Yankees pitch in to drag sport into big league
By John HuxleyJanuary 28, 2006
IN AN audacious move to establish a new sporting United States of Australia, top American sluggers, pitchers and catchers could be coming to a playing field near you soon, while dozens of promising Aussies move in the opposite direction.
The struggling Australian Baseball Federation and the mega-rich Major League Baseball are working on plans for a new national league comprising six capital city teams each linked to an American MLB team.
Like the Brisbane Red Sox? The Canberra Cardinals? And the Sydney Yankees?
"Not quite," said Don Knapp, the local federation's chief executive. "The MLB really wouldn't like us to pinch their branding. And anyway we wouldn't want to clone the American product.
"We want people to know Australians have been playing baseball in this country for a long time. And that they're pretty damned good at it. We want to devise a competition with a distinctively Australian brand …
"It's fair to say, though, the entertainment package will look like something from minor league. And quite rightly. It's a great family day out."
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