OBoyz

Softball 2011 Just Another Season

2011-04-24T01:09:00.005+08:00

by Yip Yong Kin

Softball 2011 is just another season, or not. Depending on how you see it.

The usual misfortunate life event befall onto my family this week.

It started out great with a friendly game vs NJC.
Then there is the good news of the start of softball 2011 season.

And life's bomb shell drops every once in a while.
My uncle was told of having an early stage stomach cancer at age 51.
The families are rallying around him this weekend.
He seems optimistic except for letting out the wish of him able to live another 10 more years to see his son getting married. A death wish, no doubt.

To be within the context fo softball.
If I were to live for only 10 more years, my question in terms of softball would be how many more games can I play with the club? Thank you my friends.
How many have I played is not important anymore.

Have a 10 year wish list, and live your life as if it is your last 10 years because it will definitely be true one day.
Be there for us in 2011.

Something to break the sombre:
Lost man to holy man: What is life?
Holy man: I don't know. My computer and smartphone are down.

2010 League Team Stats by Lo

2010-09-06T01:02:00.001+08:00

Finally our 2010 season has come to an end after a long 3+ months. I would say it is not exactly how we want to end our season, taking 2 consecutive 1 run losses to NUS and ORA. Nevertheless, I believe we gave our best shot and I think it is still a very exciting/entertaining season with some tight situations, memorable comebacks, etc.

Now talking about 2nd round, which is essentially just our game with ORA last Sun, there really isn't much to talk about. We only manage a bat avg of .211 as a team, the 2nd worst performance this season besides the Hunters game. There are only 4 hits altogether. Other than a well executed bunt hit by Spider, rest offense comes from our 2 pitchers: Alex hit safely twice with 1 RBI and Zhiguan hit a 2 RBI triple. Although a late rally almost make this another memorable comeback, basic lack of offense and some fielding errors simply proved to be deciding factor for our loss. (ORA outhit us with .368 avg)

Moving to season overall, we manage a 4th position this year, slide a position from last year. Our captain Goh once again showed his worth, finishing with .474 avg and 10RBIs, ranking 1st in both avg and RBI. This is also the 2nd consecutive year he ranked first with highest batting avg. In HR category, 4 players tied with 1 each (Yongbin, William, Hongwei, Qingwei)

In term of defense, our pitchers has a combined ERA of 5.80 this year (vs. 3.40 in 2009). There is much room for improvement on that. Fielding wise we has made on average 3 errors/game, also bit on the high side, especially most of them times, these errors always resulted in run scored.

To conclude, I think this year we still had some good offensive display in league with 10 players hitting above .300. What we need to do, in my opinion, is to continue to train or play every week if possible, so we can stay sharp and fine tune things that we probably has no time to focus on during season. (For myself as example, think is just how to last for more than 3 innings of pitching!).

Let's aim to do better in the coming NUS open!

That's all folks.

Chung Hao

More high than lows.

2010-08-30T02:13:00.005+08:00

The Lows:
This is the first time that the Oboyz has faced live batting after a one month off in the schedule.
The ORA result might have showed us that Oboyz still need to keep swinging their bats to compete. However, the training has been a luxury to us as highlighted early in the season by William. Having the games every week may have help the bats but the schedule is really out of everyone's control, eluding even the organisers, LOL.

The Highs:
One thing that has not decrease is the joyful moments that was ever present during the season. The games at Anchorville turn out to be a great picnic event where almost everyone turn up.

To quote William, "There is no solution to this(getting everyone together all the time). We cannot turn back time, we can only move forward, hopefully as a team."

I say time is not on our side, Oboyz may soon turn to Old boyz before we realise it. Whahahah.
Watch out the permanent Disabled List column as Jessen may be there in the near future. Hohoho.

By Yip Yong Kin

Takes a team to win and lose a game

2010-08-30T01:41:00.003+08:00

30Aug10 ORA 7-6 Oboyz

Final league position: 4th

The lost is truly a team effort unless your name is Alex or Zhiguan.
The team is 0 for plenty for 6 players combined. The hot bats turned cold suddenly much like the weather lately. Errors in the outfield from even the sure handed players.
Alex and Zhiguan are the only ones who had hard hits and the RBIs. Alex has also been a defensive rock as third baseman in the game keeping the game close.
ORA had quite a number of hard hits to earn their victory, puntuated by a 4th inning line drive 2 run HR.

