Sydney Blue Sox
Encyclopedia
The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of six foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League
(ABL). The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney (BISS), one of the two venues for used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was known as Blacktown Olympic Park. The Blue Sox hosted the league's Opening Day
for the inaugural season on 6 November 2010, when they played against the Canberra Cavalry
, and won the game 1–0.
Fan response was very positive for the Blue Sox in the lead up to their inaugural season. As the sole team in New South Wales
, they attracted interest beyond the Sydney metropolitan region; as far north as Newcastle
, which hosted the former ABL franchise Hunter Eagles
throughout the 1990s. Five hundred season tickets were allocated for the 2010–11 season
, which sold out two months prior to the season's start; a waiting list for 2011–12 season
tickets was soon created. Such was the demand to see professional baseball return to Sydney, several games had sold out well in advance of their scheduled dates, including the season opener.
, at the Palm Meadows Baseball Complex, site of the Major League Baseball Australia Academy Program
in July 2009. Though there was speculation at the time that there may be as many as 10 teams in the competition, with teams possibly from New Zealand
and Asia
, it wasn't until two months later that the number and location of teams was announced: Sydney
would have one of five confirmed teams, with Canberra
eventually being successful in bidding for the sixth team.
Names and colour schemes for each of the teams were determined through a competition launched in December 2009 called "Name Your ABL Team". Fans were asked to select from one of four options for the team's name or provide their own alternative. Though the four options provided for the Sydney team were "Sydney Sting", "Sydney Rocks", "Sydney Surf" and "Sydney Bluewave", the name announced in August 2010 was "Sydney Blue Sox", with Sydney's colour being the blue traditionally associated with New South Wales
sporting teams. The Blue Sox would have Blacktown Olympic Park as their home ground, which had been the New South Wales Patriots
home in the Claxton Shield
the previous three seasons.
On 19 August 2010, Blue Sox signed Glenn Williams
as manager
for the 2010–11 season
. Williams had last played baseball in Australia with the Patriots in the 2007 Claxton Shield, and played 13 games for the Minnesota Twins
during the 2005 Major League Baseball season
, becoming the 17th Australian-born player to reach the Major Leagues
. The following month, Eddie Bray was appointed as general manager of the club, having held the same role with the Patriots in the 2010 Claxton Shield.
and Koo Dae-Sung
—and manager
Glenn Williams
with Major League
experience. With Oxspring also taking on the role of pitching coach, and a number of players with experience from international league's including Nippon Professional Baseball and Korea Baseball Organization
, and the late addition to the roster of active Major Leaguers Trent Oeltjen
and Rich Thompson
, Sydney had the most experienced roster of any of the teams in the league.
The Blue Sox hosted the inaugural game of the league, playing against the Canberra Cavalry
at BOP, which they won 1–0. They would go on to sweep the opening series, the first of three series sweeps they would accomplish through the season, the others two against the Adelaide Bite
at home, and the Perth Heat
in Perth
at Baseball Park
. Ironically, immediately after sweeping the Heat, Perth swept Sydney at BOP.
Sydney clinched first place in the league in their final game, beating the Cavalry at Narrabundah Ballpark
in Canberra. They led Perth by half a game, with Adelaide a further game back, and the Melbourne Aces
six games behind
the Blue Sox. Finishing first earned Sydney the right to host the major semi-final series, in addition to a second chance if they lost the series, against the second-place Heat. Perth maintained the perfect season record in Sydney, sweeping the series and qualifying directly to the championship series.
The Bite, having defeated the Aces in the minor semi-final series faced the Blue Sox in the preliminary final series at BOP. Game one of the series featured Sydney starting pitcher
David Welch
, who threw the league's first no-hitter
. This would be Sydney's only win of the postseason, as Adelaide came back and won the series 2–1.
Sydney players took three of the six season awards announced by the league:
station Triple H FM
announced on 1 November 2010 they are to broadcast live every Blue Sox home match as well as the Canberra away series.
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League was a baseball league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.-Formation:Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton Shield, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament...
(ABL). The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney (BISS), one of the two venues for used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was known as Blacktown Olympic Park. The Blue Sox hosted the league's Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
for the inaugural season on 6 November 2010, when they played against the Canberra Cavalry
Canberra Cavalry
The Canberra UberGlobal Cavalry is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League. The team is based in the city of Canberra, Australia...
, and won the game 1–0.
