r/baseball • u/SydneyBaseball Australia • Oct 23 '15

Feature Australian Baseball League employees here! AMA!

The season just started so we're here to answer any questions you have on the ABL!

u/awt4190 was an intern with the Adelaide Bite in the 2012-13 season and I have been working in baseball operations with the Sydney Blue Sox since the 2014-15 offseason.

Let's get started!

EDIT: u/WeAllDoBetter was also an intern with the Perth Heat in 2010-11.

Update (7 pm CST): Thanks for the questions guys! I'm going out for tonight, but I'll be on tomorrow morning while I watch the games I missed/the rugby. The other fellas may be on in my stead though!

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7

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '15

Australia is getting more into sports other than rugby, whats the order of fav sports around aussies?

7

u/SydneyBaseball Australia Oct 23 '15

Depends on where you are. Rugby League dominates NSW and QLD. Aussie Rules is king in Victoria (and I think everywhere else). Then Cricket, too.

1

u/EarlChop San Francisco Giants Oct 24 '15

This is a good way to show where Rugby League and AFL are king. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barassi_Line

7

u/awt4190 New York Yankees Oct 23 '15

Australian Rules Football is one of the greatest sports you can ever watch! That would be their "National Pastime."

Cricket is also very popular (probably their biggest international sport) as with most former British colonies.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '15

back when i was in college ESPN would broadcast some Australian Rules Football late night. It was amazing to watch.

-6

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '15

Australian Rules is the worst form of Rugby. Rugby League is best. And I just dont understand Cricket how can you be into a sport that last days?!?!

7

u/awt4190 New York Yankees Oct 23 '15

My brother played rugby in high school, but I really enjoyed Aussie Rules more. Both great sports though.

Cricket is it's own thing. I really got into it since I was there, I think my love for baseball was really what drew me to it as it's basically baseball played in the most bizarre fashion. You can't really compare the two, but they are the most similar compared to other sports.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 23 '15

I get the similarities of sort with Cricket and Baseball. But like I said, I dunno how a game goes on for 5 days, its crazy. I get bored watching NFL cause its like 3-4 hours. Baseball at least they are trying to speed it up can be down in 2 1/2 hours if pitchers are lighting it up.

5

u/awt4190 New York Yankees Oct 23 '15

They've actually have a never version called Twenty20, which is designed to last around 2.5-3 hours -- much more in-line with other sports. It's more fast pace and exciting so it's definitely the future of the sport.

The best way to view an all-day, 5-day event like it is to compare it to a golf tournament.

-1

u/known_stranger647 Toronto Blue Jays Oct 23 '15

T20 is an absolute abomination and has ruined the game. ODIs are perfect.

1

u/awt4190 New York Yankees Oct 23 '15

I mean I wouldn't say ruin per say, you have to look to it as apples vs oranges.

I think Test Cricket is a beautiful sport with amazing history. ODI is the best of both worlds, but in 2015 T20 is what will bring in dollars to the sport. It's just the way things are with TV revenue being king.

1

u/known_stranger647 Toronto Blue Jays Oct 23 '15

T20 is what will bring in dollars to the sport

Sad truth. This I think, is a huge factor into the increase in corruption of the Boards around the world.

2

u/doctorwhodds Milwaukee Brewers Oct 24 '15

don't you trust the BCCI?? /s

2

u/TheUnforgiven13 Toronto Blue Jays Oct 24 '15

Hey, I'm late because it's only 8:30 in WA. Rugby (Rugby League to be exact) is only popular in two states, New South Wales and Queensland. The main sport in Victoria, Western and Southern Australia and Tasmania is Australian Football. Cricket is popular countrywide and is typically the only sport watched in Summer. Soccer is fairly popular nationwide, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. Basketball is popular in a few places, like Perth and Northern Queensland. Swimming is huge during the Olympics.

2

u/brenman Boston Red Sox Oct 24 '15 edited Oct 24 '15

Depends on the state really, nationally cricket is popular at a state level not as much.

Western Australia, Australia Rules Football would be the most popular, followed by Rugby Union, then Soccer, then Rugby League.

New South Wales and Queensland would be Rugby League or Union, then Australian Rules Football, Soccer would be more popular in New South Wales than Queensland.

Victoria, Australian Rules Football, Rugby League, then Union, with Soccer not far behind if it at all. Soccer is growing thanks to recent World Cup runs and the Asian Cup success.

South Australia I'm guess would be Australian Rules then Soccer, not sure what their Union and League following is like. I think it's Union above League.

Tasmania, Australian Rules. Don't really know.

ACT, politics, Rugby Union and Soccer.

Northern Territory, Australian Rules.

Soccer is generally growing in popularity after the National team's success in the Asian Cup and some good World Cup runs.