Baseball NSW has announced that Matt Carter had been appointed its new Director of Umpiring, delivering on its strategic objective to develop umpiring as an integral element of our community ensuring we have the highest quality umpires possible.
 
As the Director of Umpiring, Matt will be responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating the National Umpiring Accreditation Pathway. Matt brings extensive experience and knowledge of the game having umpired his first game 25 years ago. He has also continued to umpire junior baseball across Sydney every year since with an immense passion for the game.
 
Matt initially joined the ABF Umpire Development Program as an Instructor in 2005. He volunteered his time across various community and association courses and coaches and mentors developing umpires across NSW and around Australia.
 
Matt has also served on the Committee of NSW Baseball Umpires Association for over a decade in various roles. He will now work as the conduit between Baseball NSW and the NSW Baseball Umpires Association amongst the other Umpire Associations within NSW.
 
Baseball NSW is genuinely excited to have Matt on our team leading out the future growth of our current and future umpires.

Dear Delegates and Members,
 
BNSW has been asked for several years to revive the former State Cup format which has been so popular amongst our members. To that end, we have attempted to accommodate this via the new Sydney Cup competition which each Association had originally agreed to support.
 
However, the impact of COVID19 has put the beginning and end dates of this program under pressure causing several Associations to withdraw from the competition citing insufficient preparation time for their teams. The fact that a number of those Associations who have withdrawn from the competition have arranged inter Association games in lieu of the proposed Sydney Cup is disappointing.
 
Consequently, Baseball NSW regrets to inform you that due to the lack of commitment from the majority of our associations we will be unable to proceed with the 2021 Sydney Cup in its originally intended format.
 
Baseball NSW values its rich history and the immense contributions of the names on each of the Trophies – Worboys, Balfour, Shipley – and we will always try to uphold the integrity of competitions held in these names. Try as we may, we could not get enough teams to compete to create a viable competition.
 
However, Baseball NSW will continue to provide our members with more baseball opportunities for those Associations who have committed to support the event. We will run an abbreviated competition with teams in LL, JL and SL competing against each other. We’d like to thank MWDBA, HJBA, Giants Baseball Club, and Baseball ACT respectively for their continued support and willingness to see the Sydney Cup take place.
 
BNSW will continue to listen to our members and provide options for our clubs and Associations to participate in more forms of competition above their local level. We expect that in the following years, free of any pandemic, we will see the majority of our Associations commit to the Sydney Cup as a sanctioned Baseball NSW pathway event. We are noticing several Third-Party programs being offered which are not sanctioned by Baseball NSW or Baseball Australia purporting to be a pathway to Australian Team selection. I can assure you they are not.
 
Once again, I appreciate any effort made by those Associations to genuinely support Baseball NSW’s desire to provide you all with greater options and I look forward to a successful season for you all.
 
Regards,
Mark Marino - CEO

To Our Members,
 
The NSW Government has published the Public Health (COVID-19 General) Amendment Order (No 8) 2021. The object of this Order is to amend the Public Health (COVID-19General) Order 2021 to give effect to the roadmap for easing certain restrictions from 8 November 2021.
 
These amendments only apply to fully vaccinated adults, children under 16 years of age, and people with an approved medical contraindication (exemption) certificate.

Community Sport gatherings (including training and competition activities) is now covered under Outdoor Gatherings and there is no maximum number of persons permitted at an outdoor public gathering. Venues are to adhere to the relevant requirements listed below.
 
For Outdoor gatherings under 1,000 persons:

1. No COVID-19 Safety Plan is required
2. The maximum number of persons in the outdoor area cannot exceed more than 1 person per 2 sqm of space

 
For Outdoor gatherings over 1,000 persons:

1. The event organiser must have completed and implemented a COVID-19 Safety plan.
2. The maximum number of persons in the outdoor area cannot exceed more than 1 person per 2 sqm of space

 
Please note that attendees are still required to scan the QR Code and display their vaccination certificate at each venue.
 
With the return to training and competition, and with the COVID-19 virus still amongst our communities - Baseball NSW is aware of the distinct possibility that members may contract the virus whilst participating in Community Sport.
 
