Australian Baseball League
Encyclopedia
The Australian Baseball League (ABL) was a baseball
league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.
, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament. The idea of an Australian baseball league was first conceived in , possibly prompted by the success of Australia's National Basketball League. The final Claxton Shield competition was held in 1988 by the Auburn Baseball Club in New South Wales
at its home ground of Oriole Park
. Auburn funded all visiting teams' fares and accommodation with the expectation of recouping from gate takings and increased revenue at its social club. Soon after, the ABL was formed, with eight teams from around Australia.
s, the winner of which being crowned champions.
The season length ranged from 42 to 62 matches, depending on the number of teams in the season. The competition used the designated hitter
rule, much like the Major League Baseball
's American League
, but allowed aluminium bats for non-MLB contracted players, with the contracted players using wood
. There were also allowances in place for pinch runner
s to run for a catcher
if he made base safely, this was put in place for not only speed up the break between innings waiting for a catcher to change into his gear, but to create more excitement on the basepaths. Import restrictions also applied in the League as to nurture home grown talent
The ABL experimented with many different types of scheduling to try and increase attendances, including day and night games at different times of the week, seven inning double headers. The length of games became a problem as many grounds had night curfew
s.
The league consisted of between 6 and 9 teams over the 10 years, with its highest point in 1995 with 9 teams competing. Championships were decided by a top two 5 game play off series for the first 3 seasons before changing to a top 4 play off series with winners advancing to the championship series. Following the change to the top 4 format, both semi-finals and championship series were played as a best-of-three series.
The Australian Baseball League formally got underway in October 1989, representing Australia's first professional "major league" of baseball. Officially, the first ABL game was contested between Perth Heat and Adelaide Giants at Parry Field in Perth on 27 October 1989, with the Giants winning 8-5. The inaugural season was dominated by the Waverley Reds a record of 34 wins and 6 losses, only losing 2 games at home from 19 starts, taking out the Championship series 3 games to 1 against cross town rivals the Melbourne Monarchs
.
The 1990/91 ABL championship was won by the Perth Heat, defeating the minor premiers, the Gold Coast's Daikyo Dolphins by 3 games to 2.
In a reversal of the previous season, the 1991/92 ABL title was won by the Daikyo Dolphins, defeating the Perth Heat by 3 games to 1.
The first year of the four-team finals format, the championship series saw the Melbourne Monarchs face the minor premier Perth Heat at Perth's Parry Field
, having eliminated the Sydney Blues and Waverley Reds, respectively. The Melbourne Monarchs defeated the Heat 2 games to nil in the final to clinch the 1992/93 ABL championship.
Won by the Brisbane Bandits, defeating the minor premier Sydney Blues 2 games to nil in the championship series held at Parramatta Stadium
. The Perth Heat and Adelaide Giants, respectively, were the two defeated semi-finalists.
Won by the Waverley Reds, defeating the Perth Heat 2 games to nil at Moorabbin Oval
. The Sydney Blues (defeated by the Reds) and East Coast Cougars (defeated by the Heat) were eliminated in the semi-finals.
Won by the Sydney Blues, defeating the Melbourne Reds 2 games to nil in the Blues' only season at the old Sydney Showground
at Moore Park. In the first time a team had reached the final from fourth place, the Reds defeated the minor premier Brisbane Bandits in the semi-final, while the Perth Heat were eliminated by the Blues.
Won by the Perth Heat.
Won by the Melbourne Reds.
The final ABL Championship, held as a test event at the new Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park
, was taken out by the Gold Coast Cougars (defeating the Sydney Storm), after the Adelaide Giants dominated the regular season to finish on top.
to Australian baseballer David Nilsson for a reported $5 million who replaced it with the International Baseball League of Australia
, which in turn folded in 2002.
. It proved to be a good 'instructional league' for MLB organisations or even for extended rehabilitation. Many of the import players would not come back for a second season as they were either advanced in their organisation, or replaced by a different player who was thought could benefit from playing in Australia.
and Major League Baseball
to re-establish an Australian national league in November 2008. The new national league was proposed to run for 10 weeks from November 2008 to February 2009 and to be partly funded by Major League Baseball
.
