Aussie baseballers invited to Spring Training 2013

Spring training is just around the corner, and there will be plenty of Aussies (and ex-ABL imports) plying their wares in the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues.

Image credit: MLB.com

Here is the initial list that I have identified as at today - I think it is quite comprehensive, but I may have missed some, if I have, let me know! The links will take you through to their MLB.com page.

Non roster invitees 
Australian players
Allan de San Miguel - Catcher - Baltimore Orioles
Josh Spence - LHP - New York Yankees
Rich Thompson - RHP - Toronto Blue Jays
James Beresford - SS - Minnesota Twins
Trent Oeltjen - OF - Los Angeles Angels
Matt Kennelly - Catcher - Atlanta Braves
Peter Moylan - RHP - Los Angeles Dodgers

Australian Baseball League import players
Tyler Collins - OF - Detroit Tigers (Sydney Blue Sox 2011)
Adam Buschini - OF - San Diego Padres (Canberra Cavalry 2012)
Mark Thomas - C - Tampa Bay Rays (Canberra Cavalry 2011)
Jack Murphy - C - Toronto Blue Jays (Canberr Cavalry 2012)

Australian players on the 40-Man Major League rosters
Grant Balfour - RHP - Oakland Athletics
Travis Blackley - LHP - Oakland Athletics
Liam Hendriks - RHP - Minnesota Twins

Australian Baseball League import players on 40-man Major League rosters
Brandon Barnes - OF - Houston Astros (Sydney Blue Sox 2011)
Donald Lutz - OF - Cincinatti Reds (Canberra Cavalry 2010)
Didi Gregorious - SS - Arizona Diamondbacks (Canberra Cavalry 2010)
Brandon Maurer - RHP - Seattle Mariners (Adelaide Bite 2010)

Pitchers and catchers report next week, so there will be a flurry of activity coming up. Should be exciting! Would be great to see Ryan Rowland-Smith and Luke Hughes get their name in on the action too.

Rich Thompson talks with OzMLBplayers.com

Rich Thompson has been climbing his way through the Angels' ranks for a number of years now. He first reached the bigs in 2007, but it has not been until this year that he has really cemented a spot in the big leagues.

I've been following Rich's progress since 2008 and have been excited to see him crack a spot in the major league squad. I was fortunate enough to get a short interview with the very busy Thompson last week.

Rich was one of the few Aussie players with Major League experience who played in the inaugural Australian Baseball League. He pitched in three games for the Blue Sox, and picked up a record of 1-0, striking out four over three innings pitched. The support of major league players is a critical success factor for the ABL, and I was interested to hear Thompson's thoughts on the league.

Rich Thompson pitching for the Blue Sox in the inaugural ABL season

'It was exciting to see professional baseball back in Australia and hopefully we can continue to draw more and more attention to it,' he said. 'It's always good when you go home and spend some time with your mates while preparing for the season. The media during spring training was really interested in hearing about the new league which I think is a great platform for more exposure'.

Following some outstanding performances through spring training in 2011, and a bit of luck through some opportunities arising through injury, Thompson scored a spot in the Angels' bullpen, and he hasn't disappointed. Through his first 20 appearances this year, he has pitched 27 innings, striking out 30, and allowing just three earned runs.

Since he has put quite a number of years into the Angels' minor league system, and is now starting to reap the rewards, I asked Rich how he felt to be in the majors and what he felt was the key to his success. 'I have had time in the big leagues over the last five seasons so it's been easy to become accustomed to how it all works. The Angels are the only organization I have played with, so I can only speak from my experience, but they do a great job preparing their Minor leaguers for the pressures of the Majors'. In terms of his successes this year, Rich said 'I've made a lot of strides in the past few years with more strikes and better pitch command which has given me the opportunity to put up numbers to help establish myself and show more consistency'. He said that for the rest of the season he hopes to pitch later in games and to prove he is 'a reliable go-to guy'.

Off the field, Thompson has also been very much a part of the Angels club, and has been involved in  promoting the development of the game. He was recently involved in a coaching clinic at Angel stadium with a few of his teammates and 250 kids.

Image from OCregister.com

'The organization does several clinics throughout the year and I was approached about helping out. I was happy to volunteer my time. It's run similar to Training With the Pros in Sydney each January so I was familiar with the format and these kids were so eager to learn'. 

Also off the field, Thompson has joined many other MLB stars by embracing social media. The LA Angels are one of the most prolific Tweeting teams in the majors, with Thompson being joined in the twitter-verse by Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Peter Bourjos among others. While he is not quite as hardcore a tweeter as his compatriot and fellow reliever Peter Moylan, Thompson boasts more than 4500 followers, and has embraced the interactive qualities of twitter. 'Twitter has changed everything...it's a fun way to interact,' he said. 'A lot of the support I get is from fellow Aussies, and social media opens up a new avenue for fans to gain access to athletes regardless of where they're playing'. [If you didn't check it out at the time, check Thompson's tweet stream for the very cool and original Easter Egg hunt he ran at Angel Stadium].

