As I mentioned in the previous preview there have been some heavy losses and some good replacements when comparing the 2007 squad with the 2006 Queensland roster. Possibly because we know more about those who will not be playing than some of the new guys we came to the conclusion that, if anything, the 2007 squad has been marginally weakened. However, as we also explained, the Queensland Rams won only one game at Claxton Shield 2005, but they have not lost one since! The undefeated 2006 Claxton Shield Champion Queensland Rams were a terrific team and it is pretty good news for rival teams that they may not be quite as strong in Perth... just how good this news is we're not too sure?

Who better to open the departures with than our most recent 'Flintoff & Dunn HALL-OF-FAME' inductee from 2006 in evergreen great Trent Durrington. 'Durro' has been such a loyal stalwart of all Australian baseball competitions that we had to rub our eyes a few times to make sure that his name was really missing from the list! We're guessing that there is a very good reason why he couldn't make it to Perth, but if he is simply taking a break this time, there is nobody in Australian baseball more deserving of a leave pass. Australia's 8th player to reach the major leagues, Durrington played regularly in the big leagues with both the Anaheim Angels and the Milwaukee Brewers, while he spent 2006 in 'AAA' with the Boston Red Sox. At home he is a stalwart of 245 games after starting with the 1993 East Coast Cougars in the ABL. He owns a career .249 average with 86 stolen bases in AMLB and he batted .417 for Queensland at Claxton 2006.

We will bet every cent that we make from selling our book this year (big deal!) that we have not seen the last of Trent Durrington at showcase events in Australia. Once again we will repeat what we said last year in our tribute to this 2004 Olympic Silver Medallist and member of Australia's team at the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Here it is...
We must pay another tribute to one of its most famous and underrated sons TRENT DURRINGTON. Major League stalwart Trent has been unable to do justice to his undoubted talents during the short tournaments in Australia, but he deserves tremendous credit as one of the few big name players who consistently makes himself available to support baseball on Australian diamonds. We dip our caps to you Trent, you are a true Aussie hero and it is high time that you got the respect you deserve! As Australia's No.1 baseball journalist Adrian Dunn wrote in our latest publication: Trent Durrington is an example to all young and aspiring baseballers in the way he prepares himself to play every day and in the way he conducts himself on and off the field... could anyone disagree?... not likely!

Next on the illustrious list of missing persons is 2006 "wrecking ball" Matt Gahan who almost carried the Rams to the title on the back of his prodigious pitching. Gahan played two years and reached 'A' ball with the New York Mets, while he owns a lifetime AMLB record of 5-1, 1.48ERA from 15 appearances since the 2001 IBLA. At Blacktown in 2006 Gahan took his status to a new level with his Golden Arm Award performance that took him all the way to the World Baseball Classic. You don't replace this type of performance, but the names of Bevis, Mowday and Veitch do somewhat soften the blow!

Queensland may find it tougher to match their offensive depth from 2006 with Ben Foster, Michael Simpson and Wade Dutton joining Durrington among the absentees. Foster has been an underrated utility player for Queensland teams since starting with the ABL's 1997 Gold Coast Cougars. He batted for a .269 average from 142 AMLB games but he was in career best form at Claxton Shield 2006 when he batted .444. Most would know that Ben has "moved up" to the front-office of Baseball Australia where he has also earned a positive reputation in a short time.

Light-hitting 28yo infielder Michael Simpson has also been a stalwart of Queensland teams, having made 45 appearances since starting with the 1998 Brisbane Bandits in the ABL. Simpson batted a pesky .270 over this time with not a hint of power, but he was selected mostly for his defence. Wade Dutton batted only .167 in ten games over the past two Claxton Shields but it is tough to judge a batter from only 18 total at bats.

Aside from the "main man" Gahan, the Rams will also be without very useful bullpen arms Matthew Haynes, Mark Kearney and Luke Thwaites. Haynes spent four years reaching 'A' ball with the Cleveland Indians and he compiled a 1-0, 5.25ERA record in three Claxton Shield appearances from 2002 to 2006. Kearney had three appearances at Claxton 2006 for his valuable 1-0, 4.26ERA record. Thwaites played rookie ball with the Minnesota Twins in 2004 and he left Claxton 2006 with a 0-0, 13.50ERA from two outings.

It's great to see two of Queensland's Claxton Shield Championship heroes from 2003 making a return in the form of Golden Arm Award winner John Veitch and Championship Game MVP P.J Bevis. Veitch owns a very solid 6-2, 3.25ERA record from 16 AMLB appearances since the 2001 IBLA competition. Bevis reached 'AA' with the Arizona Diamondbacks before playing at 'AAA' level with both the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies. P.J also started his AMLB career at the 2001 IBLA for his miserly 3-1, 1.51ERA record from 18 ventures on the mound. If these guys are a shadow of their 2003 best, the Queenslanders may not mention the name Matt Gahan too often during Claxton 2007.

Also adding experience to the bullpen is Chris Mowday who spent seven years in the US pro ranks, playing 'A' ball with the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs until the end of 2004. His 0-3, 6.42ERA record in AMLB since he started with the 1998 Brisbane Bandits may not look too special, but he is capable of being MUCH better than that! 22yo righty Matthew Bates is completely unknown to us but he'd have to be pretty good to make this roster!

