A fictional history of baseball in Australia

[tlowe77]

1880 to 1889 - The birth of professional baseball in Australia

The first professional baseball league was the Melbourne Baseball Association. Baseball had been played in Melbourne, Victoria during the 1880's as a bit of fun as it was mashed together with Cricket.

There was a group of wealthy man that liked baseball much better then cricket and along with a few American buddies of theirs, they decided to start playing tournaments against each other and would give the local cricketers a dollar or two to come and play to fill up the teams. After about 5 years of doing this the interest in the sport started to take off and as up to 1000 came to watch the 1886 four day cup tournament.

After that it was decided that they needed to start up a professional league before anyone else did and over the next 3 years they planned, built grounds, set rules, found more shareholders and continued the tournament play to help promote the new league they were planning.

The Melbourne Baseball Association was born and was schedule to begin play on the first Friday of October in 1889. The league rules were as followed:

- The minimum age of a player could be no younger then 16 years old.
- Each team could have an active roster of 20 man, with a 15 man reserves list.
- The minimum wage was $200.
- The maximum years a player can sign for was 3 seasons.
- Ticket prices were to be set at $0.35 league wide.
- Players can only change clubs once their contract has expired.
- 3 years of service time is needed before a player can be a free agent.
- A maximum of 3 foreign players are allowed on a team’s active roster.
- No gate or revenue sharing.
- There will be 8 teams to begin with, league is open to decreasing or increasing numbers.
- Each team will play 84 games, 12 games against each team (6 at home and 6 away).
- Games will be played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a starting time of 12:00pm.
- The team that has the most wins at the end of the season will be named the Champion.
- League starts the first Friday of October every season.
- Teams must wore whites at home and grays when away.


**** The logos are almost (95%) from the Retro Logo section on the forums. Big thanks go to all the work that knuckler and txranger done with them all. Instead of asking them to make me about 120-150 logos for this story I picked the logos that I could edit easily (I am terrible with photoshop etc.) and all I did was change the names of the cities on the logos.

[tlowe77]

Team by team history:


Current Competitions:

ABA - Australian Baseball Association (1905-current) (Pro League - 1st tier)
MML - Melbourne Metro League (1908-current) (Independent - 2nd tier)

Past Competitions:

MBA/VBA - Melbourne/Victorian Baseball Association (1889-1905) (Pro League)
SBL/NSWBL - Sydney/New South Wales Baseball League (1895-1905) (Pro League)

Australian Baseball Association: Current Teams



Ballarat Lakers
Founded: 1901
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1901-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: nil
ABA VIC League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Balmain Dukes
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: nil
ABA NSW League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Bankstown Charlies
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: nil
ABA NSW League Championship: 1 - (1909-10)
ABA Championships: nil



Bendigo Miners
Founded: 1901
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1901-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: nil
ABA VIC League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Central Coast Blue Sox
Previous Names: South Sydney Blue Sox (1895-1906)
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: 2 - (1897-98, 98-99)
ABA NSW League Championship: 1 - (1912-13)
ABA Championships: 1 - (1912-13)



Essendon Reds
Previous Names: Essendon Red Legs (1889-1907)
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: 5 - (1892-93, 1893-94, 1894-95, 1897-98, 1898-99)
ABA VIC League Championship: 2 - (1906-07, 1912-13)
ABA Championships: nil



Footscray Hound Dogs
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: 2 - (1896-97, 1899-1900)
ABA VIC League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Geelong Sea Birds
Previous Names: St Kilda Sea Birds (1889-1899)
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: 2 - (1889-90, 1890-91)
ABA VIC League Championship: 2 - (1907-08, 1913-14)
ABA Championships: 1 - (1907-08)



Newcastle Black Sox
Founded: 1903
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1903-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: nil
ABA NSW League Championship: 3 - (1905-06, 1911-12, 1914-15)
ABA Championships: 2 - (1905-06, 1911-12)



North Melbourne Dodgers
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: 4 - (1901-02, 1902-03, 1903-04, 1904-05)
ABA VIC League Championship: 1 - (1905-06)
ABA Championships: nil



