Chris Clare - 2018-19 Perth Heat

Clare is an American import from the Baltimore Orioles organisation who played with the Perth Heat during the 2018-19 ABL season. He was drafted by the Orioles in 2016 and by 2018 was primarily playing in their advanced A Carolina League affiliate, the Frederick Keys. In 2019 he has advanced to the double A level Bowie Baysox, as well as having a short stint with the triple A Norfolk Tides.

2018-19 Perth Heat Chris Clare card front - ©2019 Adam East

Lake Bachar - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Bachar is an American import from the San Diego Padres organisation who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18ABL season. In 2017 he played both Rookie level ball for the Padres as well as their single A farm team, the Fort Wayne TinCaps. In 2018 he also played with Fort Wayne as well as the double level San Antonio Missions.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Lake Bachar card front - ©2018 a
Adam East

Taylor Saucedo - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Saucedo is an American import from the Toronto Blue Jays organisation who played with the Canberra cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. In 2017 he played for the Lansing Lugnuts and Dunedin Blue Jays, Toronto’s single and advanced A level teams. In 2018 he continued on with Dunedin before moving up to the double A  New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Tayler Saucedo card front - ©2018 Adam East

Michael Click - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

The 2017-18 ABL season was American import Click's second season with the Canberra Cavalry, having played two years earlier during 2015-16. Since 2016 he has spent his northern summers playing with the York Revolution in the independent Atlantic League.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Michael Click card front - ©2018 Adam East

Brian Grening - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Veteran American import Grening played his final season with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. It was his seventh season with the Cavalry. Having married a local girl and settled down in Canberra he would return in 2018-19 as Canberra's pitching coach. At the start of the 2018-19 season he was the first Cavalry player to have their number retired by the club.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Brian Grening card front - ©2018 Adam East

Dylan Thompson - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Thompson is an American import who played with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season. Thompson spent two seasons (2014 - 2015) in the Colorado Rockies' farm system. He has spent most of the last three seasons playing with the Sioux Falls Canaries in the independent American Association.

2017-18 Perth Heat Dylan Thompson card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jack Murphy - 2018-19 Sydney Blue Sox

Legendary American import Murphy spent four seasons as a Canberra Cavalry fan favourite between 2012-13 and 2015-16 so it was a bit of a surprise to see him return to the ABL in 2018-19 with the Sydney Blue Sox. He did explain that it made sense though. Although he would have liked to have returned to his roots at the Cavalry, he would have been one of four characters on the Cavalry list behind the entrenched Perkins brothers and youngster Nick Hosie. 

Murphy spent nine years playing in the minors between 2009 and 2017 with Toronto and the LA Dodgers before electing free agency at the end of 2017. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians but was released at the start of the 2018 season, having played at Triple A level in four different seasons during his career.

2018-19 Sydney Blue Sox Jack Murphy card front - ©2019 Adam East

2018-19 Sydney Blue Sox Jack Murphy alternate card front - ©2019 Adam East

Casey McElroy - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

McElroy is an American import who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. McElroy had previously spent five seasons (2011-2017) playing in the San Diego Padres farm system, reaching the Triple A level El Paso Chihuahuas in 2016. Unfortunately he was injured late in 2016 after having played in the AAA All-Star game and whilst expecting a call up to the Majors. After spending 2017 in rehab he hit free agency and came to Canberra to play "winterball". He generated interest from MLB teams, but was reinjured at the end of the ABL season which caused him to decide to give away professional baseball.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Casey McElroy card front - ©2018 Adam East

Alex Boshers - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Boshers is an American import who played with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season. Boshers had spent the previous three seasons playing for the Wichita Wingnuts in the independent American Association. In 2018 he had a short stint with the the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League before moving back to the American Association albeit now with the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

2017-18 Perth Heat Alex Boshers card front - ©2018 Adam East

Stephen Lohr - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

Lohr was an American import from the Texas Rangers organisation who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2017-18 ABL season. Lohr had spent two seasons with the Rangers organisation, spending 2017 playing for their Arizona League rookie team. Unfortunately for Lohr he was released by the Rangers at the start of the 2018 season and has spent 2018 playing for the Traverse City Beach Bums in the independent Frontier League.

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Stephen Lohr card front - ©2018 Adam East

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Stephen Lohr alternate card front - ©2018 Adam East

Brett Cumberland - 2017-18 Melbourne Aces

Cumberland was an American import from the Atlanta Braves organisation who played with the Melbourne aces during the 2017-18 ABL season. Cumberland spent 2017 split between the single A Roem Frogs and Advanced A level Florida Fire Frogs. In 2018 he started back with the Fire Frogs before moving up to the Double A level Mississippi Braves, then being traded to the Baltimore Orioles where he joined the Bowie Baysox, the Orioles Double A team.

