2008 champion MOSQUITO ATHLETICS ATTNANG-PUCHHEIM starts the season on the road against the promoted club SCHWECHAT BLUE BATS. Besides the BATS, the VIENNA DIVING DUCKS are also back in the highest division in Austrian Baseball. The two teams replace the STOCK CITY CUBS and the LINZ BANDITS in the league lineup and join the returning teams VIENNA METROSTARS, DORNBIRN INDIANS, TIGERS SCHWAZ, UNION KUFSTEIN VIKINGS and SUPERFUND WADNERERS in pursuit to move ATTNANG-PUCHHEIM out of first place.
First Game Day April 18/19:
{mrb-schedule:2009-04-18|2009-04-19|AT}
The A’s with new head coach Greg McCarthy (Major League reliever for the Seattle Mariners) are once again favored going into the 2009 season, trying to make it two in a row. The talented brothers Horst and Markus Efferdinger join the team as well. The heart of the lineup with Arian Quirantes and Martin Rabengruber is back. The pitching staff is headed by Walter Strasser and Wolfgang Strini. Carter Clements returned to the North American continent.
The other clubs in the ABL also made a few changes. The WANDERERS bring back Clemens Cichocki to strengthen the roster for another run towards the championship. The 2007 ABL MVP had an unlucky year in the German Baseball-Bundesliga for the HAAR DISCIPLES and returns to Austria. Hiro Sakanashi not only is back as player, but he also takes over as head coach, as Nick DeForest takes a step back. The VIENNA METROSTARS had to swap head coach Tim Patrick with the combo Peter Ferak Jr. and Lutz Rauch as coaches, and Wenzo Rauch as manager.
The VIKINGS replaced the injured Australian Todd Fairbrother with the Canadian Chris Piano to serve as player/coach. Last year’s fourth-ranked TIGERS bring in the Americans Michael Nagamatsu and Nick Zambrotta to make another run towards the playoffs. Jose Castillo is not returning. The INDIANS replaced Luke Krahe with the 23-year-old Brandon Michael Downs, who already played in Germany and France in the past. Additionally slugger Richard Bermudez comes back.
The newbie BLUE BATS acquired Daniel Hayes as new head coach/shortstop/right-handed pitcher, who last year played for the MAINZ ATHLETICS and had a short stint with CLERMONT-FERRAND this winter. Southpaw Richard Reisenberger followed him and should be a solid option for game two on the mound. The other ‘new’ team in the ABL, the DIVING DUCKS, apparently is still led by American head coach Jason Wall and the Dutch Martin Cuperus.
Past Champions since 2000:
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
Final Regular Season Standings 2008:
{mrb-standing:austria-2008}
Photo: © Joe Yun