Fan response was very positive for the Blue Sox in the lead up to their inaugural season. As the sole team in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, they attracted interest beyond the Sydney metropolitan region; as far north as Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, which hosted the former ABL franchise Hunter Eagles
Hunter Eagles
The Hunter Eagles were formed for the ABL 1994-95 season after purchasing the Sydney Wave's licence, who had left the league two seasons earlier. The Eagles played in the ABL until the ABL 1997-98 season, and did not have sufficient funds to remain in operation.- See also :*Sport in...
throughout the 1990s. Five hundred season tickets were allocated for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Australian Baseball League season
- Rosters :During the season each team made use of a 22-man active roster, drawn from 35-man squads announced on 28 October 2010.- Venues :Four of the six teams used their existing venues from the Claxton Shield: the Adelaide Bite, Perth Heat and Sydney Blue Sox all used the same grounds used...
, which sold out two months prior to the season's start; a waiting list for 2011–12 season
2011–12 Australian Baseball League season
The 2011–12 Australian Baseball League season is the second Australian Baseball League season, and is being held from 4 November 2011 to either 11 or 12 February 2012, depending on the number of games required in the best-of-three game championship series...
tickets was soon created. Such was the demand to see professional baseball return to Sydney, several games had sold out well in advance of their scheduled dates, including the season opener.
Formation
The creation of the ABL was announced at a press conference on the Gold CoastGold 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...
, at the Palm Meadows Baseball Complex, site of the Major League Baseball Australia Academy Program
Major League Baseball Australia Academy Program
The Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program is a seven-week baseball development program held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia for prospective Australian baseball players and officials....
in July 2009. Though there was speculation at the time that there may be as many as 10 teams in the competition, with teams possibly from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, it wasn't until two months later that the number and location of teams was announced: Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
would have one of five confirmed teams, with Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
eventually being successful in bidding for the sixth team.
Names and colour schemes for each of the teams were determined through a competition launched in December 2009 called "Name Your ABL Team". Fans were asked to select from one of four options for the team's name or provide their own alternative. Though the four options provided for the Sydney team were "Sydney Sting", "Sydney Rocks", "Sydney Surf" and "Sydney Bluewave", the name announced in August 2010 was "Sydney Blue Sox", with Sydney's colour being the blue traditionally associated with New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
sporting teams. The Blue Sox would have Blacktown Olympic Park as their home ground, which had been the New South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots compete in the Claxton Shield baseball championship in Australia.The Patriots were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed as New South Wales until 1988 when the Claxtion Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League...
home in the 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...
the previous three seasons.
On 19 August 2010, Blue Sox signed Glenn Williams
Glenn Williams
Glenn David Williams is a retired third baseman from Australia, who played in the Minnesota Twins organization. He played in Major League Baseball for the Twins during the season. He was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
as manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
for the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Australian Baseball League season
- Rosters :During the season each team made use of a 22-man active roster, drawn from 35-man squads announced on 28 October 2010.- Venues :Four of the six teams used their existing venues from the Claxton Shield: the Adelaide Bite, Perth Heat and Sydney Blue Sox all used the same grounds used...
. Williams had last played baseball in Australia with the Patriots in the 2007 Claxton Shield, and played 13 games for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
during the 2005 Major League Baseball season
2005 Major League Baseball season
Click on any series score to link to that series' page.Higher seed had home field advantage during Division Series and League Championship Series.The American League champion had home field advantage during the World Series as a result of the AL victory in the 2005 All-Star...
, becoming the 17th Australian-born player to reach the Major Leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. The following month, Eddie Bray was appointed as general manager of the club, having held the same role with the Patriots in the 2010 Claxton Shield.
Inaugural season
Sydney's initial roster included two players—Chris OxspringChris Oxspring
Chris Andrew Oxspring is an Australian right-handed pitcher currently in the Detroit Tigers organisation. He is also a player and pitching coach for the Sydney Blue Sox in the Australian Baseball League....
and Koo Dae-Sung
Koo Dae-Sung
Koo Dae-Sung is a former left-handed pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization. He was formerly with the New York Mets of Major League Baseball and the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball. He announced his retirement from Korean baseball on August 15, 2010...
—and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Glenn Williams
Glenn Williams
Glenn David Williams is a retired third baseman from Australia, who played in the Minnesota Twins organization. He played in Major League Baseball for the Twins during the season. He was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
with Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
experience. With Oxspring also taking on the role of pitching coach, and a number of players with experience from international league's including Nippon Professional Baseball and Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
, and the late addition to the roster of active Major Leaguers Trent Oeltjen
Trent Oeltjen
Trent Carl Wayne Oeltjen is a Major League Baseball outfielder, who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is 6'1" tall and weighs 190 pounds...
and Rich Thompson
Rich Thompson (pitcher, born 1984)
Richard Graeme Thompson is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...
, Sydney had the most experienced roster of any of the teams in the league.
