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The Adelaide Giants are a
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...
team that plays in the
Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it ...
. They are one of the six foundation franchises of the league, in its first incarnation from 1989 to 1999. The team adopted the name Bite or Adelaide Bite when the league relaunched in 2010, officially Adelaide ETSA Bite, when the South Australian power company
ETSA Utilities SA Power Networks is the sole electricity distributor in the state of South Australia, delivering electricity from high voltage transmission network connection points operated by ElectraNet. It is the successor to the Electricity Trust of So ...
became its major sponsor. After an ETSA rebrand to
SA Power Networks SA Power Networks is the sole electricity distributor in the state of South Australia, delivering electricity from high voltage transmission network connection points operated by ElectraNet. It is the successor to the Electricity Trust of S ...
, the Bite became the "Adelaide Bite, proudly presented by SA Power Networks. In 2019, the team was rebranded as Adelaide Giants.


History


1989–1999

The Adelaide Giants were one of the foundation members of the original
Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it ...
(ABL). They competed in all 10 seasons but however never once made the league's final playoff series, though they did appear in two Semi-Final series. They also have the novelty of winning the first ever ABL match against the
Perth Heat The Perth Heat is a baseball team in the current Australian Baseball League and a foundation member of the Australian Baseball League. It is now the most successful team in ABL, winning 15 Claxton Shields. Australian Baseball League (1989–19 ...
in the 1989–90 season. Now members of the reformed
Australian Baseball League The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it ...
, and after a spell known as the
Adelaide Bite The Adelaide Giants are a professional baseball team that plays in the Australian Baseball League. They are one of the six foundation franchises of the league, in its first incarnation from 1989 to 1999. The team adopted the name Bite or Adelaid ...
, the team is back to the original name of Giants. During its original run from 1989 to 1999, ABL clubs were affiliated with
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
teams who would generally send
Minor League Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
prospects to play in Australia during the North American off season. The Giants were affiliated with the famed
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
and were only ABL team to stay affiliated with the same team throughout the history of the original ABL. One of the Dodgers Minor League prospects to play for the Giants was catcher
Paul Lo Duca Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972) is an American retired professional baseball player and television personality. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (–), Florida Marlins (2004–, ), New York ...
who was with the team in 1995–96. lo Duca went on to make his Major League debut for the Dodgers in
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
and would appear in four All-Star Games (2003–2006) before his retirement in 2008. Giants infielder and
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...
representative at the
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
Andrew Scott holds the ABL and club record for most appearances with 469 games played.


Adelaide Bite

During the 2010 through 2018 ABL seasons, the team was named the Adelaide Bite. That name was a reference to the
Great Australian Bight The Great Australian Bight is a large oceanic bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia. Extent Two definitions of the extent are in use – one used by the International Hydrog ...
– a nearby hydrographic landmark – as well as to the
great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ...
, a species which inhabits the coast of
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
. Adelaide's first general manager was former
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
infielder Pat Kelly. He served as the General Manager from 2009-2013. The team's former home ballpark was the historic
Norwood Oval Norwood Oval (currently known as Coopers Stadium due to sponsorship from the Adelaide-based Coopers Brewery) is a suburban oval in the western end of Norwood, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is owned by Norwood, Payn ...
in
Norwood, South Australia Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide, about east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, whose predecessor was the oldest South Australian local government municipality. History Before British colonis ...
. They made the move to
West Beach West Beach may refer to: ;Australia *West Beach, South Australia * West Beach, Western Australia ;United States * West Beach (Santa Barbara), California * West Beach, Beverly, Massachusetts ;South Africa * West Beach, Western Cape See also *''Wes ...
in the 2016/2017 season. The Giants have multiple alumni who have played in the MLB in following years and many players who play for Team Australia in an international level. The team is made up of up-and-coming MLB draft prospects who play minor league baseball in the USA or established Australian players. Former big-league players often play in the ABL. The club has been owned and operated by the
Adelaide Football Club The Adelaide Crows (officially the Adelaide Football Club) are a professional Australian rules football team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1990. The Crows has fielded a men's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) since ...
since June 2018.


2019 rebranding

The franchise rebranded as the Adelaide Giants in time for the 2019 ABL season, a move that marked a return to the identity that graced Adelaide's entry in the original incarnation of the ABL from 1989 to 1999.


