Gabriel Suarez - 2012-13 Adelaide Bite

American born Suarez is the ultimate baseball journeyman, having played in the minors for 7 different MLB organisations since 2004, most recently the LA Dodgers in 2012. There have also been several signings with other MLB organisations he didn't end up playing for, as well as several stints in Independent Leagues, and even the Mexican League. To top it all off, he then played for the Adelaide Bite during the 2012-13 ABL season as an American import.

As if it couldn't get any more varied than that, Suarez then went on to represent Spain in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, due to his Spanish heritage. He is currently playing for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League in 2013. You can check out Suarez's colorful baseball history on the baseball-reference.com entry for him.

2012-13 Adelaide Bite Gabe Suarez card front - © 2013 Adam East

Vaughan Harris - 2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox

A native of Sydney, Harris has played all three seasons with the Sydney Blue Sox, although this is my first card design for him. Outside of the ABL,. his only professional experience was playing with Corendon Kinheim in the Dutch Major League in 2007.

2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox Vaughan Harris card front - © 2013 Adam East

Scott Mitchinson - 2012-13 Perth Heat

Perth-born Mitchinson spent six years playing in the US minor leagues between 2004-2009 with the Philadelphia and Oakland organisations. His was awarded the Paul Owens Award in 2004 as the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He joined the Perth Heat for the 2012-13 ABL season.

2012-13 Perth Heat Scott Mitchinson card front - © 2013 Adam East

Donald Lutz - "C100 Vintage" concept cards

Yes, I know, another Donald Lutz card, less than a week after my last one. As a bit of background - I'm toying with the idea of trying to get these cards created as a licenced stadium give away at Canberra Cavalry home games, but need to chat with Canberra's GM first about all the legal hoops I need to jump through. It's Canberra's 100th Anniversary of being founded in 2013, so I thought designing a series of "vintage" looking cards that look like they're from 100 years ago, featuring some of the past Canberra players would be a fun idea. Still, a lot of leg work to be done before the stadium give away idea is remotely possible, but I thought I'd post up some of the designs I was playing with.

Both Lutz and Arizona rookie Didi Gregorius are in the MLB spotlight at the moment, so I thought I'd have a try of card designs using some of my photos of them. Here are a couple of the Lutz designs I've been trialling. Went with the "skinny" card size similar to the old cigarette card sizes. Unsure about the vignette. Also wondering if I should try removing the background as cards from that era tended to be shot in studios. The card backs will probably be just basic text advertisement for the Cavalry or something else to keep in theme with the vintage design. Any feedback, feel free to leave a comment.

"C100 Vintage" concept design 2 (full background) ft Donald Lutz, Canberra - © 2013 Adam East

"C100 Vintage" concept design 5 (vignette) ft Donald Lutz, Canberra - © 2013 Adam East

First Trade in Years!

It's been a long time since I've traded, so many thanks to Aussie baseball collecting legend Beckster for my first trade in ages and it was full of Australian MLB goodness :). Yes, most of them are commons, but I'm missing so much from the last 5 years, that even commons are still needed in my collection. The Phil Stockman SuperScripts auto takes out the award for Card of the Trade™ though.

Grant Balfour 2010 Upper Deck #490

Chris Oxspring 2005 Donruss #311

Ryan Rowland-Smith 2010 Upper Deck #449

Luke Hughes 2004 Bowman #241 Rookie Card (The line is from my scanner, not on the card!)

Liam Hendriks 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects Green X-Freactor #BCP183

Phil Stockman 2004 SPx SuperScripts Rookies #PS

Shota Nakata (中田祥多) - 2012-13 Melbourne Aces

A Japanese import from the Seibu Lions, Nakata played for the Melbourne Aces during the 2012-13 ABL season. Nakata had made his NPB debut with the Lions during the 2012 season, playing two NPB games before his stint Down Under.

2012-13 Melbourne Aces Shota Nakata card front - © 2013 Adam East

Nathan Crawford - 2012-13 Brisbane Bandits

Following his first two seasons with the Canberra Cavalry, Nathan Crawford returned with his older brother Tristan to their hometown of Brisbane to play for the Brisbane Bandits during the 2012-13 ABL season.

