Oz MLB Players

Three Aussies make opening day rosters, Balfour picks up first save

2009-04-11T00:09:00.002+10:00

After all the challenges and preparation of spring, three Aussies made it onto opening day rosters in the Bigs - and all three are pitchers:

Balf picked up a save already, going 1.1 innings and striking out one against the Red Sox. Rowland-Smith is due to start tomorrow (just a few hours away) against the A's.

Eight Aussies in action today; Snelling, Moylan solid

2009-03-16T21:21:00.002+11:00

A whopping eight Aussies appeared in spring training games today! Big effort.
It was a bit of a mixed bag though. Chris Snelling was good, hitting a three-run double and scoring a run for his new team the Padres. Also, Peter Moylan picked up a win, after not giving up any hits in one inning of work. Also appearing were Trent Oeltjen, Rich Thompson, Luke Hughes, Brad Harman, Grant Balfour and Scott Campbell. You can find links to the relevant box scores at the right of this page!

Interestingly Luke Hughes, who has usually played third base for the Twins, had a game a second base today. This could be a promising sign for him, as the Twins recently signed Joe Crede to play third, perhaps they are checking out whether Hughes can cut it at second? He is getting the job done with the bat though - he went 2-for-3 today and is batting .444 through spring training.

And yes, I have said nothing about the Aussies' loss to the Mexicans the other day. I'm hanging out for the 2013 Classic!

Ryan Rowland-Smith snaps M's losing streak, picks up two hits

2009-03-15T12:20:00.003+11:00

Ryan Rowland-Smith pitched a solid 4 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 3 and walking none, as the Mariners beat the Rockies 10-5. What's more, taking his first at bats in nearly ten years, Rowland-Smith went 2-for-2!

Fantastic.

Check out his second hit in the video below, and for more info check out the Seattle Times blog, which includes some commentary and an interview with Ryan.

Chris Snelling signs with the Padres

2009-03-15T12:08:00.004+11:00

After a pretty solid WBC performance, Chris Snelling has signed a minor league deal with the Padres. Its a similar move to the one the Friars made last year with Justin Huber. The Padres are looking pretty woeful this year. Apparently Snelling will be given a chance to make the MLB roster. Their outfield is crowded, but you wouldn't say it is filled with stars. Fingers crossed he can replicate some of the pop he had at the WBC and at the Phillies last year.

Card Tribute to Aussies in Spring Training - Part 2 - WBC Edition

2009-03-11T22:47:00.005+11:00

So the Aussies got done by the Cubans today. Big bummer. But, they played outstandingly, it really only came down to one (perhaps lucky) hit, from a big bopper on the Cuban team.

So we meet Mexico again tomorrow....can we do it again.....OF COURSE WE CAN!!!!!

So here is the WBC tribute!

Travis Blackley

What an awesome game from Blackley today. Outstanding pitching over 5.2 innings, only giving up one run. Great job from the fiery lefty.

David Welch

The man with the next tough job, Welch will face off against Mexico tomorrow, with Australia's future in the WBC on the line. Welch has pitched well this spring and this is a fantastic opportunity for him to make a name for himself.

Michael Collins

Try doing a search for Michael Collins cards on ebay! See how much luck you have!

Justin Huber

Come on Huber, you have been there before, you have been an all star, you are on a GOLD card, you can do it!

Chris Snelling

Snelling has shown some real good swings so far in Mexico. He has had horrible luck with injuries in recent years....could 2009 be his year?

More on Australia's defeat of Mexico at the WBC

2009-03-09T22:08:00.008+11:00

Weellllllllll. Had some time to let the amazing victory sink in.

The good news is that it is actually making some news:

Almost hidden under Phil Hughes' headline you can see the World Baseball Classic line at the SMH. You can also read about it at MLB.com, where Andrew Graham said 'We're a force, a team that's going to bring some force. We're going to try to win every game we play.' Or, at the Baseball Radio National Forums you can read coach John Deeble's thoughts, or at the Australian, Yahoo Sports, or ESPN.

