Baseball NT
Encyclopedia
Baseball NT is the governing body of baseball
within the Northern Territory
, Australia
. Baseball NT was formed in 1968 under its original name, the Northern Territory Baseball League. Baseball NT is governed nationally by the Australian Baseball Federation
. Historically, baseball in Australia and the Northern Territory has been an amateur sport.
, Alice Springs and Katherine
. Darwin has four clubs; Nightcliff Tigers
, Palmerston Reds, Pints and Tracy Village Rebels. The East Darwin Beasts disbanded in 1987 and the South Darwin Rabbitohs disbanded in 2004. In Darwin, baseball is a dry-season
sport, played between April and September each year. Baseball in Darwin is controlled by the Darwin Baseball Association
.
Alice Springs has six teams; Bulls, Cubs, Demons, Panthers, Redbacks and Venom. In Alice Springs, baseball is a summer
sport, usually played between October and March. Baseball in Alice Springs is controlled by the Alice Springs Baseball Association.
The Northern Territory
competed in the national Claxton Shield
competition between 1981 and 1988. During its 8 year admittance, the Northern Territory won only 1 game, against South Australia
, in 1987. Bill Hutcheson, a Catcher
, from originally Tennant Creek and later Darwin, was the only player to play in all 8 Claxton Shields. He was also the first Territorian to hit a home run
in 1984, against Victoria
.
In 1991, the Territory joined the national Australian Provincial Championship (also known as the Commonwealth Cup) competition for regional Australian baseball. Bill Fryar became the first Territorian to hit a home run in 1992, against Queensland
. In 1999, the Northern Territory won the Cup for the first time under the leadership of Captain/Coach
, Andrew Kendray.
Success for the Northern Territory is difficult as promising juniors are attracted away from the Territory to pursue careers in the southern leagues where their opportunities are greater. Several Territorian home-grown players have gone onto successful baseball careers and these most notably include Max Hardy, Jon Mellor, Lachlan Burrows, Darren Welch, Wilson Lee, Sam Tibbits, Dushan Ruzic and Adrian Burnside
. Rarely do these players return to the Northern Territory. This has created a catch 22
situation for Baseball NT whereby it understands that by developing home-grown talent, there is a good possibility these players will be lost to southern leagues, unlikely to return to the Northern Territory. In November 1983 however, five Territory players were selected to play for Australia
against the touring Japanese
Industrial League champions, Toshiba
, and included, Bill Fryar, Laurie Moore, Dwayne McInnes from Darwin; John Baldock from Tennant Creek and Darren Welch from Alice Springs.
Since the late 1990s, the popularity and standard of baseball in the Northern Territory has steadily declined as it struggles to compete against Australian icon sports such as cricket
, as well as attract juniors away from the information technology revolution such as computer games and the "hip-hop
" culture.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
within the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, 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...
. Baseball NT was formed in 1968 under its original name, the Northern Territory Baseball League. Baseball NT is governed nationally 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...
. Historically, baseball in Australia and the Northern Territory has been an amateur sport.
Overview
Organised baseball is played in DarwinDarwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, Alice Springs and Katherine
Katherine, Northern Territory
Katherine is a town situated southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of Australia in the Northern Territory. It is the fourth largest settlement in the Territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs...
. Darwin has four clubs; Nightcliff Tigers
Nightcliff Baseball Club, Darwin
Nightcliff Baseball Club Inc. is an amateur baseball club located in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Also known as “the Tigers”, the club was formed in 1969 and competes in the Darwin Baseball League , latterly known as Baseball NT. It is also an affiliated member of the Nightcliff Sports...
, Palmerston Reds, Pints and Tracy Village Rebels. The East Darwin Beasts disbanded in 1987 and the South Darwin Rabbitohs disbanded in 2004. In Darwin, baseball is a dry-season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
sport, played between April and September each year. Baseball in Darwin is controlled by the Darwin Baseball Association
Darwin Baseball League
Established in 1953, the Darwin Baseball Association and latterly Darwin Baseball League is the governing body of amateur baseball in Darwin, Northern Territory. The DBL is governed by Baseball NT and ultimately, the Australian Baseball Federation....
.
Alice Springs has six teams; Bulls, Cubs, Demons, Panthers, Redbacks and Venom. In Alice Springs, baseball is a summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
sport, usually played between October and March. Baseball in Alice Springs is controlled by the Alice Springs Baseball Association.
