2014 MLB Opening Series tickets on sale now
Los Angeles and Arizona clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 22 and 23 March 2014.
SYDNEY, 19 June – For the first time in 100 years, Major League Baseball is coming to Sydney. Now is your chance to secure seats to this historic event. Tickets go on sale to the public today for the 2014 MLB Opening Series.
In addition to tickets, corporate hospitality options are now available for the Los Angeles Dodgers v Arizona Diamondbacks at the Sydney Cricket Ground. From a pool party to corporate open air boxes, there’s something for every interest in the corporate hospitality options.
Tickets are going fast to both dates, so click here to purchase your seats through Ticketek now. Be there for this first-ever event as Major League Baseball’s 2014 Championship Series opens play on Australian soil.
No Save for Balfour in A’s win
It was not a Save situation today but Grant Balfour threw another flawless 1-2-3 9th inning in the A’s 6-2 win over Texas.
Brandon Moss and John Jaso each homered while Jarrod Parker posted his 4th straight victory as Oakland sent Texas to its 7th home loss in 8 games.
Texas’ Yu Darvish, the major-league leader in strikeouts, is now winless in his last six starts.
Complete Aussie Player List
Stefan has started well with the Red Sox
Matt Kennelly has been signed by the Cincinnati Reds and assigned to AA.
James Beresford has had a quiet introduction to AAA – give him time
Stefan Welch has benefited from his change to the Red Sox.
Cameron Lamb was promoted to High A whilst Ryan Battaglia was moved to SS-A.
Liam Hendriks and Ryan Searle are on the DL.
Majors: Grant Balfour (A’s), Travis Blackley (Astros), Peter Moylan (Dodgers),
Triple-A: James Beresford (Twins), Liam Hendriks (Twins), Trent Oeltjen (Angels), Ryan Rowland-Smith(Red Sox), Josh Spence (Yankees)
Double-A: Matt Kennelly (Reds), Andrew Russell (Braves), Warwick Saupold (Tigers),
High-A : , Allan de San Miguel (Orioles), John Hussey (Padres), David Kandilas [Rockies], Cameron Lamb [Astros],Ryan Searle (Cubs), Stefan Welch (Red Sox).
Low-A: Corey Adamson [Padres],Tim Atherton [Twins], Boss Moanaroa (Red Sox).
Extended Spring Training Participants:
Short Season-A: Ryan Battaglia [Indians] James Brooks (Nationals), Guy Edmonds [Rangers], Darryl George [Rays],
Advanced Rookie leagues: Rory Rhodes [Twins],
Rookie leagues:Beau Bishop(Red Sox), Dylan Child [Pirates), Alex Da Silva [Angels],Daniel Devonshire(Blue Jays), Sam Gibbons [Twins], Elliott Hargreaves [Reds], Josh Kennelly [Reds], Jackson Lodge [Pirates], Adam O’Neill (Mets), Logan Wade [Twins],[Red Sox], Josh Warner [Phillies],
Rehabbing:
Mitchell Nilsson [Indians],
Yet to be assigned: Dean Aldridge (Tigers), Joe Atkins, [Royals], Jared Cruz (Braves), Ryan Dale (Royals), Josh Guyer (Twins), Nathan Hass (Braves), Sam Holland (Padres), Karl Hoschke (Braves), Nick Hutchings (Pirates), Sam Kennelly (Pirates), Tim Kennelly (Rangers), Jason Kilby (Reds), Ben Leslie [Giants], Connor MacDonald (Astros), Todd McDonald (Rangers), Daniel McGrath [Red Sox], Dakota Mitchell (Reds), Robbie Perkins [Rockies], James Philibossian (Tigers), Pita Rona (Orioles), Ben Shorto [Indians], Matthew Wilson [Orioles], Adam Silva [Yankees], Aaron Sayers [Tigers], Zac Shepherd (Tigers), Ricki Swarcz (Twins), Lewis Thorpe (Twins).
Note: We have also included NZ players
Grant Balfour Rage instigator honoured
Will MacNeil, a fixture in the right field bleachers in section 149, created the Balfour rage and threw the ceremonial first pitch to Nate Freiman to commemorate the A’s Grant Balfour Ragin’ Gnome giveaway. (Steve Bowles)
There was no need for Grant to rage on his commemorative day as the A’s crushed the Mariners 12-2 in front of a sold-out Father’s Day crowd of 36,067.
Overseas fans can now be part of the Blue Sox and also receive pre-sale access to Opening Series Tickets
By Matt Cooper/Blue Sox
Get pre-sale access and be a part of the Blue Sox from anywhere in the world.
Just 4 days ago came the historic announcement that the 2014 Major League Baseball Opening Series would be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Pre-sale access to tickets for the first ever MLB game to be held in Australia began on Friday at noon for all Australian Baseball League members.
The Blue Sox are now proud to announce a new International Membership to allow our fans all over the world to be a partof the Blue Sox. This will also allow them pre-sale access to 2014 Opening Series tickets before they go on sale to the general public at 12:00pm AET on Wednesday the 19th June.
Also included in the Membership is:-
An official New Era 59Fifty Blue Sox Hat
Sydney Blue Sox koozie
Sydney Blue Sox water bottle
Sydney Blue Sox bag
Other goddies like a stress ball, temporary tattoos and even a Blue Sox Koala clip!
