AUSTRALIANS IN THE MAJORS
Week in Review
Grant Balfour (Glenwood, NSW): Balfour opened the season strong, appearing in five of the Rays’ nine games so far. He has not allowed a run in 3.2 innings this season, while holding opponents to a .154 batting average.
The Rays (5-4, .556) are in a three-way deadlock for second place in the AL East, one game behind the first-place Boston Red Sox and two games ahead of the last-place Yankees.
6 April – Against the Baltimore Orioles, Grant entered the game in the top of the eighth inning, retiring Delmon Young on a fly ball.
7 April – Grant once again tossed 0.1 innings against the Orioles, retiring Caleb Joseph on a line drive in the top of the seventh inning and surrendering a single and a walk in the eighth before exiting the game.
10 April – In the Rays’ interleague series against the Miami Marlins, Grant pitched a scoreless fifth inning as the Tampa Bay fell to Miami 10-9.
14 April – Grant picked up his first hold of the season by tossing a scoreless eighth inning as the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.
15 April – The Rays fell to the Blue Jays 12-7 as Grant tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Liam Hendriks (Carine, WA): Hendriks made the Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day roster and quickly established himself as a reliable reliever in a Toronto bullpen that raised some questions about its depth out of the gate. Several strong outings — along with a little time as a trending topic on social media in Canada — later and there’s no doubt that Liam is in the right place.
The Blue Jays (5-4, .556) are in a three-way tie for second place in the AL East with the Rays and Baltimore Orioles.
10 April – Liam preserved starter Mark Buerhle’s gem by tossing a scoreless seventh inning in his first appearance of the season.
11 April – The Blue Jays fell to the Orioles 7-1 but Liam closed out the game strong for Toronto, pitching the final two innings of the ballgame and striking out four batters in the process.
14 April – The Ks continued to come together for Liam as he struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings against the Rays.
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE ALUMNI IN MLB
Didi Gregorius (Canberra Cavalry 2010/11): Gregorius faces the most prominent new role of any ABL alumnus in the 2015 MLB season, taking over shortstop for the New York Yankees in the place of the retired Derek Jeter. After an okay Spring Training, he’s off to a slow start in the new season, hitting .172 with six RBIs in 29 at bats. Nine games into the season, the Yankees (3-6, .333) sit in last place in the AL East, three games out of first place.
Kevin Kiermaier (Canberra Cavalry 2011/12): Taking over centre field full-time for the Tampa Bay Rays, Grant Balfour’s Rays teammate is off to a hot start. In addition to producing a year’s worth of web gems in the season’s first week, Kiermaier has also been electric at the plate, hitting .321 with four RBIs in the Rays’ first nine games. The Rays (5-4, .556) are in a three-way deadlock for second place in the AL East, one game behind the first-place Boston Red Sox and two games ahead of the last-place Yankees. See two of Kiermaier’s best plays of 2015 so far here and here.
Brandon Maurer (Adelaide Bite 201): Maurer started the 2015 season at Triple A El Paso, but when the injury bug bit the Padres early in the season he earned the call-up to San Diego. The righty tossed a scoreless inning in his first appearance in the Padres’ 10-2 rout of division rival and reigning World Series Champion the San Francisco Giants, striking out two and walking one. He struggled in his second appearance, surrendering one run on two hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Padres (6-4, .600) sit in third place in the NL West, 1.5 games out of first.
MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP
• TRIPLE A: Returning to Rochester for his second season in Triple A, James Beresford started the season hitting .357 in five games as the Red Wings sit comfortably in first place in the International League North.
• DOUBLE A: After helping the Perth Heat win another Claxton Shield, Warwick Saupold gave up six runs in four innings in his first start of the season for the Double A Erie Seawolves.
• HIGH A: Cavalry skipper Michael Collins now leads the Lake Elsinore Storm of the High A California League, marking his fifth promotion in five years as a manager in the San Diego Padres system. Samuel Holland, who enters his third season with the Padres, was assigned to Lake Elsinore as well… Former Sydney Blue Sox GM Matt Cooper witnessed another cycle hit, this time at High A Visalia, where he now serves as Baseball Operations Manager. Former Canberra Cavalry outfielder Todd Glaesmann accomplished the feat on 14 April against San Jose.
• LOW A: The West Michigan Whitecaps, Low A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, feature a pair of Sydneysiders. Andrew Graham returns for his second season as the team’s manager, while Zac Shepherd joins the team for his first season in Low A. Further south, Robbie Perkins began his season at Low A Asheville in the Colorado Rockies organisation by going 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first game. He’s 2-for-7 in two games with the Tourists so far, after having a breakout season in the ABL with the Cavalry…
• EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING: Several players remain in extended spring training, with Short Season A and Rookie opening days still months away.