26yo infielder Brendan Kleidon makes a return to Claxton Shield action after a couple of seasons in hibernation... he will hope to improve his career .169 average from 20 appearances from 2002 to 2004. Highly rated 18yo Alan Shoenberger was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies during 2006 so we will be looking forward to seeing what he has to offer at this early stage of his career. So too 18yo Jacob Rooke and 23yo Matthew Coco who are listed as utility players and no doubt hoping to make their AMLB debuts at Thornlie in the next week or so.

The Conclusion: 

So, we've traded our player cards and even though we're not convinced that we got the better of the transaction we still shuffle through our Queensland pack with some comfort seeing the faces of Brett Roneberg, Phil Stockman, Andrew Utting, Wayne Ough, Tristan Crawford, Brad Dutton, David Sutherland, Jay Nilsson ... I can't go on!!

A good baseball mate of mine pointed out the apparent situation that finds not one single LEFTY among the pitching stocks of this Queensland Rams team... but then he also commented that their right-handers are pretty darn good!

I agree, it's by no means a perfect science to try to predict success based mainly upon previous teams and performances but, in the absence of a crystal ball, it's about the best that we or anyone else can do! To be mildly arrogant, we do have a very good overall record of predicting the "finishing order" at Claxton Shields since we stated these previews in 2002. Our record in forecasting the ultimate winner is not quite so good... so there's a bit of good news for teams who hope to wrest the Claxton Shield from the Rams in Perth this year. 

We reckon that they will all find this a very difficult assignment, but we can't wait to find out...

Victorian baseball's current head-coach and popular supremo David White is very well known to Australian baseball people as one of the greatest player/pitchers ever to bring his talents to Australia for a couple of very good reasons. One of those is that, aside from his natural physical talents, he earned enormous respect for his crafty intellect, hard-earned experience and his intimate knowledge of the game. 'Whitey' was not only too good for most of the batters he faced, but he was also too smart and he had far too many tricks up his sleeve for most of them. 

Well folks, 'Whitey' has never been scared to back his own ideas and, on this occasion, he has thrown an almost unhittable bunch of curve balls and change ups with his selection of the 2007 Victorian Aces squad. With a clear emphasis on picking the more seasoned, hard-nosed type players, he seems to have put a pause on any ideal that suggests younger developing players should be given an opportunity? I didn't hear him say this, but I can easily imagine him explaining that the Claxton Shield is all about winning and that he'll leave it to the "new Provincials" to develop players at this level... especially as he has felt the sting of being a hard-luck runner-up at the past two Claxton campaigns... this is a time for taking no prisoners!

With a more in-depth knowledge of the local baseball scene in Victoria, we can tell you that the ACES squad has come under considerable scrutiny and, as always, there are plenty of selections that can be debated... ENDLESSLY! While some of the "tried and true" have been preferred over a few emerging youngsters, in some instances this has come at the expense of ignoring performances at the State League level and this will always cause a degree of consternation. We have already discussed the omission of prodigy James Beresford in our Provincial review. But just to pluck out one other glaring example, young Geelong outfielder Elliott Biddle must wonder how many more hits he has to rack up against Victoria's best pitchers before he finally gets the kudos that he has deserved for a very long time... this kid is no flash in the pan!! Biddle has a legitimate beef with Victorian selectors, but surely an even bigger one with the Provincials... what are they thinking? 

What the Victorian selectors have also done is to put their faith in a handful of players who have rarely played, or who no longer play, with clubs in the State League Division One... this is not to say that they can't compete as individuals, but they are not facing the highest level of opposition on a weekly basis. To be a little flippant for a moment, Victoria will also feature a host of former pitchers who will be trying to hit and former hitters who will be pitching... we'll see how they go!

Now that I have stuck my neck out, I will try to pull it back inside my conservative shell by reminding everyone about the other thing that epitomised David White's tremendous baseball career... WINNING! Wherever he has been in Australia, both at National and local level, David White has been a winner, or very close to it, and not always with the most talented team mates! If you are a Victorian baseball fan, I'd wait to see how he goes before you become too critical of his selections or management. White is the most meticulous thinker and a consummate professional in baseball and he wouldn't be staking his reputation on anything else but his overwhelming desire for the team to be successful. To my mind it is really difficult to decide whether this ACES squad is stronger, or weaker, than the 2006 team?

Leading the loss column from the bullpen is a big fella who has been an absolute colossus on the mound at Blacktown over the past few years, saving his awesome best for the big occasions with both Victoria and Australia, Simon Beresford. Big Simon has been the No.1 starter for recent Victorian teams and our resident semi-final hero of past campaigns. The 2005 Golden Arm Award winner owned an incredible 2-1, 1.51ERA record from his six games for Victoria as a young ball player. Beresford reached 'A' ball with the Milwaukee Brewers organisation but he did not enjoy life quite as much as a bit-part reliever. What he did enjoy about the USA was meeting his lovely American wife but, unfortunately, this has resulted in Simon being (VERY!) prematurely lost to Australian baseball while he remains comfortably ensconced in the States! Let us just say that this Victorian team would be a whole lot better off with a Beresford, or TWO, in their lineup!

