Australian Custom Baseball Cards: March 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Jacob Younis - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Younis returned for his sixth season with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2015-16 ABL season, where he became a regular member of the starting lineup. Still only 22 years old and already with 167 ABL games under his belt, it's possible that Younis will have a good chance at ending up near the top of the Blue Sox "games played" leader board by the end of his career.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Allan de San Miguel - 2015-16 Perth Heat

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for veteran Heat catcher de San Miguel over the last year. In 2015 he was signed by his old Minor League organisation, the Minnesota Twins but only managed three games during the 2015 season, with their Triple A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings. "Desan" then returned to the Perth Heat for the 2015-16 ABL season, his sixth straight with the Heat. After the ABL season, de San Miguel was playing for the Australian team in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers and received an offer from the Kansas City Royals organisation where he's been assigned to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in the Double A level International League.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Nicholas Rossell - 2015-16 Melbourne Aces

Australian born Rossell made his ABL debut with the Melbourne Aces during the 2015-16 ABL season. Rossell is a product of the MLB Australian Academy, and represented Victoria in several U23 championships, eventually making his way onto the Aces roster lasts eason.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Joshua Fritsch - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Fritsch is a Queensland youngster who was drafted by the Canberra Cavalry in the 2015 ABL draft, making his debut during the 2015-16 ABL season.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Bralin Jackson - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Jackson is an American import from the Tampa Ray Bays organisation who played with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2015-16 ABL season. In 2015 he played with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the Rays single A affiliate in the Midwest League.

And, because I've mentioned before about my plethora of baseball juggling photos I seemed to take this season, here's the now almost obligatory baseball juggling shot ... or in this case, a magical hovering above your finger tips baseball shot. :)

Friday, March 18, 2016

Davis Page - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

Page is an American import who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2015-16 ABL season. Page was previously a bit of a journeyman in independent ball. He played with 4 different teams in 2011 and 2012. He spent 2013 with the Southern Districts Baseball Club in the South Australian Baseball League where he presumably gained exposure to the Bite. In 2015 he played for The Dark Horse in the Northern Texas Amateur Baseball League.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Gyoung-Wan Lim (林炅玩) - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Lim (AKA Lim Kyung-wan) is a South Korean import who joined the Sydney Blue Sox for the 2015-16 ABL season, taking over the veteran reliever role held by countryman Dae-Sung Koo. Lim had previously spent 13 years in the KBO between 1998 and 2012. The first 12 years were spent with the Lotte Giants, and his final year with the SK Wyverns.

I did something a bit different with Lim's night-time shot in this photo and used the ever tacky gaussian blur when trying to remove all the ISO artefacting in the background, ending up with the following image. I decided that I kind of liked it and figured I'd use it as his card image, even if it is a bit different than the other player's non-blurred backgrounds.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Jay Johnson - 2015-16 Perth Heat

Johnson is a Canadian import who played with the Perth Heat during the 2015-16 ABL season. Johnson had previously spent four years in the Philadelphia Phillies organisation between 2011 and 2014, before spending 2015 playing with Les Capitales de Quebec in the independent Canadian-American Association.

Juggling a single baseball seemed to be the in thing last season ... you'll notice that a number of cards I've done for the 2015-16 all feature players throwing a ball up into the air. Looks like Johnson has joined my list of 2015-16 ball juggling players. :)

Friday, March 11, 2016

Logan Moon - 2015-16 Melbourne Aces

Moon is an American import from the Kansas City Royals organisation who played with the Melbourne Aces during the 2015-16 ABL season. He spent the 2015 season playing for the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the Advanced A level Carolina League.

You may ask what Moon is doing in this photo. From memory and reviewing the other photos in the set I think he may have been doing an imitation haka (Maori tribal dance). Happy to stand corrected if he can remember what he was doing and lets me know :)

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Steve Kent - 2015-16 Canberra Cavalry

Local boy Kent returned for his fifth ABL season with the Canberra Cavalry in 2015-16, also returning to the starting rotation following his recovery from Tommy John surgery. His success this season led to him being named in the 2015 All Star Game, and his signing with the Atlanta Braves organisation for 2016, the organisation where he played in stints between 2007 and 2011.

Kent has kept his "meaner" look that he debuted last season, and he even gave a stern look for the camera when he was warming up in the picture below. Although I have got in game shots of him pitching, I prefer this shot of him for the card.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Maxx Tissenbaum - 2015-16 Brisbane Bandits

Tissenbaum started out the 2015-16 ABL season as a Canadian import from the Tampa Bay Rays organisation and ended it as a member of the Miami Marlins organisation. The 2015-16 ABL season was Tissenbaum's second in the ABL with the Rays having sent him Down Under to the Brisbane Bandits in the preceding 2014-15 ABL season as well. Mid-way through the season, Tiseenbaum was selected by the Marlins in the Triple A phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Takuro Ito (伊藤拓郎) - 2015-16 Adelaide Bite

Ito is a Japanese import with NPB experience who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2015-16 ABL season. Ito has had 2 games pitching for the Yokohama BayStars in the NPB 2012. Ito was released from the BayStars organisation at the end of 2014, and spent 2015 playing with the Gunma Diamond Pegasus in the independent BC League in Japan.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Rhys Hoskins - 2015-16 Sydney Blue Sox

Hoskins is an American import from the Philadelphia Phillies organisation who played with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2015-16 ABL season. In 2015, Hoskins spent time with the Lakewood BlueClaws and the Clearwater Threshers, the Phillies Single and Advanced A affiliates.