WA Baseball continues to be the flagship entity of Australian Baseball

WA Baseball did not want to confirm the new Australian Baseball League, but you can suggest that the new membership package on the way really confirms its intention for the future. With interest from both 6PR and 990am in regards to covering the sport and stage 3 of the redevelopment being planned that will include a clubhouse and media facilities, the growth of Baseball in Western Australia continues.

In a new season in which they are aiming for 500 members to watch a  range of games in the Claxton Shield and against Chinese Taipei, it gives an indication of how ready they are for the ABL. The launch of the membership campaign gives another indication of the strength of WA Baseball.

In another interview with the Events Manager of WA Baseball Shane Tonkin, he outlined that WA Baseball continues to flourish with increased attendances, player registrations and a venue that seems to be on the rise.

"The growth in registrations is improving every year, state league level did drop away when Perth Heat dropped away, we lost a lot of sponsors...since we brought it back, the sport has definitely grown again, club's are becoming more financial, attendances have continued to grow".

With this Perth radio broadcasters have become interested in covering the games, while for the new ABL that Tonkin was hesitant to say has been confirmed, the Barbagallo Perth Heat will be the strongest team in the league.

"Yes, at this stage, I've spoken with 6PR with an outside broadcast and also 990am with an outside broadcast. 990am are very keen at looking at it. Stage 3 is the clubhouse and media boxes to fully cater for that. When we do grow the sport, we don't want to leave something out...next season is a possibility."

"We are the only baseball events division in the country, we have three years under our belt before any other baseball organisation in the country, we have the name, facility support and the baseball community."

"Baseball WA, we can not be left out of a national league, we are a bonus for whoever would like to buy the national league. If someone would like to buy the national league for next year, we are ready...we are a bonus."

"Obviously we are the trendsetters if the national league comes about."

Austadiums.com understands that the Australian Baseball League will be launched in mid-late September with 30 games in a season and a central contracting system from the ABL.

Central to the future of Baseball in this country, is the fact that the states that do not get the level of governmental support that is experienced in WA in regards to facility and expansion will be helped out by the owners, which Austadiums.com believes will be Major League Baseball in the United States.

In particular Tonkin says he believes South Australia will get a helping hand to build a purpose built stadium, in which the Government has been sitting on the proposal for a few years now.

"I am led to believe the South Australian Baseball Federation is consulting with the government, I think if the right people buy. They will help fund a new purpose built stadium, then the government will jump on board. I think to have South Australia miss out on a potential Australian Baseball League would have not been good for Australian Baseball".

While Tonkin confirms that the plans are still on the way for a train station to be situated right outside the venue, which would again further increase growth for a sport that continues to take off in the west.

"No question it is still on the agenda, the Mayor of Gosnells is a big supporter of Baseball and has assured me that they are still working on it".

With the financial power of West Australian Baseball continuing to grow, Tonkin states that the profits will go back down to the players. With plans in place for more baseball fields next to Baseball Park the future seems to be providing less fees and better grounds to attract more kids to choose Baseball.

"Obviously the fee structure will be reduced, then have something for young people to strive for, increasing numbers, facility upgrades of all of our state league grounds...is to build purpose baseball fields..We do have to compete with other sports".

The summary from Tonkin about the need for an Australian Baseball League, becomes more about the need to get the talented young kids something to strive for and to enable the other states to have a chance of growth.

"It has to happen, to allow the national league, with young junior players to have something to shoot for".

Conflict of Interest? Chris Egan also does work for Wisdom Sport's media who broadcast their coverage of a wide range of sports on 990am in Perth.