North Sydney Roosters
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: 1 - (1896-97)
ABA NSW League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Parramatta Kangaroos
Previous Names: Canterbury Kangaroos (1895-1904)
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: 2 - (1899-1900, 1904-05)
ABA NSW League Championship: 4 - (1906-07, 1908-09, 1910-11, 1913-14)
ABA Championships: 2 - (1906-07, 1913-14)



Paddington Browns
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: 2 - (1900-01, 1902-03)
ABA NSW League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Randwick Barons
Founded: 1895
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: 2 - (1895-96, 1901-02)
ABA NSW League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



Richmond Rebels
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: 1 - (1900-01)
ABA VIC League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil



South Melbourne Magpies
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: nil
ABA VIC League Championship: 4 - (1908-09, 1909-10, 1910-11, 1911-12)
ABA Championships: 3 - (1908-09, 1909-10, 1910-11)



Werribee Generals
Previous Names: Hawthorn Rogues (1889-1897), Wyndham Generals (1897-1904)
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: nil
ABA VIC League Championship: 1 - (1914-15)
ABA Championships: 1 - (1914-15)



Wollongong Cowboys
Founded: 1903
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1903-1905), ABA (1905-current)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: 1 - (1903-04)
ABA NSW League Championship: 1 - (1907-08)
ABA Championships: nil

Melbourne Metro League: Current Teams

Carlton Blue Collars
Founded: 1908
Competitions: MML (1908-current)

MML Pennants: nil



Fitzroy Athletics
Founded: 1889
Competitions: MBA/VBA (1889-1905), ABA (1905-1910), MML (1910-current)

MBA/VBA Championships: 2 - (1891-92, 1895-96)
MML Pennants: nil



Hawthorn Rogues
Founded: 1908
Competitions: MML (1908-current)

MML Pennants: 1 - (1914-15)



Newport Bulls
Founded: 1910
Competitions: MML (1910-current)

MML Pennants: nil



Port Melbourne Steelheads
Founded: 1908
Competitions: MML (1908-current)

MML Pennants: 6 - (1908-09, 1909-10, 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1913-14)



South Yarra Jumbos
Founded: 1908
Competitions: MML (1908-current)

MML Pennants: nil

Inactive Teams: Folded Baseball Clubs

Ashfield Farmers
Founded: 1895 (Folded 1912)
Competitions: SBL/NSWBL (1889-1905), ABA (1905-1912)

SBL/NSWBL Championships: nil
ABA NSW League Championship: nil
ABA Championships: nil

[tlowe77]

ALL TIME STAT LEADERS: PROFESSIONALS
(Last updated before the 1919-20 season)


CAREER BATTING

Games:

1. Malcolm Mclaren - 2,917 (1891-1915)
(St Kilda, Sth Melbourne, Footscray, Nth Melbourne, Bendigo, Richmond, Bankstown, Central Coast and Werribee)
2. William Kearney - 2,376 (1896-current)
(St Kilda, Balmain, Richmond, Sth Melbourne and Geelong)
3. Alexander Sheelah - 2,121 (1895-1914)
(Sth Sydney, Fitzroy, Sth Melbourne, Richmond, Newcastle, Parramatta, Bankstown, Randwick, Wollongong and Central Coast)


At-Bats:

1. Malcolm Mclaren - 10,759 (1891-1915)
(St Kilda, Sth Melbourne, Footscray, Nth Melbourne, Bendigo, Richmond, Bankstown, Central Coast and Werribee)
2. William Kearney - 9,848 (1896-current)
(St Kilda, Balmain, Richmond, Sth Melbourne and Geelong)
3. William Matheson - 8,420 (1900-current)
(Randwick, Newcastle, Paddington and Wollongong)


Runs:

1. Malcolm Mclaren - 1,563 (1891-1915)
(St Kilda, Sth Melbourne, Footscray, Nth Melbourne, Bendigo, Richmond, Bankstown, Central Coast and Werribee)
2. William Kearney - 1,404 (1896-current)
(St Kilda, Balmain, Richmond, Sth Melbourne and Geelong)
3. Cooper Lane - 1,238 (1889-1906)
(Footscray, Essendon, Randwick, Sth Melbourne and Nth Sydney


Hits:

