Rene Tosoni - 2014-15 Perth Heat

Canadian born Tosoni is a former MLB player who spent time playing as an import for the Perth Heat during the 2014-15 ABL season. Tosoni played 60 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2011, as well a spending six years in their farm system between 2007 and 2012. He then spent a year in the minors with the Milwaukee Brewers before heading out to the independent leagues. Prior to coming Down Under he spent time in 2014 with both the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association and the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League. In 2015 he's returned back to the Sioux City Explorers.

2014-15 Perth Heat Rene Tosoni card front - ©2015 Adam East

Al Yevoli - 2014-15 Melbourne Aces

I had issues identifying a number of Melbourne players due to players not being in uniform. I've been told that this is Al Yevoli. Yevoli is an American import who played with the Aces during the 2014-15 ABL season. He had previously spent three seasons playing independent ball, spending 2014 playing for the Washington WildThings in the Frontier League. In 2015 he has started with the Wichita Wingnuts in the independent American Association.

Yevoli only pitched 9 innings for the Aces, with this being the closest I got to a photo of him in an Aces uniform.

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Al Yevoli card front - ©2015 Adam East

Sean Toler - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry

American import Toler returned for his third season with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2014-15ABL season. In 2014 Toler split time between the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and Camden Riversharks in the independent Atlantic League.

Toler had been contemplating retiring at the end of the 2014 season, before deciding to come back Down Under for 2014-15 for one last shot at being noticed by the affiliated scouts. unfortunately, he appeared to struggle with less game time than the previous two seasons and a blow out ERA which might mean the end of "Toler Time" at the Cavalry.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Sean Toler card front - ©2015 Adam East

Jeff Lorick - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

Lorick is an American import from the Chicago Cubs organisation who played with the Brisbane bandits during the 2014-15 ABL season. Lorick spent 2014 playing for the Tennessee Smokies in the Double A level Southern League.

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Jeff Lorick card front - ©2015 Adam East

Darren Fidge - 2014-15 Adelaide Bite

South Australian veteran Fidge returned for his fifth season with the Adelaide Bite during the 2014-15 ABL season. Fidge turned forty during the ABL season, making him the oldest Aussie in the league (with the second placed Wayne Ough being a spritely 36.). The only older ABL player is old man Dae-Sung Koo who turned 45 before the start of last season.

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Darren Fidge card front - ©2015 Adam East

Wayne Lundgren - 2014-15 Sydney Blue Sox

Sydneysider Lundgren returned for his fifth season with the Blue Sox during the 2014-15 ABL season. In those five years I don't think I've ever managed to capture a photo of him smiling. Maybe he's smiling on the inside.

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

Sam Kennelly - 2014-15 Perth Heat

The youngest of the four Kennelly brothers returned to the Perth Heat for his third ABL season in 2014-15. In 2014 he played his first season in affiliated ball, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates Rookie level team in the Gulf Coast League.

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

Kentaro Fukukura (福倉 健太郎) - 2014-15 Melbourne Aces

Fukukura is a Japanese rookie import from the Seibu Lions organisation who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2014-15 ABL season. Fukukura was drafted by the Lions in 2013 but has yet to make his NPB debut.

The second image looks like he's showing me a pitching grip. He was in fact unexpectedly doing deuces for me, but I wasn't actually aiming the camera at him at the time. When I realised what he was doing I moved to geta  focus on him and unfortunately I only caught the end of it.

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Kentaro Fukukura card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Melbourne Aces Kentaro Fukukura alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Australian Baseball League 2015-16 Schedule

The Australian Baseball league has released its schedule for the 2015-16 ABL season. The main change is the addition of an additional home series for each team, extending the length of the season. This has been catered for by bringing the start of the season forward by a week, and the elimination of the byes for teams over two rounds that historically catered for the Asia Championship Series  (The ASC wasn't held last year and appears to be permanently on hiatus - I guess the Asian powerhouses didn't like embarrassment of the Cavs win in 2013.)

ABL 2015-15 Schedule from the ABL website - click for larger view

No details yet on the number of games or the specific game breakdown yet, but I'm not holding my breath in the hope of more double header games.

Steve Kent - 2014-15 Canberra Cavalry

Canberran born Kent returned to the playing field with the Cavalry in 2014-15 after being on the sidelines  for the previous 14 months due to Tommy John surgery. He was used sparingly over the last month of the season to try and ease him back into ABL play.

2014-15 Canberra Cavalry Steven Kent card front - ©2015 Adam East

Johnny Field - 2014-15 Brisbane Bandits

A member of the Tampa Bay Rays organisation, Field is an aptronymically named American import who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2014-15 ABL season. In 2014, Field played at Single and Advanced A level with the Bowling Green Hot Rods and Charlotte Stone Crabs respectively. He has started the 2015 season at the Double AA level Montgomery Biscuits.

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Johnny Field card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Brisbane Bandits Johnny Field alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Tyler Brunnemann - 2014-15 Adelaide Bite

An American import from the Houston Astros, Brunnemann played for the Adelaide Bite during the 2014-15 ABL season. In 2014 he played for the Quad Cities River Bandits and Lancaster JetHawks, the Astros Single A and High A level affiliates. In 2015 he's continued on playing with Lancaster.

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Tyler Brunnemann card front - ©2015 Adam East

2014-15 Adelaide Bite Tyler Brunnemann alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East

Todd Grattan - 2014-15 Sydney Blue Sox

Sydney born Grattan returned to the Sydney Blue Sox for his fourth ABL season 2014-15. Grattan was used for shorter periods of relief by the Blue Sox this season resulting in him being used in more games than in previous years.

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

2014-15 Sydney Blue Sox Todd Grattan alternate card front - ©2015 Adam East