HISTORY OF BASEBALL SA…
Introduction
In 1888-89 South Australia was introduced to baseball by two touring American teams (Chicago and All-American) who left behind Harry Simpson, who established the sport of baseball in Australia.
A number of South Australian clubs began to pop up, from which, eight clubs attended the inaugural Annual General Meeting in April 1889. The first official South Australian baseball season commenced in the summer season, starting on September 1, 1889, to accommodate footballers in the off-season. The original eight clubs represented at the first AGM were: Survey, Norwood, North Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Padlocks, Post & Telegraph, Goodwood and Engineering in Chief Department.
In 1934 a shield was donated by Mr N A Claxton, who also happened to be a past president of the South Australian Baseball League, to give state representative teams an aim for their intrastate competition and Claxton Shield baseball was born.
In 1951 the South Australian Baseball League started exploring the idea of night baseball and began negations with the local council to instal lighting at Norwood Oval. Night games commenced in 1952 with more than 100,000 people attending the night games in the inaugural year to watch the six-team competition. The competition ran until the 1968/69 season until the switch to summer baseball.
In 1986/87, night baseball was reintroduced and coincided with the formation of the Australian Baseball League and the Adelaid Giants were born.
CAPPS MEDAL
Charles James Capps was the secretary at the Adelaide Baseball Club when he proposed the idea of the best A Grade player in South Australia receiving a medallion. This idea was well endorsed and Capps was asked to design, make and present the medal. Since the first medal was presented in 1936, Charles Capps went on to present 81 more before passing the baton to Dr Roger Capps at the 1981/82 edition of the event and still presents today. Dr Roger Capps has started incorporating his son, James Capps into the tradition over the past two years.
Capps Medallists Honour Board
1936 Charlie Puckett+ (Prospect)
1937 Clem Scott+ (Goodwood)
1938 Geff Noblet+ (Glenelg)
1939 Phil Brideoake+ (West Torrens)
1940 Fred Catt+ (East Torrens)
1941 Garth Burton+ (Kensington)
1942 - 1945 WAR YEARS
1946 Jim Puckett+ (Prospect)
1947 Phil Brideoake+ (West Torrens)
1948 Phil Brideoake+ (West Torrens)
1949 Ian Leahy+ (Prospect)
1950 Barry Wiles+ (Adelaide)
1951 Bill Fuller+ (University)
1952 Doug Othams+ (University)
1953 Colin Watts+ (Glenelg)
1954 Des Vaughton+ (Adelaide/West Torrens)
1955 Phil Brideoake+ (Glenelg)
1956 Doug Othams+ (University)
1957 Peter Box+ (Goodwood)
1958 Peter Box+ (Goodwood)
1959 Jim Tamlin (University)
1960 Jim Cocks+ (Sturt)
1961 Don Rice+ (Glenelg)
1962 Don Rice+ (Glenelg)
1963 Don Rice+ (Glenelg)
1964 Ian Glover+ (Kensington)
1965 Neil Davey+ (Port Adelaide)
1966 Kevin Greatrex (Port Adelaide)
1967 Don Rice+ (Glenelg)
1968 David Hutton (Sturt)
Don Rice+ (Glenelg)