COLLEGIATE NEWS
• Left-handed New Zealander Mak Fox has one save and five strikeouts in 4.2 bullpen innings for the Oregon State Beavers. Read a profile of Fox here.
• Playing shortstop for the NCAA Division I University of Hawai’i Ranbow Warriors, Melbourne native Jacob Sheldon-Collins is hitting .269 in 32 games as the collegiate season picks up.
• Sydneysider Max Brennen is tearing it up for West Texas A&M University, ranking third on his team with a .311 batting average. He also has 14 RBIs in 26 games as the Buffs sit in second place in the Lone Star Conference.
GRASSROOTS RESULTS AND NEWS
• The inaugural Australian Junior League Championships were held at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club from 4-9 April. Perth Metro Central defeated Perth Metro North to earn the right to represent Australia at the Asia-Pacific Junior Championships in Saipan in June. Read more here.
• Several states also held their respective Little League Championships, with the winners earning the right to move on to the national championships. Baseball Australia will officially announce which teams qualified for the Little League National Championships in Lismore, NSW, in the coming weeks.
AT A GLANCE
• Grant Balfour spoke with the Tampa Tribune at the tail end of Spring Training, elaborating on his father’s passing and its meaning to him in 2015.
• Indystar.com profiled NZ pitcher John Holdzkom, who’s currently with the Triple A Indianapolis Indians. In the article, Holdzkom credits his time in the ABL with changing the direction of his career. Read the full piece here.
• According to Oklahoma authorities, the jury selection process for the trial of the death of collegiate baseball player Chris Lane could take days, because of the shockwaves the tragedy sent through the community and across the world.
UPCOMING TV SCHEDULE – MLB ON ESPN
All times AEST
|
Sat 18 April |
4:30 am |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN |
|
Sat 18 April |
10:00 am |
ESPN’s Friday Night Baseball |
ESPN |
|
Mon 20 April |
9:00 am |
Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown |
ESPN |
|
Mon 20 April |
10:00 am |
St Louis Cardinals v Cincinnati Reds |
ESPN 3 |
|
Mon 20 April |
10:00 am |
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball |
ESPN |
|
Tue 21 April |
9:00 am |
ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball |
ESPN |
|
Tue 21 April |
12:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN |
|
Thu 23 April |
9:00 am |
ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball |
ESPN 2 |
|
Thu 23 April |
12:00 pm |
Baseball Tonight |
ESPN 2 |
AUSTRALIANS IN THE MAJORS
Week in Review
Grant Balfour (Glenwood, NSW): Balfour opened the season strong, appearing in five of the Rays’ nine games so far. He has not allowed a run in 3.2 innings this season, while holding opponents to a .154 batting average.
The Rays (5-4, .556) are in a three-way deadlock for second place in the AL East, one game behind the first-place Boston Red Sox and two games ahead of the last-place Yankees.
6 April – Against the Baltimore Orioles, Grant entered the game in the top of the eighth inning, retiring Delmon Young on a fly ball.
7 April – Grant once again tossed 0.1 innings against the Orioles, retiring Caleb Joseph on a line drive in the top of the seventh inning and surrendering a single and a walk in the eighth before exiting the game.
10 April – In the Rays’ interleague series against the Miami Marlins, Grant pitched a scoreless fifth inning as the Tampa Bay fell to Miami 10-9.
14 April – Grant picked up his first hold of the season by tossing a scoreless eighth inning as the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.
15 April – The Rays fell to the Blue Jays 12-7 as Grant tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Liam Hendriks (Carine, WA): Hendriks made the Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day roster and quickly established himself as a reliable reliever in a Toronto bullpen that raised some questions about its depth out of the gate. Several strong outings — along with a little time as a trending topic on social media in Canada — later and there’s no doubt that Liam is in the right place.
The Blue Jays (5-4, .556) are in a three-way tie for second place in the AL East with the Rays and Baltimore Orioles.
10 April – Liam preserved starter Mark Buerhle’s gem by tossing a scoreless seventh inning in his first appearance of the season.
11 April – The Blue Jays fell to the Orioles 7-1 but Liam closed out the game strong for Toronto, pitching the final two innings of the ballgame and striking out four batters in the process.
14 April – The Ks continued to come together for Liam as he struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings against the Rays.
AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE ALUMNI IN MLB
Didi Gregorius (Canberra Cavalry 2010/11): Gregorius faces the most prominent new role of any ABL alumnus in the 2015 MLB season, taking over shortstop for the New York Yankees in the place of the retired Derek Jeter. After an okay Spring Training, he’s off to a slow start in the new season, hitting .172 with six RBIs in 29 at bats. Nine games into the season, the Yankees (3-6, .333) sit in last place in the AL East, three games out of first place.
