Redcliffe Padres
Encyclopedia
The Redcliffe Leagues Padres Baseball Club, also known as Peninsula Padres Baseball Club is a baseball club located in Redcliffe, Queensland
that participates in the Greater Brisbane League
competition and Brisbane North Region competition. As of the April 2009, it was the largest club in Queensland
and second largest in Australia behind the Waverley Baseball Club in Victoria
.
As of the 2009-2010 season
, the club fields a team in every division and age group of the Greater Brisbane League and consists of 22 junior teams from Under 8 to Under 20, as well as six senior teams including a Over 35 Master's team.
On 9 December 2008 it was named by the Australian Baseball Federation
as the Club of the Year.
named Chuck Carroll and was later named the Redcliffe Whitesox. Younger kids played at Redcliffe Police Citizens Youth Club
then went elsewhere if they wanted to go on. Redcliffe Baseball Club had no direct feeder clubs from junior PCYC. In 1991 the PCYC could not support baseball anymore and the seniors wanted feeder clubs to support them so they joined forces at the Silcock Street oval and named themselves the Peninsula Padres – based on the San Diego Padres
.
In the first year there were 7 teams in total. They needed a home run
fence which they did not have at Silcock Street and could not put up. Council therefore asked them to relocate to the Redcliffe Showgrounds
in 1996. The club had to take the fences down at showtime and then adjust the grounds after the show to make it suitable for baseball again. However, a big plus was the great light facility on the grounds. With greater promotion and a new facility, the move paid off with a boom and a resurgence of interest in baseball. Within a year at the Showgrounds there were 16 teams.
In 2003-2004 the Council offered Talobilla Park
as an option. Touch football
had rejected Council’s suggestion so baseball and softball
worked together to establish these sports in a permanent setting. The council, Queensland Government and the club used money to put in irrigation
, back nets, turf and ancillary fixtures etc. to make the move possible. Also shipped
in, was the old Redcliffe golf-club pro shop which is used for a canteen and meeting house. The move caused yet another resurgence and the club has now grown to 22 teams with about 225 players not to mention countless volunteers, coaches and administrators involved with the club.
Padres is now the biggest club in Queensland
, as well as second largest in Australia
.
decided to make the Major A competition a wooden bat league and the Redcliffe Major A team led by Scott Brockie struggled to adjust to the change and finished mid-table. However, both Major B and C grade were finalists. The club fielded eleven junior teams and three senior teams and won its first ever Brisbane North premiership in the U12 age group.
The 2001–2002 season was the most successful year since the club had been formed ten years ago, with President Terry King and A-Grade coaches Phil Schramm and Glen Brockie, two premierships were won in both Major B (second division) and Minor A (fourth division). The club fielded four senior and sixteen junior teams, making it the largest club in Queensland
that year. Before the start of the season, the clubs storage shed, a chicken shed used for the local Redcliffe Show, was set on fire by an arsonist with the club losing all but a single junior kitbag. That season the club also improved facilities at Redcliffe Showgrounds were the club was based by adding netting to the batting cages and having a PA system installed. The club was awarded four Greater Brisbane League
semi-finals and the Northside junior grand finals.
by the 2004–2005 season. The club was awarded six Greater Brisbane League
semi finals and three grand finals as well as the North preliminary finals. In addition the Queensland Academy of Sport utilised the fields for training as well as the Queensland Under 23 and regional teams. The season marked all Major league teams making the finals as well as the clubs first official Canadian import, Cav Whitely. The club also set a Greater Brisbane League
record in Major C, defeating Toowoomba Rangers
42–0.
record when they defeated Narangba Demons 41–1 to become minor premiers.
with teams stats of a win percentage of .656, batting average
of .256, ERA
of 4.46 and fielding average of .936. Success in the 2007-2008 season was mostly on the back of Canadian import Brett Murray who finished the season with an ERA of 2.42 and 122 strikeout
s over the course of 104.1 innings and a 11–3 pitching record, highest in the league. Brett also contributed with the bat collecting 38 hits, including 11 doubles in the season. Steven Greer was a surprise representative for the Queensland Rams
team that year along with Jay Nilsson
and coach Bob Nilsson
, Steven led the team with runs scored (30) and bases stolen (18 from 19 attempts), this capped off a fine Claxton Shield performance from previously unknown Steven Greer with 3/6 in two games including 3 RBIs. Phil Schramm also had a high season with an OB% of .480 in 19 games including 4 saves. Schramm also lead the league in hit by pitch balls, an astounding 16 times.
