The Melbourne Reds were a Victorian-based baseball team in the Australian Baseball League. They were the only team to win the championship 3 times. The Reds originally played at the home of VFL/AFL football, Waverley Park from 1989 until the 1994 Championship, when they moved to the former home ground of the St Kilda Football Club, Moorabbin Oval for the 1994/95 Championship and played there until the end of Australian Baseball League in 1999.

History Birth of the Reds After the 1988 Claxton Shield the idea of an Australian Baseball League was floated, with the Waverley Baseball Club being one of the strongest clubs in Victorian Baseball they stepped forward in instigating a team to represent the south-east of Melbourne, and the Waverley Reds were created.

In the first Australian Baseball League championship the Reds went through the season winning 34 out of 40 games, with a home record of 17 wins 2 losses, the Reds went into the championship series favourites against cross town rival the Melbourne Monarchs winning 3 out of the 4-game series to become the inaugural Australian Baseball League Champions.

The Waverley Baseball Club were the original majority owners and managers of the team, until it was foreseen that ownership of the team was not going to be a profitable exercise and distanced themselves to avoid future debts affecting the future of the baseball club.

After Waverley In 1993, shortly after the owners’ departure, the young and ambitious American, Andy Karetsky, bought the team. Karetsky owned and operated the Reds, determined to lead them to victory.

Karetsky was truly a trailblazer for Australian baseball. He brought his US baseball knowledge and innovative thinking to Waverley. Karetsky’s leadership style resulted in the 1994-1995 Championship title and a 2nd place finish in the 1995-1996 season. Towards the end of the “Karetsky Era”, the Australian Football League did not renew the Reds’ lease of Waverley Park so the team moved to Moorabbin Oval where they adopted their new name: The Melbourne Reds. After 3 highly successful seasons, Karetsky sold his ownership of the Reds and returned to the US.

Decline of the ABL After Karetsky, local baseball junkie and businessman Geoff Pearce purchased the majority ownership of the Reds, leading into the most difficult time of the ABL. Dwindling crowd numbers, severe lack of media attention and the ever-shrinking budget of the club took away a lot of the early excitement and entertainment from the Reds games. However, with all these factors Pearce lead the club to its last hurrah in the 1997/98 Championship, becoming the only team to win the ABL competition 3 times.

Late into the 1998–99 Australian Baseball League championship, the Reds were in the process of making a deal with ACES Sporting Club in Keysborough to convert their golf driving range into a light baseball diamond with grandstand to be the home of the Reds, however with the Australian Baseball League collapse after the 1999 Championship this deal never went ahead, however the Sporting Club entered into a sponsorship with the successor Victorian team after the ABL, the Victoria Aces as naming rights sponsors of the team.

Seasons Season Finish 1989–90 1st 1990–91 4th 1991–92 3rd 1992–93 4th 1993–94 6th 1994–95 1st 1995–96 2nd 1996–97 8th 1997–98 1st 1998–99 5th The Reds were one of the most successful team in ABL history, having won the Championship title 3 times.

1989–90 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Phil Dale346.85017–2US Affiliate:Cincinnati Reds AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionDavid Clarkson.444 (126 At Bats)Pitching ChampionPhil Dale1.44ERA (9–2, 81.1IP)RBI ChampionRon Carothers41 (161 At Bats)Pitching WorkhorseCarl Grovom82.1IP (7–0, 2.73)Home Run KingRon Carothers6Strikeout KingCarl Grovom70Base Path PirateMark Linger13 of 16Sigh of ReliefMark Respondek4 Saves

The first season of ABL play the Reds burst out of the blocks winning 34 out of the 40 games, only losing 2 games at home. The Reds played off with cross-town rivals, the Melbourne Monarchs, winning 3 out of the 4 play-off games to take out the Inaugural ABL championship.

1990–91 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Phil Dale2018.52610–10US Affiliate:Cincinnati Reds AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionDavid Clarkson.370 (127 At Bats)Pitching ChampionMike Anderson2.58ERA (6–1)RBI ChampionRon Carothers33 (149 At Bats)Pitching WorkhorsePhil Dale68.0IP (7–3, 3.18ERA)Home Run KingRon Carothers10Strikeout KingMike Anderson48Base Path PiratePete Beeler6 of 7Sigh of ReliefDave McAuliffe3 Saves, 5.76ERA

1991–92 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Phil Dale2719.58616–8US Affiliate:Atlanta Braves AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionJon Deeble.323 (130 At Bats)Pitching ChampionPhil Dale2.12ERA (7–3, 89.1IP)RBI ChampionR. Carothers & David Clarkson33Pitching WorkhorseScott Ryder92.1IP (8–3, 3.80)Home Run KingRon Carothers7Strikeout KingScott Ryder71Base Path PirateBrian Kowitz Kevin O’Connor(26 of 30) (20 of 22)Sigh of ReliefMark Respondek3 Saves (2.93)

1992–93 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Phil Dale2621.55314–10US Affiliate:Atlanta Braves AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionM. Sheldon-Collins.306 (173AB)Pitching ChampionCarlos Reyes2.02ERA (9–1)RBI ChampionDavid Clarkson24 (137 At Bats)Pitching WorkhorseCarlos Reyes98.0IPHome Run KingD. Clarkson & Andrew Spencer4Strikeout KingCarlos Reyes74Base Path PirateGlenn Reeves11 of 11Sigh of ReliefPhil Dale7 Saves (2.47ERA)

