the Illawarra Hawks with 3 home runs to give his side the win. He is the third player to hit 3 home runs in a game. No New Zealand players have achieved it yet.



25 February, 2003
The Otago bullpen is struck another blow when they lose all-star relief pitcher Tye Haggers to injury for the rest of the season. At 40 years old, is the end of the line for Haggers?

Stat Watch

50+ Home Runs? Finlay Mackay (Bay of Plenty) slacks off in February and his projection falls to 47. Zachariah Birss (Queensland) however is fantastic and is now in the hot seat with a projection of 51.

150+ RBIs? Zachariah Birss (Queensland) has a shot here. He's currently projected to get 148.

30-30 Club? Tye Jeffes (Taranaki) looking like he'll fall short. Enough home runs (he's already at 28 and projected to get 41) but not enough stolen bases (projected at 25).

20+ Wins? Randolph D'antonio (Otago) is projected at 22 and Randolph Alport (Waikato) is projected at 20.

February Award Winners

Kiwi Hitter of the Month: Willem Wellby (Taranaki, LF) has been keeping the Bulls in the playoff hunt. Over February he batted .358 with 10 home runs, 29 RBIs, and 24 runs scored.
Kiwi Pitcher of the Month: Randolph D'antonio (Otago) has been dominant in February, he topped it off with a shutout against the Melbourne Sting on the last day of February. Over his 5 starts, he has gone 5-0 and been awarded player of the game on each. He's gotten a 1.88 ERA and 50 strikeouts over 38.1 innings.
Kiwi Rookie of the Month: Baden Ngui (Waikato, 2B) has been trying to make the most of his chances. He's gone for .328 with 1 double and 3 home runs over Feburary.

Kangaroo Hitter of the Month: Vaughan Eykelbosch (Geelong, 3B) has injected some much need offense for the Green Sox. He picked up a .345 batting average, 9 home runs, 23 RBIs, 21 runs scored, and 23 walks for a .481 on-base percentage.
Kangaroo Pitcher of the Month: Vaughan Trevelyan (Queensland) was solid over his 5 starts in February, he got a 4-0 record with an ERA of 2.03.
Kangaroo Rookie of the Month: Seb Edlich (Canberra, SS) picks up his second rookie of the month award. During February he hit .261 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 home run.





The playoff picture is starting to solidify in these leagues as Bay of Plenty and Canberra hold onto their leads over second spot. In New Zealand, Taranaki, Otago, and Northland have put some distance between themselves and the rest.

In Australia, the Adelaide Zips have put some distance between themselves and 3rd spot but the remainder of the playoff spots are still wide open. Only 5 games the difference between 3rd and 8th.

[mrbucket]

March 2003

5 March, 2003
The Auckland Aces like what they're getting from 31 year old Right Fielder Baden Dejong as they commit to a $35m contract over 5 years. Dejong was with the Tasman Sunbirds last season but could barely crack the team -- making only 32 starts. They let him go, and he made the move back to his hometown for a $1.3m one year contract.

He's gone for a slash line of .262/.363/.527 with 40 home runs (4 of them grandslams) and 123 RBIs.

7 March, 2003
The Northland Giants have signing news of their own when they extend all-star 33 year old closer Apekaloma Vaka to a $21m contract over 3 years. Vaka was signed after the season had started for the Giants and has proven his worth over the season.

8 March, 2003
Two players hit for the Cycle in the same day in two different games today.





14 March, 2003
Rumours are circulating that the Tasman Sunbird players are beginning to revolt against the Sunbird manager. We'll need to need to see if this goes anywhere.

Vaughan Fingelson got himself in the record books with 16 strikeouts in a single game.



18 March, 2003
After defending The Shield against the Tasmania Tigers, Sydney City Sharks, and the Adelaide Zips. The Newcastle Ducks knock the Hawks over to grab the Shield. The Hawks held for 35 days and successfully defended it 4 times.

23 March, 2003
The Ducks had won The Shield back in December but immediately lost it to the Taranaki Bulls. Unfortunately their first defense was against the best team from Australia: the Canberra Power. Great. The Ducks had nothing as the Power cruised to a 5-0 and 6-1 victory in the first two games.

The Ducks held the Shield for 4 days and never successfully defended it.