The team had some success after qualifying for the post season, winning their semi-final series 2–0. However, the grand final series against Runcorn Indians proved to be difficult as import and starting pitcher Brett Murray's visa
expired before the series could commence. A defensively weak Padres team lost the series convincingly 2–0 to be the Greater Brisbane League runners up.
pitcher Brian 'Bear' Debert. On top of the collection of new senior players, the A-Grade team would also see the emergence of eligible U18 players such as Queensland U18 pitcher, Lucas Bakker.
The team got off to a shaky start making 18 errors
and only one win in their first four games, but managed to notch wins against all three Brisbane Metro teams in as many weeks. After convincingly beating Narangba Demons at home, the team faced competition leaders Pine Rivers Rapids at Bray Park
and managed to defeat them in two close games, 4–2 and 10–9. However, the clubs A-Grade success was dampened by announcement of Canadian Devon Franklin that he would be leaving Australia early to go home before Christmas
.
With washout and bye weekends, the year had finished with 4th overall and 2nd on the Northside behind Pine Rivers Rapids, meaning that they would not qualify for the Commissioners Cup. However, the Pine Rivers club pulled their A-Grade team out of the cup fixture against Surfers Paradise Baseball Club due to the team not being able to be competitive due to player commitments at the 2009 Claxton Shield. Therefore, Padres was awarded the opportunity to play in the second consecutive A-Grade Commissioners Cup, with coach Bob Nilsson
and center fielder Steven Greer away after being called up to the Queensland Rams
squad. The team played Surfers Paradise on 21 December at Beenleigh Hawks
baseball ground and retained the shield under coach and Nilsson brother, Ron Nilsson. The game was won 4–3 with Brian Debert pitching 8 innings.
The A-Grade team looked like they were going to cement a 2nd place finish on the Northside until a horror run in March. Apart from the a two game sweep against All-Stars, where A-Grade veteran Danny Dunsdon became the first player to play 400 games for the club, the team lost their four remaining games against Windsor and Pine Rivers meaning the team only scraped into the finals with the 2nd wildcard. They would face off against Pine Hills Lightning in the semi finals but lost to an opposition with far more momentum going into the finals in the 3rd game of a best of three series.
The B-Grade team also had a horror run in the second half of the season, dropping them from equal 3rd at the end of the year to 8th by the end of the season. This horror run was not assisted by a mid-season injury to pitcher William Preinke who broke his arm while pitching.
The clubs C-Grade team had a decent season, finishing with only one loss, but due to a rain-plagued season, meant they finished 4th overall and as the northsides wildcard
. They took on the Redlands Baseball Club
in the semi finals, only to go down by one run.
Minor A and C enjoyed finals baseball as well, with the Minor A team being knocked out by Runcorn Indians
in their semi final and Minor C team winning their semi, but losing narrowly in the preliminary final to the Windsor Royals
.
The club also finished the year with Padres junior teams awarded minor premiers in under 16 division 1 & 2. premiers in under 16 division 1, runners up in under 16 division 2 and preliminary finalists in under 20's.
All three Padres teams also made the finals of the under 12 Brisbane North competition.
On 9 December 2008, the club was named by the Australian Baseball Federation
as the 2009 Baseball Club of the Year along with the Doncaster Baseball Club
in Victoria
, the largest club in Australia. In May, the club was also awarded Baseball Queensland
junior club of the year as well as Sally West being awarded Volunteer of the Year.
As of the 2009-2010 season, there are two uniforms used, one for U8's to Little League
(U12) and one for U14's up. The junior uniform is a singular grey T-shirt
with red 3/4 sleeves and drawstring, belt-less grey pants. The senior uniform is a red undershirt with red piping around the neck and down either side of the front buttons and "Padres" in red letters outlined in white arched across the chest. Players also get to choose a personal number between 1–99 that is displayed on the back of their overshirt in large red block numbers with white outline. Pants are like juniors except they are button-up grey pants with red piping and a red belt. Both the juniors and seniors wear red socks and the Padres cap is red with a stylized 'P' for Padres, very similar to the Philadelphia Phillies
cap insignia.
While the Redcliffe Baseball Club was known as the 'Whitesox' from 1951 till 1973. The uniform was a black undershirt and overshirt with white trim sleeves. On the right middle side of the shirt was the word "SOX" in an Old English font, diagonally arranged. The cap was white with black brim and the SOX logo printed diagonally across it. Pants were plain white with a black belt and socks.
