Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2018 21:31:20 GMT 10
With teams and structure confirmed for 2018/19, there is bound to be plenty written and said about recent ABL developments and their implications.
From a pragmatic angle, two conferences was always going to be the way to go to accommodate 8 clubs spread far and wide. All will play 40 regular season games and there is no doubt that entries of New Zealand and Korea will add enormous interest to the league – at home and abroad.
Given that the Perth franchise goes ahead, Melbourne Aces will be the only club not underwritten by corporate funding. So we can assume that the Aces will rely on the input of Baseball Victoria and Baseball Australia (IE grassroots baseball club contributions) unless a white knight surfaces during the next several months. Good luck with that.
For the ABL to have a long-term future, a viable Melbourne club is vital. Gauging by the club’s total lack of current profile on social media, its website and anywhere else, we have to assume that the Aces are in deep sh*t at the moment. This is at a time when other ABL clubs are highlighting their brand and are garnering significant support even among mainstream media.
Yes, there is ongoing negativity about playing out of Altona. The place is not ideal, but for the time being it is all that the Aces have. If the club had been filling the stadium over the past few seasons, then there might have been a case for a facility to be developed in the east or southeast.
But it hasn’t. Average attendance hs declined over the past three seasons and was down to 701 per game in 2017/18 – even with the club enjoying regular season playing success under Deebs.
A Korean team playing in Geelong will almost certainly draw consistently bigger crowds than the Aces have been doing since club relocation from the Showgrounds.
That in itself does not have to be a bad thing. If entry of the Korean team helps generate far greater interest in baseball, and in the Australian Baseball League, then there may be spin-off benefits for the Melbourne Aces – even if the club is for the time being based just 45 minutes away and even given the apparent lack of anything much positive happening around the club.
Unless there is heaps going on behind the scenes – and there may well be, with a few of the rumours kicking around – then the Aces appear to be in a parlous state, especially when the other clubs seem to be firing up big-time.
With the entry of two international teams and with several clubs coming under private ownership, this should be – and is – a tremendously exciting time for the Australian Baseball League and Aussie baseball more generally.
But a Melbourne-based club simply has to work, if the league is going to have a future. Otherwise we may as well pull the pin now.
As an insignificant old schmuck in Aussie baseball just thinking out aloud, I would dearly love the national league to be a great success. However, that is not going to happen unless the baseball community supports the project and supports the clubs (all clubs) in any reasonable manner that they are able. But the contract works both ways.
While this Forum does not enjoy much credibility these days, it is still visited by enough baseball lifers who might relate to what I am saying.
Obviously the Melbourne Aces organisation needs help if it is to have any chance of survival in challenging times for the club. It is during times like these that people of genuine concern and genuine goodwill need to declare any commitment they may feel to the ABL project.
All of us can help out in some manner or another, if the opportunity is offered to people - baseball people, that is, not those with another agenda - with a broad range of skills and expertise. If the club, Baseball Victoria and the Australian Baseball League show quality leadership and make a fair dinkum effort to engage the baseball community, treat that community with respect and – above all else – lay all cards on the table regarding the work that needs to be done, then maybe this state can reinvigorate its fortunes as a premier baseball force.
Winterball Korea has committed for five seasons. Assuming that the Korean club is based, and remains based in Geelong, wouldn’t it be a great thing to have two powerful, viable, supported ABL clubs playing out of Victoria? Ideally, yes, one to the west of Melbourne and one to the east. But we will never get to that point if the Melbourne Aces fall over at Altona.
Recent developments have placed Australian baseball in unchartered waters. Interesting times, for sure. Whether it is a new beginning or a beginning of the end remains to be seen.
In my opinion we should all give the ABL – and its clubs – our full support as league expansion takes place. Our best shot, for we may not get another if Melbourne Aces implode in Victoria. We cannot allow that to happen.
From a pragmatic angle, two conferences was always going to be the way to go to accommodate 8 clubs spread far and wide. All will play 40 regular season games and there is no doubt that entries of New Zealand and Korea will add enormous interest to the league – at home and abroad.
Given that the Perth franchise goes ahead, Melbourne Aces will be the only club not underwritten by corporate funding. So we can assume that the Aces will rely on the input of Baseball Victoria and Baseball Australia (IE grassroots baseball club contributions) unless a white knight surfaces during the next several months. Good luck with that.
For the ABL to have a long-term future, a viable Melbourne club is vital. Gauging by the club’s total lack of current profile on social media, its website and anywhere else, we have to assume that the Aces are in deep sh*t at the moment. This is at a time when other ABL clubs are highlighting their brand and are garnering significant support even among mainstream media.
Yes, there is ongoing negativity about playing out of Altona. The place is not ideal, but for the time being it is all that the Aces have. If the club had been filling the stadium over the past few seasons, then there might have been a case for a facility to be developed in the east or southeast.
But it hasn’t. Average attendance hs declined over the past three seasons and was down to 701 per game in 2017/18 – even with the club enjoying regular season playing success under Deebs.
A Korean team playing in Geelong will almost certainly draw consistently bigger crowds than the Aces have been doing since club relocation from the Showgrounds.
That in itself does not have to be a bad thing. If entry of the Korean team helps generate far greater interest in baseball, and in the Australian Baseball League, then there may be spin-off benefits for the Melbourne Aces – even if the club is for the time being based just 45 minutes away and even given the apparent lack of anything much positive happening around the club.
Unless there is heaps going on behind the scenes – and there may well be, with a few of the rumours kicking around – then the Aces appear to be in a parlous state, especially when the other clubs seem to be firing up big-time.
With the entry of two international teams and with several clubs coming under private ownership, this should be – and is – a tremendously exciting time for the Australian Baseball League and Aussie baseball more generally.
But a Melbourne-based club simply has to work, if the league is going to have a future. Otherwise we may as well pull the pin now.
As an insignificant old schmuck in Aussie baseball just thinking out aloud, I would dearly love the national league to be a great success. However, that is not going to happen unless the baseball community supports the project and supports the clubs (all clubs) in any reasonable manner that they are able. But the contract works both ways.
While this Forum does not enjoy much credibility these days, it is still visited by enough baseball lifers who might relate to what I am saying.
Obviously the Melbourne Aces organisation needs help if it is to have any chance of survival in challenging times for the club. It is during times like these that people of genuine concern and genuine goodwill need to declare any commitment they may feel to the ABL project.
All of us can help out in some manner or another, if the opportunity is offered to people - baseball people, that is, not those with another agenda - with a broad range of skills and expertise. If the club, Baseball Victoria and the Australian Baseball League show quality leadership and make a fair dinkum effort to engage the baseball community, treat that community with respect and – above all else – lay all cards on the table regarding the work that needs to be done, then maybe this state can reinvigorate its fortunes as a premier baseball force.
Winterball Korea has committed for five seasons. Assuming that the Korean club is based, and remains based in Geelong, wouldn’t it be a great thing to have two powerful, viable, supported ABL clubs playing out of Victoria? Ideally, yes, one to the west of Melbourne and one to the east. But we will never get to that point if the Melbourne Aces fall over at Altona.
Recent developments have placed Australian baseball in unchartered waters. Interesting times, for sure. Whether it is a new beginning or a beginning of the end remains to be seen.
In my opinion we should all give the ABL – and its clubs – our full support as league expansion takes place. Our best shot, for we may not get another if Melbourne Aces implode in Victoria. We cannot allow that to happen.
