1997–98 Australian Baseball League season explained

Sport:Baseball
League:Australian Baseball League
No Of Teams:8
Season:Regular season
Mvp:Brendan Kingman (Sydney Storm)
Finals:Finals Series
Finals Venue:Melbourne Ballpark
Finals Champ:Melbourne Reds (3rd title)
Finals Runner-Up:Gold Coast Cougars
No Of Games:211
Prevseason Link:1996–97 Australian Baseball League season
Prevseason Year:1996–97
Nextseason Link:1998–99 Australian Baseball League season
Nextseason Year:1998–99

The 1997–98 Australian Baseball League season was the 9th season of the original Australian Baseball League, contested between eight teams representing state and regional capitals:,,,,,, and . The Melbourne Reds became the first three-time champions defeating the Gold Coast Cougars 2 games to 0 in the Championship series, in front of a small home crowd of 600 at the Melbourne Ballpark.

Teams

Each of the 8 teams from the previous season returned, however the Sydney Blues changed their name to the Sydney Storm after legal action taken by Cricket NSW during the offseason.

In the season opening press release, The league called for expressions of interest in a licence to reform the Canberra Bushrangers for the season, The Bushrangers previously folded at the end of the season.

Rosters

During the regular season each team made use of an active roster of 22–24 men, with a maximum of 4 import players.

Venues

Team! scope="col"
CityStateStadiumRef
AdelaideSouth AustraliaNorwood Oval
BrisbaneQueenslandQueensland Sport and Athletics Centre
Gold CoastQueenslandCarrara Oval
NewcastleNew South WalesNewcastle International Sports Centre
MelbourneVictoriaMelbourne Ballpark
MelbourneVictoriaMoorabbin Oval
PerthWestern AustraliaWACA Ground
SydneyNew South WalesConcord Oval

Regular season

Round 1: 31 October – 5 November 1997

+ Round 1
Perth Heat3d.Adelaide Giants1(6-5, 6-3, 6-5, 2-8)
Gold Coast Cougars2d.Brisbane Bandits1(7-1, 8-6, 13-14)
Melbourne Monarchs3d.Melbourne Reds1(8-6, 10-6, 7-2, 2-8)
Sydney Storm2d.Hunter Eagles0(11-10, 5-3)

Round 2: 7–9 November 1997

+ Round 2
Perth Heat3d.Sydney Storm1(3-5, 3-2, 10-3, 4-1)
Adelaide Giants3d.Melbourne Monarchs1(1-3, 3-0, 9-4, 7-4)
Gold Coast Cougars2d.Melbourne Reds1(6-3, 6-10, 5-4, W/out)
Brisbane Bandits3d.Hunter Eagles1(6-4, 7-4, 4-3, 2-4)

Round 3: 14–16 November 1997

+ Round 3
Perth Heat2dr.Sydney Storm2(1-5, 5-9, 4-3, 11-7)
Melbourne Reds3d.Gold Coast Cougars1(4-1, 6-2, 3-2, 1-2)
Adelaide Giants3d.Melbourne Monarchs1(N/A, 7-2, N/A, N/A)
Brisbane Bandits3d.Hunter Eagles1(9-1, 13-11, 12-6, 9-10)

Round 4: 21–23 November 1997

+ Round 4
Perth Heat2dr.Melbourne Monarchs2(6-7, 6-1, 9-5, 0-2)
Melbourne Reds3d.Brisbane Bandits1(7-11, 20-7, 12-7, 12-9)
Gold Coast Cougars3d.Hunter Eagles1(10-5, 0-3, 8-4, 8-1)
Sydney Storm3d.Adelaide Giants1(1-5, 3-2, 5-2, 6-3)

Round 5: 28–30 November 1997

+ Round 5
Melbourne Reds4d.Brisbane Bandits0(12-8, 12-1, 11-7, 11-7)
Gold Coast Cougars3d.Hunter Eagles1(5-2, 0-6, 7-6, 15-3)
Sydney Storm2dr.Adelaide Giants2(6-5, 1-4, 8-7, 2-6)