Considering that we started with only 10 players, no natural SS and 2B without taking away from pitching department, I think it was a decent result, though traditionally we have been very competitive.

Chung Hao will furnish the stats with more exact numbers. Look out for it.

By Yip Yong Kin

Tough Loss to the improved NUS

2010-08-30T01:33:00.006+08:00

Right:The faces said it all about the loss.

By Chung Haoon National Day

To be honest, statistically, NUS actually outplayed us in term of hits, batting avg, RBIs. We only manage a .250 avg, with all our top 5 batters hitless. Our captain Goh provided 2 RBIs with some clutch hitting while Ruojie have 2 hits and scored twice.

Defense wise we are quite good with just 1 fielding error and a solid pitching from Zhiguan, with 9 Ks. It is unfortunate that a little shaky 5th inning spoils a otherwise great day for him. Nevertheless like our captain has mentioned, we have seen lots of improvement as this season progresses.

We have finished the first round with 7 wins and 2 losses, which should place us at 3rd positions for the 2nd round. Collectively we have quite a impressive .335 batting avg with avg 6RBIs/game. Our pitchers have limit our opponent to .288 avg while allowing 5+ run/game.

For individual stats, our captain Goh has caught up with some clutch perfprmances and lead the team with .563 avg and 10 RBIs. Notably our "old bird" Ronghan has perfect record of 3 for 3 and 3 RBIs, while just appearing as subs in 2 games.

That's all folks. See you guys soon for 2nd round!

Written by Luo Chung Hao after NUS's game

2010-08-30T01:28:00.003+08:00

By Chung Hao 27Jun10

Initially I wanted to finish compiling the stats for last week and today and send it out tonight, but I was totally pre-occupied with the little one who has been throwing tantrum whole afternoon since we step back home. So the stats gotta wait... (His grandma just came about half an hour ago and coax him to sleep in 5mins...)

Nevertheless, I feel the need to say something about today. First, I would like to apologize for my disastrous start today. Nevermind about the condition of the field or ball, I think I should have adjusted faster. I have allowed my mind to be conditioned in a way that "the ground sucks and nothing I could do...", rather than thinking of way to adjust to it.

Secondly, thanks all for bailing me out from the bad start. I have dig quite a big hole but fortunately you guys have shown total support to cover it. I thought last season's Red sox game was the best portrait of Oboyz's never say die spirit. But I think today's game has has surpass that. It simply shows that we have ability to come back from behind no matter what is the scoreline and our "never say die" spirit is stroner than ever.
But really hope we dont have to use this spirit too much though....

It is an ugly win today in term scoreline and stuff, but personally, I think it is a great game, a true team victory...and a toally wild game that will be remembered.

That's all folks. Enjoy watching England and Germany match!

Written by Luo Chung Hao after the japanese FSBC game on the 27Jun10

2010-08-30T01:15:00.007+08:00

Above: Alex Lim started against the Hunters

By William on 21Jun10

After our little discussion on Sunday, it got me thinking about softball and life.

It's nice to be able to train really hard together as a team, play together as a team and hopefully win some games together as a team. I guess that's what folks term as team bonding.

And at times, it's not the results that count but the process of playing it and going through the ups and downs with friends, not just teammates, but friends, that makes it more satisfactory than the scoreline, or batting average, or number of homeruns you hit.

But unfortunately, we all are at different stages of life, not just compared to where we are 3 or 4 years ago, but even within team. Some have gone on to be fathers, some are going to get married, others are just embarking on getting employed and climbing the corporate ladder.

To ask each and every one to commit their time, and by that I mean real valuable precious weekend time with family/gf, to a pasttime/hobby/passion, is impossible. Each one of us have our own commitments and not all are willing or able to put softball that high a priority in life anymore.

There is no solution to this. We cannot turn back time, we can only move forward, hopefully as a team.

Written by William after to Hunters in the 1st round

2010 league: Highlight of week 13Jun10

2010-08-30T01:05:00.002+08:00

Some highlight to keep all the Oboyz updated with all the RaRa that is goin on..