SUMMER
1969 Ron Chandler (Adelaide)
1970 David McLoud (Goodwood)
1971 Kevin Greatrex (Port Adelaide)
1972 David Mundy (Port Adelaide)
1973 Kevin Greatrex (Port Adelaide)
1974 Les Behrendt (Woodville)
Neil Page (Goodwood)
1975 Colin Alexander (Glenelg)
1976 Kevin Greatrex (Port Adelaide)
1977 Don Masters (Northern Districts)
1978 Mark Peters (Woodville)
1979 Greg Elkson (Glenelg)
1980 John Galloway (Woodville)
1981 Gary Challen+ (Henley & Grange)
1982 Phil Alexander+ (Glenelg)
1983 Greg Elkson (Glenelg)
1984 Greg Elkson (Glenelg)
1985 Jeff Fiechtner (Kensington)
1986 Jeff Fiechtner (Kensington)
1987 Tony Harris (Woodville)
1988 Greg Elkson (Goodwood)
Brian Farley (Central Districts)
1989 Brian Farley (Central Districts
Barry Lunnon (Sturt)
1990 Greg Elkson (Goodwood)
1991 Brian Cakebread (Port Adelaide)
1992 Barry Lunnon (Sturt)
1993 Barry Lunnon (Sturt)
1994 Phil Burgess (West Torrens)
1995 Russell Dart (Henley & Grange)
1996 Ian Reval (Glenelg)
1997 Mark Born (Port Adelaide)
1998 Scott Marshall+ (Port Adelaide)
1999 Scott Marshall+ (Port Adelaide)
2000 Craig Watts (Sturt)
2001 John Challinor (Goodwood)
2002 Ryan Simunsen (Adelaide)
2003 Darren Fidge (Goodwood)
2004 Darren Fidge (Goodwood)
2005 John Challinor (Goodwood)
2006 Darren Fidge (Goodwood)
2007 Andrew Scott (West Torrens)
2008 Michael Ewart (Kensington)
2009 Tyler Levin (East Torrens)
2010 Daniel Wilson (Glenelg)
2011 Todd Langman (Port Adelaide)
2012 Nick Talbot (Kensington)
2013 Nick Talbot (Kensington)
2014 Andrew Davis (Port Adelaide)
2015 Nick Talbot (Kensington)
2016 Wes Roemer (Glenelg)
2017 Dylan Brammer (Port Adelaide)
2018 Dylan Brammer (Port Adelaide)
2019 Wilson Lee (Sturt)
2020 Chase Cunningham (Kensington)
2021 Landon Hernandez (Henley & Grange)
2022 Jackson Brebner-Russ (Sturt)
2023 Billy Damon (Adelaide)
2024 Drew Janssen (Woodville)
WOMEN’S DIV 1 MEDAL
The Women’s Division 1 Medal is awarded to the best and fairest player. The Women’s Competition began with the ‘Coloured Teams’ in 2015/16 which had over 70 registered players. Today, every metropolitan club is represented at least once over our 3 division competition.
Women’s Div 1 Medal Honour Board
2016 Ashleigh George (Yellow)
Elizabeth Ward (Blue)
Katy Laidlaw (Red)
Bianca Smith (Green)
2020 Darna Veen (Woodville)
2021 Jess Maslin (Glenelg)
2022 Georgia Davis (Sturt)
2023 Carly Moore (Wooville)
2024 Georgia Davis (Sturt)
2017 Taylor McKay (Hurricanes)
2018 Sarah Jane Jameson (Gawler)
2019 Ayumi Ikeyama
Alice Prokopec (Glenelg)
LIFE MEMBERS
Life membership is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a natural person by the League for longstanding and valued service to Baseball. The person does not have to be a Member or a member of a Member Club to be eligible for Life Membership and can be awarded posthumously. Nominations for Life Membership must be in writing to the Board and seconded by another Member or by a committee appointed by the Board and then passed at an Annual General. No more than two appointments can be made in any year.