2012-13 Brisbane Bandits Nathan Crawford card front - © 2013 Adam East

Ben Lodge - 2012-13 Adelaide Bite

Adelaide native Lodge made his ABL debut with the Adelaide Bite during the 2011-12 ABL season, playing two games. He returned to the Bite for the 2012-13 ABL season where he played 40 games and won the ABL's Rookie of the Year Award.

2012-13 Adelaide Bite Ben Lodge card front - © 2013 Adam East

Donald Lutz - "Flashbacks" Concept card

Former Canberra Cavalry alumni Donald Lutz is about to make his Major League Debut with the Cincinnati Reds. In honour of his call up to the show, I thought I'd post up a "Flashback" design of his playing days from the inaugural ABL season.

"Flashbacks" concept card - Donald Lutz - © Adam East 2013

Trade Lists

I still have enough card designs for the 2012-13 season for the blog to be updated each week day for several more months. Unfortunately, the start of the next ABL season is still almost 7 months away, so I do have some time for posts with non-card designs in them. I've decided that I'll start to include some other card related information in this blog, including cards of Australian sportsmen that I acquire through purchase or trade.

I have a fairly extensive collection of sports cards that, unsurprisingly feature Australian baseballers. For a number of years I used to run the Best of Both Worlds website. Best of Both Worlds featured checklists of cards for Australian players in the MLB, NBA, NFL and WNBA. Unfortunately, the lists became too big too maintain on a static site, and changes in work and life meant that I no longer had the time to put into the site or my personal collection, and the site is now defunct. (Well, technically a partially working copy of it still exists, but it has hardly been updated in over 8 years :)

I'm still interested in keeping my commercial card collection up to date, but rarely get the chance or money to do so. I figured however that I'd post my trade and want lists as pages on this blog in case anybody is interested in trading. Feel free to email me at oz mlb @ hotmail . com (without the spaces :)) if you'd be interested in discussing a trade.

Expect to see more posts about my card acquisitions scattered throughout the regular card design posts, and please fell free to check out my want lists and trade lists (when posted!).

Craig Anderson - 2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox

Gosford born Anderson returned for his third season with the Sydney Blue Sox during the 2012-13 ABL season. His standout season produced a record 8 victories from 12 starts, earning him the 2012-13 ABL pitcher of the Year Award.

It's a terrible photo of him for the card, but the only one I had, having missed out on both of the games he pitched in Canberra during the season. In the end I figured that even a bad image of the Pitcher of the Year was better than no image of the pitcher of the year :)

2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox Craig Anderson card front - © 2013 Adam East

Allan de San Miguel - 2012-13 Perth Heat

The ever impressive de San Miguel was a co-winner of the Australian Baseball League's Golden Glove Award for the 2012-13 ABL season along with Stefan Welch. In 2013 de San Miguel is expected to get a place on the Baltimore Orioles Short A season team.

2012-13 Perth Heat Allan de San Miguel card front - © 2013 Adam East

Darryl George - 2012-13 Melbourne Aces

Nineteen year old George was a mainstay of the Melbourne Aces team during the 2012-13 ABL season, playing 41 games in only his second year. George is currently in extended Spring Training with the Tampa Bay Rays, potentially looking at an Advanced Rookie League placement for 2013.

2012-13 Melbourne Aces Darryl George card front © 2013 Adam East

Chris Morgan - 2012-13 Canberra Cavalry

Local boy Morgan returned for his third season with the Canberra Cavalry in 2012-13.

2012-13 Canberra Cavalry Chris Morgan card front - © 2013 Adam East

James Robbins - 2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox

An American import from the Detroit Tigers organisation, Robbins played with the Sydney Blue Sox for the 2012-13 ABL season. In 2012, his fourth year in the minors, he played for the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the high A level Florida State League. In 2013 he has started with the Eries Seawolves of the AA level Eastern league.

2012-13 Sydney Blue Sox James Robbins card front - © 2013 Adam East