One thing that differentiates Thompson from some of the other Aussies in the majors at the moment is his extensive array of baseball cards - there are at least ten different cards out there. I asked him how this all came about. 'When I made the Futures Game in 2007, about five or six cards came out. Within the last few years I've come across most of my cards and have gathered at least one of each. The limited edition ones are harder to come by, but I don't really go out of my way to collect them'. For any autograph hunters out there, it seems Rich is happy to help. 'It's always interesting to open up fan mail and sign a new card that I haven't seen before,' he said.

When asked what was the best advice he could give up and coming Aussie baseballers, Thompson reflected back to some words of wisdom imparted from a fellow Aussie many years ago. 'When I was 13 I attended a two-day camp with Mark Shipley,' said Thompson. Shipley's advice was 'Don't drink. Don't smoke. Always be clean shaven. And church on Sundays - That's always stuck with me'. Thompson said. 'Since I can't be bothered shaving and we play games on Sundays, I guess two out of four ain't bad'.

We wish Rich all the best for the remainder of the MLB season, and we look forward to seeing him back in Sydney for the ABL later in the year!

Aussies on Opening Day MLB Rosters 2011

So here we are. The night before Opening Day 2011.

Finally!

We started the Spring with no less than 13 Aussies involved in Spring
Training. For some, Spring was a time to really showcase their wares.
Luke Hughes and Trent Oeltjen put their best foot forward and went
close to earning a spot in the big league squads for Opening Day. For
others, Spring proved to be disappointing, and one by one the initial
13 players slowly diminished until today both Trent Oeltjen and Ryan
Rowland-Smith were confirmed as missing out.

So, that leaves four Aussie guys - all relief pitchers - who have made
it all the way to The Show for Opening Day. Peter Moylan at the
Atlanta Braves was always a reasonably safe bet for making it, and he
further cemented his position with some impressive Spring
performances. Similarly, Brad Thomas at the Detroit Tigers was
entitled to feel some job security coming into the season after a
strong 2010. Grant Balfour changed clubs this year, moving from the
Tampa Bay Rays to the Oakland Athletics, and he found it hard to find
his rhythm early in the Spring. However, he has come on well in the
last week or so, and is now in a position where he may find some
chances as the closer for the A's.

The biggest achievement this year so far goes to Sydney's Rich
Thompson, who has made the squad for the Los Angeles Angels. Thompson
has played a handful of games in the big league (35 games for the
Angels over the past 4 years) while also putting in the hard yards at
AAA. He gave up just one run in 8 innings through spring training and
is a deserved holder of a roster spot at the Angels. It could be a
really big year for Rich.

It is shaping up to be a really huge year for Aussie MLB players. Be
sure to stay tuned to Oz MLB Players for all the action.

The ABL has been given new life

Hello world.
This little old blog has not been updated in quite a while, and there's been a heck of a lot happening on the Oz MLB Player scene: we have had two Aussies go to Divisional Series for Major League teams; there has been some increased game time given to a number of other Aussie players - Brad Thomas, Trent Oeltjen, Rich Thompson; Ryan Rowland-Smith had a bit of a bastard of a year (as did the Mariners fullstop) but has kept fighting hard.

And...we have a new local professional league. The ABL is back baby.

Now I will admit it, I was a little skeptical about whether the ABL would be successful. While Major League Baseball threw its support behind it, I was thinking there were too many factors suggesting it would not work. Crowds at the Claxton Shield over the past couple of years have been pretty poor. There is increasing competition through T20 cricket and the A-League, and most top class Aussie players play winter ball in South America.

However, so far I have been pleasantly surprised.

The ABL has relaunched and appears to be doing a pretty good job promoting itself using some (reasonably) decent websites and social media.

The Sydney Blue Sox season memberships sold out.

The roster for the Blue Sox contains a number of Major League players, including RRS and Trent Oeltjen, as well as ex-MLB and Japanese journeyman Chris Oxspring.

The ABL have announced official sponsorship from Rawlings, and has launched a merchandise range through New Era, including official 5950 caps.

They seem to have attracted quite a bit of sponsorship (albeit it is somewhat 'second tier sponsorship').

So now, I am feeling a little optimistic and have something to write about. Huzzah!

A few people manage to stumble across this page through google searches for Aussies in the MLB, so I figure I might do my thing for promotion and coverage of the ABL.