25 March, 2003
The Canberra Power thought they could easily get passed the struggling Waikato River Bandits for their first defense of the Shield but were absolutely hammered in the opening game 10-0, a grandslam in the 4th essentially sealing the game. The second game was looking similar when the River Bandits ran out to a 6-0 lead early on. The Power clawed their way back in but the Bandits were able to hold on to win the game and take The Shield.

The Power hold onto the Shield for only 3 days as they are unable to successfully defend it.

The River Bandits aren't back home until April but they'll need to beat Tasman, Otago, Geelong, Adelaide, Newcastle, and Hawke's Bay if they want to finish the season with the Shield.

Also on 25 March, 2003
After letting the Aussies do it 3 times, a New Zealander hits for 3 home runs in a single game.



26 March, 2003
Tye Boxsell picks up his second 15K+ game of his career against the Melbourne Sting. To date, he has 270 strikeouts this season which beats Randolph D'antonio's 266 from last season with just over a month to go in the season.



28 March, 2003
Queensland's Zachariah Birss hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 7th against the Waikato River Bandits to grab a win. That home run put Birss' total at 47 for the season. Officially put him ahead of Ciaran Mackay's 46 last season.There's still slightly more than a month to go!

Stat Watch

50+ Home Runs? Zachariah Birss (Queensland) already holds the record for the most home runs in a season. With 27 games to go, he's got 47. Experts project him to get 56. Others to watch are Taranaki's Willem Wellby (49) and Auckland's Baden Dejong (48)

150+ RBIs? Birss is on 130 and projected to get 155. Also worth watching is Auckland's Baden Dejong who is on 123 and projected to get 147.

20+ Wins? Projections have dipped here. Randolph Alport (Waikato), Randolph D'antonio (Otago), and Rico Bradnock (Bay of Plenty) are all currently projected to get 19. All of them are currently on 16.

March Award Winners

Kiwi Hitter of the Month: Baden Mcleod (Bay of Plenty) is getting plenty of production from all of their players. Mcleod enjoys some special attention this month with his .352 batting average, 9 home runs, 22 RBIs, and 34 runs scored.
Kiwi Pitcher of the Month: Randolph Vankrimpen (Bay of Plenty) went 3-1 over March with 49 strikeouts in his 6 starts putting up a 1.20 ERA
Kiwi Rookie of the Month: Rex Bendeich (Northland) got the callup to the big leagues at the end of January and is keen to stay here. Over the month he got a .353 batting average with 3 home runs and 18 RBIs. He went for the Cycle back on the 8th (see above)

Kangaroo Hitter of the Month: Zachariah Briss (Queensland) was amazing over March. He batted .337 with 12 home runs, 29 RBIs, and 24 runs scored. The 12th home run let him beat Ciaran Mackay's home run total from last season. Still plenty of baseball to go as he looks to hit 50 home runs in a season.
Kangaroo Pitcher of the Month: Jai Dejong (Illawarra), the 2 time all-star picks up his first pitcher of the month award. Over March he collected 7 saves, 16 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, and restricted the opposition to a .173 average and put up a 0.00 ERA.
Kangaroo Rookie of the Month: Seb Edlich (Canberra), this is the third rookie of the month award for Edlich. In March he went for .269 with 2 home runs and 10 RBIs.





Both Bay of Plenty and Canberra continue their dominant run this season. We can't see either team being overtaken for that top slot in either league.

Otago, Northland, and Taranaki are all looking good for a playoff spot but they need to be wary of the in-form Auckland Aces who went 17-9 in March. They're only four games off from that 4th spot.

In Australia, Adelaide are looking good to secure a spot. As are Illawarra and Geelong. Tasmania and Queensland are in striking distance though.

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April 2003: Part One

3 April, 2003
Something special? Tasmania's Right Fielder Tye Lapthorne has quietly picked up his 25th consecutive game with a hit. He's got his sights on Bendigo's Jai Bansfield's record of 32 from earlier in the season.

5 April, 2003
The Canberra Power secure their playoff spot today with a 7-6 win over the Tasmania Tigers. Unfortunately they lose one of their starting pitchers to injury. Zachariah Delzoppo needed surgery for a bone spur in his elbow and will miss the playoffs.

