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4 JULY 2008 -
SON OF A GUN COREY ADAMSON JOINS
PADRES |
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Corey Adamson
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 16yo WA outfielder COREY ADAMSON who is
the latest to sign a professional contract with the San Diego Padres
organisation. While the
name "ADAMSON" is not particularly unusual, baseball fans would probably put
together the name Adamson and his WA home with the fact that his father TONY
ADAMSON is one of WA's greatest ever baseball products. Tony is a Claxton Shield
Helms Award Winner and ABL star slugger who became an inaugural inductee into
'Flintoff & Dunn's AMLB Hall-Of-Fame'.
The following story was transposed incomplete from media releases:
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Baseball WA and the San Diego
Padres today announced the signing of Corey Adamson to a U.S. professional
baseball contract for an undisclosed 6-figure sum. Adamson attracted
interest from a number of US Clubs after he lead the Western Australian
Under 16’s to a national championship in January.
Adamson was the top performer
in a number of offensive categories during the tournament including home
runs, RBI (runs batted in), slugging percentage, runs scored, triples, and
total bases. Baseball experts describe Adamson as an outstanding athlete
who should end up being a complete 5 tool player.
Adamson, an outstanding footy
player as well, and projected top AFL draft pick, will take the road less
travelled by for most West Australians and pursue the opportunity to play
Major League Baseball. Adamson was excited and eager to get his
professional baseball career started with the announcement coming on the
first day he was eligible to sign (July 2nd following his 16th birthday)
according to Major League Baseball Rules.
At just 16 years of age, the
Perth native will not make his U.S. debut until the completion of his year
12 studies at Guildford Grammar in December 2009.
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16
JUNE 2008 - BJS
SIGNS ANOTHER MOANAROA FOR BOSOX |
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Moko Moanaroa
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 18yo NSW outfielder MOKO MOANAROA who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Boston Red Sox organisation, joining his brother Boss who signed with the World
Champions last month.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
History has
been created by the Boston Red Sox in signing Moko Moanaroa, 18yr old brother of
Boss who signed late last month with
Boston
. This is the first time in
Australia
, at least, that two brothers have both been signed by the same club. |
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Boston scout, Jon Deeble was
impressed with Moko's statistics in the Sydney Major League and when Moko
attended a work-out for his younger brother in Sydney Jon spoke with Craig
Shipley who is the Special Assistant to the Red Sox General Manager and it
was decided that on the day that Boss was to come to Sydney to sign his
contract Jon would work out Moko and send film of his hitting to Boston.
Moko,
like so many other young players commenced his baseball involvement playing
in T-ball and junior baseball in
Newcastle
with the Toronto Tigers. He progressed through the usual channel of
NSW Country Championships and NSW Country teams but it wasn't until he
competed in the NSW Combined High School Carnival that Auburn Coach Shaun
Smith realising that he had potential approached Moko. Shaun suggested to
Moko and his father Joe that he thought Moko would do well in the Sydney
U/18 Competition.
Well the proof is in the
pudding. Moko not only did alright but he won the U/18 Sydney
Competition Batting award with an average of .436 and steered Auburn to
a Grand Final win hitting an impressive 11 hits from 14 at bats in the final
Series.
Moko has continued to impress taking out
Auburn
's hitting award and players’ player awards in his first year of
first grade in 2007 and then an
Opportunity
came his way when he was asked to participate in the Inaugural
Israel Baseball League. Moko was the youngest player in the League but once
again proved his worth
when he completed a good season for the Modiin Miracle making the final and
being one of their top hitters. His average of .321 which included 6 Home
Runs proved that this young 18 year old could compete at higher levels if
given the opportunity.
The Yr12 student at
Hunter
Sports
High School
showed similar hitting power from the left to his younger brother and
Boston
were immediately interested in signing him after his workout with Jon Deeble
and made approaches to him and his family through agent Trevor Jarrett who
represented both players
Moko will more than
likely either join Boss at the
MLB
Academy
on the Gold Coast when they return from
Florida
next week or stay to compete in the Gulf Coast League if arrangements can be
made regarding his continuing education.
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MOKO
MOANAROA is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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20 MAY 2008 - BJS
SIGNS MOANAROA FOR RED SOX |
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Boss Moanaroa |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo NSW infielder BOSS MOANAROA who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Boston Red Sox organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
Outside
Newcastle, where he lives, he was not a well known baseball name although he had
achieved some fame [no fortune] in the BMX world, becoming a State, National and
World Champion plate holder in his early teens. The Yr11 student at
Hunter Sports High School started playing T ball for the Toronto Tigers Club
because as he says "I was pretty young but I was getting bored just
watching my brother play." |
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By his
early teens he was considering his various sporting options but with the
encouragement of his brother Moko, and Auburn and State coach Shaun Smith,
he decided to stay with baseball. He soon justified that choice
by rising through Newcastle representative teams to selection in NSW Country
teams in 2005 [U14] including the Championship winning NSW Country U16 team
in 2007.
He was
still flying under the radar however, and it was only this year that he
received a coveted scholarship to the NSW Institute of Sport.