1. Malcolm Mclaren - 3,257 (1891-1915)
(St Kilda, Sth Melbourne, Footscray, Nth Melbourne, Bendigo, Richmond, Bankstown, Central Coast and Werribee)
2. William Kearney - 2,860 (1896-current)
(St Kilda, Balmain, Richmond, Sth Melbourne and Geelong)
3. Kaige Chin - 2,381 (1889-1909)
(Fitzroy, St Kilda, Sth Sydney, Wyndham, Nth Melbourne, Sth Melbourne, Balmain and Wollongong)


Home Runs:

1. Marcus Tierney - 138 (1895-1908)
(Paddington, Wyndham, Geelong, Bendigo, Sth Melbourne, Wollongong and Parramatta
2. Daniel Haggers - 129 (1895-1910)
(Bankstown, Footscray, Essendon, Sth Melbourne, Nth Melbourne, Ballarat, Newcastle, Balmain and Wollongong)
3. Sebastian Blackford - 120 (1895-1909)
(Paddington, Sth Melbourne, Essendon, Wyndham and Parramatta)


Runs Batted In:

1. Malcolm Mclaren - 1,350 (1891-1915)
(St Kilda, Sth Melbourne, Footscray, Nth Melbourne, Bendigo, Richmond, Bankstown, Central Coast and Werribee)
2. Kaige Chin - 1,019 (1889-1909)
(Fitzroy, St Kilda, Sth Sydney, Wyndham, Nth Melbourne, Sth Melbourne, Balmain and Wollongong)
3. William Kearney - 996 (1896-current)
(St Kilda, Balmain, Richmond, Sth Melbourne and Geelong)


Stolen Bases:

1. William Kearney - 1,073 (1896-current)
(St Kilda, Balmain, Richmond, Sth Melbourne and Geelong)
2. Marty Bradnock - 790 (1898-current)
(Fitzroy, Bankstown and Wollongong)
3. Terence Hutchence - 779 (1901-current)
(Bendigo, Nth Sydney, Geelong, Paddington, Central Coast and Wollongong)



CAREER PITCHING


Wins:

1. Lance Cloherty - 271 (1895-1913)
(Canterbury, Nth Melbourne. Richmond, Ballarat, Essendon, Paddington, Central Coast and Parramatta)
2. Nicholas Beggs- 265 (1899-1915)
(Randwick, Balmain, Fitzroy, Parramatta and Nwecastle)
3. Hal Naylor - 244 (1900-1915)
(Ashfield, Bendigo, Geelong, Wollongong and Parramatta)


Saves:

1. Ted Richards - 291 (1904-1915)
(Footscray, Newcastle, Richmond, Parramatta and Ballarat)
2. Rhys Cobb - 277 (1905-1913)
(Bankstown, Parramatta and Sth Melbourne)
2. Peter Jacobsen - 277 (1905-1914)
(Richmond, Bankstown and Newcastle)


Games Pitched:

1. Gerry Collins - 631 (1905-current)
(Nth Melbourne, Sth Melbourne, Geelong and Parramatta)
2. Ashley Hutchinson - 610 (1900-current)
(Bankstown, Paddington, Essendon, Newcastle, Ashfield, Balmain and Wollongong)
3. Lance Cloherty - 606 (1895-1913)
(Canterbury, Nth Melbourne. Richmond, Ballarat, Essendon, Paddington, Central Coast and Parramatta)


Games Started:

1. Lance Cloherty - 521 (1895-1913)
(Canterbury, Nth Melbourne. Richmond, Ballarat, Essendon, Paddington, Central Coast and Parramatta)
1. Rich Gahan - 521 (1895-1914)
(Nth Sydney, Richmond, Wyndham, Geelong, Werribee, Fitzroy, Balmain, Essendon, Wollongong, Footscray and Ballarat)
3. Hal Naylor - 513 (1900-1915)
(Ashfield, Bendigo, Geelong, Wollongong and Parramatta)


Innings Pitched:

1. Lance Cloherty - 4,382.2 (1895-1913)
(Canterbury, Nth Melbourne. Richmond, Ballarat, Essendon, Paddington, Central Coast and Parramatta)
2. Rich Gahan - 4,200.2 (1895-1914)
(Nth Sydney, Richmond, Wyndham, Geelong, Werribee, Fitzroy, Balmain, Essendon, Wollongong, Footscray and Ballarat)
3. Hal Naylor - 4,140.0 (1900-1915)
(Ashfield, Bendigo, Geelong, Wollongong and Parramatta)