1993–94 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Phil Dale2231.41510–15US Affiliate:Atlanta Braves AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionAaron Harvey.284 (183 At Bats)Pitching ChampionPhil Dale2.72ERA (4–5, 56.1IP)RBI ChampionAndrew Spencer28 (146 At Bats)Pitching WorkhorseSimon Sheldon-Collins71.1IPHome Run KingAndrew Spencer7Strikeout KingSimon Sheldon-Collins50Base Path PirateAaron Harvey17 of 22Sigh of ReliefPhil Dale5 Saves (2.72ERA)

1994–95 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Paul Runge4414.75019–7US Affiliate:Atlanta Braves AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionDavid Nilsson.388 (160 At Bats)Pitching ChampionPhil Dale Dirk Blair2.76ERA (12–2, 101.0IP) 3.21ERA (13–2)RBI ChampionDavid Nilsson56Pitching WorkhorsePhil Dale101.0IPHome Run KingDavid Nilsson16Strikeout KingPhil Dale75Base Path PirateAdam Burton22 of 29Sigh of ReliefBrendan Ratcliffe2 SV, 2.56ERA

In their first season at Morrabbin Oval the Reds, with many new faces (most notably, Australian Major League superstar David Nilsson), the reds won 44 of the 58 games. Facing the 4th-placed Sydney Blues in the "Best of 3" Semi-Finals, the Reds defeated the Blues 5–1 in Game 1, and then 7–4 in Game 2, allowing the Reds to qualify for the Championship Series against Perth Heat. The Reds defeated Heat 5–1 in game 1, and then 4–2 in game 2 of the series to win their second ABL Championship.

1995–96 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Jim Saul2721.55311–13US Affiliate:Atlanta Braves AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionGreg Jelks.364 (55 At Bats)Pitching ChampionS. Sheldon-Collins3.40ERA (7–4)RBI Champion Myles Barnden & D. Clarkson23Pitching WorkhorseSimon Sheldon-Collins76.2IPHome Run KingMyles Barnden6Strikeout KingDamian Moss58 (3.72ERA, 67.2IP)Base Path PirateAaron Harvey21 of 24Sigh of ReliefPhil Dale3 Saves (4.46ERA)

1996–97 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Tom Nieto1741.29314–16US Affiliate:New York Yankees AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionMyles Barnden.299 (177 At Bats)Pitching ChampionGreg Resz2.27ERA (4–4, 43.2IP)RBI ChampionMyles Barnden32Pitching WorkhorseWarren May53.2IP (4.53ERA)Home Run KingMyles Barnden8Strikeout KingGreg Resz & Ben Ford31Base Path PirateBen Utting9 of 12Sigh of ReliefHeath Martin19 Appearances

1997–98 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Tom Nieto3021.58816–9US Affiliate:New York Yankees AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionAdam Burton.388 (165 At Bats)Pitching ChampionPat Ahearne3.36ERA 3–4, 56.1IPRBI ChampionAdam Burton55Pitching WorkhorseJason Beverlin72.1IP 2–4, 6.22Home Run KingAdam Burton21Strikeout KingJason Beverlin67Base Path PirateAdam Burton18 of 19Sigh of ReliefD. Simpson & D. White2 Saves

After finishing last in the previous Championship the reds were looking for redemption. The Reds finished in the top 4 to qualify for the "3-day Round Robin Series" to be played at the Melbourne Ballpark. Facing the Sydney Storm on Day 1, the Reds easily accounted for the Storm 18–5. Day 2 saw the Reds win a tight game against the Gold Coast Cougars winning 2–1. Day 3 the Reds faced off with cross-town rival Melbourne Monarchs in a dead rubber, the Monarchs winning 12–5. The Reds then played off with the Gold Coast Cougars, which saw the Reds run out winners 4–3 in game 1, and then 4–0 in game 2, to become the only team to take out the Australian Baseball League Championship 3 times.

1998–99 WinsLossWin %HomeManager:Steve Livesey2023.46515–8US Affiliate:Tampa Bay Devil Rays AwardNameStatsAwardNameStatsBatting ChampionAdam Burton.372 (148 At Bats)Pitching ChampionDavid White4.41ERA (7–4)RBI ChampionAdam Burton40Pitching WorkhorseDavid White81.2IPHome Run KingAdam Burton14Strikeout KingDavid White57Base Path PirateAdam Burton & Matt Quatraro6Sigh of ReliefMatthew Gourlay4 Saves

Uniform

Waverley white with red trim top with "Reds" across the front, Red undershirt, white pants with red double strip down the leg, white socks with red t-bars.

Melbourne Home – white with red trim top with "Reds" across the front, navy blue undershirt, white pants with red strip down the leg, white socks with red t-bars. Away – same as home but with grey where white is.

See also List of Waverley/Melbourne Reds players

External links The Australian Baseball League: 1989–1999 The History of the Waverley/Melbourne Reds