Before the MLB-sponsored Australian Baseball League is going to start in October 2010, the Claxton Shield remains the most important league in Australian Baseball. Five teams, the New South Wales Patriots, Queensland Rams, Perth HEAT, South Australia and Victoria Aces, compete for the trophy since November 6th. It is the 70th year of this competition, which will end at the beginning of February. South Australia had the best start so far, going 4-1 in the first five games. Defending champion Perth HEAT is in third with a 5-4 record.
A bunch of players, who were in Europe or will be there next year, are taking part in the Claxton Shield. The Dutch Hoofdklasse is represented with Ryan Murphy (Konica Minolta Pioniers/South Australia), Dushan Ruzic (DOOR Neptunus, South Australia) and Mitchell Graham (2010: Almere Magpies/Perth HEAT). Wayne Ough (AVG Draci/South Australia) and Blake Cunningham (Technika Brno/Victoria Aces) spent the Australian Winter in the Czech Extraleague. Brad Dutton, who played for the Gauting Indians in the German Baseball-Bundesliga, is on the roster of the Queensland Rams. Matthew Blackmore of the French Elite League club Montpellier Barracudas is playing for Victoria.
Statistics for these players after three weeks of 2010 Claxton Shield:
- Matthew Blackmore (Victoria Aces): 2 GP, 1-0, ERA 0.00, 10.1 IP, 11 SO, BB
- Wayne Ough (South Australia): 2 GP, 1-0, 1 SV, ERA 0.00, 5 IP, 7 SO, 2 BB
- Dushan Ruzic (South Australia): 2 GP (1 start), 0-0, ERA 2.57, 7 IP, 7 SO, 3 BB
- Blake Cunningham (Victoria Aces): 1 GP, ERA 2.45, 3.2 IP, 4 SO
- Ryan Murphy (Perth HEAT): 5 GP, .250/.455/.438, 4 R, 3 RBI
- Brad Dutton (Queensland Rams): 2 GP, .556/.556/1.000, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI
- Mitchell Graham (Perth HEAT): 9 GP, .297/.366/.541, 2 HR, 6 R, 4 RBI
