Thank you for your interest in hosting an event in conjunction with Baseball Victoria.
EOI’s must be received by Midday Monday 8th October 2018. please email to jeff.paull@baseballvictoria.com.au with the subject: BV Events EOI
The Board of Baseball Northern Territory Incorporated (BNTI) is seeking to appoint up to 3 new directors due to retirements from the Board. The BNTI Board meets each year for the AGM and other subsequent meetings as necessary, with a combination of teleconferences and face-to-face meetings where possible. The cost of attending meetings is incurred by BNTI.
Please submit Expressions of Interest, including a current resume and a brief summary resume of no more than two pages in support of your application for the position, to Ennette Cooper (Baseball Australia Executive Assistant) at baseballnt@baseball.org.au by COB Monday 19th October, 2018.
CLICK HERE FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Baseball Victoria would like to share the following obituary for Tony Peek, written by Adrian Dunn, secretary of Waverley Baseball Club. Condolences to the Peek family and all his friends and loved ones in the baseball community.
It is with a heavy heart that the Waverley Baseball Club notes the passing today of Tony Peek, a legend of our wonderful club, an architect of our marvelous Junior program and a pioneer of the Australian Baseball League.
Few people have made a bigger impact on the Waverley Baseball Club and indeed Victorian and Australian baseball than ‘Peeky’.
A well known sports administrator, who recently retired from the AFL where he was an Assistant to CEO Gillon McLachlan, Tony was a past player, president and served on the WBC Board for a record 21 years.
While his prowess as a player never rose to any dizzy heights, ‘Peeky’ stands Everest-like as an administrator in forging baseball as a prominent sport not only in Victoria but Australia.
During his record 10-year tenure as President of the WBC, the club won six premierships.
One of the pivotal planks in Tony’s time at the WBC was a strong emphasis on junior development.
It was during that period the club nurtured some of the finest players of its generation - Phil Dale, David Clarkson, Matthew Sheldon-Collins, David Buckthorpe and Andrew Spencer, to name but a handful.
Tony was also instrumental in the formation of the inaugural Australian Baseball League in the late 1980s, and, in fact, he was the first chairman of the ABL.
Significantly, Tony was a key player in the formation for the Waverley Reds, who played in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League.
The Waverley Reds were basically the Waverley Baseball Club topped up by a bunch of other players. Think about that more a moment: Tony took a suburban club and made it the most recognised club in Australian baseball.
It should not be lost on anyone that the Waverley Reds owned a 34-6 record and won the inaugural ABL Championship.
It’s worth noting that achievement still stands as the best ever season of an ABL club.
Tony paved the way for the ABL to gain exposure in The Herald Sun, the largest selling newspaper not only in Victoria, but also Australia by arranging for the sport to receive a full page coverage each Thursday during the season as well as the sport having a dedicated baseball writer.
I was fortunate to be that journalist and that re-ignited a friendship that began at The Sun in the 1970s and would continue for close to another 30 years.
Such media coverage played a significant part in the Waverley Reds attracting considerable crowds at Waverley Park - 11,444 on one night - and regular crowds of 5,000 plus. Measure that against the numbers today. Interest in baseball in the late 1980s and 1990s was at a premium. Tony can claim to have directly contributed to such a surge. And, it’s no coincidence that the popularity in the sport at the grass roots level, particularly at Waverley boomed during this period.
Tony displayed the leadership that saw the sport enjoy a prominence like never before and sadly never since.
Last February, the WBC recognised the stunning contribution ‘Peeky’ made to our great club by naming the Clubhouse in his honour at a Club 3150 lunch. It was a moment that caught him totally unaware and his genuine love for the club and all the special people involved resonated during his acceptance speech.
Later, he wrote to the Club expressing his sincere appreciation.
“Being involved with the club has given me and our family a great deal of enjoyment and I was delighted to see so many of our former players and board members that we worked with in attendance on the day – it was a day I will never forget,” Tony said.
Waverley Baseball Club president Terry Fitzgerald and Board extends its heart felt sympathies and deepest condolences to wife Anne, son Matthew and daughter Amy and extended family.
RIP ‘Peeky’.
Gone way too soon, but your legacy at the Waverley Baseball Club lives on forever.
“Being involved with the club has given me and our family a great deal of enjoyment and I was delighted to see so many of our former players and board members that we worked with in attendance on the day – it was a day I will never forget,” Tony said.
Waverley Baseball Club president Terry Fitzgerald and Board extends its heart felt sympathies and deepest condolences to wife Anne, son Matthew and daughter Amy and extended family.