On 10 August 2007 it was announced the 2008 Claxton Shield would be run as a "home and away" series. The revamped series was made up of two pools of three teams, with each team playing three home and three away games against the other two teams in its pool. Pool A was to be made up of the Victoria Aces
, Perth Heat
and South Australia
, and Pool B was to be made up of the New South Wales Patriots
, Queensland Rams
and Australia Provincial
. The revamped series was run from late December 2007 to early February 2008.
The 2009 series followed a similar format, but without the Australia Provincial team, resulting in each team playing each other team once in either a home or an away three-game series, in addition to a "showcase" round to start the season, held in Sydney with each team playing every other team once over the course of the week.
On 1 July 2009, a joint announcement was made by the Australian Baseball Federation, Australian Federal Government
and Major League Baseball stating the intention to resurrect a national baseball league for Australia, with the Government announcing A$400,000 towards the new league.
It was originally planned that the Australian Baseball League would eventually have a 60-game season from November to February consisting of teams from Adelaide
, Brisbane
, Melbourne
, Perth
and Sydney
with a pending spot for Canberra
. The league is 75% owned by Major League Baseball
and 25% by the Australian Baseball Federation
. The first ABL season is scheduled for November–February 2009/2010, but will be run under the banner of the 2010 Claxton Shield with 2011 season scheduled to be the first 'official' season. Some players will be paid, and some will not, with an average salary expected to be about A$800 per month. Players will be under contract, although the system of player-league relations will be highly centralized in the ABF for the league's early years in order to ensure cheap and efficient league operation. In November 2009 referendums were held on team names.
In November, 2009, the Australian Baseball League approved Canberra's bid for a 6th spot in the inaugural ABL season with the ACT Government contributing $75,000 for the first season, and $30,000 every other season. Also, the franchise already has over $64,000 from 3200 people pledging support at $20 a head during the bid attempt. ActewAGL
, Rolfe Audi
were announced as major sponsors of the team.
In May, 2010, the Australian Baseball League made steps towards marketing their product, producing a website and two advertisements shown on ESPN Australia
and ONE HD. The logo was officially unveiled and the Melbourne franchise's general manager, Stephen Nash, announced a 40 game season between six franchises over 10 weeks from November to January, with a post-season finals series in February.
On 5 August 2010, the team names for the Australian Baseball League were made public. They include the Brisbane Bandits
, the Sydney Blue Sox
, the Canberra Cavalry
, the Melbourne Aces
, the Adelaide Bite
and the Perth Heat
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.
Formation
Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton ShieldClaxton Shield
The Claxton Shield was the name of the premier baseball competition in Australia held between state-based teams, as well as the name of the trophy awarded to the champion team...
, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament. The idea of an Australian baseball league was first conceived in , possibly prompted by the success of Australia's National Basketball League. The final Claxton Shield competition was held in 1988 by the Auburn Baseball Club in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
at its home ground of Oriole Park
Oriole Park (Sydney)
Oriole Park is the home of the Auburn Baseball Club in New South Wales, Australia. It was extended and had lighting added prior to hosting the 1980 Claxton Shield....
. Auburn funded all visiting teams' fares and accommodation with the expectation of recouping from gate takings and increased revenue at its social club. Soon after, the ABL was formed, with eight teams from around Australia.
Competition structure
The Australian Baseball League was much like many other professional baseball leagues around the world, with teams playing home and away series during a regular season, playing to compete in the playoffPlayoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
s, the winner of which being crowned champions.
The season length ranged from 42 to 62 matches, depending on the number of teams in the season. The competition used the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
rule, much like the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, but allowed aluminium bats for non-MLB contracted players, with the contracted players using wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
. There were also allowances in place for pinch runner
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
s to run for a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
if he made base safely, this was put in place for not only speed up the break between innings waiting for a catcher to change into his gear, but to create more excitement on the basepaths. Import restrictions also applied in the League as to nurture home grown talent
The ABL experimented with many different types of scheduling to try and increase attendances, including day and night games at different times of the week, seven inning double headers. The length of games became a problem as many grounds had night curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
s.