The Northern Territory
Northern Territory Buffaloes
Northern Territory Buffaloes was a baseball team from the Northern Territory that competed in the Australian national Claxton Shield competition from 1981 until 1988. The Buffaloes enjoyed little success during its eight year admittance winning only 1 game, in 1987, against South Australia...
competed in the national Claxton Shield
Claxton Shield
The Claxton Shield was the name of the premier baseball competition in Australia held between state-based teams, as well as the name of the trophy awarded to the champion team...
competition between 1981 and 1988. During its 8 year admittance, the Northern Territory won only 1 game, against South Australia
South Australia (Baseball Team)
South Australia compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship in Australia. They were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed until 1988 where the Claxtion Shield was thereafter awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League until 1999 when they were...
, in 1987. Bill Hutcheson, a Catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, from originally Tennant Creek and later Darwin, was the only player to play in all 8 Claxton Shields. He was also the first Territorian to hit 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...
in 1984, against Victoria
Victoria Aces
The Victoria Aces are an Australian baseball team who compete in the Claxton Shield Baseball Championship. One of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934, they competed until 1988. Thereafter the Claxton Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League until 2002...
.
In 1991, the Territory joined the national Australian Provincial Championship (also known as the Commonwealth Cup) competition for regional Australian baseball. Bill Fryar became the first Territorian to hit a home run in 1992, against 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....
. In 1999, the Northern Territory won the Cup for the first time under the leadership of Captain/Coach
Player-coach
A player-coach, in sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. The term can be used to refer to both players who serve as head coaches, or as assistant coaches....
, Andrew Kendray.
Success for the Northern Territory is difficult as promising juniors are attracted away from the Territory to pursue careers in the southern leagues where their opportunities are greater. Several Territorian home-grown players have gone onto successful baseball careers and these most notably include Max Hardy, Jon Mellor, Lachlan Burrows, Darren Welch, Wilson Lee, Sam Tibbits, Dushan Ruzic and Adrian Burnside
Adrian Burnside
Adrian Mark Burnside is an Australian baseball player born in Alice Springs.In , he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a silver medal in the baseball tournament at the Athens Olympics...
. Rarely do these players return to the Northern Territory. This has created a catch 22
No-win situation
A no-win situation, also called a "lose-lose" situation, is one where a person has choices, but no choice leads to a net gain. For example, if an executioner offers the condemned the choice of dying by being hanged, shot, or poisoned, since all choices lead to death, the condemned is in a no-win...
situation for Baseball NT whereby it understands that by developing home-grown talent, there is a good possibility these players will be lost to southern leagues, unlikely to return to the Northern Territory. In November 1983 however, five Territory players were selected to play for 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...
against the touring Japanese
Baseball in Japan
Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan. It was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, who taught at the Kaisei School in Tokyo. The first baseball team was called the Shimbashi Athletic Club and was established in 1878. Baseball has been a popular sport ever since...
Industrial League champions, Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
, and included, Bill Fryar, Laurie Moore, Dwayne McInnes from Darwin; John Baldock from Tennant Creek and Darren Welch from Alice Springs.
Since the late 1990s, the popularity and standard of baseball in the Northern Territory has steadily declined as it struggles to compete against Australian icon sports such as cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, as well as attract juniors away from the information technology revolution such as computer games and the "hip-hop
Australian hip hop
Australian hip hop music began in the early 1980s; originally it was primarily influenced by hip hop music and culture imported via radio and television from the United States of America. However, since the 1990s, a distinctive local style has developed. Australian hip hop is an underground music...
" culture.
See also
- Baseball in AustraliaBaseball in AustraliaIn Australia, baseball is a game that is played in all states and territories of the country, but it struggles for popularity due to the popularity of many other sports, including the comparable sport of cricket, in which Australia has always been one of the leading nations...
- History of baseball in Australia
- Australia national baseball team at the Summer OlympicsAustralia national baseball team at the Summer OlympicsThe Australia national baseball team was the third nation, after the United States and Sweden, to participate in baseball at the Summer Olympics, making their first appearance at the 1956 Games in Melbourne, and again as part of its demonstration at the 1988 Games in Seoul.Since baseball was first...
- List of baseball teams in Australia
- Australia national baseball teamAustralia national baseball teamThe 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...