Strikeouts:

1. Lance Cloherty - 2,098 (1895-1913)
(Canterbury, Nth Melbourne. Richmond, Ballarat, Essendon, Paddington, Central Coast and Parramatta)
2. Cody Liddell - 1,892 (1905-current)
(Ashfield, Wollongong, Central Coast, Paddington and Newcastle)
3. Joshua Grant - 1,815 (1895-1913)
(Paddington, Nth Melbourne, Fitzroy, Geelong, Werribee, Wollongong, Central Coast and Richmond.)

[tlowe77]

1889-90 Year One of Australian Professional Baseball



The first and only professional league (only organised altogether) in Australia was the Melbourne Baseball Association. In it's start up season there was 8 teams which were all from suburbs of the greater Melbourne area.

The first 8 professional baseball clubs were:
















Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1889-90 season


Champions: St Kilda Sea Dogs



Summary: The season was a great success! The average attendance per game was 1,096 which smashed the goal of 800 per game. Also all clubs finished in the black with an average balance of $3,533 left over for each club.

The Champions had the highest attendance over the season with 52,892 fans passing through the gates while the South Melbourne Magpies struggled with a league low 37,989 spectators watching them at home games.

[tlowe77]

1890 to 1892 Season 2 & 3:
Baseball continues to grow in Melbourne


Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1890-91 season


Champions: St Kilda Sea Dogs (2)



Summary: Attendance was on the up, it was only by 2.52% but it's better then a decrease. The owners started to spend some money as well to try and lock the better players away for 3 seasons. The average annual wage was $363.32.



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1891-92 season


Champions: Fitzroy Athletics



Summary: What an exciting season. The Fitzroy Athletics and Essendon Red Legs finished all square on 46-38, as we all know there can only be one Champion so the teams and league officials agreed to play a tiebreaker game. It was a massive hit as the stadium was at full capacity as the Athletics defeated the Red Legs 7-2 to become the 1891-92 Champions.

[tlowe77]

1892-93 Season 4:
Major changes to the MBA


The Association has made the follwing changes for the upcoming 1891-92 season:

- Schedule will increase from 84 to 112 with a game now being played on Thursdays
- Minimum wage went from $200 to $300
- Active Roster from 20 to 25
- Maximum number of Foreign players from 3 to 4
- After the tiebreaker game a 3 game playoff series will be held between 1st and 2nd on the ladder to decide the Championship.
- 2 weeks of preseason games to be played before the regular season


Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1892-93 season



Champions: Essendon Red Legs, defeated St Kilda Sea Birds 2-0



Summary: St Kilda and Fitzroy had a playoff game to get into the playoffs. This helped the league gain more interest with the fans as excitement levels were high for the first playoff series between the St Kilda Sea Birds (who beat Fitzroy) and the 1st place Essendon Red Legs.

Essendon proved to be to strong pitching wise, taking the playoff series 2-0 with 3-1 wins in both games.

Crowds set around an average of 1,100 for the season which was good as the league was unsure if the fans would go to more games. The better teams Essendon and St Kilda would draw crowds of 1,300 plus day in and day out.

[tlowe77]

1893-94 Season 5:
Five seasons in the books and everyone is in the black


Melbourne Baseball Association Update:

- Awards will now be given out to the the players judged the best at there positions on the field and also an award for the Best First Year player.


Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1893-94 season


Champions: Essendon Red Legs (2), defeated Fitzroy Athletics 2-1



Summary: Essendon went back to back and also averaged 1,562 fans at home games, next best was St Kilda at 1,305. The $1,000 mark has also been reached by 3 players as the leagues average wage increased to $450.

[tlowe77]

1894-95 Season 6:
Essendon three peat, dominate in all areas


Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1894-95 season



Champions: Essendon Red Legs (3), defeated South Melbourne Magpies 2-1



Summary: Another super competitive season of MBA baseball. Only Fitzroy and North Melbourne finished the season in the red, Fitzroy because of a high payroll which can easily be fixed but North Melbourne have been struggling to get fans through the gates as they have not had a winning season since 1889-90.

