AUSTRALIANS IN THE MAJORS
Week in Review
Grant Balfour (Glenwood, NSW): After being designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays on 19 April, Balfour re-signed a minor league deal with Rays on 1 May with the aim of making it back to the Majors. He reported to Triple A Durham and tossed a scoreless seventh inning in his first appearance for the Bulls on 6 May, striking out two batters.
Liam Hendriks (Carine, WA): As the Toronto Blue Jays fight to stay out of the cellar in the notoriously-strong AL East, Liam continues to be a reliable middle relief arm for manager John Gibbons, posting a 4.50 ERA in nine appearances and 11 strikeouts in 10.0 innings pitched.
The Blue Jays (14-15, .483) are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for third place in the AL East, 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees.
2 May – Liam’s latest outing came in Toronto’s 11-4 blowout win over the Cleveland Indians on tribe turf. After striking out the first batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth frame, he tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning before allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit in the bottom of the eighth.
*Statistics for players are being compiled. Pitchers can be found here and batters here.
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE ALUMNI IN MLB
Didi Gregorius (Canberra Cavalry 2010/11): The 25-year-old Gregorius has shown improvement in the first month of the 2015 season, despite sky-high expectations. He drove in a run and made an impressive play in his most recent game against the Blue Jays, and is hitting .215 on the season with two doubles and five RBIs. The Yankees (17-11, .607) are 7-3 in their last 10 games and continue to reassert their dominance of the AL East, sitting atop the pedestal in first place.
Kevin Kiermaier (Canberra Cavalry 2011/12): Though Kiermaier’s performance at the plate has cooled off, his defence continues to amaze everyone from casual fans to seasoned baseball veterans. The 24-year-old’s latest gem came at Fenway Park, when he robbed slugger David Ortiz of extra bases with a jumping catch at the wall. He’s hitting .268 in 26 games, and is tied for third in the American League with two triples. The Rays (15-13, .536) remain in second place in their division, two games behind the first-place Yankees.
Brandon Maurer (Adelaide Bite 2010/11): Maurer started the second month of the season with two strong outings, tossing two scoreless frames against the Colorado Rockies in San Diego and a scoreless inning in San Francisco against the Giants. The appearances lowered his season ERA from 4.50 to 3.46, and he’s walked just four batters in 13.0 innings pitched. The Padres (15-14, .517) have sole possession of second place in the NL West, three games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and half a game ahead of the third-place San Francisco Giants.
UPCOMING TV SCHEDULE – MLB ON 
All times AEST
|
Fri 8 May |
12:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN |
|
Fri 8 May |
3:30 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN 2 |
|
Sat 9 May |
9:00 am |
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals |
|
|
Mon 11 May |
9:00 am |
Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown |
ESPN |
|
Mon 11 May |
10:00 am |
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball |
ESPN |
|
Tue 12 May |
9:00 am |
ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball |
ESPN |
|
Tue 12 May |
12:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN |
|
Tue 12 May |
2:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN 2 |
|
Wed 13 May |
10:00 am |
ESPN’s Tuesday Night Baseball |
ESPN 2 |
|
Thu 14 May |
9:00 am |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN |
|
Thu 14 May |
10:00 am |
ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball |
ESPN |
|
Fri 15 May |
12:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN 2 |
|
Fri 15 May |
2:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN 2 |
MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP
• TRIPLE A: Victorian James Beresford is on a ten-game hitting streak for the Rochester Red Wings, and boosted his batting average up to .353 in the process… Matt Kennelly is hitting .238 for the Gwinnett Braves and recently had a multi-hit game against Toledo… John Holdzkom is 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA in 11 relief appearances for Indianapolis.
• DOUBLE A: Tim Atherton took the loss in his first start in Double A, going six innings and surrendering three runs on six hits… Warwick Saupold had his best start of the season for the Erie Seawolves on 2 May, tossing five innings of four-hit, two-run baseball.
• HIGH A: NSW native Todd Van Steensel continues to succeed out of the bullpen for the Fort Myers Miracle, posting a 2.08 ERA and striking out 28 batters in 17.1 innings... Melbourne native Daniel McGrath has another strong start for the Salem Red Sox, earning a no-decision despite tossing six shutout innings and striking out six batters… Queenslander Samuel Holland hasn’t allowed a run in his last four appearances for the Lake Elsinore Storm.