So come back soon, expect some player profiles and background information soon, with some live coverage and game reviews available in the near future.

Update on Aussies at MLB Spring Training

Time sure flies.

The 2010 Major League Baseball season is just around the corner, and this year there are 11 Aussies participating in Spring Training camps. Many of these players would be considered close to certain in terms of making Opening Day rosters, but there are quite a few who are trying to bust into a slot.

This time last year there were 10 Aussies in Spring Training. With Justin Huber moving on to Japanese baseball, and Phil Stockman being released, there are some changes to the mix of players vying for spots.

We've got it all covered here at OzMLBplayers! Here is your update on how things are shaping up for Aussies this year.

Grant Balfour RHP at the Rays,who signed a US$2.05m 1 year deal in December, will be expecting to start the 2010 season as a strong member of the Rays' bullpen . Balfour's 2009 season was probably not as strong as his 2008 breakout year. With the Rays signing Rafael Soriano from the Braves, chances are Balf will have less opportunities for saves, and more late inning setup work. His spring is off to a bit of a rough start, giving up 6 earned runs in 3.2 innings. I'm not sure if he is working on some new pitches or something that might affect these numbers, but time will tell.

Ryan Rowland-Smith LHP at the Mariners, finished 2009 reasonably strongly, after having an injury setback early in the year. He will be vying for a spot as either the 4th or 5th starter in the Mariners' rotation.

Peter Moylan RHP at the Braves had a solid year in 2009, becoming the only pitcher in Major League history to make 87 consecutive appearances to start a season without allowing a home run. He's made a hot start to spring training, striking out 4, while allowing only 3 hits in his first 4 appearances. As noted above, the Braves lost one of their main closer prospects in Rafael Soriano, but they signed veteran closer Billy Wagner from the Mets. Wagner has suffered some injuries in recent seasons, so there may be some chances for Moylan to step up throughout the year.

In addition to these seasoned players, there is a group of less experienced Aussies staking their claim too:

Luke Hughes 3B with the Twins organisation still has not quite burst onto the scene as it seemed he would. He is having a pretty quiet spring so far, and is probably likely to start the year in AAA.

Trent Oeltjen OF with the Brewers had a pretty short but very sweet entry into the big leagues last year with the Diamondbacks. The Brewers signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason, and it was likely he would be fighting it out for a backup outfielder position on the squad. He was hit on the hand early in spring training and missed a few games. Hotstove.com reckons that Jim Edmonds and Joe Inglett have shut the door on Oeltjen's chances. However he remains in the major league camp.

Brad Thomas LHP has played the last two seasons in the Korean league, and the Tigers picked him up in December 2009. He has pitched in the Majors before; for the Twins in 2004. It looks like he will be used from the Tigers bullpen through spring, and could possibly find himself on the roster come Opening Day.

Rich Thompson RHP has seen some action in the Majors, playing in the LA Angels organisation, but has not quite cemented his spot in their bullpen. He has joined the team for another spring training camp

There were also a few guys who started out with Spring Training in Major League camps, but have now been reassigned. Travis Blackley has been reassigned by the Mets to the minor league camp. Michael Collins was featured in an MLB.com story about spring training. However, the 25-year old catcher has now been reassigned to the Padres' minor league camp is in camp with the Padres. He hit well in his five appearances, picking up 3 hits, 3 RBIs 3 runs in 6 at bats. Possible chance of a mid-season call up for him I reckon. Shane Lindsay RHP at the Rockies pitched a couple of innings in spring training, but has now been reassigned to the minors. Rototimes.com is tipping that he will get a chance to make the Rockies squad at some point in the future, as long as he stays healthy. Drew Naylor RHP with the Phillies pitched one game in spring training, going 2 innings and striking out 2, and has now been reassigned to the minor league camp


Stay tuned for more updates as they happen

Card Tribute to Aussies in Spring Training - Part 1

With so many Aussies in Spring Training camp at the moment, what better way to kick off some card related posts.

Rich Thompson 2008 Triple Threads

This is a sweet looking GU card from the 08 Triple Threads set. There are a whole bunch of parallels with different colours, including green and white I think. Can't see too many on ebay at the moment.

Phil Stockman 2005 Donruss the Rookies Auto

This is a good looking card. Purple and green somehow go well together.

Luke Hughes 2004 Bowman First Year

It's been a few years since this 'first year' card was printed, and after having a stellar 2008, 2009 could really be Luke's first year in the Bigs.

Grant Balfour 2001 Bowman

Bit more old school action here, with Balf in his Twins threads, and looking a bit younger.

Brad Harman 2008 Bowman DPP XFractor

Shiny!

