Indy Ball Island hardly ever endorses a selected staff.
It’s unfair.
It’s biased.
However it’s onerous to not be when one staff accommodates quite a few gamers which have performed impartial baseball.
This single staff has so many guys that I’ve met all through my years watching and masking impartial baseball… Guys who’ve supported this web site (and me) unconditionally and have really made Indy Ball Island what it’s immediately.
It’s actually onerous for me to not love the Adelaide Giants.
Oh and by the best way… the Adelaide Giants, with a roster of 9 gamers with American impartial baseball expertise, simply set a modern-day Australian Baseball League (ABL) document with 12 wins in a row.
Very long time readers of the positioning may keep in mind a weblog collection, “Aussie in America“, which featured pitcher Luke Wilkins.
Or perhaps even the loopy reside tweeting from Josh Tols on a 12 bus experience with no AC.
However let me introduce (or reintroduce) you to the 9 impartial league baseball gamers who helped deliver Adelaide to a historic 12 sport profitable streak.
Quincy Latimore – the “seasoned” veteran of this group, Quincy has been taking part in skilled baseball since he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007. And in 2007, you wouldn’t have met a extra die-hard fan of the whole Pirates group than myself. (That’s proper… in the event you do the maths, I’ve recognized Q for 15 years). After his time with the Pirates was over in 2012, he landed with the Cleveland Indians group to start 2013; nonetheless, he ended the season in Washington, PA with the Washington Wild Issues. I nonetheless maintain that 2013 staff near my coronary heart. Attending to see Quincy get pleasure from baseball on the indy degree was a pleasure, and I nonetheless love watching him play this nice sport.
This sport has taken him all all over the world the place he has hit 249 profession homeruns (right here’s to 250 coming quickly!) and performed in nearly 1,900 skilled video games. His newest indy stint in America has been with the Excessive Level Rockers within the Atlantic League the place he has performed since 2019. At the moment, Quincy has reached base in all 20 video games he’s performed in with Adelaide this season.
Luke Wilkins – one other former Washington Wild Factor, Luke performed right here through the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Our weblog collection “Aussie in America” grew to become an enormous hit and helped me acquire a variety of followers from down underneath (G’day mates!) In 2019, he returned to America to play within the American Affiliation with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks, Sioux Falls Canaries, and the Chicago Canines. That is Luke’s twelfth season within the ABL with the bulk coming with the Sydney Blue Sox. He’s a flexible a part of the pitching workers in Adelaide and for Staff Australia the place he can begin or are available as reduction when wanted.
Nick Ward – the ultimate Washington Wild Factor on the record (who simply re-signed right here for an additional season), Nick was a Frontier League All-Star in 2022 placing up numbers that positioned him in MVP competition. He completed the season third within the league in common (.349) and amassed 61 RBI and 19 HR whereas main the Wild Issues to first place within the West Division. Previous to his three seasons in Washington, Nick was a prospect within the Oakland Athletics group and received an NCAA Division 2 Nationwide Championship. He’s additionally a member of the Nice Britain nationwide staff that certified for the World Baseball Traditional. To this point in Adelaide, his MVP numbers haven’t slowed down. He’s main the Giants in Common (.385), SLG (.756), OPS (1.229) and HR (6).
Josh Tols – one in every of my authentic Pecos boys, Josh has skilled among the harshest situations American indy ball has to supply. After a 5-0 document with the Trinidad Triggers within the Pecos League, Josh was capable of transfer up and spend two seasons with the Kansas Metropolis T-Bones within the American Affiliation earlier than signing with the Philadelphia Phillies group. He returned to the American Affiliation in 2021 with the Kane County Cougars. After spending 5 seasons with Melbourne, Josh returned to his hometown of Adelaide for his ninth season within the ABL. He has been top-of-the-line pitchers in Australia over the last decade and is a member of Staff Australia.
Todd Van Steensel – one other staple of Staff Australia’s bullpen, Todd has performed a number of seasons in America with the Phillies and Twins organizations in addition to a season within the American Affiliation with the St. Paul Saints. After pitching for a decade with the Sydney Blue Sox, Todd is closing out video games for a second season in Adelaide. He has already earned 4 saves with a 0.00 ERA in 7 appearances this season.
Miguel Cienfuegos – the second 2022 Frontier League All-Star on the record, Miguel was completely lights out for the Frontier League champs, the Québec Capitales. In his second season with Québec, he completed the common season with a 10-2 document and 1.79 ERA in 131 innings. His stellar season led him to win the Canadian Baseball Community’s 2022 Claude Pelletier Award, as prime pitcher within the impartial/overseas ranks. Miguel has continued his profitable methods in Adelaide with a 3-0 document in 5 begins, together with one full sport.
Adam McKillican – one other Frontier League Québec alum, Adam pitched in simply 6 video games with Québec in 2021 earlier than being signed to the Texas Rangers group. However his breakout season occurred after making the swap to the Colorado Rockies group. Throughout the 2022 season, Adam pitched in 32 video games for the Excessive-A Spokane Indians with a 3-0 document and 1.64 ERA incomes him the title of the Rockies’ organizational all-star reduction pitcher. He has been a stable addition to the again finish of Adelaide’s bullpen the place he has earned 2 wins and three saves whereas putting out 12 and strolling none in 10.1 IP to this point this season.
Quintin Torres-Costa – a former Milwaukee Brewers prospect from 2015 – 2021, Quintin turned to indy ball for the 2022 season on the lookout for one other shot to show himself after having Tommy John surgical procedure on the finish of the 2018 season. Whereas with the Gastonia Honey Hunters, he compiled a 4-2 document with a 2.76 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 49 innings. He at the moment has a 3-1 document in his first ABL season.
Luis Aviles Jr – profiting from impartial baseball’s capability to play through the COVID season, Luis performed 12 video games for the Sugar Land Lighting Sloths within the Constellation Power League whereas in between affiliated stints for the Milwaukee Brewers group (2013-2019) and Los Angeles Angels group (2021). Final season, Luis cut up time between AA and AAA with the Miami Marlins. He continues to see the ball nicely on the plate with a .313 common and .835 OPS whereas making nice defensive performs within the infield for Adelaide.
The Adelaide Giants need to hold their profitable streak alive with their subsequent set of residence video games December sixteenth – 18th towards the Perth Warmth.
All ABL video games will be streamed reside free of charge at https://baseball.com.au/
