TAMWORTH didn’t win a game but they learnt a lot.
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That was the assessment of Tamworth manager Craig Lee after the annual June Baseball Invitational Carnival wrapped up at the Field of Dreams on Monday.
Tamworth lost all five games and finished with a 15-nil loss to eventual winners Interport Masters in their final game on Monday morning.
Interport Masters then won the John Carter Memorial A Grade Shield with a 12-2 mercy rule win over Sydney Deadstars.
The five losses haven’t dampened Tamworth’s resolve, especially for Lee, who hopes to start planning for a tilt at next year’s Country Championships as soon as possible.
“We didn’t win a game,” Lee said, “but the boys learnt a lot.
“We came up against some tough opposition and got plenty of experience.
“We had nine rookies coming up against some former Australian players too but they all played pretty well.
“We were competitive in most games.
“We only had a couple of blowouts – to Deadstars (13-1) and Interport (15-nil).
“But we also had plenty of good team spirit.
“It’s also going to be good for the local comp.
“All these boys will go back to their various clubs and I think it will only make the local comp stronger.”
He said the likes of Mick Alldis and John Warren threw some outstanding games on the pitching mound
Kris Bird, Nathan Handsaker and Aiden Lee also hit well, with Lee catching well until straining a muscle and having to sit out the final game.
Then there was the likes of Archie Yu, a Taiwanese now working in Tamworth and playing with the Gunnedah Giants.
“He was outstanding in the outfield,” Craig Lee said.
“Jason Wang also pitched well too.
“While it’s good for our club baseball we’re also looking forward to our tilt at a Country Championship next April.
“Hopefully we’ll take an A and B side down to that – we’ve just got to get ourselves organised early.”
Also starting to organise for next year are the JC’s Legends.
The side that started in 2011 as a tribute to the memory of Tamworth’s Mr Baseball, the late John Carter, swelled to three teams on the weekend and might be four for 2017.
That is dependent on a few issues, said Steve Davison, one of the founders of the JC’s Legends and a lifelong mate of Carter.
Dave King coached the JC’s Legends A Division side in their top-grade debut and was delighted for a team struggling for numbers.
“We did well for a side with 10 players,” King said.
“We went better than we should have, had no arms left at the end. But the boys kept digging deep.”
He said Brad Wise and Paul McPhail were outstanding while young pitchers Tom Reece and Mackenzie Pearson shone.
“We won three and weren’t beaten by much by Interport and Deadstars. If we could have knocked over Deadstars we would have made the final.”
That would have been ideal.
A JC’s Legends team playing for the John Carter Memorial Trophy on John Carter Diamond at the Field of Dreams.
Maybe next year.