As promised, here is WBCWEB’s overview and “report card” for our Division One FIRSTS team following the disappointment of our 2007/08 season. This report does not necessarily represent the consensus views of the Waverley Baseball Club and it is purely the unsolicited sole opinion of our regular game report writer.

No member of the ‘Waverley Nation’ would need me to remind them that the 2007/08 season would herald the defence of our glorious 2006/07 Division One Championship victory, an event that we had not enjoyed for 14 previous seasons of toil and “near misses”. Our defence of the title would prove to be a head-scratching journey of hard luck stories, inconsistency and frustration then, ultimately, the unthinkable reality that we didn’t even manage to make the final four!

In the wash-up, I can’t really entertain the notion that we failed to defend our Championship because of the personnel changes that happened between last season and this, even though we might be underestimating the impact on the team chemistry. Our fabulous starting pitcher from 2006/07, lefty Ryan Fisher, would take his Championship ring with him to begin a new career in US college baseball and, in other circumstances, it may have left a gaping hole in our team.

However, Ryan’s undoubted quality was certainly matched, in general terms, by the return of a popular Waverley pitcher of years past in Brett Flemming who was ready to slot into our First team after honing his skills with three years of US college baseball behind him. ‘Flemmo’, as I will expand, did everything you could ask to fill any void left by Fisher’s departure except, of course, that he did not get the chance to finish the deal in the finals as ‘Nolan Ryan’ did.

We may have been guilty of undervaluing the loss of one of our few experienced senior players, the versatile and loyal Daniel ‘Rambo’ Reeman who finally got his Championship ring in 2007 after years of selfless service to the club. However, the delight of his long awaited Championship success was too quickly tempered by a debilitating back injury that would not allow him to play again in 2008.

We may have been inclined to think that we could cover Dan’s contributions as a player, great as they were, but I’m not so sure that we could successfully replace the upbeat attitude and determination of Dan Reeman who was one of our few really motivating characters in the clubhouse and in the dugout during games. There is always that other intangible word that you can link with players like Reeman… “leadership”… successful teams can never have too much of that in their ranks.

Then again, providing some balance to Reeman’s unavailability would be the welcome mid-season return of Evan ‘Embree’ Phillips. A rejuvenated Phillips, our Most Improved Player from 2006, didn’t take long to re-establish himself at Waverley, initially batting in the Seconds before regaining the arm strength to resume as a Firsts pitcher. As it unfolded, the addition of a bona fide pitcher like Evan Phillips was vital to the pitching depth of the team.

Another very serious blow that we probably tended to minimise in our various post-mortems was the understandable, but definitely premature, playing retirement of our co-coach Scott Dawes. Even though ‘Scotty’ may not have been a permanent fixture in our Championship team he was certainly there at the pointy end of our premiership campaign and it would be ludicrous to overlook the value of one of the finest clutch hitters Australia has ever produced!

The other “negative impact” on our endeavours to defend our 2006/07 Championship was the delayed start to the season for several of our premiership stars. We have already mentioned the unavailability of Fisher and Reeman but there were several others who missed the start of the 2007/08 season and/or did not hit the new season full of running.

As ever, we would have to wait for the arrivals of our professional players with Jimmy Beresford, Danny Berg and Donavon Hendricks all missing the opening weeks of the season and Danny Berg further delayed by ongoing business in the USA. Star infielder Glenn Mascoll would also have to wait for the conclusion of his commitment to a team in the Netherlands. There he teamed up with another of Waverley’s “prodigal sons” Adam Bonaddio who was not yet ready to give up his European odyssey for a return to the Wildcats.

Star outfielder Ian Geduld would also start the season nursing a hand injury, while Chris ‘Chipper’ Maurer would not be fully recovered from the knee injury that sadly cut short his 2006/07 season as a regular First team player. While all teams need to cope with injury issues from time to time, two separate hip/groin injuries would allow our short stop wizard James ‘Jeter’ Beresford only a handful of appearances for both Waverley and Victoria in what was a painfully disjointed summer for him.

While we would also reap some benefit from the infusion of promising young talent into the team there was certainly an undermanned and disorganised look to our Senior teams at the start of the year. While we are not the only club affected by these types of issues, it did seem that we had been affected more than most coming into the 2007/08 season and I’m not sure whether we ever quite fully recovered?