First Firstly, Just caught the Spain 0-1Swiss. Where was Puyol? Let the drama mama begins!!! hahah!

Firstly, I am back from my paternity leave to join the club after my wife had delivered my cute baby boy on the 4Jun10. Man, this is how a family feels like. And like they say, It been a bundle of joy for me ever since. Appreciate the congratulations received from you guys.

To the team results. Oboyz is on the verge of making the second round again. After 2 more wins this week, we are just one win away from going through.

As expected, after first 2 games of weaker opponents, the Schools(morning 4-7)) and Redsox(14-9) proved to be a handful. The final scoreline seemed comfortable but the games had the players, especially Changyu and manager on the edge of their seats.

Schools 4-7 Oboyz.
"Nearly lost to School Boys"
Chunghao started and manage to hold for 4 innings to 4 runs. Chunghao's nemesis, Ben Ho got a solo home to build a 3 run lead.
Oboyz offense was silent for first 3 innings, lucky to get a run when Shifeng called safe by the first base umpire when the replay clearly showed that he was out by half a step. The tide started to turn when the offense uses bunts to hustle and get on base on errors.
In the end, the game was won on errors by the opponent. Alex closed the game in the final inning with no runs.

Notable defense play:
Late in the game, with runners on first and third 2 outs. William fooled the runners makin them thinkin he's goin to throw out the runner goin to 2. When the pitch was made, William hold up the throw to 2nd to throw 3rd. Runner was caught in a rundown and tagged out at home eventually.

Oboyz 14-9 Redsox
"ShiFeng drives the team crazy"
Hero=Shifeng (3 for 3, a walk, 2 runs). Villian=Shifeng (2 errors, 5 runs resulted).
Oboyz scored 8 runs in the first inning but the Redsox got back 7 runs by the third inning. There seemed to be an error made at every position, that's how many errors we made.
First inning, Shifeng misjudged a flyball to the leadoff who scored subsequently.
Third inning, a basesloaded single got through SF's legs cleared all the base runners, leaving pitcher, Alex Lim thinking "WTF..."
Oboyz had 2 bases loaded inning without scoring a run, sigh. Offense eventually turned up in the later innings, scoring 6 more runs, highlighted by a 2 run Homerun by Slugger William Tanato, a team first this season.

Notable defense play:
SS Roujie converted a DP after catchin a line drive and in the fastest time threw to Qingwei at 2nd to catch the runner out.
Catcher William courageously block the plate from the runner and tag out the runner after receiving the throw from Hongwei. Ironically, he started the play by overthrowin 1st base thereby keeping the runners running.

That's all there is.. 1 more win.
Yong Kin

Oboyz opens the season with a 9-1 victory over NTU

2010-05-16T19:34:00.001+08:00

NUS Open Review

2009-08-20T03:11:00.001+08:00

Overall, our team batted 0.377 which is not bad from a statistical point of view. However, if we take out the 2 RI games, our team average drops to 0.296, with only 11 runs scored in those 4 games that we lost. That's an average of less than 3 runs per game, while conceding a total 45runs, an average of 11 runs per game). To make things worse, most of the batting average is contributed by William, Changyu and Shengwei (0.708, .500 and .333 respecitvely in those 4 games). The rest of the line up batted 0.167 in those 4 games. I think this proves that softball is a team game afterall.

In term of batting, the story is all about William's amazing run, hitting 11 out of 14 with an average of 0.786 AVG. Other than that, he also clinched the RBI title in NUS open for the 2nd consecutive time with 7 RBI. Having said that, last NUS Open's best batter Changyu, also had another consistent performance, finishing with 0.600 AVG for the 2nd consecutive year. In the HR category, we have 5 people in the HR club (William, Lionel, Liwei, Changyu and Alex) with Lionel clinching the HR title.

For fielding, I think it is a well known fact that we are not a strong fielding team. We committed a total of 17 errors in 6 games, an average of close to 3 errors per game. In the 4 games that we lost, we committed an average of 4 errors per game, and let in a total of 13 unearned runs that could have been avoided. That is an average of more than 4 unearned runs per game. Clearly, this proves that generally an error committed is as good as conceding a run. I think we really need to put in effort to improve our fielding. Strong batting wins you games but strong fielding wins you championship.