Head Coach at the Institute, Andre Desjardin had admired his hitting
potential and felt that with advanced coaching and a gym program he could
become a successful left handed hitter.
His coach
Shaun Smith was beginning to tell all who would listen that this player had
genuine power at the plate. One who did listen was National Coach and
Red Sox scout Jon Deeble. He saw Boss in action at the National
Schoolboys in Lismore two weeks ago and liked what he saw.
Three
things immediately happened in Lismore. Boss was selected in the
All Star team, was added to the Academy set to commence on the Gold Coast at
the end of the month and Jon decided to fly to Sydney to give Boss a solid
workout and film him for review by the Boston hierarchy. The Red Sox
had seen enough and commenced negotiations almost immediately.
"Boston liked his pure power from the left side," said his agent
Trevor Jarrett, "and saw him as another player in the mould of David
Ortiz."
Its a
long way from the Toronto Tigers and Wyong Roos to Fenway Park but that's
the journey Boss is now about to embark upon. He's expected to be
flown over to Florida in the next few days and then he will be off to the
MLB Academy on the Gold Coast. He has to return to school next year to
finish his HSC but will be sent again to the Academy, or as it is known to
MLB, the Australian Winter League. Education is important to Boss and
his family so his 6 figure bonus package includes a scholarship component.
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BOSS
MOANAROA is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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9 APR 2008 -
DAVID KANDILAS SIGNS WITH 'ROX' |
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David
Kandilas |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo NSW outfielder DAVID KANDILAS who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Colorado Rockies organisation.
Seventeen year-old
David Kandilas from the southern Sydney suburb of Dolans Bay has secured a
professional baseball contract with the Colorado Rockies. David generated
interest from several Major League clubs over a considerable period of time,
however it was the Rockies who ultimately secured David's signature with a six
figure $USD signing bonus.
David will start spring
training in Arizona in early 2009 for the Rockies, and then move to Wyoming to
play in the Pioneer League that same year. |
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David
started playing 'T-Ball' with Birrong aged five, and then to the Bankstown
Sports Baseball Club before moving to the Cronulla club in the Sutherland
Shire.
In 2003
David competed in the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, USA and on
returning from the US was selected in the first of many successive Cronulla
representative teams.
David
showed great athletic ability at a tender age and as a result in 2007 he
broke a 27 year-old school under-17 100-metre sprint record with a time of
11.02 seconds. Also in this same year David gained a scholarship with the
NSW Institute of Sport and as a 16 year-old recorded an outfield throwing
velocity of 100.6 mph (162km/h).
Another
milestone in 2007 saw David invited to the prestigious Australian Major
League Baseball Academy on the Gold Coast, where he was awarded MVP for
Sessions 1 & 2. Head coach David Nilsson, a veteran of 9 years in the Major
Leagues, at that time commented, "I am very impressed with David's speed,
work ethic, above average throwing arm and overall ability". Nilsson added
recently on hearing of David's signing, "If David has patience and
perseverance he has the potential to go all the way to the Major Leagues. I
am thrilled to hear about David signing with the Colorado Rockies".
During
visits to 'Playball' Baseball Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in both
2006 and 2007 David was seen by various scouts, and this was the beginning
of the road to his contract.
However, the road had a slight bump. On the eve of the 2008 AAA under-18
Australian Championships David suffered appendicitis, which resulted in
surgery, and as such he had to withdraw from the NSW state side. He bounced
back hard though, that being his nature. First he competed in Series 5 of
the Claxton Shield with the Australia Provincial team, recording respectable
batting averages. Then, as a member of the NSW state under-23 team competing
in the Australian Championships, David recorded a stellar performance
hitting 0.765 while connecting for three home runs in just 17 at bats, and
as a result lead almost all offensive categories.
It was
at this tournament that David further caught the eye of Phil Allen the
Rockies Australian based scout. "David has continued to impress me from the
first time I saw him in a competitive environment a couple of years ago. An
associate of mine, Wayne Finney, alerted me to David's talents and I have
followed his progress ever since. David's competitive natures combined with
an uncompromising spirit of endeavor are two of the components of a
complexity of tools I consider necessary to succeed at a professional level.
He has displayed above average arm strength, above average speed, an ability
to get the head of the bat to the ball, and is developing power at the
plate. These tools combined with an energy and an appetite for the game, and
an inner competitiveness lead me to believe he has a very real chance of
success".
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22 FEB 2008 -
YANKEES SIGN KYLE PERKINS |
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Kyle Perkins |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo ACT catcher KYLE PERKINS who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
New York Yankees organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the RUNWAYSPORTS web site:
The world famous New York Yankees announced their presence here in Australia
last month when they signed ACT catcher Kyle Perkins to a Minor League
Professional contract. The glamour club sent across veteran scout Don Rowland
with the express purpose of setting up a permanent base here in Australia and a
mandate to sign quality players. Their first stop was the U/18 Australian
‘AAA’ Championships in Perth in January and since then they haven’t looked
back . |
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It was
at the U/18 tournament that Perkins first caught Rowland’s eye. “I knew
immediately that Kyle was the guy for us” said Rowland, who was
responsible for signing all 4 catchers currently on the Anaheim Angels 40
man roster when he was scouting director there a few years ago. According to
Rowland “Kyle was a standout behind the plate. He showed solid glove- work
which is neat and tidy, an inherent ability to frame the pitch, solid
blocking skills and quick transfer to a throw”.