Life Member Honour Board
1922 Geo Champman+
Claude Ewers+
Frank Ewers+
Rue Ewers+
1926 Syd Smith+
1930 Norrie Claxton+
1932 Wally Buchanan+
1937 Len C Poole+
1938 Perce Dooland+
Paddy Ohlstrom+
Bill Wiles+
1944 Charles Catt+
1948 Alby Bartlett+
1949 Ron Sharpe+
1950 Fred Mann+
1951 Martin Kriewaldt+
1956 Ron Scott+
1958 Henley Jones+
1959 Andy Buchanan+
1960 Bryon Ascione+
1961 Laurie LeCornu+
1963 Bill Stephens+
1965 Alan Branstrom+
1966 Claude Thorpe+
1967 Bill Moody+
1970 Roy Page+
1971 Stan Scarman+
1972 Bob Finn+
1973 Max Stone+
1974 Max Galloway+
1975 Kinsley Wellington+
1976 Jim Garrick+
1977 Lou Bressler+
1979 Arthur Radbone
1980 Don Klaebe+
1981 Brian Brooks+
1983 Tom Rice+
1984 Claude Pearce+
1985 Harry Hunt+
1986 Warren Charles+
1987 Colin Rowe+
1988 Pat Beatty+
1989 Ray Throne+
1990 Ken Wesslink+
1991 Dave Roberts+
1992 Don Rice+
1993 Ron Wright+
Max Puckett+
1994 Ron Morgan+
1995 Bert Haynes+
1996 Gordon Penhall+
Alan Waldron+
1997 Peter Dixon OAM
1999 Hugh Franke+
2000 Ron Chandler
Lionel ‘Nobby’ Clark+
2001 Kevin Jennings
Peter Kemp OAM+
2002 Paul Begg
2003 Peter Fischer+
2004 Bob Abbey+
Arthur MacDonald
2005 Greg Bradshaw
Ron Harvey OAM
2006 Brian Addison
Jim Wilton+
2007 David Mundy
2008 David Hutton
2009 Norman ‘Chalky’ White
2010 Bob Neiswander
2011 Brian Cakebread
Ken Kobayashi
2012 Kevin Greatrex
2014 Phil Alexander+
2015 Rob Laidlaw
Barry O’Brien
2016 Lorraine Dunn
Warwick ‘Wally’ Marks
2017 Phil Burgess
2018 John Ryan+
2019 Ron Kennealy
2020 Jeff Kevan
2021 Brian Scott
Tony Harris
2022 Andrew Scott
Nathan Davison
2023 Terry Evans
Mark Brougham
2022
Phil Alexander
Pat Beatty
Paul Begg
Anne Bradbrook+
Greg Bradshaw
Phil Burgess
Brian Cakebread
Millie Cakebread+
Ron Chandler
Peter Dixon
Lorraine Dunn
Greg Elkson
Peter Fischer+
Kevin Greatrex
Tony Harris
Ron Harvey OAM
Sid 'Chippy' Haynes+
Harry Hunt+
HALL OF FAME
The South Australian Baseball Hall of Fame recognises individuals who have had a prolonged and significant impact on the game of Baseball in South Australia. There are two sections two which individuals may be inducted;
Heritage Section: Their impacts may include ABF Hall of Fame inductees, MLB players or others whose career in Baseball has taken place wholly or partly outside of South Australia but which have had a prolonged impact on the game in South Australia
General Section: At least 20 years of outstanding service in one or more of the roles and not have played a Division 1 game in any competition in South Australia in the preceding three years.
Kevin Jennings
Peter Kemp OAM+
Robert Laidlaw
Ron Macbeth+
Warwick Marks
David Mundy
Neil Page
Gordon Penhall
Arthur Radbone+
Ian Reval
Don Rice+
Tom Rice+
Andrew Scott
Brian Scott
Ron Sharpe+
Alan Waldron AM+
Kingsley Wellington+
Ken Wesslink+
Norm 'Chalky' White+
Hall Of Fame Honour Board
2023
Kym Bament
Shayne Bennett
Phill Brideoake+
Warren Charles+
David Hutton
Mark Hutton
Ken Kobayashi
Don Masters
Fred Medley
Kevin Medley+
Keith Mortimore
Adrian Pearce
Luke Prokopec
Max Puckett
Dave Roberts+
2024
Barrie Bahnert
Peter Box+
Les Buller+
Paul Chandler
Nathan Davison
John Galloway
Malcolm Gregg
Ron Hocking
Sean Horrigan
Jeff Kevan
Ron Morgan+
Claude Pearce+
Ken Prokopec
Garry Thompson+
Dean Towill
DIVISION 1 PREMIERSHIPS
The Baseball SA State League Division One is the premier baseball competition in South Australia. Featuring 14 of the State League’s top teams and athletes, the league showcases high-level baseball talent and competitive play. It is a critical part of the South Australian baseball calendar, fostering player development and community engagement. With a rich history and strong following, the league plays a pivotal role in promoting the sport at both grassroots and elite levels in the state.