Pitching department also ran into problems this time round. Even though our pitchers were hoping to repeat the strong performance by Kenneth last year, luck is definitely not on our side, with 2 of our 3 pitchers nursing injuries. Alex was troubled with a back injury while Zhiguan had a swollen ankle. A combined ERA of 10.348 and opponent average of 0.358 are definitely a subbar performance from the pitchers. Let's hope that both Alex and Zhiguan can recover soon and resume training.

Even though we only managed a 4th position in this tournament, it is still a very enjoyable experience. For the first time, almost all players have their fair share of playing time. All but 2 players (Alex and Ronghan) have at least an average of one plate appearance per game and all players except Ronghan have either started or appeared in 4 games. I believe this tournament is a great exposure for everyone, especially for our new players.

Looking forward to the next tournament already...

By Alan Lo

Fun Bunch of OMen at NUS-JAS Open

2009-08-20T03:01:00.000+08:00

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.

Radjawali Cup Softball Tournament @ Jakarta, Indonesia

2009-08-18T02:48:00.000+08:00

Radjawali Baseball & Softball Club Jakarta have sent us an invitation to participate in the Men's Fastpitch Tournament in Jakarta.

The games will be held on 12 (Monday) to 18 (Sunday) October 2009 at Jakarta Senayan Softball Field.

The tournament fee is USD$200/team and up to 20 players can be registered for this tournament.

We have not received any updates on the number of participating teams or tournament format.

Please leave a comment to indicate interest.

OBoyz finished 4th in NUS-JAS Open 2009

2009-08-18T02:47:00.001+08:00

Through to the semis

2009-08-15T21:36:00.000+08:00

By defeating RI(A) twice today, the OBoyz have clinched a berth in the semi finals against Storm. 5 different players have cleared the fence.

William and Lionel also created club history by being the first 2 players to hit back-to-back homeruns.

There's more to come tomorrow...

Road to NUS Open Part One: Prelude

2009-08-04T00:21:00.004+08:00

The double knockout format of the NUS Open Tournament was announced on 28 July. OBoyz can advance to the 2nd round games on 22/23 August by winning their first 2 games on the first weekend.

With new recruits such as pitcher Zhiguan, third baseman Yongbin, power hitting second baseman Justin and the return of their star slugger, Lionel, the defending champion OBoyz has retooled and looks ready for the upcoming tournament.

Training

2009-07-22T00:26:00.004+08:00

NUS Open will be held on 15-16 August & 22-23 August. Here are the training sessions & friendly games leading up to the tournament:
25 July Saturday Training @ Catholic High 9.00am
1 August Saturday Training @ Catholic High 9.00am
2 August Sunday Friendly Slowpitch Game @ Ayer Rajah Field 3.00pm
8 August Saturday Training @ Catholic High 9.00am

Your attendance is highly encouraged for we have to defend our title from 15 other challengers. Please revert your availability to Captain Goh.

A gentle reminder to pay the team fund by the month of July.

The season has ended

2009-07-13T01:21:00.004+08:00

With a 2-1 victory against SRC Red Sox, the OBoyz clinched third place in the 2009 SBSA Softball League. Despite the Oboyz success this year, the entire competition has proven to be full of ups and downs for the team

A miserable batting average of 0.239 in the 2nd round made life difficult as the team scored only 10 runs in 5 games. Alex emerged strongly by finishing with an average of 0.556 to lead the team in the 2nd round.

First baseman and captain Zhiwei won the batting title with a 0.395 average and an impressive 0.469 OBP. Outfielder Hongwei had the most RBIs with 10 while 5 different players had 1 homerun each: William, Shengwei, Shifeng, Changyu & Jessen.

The OBoyz pitchers finished with an ERA of 3.398, holding opponents to an average of a mere 0.211, while team ace Alex single handedly willed the team to a 3rd place finish. Fielding was unfortunately miserable as the team managed an average 3 errors per game, which cost a total of 26 unearned runs.

As the season draws to an end, other exciting opportunities await the team. First up, the NUS Open in August, and a possible regional softball tour. Watch this space for more updates!

What a crazy weekend!

2009-06-22T23:53:00.001+08:00

Hunters 0-13
NUS 0-4
ORA 7-1

'nuff said.

