2011–12 Australian Baseball League season

{{main|Asia Series}}

Announced after the inaugural ABL season had been completed, the league's champions each season will be invited to the restarted Asia Series.{{cite news|last=Stephan |first=Gene |title=Heat to take on Asia's best teams |url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/other/9470782/heat-to-take-on-asias-best-teams/ |accessdate=29 May 2011 |newspaper=The West Australian |date=19 May 2011 |publisher=Seven West Media Limited |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927214220/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/other/9470782/heat-to-take-on-asias-best-teams/ |archivedate=27 September 2012 |url-status=live }} The event had previously been contested between the winners of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Japan Series, Korea Professional Baseball's (KPB) Korean Series, Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPBL) Taiwan Series, and China Baseball League's (CBL) championship series. The 2011 tournament will not feature the CBL's champions, but officials have stated that a team would participate in future editions. Unlike all four previous editions of the tournament which were held in Japan, the 2011 edition will be held in Taiwan. The tournament follows a round-robin format, where each team plays each other once. The top two teams then face each other in a single game to decide the champion.{{cite news | last=Huang | first=Paul | title=CPBL: Asia Series to get under way after two-year hiatus | url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2011/05/19/2003503599 | accessdate=29 May 2011 | newspaper=Taipei Times | date=19 May 2011 | publisher=Liberty Times Group }}

The Asia Series is held in November, which would otherwise create a conflict for the ABL champion team as the following season would have already commenced. To avoid this, the League announced that during the 2011–12 season, the Perth Heat–2010–11 champions—would be scheduled to have a bye while competing in Taiwan.{{cite web | last=Schroder | first=Mark | title=ABL Champions To Battle Asia's Best | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110518&content_id=19212110&vkey=news_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=29 May 2011 | date=18 May 2011 | archive-date=21 May 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521205019/http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110518&content_id=19212110&vkey=news_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | url-status=dead }}

The previous season included 40 games for each team and facing each team eight times, four at home and four on the road.{{cite web | url=http://www.abl.baseball.com.au/site/baseball/abl/downloads/2010-11%20ABL%20Schedule.pdf | title=2010–11 Australian Baseball League Schedule | work=Australian Baseball League | year=2010 | accessdate=29 May 2011 | format=PDF | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706101731/http://www.abl.baseball.com.au/site/baseball/abl/downloads/2010-11%20ABL%20Schedule.pdf | archivedate=6 July 2011 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }} This was expanded for the 2011–12 season to 45 games, by increasing one of the series between each team from four to five games, so that there were nine games between each team. This also resulted in three teams playing one more game at home than on the road, and the reverse for the other three teams.{{cite web | last=Sedgman | first=Cassandra | title=2011/12 ABL Game Schedule | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/documents/2011/05/23/19442424/1/2011-12_Australian_Baseball_League_Schedule_(3).pdf | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=29 May 2011 | date=23 May 2011 | format=PDF | archive-date=26 June 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626211853/http://web.theabl.com.au/documents/2011/05/23/19442424/1/2011-12_Australian_Baseball_League_Schedule_(3).pdf | url-status=dead }}

To allow for Perth Heat's participation in the 2011 Asia Series, all six teams received a bye during the early rounds of the regular season. The Heat and Brisbane Bandits' bye was timed to line up with the tournament in round four, with the Adelaide Bite and Canberra Cavalry's bye in round three, and the Melbourne Aces and Sydney Blue Sox' bye in round five.

{{Australia locator map

| size = 400

| adelaide-label = Adelaide Bite

| adelaide-bb-icon = bite

| brisbane-label = Brisbane Bandits

| brisbane-bb-icon = bandits

| canberra-label = Canberra Cavalry

| canberra-bb-icon = cavalry

| melbourne-label = Melbourne Aces

| melbourne-bb-icon = aces

| perth-label = Perth Heat

| perth-bb-icon = heat

| sydney-label = Sydney Blue Sox

| sydney-bb-icon = blue sox

}}

Each of the six teams returned from the previous season, and continued to use the same grounds for their home games. The name of Sydney's home ground changed during the off season, changing from Blacktown Olympic Park to Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney, and the main baseball diamond in the complex being called Blue Sox Stadium.{{cite news | title=Blacktown Olympic Park has new name | url=http://www.hillsnews.com.au/news/local/news/general/blacktown-olympic-park-has-new-name/2208074.aspx | accessdate=2 July 2011 | newspaper=The Castle Hill News | date=28 June 2011 | location=Sydney | publisher=Fairfax Media | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110705015238/http://www.hillsnews.com.au/news/local/news/general/blacktown-olympic-park-has-new-name/2208074.aspx | archive-date=5 July 2011 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}