Round 6: 5–7 December 1997

+ Round 6
Melbourne Reds4d.Hunter Eagles0(2-1, 10-6, 7-6, 8-1)
Brisbane Bandits2d.Gold Coast Cougars1(9-3, 14-9, 10-15)
Sydney Storm3d.Melbourne Monarchs1(3-2, 6-5, 4-8, 18-5)
Adelaide Giants3d.Perth Heat1(2-7, 7-1, 5-1, 6-3)

All Star Games: 12–13 December 1997

Year:1997
Game:Australian Baseball League All-Star Game
Date:12-13 December 1997
Venue:Carrara Oval
City:Gold Coast

The All-Stars Weekend, was the first series of All-Star exhibition games held by the Australian Baseball League. The games were contested over two nights at Carrara Oval on the Gold Coast, The then home of the Gold Coast Cougars franchise.[1]

The games were played between the Australian All-Stars, USA All-Stars and the 1997 Japanese Industrial League Champions the Mitsubishi Juko Kobe. The Australian and USA All-Star teams were selected from players who were at the time playing in the Australian Baseball League.[1]

Game 2: Australian All-Stars vs USA All-Stars

Round 7: 14–16 December 1997

+ Round 7
Sydney Storm2d.Hunter Eagles1(8-5, 4-1, 4-6)
Gold Coast Cougars1d.Brisbane Bandits0(N/A)
Sydney Storm2d.Hunter Eagles1(N/A)

Round 8: 19–21 December 1997

+ Round 8
Sydney Storm2dr.Melbourne Monarchs2(5-3, 3-6, 0-1, 6-5)
Gold Coast Cougars3d.Brisbane Bandits0(8-3, 9-8, 15-8)
Perth Heat2dr.Adelaide Giants2(4-2, 4-0, 2-5, 2-6)
Melbourne Reds3d.Hunter Eagles1(4-5, 17-7, 8-7, 7-0)

Round 9: 26–28 December 1997

+ Round 9
Perth Heat2dr.Melbourne Reds2(13-6, 7-6, 2-3, 3-8)
Sydney Storm4d.Brisbane Bandits0(23-9, 3-2, 10-0, 10-7)
Melbourne Monarchs4d.Gold Coast Cougars0(4-1, 4-1, 4-0, 6-0)
Adelaide Giants3d.Hunter Eagles1(12-4, 1-6, 6-2, 7-3)

Round 10: 30 December 1997, 2–6 January 1998

+ Round 10
Brisbane Bandits2d.Perth Heat1(11-1, 18-2, 2-15)
Sydney Storm2d.Melbourne Reds1(4-1, 1-10, 8-4)
Gold Coast Cougars3d.Adelaide Giants0(8-6, 9-8, 10-9)
Melbourne Monarchs3d.Hunter Eagles0(8-3, 7-5, 3-2)
Sydney Storm1d.Hunter Eagles0(17-14)

Round 11: 9–11 January 1998

+ Round 11
Sydney Storm3d.Hunter Eagles0(10-3, 14-3, 10-3)
Melbourne Monarchs2d.Melbourne Reds1(6-2, 3-7, 14-4)
Adelaide Giants2d.Brisbane Bandits1(4-2, 4-8, 8-6)
Perth Heat2d.Gold Coast Cougars1(2-19, 8-7, 8-2)

Round 12: 16–18 January 1998

+ Round 12
Melbourne Monarchs3d.Brisbane Bandits1(1-2, 4-3, 11-10, 12-11)
Gold Coast Cougars4d.Sydney Storm0(17-12, 7-2, 15-7, 10-8)
Melbourne Reds3d.Adelaide Giants1(4-5, 10-6, 10-8, 11-10)
Perth Heat2dr.Hunter Eagles2(0-8, 11-6, 6-8, 5-2)

