Cleveland Sports Forum

Tigers closed on the right foot in the Caribbean Series

With a run of three straight victories Venezuela achieved a second place finish in the Caribbean Series

CARACAS. -

The Aragua Tigers showed in the last three games that they had everything it takes to return to a celebration in the Caribbean as they did three years ago in Mexicali. The bad start took its toll on the troops.

The team of Buddy Bailey defeated 6-2 the Yaquis de Obregon and left their record in the Caribbean Series at 3-3 and held on to second place in the competition.

Regardless of whether Puerto Rico defeats the Dominican in game two this evening, Venezuela secured the second position.

Again Araguan bats unleashed a torrid offensive: manufactured six runs, the product of two rallies, one in the fourth inning with two runs to tie the game and another in the fifth inning when Cesar Suarez hit the third of his three homers in the series.

Aragua totally changed the face of the series in the second half. The Tigers totaled 20 innings in the last three games and totaled 30 hits in those games. "I think it's a great compliment to the players that after being down 0-3 and having no chance for the championship, they went out to fight and finish second. The idea was not to leave the Dominican without a championship but this position is best left to last, "said Bailey who retracted the statements he made after finishing the first three games of the tournament without a win. "I am truly proud of what these players did. Obviously my vision of the team changed because they started to hit, showed teeth on the field and the results were positive for Venezuela, "added Bailey.

Venezuela ends with heads held high

Mexico 2, Puerto Rico 6

SANTO DOMINGO . -

Cesar Suarez homered and Edgardo Alfonzo drove in a pair of runs for Venezuela who defeated Mexico 6-2 on Tuesday on the closing day of the Caribbean Series.

With the game 2-1, Suarez solo homered to left. His third of the series to tie the game as he did against the Dominican champions on Tuesday.

An inning later, Alfonzo capped a four-run inning with a two-run RBI single, and Venezuela won its third game in a row after losing the first three.

Reliever Pedro Guerra (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings, no hits, no walks and a strikeout to help the Venezuelan team clinch the win.

The Mexicans manufactured two runs in the third inning, when Jose Rodriguez opened with a single. Jesus Feliciano sacrificed to move the runner. Then, Chris Roberson drove in the first run with a single to left field that put the game 1-0.

Sergio Contreras'double advanced Chris Roberson to third base. Karim Garcia was intentionally walked and Iker Franco hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-0.

Aragua tied the game in the fourth. Cesar Suarez homered. Adonis Garcia doubled. Luis Antonio Jimenez singled advancing Adonis Garcia to third and on the play Luis Antonio Jimenez was out at second on the throw. Hector Gimenez singled driving in Adonis Garcia.

In the following inning, Aragua scored four to take a 6-2 lead which would be the final in this afternoon's ballgame. Luis Maza and Luis Hernandez lead off the inning with walks. Jorge Cortes out on a sacrifice bunt Luis Maza to third and Luis Hernandez to second. Miguel Rojas singled driving in Luis Maza as Luis Hernandez advanced to third. Cesar Suarez singled and Luis Hernandez scored whiled Rojas advanced to second on the throw to home. Miguel Rojas stole third and Cesar Suarez stole second on the double steal. Adonis Garcia struck out Edgardo Alfonzo pinch hit for Luis Antonio Jimenez and singled driving in Miguel Rojas and Cesar Suarez. Hector Gimenez flied out to end the inning.

The defeat went to Oswaldo Martinez (0-1) gve up two hits and four runs in only two thirds of an inning. Walked two and fanned one.

Mexico, the reversed the trend of Venezuela by losing their last three games.

For Venezuela, Suarez batted 2-4 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs. Alfonzo walked and singled with two RBIs. Hector Gimenez had two hits and drove in a run.

For Mexico, Chris Robertson had two hits, drove in a run and scored another. Franco drove in one and Rodriguez went 1-2 with a run scored.

Caribbean Series looks ahead to Mexico in '13

Confederation hopes to bring Cuba back to tournament

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 02/07/12 7:16 PM EST

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic --

Plans for the next big fiesta in baseball are already under way.

The 2013 Caribbean Series will be held in Hermosillo, Mexico, approximately 175 miles from the U.S., and the teams from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela could have company.

Juan Francisco Puello, commissioner of the Caribbean Confederation, is leading a delegation to Cuba next month to present a proposal to sports authorities in an effort to bring that country back to the Caribbean Series.
The Dominican Republic's Leones de Escogido will defend its title in Hermosillo's new facility next year. (AP)

An original member of the Caribbean Confederation, Cuba has not participated in the series since 1960.