2009 Spring Training underway; WBC Roster announced

Alright, things are ramping up for the 2009 season, teams are playing again, roster battles are underway and Topps and Upper Deck are battling it out to see who can have the worst gimmick. It's an exciting time.

After much thought, I am going to try and post a lot again this season. I have started a new job this year and am working a lot longer hours. So that makes it tough, but I will try and post at least once a week. I also want to get more into the card side of things - something I didn't really do last year.

The rosters for the World Baseball Classic have been announced, with games set to commence in a couple of weeks. Both Grant Balfour and Ryan Rowland-Smith opted out of the WBC, which is not really a surprise. Balf is a genuine contender in the Rays bullpen this year, and RRS is battling it out to make the Mariners' rotation for opening day. It seemed that RRS was genuinely tossing up about playing the WBC, but in the end he chose to give Spring Training his full attention. I think this is a smart move. No matter what happens this time round, he should be in a good place to play the WBC next time. It makes sense for him to capitalise on the success he had at the end of 2008 and really stake a claim for the Seattle rotation.

There are stacks of Aussies in and about Spring Training. We have:

• Pete Moylan and Phil Stockman at the Braves: with Moylan looking real good, and possibly set for an early return after his surgery last year. The two Aussies met up with Marcus Ambrose at the Nascar Daytona 500, which sounded like a hoot.
• Ryan Rowland-Smith with the Mariners
• Trent Oeltjen has backed up with the Diamondbacks again this year, and Travis Blackley has also signed with them. With some injuries to some of Arizona's regular bullpen arms, Blackley is apparently a bit of a good shot - although it seems he may have done himself no favours by showing up late one day
• Luke Hughes is back with the Twins, although his chances of cracking the bigs at third base were dealt a blow when they signed Joe Crede recently - although Luke will be looking to repeat his 2008 successes. Justin Huber will join him in the Twins organisation after the WBC, after signing a minor leauge contract
• Brad Harman is on the roster for the Phillies spring training, and
• Rich Thompson is back in action for the Angels, and
• of course Grant Balfour is back with the Rays.

So that makes TEN Aussies in or about the mix at this time of the year. That's good stuff. And there were truckloads of Aussies in the minors last year, so there seems to be a steady supply of young Aussies headed to the show. There were some awesome results last year, and hopefully 2009 can offer some more great stories.

Huber hits, Oeltjen above .300, Thompson back in action

Not to be outdone by Trent Oeltjen, Justin Huber had a cracker of a day today. He led the Portland Beavers in a 17-hit night against Oeltjen's Sidewinders. Justin went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs. It was his first 3-hit game of the season, and take his average over the last 10 games to .342. It was a good bounce back from Huber, who went 0-for-7 in his previous two starts, with 4 strikeouts. Oeltjen also hit again, going 1-for-5, to take his season average to .304.

Meanwhile, Rich Thompson has begun a rehab stint in the Rookie Arizona League. Rich has battled a shoulder injury for much of the season, but has been effective in his last three starts. He has given up no hits or runs and two walks over 3 innings, striking out four. It seems unlikely that Rich would get a call up to the Bigs this late in the season. That said however, the Angels bullpen has been one of the weak points in a very strong side this year. Also, their AAA affiliate - the Salt Lake Bees - look to be headed for the postseason. Both these sides would be looking to bolster their bullpens, so it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Rich could get called up. Hopefully he can keep up the good form.

Aussie Update (5 and 6 May 08)

Yesterday saw some good Aussie action in MLB:

• Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched 2 digs of relief after Mariners' starter Carlos Silva gave up 6 runs to the Yankees over 3 and a bit innings. Rowland-Smith gave up 1 hit, walked one, and struck out one in his 40 pitch appearance. The Mariners lost 8-2.
• Justin Huber pinch hit in the Padres game against the Marlins. He grounded into a forceout in the 7th inning. Interestingly, he is 1-for-14 after hitting his first MLB homerun off Randy Johnson
• Brad Harman also got a pinch hit, as the Phillies beat the Giants. He grounded out in the 6th inning.

There were no Aussies in MLB action today, but there were two solid performances from Aussie pitchers in AAA:

• Rich Thompson pitched 2 innings of relief in Salt Lake's 5-1 victory over Nashville. He allowed 4 hits and 1 run, striking out 1.
• Grant Balfour also pitched two innings, as Durham beat Pawtucket 1-0. Balfour faced six batters over 2 innings, and struck out 5 of them. He drew a fly out from the sixth, and took the save - his third for the year. He has allowed only 1 hit, and no runs, in seven appearances for Durham, and is positioning himself well should the Rays need a replacement arm in the pen.