6 April, 2003
No one can actually keep their hand on The Shield! The Waikato River Bandits lose it on their first defense to the Tasman Sunbirds. Waikato held it for 11 days with no successful defenses.

The Tasman Sunbirds break the bad luck that The Shield bought by sweeping the Wellington Lions in their first defense. They have a shot at keeping it over the winter with only defenses against Bendigo and Canterbury to go.

7 April, 2003
The Otago Thunderbolts decide to match the Power as one of their pitchers goes down to injury. Kazuhito van der Looij will miss 11 months with a torn elbow ligament. The Thunderbolts have had several blows to their pitching lineup. They may not be deep enough for the playoffs.

9 April, 2003
Tye Lapthorne moves his hit streak up to 30 games!

10 April, 2003
He took him until the 7th innings, but Lapthorne got a hit on the board as his side beat the Sharks 8-3. He extends his streak to 31. Only one game away from equaling the record!

Additionally, no surprise but Canterbury are the first team to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. A disappointment after making the playoffs last season.

11 April, 2003
Tye Lapthorne went 2-for-5 against Canterbury to equal the hit streak record.

12 April, 2003
BOOM! Tasmania's 24 year old Tye Lapthorne breaks the hit streak record with a 2-run home run in the 3rd.

Meanwhile, Wellington are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

13 April, 2003
Bay of Plenty secure their playoff spot with a 4-2 win over the Canberra Power. In this possible Trans Tasman Classic Preview, the Steamrollers won the series 2-1.





15 games to go for each team. Here's the playoff permutations.

It's pretty safe to see Bay of Plenty and Canberra grabbing that #1 spot. They've been there all year and that's not going to change.

For now, there are two main battles in New Zealand. Otago and Northland fighting for 2nd and 3rd plus Taranaki and Auckland fighting for the final playoff spot.

Northland have the upper hand on Otago, they have a much easier schedule with more home games and easier teams.

Taranaki have a tough schedule to finish it off. Including a road trip that covers Canberra (.627 team), Adelaide (.549), and Otago (.582). Depending on how that turns out, the final series of the season for Taranaki will be against Auckland -- that might just be an effective extra round of playoffs.

In Australia, Adelaide have a good chance of keeping that 2nd spot. As does Illawarra with that 3rd spot. The Geelong Green Sox have a 3 game lead over Tasmania and Queensland but that can easily be overcome in the the final 15 games. Tasmania in particular have a fairly easy run in the closing days.

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April 2003: Part Two



6 games to go!

As we approach the end, the battles are clear. Otago and Northland will be fighting for the home advantage in their playoff series and Taranaki and Auckland are fighting for the final spot.

Otago have Wellington at home, and Bay of Plenty away.
Northland have Taranaki away, and Waikato at home.
Taranaki have Northland at home, and Auckland at home.
Auckland have Hawke's Bay at home, and Taranaki away.

Those Taranaki series definitely look to be the most important here.



Meanwhile we'll be keeping an eye on Tasmania and Geelong with Queensland having an outside shot if they can get some wins off Canberra (no easy task) and other results go their way.

Tasmania will be taking on Illawarra at home, and Bendigo away.
Geelong will be taking on Sydney City at home, and Queensland away.

All these teams can do is win, everything else is out of their control.

Other notable events...

15 April, 2003
Tye Lapthorne goes hitless against the Hawke's Bay Vikings. His streak ends at 34.

And BOOM, Zachariah Birss hits 2 home runs against the Otago Thunderbolts to hit 50 home runs for the season. Unfortunately his team loses in the 12th inning.

18 April, 2003
The Bendigo Gold Rush have won The Shield! The two teams split the first two games, but the Gold Rush ran rampant over the Tasman Sunbirds 6-0 to take The Shield back to Australia. Tasman successfully defended The Shield once. They held it for 14 days.

Bendigo have to make one defense against the Tasmania Tigers. Whoever wins this series will get to keep The Shield safe over the winter.

20 April, 2003
Tough news for Geelong as their all-star catcher is out for the playoffs. Willem Fouracre sustained a fractured tibia. He was hitting at .326/.376/.437 for the season.

22 April, 2003
Terrible news for the Canberra Power! They've lost Left Fielder Domenic Redelius to a torn hamstring for the playoffs. This makes it a lot harder for them to repeat.

