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CLAXTON AT WAVERLEY - 24 JAN 2009 |
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*** 24
JAN 2009 WAS ANOTHER GREAT ONE FOR BASEBALL FANS You can view the
"opinion piece" about the attendance on WHAT A GREAT OCCASION IT WAS AT WAVERLEY BASEBALL CLUB ON 24 JAN 2009 WHEN A SEMI-FINAL GAME OF THE FAMOUS CLAXTON SHIELD WAS HELD AT ITS NAPIER PARK COMPLEX BETWEEN THE VICTORIAN ACES AND THE NEW SOUTH WALES PATRIOTS! While it was also a fine game, played in great spirit, the fact that Victoria was sadly defeated in a 0-9 semi-final shutout was almost secondary to the festive spirit and collective enjoyment of those fans that attended the great occasion. As often attendance numbers vary depending on who you talk to and, while we would have liked many more, we should not be disappointed with the realistic total of 900-1,000. Even though some expect unrealistic numbers at times, it was a crowd that easily surpasses virtually every other Claxton Shield attendance in 2008/09, certainly in Melbourne, and we know that we could attract more. The Waverley Baseball Club would all like to thank those fans that attended to make the day a great one. It was particularly noticeable how many loyal baseball people from nearby baseball clubs attended, along with many others who were faithful fans of the Waverley / Melbourne REDS during their great ABL days. Like everybody else, they all greatly enjoyed the return of 'big time' baseball to Melbourne's south-east. Maybe most heartening about the occasion was the UNIVERSAL praise from fans and players alike that it was a GREAT ATMOSPHERE and you could see the pleasure in most of the faces around the venue. The people at Waverley Baseball Club (and others that helped) can be justifiably proud of making the occasion successful, while the ABF can also take credit for having the foresight to make it possible! The message to anyone in Victorian baseball is crystal clear... people WILL ATTEND 'big time' baseball games in this area in numbers that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in Melbourne. As they say, photographs cannot lie and there is plenty of evidence in those below to debunk any claims of "disappointing attendance". There were never before seen spectators camped along the outfield fence from right field to centre field and more numbers ensconced in the Clubrooms who are not visible in these photographs. You can view the
"opinion piece" about the attendance on |
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