• LOW A: Victorian Sam Street is proving to be a bullpen force for the West Virginia Power, posting a 1.93 ERA in six games… Sydneysider Zac Shepherd has 16 RBIs in 26 games for the West Michigan Whitecaps… Canberran Robbie Perkins is hitting .160 in 25 at bats for the Asheville Tourists.
• EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING: After signing a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins, Travis Blackley remains in Extended Spring Training, awaiting a minor league assignment… The Houston Astros released catcher Hayden Timberlake… Opening Day for both the Short-Season A and Rookie levels is approaching, in June.
COLLEGIATE NEWS
• Sydneysider Max Brennen is one of 13 seniors leading West Texas A&M University in the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship. Brennen hit .290 with 16 RBIs in the regular season.
• Adelaide native Daniel Lee and the University of Indianapolis enter the Great Lakes Valley Conference Baseball Championship Tournament as the No. 2 seeds. Follow Lee and the Greyhounds’ quest for the title at Championship Central.
GRASSROOTS NEWS
• Baseball Australia announced that the U25 National Championships will be held in Cairns, QLD at the Trinity Beach Baseball Facility. Click here for more details.
AT A GLANCE
• Alice Springs native Adrian Burnside took it upon himself to repair the ballfield at the Boys & Girls Club of Vista, CA. Check out the amazing story here.
• Though back at Triple A, Grant Balfour re-signed with the Rays with the aim of making it back to the Majors in a Tampa uniform.
• The 2015/16 Australian Baseball League schedule will be announced soon. Check their website for further details.
• After a slow start and high expectations, the cards are starting to come together for Amsterdam-born Didi Gregorius. Read the story at nj.com.
WATCH: The Tampa Bay Rays routinely send prospects Down Under to play in the ABL. 2014/15 alumni Johnny Field and Tommy Coyle talk about their experiences with the Brisbane Bandits in this short segment.
To subscribe to receive The Pitch direct to your inbox, click here.
AUSTRALIANS IN THE MAJORS
Week in Review
Grant Balfour (Glenwood, NSW): After being designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays on 19 April, Balfour re-signed a minor league deal with Rays on 1 May with the aim of making it back to the Majors. He reported to Triple A Durham and tossed a scoreless seventh inning in his first appearance for the Bulls on 6 May, striking out two batters.
Liam Hendriks (Carine, WA): As the Toronto Blue Jays fight to stay out of the cellar in the notoriously-strong AL East, Liam continues to be a reliable middle relief arm for manager John Gibbons, posting a 4.50 ERA in nine appearances and 11 strikeouts in 10.0 innings pitched.
The Blue Jays (14-15, .483) are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for third place in the AL East, 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees.
2 May – Liam’s latest outing came in Toronto’s 11-4 blowout win over the Cleveland Indians on tribe turf. After striking out the first batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth frame, he tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning before allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit in the bottom of the eighth.
*Statistics for players are being compiled. Pitchers can be found here and batters here.
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE ALUMNI IN MLB
Didi Gregorius (Canberra Cavalry 2010/11): The 25-year-old Gregorius has shown improvement in the first month of the 2015 season, despite sky-high expectations. He drove in a run and made an impressive play in his most recent game against the Blue Jays, and is hitting .215 on the season with two doubles and five RBIs. The Yankees (17-11, .607) are 7-3 in their last 10 games and continue to reassert their dominance of the AL East, sitting atop the pedestal in first place.
Kevin Kiermaier (Canberra Cavalry 2011/12): Though Kiermaier’s performance at the plate has cooled off, his defence continues to amaze everyone from casual fans to seasoned baseball veterans. The 24-year-old’s latest gem came at Fenway Park, when he robbed slugger David Ortiz of extra bases with a jumping catch at the wall. He’s hitting .268 in 26 games, and is tied for third in the American League with two triples. The Rays (15-13, .536) remain in second place in their division, two games behind the first-place Yankees.