Redelius is a 2-time all-star, last season he won the fan favourite award, was named the best hitter at his position and came second in the MVP voting. He was hitting at .336/.448/.555 for the season with 26 home runs and a 8.0 WAR.

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April 2003: Part Three

25 April, 2003
There are ceremonies before each game to commemorate ANZAC Day.



The Bulls win a low-scoring game. Auckland keeps up pace though and beats the Hawke's Bay Vikings 7-3 to stay one game behind. Otago also lose to Wellington 10-3, so can't take advantage of Northland's loss.



The Hawks take out the Tigers in a 15 innings game. Geelong Green Sox also beat the Sydney City Sharks 11-6 to match their records with Geelong at 77-86.

The Queensland Firebirds beat the Canberra Power 9-4 to keep their slim hopes alive.

26 April, 2003


The Giants strike back thanks to a 4-run blitz in the 9th. Taranaki look on in horror as Auckland beat the Vikings again to bring both teams to 88-76 for that final playoff spot.



Otago get a dramatic walk-off hit victory over Wellington to stay even with Northland for the 2nd and 3rd spot.



In Australia, Queensland continue their campaign for a playoff spot with another win over Canberra. With Tasmania and Geelong both losing today, that brings the Firebirds to within one game of them. These three teams are now fighting for two playoff spots.

27 April, 2003


The Auckland Aces survive a late Hawke's Bay rally to sweep the series. With the Taranaki Bulls winning their game, they are both tied at 89-76. Auckland now heads to New Plymouth for a 3 game series against Taranaki. The playoffs have become early for these teams. Whoever wins this gets to move on.

Otago and Northland both lose their game so are both on 95-70. Otago go to Tauranga to face Bay of Plenty, while Northland will go home to Whangarei to take on the Waikato River Bandits. The same River Bandits that just lost their last two game to Bay of Plenty 18-2 and 12-2. Advantage has to go to Northland.



The Green Sox take the game while the Illawarra Hawks sweep against Tasmania. The Green Sox now have a one game lead over the Tigers for that final spot.

Queensland lose to Canberra. If Queensland want to get into the playoffs then they need to sweep Geelong in the final three games of the regular season. They also need Tasmania to lose to Bendigo when they clash for The Shield.

The Illawarra Hawks are now on a 9 game winning streak and are looking like the in-form team in Australia. Their wins have put them within one game of pipping the Adelaide Zips for that second spot. Adelaide will be taking on Canberra for that final series while the Hawks have the Sydney City Sharks.

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April 2003: Part Four

29 April, 2003


A huge win for the Auckland Aces as they pile on the runs early against Taranaki. They're one win away from the playoffs now. Taranaki need to win both remaining games if they want to keep playing.

Baden Dejong grabs his 50th home run of the season.

Meanwhile, Otago beat Bay of Plenty in a thriller while Northland get thrashed by Waikato. This puts Otago in the driving seat for that 2nd spot as they take a one-win advantage over the Giants.



The Queensland Firebirds needed to sweep their final series against the Green Sox but fall short on day one. The Firebirds made the playoffs last season, but will miss out this time round. Geelong keep their one win advantage over Tasmania for that final spot.



This game is acting both as the final Shield match of the year and a final mad dash for Tasmania to get into the playoffs The Tigers take the first win as the Gold Rush find themselves completely unable to score a run.

Meanwhile, the Illawarra Hawks are still trying to chase the Adelaide Zips down for that 2nd spot but both teams grab the win today so Adelaide retains it's one win lead.

April 30, 2003


And that's it! The Auckland Aces will be in the playoffs and the Taranaki Bulls will have to accept the 5th spot for a second year in a row. Tye Boxsell grabs his 20th win of the season. The first pitcher to do so.

In the other games, the Otago Thunderbolts beat the Steamrollers in a thriller and Waikato beat Northland again. That settles everything. We've got a confirmed top 4 now: 1st Bay of Plenty, 2nd Otago, 3rd Northland, 4th Auckland.



The Tigers have secured The Shield and keep their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 win over Bendigo. Geelong get a win though. With one game remaining, the Tigers will need to beat the Gold Rush tomorrow and hope that Queensland can get one over on Geelong as well.