Mexico is a strong side. They have plenty of major leaguers in their midst and won their pool in the 2006 Classic. Their starting pitcher Oliver Perez signed a 3-year $36m contract with the Mets this year. And their closer, Francisco Rodriguez joined the Mets on a 3-year $37m contract. Against the Aussies - who don't have any current major leaguers - Perez and Rodriguez gave up 10 hits and 6 runs over 2.2 innings combined.

The Aussies, who are largely a bunch of fringe-MLB players and prospects, showed that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts today. There were some outstanding performances, and a cursory glance at the box score highlights these:

Trent Oeltjen: 4-for-5 with a walk and an RBI, and an excellent sliding catch in centerfield
Luke Hughes: 2-for-6 with 3 RBIs
Chris Snelling: 3-for-5 with 2 homers and 3 RBIs
Ben Risinger: 2-for-5 with 3 RBIs
Brett Roneberg: 3-for-4
Brad Harman: 3-for-5 with 4 runs
Andrew Graham: 4-for-6 with 3 RBIs
(20-year-old!!!) Liam Hendriks: 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs
Damien Moss: 1.2 IP 1 hit, 0 runs
Rich Thompson: 2 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 strikeouts

What a game! And we mercy-ruled them. I didn't even know you could do that once you stopped playing T-Ball!

We have Cuba up next - Wednesday Aus time, with Travis Blackley taking the mound

Aussie Baseball team beats Mexico in World Baseball Classic

2009-03-09T17:53:00.003+11:00

WOW!!!!!
What can you say!!!!

Australia 17
Mexico 7

22 hits

WOW

4 home runs

WOW

Team average of .489

WOW

Knocking off the Tournament hosts at their home ground
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More on this later, but for now check out the box score!

EPIC WIN! Channel Ten's One HD to show MLB games

2009-03-08T00:02:00.006+11:00

If you haven't heard of it already, Channel Ten in Australia is set to launch a new digital channel in late March. Called One HD, it will be a 24-hour-a-day sports channel. Although it is not easy to find, their website is now showing that they will show 5 games of MLB per week, PLUS "live prime time" coverage of the playoffs and World Series!!!!! I'm not sure how the "live prime time" coverage will work, as most East Coast games in the States are over by mid-afternoon here...but WHO CARES :)

That is absolutley fantastically awesome.

Free to air Major League Baseball, 5-times-a-week. WOW!!!!!! Bring it on.

Card Tribute to Aussies in Spring Training - Part 1

2009-03-06T23:03:00.003+11:00

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

2009-03-04T21:46:00.003+11:00

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.

Grant Balfour earns the save as the Rays make it to the ALCS

2008-10-07T13:23:00.001+11:00

Their first year into the postseason, and the Tampa Bay Rays have made it to the ALCS! Grant Balfour today pitched the Rays into the American League Championship Series, earning the save in a 6-2 victory over the White Sox. He pitched both the 8th and the 9th innings, facing 7 hitters. He walked 1 and struck out 2, including Ken Griffey Jnr to end the game. The Rays will now face the winner of the Angels v Red Sox series currently underway.

Season Review - Part Two

2008-10-06T02:08:00.001+11:00

Top 5 Most Impressive Aussie Baseballers in 2008

2. Ryan Rowland-Smith

Maybe he knew something we didn't?

Speaking of his chances of making the 2008 Opening Day roster for the Mariners, Ryan Rowland-Smith said 'I always try to stay positive and tell myself that it's not where I am in April, it's where I am in September'. At that time, the Mariners were boasting about their 'best rotation (on paper) in several seasons'. There was some uncertainty about the makeup of the bullpen, but Rowland-Smith had his eyes set on a spot. 'I knew the rotation was set and I just tried to get one of the spots in the bullpen. I think I've given myself a good opportunity', he said during Spring Training.

Rowland-Smith displayed real maturity, determination and versatility through the 2008 season, and his wise words were a real insight into what lay ahead for him. I really hate the word 'journey', and I think it is bandied about way too much in this the reality TV era. But 2008 was a real journey for Ryan Rowland-Smith.