Also missing from the pitching, or is that outfield?, is Beresford's versatile Waverley team mate Adam Bonaddio who is equally adept at hitting or pitching but he has made a bigger impact as a pitcher for Victoria with a 1-0, 1.93ERA record from his five appearances at the past two Shields. Bonaddio is taking a summer off from baseball while he tours around Europe... poor fellow! Leaving a serious hole among their lefty corps is emerging pro star Adam Bright who has been steadily improving despite an enigmatic 2-0, 9.82ERA record in AMLB and his 12-14, 4.37ERA over four seasons with the Colorado Rockies. Bright proved that his career was on an upswing with his solid performance at the ultimate baseball benchmark, the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Absent young professionals Brendan Wilson and Kyle Edlich have not yet made much of a mark at Claxton Shield carnivals but many experts still rate them very highly as prospects. Wilson is 0-1, 10.80ERA for Victoria and 3-7, 4.66ERA during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, mostly at 'A' level. Minnesota Twins 'A' leaguer Edlich missed all of the 2006 pro season due to injury after going 0-1, 12.27ERA in three appearances for the Aces at Claxton's '05 and '06. 

A major blow for the Vics offensively is the loss of 2006 batting star Cameron Clarke who was a revelation with his .417 average from 24 at bats... it is nearly impossible to replace that type of output! The only thing that the Aces can be thankful for here is that Clarke did not decide to make himself available for Queensland where his is currently residing!! Powerful Hayden Dingle showed only glimpses of his potential with his .250 average from 14 games in the Victorian uniform.

Likewise former 2002 Claxton Championship game MVP Brett Tamburrino whose average slid down to a disappointing .227 over 34 games for Victoria when he had looked a tremendous prospect before a succession of injuries blunted his powers. Tamburrino also played six seasons while reaching high-'A' baseball with the Minnesota Twins. Scott Wearne never did reach any level of comfort at the highest level of Aussie baseball with his batting 0-11 in 2006, although he did contribute one scoreless inning as a pitcher!

I'll own up straight away that he is a mate of mine, but one fabulous story for the Victorian Aces is the selection, at last, of 32yo veteran pitcher Lee Hogan who has been around Australian baseball so long that many make the mistake of thinking that he is closer to 42yo! Hogan was a junior pitching prodigy as a youngster who was brought up in NSW and Queensland before he came to Melbourne as part of the ABL's Waverley Reds as a 17yo in 1992/93. As a youngster he didn't get too many glamorous assignments with the powerful Reds teams and his 2-5, 5.91ERA record from 46 appearances did not do justice to his talents. 

Since this time Lee has been a popular figure in Victorian baseball, spending most of his time coaching and playing as an infielder until the 2005 season when a struggling Waverley club called upon him to re-invent his career as a starting pitcher. The loyal, lion-hearted Hogan summoned every ounce of his determination and competitive instincts to quickly impose himself as probably the most feared opponent in the VBA. It is a marvellous tribute to Lee Hogan that he has since won the 2005 BV Pitcher of the Year and he was Joint-MVP for the season of 2006. Nobody will be prouder to wear the Victorian Big'V' for the first time in Perth than Hogan and you can count on him giving everything he has... he always does!

Maybe equally vital to the team will be the presence of impressive young left-hander Adam Blackley who we expect to try to replace Beresford in the starting rotation. 21yo Blackley is still very much on the rise, owning a 2-0, 8.71ERA record with both Victoria and the Australian Provincials in Claxton Shield competition, while he is 13-16, 4.13ERA over four improving seasons with the Boston Red Sox. We really rate Adam, but we would be even happier if he could bring his elder brother, former major leaguer, Travis Blackley along to help him in the Aces bullpen!

Back for Victoria with boosted confidence is Dean Barker who was 0-0, 5.40ERA for Victoria at Claxton 2005. The 21yo has maybe followed the amazing example of major league team mate Peter Moylan by lowering his arm angle and as a near side-arm thrower he has seems to generate much more velocity... he could be important in Perth. Similarly significant may be the underrated relief pitching of newcomer Matthew Blackmore who rarely lets his team down. 

Next we'll discuss the additions of Rikki Johnston and Paul Weichard who, we are informed, will be hitting and not pitching at Claxton Shield 2007. We would have been really excited if a younger version of Rikki Johnston was to wind back the clock as a pitcher who has some really great performances for Victoria in that capacity. Johnston, one of the youngest players to start his AMLB career, was 4-1, 5.43ERA with the Reds and Victoria and he reached 'A' ball as a pro over six seasons with the Detroit Tigers. We're only teasing Rikki who we know very well has been forging an equally impressive local career as a hitter, just to prove what a terrific natural talent he is. Weichard started his life as an outfielder with the ABL's Reds before he flirted with a conversion to pitching by the Arizona Diamondbacks. We reckon that Paul Weichard has always been a more gifted hitter than pitcher and we wouldn't be at all surprised if he proved this again at Thornlie.

Blackburn outfielders Derek Shumpert and Ryan Booth are a realistic chance to improve Victoria's overall offence, even allowing for the departure of Clarke. Former New York Yankees US import Shumpert has battled injuries over recent seasons but the dangerous 31yo slugger still owns a .299 average with plenty of power from 45 games with the Reds and the Aces in AMLB... opposing teams would not want him to get hot in Perth! Booth has also battled injury since he batted a terrific .348 from 23 at bats at Claxton 2005 and the Victorians will be hoping that he rises to this occasion again in 2007. 