2017-18 Melbourne Aces Brett Cumberland card front - ©2018 Adam East

Garrett Whitley - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Whitely was an American import from the Tampa Bay Rays organisation who played with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season. He spent 2017 playing for the Hudson Valley Renegades and the Bowling Green Hot Rods, the Rays’ low and single A affiliates. Unfortunately for Whitley he required surgery in his shoulder before the start of the northern 2018 season and so missed the entire season.

2017-18 Perth Heat Garrett Whitley card front - ©2018 Adam East

2017-18 Perth Heat Garrett Whitley alternate card front - ©2018 Adam East

Delmon Young - 2018-19 [ABL Graphic] Melbourne Aces

Another in the series of resized ABL social media images to make it look card like. This image is of former MLB player and American import Delmon Young. Delmon played with the Aces last season and has resigned with the Melbourne Aces for the 2018-19 ABL season.

Delmon Young image from the Australian Baseball League Facebook page turned into a virtual card

Chris Powell - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

Powell is an American import who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2017-18 ABL season. Powell had three years’ experience in the LA Dodgers organisation before being released in 2017. He finished the season playing for the Sioux City Explorers in the independent American Association. In 2018 he has spent time with the Gary SouthShore RailCats, also in the independent AA, and the Schaumberg Boomers in the Frontier League.

2017-18 Adelaide Bite Chris Powell card front - ©2018 Adam East

Taylor Jockers - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Jockers is an American import who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the 2017-18 ABL season. Jockers has previously spent time as an import playing club level ball in both the ACT and NSW South Coast after graduating from the Texas Wesleyan University in the USA.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Taylor Jockers card front - ©2018 Adam East

Josh Collmenter - 2018-19 [ABL Graphic] Auckland Tuatara

One other thing that has been noticeable during the 2018-19 pre-season has been a much greater amount of ABL information appearing in social media. Historically many of the ABL workings have felt like they’ve been done in a shroud of secrecy. Part of this new wave of information has been an influx of social media posts about player signings for the 2018-19 ABL season.

It also looks like they’ve got somebody with some good graphics skills to create images for the player signing announcements.

Image from the Australian Baseball League Facebook Page announcing Collmenter's signing with Auckland

All I could think of is that these would make some good looking cards. I’m hoping that the ABL has a card licensee this year and we see something like this.  I did a little bit of resizing of the ABL images and came up with the following card-like image. This image is of American import and MLB player Josh Collmenter who has signed to play with the Auckland Tuatara in the 2018-19 ABL season. Collmenter debuted in the Major Leagues witht he Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011, and itched in 214 MLB games between 2011 and 2017 with the Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves.

Josh Collmenter image from the Australian Baseball League Facebook page turned into a virtual card.

Michael Suchy - 2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox

Suchy is an American import from the Pittsburgh Pirates organisation who played with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2017-18 ABL season. In 2017 he played with the West Virginia Black Bears and the Altoona Curve, the Pirates’ Low A and Double A level affiliates. Unfortunately for Suchy he was released by the Pirates before the start of the 2018 season after four years in the organisation.

2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox Michael Suchy card front - ©2018 Adam East

Tyler Herr - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

American import Herr returned for his third ABL season and his second with Canberra during the 2017-18 ABL season. In between his Canberra stints eh spent 2017 playing for the Salina Stockade in the independent American Association.

2017-18 Canberra Cavalry Tyler Herr card front - ©2018 Adam East

TJ Bennett - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

American import Bennett returned for his third season with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2017-18 ABL season. Having been signed by the San Francisco Giants after his first ABL season, he spent 2017 playing between their Advanced, Double and Triple A affiliates. In 2018 he played for their Rookie, Single A and Double A teams before being released.

Just a side note: The ABL and MiLB websites list Bennett as being born in Lethbridge, ON, Canada, whilst I had previously listed him as being American. A quick check online doesn't resolve the situation. Some sites say he was born in Mesa, Arizona. His Facebook profile says he's from Mesa, so I'm going with him being American, not Canadian.

2017-18 Brisbane Bandits TJ Bennett card front - ©2018 Adam East

2017-18 Brisbane Bandits TJ Bennett alternate card front - ©2018 Adam East

Jake Fraley - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Fraley is an American import from the Tampa Bay Rays organisation who played witht he Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season. It was a successful stint for Fraley, setting ABL season records for Runs Scored and Stolen Bases before winning the League MVP Award. In 2017 and 2018 he has spent time playing with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the Advanced A level Florida State League.

2017-18 Perth Heat Jake Fraley card front - ©2018 Adam East

2017-18 Perth Heat Jake Fraley card front - ©2018 Adam East