OBoyz were Storm-ed

2009-06-19T00:00:00.003+08:00

For the first time in the season, OBoyz suffered consecutive defeats losing 1-4 to Storm. The team committed a season high 7 strikeouts and could muster only 2 hits.

Alex went 7 innings and held Storm to only 5 hits and a batting average of 0.192. This is a remarkable improvement from the 10 hits allowed and an average of 0.370 in the regular season. It seems that Alex was on the same page as the catcher and this can only be a stepping stone to better performances against Hunters, ORA and NUS for the coming weekend.

The team had their off-weekend on 13 june and held their regular training session at Catholic High. 2 of their overseas sluggers are finally back: Lionel & Justin. Both powerhouses were showcasing their impressive bat speed and will be a welcome addition to the team that's been lethargic on the offence.

Meanwhile, please bring your cameras and get your WAGs down for the weekend game! It's going to be exciting!

Postseason is here!

2009-06-02T16:44:00.002+08:00

The top 6 teams that are through to the postseason have been unveiled, albeit with some missing games which are inconsequential.
1. Storm
2. SRC Hunters
3. ORA
4. OBoyz
5. NUS/SRC Red Sox
6. NUS/SRC Red Sox

The OBoyz will face the top seeded team Storm on 7 June 2.15pm. The team will have the 13/14 June weekend off to regroup before facing Hunters on 20 June 3.45pm, followed by ORA on 21 June 10.45am and NUS at 4pm. Their final game will be against Red Sox on 28 June 10.45am.

There will be no holds barred this time round.

OBoyz goes 7-3 to clinch berth in the postseason

2009-06-02T00:47:00.006+08:00

Going into the weekend, a record of 6-2 meant that the OBoyz are safe to go through to the postseason. On Saturday, they defeated NTU 13-1 before losing to Hunters 3-0 on Sunday, finishing with 7 wins and 3 losses.

The team had 0.327 batting average throughout the regular season, scoring an average of 9 runs a game although we conceded more than 4 runs. Key highlights of the season included the 8-7 close shave against Red Sox, massive drubbing against Eagles, Anglican, Viper & NTU and comfortable wins against Schools & NUS. However, their offence stalled in their los to Storm, ORA & Hunters. Thankfully, the sweet silver lining was Alex's pinpoint pitching against Hunters, going perfect for 3 full innings.

For the honours roll, the batting title goes to William & Changyu, both of whom finished with an average of 0.400, while leadoff hitter Zhiwei led the team with 11 hits, 7 stolen bases & 13 runs. A hot start against Eagles ensured that Hongwei finished with 9 RBIs for the team. First baseman Shengwei finished strongly with 7 RBIs despite having only 12 at bats while 4 different batters recorded 1 homerun each.

All these statistics suggest that the team's offence can function at its optimum level if everyone contributes their fair share; from the leadoff spot, to the run producers, to the lower deck who will link the offence full circle, every single position is important.

OBoyz will most likely go against the top seeded team, Storm, in their first game this coming Sunday 2 June, and will then face the 2nd seeded team, Hunters, the following Saturday 13 June. The postseason will give the OBoyz an opportunity to start afresh and prove that they can emerge as a championship contender.

Stay tuned...! :)

Second shutout of the season allows OBoyz to cruise to a 4-0 victory

2009-05-17T22:52:00.004+08:00

Alex was solid through 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits, all singles, and striking out 9 en route to his second victory of the season. The OBoyz team helped by playing flawless defence, finishing with no errors for the very first time this season.

However, there were plenty of laughter and jokes midway through the game with 2 incidents. William, having a major urge to relieve himself, had to sprint his way to Leisure Park, and hurry back in time to resume catching for the team. He eventually stole third the very next inning, prompting the bench to comment that "he's carrying a lighter load, else he'd be thrown out". Alex, who was batting 2nd in front of William, had to "delay" the game by working the count deep. Meanwhile, Ruojie droppped his contact lenses in the same fateful inning. Lightning does strike twice. Then again, it could be a blessing in disguise as the team scored one more run to give Alex a 2-0 lead.

