MELBOURNE, 12 August — For the fourth straight year the best baseball in the Southern Hemisphere comes to Melbourne. Baseball Australia, the Australian Baseball League and Victorian Minister for Sport John Eren are pleased to announce that Melbourne Ballpark will host the Australian Baseball League All-Star Game Presented by Boral on 16 December, 2015 at 7:30pm.
The annual contest represents the only time Team Australia will play on home soil in 2015, and the final opportunity to see our team before the 2016 World Baseball Classic Qualifier.
Team Australia will take on the World All-Stars in the contest, which features the best baseballers from the world’s top professional leagues including the USA’s Major League Baseball, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Korea Baseball Organisation from South Korea and Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League.
In addition to the high-calibre baseball on the field, the event delivers a variety of entertainment options. Last year’s event kicked off with a live performance by Melbourne indie rockers Kingswood and musician Steve Smyth singing the national anthem. The game itself also finished with a bang as Team Australia scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the World All-Stars 11-8 and even the all-time series at two wins apiece.
Capitalising on the success of last year’s performances, this year’s game will also showcase a variety of talent thanks to an indie rock music series titled Levi’s Ballpark Sessions, which features popular musicians performing a 45-minute on-field pregame concert, the national anthem and the baseball tune “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. 2015 also marks the first of two years of a new naming rights partnership for the event with baseball’s newest major partner Boral.
“The Victorian Government is a long and valued partner of baseball in Victoria,” said ABL General Manager Ben Foster. “Their support has been integral in the continued success of the All-Star Game in Melbourne, and the city itself boosts the calibre of the event by providing a vibrant and diverse cultural backdrop.”
Further announcements regarding pregame entertainment and other All-Star festivities will come in the following months. The game is also expected to be televised nationally in Australia on ESPN Australia/New Zealand and internationally in North America on MLB Network and Rogers Network, and across Asia on Fox Sports Asia and Star Sports.
Tickets can be purchased by visiting http://tinyurl.com/2015-ABL-ALL-STAR-GAME or by calling 03 8360 9371. ABL members have exclusive access to a discounted rate which features excellent seats at prices of up to 40 percent off the gate price.