Single Season Records: Julio Mendez (Fitzroy) had a season to remember as he set new records in the following areas; Batting Avg (.396), Runs (112), and Hits (194). Maurice Arnott (Richmond) stole 76 bags breaking the record of 60 easily.

[tlowe77]

1895-96 Season 7:
Sydney welcomes professional baseball




A new baseball league is born:

The game Melbourne has grown to love over the last decade has been taken up north to Sydney. This new league has no ties with the MBA and is a stand alone professional league. It will go by the title of the Sydney Baseball League and like the MBA the teams are from Suburbs of the greater Sydney area.

There are some different rules to this new league, they are:

- Teams will be able to trade players to another club during weeks 1 and 22 of the 28 week season. Trade may also take place in the off season.
- Minimum wage will be $250 ($300 in MBA)
- Clubs may sign players to a max of 5 years (3 years in MBA)
- Player may become a free agent after one year of service (3 in MBA) and MBA service time will be accepted.
- Teams will share 20% of their income equally between each other.
- Visiting teams will get 20% of the gate takings.

Otherwise the season will be 112 games long, played Thursday to Sunday with the top 2 teams playing off in a best of 3 series.

The 8 new professional clubs that will be competing in the Sydney baseball League are:










Sydney Baseball League - End of 1895-96 season


Champions: Randwick Barons, defeated Bankstown Charlies 2-1



Summary: A great debut season for the northern competition as the average crowd to a game was 1,134 (only 103 less then the established MBA). All clubs also posted healthy returns which will help the league grow as more money can be put back in to the development of the league.



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1895-96 season


Champions: Fitzroy Athletics (2), defeated Footscray Hound Dogs 2-0



Summary: Crowd number were up again, and the owners bank accounts down with only 2 clubs posting profits. The league ERA dropped .69 points from the previous season high of 4.52 but that meant less hits and runs which the fans weren't overly happy about.

Single Season Records: Nathaniel Seyler (South Melbourne) set a new record of a 34 game hitting streak, Carl Hancock (Essendon) broke the triples record by 13 with 34 in the season, while pitcher Austin Goodwin (Fitzroy) broke the K's record with 145, the previous record was 134.

[tlowe77]

1896-97 Season 8:
Hound Dogs and Roosters take out the silverware


Sydney Baseball League - End of 1896-97 season


Champions: North Sydney Roosters, defeated Bankstown Charlies 2-1



Summary: Average crowd size was up to 1,200 plus and all clubs look like they have a steady fan base at the moment only Canterbury Kangaroos under 1,000 for home games but a record of 36-76 will do that.



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1896-97 season


Champions: Footscray Hound Dogs, defeated South Melbourne Magpies 2-1



Summary: The Hound Dogs finally claimed some the trophy for the western suburbs of Melbourne. After 8 seasons there is 8 different Hitters of the Year and Pitchers of the Year award winners just showing how even the competition is. The average salary was pushing $600 a year. A push to make the MBA a full time league as most players still worked on off days and had to get jobs in the offseason to survive. Updating of each ball clubs grounds, which currently hold between 1,250-1,600 fans, would be discussed over the offseason to help bring in more money to the game.

Single Season Records: Malcolm Mclaren (South Melbourne) tied his own record set in 1894-95 of 40 doubles on the season. Sebastian Blackford (South Melbourne) smashed the home run record of 14 by hitting 22 long balls. Paddy Pearson (Footscray) posted the most wins in a season with 24 from 31 games started. Wendell Pride (Fitzroy) became only the 2nd pitcher to have an ERA under 2.00, he set a new record when he finished the season with 1.97.

[tlowe77]

1897-98 Season 9:
Relocation, grounds too small, pro baseball is taking off


News from the Melbourne Baseball Association:

The owners of the Hawthorn Rogues ball club sold the franchise license after believing they would not see a sizable profit in the long run. The new ownership group have relocated the team out of the main city area to the town of Wyndham which is 33 km's south west of Melbourne. They have also decided to change the team name to the Generals. Wyndham will have a top of the line baseball ground which can hold up to 2,500 fans with plans to add 3,000 more seats by 1900.