"We are thinking about including Cuba in some way," Puello said. "We believe they will be a big factor in the next Caribbean Series, in Hermosillo."

What's more, next year's round-robin tournament will be played in Hermosillo's new stadium, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of November. The plan is to play games at the facility in December and January in preparation.

"Every Caribbean Series in Mexico distinguishes itself because of fans and the atmosphere, and this will be the same," said Omar Canizales, president of the Mexican Pacific League. "We love sports in Mexico, and we also feel fortunate to have our Latin American brothers in one place. It's a fraternity in all ways. We are ready to receive them and welcome them to our country. We hope everybody from every country [comes], including the United States."

The Dominican Republic's Leones de Escogido won this year's series, finishing the six-day event ahead of Mexico's Yaquis de Obregon, Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayaguez and Venezuela's Tigres de Aragua.

The Dominican Republic won its first four games of the series, and by virtue of Puerto Rico's win over Mexico on Monday afternoon, clinched the title before even taking the field for Monday night's game.

Venezuela shut out the Dominican Republic, 7-0, in the nightcap, but that didn't stop Escogido from celebrating on the field and taking a victory lap around the stadium.

Puello has been talking about a format change to the tournament since last year's event. He's also addressed the notion that the series does not feature enough big-name stars, and was asked if such players will ever return.

"You have to have a crystal ball to talk about that. Times change," Puello said. "Nobody knows if the big figures in baseball will ever return to compete in our event. ... What teams have to do is concentrate on having fans follow the teams, not the names. Look at Venezuela. Caracas and Magallanes fans don't focus as much on the players as they do on the tradition of the team. We have to explore that also."

Hermosillo has a rich baseball history to consider, as Vinny Castillo, Curt Schilling, Maury Wills, Larry Walker and Fernando Valenzuela all played for the hometown Naranjeros. Home run legend Hector Espino, known in Latin America as the Mexican Babe Ruth, is among the club's greatest players.

The Naranjeros have won 15 Mexican Pacific League titles, the most in league history. They've won seven since 1990, including championships in 2007 and 2010.

Overall, a team from Mexico has won the Caribbean Series six times since the country began participating in the tournament in 1970, with the last title coming in 2011, by Yaquis de Obregon. The first team from Mexico to win the title was Hermosillo, in 1976. Culiacan has won two (1996 and 2002), Mexicali brought home the trophy in 1986 and in 2005 the hometown Venados won the title in Mazatlan.

"It's a very friendly town," said Obregon outfielder Chris Roberson, a former D-backs farmhand who has played for several teams in Mexico, including Hermosillo. "It's one of the most comfortable cities I've been around in Mexico as far being an American, and it's really Americanized. It's like Tucson, pretty much. It has great food, and they have the best steak in the whole country."

But Roberson, who played for Hermosillo's championship team in 2007, admits that he could be a little biased.

"That's where I met my wife," he said. "I met her when we were playing against Obregon in the playoffs, and she came to see a good friend of hers play. I told my buddy I just wanted to get to know her, and four years later we are married."

Jesse Sanchez is a national reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @JesseSanchezMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cespedes to meet with Marlins on Wednesday

Cuban defector expected to visit with other teams while in U.S.

By Joe Frisaro and Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 02/07/12 1:30 PM EST

MIAMI --

Cuban sensation Yoenis Cespedes has received a travel visa and is scheduled to meet with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, according to sources.

The free-agent outfielder was to leave the Dominican Republic and arrive in Miami on Tuesday. He and his agent, Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group, will meet with Marlins officials, after which Cespedes is expected to remain in the United States for about a week to meet with other teams and undergo physicals given by his agency.

Despite being declared a free agent on Jan. 25, the 26-year-old Cespedes, who established temporary residency in the Dominican Republic in January, has not been legally cleared by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, Katz told MLB Network Radio earlier this week. A source confirmed on Tuesday that the slugger had not yet been "unblocked" by the OFAC.

Until Cespedes is unblocked, he can negotiate and even reach agreement with a team. The signing, however, won't become official until after he is legally cleared.

"I have never gone through this process before," Katz said. "It is onerous and unpredictable. You just sort of have to breathe into it and not have too many expectations."

