Monday, June 30, 2014

Tucker Nathans - 2013-14 Perth Heat

Nathans was an American import who played with the Perth Heat during the 2013-14 ABL season. Nathans had spent 2011 and 2012 playing in independent leagues before being signed by the Baltimore Orioles. In 2013 he played for the Delmarva Shorebirds in the A level South Atlantic League. In 2014 he has graduated to the high A Frederick Keys in the Carolina League.


2013-14 Perth Heat Tucker Nathans card front - © 2013 Adam East

Friday, June 27, 2014

Josh Davies - 2013-14 Melbourne Aces

Aussie born Davies returned for his fourth ABL season with the Melbourne Aces in the 2013-14 season.


2013-14 Melbourne Aces Josh Davies card front - © 2013 Adam East

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Todd Van Steensel - 2013-14 Sydney Blue Sox

Phillies. Twins. Twins. Having already been signed and released previously by Philadelphia and Minnesota, Van Steensel was once again signed by the Twins in February of this year, and is playing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Twins' Classl A Midwest League affiliate. Van Steensel spent the 2013-14 ABL season playing for the Sydney Blue Sox - his fourth straight season with them.



2013-14 Sydney Blue Sox Todd Van Steensel card front - © 2014 Adam East

Monday, June 23, 2014

Alex Stuart - 2013-14 Perth Heat

Stuart is a Perth born player who spent 2013 playing in the USA with the North Iowa Area Community College. He returned to Australia to make his ABL debut in the 2013-14 season, playing for the Perth Heat.


2013-14 Perth Heat Alex Stuart card front - © 2014 Adam East

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Tayler Davis - 2013-14 Canberra Cavalry

Davis is one of those players who seems to have generated a bit of confusion online. There seems to be several sites that mix up Cubs affiliated player Taylor Davis and Fort Hays State University player Tayler Davis, even including Taylor Davis' current team, the Tennessee Smokies, and the ABL website, which has Taylor's details, but with Tayler's photo.

From what I can gather, Tayler (spelled with an "e") Davis who was on the 2013-14 Canberra Cavalry roster played for Fort Hayes State University between 2010- 2013. He is a relief pitcher. The Taylor (spelled with an "o") Davis is a catcher and is playing in the minors for Chicago Cubs and has not had anything to do with the Cavalry.

The funny thing is, is that neither Tayler or Taylor Davis actually ended up playing in the ABL. I'm not sure the reason why, but although Tayler Davis was on the Cavalry roster at the start of the season and the first three home series, he didn't end up playing any games during that time. I do have some shots of him suited up in Cavalry uniform, so I thought I'd include a card design for him.


2013-14 Canberra Cavalry Tayler Davis card front - © 2013 Adam East

Monday, June 16, 2014

Angus Roeger - 2013-14 Adelaide Bite

Roeger returned to Adelaide for his second ABl season in 2013-14, but was limited in his playing tiem through the season.

I've got two card fronts for Roeger. I wasn't really 100% happy with either of the two final shots I narrowed it down to in my photos for him, so decided I'd go with both card fronts in the end.

2013-14 Adelaide Bite Angus Roeger card front - © 2014 Adam East

2013-14 Adelaide Bite Angus Roeger alternate card front - © 2014 Adam East

Friday, June 13, 2014

Zach Shepherd - 2013-14 Sydney Blue Sox

Following his rookie season in 2012-13, Shepherd returned to the Sydney Blue Sox for his second ABL season in 2013-14. I have no idea what he was doing in this photo ...



2013-14 Sydney Blue Sox Zach Shepherd card front - © 2014 Adam East

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Kevin Grendell - 2013-14 Perth Heat

Grendell is a rookie level player from the Baltimore Orioles who played with the Perth Heat during the 2013-14 ABL season. After the 2012 season, Grendell tested positive for a banned substance called Dehydroepiandrosterone, a form of steroid hormone, and received a 50 game suspension for the start of the 2013 season.. He played the latter part of  2013  for the GCL Orioles, with some seeing his time at the Heat as the chance to make up game time for the suspension earlier in the year.


2013-14 Perth Heat Kevin Grendell card front - © 2014 Adam East

Monday, June 9, 2014

Freddy Flores - 2013-14 Melbourne Aces

Flores is an American import who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2013-14 ABL season. Flores spent 9 years playing independent level baseball between 1998 and 2013. There was a gap of playing between 2001 and 2007 where he had a long and successful stint as athletic director and head coach of the Western New Mexico University's softball program. His father's death in 2006 spurred him to return to baseball despite his age. In 2013 he played with the Amarillo Sox of the American Association prior to joining Melbourne.



2013-14 Melbourne Aces Freddy Flores card front - © 2014 Adam East

Friday, June 6, 2014

Nick Pugliese - 2013-14 Canberra Cavalry


Pugliese spent four seasons in the LA Angels farm system between 2008 and 2011, reaching double A level. After being released in 2011, he spent the remainder of the season playing for UGF Fortitudo Bologna in the Italian Baseball League. He returned back to Bologna in 2012 and 2013 before joining the Canberra Cavalry for the 2013-14 ABL season.

Pugliese had the distinction of playing in the 2013 Asia Cup as many of his Cavalry team mates did ... except that he was playing for Italian champions Bologna, and not the Cavalry. Pugliese also played for the Italian national team at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, although American born, he qualified by his Italian heritage.

Pugliese performed well as a middle reliever but left the Cavalry just before the 2013-14 ABL finals to take up a role as athletics director in the higher education system in Deltona, Florida.

2013-14 Canberra Cavalry Nick Pugliese card front - © 2013 Adam East

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Tim Brechbuehler - 2013-14 Brisbane Bandits


Brechbuehler is an American import who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2013-14 ABL season. He spent the previous two seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system, playing 2013 with the Vancouver Canadians in the low A level Norwest League before being released in late Sep 2013. He managed to pick up a relief pitching gig with the Bandits fro 2013-14, before returning to Canada in 2014 to play with Les Capitales de Quebec of the independent Canadian-American Association.


2013-14 Brisbane Bandits Tim Brechbuehler card front - © 2013 Adam East

Monday, June 2, 2014

Andrew Davis - 2013-14 Adelaide Bite

Davis is an American import who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2013-14 ABL season. Davis had previously been drafted by the San Francisco Giants and spent 2007 and 2008 with their minor teams before being released. He then spent the next 5 seasons playing for the Lake Erie Crushers in the independent Frontier League.

Davis was playing club ball in Adelaide and received a call up by the Bite in a major late-season roster shake up. Davis only ended up playing 4 games for the Bite over the 3 series he was with the club, and one of those was as a pinch runner, so he was used sparingly off the bench, but still is able to claim to have played baseball Down Under at the highest level.


2013-14 Adelaide Bite Andrew Davis card front - © 2014 Adam East