In more news:

• Bad news abounds about Peter Moylan's elbow. Both the Braves official site, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are reporting that he had to stop throwing halfway through a bullpen session on Saturday. There is no further word yet on whether he will need surgery. However, he has been moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL - so there is no indication he will be back anytime soon. Stats.com is reporting that this move was merely to make room for newly acquired first baseman Greg Norton on the Braves roster.
• Tristan Crawford has come off the DL in the Phillies minor league system. He finished 2007 playing AAA, but has started this year at AA Harrisburg Senators. He has had two starts, and was roughed up a bit in his first on 24 April, allowing 6 hits, 2 walks and 4 runs over 2 innings. On 30 April he was more effective, giving up 5 hits and 1 run over 5 innings.
• Scott Mitchinson has had a good start to the year with Class A Kane County Cougars. Over 5 games he has gone 3-0. He has struck out 28 in 28.1 IP. He has allowed 26 hits, and 10 runs, for an ERA of 2.54

More Huber action, Thompson back to minors, Balfour on MILB DL

Some updates from Tuesday and Wednesday:

• Justin Huber started today's game for the rapidly-becoming-woeful Padres. He played 8 innings in left field, and had 3 plate appearances. He walked once, struck out once and grounded out once. The Padres lost to the Phillies 7-4. No sign of Brad Harman in this game
• It was a pretty short stay in the bigs this time round for Rich Thompson. He has been sent back to triple-A, as Angels' manager Mike Sciosia recalled a minor league catcher and infielder. Thompson pitched one inning of relief in this little stint, and hopefully we will see more of him later in the year. In his first appearance back at Salt Lake today, Thompson had a shocker. He pitched to 3 batters in the seventh, and walked all three. Only 3 of his 15 pitches were strikes. :( Hopefully he will bounce back in his next appearance.
• Grant Balfour has been on the 7 day disabled list for Durham Bulls, with a thigh injury that is not considered serious
• Phil Stockman has continued with some very hot form for the Richmond Braves. He has not allowed a run in six appearances since 8 April. Today the big man pitched 1.2 innings, and gave up 1 hit, striking out 2. He has now pitched 15.1 innings this year, in 8 appearances, he has 1 win, 1 save and has given up 8 hits and 4 walks for 2 runs. His ERA is 1.17, and he has struck out 17. Perhaps if Peter Moylan's elbow injury turns out being horrible, Phil could earn a call up to the bigs. According to one Atlanta writer, it may well be that Moylans 08 season could be over already

Thompson called up again, more Aussies in action

Rich Thompson has been called up to the Angels roster, after being sent to triple-A in early April. Thompson had one appearance for the Angels in early April, when he gave up 5 runs over one inning. Since then, he has been quite consistent for the Salt Lake Bees, who have a 18-1 record for the season. The Angels called him, and fellow righty reliever, Jose Arredondo, to bolster their pitching ranks. The Angels' pen pitched a lot of innings in recent series against Boston and Detroit, and manager Mike Sciosia is looking for reiforcements. "We're going to need some coverage the next couple days. I'd rather have an extra guy than stretch some guys", said Sciosia.

Since earning the call up on Saturday (Aus time), Thompson has had one appearance. He played yesterday (Saturday in the US), as the Angels lost to Detroit. He ended the game for the Angels in the eighth inning. He faced the 9-1-2 hitters in the lineup, striking out Brandon Inge, and drawing groundouts from Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco. He pitched 14, with 9 of them strikes...so he may still be hoping to improve his average in this area. But nonetheless it was a solid return for Rich.

Meanwhile, Brad Harman and Justin Huber have made additional appearances for their teams. Brad Harman pinch hit for the Phillies today, drawing a walk in the sixth. Justin Huber played a few digs in the Padres win over Arizona yesterday, but was unable to get on base - going 0-for-2. His season average is now .250.

No Aussie MLB action today...but plenty of news and Minor league reports

Braves.com is reporting today that Peter Moylan has been undergoing some pretty intensive rehab on his elbow. Moylan says he is feeling like a completely new man after the work, but it is not clear yet when he is due to return to the action. His trip to the specialist revealed that he had a bone spur compromising the "ulna collateral" ligament in his right elbow. Moylan says that the work he has been doing has been making a big difference, and he hopes to play catch within the next week or so, and see how he goes from there. For more info on the nature of his injury, rehab, and his trip to the arm doctor, check out Braves.com.

Rich Thompson is going pretty well in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, with the Salt Lake Bees. He pitched 2 innings on Thursday and got the win, as the Bees won in 11 innings. He faced 7 batters, and struck out 5, allowing one hit. 22 of his 33 pitches were strikes. His record for 2008 is now 1-0, 5 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB and 6 strikeouts, with a 3.60 ERA. Hopefully Thompson can continue to improve his command and work his way back to the majors.