The Marlins, Tigers, Orioles, Cubs, White Sox and Indians have expressed the most interest in Cespedes, who can play all three outfield positions.

For months, the Marlins have made it clear that they are interested in Cespedes, regarded as a five-tool player with blazing speed and immense power.

Katz said he was optimistic that the process with the OFAC will be resolved soon enough to allow Cespedes to join a team in time for Spring Training.

In accordance with new guidelines established in January 2011, Cuban players no longer have to wait three to six months to be unblocked by the OFAC after establishing residency outside of Cuba or the United States.

Under the new rules, instead of having to request a specific license from the OFAC for unblockage, there is a general license authorizing Major League teams to do business once permanent residency outside of Cuba (but not in the United States) was established, eliminating the requirement that the defector be processed by the OFAC before they were declared free agents by MLB.

The source said there is not an issue and the wait is part of the normal process.

Marlins president David Samson was hopeful that Cespedes would visit Miami.

"If it can be arranged, and he wants to come to Miami and see our ballpark, it would be great," Samson said last week. "From our standpoint, we are aggressively negotiating a contract, but there is no way of knowing if we will be a high bidder."

In a brief stint in winter ball in the Dominican Republic, Cespedes went 5-for-35 (.143) with a home run and 10 strikeouts. He hit .333 with 33 home runs and 99 RBIs in 90 games in Cuba during the 2010-11 campaign. Cespedes was Cuba's starting center fielder during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Joe Frisaro and Jesse Sanchez are reporters for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Caribbean Series

In the final game, Puerto Rico can have the Last word with a 3-1 win over the Caribbean Series Champions,. the Dominican Republic

In the final game of the 2012 Caribbean Series Puerto Rico defeated 3-1 the champion Dominican Republic, with Venezuela coming in second with three wins and three losses.

The defeat did not matter to the Dominicans, because since yesterday they are the champions of the series as Puerto Rico beat Mexico who was the only threat to Dominican Republic.

The Dominicans won the first four games of the series but ended with two losses in their six games.

The final standings of the Caribbean Series are represented by Escogido Lions who finished with a record of 4-2, Venezuela and Puerto Rico finished tied for second place with a record of 3-3 each, but with the highest percentage of RBIs and runs allowed Venezuela finish second , Mexico finished last at 2-4.

At the end of the game came the awards ceremony for the best players in the tournament.

The team "All Stars"

Catcher Iker Franco of Mexico

1st base from Venezuela Hector Gimenez

Pablo Ozuna from the Dominican Republic at 2nd Base

Luis Figueroa 3rd base from Puerto Rico

SS Miguel Rojas from Venezuela

Jesus Feliciano from Puerto Rico Left Field

Right Field Andy Dirks from the Dominican Republic

Center Field Adonys Garcia from Venezuela

Designated hitter Luis Jimenez from Venezuela

Lefty pitcher Raul Valdez rom the Dominican Republic

RHP Nelson Figueroa from Puerto Rico

Manager Ken Oberkfield from the Dominican Republic

MVP of the Caribbean series Jairo Asencio from the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic, represented by the Escogido Leones became champions of the 2012 Caribbean Series to win the 19th crown in the event's history

CARIBBEAN

Down the curtain in Santo Domingo

SANTO DOMINGO

The Dominican Republic was proclaimed champion of the 2012 Caribbean Series to win their 19th crown in the event's history, but if there was a lesson to be learned by this edition in Quisqueya is that the current format has expired.

Despite two defeats in the last two days, the Escogido Lions won the championship even before playing the penultimate game on the final day for the second year in a row.

In the closing game, Andy Gonzalez and Randy Ruiz had run producing basehits and John Lujan threw well in relief after Matt DeSalvo started and gave Puerto Rico its second win in a row.

The Mayaguez Indians tied for second with the Venezuelan Tigres de Aragua, improving to 3-3, but the first were recognized as runners-up by tie breaker statistics.

What was left pending was the promise of change by the Caribbean Baseball Confederation.

"In March we travel to Cuba to extend the invitation for the next Serie del Caribe. We've talked with Major League Baseball and all is well," said the president of the confederation, Juan Francisco Puello. "We do not have problems with Mexico's approval. It remains for the Cuban government to accept the invitation."

Mexico, meanwhile, ended up losing their last three games after winning two of the first three in a disappointing end to the Yaquis season, who last year claimed the crown and sought renewal this year.

"Unfortunately, things did not work out. We missed some things and did not get the timely hits," said the manager of the Yaquis, Eddy Diaz.

