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Some of the most legendary players in Australian baseball history have won the Helms Award, presented to the Best & Fairest player in the Claxton Shield competition.

Trailblazers like Dave Nilsson have their names etched on the award.

ABL record holders like Tim Kennelly and Andrew Scott have won the honour. Major Leaguers like Jake Fraley, Homer Bush, Alexander Wells, Chris Snelling and Aaron Whitefield have all sat on top of the Australian baseball world.

But the first to ever do it?

That would be New South Wales pitcher Tony Strand, who was recently named to the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame.

The inaugural winner of the Helms Award put together an incredible tournament at the 1962 Claxton Shield in Perth. It’s one of the performances that helped earn Strand his place among the six members of the most recent Hall of Fame class.

In just one week, Strand appeared five times and pitched more than 30 innings, including three nine-inning complete games.

Perhaps his most memorable effort came against hosts Western Australia. Strand went the distance in a 6-0 shutout, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out four.

He also etched up two complete-game victories over South Australia. Strand allowed five runs in a 7-5 victory before holding SA to just one run in a 3-1 win.

Across those three starts alone, Strand pitched 27 innings, allowing 13 hits, six walks and six runs while striking out 11. He also came out of the bullpen twice during the tournament.

By the end of the week, Strand had been named an Australian All-Star and became the first player ever presented with the Helms Award.

His career extends well beyond his remarkable 1962 tournament.

Born in Kyogle, NSW, the strong right-handed pitcher joined Mosman Baseball Club in 1954. His first season ended with a Third Grade premiership before Strand made the jump to First Grade in 1955. He would remain a First Grade pitcher with Mosman through 1967.

Strand played for NSW at Under 21 level in 1955 and 1956 and went on to represent his state at senior level, including Claxton Shield appearances in 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1965.

He was also a regular in City v Country baseball.

More than half a century later, Strand’s place among the greats of New South Wales baseball was recognised with selection in the NSW 75th Diamond Claxton team.

Now, the first player to ever win one of Australian baseball’s most prestigious individual honours has a Hall of Fame Distinction next to his name.

MORE HALL OF FAME STORIES

• Hall of Fame Story: Mark Hutton
• Hall of Fame Chats (Podcast): Samantha Hamilton
• Hall of Fame Chats (Podcast): Craig Anderson

There’s always something happening in the world of Australian baseball, and I’m here to let you know a few of the headlines from around the world!

Let’s waste no time jumping into it. But if I missed something big, or just a genuinely cool story, please feel free to fire it through to marketing@baseball.com.au and we can include it in the next edition, or maybe even give it its own story! After all, we’re powered by you.

Let’s rip in.

RIXON WINNING IN JAPAN

Team Australia first baseman Rixon Wingrove has been playing in the Shikoku Island League, an independent professional baseball competition in Japan. Safe to say he’s harnessed his power overseas.

Wingrove and his team, the Tokushima Indigo Socks, were division winners and ultimately won their league championship. Rixon was named Championship MVP.

His season was beastly, too. In 22 games, Wingrove hit .377 with four homers, 12 RBI and a 1.154 OPS.

They advanced to the Japan Regional Professional Baseball League Grand Championship against other league winners from across the country, but ultimately fell in the early rounds. Although, Rixon did slug a homer in the playoffs…

If you want a further Aussie link, Sydney pitcher Josh Gessner played a couple of games alongside Rixon in the early stages of the season.

ALEX HALL LEADS KBO MINOR LEAGUES IN RBI

Alex Hall came through in the clutch in Korea this season. After playing for Australia at the World Baseball Classic, Hall signed with expansion side Ulsan Whales. He played in the KBO Futures League, South Korea’s second-tier professional competition.

In 96 games, Hall led the Futures League with 70 RBI. He hit .265 across the season. Hall was named an All-Star for his efforts.

Hall has re-signed with the Perth Heat for the upcoming ABL season.

BAZZANA-BALL COMES TO THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

The dream rookie season continues…

A call-up in April. An All-Star selection in July. A division championship in September. A playoff series win in October.

Now, Travis Bazzana and the Cleveland Guardians are in the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. If they win the best-of-seven series, we will see our first Australian in a World Series since Grant Balfour (2008, Rays). Balfour and Graeme Lloyd are the only Australians to have played in the Fall Classic.