There may be some credence to the age-old sports adage that things change when you become the “hunted rather than the hunter”, but since when has any Waverley team been anything other than the team others love to beat most? I can’t imagine that opposing teams could lift themselves any more than they always have when they see our Wildcats sitting in the other dugout! Also, I can’t honestly believe that over-celebration or “premiership hangover” was any type of factor given that most of our top players also play winter baseball.

Before trying to offer some conclusions about our season as a whole, let me attempt this brief “Report Card” for each of our Firsts players this season…

James ‘Jeter’ Beresford
Following his debut season as a rookie league professional with the Minnesota Twins, Jimmy missed the opening weeks of the season with some well earned rest. As fate would decree, just when he seemed to be cranking up to his best form, he was beset by a hip flexor injury that was soon after followed by a groin strain. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for James who had begun hitting the ball with tremendous authority for both Waverley and the Victorian Aces. His Waverley season ended prematurely with selection in the Australian squad for the 2008 Olympic Games Qualification series pre-trials but, in an overall context, he is entitled to feel a little frustrated and disappointed by his misfortunes during the summer. Jimbo still managed to produce some typical moments of highlight-reel brilliance, but this remains very much the tip of the talented Beresford iceberg.

Daniel ‘Bambino’ Berg
As mentioned, Danny Berg had an extended delay to his return to Australia and he only managed a couple of games for Waverley before Christmas. But, when he did arrive, he really arrived with a huge BANG! A steadily improving player with the Minnesota Twins organisation, ‘Bergie’ continues to showcase increased offensive power each time we see him and, he is one of those hitters who seems better suited to higher standards of pitching. From limited at bats, Danny batted a team high .391 for the season at Waverley, but this almost paled in comparison to his performances for Victoria and Australia later in the summer. Danny Berg established himself again as a genuine star on the national stage with the Victorian Aces during Claxton Shield 2008. Then he went one better by earning selection with Australia’s AROOS for the important Olympic Qualification tournament where he again batted very well. After years of hard work and dedication, ‘Bergie’ is a baseball star on the rise and we will be delighted to see him playing for our Wildcats any time he can.

Jake Dunn
The son of WBC and Waverley Reds great Jeff, Jake Dunn is a highly promising junior player who was given an early cameo taste of Firsts action in an important game at Essendon. The youngster had earned his opportunity by playing consistently with our Seconds during 2007/08 and he now has an idea of what type of commitment it will take to play regular First team baseball. Given normal development, we can expect to see plenty more of him in future.

Luke ‘Fuzz’ Farrelly
Luke Farrelly is a terrific outfielder and a loyal Waverley stalwart who would play a lot more First team baseball if he played with another club, but this is never likely to happen! The popular ‘Fuzz’ Farrelly continues to enjoy his role as a back-up player who gives his all for the Seconds and who grabs every opportunity to play in the Firsts, while rarely letting the club down at either level. Although he struggled to find his batting stroke consistently in the Firsts this year, we will never forget his game-winning five RBI’s at Sunshine that included a monster GRAND SLAM home run off Australian pitching star Greg Wiltshire… what a highlight! Every successful club needs loyal, ego-subdued players like ‘Fuzz’ Farrelly.

Brett ‘Beckett’ Flemming
As mentioned, there has rarely been a more popular (or successful) return to the Waverley Baseball Club than that made by Brett Flemming this year after three years away at a US college. When we had last seen him, ‘Flemmo’ was emerging as a solid Seconds pitcher who had made a few cameo Firsts appearances in mid-week games. No doubt his development in the US college system would benefit him greatly as a baseballer and also on a personal level. To be fair Brett had never been blessed with amazing natural talent, or the extroverted personality to exude confidence, but he returned to Waverley with enhanced pitching skills and the resilience that comes with knowing that he could perform well at a high level.

However, this did not fully prepare him for the daunting task of being thrust into the forefront as the new No.1 starting pitcher for the Wildcats in Victorian Division One baseball. Nervous tension and the self-induced pressure of not wanting to let anyone down certainly affected Brett in his early appearances and, while he never did pitch poorly, things didn’t always go his way. One thing that may have really turned things around for ‘Flemmo’ this season was his well deserved selection in the Victorian Aces team and his sterling efforts for them during Claxton Shield 2008.