As for The Shield, Tasmania will be the Winter Caretaker over the offseason. Bendigo held it for 10 days and failed to successfully defend it. It's been a crazy last 6 weeks for The Shield as it's changed hands 6 times. That compares to the 5.5 months beforehand when it only changed hands 4 times.

1 May, 2003

A grandslam home run in the bottom of the 9th grants Queensland a dramatic victory over the Geelong Green Sox. It makes sense to intentionally walk Zachariah Birss, he did lead the Australian League in home runs after all, but it hurts a bit when the next guy swings on the first pitch for a home run that wins the entire game.

A great way to end the season for the Queensland fans.

Geelong's loss opens up a chance for Tasmania to tie for the 4th spot and force a tiebreaker game. Let's head to Bendigo!



And... the Tigers hold on to win! They've forced a tiebreaker game with Geelong. Whoever wins, will take in part in the playoffs.

2 May, 2003


It's a tight game but it's the Geelong Green Sox that hold on to win with a some good base running in the last innings. The Green Sox have 4th spot and will face the Canberra Power in the first round.



Over-performer: Bay of Plenty +10 wins from preseason prediction
Under-performer: Canterbury -15 wins from preseason prediction



Over-performer: Melbourne +15 wins from preseason prediction
Under-performer: Geelong -15 wins from preseason prediction

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2002-03 Regular Season Statistics

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The Shield Stats



Some numbers from the first year of The Shield. The Shield managed to deftly avoid challenges from some of the top NZ teams -- Bay of Plenty, Otago, and Northland (and Canterbury) never got a shot so the Shield spent most of it's time in Australia.

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Bay of Plenty Steamrollers vs Auckland Aces

True, to their name Bay of Plenty have steamrolled through their opposition this year. After going 106-62 last season, they've simply upped their game to go 108-60. The addition of Finlay Mackay was critical as he went for .363/.480/.638 for the season with 46 home runs and 132 RBIs. They'll be determined to avoid the fate of last season when they were outplayed by Otago in the New Zealand final to be bundled out early.

The Auckland Aces had to fight hard to even be here -- they didn't even confirm their spot until the second-to-last game. Key players for Auckland include second baseman Katip "Oil Can" Hulleman. At 40 years old, he's still putting up slash lines like .319/.452/.540 and doesn't seem keen to stop at all. His two year contract with the Aces is up at the end of the season but he's indicated that he's not ready to retire.



The Aces push the Steamrollers hard but they break the deadlock in the 11th. Steamrollers 1-0



The two teams go to extra innings again but this time it ends in Auckland's favour. The series is now tied up as they move to Auckland for the next three.



The Bay of Plenty pitchers shutout Auckland while their offense piled on the runs throughout the game to take game three 7-0. Bay of Plenty take the lead back 2-1.



A big 5th innings is the key to the Bay of Plenty win today as they grab a 6-3 win to bring them up to a 3-1 One win away.



...And that's a wrap. The Steamrollers annihilate the Aces 10-2 to win the series and book their place in their second straight New Zealand final. Next up, Otago Thunderbolts vs Northland Giants.

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Otago Thunderbolts vs Northland Giants

We've got two teams with opposite storylines this season -- apt for the Northern and Southernmost teams in the competition. The Thunderbolts are the defending New Zealand champion while the Northland Giants had the worst record last season. Both teams kept their core but acquired a few decent assets.

Otago had the edge during the regular season, going 8-4 over their 12 games.



After the two teams fought so hard for the home advantage in the final weeks of the regular season, the Giants immediately neutralise it with a 6-2 win in Dunedin to kick things off.



It took five and a half hours but we finally got a winner as the game went to 15 innings. Otago tie the series up at 1-all as we move to Whangarei for the next three games.



The Giants took in the lead in the 2nd innings and never looked back, they kept the runs flowing and their pitchers managed to not give up any more runs after the solitary one at the top of the 2nd. Giants now have the advantage, 2-1.



That 6th innings could have been morale-destroying for the Otago Thunderbolts. Up 5-3, they conceded a single, a walk, a triple (and 2 runs), an intentional walk, double (another run), and a walk before finally getting their first out. They conceded another 4 runs by the time the horror inning was over. It could have been even worse, the final out was a strikeout with the bases loaded.