The American League Championship Series schedule is as follows, with all game times listed in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

– Game 1: Tuesday, October 13, 11:00 AM (Cleveland won 7–3)
– Game 2: Wednesday, October 14, 11:00 AM
– Game 3: Friday, October 16, 9:00 AM
– Game 4: Saturday, October 17, 9:00 AM*
– Game 5: Sunday, October 18, 11:00 AM (if necessary)
– Game 6: Tuesday, October 20, 8:00 AM* (if necessary)
– Game 7: Wednesday, October 21, 11:00 AM (if necessary)

JON KENNEDY PITCHING IN KOREAN PLAYOFFS

The Korean baseball playoffs are underway, and an Australian is set to play a key role. Jon Kennedy has pitched in 23 games this season for the LG Twins, posting a 3.80 ERA out of the bullpen with ten holds.

Kennedy’s improvement since arriving in Korea is particularly impressive. After an 8.31 ERA in his first five appearances in August, he posted a 2.25 ERA across 11 September outings, collecting seven holds.

The LG Twins vs Doosan Bears playoff game on Wednesday, October 14, starts at 8:30 PM Sydney time (AEDT). Aussies can watch on SOOP.TV.

Kennedy has already been announced as returning to the ABL with the Brisbane Bandits for the 2026–27 season.

ABL SIGNINGS COMING THROUGH

The ABL is scheduled to kick off in just over a month! Teams are beginning to unveil their rosters.

Brisbane have announced that core Australians like Robbie Perkins, George Callil and Jon Kennedy are returning. The Perth Heat will once again be anchored by Alex Hall. The Sydney Blue Sox have announced the return of the likes of Jaylin Rae and Jo Stevens, while adding some new up-and-coming Aussies like Lachlan Rosser and James Boeree.

In import news, the Heat announced that four Cincinnati Reds prospects and four Tampa Bay Rays prospects are coming to town, including a couple of big-name prospects!

The Adelaide Giants also announced their new coach, with American Landon Lassiter coming Down Under (photo below).

Make sure you follow the ABL on socials. They’ve announced some major news, including that games will be streamed on MLB.TV this season in addition to Baseball+.

On a personal note, I love tuning into Blue Sox Insider, a great podcast hosted by Andrew Reynolds that brings you closer to the behind-the-scenes action of the Blue Sox!

U15 AUSSIES SURGE TO BEST-EVER WORLD CUP FINISH

Australia’s Under-15 National Team has just returned from Mexico and the 2026 WBSC U15 Baseball World Cup. They were a fun team to watch because they clearly had a strong bond, looked like they loved playing ball together, and made notable improvements across the week.

Early in the tournament, walks and errors plagued the young bunch en route to a 1–4 Pool B record. But in the Placement Round, Australia lost by one run to Cuba and played some excellent baseball against Germany and South Africa to finish with a 3–5 record, good for eighth place out of the 12 competing teams.

One of the big moments came vs Germany. With Australia down 1-0 in the sixth, captain Archer Petersen launched a three-run homer to help win the game and end a ten-pitch at-bat.

The result improves on Australia’s previous best finish at a U15 World Cup, ninth in 2018. It also secures some important World Ranking Points.

It’s a cool tournament. The likes of Brice Turang, Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman and Yordan Alvarez have played in this event. The Dominican Republic’s starting lineup in the gold medal game had more than US$19 million in reported pre-arranged signing money with MLB clubs to their names. Shows you the scale of the event…

AUSTRALIA REMAINS A TOP-TEN BASEBALL COUNTRY

On the theme of World Ranking Points…

WBSC released its latest World Rankings. Baseball World Rankings are unique because they incorporate the U12, U15, U18, U23, Premier12, World Baseball Classic, regional events and qualifiers. Essentially, it’s a measure of how your entire national team program performs, not just the senior men’s squad.

Australia dropped to tenth in the World Rankings, mainly because the Dominican Republic shot up the rankings with their superb finish.

Australia picked up 171 points at the U15 World Cup, closing the gap on ninth-ranked Panama and fending off 11th-ranked Netherlands.

Australia’s next opportunity for points is the U23 World Cup in Nicaragua.

KEY TEAM AUSTRALIA EVENTS INCOMING…

Oh, what a segue!

The first two weeks of November are big ones for the national team and its programs. Australia’s Under-23 National Squad is off to Nicaragua for the Under-23 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Australia’s U24 squad* is off to Japan for the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) against Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea.