As in the previous season, each team had an active roster of 22 players available each round. These players were drawn from 35-man squads. Each team had several foreign players in their squad, and each team included at least one player from the United States. Not counting Australia, there were players from eleven countries on the rosters of the teams participating.{{cite web | last=Romano | first=Ross | title=Increased International Presence to Be Felt in 2011 | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111103&content_id=25880626&vkey=news_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=17 November 2011 | date=3 November 2011 | quote=Over 40 International Players Will Represent 11 Nations }}

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WL

| update = complete|source={{cite web | title=Australian Baseball League Standings | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_sta&lid=595&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | access-date=13 November 2011 | archive-date=3 November 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103101457/http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_sta&lid=595&sid=l595 | url-status=dead }}

| for_against_style = none | show_GB = y | ranking_style = %

| team1 = PER |name_PER = {{ABL team|PER|season=2011–12}}

| team2 = MEL |name_MEL = {{ABL team|MEL|season=2011–12}}

| team3 = ADE |name_ADE = {{ABL team|ADE|season=2011–12}}

| team4 = SYD |name_SYD = {{ABL team|SYD|season=2011–12}}

| team5 = BRI |name_BRI = {{ABL team|BRI|season=2011–12}}

| team6 = CAN |name_CAN = {{ABL team|CAN|season=2011–12}}

| win_PER = 34 |loss_PER =11

| win_MEL = 21 |loss_MEL =24

| win_ADE = 20 |loss_ADE =25 |hth_ADE= 1st tiebreaker: {{winning percentage|16|11|record=y}}

| win_SYD = 20 |loss_SYD =25 |hth_SYD= 1st tiebreaker: {{winning percentage|13|14|record=y}}; 2nd tiebreaker: {{winning percentage|5|4|record=y}}

| win_BRI = 20 |loss_BRI =25 |hth_BRI= 1st tiebreaker: {{winning percentage|13|14|record=y}}; 2nd tiebreaker: {{winning percentage|4|5|record=y}}

| win_CAN = 20 |loss_CAN =25 |hth_CAN= 1st tiebreaker: {{winning percentage|12|15|record=y}}

| res_col_header = Q

| result1 = MAJ | result2 = MAJ | result3 = MIN | result4 = MIN

| col_MAJ = green1 |text_MAJ = Advance to major semi final

| col_MIN = green2 |text_MIN = Advance to minor semi final

| class_rules = Teams are ranked on winning percentage. In a multi-way tie, the winning percentage from games in head-to-head competition with the other tied teams is used as the first tiebreaker. In a multi-way tie, where after the first tiebreaker two teams are still tied, the winning percentage from games in head-to-head competition between the two tied teams is used as the second tiebreaker.{{cite web|title=Playoff Procedures|url=http://web.theabl.com.au/standings/playoff_procedures.jsp?lid=595&sid=l595|work=Australian Baseball League|access-date=22 January 2012}}

}}

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{{Infobox baseball game

|year = 2011

|game = ABL All-Star Game

|image = ABL 2011 all star game logo.jpg

|visitor = World All-Stars

|top1 = 1| top2 = 2| top3 = 1| top4 = 0| top5 = 0| top6 = 0| top7 = 3| top8 = 1| top9 = 0

|visitor_r = 8

|visitor_h = 15

|visitor_e = 0

|home = Team Australia

|bot1 = 0| bot2 = 0| bot3 = 0| bot4 = 0| bot5 = 0| bot6 = 3| bot7 = 1| bot8 = 1| bot9 = 0

|home_r = 5

|home_h = 9

|home_e = 2

|date = 21 December 2011

|venue = Baseball Park

|city = Perth

|MVP = {{flagicon|USA}} Tyler Collins

|attendance = 2,884

}}

The 2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game, known as the 2011 ConocoPhillips Australia ABL All-Star Game due to naming rights sponsorship from ConocoPhillips, was the first exhibition game held by the Australian Baseball League (ABL) between Team Australia and a team of World All-Stars. The game was held on Wednesday, 21 December 2011 at Baseball Park in Perth, Western Australia, home of the Perth Heat. The players involved were selected from the rosters of the six ABL teams, with players not eligible for selection in the Australian team for international tournaments eligible for the World All-Stars.

