Major League players have honed their craft at the Narrabundah Ballpark, but there was one current star the Canberra Cavalry would have loved to have had on the mound.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Australia's greatest baseball export Grant Balfour was the guest of honour at Saturday night's third game of the four-game series between the Cavalry and the Melbourne Aces.
However, Balfour couldn't inspire the Cavalry to continue its dominance over the Aces as they lost 5-0.
Balfour is in Australia as an ambassador for Major League Baseball and will be the honorary captain for Team Australia in Wednesday night's Australian Baseball League All Star game in Melbourne.
The 36-year-old has a year left to run on his two-year, $12 million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays after becoming an All Star for the first time last year while with the Oakland Athletics.
Balfour was impressed with the strong support for the game in Canberra and hoped the sport could continue to gain in profile.
"There's a lot of enthusiastic fans here, I'm surprised how many people are really into the game and it's been great," Balfour said.
"I'd love to see the ABL on TV and to see the profile increase.
"It's a great sport and if people get involved and watch it they'll fall in love with it."
The ABL is in its fifth season, with the Cavalry having taken out the championship in 2012-13, before going on to win last year's Asia Series.
The Cavalry has produced several players who have progressed to the major league, most notably shortstop Didi Gregorius, who has recently been traded to the New York Yankees from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The MLB this year brought the opening series of the season between the Diamondbacks and the LA Dodgers to Australia, with plans to return to the SCG in 2018.
"Looking at the pictures, I won't lie, I was jealous," Balfour said.
"I would've loved to have done it.
"It's great for the sport and we definitely need more of that."
After two straight wins on Thursday and Friday, the Cavalry's hitters couldn't get going on Saturday.
The Aces (8-14) scored a run in the second and fifth inning, added two more in the sixth and another in the seventh.
The Cavalry (11-12) will be looking to bounce back in the final game of the series on Sunday, with the first pitch at noon.
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE: Melbourne Aces bt Canberra Cavalry 5-0 at the Narrabundah Ballpark on Saturday night.