I use an * because the ‘under-24’ designation is a little loose at the APBC. Rosters primarily consist of players aged 24 or younger or in their first three professional seasons, with each team permitted up to three overage players aged 29 or younger.

Rosters and team announcements will be coming soon on Baseball.com.au.

BARCLAY CUP FINISHES IN MELBOURNE

This is one of the coolest events in Australian baseball because it harnesses the power of our community.

From September 27 to October 3 at Springvale Baseball Club, the event brought together junior female baseball players aged 13–16 from across the country. Established in 2022, the tournament honours the late, great Jacinda Barclay, a trailblazer who represented Australia at five World Cups and made a huge impression on and off the field.

It not only gives players a chance to compete nationally, but it’s also about developing skills, making connections and having some fun. Unlike traditional state championships, multiple teams from the same state can participate, helping create more opportunities for girls to experience national competition. It’s also an event organised and run by the states themselves.

A major addition in 2026 was the inaugural Under-21 Women’s Invitational, held September 27–30, helping bridge the gap between junior baseball and senior women’s competition.

The Victoria Hornets won the gold medal, but the tournament was about so much more than just the results on the field.

CAM BAHR ARRIVES AT COLLEGE

If you’ve been following the Baseball.com.au account for a while now, the name Cam Bahr will be familiar.

He’s starred on five Western Australian state teams from 2022–2026 at the U16 and U18 levels, while playing a key role with the Eastern Phantoms Charter Program. That includes a Senior League World Series appearance in 2025.

The Morley Eagles product recently arrived at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, where he’ll continue his baseball journey in the NJCAA Division I program.

He’s one of about 150+ Australians going to school and playing some baseball overseas.

TALES FROM CLUB BALL

The October long weekend has come and gone, which means local baseball is well and truly underway. I thought I’d use this chance to pass on a few accounts from around the country that provide some coverage of local competitions.

If I missed someone, I apologise. I am but a mere mortal! Please pass on any valuable info to marketing@baseball.com.au.

A great starting point is to follow your local state or territory association (for example: Baseball WA, Baseball SA, Baseball Canberra, Baseball Victoria, Baseball NSW, Baseball QLD and Baseball NT).

South Australia: Robert Laidlaw writes fantastic weekly recaps of the men’s and women’s competitions on PlayBall – All Things Baseball and Softball. Baseball SA also updates its website regularly with a monthly newsletter.

Western Australia: Baseball WA posts regular weekly recaps of the Harcher State League on its website. They also livestream select games on their Facebook page. Their podcast is great, too. Hosted by Brendan Sing and Jeremy Sexton, the State League Show is one of a kind in our country. Check them out on YouTube.

Victoria: Baseball Victoria does a good job of posting weekly results on its social media. Their page is absolutely worth a follow.

New South Wales: Love following Mick G Photography for some snaps of local action around the grounds. The clubs’ social media accounts do a good job of keeping you updated, too. The NSW State League Hub on the Baseball NSW website is great as well.

Queensland: The Greater Brisbane League is the one to watch, and the Baseball Queensland website provides a great hub. Make sure you follow each club’s account.

Northern Territory: The BaseballNT account is worth a follow. Kai posts some great recaps of competitions throughout the territory, from the senior competition to battles in Darwin and Alice Springs, and the vibrant women’s comp.

Canberra: They’ve launched a new account, BaseballCBR, so that’s the best way to support local coverage and find some stories.

—

Okay, that’s all I have for now. It’s a lot.

If you made it this far, congrats.

Otherwise, HAVE FUN ENJOYING BASEBALL!

We’ll chat soon.

—

by Eric Balnar | Eric is an Australian-based baseball broadcaster, journalist and storyteller who covers the game from local club diamonds to international World Cups. He’s passionate about sharing the stories of Australian baseball and the people who make the sport special.

“How good was I at my peak? That’s really for others to judge,” says Don Masters, one of six inducted in the most recent class of the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame.

He’s got one heck of a case to present before the jury.

Don’s resume includes breakthrough moments for Team Australia, six Claxton Shields, a stack of local awards, some truly amazing individual performances, and a mountain of respect from his peers.

He produced viral moments before viral moments existed.