The first Peninsula Padres uniform was worn between 1992 and 1995 uniforms were a red 3/4 length sleeved undershirt and a white bodied, red pin striped T-shirt
styled overshirt with "Padres" arched across the chest. Pants were white, also with red pinstripe, instead of the current grey and socks were white with red trimmed sides. The cap was primary red with the insignia a red oblate 'P' cutting into an upside white oblate 'P' to form a square. The juniors wore a plain white uniform with a red collar trim and "Padres" in red arched across the chest. Pants were plain white with a red pipe down the outer leg sides. Plain white socks were also worn. Insignia was on the right sleeve of both uniforms.
In the 1995–1996 season the red undershirt was reduced to a T-shirt size and only visible above the overshirts collar. The hat insignia was changed to the stylized 'P' and sock colour was reversed so that socks were now primarily red with white foot and side trim. Juniors were changed to a red instead of white base to the uniform and the word "Padres" was changed to white.
The modern uniform was first issued at the start of the 1999 season. The overshirt was changed to the grey base with red piping and sleeves shortened so the undershirt was visible and pants were changed to grey with red piping. Also the socks changed to a plain red. The cap changed slight as the 'P' was thinned, giving a more stylistic look. In the 2002–2003 season, the Major A team wore a black undershirt and socks, as well as a black with red brimmed cap instead of the traditional red for night games played on a Friday night. The night uniform was scrapped by 2004 and the singular uniform for all senior teams returned.
season commenced late September in 2009 and is an important one for the club as a new Greater Brisbane League
format will be introduced with the Major A and Major B split into two divisions as well as a Masters competition being run by Baseball Queensland
. The season will also see the introduction of teams from Carina
and Toowoomba back into the Majors.
On 2 July, the club announced its new A-Grade coach as Todd Fairbrother, an ex Daikyo Dolphins
and Queensland Rams
player and coach to replace retired Bob Nilsson
. Bob, however, soon returned to coach the B-Grade team and helped manage the A's.
The club finished 5th overall after the qualifying rounds with a 9–5 record, placing them in the top eight and qualifying for the Queensland Major League. Although the team started strong in the qualifying round, the team dropped four straight games including one run losses to Wests and Beenleigh Hawks
, but finished strong with the return of Rodney Wodson from overseas, winning six from their last seven.
After the preliminary rounds, the B-Grade team, by finishing 2nd, qualified for the Commissioners Shield and defeated Windsor
7–6 for the clubs third successive Commissioners Shield trophy. With expanded rosters for the 2010 Claxton Shield, four players were named in the active 19-man roster; Carlos Prichard, Stephen Greer, Rodney Wodson and Jay Nilsson.
The clubs regular season was the best ever for a Redcliffe A-Grade team, finishing with a 14-4 record securing the minor premiership
and top seed for the finals. The team included Jay Nilsson leading the league in batting average (.443) and Rodney Wodson leading the league in ERA
(1.77). It was also the first season of Daniel Nilsson who represented Australia in the 2009 World Youth Baseball Championship
before the season and managed to hit a home run in his debut at bat.
The B-Grade team scraped into 4th spot for finals with a season disrupted by roster changes to accommodate the A-Grade players who were participating in the 2010 Claxton Shield. The SQBL A team secured the minor premiership with a 15-3 record and SQBL B team finishing 14-4 to finish 2nd. The SQBL C and Masters teams both missed out on finals by one win, ending their season in 5th position.
The finals run was less than ideal for A-Grade who went down to Windsor
in three games (6-5, 5-6, 5-6) in the semi-final and Wests
(9-0, 9-18, 2-8) in the preliminary final. Wests went on to beat Windsor for the premiership. The only successful team in the season being the SQBL A team who defeated Pine Hills
11-4. Major B ended up being knocked out in the semi-finals and SQBL B in the preliminaries. The clubs U16 division 1 team being the only junior team to make GBL finals, being knocked out in the semi final.
. In 2009, this competition had a total of 16 teams and is the backbone to recruiting juniors in Redcliffe, making baseball more popular than cricket in Redcliffe.
and the now defunct Peninsula Post, have been publishing articles and results about the Padres since its inception. Since the 2006–2007 season however, articles have become more in depth as the club has become recognised as one of Redcliffe's top sporting clubs. The club is also covered by online newspaper Redcliffe City News. Major League results are also covered by the television network 7 and more in depth results are covered by The Sunday Mail
and The Courier Mail as of the 2008–2009 season.
, Australia
or professionally.
