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28
JULY 2009
- Alphabetically |
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Wildcats' whiz JIMMY BERESFORD
has found his red-hot bat cooling down a little lately, as it had
to, as just one of the Beloit Snappers hitters to find the opposing
pitching tough lately. James batted 0-4 in his latest game when his
team were four-hit in a 1-10 hammering by the Lansing Lugnuts. The
previous day, he may have enjoyed returning to his short stop
position after a sequence of games at second base when he batted 2-4
and scored the only run for the Snappers in a 1-3 defeat by Lansing.
Still a very young player in this league, Beresford's batting
average has remained consistently in the top two or three for his
team this season as leadoff batter. And, quite significantly, his
speed is being utilised on the base paths with two more thefts
during the past week. |
 |
We are disappointed to report that one of
Waverley's favourite sons
DANIEL BERG was released from his professional
contract with the Minnesota Twins during their 'AA' All-Star break
just about a week ago. It is no secret that Danny has, for reason or
other, not been able to replicate the offensive form that saw him
put up solid numbers at 'AA' level towards the end of last season.
However, after giving 100% during his four years in professional
baseball, 'Bergie' has nothing to be sorry about and plenty to be
very proud of. When the dust settles on this temporary setback, he
should realise that very players have achieved what he has at
Waverley, for Victoria, for the Australian National team and in pro
ranks. He is a player who can be completely satisfied that he has
extracted the best from himself and, most importantly, he has
carried himself with class throughout.
The 'Waverley Nation' extends its sympathies to Danny at this time
and we all wish him the very best for the future... we certainly
hope that this involves a return to Waverley sooner rather than
later. |
 |
If Waverley's ADAM
BLACKLEY endured perhaps his one sub-par start for the
season last time out, then he certainly bounced back with one of his
best this past week, pitching a sizzling 7.0ip 3h 0r 0er 2bb 9k as
part of a combined shutout for his Amsterdam Pirates in their 2-0
win over MediaMonks RCH. Adam produced his 12th quality start for
the season which is second most for the Dutch National League as he
further reduced his ERA to a tiny 1.82 and his opponent batting
average to an equally microscopic .183. Blackley has simply built
upon the form and confidence he took away from his Championship
success with our Wildcats last summer. |
 |
Wildcats star TRAVIS BLACKLEY
has found himself re-cast as a starting pitcher recently
after enjoying much better success pitching out of the bullpen for
Arizona's 'AAA' Reno Aces over the past month. Unfortunately, he
didn't last too long in his last start while taking a loss in a 2-9
defeat by the Fresno Grizzlies. As ever, 'Trav' was very tidy,
throwing 39 of 55 pitches for strikes. A home run in the second
inning and a leadoff double in the third were to cost him the two
earned runs but, as usual, he battled hard and made sure that the
damage was minimised as much as possible. His record stands at 2-5,
5.17ERA in a tough "hitters league". |
 |
Waverley new boy
CODY HAMS
continues to settle into his life as a professional
baseballer with increasingly impressive performances lately. In his
last outing he pitched three innings of NO HIT baseball to earn a
hold as part of a combined shutout for the AZL Cubs who blanked the
AZL Athletics 7-0. Hams walked three but he had enough stuff to
overwhelm the opposing hitters with 3.0ip 0h 0r 0er 3bb 0k. He
suddenly looks capable of making big strides over the next few
years. |
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21
JULY 2009
- Alphabetically |
 |
Waverley star JAMES BERESFORD has
been very good so far this year since his promotion to Minnesota's
'A' team Beloit Snappers, but he has taken his game to yet another
level lately with a burst of stunning sustained offence that has
lifted his batting average back above the .300 plateau. His .455
average last week earned him yet another 'Flintoff & Dunn PRO PLAYER
OF THE WEEK Award' and in his past 12 games he has only failed to
get a safe hit on one occasion... in that game he had just one at
bat. Jimmy has been playing mostly at second base lately and,
remarkably, his offence has at least matched his brilliant glove
work. We won't go into detail of individual games on this occasion,
but in one span of six games last week he batted 14-29 with two
doubles, including successive games of 2-5, 3-5 and 4-5 v West
Michigan and Burlington. Don't touch him, he's red hot!!! |
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Wildcats' favourite
DANIEL BERG has not played since our report last
week and we are awaiting confirmation of his current situation.
