Friday, October 28, 2016

Jason Leblebijian - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Leblebijian is an American import from the Toronto Blue jays organisation who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2015-16 ABL season, where he won the Cavalry's MVP award. He's also a candidate for the "How am I meant to pronounce that surname?" contest. Leblebijian spent 2015 with Toronto's Single and Advanced A affiliates, the Lansing Lugnuts and Dunedin Blue Jays. In 2016, he returned to Dunedin and was promoted to the New Hampshire Fisher cats, the Blue Jays Double A affiliate.

For the record, when he was in Canberra, I always heard his name pronounced "leb-la-bee-gee-an" with the "gee" part being pronounced like the name of the letter "G".

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Jason Leblebijian card front - ©2016 Adam East

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Matthew Timms - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits2015-16 Brisba

Timms returned to the Brisbane Bandits for his second season in the ABL during the 2015-16 ABL season.

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Matthew Timms card front - ©2016 Adam East

Monday, October 24, 2016

Ben Lodge - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

Local boy Lodge returned for his 5 th season with the Adelaide bite during the 2015-16 ABL season. In 2015 Lodge also played his first season of independent ball in the US for the Frontier Greys in the Pioneer League.

2015-16 Adelaide Bite Ben Lodge card front - ©2016 Adam East

Friday, October 21, 2016

Andrew Azzopardi - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Azzopardi certainly seems to be an interesting character. He traveled and suited up with the Blue Sox during the 2015-16 ABL season, but didn't actually play any games with them and has yet to make his ABL debut. It does look like he traveled as a player rather than as a coach though. Azzopardi plays with the Blacktown Workers club in Sydney as well as coaching the Workers' women's team. He did have a single year playing independent ball in the US backn in 2013, playing in the Pecos League, and ended up featuring in a Fox Sports TV show - 'The Pecos League".

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Andrew Azzopardi card front - ©2016 Adam East

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Derek Peterson - 2015-16 Perth Heat

Peterson is an American import from the Baltimore Orioles organisation who played with the Perth Heat during the 2015-16 ABL season. In 2015 Peterson played for the Orioles single and advanced A affiliates, the Delmarva Shorebirds and the Frederick Keys respectively. It appears that he's spent all of the 2016 season on the disabled list, but I haven't been able to identify the nature of the injury.

2015-16 Perth Heat Derek Peterson card front - ©2016 Adam East

Monday, October 17, 2016

Rafael Fernandes - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Fernandes is a Brazilian born import who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2015-16 ABL season.  Fernandes had previously pitched in 10 games for the Yakult Swallows in the Japanese NPB across 2011 and 2012.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Rafael Fernandes card front - ©2016 Adam East

Friday, October 14, 2016

Logan Wade - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Wade returned to the Brisbane Bandits during the 2015-16 ABL season, marking his fourth with the Bandits and in the ABL. He spent both the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Minnesota Twins advanced A affiliate the Fort Myers Miracle in the Florida State League.

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Logan Wade card front - ©2016 Adam East

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Daniel Nilsson - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

Hmm ... a Nilsson not playing for Queensland?!? Dave Nilsson and his extended family have had a long history in Queensland and the Brisbane Bandits so it was surprising to see Dave's nephew Daniel sign and play with the Adelaide Bite for the 2015-16 ABL season. Daniel had previously been playing for the Redcliffe Padres in Brisbane and spent several years in Queensland's U23 squad.

2015-16 Adelaide Bite Daniel Nilsson card front - ©2016 Adam East

Monday, October 10, 2016

Matthew Rae - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Rae returned for his fifth season with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2015-16 ABL season and saw the most game time yet in a season yet during his ABL career.

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Matthew  Rae card front - ©2016 Adam East


Friday, October 7, 2016

Aaron James Thompson (Aus) - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

The "Australian" Aaron Thompson had to put up with the arrival of his namesake from America, resulting in two pitchers named Aaron Thompson on the Canberra Cavalry roster for the 2015-16 ABL season. The outcome was that the Aussie Thompson started being referred to as Aaron J or Aaron James. Not sure why he had to add the identifier to his name, noting that he was the "original" Aaron Thompson on the roster. The 2015-16 season was his fifth in the ABL and his thrid with the Cavalry.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Aaron J Thompson card front - ©2016 Adam East

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Vaughan Harris - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Despite receiving only a limited number of innings to pitch, Harris was able to play his sixth year with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2015-16 ABL season.

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Vaughan Harris card front - ©2016 Adam East

Monday, October 3, 2016

Colton Turner - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Turner was an American import from the Toronto Blue Jays organisation who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2015-16 ABL season. Turner spent the majority of 2015 with the Lansing Lugnuts, the Blue jays single A level affiliate in the Midwest League. In 2016 he spent time back with the the Lugnuts as well as with the Blue Jays Advanced and Double teams, before being traded to the Chicago White Sox and playing for the Brimingham Barons - also at Double A level.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Colton Turner card front @2016 Adam East