Redcliffe, Queensland
Redcliffe is a residential suburb of the Moreton Bay Region in the north-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia...
that participates in the Greater Brisbane League
Greater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
competition and Brisbane North Region competition. As of the April 2009, it was the largest club in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and second largest in Australia behind the Waverley Baseball Club in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
As of the 2009-2010 season
Greater Brisbane League 2009-10
-B-Grade:Beenleigh Hawks defeated Windsor Royals 10-9 in the Major League B-Grade final. This is their third consecutive B-Grade premiership.-Pacific League:-B-Grade:Toowoomba Rangers defeated Redlands Rays 23-11 in the Pacific League B-Grade final....
, the club fields a team in every division and age group of the Greater Brisbane League and consists of 22 junior teams from Under 8 to Under 20, as well as six senior teams including a Over 35 Master's team.
On 9 December 2008 it was named 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...
as the Club of the Year.
History
Redcliffe Baseball club was founded as a senior club in 1948 by an American ex-servicemanSoldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
named Chuck Carroll and was later named the Redcliffe Whitesox. Younger kids played at Redcliffe Police Citizens Youth Club
Police Citizens Youth Club
A Police & Community Youth Clubs or commonly abbreviated to PCYC are a network of Australian non-profit, community organisations, founded in NSW...
then went elsewhere if they wanted to go on. Redcliffe Baseball Club had no direct feeder clubs from junior PCYC. In 1991 the PCYC could not support baseball anymore and the seniors wanted feeder clubs to support them so they joined forces at the Silcock Street oval and named themselves the Peninsula Padres – based on the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
In the first year there were 7 teams in total. They needed a home run
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...
fence which they did not have at Silcock Street and could not put up. Council therefore asked them to relocate to the Redcliffe Showgrounds
Redcliffe Showgrounds
The Redcliffe Showgrounds is a showground in Redcliffe, Queensland for the annual Redcliffe Show the June holidays. Whilst the show isn't on, it is home to the Redcliffe Darts club, Redcliffe Bingo as well as PCYC Over 35 soccer club...
in 1996. The club had to take the fences down at showtime and then adjust the grounds after the show to make it suitable for baseball again. However, a big plus was the great light facility on the grounds. With greater promotion and a new facility, the move paid off with a boom and a resurgence of interest in baseball. Within a year at the Showgrounds there were 16 teams.
In 2003-2004 the Council offered Talobilla Park
Talobilla Park
Talobilla Park is a sporting facility located in the suburb of Kippa-Ring, Queensland in Australia. Sports include baseball, canoeing, dragon boating, football , rugby league and softball. Talobilla Park is also contains a Automated Weather Observing System for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology...
as an option. Touch football
Touch football (rugby league)
Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
had rejected Council’s suggestion so baseball and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
worked together to establish these sports in a permanent setting. The council, Queensland Government and the club used money to put in irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, back nets, turf and ancillary fixtures etc. to make the move possible. Also shipped
in, was the old Redcliffe golf-club pro shop which is used for a canteen and meeting house. The move caused yet another resurgence and the club has now grown to 22 teams with about 225 players not to mention countless volunteers, coaches and administrators involved with the club.
Padres is now the biggest club in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, as well as second largest in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
2000–2001: Modern Major A
In 2000, Baseball QueenslandBaseball Queensland
Baseball Queensland is the governing body of baseball within Queensland. Baseball Queensland is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation. It is located in Milton, Queensland and run by chief executive officer Col Dick....
decided to make the Major A competition a wooden bat league and the Redcliffe Major A team led by Scott Brockie struggled to adjust to the change and finished mid-table. However, both Major B and C grade were finalists. The club fielded eleven junior teams and three senior teams and won its first ever Brisbane North premiership in the U12 age group.
2001–2002: Triumphant Padres
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
that year. Before the start of the season, the clubs storage shed, a chicken shed used for the local Redcliffe Show, was set on fire by an arsonist with the club losing all but a single junior kitbag. That season the club also improved facilities at Redcliffe Showgrounds were the club was based by adding netting to the batting cages and having a PA system installed. The club was awarded four Greater Brisbane League
Greater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
semi-finals and the Northside junior grand finals.
2002–2003: A Growing Club
By the start of the season, the club had increased their numbers to six senior teams and twenty junior teams on the back of a heavy push in recruiting and opening of a Redcliffe schools competition. With a change of hands of club presidents to Keith Land, the club reigned as the largest club in Queensland and was named as the "Redcliffe Leagues Club Leading Edge Club of the Year". The year also came with news of moving to a new grounds at Talobilla ParkTalobilla Park
Talobilla Park is a sporting facility located in the suburb of Kippa-Ring, Queensland in Australia. Sports include baseball, canoeing, dragon boating, football , rugby league and softball. Talobilla Park is also contains a Automated Weather Observing System for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology...
by the 2004–2005 season. The club was awarded six Greater Brisbane League
Greater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
semi finals and three grand finals as well as the North preliminary finals. In addition the Queensland Academy of Sport utilised the fields for training as well as the Queensland Under 23 and regional teams. The season marked all Major league teams making the finals as well as the clubs first official Canadian import, Cav Whitely. The club also set a Greater Brisbane League
Greater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
record in Major C, defeating Toowoomba Rangers
Toowoomba Rangers
The Toowoomba Rangers Baseball Club is a baseball club located in Toowoomba, Queensland, that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane West competition...