Round 13: 22–25 January 1998

+ Round 13
Brisbane Bandits2d.Sydney Storm1(2-3, 6-1, 2-1)
Melbourne Monarchs2d.Gold Coast Cougars1(10-9, 5-1, 3-4)
Adelaide Giants1dr.Hunter Eagles1(9-1, 4-5, W/Out)
Perth Heat2d.Melbourne Reds0(2-0, 9-6)

Round 14: 26–29 January 1998

+ Round 14
Brisbane Bandits1dr.Melbourne Monarchs1(N/A, 15-10)
Melbourne Reds2d.Adelaide Giants1(N/A, 11-2, 5-6)
Perth Heat3d.Hunter Eagles0(15-5, 8-7, 17-6)
Gold Coast Cougars2d.Sydney Storm1(9-3, 8-5, 7-12)

Round 15: 30 January – 3 February 1998

+ Round 15
Perth Heat2d.Brisbane Bandits1(0-12, 12-6, 5-1)
Gold Coast Cougars2d.Adelaide Giants1(1-4, 9-6, 7-5)
Melbourne Monarchs3d.Hunter Eagles0(9-0, 9-5, 7-6)
Sydney Storm2d.Melbourne Reds1(14-11, 4-13, 10-9)

Round 16: 6–8 February 1998

+ Round 16
Perth Heat2d.Gold Coast Cougars1(6-2, 3-10, 7-4)
Adelaide Giants2d.Brisbane Bandits1(13-12, 12-10, 8-9)
Melbourne Monarchs1dr.Melbourne Reds1(5-4, 4-5, W/Out)
Sydney Storm1d.Hunter Eagles0(11-5)

Ladder

Top 10 Stats

+ Defensive Stats
NameWinsLossesSavesERA
Mark Respondek4002.57
Warren May6114.96
Robert Hogan5205.97
Pat Ahearne3403.46
David White2427.79
Jason Beverlin2406.22
+ Offensive Stars
NameAvgHRRBI
Adam Burton.3882155
Ben Utting.346734
Myles Barnden.343628
Chris Ashby.314618
Jeff Spencer.306741
Shane Hogan.2981849

Postseason

Finals Series at Melbourne Ballpark

In previous years the post season was played as home and away best of 3 games, with the two winner of each series meeting for a best of 5 series, in 1997–98 this was changed to a round robin play-off format with each team playing 3 games, 1 against each of the other 3 qualified teams, with the two highest places teams playing off in the Championship Series.[1]

All games for the 9th ABL title were played at the Melbourne Ballpark from February, 10-12 with the best of three championship series 14–15 February.[1]

Finals Series

Game 6: 12 February 1998

Postseason Ladder

Championship Series

Game 2: 15 February 1998

Awards

AwardPersonTeam
Batting ChampionBrendan Kingman
Golden GloveGlenn Williams
Manager of the YearTom Nieto
Most Valuable PlayerBrendan Kingman
Championship M.V.P.Shane Hogan
Rookie of the YearRodney Van Buizen
Reliever of the YearGabe Molina
Pitcher of the YearErick Nelson
Umpire of the YearGerard TancredNew South Wales

All-Star Team

PositionNameTeam
CatcherGary White
1st BaseRon Johnson
2nd BaseAdam Burton
3rd BasePaul Gorman
Short StopBen Utting
Out FieldGlen Barker
Out FieldTrent Durrington
Out FieldGrant McDonald
Designated HitterBrendan Kingman
Starting PitcherErick Nelson
Relief PitcherGabe Molina
ManagerTom Nieto

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FAI Cup Pitches new finals format and all star competition as baseball bats up for the summer of 1997/1998. . Press Release . Australian Baseball League . 19 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/19980630204341/http://www.yellowpages.com.au/reds/releases/98_sum.htm . June 30, 1998 .

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