The self-belief that he derived from this experience and his growing confidence in Division One baseball suddenly saw him emerge as, not only a wonderful success for Waverley, but one of the most impressive and dominant pitchers in the competition at the end of the season. Flemming simply got tougher as the season neared its conclusion and his masterly complete game shutout of eventual premiers Blackburn was a final example of how far he had come. There can be little doubt that Brett Flemming was tremendously successful in filling the void left by Ryan Fisher at the start of the season and, in the end, he was the main reason that we kept our finals hopes alive for as long as we did.

We are not sure what lies ahead in the immediate future for Brett Flemming, or whether he will be available for Waverley again next season? But we can be very sure that whenever we see him again, and we will, he will be ready to pick up where he left off and to forge a career as a dominant Division One pitcher… we can hardly wait for that! And, while he has become a little less introverted over recent years, don’t expect any long conversations with ‘Flemmo’ he remains a man of actions and VERY few words!

Kerry ‘Giambi’ Gassner
Amid the disappointment of losing Scott Dawes and Danny Reeman from our playing ranks this year came a major bonus with the resurgence of “veteran” club stalwart Kerry Gassner in 2007/08. ‘KG’ has somewhat sacrificed his own playing career over recent years while he has concentrated on his professional career outside baseball, his work on the club’s committee and as a regular senior coach with our Seconds team. However, until Danny Berg returned, we struggled for consistent batting production from the first base and designated hitter positions. Kerry was the man to take on both and he quickly provided some hitting potency, often at the most important times. In fact, after ‘Bergie’ took over at first base, Gassner looked very much at home as our designated hitter and, Scott Dawes aside, he could stake a claim as being the best option we have had in that position for several years. Just when he might have thought that his Firsts career was fading away, Kerry Gassner is back in town!

Ian ‘Ichiro’ Geduld
Another of the “X-factors” that surely contributed to our slide from the finals this season was the reduced brilliance of Ian Geduld compared with the 2006/07 version. I can’t help feeling that his early season injury didn’t help him to find the same level of consistency that saw him installed at the top of our premiership lineup card where he became perhaps the best leadoff batter in the competition. Then, when he was sadly dropped because of his batting decline, the team really missed his speed on the bases and in the outfield. Nobody was more frustrated that Ian Geduld himself when he eventually found his batting stroke, yet he still had no luck in terms of finding the gaps in the field… it can be a very hard game! The best slice of news for Ian Geduld is that he did show glimpses of returning to his best near the end of the season and we expect him to bounce back next summer. We know he is good enough and he will not be lacking in determination to prove himself again.

Donavon ‘Drysdale’ Hendricks
‘Donnie’ Hendricks returned to Waverley a few weeks late after completing his first season in Independent League professional baseball where he says he learned a lot about pitching. Once again, Donavon showed his undeniable class with some outstanding outings, used almost exclusively in relief by Waverley this season. He earned selection with the Victorian Aces again and, when he was in peak form, he was a dominant presence on the mound. To my eye, Hendricks always looks at his best when he works with a quick tempo and, obviously, when he is bristling with confidence. However, he still has moments when he loses his radar and he tries to pitch too fine to some hitters… walks will always hurt any pitcher. We still need to remember how young Donnie Hendricks is and he will have many more years to refine his talents and to become an even more dominant pitcher for Waverley. .

Joshua ‘Big Papi’ Hendricks
Donavon Hendricks may have a younger brother, but he certainly doesn’t have a “little” brother with the physical development of junior star Josh Hendricks. The powerful and talented youngster is a few years away from adding maturity into his impressive frame, but he can already hold his own in Division One baseball as a regular Seconds and occasional Firsts player. Hendricks, who can also pitch, is not a natural outfielder but he did show signs that he could develop into a very useful first baseman if his career heads in that direction. One thing that is in no doubt is that the kid already has amazing batting power and we can only speculate where this might extrapolate to in future years. We can’t wait to find out!

