Not so long ago, the Defensive Specialist was being bombarded by loyal readers desperate for information about the Australian Baseball league and specifically their favourite franchises. The Defensive Specialist made a commitment to his people that he’d use all of his powers of influence to get the inside scoop come hell or high water. The Defensive Specialist reached out to numerous General Managers and people of influence and these kind souls have been nothing but accommodating.
The Defensive Specialist jumped on the Deep in the Hole corporate jet and made his way up to Queensland where he spent considerable time with Queensland Rams General Manager, Kim Jessop. Armed with pages of questions, Kim held his own under interrogation and has provided some quality juice about his franchise. For those readers whose questions weren’t answered – do not fret! There will be plenty of opportunities to get the dope as the year rolls on.
Let’s launch into the Defensive Specialist’s one-on-one with Kim Jessop:
What’s the toughest thing about building a franchise from the ground up? There was no requirement that proved tougher than the next, but in terms of size and scale I would place the facility or playing venue at No1 followed by staff, both paid & volunteers.. Marketing follows in hot pursuit with communication paramount which (from my perspective) needed to be very focused and precise.
It’s obviously an exciting time - heading towards the launch of the ABL, what have been your main objectives this offseason? Our playing venue has dominated my time accompanied by a very tight and rigorous review of our budgets, targeting Income & Expenses. From the budgets we shift to our overall business plan and how we progress from a somewhat subdued but improved Claxton Shield campaign (more off the field success than on).
What has the ABL in 2010 learned from the ABL in the early nineties? Greed is bad and over paying the playing personnel will crush you quickly and that all franchises are tied & bound to a mutually agreed direction which includes budgets. On a positive note, our sport is popular and when you look at the different games of cricket particularly T20, you see baseball on valium and I am not being negative nor vindictive. I think Cricket has learnt well from Baseball and both sports can work benefit from each other in a cohesive manner. T20 will be a plus for Baseball.
Do you believe franchises can be financially viable playing a 60+ game season in Australia? YES. Our game can and will be played more often than any other in this country at an elite level. We will keep costs down for teams & supporters but entertainment high. We will openly invite people to get as close as possible to our teams, fields & facilities. To experience the skills & talents of our players you must get down& close and this will be a key part of our overall business plan.
The Queensland team experienced an exodus of seasoned campaigners in recent years. Which players do you see leading the franchise in the coming years? There has been an enormous loss of playing talent for a variety of reasons and those players will be approached about resuming their careers in the new ABL. Players such as the caliber of Josh Roberts, Chris Mowday & Clinton Naylor are gifted players but they also have the passion to succeed and win and we will do our best to entice them back. You then have players such as Simon Morriss, Shane Watson Andrew Utting, Alan Schoenberber, Joel Norton & Mitchell & Jay Nilsson who will grow as individuals & Players and provide a strong foundation for future clubs.
Which Queensland players should baseball fans be looking out for and why? The players mentioned above will undoubtedly form the basis of a powerful team but I also would think we can entice some other former great players back, watch this space.
Do you expect the increase in games to limit the availability of non-professional players who must hold down jobs? NO. I was asked this by one of our players and we will need more former pro & non-pro players as they have much needed awareness of what is needed to win at this level of baseball in this country.
There has been little information on how professional players will be allocated to franchises. Are you able to explain how this would ideally work? In regards to our own home grown pro’s it is a case of them playing with their respective state/city teams BUT should a player feel that their fortunes can be improved by playing for another ABL team then this will be taken into consideration. The league will look to bolster teams and the competition in general by bringing in some “: other” marquee signings from the USA & Japan but we will also look at emerging pro leagues such as Korea & Taiwan. These will be looked at on a needs basis and that no professional Australian player should miss a roster spot (form & availability being the criteria) because of a foreign signing.
How many professional players would each team be able to have on the roster? There is no limit per say but the league will take the approach of what is best for the competition and each club.