Sydney Baseball League - End of 1897-98 season


Champions: South Sydney Blue Sox defeated North Sydney Roosters 2-0



Summary: Crowds went up by an average of 150 per game. North and South Sydney made $10,000 plus profits as they both cracked the 90,000 season attendance mark.

Single Season Records: Rory Bashford (South Sydney) high a new high in hits with 179. Rod Neill legged out 34 doubles to past the previous record of 30. Jake Jenkins (North Sydney) and Randolph Emery (North Sydney) both smashed 15 home runs. Noel Pollock (Paddington) set the ERA record at 1.95 for a season. Randy Hewson (Ashfield) pitched 24 complete games and 131 strikeouts to hold both records.



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1897-98 season


Champions: Essendon Red Legs (4) defeated South Melbourne Magpies 2-1



Summary: The Wyndham move was a success as the club finished with it's highest season attendance total and equal highest finished. Crowds were just under 1,500, most teams fall only a few 100 short of selling out every game. All grounds would be upgrade to hold a minimum of
5,000 fans over the next 3 years, if an ownership group fails to they will have there license brought out. Essendon, North Melbourne, Fitzroy, South Melbourne and Wyndham already have building plans for the offseason. Richmond, St Kilda and Footscray are yet to put any plans to the league officials.

Single Season Records: Maurice Arnott (Richmond) batted .397 (previous record .396) and Barry Crutcher (Wyndham) had 508 at bats (506).

[tlowe77]

1898-99 Season 10:
Show me the money, Blue Sox go back-to-back and Essendon wins 5th title


News from the Melbourne Baseball Association:

- The league minimum jumped from $300 to $400.
- Contracts of 4 years could now be signed.

News from the Sydney Baseball League:

- The league minimum jumped from $250 to $400.
(SBL only raised league minimum to compete with MBA)



Sydney Baseball League - End of 1898-99 season


Champions: South Sydney Blue Sox (2) defeated Balmain Dukes 2-0



Summary: Crowds are on the rise as interest levels increase in Sydney. Rory Bashford won his 2nd Hitter Award but in a major lose for the Blue Sox and the SBL decide to leave for the MBA. All clubs posted strong returns the best being South Sydney with $20,000 plus.

Single Season Records: No new records



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1898-99 season


Champions: Essendon Red Legs (5) defeated North Melbourne Dodgers 2-1



Summary: Pitching has started to heat up as the leagues ERA was down to 3.15 from 3.95 the previous season. Malcolm Mclaren became the first player to 1,000 hits, 500 RBIs, 600 runs and 500 walks this season. Crowds jumped as well with fans loving the spacer designs, the average attendance at a game was around 1,900 with Essendon leading the league with 2,574 a game. With grounds still being developed crowd numbers look to continue to raise over the next few seasons.

Single Season Records:
- Joshua Grant (North Melbourne) 1.63 ERA (1.97)

[kq76]

I love your logos and team names!

It's pretty obvious that you based the Melbourne teams on old AFL or VFL areas. Did you base the Sydney teams on something?

[tlowe77]

Originally Posted by kq76

I love your logos and team names!

It's pretty obvious that you based the Melbourne teams on old AFL or VFL areas. Did you base the Sydney teams on something?

Thanks mate! Area started the Melbourne league off with old VFA/VFL suburbs and with the Sydney league I kinda used some of the suburbs from the NSW rugby league when it started in 1907.

North Sydney, South Sydney and Balmain were all original teams in the NSWRL.

While the teams like Eastern Suburbs were located in Paddington and Western Suburbs in Ashfield.

And I moved teams like Newtown and Glebe to become Randwick and Canterbury just because it moved them away from the city center a little more. I also like using the town name of Bankstown over Cumberland.

[tlowe77]

1899-1900 Season 11:
New century brings new fans and more money


News from the Melbourne Baseball Association:

- St Kilda Sea Dogs owner relocated the team across the bay to Geelong about 75 km away from the city. The move is a big one as they will be the furthest away from the city but the owner sees a great chance to cash in on being the only team in a town, just like the Generals have. The Sea Dogs name will be kept.




