ABL 2013/2014 Season

[Oneiros]

wow didn't know Ek has left. Definitely has opened the door for chasing teams. I had pencilled Perth in.

Left at Christmas, was in The West Australian today. We have picked up his recommendation for a replacement, but he hasn't pitched yet so not sure how he measures up. Will be hard to match-up however, as his statistical dominance over 7 starts rose to the level of the absurd.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Well, we're done for the year, no finals for the Cavs, and Perth Heat have locked up #1 spot and home finals advantage. We just look very, very tired, and our key hitters have gone missing for the last five games.

Our pitching was just not good enough in the first part of the season - though Grening has been very competitive he has lacked support. Pugliese was a beast, second only to Ekstrom in terms of best ever pitchers in the ABL (though Pug is a relief pitcher of course). Beck, Motta and Lyman have been woeful for us. Great to see us sign Chambers though, he is a potential talent if we can get him again next year...

Adelaide and Sydney will likely be the other two finals teams, with the Aces also in the hunt.

Luke Hughes is still the second biggest punk in Australian sport, with only Bernard Tomic and Anthony Mundine (firs.t place shared) ahead of him. Though at least Tomic and Mundine have won world class titles...

 

[no orange peeler]

Well, we're done for the year, no finals for the Cavs, and Perth Heat have locked up #1 spot and home finals advantage. We just look very, very tired, and our key hitters have gone missing for the last five games.

Our pitching was just not good enough in the first part of the season - though Grening has been very competitive he has lacked support. Pugliese was a beast, second only to Ekstrom in terms of best ever pitchers in the ABL (though Pug is a relief pitcher of course). Beck, Motta and Lyman have been woeful for us. Great to see us sign Chambers though, he is a potential talent if we can get him again next year...

Adelaide and Sydney will likely be the other two finals teams, with the Aces also in the hunt.

Luke Hughes is still the second biggest punk in Australian sport, with only Bernard Tomic and Anthony Mundine (firs.t place shared) ahead of him. Though at least Tomic and Mundine have won world class titles...

Hughes is a dead set flog. Well done to the heat. Cavs struggled since just before xmas. Key injuries have just crueled us. Im thinking the bite on form are Perths biggest challenge

 

[drawza]

Cavs are still in it. It will come down to next week. Melbourne travel to Sydney, Canberra travel to Brisbane and Adelaide travel to Perth. It will be very interesting.

 

[Oneiros]

What did Hughes do? Didn't see anything in any of the wrap-ups that I read.

As an aside, thrilled to see the ABLCS coming back to Perth. It's a great venue and gets a good crowd. At the moment, the Heat's four starting pitchers are simply phenomenal, comfortably the best rotation in the ABL, you'd have to say.

 

[no orange peeler]

Wow what a final day. there is no way Canberra deserves to be in the playoffs on current form. But thanks to the Heat (lol) we have scraped in. Sydney would have to be an odds on favourite for this week but Canberra tend to lift when playing the Blue Sox. the Claxton is Perth's to lose.

 

[Scully2Folau]

The ABL must be having a laugh. Canberra hosting game 1, Sox hosting games 2 and 3.

 

[no orange peeler]

The ABL must be having a laugh. Canberra hosting game 1, Sox hosting games 2 and 3.

It was a mutual agreement between Canberra and Sydney 12 months ago. Had Canberra finished higher they would have given up Round 1 to Sydney. I think its a great idea.

 

[Oneiros]

Yeah, nice to see the split series.

If the Heat lose this, with direct passage and hosting, and with their starters and bullpen (Frawley, Schmidt, Saupold, Baker, Lamb, Wise and others), it will have to (regrettably) go down as a choke.

I mean they're nine games ahead for the love of little green apples.

 

[no orange peeler]

It doesn't seem just does it that a team can finish 9 or 10 games behind Perth. Come over to Perth play out of their skin for 2 wins and go home with the chocolates. Can't see it happening though.

 

[Oneiros]

It doesn't seem just does it that a team can finish 9 or 10 games behind Perth. Come over to Perth play out of their skin for 2 wins and go home with the chocolates. Can't see it happening though.

Nearly happened in 11/12, deciding game went to extra innings and was decided on a wild pitch, despite Perth having blitzed the league. Of course, Perth's best form in that season was the first three weeks, whereas here Perth's best form has been in the last few weeks (series win in Canberra, etc - 13 W 1L in last 14).

 

[lionbear]

It doesn't seem just does it that a team can finish 9 or 10 games behind Perth. Come over to Perth play out of their skin for 2 wins and go home with the chocolates. Can't see it happening though.

I guess that's why all the good ESPN analyst's I listen to with MLB don't really like using post season series to decide which team is better than the other over a longer term.