42–0.
2003–2004: Last at Showgrounds
Much of the focus of the season was off the field as the club prepared for a move to their new grounds at Talobilla Park by securing government and council grants. The club had a small decrease in size as it went down to six senior teams and seventeen junior teams, yet only managed to secure an U12 premiership. The Major C team also came close to breaking its own Greater Brisbane LeagueGreater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
record when they defeated Narangba Demons 41–1 to become minor premiers.
2007–2008: A-Grade Success
The 2007-2008 proved to be the most successful one in history for the Redcliffe Padres Major A team as the won the Commissioners Cup and finished 3rd overall in the regular season standings of the Greater Brisbane LeagueGreater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
with teams stats of a win percentage of .656, batting average
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 :...
of .256, 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...
of 4.46 and fielding average of .936. Success in the 2007-2008 season was mostly on the back of Canadian import Brett Murray who finished the season with an ERA of 2.42 and 122 strikeout
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....
s over the course of 104.1 innings and a 11–3 pitching record, highest in the league. Brett also contributed with the bat collecting 38 hits, including 11 doubles in the season. Steven Greer was a surprise representative for the 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...
team that year along with Jay Nilsson
Jay Nilsson
Jay Nilsson born 1 November 1987 in Redcliffe, Queensland is a former minor league baseball player for the Gulf Coast Indians. He is the son of Bob Nilsson, a top Australian league reliever of the 1990s. Jay's uncle David Nilsson was the first Australian All-Star in the major leagues...
and coach 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...
, Steven led the team with runs scored (30) and bases stolen (18 from 19 attempts), this capped off a fine Claxton Shield performance from previously unknown Steven Greer with 3/6 in two games including 3 RBIs. Phil Schramm also had a high season with an OB% of .480 in 19 games including 4 saves. Schramm also lead the league in hit by pitch balls, an astounding 16 times.
The team had some success after qualifying for the post season, winning their semi-final series 2–0. However, the grand final series against Runcorn Indians proved to be difficult as import and starting pitcher Brett Murray's visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
expired before the series could commence. A defensively weak Padres team lost the series convincingly 2–0 to be the Greater Brisbane League runners up.
2008–2009: Australian Club of the Year
The 2008–2009 season kicked off with the club fielding 22 junior teams and 6 senior teams, making the club the largest again in Queensland, ahead of the growing Pine Hills Lightning, and the second largest in Australia. In November, the club decided to merge one of their four U12 teams, dropping the number of total teams down to 27. The A-Grade team looked promising with two new Canadian imports, Devon Franklin and Brandon Hunter as well as a couple of new senior players, including the return of old Queensland RamsQueensland 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...
pitcher Brian 'Bear' Debert. On top of the collection of new senior players, the A-Grade team would also see the emergence of eligible U18 players such as Queensland U18 pitcher, Lucas Bakker.
The team got off to a shaky start making 18 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
and only one win in their first four games, but managed to notch wins against all three Brisbane Metro teams in as many weeks. After convincingly beating Narangba Demons at home, the team faced competition leaders Pine Rivers Rapids at Bray Park
Bray Park, Queensland
Bray Park is a suburb north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Regional Council. Bray Park is located north of Brisbane. It is named after John Bray, a former Shire councillor....
and managed to defeat them in two close games, 4–2 and 10–9. However, the clubs A-Grade success was dampened by announcement of Canadian Devon Franklin that he would be leaving Australia early to go home before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
.
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...
and center fielder Steven Greer away after being called up to the 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...
squad. The team played Surfers Paradise on 21 December at Beenleigh Hawks
Beenleigh Hawks
The Beenleigh & Districts Baseball Club is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane South competition.-History:...
baseball ground and retained the shield under coach and Nilsson brother, Ron Nilsson. The game was won 4–3 with Brian Debert pitching 8 innings.