Australian Baseball League of the 1990s
The Australian Baseball League formally got underway in October 1989, representing Australia's first professional "major league". Officially, the first ABL game was contested between Perth Heat and Adelaide Giants at Parry Field in Perth on 27 October 1989, with the Giants winning 8-5.The league consisted of between 6 and 9 teams over the 10 years, with its highest point in 1995 with 9 teams competing. Championships were decided by a top two 5 game play off series for the first 3 seasons before changing to a top 4 play off series with winners advancing to the championship series. Following the change to the top 4 format, both semi-finals and championship series were played as a best-of-three series.
- 1989-90
The Australian Baseball League formally got underway in October 1989, representing Australia's first professional "major league" of baseball. Officially, the first ABL game was contested between Perth Heat and Adelaide Giants at Parry Field in Perth on 27 October 1989, with the Giants winning 8-5. The inaugural season was dominated by the Waverley Reds a record of 34 wins and 6 losses, only losing 2 games at home from 19 starts, taking out the Championship series 3 games to 1 against cross town rivals the Melbourne Monarchs
Melbourne Monarchs
The Melbourne Monarchs were one of the foundation members of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The Monarchs had their licence revoked after the 1990–91 championship following a controversial dispute with Australia Baseball League officials....
.
- 1990-91
The 1990/91 ABL championship was won by the Perth Heat, defeating the minor premiers, the Gold Coast's Daikyo Dolphins by 3 games to 2.
- 1991-92
In a reversal of the previous season, the 1991/92 ABL title was won by the Daikyo Dolphins, defeating the Perth Heat by 3 games to 1.
- 1992-93
The first year of the four-team finals format, the championship series saw the Melbourne Monarchs face the minor premier Perth Heat at Perth's Parry Field
Parry Field
Parry Field in Belmont, Perth, Western Australia was the site of Baseball WA's first purpose-built baseball stadium, named for Kevin Parry, a local businessman and enthusiast whose fortunes failed soon after the opening. The stadium featured television-standard lighting, seating for about 2,200...
, having eliminated the Sydney Blues and Waverley Reds, respectively. The Melbourne Monarchs defeated the Heat 2 games to nil in the final to clinch the 1992/93 ABL championship.
- 1993-94
Won by the Brisbane Bandits, defeating the minor premier Sydney Blues 2 games to nil in the championship series held at Parramatta Stadium
Parramatta Stadium
Parramatta Stadium is a sports stadium situated in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.The stadium is used primarily as the home ground of Australian National Rugby League club the Parramatta Eels...
. The Perth Heat and Adelaide Giants, respectively, were the two defeated semi-finalists.
- 1994-95
Won by the Waverley Reds, defeating the Perth Heat 2 games to nil at Moorabbin Oval
Moorabbin Oval
Moorabbin Oval, also known by its sponsorship name of Linen House Oval, is an Australian Rules Football ground in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia at Linton Street in the suburb of Moorabbin....
. The Sydney Blues (defeated by the Reds) and East Coast Cougars (defeated by the Heat) were eliminated in the semi-finals.
- 1995-96
Won by the Sydney Blues, defeating the Melbourne Reds 2 games to nil in the Blues' only season at the old Sydney Showground
Sydney Showground (Moore Park)
The former Sydney Showground at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997, when the Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Homebush Bay, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics...
at Moore Park. In the first time a team had reached the final from fourth place, the Reds defeated the minor premier Brisbane Bandits in the semi-final, while the Perth Heat were eliminated by the Blues.
- 1996-97
Won by the Perth Heat.
- 1997-98
Won by the Melbourne Reds.
- 1998-99
The final ABL Championship, held as a test event at the new Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park
Sydney Olympic Park is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney Olympic Park is located 16 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Auburn Council....
, was taken out by the Gold Coast Cougars (defeating the Sydney Storm), after the Adelaide Giants dominated the regular season to finish on top.
Decline and Sale
The ABL had a total running cost of $6 million by the later half of the 1990s, due to a lack of sponsorship and gate takings the league was only raising $4 million by the final season. Due to these mounting debts the Australian Baseball Federation sold off the rights to the league and Claxton ShieldClaxton Shield
The Claxton Shield was the name of the premier baseball competition in Australia held between state-based teams, as well as the name of the trophy awarded to the champion team...
to Australian baseballer David Nilsson for a reported $5 million who replaced it with the International Baseball League of Australia
International Baseball League of Australia
The International Baseball League of Australia was a baseball league which existed from 1999 to 2002.The league was created by David Nilsson after he purchased the rights to the Australian Baseball League in 1999 when it was near financial collapse...