Brandon Maurer (Adelaide Bite 2010/11): Maurer started the second month of the season with two strong outings, tossing two scoreless frames against the Colorado Rockies in San Diego and a scoreless inning in San Francisco against the Giants. The appearances lowered his season ERA from 4.50 to 3.46, and he’s walked just four batters in 13.0 innings pitched. The Padres (15-14, .517) have sole possession of second place in the NL West, three games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers and half a game ahead of the third-place San Francisco Giants.
UPCOMING TV SCHEDULE – MLB ON
All times AEST
Fri 8 May
12:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN
Fri 8 May
3:30 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN 2
Sat 9 May
9:00 am
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Mon 11 May
9:00 am
Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown
ESPN
Mon 11 May
10:00 am
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball
ESPN
Tue 12 May
9:00 am
ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball
ESPN
Tue 12 May
12:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN
Tue 12 May
2:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN 2
Wed 13 May
10:00 am
ESPN’s Tuesday Night Baseball
ESPN 2
Thu 14 May
9:00 am
Baseball Tonight
ESPN
Thu 14 May
10:00 am
ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball
ESPN
Fri 15 May
12:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN 2
Fri 15 May
2:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN 2
MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP
• TRIPLE A: Victorian James Beresford is on a ten-game hitting streak for the Rochester Red Wings, and boosted his batting average up to .353 in the process… Matt Kennelly is hitting .238 for the Gwinnett Braves and recently had a multi-hit game against Toledo… John Holdzkom is 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA in 11 relief appearances for Indianapolis.
• DOUBLE A: Tim Atherton took the loss in his first start in Double A, going six innings and surrendering three runs on six hits… Warwick Saupold had his best start of the season for the Erie Seawolves on 2 May, tossing five innings of four-hit, two-run baseball.
• HIGH A: NSW native Todd Van Steensel continues to succeed out of the bullpen for the Fort Myers Miracle, posting a 2.08 ERA and striking out 28 batters in 17.1 innings... Melbourne native Daniel McGrath has another strong start for the Salem Red Sox, earning a no-decision despite tossing six shutout innings and striking out six batters… Queenslander Samuel Holland hasn’t allowed a run in his last four appearances for the Lake Elsinore Storm.
• LOW A: Victorian Sam Street is proving to be a bullpen force for the West Virginia Power, posting a 1.93 ERA in six games… Sydneysider Zac Shepherd has 16 RBIs in 26 games for the West Michigan Whitecaps… Canberran Robbie Perkins is hitting .160 in 25 at bats for the Asheville Tourists.
• EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING: After signing a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins, Travis Blackley remains in Extended Spring Training, awaiting a minor league assignment… The Houston Astros released catcher Hayden Timberlake… Opening Day for both the Short-Season A and Rookie levels is approaching, in June.
COLLEGIATE NEWS
• Sydneysider Max Brennen is one of 13 seniors leading West Texas A&M University in the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship. Brennen hit .290 with 16 RBIs in the regular season.
• Adelaide native Daniel Lee and the University of Indianapolis enter the Great Lakes Valley Conference Baseball Championship Tournament as the No. 2 seeds. Follow Lee and the Greyhounds’ quest for the title at Championship Central.
GRASSROOTS NEWS
• Baseball Australia announced that the U25 National Championships will be held in Cairns, QLD at the Trinity Beach Baseball Facility. Click here for more details.
AT A GLANCE
• Alice Springs native Adrian Burnside took it upon himself to repair the ballfield at the Boys & Girls Club of Vista, CA. Check out the amazing story here.
• Though back at Triple A, Grant Balfour re-signed with the Rays with the aim of making it back to the Majors in a Tampa uniform.
• The 2015/16 Australian Baseball League schedule will be announced soon. Check their website for further details.
• After a slow start and high expectations, the cards are starting to come together for Amsterdam-born Didi Gregorius. Read the story at nj.com.
WATCH: The Tampa Bay Rays routinely send prospects Down Under to play in the ABL. 2014/15 alumni Johnny Field and Tommy Coyle talk about their experiences with the Brisbane Bandits in this short segment.
To subscribe to receive The Pitch direct to your inbox, click here.