The A-Grade team looked like they were going to cement a 2nd place finish on the Northside until a horror run in March. Apart from the a two game sweep against All-Stars, where A-Grade veteran Danny Dunsdon became the first player to play 400 games for the club, the team lost their four remaining games against Windsor and Pine Rivers meaning the team only scraped into the finals with the 2nd wildcard. They would face off against Pine Hills Lightning in the semi finals but lost to an opposition with far more momentum going into the finals in the 3rd game of a best of three series.
The B-Grade team also had a horror run in the second half of the season, dropping them from equal 3rd at the end of the year to 8th by the end of the season. This horror run was not assisted by a mid-season injury to pitcher William Preinke who broke his arm while pitching.
The clubs C-Grade team had a decent season, finishing with only one loss, but due to a rain-plagued season, meant they finished 4th overall and as the northsides wildcard
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
. They took on the Redlands Baseball Club
Redlands Baseball Club
The Redlands Baseball Club is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane South competition.-History:...
in the semi finals, only to go down by one run.
Minor A and C enjoyed finals baseball as well, with the Minor A team being knocked out by Runcorn Indians
Runcorn Indians
The Indians Baseball Club is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane South competition. It is one of the original clubs in Australia and several clubs have been offshoots of it, including Redlands Baseball Club and the Carina Redsox.The club...
in their semi final and Minor C team winning their semi, but losing narrowly in the preliminary final to the Windsor Royals
Windsor Royals
The Windsor Royals, originally known simply as Windsor baseball club and formerly the Windsor Engineers is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and Brisbane Metro Baseball competition.-History:...
.
The club also finished the year with Padres junior teams awarded minor premiers in under 16 division 1 & 2. premiers in under 16 division 1, runners up in under 16 division 2 and preliminary finalists in under 20's.
All three Padres teams also made the finals of the under 12 Brisbane North competition.
On 9 December 2008, the club was named 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...
as the 2009 Baseball Club of the Year along with the Doncaster Baseball Club
Doncaster Baseball Club
The Doncaster Baseball Club, also known as the Doncaster Dragons is a baseball club based in Doncaster, Victoria and is the 3rd largest club in Australia....
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, the largest club in Australia. In May, the club was also awarded Baseball Queensland
Baseball Queensland
Baseball Queensland is the governing body of baseball within Queensland. Baseball Queensland is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation. It is located in Milton, Queensland and run by chief executive officer Col Dick....
junior club of the year as well as Sally West being awarded Volunteer of the Year.
Uniform
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
(U12) and one for U14's up. The junior uniform is a singular grey T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
with red 3/4 sleeves and drawstring, belt-less grey pants. The senior uniform is a red undershirt with red piping around the neck and down either side of the front buttons and "Padres" in red letters outlined in white arched across the chest. Players also get to choose a personal number between 1–99 that is displayed on the back of their overshirt in large red block numbers with white outline. Pants are like juniors except they are button-up grey pants with red piping and a red belt. Both the juniors and seniors wear red socks and the Padres cap is red with a stylized 'P' for Padres, very similar to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
cap insignia.
While the Redcliffe Baseball Club was known as the 'Whitesox' from 1951 till 1973. The uniform was a black undershirt and overshirt with white trim sleeves. On the right middle side of the shirt was the word "SOX" in an Old English font, diagonally arranged. The cap was white with black brim and the SOX logo printed diagonally across it. Pants were plain white with a black belt and socks.
The first Peninsula Padres uniform was worn between 1992 and 1995 uniforms were a red 3/4 length sleeved undershirt and a white bodied, red pin striped T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
styled overshirt with "Padres" arched across the chest. Pants were white, also with red pinstripe, instead of the current grey and socks were white with red trimmed sides. The cap was primary red with the insignia a red oblate 'P' cutting into an upside white oblate 'P' to form a square. The juniors wore a plain white uniform with a red collar trim and "Padres" in red arched across the chest. Pants were plain white with a red pipe down the outer leg sides. Plain white socks were also worn. Insignia was on the right sleeve of both uniforms.
In the 1995–1996 season the red undershirt was reduced to a T-shirt size and only visible above the overshirts collar. The hat insignia was changed to the stylized 'P' and sock colour was reversed so that socks were now primarily red with white foot and side trim. Juniors were changed to a red instead of white base to the uniform and the word "Padres" was changed to white.
The modern uniform was first issued at the start of the 1999 season. The overshirt was changed to the grey base with red piping and sleeves shortened so the undershirt was visible and pants were changed to grey with red piping. Also the socks changed to a plain red. The cap changed slight as the 'P' was thinned, giving a more stylistic look. In the 2002–2003 season, the Major A team wore a black undershirt and socks, as well as a black with red brimmed cap instead of the traditional red for night games played on a Friday night. The night uniform was scrapped by 2004 and the singular uniform for all senior teams returned.