The first 1,000 International Members will also receive a personalized, numbered certificate signed by Sydney Blue Sox General Manager David Balfour (Father of Oakland Athletics closer Grant Balfour)
As an added bonus if any International Member ever travels to Sydney they will get a free VIP entry to a Blue Sox home game and even throw out a FIRST PITCH!
Balfour is all the rage in Oakland
They love Grant Balfour in Oakland it seems. This is their promotion for today’s game.
Let’s go Gnomin’ Around! Find the Grant Balfour Ragin’ Gnome at Oaklandish at 1444 Broadway in Oakland until 7pm today. Snap a photo with the gnome, share on Twitter, and include #GnominAround in your tweet. Five random fans will win two tickets to Sunday’s Ragin’ Gnome game! There’s more Gnomin’ Around in different locations all week! http://www.oaklandathletics.com/gnominaround
Moylan earns first Win as a Dodger
Peter Moylan got his 1st win today coming on in the 10th against the Pirates in a 3-3 game.
He did make it hard for himself however. After retiring the 1st 2 hitters he faced then followed a walk, a hit and a IBB to load the bases before finishing the inning and the threat with a weak fly ball to RF. The Dodgers then produced 2 unanswered runs in the 11th to give them and Peter the 5-3 win.
Blackley shares special moment with son
By Chris Abshire / MLB.com
HOUSTON — Father’s Day came early this weekend for one Astros pitcher.
Reliever Travis Blackley got to pitch in front of his son, Tristan, in a Major League game for the first time. Well, technically, that is.
“He actually was at the park one time when he was about 2 years old and I was with the Giants,” Blackley said. “But he was out of it and just a baby, really, so he doesn’t remember.”
Tristan was also in attendance in Kansas City twice last season when Blackley was pitching for the A’s, but he never got into the game.
Friday night, Blackley entered the game with a runner on first and one out in the eight inning, with the Astros holding a tenuous 2-1 advantage.
Blackley promptly induced a double play to end the threat and let loose a vigorous fist pump and shout on his way back to the dugout.
“I honestly didn’t think about [my son watching] while I was actually on the mound,” Blackley said. “It was just a big time in the game. Every chance we get to get a win like that, you have to seize that.”
Astros manager Bo Porter said the escape marked “the biggest outs of the game.” As Blackley returned to the dugout, Tristan, 8, frantically waved down his father and Dad shot him a smile.
“It’s a feeling of joy to have him there,” Blackley said. “First thing I heard when I came out of the locker room after the game was him telling me, ‘Good job, Dad!’ That’s so cool.”
“He’s an aspiring little baseball player,” Blackley said. “To perform like that in front of him, it might give him the drive to do this, too. I mean, whatever he chooses to do in life, I’ll support him no matter what. But if he chooses baseball, he’s got to see me in person now and see me succeed. Best feeling in the world.”
Blackley’s contribution to Houston’s win = 3 pitches
With his young son in the stands watching has father pitch for the first time Travis Blackley would have probably hoped his outing against the White Sox might have gone a little longer. On the other hand he did the job he was called in to do.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead the Astros called in Travis in the 8th with 1 out and a runner on 1st. It took him just 3 pitches to coax a double play to get out of the inning.
It was his 10th Hold.
With the way he is pitching his son will have plenty of opportunities to cheer him on.
Dodgers and Diamondbacks will bring their thunder Down Under.
Presumably tempers will have cooled by Opening Day in 2014
Major League Baseball will open the 2014 regular season in Australia, with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks playing a two-game series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The matchups March 22-23 mark baseball’s first regular-season games in Australia.
MLB and the players’ union announced the international opening day on Wednesday, one day after Los Angeles and Arizona got mixed up in a big brawl at Dodger Stadium. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers already had a testy relationship before this scrape that resulted in six ejections.
Baseball opened its season at Tokyo in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. The 1999 opener was held at Monterrey, Mexico, and the 2001 season began in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The rest of the big league season next year is slated to resume with the Sunday night game on March 30.
The Dodgers-Diamondbacks opener will come 100 years after the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants played exhibition games at the same cricket venue. On Jan. 2, 1914, the White Sox beat the Giants 5-4 before an estimated 10,000 fans.
There also was an exhibition baseball game at the same site in December 1888 featuring Spalding’s World Tourists.
The Sydney Cricket Ground will be configured to MLB standards for the opening series.
”The globalization of our game continues to be paramount to Major League Baseball, and Australia is an essential part of our long-term efforts to grow the sport,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. ”We look forward to writing an exciting new chapter in international baseball history at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground next March.”
Union head Michael Weiner said ”the players are excited about opening the 2014 season in Sydney, and they view this series as an important step in furthering their commitment to help increase the global popularity of baseball.”
Dodgers President Stan Kasten said the team was eager to begin the season ”in one of the most exciting and rapidly developing baseball markets on earth.” Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said ”being at the forefront of spreading international goodwill on this prominent stage is a feat that we enthusiastically embrace and accept.”
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks will play spring training games in Arizona on March 16, then leave for Australia and arrive on March 18. The teams will open the regular season on Saturday night, the 22nd, and meet again the next afternoon. Arizona will be the home team for both games.
There have been 28 major leaguers born in Australia, including Oakland closer Grant Balfour and Dodgers reliever Peter Moylan.