RIP ‘Peeky’.
Gone way too soon, but your legacy at the Waverley Baseball Club lives on forever.
Baseball Australia are proud to continue their partnership with Strideline as the official sock partner of baseball in Australia.
Strideline are some of the best socks on earth thanks to their added compression, moisture wicking technology and extra padding around the sole, these socks are next-level comfortable.
Another feature that Strideline offers is the ability to make custom-designed socks with your favourite team's logo, so if your baseball team is keen to look the part this season, get on board with Strideline.
Riley Goodman, co-founder of Strideline is excited to continue working closely with Australian baseball.
"Strideline is extremely proud to be the official on-field sock for the ABL," Goodman said.
"We are excited to be working with such an outstanding organisation and look forward to expanding our partnership with the league and its players over the coming years."
Baseball Australia CEO Cam Vale believes this partnership will continue to benefit both parties.
"Strideline are a world-renowned business, and we are excited to extend our partnership with them," Vale said.
"The quality of their products are second-to-none, and everyone from our U12s to our national teams will be sporting a pair of Strideline socks this season."
Click here to get your ABL socks right now!
Click here to begin your custom sock design journey.
Baseball Australia chief executive officer Cam Vale was joined by Victorian Minister for Sport Mr. John Eren at Essendon Baseball Club on Wednesday, as the Victorian government committed $100,000 to the Chris Lane Memorial Field project.
This project will deliver a dedicated junior field for baseball, softball and t-ball complete with natural turf, drainage, fencing and seating to meet little league baseball standards.
"This is an important recognition piece to honour Chris, his family and his connection to the sport of baseball," Vale said.
"On behalf of Baseball Australia, we would like to acknowledge our gratitude to Major League Baseball who championed this project in 2014 as well as Essendon Baseball Club President Tony Cornish for his tireless work and unwavering commitment to this project."
Chris Lane's life was tragically cut short in August 2013.
This project will deliver a dedicated junior field for baseball, softball and t-ball complete with natural turf, drainage, fencing and seating to meet little league baseball standards.
"This is an important recognition piece to honour Chris, his family and his connection to the sport of baseball," Vale said.
"On behalf of Baseball Australia, we would like to acknowledge our gratitude to Major League Baseball who championed this project in 2014 as well as Essendon Baseball Club President Tony Cornish for his tireless work and unwavering commitment to this project."
Chris Lane's life was tragically cut short in August 2013.
“Growing numbers of boys and girls, men and women are signing up to play baseball at local clubs like the Essendon Baseball Club, however many are struggling with inadequate facilities,” Minister Eren said.
“These new junior baseball field facilities will provide more opportunities for Essendon juniors to get active and play the sport they love.”
Click here for full Victorian Government release.
Baseball Victoria is proud to continue our tradition of providing fantastic opportunities for our young players through our development pathway and beyond. Now, some of our top young talent are heading overseas to show off their skills at an international level.
As part of Baseball Australia’s long association with Major League Baseball, 12 of Australia’s best and brightest will join the World Select Team for October’s Arizona Fall Classic. This includes four Victorian representatives, including outfielders Jarrod Belbin and Brock Wells, catcher Chris Burke and left handed pitcher Liam Evans.
Current professional players Curtis Mead (Phillies) and Mitch Edwards (Phillies) attended the 2017 Arizona Fall Classic.
The group will arrive in Phoenix on October 2 to begin preparations for a number of games against professional organisations including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals. The group will then prepare for the Arizona Fall Classic, where they will be viewed by hundreds of college and professional scouts.
Team Australia general manager Glenn Williams sees this as another opportunity for some of our top young prospects to match it with the best in the world.
“The experience of being able to compete against players from the US and all over the world has great development benefits for those on the trip,” Williams said.
“Our guys will have the opportunity to be able to showcase their abilities in front of professional and college programs in top level facilities. Over 90% of Australian athletes who have been to the Arizona Fall Classic have ended up in a college or professional program, and to have MLB covering all costs for this program is fantastic for all involved.”
Will Kortekaas (SA) has withdrawn due to injury. Will has been replaced by Raleigh Pelkonen (WA)
Baseball Victoria is proud to continue our tradition of providing fantastic opportunities for our young players through our development pathway and beyond. Now, some of our top young talent are heading overseas to show off their skills at an international level.
As part of Baseball Australia’s long association with Major League Baseball, 12 of Australia’s best and brightest will join the World Select Team for October’s Arizona Fall Classic. This includes four Victorian representatives, including outfielders Jarrod Belbin and Brock Wells, catcher Chris Burke and left handed pitcher Liam Evans.