, which in turn folded in 2002.
Original clubs
Over the ten years of the Australian Baseball League there was a total of twelve franchise licences issued, most seasons the ABL had a total of 8 teams but had as many as nine and for the final season six. The founding eight teams of the Australian Baseball League were;- Adelaide GiantsAdelaide GiantsThe Adelaide Giants were one of the foundation members of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. They competed in all 10 seasons but however never once made the leagues final playoff series...
: The Giants competed in all ten seasons of the ABL but did not make the championship playoffs once.
- Brisbane Bandits: The Bandits competed in the first nine seasons but dropped out of the final season due to not having a suitable venue, The Bandits won one championship and finished runner-up in another.
- Gold Coast ClippersGold Coast ClippersThe Gold Coast Clippers were a foundation team in the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The Clippers changed their name to the Daikyo Dolphins following the signing of a major sponsorship deal with Daikyo to create one of the strongest teams in ABL history.- See also :*Sport in...
: The Clippers had many different names over their ten years in the ABL: The Daikyo Dolphins from 1990 to 1993 due to a sponsorship with Japanese company Daikyo, then the East Coast Cougars and finally Gold Coast Cougars. This franchise won two championships and were runner-up in a further two times.
- Melbourne MonarchsMelbourne MonarchsThe Melbourne Monarchs were one of the foundation members of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. The Monarchs had their licence revoked after the 1990–91 championship following a controversial dispute with Australia Baseball League officials....
: The Monarchs competed in only three of the ten seasons, as they were expelled from the league after the 1991-92 season. The Monarchs won one ABL title and were runner-up to the Reds in 1990.
- Parramatta PatriotsParramatta PatriotsThe Parramatta Patriots were one of the eight foundation teams of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. They disbanded after the 1990–91 season due to heavy financial losses and were replaced by the Sydney Blues in the following season.- See also :...
: The Patriots competed in the first three seasons with their best result being third in 1990. The Patriots disbanded after the 1991-92 season due to heavy financial losses, and the Sydney Blues purchased their licence.
- Sydney MetrosSydney MetrosThe Sydney Metros were one of the eight foundation teams of the now defunct Australian Baseball League. They Disbanded after the 1989-90 season due to heavy financial losses and sold their licence to the Sydney Wave....
: The Metros had the dishonour of being the least successful team in the ABL and also having the shortest history, as they folded shortly after the 1989-90 season. The Metros' licence was purchased by the Sydney Wave.
- Perth HeatPerth HeatThe baseball team Perth Heat is a team in the current Australian Baseball League and a foundation member of the now-defunct Australian Baseball League...
: The Heat were the second-most successful team in the league, winning the title twice and finishing runner-up a further three times.
- Waverley Reds: The Reds were the most successful team in the league, being the only team to win three ABL titles, while also finishing runner-up once. The Reds also held the regular-season single-game attendance record (and second-highest overall) of 11,444, in the 1991/92 season against then-cross-town rivals the Melbourne Bushrangers at Waverley Oval. The Reds changed their name to the Melbourne Reds after the 1993-94 season in an attempt to broaden their supporter base.
Later additions
Later additions to the league were;- Melbourne Bushrangers: The Bushrangers were brought in to replace the Monarchs after they were expelled, and played two seasons in Melbourne before moving north to Canberra. They thus changed their name to the Canberra Bushrangers and competed for a further two seasons before going broke.
- Sydney Blues: The Blues purchased their licence from the Parramatta Patriots. Due to the marketing problems associated with having the same name as the NSW cricket team [Blues] the name was changed to the Sydney Storm. The team won one championship and finished runner-up under the Blues name; they also finished runner-up once more under the Storm name. The Blues held the overall single-game attendance record, with a 1994 finals series game against the Brisbane Bandits drawing 13,764 to Parramatta Stadium.
- Sydney WaveSydney WaveThe Sydney Wave were formed after the first ABL championship purchasing the Sydney Metros licence. The Wave had a bit more luck then the Metros lasting a further two seasons, both at different stadiums before disbanding due to not having a lit stadium and sold their licence to the Hunter Eagles.-...
