Australian Custom Baseball Cards

Monday, February 4, 2019

Ryan Battaglia - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

Bandits veteran Battaglia returned for his eighth ABL season with Brisbane during the 2017-18 ABL season. Having been only 25 years of age at the end of the 2017-18 season there are probably still a number of seasons ahead for him, age and form permitting.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Steven Chambers - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

Veteran Aussie pitcher Chambers was only 26 turning 27 when he returned for his eighth ABL season and his third with the Adelaide Bite during the 2017-18 ABL season.

Friday, January 25, 2019

Joshua Strong - 2017-18 Sydney Blue Sox

Outfielder Strong returned for his fourth season with the Sydney Blue Sox during 2017-18 ABL season.

Yeah, this photo is a bit dark, but it was the best one I had of him from a night game up in Sydney.

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Justin Lopez - 2018-19 Canberra Cavalry

Lopez is a Venezualan import from the San Diego Padres organisation who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the first half of the 2018-19 ABL season. Lopez is in his second year with the Padres and spent 2018 playing for their single A affiliate, the Fort Wayne TinCaps.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

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.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

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.

Monday, January 21, 2019

Nicholas Rossell - 2017-18 Melbourne Aces

Aussie player Rossell returned for his third season with the Melbourne Aces and in the ABL during the 2017-18 ABL season.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

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.

Friday, January 11, 2019

Dae-Gun Kook (국대건) - 2018-19 Geelong-Korea

Kook is a Korean youngster who appears to have come from High School and made his way onto the inaugural Geelong-Korea roster for the 2018-19 ABL season. Online references have him as playing in 2018 with the Sekwang High School in the city of Cheongju.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Logan Wade - 2017-18 Brisbane Bandits

Local player Wade returned for his sixth season with the Brisbane Bandits during the 2017-18 ABL season.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Kelvin Melean - 2018-19 Canberra Cavalry

Melean was a Venezuelan import from the San Diego Padres organisation who played with the Canberra Cavalry during the first half of the 2018-19 ABL season. Melean has spent three years in the Padres farm system, spending 2018 with their single and advanced A affiliates, the Fort Wayne TinCaps and the Lake Elsinore Storm.

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Kuan-Jen Chen (陳冠任) - 2017-18 Adelaide Bite

Chen is a Taiwanese import who played with the Adelaide Bite during the 2017-18 ABL season as a mid-season roster addition. Chen spent three years playing on the CPBL for the Brother Elephants between 2006 and 2008. In 2016 he played a season of independent ball with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Atlantic League.

Monday, January 7, 2019

Scott Cone - 2018-19 Auckland Tuatara

Having previously played two season with the Canberra Cavalry as a New Zealander-turned-Aussie, Cone presumably returned to his Kiwi roots by signing with the Auckland Tuatara for their first ABL season in 2018-19.

Friday, January 4, 2019

Steven Kent - 2017-18 Canberra Cavalry

Canberran veteran Kent continues to roll along as a mainstay of the Canberra Cavalry's starting rotation. The 2017-18 ABL season was his seventh season with the Cavalry.

Now, I've noticed that all of the online and series program references to Kent have his first name as Steven, yet I've always had him listed as just Steve. It's looks like I've been getting his first name wrong for all of these years! Sorry Steven.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Ryan Kift - 2017-18 Perth Heat

Kift is a local player who made his debut with the Perth Heat during the 2017-18 ABL season. Kift played for Australia in the U18 World Cup in 2015.