Although 'Bergie' would hate us to make any excuses on his behalf,
there are legitimate and unfortunate reasons why he has been unable
to recapture the impressive offence that saw him prosper at both
'Advanced A' and 'AA' levels for Minnesota last season. No doubt Dan
loved to represent his country at the World Baseball Classic, but
his lack of playing time there at the expense of his normal spring
training certainly would not have helped him return directly to 'AA'
level or to groove his stroke for this season. We should not
underestimate the sacrifice some professional players make to play
International baseball for Australia. Good luck Danny! |
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In this case an extended mid-season break was
not helpful for Wildcats' ace ADAM
BLACKLEY who was far from his sharpest in making the first
start for the Amsterdam Pirates upon resumption in a narrow 5-6 loss
to DOOR Neptunus. Adam was uncharacteristically wayward, issuing
eight walks during his 6.1 innings no decision.
Yet, for all that, Blackley allowed only four earned runs and he
kept his team in the game in more typical style. Although he may not
have been at his best, his fighting qualities were in ample evidence
again with virtually one strike out per inning for a final pitching
line of 6.1ip 4h 4r 4er 8bb 6k. |
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Business is definitely looking up for Waverley
champion TRAVIS BLACKLEY
whose last two outings for Arizona's 'AAA' Reno Aces have
resulted in impressive saves. 'Trav' was as sharp as a razor last
time out with a decisive closure of Reno's 6-3 win over the
Sacramento River Cats with 2.1ip 0h 0r 0er 1bb 2k.
On this occasion he slammed shut any little opening in the door for
the 'R-Cats', throwing 21 of 35 pitches for strikes and allowing
just one base runner via a free pass. Blackley has now positioned
himself well in case an opportunity arises for a spot in the
Diamondbacks' big league bullpen. |
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If young Wildcats' prospect
CODY HAMS
has endured a very torrid start to his professional career
to date, then it all came right for him a hurry this week. Big Cody
looked every bit the hot prospect that many have projected with a
quite brilliant display of middle long-relief for the AZL Cubs as
the star of their 3-1 win over the AZL Padres. Hams was the winning
pitcher of record with his 4.0ip 4h 0r 0er 0bb 5k. It should be the
kind of performances that convinces him that he can compete in
professional ranks. His effort earned him an "Honourable Mention"
among 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK Awards. Nice work
young fella! |
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14
JULY 2009
- Alphabetically |
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Waverley prodigy JIMMY BERESFORD
earned yet another special mention among 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO
PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS' after a week that saw him bat 7-19 plus
three walks for a .455 on base percentage. In typical Beresford
style he has adapted his game rather brilliantly as a leadoff hitter
and he has become the major "table setter" for Minnesota's Beloit
Snappers. In his last game James helped the Snapping Turtles to beat
the West Michigan Whitecaps 9-8 by batting 1-5 with two RBIs, one of
which was a two out RBI. Preceding that he batted 2-5 with a RBI and
a run scored in a 5-1 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks. |
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Stalwart Wildcat
DANNY BERG played at right field for the New
Britain Rock Cats and he was only one of his team to struggle at the
plate with 0-2 in a 1-14 shellacking at the hands of the Binghamton
Mets. In the previous game 'Bergie' delivered an important two RBI
single with two out while playing at left field in a much tighter
8-11 loss to the Mets' affiliate. Dan is still searching hard for a
consistent stroke at 'AA' level this season. |
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Waverley's premiership pitcher ADAM
BLACKLEY continues to enjoy some well earned rest during
the mid season break in the Dutch Baseball League that resumes on 16
July. |
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Waverley's recent major leaguer TRAVIS BLACKLEY
collected his first save of the season with a solid relief
effort for the Reno Aces in their 9-5 victory over the Las Vegas
51's. Blackley threw 27 of his 42 pitches for strikes and was only
damaged by a two run homer in the eighth innings en route to his
3.0ip 3h 3r 2er 1bb 3k. 'Trav' continues to own a strike out versus
walk ratio of better than 3/1. |
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Wildcats' prospect
CODY HAMS
continues to be a little wayward in the very early days of
his fledgling professional career, even though he lowered his ERA
with a middle relief effort for the AZL Cubs during a heavy 6-12
loss to the AZL Giants. Cody did not allow an earned run while he
tip-toed around three hits and three walks for a pitching line of
1.2ip 3h 1r 0er 3bb 2k in the game. He had the tough task of coming
in early after the 'Cubbies' starting pitcher had been shelled from
the mound with six runs after his 1.2 innings. |
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7
JULY 2009
- Alphabetically |
 |
Wildcats' star JIMMY BERESFORD
continues to enjoy a strong first season at 'A' level with the
Minnesota Twins' Beloit Snappers. Playing at short stop and batting
in the leadoff slot, he batted a useful 1-3 plus a walk, a RBI and a
run scored in a 4-2 win over the Peoria Chiefs. In their previous
4-1 win over the Chiefs, James batted 2-5 and scored a run while
featuring in no fewer than FIVE double plays defensively! |
 |
Ever popular Wildcat
DANIEL BERG may not have found his most potent
stroke since his promotion back to Minnesota's 'AA' New Britain Rock
Cats but, typically, this has not stopped him finding a way to
contribute for the team. 'Bergie' batted 0-4 in his most recent game
while patrolling left field, but he walked to push across a RBI in a
5-0 victory over Trenton Thunder. In the previous game, won 7-6 by
Trenton, Danny did all he could as a pinch hitter by drawing a walk
from his only plate appearance before taking over at left field. |

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Keen observers of this site might realise that
the statistics for Waverley's ADAM
BLACKLEY have not changed and we can tell you that this is
because the Dutch Baseball League is enjoying a mid-season break.
