User:JRA/Baseball in Australia

Notes
 * Australian Baseball was first reported in Melbourne papers of teams and game results in Ballarat in 1857
 * During the 1880's, the St Kilda Club tested its baseball skills by arranging some games with crews of visiting American ships and American business groups in Australia such as the Georgia Minstrel Company
 * By 1885 enough interest had developed in the game for the first informal fixtures to be started. This is recognised as the beginning of organised baseball in Australia *
 * A visit in 1888 by sporting goods king A.G Spalding brough the All Americans and the Chicago Whitesox teams to tour the southern states.
 * By 1890 the game was popular enough in Victoria for the Victorian Baseball League to be formed, with entrepreneur J.C Williamson as its first President. Meanwhile, South Australia formed the Goodwood Club in 1889. That year, the first inter-colonial clash saw Victoria beat South Australia 16-14, 27-18 and 22-26 in Melbourne.
 * In 1897, an Australian team sponsored by Mr A.J Roberts with 1,500 pounds was selected to tour the United States. They were outclassed by the home teams, winning only eight of its first 26 matches. The Americans were suprised to note the Australian outfielders did not wear mitts. Many of the tourists relied on friends and relatives to get them home as the organisers ran out of credit to send them back home.
 * The more financial players of the team continued on to tour England. Games were billed as Australia vs England and were played at the Crystal Palace Sports Ground.
 * Fixtures began in New South Wales in 1899 at Redfern. Waverly was the first club formed followed by Redfern, Petersham and Leichhardt.
 * Monty Noble played in the New South Wales competition, but quit when the season was changed from winter to summer briefly in the 1912 season.
 * In 1914 the game was boosted by an exhibition tour by the New York Giants and Chicago Whitesox.
 * World War 1 disrupted plans for international games between America and Australia.
 * 1926 NSW beat USS Tennessee 10-4, NSW beat USS Mexico 19-4, NSW beat US Fleet 6-3.
 * 1928 "But the Australian captain Alex Macbeth..".
 * In 1932 with Roy Hartigan, persuaded Jack Hutcheon, president of Queensland Cricket, to call a meeting at Brisbane YMCA Hall for men interested in playing baseball.
 * Baseball in Brisbane did not completely cease in WW2. Fixtures were called off but scratch games were played with teams such as James Campbell, Holeproof, Claude Neon, Robinson Sports Store and Greyhounds
 * Post war, 40-50 US baseball and softball teams sprung up in parks around Brisbane. Valleys Cricket Ground became the centre venue for thousands of baseball viewers.
 * Some of the players included Phil Rizzuto and Dom Di Maggio.
 * 'Aussies' vs 'Yanks' 10 December 1950 Perry Park. Yank team was American ex-servicemen. Australian players included A-Grade cricketers Mick Harvey, Colin McCool, Ken Archer and Australian baseballer, Roy Levy.