During the winter between the 07 and 08 MLB seasons, Ryan Rowland-Smith trekked to Venezuela to build his arm strength for the season ahead. RRS ended up making the 2008 opening day roster, after posting impressive numbers during Spring Training. He pitched 11 innings during the spring, and did not allow an earned run; giving up 9 hits and 7 walks. What particularly impressed me was his ability to pitch well when the other members of the Mariners' pitching staff were off their game. On 15 March, Erik Bedard (who is on about US$8 million a year and pitched just 81 innings through 2008) gave up 8 runs over 4 innings against the Giants. Rowland-Smith then came in and pitched 2 scoreless digs!

In his first appearance in the regular season, Ryan pitched 1.2 innings, striking out 2, and picking up his first Major League save. Through the early parts of the season, he continued to feature out of the 'pen. Through the middle of June, he had appeared in 25 games, pitching 27 innings. His ERA was a very respectable 2.33, and he had 2 saves from 3 opportunities. He had struck out 21, and his WHIP was also very respectable at 1.18. Things were looking pretty good by any measure. But was this where Ryan wanted to be?

By July, the Mariners' rotation was struggling. Bedard had battled injuries. Felix Hernandez busted up his ankle. RA Dickey got smacked around a few times. Rowland-Smith had proved himself as an effective long reliever on a couple of occasions, and their new manager Jim Riggleman tossed the ball to him to fill a spot starter role. He didnt set the world on fire during his first start - pitching 3.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 runs, with 1 walk and 1 strikeout - but it was a taste of things to come. He did well enough to earn another chance during the same week, with an increased pitch count. In that second outing he held the Detroit Tigers to 1 run over 5 innings, and worked his way out of a number of jams.

Ryan made no secret of the fact that he wanted to be a starter. Posting on his blog on 13 July, RRS wrote 'to be honest with you mate, in the long run, I really wanna be a starter. To me, it’s the ultimate, to have the game in my control, and try and go the entire nine innings.' But, after the two spot starts, he was back in the 'pen.

In late July, Rowland-Smith was dropped/demoted/sent to AAA Tacoma to work on his role as a starter. Like his words from the pre-season, Rowland-Smith's response to being sent to Tacoma showed real perspective. 'All I can do is pitch, go to Triple-A and work my ass off and give them no reason to keep me out of Seattle', he said. On his blog he gave some real insights into how it felt to be sent to Tacoma, and recalled some advice he'd received from his mother that 'the journey is more important than the destination'.

Rowland-Smith was effective in his starts at Tacoma, and after a few weeks he found himself back in the bigs. He got 10 starts at the Mariners over the last month or two of the season, and he pitched really well. In all but one of the 10 starts, he gave up 4 or less runs, and he went 5 innings or more in every one of his appearances. In August, he became only the second Mariners pitcher to pitch more than 7 innings in consecutive starts. (Yes, that is not a typo - AUGUST and only Felix Hernandez had pitched more than 7 innings in consecutive starts) He got very little run support over those 10 starts, and ended up with a 3-2 record over that period. He ended the season on a high, earning the win against the Oakland A's in front of an appreciative Safeco Field crowd.

Looking back at his words from Spring Training, Rowland-Smith must be pretty happy. His stocks rose significantly through 2008, and entering the 2009 season, he will be a leading contender for a spot in the Mariners' (or perhaps someone elses' - plenty of teams, including the Yankees, have had some pitching problems this year...) rotation. A simple Google search now shows plenty of superlatives describing RRS as a bright spot in an otherwise cloudy season for the Mariners. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre was impressed - 'boy did he jump in and do a tremendous job', he said - and Manager Jim Riggleman was also pleased, saying there is nothing more RRS can do other than 'come to Spring Training and nail down his spot in the rotation'.

