Chirs Morgan - 2011-12 Canberra Cavalry

Local stalwart for the Cavalry, this is the 2011-12 card design for Morgan. He has also re-signed with the Cavalry for the 2012-13 season, although he has yet to pitch for them this season.

2011-12 Canberra Cavalry Chris Morgan card front - ©  2012 Adam East

Andrew Graham - 2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox

A Sydney native, Graham played the first two ABL seasons with the Sydney Blue Sox. After playing in the inaugural year, he was originally intended to be a part of the coaching staff, but ended up suiting up for 14 games in the 2011-12 season as well. This photo was taken during the 2010-11 season, however I used it for his 2011-12 card.

Graham also spent a lot of time with the Detroit Tigers organisation. Firstly as a player in the minors  between 2003-2007, reaching AAA level, before returning as a manager and looking after the Connecticut Tigers in the short season New York-Penn League for both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox Andrew Graham card front - © 2012 Adam East

Tom Edwards - 2010-11 Canberra Cavalry

If you check out the historical information on the Canberra Cavalry website, it will tell you that Edwards is an American who played for the Baltimore Orioles. The website is wrong.

Tom Edwards was a young Australian softballer who tried his luck at the Canberra Cavalry tryouts before the start of the inaugural ABL season. His speed convinced the Cavalry to take him on as a project to see if he could convert over to baseball. Tom ended up pitching in 2 games for the Cavalry during the season, but unfortunately, that is where his ABL career finished.

2010-11 Canberra Cavalry Tom Edwards card front - © 2011 Adam East

Chris Lamb - 2011-12 Brisbane Bandits

Originally from the Gold Coast, Lamb pitched in one game for the Bandits in the inaugural ABL season, before following up with 17 games in relief during the 2011-12 season. He also played Rookie level ball for the Baltimore Orioles in 2010 and 2011 before being released.

This photo was actually from Lamb's only 2010-11 appearance, but not having printed up a card for him for that season, I reused it for the 2011-12 card.

2011-12 Brisbane Bandits Chris Lamb card front - © 2012 Adam East

Christopher Motta - 2012-13 Canberra Cavalry

After having "settled" on a base design for my 2012-13 cards and creating a bunch for Sydney and Canberra players , I revisited it, and decided to try and utilise a non-photographic background. This design is the result - a background featuring "lightning" in the team's predominant colour. Now I'm torn between using my original design, or this one. The original design is a lot easier to do, but I think I prefer this one.

This card features American pitcher Christopher Motta who is a member of the Canberra Cavalry's 2012-13 team. Motta has only just graduated from Concordia College  New York, with the Cavalry being his first professional baseball opportunity.

2012-13 Canberra Cavalry "Lightning" variation Chris Motta card front - © 2012 Adam East

Brenden Webb - 2011-12 Perth Heat

American prospect for the Baltimore Orioles organisation who played with the Perth Heat for the 2011-12 ABL season. He finished the 2012 season playing high A level ball for the Frederick Keys in the Carolina League.

2011-12 Perth Heat Brenden Webb card front - © 2012 Adam East

Matthew Fawcett - 2010-11 Canberra Cavalry

Originally from Sydney, Fawcett pitched in 5 games as a reliever for the Cavalry in the 2010-11 Season. This card design features Fawcett from that period. He would also go on to pitch a single innings of relief for the Cavalry during the 2011-12 season. Matthew had previously been in the 2009-10 All Star Team for New South Wales' State Baseball League.

2010-11 Canberra Cavalry Matthew Fawcett card front - ©  2011 Adam East

Patrick Maat - 2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox

Hmmm - not happy with this photo of Maat, but again, a player I wasn't able to capture any other photos of. Maat is a local New South Welshmen, who spent two years playing Rookie ball for the New York Mets in 2007 and 2008. As a catcher, he played for the Blue Sox for the first two ABL seasons, but has not yet been a part of the Blue Sox 2012-13 season. This card was from the 2011-12 season.

2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox Patrick Maat card front - © 2012 Adam East

The Holy Grail of Aussie Baseball Cards

If anybody has a spare $1700, here's a chance to pickup the Holy Grail of Australian baseball cards from this Ebay auction.. From the 1887 Old Judge Cigarettes N172 set of cards come Joseph Quinn - Australia's first ever Major League Baseballer.

1887 Old Judge Cigarettes N172 Joseph Quinn Boston - the first ever baseball card to feature an Aussie

Got to http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1887-Old-Judge-Cigarettes-N172-Joseph-Quinn-Bostons-RARE-VINTAGE-OLD-CARD-/150925696571#ht_4486wt_1163 and buy it for me!

Luke Wilkins - 2010-11 Canberra Cavalry

In the inaugural ABL season, Wilkins was overlooked for the local Sydney Blue Sox roster, but successfully made it onto the Canberra Cavalry roster fro 2010-11. Despite only pitching in 4 games, he showed enough to make it onto the Blue Sox roster the following 2011-12 season and again in 2012-13. During the 2012 northern summer, he played for the Namur Angels in Belgium.

2010-11 Canberra Cavalry Luke Wilkins card front - © 2011 Adam East

Matthew Roxburgh - 2011-12 Brisbane Bandits

Roxburgh played for the Brisbane Bandits during the 2011-12 season, receiving a call-up after an impressive display playing for the club level Brisbane All-Stars against the Bandits during Spring Training. Although born in Brisbane, he made the Great Britain roster for the 2012 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers due to his British lineage. Yet to appear for the Bandits in 2012-13.

