Heat pitcher Jacob Clem deserved MVP status after surrendering only two earned runs in over 15 innings of work--including the decisive game three of the 2012 ABL Championship--against the Melbourne Aces. (Theron Kirkman /SMP Images)Nostradamus could have predicted the end of the Melbourne Aces season when Perth sidearm specialist Jacob Clem went head-to-head against fellow American and MLB veteran Jason Hirsh on November 13th. For nine innings the Aces were blindsided and shell shocked by the six-foot-four Burlington, Washington native, who threw a complete game in which he allowed only six hits and one earned run. Up until the final week of the regular ABL season, Clem (2-1, 3.91 ERA) was used sparingly when he was needed most. Former MLB World Series reliever and current Perth Heat Pitching Coach Graeme Lloyd knew exactly what he was doing when Clem was inserted in the ninth inning of a tied game against the Sydney Blue Sox on January 20th. Not only would this outing serve as a final tune-up entering the postseason for Clem, but also reestablish his critical role as the defending champion Heat’s saving grace in battles of long relief. He pitched seven stellar innings on the mound and gave up just two hits. Clem eventually earned the win after 2011-12 ABL MVP Tim Kennelly hit a walk-off home run in the 15th inning.In his final home start for the 2011 Washington Huskies, pitcher Jacob Clem fired a six-hit
shutout over the American collegiate powerhouse and eighth ranked Arizona State Sun Devils.Perth Heat's Jacob Clem looks up at a ball hit in the ABL Championship. (Theron Kirkman/SMP Images) History would repeat itself in the Heat’s most critical moment of the season in the deciding game three
of the Australian Baseball League Championship Series against the Melbourne Aces last Sunday at
Perth’s Babagallo Ballpark. At the end of the day, two members of last season’s Washington Husky baseball senior class–Geoff Brown and Jacob Clem—along with Heat relievers Brenden Wise and Jack Frawley would ultimately determine if the ABL defending champions would repeat in the final do-or-die contest that would last 13 innings and turn out to be an enduring manager’s no holds barred strategic tug-of-war chess match.
Senior Jacob Clem made the transition from reliever to starter and pitched over 70 innings in 17 appearances with 10 starts and two complete game shutouts. The irony of Jacob Clem in a Perth Heat uniform is still hard to believe. It took an injury to Heat pitcher Ben Moore, last year’s ABL Championship Series MVP and 2011-12 Round One ABL Pitcher of the Week, for Rockingham Rams import Jacob Clem–fresh out of college at the University of Washington–to be called up to the Heat as Moore’s replacement. Who would have guessed that last year’s playoff MVP would be substituted by what many insiders consider to be this year’s ABL Championship Series Most Valuable Performance by 24-year-old Jacob Clem? In the final and decisive game three, it appeared on paper that Perth starting pitcher Geoff Brown–who also happens to be the Huskies’ all-time pitching appearances leader–with his perfect 5-0 record and 1.88 ERA would dominate the pesky Melbourne Aces by himself. However, Brown was chased out of the game only after 1.2 innings. Jacob Clem came firing from the bullpen, despite having little time to warm up and bail his University of Washington Husky college buddy out of a jam and keep the Heat alive.The internationally televised Australian Baseball League Championship Series was a perfect MLB showcase for Perth Heat saviour Jacob Clem.
(Scott Powick / SMP Images / ABL)
Once again, the tried and tested Clem–who had previously attacked the Aces’ Achilles heel in a complete game victory in November–would rise to the occasion and successfully hold his vulnerable opponent for 6.1 innings while only allowing one earned run and four hits. Coupled with another five innings of shutout pitching by Heat relievers Brenden Wise and Jack Frawley, the Mount Vernon-born Jacob Clem made the difference between Perth keeping and relinquishing the throne of the ABL Championship. The Heat would prevail at the end of a tightly contested
game that went on for 13 pressure-packed innings until James McOwen scored from third on a wild pitch. MLB pitcher Jamie Moyer and Bellingham Bells pitching coach Jim Clem offer sound advice.Son of Jim Clem—who was the longtime baseball coach for Burlington-Edison High School and is currently the pitching coach for the West Coast League Summer Collegiate Bellingham Bells baseball squad–and younger brother of Zach Clem–who was a two-time All-Pac-10 outfielder playing at the University of Washington for four years from 2003-2006 with the likes of Tim Lincecum, Brent Lillebridge and Sean White as well as a minor leaguer in the Milwaukee Brewers franchise before a series of concussions ended his career,Future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. playing for the Bellingham Mariners.
Jacob was surrounded by baseball fever all of his life. While playing for his father at Burlington-Edison as a high school senior, he was named the Skagit Valley Herald’s 2006 player of the year as well as to the first-team Washington All-State and All-Northwest League after a respectable 7-2 record with a 1.22 ERA and three saves. In 63 innings of work, Clem struck out 70 batters. He was equally impressive at the plate with a .354 batting average, five home runs and 26 RBI. While still in high school, Jacob led his summer league Burlington Sox to the league, district, state and regional titles. He was selected as the MVP of the state American Legion tournament and the American Legion Division I Player of the Year after going 10-1 on the mound, while batting .421 with 22 doubles, five homers and 43 RBI. Clem redshirted his first season at the University of Washington and played summer ball for the Bellingham Bells, a city deeply entrenched in a long baseball tradition along with an eager and loyal following in the Pacific Northwest.