Hostilities will not resume there until 16 July. We can only expect
that 'Blackers' is enjoying the rest and recreation in Europe while
he can be content with the league's fifth best ERA at this stage
after a fine half-season. |
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Waverley's ace of Aces TRAVIS BLACKLEY
continues to enjoy much better success as a reliever after
starting the season slowly in the role of a starting pitcher. In his
most recent outing 'Trav' ran into a little trouble while putting
the lid on what was already destined to be a 8-13 loss to the
Sacramento River Cats. Even though Blackley struck out four during
his two inning stint, he allowed two runs on three hits while trying
to pound the strike zone at the end of a losing cause. His line
ended at 2.0ip 3h 2r 2er 1bb 4k (4.81ERA). In his previous outing
Blackley was rock solid, collecting his fourth hold of the season
with 1.2ip 0h 0r 0er 0bb 1k in a 3-1 win over the Las Vegas 51's. |
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Waverley's new kid on the block
CODY HAMS
is still acclimatising to his rookie professional life with
the Chicago Cubs' Arizona Rookie League team. The tall lefty still
hasn't locked-in his radar in the USA with a rather shaky relief
effort of 1.2ip 3h 3r 2er 4bb 2k (18.69ERA) in his most recent
outing for the AZL Cubs. Thankfully it didn't prevent his team from
winning comfortably 13-3 over the AZL Indians. He will find the
learning curve to be steep! |
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29
JUNE 2009
- Alphabetically |
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Waverley's JAMES BERESFORD earned
yet another 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK Award' coming
off his league All-Star break. During the past week Jimmy batted
6-14 (.429) with a couple of walks that boosted his on base
percentage to a gaudy .500. In a recent game he batted 2-3 plus a
walk and a run scored to help his Beloit Snappers to beat the
Clinton Lumber Kings 6-2, while he also initiated a sparkling double
play. |
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It was great to see Waverley
stalwart
DANNY BERG earning due reward for some impressive
games recently with promotion back to Minnesota's 'AA' New Britain
Rock Cats. 'Bergie' has not yet had the chance to settle back into
the new environment with just three games so far but, given
reasonable opportunity, he will be hoping to find the same type of
productivity that he delivered at this level towards the end of the
2008 season. He has played both corner outfield positions during his
recent time with New Britain.
We know that he will be giving 110% as always! |

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It is not our custom to make excuses for our
players, but it has to be said that Wildcats' pitching ace ADAM
BLACKLEY has been a most unfortunate victim of lack of run
support lately, as you will see again with respect to his latest
hard-luck defeat. It would be hard to expect much better than his
lion hearted 8.1ip 3h 2r 1er 3bb 3k in his Amsterdam Pirates' latest
1-2 loss to Konica Pioneers. Even though his record dipped to 5-3,
his ERA actually improved to a miniscule 1.67 and opposing hitters
can only manage a paltry .188 against him. Blackley continues to be
one of the very best pitching stars in what is a very good quality
league. |
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Waverley's recent major leaguer TRAVIS BLACKLEY
earned a share of 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Award' this week with a combined 5.1ip 5h 0er 1bb 6k from his last
two appearances.