Having
found his first quality player Rowland wasted no time in fulfilling the
other Yankee goal of setting up a permanent base here down under. This lead
him to veteran Australian and Canberra based scout John Wadsworth who had
previously been with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not only did Wadsworth turn
out to be exactly what the Yankees were looking for, but being a Canberra
native, he was also able to offer additional insight on Perkins as he had
been following the young catcher’s progress for the last few years.
Wadsworth added “Kyle demonstrates solid and consistent bat to ball
contact and we anticipate his current ‘gap power’ will convert to some
run producing home run power as he physically develops”.
This
was all Rowland needed to hear and he gave the green light for Wadsworth to
contact Kyle’s agent Stuart Hanrahan from Runway Sports Management to see
what it would take to get Perkins into the famous Yankee pinstripes.
Wadsworth didn’t mince his words when he met with Hanrahan suggesting that
“We rate Kyle towards the top of our ‘wanted prospects’ list and
previous scouting opinions regarding the way Kyle carries himself and plays
the game were reinforced for us in the recently completed Australian Under
18 Series in Perth”.
It was
clear to both Hanrahan and Kyle’s parents that the Yankees were extremely
serious about Kyle. However, not wanting to take Kyle’s focus away from
his responsibilities with the Territories team, it was decided that the club
would make an offer after the tournament, one they promised would
demonstrate just how serious they were. The Yankees were true to their word
and a few days later, tabled an offer worth over $100,000 in order to secure
Perkins’ services for the next 7 years.
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16 FEB 2008 - BJS SIGNS
VAN STEENSEL & O'NEILL |
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Todd
Van Steensel
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signings, 17yo NSW pitchers
TODD VAN STEENSEL who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Phillies organisation and ADAM O'NEILL who has signed with the New York Mets.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
TWO
Sydney
high school students have become the latest Aussies to be snapped up by Major
League baseball clubs for big dollars. Despite baseball failing to take off Down
Under, US scouts from glamour clubs have not stopped taking an interest in the
local players with Adam O'Neill and Todd Van Steensel singled out by the New
York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies respectively. |

Adam
O'Neill |
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Both
teenagers are pitchers and were understood to have signed on for $125,000.
Given both O'Neill and Van Steensel are in Year 12, they will complete their
HSC before making the trek to the
US
and work their way up the long ladder to the top.
Van Steensel, from Rooty Hill, said he only took up baseball because of his
love of the uniform. "I was tagging along to a game one day with my
brother and because I liked the outfits I decided to start playing,"
said Van Steensel, a pitcher who has no troubles launching them off the
mound at 140km/h. "I didn't think I'd ever make a career out of the
game, I only hoped, but I'm glad it's happened."
O'Neill, from Manly, failed to make the NSW side for three consecutive years
but bided his time and worked on his pitching before reaping the rewards.
"I set myself an 18-month goal to make the under-18 NSW side and, if I
could do that, then I was going to work towards signing a professional
contract," said O'Neill, also a pitcher.
Agent Trevor Jarrett, who signed the pair, said Van Steensel was always
destined for the big league.
"It was only a matter of time before Todd put pen to paper, but with
Adam, he sort of slipped under the radar," Jarrett said.
Jarrett said
US
scouts had a great respect for
Australia
when it came to producing the next generation of professionals.
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TODD VAN STEENSEL & ADAM O'NEILL are managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player
Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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15 FEB 2008 - JAMES
LINGER JOINS ATLANTA BRAVES |
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James Linger
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 18yo Queensland short stop
JAMES LINGER who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Atlanta Braves organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the NORTHS web site:
James Linger made headlines
last month when he was paid US$120,000 (A$132,000) to sign with the Atlanta
Braves organisation for five years. He
starred at the Australian Under-19 championships and was picked to represent
Queensland
in
Australia
’s premier baseball tournament, the Claxton Shield. |
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Queensland
were knocked out of the Claxton Shield last weekend and despite missing the
first three games, Linger still knocked up the highest batting average for
the tournament. Not bad for a high school kid playing against major league
players and Olympians.
And now Australian
assistant coach Phil Dale said Linger had the potential become an Olympian
too.
“There is a need for
his position, shortstop, and we feel like he’s one of the bright young
guys who play that position,” Dale said. “We carry an Australian roster
that we select the official team from and he’s on the squad. “His
selection is a compliment to the way he’s come on the past 12
months.
“Realistically, he’s
a couple of years from holding down the position but the way he’s playing
he has every opportunity,” Dale said. “You never know the way he is
going. “We wouldn’t bring him in if we didn’t seriously want to have a
look at him.
“He is hitting the ball
really well, running the bases ... he has some tools, he’s an athlete.