Current professional players Curtis Mead (Phillies) and Mitch Edwards (Phillies) attended the 2017 Arizona Fall Classic.
The group will arrive in Phoenix on October 2 to begin preparations for a number of games against professional organisations including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals. The group will then prepare for the Arizona Fall Classic, where they will be viewed by hundreds of college and professional scouts.
Team Australia general manager Glenn Williams sees this as another opportunity for some of our top young prospects to match it with the best in the world.
“The experience of being able to compete against players from the US and all over the world has great development benefits for those on the trip,” Williams said.
“Our guys will have the opportunity to be able to showcase their abilities in front of professional and college programs in top level facilities. Over 90% of Australian athletes who have been to the Arizona Fall Classic have ended up in a college or professional program, and to have MLB covering all costs for this program is fantastic for all involved.”
Will Kortekaas (SA) has withdrawn due to injury. Will has been replaced by Raleigh Pelkonen (WA)
Baseball is part of Chris Burke’s DNA.
His father Neil is a former national team representative and current scout for the Kansas City Royals, and his brother Justin is a former Australian underage representative.
Now it’s Chris’ turn to make an impact. Next week he’ll take on some of the best young talent in the world, suiting up for the MLB World Select Team at the Arizona Fall Classic.
Burke says his father ignited his passion for the game.
“I see dad as my biggest role model in life,” Burke said.
“All I wanted to do as a kid was be around baseball as much as possible. Having a father involved in the game at such a level has allowed my summer holidays to be spent at the field and in clubhouses with him.
“I would love to achieve as much as he has in the game.”
Burke has been a regular in the Victorian state setup over the past few years, and sees the Arizona Fall Classic as an opportunity to play against some of the best young talent in the world.
“I'm confident in my preparation and ready for the challenges that lie ahead,” Burke said.
“Two of my Aces Academy teammates (Jamie Young and Jackson Boyd) were on the same tour in 2017, and both had a great time.
“They’re both in college programs in the US right now, and I’m keen to create chances for myself to play in the US.”
In the last few years, high-quality Australian talent including Jordan McArdle (Diamondbacks), Jess Williams (Brewers) and Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis (Grand Canyon University) have all suited up for the MLB World Select Team.
Burke, along with 11 others in the 2018 class, will have the opportunity to take on professional and college teams in front of hundreds of scouts from all across the USA.
You can keep up to date with the MLB Select Team’s journey on the Baseball Australia Facebook page.
Baseball Victoria is pleased to confirm the head coaches for the 2019 State Youth Boys teams:
Under 18 Blue - Marshall Skinner
Under 18 White - Ben Laux
Under 16 Blue - Scott Meagher
Under 16 White - Chris Harman
These four dedicated individuals will lead Victoria’s top young players to success at the National Youth Championships in Sydney from January 11th – 20th 2019. This will be an amazing experience for these juniors to further develop their skills and participate in a vigorous, competitive tournament alongside their most talented peers from around the country.
Registrations close this Sunday, September 30th for the state team tryouts which will begin next Saturday, October 6th. All players are asked to register ahead of the tryouts.
To register, please visit the BV website here: https://eventdesq.sportstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&EventDesqID=30092&OrgID=16724
We are looking forward to seeing our terrific young talent continue to grow and thrive at the national level!
EDIT: WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER, 4PM: Will Kortekaas (SA) has withdrawn due to injury. Will has been replaced by Raleigh Pelkonen (WA)
Baseball Australia’s long association with Major League Baseball is set to with 12 of Australia’s best and brightest joining the World Select Team for October’s Arizona Fall Classic.
Current professional players Curtis Mead (Phillies) and Mitch Edwards (Phillies) attended the 2017 Arizona Fall Classic.
The group will arrive in Phoenix on October 2, before preparing for a number of games against professional organisations including the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals. The group will then prepare for the Arizona Fall Classic, where they will be viewed by hundreds of college and professional scouts.
Team Australia general manager Glenn Williams sees this as another opportunity for some of our top young prospects to match it with the best in the world.
“The experience of being able to compete against players from the US and all over the world has great development benefits for those on the trip,” Williams said.
“Our guys will have the opportunity to be able to showcase their abilities in front of professional and college programs in top level facilities.
“Over 90% of Australian athletes who have been to the Arizona Fall Classic have ended up in a college or professional program, and to have MLB covering all costs for this program is fantastic for all involved.”