Kingsley Collins

8 December 2015

 

Australian Baseball Alumni has been operating now for over twelve months. During that time – with the assistance of members, a couple of generous sponsors and support for online fundraisers – the Alumni has been able to provide modest funding assistance for our national under-aged teams in their baseball endeavours. We have also been able - and happy - to provide feature stories and reporting on significant baseball events within our limited resources.

 

We would like to do more. Far more. Our mission is clearly enunciated. But our capacity to do so depends very much on the support of the Australian baseball community, its administrative bodies, its associations, its clubs and of course its players.

 

For those many baseball people who have embraced the Alumni concept and who have assisted us in our endeavours we say thank you. We trust – and we know - that you will remain on board in support of our purposes.

 

Yet, after twelve months, Australian Baseball Alumni has not attracted the membership that it had hoped. It still struggles to gain institutional support, or even token acknowledgment from those whose interests are best served by backing what it is that we seek to do.

 

Extraordinary, really.

 

To our knowledge (and we are happy to be corrected), neither Baseball Australia nor any of the state associations - except Western Australia -  recognises our existence on their websites and social media. Only one Australian Baseball League club (Perth Heat) recognises our presence on its website. Interesting that the Heat should be far and away the most successful club in the revamped Australian Baseball League, is it not?

 

Just a handful of regional associations and winter clubs are linked to us through their websites or social media.

 

This is not just strange. It is bewildering. It is very disappointing. And it is downright stupid.

 

To my mind, as online editor, it is a terrible slight – albeit unintended – upon the character, the commitment and the generosity of spirit of those wonderful baseball people involved in establishing, sustaining and contributing to Australian Baseball Alumni.

 

I feel honoured to have been a bit player among those people in a group that includes current and former Major League baseballers, other committed playing professionals, Helms Award winners, outstanding coaches, managers and administrators of the highest calibre, scorers and volunteers - all of whom continue to offer their ongoing, positive and selfless support to the Alumni project.

 

These are good people, with a demonstrated capacity to help do good things for the sport. Along with mainstream grassroots players, families and baseball supporters. All of whom are welcomed and valued as equals.

 

I guess that I am preaching here to the converted.

 

But if you have stumbled on this editorial by chance, if you have been referred by another person or if you are simply unsure about what it is that we stand for, please do yourself a favour by checking out – in this site – who we are and what we are aiming to do.

 

If you are in a position to do so, please pass on our message and ask - no, demand to know - WHY any club, association or governing body is not supporting Australian Baseball Alumni even at the most basic of levels.

 

WHY would any governing body, any association or any club not connect with us when they understand who we are and what we are about?

 

We are committed, identifiable, contactable and long-standing baseball lifers who are not about to go away. We urge you to get on board with the Australian Baseball Alumni project. Take out a membership, support our fund-raisers, tell other people about us. Contact us. Connect with us on FACEBOOK.

 

Between all of us we can do good things in the service of Australian baseball - especially, and particularly,  for our young people in the sport.