Another inclusion is young pro infielder Matt Lawman who batted .256 as a Minnesota twins Rookie during 2006... he will be hoping for more than the hitless cameo role he played with the Australian Provincial team at Claxton Shield 2006. We really can't tell you a lot about experienced first baseman Andrew McKenzie who has been plucked from Div 2 baseball to play in Australian baseball's hottest kitchen as a mature rookie. All we know is that he has plenty of supporters among local baseball experts and that he forced his way into the team with imposing form during the trials... good luck to him!

The Conclusion:
It should not need explaining that it gives a loyal, lifelong Victorian (and also a long suffering Collingwood AFL supporter) very little joy to predict a fourth runner-up finish for our Victorian Aces over the past five Claxton Shield campaigns... sadly, our pragmatic evaluation suggests that this could very well be the harsh reality. It is a great model of consistency to regularly make Grand Finals, but it becomes bloody agonising when you lose too many of them!!

We feel that the Queensland team, who we predict as Champions, is probably similarly "status quo" when compared with this Victorian team as, if anything, maybe marginally weakened from last season, but it is important to remember that the 2006 Rams were a rare undefeated combination. Yes, although the Aces were deserving finalists and, YES, although they probably should have won the Claxton Shield final as it played out, in the wash-up they did lose twice to the undefeated Queensland team who could claim an overall talent advantage... well, certainly at Blacktown in 2006.

However, this Victorian Aces team doesn't carry as many "vulnerable youngsters" as the 2006 roster and the Victorians will be hoping that they can give themselves another opportunity to play in the last game of the tournament. It will probably come down to starting pitching (I'm not expecting a mastermind nomination for that!) and on this occasion whether young Adam Blackley can perform a Simon Beresford like role? Trust us on one thing folks, if this team does hold a 5-0 or 7-2 lead late in the Grand Final there is NO WAY that experienced pitchers like Lee Hogan will allow the Claxton Shield to slip from the Victorian grasp... please don't remind me about that, the nightmares still haven't stopped!!

With that unfortunate chapter now buried in our minds, we move on to sunny Perth and, we suspect, even the NSW boys will be looking forward to special team environment that comes with travelling as visitors to such major sporting events. Unfortunately for them, they will not be taking the full arsenal of baseball talent that might otherwise be available to a NSW team on this occasion. Player availability is a crutch for all teams, including WA, for this event but on the face of it maybe the Patriots have been hardest hit. To be fair, NSW has produced enough pitching talent to staff half the minor league teams in the USA over the last few years but, for one reason or other, many of those will not be at Thornlie.

We must start with the loss of one of Australia's most versatile players of the modern era and a fixture of successful NSW teams in Craig Lewis. Lewis first forged a career as a professional pitcher with the New York Yankees and then the Montreal Expos where he reached 'AA' ball for his fine combined pro record of 20-13, 3.24ERA. Not content with this, he re-invented himself as a terrific hitter with the Independent League Brockton Rox where he owned a .308 average over three long seasons. As a pitcher, he started his AMLB career with the Canberra Bushrangers in 1995 for a career record of 6-7, 3.87ERA after 41 mound appearances. Offensively, he started with the Sydney Storm in 1998, playing 49 games for his .262 average while he was even better in recent years with NSW owning a Claxton Shield average of .293. It goes without saying that we hope we have not seen the last of Craig Lewis at this level... he has been GREAT!

Next in line, and maybe more decorated than Lewis, is another NSW and AMLB fixture in Rodney Van Buizen who has achieved just about everything at Australia's highest level. Van Buizen has an Olympic Silver Medal, a Helms Award and a couple of Gold Gloves among his baseball memorabilia, not to mention a couple of Claxton Shield wins. The star infielder reached 'AA' ball over six seasons with the famous LA Dodgers organisation. Over 120 AMLB games that started with the 1998 Hunter Eagles, Rodney backed up his excellent defence with a very useful .286 batting average. We cannot accept that this guy won't be seen again because, hard as it is to believe, he is still just 26 years YOUNG!!

Rounding off their offensive losses since 2006 is another emerging young professional in Dean Zorn who is rated so highly by the Seattle Mariners that they have given him six games at 'AAA' level during his first two seasons of playing for pay! Zorn will be disappointed that he cannot improve upon his reasonable 2-7 batting at Claxton 2007, but he has many, many years ahead to do that!

The NSW Patriots have fared even worse with the absentee list of terrific young pitchers who won't be making the long trip west. In no particular order they will be without: Josh Hill who is a six-year "veteran" with the Minnesota Twins, while also owning a mighty 2-0, 1.46ERA record with NSW since 2002. Boston Red Sox Rookie and 'A' baller Tim Cox who kept his ERA under 3.00 in 'A' ball during 2006. Young veteran Wayne Lundgren who has bounced around in the pros with the Boston Red Sox, St.Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds before playing Independent League with the Brockton Rox... he owns a 2-3, 4.50ERA record in AMLB dating back to the 2001 IBLA. Los Angeles Dodgers' Liam O'Flaherty who has compiled a 6-4, 3.19ERA record in 32 games while reaching 'A' level ball... his AMLB record is 2-3, 4.50ERA.

The only "non-pro" on the missing list is Ben Williams who is 0-1, 3.60ERA from three games from Claxton Shield's 2005 and 2006 where 20 hits from 15.0 innings pitched has not helped his cause.

