Australian Baseball League 2010-2011

[Sharky Pete]

Official ABL Media Launch
Newly formed ABL makes its pitch to sports fans
By Jennifer Stockman / theABL.com
10/28/2010 9:00 AM ET

The new Australian Baseball League, a landmark initiative of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF) and the Australian Sports Commission was officially launched today ahead of the Season Opener on November 6.

The six new ABL teams Adelaide Bite, Brisbane Bandits, Canberra Cavalry, Melbourne Aces, Perth Heat, and Sydney Blue Sox, introduced their 35-man playing roster and unveiled their uniforms for the first time.

The Australian Baseball League will feature Australia’s best homegrown talent, including professionals plying their trade in the major and minor leagues of North America and Asia, and a number of high profile imports.

Australian players have long been competing at the highest professional and amateur levels around the world but a lack of domestic competition prevented them from being able to showcase their skills in front of a home crowd.

The ABL season, in which each team will play 40 games, will run throughout the southern summer, from November to January. The season complements the northern hemisphere baseball season, which begins in March.

The establishment of the ABL is the latest success in the long-term partnership between MLB and the ABF. The Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program began in 2001 to provide world-class coaching, training and development opportunities for elite young players and has led to a 40% increase in the number of Australians playing professional and college baseball.

ABL Chairman Mark Peters said the ABL is exciting because this current generation of Australian baseball stars will get the opportunity to showcase their talent at home.

“Many of our current players who are playing in the Major leagues were too young to play in front of a home crowd in the former ABL, now it’s their turn to excite the next generation of players, and recruit fans to the game,” he said.

“As well as showcasing our own Australian talent, the ABL will feature top international stars who will be utilising the ABL as a catalyst to further their careers into some of the most notable professional Leagues around the world.”

Australian Baseball Federation Director of High Performance, David Hynes foresees the ABL as next important step in the development of our junior elite players, and the growth of the sport in Australia.

“Our National teams have proven that our player talent is on par with some of the best baseball nations in the world; all without the existence of a professional League in Australia. The new League will allow us to develop that talent event further and advance our world 8th ranking.”

Hynes also foresees the League as a fundamental component of increasing the game’s participation numbers.

“The ABF has always enjoyed a solid foundation at grassroots and community level in baseball, but what the ABL represents is an opportunity to drum up some excitement around the sport, and expand the already thriving baseball fraternity in this country.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Stockman on 07-5510-6821 or at Jennifer.Stockman@baseball.org.au.

This story was not subject to the approval of the Australian Baseball League or its clubs.

http://web.theabl.com.au/news/artic...id=15874858&vkey=news_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595

TEAMS:

Adelaide Bite

Brisbane Bandits

Canberra Cavalry

Melbourne Aces

Perth Heat

Sydney Blue Sox

 

[Parko]

Love it. I went to opening day last Saturday night and it was a great game. I hope the league really kicks off with the public, it has the potential to be something huge.

GO BLUE SOX!

 

[josh11223344]

televised at all?

 

[zakspiders]

great to see.

do you know when it starts?

go sox!

 

[Sharky Pete]

Here is the Sydney Blue Sox 2010-2011 draw.

http://web.theabl.com.au/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t4069

First game is home to Canberra at 7:30pm this Friday night at Blacktown Olympic Park.

 

[Parko]

No lol the first game was Saturday night just passed. Sydney won 1 - 0 over canberra. There is no television deal finalized. However word is that the finals may be televised, with the hope of a mid season tele deal.

 

[Sharky Pete]

No lol the first game was Saturday night just passed. Sydney won 1 - 0 over canberra. There is no television deal finalized. However word is that the finals may be televised, with the hope of a mid season tele deal.

Sorry mate, it's looks as though the Sox play Canberra 4 games in a row with the home game on Friday night.

 

[Parko]

Yeah it's a 4 game home series, all at blacktown Olympic park. Great fun to go to, I recommend it to anyone. Tickets are cheap too.

 

[Sharky Pete]

Yeah it's a 4 game home series, all at blacktown Olympic park. Great fun to go to, I recommend it to anyone. Tickets are cheap too.

I have considered it although it a long way to travel to though.

The Shire to Rooty Hill is a helluva long way to travel.

It's a 1 hour trip if you drive which I don't, which would mean it would take nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes by train.

 

[Parko]

At the ballgame. Sox are beating the cavalry 4-1 at the top of the 4th. Good fun.

 

[Sixgill]

Adelaide Bite

I guess I'll be going for the Cavalry. I have a long history playing baseball in the Shire as a youngster and it's nice to see it starting again.

By the way, Adelaide Bite logo:

 

[slide rule]

I'm in no way a baseball fan (I hate it actually) but it will be interesting to see if this captures the publics imagination. My gut feeling is that they wont get a satisfactory level of support. It just seems that every time a new national sporting competition gets off the ground in this country, it is on it's death bed within a couple of years. The costs of running a national competition is prohibitive, and we don't seem to have the population to support it. It's a very crowded market place. At least they've only started with 6 teams, any more and they'd struggle big time IMO.

 

[josh11223344]

You would think they would advertise it abit better wouldn't you? I never even heard about it until this thread was opened

 

[Parko]

it was advertised during every game of major league baseball televised in Australia this year. There have been pieces in the newspapers, feature articles in alpha and sports illustrated magazine.

 

[josh11223344]

It should be televised on channel 10 if it's on one

 

[Parko]

its not being televised currently. the idea is to create a league that is supported at the games before being shown on tv. however, i have a feeling that finals games will be televised

 

[josh11223344]

Oh alright

 

[Parko]

if you want to check it out visit www.theabl.com.au

 

[Sixgill]

Cavalry had some good wins against the Adelaide Bite.

They create a great atmosphere at the ground. Lots of songs, chants and cries of 'chaaarge' after the cavalry call.

For 2400 people it is certainly a great time.

Thing is, they are all packed into 3 tiny stands around home plate. Hard to ignore the atmosphere or not be swept away with it when everyone is so close.

I remember night games at Parra Stadium when they closed the non television side of the stand. The main affect was to send the message that the crowd is big but I wonder if a secondary affect was that the crowd built a stronger atmosphere by being in closer quarters?

Not saying (or suggesting) that this would ever happen at Shark Park, but imagine jamming everyone from the hill and squashing them into other places. Or relocating the Southern Stand to fill up the Peter Burns and surrounds. Would that have a similar effect on atmosphere?

Once individual members see themselves as 'a crowd', that's when they open up.

(Started as a Baseball thread...Go the Cavalry!)

 

[Parko]

Sydney Blue Sox ascot

Sydney Blue Sox mascot walking into the holy land.

More pictures of 'Syd' in Cronulla and around Sydney Here!