Kyle Petty - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

Petty is an American import from the Seattle Mariners organisation who is playing with the Adelaide Bite during the 2015-16 ABL season. He's been with the Mariners since 2013, and spent 2015 with their high A affiliate, the Bakersfield Blaze in the California League.

I suspect he may have been trying to force choke an opposition player in the first photo ;)

2015-16 Adelaide Bite Kyle Petty card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Adelaide Bite Kyle Petty card front - ©2015 Adam East

Jamie Westbrook - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Westbrook is an American import rom the Arizona Diamndbacks organisation who is playing with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2015-16 ABL season. Westbrook has spent three years with the Diamondbacks, and spent 2015 with their high A affiliate, the Visalia Rawhide.

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Jamie Westbrook card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Jamie Westbrook alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Merry Christmas 2015

Most people reading this blog are likely to be enjoying the Christmas holidays. For those that are, have a Merry Christmas, and I hope that you would pause for a minute to reflect upon why Christmas is important, and how it is necessary for every single person who has, does or will live upon this Easrth. Merry Christmas.

Masato Fukae (深江 真登) - 2015-16 Melbourne Aces

Fukae is a Japanese import playing with the Melbourne Aces during the 2015-16 ABL season. Fukae previously played in the NPB with the Orix Buffaloes between 2011 and 2013. In 2015 he played for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the independent Atlantic League in the USA.

2015-16 Melbourne Aces Masato Fukae card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Melbourne Aces Masato Fukae alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

River Stevens - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Stevens is an American import from the San Diego Padres organisation who is playing with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2015-16 ABL season. Stevens has been with the Padres since 2012, but appaers to have spent all of 2013 injured. In 2015 he played with the both the Padres' rookie level affiliate in the Arizona League and their High A affiliate, the Lake Elsinore Storm in the California League.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry River Stevens card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry River Stevens alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Donald Lutz - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Former MLB player Lutz has returned to the ABL following his release from the Cincanniti Reds in June 2015. Lutz played in the inaugural ABL season back in 2010-11 with the Canberra Cavalry, before making his way up the Reds' professional chain to make his MLB debut in 2013. He played 62 games in the Majors across 2013 and 2014. In 2015 he spent time playing with the Reds' AAA affiliate, the Lousville Bats in the International League.

Although Lutz previous ABL experience was with Canberra, he has a strong affiltiation to Brisbane club ball, having played five seasons of "winterball" with the Windsor Royals. It was a natuaral progression following his release from the Reds to then come and play for Brisbane in the ABL.

I like Lutz - he was one of the first players I shot when making my own baseball cards. He was kind enough to doff his cap for me in a shot earlier in the day. The second shot is of him watching the ball in flight in what would end up being a Grand Slam home run against the Cavalry.

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Donald Lutz card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Donald Lutz alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Beau Bishop - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

After debuting with the Bite in the 2013-14 ABL season, former Kiwi softballer Bishop retruns to the Bite in 2015-16 for his second taste of ABL action. Bishop was released by the Boston Red Sox in 2013, and didn't play in either the ABL or affiliated leagues through 2013 and 2014. He was signed by and played a single game with the Milwaukee Brewers' Arizona Rookie League team in 2015, before returning to the Bite.

2015-16 Adelaide Bite Beau Bishop card front - ©2015 Adam East

Mathew Smith - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Gosford born Smith is in his fourth ABL season in 2015-16, but his first season with the Sydney Blue Sox. He had previously debuted with the Adelaide Bite in the inaugural ABL season in 2010-11 and continued with the Bite until the end of the 2012-13 season. I believe that he returned to the Huskies de Rouen during the 2013 northern summer, but am unsure as to what his movements inbetween the 2012-13 and 2015-16 ABL seasons have been ... well except from Adelaide to Sydney at some point, obviously :)

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Mathew Smith card front - ©2015 Adam East

Josh Davies - 2015-16 Melbourne Aces

Local Josh Davies returns to the Melbourne Aces for his sixth ABL season in 2015-16. Players reactions to cameras are always interesting - Davies' smile here is a result of him waving to the camera as I was getting shots of him.

2015-16 Melbourne Aces Josh Davies card front - ©2015 Adam East

Jack Barrie - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Barrie is a young Aussie player, born in Kalgoorlie in WA, but schooled in Queensland. He's continued his geographic tour of Australia, starting the 2015-16 season and making his ABL debut with the Canberra Cavalry before being "traded" part way through the season to the Melbourne Aces. Barrie played a season with the Minnesota Twins' Gulf Coast League Rookie level affiliate in 2014.

I haven't heard anything more about this Cavalry / Aces trade for Barrie part way through the season, so I don't know who or what else was involved, but I still managed to get some shots of Barrie in his Canberra uniform prior to the trade.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Jack Barrie card front - ©2015 Adam East

Tristan Crawford - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Well, Crawford continues his yoyo act moving between the Bandits and Cavalry, returning to the Bandits for the 2015-16 ABL  season, his fourth season in the ABL, and his fourth move between Canberra and Brisbane.

