Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Joey Wong - 2014-15 Perth Heat

The Colorado Rockies sent American player Wong back to the Perth Heat for his second season in the ABL during 2014-15. In 2014 Wong played for the Double A level Tulsa Drillers, and has started 2015 with the Triple A level Albuquerque Isotopes.

2014-15 Perth Heat Joey Wong card front - ©2015 Adam East

Friday, April 24, 2015

Jared Cruz - 2014-15 Melbourne Aces

Victorian youngster Cruz appeared for his second ABL season with the Melbourne Aces in 2014-15. In 2014 he played Rookie level ball for the Atlanta Braves in the Gulf Coast League. He was apparently traded to the Astros last September. He hasn't yet appeared in the minors in 2015.

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Jared Cruz card front - ©2015 Adam East

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Aaron Cheng - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry

Cheng is the second of two Chinese players to play for the Cavalry in the 2014-15 ABL season, Like fellow countryman Huang, Cheng came from the China Baseball Academy run by MLB International in Wuxi, China.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Aaron Cheng card front - ©2015 Adam East

Monday, April 20, 2015

Greg Hendrix - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

Hendrix is an American import who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2014-15 ABL season. He was drafted by the LA Dodgers, but didn't end up playing in the minors, instead,playing three seasons of independent ball. He was in the Frontier League in 2011 and 2012, and the Freedom Pro Baseball League in 2013.

He's been a bit of a journeyman outside of the US as well, representing Great Britain in the 2012 European Championship and the 2013 qualifiers for the European Championship and World Baseball Classic. In 2014 he played with the HSV Stealers in the German Baseball-Bundesliga. He had previously played for the local Windsor Royals club in Brisbane back in 2012-13 as well, which is where the Brisbane hierarchy would have first been exposed to his pitching.

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Greg Hendrix card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Greg Hendrix alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

William (Will) Thorp - 2014-15 Adelaide Bite

Canadian born Thorp played as an import for the Adelaide Bite during the 2014-15 ABL season. Thorp had previously played for the Lewis-Clark State University in Idaho. He's listed as being at the college between 2012 and 2014, but only appears to have gotten games during his first two years. In 2015 he has signed to play with the Dornbirn Indians in the Austrian Baseball league.

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Will Thorp card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Will Thorp alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Will Thorp alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East


Monday, April 13, 2015

Michael Lysaught - 2014-15 Sydney Blue Sox

This Aussie Blue Sox player returned for his fifth straight season with Sydney during the 2014-15 ABL season. I didn't have many photos of Lysaught this season, but thought that this photo of him stretched out on the grass was something different from my other shots, so decided to use it, despite Josh Dean's cameo in the background.

2014-15 Sydney Blue Sox Michael Lysaught card front - ©2015 Adam East

Friday, April 10, 2015

Matt Kennelly - 2014-15 Perth Heat

The second eldest of the Perth Heat's quartet of Kennelly brothers returned for his fifth ABL season in 2014-15. He spent 2014 playing for the Mississippi Braves in the double A level Southern League, and has been assigned to the triple A level Gwinnett Braves at the start of 2015.


2014-15 Perth Heat Matt Kennelly card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Perth Heat Matt Kennelly alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Adam Engel -2014-15 Melbourne Aces

Engel is an American import from the Chicago White Sox organisation who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2014-15 ABL season. Engel moved around in 2014, playing for the rookie level AZL White Sox, the single A Kannapolis Intimidators and high A level Winston-Salem Dash.

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Adam Engel card front - ©2015 Adam East
2014-15 Melbourne Aces Adam Engel alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East


Tuesday, April 7, 2015

2014 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs - ABL retirement village or nursery?

Looking through the 2014 roster of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League, and it's full of names that would be familiar to ABL fans of the Cavalry and Heat. I'm unsure whether we'd consider the Blue Crabs a nursery for ABL teams to take players from, or a retirement village for players with ABL experience.



Their 2014 roster contained the following ABL players:

Brisbane Bandits
Mickey Jannis (2013-14)

Canberra Cavalry
Jake Brown (2014-15)
Brian Grening (2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15)
Gaby Hernandez (2014-15)
Eric Massingham (2012-13, 2013-14)
Sean Toler (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15)

Perth Heat
Brian Baker (2013-14, 2014-15)
Jorge Marban (2014-15)
Allan de san Miguel (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15)

Monday, April 6, 2015

Ian Marshall - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry

Marshall is one of contingent of American imports from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2014-15 ABL season. Marshall had two years experience in the Atlanta Braves farm system, before spending 2013 and 2014 with the Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League.

Shadows - the bugbear of the amateur sports photographer. Not overly happy with either shot of Marshall due to the shadows, but, as I always figure - a bad photo is better than no photo.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Ian Marshall card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Ian Marshall alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Friday, April 3, 2015

Celebrating Easter

Adam acknowledges:

It is Good Friday. Whilst hobbies are fun, they are secondary to our purpose in this life. The central part of which is understanding where we came from before this life, why are we here on Earth, and what happens to us after this life. Central to answering all of these questions is Jesus Christ, who enabled God's plan through what is known as the Atonement.


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Masato Goto (後藤 真人) - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

It's been difficult to get information about Japanese import Goto who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2014-15 ABL season. From what I can tell, he hasn't played with an NPB team, but played for the Kagawa Olive Guyners in the Shikoku Island League Plus, an independent Japanese league, prior to playing in Australia. This seems to continue Brisbane's practice over the last couple of years of sourcing players from independent Japanese leagues, an area not really looked at by other ABL teams..

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Masato Goto card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Masato Goto alternative card front - ©2015 Adam East