AUSSIE OUTFIELDER SNELLING SIGNS WITH PADRES

One more ballplayer who parlayed a solid performance in the World Baseball Classic into a new job was Australian outfielder Chris Snelling. The 27-year-old major league veteran signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres last week after hitting .273 with three homers and nine RBIs in three WBC games for the Aussies.


Once one of the leading prospects in the Seattle Mariners organization, Snelling made his big league debut for Seattle in 2002 at age 20. However, a series of injuries for the hustling outfielder curtailed his progress, and he has gone on to bat .244 in 225 major league at-bats for the Mariners, Washington, Oakland and Philadelphia.

Snelling played just four games for the world champion Phillies last season, but made the most of his brief opportunity with a homer and double in four plate appearances.

PERTH WINS CLAXTON SHIELD SHOWCASE ROUND

The Australian Baseball Federation’s 75th Claxton Shield competition got underway earlier this month with a one-week Showcase Round at Blacktown Olympic Park, home of the New South Wales Patriots. The five Claxton Shield teams played each other once in a round-robin format between December 2 and 7 in a week that also included a Celebrity Home Run Derby and the MLB Roadshow, among other events.

When the dust settled, both the Perth Heat and Victoria Aces were 4-1, New South Wales and the Queensland Rams were both 2-2, while South Australia was winless. Perth gets the nod for first place in the Showcase Round by virtue of their 6-5 win in 11 innings over Victoria on December 4. Perth centerfielder Nick Kimpton had three hits in the game, including a game-winning double in the 11th frame.

The Claxton Shield schedule runs through the league finals in early February.