Canberra Cavalry

Canberra Cavalry
Most recent season:
2015–16 Australian Baseball League season
Team Details
League Australian Baseball League
City Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Ballpark Narrabundah Ballpark
Year founded 2010
Inaugural season 2010–11
Postseason
Asia Series Championships 1 (2013)
ABL Championships 1 (2012–13)
Finals appearances 2 (2013-14)
Uniforms
Canberra Cavalry home and away orange uniform (also white shirt with orange and black writing)
Colours      Orange
     Black
     White
Management
Manager Australia Michael Collins
Owner ABL
General Manager

Current - Australia Donn McMichael[1]
2012-2014: United States Thom Carter [2]
2012-13: Co-GM with Peter Bishell and Thom Carter
2011-2013 Australia Peter Bishell [3]


2010-11 Australia Tony Fraser [4]
Assistant GM

2013-14 Anthony Cangelosi

2011-12: Thom Carter[5]
2010-11: Megan Salic[6]

The Canberra Cavalry is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League. The team was runner-up in the 2013-14 League.

In the 2012–13 season, the Cavalry won the Claxton Shield, having defeated the Perth Heat in the Championship Series in Canberra over 8/9 February 2013.[7] In November 2013, the Cavalry won the 2013 Asia Series resoundingly (14-4),[8] becoming the first non- Japanese or Korean side to do so.

The team is based in the Capital city of Canberra, Australia at the home ground, Narrabundah Ballpark.

Originally to be called the Colts, the team faced legal issues with the ACT Brumbies[9] that uses the same name for a local Rugby Union team.

On 8 September 2010 former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and Lakewood BlueClaws pitching coach, Steve Schrenk, was announced head coach.[10]

Since 2012-13, former Cavalry player, Michael Collins has been the coach.

The current major sponsor, since the 2014-15 season, is Canberra Elite Cabs.[11]

Seasons

Canberra Cavalry baseball team, with the Championship Claxton Shield for 2012-13.
2013 Asia Series champions banner

2010–11 Australian Baseball League season

2011–12 Australian Baseball League season

2012–13 Australian Baseball League season

2013 Championship Series

Game 1
Cavalry win 6-4 over Perth. Cavalry pitch invasion after win, 2013 first Championship gane.

Score: Canberra Cavalry wins 6-4 over Perth Heat[7]

Game 2

Score: Canberra Cavalry wins 7-6. Takes Championship and Claxton Shield.[7]

A Canberra Cavalry fan wins a raffle; the prize is a signed helmet and baseball bat. 20 November 2015
Canberra Cavalry baseball team mascot, Sarge - 2015

2013 Asia Series - Champions

2013–14 Australian Baseball League season

2nd place out of 6. W:22, L:24. Cavalry defeated the Sydney Blue Sox in the Preliminary Final, held in Sydney, before losing to Perth Heat in the Final series.

2014–15 Australian Baseball League season

As December 2014 drew to a close, the Cavalry was equal second on the ABL standings. Cavalry finished fourth in the regular season with a win-loss record of 22-24 (.478) but the home-away record favoured the equally scored Sydney team.

2015–16 Australian Baseball League season

On the opening weekend (23–25 October 2015), the Cavalry won the first three of four games against Brisbane.

Roster

Canberra Cavalry roster - 2015–16 ABL
Active roster Coaching staff
Pitchers

Right-handed pitchers

  • 6 Michael Click
  • 19 James D'Arcy
  • 46 Brazil Rafael Fernandes
  • 44 Brian Grening
  • 37 James Kennedy
  • 33 Phil Kish
  • 10 Scott Mulhearn
  • 49 United States Aaron James Thompson

Left-handed pitchers

  • 23 Australia Steve Kent
  • 7 Wade Korpi
  • 15 Colton Turner
  • 47 Tyson Walker
Catchers

Infielders

  • 20 Jeremy Barnes
  • 37 Jack Barrie
  • 26 Jason Leblebijian
  • 45 United States Boss Moanaroa
  • 35 Aaron Sayers

Outfielders

  • 25 Josh Fritsch
  • 2 United States David Harris
  • 14 United States Derrick Loveless
  • 32 United States Cord Sandberg
Manager

Coaches

  • 17 Australia Hayden Beard (Coach)
  • 28 Keith Ward (Coach)
  • 12 Kenny Graham (Coach)
Correct as of 25 October 2015 version of ABL website.

Venue

Narrabundah Ballpark

Narrabundah Ballpark, November 2014
Cavalry dugout with bullpen beyond. Entry concourse behind, then first stand. Pitch-side seating in foreground.
Cavalry bullpen - 2015

Mascot

Canberra Cavalry mascot, Sarge, geeing up the crowd at Narrabundah Ballpark.

The Canberra Cavalry team mascot is a Yosemite Sam-type character named 'Sarge', with an Australian slouch hat, Cavalry-orange shirt, Auscam pants and brown Army boots. The team song, played after winning games, is "I Wanna Be in the Cavalry" by Corb Lund.

Car

Sarge's 2014 car. Canberra Cavalry

Sarge got a 'quad' car for the 2014-15 season.

MLB players

Players with the Cavalry who have played in the USA's Major League Baseball (MLB) teams include:

Community work

In the 2012-13 season, the degree of community work and outreach was markedly up on previous seasons, with game-day shirts for sale to assist community organisations for most days of home seasons. This began with Legacy Australia that supports family members of service people, and included the Canberra Hospital Trust, the Heart Foundation, Red Cross ACT, and The Global Poverty Walk's Matt Napier.

Local politicians

Narrabundah Ballpark is owned by the Government of the Australian Capital Territory. The Cavalry management regularly hosts local politicians and their families at games, to raise their awareness of baseball and the Australian Baseball League. This is extended to each part of the political spectrum.

Canberra Cavalry at Narrabundah Ballpark with Perth Heat batting, 3 January 2016. Foreground, Senator Zed Seselja and family.

References

  1. The Canberra Elite Cavalry, and Baseball ACT welcome the appointment of Mr Donn McMichael, The ABL, 16 September 2014, accessed 6 January 2015
  2. Canberra Times, Cavalry CEO returns to States 1 July 2014
  3. , Team Story about appoiontment
  4. , SMH about Fraser's hiring with Basketball ACT and reference to time with Cavalry
  5. team story, 3 January 2012, accessed 7 January 2012
  6. Meet the Cavalry, Barry Barnes, 28 September 2010, accessed 25 January 2011
  7. 1 2 3 Canberra Cavalry win ABL championship, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 February 2013, 11:12PM
  8. 1 2 3 Canberra Cavalry wins Asia Series, David Polkinghorne, Canberra Times, 21 November 2013
  9. The countdown is ON! Only 3 days to go!, 2 November 2010, ABLbuzz.com, accessed 25 January 2011
  10. Fraser, Tom (8 September 2010). "Former Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher to Serve as Canberra Cavalry Head Coach". Canberra Cavalry. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  11. http://web.theabl.com.au/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140625&content_id=81644562&fext=.jsp&vkey=pr_l595&sid=l595
  12. A case of the Blues for Canberra in ABL, Joe O'Sullivan, 24 January 2011, The Roar, accessed 25 January 2011
  13. Strike Zone, ABC Grandstand Sport, 15 February 2013, accessed 17 February 2013

External links

Media related to Canberra Cavalry at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.