As great as Lewis and Van Buizen have been for the NSW team over many campaigns, they will not feel too disadvantaged offensively with the VERY significant inclusion of major leaguer Glenn Williams with some hopeful help from Michael Lysaught and Adam Blight. Former young Minnesota Twins professional Lysaught will be looking to bat much more strongly than he did in three years with the 'Twinkies' and with the Provincials in 2005. Blight has been a pretty good performer for the Provincials, batting .279 in 15 games between 2002 to 2004.

Australia's 19th major leaguer Glenn Williams should need no introduction to Aussie baseball fans after starting as a huge signing for the Toronto Blue Jays, then reaching the big leagues with the Minnesota twins in 2005. Over nine years and 196 games in AMLB, the Olympic Silver Medallist has batted a rising .260 with his good .446 slugging percentage.

When they scan the devastation of who might have been in their bullpen, the sky blues will be asking a heck of a lot from recent pros Andrew Cooke and Matt Williams, unless they have been hiding more superstars like the unknown (to us) Aidan Francis, Todd Grattan and David Rosser... and in the case of Rosser they have been hiding him for 37 years!!

Both Minnesota Twins professional hurlers, Cooke was 9-6, 3.80ERA in 44 games with the Twins and 0-2, 5.11ERA in AMLB; Williams owns a 7-4, 2.86ERA from Rookie and 'A' ball, while he is 0-1, 8.64 in four appearances with the Australian Provincial team during Claxton's 2005 and 2006.

The Conclusion: 

Even though they have enough pitchers absent to half-fill Aussie Stadium in Sydney, we know very well that the NSW team will comprise plenty of quality and plenty of experience to ensure that they are far from easy-beats at Claxton 2007. Kingman, Williams, Fingleson, Oeltjen, Anderson, Graham and Thompson are just some of the bigger names that will still be haunting faces in the Patriots dugout when opposing teams look across the diamond.

However, whether this is a stronger team than the 2006 version that very nearly missed the final four with a surprise losing record at Blacktown is highly debatable and, on paper at least, it probably isn't? One big factor in the favour of the Patriots this time is that they will get the chance to play without the same weight of expectation and we wouldn't be at all surprised if they did MUCH better than at this time last year... and they know that they will need to!!

I have rated them SLIGHTLY behind my predicted finalists who are obvious now as I am tipping a repeat of the 2006 Claxton Shield Grand Final. But, I definitely won't have a hint of surprise if the Patriots take the diamond for the deciding game of the tournament... or even if they end up taking the Claxton Shield home... it's that type of competition!!

NO, hang on folks, we have not changed our forecast that the Aussie Provincials will probably be "holding up the ladder" at the conclusion of Claxton Shield 2007, but having now viewed the almost-final roster we are not feeling quite as sure as our imagination might have suggested at the time. We are pleased that our "impeccable source" did not let us down with his news about the subtle change of selection philosophy... he knows who he is, and as if he would!

What we can now say is that those selectors have done a MOST IMPRESSIVE job of practicing what they preached... providing a platform for young and emerging professionals while adding a sprinkling of experienced Provincials to help them along. Our loyal subscribers would testify that 'Flintoff & Dunn' have always been unashamed supporters of the Provincials' cause and, with our unilateral support of this new concept, we will continue to do so... it can't be bad for Australian baseball.

It would take forever to detail the IN's and OUT's for this team, so we we will try to be as brief as possible with those who will be making way for the new generation... although I won't try to disguise a hint of sadness that stalwart Provincials like Luke Acret, Daryn Cassidy, Casey Jones, Mark Saunderson and Michael Wells may now be on the outer. Cassidy and Jones have been really great value pitching to the cream of Australia's baseball crop and neither would have been out of place in ACES colours. 

I just can't let one of my personal favourites Michael Wells drift away after 12, count them, 12 years of whole-hearted contribution to AMLB. Here is what I said about him last year and it means maybe a little bit more on this occasion if this is to be his AMLB swansong... Always a popular baseball guy, 'Wellsy' is about to embark on his 12th AMLB season. Originally from Melbourne, Michael started his career with the ABL's Reds, then Bushrangers, before making his home in Canberra. He was the Hunter Eagles all-time Batting Champion in the ABL and he has since played with NSW Country and, more recently, the Aussie Provincials. Although he has not always put up big numbers in his 235 AMLB appearances, there is hardly a more likeable person in Australian baseball circles. Good on you Michael!

Adam Blackley and Paul Weichard have been elevated to the Victorian team while Matthew Williams will play with the Patriots at Claxton 2007. Victorian raised pitchers Peter Tautor and Glen Richards may reappear at some point in future. American Justin Humphries, no offence to him, should not have played in the Claxton Shield if not for his tenuous Aussie citizenship and his far-fetched attempt to play for the AROOS at the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Last cab off the rank is WA native Adam Courcha who looked a good prospect and it is a pity that he won't be seen again at Thornlie in 2007.

Best known of the inclusions is former NSW Claxton Championship winning infielder Jason Pospishil who batted .219 from 16 games in Claxton competitions between 2002 to 2004. Perhaps followed by Victorian pitching enigma Brendan Wilson who owns a modest 0-1, 10.80ERA record with the ACES and 3-7, 4.66ERA record with the LA Angels as a minor leaguer. 