: The Wave was formed after purchasing its licence of the Sydney Metros. The Wave had no real impact on the league, lasting only two seasons before folding with heavy financial losses. Their licence was then sold to the Hunter Eagles.
- Hunter EaglesHunter EaglesThe Hunter Eagles were formed for the ABL 1994-95 season after purchasing the Sydney Wave's licence, who had left the league two seasons earlier. The Eagles played in the ABL until the ABL 1997-98 season, and did not have sufficient funds to remain in operation.- See also :*Sport in...
: The Eagles had slightly more success in the ABL than their previous two licence-holders, lasting for a total of four seasons. The Eagles were excluded from the 1998-99 season after not being able to supply enough funds to run the team for the upcoming season.
Players
The ABL experienced a lot of baseball talent not only from Australia, but from overseas, with over 90 MLB or future MLB players playing over the history of the competition. Many of these import players were sent to Australia from rookie ball up to advanced A (with some exceptions) as a winter ball league that provided a different environment to winter leagues in Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. It proved to be a good 'instructional league' for MLB organisations or even for extended rehabilitation. Many of the import players would not come back for a second season as they were either advanced in their organisation, or replaced by a different player who was thought could benefit from playing in Australia.
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... |
Dave Nilsson Dave Nilsson David Wayne Nilsson is a retired Australian professional baseball player who played as catcher for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers from to . He was an All-Star in 1999, becoming the only Australian player to appear in an All-Star game... |
.356 |
| HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
Ronny Johnson | 106 |
| RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... |
Ronny Johnson | 375 |
| R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... |
Andrew Scott | 343 |
| H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
Andrew Scott | 521 |
| SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... |
Peter Hartas | 122 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
Phil Dale | 65 |
| ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
Graeme Lloyd Graeme Lloyd Graeme John Lloyd is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who had a ten year career from 1993 to 2003.-Playing career:... |
2.34 |
| K Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
Phil Dale | 553 |
| IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
Phil Dale | 7921/3 |
| SV | Bob Nilsson Bob Nilsson Robert "Bob" Nilsson was the oldest of the four Nilsson brothers and one of the greatest relievers in the history of Australian baseball leagues. Bob's brother Dave Nilsson was the first Australian All-Star in MLB, his brother Gary Nilsson played in the minors and Ron Nilsson also played in... |
53 |
New Australian Baseball League
While no confirmation was forthcoming from either source, plans were apparently hatched between the Australian Baseball FederationAustralian Baseball Federation
The Australian Baseball Federation is the national governing body of Baseball in Australia. Baseball is played in all the mainland states and territories, but it struggles for popularity due to the popularity of many other sports, including the comparable sport of cricket, in which Australia has...
and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
to re-establish an Australian national league in November 2008. The new national league was proposed to run for 10 weeks from November 2008 to February 2009 and to be partly funded by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
On 10 August 2007 it was announced the 2008 Claxton Shield would be run as a "home and away" series. The revamped series was made up of two pools of three teams, with each team playing three home and three away games against the other two teams in its pool. Pool A was to be made up of the Victoria Aces
Victoria Aces
The Victoria Aces are an Australian baseball team who compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship. One of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934, they competed until 1988. Thereafter the Claxton Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League until 2002...
, Perth Heat
Perth Heat
The baseball team Perth Heat is a team in the current Australian Baseball League and a foundation member of the now-defunct Australian Baseball League...
and South Australia
South Australia (Baseball Team)
South Australia compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship in Australia. They were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed until 1988 where the Claxtion Shield was thereafter awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League until 1999 when they were...
, and Pool B was to be made up of the New South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots compete in the Claxton Shield baseball championship in Australia.The Patriots were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed as New South Wales until 1988 when the Claxtion Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League...
, Queensland Rams
Queensland Rams
Queensland Rams compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship in Australia. The Rams were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed as Queensland until 1988. Between 1988 and 1999, the Claxton Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League...
and Australia Provincial
Australia Provincial
Australian Provincial compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship in Australia. Provincial were formed for the 2002 International Baseball League of Australia Championship, since 2003 they have competed in the Claxton Shield....
. The revamped series was run from late December 2007 to early February 2008.