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Tristan Crawford card front - ©2015 Adam East

Stefan Welch - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

Adelaide veteran Welch returns for his sixth season with the Bite during the 2015-16 ABL season.

2015-16 Adelaide Bite Stefan Welch card front - ©2015 Adam East

Trey Vavra - 2015-16 Melbourne Aces

Unfortunately, computer problems and lack of free time has hindered my ability to get some card designs done, and probably will continue to do so for another week. However, in the mran time I have managed to throw together my first Aces card for the season, featuring American import, Trey Vavra.

Vavra's father Joe Vavra, the Bench Coach for the Minnesota Twins in the majors,  has come across as the Manager of the Melbourne Aces for the 2015-16 ABL season. He brought with him two of his sons, Trey and Tanner who are playing with the Aces for the season as well.  Trey is also from the Twins' organisation, having spent 2015 playing with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Twins' Single A affiliate in the Midwest League.

2015-16 Melbourne AcesTrey Vavra card front - ©2015 Adam East

Max Brennen - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Brennen is a local Sydneysider who spent 2014 and 2015 playing with West Texas A&M University before joining the Sydney Blue Sox for the 2015-16 ABL season, his rookie ABL year.

2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox Max Brennen card front - ©2015 Adam East

Ryan Miller - 2015-16 Canberra Cabalry

Miller is an American import from the San Diego Padres organisation who is playing with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2015-16 ABL season. In 2015 Miller played with the Lake Elsinore Storm as well as a handful of games with the San Antonio Missions, the Padres High A and Double A level affiliates respectively..

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Ryan Miller card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Ryan Miller alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Rick Teasley - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Teasley is an American import who is playing the 2015-16 ABl season with the Brisbane Bandits. Teasley spent 2013 in the Tampa Bay Rays Rokkie and Low A level affiliates before being released ine arly 2014.He has since spent the last two years playing with the Southern Illinois Miners in the independent Frontier League..

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Rick Teasley card front -©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Checklist Cards

Have finally finished the designs for all my cards from last season (2014-15), including the 6 checklist cards. Here are my full card lists for the 2014-15 ABL season on the checklist cards. The back of each checklist cards features the top 12 players for a particular stat from the 2014-15 ABL season (Batting Avergae, Home Runs. ERA, Wins, Strikeouts and Saves.)

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Checklist card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Checklist card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry  Checklist card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Checklist card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Perth Heat Checklist card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Sydney Blue Sox Checklist card front - ©2015 Adam East

Of course, it's only now that I'm posting these onto the blog that I see several typos that I missed on the above cards before sending them to be printed :(

I should have more new card designs from the current 2015-16 ABL season ready to go up by Wednesday.

Boss Moanaroa - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Moanaroa spent the first four seasons of the new ABL with the Sydney Blue Sox before failing to play in 2014-15. He has resurrected his ABL career in 2015-16 by joining the Canberra Cavalry and has been a staple member of the starting lineup.

I don't usually use full body shots of the players on myc ardd esigns -  usually because I'm aiming for portrait style shots, however I quite liked this shot of Moanaroa taking the ball at first.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Boss Moanaroa card front - ©2015 Adam East

Justin Williams - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Williams is an American import from the Tampa Bay Rays organisation who is playing with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2015-16 ABL season. In 2015 he played for the Bowling Green Hot Rods and Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Rays Single and Adavanced A level affiliates.

2015-16 Brisbane Bandits Justin Williams card front - ©2015 Adam East

Brian Grening - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Well, I've finally settled on a design of my own for the 2015-16 ABL season cards. This is my design for the Canberra Cavalry players - this time featuring Brian Grening. Grening is returning for his fifth seaon with the Cavalry, and under the ABL's ever changing import rules, is considered an "Aussie" due to his 3+ years experience with the team. Grening spent 2015 playing with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League.

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Brian Grening concept card front - ©2015 Adam East

[Update 3rd Nov 11:00PM. Never quite happy with the spacing or colour on the bottom of the card, so have revised the card to look like this:]

2015-16 Canberra Cavalry Brian Grening card front - ©2015 Adam East

Jake Brown - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry (Redux)

I wasn't happy with my original card for Brown - I lamented that I never get good shots of relief pitchers. Fortunately I got a better shot of him later in the season.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Jake Brown card front - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Concept Cards - 2012 Topps Templates - Justin Williams and Brian Grening

I've been fairly busy in my personal life and am way behind with my cards. I only finished working on finishing off my last card from the 2014-15 ABL season last Thursday - literally the last day before the start of the 2015-16 season. As a consequence I haven't yet created a design for my 2015-16 ABL season cards.

I have had a play around with using a 2012 Topps template and thrown in some photos from the opening home series last weekend, but I'd much rather have a card design that is all mine. Here's an example of how the 2012 Topps designs turned out using photos of American imports from the weekend. The first is Justin Wiliams of the Tampa Bay Rays, currently playing with Brisbane, and second, Brian Grening, a veteran import for the Canberra Cavalry who has returned for 2015-16.