By any assessment, Ryan was in a much better position in September than he was in April. The destination for Ryan and the Mariners in 2008 was the bottom of the AL West standings. The journey was a lot more than that for one promising lefty. There can be no doubt that Rowland-Smith learnt a lot through 2008, and his experience pitching in a number of roles in the bullpen, and as a starter at both AAA and Major League level was quite a journey.

Looks like Mrs Rowland-Smith was right. Hopefully Ryan Rowland-Smith's destination in 2009 can hold some of the promise of his 2008 journey.

Grant Balfour - King of the Mountain!

2008-10-03T23:37:00.006+10:00

Ahh its more than 12 hours since Balf's bust-up with the White Sox, and I am still loving it. Here is a little photo and video tribute to the man of the moment....I cant wait to see what lies ahead in the coming playoff games (and fingers crossed the WS).

Balf pumps his fist like so many times this season

Dioner Navarro keeps the peace

What a great shot!

Longo pats Balf on the head while he calls out to Orlando Cabrera to give directions back to the dugout

What a shot! James Shields thanks Balf for saving his ass in the 7th inning jam.

And the video tribute...the Oils rocking out:

There are a ton of articles out there today about the game, here are a few choice selections:

Season review - Part One

2008-10-03T15:11:00.005+10:00

I had intended to post the following when I finished my full review, but after Grant Balfour's fireworks today as the Rays beat the White Sox, I couldnt help myself, and had to post it today. Stay tuned for the full review of Aussie MLB players performances in 08.

Top 5 Most Impressive Aussie Baseballers in 2008

1. Grant Balfour

Before the season began, I wrote that 'my prediction is that Balfour is a solid contender for the Rays' opening day bullpen. If he does not make it, he will likely pitch in AAA, and I would expect he will see some time in the majors this year'.

Not a bad prediction in the end.

Balfour missed out on the opening day roster, but he pitched amazingly at AAA Durham, and he saw plenty of time with the Rays. What I, and probably nobody on the planet (with the exception perhaps of the brilliant Joe Maddon), could have predicted was the level of success that Balfour (and the Rays) have found this year. There are a number of things that stand out about Balfour's success this year, but it seems that he really worked hard to earn his spot, and once he got it he hung on to it for grim death.

Coming into 2008, Balfour had tasted some success at Major League level, but had also had injury problems. He had appeared in post-season play for the Minnesota Twins in 2004, but 2005 and 2006 were soured by arm and shoulder injuries. He found his way to the Rays via the Reds and Brewers, and in 2007 he showed some of his firepower potential, striking out 30 over 24.2 innings pitched. However, he also gave up 20 walks, and posted a 7+ ERA.

Grant pitched his arse off during spring training. He gave up 7 hits and 3 walks over 8.1 innings, and struck out 7. He posted an ERA of 3.24, and faced off against some tough hitters, including the core of the Yankees lineup - Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Morgan Ensberg. On 21 March, he pitched two innings against the Bronx Bombers and gave up no hits and just the one walk. His spring performance was high quality, but really only a very small taste of what lay ahead for the firebrand from Sydney.

It was not smooth sailing for Grant though, and he hit some rough seas at the end of spring training; missing out on an opening day roster spot. A lesser man would have struggled to get over such disappointment, especially after the 2 years battling injuries, and such a quality spring training. But Balf did not muck around. He copped his assignment to AAA Durham on the chin, and set about forcing his way back into the big league squad.

Remarkably, Balfour was out of options entering 2008, meaning that he was effectively pitching to secure his major league future.

Balfour worked hard at Durham to prove his worth and to maintain his confidence in his pitching. "Pitching is about confidence," Balfour said. "Get on a little bit of a roll and take it from there. Just go out there and drop a zero. Then go out there and drop another one. Like hitters getting hits. I just tried to roll with it as long as I could". And roll with it he did.

In 15 appearances for Durham, Grant pitched 23.2 innings and allowed just 5 hits and 1, yes that's right - just 1 run, for an ERA of 0.38! He picked up 8 saves and 39 strikeouts in the process. On 23 May, he struck out 5 hitters over 1.2 innings against the Richmond Braves. A week later he picked up his first major league save, drawing a flyout from the one hitter he faced, as the Rays beat the White Sox 2-0. Rays manager-cum-saviour Joe Maddon said that Balf had to work on controlling his pitches. 'If he can locate with his pitches he can be very successful here,' said Maddon.