The World All-Stars defeated Team Australia 8–5.{{cite web | title=2011 ABL All-Star Game Boxscore | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l595&t=g_box&gid=2011_12_21_waswin_auswin_1 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=23 January 2012 | date=21 December 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416183439/http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l595&t=g_box&gid=2011_12_21_waswin_auswin_1 | archive-date=16 April 2014 | url-status=dead }} Tyler Collins, designated hitter for the World All-Stars won the game's Most Valuable Player award.{{cite web | title=World team tops Aussie stars Down Under | url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111221&content_id=26215254&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb | work=Major League Baseball | accessdate=23 January 2012 | date=21 December 2011 }}

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{{linescore

| Date = 21 December 2011

| Time = 16:00 (UTC+08:00)

| Location = Baseball Park, Perth

| Road = World All-Stars | RoadAbr = WAS

| R1 = 1 | R2 = 2 | R3 = 1 | R4 = 0 | R5 = 0 | R6 = 0 | R7 = 3 | R8 = 1 | R9 = 0 | RR = 8 | RH = 15 | RE = 0

| Home = Team Australia | HomeAbr = AUS

| H1 = 0 | H2 = 0 | H3 = 0 | H4 = 0 | H5 = 0 | H6 = 3 | H7 = 1 | H8 = 1 | H9 = 0 | HR = 5 | HH = 9 | HE = 2

| WP = (WAS) Mike McGuire (1–0) | LP = (AUS) Shane Lindsay (0–1) | SV = Koo Dae-Sung (1)

| HomeHR = Joshua Roberts (1) | RoadHR = Tyler Collins (1), Denny Almonte (1)

| Attendance = 2,884

| BoxURL = http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/stats.jsp?sid=l595&t=g_box&gid=2011_12_21_waswin_auswin_1

}}

File:ABL 2012 postseason logo.png

At the conclusion of the regular season, the postseason involved the teams in a three-round structure. The first- and second-place teams played each other in the major semi-final, the winner of which proceeded directly to the championship series and the loser to the preliminary final. The winner of the minor semi-final between the third- and fourth-place teams also qualified for the preliminary final, while the loser was eliminated. Likewise, the winner of the preliminary final qualified for the championship series, the loser being eliminated.{{cite web | title=2012 Postseason Bracket | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/events/page.jsp?ymd=20120120&content_id=26396794&vkey=events_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=27 January 2012 | date=24 January 2012 | archive-date=21 January 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121021341/http://web.theabl.com.au/events/page.jsp?ymd=20120120&content_id=26396794&vkey=events_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | url-status=dead }} Unlike the previous postseason, where each round consisted of a best-of-three game series, both of the semi-finals and the preliminary final will be played out over best-of-five game series. The championship series once again used a best-of-three game format.{{cite web | title=2012 Postseason Schedule | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/events/page.jsp?ymd=20120120&content_id=26393454&vkey=events_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=27 January 2012 | archive-date=21 January 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121054532/http://web.theabl.com.au/events/page.jsp?ymd=20120120&content_id=26393454&vkey=events_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 | url-status=dead }}