From 1973 through 1976, the Bellingham team was an affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and later from 1977 through 1994 became the minor league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. During this time, the squad was called the Bellingham Mariners, or “Baby M’s.” Perhaps the franchise’s most notable claim to fame came in 1987 when Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first professional home run wearing a Bellingham uniform. Other names that have come through Bellingham include Edgar Martinez, Omar Vizquel, Raul Ibanez, Dave Valle, Bud Black, Derek Lowe, Joe Nathan, Russ Ortiz, Mike Scioscia, Rick Sutcliffe and Mark Langston. Bellingham was the San Francisco Giants affiliate in 1995 and 1996 before eventually becoming the permanent home to the West Coast League Summer Collegiate Bellingham Bells with strong ties to Major Leaguers Jamie Moyer and Dave Valle. While playing for the University of Washington, Jacob Clem spent his summers in California with the Palm Springs Power and in Oregon with the Bend Elks. After a season-ending injury in 2008, the right-handed pitcher came back strong during his 2009 campaign. He was named Academic All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention after not allowing an earned run in seven of nine pitching appearances. Clem took it to the next level during his junior year by making 30 relief appearances and earning All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention as a result of stifling Pac-10 opponents to a .211 batting average (second-lowest in the league) and posting a 3.14 ERA (fourth-best in the conference). As a senior, he demonstrated outstanding command by walking only 15 while striking out 45 batters (averaging 5.42 strike outs per nine innings pitched). Jacob graduated in 2011 with a Husky career 3.86 ERA and an 8-10 record. Clem recently signed a professional baseball contract with the Independent Frontier League Traverse City Beach Bums. Director of Baseball Operations Jason Wuerfel is optimistic that his new pitcher will make a major impact in the East Division of the Frontier League. He said, “Clem is a big, strong, versatile righty that could help us in a lot of different roles. He was one of the Pac-10’s top closers his junior season, but also excelled as a starting pitcher his senior year. He went down to Australia this off-season and pitched at their highest level of baseball, facing a lot of current Double-A and Triple-A prospects. With that experience under his belt, he has the chance to be one of the top rookie pitchers…” As a former Minor League pitcher for the New York Mets and Houston Astros organization manager, Beach Bum pitching coach and manager Gregg Langbehn realizes the importance of a strong pitching staff more than most. He has been working particularly hard this off-season with Director of Baseball Operations Jason Wuerfel to sign as many pitchers for spring camp as possible. He may have just found his diamond in the rough with the signing of Jacob Clem. Despite Nostradamus’ dim prediction for 2012, the Washington state native and Perth Heat unheralded hero has aligned himself in a very good position to get the recognition he so wholeheartedly deserves with a future MLB contract.
Major League Baseball ventures into Australia to find new talent and fans.
Australia has produced over 330 players who have signed professional contracts with Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs and boasts more MLB contracted players than talent pools from China and its province in Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Cuba. Australia set a country-best record earlier last year with nine Aussie players being called up to the major leagues. Now in 2012, there are now nearly 60 Australian players competing in the major and minor league circuits. In total to date, there have been 35 Australian players who have successfully achieved MLB status.
A's ace Grant Balfour plays to win games and nothing gets in the way of showing it.
Leading the charge of the thunder ‘Down Under’ in Major League Baseball is Grant Balfour of the Oakland Athletics. Balfour is just one of two Australian professional players to compete in a World Series as a late-inning relief pitcher for the 2008 American League Champ Tampa Bay Rays. Acquired by the Rays in July 2007 from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade sending pitcher Seth McClung to Miller Field, Grant Balfour did not make Tampa Bay’s opening 2008 roster. However, after turning heads at Triple-A Durham and closer Troy Percival being placed on the disabled list early into the season, the Rays sent Ben Zobrist to Durham in exchange for Balfour. Tampa Bay’s decision paid off immediately as the Aussie pitcher was worth his weight in gold.
Evan Longoria holds back Grant Balfour from a potential clash.Assuming the role of Rays closer for the ailing Troy Percival until mid-July, Balfour ended his regular season campaign with a stellar
6-2 record and a 1.54 ERA. In perhaps the most memorable appearance of his Tampa Bay career, Balfour struck out future Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. for the final out of game four of the 2008 American League division series against the Chicago White Sox and led the Rays to its first playoff series win ever. After a three-year stint in Tampa Bay, Balfour signed a two-year contract worth 8.1 million dollars with the Oakland Athletics in January 2011. In
his 62 innings of relief for the A’s during 2011, Grant struck out 59 hitters and racked up five wins for the third-place Athletics. He also repeated his personal best 14 2/3 inning scoreless streak in 2011.
Hideki Matsui congratulates A's closer Grant Balfour after yet another save.
