Which ABL Team Should I Follow? - Perth Heat

If you like baseball and want to follow some games during the northern winter, why not check out the Australian Baseball League. This is the fifth in a series of articles about the teams of the ABL, and a lighthearted view about which team is right for you to support. Links to previous parts are below:

• An Introduction to the ABL
• Which ABL Team Should I Follow? - Adelaide Bite
• Which ABL Team Should I Follow? - Brisbane Bandits
• Which ABL Team Should I Follow? - Canberra Cavalry
• Which ABL Team Should I Follow? - Melbourne Aces

The Perth Heat

Uniform Design / Colour Scheme: Red, Black and White, with Red being the dominant colour.
Mascot/Logo: Heat Flash (Character with giant baseball shaped head) and Hot Dog
Home City Characteristics: Perth is a booming city of 1.9 million people on the west coast of Australia. It's the capital city of the state of Western Australia, a state so large that if it was its own country, it would be the tenth largest country in the world. Perth's growth is being driven by a mining boom throughout the state, with a large population influx. Perth prides itself as being one of the most isolated cities in the world (over 2100kms / 1300miles to the next city over 100,000 population) and has a secessionist undercurrent that would like to see it become it's own country, which translates into passionate support for its sporting teams. Perth has a reputation for being a hot, outdoor, beach loving city mixed with young cashed up miners.
End of Regular Season Standings: 

• 2010-11: 2nd (24-16)
• 2011-12: 1st (34-11)
• 2012-13: 3rd (25-21)

Postseason Results: 

• 2010-11: Won the 2011 ABL Championship Series
• 2011-12: Won the 2012 ABL Championship Series
• 2012-13: Lost the 2013 ABL Championship Series

2012-13 Had Import Players from: Arizona Diamonbacks, Baltimore Orioles
2012-13 Had Australian Players affiliated with: Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres
Past Players You Might Know:

• Luke Hughes - Perth local Hughes played 106 games, mainly with the Minnesota Twins between 2010 -2012. Hughes has played with his hometown Heat for each ABL season to date.

2012-13 Perth Heat Luke Hughes card front - © 2013 Adam East

• Liam Hendriks - Perth born Hendriks played with the Heat during the inaugural ABL season in 2010-11, and has been on their expanded roster but not yet appeared for them in subsequent seasons. Since 2011 he's been fluctuating between AAA and MLB with the Minnesota Twins, who have kept faith in him despite an atrocious 2-12 win-loss record in the majors.

• Virgil Vasquez - is an American import who played with the Heat for both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Vasquez had previously pitched at MLB level, pitching 5 games for Detroit in 2007, and 14 games for Pittsburgh in 2009. He left the Heat midway during the 2012-13 ABL season after being signed by the Minnesota Twins.

2011-12 Perth Heat Virgil Vasquez card front - © 2012 Adam East

Reasons to follow this team:

• If you like living in a hot place
• If you like  the colour red
• If you liked the Houston Astros home jerseys of the 1980s as this was the original design of the Heat's uniforms in the competitions prior to the current incarnation of the ABL.
• If you like backing winners. Of the three ABL seasons to date, Perth has competed in all three of the ABL Championship Series, and won the ABL Championship twice.
• If you're from the west coast.
• If you come from a place associated with mining.
• If you're a beach lover.
• If you live somewhere that wants to secede from the country it's currently a part of.