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10 JAN 2008 - ANGELUCCI
SIGNS WITH SAN DIEGO |
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Alessio Angelucci
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 19yo NSW pitcher
ALESSIO ANGELUCCI who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
San Diego Padres organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the RUNWAY SPORTS web site:
Hard work, perseverance and
determination paid off this week for 19 year old Manly baseballer Alessio
Angelucci. Angelucci proved that it is still possible to achieve the dream of
playing professional baseball, even if you miss out on selection in the
U/18 state team, when he inked a deal to play professional baseball with the San
Diego Padres. |
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While
he represented NSW at the U/16 level at the National Championships,
Angelucci narrowly missed selection a few years ago when he trialed for the
U/18 team. For many in Australia, the opportunity to showcase a
player’s talents at this tournament is the last throw of the dice for
aspiring young professional baseballers. However, Angelucci never lost sight
of his dream. He hit the gym and continued to work on his hitting and
running. He also turned his hand to some pitching, and the combination
of all of it proved that there is life for potential Australian professional
baseballers beyond the National Championships and the coveted Australian
Academy Program.
Earlier
this year Angelucci renewed his relationship with his former U/16 NSW team
coach Stuart Hanrahan. Hanrahan took over the first grade coaching position
at the Manly Baseball Club in July 2007 and realised immediately that the
improvements Angelucci had made meant that he was going to be an integral
component in the club’s first grade lineup. After a stellar start to the
season, it was apparent to Hanrahan that Angelucci had developed the tools
that would interest professional baseball scouts. ‘Alessio’s
improvements in power, speed and arm strength certainly put him in a
category that would interest professional scouts’ said Hanrahan who also
happens to be a baseball agent with Runway Sports. ‘I made a few calls and
arranged for scouts from the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs to put
Alessio through his paces’.
The
workout could not have gone better for the athletic teenager as he
registered throwing speeds of up to 90 miles per hour during his pitching
workout. The tryout went so well in fact that San Diego scout Trevor Schumm
called Hanrahan only days later to make an offer to sign Alessio to a minor
league contract. Schumm, who has been the Australian based scout for the
Padres for around 5 years was impressed with Alessio’s tryout. ‘Al was
impressive at our workout and we are excited with his potential. He has a
plus arm and he's a big strong athletic kid’ said Schumm who
travelled across from Perth to sign the teenager.
The
hard work for Alessio, however, is just about to begin. The Padres will
monitor him over the next few months and for the moment consider him to be a
two way player with the potential to either pitch or play the outfield.
According to Schumm ‘we will let him swing the bat for a while before we
decide how best to use his tools. As we see him more, and learn more about
his abilities, we will determine where he ultimately ends up’. It is
likely that the Padres will send Alessio to the prestigious Major League
Baseball Australian Academy Program (MLBAAP) in 2008 in order to extend his
skills. ‘At this point he's a two-way player who needs some time to
develop and refine his skills’ said Schumm who has also suggested that the
club may take Alessio to the USA for Padres Instructional League late next
year if he improves the way they expect. Expectations that are duly
warranted when you consider that according to Schumm, ‘Alessio already has
an average Major League fastball’.
For the
remained of the story and/or to visit the RUNWAY SPORTS web site visit http://www.runwaysports.com.au
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19 DEC 2007 - TIM
STANFORD SIGNS WITH TEXAS |
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Tim Stanford
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo NSW RH pitcher
TIM STANFORD who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Texas Rangers organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
As a youngster Tim was a
swimmer with a great future . From 8yo to his early teens every indication was
that Tim was heading for big things in the pool. He was his schools age champion
for 7 straight years and got to a worthy 2nd in the State Championships. He had
just as much success on the track field becoming the Athletic Champion for his
middle school and achieving state level at many track and field events. |
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However, his
decision to play T Ball at the age of 6 with the Galston Baseball Club was
to have the most profound affect on his sporting career. Whilst
at Galston he competed in the U12 Association Cup & the U14 State
Cup before moving at the age of 14 to the Kellyville Club, having enjoyed
his first NSW representative experience in the NSW U14 team which won the
National Championships in Alice Springs.
He continued
to blossom and not only made the U16 NSW team in 2005 but was invited
to the prestigious Major League Academy on the Gold Coast as a 15yr old and
gained selection in the Australian AA team which won the Bronze Medal at the
World Championships in Mexico.
At the
completion of his junior playing days Tim made a momentous decision to move
across Sydney to the Canterbury Club to work with veteran pitching coach
Barry Holland who he had worked with as a scholarship holder at the NSW
Institute.
That move
proved to be successful but not without frustration. He made State
selection in the U18's in 2006 & 2007 as well as the NSW Schoolboys in
2006 but despite some early outstanding performances his progress was patchy
due to struggles with his health until it was discovered that he had a
number of allergies that was having a negative affect on his ability to
train and perform and specifically reduced his ability to increase his
velocity.
At 6'
1" Tim has a mid to high 80's FB with effective offspeed and good
control and presence on the mound. Having just finished his HSC
Tim is ready for pro baseball and will get a visa and head to Arizona to
commence his first spring training next March. He
is the first Australian signed by the Rangers and they have to hope that Jim
Colborn has as much success with Tim as he had with his other Aussie
signings.