He must have done something right, because he was unstoppable throughout the season. Through 58.1 innings Grant showed his versatility, filling all roles in the bullpen, including that of middle reliever, setup man, and closer, and he pitched one or two games as a mop-up man. Through it all, he struck out 82 and gave up just 10 hits and 24 walks.

What really impressed me about Balfour's season was that he absolutely owned his spot on that roster. Once he was in the Rays squad, there was no way anyone was getting him out of it. You could see the intensity in his body language when he pitched, and you could hear it in the yells he made on the mound. There were testing times for the Rays bullpen throughout the year, with their #1 closer Troy Percival going on the DL a number of times. Each time Percy came back, there was the chance that Balf would find himself back at Durham. But he pitched so well that they were forced to keep him, and to use him.

It seems that Balfour became an absolutely integral part of the Rays team. He was heavily involved in the mohawk craze that took over during the team's race to the pennant, and it seems that his energy and intensity had a real impact on his teammates every time he toed the rubber.

His obvious hard work and intensity have paid dividends so far. Balfour and the Rays are headed into the post-season. Grant has pitched in some absolutley massive situations throughout the season, and has usually done amazingly well. He will be looking to bring the same firepower into October, and beyond. He has a lot to play for; a possible ALCS; the World Series, and not insignificantly, a contract for 2009.

However it all ends up, Balfour has provided one of the best single-season performances of any Australian Major Leaguer ever. We can only hope that he succeeds in the post-season and into 2009, and sit back and enjoy watching a fierce competitor being tested against the best teams in MLB.

PS - and now his intensity and fire has kicked into the postseason, with Grant pitching the Rays out of a bases loaded jam in Game 1 of the ALDS and getting into a bit of a slanging match with Orlando Cabrera! Onya Balf!

Rowland-Smith notches up a win against Twins

2008-08-28T00:19:00.004+10:00

Ryan Rowland-Smith finally notched up a win as an official starter against the Twins yesterday. He was given a bit of run support from the M's offense, and took advantage of it. The victory takes him to a record of 3-2, and comes after a strong outing against the A's last week. The game against the A's was a big stepping stone for Ryan, as he threw 114 pitches over 7 innings, striking out six. It was especially notable because the previous start he gave up 10 hits and 5 runs against the Twins.

He didnt do it all easy against the Twins this time round, and dug himself out of a couple of holes. The first two innings went by relatively easily, but in the third he found himself with runners on second and third, with the dangerous Joe Mauer at the plate. However, he stood his ground and was able to draw a groundout thanks to a great grab by firstbaseman Bryan LaHair, and good hustle from RRS to cover the bag. Again, in the sixth inning he found himself in another tricky situation. With runners at the corners and none out he had Justin Morneau ground into a double play - driving in a run. He then gave up a solo homer to Randy Ruiz, before striking out Delmon Young with a seething 92mph fastball.

After the Mariners reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the 6th, Ryan came out for a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th, before being taken out of the game, hanging on to a 3-2 lead.

Young Seattle reliever Roy Corcoran managed to get the save and Rowland-Smith was awarded the win. Somewhat amazingly (although perhaps not surprisingly), RRS is only the second M's pitcher this year (Felix Hernandez was the other) to pitch at least seven innings in back-to-back starts. What an amazing stat, and one that highlights how pathetic the Mariners' rotation has been. Right from spring training RRS has been dishing out the pitching lessons to the Mariners more fancied names. What a bust Erik Bedard has been! I bet they wish they could send him back to the O's!

Not only did he earn the win, he also earned some good wraps from Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire:

"Rowland pitched against us well,” Gardenhire said. “He’s effectively in and out of the zone. His ball’s surprising. He’s got some zip. He’s learned to throw breaking balls. We saw him a few years ago. We Rule 5′d him, and you know what? He’s come a long way as a pitcher. He’s a big-strong pitcher, and he kind of shut us down."