Craig Anderson has also been pretty good in Triple-A. He pitched 6 innings on Thursday and struck out 5. He allowed only 3 hits, one of which was a homer - but that was the only run allowed. He got a no-decision for the outing, but it was an improvement on his last outing, and good to see him go six innings. His record is now 0-0, 16.0 IP, 16 hits, 8, ER, 1 walk and 16 strikouts, with a 4.50 ERA. After starting the season as a reliever, Anderson has now had 2 starts. The Orioles are going alright at the moment, with a 10-7 record in the tough AL East division. So Anderson will need to keep working hard to get the call up.

In some Double-A news, Canberra-born Michael Collins has been on fire for the Arkansas Travelers.

The first-baseman has posted an outstanding .383 average over the first 13 games of the season. He has gone 18-from-47, with 4 doubles, 2 homeruns and 9 RBI, and he has also picked up 3 stolen bases. On Wednesday he bagged 1 homerun and 5 RBI, as he went 3-for-4, to help the Travelers come back and win their game in ten innings. These are pretty good numbers for the early days of the season. Collins played with the Travelers all through 2007, so hopefully he can build on that experience and continue to develop further.

Playing alongside Collins is Adam Morrissey at second base. He has played 5 games, and posted a .235 average.

More minor league news as it happens!

Updates from MLB and Triple A for Saturday

So the season is starting to build a bit of momentum now, the wheels are generally turning, and there is starting to be plenty of good and not-so-good performances, as teams and players start to find their footing for the year. Both Ryan Rowland-Smith and Peter Moylan got the day off today, as Seattle and Atlanta both had somewhat comfortable wins (M's beat Angels 8-3 and Braves beat Nationals 10-2; the Nationals 9th loss in a row).

Meanwhile, as the Padres were on the wrong end of a sharp performance from the Dodgers, Justin Huber got some more game time. Huber came into the game in the bottom of the sixth, playing left field. He batted in the top of the 7th, hitting the first pitch he saw; a 91mph fastball from Derek Lowe, to right field for a single. Other than fielding a line drive single, it seems he did not play much part in the field, and he did not get a second at-bat. Huber has had the least opportunities of all the Padres bench players, but he is certainly holding his own. Compare his stats to the other Padres' benchies here.

There was plenty of triple-A action today, with a few Aussies facing off. Here are some updates:

• Rich Thompson showed some better command today, throwing 9 of 11 pitches as strikes, as he got the hold for the Salt Lake Bees in their clash with San Diego affiliate Portland Beavers. This could be promising for Rich, as the Angels bullpen again blew things today
• Trent Oeltjen is probably going to find it tough to break into the Diamondbacks major league squad, as they are on fire at the moment (9-2 record). He went 0-for-2 today, taking his avg to .185, as the Sidewinders lost to the Fresno Grizzlies
• Craig Anderson had a so-so game today as his Norfolk Tides lost to Indianapolis. He was pretty effective over his first 4 innings of work, striking out 4 hitters, and giving up 1 hit and 1 homer, for 1 run. However, in the fifth he gave up another hit and another homer. He finished with figures of 4.1 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 BB, 5 strikouts.
• It was an OzFest at Lehigh Valley, with Chris Snelling and Travis Blackley facing off against Phil Stockman and the Richmond Braves. Snelling went 1-for-2 and drew two walks (he now has 7 walks in 9 games), Blackley pitched 5 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 run and 3 walks while striking out 1 (interestingly, he walked one bloke twice - Wes Timmons. This guy is 1-for-16 over 7 games - an average of .063, but has an OBP of .423 - he has 8 walks!) . It was a no-decision for him, and he also had one at bat, where he struck out. Phil Stockman worked effectively over 2 innings to get the save for the Braves. He faced 8 batters, struck out 3, walked 1 and gave up 1 hit.

No Aussies in ML action Friday, but some AAA action

Plenty of Aussies doing the rounds in AAA-ball at the moment. Here are some highlights:

• Grant Balfour gave up 1 hit and 1 walk, while striking out 1 in 1 inning of work as Durham lost 1-0 to Columbus Clippers
• Phil Stockman got the hold over 1 inning of work, walking 1, as the Richmond Braves beat Buffalo 2-1
• Playing as DH and batting 3rd, Chris Snelling had 5 PA's as Lehigh Valley lost to Pawtucket. He drew 2 walks and got 1 hit and 1 RBI. His average thus far is .174
• Rich Thompson and Trent Oeltjen faced off again as the Bees stung the Sidewinders. Thompson pitched the 8th inning. He walked Oeltjen (surely a gift for a fellow Aussie), he then struck out top D-Backs prospect Emilio Bonifacio. He got in a bit of a jam, giving up a single, then getting a flyout before loading the bases by hitting the batter. He recovered and drew a popout to second to escape unscathed. Thompson's numbers were 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 BB, 1 K, 17 of 27 pitches were strikes. Oeltjen had 4 PA's getting one walk and going 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts.

