Wednesday 10th October 2007

Australia is set to make a full-blown assault on some of the planet’s perennial baseball powerhouses - naming one of its strongest teams ever, to compete at the 37th Baseball World Cup in Taiwan this November

And after disappointing results for Australian Rugby Union and Cricket teams in recent World Cup events, it may well be left up to baseball to play the unlikely hero and fly the Aussie flag in 2007

But the 24-man squad, which boasts five US Major league players, seven Olympic Silver Medallists and an unprecedented 22 overseas professionals, will need to draw on a wealth of international experience as they take on the world’s best baseball nations

Australian Head Coach, Jon Deeble, is quietly optimistic about his team’s chances at the World Cup - especially with the star-studded personnel on board
“We have already proven that when we are at our best, we can match it with any given side in the world on any given day” he said
“We’ve beaten Japanese sides that have $200 million payrolls, and gone toe-to-toe with the US and the Cubans, who are always the benchmark on the international stage
We know we can win, but we also know we’ll have to be at our absolute best to do it” he said

While Australia has their sights firmly set on a World Cup medal, they will face some tough opposition in order to advance to the quarter-final stage of the tournament
The Aussies are pooled with highly-favoured sides from Korea, Venezuela, Canada, The Netherlands, Germany, and near unbackable favourites Cuba - who have won a mind-boggling 25 World Cups from 36 previous campaigns

Deeble, who is has already tasted success when he guided Australia to a Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, feels that the added experience of some of his veteran players could make the difference in Taiwan
“This time last year we took away a very young side to the Intercontinental Cup, a group of kids really - and had a couple of very close matches gone our way, we could have easily come away with a medal” he said.
“I think with the addition of some of our higher profile players for the World Cup; it might be enough to tip the balance in our favour this time around”

One of the players Deeble is referring to is former Major Leaguer Glenn Williams, whose return to the Australian side brings with it an air of confidence vital to the team’s success
Williams, who boasts the remarkable feat of hitting safely in every Major League Game he has played, feels the 2007 World Cup might well be Australia’s year
“With so many of the guys exposed to professional baseball at the highest level, it makes things a little easier when you are up against it” Williams said
“When we won the Olympic semi-final against Japan, it was the experienced guys that lead the way - there’s no doubt that calm heads and experience are invaluable in these tournaments
Most of us have played at either a World Cup or Olympics before, and when you combine that with years of experience in pro ball, it makes for a pretty good mix” he said

Williams will be joined by fellow Major Leaguers Brad Thomas (Minesota Twins), Travis Blackley (San Francisco Giants), Justin Huber (Kansas City Royals) and Richard Thompson (LA Angels) - forming the corner stone of a red-hot Australian side

The team will depart for the World Cup on October 29 in preparation for their first game against reigning champions Cuba in Taipei on November 7

Australia must finish in the top four of their pool to qualify for the Quarter-final stages starting on November 16

The 37th IBAF Baseball World Cup, which brings together the world’s top sixteen baseball nations, culminates with the final to be held in Taipei November 18