His most impressive performance came when he secured the victory for
the Reno Aces with an outstanding 3.2ip 1h 0r 0er 1bb 4k in what was
to be a 6-5 win over the Tacoma Rainiers. 'Trav' was the winning
pitcher when he relieved Reno's hard hit starter after just four
innings. |
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Some Waverley people may be wondering why the name
CODY HAMS
is appearing here on our WBCWEB? Well, we can tell you that
this hot young prospect transferred to our club from Bonbeach during
the 2009 summer season, even though he has yet to appear in action
in a Wildcats' uniform. Clearly the tall left-hander has found the
going a bit tough during his first couple of outings with the
Chicago Cubs' Arizona Rookie League team, but we will not judge him
just yet. We will be following his progress with interest. |
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22
JUNE 2009
- Alphabetically |
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Waverley star JAMES BERESFORD has
just seen his at bat tally creep past the 200 mark and, although he
has cooled a tad just lately, he should still be quite proud of .278
batting average and more so his .348 on base percentage as the
Beloit Snappers' leadoff batter. In the most recent series against a
tough pitching Swing of Quad Cities team, he batted 1-5 in a 4-6
loss and 0-3 in a 1-6 defeat. He fared somewhat better in the first
game of the set with 1-3, a hit by pitch and a run scored, along
with some superb defence, in a 6-0 shutout win. |
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Popular Waverley utility
DANIEL BERG may have been the victim of bad timing
again because his league All-Star Game break has just coincided with
a hot streak of batting form for our man! Just prior to the weekend
break Danny had been enjoying a superb series for his Fort Myers
Miracle against the Dunedin Blue Jays. He batted 1-3 with a walk in
their most recent 7-2 win while playing at first base. Just prior to
that 'Bergie' had a great contribution as second baseman in a 4-8
defeat with his 2-2 that included a double, a triple and a run
scored. The previous day he played at first base in a 5-3 victory
with 1-4 and a run scored. He just missed out on a special mention
in 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK' Awards because of too
few at bats. |

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I'm not sure what was going on with the Dutch
Baseball League statistics last week when they obviously overlooked ADAM
BLACKLEY's most recent start on the 13th
June. Well, at least we can belatedly inform you that it was yet
another BRILLIANT winning start for our popular new Wildcat star.
The statistics line tells you enough about how good he was with
7.0ip 2h 0r 0er 1bb 8k (1.74ERA) for his fifth win of the season. In
this case he anchored his Amsterdam Pirates to a solid 5-2 win over
ADO. Not only is Adam maintaining a "Travis Blackley like" strike
out to walk ratio, but he has also lowered his opponent batting
average below "two bucks"! |
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Waverley's major league ace TRAVIS BLACKLEY
couldn't quite find his best stuff in his latest relief
outing last week during an 8-5 win by his Reno Aces over one of
Trav's former teams (Seattle's) Tacoma Rainiers. Travis was
unusually wayward on this occasion with 2.2ip 2h 2r 2er 2bb 0k
(5.30ERA) as his radar was in a little need of readjustment. We're
sure that this will turn around next time out! |
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15
JUNE 2009
- Alphabetically |
 |
Waverley prodigy JAMES BERESFORD
may be feeling the rigours of playing more games already this season
than in his brief professional career, but it is hardly showing in
his performance. After raising his average above the .300 plateau
again over the weekend it has just dipped below with an "O-for"
after today's game against the tough Clinton Lumber Kings. Prior to
that he walked and scored a run in a 4-1 win for his Beloit Snappers
over the Burlington Bees. This followed his brilliant 3-5 with two
RBI's, a walk and a run scored in a 10-5 win over the Bees.
Typically, James has recorded his share of errors as the starting
short stop but, let us assure you, there are errors and there are
errors in top level baseball. The vast majority of Beresford's
errors are not of the fundamental or mental variety, but more of the
"push the envelope" kind. It is an unfortunate fact of baseball
scoring that fielders who try to make spectacular or near impossible
plays often get tagged with errors when inferior fielders would not
have even touched the ball. From radio and other reports, Jimmy has
been little short of sensational in the key defensive post and his
coaches will not mind the fact that he continues to expand his
range. The occasional spectacular out is a great team lifter and a
genuine boost to any pitcher! |
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Waverley all-rounder
DANIEL BERG returned from a brief spell of
inactivity to find himself in an unenviable "platoon" situation with
Minnesota's 'High-A' Fort Myers Miracle. This past week he has
barely been given an opportunity every second game, and this
exclusively as the designated hitter or as a pinch hitter. As
Waverley's Jimmy Russell would say, the "designated hitter position
has been a poisoned chalice" for Waverley hitters over the past few
years (apart from Kerry Gassner) and Danny might not be enjoying the
difficult task of batting while not playing defence? One thing we do
know is that he will keep working at it! |

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ADAM
BLACKLEY has not had an opportunity to improve upon his
brilliant season so far with his Amsterdam Pirates relatively
inactive during this past week. They have played only one game since
last Sunday and it wasn't Adam's turn to start in the rotation. The
way he has been pitching since our past summer season he probably
will not enjoy the inactivity?... unless of course he gets the
chance to do some European sight seeing? |
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Waverley recent major league star TRAVIS BLACKLEY
did all that you could ask of him in his most recent outing
for Arizona's 'AAA' Reno Aces with four scoreless innings of
long-middle relief in what would eventuate into a 3-5 defeat by the
Salt Lake Bees. 'Trav' did extremely well to plug the gaping hole in
the dyke after Reno starter Petit had allowed five runs from just
2.2 innings. Blackley kept the Aces in the contest with a very
steady and impressive 4.0ip 2h 0r 0er 1bb 2k (5.29ERA) under
difficult circumstances. He may be getting somewhere near his best?