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TIM STANFORD is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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23 JUL 2007 - TRENT
BAKER SIGNS WITH TRIBE |
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Trent
Baker |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 16yo Queensland utility / outfielder TRENT
BAKER who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the Cleveland
Indians organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
Brisbane Grammar Yr12 student
Trent Baker has a busy schedule as he completes his final year of
schooling. Assessments; assignments and exams are ahead of him. Whilst he
cannot be sure how he will do, one thing he can be sure of - he's got a job next
year. |
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He will be
playing baseball for the Cleveland Indians. Whilst he was selected to attend
the prestigious MLB funded Academy on the Gold Coast as a LHP attracting the
attention of a number of scouts it was as a two way player that the Indians
saw him. A number of clubs made immediate contact with his agent after his
initial outing at the Academy, but it was the Indians who finally made the
offer he couldn't refuse. "I knew I could wait until the U18's next January
if I didn't get what I wanted", said the 17yr old schoolboy.
Trent went
out to join a soccer team when he was 7 but found that it wasn't the right
season and so as the son of a softball player he was advised to try tee
ball with the Northstar club. He did and instantly fell in love with the
game. After his tee ball days he joined the Windsor Royals Club and has
been with them ever since.
In 2004 he
was first noticed by the schoolboy selectors and has represented Queensland
Schoolboys ever since culminating this year in his selection in the
Australian Schoolboys team which is touring to Vancouver later in the
year. He was also selected to play in the QLD U16 team in 2006 and the U18's
this year. "I was always the smallest and so had to work harder to gain
selection in these teams", said Trent from his Brisbane home, "I always did
extra training myself to make up for it". He was lucky with the people who
have coached him along the way, developing him both as a player and as a
person.
Its not
surprising that he has been signed as an outfielder by the Indians as that
was where he played in his early years in both the QLD schoolboys and the
Rams teams. He was moved onto the mound in 2006 with the QAS and the Rams
programs where Peter Gahan had plenty of opportunities to observe his skill
and his will to work. Its his prowess as a hitter that has created most of
the Indian's interest. "Whilst we have signed him as an Outfielder we know
how well he can pitch and will certainly keep that in mind," said Peter when
negotiating for Trent's services.
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TRENT BAKER is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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20 MAR 2007 -
ERASMUS JOINS RED SOX |
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Justin Erasmus |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo Queensland RH pitcher and utility player
JUSTIN ERASMUS who is the latest to sign a professional contract with the
Boston Red Sox organisation.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
It is often said that life is
either a daring adventure or nothing at all. For 17yr old Justin Erasmus it
has been a world encompassing journey as well as an adventure. |
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He was born
in Johannesburg where he was introduced to the game by his baseball fanatic
Grandfather and Father; traveled to Melbourne where baseball became even
more ingrained at the Cheltenham Club, home of the Blackley brothers, and
then on to Brisbane where, despite being overlooked for the Queensland
Academy of Sport, he was able to attract the attention at least of the state
selectors and now, more importantly, the Boston Red Sox.
Jon Deeble,
the Red Sox scout who covers the whole pacific rim for the Red Sox, had seen
Justin at the U18 National Championships and liked his attitude and silky
smooth delivery. "Despite his lack of size his arm worked well and he had
that competitive nature that augurs well for the future", said the veteran
scout and National Team Head Coach.
Justin has
always been the small one of the team - he's just heading to 6' now and is
still described as slight but athletic. "Being the smallest all the time
just meant that I had to work harder than everyone else," said the Yr 11
student from his home on the Gold Coast. His first brush with fame was when
he hit a home run as a 6yr old in an U8 game. Not long after he made his
first regional team for the U10's.
On migrating
to Melbourne he widened his sporting interests and was soon having success
in cross country running, as well as dabbling with Basketball, Soccer and
Cricket. But it was inevitable that baseball would claim his main
interest.
On moving to
Brisbane, or the Gold Coast to be more precise, Justin soon gained state
recognition with his selection in 2006 in the U16 Rams team that played in
Mt Gambier and also the Open Age Schoolboys team that competed in Adelaide
the following May. He was again to be disappointed in not receiving a
scholarship to the QAS but that setback just made him work even harder and
he made good use of every opportunity, pitching some innings at the MLB
Academy when arms were getting tired and the coaches were looking for fresh
pitchers. His selection in the 2007 U18 team as a bottom age player was
just recognition of the advances that he had made as a result of his hard
work and dedication. "I was absolutely over the moon when I got the chance
to be the starting pitcher in the semi final against NSW who were always
going to be a tough team to beat." Obviously the QLD coaching staff were
delighted with his performance, spearheading their win over NSW, but so too
was Red Sox scout Jon Deeble. Jon took a video of that performance and
after receiving the go ahead from Boston approached Justin's agent to
discuss an offer.
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JUSTIN ERASMUS is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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10 MAR 2007 -
ELLIOT BIDDLE TO PITCH FOR TWINS |
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Elliot Biddle |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 18yo Victorian LH pitcher and utility player ELLIOT
BIDDLE who
is the latest to sign a professional contract with the Minnesota Twins organisation.