Game day atmosphere

The Adelaide Bite were known for their unique sports atmosphere. Their speciality was the Shark Tank - a section where fans could sit on the field right next to the Adelaide Bite home dugout and interact with players. They also served a pig roast on the field as well as a drinks package. The nature of baseball allows kids to run around and chase foul balls. They even can run on the field in-between innings. There are many catchy songs, quirky
walk up music Entrance music (also known as an entry theme or walk-on music) is a musical piece or song that is played for athletes or entertainers when they first appear in front of the spectators before beginning a performance. Popular music acts may have rec ...
selections from the players, and many in-game activations. In 2016, players from the
Adelaide Football Club The Adelaide Crows (officially the Adelaide Football Club) are a professional Australian rules football team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1990. The Crows has fielded a men's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) since ...
,
Port Adelaide Football Club Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, Alberton, South Australia. The club's senior men's team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), where they are nicknamed ...
and
Adelaide Strikers The Adelaide Strikers are an Australian professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia that compete in the Big Bash League (BBL).Cricket Australia (n.d), Teams and Players, Cricket Australia, accessed 1 Decembe ...
showed up to participate in a pre-game home-run derby that brought thousands of people to the stadium. Various entertainers appeared for their games including Ethan Hall (or "Hiccup Kid") who sang the national anthem while hiccuping before a game. Other famous anthem singers include
Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
. As the Bite, the team was known for its quirky off-field antics. On 1 April 1, 2016, the Bite fooled the world by announcing that baseball legend
Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
would be joining the club as a player manager. It would have been the most high-profile signing in Australian sports' history. The practical joke garnered international headlines including a story in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and the Yankees' Twitter account.


Team Australia players

The Adelaide Bite have sent numerous players to represent the
Australia national baseball team The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. It is ranked as the top team in Oceania, and is the Oceanian Champion, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand wi ...
on various international stages including the
World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Lea ...
,
World Baseball Classic qualification World Baseball Classic qualification is the process that determines which nations will compete at the World Baseball Classic. Qualification takes place the year prior to the tournament, which itself is played every four years. Currently, the World ...
, Olympic baseball and Honkbalweek in Haarlem.


Notable alumni

The Adelaide Giants/Bite are the only ABL team who have had a former player progress to the big leagues every
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
season since the ABL's reincarnation. Some notable players include: * Brandon Maurer - Kansas City Royals pitcher, played for the Bite in 2010–11 * Tom Brice - 2004 Olympic silver medalist for Team Australia * James Jones -
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
outfielder. Played for the Bite in 2011–12. * Rinku Singh - The subject of the film '' Million Dollar Arm''. Played for the Bite in 2011–12. * Ji-man Choi -
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...
outfielder. Played for the Bite in 2012–13. *
Rocky Gale Rocky Michael Gale (born February 22, 1988) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He attended the University of Portland where he was named the West Coast Conference defensive player of the year before being drafted by the San Die ...
-
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...
catcher. Played for the Bite in 2014–15. * Mitch Dening - Australian baseball player. Played in the top league in Japan for the
Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the ...
. * Chang Tai-shan - Taiwanese baseball player. Holds record for all-time most
CPBL The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL; ) is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989 and played the first season in 1990. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 2 ...
home runs. Played for the Bite in 2017–18.


Results


1989-1999 results


Current club

The team has known heartbreak in the postseason. It has qualified for the playoffs in six of the ABL's ten campaigns since the league relaunched in 2010, advanced to the Australian Baseball League Championships Series four times, but has yet to win a title. As the Adelaide Bite, the franchise twice lost the championship series to the Perth Heat (2010–11 and 2014–15) and was bested by the Brisbane Bandits once (2015–16). As the Adelaide Giants, the team was defeated by the Melbourne Aces (2019–20).


Current roster


See also

* List of current Australian Baseball League team rosters *
Sport in Australia Sport is an important part of Australia that dates back to the early colonial period. Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union, association football, cricket and tennis are among the earliest organised sports in Australia. Sport ha ...
*
Australian Baseball In Australia, baseball is a game that is played in all states and territories of the country. History Baseball was believed to have been brought to Australia with American gold miners in the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, where miners wo ...
*
Australian Baseball League (1989-1999) The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it sh ...


Notes


References


External links

*
Australian Baseball League website
{{Adelaide Sports Teams Australian baseball clubs Baseball teams in Australia Sporting clubs in Adelaide Australian Baseball League teams Baseball teams established in 2009 2009 establishments in Australia