2011-12 Brisbane Badnits Matthew Roxburgh card front - © 2012 Adam East

Ben Warner - 2011-12 Canberra Cavalry

One of the few Canberra locals on the Cavalry team, Warner first played for the team during the 2011-12 season, and is returning for the 2012-13 ABL season. He previously had playing stints in the USA with the  Garden City Community College in Kansas and the Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.

2011-12 Canberra Cavalry Ben Warner card front - © 2012 Adam East

Adam Millson - 2011-12 Perth Heat

Perth relief pitcher who has been on the Heat roster for all three ABL seasons, albeit only for 10 games  total during that time. This was my card design for him for the 2011-12 season.

2011-12 Perth Heat Adam Millson card front - © 2012 Adam East

Kyu Hyun Moon (문 규 현) - 2010-11 Canberra Cavalry

One of Canberra's Korean imports from the Lotte Giants for the 2010-11 season, Moon had substantial experience in the KBO, having debuted in 2002 for the Giants.He is still playing for Lotte, most recently playing in the 2012 Asia Series for Lotte against the Perth Heat.

2010-11 Canberra Cavalry Kyu Hyun Mun card front - © 2011 Adam East

Aidan Francis - 2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox

Born in Newscastle, NSW, Francis played for the Blue Sox during the 2011-12 ABL season, earning Rookie of the Year honours. Prior to that he had spent 3 seasons at Georgia State University. In 2012 he was signed to play in the American Association  independent league, however was released less than two weeks before the opening night. I've been unable to find any more on him - despite his ROY honours last season, he doesn't appear to be on the Blue Sox roster for 2012-13.

2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox Aidan Francis card front - © 2012 Adam East

Antonio Callaway - 2012-13 Canberra Cavalry

One of the new American imports playing for the Cavalry in the 2012-13 season, Callaway was previously at the Mount Olive College in North Carolina, playing in the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas during 2012. This was followed by a stint at the New Market Rebels, a team in the Valley Baseball League - an NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league.

This is the first posting of my planned design for my 2012-13 Canberra Cavalry cards.

[Dec 2012 Update: I ended up doing a revised version of this card.]

2012-13 Canberra Cavalry Antonio Callaway card front - © 2012 Adam East

Trent Baker - 2011-12 Brisbane Bandits

Baker is a Qeensland local who spent two seasons with the Cleveland Indians, playing 4 games at AA level before being released at the end of the 2010 season. Baker played both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons with Brisbane, however the inaugural season was as an outfielder, whilst his second season was as a pitcher.

2011-12 Brisbane Bandits Trent Baker card front - © 2012  Adam East

Michael Wells - 2011-12 Canberra Cavalry

My 2011-12 card for Michael Wells. despite being a member of the coaching staff, Michael always seems to end up playing for the Cavalry at some point during the season, He's already taken the field for them again in the 2012-13 season.

2011-12 Canberra Cavalry Michael Wells card front - © 2012 Adam East

Graeme Scorer - 2011-12 Perth Heat

Scorer is a West Aussie who played with the Perth Heat during the 2011-12 ABL season. Yet to play ball in the USA, he is listed on the Heat's roster for the start of the 2012-13 season.

A member of the Melville Braves in the WA State League, Scorer had previously played 9 Claxton Shield games with the Heat between 2007 and 2009.

2011-12 Perth Heat Graeme Scorer card front - © 2012 Adam East

Todd Glaesmann - 2011-12 Canberra Cavalry

Wasn't happy with the photo for Glaesmann, but it was one of the few shots of him I captured. Glaesmann is a prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays. He played in the outfield for the Canberra Cavalry in the 2011-12 season, and managed to reach high A level ball playing for the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2012. He puts his success in 2012 down to his stint in the Australian Baseball League.

2011-12 Canberra Cavalry - Todd Glaesmann card front - © 2012 Adam East

Todd Van Steensel - 2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox

The grand unveiling of my 2012-13 card design for the Sydney Blue Sox. Even though the ABL are now releasing official ABL cards, I'm still taking photos at ABL games and plan on making a set of these cards for myself at the end of the season.

The ABL season started with a Canberra vs Sydney series. Due to some family emergencies I was only able to see two half games, but I still managed to take over 1300 photos.

This card is of Todd Van Steensel, who is now in his third season with the Blue Sox. He is recovering from an elbow injury he sustained off field during his 2012 season in the Dutch National League. He's also the author of the The Clubhouse Chronicles blog over in the sidebar.

2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox Todd Van Steensel card front - © 2012 Adam East

Travis Scott - 2011-12 Canberra Cavalry

Originally seen as a prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates organisation, American catcher Travis Scott came to the Cavalry as a free agent, playing in the 2011-12 ABL season. He had 6 years experience in the minors behind him, with stints at AA level for both the Mariners and Pirates organisations. In 2012, he played for the York Revolution in the independent Atlantic League.

2011-12 Canberra Cavalry Travis Scott - © 2012 Adam East

Shannon Pender - 2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox

Pender is a Sydney native who has maanged 28 games across the first 2 seasons of the ABL for the Sydney Blue Sox. Prior to that he had several seasons playing for the NSW Patriots in the Claxton Shield. It doesn't appear that Shannon has made it onto Sydney's 2012-13 ABL roster.

2011-12 Sydney Blue Sox Shannon Pender card front - © 2012 Adam East