Mariners manager Jim Riggleman backed up Gardenhire's kind words:

"He did a good job for us in the bullpen and made a case for himself there. But to pitch like he has now after coming back from the minor leagues as a starter, it will be a real boost if he can continue anything like this."

Its all looking good for Ryan at this time of the season. The Mariners season is all but over, but there is plenty for him to play for, and it seems he is doing a good job. His next start is likely to be against the under-the-radar Cleveland Indians at Cleveland. Hopefully he will keep up the good form (and the M's bats will give him something to work with).

Check out the latest interview from KOMO radio, Ryan Rowland-Smith talks about winning silver at the 2004 Olympics, including facing his M's teammate Kenji Johjima to make the gold medal game. He seems to be a real easygoing, but hardworking, baseball-loving bloke. Check out the interview here

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

2008-08-20T18:11:00.003+10:00

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.

Oeltjen batters Beavers

2008-08-18T23:03:00.003+10:00

Things have been a bit quiet round here lately, but this was worth making time for a post! Trent Oeltjen absolutely pounded the daylights out of the Portland Beavers today. He did such a good job that he made the headlines on MILB.com!

He had 4 hits, including 2 triples, and 7 RBIs. He is running second in the PCL for triples. Read more about his hot streak here (interestingly the writer of the article seemed to think the Aussie baseball team was playing in Beijing). Trent has his average up to .298 for the season, and while it seems unlikely that he'd get a callup to the D'Backs, he is playing to impress for 2009, and to maybe look for a spot on a MLB roster next year.

Snelling back in action

2008-08-02T22:53:00.004+10:00

PhuturePhillies.com is reporting that a number of roster moves occurred late this week, between AAA Lehigh Valley and the Phillies. Part of these involved activating Chris Snelling from the DL. Snelling had been on the DL for more than a month, recovering from further knee problems.

He has played in three games since being re-activated, going 0-for-8, with 2 strikeouts and a walk.

Luke Hughes promoted to AAA

2008-08-02T22:23:00.004+10:00

2008 just keeps getting better and better for Luke Hughes. So far he has:

hit .319, with 15 homers and 40 RBIs in 70 games at AA New Britain
appeared in the 2008 All Star Futures Game
hit an important homerun in the AA All Star game.

He can add to that list a call up to AAA. The Rochester Red Wings have called up Hughes to replace injured outfielder Darnell McDonald. We predicted a call up to AAA here at OzMLBplayers just 2 weeks ago, and now it has happened! Next stop for Hughes, the Minnesota Twins!

He hasnt mucked about in his new team, going 3-for-9, with a double, a run, and RBI and a stolen base in his first two games. Tomorrow he is coming up against Lehigh Valley and Travis Blackley, who is 4-4 with a 4.21 ERA in his last 10 starts (5-7, 4.74 ERA for the season) .

Congratulations to Luke, and hopefully we will see him in the bigs soon!

Balfour pitching well; RRS starts at Tacoma

2008-08-01T20:49:00.000+10:00

Well things have been a bit slow around here of late, but there is no sign of a slowdown when it comes to Aussie MLB action. Grant Balfour has been absolutley hot for the Rays lately, and Ryan Rowland-Smith has made two solid starts at AAA Tacoma.

Rays' manager Joe Maddon seems to be passing the ball to Balfour with increasing regularity. And Balf is doing his best to make sure this keeps happening, by striking out opposing batters like clockwork.

Since 24 July, Balf has pitched 5.2 innings, striking out 9 and allowing just one walk, no hits and no runs. The last hit he gave up was on 13 July.

Balfour has only allowed 4 runs all year, and has struck out 45 over 30 innings pitched. His opponents are batting only .103 against him. This as an MLB leading stat. He is fourth in MLB in K's per 9 innings (13.5), and his ERA of 1.20 puts him in the top 10 or so pitchers who have made more than a handful of appearances.