Jarrod ‘Hammer’ Hodges
It is almost ridiculous that Jarrod Hodges, at his ripe young age of 25, has already established such a reputation for his baseball talent that we constantly undervalue his continued hitting productivity. Hodges batted “only” .363 for Waverley this summer, yet he rarely got any rave reviews and most casual observers would suggest that he didn’t really have a great season! The fact is that ‘Hodgo’ doesn’t need the ego boost and he has many things to occupy his time and interest these days outside of baseball.

It doesn’t help his baseball that his throwing arm probably needs surgery to really fix it and that his growing career responsibilities make it hard for him to get to mid-week games. Jarrod also had a horror season in terms of base running misadventures but his history would suggest that he is a very good base runner and we wouldn't expect to see this again. Yet, for all this, Jarrod remains one of the premier outfielders in the country, arm strength aside, and he still ranks among the most feared hitters in the game. In any case I’d still expect Hodges to increase his hitting output next season, if not for average, then certainly for power as it was unusual to see only seven of his 29 hits go for extra bases, without a home run during 2007/08. He won’t enjoy Waverley’s decline this summer and he will be extra determined to do something about it.

Steve ‘Carlton’ Hood
I’m not sure whether we might not have had a “chicken and egg” situation with Steve Hood this season where he sometimes struggled to recapture his tremendous effectiveness from the previous year. Was it that Steve lost confidence and therefore his opportunities were limited, or was it the limited opportunities that affected his confidence? In any event, ‘Hoody’ didn’t quite reach the heights that he had in 2006/07, but then he was not alone there! With a degree of perseverance, we would expect this young guy to bounce back to his best next summer when Waverley might well need him more than ever before.

Grant ‘Carter’ Karlsen
Probably the only player who could challenge Brett Flemming for our MVP award this season is his brilliant battery mate Grant Karlsen. By any measure, Grant had a terrific season this year to back up and even surpass his mighty efforts with our 2006/07 premiership team. Grant was one of our few players to actually go up another notch this season when he also re-established himself as a national level player with the Victorian Aces during Claxton Shield 2008.

While he maintains his splendid defence and his awesome throwing arm, Karlsen is steadily improving his handling of pitchers and, more noticeably, his batting. With a mature body and a more refined understanding of his hitting, Grant has proven capable of being as dangerous as anyone in Division One baseball while hitting for both average and power. However, like most catchers, the rigours of squatting behind the plate takes its toll over a long season and, after the compressed Claxton Shield schedule, his hitting did cool down towards the end of the season.

For most of the season Grant was batting well above the .400 plateau and his team high 26 RBI’s was a performance that we could not have survived without. He elevated himself beyond being a dangerous lower order batter to joining Russell and Hodges as the “big bats” in the heart of the Wildcats’ lineup. With the added responsibility of catching every game, there is no wonder that Grant Karlsen is so highly rated at Waverley. He has plenty of time left on his side for higher honours to loom on his horizon again in future.

Glenn ‘Ferrett’ Mascoll
Our regular second baseman from the 2006/07 Championship team, we really missed Glenn Mascoll when he was delayed in his return from playing baseball in the Netherlands this past winter. Although a few weeks late, Mascoll almost jumped directly off a plane and straight into a Waverley uniform, such is his dedication to playing for our Wildcats. For some reason Glenn took quite a while to find his batting stroke, but his defence remained excellent and this didn’t go unnoticed by Victorian Aces selectors.

It was a great tribute to Mascoll that he was able to play a key infield role for the Aces during Claxton Shield 2008. In the end, the Division One season ended too early for Glenn Mascoll who was just starting to hit with his more usual authority. We just hope that this flows into next season for the popular Waverley stalwart.

Chris ‘Chipper’ Maurer
Nobody at Waverley should forget what a terrific team man that ‘Chipper’ Maurer is and how sad it was that his own injury sacrifice cost him the place he had earned in our premiership team at the end of 2006/07. In fact, the effects of this knee injury would linger into the start of the 2007/08 season and it was not the same ‘Chipper’ either offensively or defensively. Chris became a “spare parts” man with the Wildcats this year, playing almost every position in the Seconds and getting the occasional backup role with the Firsts. Given a decent run into next season, there is no reason why ‘Chipper’ Maurer couldn’t claim a regular starting spot again and his presence in the dugout would be a very positive thing for the club.

