Matt Blazynski - 2013-14 Canberra Cavalry

Poor old Matt Blazynski, the man at the centre of an international baseball uproar. Blazynski is an American import who made it onto the Canberra Cavalry's 2013-14 roster for the ABL season but didn't end up playing a game. Blazynski did however end up making a name for himself during the 2013 Asia Series Championships. He claimed to have been approached in a bar and offered $30,000 to help the Cavalry lose their semi-final game. The Taiwanese police and the Chinese Professional Baseball League investigated the claims, with the CPBL issuing a statement saying that there were inconsistencies in Blazynski's statement and claimed it was a lie. Blazynski was later released by the Cavalry without playing a game, but they commented that it had nothing to do with the bribery claim, but the loss of a number of pitchers to injury that needed to be covered in roster moves.

There doesn't appear to have been any official resolution to the CPBL's decision to suspend cooperation and exchange activities with the ABL until it "apologises" for Blazynski's claim.

In the words of other commentators though, even if there were some inconsistencies with some details of the evening, it’s hard to imagine why someone would make up this match fixing claim, but it is easier to imagine why there would be a coverup by a league that has a history of betting scandals. Occam's Razor ...

2013-14 Canberra Cavalry Matt Blazynski card front - © 2013 Adam East