1997–98 Melbourne Reds season explained

Team:	Melbourne Reds
Season:	1997–98
League:	Australian Baseball League
Claxton Shield:	yes
Place:	3rd
City:	Melbourne, Victoria
Ballpark:	Moorabbin Oval
Manager:	Tom Nieto
Owner:	Geoff Pearce
General Manager:	Tony Peek

The 1997-98 Melbourne Reds season was the eighth season for the team. As was the case for the Red's previous seasons they competed in the Australian Baseball League (ABL).

Regular season

Standings

Record vs opponents

Opponent	W–L Record	Largest Victory			Largest Defeat			Current Streak
Opponent	W–L Record	Score	Date	Ground	Score	Date	Ground	Current Streak
align=left		5-2	11–2	27 January 1998	Moorabbin Oval	4-5	16 January 1998	Norwood Oval	L1
align=left		7–1	20–7	22 November 1997	ANZ Stadium	7–11	22 November 1997	ANZ Stadium	W7
align=left		4–3	10–6	7 November 1997	Carrara Oval	3–6	7 November 1997	Carrara Oval	L1
align=left		7–1	17–7	19 December 1997	Marathon Stadium	4–5	19 December 1997	Marathon Stadium	W3
align=left		3–6	8–2	2 November 1997	Moorabbin Oval	4–14	10 January 1998	Moorabbin Oval	W1
align=left		2–4	8–3	27 December 1997	WACA	6–13	26 December 1997	WACA	L2
align=left		2–4	13–4	1 February 1998	Concord Oval	4–8	5 January 1998	Moorabbin Oval	W1
Total	30–21	Brisbane Bandits			Melbourne Monarchs			W1
20–7	30–21	22 November 1997	ANZ Stadium	4–14	10 January 1998	Moorabbin Oval		W1

Game log

bgcolor=#bbffbb align=center	W	Reds win
bgcolor=#ffbbbb align=center	L	Reds loss
bgcolor=#bbbbff align=center	T	Reds tie
bgcolor=#bbbbbb		Game postponed
align=center	Bold	Reds team member

|- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 1| 31 October| | 6–8| | | | | 0-1| |-|- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 2| 1 November (DH 1)| @ | 6–10| | | | | 0-2| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 3| 1 November (DH 2)| @ | 2–7| | | | | 0-3| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 4| 2 November| | 8–2| | | | | 1-3| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 5| 7 November (DH 1)| @ | 3–6| | | | | 1-4| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 6| 7 November (DH 2)| @ | 10–6| | | | | 2-4| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 7| 8 November (DH 1)| @ | 4–5| | | | | 2-5| |- bgcolor=#bbbbbb| 8| 8 November (DH 2)| @ | Wash Out| | | | | 2-5| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 9| 14 November| | 4–1| | | | | 3-5| ^[1] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 10| 15 November (DH 1)| | 6–2| | | | | 4-5| ^[1] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 11| 15 November (DH 2)| | 3–2| | | | | 5-5| ^[1] |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 12| 16 November| | 1–2| | | | | 5-6| ^[1] |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 13| 21 November| @ | 7–11| | | | | 5-7| ^[2] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 14| 22 November (DH 1)| @ | 20–7| | | | | 6-7| ^[2] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 15| 22 November (DH 2)| @ | 12–7| | | | | 7-7| ^[2] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 16| 23 November| @ | 12–8| | | | | 8-7| ^[2] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 17| 28 November| | 12–8| | | | | 9-7| ^[3] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 18| 29 November (DH 1)| | 12–1| | | | | 10-7| ^[3] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 19| 29 November (DH 2)| | 11–7| | | | | 11-7| ^[3] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 20| 30 November| | 11–7| | | | | 12-7| ^[3] |-|- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 21| 5 December| | 2–1| | | | | 13-7| ^[4] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 22| 6 December(DH 1)| | 10–6| | | | | 14-7| ^[4] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 23| 6 December (DH 2)| | 7–6| | | | | 15-7| ^[4] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 24| 7 December| | 8–1| | | | | 16-7| ^[4] |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 25| 19 December (DH 1)| @ | 4–5| | | | | 16-8| ^[5] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 26| 19 December (DH 2)| @ | 17–7| | | | | 17-8| ^[5] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 27| 21 December (DH 1)| @ | 8–7| | | | | 18-8| ^[5] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 28| 21 December (DH 2)| @ | 7–0| | | | | 19-8| ^[5] |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 29| 26 December (DH 1)| @ | 6–13| | | | | 19-9| ^[6] |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 30| 26 December (DH 2)| @ | 0–1| | | | | 19-10| ^[6] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 31| 27 December (DH 1)| @ | 3–2| | | | | 20-10| ^[6] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 32| 27 December (DH 2)| @ | 8–3| | | | | 21-10| ^[6] |-|- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 33| 3 January| | 1–4| | | | | 21-11| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 34| 4 January| | 10–1| | | | | 22-11| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 35| 5 January| | 4–8| | | | | 22-12| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 36| 8 January| | 2–6| | | | | 22-13| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 37| 9 January| | 7–3| | | | | 23-13| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 38| 10 January| | 4–14| | | | | 23-14| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 39| 16 January (DH 1)| @ | 4–5| | | | | 23-15| ^[7] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 40| 16 December (DH 2)| @ | 10–6| | | | | 24-15| ^[7] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 41| 17 January (DH 1)| @ | 10–8| | | | | 25-15| ^[7] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 42| 17 December (DH 2)| @ | 11–10| | | | | 26-15| ^[7] |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 43| 22 January| | 0–2| | | | | 26-16||- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 44| 23 January| | 6–9| | | | | 26-17| |- bgcolor=#bbbbbb| 45| 24 January| | No Result| | | | | 26-17| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 46| 26 January| | 1–0| | | | | 27-17| |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 47| 27 January| | 11–2| | | | | 28-17| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 48| 28 January| | 5–6| | | | | 28-18| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 49| 31 January| @ | 11–14| | | | | 28-19| |-|- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 50| 1 February| @ | 13–4| | | | | 29-19| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 51| 2 February| @ | 9–10| | | | | 29-20| |- bgcolor=#ffbbbb| 52| 5 February| @ | 4–5| | | | | 29-21| ^[8] |- bgcolor=#bbffbb| 53| 6 February| @ | 5–4| | | | | 30-21| ^[8] |- bgcolor=#bbbbbb| 54| 7 February| @ | Wash Out| | | | | 30-21| ^[8] |-