For our money the biggest bonus for the Provincial team is the unexpected availability of junior Victorian prodigy James Beresford who made an impressive cameo appearance with the ACES in 2006 as a barely 17yo after taking the Batting Champion honours at the 2006 'AAA' Nationals as a lower-aged player. James has since endured rehabilitation from minor shoulder surgery last winter but he has returned in the view of most as the premier short stop in Victoria's State League baseball. Now nearing 18yo, Beresford still carries a developing bat, but his stellar defence and spectacular athleticism will put Victorian selectors under the spotlight for not taking him this year! There have been lots of reasons given for his non-selection but I'll add another... maybe it was not "politically correct" for his own club coach, David White, to select young James this year? Well, you know what 'Flintoff & Dunn' think about political correctness! In any case, it certainly won't be the last we see of James Beresford in a Victorian uniform as he also starts his pro career with the Minnesota Twins in 2007. As we said at this same time last season, this young fellow could be ANYTHING!

True to their word, the "new Provincials" have provided a great opportunity for young and recently signed players like Mitch Denning (Red Sox), Gavin Dloughy (Mets), Tom Ellis (Mariners), Pat Matt (Mets) and Shan Tabrett (Mets). Steve Kent is also a rookie league player with the Atlanta Braves where he compiled a 1-4, 4.00ERA record in 2006. It will be extremely interesting to see these young men testing their skills at the highest level that Australian baseball has to offer.

Just don't ask us about Tim Atherton, Matthew Timms or Shannon Pender... we will know more about them in a couple of weeks!

The Revised Conclusion: 

As we said in the original preview, we do sincerely hope that this change in philosophy does not bring about a change in the MAGNIFICENT team spirit and never-say-die tradition that the Provincials have proudly established as their badge of honour in Claxton Shield competition. Whoever is selected to wear the green shirts must understand the hard road that their predecessors have battled to earn respect.

We are now more convinced than ever that this team can live up to those lofty expectations and everything that they achieve will be a very special bonus for the individual players involved. But then, this team would not be a whole lot younger that the Western Australian squad that we last previewed? And, with one last roster position still not named, we are prepared to reconsider if a power batter like Albert Pujols, David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez becomes a shock addition!

It remains a HUGE ask for these young guys to put wins on the board against the more established teams, but we fully expect them to have plenty of moments to add to the already memorable Australian Provincial scrapbooks! Opposing managers who may have overlooked some of these guys might suffer more than a few anxious moments.

Look, let's be honest, for all of our good friends in Perth (which are many) we did study the team rosters up, down and sideways trying to extract reasons why the home team should be licking their lips at the rare opportunity for a Claxton Shield in your own backyard. Unfortunately, the bare facts were unable to convince us that your WA team will be keeping the silverware when the tournament is over. While there is still some terrific talent to be found on the WA roster, we cannot be convinced that it is not a weakened squad from 2005 when WA emerged with a losing record... enough said! Besides, before you hyper-ventilate, this is still a semi-final prediction for you guys and, with the home support behind you, who would dare to suggest that ANYTHING might not happen... in baseball it often does!

We usually start with the departures from last season, but in the case of this Western Australian team it would be quicker to tell you what we know about the inclusions. Seventeen-year-olds Jason Smit, Matthew Kennelly and Liam Hendricks have all been on show at the current U18 'AAA' National Championships in Geelong, Victoria and I have been in attendance to see enough of each to believe that they rate among the top prospects in the country. The Cleveland Indians certainly thought as much about mature sized short stop Smit when they snared him with a reportedly man-sized signing bonus, while the Atlanta Braves were also impressed enough to pay for Matt Kennelly's signature.

We can't offer you anything worthy of print about 19yo lefty Liam Baron, 21yo infielder Chris Goadby, 22yo infielder Liam Hopkins or 22yo outfielder Graeme Scorer. What we can tell you with a fair degree of authority is that the Perth league is reportedly as strong as ever and the 'Sandgropers' very rarely struggle in Claxton Shield competition. In summary, these guys usually know what they are doing and that you run a very real risk of doubting them at your own peril!

What worries us is that these relative "babies" will have to try to replace (or even improve upon) the absentees who all boast previous AMLB experience of varying quality. While 'Flintoff & Dunn' have continually expounded the realistic theory that home teams are favoured by "player availability" (among other issues), it would seem that WA have not received too many Christmas presents from some of their professional players who will not be participating.

While he is still only 22yo, maybe the saddest loss is highly regarded pitcher Scott Mitchinson who is already established in Claxton Shield competition since 2002 with a 1-1, 3.74ERA record from five starting appearances. Mitchinson is also regarded as a rising star with the Philadelphia Phillies organisation where he owns a 15-10, 3.67ERA record from Rookie and 'A' ball over the past few years. Hardly surprisingly, he has struggled to maintain his red-hot form from 2004 when the then 20yo recorded a 1.75ERA from 61.2 innings with the Clearwater Phillies... he'll be hard to replace!

Next among pitchers missing from their bullpen is seasoned Michael Hodge who has pitched in six games with five starts over five Claxton campaigns for his 1-0, 5.25ERA record. Hodge was a solid performer who was tidy despite allowing 31 hits from his total of 24.0 innings pitched. WA will also be without a couple of recent pros in youngster Dylan Peacock who is still with the Los Angeles Angels and Kent Dixon who played with the Seattle Mariners in 2005. Peacock is still only 18yo so we will not judge his 0-0, 6.00ERA from Claxton 2006 or his 1-2, 7.16ERA from the past two seasons of Rookie League baseball.

