Deep Freeze has contributed much to Canterbury softball

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32143, 12 November 1969, Page 21

Deep Freeze has contributed much to Canterbury softball

A TEAM which has made ■ xx a large contribution to Canterbury softball in the last decade is the American servicemen’s side, Deep Freeze. Although it has won only half its six games so far this season, the losses incurred have, on two occasions, been by .the narrowest of margins. As most of Deep Freeze’s players are connected in some way with activities at Antarctica, the team’s performances have been threatened during certain parts of the season by the temporary loss of key members. However, this handicap has been partially offset by the versatility of the players themselves, for they appear to possess a greater all-round ability than the average New Zealand club player. Most of the team can bat adequately and it has used, with reasonable success, a total of four pitchers so far this season. The coach of the Deep Freeze team is Mr H. Gable, who has had 17 years of playing and coaching experience in several parts of the world. Between 1959 and 1963, Mr Gable played for the club in Christchurch before he was transferred to Spain for three years. In 1967 he successfully coached three teams at once, including a Spanish base team, which competed in various European tournaments played among the United States forces. This team played during the week-ends only and was transported by air to play ‘‘double-headed” games against base teams from Morocco, Italy and France. Its record was 16 wins and four losses, and included second placings in the Spanish-Moroccan League and the Naples Open tournament. Mr Gable returned to Christchurch last year and was appointed manager of the Canterbury team which competed in the inter-pro-vincial Beatty Cup tournament at Hutt Valley. This season he is a provincial selector and will also coach the representative team. A prominent player for Deep Freeze is the catcher, B. Stull, who will be representing Canterbury for the second and last season before returning to the United States. Last season was Stull's first year at the catcher position and he served the province with distinction in the Beatty Cup tournament, playing in all except one of the games and catching in more than 80 innings in the seven days of play. He recorded the best batting average (over 400) in the team and hit four home runs, two decisive ones against Waikato.

Stull is probably the most complete softballer in Canterbury at the present time for he also prosseses a swift and accurate throw. He is a converted outfielder and the ability to cover the ground quickly has not been lost in bis new position, where his spectacular efforts to recover seemingly impossible foul flies are often in evidence. The team’s first baseman, J. Gurrero, has also been chosen for the representative squad and his powerful clutch batting might prove to be a match winner at this level. Gurrero is stationed at Timaru with the Air Force and travels the 100 miles each Saturday in order to play. He will be available for a further two years. A player with more than 10 years of playing experience, Gurrero spent several years in Colorado, where his batting average in one sea-

son was more than 700. He has not been able to reproduce similar form in the Christchurch competition, where he has been averaging an adequate .333, but with more match-play these figures should soon be improved. A new member of Deep Freeze is the veteran, B. Mansfield, who would be better known as a loose forward for the Linwood and Canterbury B Rugby teams for many years. Mansfield previously played for the now defunct Avon club and is eligible to appear for Deep Freeze, because he is employed at the base. He is having one of his best seasons with the bat, averaging, more than .350, but some of his second base fielding has not been so convincing. Mansfield will not easily forget the two decisive errors he made in the United club’s sixth innings during a game against his

team several Saturdays ago. They allowed United to win the game, 4-1. Mansfield has represented Canterbury for many seasons and was a trialist for The Rest team which played New Zealand at the end of last year’s Beatty Cup tournament. His great reliability as a pinch hitter should be used to the advantage of the provincial representatives this season. A fourth member of Deep Freeze to be included in this year’s representative team is the short-stop, K. Maronek. Although his appearances for the club have been limited so far this season, Maronek has shown that few batters can hope to pierce his defence or outrun his throws to first base. Unfortunately, he has been temporarily posted to Honolulu and will miss the first four representative games to be held later this month. However, he will be playing inter-services softball in Hawaii and should still be match-fit if required for the games later in the season. One of the more effective run-scoring methods to be used in the club competition this season is that employed by Deep Freeze. By playing Mansfield as the lead-off batter, advancing him with a bunt or safe hit by J. Marcum, and then bringing him home with a hit by either Stull or Gurrero, Deep Freeze has managed to score runs in every game it has played.