2015-16 Concept card - Justin Williams - ©2015 Adam East

2015-16 Concept card - Brian Grening - ©2015 Adam East

Robbie Perkins - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry

Canberran youngster Perkins continued his carerr with the Colorado Rockies low A level affiliate the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2014 before suiting up for his ABL season with the Canberra Cavalry in 2014-15. In 2015 Perkins played with the Rockis single A affiliate, the Asheville Tourists.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Robbie Perkins card front - ©2015 Adam East

Matthew Timms - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

Queensland born Timms spent a season with the Atlanta Braves playing Rookie and Single A level ball back in 2008. He joined the Brisbane Bandits for 2014-15 ABL season, his first in the ABl, despite having expereince in its fore-runner, the Claxton Shield.

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Matthew Timms card front - ©2015 Adam East

Stefan Welch - 2014-15 Adelaide Bite

After spending 2014 playing with the Portland Sea Dogs, the Boston Red Sox' Double A affiliate, Welch returned home to the Adelaide Bite for his 5th ABL season in 2014-15

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Stefan Welch card front - ©2015 Adam East

Tim Kennelly - 2014-15 Perth Heat

The oldest of the Kennelly brothers is still going strong, returning to the Perth Heat for his fifth ABL season in 2014-15. I was happy to get a fewshots of him this eyar without him always looking grumpy in the shots I always capture of him.

2014-15 Perth Heat Tim Kennelly card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Perth Heat Tim Kennelly alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Ben Lodge - 2014-15 Adelaide Bite

Local player Lodge played his fourth season with the Adelaide Bite during the 2014-15 ABL season. Lodge has commenced playing independent ball in the USA in 2015, playing with the Frontier Greys of the Frontier League.

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Ben Lodge card front - ©2015 Adam East

Daniel Scmidt - 2014-15 Perth Heat

Schmidt returned for his fifth season in the ABL as a member of the Perth Heat rotation in 2014-15.

2014-15 Perth Heat Dan Schmidt card front - ©2015 Adam East

Dylan Cozens - 2014-15 Melbourne Aces

Cozens is an American import from the Philadelphia Phillies organisation who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2014-15 ABL season. He spent 2014 with the Lakewood BlueClaws in the Single A level South Atlantic League. In 2015 he has spent time across the Phillies Rookie, High A and Double A Affiliates.

Cozens always reminded me of someone when I saw him and I've tried to figure out who. I think I've worked it out - actor Brendan Fraser.

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Dylan Cozens card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Dylan Cozens alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Brian Grening - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry

Veteran American import Grening returned to the Canberra Cavalry for the 2014-15 ABL season, his fourth in the ABL. In 2014 Grening spent time with both the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Brian Grening card front - ©2015 Adam East

Ryan Battaglia - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

Brisbane regular Battaglia returned for his fifth season with the Bandits during the 2014-15 ABL season. Battaglia played for the Cleveland Indians' Single and HighA level farm teams in 2014 before being released in 2015, ending his 5 years playing in the minor leagues.

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Ryan Battaglia card front - ©2015 Adam East 

Colin Feldtman - 2014-15 Adelaide Bite

Feldtman is an American import who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2014-15 ABL season. Feldtman had previously spent four years (2011-2014) playing for the University of Portland. In 2015 he played witht he Frontier Grays in the independent Frontier League.

The first photo I used for Angus Roeger's card, but I did like Feldtman's expression enough to reuse a slightly recropped version for his card design.

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Colin Feldtman card front - ©2015 adam East

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Colin Feldtman alternate card front - ©2015 adam East

Daniel Cooper - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

Cooper is an American import who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2014-15 ABL season, Cooper had previously spent three years (2009-2011) in the Seattle Mariners' farm system before being released and spending 2012 playing independent ball in the US. In 2013 he played for the Karlskoga Bats in the Swedish Elitserien, followed by the European Championships in 2014. Cooper also played for Team Great Britain in the 2014 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Daniel Cooper card front - ©2015 Adam East

Jorge Marban - 2014-15 Perth Heat

Marban is an American import who played with the Perth Heat during the 2014-15 ABL season. Marban had spent two years in the Texas Rangers organisation back in 2010-11 before playing independent ball. In 2014 he suited up for both the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and Florence Freedom of the independent Atlantic and Frontier League's respectively.

Marban's good ABL form managed to secure him a contract with the Boston Red Sox mid-season, and in 2015 he's worked his way through their High A, Double A and into their Triple A teams.

2014-15 Perth Heat Jorge Marban card front - ©2015 Adam East

Brad Harman - 2014-15 Melbourne Aces

Veteran Aussie MLBer Harman returned for his fourth year with the Melbourne Aces during the 2014-15 ABL season. He is still a mainstay of the lineup, playing in 40 games throughout the season. With the end of season retirement of fellow MLB Alumni Justin Huber, who held the Aces' Designate Hitter spot, it will be interresting to see if Harman continues on in a positional role or if he graduates to the "old timer's" role as DH.

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Brad Harman card front - ©2015 Adam East