In terms of attendance, the series proved to be a failure. Quisqueya Stadium with a capacity of just over 11,400 people, was never filled to capacity and only had one day when the Dominican Republic faced Puerto Rico in the third round with the assistance of about 8 thousand fans.

Unofficially, it was estimated that an average of about six thousand tickets were sold per day although the organizers had no official data.

The Caribbean Baseball Confederation confirmed Tuesday that the city of Hermosillo, Mexico, with its new stadium, will host the 2013 Caribbean Series.

The Dominican closer Jairo Asencio was chosen as the Most Valuable Player, heading five members from the winning Lions to be named to the All-Star team. Pablo Ozuna was selected as the best second baseman, Andy Dirks as an outfielder, Raul Valdes (LHP) and Ken Oberkfell (manager).

Venezuela had Hector Gimenez (first), Miguel Rojas (shortstop), Adonis Garcia (outfielder) and Luis Jimenez (DH).

Puerto Rico with Luis Figueroa (third base), Jesus Feliciano (outfielder) and Nelson Figueroa (RHP).

No doubt the attendance has been dwindling over the past few years.

Six of the nine game championship series between the Aguilas and the Lions were sellouts. The playoffs were a big success in all of the countries. The playoff games were well attended.

The lack of high profile names is one of the main reasons for the drop off in attendance.

I suspect that travel is probably another pretty good reason. It's not cheap to travel, stay in hotels, and lay out the cash to watch six ballgames.

It will be interesting to see how, if, or when they can resolve this dilemma.

Jairo Asencio won the MVP

SANTO DOMINGO. -

Jairo Asencio was not happy holding the heavy trophy for "Most Valuable Player" of the Caribbean Series as his thoughts traveled to heaven, there where the soul of his late mother should be.

Jairo Asencio the lanky pitcher with three saves in three appearances at the Caribbean Classic, won the highest distinction of the event which was won by the Escogido Leones of the Dominican Republic with a 4-2 record.

"I dedicate this award to my mother who died last year," said the right handed pitcher that plays for the Toros del Este and was a reinforcement for the team as a closer.

"I'm happy for the distinction, but there is a space that would be full if my mother were alive," explained the young player.

With his feat Asencio joined pitchers Jose Rijo, Ramon Ortiz and Francis Beltran as the only Creoles making the distinction in this event.

Ascencio was immaculate in his performance by throwing three innings, zero runs, no hits, struck out three batters and posted 0.00 ERA.

"I never thought I would win the prize, or to throw so well," explained Ascencio, who is now expected to take another career path.

"The players had a great commitment and desire to win every game"

Ken Oberkfell is the only inported manager who repeats as winner of a Caribbean Series.

Four Dominicans have won the MVP award of the Caribbean Series. Jose Rijo (1985), Francis Beltran (2004), Ramon Ortiz (2008) and Jairo Ascencio (2012).

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Alfredo Despaigne, líder jonronero.


[Centerfielder Alfredo Despaigne is one of the brightest young stars in Cuban baseball. Another 26 year old. One has to wonder if defection is in his future plans. If Cuba does respond in the affirmative to their upcoming invitation to next year's Caribbean Series in Mexico, the possibility does exist I would imagine. The Cubans are half way through their season and Despaigne has 20 homers already.]

Alfredo Despaigne On Tear To Reclaim Cuban Home Run Record

Posted Feb. 7, 2012 7:10 pm by Ben Badler

Alfredo Despaigne set the single-season home run record in Cuba's Serie Nacional with 32 homers in 2008-09, only to have it broken last year when Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Abreu each hit 33 home runs.

It may not take long for Despaigne to reclaim his crown.

The Granma outfielder hit his 20th home run of the season today, the latest in a recent homer binge that included two home runs in a game on Sunday and one on Wednesday, and all in just 46 games. Granma has played 47 games of its 90-game schedule so far, so even with some second-half regression there's a good chance that Despaigne could become Cuba's newest single-season home run king.

Despaigne, 25, is now hitting .358/.479/.756 with 26 strikeouts and 35 walks (including 11 intentional walks), leading the league in slugging and ranking seventh in OBP entering today's game. Of course, this is nothing new for Despaigne, who already has two Serie Nacional MVPs after winning the award in back-to-back years in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and being named an all-star last season.

