Red Sox knock it out of the park!

After a lot of planning and making sure the baseball club would be viable, he came together with two Indigenous players, Darren Moss and Dominic Zahra, who together recruited a small group of people who went on to find the players.

They started by going down to The Block in Redfern and throwing a baseball around with the locals, working with Baseball NSW running clinics for the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy as well as introduction to baseball days at local schools like Our Lady Of Mount Carmel and Alexandria Park Community School.

In 2011 Redfern Red Sox registered in the Ryde Hornsby Baseball League. A local school, Alexandria Park Community School, let them use part of their playground as their “home ground”. The Redfern Red Sox were born! They were humble beginnings with not enough money for team shirts (red t-shirts were made do in the first season). They still managed to place our first representative player and have a team finish runner-up in the southern division – tribute to our local talent and dedication of the club’s volunteers.

This season (2011/12) five teams were registered. With the support of a few sponsors, fundraising and the assistance of parents the teams soon became competitive. Uniforms were designed and printed in Indigenous colours. Other clubs in the league were encouraging and gave the club their spare equipment. The locals have taken to the club. This season, City of Sydney Council allowed use of a local small park, Perry Park in Alexandria.

The Red Sox Under 10s made the semi-finals but unfortunately a washout meant we lost on a count back, coming third in the southern division. It was a great disappointment as they had recorded wins against the teams that won and came second.

On Saturday March 24, in only their second season, the Red Sox Under 8s recorded the club’s best ever result, winning the grand final against Five Dock. This result was truly outstanding as the team went through the entire season undefeated. Many of the players in this team will still be under 8 next year so we are very optimistic for future seasons.

Coach of the Red Sox Under 8s, Darren Moss, said: “We are very proud of our players; we have introduced a lot of naturally talented children into this great game. Their sporting talents are a perfect fit for baseball. They can all throw, they can all catch, and boy can they hit!”

President of the Ryde Hornsby Baseball League, Stuart Tabrett, has been a great help to the club in its fledgling years. “It’s an excellent result for the team and the club. Congratulations.”

The Red Sox would like to extend a special thanks to our major sponsors, the Indigenous Sport and Recreation Program and the City of Sydney without whose support we wouldn’t be where we are today. Anyone interested in being a sponsor or part of the Red Sox can contact us at redfernredsox@gmail.com.

Contact Gary Fishburn (President & U10s coach) 0447 462 086, Darren Moss

(VP & U8s coach) 0413 643 487, or Dominic Zahra (Media Mgr & U14s coach) 0425 209 179; www.redfernredsox.com

Photo: Billi Moss The victorious Red Sox Under 8s