It earned him a special mention among 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER
OF THE WEEK Awards'. |
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8
JUNE 2009
- Alphabetically |
 |
For the first time in four weeks, Wildcats whiz
kid JIMMY BERESFORD did not do quite enough to earn
himself a mention in 'Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Awards, but he continues to enjoy a fine season as the regular
starting short stop and leadoff batter for Minnesota's Beloit
Snappers in the Midwest 'A' League. James has been a terrific
contributor for a "cellar dwelling" team with his exciting defence
and intelligent leadoff batting. His last game saw him bat 1-5 and
score a run during a 7-5 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The
previous day he batted 2-4 in a 4-1 win over the 'T-Rattlers' in the
nightcap of a double-header. |
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For some reason Waverley's
star utility
DANNY BERG has not been playing the last few days
so we are keeping our fingers crossed that it is not another injury,
or at least not a long-term one. This continues the disjointed
season for Danny so far this year which could not be helping him to
find his most consistent offence with Minnesota's Fort Myers
Miracle. In his last game 'Bergie' batted 0-4 as the designated
hitter in a tight 9-8 win over the Clearwater Threshers. Prior to
that he was a valuable contributor at first base with 1-3, a RBI
plus a walk as the only run producer in a 1-2 defeat by the
Threshers. |

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For the first and only time this season Waverley's
star left-hander ADAM
BLACKLEY has looked anything other than supremely dominant
as a starting pitcher in the Dutch National League. Although it was
to be his second loss for the season, it was the first time that
Adam has seemed to struggle for his usual pin-point control with
three walks and six hits a high number for him this season from his
first relatively short 4.1 inning start. Blackley pitched an
uncharateristic 4.1ip 6h 7r 6er 3bb 1k with two hit batters for his
Amsterdam Pirates in a 4-9 loss to Corendon Kinheim. We will look
for Adam to bounce back hard next outing. |
 |
Waverley ace TRAVIS BLACKLEY
returned to the bullpen this past week with a couple of
quite solid relief performances for the Reno Aces in the 'AAA'
Pacific Coast League. His most recent outing saw him close the final
two innings of a 4-6 defeat by the Portland Beavers. On this
occasion he couldn't have done much more than keep his team in the
game with a solid 2.0ip 2h 1r 1er 0bb 4k (5.76ERA), throwing 20 of
his 29 pitches for strikes. His previous outing was a very good
1.2ip 0h 0r 0er 0bb 1k in middle relief during a 10-4 win over the
Tacoma Rainiers. Our information from the US is that 'Trav' is
looking much more settled and confident lately. |
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1
JUNE 2009
- Alphabetically |
 |
As an indication of his stunning form and
consistency lately, Waverley prodigy JAMES BERESFORD
was again among the Flintoff & Dunn PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Awards for the third successive week; this time as the sole winner of our top award for the past
week. Here is the extract from the Flintoff & Dunn web site:
Earning a special mention for the
third week in succession, and this time scooping our top award, was
Minnesota Twins World Baseball Classic tyro JIMMY BERESFORD
whose 11-28 as a short stop and leadoff hitter is
spectacular with a .433 on base percentage, five RBIs and just two
strike outs during the term. In fact, Beresford has struck out just
five times in his last ten-plus games... you know what they say
about putting the ball in play!
Doing his job splendidly as a prototypal leadoff batter,
Jimmy batted 1-3 with a walk and scored a run for his Beloit
Snappers in their most recent 4-11 loss to the Kane County Cougars.
He had identical stats in the previous game also lost by the
Snappers 2-5 to the Cougars. Beresford was better still in the game
before that when he helped fellow Aussie Brad Tippett to hammer the
Cougars 15-2 with his own 3-4, plus two walks and three runs scored! |
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Waverley's 'Mr.Versatile'
DANNY BERG is doing his level best in spite of the
often mentioned variety of roles he is asked to fill for the Fort
Myers Miracle, including some inconsistent playing time lately. In
his latest appearance 'Bergie' batted 1-5 and scored a run while
playing at first base in a 7-1 win over the Brevard County Manatees.
