Getting to know Team Australia

Now that the Team Australia provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic has been released, we can start to get some idea as to how the team might shape up on the field. The roster is made up of a real mix of players - there are some absolute stalwarts of Australian baseball, guys with major league experience, as well as a bunch of young prospects, some stars from the ABL, and one or two virtual unknowns. When looking through the squad there are some reasonably clear positional decisions, but also a few positions that could be up in the air. Will management go for experience or form? Will they rely on reputation and big league game time, or will they look to give some youngsters a go? These are all the questions we can mull over in the lead up to the tournament on 2 March.

I've taken a bit of a wander through the recent experiences of the players on the provisional roster, and checked out the strategic decisions that can be seen through the 2011 Baseball World Cup line-ups  I'm tipping that overall the Team Australia line-up will be very experienced in terms of starting pitching, and that our offensive line-up will give some less experienced guys the chance to really step up. Check out my ramblings below for the full picture!

Starting pitchers

Yeah, yeah there are a few big arms missing from the list (Balfour, Blackley, Spence, Hendriks, Thompson etc). But so what? There's still some real high quality experience on that list. Of the 14 pitchers on the provisional roster, there are six who I think can stake a legitimate claim to a starting spot:

Chris Oxspring (SMP Images/JoeVella)

1. Chris Oxspring: Although his five major league appearances were as a reliever, Oxspring has spent the bulk of his extensive minor league career as a starter. He has been arguably the best starting pitcher in the Australian Baseball League over the past three years. In 2012-2013 he has struck out 86 over 79.2 innings, posting a 2.71 ERA. Oxspring's vast experience, which includes time pitching in Asia, as well as a coaching role at the Blue Sox, situated him well to take a leadership role for Team Australia, and I would hand him the ball for game one.

Dushan Ruzic (SMP Images/Joe Vella)

2. Dushan Ruzic: Ruzic has been a reliable performer for Team Australia over the past few years, and has been very consistent for the Adelaide Bite in the ABL. Like Oxspring, he started three games for Team Australia in the 2011 World Cup, and he put in some strong performances at previous international competitions.

Warwick Saupold (SMP Images/Scott Powick)

3. Warwick Saupold: Looks to be a contender for a starting spot. He had a blistering 2011-2012 ABL campaign, where he went 5-3 in 10 starts, with an ERA of just 1.41. This earned him a contract with the Detroit Tigers, where he impressed through 2012. He started the year at Class A West Michigan, where he featured almost solely as a reliever. He then pitched at High A, where he started five of his seven games, going 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA. Returning to the Perth Heat midway through the ABL season, he has made four starts, going 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA.

Ryan Searle (SMP Images/Scott Powick)

4. Ryan Searle: His ABL campaign has followed a similar pattern to Saupold. He began the season as a reliever (and spent the bulk of his 2012 US season in the bullpen) but in his five games since Christmas he has started. He started two games for Team Australia at the 2011 World Cup, putting up an ERA of just 0.73. If he doesn't start at the WBC, he will definitely be available for long relief if needed.





5. Brad Thomas: Thomas brings a wealth of experience to the squad, including pitching in the Taiwan league, which is hosting the tournament. He has put up improved numbers in the ABL 2012-2103 season. His strikeout rate is up from 5.24/9 innings to 8.6/9 innings, and he is giving up less frequent walks. Big chance to start for Team Australia.

Brad Thomas (SMP Images/Joe Vella)

6. Ryan Rowland-Smith: The last solid year of major league pitching for Rowland-Smith was in 2009. In 2010 he put up a 1-10 record in 20 starts. That was enough to see him part ways with the Mariners, and he signed a minor league deal with the Astros for 2011. He started 21 games that year, going just 2-11, with a 5.90 ERA. Has had struggles controlling walk rates, and these continued with the Cubs at AAA in 2012. There he went 3-6 in 30 appearances (eight starts) with a 3.94 ERA. He has a more extensive major league record than most of the roster, but recent form is hard to measure. Will either be used in long relief or as a second or third starter.

Ryan Rowland-Smith (SMP Images / Scott Powick)

Interestingly, there is a pattern among some of the guys who have pitched in the ABL this year. Ryan Searle, Warwick Saupold and Brad Thomas all have a similar throwing pattern over the past few months. Each of them joined their respective ABL club midway through the season, and each made a handful of relief appearances before joining the starting rotation. This could be entirely coincidental  or it could be a part of pre-WBC audition. Either way, it looks like each of these guys could be in contention.

My gut feel is that the opening three starters will be Oxspring, Ruzic and Thomas Saupold [after watching the Heat v Sox final].

Relievers

Andrew Russell (SMP Images/Joe Vella)

Bearing in mind the above selections as likely starters, this leaves a bunch of other guys in the bullpen. My thoughts are that a combination of Andrew Russell, Matt Williams and Brendan Wise will be used to close out the late innings. This means for other situations there would be a trio of leftys - Adam Bright, Steve Kent and Clayton Tanner - and a pair of right handers - Tim Kennelly and Peter Moylan.

Check in later this week for part two, where I try to piece together our defensive line-up and batting order! And of course, please let me know what you think - either leave a comment, or send me a message on twitter.