The 34-year-old Balfour, who made his MLB debut back in
2001 for the Minnesota Twins, is the Australian patriarch for future Aussie baseball prospects. Although more than a decade has passed since then, he appears to have turned a new leaf and be at the prime of his career. Perhaps his greatest Aussie highlight came on September 15, 2010–when he fanned the Yankees’ Austin Kearns and passed former MLB star Graeme Lloyd on the career strikeout list for Australian-born pitchers. Lloyd, however, can still lay claim to being half of MLB’s first
all-Australian battery with catcher Dave Nilsson in 1994.Pitcher Liam Hendriks of the Minnesota TwinsUp-and-coming 23-year-old pitcher Liam Hendriks of the Minnesota Twins made history in his MLB debut last year on September 6th–when he, teammate Luke Hughes and White Sox Shane Lindsay became the first three Australians to play in the same Major League Baseball game. Leading the Major Leagues since 2004 for lowest amount of walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP), Chicago’s Jake Peavy was hardly the best candidate
to go head-to-head against for his first MLB victory. With no run support from his Twins offense, the Perth-born Hendriks fought hard by pitching seven strong innings but in the end lost his first decision 3-0. Fox Sports North analyst and Baseball Hall of Famer
Bert Blyleven praised Hendriks on his first outing. He said, “From what I saw today, he deserves a B-plus. I thought he pitched very well, he did a good job. Liam Hendriks in his 2011 MLB debut. Hendriks controlled both sides of the plate, and he changed speeds well. He got through it with flying colors. Run support would be nice but you can’t always have that, but I thought he pitched a very, very good ballgame.” The elusive first win never manifested in four appearances this past season; however, Hendriks kept hitters guessing by striking out 16 in a combined 23 innings of work. Liam Hendriks was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent out of Australia’s Sacred Heart College in 2007. He made his professional debut as an 18-year-old that summer with the Single-A Rookie Gulf Coast League Twins. In his eleven starts in Florida, Hendriks went 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA. In 2008 he pitched for the Australian national team in the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament before undergoing season-ending back surgery. Prior to the start of the 2009 season, Hendriks returned on the hill for his country in the World Baseball Classic.Perth Heat's Liam Hendriks in 2007
Coming off a layoff, he then resumed play in the minor leagues, where he posted a 5-5 record with a 3.55 ERA in 14 starts. Hendriks was selected for the 2010 All-Star Futures Game, but was forced to miss the contest due to appendicitis. In 2011 he began the season at Double-A New Britain and went 8-2 with an impressive 2.70 ERA in 15 starts. Hendriks was promoted on July 19th to Triple-A Rochester, where he tallied a 4-4 record with 4.56 in nine starts. History would repeat itself the Aussie right-hander was once again selected to the World Team roster in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game. As if being chosen an All-Star for the second consecutive year was not enough, the six-foot-three, 210-pound Liam Hendriks was recently named the 2011 Jim Rantz Award winner as the Twins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year after ranking second among all Twins Minor Leaguers in wins (12) and strikeouts (111). Hendriks has a promising future ahead in MLB.
Twin Luke Hughes in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
Facing Detroit Tigers’ Max Scherzer on the mound in his first major league at bat in April 2010, Luke Hughes slugged a home run out of the park. Perhaps an early indication of what was to follow in 2011 Twins Spring Training, Hughes showed a ton of promise with his bat and defensive position versatility.
By leading the Twins with six home runs, 15 RBI, a .567 slugging percentage and 37 total bases in the preseason, there was no way manager Ron Gardenhire was going to send him back down to the minors again. Luke played in 96 games as a utility infielder in his first full major league season in 2011.Perth-born Luke Hughes of the Minnesota TwinsFor an anemic Twins offense which ranked 25th of the 30 professional baseball teams, Hughes power was a welcome addition to Minnesota as he slammed seven home runs and racked up 30 RBI. The late-blooming 27-year-old Luke Hughes will certainly improve with more playing time as he becomes more familiar with some of MLB’s best pitchers. During the offseason, he played in 19 games for his hometown Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) and hit .344 with four home runs and 13 RBI.The explosive former Chicago White Sox pitcher Shane Lindsay was recently signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Going into 2011 Chicago White Sox Spring Training in Arizona, relief pitcher Shane Lindsay had a career minor league record of 19-14 with a 3.65 ERA in the NY Yankees, Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians organizations. Although he did not make the 25-man opening day roster, manager Ozzie Guillen and pitching coach Don Cooper were very much impressed with the 27-year-old career minor leaguer. So much in fact that when the roster expanded in September–it was graduation time to Major League Baseball for Lindsay. After posting a 1.98 ERA and punching out 78 in 63 innings of relief work at the Triple-A level, Shane was put to the test in his MLB pitching debut on September 2nd against the 2011 American League Central Division Champion Detroit Tigers. In his inning pitched as a reliever at Comerica Park, Lindsay allowed no hits with a strike out and a walk. The six-foot-one, two hundred five-pounder made three other relief appearances before the end of the season.Melbourne Ace pitcher Shane Lindsay in ABL action
Lindsay elected free agency in October 2011, and agent Paul Kinzer reported in November that his client had signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will need to impress coaches at Dodgers Spring Training when pitchers and catchers report at the end of month at Arizona’s Camelback Ranch to make the 2012 Dodgers Opening Day roster. Most predict Shane Lindsay will begin as a member of the Dodger Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes bullpen in anticipation of the MLB call up. Atlanta Braves sidearm reliever Peter Moylan is considered one of MLB's best groundball specialists and the chief bullpen stopper in pressure situations.
