In preparation for the next major event cycle for International Baseball, Baseball Australia has undertaken a review of its High Performance structure and has initiated the following strategic changes to drive successful outcomes for Team Australia:
General Manager Team Australia
Creation of a restructured and elevated senior position of General Manager Team Australia with responsibility for the following:
- Providing leadership in the areas of player development, player evaluation and player personnel across the entire national team program.
- Ensuring continued improvement in the availability and quality of player personnel for national teams.
- Assuming a strategic leadership position in identifying current and potential players for the national team and driving the creation of a professional Australian club team to permanently play in Asia.
- Developing strategies and appointing coaching and support staff for successful campaigns for all National Teams.
- Maintaining and creating programs and pathways for the development of elite junior players to achieve international professional success.
These responsibilities have historically been undertaken by a core group of committed High Performance personnel, led by Glenn Williams and Jon Deeble. The creation of the new full-time role of General Manager Team Australia is a direct progression from the work that has been undertaken by this group of people over many years.
Reflecting the importance of this newly created position, Baseball Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Glenn Williams as General Manager Team Australia, reporting directly to Baseball Australia CEO Cam Vale.
Baseball Australia CEO, Cam Vale, commented:
“Glenn is a former MLB player with the Minnesota Twins and a 2004 Olympic Silver Medallist, and his elevation to this position reflects not only his work over the last 18 months with Baseball Australia and its key stakeholders but also his passionate and substantial contribution to Australian Baseball since he first started playing the game.”
“Glenn’s elevation to this key senior management position is critical within our High Performance structure for the important event cycle we have during the next three years.”
National Team Manager
Given the creation of the new role of General Manager Team Australia, the National Team Manager position has been restructured to be purely focused on successful outcomes for the senior National Team at the following major world baseball events from 2019-2021:
- Premier 12 (2019)
- Olympic qualification and Olympics (2020)
- World Baseball Classic (2021)
This restructured position will work closely with the General Manager Team Australia and the overall BA High Performance team moving forward.
The process for recruiting the restructured National Team Manager role will begin early in 2018 with an appointment expected around April 2018, with interim coaching appointments to be in place for the two-game series against World number one Japan on March 3 and 4.
The National Team Manager position as previously structured has been held by Jon Deeble since 2000.
Deeble’s 17-year tenure as National Coach is the longest in modern Australian sport. Deeble has led the team to two Olympics and four World Baseball Classics during his tenure as Team Australia National Coach.
Amongst a range of outstanding achievements, the pinnacle of Deeble’s tenure is Australia’s performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where Team Australia twice defeated World number one Japan to win the Silver Medal.
Baseball Australia President David Hynes commented as follows:
“I have known Jon Deeble for over 30 years and his commitment to the success of our sport both in Australia and internationally is without peer. He has always given more than he has received from the game and has worked tirelessly towards the ongoing betterment of Australian baseball.”
“This restructure is primarily occurring because Jon and his longstanding coaching and support staff have put Australian Baseball in a position where we are currently ranked seventh in the World – our highest ever ranking despite the financial, profile and athlete-access challenges faced by our sport.”
“Our new structure ensures that we can apply full-time resources through the General Manager Team Australia position to maximising the success of Team Australia in these key events in the coming years.”
“Baseball Australia will have ongoing discussions with Jon about future roles within our structure, including the restructured National Team Manager position, and he will be encouraged to apply for any and all roles advertised.”
Additional roles
As part of the High Performance restructure, it is expected that several new senior positions will be created in 2018 to:
- Drive the creation of an Australian professional club team to compete on a permanent basis in the Taiwanese professional league - the CPBL.
- Provide operational support position across our National Teams.
- Ensure leadership around the development of our pathways, competitions, coaching and umpiring in line with our development plans to be announced in the New Year.