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