Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
2568x1445_WBC_ED_map_AUS (2)
Art or Photo Credit: Art by Tom Forget

The history of baseball in Australia?

randhawa-70
@MannyOnMLB
February 13, 2023

Baseball was first played Down Under not long after the game rose to prominence in the United States. America¡¯s national pastime was brought to Australia by American gold miners, who would play on the gold fields of Ballarat while on breaks in the 1850s.

Thus began Australia¡¯s love of baseball, which has flourished for nearly 200 years now.

The Sydney Cricket Ground and the adjacent Moore Park were the sites of the first series of full competitive games by Australians in June and July of 1878. The games were played by the Surry Baseball Club and the NSW Cricket Association.

A decade later, A.G. Spalding set sail from the U.S. on his famous Australian Baseball Tour, which actually became a world tour of the Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) and another team consisting of other professional American ballplayers called the All-Americas. It was a tour that spanned from 1888-89, and it was the country¡¯s first taste of Major League Baseball.

It would certainly not be the last. In 1914, the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants played games against NSW in Sydney, and since then, Australia has participated in many international tournaments -- including the World Baseball Classic -- and produced many Major League players.

WBSC Rank: 10th
Last WBC appearance: 2017
Best WBC finish: 2017, 9th place

Country¡¯s top current Major Leaguers
Liam Hendriks

Hendriks has been one of the elite closers in baseball over the past several seasons, owning a 2.26 ERA over the past four years -- two of which were spent with the A¡¯s and two with the White Sox. He has 114 saves and a 39 percent strikeout rate. The three-time All-Star is already among the best Australian-born pitchers in MLB history.

Unfortunately, earlier this offseason, Hendriks announced that he is battling non-Hodgkin¡¯s lymphoma. There was an immediate outpouring of support from the baseball world, and as White Sox senior vice president and general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement following Hendriks¡¯ announcement: ¡°Knowing everyone involved, especially Liam, we are optimistic he will pitch again for the White Sox as soon as viable. In the meantime, we all will do everything in our power to support our teammate and his family as they face this challenge, while also respecting their privacy.¡±

Famous Players
Joe Quinn

Quinn, who made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Maroons in 1884, was born in Ipswich. The Maroons only lasted until 1887 but spent two of their three years of existence in the National League.

Quinn played all around the infield, but mostly second base, as well as in the outfield. He was a career .262/.303/.328 hitter in a 17-year big league career during which he also played for the Boston Beaneaters, St. Louis Browns, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Senators.

It would be more than 100 years before another Australian-born player would reach the Major Leagues -- that was Craig Shipley, an infielder who played for the Dodgers, Mets, Padres, Astros and Angels from 1986-98.

Dave Nilsson

Born in Brisbane, Nilsson is widely regarded as the most prominent baseball player in Australia¡¯s history. He was a player, coach and even an owner of the Australian Baseball League at one point.

Dave Nilsson

Nilsson was signed by the Brewers in 1987. He reached the Majors in ¡¯92, and went on to become a productive catcher/first baseman/outfielder for Milwaukee over the next eight seasons, though he was often limited by injuries. Overall, he posted an .817 OPS with 105 home runs from 1992-99, earning an All-Star selection in his final big-league campaign, when he produced career highs in homers (21) and OPS (.954).

That All-Star selection was the first for an Australian-born player, and when he entered the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park in the eighth inning, Nilsson became the first Australian-born player to appear in the MLB Midsummer Classic. Nilsson was also part of the first all-Australian battery in a Major League game when he was behind the plate to catch left-hander Graeme Lloyd on April 14, 1993.

After his Major League career ended, Nilsson continued his playing career in Australia. He was the MVP of the 1999 Intercontinental Cup, leading his country to its first gold medal in any major international competition. Nilsson holds several Australian baseball records, including career batting average (.358) and slugging percentage (.661). He competed in Australian baseball from 1989-2004, with the Australian league playing during the MLB offseason. He also hit 52 homers and drove in 196 runs in 247 games over that span.

Peter Moylan

Moylan, born in Attadale, pitched for the Braves, Dodgers and Royals over 12 seasons in the Major Leagues from 2006-18. The right-hander had a career 3.10 ERA and has one of the more remarkable stories of perseverance in the game over the past 30 years.

Originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Twins in 1996, Moylan spent two years in Minnesota¡¯s farm system before being released. He returned to Australia and worked as a pharmaceutical salesman while continuing to play baseball on the side. He gained significant fastball velocity by changing his arm slot, and after he played in the Claxton Shield championships, he was added to Australia¡¯s 2006 World Baseball Classic team.

It was Moylan¡¯s performance in that WBC that led to the Braves signing him, beginning what would become a very productive Major League career. His finest season came in 2007, when he posted a 1.80 ERA in 80 appearances (90 innings) for Atlanta. He also pitched for Australia in the 2017 WBC, tossing two scoreless innings.

Biggest moments in history

Team Australia beat Team USA in the 2019 WBSC Premier12 tournament, defeating a United States club featuring future MLB players Jake Cronenworth, Andrew Vaughn, Alec Bohm, Jo Adell, Bobby Dalbec and Drew Waters.

Australia edged the U.S., 2-1, thanks to Aaron Whitefield¡¯s two-run single in the first, 5 1/3 scoreless innings from starter Tim Atherton and 3 2/3 strong frames from relievers Moylan (2/3), Ryan Searle (2 1/3) and Jon Kennedy (2/3).

Local league setup and teams: Australian Baseball League

The ABL was founded as a joint venture between Baseball Australia and Major League Baseball in 2010. Another Australian league with the same name operated in the 1990s, but was no longer in operation by this time. The season takes place during the summer in the Southern Hemisphere, which is from November to February.

Each year, the season concludes with the best-of-three Championship Series and the winner receives the Claxton Shield, which has been presented to the winners of interstate baseball competitions dating back to 1934.

Famous/Notable ballparks: The Sydney Cricket Ground

While not technically a baseball stadium, the historic pitch in Sydney hosted the first ballgames on the continent back in the late 19th century and, in 2014, featured the earliest Opening Day game in MLB history. The Dodgers beat the D-backs, 3-1.

Sydney

Unique food/activities at games

Chiko Rolls, Australian snacks that are loosely based on a spring roll, are popular in-stadium items in the ABL.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com