His previous game, also stationed at first base, saw him bat 0-2 but
he walked twice in a 3-8 defeat by the Tampa Yankees. The day before
that Danny was the starting third baseman and he produced a terrific
3-5 with a double and a run scored as a big contribution to their
8-0 shutout win over the Yankees affiliate. |

|
Waverley pitching ace ADAM
BLACKLEY was the unfortunate victim of lack of run support
for the second straight outing when his brilliant start ended with a
no decision in a 0-1, ninth inning loss by his Amsterdam Pirates
against Sparta/Feyenoord. In fact, Adam could not have done any more
than pitch a mighty eight inning shutout against former major
leaguer and Dutch World Baseball Classic star Rob Cordemans. In the
end he was certainly unlucky not to notch his fifth win with 8.0ip
7h 0er 1bb 5k to shrink his ERA further to a microscopic 1.13ERA. |
 |
After seeming to settle in nicely as a middle /
long reliever, new Waverley ace TRAVIS BLACKLEY
found himself back in the starting role for the Reno Aces,
collecting a no decision in what would be a 5-9 loss to the Salt
Lake Bees. 'Trav' pitched a decent 3.0ip 5h 3er 2bb 3k in that game
which was the nightcap of a double header. Our "inside mail" is that
Travis is hoping to establish himself more in the bullpen as opposed
to starting because he views this as maybe a better chance to make
it back to the big leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks. |
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25
MAY 2009
- Alphabetically |
 |
Seemingly back near full stride after his short
injury inactivity, Waverley young gun JAMES BERESFORD
continues to ramp up his batting average with a very healthy .293,
especially for a specialist short stop. Jimmy earned his second
successive "Honourable Mention" in Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF
THE WEEK for batting .300 over the span, including four multi-hit
games. In a quite typical outing for Beresford lately, he batted a
strong 2-4 with a RBI and a run scored as the leadoff batter in a
4-0 shutout win for his Beloit Snappers over the Wisconsin Timber
Rattlers. And, if anyone would like to view some pictures of James'
home field environment at Beloit, including a picture of Jimmy at
bat (NOTE: CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM),
just click here. |
 |
Waverley's all-purpose pro
star
DANIEL BERG continues to fill whatever position he
is asked by Minnesota's Fort Myers Miracle while doing his best to
maintain his offensive production. In typical unselfish Waverley
fashion, 'Bergie' just about always finds a way to help his team,
even when he's not finding a safe hit. In his most recent game he
went 0-2 as the designated hitter, but he walked and drew a hit by
pitch to score a vital two-out RBI for the Miracle as a decisive
moment in their 2-1 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs... it was to
be the winning run! |

|
New Wildcat
favourite ADAM
BLACKLEY
finally proved that he was somewhat
human when he was a touch unfortunate to take to take his first loss
for the season. Adam pitched another quite terrific complete game
for his Amsterdam Pirates but his 8.0ip 7h 3er 3bb 6k left him
unlucky to be on the short end of a 2-3 defeat by the oddly named
team Mr.Cocker HCAW. Of course, in this instance, it does not mean
that Blackley was anything other than very good once again and he
still leads the Dutch league with his 54 season strike outs. His ERA
took a small jump to a still brilliant 1.31, while opponents can
still only manage to hit a miserable 1.86 against him. |
 |
Hold the phone... rumours about the decline of Waverley ace TRAVIS BLACKLEY
would seem to have been premature! Just kidding, but
nonetheless it was GREAT to see 'Trav' deserving some better fortune
lately as he seems to be enjoying the role of a middle-reliever for
the Diamondbacks' 'AAA' Reno Aces. Blackley has continued to
maintain his brilliant strike outs per inning statistic and his
strike outs versus walks ratio, but he has also been mighty
effective in keeping the runs off the board just lately. Travis
pitched two separate three inning stints during this past week for
zero earned runs and six more strike out victims. He was a joint
winner of Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYER OF THE WEEK Award. As we
said, the cream always rises to the top... good on you Trav! |
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18
MAY 2009
- Alphabetically |
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Waverley tyro JAMES BERESFORD
produced a stunning week of offensive and defensive baseball for his
Beloit Snappers to earn "Honourable Mention" among Flintoff & Dunn's
PRO PLAYERS OF THE WEEK. During this span Jimmy has batted 9-25 with
a double and four RBIs as the starting short stop for the team. His
latest game saw him bat 3-5 with two RBIs and a run scored as a star
of Beloit's 9-6 win over the Peoria Chiefs. Previous to that he
batted 1-4 with a walk and another pair of RBIs as their major run
producer in a tight 5-6 loss to the Chiefs. Thankfully James appears
to have no after affect from his recent stint on the disabled list. |
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Versatile Wildcat
DANIEL BERG confirmed our suggestion last week that
he looked to be getting into his stride with one of his customary
hot hitting streaks. 'Bergie' lifted his average again this past
week with another solid streak of performance for his Fort Myers
Miracle. It becomes redundant to mention that Dan has played just
about everywhere defensively. In his last game he batted 0-2 but he
walked twice and scored a run while playing at second base in a 2-3
defeat by the Jupiter Hammerheads. Prior to that, Danny batted a
marvellous 3-6 with two RBIs and a run scored as a key effort in a
11-9 win over the St.Lucie Mets. He played left field and third
base! |

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Popular new Wildcat ADAM
BLACKLEY continues to enjoy a tremendous start to his
career in the Dutch Baseball League with a "perfect" six from six
quality starts, not to mention his blistering 4-0, 0.90ERA... WOW!
