Surfers Paradise Baseball Club
Encyclopedia
The Surfers Paradise Baseball Club is a baseball
club based on the Gold Coast
in Queensland
, that participates in the Greater Brisbane League
, Gold Coast and Far North Coast competitions. The club was also host of the 2008 Pan Pacific Masters Games
.
metropolitan competition, and in their first season won the A-Grade title. This was achieved through the assistance of ex-Claxton Shield
players from other states including: Larry Montgomery (NSW), Gary Coward (SA), Lance Wegner (VIC), as well as other quality players from around the Gold Coast and Brisbane region.
The idea for a junior competition on the Gold Coast, or at least Surfers Paradise, was initiated by Steve Meeham who advertised in the local paper for junior players. With mixed responses from players of all age groups, the competition attracted 60 kids between the ages of 10 and 14 years plus one father - Gary Edwards. With Gary’s help, Steve split up the children into 5 equal sides, and rolled out a competition on Saturday mornings.
The five junior sides - Giants, Dodgers, Dragons, Reds and Sharks – attracted great success in the ‘88 to ‘89 season, and by the ‘89 to ‘90 season the number of kids playing baseball at Surfers Paradise had doubled. By the start of the ‘90 to ‘91 season, there was an abundance of young players with not enough coaches to manage them so the competition was forced to expand and teams were created in the areas where the kids lived such as Runaway Bay
, Nerang and Palm Beach
.
The first junior representative players to come from Surfers Paradise were Brandon Pollard, Trent Durrington
, Shane Edwards and Adam Wardrop. All four boys were selected in the QLD U/16's squad in 1990 with each of them progressing to more senior representative teams over the years including National and Junior selection, as well as Australian Senior team selection for Trent and Brandon. Trent now runs a Training With the Pro's program out of the club every year in December.
On December 21, 2008 the team played in the Commissioners Cup at the Beenleigh Hawks
baseball club and lost to the shield's incumbent, the Redcliffe Padres
4-3.
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...
club based on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, that participates in the Greater Brisbane League
Greater Brisbane League
The Greater Brisbane League or formerly the Greater Brisbane Baseball Board league is the largest baseball league in the Australian state of Queensland and covers all teams from Brisbane North, South, West, Metro as well as two Gold Coast teams. These are from age groups Little League through to...
, Gold Coast and Far North Coast competitions. The club was also host of the 2008 Pan Pacific Masters Games
World Masters Games
The World Masters Games is an international multi-sport event held every four years which, in terms of competitor numbers, has developed into the largest of its kind....
.
History
John Carpenter, Mitch Wikum and Steve Meeham founded Surfers Paradise Baseball Club in 1987. That year the club entered three teams in the BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
metropolitan competition, and in their first season won the A-Grade title. This was achieved through the assistance of ex-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...
players from other states including: Larry Montgomery (NSW), Gary Coward (SA), Lance Wegner (VIC), as well as other quality players from around the Gold Coast and Brisbane region.
The idea for a junior competition on the Gold Coast, or at least Surfers Paradise, was initiated by Steve Meeham who advertised in the local paper for junior players. With mixed responses from players of all age groups, the competition attracted 60 kids between the ages of 10 and 14 years plus one father - Gary Edwards. With Gary’s help, Steve split up the children into 5 equal sides, and rolled out a competition on Saturday mornings.
The five junior sides - Giants, Dodgers, Dragons, Reds and Sharks – attracted great success in the ‘88 to ‘89 season, and by the ‘89 to ‘90 season the number of kids playing baseball at Surfers Paradise had doubled. By the start of the ‘90 to ‘91 season, there was an abundance of young players with not enough coaches to manage them so the competition was forced to expand and teams were created in the areas where the kids lived such as Runaway Bay
Runaway Bay, Queensland
Runaway Bay is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Runaway Bay had a population of 8,449.The locality of Anglers Paradise is situated within Runaway Bay. In 1967, the Lae Enterprises company bought 182 hectares of land along the western shore of the Gold Coast...
, Nerang and Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Queensland
Palm Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, between Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek. At the 2006 Census, Palm Beach had a population of 13,494....
.
The first junior representative players to come from Surfers Paradise were Brandon Pollard, Trent Durrington
Trent Durrington
Trent John Durrington is a former Major League Baseball player. He is primarily a second baseman. In his years as a student, he attended The Southport School located in Gold Coast...
, Shane Edwards and Adam Wardrop. All four boys were selected in the QLD U/16's squad in 1990 with each of them progressing to more senior representative teams over the years including National and Junior selection, as well as Australian Senior team selection for Trent and Brandon. Trent now runs a Training With the Pro's program out of the club every year in December.
On December 21, 2008 the team played in the Commissioners Cup at the Beenleigh Hawks
Beenleigh Hawks
The Beenleigh & Districts Baseball Club is a baseball club that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and the Brisbane South competition.-History:...
baseball club and lost to the shield's incumbent, the Redcliffe Padres
Redcliffe Padres
The Redcliffe Leagues Padres Baseball Club, also known as Peninsula Padres Baseball Club is a baseball club located in Redcliffe, Queensland that participates in the Greater Brisbane League competition and Brisbane North Region competition...
4-3.
Notable players
- Trent DurringtonTrent DurringtonTrent John Durrington is a former Major League Baseball player. He is primarily a second baseman. In his years as a student, he attended The Southport School located in Gold Coast...
(California Angels) - Wayne OughWayne OughWayne Ough is an Australian baseball pitcher.In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a Silver Medal in the baseball tournament at the Athens Olympics...
(New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
)
External links
- Surfers Website
- Surfers Paradise end of year results - Courier Mail
- O'Neill, R (November 27, 2008.) Hawks lack edge Albert & Logan News
- Fielmich, L (November 3, 2008.) Masters baseball throws Brassington a slow ball. Gold Coast Bulletin