MEET THE INDUCTEES: The 2025 Baseball Australia Hall of Fame Class

When Connor MacDonald tossed three shutout innings vs Japan at the 2026 WBC, he amassed millions of views on X and became a global story. When Travis Bazzana delivered a game-winning, walk-off hit for Cleveland, he made headline Australian news we saw it instantly on our phones. When Tim Kennelly was hunting down records in the ABL, we watched every pitch on Baseball+.

So what would the age of the internet have thought of Don Masters’ historic performance vs Japan in 1971 at the Asian Championships?

Masters helped Australia make history one evening in Seoul, South Korea.

TEAM AUSTRALIA LEGEND

Pitching in front of a reported 40,000+ fans, Masters became the first Australian pitcher to beat Japan in an international series.

Let’s repeat that: The first Australian pitcher to ever defeat the best baseball nation on earth. Keep in mind, at time of publication it’s been 22 years since we beat Japan at the top level…

His stat line? Ridiculous.

A complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits across nine innings.

Masters says he was anxious before the game.

“I liked the plan we had and was quietly confident that if I executed it we were a chance. I knew we had a good field to back me up which always helps,” he says. “[Our coach] Kingsley Wellington asked me to pitch away from the Japanese power batters which was inside. It was a night game and I had particularly good control on my slider, curve ball and knuckle ball which dropped heavily in the air that night.”

He also credits his field, which turned a few key double plays, and the offence led by New South Wales’ Paul Russell, who hit two homers.

“The atmosphere in front of a crowd of 40,000 Koreans was electric as we were not expected to win. You would no doubt be aware that the rivalry between Japan and Korea has existed for many years. We were ecstatic and the crowd were particularly appreciative and demonstrative of our victory,” says Masters. “We hit the headlines of the newspaper the next day and I still have the clippings.”

Masters quickly turns the tale to the game the next day and does what becomes a theme when talking about his career: he celebrates his teammates.

“The next night Neil Page pitched a winning game against Korea (3-2). I remember late in the game, [Victoria’s] John Swanson and [South Australia’s] Phil Alexander were in the outfield being harassed by a section of the crowd who were clanging drink bottles and threateningly calling out their surnames,” says Masters.

Hostile, to say the least.

“We were in fear of our lives trying to get out of the Seoul stadium after that game. It was a trip of many highs and lows all at once,” he says.

His international career continued to elevate in 1975, when Australia returned to the Asian Championships.

They made more history, becoming the first Australian team to win bronze at the tournament.

READ MORE ABOUT DON MASTERS: BaseballSA citation

Overall, Masters played a decade at the top level for the Green & Gold.

“As for the significance for Australian Baseball, I was just quietly proud to be part of it and didn’t think much more about it because there was also a goodwill series to play in Japan afterwards,” says Masters. “I think an opinion for the significance for Australian Baseball is up to others, not me.”

THE LOCAL GAME

Like any great Australian international career, his story begins locally.

In South Australian baseball circles, Masters was already regarded as one of the best.

That will happen when you win six Claxton Shields, represent your state across 12 years, win two premierships and a Best & Fairest, and establish yourself as an elite coach.

“Don was a champion pitcher for his local teams, his state and his country,” says Australian baseball historian Robert Laidlaw, a fellow Adelaide native who has covered Masters for decades. “His pitching ability helped raise the standard of the division one competition. There were other top pitchers at the time in SA but Don was arguably the best of the lot in the 1970s.”

Masters says his first recollection of South Australian baseball was in the 60s, watching Night Baseball every Wednesday at Norwood Oval. He went there as a student at every opportunity to see two high-standard games.

Baseball was also played in most secondary schools. Masters played for Findon High School every Saturday morning, then would head to Woodville Baseball Club to play in lower division games in the afternoon.

His appreciation for the South Australian legends around him is evident.

“I developed a fierce desire to emulate some of the outstanding pitchers I saw at Night Baseball. Fred Medley, Ron Russ, Max Puckett, Don Rice and later Neil Page, Brian Scott, etc,” says Masters. “I had a fascination for pitching and developed some pitches of my own just watching them. We had no coaches at school then and because of overuse I injured my shoulder (rotator cuff) during a Major B game in 62/3 and had to retire for a year. My arm was never quite the same again.”

The injury didn’t stop his impact from being felt locally.

He was named to 12 South Australian sides in the Claxton Shield competition and was part of six national championship squads. It’s regarded as one of the most, if not the most, prolific eras for South Australian baseball.

Masters, again, is quick to deflect to his teammates.