Why would Major League ball clubs send their prospects down under? I think the answer lies in our State and National Baseball academies that have a reputation of providing excellent tuition and management of player’s skills & abilities. We also have a significant number of current & former major league players here and their rise to the major league was not purely based on their MLB clubs but testament to the excellent coaching programs that exist in this country.
Facilities are a major issue for each team. At present are you locked into Holloway Field and if so will it be enhanced? This is the big question and one of our biggest issues here in Qld. It is with great regret that there is no official home of baseball in Brisbane. We have many fine club facilities but the lack of clear direction by the State bodies over the years has left the current administration with a major opportunity. Windosr is the unofficial home for most finals in club baseball but a lack of planning and co-operation amongst State and Local governments as well as clubs and the overall administration of Baseball has seen no change or improvement in this facility for over 25 years -that is disappointing. We have spent a great deal of time in discussions with State & Local Governments about this issue and it is because of that reason that we are now deep in discussions with the RNA. We would love to be able to build Windosr into a minor league facility but many issues arise when this is discussed, not the least being the local residents. Major League Baseball is very willing and able to provide significant funds to upgrade a facility in Brisbane but understandably not without having a strong level of control over this facility. We will continue to work on the Windsor facility but also look at better resourced facilities in this city.
What sort of crowds are you expecting in 2010 / 2011? Dependent on our venue we would expect Windsor’s to grow to an 800 crowd average for the season and the RNA could hit a 2500 average.
What has baseball in Queensland been doing to promote the brand? BQI under the leadership of Col Dick has focused on growing junior baseball through a range of initiatives that are now being realized in the growth of club junior numbers. The fact that there has been no real national home & away competition for the past 15 years has definitely impacted our reputation as a major sport in Australia. My intention is to focus on the brand, the product and the entity. The entity is Qld Baseball and if our plan is successful then we all will benefit greatly from this league.
What sort of media coverage can baseball fans expect? Our media budget though not extravagant is still significant. We have already established a relationship with 97.3 here in Brisbane (ARN) & in conjunction with us should provide a great platform for promoting the new team & league in Brisbane. We will also have a national magazine style program on TV on a national level as well as print media campaigns with Quest newspapers and of course the Courier mail.
In your experience, have businesses been interested in sponsoring the sport? The former Brisbane franchise “the Bandits” would indicate a positive response to this question. The sporting landscape has changed significantly since the demise of the former National League but the product itself has the ingredients to provide a great vehicle for a business to grow or re-affirm their market position by associating with the new league. We have the intellectual and corporate knowledge to provide a real tangible benefit to our sponsor partners through real sponsorship activation plans at rates much less expensive then “other “national sports based in Brisbane. You also couple our sport with its major trading partners in the USA & Asia and I believe we can offer, in some circumstances, greater opportunities for our sponsors. The bottom line is we must deliver tangible bottom line results for the businesses that support us and this is primary focus.
Do you see Asian teams ever participating in this league? Undoubtedly, this is a must and I am sure will happen sooner rather than later. This will also be part of the search for marquee signings from Asia for our other teams here.
What can we expect from the Queensland team in 2010 /2011? A team that responds well to the pressures that will be placed on them to perform win & establish an entertainment outdoor option for all fans & sponsors to be proud of & enjoy. A team that is committed to the highest standards of conduct and community involvement that will be the benchmark for teams in this city.
The Defensive Specialist would like to thank Kim for taking time out of his schedule to drop knowledge about the state of the game in Queensland. If you have questions you’d like to have answered by league GM’s, by all means fire them to the Defensive Specialist at thedefensivespecialist@gmail.com and the slickest defender you know will do his damndest to get a response.
Before the Defensive Specialist signs off, there is only 1 week left until the AFL season commences. With that in mind, stop being scared and sign up to compete against the Defensive Specialist in Dream Team (AFL fantasy football). Follow this link http://afl.virtualsports.com.au/ and punch in this code: 625080 to go head to head with a truly formidable opponent (the Defensive Specialist).
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