A year has passed, the defending champions failed to get to the finals this time round.
The hole in the pitching department is telling. The team had to lean heavily on the fragile back of Mr Jan, to give them their best chance in winning against Catalyst(aka Hunters). He tried and battled hard. However, without his usual overpowering fastball, he could not hold the opposition and they eventually opened up a three run lead in the third inning.
If the Oboyz were to win this tournament, I'm pretty sure Alex's vertebrae will be right up there beside Curt Schilling's World Series winning bloodied sock.
Mr Alex, I salute you for all the pain that you endured with every pitch thrown.
Speed is also lacking in the team. This is inevitable as the players age and is apparent as players run into outs while going for the extra bases. Spider seemed to have lost a gear with a reccurring quad injury. One can only hope that he does not lose it for good. Other players like Sheng Wei Yeo used up half a tube of Salon Pas to relieve the body aches (maybe it gives a high which he cannot resist).
However, we can take away a lot of positives from this tournament.
The offence was on a high compared to the team's performance in the league. 5 Homeruns and hard hits was on display this time round. Consistent Captain Goh maintained his high OBP as leadoff, while others like Liwei, Changyu and Shengwei stepped up this tournament and played a big role. William Tanoto was melting the ballpark by going 11 for 14( that's an insane .800 hitting!). Of course some of his teammates had other views on some at bats, but we know that such stats will always draw jealousy and controversy.
The bonding stepped up too. Being in the clubhouse over those 2 days revealed to me that this bunch of OMen will stick around. The new additions like Just In and Michael fit right in and the fun family just got bigger instantly without any ice-breaking-heavy-drinking.
Michael was baptised by Storm as he got Hammered... Hard. One can only appreciate Alan Lo's sublime pitching when he held Storm with his breaking pitches. Hats off to you Alan. Back to Michael, the mates gave him tremendous support. However, no pitcher wanted to bail him out against Storm, saying that it is a learning process for him. Some kinda teammates huh! But I'm pretty sure there is some truth to it. He is still developing and this experience will serve him well in the long run.
Ayer Rajah seems like a get-away sanctuary for these city slickers. The SeranGooners mentioned that it felt like an overseas trip without actually being overseas. This tournament does give you a great getaway feel, well except for maybe Jessen who lives a couple of blocks away. To which I must add, Ayer Rajah Market has great food, ladies.
By the way, a revelation for everyone: high pop ups are for 1B, 3B and SS ONLY.
Oh Oh Oh, Lionel's Chinese has depth as he equates Chung Hao to the Gas in the Ass.
That's all there is. Till the next game Slickers
By Manny Ramirez Jr.
Manny Jr is a great fan of Manny and Oboyz softball club.
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