The Blue Sox hosted the inaugural game of the league, playing against the Canberra Cavalry
Canberra Cavalry
The Canberra UberGlobal Cavalry is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League. The team is based in the city of Canberra, Australia...
at BOP, which they won 1–0. They would go on to sweep the opening series, the first of three series sweeps they would accomplish through the season, the others two against the Adelaide Bite
Adelaide Bite
The Adelaide Bite are a professional baseball team who plays in the Australian Baseball League and is one of the six founding teams of the league. Their home ballpark is Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval which is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia...
at home, and the Perth Heat
Perth Heat
The baseball team Perth Heat is a team in the current Australian Baseball League and a foundation member of the now-defunct Australian Baseball League...
in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
at Baseball Park
Baseball Park (Perth)
Baseball Park, also known as Barbagallo Ballpark for sponsorship reasons, is home to Baseball in Western Australia, Australia. It was built in 2004, with a seating capacity of about 500 and standing room for a further 3,500. This is the first baseball-exclusive stadium in Perth since the...
. Ironically, immediately after sweeping the Heat, Perth swept Sydney at BOP.
Sydney clinched first place in the league in their final game, beating the Cavalry at Narrabundah Ballpark
Narrabundah Ballpark
Narrabundah Ballpark is an 1,500 capacity ground in Canberra, Australia. It was redeveloped in 2010 for use by the Canberra Cavalry for the Australian Baseball League, the Australian Capital Territory Government funded the $1,000,000 upgrade....
in Canberra. They led Perth by half a game, with Adelaide a further game back, and the Melbourne Aces
Melbourne Aces
The Melbourne Aces is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.On Friday, 20 August 2010 it was announced that ex-Australian Baseball player Philip Dale would take up the head coaching role at Melbourne Aces.On Tuesday, 12 October 2010,...
six games behind
Games behind
In sports, the phrase games behind or games back , is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division...
the Blue Sox. Finishing first earned Sydney the right to host the major semi-final series, in addition to a second chance if they lost the series, against the second-place Heat. Perth maintained the perfect season record in Sydney, sweeping the series and qualifying directly to the championship series.
The Bite, having defeated the Aces in the minor semi-final series faced the Blue Sox in the preliminary final series at BOP. Game one of the series featured Sydney starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
David Welch
David Welch
Charles David Welch is an American diplomat who served as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs in the United States Department of State from 2005 through 2008...
, who threw the league's first no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
. This would be Sydney's only win of the postseason, as Adelaide came back and won the series 2–1.
Sydney players took three of the six season awards announced by the league:
- Koo Dae-Sung - Reliever of the Year
- Trent SchmutterTrent SchmutterTrent Schmutter is an Australian Baseball League outfielder who currently plays for Sydney Blue Sox.In 2011, he was awarded the 2010-11 Australian Baseball League season Rookie of the Year.-References:...
- Rookie of the Year - David Welch - Pitcher of the Year
Season records
| ABL Season |
Team Season |
Regular Season Results | Postseason | Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Won | Lost | Pct. | GB | ||||
| 2010–11 | 1st | 24 | 15 | — | Lost series (Perth Heat Perth Heat The baseball team Perth Heat is a team in the current Australian Baseball League and a foundation member of the now-defunct Australian Baseball League... 2–0) Lost series (Adelaide Bite Adelaide Bite The Adelaide Bite are a professional baseball team who plays in the Australian Baseball League and is one of the six founding teams of the league. Their home ballpark is Coopers Stadium at Norwood Oval which is based in the city of Adelaide, South Australia... 2–1) |
Koo Dae-Sung Koo Dae-Sung Koo Dae-Sung is a former left-handed pitcher for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization. He was formerly with the New York Mets of Major League Baseball and the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball. He announced his retirement from Korean baseball on August 15, 2010... Trent Schmutter Trent Schmutter Trent Schmutter is an Australian Baseball League outfielder who currently plays for Sydney Blue Sox.In 2011, he was awarded the 2010-11 Australian Baseball League season Rookie of the Year.-References:... David Welch David Welch (baseball) David John Welch is a professional baseball pitcher in the who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 20th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.-Milwaukee Brewers:... |
||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Sydney Blue Sox season The 2011–12 Sydney Blue Sox season will be the second season for the team. As was the case for the previous season, the Blue Sox will compete in the Australian Baseball League with the other five foundation teams, and will again play its home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney... |
– | – | – | — | ||||
| Overall | 24 | 15 | | All-time regular season record | |||||
| 1 | 4 | | All-time postseason record | ||||||
| 25 | 19 | | All-time record | ||||||
Media
Sydney community radioCommunity radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station Triple H FM
Triple H FM
Triple H is a community radio station located in Sydney, Australia. It services the Hornsby Shire and the Ku-ring-gai Council area. Triple H runs on a general community license and is required to provide content most suited to its own population and minority groups...
announced on 1 November 2010 they are to broadcast live every Blue Sox home match as well as the Canberra away series.