A thickly-built righthanded hitter listed at 5-foot-9, Despaigne has been a standout on several Cuban national teams at international tournaments, including the 2008 Olympics where he homered off Stephen Strasburg, the 2009 World Baseball Classic (though he struggled during that tournament) and most recently at the World Cup in October in Panama.

And, since some folks have already asked: No, there is no way of knowing for certain if or when any Cuban player might try to leave to play in the majors, though some teams believe Despaigne won't leave. For now, he's simply a force in Cuba.

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Alfredo Despaigne Rodriguez (born June 17, 1986 in Palma Soriano, Santiago de Cuba) is a Cuban Outfielder with Granma of the Cuban National Series. He is widely considered to be among the best players playing outside the United States. He was named the Best Hitter at the 2007 World Port Tournament, and was also a part of the Cuban team which won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Despaigne burst onto the scene after posting an impressive season in 2007, afterwards earning a key role on Cuba’s National Team. In 2009, Despaigne had one of the most dominating seasons in Cuban Baseball history, breaking the Cuban Home Run record while hitting .373 with 97 RBI’s. Following the season, he was named MVP of the National Series. Despaigne has again been excellent in 2010, ranking among the best hitters in various statistical categories.

Alfredo remained one of Cuba's biggest stars in 2009-2010, hitting .404/.489/.814. He led the league in average, doubles (37), home runs (31) and total bases (258, 22 ahead of runner-up Yulieski Gourriel). Gourriel robbed him of a Triple Crown as he had 105 RBI to Despaigne's 97. He was 3rd in hits (128), 8th in runs (79) and second in slugging, .008 behind José Dariel Abreu. He was named an All-Star outfielder alongside Alexei Bell and Frederich Cepeda and also took home MVP honors, with 20 of 22 first-place votes, beating out Gourriel 63 points to 37. Despaigne became the third repeat MVP in Cuban Serie Nacional history, following Wilfredo Sánchez (1969-1970) and Gourriel (2005-2006).

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Rookie Andrew Campbell (Cleveland Indians) taking high fives from the team (Ryan Schembri / SMP Images)

No rookie mistakes here

The Brisbane Bandits had six rookies on the roster this year

It can be tough to be a rookie.

The fresh meat is expected to pick up extra duties around the ballpark and in the clubhouse, all while learning the ropes and trying to save face with impressive on-field performances. Complaints are unacceptable and rookie status can't be deferred until a plethora of even newer recruits don the uniform.

The Brisbane Bandits had six rookies this year, qualifying for that title on the basis that they are Australian residents and have had less than 50 at-bats or eight pitching appearances in previous Australian senior national competitions like the Claxton Shield or the Australian Baseball League, or with the senior national team, in the World Baseball Classic, Olympic Games or the World Cup.

Four of those six made it onto the ballot for the ABL Rookie of the Year voting, evidence of what kind of an impact they made for the Bandits and in the league. Brisbane's candidates for the yearly award included Andrew Campbell, Ryan Battaglia, Matt Roxburgh and Rhys Niit, all happy to be taken into deliberation for the honour.

"It feels awesome to be considered," Campbell said of the Rookie of the Year award. "It really gives me confidence that my season had a good impact on coaches and other people involved. I certainly was a rookie this year.

"I don't think my shoulders have recovered from carrying the ball bag all season, oh and doing Brad [Dutton]'s washing. Other than the chores involved, being a young rookie is a good thing because I'm experiencing mature-aged baseball already."

Campbell was impressive out of the leadoff spot in the lineup, batting .301/.387/.376 through his 26 games on the roster. The 19-year-old outfielder led the team in on-base percentage and notched five doubles and a triple during the season. The Cleveland Indians prospect also managed to drive in eight runs from the top of the order and he stole three bases this year.

Fellow Indians farmhand Battaglia batted .273/.319/.523 over 14 games, while playing behind the dish. He led all Brisbane Bandits in slugging percentage over that time. The 19-year-old had two homers, five doubles and six RBI.

Roxburgh, in his inaugural season, hit .283/.333/.396 with three home runs, three doubles and 16 runs driven in over his 28 games. The Brisbane native stepped up even more in the back half of the year and ended the season better than he started. He batted .414/.514/.690 over his last 10 games and finished the year on a six-game hitting streak.

Taking the mound this season as rookies were three young pitchers. Niit was used out of the bullpen, closing out a couple of games and making six appearances in total, throwing 11 innings. The 20-year-old managed to notch two three-inning saves on the year, and posted an impressive 1.64 ERA.

