Hey Australia!! What's A Burgamy Fan Gotta Do To Get A Canberra Cavalry Jersey!!

Camden Riversharks in the ABL

The Riversharks have the unique distinction of having four players who started 2012 playing in the Australian Baseball League. Pitcher Mike McGuire and first baseman Brian Burgamy spent time with the Canberra Cavalry, pitcher Kevin Reese with the Melbourne Aces, and pitcher Sean Jarrett with the Brisbane Bandits. Here's a great video in which all four describe their experiences playing down under:

Burgamy Named ABD Hitter Of The Year

From the Australian Baseball Digest

He gets better with age. SMP Images/Ben Southall

Winner:

Brian Burgamy,

164AB, 41R, 67H, 12HR, 34RBI, 20Ks, .409AVG

Switch-hitting 30-year-old Canberra Cavalry infielder Brian Burgamy has had a career year with the bat leading the League with an almost unheard of .409AVG.

A .400+ season is rare in any League and considering the number of high ranking pros pitching in the ABL this is quite an achievement. He also finished the season leading the League with an OBP of .510 ahead of Justin Huber on .466 and was 2nd to Brad Harman with a SLG .677 to Brad’s .709 and led the League in OPS with 1.187 and had only 20Ks in 164ABs.

He has been almost impossible to get out this month – since Jan 12th he has hit a monstrous .543 which includes 5HRs and 10RBIs. Talk about finishing strongly.

Roberto Agnotti in this article on Brian had this to say:-

Before being selected by the San Diego Padres in the ninth round of the 2002 draft, Wichita State-educated five-foot-ten Burgamy was awarded Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. After a successful run with the Padres Single-A affiliate Lake Elsinore Storm, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Double-A Phase of the Rule Five Draft. A career minor leaguer, he has played for ten seasons without breaking into the Bigs. Never caving in and determined to beat the odds of playing MLB, Burgamy had a Big League season in 2010 when he hit .307 with 15 home runs and 85 runs batted in for the Camden Riversharks and earned himself an Atlantic League All-Star appearance. Like a fine wine getting better with age, vintage Burgamy leads the Cavs.

Other hitters who deserve a mention at season’s end are Aces’ Brad Harman with his League Leading 15HRs ahead of team mate Elliot Biddle [13] who with his 42RBIs, led the League ahead of the likes of Perth’s Tim Kennelly [39] and Mitch Graham [37].

Despite these outstanding efforts we felt that we couldn’t go past a hitter who manages a .409AVG and who was up there with the others in HRs [12], RBIs [34] and led the League also in OBP [On Base Percentage] at .510 followed by Justin Huber [.466]. He also led the League in Runs, Hits and Walks. So its congratulations to Brian Burgamy as our Hitter of the Year.

Burgamy Keeps Eye On The Ball

BY DAVID POLKINGHORNE

Brian Burgamy has been around baseball long enough to know there's no point in looking too far ahead.

The self-proclaimed journeyman knows it sounds cliched but after 11 seasons as a professional his focus remains on getting ready for the next at-bat.

At the moment that means looking to get hits for the Canberra Cavalry against the Melbourne Aces in the ABL.

Hopefully, he can produce good enough numbers to keep the dream of being a professional baseballer alive.

''It's a definite possibility [that I'd come back to the ABL in the future], we'll see how it goes,'' Burgamy said with a slight southern drawl.

''I don't like looking too far ahead, just take one at-bat at a time and take one day at a time, that's what I'm looking at right now.''

And after a slow start, that approach has seen the switch hitter's numbers improve.

It has coincided with the departure of John Tolisano, who returned to the United States after tearing a tendon in his shoulder against Adelaide.

It meant Burgamy moved from batting third in the line-up - the three-hole - to the pivotal clean-up hitter in the four-hole.

That added responsibility has seen his numbers almost double.

His average since Tolisano left is .417, up from .227, and three of his seven runners batted in have come in that period.

The ease with which Todd Glaesmann has moved into the three-hole has also helped.

''[Glaesmann's] jumped right in there, he's done well the last couple of games hitting [in] the three-hole,'' Burgamy said.

''He's got to keep it up, and everybody behind him keep it up. He gets on base and myself and a few guys behind us keep swinging the bats like we are, we're going to score some runs.''

The 30-year-old is also the elder statesman of the team, which has an average age of 24, and will look to impart his wisdom to the young group.

''I'm the grandpa of the team. [Starting pitcher] Tristan Crawford [29] he's right behind me. I'm the oldest and hopefully I can rub off some of my knowledge and my years on some of the young guys that might need it,'' he said.