Former Australia World Baseball Classic team member and current Atlanta Braves 33-year-old reliever Peter Moylan underwent right shoulder surgery during the offseason to repair a torn right labrum and rotator cuff. The groundball specialist was encouraged by surgeon Dr. James Andrews’ projection that he would likely only need six months of rehab. Moyan said, “It is what it is and couldn’t have been avoided. It’s rough, but it just means my offseason will be spent rehabbing instead of relaxing. It’s not going to change anything. I’m still going to be ready to go by the end of spring.” Moylan has long been plagued by a series of injuries and surgeries. The Aussie pitcher missed most of the 2011 season after another surgery for a bulging disk in his back.Hitters cringe when facing the oddity Peter Moylan.
With 287 game appearances under his belt in his on-and-off again six seasons in MLB, Moylan has been a workhorse out of the bullpen when not on the disabled list. After recovering from Tommy John surgery, the hard-throwing right-hander with his signature side-armed ‘down under’ delivery returned in fine form in 2009 and set a Braves franchise record 87 relief appearances. 2010 was equally as busy as his workload included 85 appearances in relief.
Even for a reliever who has set the bar high with a respectable 2.60 ERA and 205 strike outs in his illustrious MLB career, there is a heightened sense of optimism that if Moylan returns healthy in 2012 that his personal best year for the Braves has yet to come. An Atlanta fan favorite out of the bullpen, Peter is also well-liked on Twitter–unless you are in the band Nickelback. Considered less than entertaining live, they were nearly booed offstage in Detroit on Thanksgiving. @PeterMoylan tweeted to Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger that he should attend a Foo Fighters concert to learn how to put on a good show. “Foos are killer for sure,” tweeted Kroeger. “We’re doing just fine too thanks. ? for you Pete, is watching [Braves closer Craig] Kimbrel better from the bench or on TV?.” Better cancel Atlanta boys!!! Worth following anywhere, Peter Moylan is top-notch entertainment.Trent Oeltjen of the Los Angeles Dodgers hopes to play everyday next to Matt Kemp.
Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Trent Oeltjen could have easily followed his childhood friends playing rugby in Sydney. Instead, his American father made sure that Trent played T-Ball at an early age and developed a love for his dad’s country’s favorite pastime. After catching the eyes of MLB scouts as a standout player for Australia in the World Junior Baseball Championship, Oeltjen signed a professional baseball contract with the Minnesota Twins organization at the ripe young age of 17. He was chosen to play for the Australian national team at the Athens Olympics in 2004. As a member of Australia’s 2005 Baseball World Cup and 2006 World Baseball Classic teams, Oeltjen once again represented his homeland. Oeltjen proclaimed, “Any time you get to represent your country on the world’s stage, it’s a dream come true for any Australian kid.”Trent Oeltjen and Rich Thompson strengthened their craft early on 'Down Under' and while playing in the Australian Baseball League for their hometown Sydney Blue Sox.
The accolades continued as he was selected to the 2006 MLB All-Star Futures Game and the 2007 Baseball World Cup, where he led the international competition in three major categories. Batting an unstoppable .523, stealing seven bases and scoring nine runs, Oeltjen became the first Australian in the event tournament’s 37 years to make the All-Star team and win its Batting Award. “The World Cup really helped me turn around my career,” Oeltjen exclaimed. “It helped me get the confidence to know that I could play against some of the best players in the world. Since then I’ve found that my career has really turned around.” He was summoned once again for more Aussie baseball ambassadorship duty in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where another strong offensive 6-for-12 batting frenzy ensued. Not surprisingly, his success for Australia coincided with another baseball dream realized. The aspiring and talented athlete spent nine years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut for the 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks, thereby becoming Australia’s 27th member of the elite Major League Baseball fraternity.Gene Simmons of KISS, Shannon Tweed and their two children meet Trent Oeltjen at Dodger Stadium.
On August 6, 2009, Oeltjen made the best of his MLB debutagainst the Pittsburgh Pirates by blasting his first major league home run over the right field wall off relief pitcher Jesse Chavez in the top of the 8th inning to tie the score in a game the D-Backs would win in extra innings. Leaving a lasting impression on baseball fans and international supporters who always believed in his athleticism, Oeltjen finished the game 2-for-6 with one RBI and two stolen bases.Deeply inspired by Hollywood, Trent Oeltjen does his own stunts and lives for dramatic storybook endings.
After playing in 24 Diamondbacks games before the end of the 2009 season, Trent Oeltjen signed with the Dodgers in July 2010. He was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque and later called up to the majors briefly at the end of the 2010 season. In June 2011, the left hand-hitting slugger earned his way back up to the major league level for good with a .339 batting average–including a sizzling .440 in May–racking up eight homers and 34 RBI in 56 Triple-A games.
During the remainder of the 2011 season, Oeltjen played in 61 Dodgers games in the absence of Manny Ramirez. Despite a major letdown in Mannywood, it was all blue skies for the Aussie outfielder. He took full advantage of the opportunity to become an everyday player. However, 2012 will prove to be a critical season for the 29-year-old as he strives for a slot in the Dodgers Opening Day line-up.
Rich Thompson of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is one of the most underrated MLB pitchers and is critical to the success of the Halos.
A Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program (MLBAAP) success story playing for two of Australia’s
and America’s finest organizations in the Sydney
Blue Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Rich Thompson recently returned from his third trip to Taiwan after pitching for the Major League Baseball
All-Stars in the 2011 Taiwan All-Star Series. Having played for the Australian national team during his junior and senior international career, Thompson was well aware of the young Chinese Taipei team’s talent and ability to compete. This time he made history as the 27-year-old Hornsby-native not only was the first of the 31 Australians to play Major League Baseball to be selected for a traveling All-Star Series team but also the first MLB pitcher to win two games in the five-game exhibition series. Enjoying a solid 2011 campaign for Halos manager Mike Scioscia, Thompson made 44 appearances and kept batters at bay with a 3.00 ERA. Best known for being a pressure situation reliever with men on base, Thompson comes through when called upon to deliver key outs in times of critical crises.LA Angel Manager Mike Scioscia pulls reliable reliever Rich Thompson for a strategic lefty-lefty match up.In 54 innings of work, the rally stopper struck out 56 hitters and solidified his position in the Angels bullpen. Seven years younger than senior mentor Grant Balfour, Thompson is in a better position in becoming the bright new face for Australian baseball players in the major leagues. When asked by OzMLBplayers blogwhat was the best advice he could give up-and-coming Australian baseball prospects, Thompson paused, reflected and thought back to some words of wisdom offered from a fellow Aussie.Pitcher Rich Thompson in 2007 All-Star Futures Game “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 always stuck with me. Since I can’t be bothered shaving and we play games on Sundays, I guess two out of four ain’t bad.” Thompson believes an improved attitude and a cutter that strengthened his arsenal of pitches led to the best season of his career. “I really felt like it was an attitude change.
Having that extra pitch (cutter) maybe gave me some more confidence, and I had more opportunities to get guys out.”San Diego Padres lefty Josh Spence struck out the first batter he faced--Atlanta Braves' highly-prized 22-year-old Jason Hayward--in his MLB pitching debut at PETCO Park on June 24, 2011.
San Diego Padres believe in pitching ace Josh Spence and their future with him.
Although he hails from Geelong, Australia, San Diego Padres southpaw Josh Spence began his collegiate pitching campaign at Central Arizona Community College, where in two seasons he stifled and rung up batters at an alarming rate (327 strike outs) to the tune of a whopping 1.40 ERA. Arizona State University (ASU) recruited Spence into their 2009 starting rotation, and the Sun Devils enjoyed a ride to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska as a result. Spence has proven that he can compete under pressure when it counts and deliver outstanding pitching performances when they mean the most.Josh Spence celebrating before going to the 2009 College World Series with Arizona State University.Teammates Mike Leake–named 2009 National Player of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and current Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher–and Jason Kipnis–named a 2009 1st Team All-American by ABCA and current Cleveland Indians second baseman–witnessed first-hand the pitching magic of Josh Spence–named a 2009 2nd Team All-West Regions Honoree–as he compiled a 10-1 record with a 2.37 ERA during his junior year. It will make for an interesting 2012 ASU reunion this year between July 30 and August 2 at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark when Leake and Kipnis face Spence for the first time in opposing uniforms.Pitcher Josh Spence can be a hitter's worst nightmare on the hill when on target and in the zone.
The slender six-foot-one lefty Spence was drafted in
the third round by the Angels in June 2009, but he opted not to sign so that he could return to Arizona State for his senior year. However, he missed the
entire 2010 college season with a vague elbow injury. Regardless, the Padres still selected him in the ninth round of the 2010 draft, and he proved healthy enough to pitch 24 innings between rookie ball and the Midwest League. Prior to being called up to MLB in June 2011, Spence surrendered only 48 hits and struck out 84 with a remarkable 2.14 ERA in 71 innings pitched in the minor leagues. The 24-year-old continued his dominant pitching as a San Diego Padres reliever by striking out 31 hitters in 29 innings and posting a 2.73 ERA. Under the watchful eye of former Angels pitching coach and current manager Bud Black, Josh Spence possesses the tools to become not only a promising MLB starting pitcher but also a potential future Cy Young candidate. Padres’ faithful look for Josh Spence to have a breakout season in 2012. Free agent pitcher Brad Thomas waits patiently for another chance to play MLB after a baseball twist of fate changed the course of his life by avoiding a close call with tragedy when 9/11 travel plans cancelled due to postseason play.
Postseason baseball–courtesy of former Minnesota Twins Double-A affiliate New Britain Rock Cats teammate Michael Cuddyer’s game-winning home run–saved the life of pitcher Brad Thomas. Changing his travel plans and ultimately his fate, Thomas would not leave on this particular date and flight to his native Australia because advancing to the Eastern League’s finals pushed back that trip for him. With airline tickets in hand for he and his wife, Kylie, on American Airlines Flight 11–which took off from Boston on September 11th destined for Los Angeles but instead crashed into the World Trade Center, Brad Thomas lived to tell his story. He commented, “Michael pretty much saved our lives single-handedly by knocking in the winning runs in the last of the playoff games that took us to the next round.” Cuddyer was Thomas’ first roommate in professional baseball in 1997. They played parts of the following seven seasons together, making their way up through the Twins minor league system. When Brad Thomas began pitching for the Detroit Tigers in the 2010, their friendship took a slight turn. Friend or foe–when pitching to an opponent, even a lifesaver–it’s a different ball game. In four career at bats facing the left-handed reliever, Cuddyer is hitless with a walk. Off the diamond, however, they are life-long bros.Sydney Blue Sox Brad Thomas was impressive in the 2012 ABL postseason by allowing only one earned run in 11 innings of starting pitching against the feisty Adelaide Bite and the defending champion Perth Heat. (Photo courtesy of Ryan Schembri/SMP Images/ABL)
While Cuddyer continues to thrive in Minnesota, the future is unknown for the 34-year-old Thomas. With a 6-6 career record and a 5.80 ERA in Major League Baseball, it’s probable that this Aussie will be looking for another minor league deal or a return to Japan or Korea for another new lease on life in the world of baseball. He recently had a great abbreviated season in the Australian Baseball League with the Sydney Blue Sox. The Sydney native made four starts and five total appearances amounting to 22.1 innings pitched. With a 2.42 ERA and a 1-1 record in the 2011-12 ABL season, Brad Thomas demonstrated that he is once again MLB ready.