Aaron Thompson and Josh Warner were also on the hill for Brisbane this season. After appearing in three games last year for the Bandits, Thompson only got into two this season. He threw three innings and struck out four. Warner made it into the starting rotation at the end of the year, getting three starts and appearing in six games in total, after getting into seven games last season. The 19-year-old completed 12 2/3 frames through his outings and fanned 12 batters.

Though Niit and Thompson are the only two of the bunch who will still technically qualify for rookie status next season, all of the young players will have to hope for a number of even newer faces to come in before they can be relieved of their rookie duties. When that happens though, the new guys will have a lot to live up to after the impressive show that was put by the rookies this year.

Keep it up, meat.

(L to R) Perth's T. Kennelly, Givens, Hughes; Melbourne's Huber, Biddle, Harman (SMP Images)

ABLCS Preview: All on the line for Heat, Aces

SYDNEY, 8 February -

The defending champion 'Alcohol Think Again' Perth Heat will square off with the Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces to determine the best team in Australian baseball at the 2012 ConocoPhillips ABL Championship Series commencing on Friday, 10th February at 4:05 pm WST at Barbagallo Ballpark in Perth.

The best-of-three ABLCS will be broadcast live on Fox Sports at 4:05 pm WST on Friday, Feb 10th, Saturday, Feb 11th and Sunday Feb 12th (if Game 3 is necessary). The series will be replayed on the MLB Network in the United States on the same dates beginning at noon.

In a battle between the ABL's two most potent offences, the underdog Aces aim to shoot down the Heat's hopes of back-to-back Claxton Shield trophies and avenge their Round One round loss to the Heat, when they went down three games to one.

After battling their way back from the brink of elimination in Round Two to outscore Sydney 29 runs to seven, Melbourne hopes to continue their hot hitting in the finals.

Led by the Team Australia stars and former Major Leaguers Brad Harman and Justin Huber, the Aces certainly have the firepower to pull off the upset.

Former Phillie Harman, the only ABL player with a World Series ring, set a new ABL record with 15 homers this year. His three home runs in the final two games of Round Two earned him Player of the Series honours.

Former Royal, Padre and Twin Huber has been outstanding in Postseason play, collecting hits in each game. Huber was particularly successful against Perth in Round One, reaching base in an impressive 15 of his 19 plate appearances.

The number one seed Perth has been dominant against the Aces in head-to-head meetings, winning 10 of their 13 contests this year and 16 of 21 overall. They have outscored Melbourne 100-57 over the last two seasons.

Current Minnesota Twin Luke Hughes will miss the Championship Series with a shoulder injury, but the Heat still boast the most dangerous line-up in the League. Mitch Graham batted .444 with a home run and six RBI in Round One against the Aces and Tim Kennelly finished in the top five in the league in BA, RBI, OBP, and SLG and was named a finalist for the Helms Award recognising the league's Most Valuable Player.

Former MLB hurlers Virgil Vasquez of the Heat and Travis Blackley of the Aces will face off in the first game and Pitcher of the Year Warwick Saupold will take his league-leading 1.41 ERA into Game Two.

The ABL Championship Series will be broadcast to over 50 countries and 400 million households through Fox Sports, MLB Network, ESPN Star and Australia Network.

Australians who can't view the games on television can also catch all the action live on ABC Grandstand Digital Radio on the ABC-ABL Channel or listen online at http://blogs.abc.net.au/grandstand.

The games will also be streamed on the ABL's official website with a 30 minute delay at http://www.theabl.com.au.

Branly Crisotomo RHP photo taken at DPL All-Star Game

DPL All-Star Branly Crisotomo agrees with KC

Branly has had much success during the 2011-2012 DPL season; he leads the league in Strikeouts and ERA, showing 3 quality pitches in the process. His velocity has been inconsistent at times but normally works 88-92mph, combining a tight rotating Curveball and a solid deceptive Change-up. Crisotomo battles every time his number is called and goes after hitter with a hit me if you can attitude. His body doesn’t have a high projection ceiling but he should fill out and be a durable starting pitcher. After shinning at the DPL All-Star game the Kansas City Royals have agreed to terms with Branly for $98,500, he should start his professional season in the Dominican Summer League in 2012 and work his way through the system.