We have been waiting for this young fellow to get some due recognition as a
consistent hitting outfielder but he had to revert to pitching to attract this
belated interest.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the Baseball Victoria web site:
He has hardly thrown a pitch since he was fifteen years old but the
Minnesota Twins saw enough out of Geelong Giants youngster Elliot Biddle
last Thursday night to offer him a professional baseball contract. |
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“I was interested in him as a pitcher back when he was in under 16’s,
then I saw him on the mound last week and decided that he has a real future
as a pitcher with us.” Twins scout Howie Norsetter said
The 18 year old lefty wasn’t expecting to play professional baseball this
year, in fact already had his year planned out. He’d agreed to go away with
Victoria’s under 23 side over Easter and was
preparing to play centerfield for his hometown Geelong Giants in Baseball
Victoria’s
Summit Holden State League finals in March so when he got the call from the
Twins it was unexpected.
“Howie called me after I pitched in a VIS
(Victorian Institute of Sport) game on Thursday night and told me they
wanted to make me an offer.”
“It was very unexpected, I’ve only started pitching again in the past few
months.” The clearly chuffed Biddle said.
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22 FEB 2007 -
TIM ATHERTON ANOTHER TWIN! |
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Tim Atherton |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo NSW Country RH pitcher and utility player
TIM ATHERTON who
is the latest to sign a professional contract with the Minnesota Twins organisation.
Much like another 'Aussie Twin' James Beresford, Atherton may have been better
known as a junior pitching star, but the Twins want to develop him as a hitter
first. Obviously we wish him
every success in his professional journey.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
Dreams and destiny have long been a part of
his sporting career. Whilst he started as a T Baller he was also very much
involved in soccer and cycling [his father had been a champion cyclist].
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Soccer hurt his
knees so he decided to give that a miss but in baseball he had
instant success and an indication of what the future held for him.
" I really enjoyed it, I remember my first game at Wauhope - I hit
two home runs and I pitched as well." He was also having
considerable success with cycling, becoming the State Champion for
his age, but baseball offered more in the way of a career and
travel. It wasn't long before he began to experience the travel
benefits of baseball - being selected in the Country NSW U14 team
and from there gaining selection in the Cal Ripken team which
finished 3rd at the Annual tournament in the US. He was selected
in the World All Stars team and the World All Star Defensive team,
the first player to make both all star teams. He began to dream.
Tim continued to
pitch and hit his way into every Country NSW team possible making
selection in all six teams from U14 through to U18. During that
time he gained selection into the NSWIS, where he worked with Head
Coach Andre Desjardin on his hitting and Barry Holland with his
pitching. After his 2nd year in U16's he was sent to the MLB
Academy on the Gold Coast and from there the AA Australian team
which went to Mexico for the World Championships, winning bronze.
His earlier decision to concentrate on baseball had proved to be
wise indeed. By the time he had turned 17 he had played in every
state except SA and traveled to 3 countries to play.
The Twins weren't
the only team interested in signing Tim of course. Some wanted to
sign him as a pitcher others as a hitter and by the end of the U18's
a number of offers were on the table. However, it was decided to
hold off making any decisions when he was selected to play for the
Provincial team in the Claxton Shield in Perth immediately following
the U18's. It was felt that he could only improve his bargaining
position by playing in the Claxton Shield - any success he might
have there would increase his value and that certainly proved to be
correct, with increased offers from both the Twins and the Phillies,
eventually agreeing to terms with the Twins on the final day of the
Claxton Shield.
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TIM ATHERTON is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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17 FEB 2007 - JACOB
REUST INKS WITH INDIANS! |
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Jacob
Reust |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's most
recent professional baseball signing, 17yo Queensland RHP prospect JACOB
REUST who
is the latest to sign with the Cleveland Indians organisation.
Obviously we wish him
every success in his professional journey.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the REDCLIFFE PADRES web site:
It has just been announced that 17 year old Redcliffe Leagues Padres Baseball
club’s Jacob Reust has signed a professional contract with the Cleveland
Indians. With a fastball currently touching 90 miles per hour, Reust weighed up
a number of offers from clubs including the San Diego Padres but chose to sign
with the Indians. |
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He joins current A
Graders Jay Nilsson (Indians) and Alan Schoenberger (Phillies) who
have previously signed professionally and are playing for the club.
The contract not only covers baseball but his education in either
the US or Australia as well. Reust, who attends Southern Cross
Catholic College, is a member of the leadership team and
academically talented as well, something he is keen to maintain
whilst pursuing his dream of playing baseball in the States.
Reust becomes the first
born and bred local player to sign this type of contract. Jacob, a
pitcher by trade, has played his entire career with the club,
beginning as a 5 year old playing tee ball and progressing to the
club’s senior A Grade team. Along the way he has played for
Queensland junior Age teams, Regional teams, Queensland Schoolboys
teams, represented Australia at the age of Under 13 in the Cal
Ripken World Series, been a member of the QAS and last year attended
the MLBAAP held on the Gold Coast. |
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15 FEB 2007 -
BJS PASSES 50 AUST SIGNINGS! |
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| 'Flintoff
& Dunn' are getting back into the swing a regular updates to this web
site following our coverage of the fabulous 2007 Claxton Shield in Perth
and, with Spring Training just under way in the USA, this is a good time
to bring you up to date with some recent Aussie signings.
