Top pitcher lost

Press, 14 September 1976, Page 38

Top pitcher lost

f By

TIM DUNBAR

Geoff Roberts is likely to do very little pitching for| Papanui. his club softball side, and will certainly not! turn out for Canterbury this season.

Roberts, a very useful pitcher for his provincial side over the past few seasons, was yesterday accepted for an advertising-selling job, which entails a lot of travelling.

“I’ll be based in Christ-1 church only until the middle of November (six weeks ■fter the club season begins)] and am not too worried about playing softball,” he said. Papanui will be hardpressed to find a replacement of Robert’s calibre but, Roberts is reluctant to start pitching for his club andi then break up a great com-i bination early on in the sea- 1 son.

“I’ve told Keith Bingley (the Papanui coach) that I’d rather not pitch but it’s up: to him — he might even de-] cide to use me as the start-1 off pitcher in the first game] yet.” But Christchurch softball 1 fans may very well find l Roberts fielding in the cutfield instead of his accustomed position on the pitching mound when the season begins on October 2.

And he is no stranger to tne deep. He fielded there for his old club. United, when it won its first chain-j pionship, and has also been' in the outfield for New Zealand B

Roberts would still like to play for New Zealand but is] reluctant to take on the huge workload that would be involved to make the team at a time when he has adopted a “new, challenging career.”

“I’ve been labouring all my life and am keen to take on a job which involves much more challenge and, naturally, a lot more i money.” Roberts does not know if he will turn out regularly for Papanui again but he [certainly intends to keep on playing softball and will do l as much as he can in his next ports of call — Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and then Auckland for two months in January and February.

At 26 Roberts obviously still has a lot of pitching left in him but the immediate concern of the club which has relied on him for so long is to find a suitable replacement. Roberts has great faith in the confident Murray Reid, who has filled in admirably in the past. “Murray works on a lot of control and he’ll do a good job. I expect him to surprise quite a few people this season.” Papanui will also miss Roberts as a very effective batter on occasions but Canterbury’s main loss will be in the pitching depart- ' ment.

If the new selectors — Bryan Mountford and Arnie Hall — are unable to persuade Dave Bradbury, the top pitcher in the province

to make himself available then Canterbury might as well forget about the Rothmans national tournament over the Christmas break. Even if Bradbury does reconsider Messrs Mountford and Hall will sadly miss Roberts as a backup who can confuse the country’s best batters when on top. These days Roberts concentrates on throwing a drop ball. "Rises and curves are far easier to throw and I prefer to throw something requiring a bit more thought — the drop I’m doing now took me two years to perfect.”