(David Rawnsley /Perfect Game ) He’s realistically about 5-11/175 but was 88-90 on his fastball with nice cut glove side from high three-quarters to over the top release point. Both his 74 mph curveball and 80 mph change up were potential plus pitches and he pounded the strike zone and overmatched hitters. If Crisotomo were a high school junior in the United States every college in the country would be after him and he’d end up a top-five round pick out of college.

Web Site of the National Sport of Cuba

The Cuban Raul Valdes led the Escogido Leones to their third straight win after throwing 6.0 innings with an unearned run, five hits, three strikeouts and a walk. Valdes was helped by Ramon Garcia, who completed the game in relief (3.0), with one hit and three strikeouts, and scored rescue.

Valdez was outstanding throughout the playoffs.

Next up for your Brisbane Bandits

Many Brisbane players are heading overseas to continue playing baseball

By Alexis Brudnicki

Baseball will continue beyond the conclusion of the Australian Baseball League season.

With Spring Training just around the corner in America, a number of Brisbane Bandits will be making the trip overseas to keep playing the game.

Looking to impress in the Cactus League in Arizona will be Ryan Battaglia, Andrew Campbell, Mitch Nilsson and Ryan Searle. The 22-year-old pitcher will be heading to Chicago Cubs camp, while the three position players are all affiliated with the Cleveland Indians.

Searle is heading into his fifth season in the Cubs minor league system. The right-hander finished the last North American summer with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League, going 5-3 with a 3.51 ERA. He threw 84 2/3 innings with 11 starts in 23 games for Tennessee, and is hoping to secure a spot in the starting rotation out of the spring.

The three Cleveland prospects all spent time with the Arizona League Indians last season and are looking to move up this year. Nilsson impressed in rookie ball, hitting .358/.419/.507 with a home run and 10 runs driven in through 21 games last year. Campbell appeared in 29 games for the Indians, notching two doubles, a triple, six RBI and five stolen bases. Battaglia spent only one game in the Arizona League before moving to the New York-Penn League for a short time, and his playing time will likely be significantly increased this season.

Heading to the Grapefruit League in Florida are four Brisbane Bandits players, along with manager Kevin Jordan. Josh Warner and Alan Schoenberger will join Jordan in the Philadelphia Phillies organisation, while Justin Erasmus will be in Boston Red Sox camp and Rory Rhodes heads to the Minnesota Twins.

Jordan will be a part of the coaching staff for the Gulf Coast League Phillies this upcoming season, the same team Warner played for last year. The 19-year-old started 10 games for the Phillies during the previous season, and had 12 appearances in total, notching 48 strikeouts and walking only 12 batters through his 54 2/3 innings pitched. With five years of minor league service time already under his belt, Schoenberger will be looking to continue to move up on the farm. The 23-year-old was last with the Lakewood Blue Claws in the South Atlantic League.

Erasmus has played two seasons of rookie ball for the GCL Red Sox and he also spent last year in the South Atlantic League, playing for the Greenville Drive in short-season A ball. The 21-year old has found success at each level, with a combined 1.68 ERA in 96 2/3 innings over the three seasons. In his second year, Erasmus led both the league and short-season ball in saves.

Rhodes batted .261/.363/.389 in rookie ball last year, after tearing up the Gulf Coast League in 2010. In his second GCL season, Rhodes hit .319/.410/.407 in 27 games for the Twins, earning him the promotion to Elizabethton. He will look to move further up the Twins ladder in March, hoping to get a chance to play for the Class A Beloit Snappers next.

Also heading to the United States will be Steven Chambers, after spending his last off-season in the Czech Extraleague playing for the Technika Brno. The 21-year-old right-hander is off to New Mexico to play in the Pecos League.

Going overseas to Europe will be Chris Mowday and Daniel Lamb-Hunt. Mowday is likely headed to the Netherlands while Lamb-Hunt is looking to win his third consecutive batting title in Germany.

Leaving Australia but not quite sure yet where they might play during the upcoming season will be Brisbane's Italian ace Alex Maestri, along with American imports Jon Durket and Sean Jarrett. Prior to playing for the Bandits, Maestri was last with the Lincoln Saltdogs in the American Association. Durket spent the previous North American season with the White Sands Pupfish, the team Chambers is headed to. Jarrett came to Australia from the Atlantic League, playing for the Camden Riversharks last.

All of the other Bandits will continue to play A-grade baseball for their respective local clubs until the league comes to an end. Brisbane will welcome back many of these baseballers next season, with more accumulated time under their belts.