We will start by
offering our congratulation to our friends at BJS Player Agents on the
event of their 50th Aussie signing not too long ago... and they have since
taken this total further! It is just another sign of what a productive
baseball nursery Australia has become.
Some other recent signings
have included:
RIKI RHODES - RH
Pitcher from Queensland who signed with the Cincinnati Reds
RYAN SEARLE - RH Pitcher from Queensland who signed with the
Chicago Cubs
ANGUS ROEGER - Outfielder from South Australia who signed with the
Philadelphia Phillies
CAMERON LAMB - RH Pitcher from Western Australia who signed with
the San Francisco Giants.
We congratulate all of
these boys and wish them every success.
The latest trio signed by
BJS are featured below: |
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Tayler Rowe
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo Victorian RH pitcher TAYLER ROWE who
is the latest to sign a professional contract with the Minnesota Twins organisation. Obviously we wish him
every success in his professional journey.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
From the
traditional "4 seasons in a day" climate of
Melbourne
to the constant heat and humidity of
Florida
. That's the journey that 17yr old Tayler Rowe will be making this year as
he sets off on his dream of making it all the way to the Major Leagues. First
stop - Ft Myers,
Florida
spring training home of the famous Minnesota Twins Baseball Club. |
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The
Twins are the club that gave Aussies Grant Balfour, Brad
Thomas and fellow Melbournian Michael Nakamura their Major League
starts. The other connection is that all of these
players were signed by the Twins experienced scout Howie Norsetter
who also calls
Melbourne
home after moving here from the
US
a number of years ago.
Howie
has been scouting Tayler for a couple of years now.
That's not surprising considering that Tayler has a long history of
State representation starting with the Victorian U14 team in 2003 in
Alice Springs
then stints with both the Victorian Provincials and Victoria in the
U16's in 2004 & 2005 following which he was sent to the MLB
funded Academy on the Gold Coast. He pitched well enough
at the Academy to gain a coveted place in the Australian AA [U17]
team that competed in the World Championships coming home from
Mexico
with the Bronze medal.
"That
World Championship was a fantastic experience and made me realise
that I would love to play baseball for a living so I really started
working hard on my pitching and my fitness with Matt Sheldon-Collins
at the VIS" - the kindergarten for so many young
professionals. His hard work began paying off and he was
selected as a bottom age player in the Victorian U18 team in 2006,
sent for a further session at last years MLB Academy and then again
was given pitching duties for Victoria in this years National AAA
Championship in Geelong.
Norsetter
soon saw what he was seeking. A strong pitcher who owned
a fast ball in the high 80's - occasionally getting as high as the
90's - with command of his pitchers and a dogged determination to
win. There is a ruggedness about Tayler that inspires
confidence that when the chips are down he will increase his
workload to get the job done. His smiling demeanor off
the field is replaced with a furrowed brow of determination on the
mound. "Naturally I liked his velocity but control
of his pitches is more important and I liked his desire to beat
every hitter he faces", said Norsetter at Tayler's contract
signing in Melton not long after the AAA tournament.
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TAYLER
ROWE
is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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Lachlan Hodge
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 18yo New South Wales LH pitcher LACHLAN HODGE who
is the latest to sign a professional contract with the New York Mets organisation. Obviously we wish him
every success in his professional journey.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
18yr old Lachlan from Gymea
in the southern suburb of
Sydney
known as "The Shire" has been in the sights of the baseball scouts
for some time. "I was sent to the
MLB
Academy
last year and whilst I was there scouts began talking to me about
signing," |
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He
was approached by a number of clubs interested in his services
during the prestigious academy on the Gold Coast but circumstances
encouraged Lachlan to wait until he had competed in the U18 National
Championships in
Geelong
in January before seriously considering his options.
This proved to be a good move as his value increased as a result of
his performances for NSW and a number of teams came with
offers. It certainly makes an agent's job easier when
more than one team is offering a contract and
Lachlan
finally signed with the
Mets for a higher bonus than had been offered at the Academy.
"I
I started playing baseball when I was very young because of my
brothers and when I was in the Cronulla Team in U14's I was
introduced to pitching coach Rob Maclean who tutored me about the
game." His hard work with Rob began paying off and
he was selected as a player in the NSW U14 team in 2003, again with
the U16's in 2005 and then missed out on the NSW team in 2006 but
was picked up as a "loan" player for the Territories team
[see pic on left]. In one of those ironies of life it
turned out he performed so well with the Territories team that he
gained selection in the
MLB
Academy
on the Gold Coast which set the whole bidding process into action
and further selection in the NSW U18 team this year.
Following
his early times with pitching coach Rob MacLean, the St Patrick's
College schoolboy graduated in 2006 to the NSW Institute of Sport
and gained the benefit then of working with pitching guru Barry
Holland who looks after the pitchers for the NSWIS.
Barry worked on
Lachlan
's control and smoothed out his action. Despite having played
Basketball, Rugby League and AFL he began to realise through
encouragement from MacLean and Holland that his professional future
was on the pitcher's mound as a "lefty"
"The Mets are such a famous team that its sure a great
honour to now be one of them. He wont be alone there - fellow
Sydneysiders Gavin Dlouhy and Shaun Tabrett are also with the Mets
as is Pat Maat from the
Central
Coast
. "I know those guys well so it will make it easier for
me to settle in when I get over there.