News from the Sydney Baseball League:

- No news



Sydney Baseball League - End of 1899-1900 season


Champions: Canterbury Kangaroos defeated South Sydney Blue Sox 2-0



Avg Crowds: 1,777 (Highest - 2,034 South Sydney, Lowest - 1,612 Balmian Dukes)

Single Season Records:
- Bill Vanrenen (South Sydney) - 116 Walks (100)
- Bradley Wurfel (Randwick) 5 Saves (4)
- Bradley Wurfel (Randwick) 38 Games Pitched (37)



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1899-1900 season


Champions: Footscray Hound Dogs (2) defeated Richmond Rebels 2-1



Avg Crowds: 1,874 (Highest - 2,540 Essendon, Lowest - 1,435 St Kilda)

Single Season Records:
- Paddy Pearson (St Kilda) 6 Shutouts (4)

[tlowe77]

1900-01 Season 12:
New century brings new fans and more money


News from the Melbourne Baseball Association:

- Two new franchises are planned for the 1901-02 season with Ballarat and Bendigo both getting teams.


News from the Sydney Baseball League:

- No news



Sydney Baseball League - End of 1900-01 season


Champions: Paddington Browns defeated North Sydney Roosters 2-0



Avg Crowds: 2,552 (Highest - 2,773 Paddington Browns, Lowest - 2,065 Balmain Dukes)

Single Season Records:
- Barry Crutcher (Randwick) 85 Stolen Bases (81)
- Bob Gillorn (Randwick) 1.79 ERA (1.88)
- Lachlan Willmott (Balmain) 42 Games Pitched (38)



Melbourne Baseball Association - End of 1900-01 season


Champions: Richmond Rebels defeated Wyndham Generals 2-0



Avg Crowds: 3,044 (Highest - 3,599 Richmond Rebels, Lowest - 2,287 Fitzroy Athletics)

Single Season Records:
- Joshua Doubleday (Richmond) .401 Batting Average (.396)

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1901-02 Season 13:
League expansion and more baseball


News from the Victorian Baseball League (formerly the MBA):

- Two new franchises (Ballarat Lakers and Bendigo Miners).
- League schedule expanded from 112 games to 144.
- 4 game series now instead of 5.
- Championship series now a best of 5 series.
- Minimum wage from $400 to $600.
- League name change.




News from the Sydney Baseball League:

- General Meeting held at seasons end with league officials and owners about ways to compete with the evolving Victorian league and the increasing money they are offering players.



Sydney Baseball League - End of 1901-02 season


Champions: Randwick Barons (2) defeated Bankstown Charlies 2-1



Avg Crowds: 2,248 (Highest - 2,722 Randwick Barons, Lowest - 1,849 Balmain Dukes)

Single Season Records:
- Marty Bradnock (Bankstown) 86 Stolen Bases (85)
- Bradley Wurfel (Randwick) 25 Complete Games (24)



Victorian Baseball League - End of 1901-02 season


Champions: North Melbourne Dodgers defeated Footscray Hound Dogs 3-0



Avg Crowds: 2,789 (Highest - 3,795 Richmond Rebels, Lowest - 1,872 Essendon Red Legs)

Single Season Records:
- Rory Bashford (Wyndham) 128 Runs (112)
- Byron Purcell (Wyndham) 211 Hits (194)
- Adam Somerville (Ballarat) 118 RBI's (111)
- Sam Cooper (Bendigo) 85 Stolen Bases (76)
- Matthew Alport (North Melbourne) 44 Games Pitched (40)
- Matt Jarvis (South Melbourne) 177 Strikeouts Thrown (145)

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1902-03 Season 14:
More continued growth and talks about leagues joining


News from the Victorian Baseball League (formerly the MBA):

- No news


News from the Sydney Baseball League:

- Two new franchises planned for the 1903-04 season, location TBA.



