Nicholas R W Henning

Aussie World Baseball Classic Experiences from 2006 to 2017 Nicholas R W Henning

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is the sport's preeminent international tournament, and Australia has been part of it from the first WBC in 2006 to 2017. For decades, baseball fans have wondered who the number-one country in the world is, and until 2006, the answer was debatable because of the absence of the best professional players participating in earlier global contests. The chance to compete against giants of the game was an opportunity that the Aussies had long waited for, and on their day, they were capable of pushing any team. Baseball was by no means a mainstream sport in Australia, yet the Aussies played with passion and determination akin to some of the greatest countries on the planet. They always aimed to win, and even if the scoreboard said otherwise, the pride of the Australians and the respect they earned from more fancied opponents celebrated Australia as a legitimate baseball-playing country. In four tournament appearances, their efforts have defeated long odds, added numerous hard-fought games to their playing history, and built a culture of team camaraderie that few countries can rival. Firsthand recollections from players and a well-founded assessment of the team's campaigns by author Nicholas Henning provide exclusive insights to baseball's highest-calibre international event as it was experienced by the Australian team.