These numbers are simply amazing. There are no other words for it.

All this from someone who has not had amazing success previously.

Inside the Box offers some insight into a possible reason for Balfours outstanding year to date:

Rays reliever Grant Balfour hurled a scoreless inning to drop his ERA to
1.26 for the season. A mostly forgettable reliever his previous four campaigns
in the majors, Balfour is focusing on his mid-90s fastball this year, throwing
it nearly 87 percent of the time, compared to 76 percent a year ago. The results
have been impressive as in addition to the fine ERA he also sports a 3.5:1
strikeout:walk ratio with 42 strikeouts in 28.2 IP.

Hopefully Balf can keep up the velocity, guts and determination and smash it home with the Rays. He picked up a win today, striking out 3 of the 4 batters he faced, including getting out of a jam by striking out Gary Sheffield with runners on to end an the 5th inning. The AL East race is really a classic at the moment. The Rays are 3 games up, with the Red Sox and the Yanks trying real hard to get back at them. The Rays seem to be playing like a real team, with no real superstars, just good, solid baseball. If you havent had a chance to see any of their games, make the effort now. MLB.TV is having a free 5-day trial at the moment, so go and check it out.

Meanwhile, Ryan Rowland-Smith has been effective in his two starts at Tacoma. He threw 5.2 innings on 25 July at Nashville in a no-decision effort. He gave up 3 hits, 3 walks and 2 runs, while striking out 5. His second start on 30 July was excellent. He threw plenty of first pitch strikes, and allowed 3 hits, 1 walk and 2 runs over 7 innings. He got plenty of run support from the Rainiers, and was awarded the win.

The Mariners made one trade before the 31 July deadline, sending reliever Arthur Rhodes to the Marlins. This left only 24 men on the roster. Some say it is likely that Rhodes spot will be taken by either Rowland-Smith or Jared Wells. Others say it is unlikely that RRS will be called up again, as he is still working on being a starter. While MLB.com say that it is likely that the M's will call up RRS. If he does get the call up again, it will be interesting to see in what capacity he plays. He has shown real potential as a starter, and has made it clear that that is where he wants to be. However, for him to join the roster as a starter, there would have to be some roster shuffling occur.

While I would love to see him back in action asap, I reckon one or two more starts in AAA might be the ideal situation. He has strung together 4 reasonable games as a starter this year, I think another couple could really seal the deal for him. I think if he comes back too soon and runs into trouble, it could see him relegated to the pen again in the long term. Fingers crossed that either way, things will be alright. Mariner's manager Jim Riggelman is full of praise for RRS. 'He's doing everything we've asked. He's done well. ... I don't know that it'll be next week or whatever, but I think we'll see him in the near future', he told mlb.com.

As we wait and see whether he will return to the bigs at this time, check out this video from youtube, showing Ryan clowning around with some bozo DJs. He talks about striking out Ken Griffey, eating meat pies, and singing Olivia Newton John songs in the clubhouse. Enjoy!

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Ryan Rowland-Smith dropped to make way for a Putz

2008-07-24T00:29:00.002+10:00

After pitching 4 pretty strong innings on Sunday, Ryan Rowland-Smith was dropped to AAA Tacoma Rainiers to make way for a putz - JJ Putz who was returning from the DL. It seems that he is supposedly being groomed to come back as a starter. While it must have been pretty disheartening, RRS seems to be taking it in his stride: "All I can do is pitch, go to Triple-A and work my ass off and give them no reason to keep me out of Seattle," he said. For more of his thoughts, check out his latest blog post.

Meanwhile, Grant Balfour has continued his strong season. He pitched a clean inning on Tuesday against the A's.

Balf saves again

2008-07-19T22:36:00.002+10:00

Grant Balfour is back in business after a small slip before the All Star break. He recorded his fourth save of the season today against the Toronto Blue Jays. Balf came in to the top of the 8th with 2 out, and a runner on 3, with the Rays clinging to a 2-1 lead. He got behind early, going to 3-0 against Alex Rios, but bounced back to strike him out swinging. He came out again in the top of the 9th and retired the side in order, with 2 strikeouts and 1 popout to third. He ended the day with the tidy figures of 1.1 inning pitched, 3 strikouts, no hits, no walks.