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LACHLAN
HODGE
is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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David Harriott |
'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate Australia's recent
professional baseball signing, 17yo New South Wales pitcher DAVID HARRIOTT who
is the latest to sign a professional contract with the Boston Red Sox organisation. Obviously we wish him
every success in his professional journey.
The following story was transposed incomplete from the BJS web site:
Jon Deeble the Red Sox scout
who covers the whole pacific rim for the recent World Champions had seen David
at the
MLB
Academy
on the Gold Coast and liked his attitude and quick strong arm. "When
I saw him on the mound with his strong arm and long legs I was immediately
interested", said the veteran scout who is building up the Red Sox
involvement with Australians. Having that former Aussie Major League
pioneer Craig Shipley as his boss certainly helps. |
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Like
most Australians, David started at the T Ball level having been
taken down to the tryouts by a friend up the road. I started
in the
Bankstown
U6's and played with them all the way up to the U16's."he said
from his Yagoona West home following his signing. "I
played in every single
Bankstown
Rep team at the U12; U14 and U16 level." He now
plays for the Canterbury/Bankstown Major League club under veteran
coach Barry Holland. His weekend performances on the mound for
the U18's are intermingled with time in 1st grade mid week - the
nursery for so many recently signed players such as Shaun Tabrett;
Josh Wells and Gavin Dlouhy.
His
first experience of the life of the traveling baseballer occurred in
2002 when he went on trips to
Osaka
with the NSW U12 juniors and also to
Melbourne
to participate in an U12 rubber ball tournament. His next
overseas trip will be next month to Ft Myers. He traveled
regularly after that with the Winter Development Squad that is one
of the innovative programs in NSW for elite players. One of
the highlights of the Winter Development visits to QLD was a visit
to the
MLB
Academy
and David was inspired to work hard towards getting a scholarship.
His
State representative career began as it so often does for the elite
athlete with the NSW U14's in 2004, then two years with the NSW
U16's and finally this year as a bottom age U18 in Geelong where Jon
Deeble noted his pitching potential. It was when he was
in the U16 NSW team that he came into contact with pitching coach
Rob McLean who has been responsible for developing so many young NSW
pitchers. Rob spent many hours working on David's action and
this signing is a result of Rob's patience and David's determination
to perfect his action.
Last
year, following his success with the NSW U16's in Mt Gambier he
gained scholarships to both the NSW Institute of Sport under Andre
Desjardin who proved a hard task master and emphasised the need for
regular gym work and increased fitness and also the prestigious
MLB
Academy
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He
has dreamed of baseball as a career for as long as he could
remember. Being with
Boston
of all clubs is the most amazing thing that could have happened.
I watch them on TV and now to be part of them is fantastic".
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DAVID
HARRIOTT
is managed by Australia's No.1 Player Agents
BJS Player Management.
Click their icon at left to visit their
Web Site
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7 SEP 2006 -
SMIT & LENNOX NEW SIGNINGS! |
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'Flintoff & Dunn' congratulate
a couple more of Australia's recent
professional baseball signings:
16yo West Australian infielder JASON SMIT who has signed a professional contract with the
Cleveland Indians and
17yo NSW infielder / RH Pitcher MICHAEL LENNOX who recently signed with the Boston
Red Sox.
Obviously we wish them every success in
their professional journeys. We
may not have been made aware of these signings but for the vigilance of Stuart
Hanrahan, the GM of RISING STARS SPORTS MANAGEMENT. Here is some text
transposed incomplete from their web site. |
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Jason Smit |
Not many 16 year olds can boast that they have a six figure bank balance, but for West Australian baseball prodigy Jason Smit it is now a reality after he signed a US$350,000 contract to join the Cleveland Indians organization yesterday.
With as many as 10 Major League Baseball clubs chasing his signature it was the Indians who landed Smit, a precocious young talent who was rated in the top 10 international prospects to become available on July 1 for professional organizations to sign.
This rich deal was brokered by the Rising Stars sports management agency that represent Smit and with their help the young West Australian’s hopes of getting to the Major Leagues is one step closer now that he has put pen to paper with Cleveland. |
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Even though he is still only 16 years old Smit's career is already littered with many accolades and achievements. He has represented both his state and country in recent years and is now currently at the MLB funded baseball academy on the Gold Coast where he is receiving expert tutelage under some of the greats of Australian baseball, something the young West Australian credits for his rise to prominence.
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Michael Lennox
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NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) baseballer Michael Lennox recently celebrated
his 17th birthday by signing with 2004 World Champions, the Boston Red Sox.
Lennox’s strong work ethic earned him a place at the Major League Baseball
Australian Academy Program on the Gold Coast where he was named the Most
Improved Player.
His efforts caught the eye of Australian coach and Red Sox scout Jon Deeble
who recommended him for a rookie contract.
NSWIS Baseball Head Coach Andre Desjardins said that Lennox was a hard worker
who had improved his running and throwing over the last two years, while he
also believed that Lennox’s power was a significant factor in him gaining a
contract. |
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