2006 World Baseball Classic Photos courtesy of Steve Woltmann Table of Contents Australian Baseball Federation..............................................................2 Message from the President...................................................................3 Special Message from the Australian Sports Commission....................5 Administration & Executive ..................................................................6 Australian Baseball Recognition of Awards........................................10 High Performance ................................................................................15 Technical Officials and Competitions .................................................24 National Development .........................................................................26 BALME ...............................................................................................28 Financial Report...................................................................................29 Acknowledgements..............................................................................43 Australian Baseball Federation Annual Report 2005-2006 1 Australian Baseball Federation Head Office cont… Board President: National Website, Marketing and Geoff Pearce (Vic) Communications: Jennifer Stockman Vice President: Colin Pitt (NSW) Special Projects: Alan Weir Directors: Ron Finlay (NSW) State & Territory Deborah Healey (NSW) Katie Bickford (Qld) Associations Peter Williams (Vic) Australian Capital Territory: Chief Executive Officer: Baseball ACT – General Manager Don Knapp (Qld) Trevor Schumm State Council New South Wales: Baseball NSW – Chief Executive Baseball ACT: Officer Glen Willott Commissioner Theo Vassalakis Northern Territory: Baseball NSW: Baseball NT – Acting Executive Officer Chairman Bruce Auty Lisa Hooley Baseball NT: Queensland: President Monty Erickson Baseball Queensland – Chief Executive Officer Bob Heiler Baseball Queensland: Commissioner Neville Brockie South Australia: Baseball SA – General Manager Baseball SA: Michael Carter President Kevin Jennings Victoria: Baseball Victoria: Baseball Victoria – Executive Director President Peter Dihm Steve Walker Baseball WA: Western Australia: Chairman David Hayes Baseball WA – Acting General Manager Shane Tonkin Head Office Life Members Chief Executive Officer: Don Knapp Mr Reg E Darling* (1957) Mr G C (Don) Mould* (1976) Technical Officials and Mr J B (John) Hollander* (1977) Competitions: Mr E (Tim) Bassingthwaighte (1977) Geoff Robertson Mr Robert (Bob) J Black* (1978) Mr John Anderson (1985) National Development: Mr Neville Pratt (1992) Peter Wood / Alan Connors Mr Kingsley Wellington (1993) Mr Ken Douglass (2000) Administration / National Website & Mr Peter Dihm (2000) Database: Ms Jan Thurley (2001) Michelle Anderson Mr Trevor Jarrett (2002) Mr Ross Straw* (2003) Business Management: Mr Rodney Byrne* (2003) Sue Weston Mr Ian Ross (2004) Mr Alan Waldron (2005) High Performance / Operations: (* denotes deceased) Brett Pickett High Performance / Baseball Down Under: Ben Foster Australian Baseball Federation Annual Report 2005-2006 2 Message from the President Mr Geoff Pearce ) Don Knapp (Qld) – As Chief Executive with a lot of positive feedback, the reetings and best wishes to all of the Officer of the Federation, Don handles program was not without growing G all Executive and Administrative pains in year one. It will be important baseball community throughout Australia, Management, Finance and Business to monitor the efficacy of the program as well as our many international friends! Development, Stakeholder in its second year. Management, Strategic Partner Liaison Let me first express my gratitude and and Planning. ) The hand-over of management of the appreciation for the concerted effort of so BALME program from Baseball many people participating at all levels of ) Geoff Pearce (Vic) – Having assumed Victoria to the ABF became the sport in a multitude of roles, in the Presidency from Ron Finlay in operational in 2005 / 2006 with delivering yet another great year of January 2006, I manage the High positive results. baseball. Performance, Commercial and Licensing portfolios. ) Consisting of the Financial Wealth In this brief message I will endeavour to sponsorship revenue, plus revenue highlight the major accomplishments from BALME, the ABF made a along with the issues and challenges our ) Colin Pitt (NSW) – Colin took on the Vice Presidency in January 2006 (from significant royalty distribution to great sport has experienced in 2005 / States and Territories in 2006, the 2006. myself) and is the ABF’s Finance Director and Chairs key sub- total amount of which was $100,000 for reinvestment into sport committees, including the Tournament Management Committee