Sydney Baseball League - End of 1902-03 season


Champions: Paddington Browns (2) defeated Bankstown Charlies 2-1



Avg Crowds: 2,250 (Highest - 2,708 Bankstown Charlies, Lowest - 1,730 Canterbury Kangaroos)

Single Season Records:
- Austin Goodwin (Bankstown) 21 Wins (20)
- Josh Larcombe (Randwick) 1.54 ERA (1.79), 7 Shutouts (4), 167 Strikeouts (143)



Victorian Baseball League - End of 1902-03 season


Champions: North Melbourne Dodgers (2) defeated Ballarat Lakers 3-1



Avg Crowds: 3,234 (Highest - 4,151 South Melbourne Magpies, Lowest - 2,228 Wyndham Generals)

Single Season Records:
- Dan Pedley (Essendon) 95 Stolen Bases (85)
- Wayne O'Bryan (South Melbourne), Norman Palmer (Fitzroy) 26 Wins (24)
- Nathan Radford (Essendon) 181 Strikeouts Thrown (177)

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1903-04 Season 15:
Two new professional baseball clubs and the Dodgers 3 peat in the VBL


General Australian baseball news :

- The new professional league is set to commence for the 1904-05 season. The NSWBL and VBL competitions will dissolve and the teams will join the new Australian Baseball Association.


News from the Victorian Baseball League:

- No news


News from the New South Wales Baseball League:

- The Wollongong Cowboys and Newcastle Black Sox have joined the NSWBL.
- League name changed.
- Minimum wage increased to $600.
- Schedule increased to 144 games.
- Premiership Series now 5 games.





New South Wales Baseball League - End of 1903-04 season (Formerly the SBL)


Champions: Wollongong Cowboys defeated North Sydney Roosters 3-0



Avg Crowds: 2,597 (Highest - 3,752 Wollongong Cowboys, Lowest - 1,928 South Sydney Blue Sox)

Single Season Records:
- Tristan Dulihanty (Balmain) 196 Hits (179)
- Michael Frew (Bankstown) 51 Doubles (34)
- Marcus Tierney (South Sydney) 30 Home Runs (15)
- Jamie Donoghue (Newcastle) 28 Wins (21)
- Tahir Nishapuri (Newcastle) 39 Saves (5)
- Liam Naughton (Balmain) 71 Games Pitched (42)
- Gavin Walshe (Newcastle), Wesley Hui (Balmain) and Bradley Greenway (Bankstown) 37 Games Started (30)
- Josh Larcombe (Randwick) 239 Strikeouts (167)



Victorian Baseball League - End of 1903-04 season


Champions: North Melbourne Dodgers (3) defeated Fitzroy Athletics 3-2



Avg Crowds: 3,518 (Highest - 4,383 North Melbourne Dodgers, Lowest - 2,897 Wyndham Generals)

Single Season Records:
- Li-xue Ling (Geelong) 44 Doubles (40)
- Roger Matheson (North Melbourne) 1.35 ERA (1.63)
- Roger Matheson (North Melbourne) 38 Saves (5)
- Roger Matheson (North Melbourne) 80 Games Pitched (44)
- Nathan Radford (Footscray) 194 Strikeouts (181)

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1904-05 Season 16:
North Melbourne continue to roll and the Kangaroos move pays off in a big way


General Australian baseball news :

- The plans for the Australian Baseball Association got put on hold for one more season as both leagues worked out the finer details. The new league will commence next season.


News from the Victorian Baseball League:

- Wyndham changed name to Werribee along with the official town name change.




News from the New South Wales Baseball League:

- The Kangaroos moved from Canterbury to Parramatta for a new ground.





New South Wales Baseball League - End of 1904-05 season (Formerly the SBL)


Champions: Parramatta Kangaroos (2) defeated Newcastle Black Sox 3-1



Avg Crowds: 2,329 (Highest - 3,489 Newcastle Black Sox, Lowest - 1,902 South Sydney Blue Sox)

Single Season Records:
- Nathan Scott (Wollongong) 116 Runs (112)
- Nathan Scott (Wollongong) 228 Hits (196)
- Bob Warby (Newcastle) 89 Stolen Bases (86)
- Rupert Ottaway (Newcastle) 30 Wins (28)
- Sam Squire (Newcastle) 40 Saves (39)
- Jamie Donoghue (Newcastle) 248 Strikeouts (239)



Victorian Baseball League - End of 1904-05 season


Champions: North Melbourne Dodgers (4) defeated Fitzroy Athletics 3-2



Avg Crowds: 3,417 (Highest - 3,943 North Melbourne Dodgers, Lowest - 2,436 Werribee Generals)

Single Season Records:
- Bob Backhouse (Essendon) 1.13 ERA (1.35)
- Lance Cloherty (Essendon) 220 Strikeouts (194)