Surfers Paradise Baseball Club

The Surfers Paradise Baseball Club is a baseball club based on the Gold Coast in Queensland, that participates in the Greater Brisbane League, Gold Coast and Far North Coast competitions.[1] The club was also host of the 2008 Pan Pacific Masters Games.[2][3][4]

Surfers Paradise
Information
LeagueGreater Brisbane League (Southside)
LocationBenowa, Queensland
BallparkSir Bruce Small Park "BenowaDome"
Year founded1987
Nickname(s)Bluewave
League championships1987, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2018
ColorsBlue and white
PresidentTony McPhail
Uniforms

Current

Alternative

History

John Carpenter, Mitch Wikum and Steve Meeham founded Surfers Paradise Baseball Club in 1987. That year the club entered three teams in the Brisbane metropolitan competition, and in their first season won the A-Grade title. This was achieved through the assistance of ex-Claxton Shield players from other states including: Larry Montgomery (NSW), Gary Coward (SA), Lance Wegner (VIC), as well as other quality players from around the Gold Coast and Brisbane region.[5]

The idea for a junior competition on the Gold Coast, or at least Surfers Paradise, was initiated by Steve Meeham who advertised in the local paper for junior players.[6] With mixed responses from players of all age groups, the competition attracted 60 kids between the ages of 10 and 14 years plus one father - Gary Edwards. With Gary's help, Steve split up the children into 5 equal sides, and rolled out a competition on Saturday mornings.[7]

The five junior sides - Giants, Dodgers, Dragons, Reds and Sharks – attracted great success in the ‘88 to ‘89 season, and by the ‘89 to ‘90 season the number of kids playing baseball at Surfers Paradise had doubled. By the start of the ‘90 to ‘91 season, there was an abundance of young players with not enough coaches to manage them so the competition was forced to expand and teams were created in the areas where the kids lived such as Runaway Bay, Nerang and Palm Beach.[8][9]

The first junior representative players to come from Surfers Paradise were Brandon Pollard, Trent Durrington, Shane Edwards and Adam Wardrop. All four boys were selected in the QLD U/16's squad in 1990 with each of them progressing to more senior representative teams over the years including National and Junior selection, as well as Australian Senior team selection for Trent and Brandon. Trent now runs a Training With the Pro's program out of the club every year in December.[10]

On 21 December 2008 the team played in the Commissioners Cup at the Beenleigh Hawks baseball club and lost to the shield's incumbent, the Redcliffe Padres 4-3.[11]

Notable players

Managers
  • Kevin Fenn (2019–present)
  • Matt Corbitt (2017–2019)
  • Jake McMaster (2016-2017)
  • Jon Deeble (2015-2016)
  • Peter Yates (2010-2015)
  • Adam Wardrop (2002-2010)

Presidents
  • Tony McPhail (2020-present)
  • Justine White (2019–2020)
  • Tony McPhail (1996-2019)
  • TBC (1987-1999)

Life Members
  • John Carpenter
  • Judy Carpenter
  • Ken Hussey
  • Cherie Bombell
  • Ron Bombell
  • Frits Weber
  • Garry Edwards
  • Gordon Wallace
  • Tony McPhail
  • Leigh McPhail
  • Col Carruthers
  • Lindsay "Butch" Graham
  • Bette Holland
  • Adam Wardrop
  • David Counter
  • Mikael Weber
  • Connie Stoyakovich
  • Matt Studeman
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References
  1. GBL Major League Ladder
  2. Masters Games 2008
  3. [Killoran, M. (4 November 2008). Former top US player pitching in. Gold Coast Bulletin.
  4. Galliott, E. J. (2 November 2008). Japanese return for Masters glory and fun. Gold Coast Bulletin.
  5. Gold Coast History, Gold Coast Bulletin
  6. Williams, J. (10 February 2007). Benowa big leagues. Benowa Garden News, p.4.
  7. Surfers History
  8. Gold Coast Baseball Association
  9. [Mahoney, D. (16 November 2008). Mudgee hot for Redsox. Mudgee Guardian, p.45.
  10. Trent Durrington School of Baseball
  11. Padres Retain Commissioners Shield Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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