Current Season
The Greater Brisbane League 2009-10Greater Brisbane League 2009-10
-B-Grade:Beenleigh Hawks defeated Windsor Royals 10-9 in the Major League B-Grade final. This is their third consecutive B-Grade premiership.-Pacific League:-B-Grade:Toowoomba Rangers defeated Redlands Rays 23-11 in the Pacific League B-Grade final....
season commenced late September in 2009 and is an important one for the club as a new Greater Brisbane League
Greater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
format will be introduced with the Major A and Major B split into two divisions as well as a Masters competition being run by Baseball Queensland
Baseball Queensland
Baseball Queensland is the governing body of baseball within Queensland. Baseball Queensland is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation. It is located in Milton, Queensland and run by chief executive officer Col Dick....
. The season will also see the introduction of teams from Carina
Carina, Queensland
Carina is an eastern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia about 7 kilometres from the Central Business District. It adjoins the suburbs of Carindale, Carina Heights, Cannon Hill and Camp Hill....
and Toowoomba back into the Majors.
On 2 July, the club announced its new A-Grade coach as Todd Fairbrother, an ex Daikyo Dolphins
Daikyo Dolphins
The Daikyo Dolphins were formerly the Gold Coast Clippers, 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 Japanese real estate development company Daikyo to create one of...
and 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...
player and coach to replace retired 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...
. Bob, however, soon returned to coach the B-Grade team and helped manage the A's.
The club finished 5th overall after the qualifying rounds with a 9–5 record, placing them in the top eight and qualifying for the Queensland Major League. Although the team started strong in the qualifying round, the team dropped four straight games including one run losses to Wests and Beenleigh Hawks
Beenleigh Hawks
The Beenleigh & Districts Baseball Club is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane South competition.-History:...
, but finished strong with the return of Rodney Wodson from overseas, winning six from their last seven.
After the preliminary rounds, the B-Grade team, by finishing 2nd, qualified for the Commissioners Shield and defeated Windsor
Windsor Royals
The Windsor Royals, originally known simply as Windsor baseball club and formerly the Windsor Engineers is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and Brisbane Metro Baseball competition.-History:...
7–6 for the clubs third successive Commissioners Shield trophy. With expanded rosters for the 2010 Claxton Shield, four players were named in the active 19-man roster; Carlos Prichard, Stephen Greer, Rodney Wodson and Jay Nilsson.
The clubs regular season was the best ever for a Redcliffe A-Grade team, finishing with a 14-4 record securing the minor premiership
Minor premiership
A minor premiership is the name of the title given to the team which finishes a sporting competition first in the league standings after the regular season but prior to commencement of the playoffs....
and top seed for the finals. The team included Jay Nilsson leading the league in batting average (.443) and Rodney Wodson leading the league in 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...
(1.77). It was also the first season of Daniel Nilsson who represented Australia in the 2009 World Youth Baseball Championship
2009 World Youth Baseball Championship
The 2009 World Youth Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament scheduled to start on 15 August 2009. It was the 14th time the World Youth Cup has taken place...
before the season and managed to hit a home run in his debut at bat.
The B-Grade team scraped into 4th spot for finals with a season disrupted by roster changes to accommodate the A-Grade players who were participating in the 2010 Claxton Shield. The SQBL A team secured the minor premiership with a 15-3 record and SQBL B team finishing 14-4 to finish 2nd. The SQBL C and Masters teams both missed out on finals by one win, ending their season in 5th position.
The finals run was less than ideal for A-Grade who went down to Windsor
Windsor Royals
The Windsor Royals, originally known simply as Windsor baseball club and formerly the Windsor Engineers is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and Brisbane Metro Baseball competition.-History:...
in three games (6-5, 5-6, 5-6) in the semi-final and Wests
Western Districts Baseball Club
The Western Districts Bulldogs Baseball Club is a baseball club located in Darra, Queensland, that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane West competition. They won the A-Grade premiership in 1983. In the Greater Brisbane League 2008-09 they finished last on the...
(9-0, 9-18, 2-8) in the preliminary final. Wests went on to beat Windsor for the premiership. The only successful team in the season being the SQBL A team who defeated Pine Hills
Pine Hills Lightning
The Pine Hills Lightning Baseball Club is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and Brisbane Metropolitan Region competition...
11-4. Major B ended up being knocked out in the semi-finals and SQBL B in the preliminaries. The clubs U16 division 1 team being the only junior team to make GBL finals, being knocked out in the semi final.