development. Board of Directors and and the Provincial Baseball Committee. ) Increased number of preferred State Council suppliers and further progress in ) Peter Williams (Vic) – Peter provides developing the My Shop on-line sales t is my opinion that the ABF Board and support in key areas such as Executive program. We are determined to I Management, Commerce, Licensing launch this convenient program for State Council are working ever more and Financial Investment. members this year. productively in a collaborative way that best serves the sport. ) Murray Westphal (WA) – Murray The national business development resigned his Directorship of the IT and initiative is a work in progress and is not Effective working relationships between Communications portfolio for personal yet mature although progress made in States / Territories and the ABF are health reasons in April 2006. I thank 2005 / 2006 is impressive indeed. Thanks evident through progress made in business Murray for his contribution to the to Stakeholders and the ABF’s staff for development, facility development, grass Board and the sport. Murray drove the their collective efforts in driving this vital roots sport development programs, the implementation of the My Club program that is so important for the national elite development plan and the registration and insurance program. future viability of baseball in Australia. delivery of national events. There are in fact very few major initiatives taken on at Thanks to the Board for the ongoing national level that are not ‘all of sport’ in provision of valuable professional nature and that involve buy-in support International Issues expertise. from States and Territories. On behalf of all Stakeholders, I thank Ron International BAseball Federation Following is a brief glimpse of the major Finlay for the exemplary leadership, areas of support our Directors provide to (IBAF) guidance and commitment he has the sport. In 2005 / 2006 the ABF’s Board generously provided to the sport during his members and their respective portfolios four-year Presidency. ong standing IBAF President Aldo included: L Notari passed away earlier this year and with his passing the ABF acknowledges the ) Katie Bickford (Qld) – Katie is active enduring commitment Aldo made to the in the Business Development area Business Development international game of baseball over so along with Marketing and Sponsorship many years. and also assists with Human Resource t is pleasing to report significant, issues. I Upon Mr Notari’s death, First Vice ongoing progress in the vital area of business development. It is appropriate to President Tom Peng (Taiwan) assumed the ) Ron Finlay (NSW) – Ron stepped down Presidency through Constitutional as President in January 2006 but single out and thank baseball’s all of sport sponsor Financial Wealth (backed by procedure. Mr Peng has since called for a remains on the Board to manage special IBAF Congress to be held in March mainly the International Relations Astarra Funds Management) as being a key factor in affording the ABF the 2007 at which time a Presidential election portfolio. Ron also handles many legal will be held. and governance issues for the opportunity to advance its business initiatives. Major achievements to date Federation and is assisting IBAF with As one can imagine, there is significant governance reform. include: political activity taking place throughout the international baseball world in respect ) Deborah Healey (NSW) – Deborah ) Implementation of the My Club to the Presidency. It is imperative the manages the very busy Legal, national registration and insurance IBAF elect a President that can drive key Administrative and Appeals portfolio database which captured 92 percent issues such as baseball in the Olympic and this covers a range of complicated of the membership in year one of movement, open and transparent areas, including anti-doping issues, operation – a fantastic result to build governance, international development policy development, rules and upon. and promotion and building relationships procedures and ethics. with peak professional baseball ) Implementation of the My Rewards organisations. members benefits program. Along Australian Baseball Federation Annual Report 2005-2006 3 The ABF is remaining very much on top of these issues, largely through the efforts of Hall of Fame and the With Thanks and International Director Ron Finlay who has Inaugural Baseball Appreciation attended several international meetings recently in order to best position Australia Australia Diamond in what will be a new future. Baseball would not continue to grow Awards and develop without the support of major World Baseball Classic supporters and key stakeholders. I would I would like to congratulate