In the unfortunate event that an individual is present at a venue whilst positive with the virus, we recommend that the individual and club adhere to the following protocols:

1. Inform the club that they may have been infected whilst present at the venue;
2. The club is to inform the opposition club;
3. The clubs are to advise their association secretary;
4. The association secretary is to inform Baseball NSW (covid@baseballnsw.com.au);

 
We recommend that an individual (player, coach, official, volunteer, spectator) that attends a Community Sport venue whilst infected with the virus, adhere to the NSW Health’s self-isolation and testing requirements.

Once the mandatory self-isolation period has lapsed and the individual has provided the club with proof of their negative COVID test, are they permitted to return to training and/or competition. 
 
The use of face masks is not mandatory in dugouts. However, given the proximity of members, it is recommended that members maintain a safe social distance whilst in the dugout. All unnecessary individuals are recommended to refrain from entering the dugout.
 
Close contact requirements are different based on vaccination status.
 
A close contact is someone who:

• is likely to have come into contact with a person who has COVID-19 and
• is at risk of developing COVID-19.

 
Fully vaccinated close contact
2 doses were completed at least 14 days before you last had contact with a COVID-19 case.

• Self-isolate for 7 days

7 full 24-hour periods from the date you last had contact with the COVID-19 positive person.
For example, if you last had contact with the positive person at 10am Tuesday, you must self-isolate until 10am the following Tuesday.

• Get tested – immediately, and again on day 6
• Leave self-isolation after 7 days

You can leave self-isolation after 7 days if your test on day 6 is negative, you feel well and you have had no further contact with a COVID-19 positive person.

• Limit activity for another week

For the next 7 days, you must work from home where possible and not go to high-risk settings (health care, aged care, disability care, early childhood centres, primary school, and correctional facilities)

• Get tested again on day 12.

 
If you live with a COVID-19 positive person and have not been isolating from them, you should only leave self-isolation after 14 days have passed from when the person received their positive result. To end isolation, you need to have a negative day 12 test, feel well and have had no further contact with a COVID-19 positive person
 
Not fully vaccinated close contact
0 or 1 dose or 2 doses completed less than 14 days since you last had contact with a COVID-19 case.

• Self-isolate for 14 days

14 full 24-hour periods from the date you last had contact with the COVID-19 positive person

• Get tested – immediately, on day 6 and again on day 12
• Leave self-isolation

You can leave self-isolation after 14 days if your test on day 12 is negative, you feel well and you have had no further contact with a COVID-19 positive person
 
What if I have already had COVID-19?
If you have had COVID-19 in the past six months you will generally not be considered a close contact and you do not need to self-isolate or get a test unless you have symptoms.
 
*Please note that this is subject to change without notice.

​Baseball NSW is deeply saddened by the passing of former Auburn Orioles, NSW and Australian player Tony Miller after a long and tough battle with brain cancer. 
 
TM, as he was widely known, was a key member of the dominant Auburn Orioles 1st grade team as they swept all before them in the late 70s and into the 80s, when they won multiple premierships and truly dominated Sydney baseball.  
 
He was a true “two-way “ player, strongly built, who possessed a powerful arm and used it to great effect as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder. He was lightning quick and in his time was undoubtedly the fastest pitcher in NSW. No opposition hitter could dig in and feel really comfortable in the batter's box when facing TM on the mound. He was also a power hitter, swatting many towering home runs out of ballparks around Australia.  
 
TM represented NSW as a teenager in underage Australian Championships in the early 70s before graduating to the NSW Claxton Shield team in 1976. After a dominant Claxton Shield performance in 1977, TM was selected for the Australian Senior Team to compete in the 1978 World Cup in Italy. 
 
TM was a larger than life, colourful character, with the quickest of wits and a great sense of humour. He was extremely popular, a guy who everyone gravitated towards, and the type of player that you wanted to play with. Combine these characteristics with a highly competitive attitude on the mound and a tremendous will to win, then you can understand why he was such a great teammate. 
 
The NSW and Australian baseball communities mourn the loss of TM and we offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife Suze and the whole Miller family. He will be sadly missed by his many, many friends.