The 2009 series followed a similar format, but without the Australia Provincial team, resulting in each team playing each other team once in either a home or an away three-game series, in addition to a "showcase" round to start the season, held in Sydney with each team playing every other team once over the course of the week.
On 1 July 2009, a joint announcement was made by the Australian Baseball Federation, Australian Federal Government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
and Major League Baseball stating the intention to resurrect a national baseball league for Australia, with the Government announcing A$400,000 towards the new league.
It was originally planned that the Australian Baseball League would eventually have a 60-game season from November to February consisting of teams from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with a pending spot for Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. The league is 75% owned by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and 25% by the Australian Baseball Federation
Australian Baseball Federation
The Australian Baseball Federation is the national governing body of Baseball in Australia. Baseball is played in all the mainland states and territories, but it struggles for popularity due to the popularity of many other sports, including the comparable sport of cricket, in which Australia has...
. The first ABL season is scheduled for November–February 2009/2010, but will be run under the banner of the 2010 Claxton Shield with 2011 season scheduled to be the first 'official' season. Some players will be paid, and some will not, with an average salary expected to be about A$800 per month. Players will be under contract, although the system of player-league relations will be highly centralized in the ABF for the league's early years in order to ensure cheap and efficient league operation. In November 2009 referendums were held on team names.
In November, 2009, the Australian Baseball League approved Canberra's bid for a 6th spot in the inaugural ABL season with the ACT Government contributing $75,000 for the first season, and $30,000 every other season. Also, the franchise already has over $64,000 from 3200 people pledging support at $20 a head during the bid attempt. ActewAGL
ActewAGL
ActewAGL is Australia's first multi-utility to offer electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services in a single organisation. At the time of its formation it was the only multi-utility of its kind in Australia....
, Rolfe Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
were announced as major sponsors of the team.
In May, 2010, the Australian Baseball League made steps towards marketing their product, producing a website and two advertisements shown on ESPN Australia
ESPN Australia
ESPN Australia is a 24 hour sports channel offered in Australia and New Zealand.Initially, ESPN was known as Sports ESPN on the Optus Vision cable television system, and focused on sports aired by its home network in the United States, including American football, baseball, and basketball...
and ONE HD. The logo was officially unveiled and the Melbourne franchise's general manager, Stephen Nash, announced a 40 game season between six franchises over 10 weeks from November to January, with a post-season finals series in February.
On 5 August 2010, the team names for the Australian Baseball League were made public. They include the Brisbane Bandits
Brisbane Bandits
The Brisbane Bandits were a foundation team in the Australian Baseball League which was bought by a private owner and shut down in 1999. The Bandits have now been resurrected as a team in the new Australian Baseball League which is due to start in November 2010...
, the Sydney Blue Sox
Sydney Blue Sox
The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of six foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League . The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney , one of the two venues for used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was...
, the Canberra Cavalry
Canberra Cavalry
The Canberra UberGlobal Cavalry is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League. The team is based in the city of Canberra, Australia...
, the Melbourne Aces
Melbourne Aces
The Melbourne Aces is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.On Friday, 20 August 2010 it was announced that ex-Australian Baseball player Philip Dale would take up the head coaching role at Melbourne Aces.On Tuesday, 12 October 2010,...
, the Adelaide Bite
Adelaide Bite
The Adelaide Bite are a professional baseball team who plays in the Australian Baseball League and is one of the six founding teams of the league. Their home ballpark is Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval which is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia...
and the Perth Heat
Perth Heat
The baseball team Perth Heat is a team in the current Australian Baseball League and a foundation member of the now-defunct Australian Baseball League...
.
See also
- Australian Baseball League ChampionshipsAustralian Baseball League ChampionshipsThe Australian Baseball League was held for 10 seasons, with team numbers varying from six to nine, with eight teams competing for eight of the seasons.-Game 1: Waverley Reds Vs Melbourne Monarchs at Waverley Park:...
- Australian Baseball League AwardsAustralian Baseball League AwardsThis is a list of award winners from the now-defunct Australian Baseball League .-Batting Champion:-Golden Glove:-Manager of the Year:-Most Valuable Player:-Rookie of the Year:-Reliever of the Year:-Pitcher of the Year:...
- List of Australian Baseball League records