With a landmark partnership between the Australian Baseball Federation, Major League Baseball and the Australian Sports Commission, the sky is the limit for the recently revamped Australian Baseball League. In an effort to propel baseball’s profile on the Australian sports landscape and foster participation in the game, the ABL seeks to showcase the wealth of talented Australian baseball players on their own home turf and to teach what their fellow Aussie predecessors from decades past have mastered in elevating the sport on the international level. Teams boast elite national players from across Australia along with personnel from Major League Baseball feeder clubs, the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan, the Korean Baseball Organization and the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The ABL pioneers the pathway of development for many emerging Australian baseball prospects as well as offers a vibrant alternative off-season league for games hosted in the northern hemisphere. Currently in its second season as Australia’s premier professional baseball competition with the 2012 ABL Championship Series between defending champ Perth Heat and challenger Melbourne Aces this weekend, be sure to tune in and watch the excitement of what is truly the ABL’s answer to the MLB World Series. For further information on the Australian Baseball League, visit their official ABL website.
Perth outfielder Corey Adamson provides speed
and added fuel to the fire for the Heat to win two consecutive championship titles in the Australian Baseball League. (Theron Kirkman/SMP Images) Randy Smith, Vice President of Player Development and International Operations for the San Diego Padres, believes that the six-foot-two left-handed hitting Corey Adamson is an athletic specimen that has immense potential well worth the $500,000 signing bonus used to lure one of the finest five-tool players with plus speed to come out of Australia. The sky is the limit for the Friars’ MLB prospect as there appears to be no lack of faith.
Last year San Diego thought so highly of the Aussie’s potential that he was among 30 of the Padres’ best Minor League players invited early to Peoria, Arizona to take part in the team’s annual minicamp for its top lower-level prospects. The accelerated development program for players entering their first or second full season or players who might be jumping a level has proven to be a successful fast track for many prospects as three players from the 2010 program were invited to 2011 Major League camp. If Adamson continues to play as well as he has since joining his hometown Perth
Heat this season, it would not be surprising to see him invited to join the Padres at their 2012 camp.Corey Adamson is Australia's pride and joy. (Theron Kirkman/SMP Images/ABL)With his 20th birthday and the ABL playoffs fast approaching, Adamson is clearly enjoying his time in the Australian Baseball League as witnessed by his .429 batting average. Perth manager Brooke Knight’s secret weapon to ward off challengers from the throne of the defending champions adds pure firepower to the Heat roster and completes a speed-injected all-star outfield, which features Seattle Mariners prospect James McOwen and Baltimore Orioles prospect Brenden Webb. It not only affords skipper Knight many managerial strategies in a pinch when needed most, but also rests the legs of ABL triple crown candidate–outfielder Tim Kennelly–by penciling him in as the team’s designated hitter on the line-up card. Without a shadow of a doubt, Adamson has aligned himself with a group of dedicated individuals who have a proven recipe for success and always play to win.In the eyes, hearts and minds of his faithful fans and followers on the west coasts of Australia and America, Corey Adamson is #1 for the Perth Heat as well as the loyal fanbase waiting for his imminent arrival at San Diego's PETCO Park. (Ben Southall/SMP Media)
Last year Adamson played most of the season for the Padres Rookie team in Arizona, where he hit .245 in 48 games. As a Padre minor leaguer, he has also spent time with Single-A Short Season Eugene Emeralds and Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps. Prior to being signed by San Diego in 2008, he led his Western Australia Under-16 team to a national title by hitting .520 with a .618 OBP and a 1.040 slugging percentage during the championship tournament. As the son of Australia’s Baseball Hall of Famer, Tony Adamson, Corey has only scratched the surface in becoming a future international baseball star and an Aussie hero.SD Padres prospect and Perth Heat spark plug Corey Adamson (Ben Southall/SMP Images)
Working with Perth Heat pitchers and mentoring young players to develop their full potential, Australian-born Graeme Lloyd is more than qualified to teach some of baseball’s up-and-coming prospects about competing successfully with the game’s elite. Possessing two World Series rings for his role as a clutch reliever for the MLB Champion New York Yankees in 1996 and 1998 as well as a Silver Medal with the Aussie national team in the 2004 Olympics, Graeme Lloyd is a national hero. After a 1-0 shutout of heavily favored Japan in the semifinal round in the Athens games, Australia manager David Nilsson–who was a catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992 to 1999–described the win as “the best moment in Australian baseball,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
In his illustrious MLB career which spanned ten years as a pitcher for various clubs including the Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and New York Mets, the fourth native Australian to make it to the Bigs was used primarily as a matchup lefty– sometimes referred to as LOOGY (lefty one out only guy)–reliever. Strategically inserted late in a very close contested game against opponent’s star left-handed hitter(s), Lloyd thrived in his specialist role for the 1998 New York Yankees with a career-best 1.67 ERA. Facing Lloyd’s three-quarter delivery and sweeping breaking ball, slugger Ken Griffey Jr. had just one hit in nine career at-bats. In his prime years as one of MLB’s most reliable relievers, the six-foot-eight stopper’s repertoire of wicked sinking 90 MPH fastballs, signature sliders and palmballs absolutely stymied and demoralized batters.