Otago pushed back but couldn't run the deficit down enough. Northland are one win away from the New Zealand final!



The Thunderbolts started off hard, getting up to a 6-0 lead, but the Giants dug deep and got themselves back in the game, heading into the 9th they were down 6-5 but poor pitching from Otago sealed their fate. Two walks and a fielding error got the bases loaded and two more walks handed the game -- and the series to the Giants.

The New Zealand final will be played between Bay of Plenty and Northland!

[Archelirion]

6 November, 2002
Auckland rookie Callum Macdonald releases a cover of Eminem's Without Me. It is terrible.

Just spent a solid minute laughing at these two sentences. Good one.

This has been a really neat read so far. Keep it going!

[mrbucket]

Canberra Power vs Geelong Green Sox

The defending champion has been on a tear all season with an impressive 104-64 record to show for it. Problem is, they've lost their star Domenic Redelius to injury and will miss the .336/.448/.555 he brings to the table.

The Geelong Green Sox were highly hyped going into the season but were inconsistent throughout the season and only got into this game via a tiebreaker game at the last minute. If their pitching can't contain the Power, then it's likely all over for them as their offense is particularly weak.



Geelong pitcher Willem Guyatt had been superb all game but probably should have have been relieved earlier as the Canberra hitters finally crack Guyatt's slider and start racking up the runs at the bottom of the 7th. Canberra take the lead in the series 1-0



The Green Sox get some runs on the board but not enough to prevent the late innings surge from the Power. The series moves to Geelong now for the next three games but the Power are smelling the sweep in the air.



A strong performance from Geelong's starting pitcher Baden Haggers but once he gets relieved, the Power start to get the runs on the board and the Geelong hitters can't respond as they go down 6-1. The series is poised at 3-0 and the Green Sox are in trouble.



And it's a sweep! The Green Sox don't have an answer for the Power who notch up their second playoff sweep in their history.

They may have lost their top player but that didn't seem to matter at all in this series.

Next up: Adelaide Zips vs Illawarra Hawks

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Adelaide Zips vs Illawarra Hawks

The Hawks are probably the most in-form team in Australia at the moment. After hovering around .500 for most of the season they started to take flight back in March when they went 16-10, before going 20-7 in April & May.

Meanwhile, the Adelaide Zips were written off at the start of the season and predicted to finish 6th with an 80-88 record. They took no notice of the media's reports and finished with a 94-74 total, only 3 wins out from the total they recorded last season as the led the regular season.



The Hawks come out of the gates swinging with a 8-3 win over the Zips.The hits started coming right from the first at-bat and never really let up for the Zips. The Hawks take a game on the road, to go up 1-0.



The Zips bounce back in game 2 and grab the win in the bottom of the 10th with a walk-off-walk. The most exciting walk in Adelaide's history. The series is tied up and moves to Wollongong for the next three games.



Two storming home runs by the Hawks in the first innings had the Adelaide fans concerned but the Zips dug in and kept themselves in the game right to the end but a 2-run double at the bottom of the 8th proves to be their downfall. Hawks are now up 2-1.



The Zips were in for a while but then a rally of runs in the 6th and 7th sealed the deal for the Hawks. They're now up 3-1 and can finish this up at home.



The Hawks will have to go win this in Adelaide if they want to take on Canberra in the Australian final. Once last season's MVP Rex Dulihanty sent a home run in the crowd, the Zips never looked like they were going to lose. Hawks are still up 3-2 but the series now moves to Adelaide.



What an 8th innings! The Zips are down 3-0 and the Hawks make a critical error that lets runners on 1st and 2nd. Another single leaves the bases loaded and SS Baden Delzoppo steps up to the plate with intentions clear, with a 1-2 count, he swung hard at 5 successive pitches for fouls until he finally sent one in the crowd.

The Hawks had nothing at the top of the 9th. The series is now tied at 3-3 and we move on to a game 7 to decide this thing.



In the end, the fifth innings killed the Hawks as the Zips piled on 5 runs to take the final game 6-1. The Adelaide Zips will take on the Canberra Power in a repeat of last season's Australian final.

The Illawarra Hawks will have the winter to think over what could have been. A 3-1 lead in the series blown.