School Competition
In 2002, members from the Redcliffe committee succeeded in creating a primary schools baseball competition on the Redcliffe Peninsula in Queensland to be created alongside other summer sports such as cricket and softball. This included teams from Humpybong, Scarborough, Kippa Ring, Hercules Road, Southern Cross and Grace Lutheran primary schools who play during their Friday afternoon sport at Talobilla ParkTalobilla Park
Talobilla Park is a sporting facility located in the suburb of Kippa-Ring, Queensland in Australia. Sports include baseball, canoeing, dragon boating, football , rugby league and softball. Talobilla Park is also contains a Automated Weather Observing System for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology...
. In 2009, this competition had a total of 16 teams and is the backbone to recruiting juniors in Redcliffe, making baseball more popular than cricket in Redcliffe.
Media coverage
The Redcliffe and Bayside Herald as well as many other regional and Quest Community NewspapersQuest Community Newspapers
Quest Community Newspapers is a newspaper company in Stafford, Queensland, Australia. It is owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation....
and the now defunct Peninsula Post, have been publishing articles and results about the Padres since its inception. Since the 2006–2007 season however, articles have become more in depth as the club has become recognised as one of Redcliffe's top sporting clubs. The club is also covered by online newspaper Redcliffe City News. Major League results are also covered by the television network 7 and more in depth results are covered by The Sunday Mail
The Sunday Mail (Brisbane)
The Sunday Mail is Brisbane's only Sunday newspaper. The Sunday Mail is published in tabloid format, comprising several sections that can be extracted and read separately.-Publishing:...
and The Courier Mail as of the 2008–2009 season.
Records
Notable individual records set in one game, these include all games between the 1992–1993 season to present from grades Under 16 Division 2 to Major A. Where tied, the higher grade is awarded the record.| Record | Holder | Grade | Year Year A year is the orbital period of the Earth moving around the Sun. For an observer on Earth, this corresponds to the period it takes the Sun to complete one course throughout the zodiac along the ecliptic.... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Safe Hits | 7 | Darren Hartland | Major C | 2002–2003 |
| Most Home Runs | 3 | Steve Rixon | Under 16 Div 1 | 1995–1996 |
| Most Stolen Bases | 6 | Geoff Wade | Major C | 1995–1996 |
| Most Put Outs | 20 | Craig Cox | Major A | 2001–2002 |
| Most Errors | 5 | Mitchell Hatfield Phillip Schramm |
Major A | 1999–2000 2008-2009 |
| Most Strikeouts for | 15 | Brett Murray | Major A | 2007–2008 |
| Most Pitches | 159 | Keith Wright | Major A | 1994–1995 |
Notable players
The following players have either played for the Queensland RamsQueensland 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...
, Australia
Australia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
or professionally.
Ex-players
- David Nilsson – Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1992–1999) & Chunichi DragonsChunichi DragonsThe are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
(2000) - Paul GonzalezPaul GonzalezPaul Gonzalez is the general manager of the Brisbane Bandits and former Australian third baseman...
– Orix BlueWave (1999) - Phil StockmanPhil StockmanPhillip Matthew Stockman is a free-agent pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Amateur career:...
– Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(2006–2009) - Bob NilssonBob NilssonRobert "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...
– Signed with Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in 1978 - Alessandro Vaglio – Italian national baseball team (2010-)
- Rodney Wodson - Queensland RamsQueensland RamsQueensland 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...
(2005–2010) - Steven Greer – Queensland RamsQueensland RamsQueensland 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...
(2007–2010) - Jay NilssonJay NilssonJay Nilsson born 1 November 1987 in Redcliffe, Queensland is a former minor league baseball player for the Gulf Coast Indians. He is the son of Bob Nilsson, a top Australian league reliever of the 1990s. Jay's uncle David Nilsson was the first Australian All-Star in the major leagues...
– Queensland RamsQueensland RamsQueensland 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...
(2005–2009)
Current Representatives
- Todd Fairbrother - Queensland RamsQueensland RamsQueensland 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...
(2005–2010) - Carlos Prichard – Queensland RamsQueensland RamsQueensland 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...
(2009) - Jacob ReustJacob ReustJacob Reust born 25 January 1990 in Brisbane, Queensland is an Australian minor league baseball player for the Gulf Coast Indians. He was signed as a pitcher to the Cleveland Indians organisation in February 2007 and was released April 2009....
– GCL Indians (2007–2009) - Danny Dunsdon - Queensland RamsQueensland RamsQueensland 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...
(2008)