Pitching like the world depended on it, Alex flashed a dominating sinker, while baffling the NUS batters with his assortment of changeups and curveballs. Hongwei delivered once again with an RBI single to lead the team with 8 RBIs while Spidey did his job with an RBI single of his own. His steal of the third base was highlight reel-worthy as he literally outran the NUS shortstop.

With the regular season almost coming to an end, the OBoyz has 2 more games against NTU and Hunters. Having secured a berth in the postseason with a 6-2 record, the team is confident they can do better and compete for top honours. All it takes is a little bit of luck, a sprinkle of confidence and a smattering of sinkers and curveballs.

(All images in this post courtesy of Chan Bin Kan aka Biscuit)

Food for thought

2009-05-13T00:11:00.002+08:00

In 2007, we played a total of 14 games and won only half of them. In 2008, we played 17 games and won 80% of them. We scored 50% more runs, had 50% more hits, 50% more walks and 30% less strikeouts. But our batting average rose only from 0.313 to 0.342.

It means that our proficiency in getting hits didn't rise significantly. Rather, we made every at bat count. Granted that we hit well in Chiangmai which raised out stats but that's also probably due to the fact that we didn't really care who the opposing pitcher was. We trained hard and executed well. We were selective and hit well with runners in scoring position and most importantly, we hit the ball hard.

That's our key to success.

OBoyz in an offensive funk

2009-05-11T21:12:00.004+08:00

OBoyz lost to ORA on Sunday afternoon by the score of 7-2, once again prolonging their offensive slump. With only 2 hits and leaving a season high 5 men on base, they played second fiddle to an ORA team that was not even playing at their best. However, it seems that OBoyz are unable to shrug off that monkey on their back by averaging a measly 0.133 batting average. ORA averaged a healthy 0.348, with Aston clearing the fence and ending the game with 2 homeruns. The team must be scratching their heads, wondering what it will take to restart their engines and get their game back on track.

It simply wasn't the OBoyz' day with them committing a season high 5 errors. Ruojie's defensive gem of a double play was the only bright spark of the day. With key games against NUS and NTU just round the corner, the team has to regroup and focus on the basic plays and simple hitting to stand a chance.

The first game in the morning against Hunters was postponed due to the poor condition of the field, as deemed by the "Chief Umpire".

(All images in this post courtesy of Chan Bin Kan aka Biscuit)

OBoyz humbled in 9-0 loss

2009-05-04T22:11:00.008+08:00

After storming to a 4-0 record in the league, the OBoyz faced the defending champion Storm on 3 May Sunday. Fielding their strongest lineup, the OBoyz had high hopes of matching their illustrious opponent.

However, the entire team looked out of sorts in the first inning, giving up 4 runs as Alex struggled to hold Storm's power hitters at bay. His defence was porous as they committed 4 errors and their offence, non-existent. The team mustered only 2 hits, a single by their hottest hitter Ronghan and a bunt single by Shifeng. They only managed to reach 2nd base once in the entire 5 innings.

Storm's pitcher was made to look very good with the OBoyz team committing a season high 5 strikeouts with a batting average of a paltry 0.111. Never before had the team's average fell below 0.300 in the first 4 games.

Just minutes after finishing the first game of the day, the OBoyz team went on to play Viper who has manage only 1 victory in the last 7 games. Just when the team thought the game would be a stroll in the park, the offence again never took off. The OBoyz team only managed 4 hits to win 8-1, finishing with a game batting average of 0.222 and with Jessen, the substitute shortstop hitting a 2 run homer. It seems like offence, which is the key component in the team's game, has disappeared.

It is to be seen if the team can regain its mojo ahead of its clash with Hunters and ORA. Its current anaemic offence will simply not hold against such teams with established pitchers.

(All images in this post courtesy of Chan Bin Kan aka Biscuit)

OBoyz laboured to a victory on Labour Day

2009-05-02T23:41:00.005+08:00

On this public holiday, OBoyz laboured through the first inning against ACS(I) "A" Division Team by allowing 4 runs. Third baseman William was shaky by committing 2 errors to load the bases while Alex struggled to locate his pitches. The final scoreline 16-8 is an accurate reflection of both teams playing sloppy defence. Nonetheless, their hottest hitter Ronghan ignited the team by going 3 for 3. The top of the order Zhiwei, Ronghan and William led the team with multi hit performances, while Alex went 6 innings, allowing 6 runs.

