{mrb-schedule:2010-04-17|2010-04-25|AT}
by Peter Ferak
With hope for exciting games and a balanced field of teams the ABL is due to start play next weekend. Title hopes are alive for all eight teams at this point. More likely for some, less for others, but all in all its good hear crack of the bat fill up the fresh air of Austria’s valley’s, and for the players to enjoy the taste of illegally imported chew cans.
Even before the season has kicked off issues start to build for the two top teams of last year. This leaves the field wide open and questions who will compete for the crown of Austrian Baseball Champion.
After having arguably the best season in the history of the club last year, the SUPERFUND Wanderers are losing a number of players at key positions, import and home grown, and will have to prove themselves once again. This will be no walk in the park as the American Owen Reid, who gave the team a boost last season and helped win the championship, is now working with the Feldkirch Cardinals, and other players who carried the team for the last few seasons have to take leave from the team for personal reasons. The Wanderers are somewhere in the middle pack and will definitely compete for a spot in the playoffs.
Schwaz Tigers announced that their ace-pitcher Paul Astl is out for the season with a serious arm injury and also released news about an import catcher, American Whitney Robinson-Pierce, who is unlikely to help them strengthen the pitcher position. This injury sets them back and leads to the question who will be this year’s dominant team?
The answer could be the Attnang Athletics. A team that looks similar to last year, a team that won the championship two years ago, and looked good for long stretches of last year. However, in last year’s semifinal series the A’s chocked away a 2-1 series lead against the Schwaz Tigers, so which A’s team will show up this year? After signing additional players in the off-season the Athletics seem to be serious about going for the crown.
But the answer could also be that there is no top team this season and all the teams look to have an equally good chance at making the playoffs.
The two teams coming up from the second league, Rohrbach Crazy Geese and Stock City Cubs could leave their mark on the upcoming ABL season. They beat the ABL teams in last Septembers Play-Ups by very respectable scores and showed they can compete with ABL talent.
Transfers in Austrian Baseball League:
(Courtesy press release Athletics Attnang-Puchheim)
Athletics Attnang-Puchheim:
Departures: Jason Ermers (Kanada), Martin Libiseller (Kanada), Michael Frisch (3rd division)
Arrivals: Jonathan Kashuba, Rigoberto Viales Perez (Grasshoppers), Miles Ethridge (USA)
Resigned: Nick Pardikes, Arian Quirantes
Rohrbach Crazy Geese:
Departures: Jose Castillo (Injured)
Arrivals: Julian Granado (VEN)
Schwechat Blue Bats:
Departures: Luis Jimenez (Bucks), Edward Severino (Bucks), Xaviel Pena Pena (Bucks), Ricky Riesenberger (USA)
Arrivals: Julio Diaz (Diving Ducks), Philipp Brenner (Metrostars), Jorge Gonzales Martinez (Diving Ducks), Jiri Gal (Arrows Ostrava)
Schwaz Tigers:
Departures: Michael Nagamatsu (USA), Nick Zambrotta (USA), Paul Astl (Injured)
Arrivals: Whitney Robinson-Pierce (Saarlouis Hornets)
Stock City Cubs:
Departures: Manuel Nussmüller, Stefan Rötzer (Injured)
Arrivals: Michael Meindl (on loan contract, Beers), Conor Casey (USA)
Resigned: Reed Brown
SU Kufstein Vikings:
Departures: Chris Piano (End of Contract), Andreas Schwaighofer (Injured)
Arrivals: Mark Marelich (USA), Phil Klingsbigl (youth team), Jakob Noggler (youth team), Klaus Berek (youth team), Klemens Adamer (youth team)
Vienna Metrostars:
Departures: Philipp Brenner (Blue Bats)
SUPERFUND Wanderers Vienna:
Departures: Maximilian Scholdan, Emilio Prodreka (both ended career), Owen Reid (Cardinals)
Resigned: Hiro Sakanashi
Austrian Baseball Champions of last Decade:
- 2000 Vienna Bulldogs
- 2001 Hard Bulls
- 2002 Kufstein Vikings
- 2003 Dornbirn Indians
- 2004 Kufstein Vikings
- 2005 Vienna Metrostars
- 2006 Vienna Metrostars
- 2007 Vienna Metrostars
- 2008 MOSQUITO Athletics Attnang-Puchheim
- 2009 SUPERFUND Wanderers Vienna
Final Standings 2009 Regular Season:
{mrb-standing:austria-2009}