Kirby ‘Puckett’ McConnon
A former junior star at Waverley who was on the brink of becoming a regular senior player before taking a couple of years away from baseball to concentrate on his football talents. Unfortunately, Kirby showed much of the rust you might expect after missing so much baseball and he played only a cameo role this year. He has the talent and “baseball smarts” to take him back to a high level, but whether he does is up to his own determination.

Wade ‘Boggs’ McConnon
Another junior star at Waverley and the younger brother of Kirby. Wade McConnon is a versatile player with potential hitting power who can play a backup role in the outfield, infield or as catcher. He was a part of our Championship success in 2006/07 and, while still a junior, he played a similar role this season. ‘Waydo’ often did the hard yards of bullpen catching and trekking out to Altona for late mid-week games. It will be interesting to see whether he can force his way into the First team as a regular player over the next few years.

Taylor ‘Baby Beresford’ McEvoy
As the nick name suggests, Taylor McEvoy is a junior prodigy player in a similar mould to his slightly older team mate James Beresford. It was very fortunate for Waverley that young Taylor was ready to step up into Firsts baseball as a quality short stop with Jimmy Beresford unavailable so often this season. While he is not yet at the same level of brilliance as Beresford both offensively and defensively, who is?

The reality is that Taylor was a terrific replacement and he became more assured in the role with each game he played. By the end of the season he had consolidated his position in the team and he was producing some very valuable hits in clutch situations. The challenge for Waverley in coming years is to find room for both Beresford and McEvoy in the same team because I don’t see young Taylor McEvoy being pushed out when Beresford returns. It will be an exciting time for Waverley fans to watch some of these youngsters progress and Taylor McEvoy is right at the top of our list of prospects.

Evan ‘Embree’ Phillips
I’ve already mentioned what a bonus it was for the Waverley Baseball Club this season when Evan Phillips decided to make a comeback to baseball after 18 months away from the game. Evan was happy to work his way back as a solid hitter with the Seconds while preparing to make his return to the Firsts as a left-hand pitcher of proven quality. ‘Evo’ resumed his pitching in a blaze of glory with some most impressive relief outings and a couple of strong starts when his performances were epitomised by control and variation. However, he may have tired later in the season when the lack of preparation became a factor, and he suddenly lost the ability to throw strikes consistently. Too many walks almost spoiled his season near the end, but we would expect Evan to return to his best with a decent pre-season next year.  

Anthony ‘Rolen’ Reinke
I can’t verify this personally, but I have heard through the club grapevine that one player we really missed this season was the Anthony Reinke of 2006/07. Hey, wait a minute, I’m not going to disturb you by pretending that ‘Reinks’ wasn’t there, or that he didn’t contribute well as a player, it’s more about his dugout presence that seemed to be "quieter" according to some sources? It would be virtually impossible for Anthony, or anyone else, to match his faultless defence from the previous season and his steadily rising .273 batting average was not too far behind his 2006/07 premiership season output.

But, the return of a “favourite son” Anthony Reinke at the start of last season was an undoubted spark-plug for the energy within the team and his upbeat personality was a vital ingredient of the overall team chemistry. Maybe there was some premiership hangover in the fact that players like Reinke were not quite as “chirpy” in the dugout and it may have affected the morale and focus of the team at certain times… who knows? I’m certainly not blaming ‘Reinks’ for any of these issues this season but we all need to re-discover the same type of hunger and intensity that took us all the way in 2006/07.

Andrew ‘Rusty’ Russell
Andrew Russell would surely know what it feels like to carry the sort of expectations that have also been thrust upon Jarrod Hodges from a young age. After winning the VBA’s Triple Crown for batting for the first time in forty years in 2007, it would always be a tough task for ‘Rusty’ to maintain this amazing level of batting which combined consistency with power. But, for much of this season, he looked capable of repeat performance with a hint of even more explosive power and a batting average that would surely rise throughout the year.