Kevin Kiermaier (Canberra Cavalry 2011/12): Taking over centre field full-time for the Tampa Bay Rays, Grant Balfour’s Rays teammate is off to a hot start. In addition to producing a year’s worth of web gems in the season’s first week, Kiermaier has also been electric at the plate, hitting .321 with four RBIs in the Rays’ first nine games. The Rays (5-4, .556) are in a three-way deadlock for second place in the AL East, one game behind the first-place Boston Red Sox and two games ahead of the last-place Yankees. See two of Kiermaier’s best plays of 2015 so far here and here.
Brandon Maurer (Adelaide Bite 201): Maurer started the 2015 season at Triple A El Paso, but when the injury bug bit the Padres early in the season he earned the call-up to San Diego. The righty tossed a scoreless inning in his first appearance in the Padres’ 10-2 rout of division rival and reigning World Series Champion the San Francisco Giants, striking out two and walking one. He struggled in his second appearance, surrendering one run on two hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Padres (6-4, .600) sit in third place in the NL West, 1.5 games out of first.
MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP
• TRIPLE A: Returning to Rochester for his second season in Triple A, James Beresford started the season hitting .357 in five games as the Red Wings sit comfortably in first place in the International League North.
• DOUBLE A: After helping the Perth Heat win another Claxton Shield, Warwick Saupold gave up six runs in four innings in his first start of the season for the Double A Erie Seawolves.
• HIGH A: Cavalry skipper Michael Collins now leads the Lake Elsinore Storm of the High A California League, marking his fifth promotion in five years as a manager in the San Diego Padres system. Samuel Holland, who enters his third season with the Padres, was assigned to Lake Elsinore as well… Former Sydney Blue Sox GM Matt Cooper witnessed another cycle hit, this time at High A Visalia, where he now serves as Baseball Operations Manager. Former Canberra Cavalry outfielder Todd Glaesmann accomplished the feat on 14 April against San Jose.
• LOW A: The West Michigan Whitecaps, Low A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, feature a pair of Sydneysiders. Andrew Graham returns for his second season as the team’s manager, while Zac Shepherd joins the team for his first season in Low A. Further south, Robbie Perkins began his season at Low A Asheville in the Colorado Rockies organisation by going 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first game. He’s 2-for-7 in two games with the Tourists so far, after having a breakout season in the ABL with the Cavalry…
• EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING: Several players remain in extended spring training, with Short Season A and Rookie opening days still months away.
COLLEGIATE NEWS
• Left-handed New Zealander Mak Fox has one save and five strikeouts in 4.2 bullpen innings for the Oregon State Beavers. Read a profile of Fox here.
• Playing shortstop for the NCAA Division I University of Hawai’i Ranbow Warriors, Melbourne native Jacob Sheldon-Collins is hitting .269 in 32 games as the collegiate season picks up.
• Sydneysider Max Brennen is tearing it up for West Texas A&M University, ranking third on his team with a .311 batting average. He also has 14 RBIs in 26 games as the Buffs sit in second place in the Lone Star Conference.
GRASSROOTS RESULTS AND NEWS
• The inaugural Australian Junior League Championships were held at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club from 4-9 April. Perth Metro Central defeated Perth Metro North to earn the right to represent Australia at the Asia-Pacific Junior Championships in Saipan in June. Read more here.
• Several states also held their respective Little League Championships, with the winners earning the right to move on to the national championships. Baseball Australia will officially announce which teams qualified for the Little League National Championships in Lismore, NSW, in the coming weeks.
AT A GLANCE
• Grant Balfour spoke with the Tampa Tribune at the tail end of Spring Training, elaborating on his father’s passing and its meaning to him in 2015.
• Indystar.com profiled NZ pitcher John Holdzkom, who’s currently with the Triple A Indianapolis Indians. In the article, Holdzkom credits his time in the ABL with changing the direction of his career. Read the full piece here.
• According to Oklahoma authorities, the jury selection process for the trial of the death of collegiate baseball player Chris Lane could take days, because of the shockwaves the tragedy sent through the community and across the world.
UPCOMING TV SCHEDULE – MLB ON ESPN
All times AEST
Sat 18 April
4:30 am
Baseball Tonight
ESPN
Sat 18 April
10:00 am
ESPN’s Friday Night Baseball
ESPN
Mon 20 April
9:00 am
Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown
ESPN
Mon 20 April
10:00 am
St Louis Cardinals v Cincinnati Reds
ESPN 3
Mon 20 April
10:00 am
ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball
ESPN
Tue 21 April
9:00 am
ESPN’s Monday Night Baseball
ESPN
Tue 21 April
12:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN
Thu 23 April
9:00 am
ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball
ESPN 2
Thu 23 April
12:00 pm
Baseball Tonight
ESPN 2