Former Queenslander and Independent League professional Brad Purcell has a pretty decent record both here with the Australian Provincial team and in North America but we could hardly call him a loss from WA's 2006 roster because he didn't actually get to play at Claxton 2006. One guy who might still be wishing that he hadn't ventured to Blacktown in 2006 is Ryan Kelly who was torched during two games in Australian baseball's "hot kitchen" to the tune of 0-1, 11.57ERA. From his total of 9.1 innings Kelly coughed up no less than 20 hits, 7 walks and 12 earned runs... OUCH!, sorry to remind you Ryan... you are no doubt better than that and we hope that you get another chance to prove this some day!

Missing from the offensive side of WA's ledger is the experienced 31yo Clint Balgera who has been a stalwart of WA teams since he was voted ABL Rookie of the Year with the 1999 Perth Heat. The versatile Balgera batted .291 from 80 games with a most valuable .419 on base average. This takes us back to former Seattle Mariners rookie league player Kent Dixon who didn't really find his feet at Claxton 2006 when he batted a miniscule .071 with 1-14... we'll leave it there!

The Conclusion: 

As that very old TV lawyer Perry Mason would say at this time... "we rest our case"!

It will be a lot of fun watching this young WA team strut their stuff in familiar territory but unless there is a teenage David Nilsson or two among these lads that we haven't seen yet, it is a VERY tough ask for them to star in Australia's 'big league'. The new 17-year-olds mentioned will almost certainly be better baseballers at Claxton 2015 than they are at Claxton 2007 as they will find the jump from 'AAA' to what amounts to "Australia's majors" as big as Bob Beamon's record breaking long-jump from the Mexico City Olympics... that record stood for 30-plus years and it was set above sea level!!!

Thank goodness for the evergreen arm of our 'Flintoff & Dunn' Hall-of-Fame pitcher Simon Eissens who, with his own 39 years included in the average, prevents this from being the youngest Claxton Shield team in history... OK, we haven't done the calculations, it's just a bit of fun!

This conveniently allows me to secure some much needed "brownie points" before I arrive in Perth next week. Two of Australia's GREATEST ever pitchers, and this is absolutely sincere, have been responsible for providing 'Flintoff & Dunn' with the warm type of hospitality that we could only expect from PERTH HEAT guys (right Tonks?)... Our much admired Hall-Of-Famer Simon Eissens and probable future inductee Shane Tonkin who is the Events Manager. Take it from me, these fellows are not only Hall-Of-Fame baseballers, but also Hall-Of-Fame individuals... thanks fellas!

PS: If you're still upset enough to look for your writer (Peter Flintoff) at the Claxton Shield games... I will be there at EVERY game. Look out for the short, skinny bloke with the mop of long dark hair who is trying to hide in shadows... and don't listen to anyone who tells you that I am more likely to be the big, overweight bloke with thinning fair hair who is likely to be frequenting the BAR! I just can't wait for it!!!

As much as we'd prefer not to do this, we are going to give away our selections for fourth and fifth in one shake, simply because it would otherwise be impossible to adequately explain our reasoning. On paper we could not split the young teams from the South and West of Australia, so in the end we had to resort to the "hunch" that suggests to us that the opportunity for some parochial home support might just be enough to lift the West into the finals. And, perhaps more pointedly, we still may have given the 'Croweaters' the edge had another proven pitcher like John Challinor been playing. 

So, there's as good a place as any to start analysing the changes to the SA roster from 2006 with the obvious deletion of that terrific workhorse John Challinor who has been a stalwart of ten AMLB campaigns that started way back with the 1994 Adelaide Giants in the ABL. Challinor also played one (aberration losing) season with the Melbourne Monarchs, but aside from that he owned a 17-15, 4.05ERA record with the Giants and, more recently, a mighty 5-2, 2.30ERA record in ten appearances for South Australia in the Claxton Shield since season 2000. It is nearly impossible to replace a proven winner and experienced competitor in the starting rotation, especially in short tournaments like this and we don't see anyone added to the SA roster that could pretend to make up for his gaping hole in the bullpen. 

Also absent from SA's pitching stocks are the better than serviceable Danny Page who has made six starts for the team among nine appearances since his AMLB debut in 2000 for his decent 1-1, 3.28ERA record, along with the little known Tyler Green who was near perfect in 2006. On this small sample of evidence Green will be missed, having produced 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball with five strikeouts and one important save. Not so critical will be the deduction of "5th year man" Adam Widdison who has played with the Adelaide Giants in 1995, then with SA in 2000 and next in 2006... yep, Widdison seems to make a surprise reappearance every 5th (or so) season! One reason for his infrequent selection could be that it takes the selectors a few years to forget his previous performance... he owns a lifetime 0-1, 13.00ERA from seven appearances at this level... sorry to be so tough Adam, it's not personal, just attempted humour at your expense!