Postseason

Finals Series at Melbourne Ballpark

In previous years the post season was played as home and away best of 3 games, with the two winner of each series meeting for a best of 5 series, in 1997-98 this was changed to a round robin play-off format with each team playing 3 games, 1 against each of the other 3 qualified teams, with the two highest places teams playing off in the Championship Series.^[9]

All games for the 9th ABL title were played at the Melbourne Ballpark from February, 10-12 with the best of three championship series February 14–15.^[9]

Finals Series (Reds games)

Full series results

Game 6: 12 February 1998

Championship Series

Game 2: 15 February 1998

Award Winners

ABL awards

Award	Name	Stat
width=155		width=155	width=200	width=20
Manager of the Year	Tom Nieto
All-Star Game Home Run King	Chris Ashby
Championship Series MVP	Shane Hogan

All-stars

Position	Name	ref
width=155		width=155	width=20
1st Base	Adam Burton
Short Stop	Ben Utting
Manager	Tom Nieto

Reds Awards

Award	Name	Stat	ref
width=155		width=155		width=200	width=20
Batting Champion	Adam Burton	.388 (165 At Bats)	^[10]
RBI Champion	Adam Burton	55
Home Run King	Adam Burton	21
Base Path Pirate	Adam Burton	18 of 19
Pitching Champion	Pat Ahearne	3.36ERA 3–4, 56.1IP
Pitching Workhorse	Jason Beverlin	72.1IP 2–4, 6.22
Strikeout King	Jason Beverlin	67
Sigh of Relief	David Simpson David White	2 Saves

Notes and References

Web site: Reds Savage Cougars . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204255/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/17_nov.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds On a Roll . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204248/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/24a_nov.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds Rout Bandits . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204241/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/30_nov.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds Sweep Hunter . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204227/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/07_dec.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds Clip Eagles . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204220/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/22_dec.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds Draw with Perth . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204206/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/29c_dec.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds Back On Top . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204158/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/19_jan.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: Reds March to Playoffs . Melbourne Reds . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204144/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/09_feb.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: FAI Cup Pitches new finals format and all star competition as baseball bats up for the summer of 1997/1998. . Press Release . Australian Baseball League . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204341/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/98_sum.htm . June 30, 1998 .
Web site: 1997/98 MELBOURNE REDS. Waverley Baseball Club. 19 November 2012.