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BASEBALL SEASON
COMMENCES TO-DAY
Teams' Prospects
Reviewed
"PLAY BALL!" This call will be heard on fifteen grounds this
afternoon, when the 1938 season of the West Australian
Baseball Association will be ushered in with a full series of games
in all grades.
Baseball has made rapid headway in
this State—it only saw the light of
day in 1936—so that with 31 teams
now in action the association has
reason to look forward to the new
season with optimism.
This year this State is to have the
honor of conducting the Australian
carnival for the Claxton Shield, from
August 6 to 13, when teams from New
South Wales, Victoria and South Aus-
tralia will vie with the home team for
the Commonwealth title.
SEASON'S PROSPECTS.
Seven teams comprise the A grade
section, and after weeks of keen prac-
tice are at their top for to-day's "acid
test." Wests have annexed the pen-
nant in the past two seasons, and they
will again field a formidable side,
with the battery Carr to Lynch. They
have lost the services of last year's
captain, Glen Dunstan, who will take
over the leadership of the newly
formed Press team. N. Fowler and C.
Ammon have also gone over to Press.
George Randell will be a loss to
West and the State. He leaves to-
morrow on a trip abroad which will
extend over about 12 months. George
is the leading outfielder in W.A., and
as this is a branch of the game that
needs tightening at the moment it is
certainly going to be hard to re-
place him.
Press—a new team—is sure to
attract great attention in the early
rounds and should prove a worthy
contender for the year's honors.
They will have as their pitcher
Charlie Puckett, the outstanding
baseballer in Australia.
Puckett is equally at home on the
mound or behind the mask. He first
played with South Australia as a
catcher, but last season went to Essen-
don, where his pitching was pheno-
menal, and he was awarded the medal
for the best all-round player in Vic-
toria. He has great pace and mar-
vellous control, and in a recent trial
game gave an indication of his worth
by scoring 22 strike outs.
Another Victorian carnival player,
Alick Barras, will be seen on first. The
former Fitzroy lefthander has no peer
in this position, and, like Puckett,
should be a decided acquisition to the
game in Perth.
Tom Nesbit has shown great form
in the practise games, and he will don
the catcher's mask, while the infield
will be completed with Dunstan at
second, N. Fowler third and D. Gil-
mour short stop. This team is going
to be hard to defeat, despite the fact
that its batting looks a little weak.
Chevs. will appear in A grade for
the first time, and if enthusiasm can
be taken as a guide, this young side
are bound to give a good account of
themselves. They have certainly
merited their promotion, as they
annexed the C and B 1 grade pennants
in successive years. George Dicken-
son will again be the pitcher, but a
new third bagger will have to be
found, as R. Robson will only be
available on alternate week-ends.
However, Kelly, Hall and Nelligan will
form the backbone of a sound infield.
Mosmans strike the eye as being a
comparatively strong side. They have
gained J. Laurent from Mt. Lawley
and N. Fraser from Ammas.
Laurent is a first-class pitcher, and
as Fred Oliver and Fraser will again
be in the line-up R. Courteney, the
captain, should have a strong array
of pitchers to call upon.
Gregg Bowers, who played for the
State in 1936, will reappear, and this
will compensate to some extent for the
disability of Len Oliver, who has
broken ribs, and R. Bennet not being
available for the first few matches.
Blue Sox, runners-up in the last two
seasons to West, should again be for-
midable opponents for the best of
them. They are unfortunate that
owing to an injury sustained in a trial
game, their captain and coach, Bob
Denford, will not be available for
several weeks. However, they have
signed up K. King, who formerly
played for the side, and with players
of the ability of H. Denford, J. Sharp,
L. Neville, J. Scharf and W. Turner
again donning the uniform "Sox"
should again be well in the play.
Nedlands shaped poorly in their
only trial game, but can confidently be
expected to do much better. All of
last year's players are again in
action, while Keith Gillespie, from
South Australia, should prove a tower
of strength.
Gillespie comes from the Ade-
laide University team, and he
represented his State for years at
second base, while his batting is
very strong.
Under the coaching of Charlie Wier,
who recently returned from America,
Victoria Park appear a greatly im-
proved side.
Day to Mickle is a formidable
battery, while Nightingale (third) and
Paskett (first) are showing great
form. The latter is the veteran of the
league, but that he still retains his
eye was demonstrated in recent trial
games, scoring two hits off Puckett |
against Press, and scoring a home run
against Wests.
It will take a couple of weeks for
the teams to settle down, hence it is
difficult to forecast with any degree of
certainty the relative strength of the
teams.
TO-DAY'S MATCHES.
To-day's games (commencing at
2 30) are:- -.
Press v. Chevs. (Esplanade West).
Nedlands v. Mosmans (Beatty Park)
Victoria Park v. Blue Sox (Victoria
Park).
Wests have a bye.
$