There are a couple of interesting articles about Balfour online at the moment. Tampa Bay Online reflects on Balf being DFA'd after spring training, and also considers what role he may play if and when the Rays' regular closer Troy Percival is healthy again. And if you are into fantasy baseball, or just want a slightly amusing take on Balfour as an Aussie, check out today's Closing Time from Yahoo fantasy baseball.

Hughes the man?

2008-07-17T23:36:00.003+10:00

Just a couple of days after appearing in the All Stars Future Game at Yankee Stadium, Perth native Luke Hughes made waves in the Double-A All Star Game today. He smashed a 400-foot homerun in the 6th inning to score 3 runs and give the North All-Stars the lead over the South. Hughes was the designated hitter for the North, and went 1-for-4, but he made sure the hit counted.

He jumped on a 3-1 fastball and sent it sailing over the left field fence to score three. Hughes has had a big year so far, and could reasonably expect a promotion to AAA, or even to the Bigs later this year.

Aussie Updates (15 July)

2008-07-15T22:39:00.002+10:00

As we head into the All Star break, there was a bit of Aussie action earlier this week:

Both Ryan Rowland-Smith and Grant Balfour made appearances. RRS gave up a couple of hits and an earned run, Balf regained some form, giving up 1 hit, but allowing 0 runs, and striking out 2 over 2 innings of work against the Indians. What a difference a week makes. The Rays have dropped seven in a row, and are no longer atop the AL East standings.
There is a video of Luke Hughes and Scott Campbell on MILB.com, showing them touring the Big Apple prior to the All Star Futures Game. Both players featured in the game, with Hughes going 0-for-2 and Campbell going 0-for-4 but scoring a run.

Aussie Updates (10 July 2008)

2008-07-10T13:25:00.002+10:00

The shine has rubbed off the success of Ryan Rowland-Smith and Grant Balfour today:

Balfour pitched in the Rays loss to the Yankees, and he took the loss after giving up the game winning hit to Bobby Abreu. He hadn't pitched too badly, coming on in the ninth and getting out of a jam by striking out Melky Cabrera and drawing a pop out from Jose Molina, to leave the winning run stranded at third. He came out again in the bottom of the tenth, and struck out Brett Gardner. He then walked Derek Jeter, before giving up a long double to Abreu that allowed Jeter to score and the game to end. Unlucky Balf. He battled long and hard with both Jeter and Abreu, but just couldnt make the outs.
Ryan Rowland-Smith featured in long relief today, as Seattle's starter Miguel Batista was forced to leave the game early with a groin strain. That's the last thing the Mariners need - more pitching injuries. He came into the game in the bottom of the third. He drew a ground out from Donnie Murphy, but then gave up a first pitch single to Daric Barton. Mark Ellis almost grounded into a double play, but the M's made an error and couldnt get the second out. RRS struck out Carlos Gonzalez and then drew a ground out from Ryan Sweeney. He returned in the fourth. He got a 1-3 ground out from Jack Cust but then gave up four hits in a row. Wes Bankston singled to centrefield on a 2-2 curveball. RRS threw nothing but fastballs to Kurt Suzuki, and he singled on a full count. Jack Hanahan then singled to right on the first pitch fastball. RRS went to his changeup for the first pitch against Donnie Murphy, but he slapped it down the left field line for a double, and scoring three runs. This prompted a visit to the mound, but RRS was left in the game. He then walked Daric Barton, and was replaced by Roy Corcoran. It seemed he had a bit less zip than he had in his previous two outings, perhaps because he was pitching on only 2 days rest after his longest outing of the year? Hopefully there are no injury concerns and he can bounce back quickly. Luckily, the M's offence bounced back in the fifth, scoring 5 runs. It is now the top of the 5th with 2 out, and the M's lead 6-4.