This should serve as a warmup game for the weekend, in which OBoyz will play Storm at 12.30pm and Viper at 2.15pm.

(All images in this post courtesy of Chan Bin Kan aka Biscuit)

Annual General Meeting

2009-05-01T00:38:00.001+08:00

The Annual General Meeting will be held this Friday 1 May 2009. The day shall begin with a friendly game vs ACS(I).

The itinerary is as follows:
8.30am - Warm up at ACS(I)
9.30am - Friendly vs ACS(I)
1.00pm - Lunch (OTOT)
2.00pm - Tennis and Water Events (Swim, Jacuzzi, Sauna)

5.45pm - Attendance Taking

5.55pm - Passing Previous AGM dated 2006

6.05pm - Team Financial Status

- Team Fund Balance

- Team Receivable and Collection

- Team Liability

- Receivable Write Off

6.35pm - Team Purchases for 2009

6.45pm - Team Direction for 2009 and onwards

7.05pm - AOB

7.15pm - Dinner & Drinks

11.00pm onwards (OTOT)

WAGS are welcomed.
Venue: 5 Bukit Batok St 25, Parkview Condo Pavillion. (Please give ZW a call for exact directions)

Please refer to email sent earlier for the settlement of all FY2008 outstanding payments.

We are all mature adults, so please take the initiative to settle all outstanding fees, even if you cannot physically attend the AGM.

Why do you play softball?

2009-04-29T23:58:00.002+08:00

Honestly, why? To kill time? Because you've nothing better to do? 'cos every one else you know is doing it, so why not?

Why are we at the field on 8am on a Sunday morning till 6pm in the afternoon, when we can be spending our weekend doing something more physically relaxing? Why am I spending my time to create this blog for the team when I can be spending time with my girl friend? Why is Chunghao spending his weekend at the field when he can be at home playing Wii with his wife? Why is Zhiwei spending his time sending out Evite and gathering the herd together over the weekend when he can probably enjoy his evening out? Why is Alex sweating it out at the pitching mound when he can be at home enjoying his well deserved rest after a hard week of work? The list goes on and on and on.

I think I know why. Because we enjoy this game. Because we enjoy this game when played with friends. Because everytime we step out there on the field, we know everyone wants to compete to the best of their abilities within whatever circumstances that life permits: be it a lack of training due to other priorities of life or be it a lack of physical fitness, so be it.

OBoyz was formed by us 3 years ago, not by anyone else but us. Participation has always been voluntary. Team fund payment was voted in a democratic fashion. Noone was forced or coerced into joining. Not one single person. It will always remain this way. OBoyz is not just a team name. It is a representation of the commitment of individuals to play this game together and make it work.

I respect this commitment and I know why I play softball. Do you?

Alex snags his first victory in 2009

2009-04-26T23:58:00.004+08:00

Back from his holiday trip in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Alex is fresh and ready to go for his first victory. He did not disappoint by turning in a 4 inning solid performance and allowing only 3 earned runs.

The team backed him up by taking a 9-1 lead going into the 3rd inning, with Hongwei providing 2 hits and 2 RBI and Spidey contributing another 2 hits and 2 runs. Just as things get comfortable, the Combined Schools team fought back. They scored 5 runs at their last batting chance, staging a come back and a possible upset. The OBoyz team did not help themselves by committing 3 costly errors.

With the score 11-6 and 10 minutes to go before the end of the game, Hongwei proved once again that he belongs in the big stage by prolonging his at bat, fouling pitches after pitches away. Leo, from the Combined Schools team proved an equal match by delivering strike after strike before eventually walking Hongwei. That proved crucial and ended the game, giving OBoyz a perfect record of 4-0 in the league.

The OBoyz team went on to play ORA, trailing 7-1 in the 4th inning before it was called off due to heavy rain, no wait, that should be called a THUNDERSTORM!

(All images in this post courtesy of Chan Bin Kan aka Biscuit)

Finally!!!

2009-04-26T23:17:00.000+08:00

The first ever OBoyz blog is finally up!!! It is still under construction so look out for more exciting and interesting content which will include the latest game wrapup, player statistics, player profiles etc.