Warwick Saupold (SCOTT POWICK SMP IMAGES/ABL)
Perth Heat pitching coach Graeme Lloyd’s first successful transformation is Warwick Saupold. Coming back from last year’s 3-2 record and 5.52 ERA in the Australia Baseball League (ABL), the 21-year-old Perth native and offseason concrete pourer has dished out the 2011-12 league’s lowest ERA (0.45) in three starts and 20 innings pitched. Among all starting pitchers for the Heat, Saupold leads the team with 11 strikeouts. Recently voted ABL Player of the Week Round 3 pitching award runner-up alongside Heat teammate Daniel Schmidt, Saupold is on the rebound to leave the trowel in the cement and add another historical moment in Australian baseball history under Graeme Lloyd’s watchful eye.
Daniel Schmidt (SMP IMAGES/ABL)
Daniel Schmidt was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies a few years ago but had three surgeries which prohibited him from ever pitching for the world-class Major League Baseball organization. As last season’s number one pitcher for Perth, the 23-year-old lefty posted a commanding 6-3 record with a 2.97 ERA to lead the Heat to a championship title and secure a third place finish behind Blue Sox David Welch and Chris Oxspring for 2010-11 ABL Pitcher of the Year. Currently 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA and 10 strike outs in 17+ innings of work, Schmidt is on par for an equally sensational 2011-12 season. With Major League Baseball veteran pitcher Graeme Lloyd providing invaluable coaching and direction for Daniel Schmidt’s re-emergence into the international limelight, it won’t be long before this Aussie finds himself signed by another MLB franchise. The future is looking bright for the defending champion Perth Heat and their slew of scorching prospects.
Not only did ESPN Draft Busts columnist David Schoenfield disrespect Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions team-leading 35-year-old starting pitcher Dan Reichert in his 2006 Page 2 article by considering him a Royal flop when ranked #22 in his list of the 100 Worst Draft Picks of All Time, but he added insult to injury when pointing out Kansas City could have opted to choose future all-star slugger Lance Berkman instead of the risky right-handed pitcher Reichert as their first-round pick of the 1997 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft.
KC Royals Dan Reichert in 1999
Analogous to the way America sends it old phones away to China to be recycled in favor of the latest bells and whistles in the world of technological wizardry, MLB literally gave up on the now aging Dan Reichert shortly after making his first start in the Major Leagues against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 16, 1999, when Reichert was yanked out of an agonizing game in which he surrendered seven earned runs and issued four walks in 1.2 innings of work. His last sighting in the MLB was a short-lived stint with the 2003 Toronto Blue Jays. In five seasons as a member of baseball’s elite, Dan Reichert compiled a 21-25 record with a 5.55 ERA and 240 K’s.
Nearly a decade later after leading his Lions to its eighth franchise CPBL Championship title, the reconditioned Chinese Professional Baseball League version of Dan Reichert is a seasoned veteran and mentor for the bright new hopefuls aspiring to attain Big League status. However, the most important task at hand is a strong showing in the 2011 Asia Series which run Friday, November 25 through Tuesday, November 29 in Taiwan’s Taichung City.
A huge underdog in comparison to the heavily favored Fukuoka Softbank Hawks–who were recently crowned champions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB)–the Uni Lions have an uphill battle ahead of them. Considered the second-most talented league in the world after MLB, the Nippon Professional Baseball League has produced Japanese teams that have always fared best in the international tournament. The NPB teams have won every year, and once again appear to be poised for a repeat win.
Standing in the way of Japanese winning tradition is defending Australian Baseball League (ABL) champion Perth Heat. Marking the first time Australia will be represented in the 2011 Asia Series against countries where baseball is a national obsession, the Perth Heat possess the ABL’s longest active winning streak in history (11-0) and are currently in excellent form.
One of the first teams in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the Samsung Lions played in the KBO’s first game ever in 1982. Runner-up to the inaugural Asia Series Japanese team champion in 2005, the Samsung Lions return to the games as the 2011 Korea Baseball Organization’s pride and joy. By beating defending champion SK Wyverns in five games, the Samsung Lions were proclaimed the Korean Series title champs for the fifth time since the club’s inception. Look for the Samsung Lions to come out of the dugout fighting for victory.
Mister deejay, rewind and come again…won’t you please play that one more time? In the case of Korean All-Star pitcher Dae-Sung Koo, getting an encore performance this season in the recently revamped Australian Baseball League (ABL) after being named 2010-11 Reliever of the Year award winner during the league’s inaugural year under the leadership of ABL Chief Executive Officer Peter Wermuth is enough excitement to drive fans cuc-Koo!
