Claxton Shield

[matm]

For all you Australian baseball starved fans out there.

2008 CLAXTON SHIELD returns as a truly “National” Competition



For the first time in seven years the 2008 CLAXTON SHIELD - Australia’s oldest and most prestigious baseball competition – will herald the return of a regular season ‘Home and Away’ format, in what many see as a vital step in preparation for a revamped Australian baseball league.



The seven-week schedule, running from late December 2007 to mid February 2008, will see each state host a minimum of six games -- allowing local fans the opportunity to see their Aussie heroes play on home soil for the first time in almost a decade.



Australian Baseball Federation (ABF) General Manager of Baseball Operations, Brett Pickett, is confident the revamped format will help to partially fill the void many fans have felt since the departure of the Australian Baseball League in 1999.



“We know the players, the public and the State associations have all been crying out for the return of a genuine national competition,” Pickett said.



“Unfortunately, a variety of factors in recent years have limited one of the major events on the Australian Baseball calendar to a week-long tournament based in a single city.”



“We know our fans deserved better…so with this year’s Claxton Shield and the promise of a new professional league just around the corner, we are confident of going a long way towards baseball regaining its rightful place in the Australian sporting landscape,” he said.



The six-team competition will be split into two geographical pools for the 2008 ‘Regular Season’ – with the Southern Division (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia) and Eastern Division (New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Provincial) each playing 12 games before the winners progress to the CLAXTON SHIELD Finals Series.



Series have already been confirmed for Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney; with plans for games to be hosted in selected regional centres still in the pipeline.



The Claxton Shield, first contested in 1934, remains the pinnacle event for Australian players with as many as 60 current US professionals expected to compete in the 2008 competition.



Fans can also expect the battle for state pride to be enhanced by the individual quest for National team selection.



And with the team to compete in Australia’s final Olympic Qualifying event in April still wide open – next years Claxton Shield is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.

Bring it on.

 

[Klattsy]

Aww hell yeah.

About time. I've been checking the ABL website for yonks waiting for an announcement like this.

Hope they have a vew games in S.E. Qld. Would loooove to get to see some live professional baseball action. Thats outside the US baseball season to Hopefully the US stars will be here for it.

Yay!

Mark.

 

[matm]

I am really looking forward to the event.

Might have to get some pieces signed during the tournament.
I live 5 minutes from Baseball Victoria headquarters.

 

[wolvesjr34]

The seven-week schedule, running from late December 2007 to mid February 2008, will see each state host a minimum of six games -- allowing local fans the opportunity to see their Aussie heroes play on home soil for the first time in almost a decade.

each state my arse - I don't see Tassie on that list.

 

[Klattsy]

You gotta look really hard...it's down the bottom...hard to miss ya see

J/K. I guess they figure not enough participation down there to justify the expense...

I'm with you Mat. I'll be at the SE Qld games with a few cards depending on who turns up!

Mark.

 

[Beckster24]

Looking forward to it

 

[Reds]

http://www.users.bigpond.com/goreds/CLAXT08/Fixt08.pdf

Hello All,

The Claxton Sheild should be great, lets hope the games get the crowds out there so they think more about starting up another ABL..

Not worth starting one up if they dont get the people to the games..

Let's wait and see what happens..

Scott

P.S - here is a link to the dates of the Claxton Sheild games..