Neil Page

Neil Philip Page (born 17 January 1944) is an Australian former baseball player. A left-hand starting pitcher, he regularly played for Australia from 1964 until 1977.

Career

Page was born in Adelaide, the son of Roy Page, a well-known local baseball identity. Page attended Adelaide Boys High School from February 1956 to 1960.

On 1 February 1966, Page became the first modern Australian player to sign a professional contract with a Major League Baseball organisation, the Cincinnati Reds. Page won the Helms Award in 1969, regarded as Australian Baseball's most prestigious award; and is judged based on a players performance in National Claxton Shield competition. He also won the Capps Medal in 1974, for the "best and fairest" player during the regular SABL season (i.e. not including finals matches) as decided upon by umpires votes.

In the book, A History of Australian Baseball: Time and Game, Page is described as "one of the greatest pitchers Australia has ever produced". In 2005, Page was an inaugural inductee into the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame. At the 2009 Baseball Australia Diamond Awards, Page was named as a starting pitcher to the 75th Diamond Anniversary Claxton Shield All Stars team.