Stay tuned for more minor league updates and news

Updates from Thursday - RRS in action, Thompson assigned to AAA, roughed up in first outing

Ryan Rowland-Smith had another solid appearance for the Mariners today. He faced 4 batters over one inning, throwing 11 pitches in the 8th inning. He faced the top of the Rays' lineup again, and gave up one single. He struck out one (Carlos Pena - twice in two days) and got two fly outs. Another good performance from the bulldog!

Rowland-Smith has responded well after a not-so-good debut this year, and in a bullpen that is a bit sketchy at the moment, these sort of performances are going to see him get some more time in save opportunity situations. Today's game was not high pressure, Seattle was up by six, and went on to win 7-1. But this sort of focused, efficient performance is just the sort of thing the M's will be looking for.

If you had been wondering where Rich Thompson had disappeared to, like I had, there was some disappointing news reported in MLB's The Pitch. The LA Daily News reported on 5 April that the Angels activated Scot Shields from the 15-day disabled list, and optioned Thompson to AAA Salt Lake. Of the difficult decision, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said:

"I think getting his pitches in the (strike) zone in earlier counts is
important, and then once he gets to a pitch count, put guys away. It's a thing
that a lot of young pitchers go through. At times they think too fine, too early
in counts. They find themselves trying to get back into too many counts, which
is tough to do at the major league level"

Rich showed the same positive, optimistic approach that other Aussies have shown in difficult situations this year:

"I have to be more consistent with the fastball and get guys out," Thompson
said. "That's something I've got to work on and hopefully it'll not take too
long and I can be back up here as soon as possible"

The Angels pen has had a few problems, although it is early days yet. Hard luck for Thompson, and he is the unlucky one who was penalised for a bad start to the year. A few other Angels have had it rough too: Speier blew a save, Rodriguez blew a save but had his arse saved by a Torii Hunter homer in the bottom of the ninth, and Bulger gave up runs late.

So all in all, Thompson could be forgiven for thinking that this is all a bit rich (boom boom). But being a tough as nails optimistic Aussie, he will surely earn his spot back this year. For now, you can monitor his progress at the Salt Lake Bees. He had a rough start in his first outing, coming up against Trent Oeltjen and the Tucson Sidewinders. Thompson drew a line out to right, gave up a single to right, got a fly out to right, and then gave up a homer. He then walked a hitter, before drawing a ground out from Trent Oeltjen. Oeltjen went 2-for-4 on the day.

Rowland-Smith and Thompson make their 2008 debuts

Both Ryan Rowland-Smith and Rich Thompson saw their first major league action for 08 on Saturday (AEST). However, much like Peter Moylan's first outing of the summer, theirs were games they'd probably rather forget.

Rowland-Smith faced three batters, giving up 2 hits and a run in the 7th inning as the M's went down to the Orioles. He only threw 7 pitches, giving up a single and a double. The M's bullpen let them down in this one, and really let the game get away.

Rich Thompson pitched the 8th inning, and gave up 4 hits, 5 runs and 2 walks, facing 9 batters. He seemed to struggle with his control, with only 23 of his 41 pitches strikes. The game was already away from the Angels when he entered, but this is not the ideal start. The Angels rallied and scored 6 in the bottom of the 9th but lost 11-6 to the Rangers.

A few bits and pieces

So the season has kicked off, and there's some action about. Here are some updates from around the place:

• After three games, Rich Thompson hasnt had a pitch yet. Darren O'Day has got the ball in relief twice but there really hasnt been any need for RT to pitch. The Angels killed the Twins in game 2 (9-1), and got 8 innings out of Garland, and they lost by one on opening day. Similarly, today they got 8 innings out of Joe Saunders. So we will have to wait a bit longer to see Rich in action.
• Ryan Rowland-Smith has yet to get a throw. However, the Mariner's bullpen was not great on Wednesday, with JJ Putz blowing a save
• I am still trying to track down Trent Oeltjen, who signed a minor league contract with the diamond backs on 31 January, and saw a lot of time during spring training - dont know where he is, but it seems he will play with the D-Backs' minor league affiliates
• Craig Anderson has been confirmed on the roster of Triple-A Norfolk Tides
• Some info about Grant Balfour's situation - what a difference a day makes. In this article, Balfour was optimistic about making the team, suggesting he felt he was in the team, and looking at the spring stats of his main competitor (Dohrmann), it would have seemed Balfour could be confident. However, this article from a day later shows the frustration felt by Balfour at not making the roster.
• Chris Snelling went deep in the IronPigs final tune up before the season (box score here)

More news as it comes to hand!