Even his major league big brother Travis would be impressed with his
one-plus strike outs per inning. 'Blackers' was his usual brilliant
self while collecting his fourth win of the season in his last start
when he anchored his Amsterdam Pirates to a 6-0 shutout win over the
MediaMonks RCH team. Adam pitched a superb 6.0ip 4h 0er 3bb 11k. |
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It is a little hard to fathom why Waverley ace TRAVIS BLACKLEY
cannot seem to take a trick while pitching for Arizona's
new 'AAA' affiliate Reno Aces so far this season. We know that it is
a tough league, aren't they all?, but this would be nothing new to 'Trav'
who knows what it takes to get major league batters out. However,
while he has continued to post impressive numbers for strike outs
per inning and strike out versus walk ratio, he just can't seem to
stem the flow of hits he is allowing just yet. Even in his most
recent relief effort in a 4-8 loss to the Nashville Sounds, he was
very tidy but a home run hurt him among his 2.0ip 5h 1er 0bb 2k. We
know that Travis has the quality to turn this around and we know
that he will persist in trying to do just that... Good Luck! |
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11
MAY 2009
- Alphabetically |
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Waverley whiz kid JIMMY BERESFORD
is doing just about all that is asked of him for Minnesota's Beloit
Snappers after a recent stint on the disabled list. James has
settled back nicely as the Snappers' starting short stop and regular
leadoff batter in a tough league. While everyone would like a few
more hits and some extra bases, Beresford is mixing a steady number
of walks into his approach and his .380 on base percentage is good.
In addition, he is limiting his strike outs to provide more quality
at bats and he has swiped five bases. There wouldn't be much need to
mention reports of his outstanding defence to any Waverley supporter
would there? |
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Wildcats' favourite
DANNY BERG continues his rather typical "upswing"
lately after battling for his best form early in the 2009 season.
Danny finds his average rapidly increasing after a recent hot
hitting streak, including his most recent 2-4 with a double and a
walk for his Fort Myers Miracle as a major contribution to their 7-5
win over the St.Lucie Mets; he played at both third base and first
base in this game. 'Bergie' featured for "Honourable Mention" among
Flintoff & Dunn's PRO PLAYERS OF THE WEEK today with 6-19, including
a double and a home run. |

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Waverley ace ADAM
BLACKLEY is forging a big reputation for himself in the
Dutch Baseball League as one of their leading pitchers so far in
2009; perhaps No.1 at present! Adam improved his record to 3-0 with
his latest win coming in a 4-2 victory for his Amsterdam Pirates
over DOOR Neptunus. In that game Blackley pitched a strong 6.0ip 5h
2r 1er 3bb 5k start to anchor the positive result for his team. He
is in brilliant form in 2009. |
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It was great to see Waverley's TRAVIS BLACKLEY
finally enjoying a bit more fortune this season when he was
given a break from starting. He earned his first hold of the season
with 2.1 scoreless innings for the Reno Aces in their 4-1 victory
over the Sacramento River Cats. 'Trav' pitched a strong 2.1ip 4h 0r
0er 1bb 1k and it will be interesting to see whether he returns to
the starting rotation or stays in the bullpen for a while? On a
lighter note, we know how much Travis enjoys batting... well, he
would have loved the chance to pinch hit in Reno's most recent 8-12
loss to the Fresno Grizzlies... he drew a one out walk in the bottom
of the tenth inning! |
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4
MAY 2009
- Alphabetically |
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There was a degree of relief in the fact that our JIMMY BERESFORD
was not more seriously injured when he was reactivated after a
couple of weeks on the disabled list for Minnesota's 'A' Beloit
Snappers. In layman's terms, it is understood that James suffered
deep bone bruising to the shoulder and there was no structural
damage. It hasn't taken long for him to get back into stride as the
Snappers preferred short stop and their current leadoff hitter. In
his most recent game Jimmy batted a nice 3-5 with a RBI to lift his
early season average back above the .300 plateau. It was a good week
for James Beresford who also scooped the Victorian Aces Coaches
Award for the 2008/09 Claxton Shield at Friday's Baseball Victoria
Awards Night... he deserved it! |
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Waverley's established
minor league pro
DANNY BERG is showing signs of finding some of his
better batting form lately after a somewhat slow start to his 2009
campaign. The World Baseball Classic was a great privilege for all
Australian players, and others, but it didn't help some like Danny
who did not see much playing time while missing a big chunk of
Spring Training... I'm guessing that he wouldn't want to change this
by the way!