“Our TEAM won six Claxton Shields,” he emphasises.

There it is again. He also has a theory for why South Australia was so dominant.

During the 1960s, baseball was played in the winter months in a 12-team competition, the South Australian Baseball League (SABL). In the summer months, there was a much stronger Night Baseball competition comprising six combined teams.

It was effectively an all-star league. With the calibre of competition, came attention. There was media coverage, including television, and a sponsor’s home run fence.

“There were few other distractions then,” says Masters. “It was particularly difficult to get into the starting side of any combined Night baseball squads. Because of the fierce competition, I believe SA were better prepared for the Claxton Shield National Competitions. Many players came from Interstate to compete including Dick Shirt, Barry Stace, Sid Thompson and Ross Brown to name a few. I played with and against these and many other great players including Kevin Greatrex, David Mundy, Neil Page, Gary Thompson and Adrian Pearce, etc.”

One of his South Australian competitors, Dave Mundy, calls Masters a fierce competitor.

“He was always up for a challenge and willing to use all of his ability and guile to achieve a successful outcome,” says Mundy. “He had great mastery over his variety of pitches and used them to advantage either when we were opponents or team members.”

Masters called Night Baseball his “Mecca” and also a where he thrived.

His accolades extended to the traditional South Australian Baseball League competition, too.

Masters played 220 games across more than a decade for Woodville. He famously helped the club win the 1975 premiership, delivering a standout pitching performance in the decider with ten strikeouts and just two earned runs conceded in a 4–2 victory.

The season before, he won the SABL Infielder of the Year Award.

He later transferred to Northern Districts, where he coached and played. In 63 games with the club, Masters added another significant individual honour, winning the Capps Medal in 1976–77 as the league’s best and fairest player.

Mundy says Masters was not just an asset on the field – but drove the game forward off the field.

“The knowledge and experience he gained at Club, State and Australian level…he was readily prepared to share and impart to others under his guidance and the teams he coached,” says Mundy. “Whether on the field, off the field, he always greeted you with a smile, welcoming challenging or cheekily depending on the situation.”

Ask Masters for some of his other proud moments and the numbers jump off the page.

There was a 17-inning, 5–4 win against Adelaide Baseball Club in 1974, when he allowed four hits, struck out 21 and walked just two.

Then there was the 1976 Claxton Shield, where Masters pitched three winning games in five days en route to another South Australian championship.

And, of course, there were his two premierships at Woodville.

Decades later, on an autumn’s day in 2026, the phone finally rang with another honour. This time, it was a phone call from Australian baseball legend Shayne Bennett.

“I was very surprised [to get a call to the Hall of Fame],” says Masters. “Unexpected but deeply honoured to be accepted by my peers and at the presentation night to stand and reminisce with other peer recipients. [When I received the call], I was playing tennis with a team at West Wyalong NSW and was about to go out for a meal with friends when I took what I thought was a hoax call from Shayne Bennett.”

“He apologised that it wasn’t awarded earlier but I just couldn’t get my head around it. I was chuffed but then again unsure because I thought normally you’d receive a letter. I told Rosa, my partner, of my thoughts and when the dust settled let my family and ex-wife know.”

After baseball, Don Masters scratched his competitive itch playing tennis, including at local clubs and in social competitions.

But when asked about his legacy, once again, the conversation isn’t really about baseball statistics. It’s about people.

“I got satisfaction in all areas but most importantly acceptance by my peers, Tennis, Baseball Friends,” he says. “I have loved helping people overcome too hard home projects etc on numerous occasions, giving is very rewarding. If you talk about baseball it was a very big part of my life but times change, attitudes change, priorities change. Without a doubt I am honoured and humbled indeed to have been inducted to both Halls of Fame, SA and Australian.”

Which brings us back to the original question.

“How good was I at my peak? That’s really for others to judge.”

A two-hit shutout against Japan. Australian national team history. Six Claxton Shields. Two Woodville premierships. A Capps Medal. A career spanning some of the strongest years South Australian baseball has seen.

And, perhaps most tellingly, a reputation among those who actually saw him play as one of the best of his generation.

Don Masters might prefer to leave the judgement to others. Fortunately, the proof is in the pudding.

MORE HALL OF FAME STORIES

• Hall of Fame Story: Mark Hutton
• Hall of Fame Chats (Podcast): Samantha Hamilton
• Hall of Fame Chats (Podcast): Craig Anderson