 

[no orange peeler]

So its Perth v Canberra. What we expected probably 6 weeks ago but Canberra's form since xmas have left a bit to be desired. But its all square starting next week. Go Cavs

 

[lionbear]

So its Perth v Canberra. What we expected probably 6 weeks ago but Canberra's form since xmas have left a bit to be desired. But its all square starting next week. Go Cavs

These 2 teams are a class above the rest, was hoping for someone different this year but oh well.

 

[no orange peeler]

Great too see the GF series being covered again by ESPN. shame it's in Perth and the coverage doesn't start till 10pm. Looks like its going to be late nights on Friday and Saturday.

 

[Oneiros]

Can't believe Blue Sox have now twice failed to get through on a home series. Canberra seizing their good fortune with both hands. Hopefully Perth can blunt their momentum well enough. They did sweep their homestand against Canberra, so that's encouraging.

Kind of alarming that four years of the ABL has only seen four of six teams make the CS at all. Bandits have never looked close and Blue Sox have choked twice running.

 

[no orange peeler]

Can't believe Blue Sox have now twice failed to get through on a home series. Canberra seizing their good fortune with both hands. Hopefully Perth can blunt their momentum well enough. They did sweep their homestand against Canberra, so that's encouraging.

Kind of alarming that four years of the ABL has only seen four of six teams make the CS at all. Bandits have never looked close and Blue Sox have choked twice running.

Not Sure what the solution to that is. they keep altering the rules in regards to imports to try and even it out. It worked to some degree with Canberra this year but the imports they have are just in the right positions and are good. Perth have a great program (always have) and a great nucleus of locals. (kennellys, Hughes etc...) Perth and Canberra also have great support both corporately and publicly. They rarely play to half full ball parks at home.
The atmosphere at Narrabundah is unreal and I have converted many a sceptic of Baseball by taking them to the Fort.
I never realised how far out Melbourne's ballpark is until I drove to Geelong a few weeks ago. doesn't cater for any fans east of the west gate. it's just too far. Infrastructure is super important, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide just seem to do it right.

 

[Oneiros]

Well Perth's big advantage has always been strong local talent to act as a base for their team. Hughes, the Kennelly's, Cameron Lamb (4 Sv's @ 0.93 ERA), Dan Schmidt (not a WA boy but still Aussie, only had 1 bad game all year), Brendan Wise (6 Sv, 3W-2L), Jesse Barron, De San Miguel...

It has allowed them to pursue strengths with their imports, rather than having to waste import spots shoring up weaknesses.

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Can't believe Blue Sox have now twice failed to get through on a home series. Canberra seizing their good fortune with both hands. Hopefully Perth can blunt their momentum well enough. They did sweep their homestand against Canberra, so that's encouraging.

Kind of alarming that four years of the ABL has only seen four of six teams make the CS at all. Bandits have never looked close and Blue Sox have choked twice running.

Blue Sox have actually failed to make the championship series all four years, despite making the playoffs every single year. A real shame, they have had an awesome array of Australian talent, second only to Perth, but a combination of poor coaching (Pops is easily the worst head coach in the ABL, especially when it comes to coaching defensive fielding and choosing what pitchers to bring in) and over-confidence has done them in against sides like Melbourne and Canberra.

Bandits have actually been within less than a game of playoffs on two of the four seasons, so don't know where you are getting "never looked close" from, and all of Aces, Blue Sox, Bite, Heat and Cavs have made playoffs - and all but the Sox have competed for the championship. In the last three seasons multiple teams have finished tied for playoff spots - and two seasons ago Perth finished top and every other team finished on the same results - very unusual eveness for any sport.

If they could just get rid of some of the dead wood at the ABL, fix the grounds, get some crowds in to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and get the basic webstreaming funded...

 

[Oneiros]

Man, that got dicey...

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Close game, average commentary, and ESPN please fix the score graphic...i.e home team at the bottom!! It's great the game is on pay TV but starting at 10pm on the east coast doesn't help in regards to exposure.

 

[no orange peeler]

Close game, average commentary, and ESPN please fix the score graphic...i.e home team at the bottom!! It's great the game is on pay TV but starting at 10pm on the east coast doesn't help in regards to exposure.

I agree. Better coverage to last year however the camera angles need work. Showing the hitter running out of the box and not where the ball has been hit. I guess its tough when you dont have multiple camera angles behind the pitchers arm. The commentary was ordinary.

 

[no orange peeler]

Yeah na might watch this on mute. This commentator already driving me nuts

 

[Oneiros]

At least three thousand in attendance, would not be surprised to hear it was four thousand, absolutely packed to the rafters.

Great work for the Heat, three championships and a runner up in four years is massive stuff.

 

[no orange peeler]

At least three thousand in attendance, would not be surprised to hear it was four thousand, absolutely packed to the rafters.

Great work for the Heat, three championships and a runner up in four years is massive stuff.

Well done to perth and Canberra put on a great show and a clearly the best 2 clubs in the competition. Shame it wasnt a best of 5 or 7 not for Canberra to come back but to keep the show going until the MLB starts.