Brisbane Bandits Chairman’s Message 1991

As we enter our third season in the Australian Baseball League, it is a great pleasure to have been part of the Bandits’ emergence as of Brisbane’s favorite sporting teams.

When we look back to our rather haphazard start in November 1989, to the one week we had to prepare Lang Park (our original home venue) for baseball and all the difficulties associated with such a lack of preparation, we can be extremely proud of the tremendous development which has occurred since that time.

One can only laugh when reminiscing about problems such as explaining to Lang Park that baseball cannot be played on a field with two-inch grass and that ‘yes’ baseball was (even that time) the sport with the highest participation level of children under the age of 10.

Despite the setbacks, the Bandits with your support, and the  businesses that backed us, we  continued pushing ahead with our dream, acting many times purely out of inspiration.

Now after what seems like a decade, the Bandits are beginning to emerge as a great sporting opportunity for the people and businesses of Brisbane.

This season is heralded by many exciting accomplishments which are already in place.

Nationally, the Australian Baseball League’s major naming rights sponsorship with Pepsi Australia is now entering the second out of a five-year sponsorship arrangement.

Pepsi, is now part of the Lion Nathan Group, is aggressively seeking to establish dominance within the Australian market.

Their foresight to back the emerging baseball phenomenon is already reaping rewards.

The Bandits have been fortunate to retain and in fact build upon the great sponsors of the previous season which include Carlton, The Courier-Mail, Asics, Penfolds, Lennons Hotel and Nelson Parkhill to name a few.

The world’s greatest brewer, Carlton (of course!) picked up the reins of the Bandits as part of their well-recognized support of the Queensland sporting community, bringing to the team valuable corporate resources and backing.

The recently chosen Australian Olympic squad has appointed Bandits head coach, Steve Gilmore as the Australian Coach. Three Bandits players also made the Australian squad; Peter Vogler, Steve Hinton and Chris Welsh.

The Bandits this season will take on a new uniform as part of our increased professionalism and development.

As part of the awareness explosion of Australian baseball in the US, the Bandits have negotiated for a Brisbane journalist, Gary Legg to write a regular article in a major baseball magazine this season, further promoting Brisbane and Australia in the US.

The Australian Baseball League’s first baseball year book will be published by Brisbane-based Alternative Public Relations and distributed nationally through newsagents and baseball clubs.

This is another step in the evolution of baseball and a good example of a new opportunity which baseball has provided to Brisbane.

As part of our business development, we have appointed additional office personnel in the areas of marketing, promotions and media liaison who will assist the public and corporate community in being better serviced and having better activity for the Bandits throughout the season.

One of the Bandits primary actions this year is to educate the people of Brisbane about the excitement which baseball provides.

This of course is how you as public and supporters can assist. There are many opportunities for mutual support which can be discussed.

It was heartening to hear last year that several of Brisbane’s baseball clubs have membership waiting lists of more than 200 with the increasing profile of the sport.

In this respect, probably the most exciting achievement for this season is that of Brisbane’s first regular television show to feature the Brisbane Bandits and Daikyo Dolphins to appear on Channel Two on Sunday morning.

The Bandits is your team and hope that you will make baseball your summer sport for 1991/92.

The Bandits look forward to being Brisbane’s ambassador in challenging for the ABL title and providing excitement and entertainment in the coming months.

“Let’s Light ‘Em Up Brisbane.”

Thank You For Watching