In Saturday’s tenth inning of the doubleheader nightcap game between Koo’s Sydney Blue Sox and scorching undefeated Perth Heat at Blacktown International Sportspark, the famed New York Mets pitching hero–who gained notoriety in the nationally televised Mets/Yankees Subway Series in June 2005 when Black Eyed Peas “My Humps” was blowing up the charts–was sent a gyration to take those dusty old phonograph records off the shelf and replace them with a new record for the longest winning streak in ABL history (ten straight) to the beat of the ipod shuffling Heat.
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth inning, Blue Sox manager Kevin Boles (also 2011 Double-A Eastern League Boston Red Sox affiliate Portland Sea Dogs manager) opted to call out to the bullpen and bring in Sydney closer Dae-Sung Koo to stop the visiting Heat’s offensive sting. Proving to be a sound defensive strategy, the always dependable reliever successfully Koo-led down Perth’s bats with a low pitch count so that he could once again return in extra innings if necessary. When Sydney could not put up a run in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off victory, it was Koo to the res-Koo in the tenth…or was it?
In the top of the tenth inning, the Blue Sox defense collapsed with two ensuing errors costing the game for losing pitcher Dae-Sung Koo (0-1). The relentless Heat’s Alex Burg, Allan de San Miguel, and Mitch Graham took advantage of the opportunities and delivered clutch base hits to assemble a comfortable 5-2 lead going into the Sydney’s bottom of the inning. The Red Sox answered with one run, but that was not enough as they faltered in the end 5-3.
One must remember that there are nine players on the field, and everyone counts in the competitive game of baseball. Although Koo is an international superhero and on many different levels the consummate mentor for the slew of talented ABL players aspiring to make their way to Major League Baseball, the 42-year-old legend cannot carry a team. At the end of the day, this was only one game of perhaps several hundred that these up-and-coming baseball prospects will play during the course of their careers. However, the gateway these young hopefuls have chosen to get into MLB via the ABL is undeniably the best path.
ABL CEO Peter Wermuth
Since being appointed the Australian Baseball League’s first Chief Executive Officer in March 2010, Peter Wermuth has led the charge in the triumphant return of professional baseball to Australia and has developed a new chapter in the nation’s rich history of baseball excellence. Prior to assuming his post as CEO of the ABL, Peter was responsible for Business Development at Major League Baseball International. Having a master plan and done the math to make ABL players’ dreams come true faster, Wermuth breaks it down like this: “In the old Australian Baseball League (from 1989 to 1999), 35% of the imports made it to the Big Leagues on average within 18 months of playing in the ABL. Also, signing talent out of Australia is the best bet a Major League Club can make. While of the overall Minor League population only 3% eventually make it to the Bigs, almost 10% of Australians signed do (31 Australians in the Majors out of about 330 ever signed).” History often repeats itself, and the recent Minnesota Twins signing of Aussie Brendan Wise to join the same MLB organization as his Perth Heat teammates Luke Hughes and Liam Hendriks is living proof. Look for more Big League dreams to come true in the exciting and emerging world of the Australian Baseball League. Stay tuned…many more records to come!!! To learn more about the ABL, please visit http://web.theabl.com.au Top Stories
Son of Jim Clem—who was the longtime baseball coach for Burlington-Edison High School and is currently the pitching coach for the West Coast League Summer Collegiate Bellingham Bells baseball squad–and younger brother of Zach Clem–who was a two-time All-Pac-10 outfielder playing at the University of Washington for four years from 2003-2006 with the likes of Tim Lincecum, Brent Lillebridge and Sean White as well as a minor leaguer in the Milwaukee Brewers franchise before a series of concussions ended his career,
While playing for the University of Washington, Jacob Clem spent his summers in California with the Palm Springs Power and in Oregon with the Bend Elks. After a season-ending injury in 2008, the right-handed pitcher came back strong during his 2009 campaign. He was named Academic All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention after not allowing an earned run in seven of nine pitching appearances. Clem took it to the next level during his junior year by making 30 relief appearances and earning All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention as a result of stifling Pac-10 opponents to a .211 batting average (second-lowest in the league) and posting a 3.14 ERA (fourth-best in the conference). As a senior, he demonstrated outstanding command by walking only 15 while striking out 45 batters (averaging 5.42 strike outs per nine innings pitched). Jacob graduated in 2011 with a Husky career 3.86 ERA and an 8-10 record.
Clem recently signed a professional baseball contract with the Independent Frontier League Traverse City Beach Bums. Director of Baseball Operations Jason Wuerfel is optimistic that his new pitcher will make a major impact in the East Division of the Frontier League. He said, “Clem is a big, strong, versatile righty that could help us in a lot of different roles. He was one of the Pac-10’s top closers his junior season, but also excelled as a starting pitcher his senior year. He went down to Australia this off-season and pitched at their highest level of baseball, facing a lot of current Double-A and Triple-A prospects. With that experience under his belt, he has the chance to be one of the top rookie pitchers…”
As a former Minor League pitcher for the New York Mets and Houston Astros organization manager, Beach Bum pitching coach and manager Gregg Langbehn realizes the importance of a strong pitching staff more than most. He has been working particularly hard this off-season with Director of Baseball Operations Jason Wuerfel to sign as many pitchers for spring camp as possible. He may have just found his diamond in the rough with the signing of Jacob Clem. Despite Nostradamus’ dim prediction for 2012, the Washington state native and Perth Heat unheralded hero has aligned himself in a very good position to get the recognition he so wholeheartedly deserves with a future MLB contract.
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