Australian Brisbane Expos Baseball
The History of the Expos
The Brisbane Expos were established in 1987 when John Murray (known world wide as JM) took a team of young baseballers to America in a cultural and baseball exchange program under the original assistance of Sports Promotions International. Since this time, the Expos have annually toured to the United States taking at least one, sometimes two, teams of players and have seen much of the country with tours that have travelled not only to Redlands California (the spiritual home of the Expos in the US) but also to areas in California such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno and San Diego as well as many areas in between.
Additionally tours have visited cities in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New York to mention but a few as well as having crossed the border into Mexico. They have attended major and minor league ball parks in all these areas and participated in training camps and played games right across the States. In Australia, teams have played in tournaments from the Gold Coast to Toowoomba, from Ipswich to Brisbane and had great success.
The club is founded on the principles of being a AAA team, meaning that the team is selected on attitude, achievement and ability... in that order. We do not necessarily invite the best players but we do ask the right character of player. This formula has been highly successful with many past Expos have successful careers both on and off the diamond in many forms of business careers and professional baseball. Players are drawn from clubs mainly in Brisbane but players and staff have joined the tours from Alice Springs to NSW as word of the success of the tours has spread over rime.
The Australian Baseball Tours of Redlands began in 1990 when the Mayor of Redlands received a phone call from JM, asking about the possibility of an exhibition game between Redlands and Australia. He had seen Redlands on a map of Southern California and knew it was on the general route from San Diego to Sanger, in Northern California near Fresno. At the time the Australian team was visiting the San Diego Baseball School.
Mayor Chuck DiMirjyn contacted Steve Chapman, the president of Redlands Baseball for Youth, and asked him if he could organize a team of Redlands players to play an exhibition game with the Australians. Chapman made a quick phone call to Chris McPeck, who was recently appointed manager of the 14 year old Pony All-star team. Eager to engage his All-star team in international competition, McPeck agreed, and with the help of his All-star assistant coach, Rene Leal, Chris readied his team for the Friday afternoon game, which was played in 110 degree weather.
Following the success of the first game, Murray promised McPeck that his team would return to Redlands in 1991. Murray was true to his word. With the help of Vince Askey, the Brisbane Expos returned to Redlands in June, 1991. Each and every year since, the Redlands players and host families have responded with the enthusiasm, sportsmanship and dedication that have made the City of Redlands the "sanctuary" of the Brisbane Expos annual American Baseball Tour. All tours work their itinerary around the visit to Redlands and two reciprocal tours in 1994 and 2005 have visited Australia from Redlands. Lifelong friendships have been formed and the program has even been recognised in the US Congress.
The two driving forces have been the Chapman family in the US and the Murray family in Australia. Steve and JM were amongst the original inductees into the Expos Hall of Fame which was established in 1999. Steve Chapman is still the tour organiser in the US. JM, despite his poor health but through his family, remains the catalyst in Australia. Many other families work behind the scenes to make these tours possible and many have been recognised through their inductions into the Hall of Fame.
Additionally tours have visited cities in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, New York to mention but a few as well as having crossed the border into Mexico. They have attended major and minor league ball parks in all these areas and participated in training camps and played games right across the States. In Australia, teams have played in tournaments from the Gold Coast to Toowoomba, from Ipswich to Brisbane and had great success.
The club is founded on the principles of being a AAA team, meaning that the team is selected on attitude, achievement and ability... in that order. We do not necessarily invite the best players but we do ask the right character of player. This formula has been highly successful with many past Expos have successful careers both on and off the diamond in many forms of business careers and professional baseball. Players are drawn from clubs mainly in Brisbane but players and staff have joined the tours from Alice Springs to NSW as word of the success of the tours has spread over rime.
The Australian Baseball Tours of Redlands began in 1990 when the Mayor of Redlands received a phone call from JM, asking about the possibility of an exhibition game between Redlands and Australia. He had seen Redlands on a map of Southern California and knew it was on the general route from San Diego to Sanger, in Northern California near Fresno. At the time the Australian team was visiting the San Diego Baseball School.
Mayor Chuck DiMirjyn contacted Steve Chapman, the president of Redlands Baseball for Youth, and asked him if he could organize a team of Redlands players to play an exhibition game with the Australians. Chapman made a quick phone call to Chris McPeck, who was recently appointed manager of the 14 year old Pony All-star team. Eager to engage his All-star team in international competition, McPeck agreed, and with the help of his All-star assistant coach, Rene Leal, Chris readied his team for the Friday afternoon game, which was played in 110 degree weather.
Following the success of the first game, Murray promised McPeck that his team would return to Redlands in 1991. Murray was true to his word. With the help of Vince Askey, the Brisbane Expos returned to Redlands in June, 1991. Each and every year since, the Redlands players and host families have responded with the enthusiasm, sportsmanship and dedication that have made the City of Redlands the "sanctuary" of the Brisbane Expos annual American Baseball Tour. All tours work their itinerary around the visit to Redlands and two reciprocal tours in 1994 and 2005 have visited Australia from Redlands. Lifelong friendships have been formed and the program has even been recognised in the US Congress.
The two driving forces have been the Chapman family in the US and the Murray family in Australia. Steve and JM were amongst the original inductees into the Expos Hall of Fame which was established in 1999. Steve Chapman is still the tour organiser in the US. JM, despite his poor health but through his family, remains the catalyst in Australia. Many other families work behind the scenes to make these tours possible and many have been recognised through their inductions into the Hall of Fame.
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