{{PagePlayoffBracket

| RD1 = Semi-Final Series

| RD2 = Premliminary Final Series

| RD3 = Championship Series

| team-width = 175

| RD1-seed1 = 1

| RD1-team1 = {{ABL team|PER}}

| RD1-score1 = 3

| RD1-seed2 = 2

| RD1-team2 = {{ABL team|MEL}}

| RD1-score2 = 1

| RD1-seed3 = 3

| RD1-team3 = {{ABL team|ADE}}

| RD1-score3 = 1

| RD1-seed4 = 4

| RD1-team4 = {{ABL team|SYD}}

| RD1-score4 = 3

| RD2-seed1 = 2

| RD2-team1 = {{ABL team|MEL}}

| RD2-score1 = 3

| RD2-seed2 = 4

| RD2-team2 = {{ABL team|SYD}}

| RD2-score2 = 2

| RD3-seed1 = 1

| RD3-team1 = {{ABL team|PER}}

| RD3-score1 = 2

| RD3-seed2 = 2

| RD3-team2 = {{ABL team|MEL}}

| RD3-score2 = 1

}}

The Perth Heat were the first team to clinch a postseason position when they defeated the Brisbane Bandits in Perth on 8 January, and then clinched a first place finish in their next game when they defeated the Canberra Cavalry in Canberra on 12 January.{{cite web | last=Higgins | first=Dylan | title=Heat officially #1 after win in Canberra | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26324844&vkey=news_t4068&fext=.jsp&sid=t4068 | work=Perth Heat | publisher=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=31 January 2012 | date=12 January 2012 | archive-date=3 March 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213153/http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120112&content_id=26324844&vkey=news_t4068&fext=.jsp&sid=t4068 | url-status=dead }} The three remaining positions in the postseason, and the teams that would take them, were not determined until the last game was finished. The Melbourne Aces finished a half-game ahead of a four-way tie between the Adelaide Bite, Brisbane Bandits, Canberra Cavalry and Sydney Blue Sox to secure the remaining spot in the major semi-final.{{cite web | title=League Standings | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/standings/index.jsp?lid=595&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=31 January 2012 | archive-date=15 January 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115055928/http://web.theabl.com.au/standings/index.jsp?lid=595&sid=l595 | url-status=dead }} The Bite and the Blue Sox finished third and fourth respectively after the ABL's tiebreakers were applied.{{cite web | title=Playoff Procedures | url=http://web.theabl.com.au/standings/playoff_procedures.jsp?lid=595&sid=l595 | work=Australian Baseball League | accessdate=31 January 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129142126/http://web.theabl.com.au/standings/playoff_procedures.jsp?lid=595&sid=l595 | archive-date=29 January 2012 | url-status=dead }}

Until only a few hours before their final game of the season, Cavalry officials believed that regardless of the result in the game they would progress to the postseason based on their interpretation of the tiebreaking procedures. However they were informed by the League that was not the case. Canberra's interpretation was that once Adelaide were determined as having finished third, a separate tiebreaker would be held between themselves, Brisbane and Sydney and excluding Adelaide, which would have result in Canberra progressing. The actual process used was to continue with the next level of the tiebreaker as Brisbane and Sydney as they were still level after using the head-to-head records between the four teams. As Sydney had won their season series with Brisbane 5-4, Sydney claimed the final postseason position, Brisbane were left in fifth place, and Canberra in sixth.{{cite news |last=Gaskin |first=Lee |title=Cavalry accepts ruling on playoffs |url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/baseball/cavalry-accepts-ruling-on-playoffs/2431575.aspx |accessdate=31 January 2012 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |date=25 January 2012 |publisher=Fairfax Media |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311005452/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/baseball/cavalry-accepts-ruling-on-playoffs/2431575.aspx |archivedate=11 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}

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{{reflist |2| refs=

{{cite web|title=Weekly Award Winners |url=http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/page.jsp?ymd=20120111&content_id=26305414&vkey=stats_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 |work=Australian Baseball League |accessdate=24 January 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115032842/http://web.theabl.com.au/stats/page.jsp?ymd=20120111&content_id=26305414&vkey=stats_l595&fext=.jsp&sid=l595 |archivedate=15 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}

}}

• [http://www.theabl.com.au/ The Australian Baseball League] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926071150/http://www.theabl.com.au/ |date=26 September 2020 }} – Official ABL Website
• [http://www.baseball.com.au/ Official Baseball Australia Website]

{{2011–12 Australian Baseball League}}

{{Australian Baseball League}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-12 Australian Baseball League season}}

Category:Australian Baseball League seasons

Category:2012 in Australian sport

Australian Baseball League season

Category:2011 in Australian sport

Australian Baseball League season