While we hate to be unduly negative about players who give their all at the highest level, it would not be too unkind to say that, aside from the well performed Sam Tibbits and maybe Ben Brusnahan, South Aussie should not be greatly affected by not having light-hitting Lachlan Burrows, Troy Cook, Ben Dixon or Simon Galpin on their squad this season. Tibbits has been a very good servant for SA baseball over 62 games that date back to the 1998 Adelaide Giants where he has batted a career .298 with an even more impressive .530 slugging percentage. Brusnahan has played only ten games over the past two Claxton Shield carnivals but he couldn't do much more than batting .333 from 21 at bats.

We've been a little rough on Cook who batted .280 from 25 at bats at Claxton's 2004 and 2006 because he has also milked eight walks for a pretty good on base percentage. Outfielder Galpin is the best of the rest with .234 from 24 games since 2002, but his 21 strikeouts from 77 at bats tells the tale as to why he has not been even more productive. Dixon has batted .208 from 48 at bats in ten appearances since 2002, while stalwart Burrows is around the "Mendoza Line" with only .148 from 28 games stretching back to Claxton 2000 with almost no sign of power. On the plus side for Burrows, he has been good defensively and a running threat on base (when he can get there) with seven career base thefts.

Moving on to the IN's, we almost got excited with the name DUNN appearing and this induced the immediate thought that it might be MICHAEL DUNN who was a star of 322 games with the Adelaide Giants, but alas (no disrespect intended) a second glance confirmed the name Matthew... let's hope that he is somewhere near as good as his SA namesake? 

While the list of the additions to the 2007 roster didn't raise our eyebrows to any great extent, there is some consolation for the bullpen with the inclusion of a more mature 22yo Daniel Redden who showed quite a deal of promise as a youngster, owning a 1-0, 2.31ERA record from three appearances during Claxton's 2003 and 2004. We can't tell you anything about 17yo Tom Fiebig (who recently signed with the Cincinnati Reds), 20yo Lachlan Eldridge, 24yo Chris Lawson or 33yo Taj Merrill apart from suggesting that South Australia has a tremendous history for producing fine pitchers and it would not surprise us if they found at least one gem among these new AMLB arms. I'm hoping against hope that I can be the first to coin the nickname Taj 'Mahal' Merrill but I'm guessing that such an obvious moniker has already been used during his thirty-plus years... oh well!

On the offensive side of the ledger only Todd Langman, who  batted 2-5 at Claxton 2004, and Josh Cakebread, who did not manage a hit from six at bats during the same tournament, are familiar to AMLB supporters. 22yo Torey Williams and 29yo Matthew Dunn will be new faces for us in Perth later this month.

The Conclusion: 

While we are still far from convinced that we have made the right call between South and West to miss the playoffs, we have been forced to lock-in SA for the second straight Claxton Shield competition... and this alone gives us cause for some sleepless nights. Any self-respecting Victorian, and you can count 'Flintoff & Dunn' among those, should know better than to place a challenge at the feet of a "wounded" South Australian team. 

We reckon that the South Aussies will call upon every ounce of competitive juice that they can muster to atone for their 2006 disaster but we just don't reckon that they have mustered enough talent (on paper) to support their proven big guns like Wigmore, Brice, Mildren and Fidge who will no doubt supply their usual headaches for the opposition. As Victorians we run the obvious risk of Ben Wigmore seeking revenge over our Victorian Aces, but how could he possibly do more than his THREE 'big flys' against us at Claxton 2006?... and he won't have John Challinor to terrorise our batters this time!

We're forecasting that SA will have to edge past WA to reach the semi-finals this year, but this is by no means beyond the realms of possibility. And, as with every short tournament of this type, an upset or two among the others will expose the fact that nobody is bullet-proof at the Claxton Shield. That is one of the reasons why we love it!

So here's our little secret. Unconfirmed information reaches us that the Australian Provincials have decided upon a subtle adjustment to their selection policy and philosophy for this Claxton Shield competition. We are led to understand that the Provincials will no longer focus on selecting the strongest possible team from non-capital centres and/or winter leagues, especially if those players may be of the more "seasoned" variety and at a stage of their careers where higher honours or professional opportunities may have realistically passed them by. Instead, we are told, the Provincial selectors will provide more focus on younger players and, in particular, signed professionals who may have been overlooked for their State squads. What we can expect to see is a combination of mainly young and emerging pros plus a sprinkle of experience.

More to follow after the squad is announced....

The Conclusion: 

While you should never say never in this type of situation, on the face of it, it does seem that the Australian Provincial team might struggle even more than they have in the recent past and, according to this type of selection philosophy, it would be unrealistic for anyone to expect anything approaching regular success.

Now, this does not mean that 'Flintoff & Dunn' are being in any way critical of this change in direction. There are no doubt many pros and cons with every decision of this type but it does sound like the people involved have the "greater good" of Australian baseball at the forefront of their intentions. We will reserve our judgement for now.

As far as we are concerned, as we have stated so often, we have never judged the worth of the Australian Provincial team on their pure results and nobody should expect them to dominate the strongest of the State teams. What we do sincerely hope is that any change in philosophy does not bring about a change in the MAGNIFICENT team spirit and never-say-die tradition that the Provincials have proudly established as their badge of honour in Claxton Shield competition. Whoever is selected to wear the green shirts must understand the hard road that their predecessors have battled to earn respect.

There is no shame in being selected for a last place finish for the Australian Provincials, providing that they make all the other teams battle to the death to get the better of them as they have done so often in the past. We reckon they will, but it should not be enough to seriously threaten the finals contenders.