It all seemed to be going to plan until the added program of the Claxton Shield came into play across Christmas and the New Year when the Victorian Aces players were subjected to a heavy schedule in searing hot conditions. ‘Rusty’ batted like a typhoon for Victoria in the opening series in Adelaide, but this is about the time that he also “hit the wall” in terms of his enthusiasm for the game and, try as he might, he found it increasingly difficult to inspire himself mentally for each new game thereafter. This is not an excuse that Russell would want anyone to make for him, but it is a fact that is proven by his decision to bypass winter baseball this season for the first time in many years.

Andy started the season at short stop when the team needed him there before returning to his accustomed role as one of the best outfielders in the nation. While his final average was somewhat un-Russell like, most other players would have dreamed of his six home runs and the 24 runs that he drove in for his Waverley team. ‘Rusty’ was a lot better than he thought this season but when he returns refreshed and re-charged next season, look out!!

‘Tommy John’ Rynberk
Somewhat fittingly, my old mate Tommy Rynberk is at the end of our alphabetical list of Firsts players this season, just like he is often at the end of the list of Waverley players to leave any of our social functions! Sorry Tom, I’m not at all implying that you are not a dedicated and determined competitor on the baseball diamond, it’s just that you should never, and will never, change from being a popular “life and soul” among our playing group.

Few of us will forget the vital role that Tommy played as our regular mid-week starting pitcher during our memorable 2006/07 Championship triumph but, for some reason, he drifted out of that role this season and he was used mainly as a relief pitcher in the Firsts. Especially after Evan Phillips returned to the club, there seemed to be increasingly limited pitching opportunities for Tommy, even though I don’t remember him doing a lot wrong to cause this? In the end, he was used so intermittently that we would have to excuse him for lacking the type of sharpness that he commanded last season.

I’d certainly like to see Tommy given a decent chance to replicate his performance from 2006/07 next season and, for that matter, he should not be overlooked as an outfield option when the opportunity arises. A quality outfielder who can hit and then pitch relief at the end of games is a most valuable and versatile commodity… isn’t he Adam Bonaddio?

In Conclusion:

From the disrupted and undermanned start of the season right through to the bitter, alright sad, end of the season 2007/08 never did quite feel the same as our long-awaited Championship season the year before.

I’m not a subscriber the “Premiership hangover” theory in its entirety, but there may have been elements of this in evidence as I mentioned with respect the Anthony Reinke. If some of our players were a little “downbeat” compared to last season, then the loss of Dan Reeman and the rare selection of ‘Chipper’ Maurer would not have helped the intensity of the Waverley dugout.

Maybe that intensity was also missing among the ‘Waverley Nation’ who were still enjoying the glow of our Championship success and didn’t feel the need to bring the same hunger in support of our team this year. Even that keen supporter with his trademark “GO WILCATS” burst of encouragement seemed to tone it down this season?

Of course there were some players who didn’t deliver the same statistics as they did the previous season, but this will always be the case in baseball and there should be others emerging to lift their output to compensate. It would not be fair or possible to single out any individual players as the reason why we fell from our hard-earned position of respect. I’m not even sure that our rival teams improved to any significant degree that would explain why we could finish no higher than fifth. In fact, we beat all of the top teams at different times and we never had reason to believe that any of those teams was superior to ours.

If you are looking for a “conspiracy theory” from left-field, then how about the impression that most of our young players suddenly found themselves adorned with glamourous young ladies on their arms this year? Far from the focussed determination that was in evidence last year, perhaps our guys have succumbed to other distractions and have had their energies sapped as a consequence? I’m not going for this one… jolly good luck to you fellas!!

Fact is I’m no better than anyone at putting a handle on exactly why we slumped so dramatically in 2007/08 but I will resort to the only facts that make any real sense to me. INCONSISTENCY is the one word that seems to best explain our performances this season. This was more than likely a product of an undermanned start to the season that became compounded by constant disruptions to the lineup as some players became available and then others weren’t. I don’t have any proof at my disposal, but I’m prepared to bet heavily that our lineup was nowhere near as settled from week to week as it was throughout 2006/07.

With a favourable start and a more settled season, there should be no reason why we can’t re-capture the mood that took us all the way in 2006/07. To completely miss the finals this year was totally unacceptable for anyone at Waverley and this should provide all the incentive we need to re-focus as a club towards returning to the pinnacle where we belong!