It becomes redundant to mention that Danny has been asked to play
anywhere and almost everywhere for Minnesota's 'Advanced-A' Fort
Myers Miracle already this season. In his most recent game 'Bergie'
batted 1-4 as the designated hitter in a 6-5 win over Charlotte. We
know he'll continue working his hardest! |

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Wildcats' premiership hero ADAM
BLACKLEY continues to thrive as the ace starter for the
Amsterdam Pirates in the Dutch Baseball League. He remains high
among the league pitching statistics leaders with a sub-ONE ERA from
four high quality starts. His latest start produced another
brilliant seven inning complete game shutout when he led the Pirates
to an 11-0 win over Corendon Kinheim with his mighty 7.0ip 3h 0er
0bb 6k... WOW!
We are also delighted to report that Waverley's Adam Blackley was
voted Victorian Claxton Shield Player of the year for 2008/09 at the
recent Baseball Victoria Awards dinner. What a tremendous season he
had! |
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TRAVIS BLACKLEY
has been doing it a bit tough lately with an elevated ERA
from his five starts so far for Arizona's new 'AAA' affiliate the
Reno Aces. In typical fashion, 'Trav' has been pounding the strike
zone and while he maintains a very healthy 20/5 strike out versus
walk ratio, he wouldn't want me to avoid the obvious fact that he
has been hit too hard, too often so far this season. After a couple
of really nasty starts, Travis was much better in his most recent
no-decision with 6.0ip 8h 5er 1bb 8k in a tough 5-6 loss to the
Portland Beavers. As often when things are not going your way,
Travis was victimised most by a three run homer with two out in the
fifth inning. Our Pacific Coast League "spy" tells us that Blackley
hasn't had a lot of luck on occasions this season, even though he
has only seen him pitch once in person. Let's hope that his eight
strike outs in this game will give him the confidence to turn things
around as we know he can... keep at 'em Trav! |
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21
APRIL 2009
- WBCWEB SEASON OPENER! |

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The WBCWEB will once again feature updates courtesy of 'Flintoff
& Dunn's AUSTRALIAN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL' about the exploits of
our club players in their professional leagues. While 'Flintoff &
Dunn' do not concentrate on leagues other than the USA professional
leagues, we will try to update statistics for ADAM BLACKLEY
who is plying his trade in the Netherlands Baseball League, |

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To start with Adam on this occasion, as we may
not be able to provide too many details about his efforts, it would
not surprise anyone at Waverley that he has continued to build upon
his brilliant Premiership success with the Wildcats in 2009 while
playing for the Amsterdam Pirates in the Netherlands Baseball
League. After pitching superbly during their European Championship
campaign, Adam has opened the season with two stunning starts for
the Pirates where he has pitched 15.0 innings without allowing an
earned run to date. Obviously he sits atop the pitching statistics
for the entire Dutch League at this early stage of the season. Way
to Go Adam!! |
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Following his marvellous success at the 2009
Claxton Shield and at the World Baseball Classic, it was great to
learn that our JIMMY BERESFORD promptly earned
promotion with the Minnesota Twins when he was assigned to their 'A'
Level Beloit Snappers. He follows in the footsteps of brother Simon
who also played with the Snappers when they were a Milwaukee Brewers
minor league affiliate. James started the season in terrific style
with 2-5 and a pair of stolen bases, but a minor shoulder injury has
limited his appearances to date. We understand that the injury is
not serious, but the Twins will be taking a cautious approach with
their young star. |
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Another of Waverley's
Claxton Shield and World Baseball Classic stars
DANNY BERG is entitled to feel a trifle
disappointed that he was not assigned to Minnesota's 'AA' team New
Britain, where he finished the 2008 season in very good style.
Competition for positions is obviously tough and Danny will have to
fight his way back via their 'Advanced A' Fort Myers Miracle for the
time being. Most recently 'Bergie' played at first base in a 4-2 win
over the St.Lucie Mets. In typical "utility mode" he played at left
field and third base in his two previous games. |
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TRAVIS BLACKLEY
was most unfortunate to just miss a spot on the major
league roster with the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the 2009
season, but he will be aiming to grasp any opportunity to return to
the big leagues via their new 'AAA' affiliate the Reno Aces... at
least he will will be familiar with playing for Aces as he has for
Victoria in recent years.
'Trav' was victim of a couple of home
run balls in his first outing to take a hard-luck loss, but he hit
back strongly with a 4.2ip 5h 1er 2bb 3k start for a no-decision in
the Aces 11-1 win over the Salt Lake Bees. |
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