Four Aussies make Opening Day rosters as pre-season wraps up

Four Australian born baseballers were named in Major League Baseball rosters for opening day over the weekend. There is one Australia position player, and three Australian pitchers down to commence the season in the bigs. Around eight or nine Aussies had been vying for positions in MLB squads over the US spring, and while four have made it at this point, there are a few who will be hoping to earn a slot later in the season.

Justin Huber is the only Aussie position player to commence the season on the 25-man roster. Huber was acquired by the San Diego Padres last week, after posting some impressive numbers over spring training. The Padres have him showing as a first baseman on their roster, and he is likely to start the season as a bench player. He could see some time in left field, as the Padres manage with their centrefielder Jim Edmonds on the DL. Huber celebrated his spring training success and position on the opening day roster by smacking a 2-run homer in the 8th inning of the Padres' loss to the Angels on Saturday.

Playing against Huber in California on Saturday was 23-year old pitcher Rich Thompson. He too has secured a place in MLB for the start of the season. Thompson will pitch in relief for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Through spring, Thompson posted an ERA of 3.38, and struck out 10 batters over 13.1 innings, while walking only 2. He played in 7 games for the Angels in late 2007, and will be hoping to see a lot more time in 2008. On Saturday, Thompson pitched 1 inning, and gave up a one-run homerun.

In Seattle, Ryan Rowland-Smith has made it to the Mariners' opening day roster. He too will pitch in relief, although there is a possibility he could see some time as the M's fifth starter. The 25-year old has had some major league experience, pitching in 26 games in 2007.

And one of the more experienced Australian MLB players, 29-year old sidearmer Peter Moylan, has confirmed his place in the Atlanta Braves' bullpen. Moylan has appeared in 95 major league games since 2006, and will operate as a setup for Braves' closer Rafael Soriano. In 8.1 innings of work over spring, Moylan struck out 6, and gave up 4 earned runs.

Of the other Australians participating in spring training, Chris Snelling and Travis Blackley have been sent to Philadelphia's AAA affiliate Lehigh Valley, where they will start the season. Tampa Bay's Grant Balfour has been designated for assignment, so we should know in a few days what the future holds in store for him. Damian Moss pitched another 2 innings for Atlanta on Saturday, but he will begin the season in the minors as well. Trent Oeltjen has continued to feature in the Arizona Diamondbacks spring, hitting in an exhibition game on Saturday. Oeltjen has had plenty of chances to impress this spring, and seems to have performed quite well. While there are some reports that he had been reassigned to the D-Back's minor league camp, this has not yet been verified on MLB.com. Again, over the next few days we should know more about where Oeltjen will begin the year. Stay tuned to Oz MLB Players for all the latest news!

Spring Training updates (late finishing games for 28 Mar 08)

There were two late games on the west coast today, and there were Aussie appearances in both:

• Ryan Rowland-Smith gave up 4 hits and 1 run over 2 innings of work. He also got a handy 4 strikeouts as the M's beat the Giants
• Meanwhile, Rich Thompson allowed 1 hit in his 2 innings against the Dodgers. He gave up 2 walks, and got 2 strikeouts. The two LA sides drew 2-2, with Thompson pitching the 9th and 10th innings. Another solid outing from Rich.

Spring Training Updates (26 Mar 08)

A mixture of good and not-so-good news out of the US today. Let's start with the good:

• Rich Thompson continued his good spring. He pitched 2 innings to get the win as the Angels beat the D-Backs. He gave up one run off 3 hits, and got 1 strikeout.
• Justin Huber yet again put forward his case to make the opening day roster. In his one pinch hitting at bat in the 8th inning he smacked a 2-run double, taking his spring average to .346. For a guy who has had 26 sporadic at bats this spring, I think it is pretty remarkable to be hitting with such consistency. With all the questions surrounding KC's opening day roster, Huber is making sure his name is in the mix.

And the not-so-good, news out of Philadelphia today:

• Chris Snelling had another rough day, flying out in his only at bat of the day. His spring average is .200
• The Phillies have placed Travis Blackley on waivers, confirming they dont have a spot for him in their plans for the bullpen. This is disappointing at this point, but perhaps not the end of the world. There is a chance that Blackley may be picked up by another team, including the Giants - from whom the Phillies acquired him in the Rule 5 draft. If not, he may be sent to the Minors, or released as a free agent. For more on the waviers rules, see ESPN's transactions primer