AFL Versus The World - Baseball
1 CF - Trent Cotchin
2 2B - Andrew Raines
3 RF - Jesse Smith
4 DH - Jason Porplyzia
5 1B - Stuart Dew
6 3B - Josh Drummond
7 LF - Sean Dempster
8 C - Luke Ablett
9 SS - Chris Judd
SP - Nathan Bassett
Bench
Pinch Runner - Nathan Krakouer
Pinch Hitter - Nathan Jones
Utility Infielder - Kayne Pettifer
Utility Infielder - Tarkyn Lockyer
Backup Catcher - Tom Hislop
Utility Outfielder - Jason Davenport
Long Reliever - Ryan Murphy
Middle Reliever - Joel Selwood
Middle Reliever - Ricky Petterd
Setup Reliever - Mark Johnson
Closer - Nathan Carroll
Starting Pitcher - Cameron Wight
Starting Pitcher - Tadgh Kennelly
Starting Pitcher - Robert Campbell
Starting Pitcher (Knuckleballer) - Damien Peverill
Here is a baseball team, made up of AFL players who were chosen due to how they play their sport and how that could translate to a different sport.
Outfielders need to be quick and to cover plenty of space and Cotchin, Smith and Dempster should be up to the task. Cotchin, as the lead-off batter, would also be using his speed to steal bases.
The third baseman has to have a good arm for the long throw, Mr Drummond is an expert at the long kick so he gets that position. The first baseman doesn't need to be very mobile, Dew could play there and also hit plenty of home runs. Raines and Judd would not allow many ground balls to get past them, and would provide some speed for steals too.
Porplyzia seems to fit as a designated hitter, a strong player who could send the ball out of the park. Luke Ablett doesn't like it when his opponents get away from him, in a baseball team he could be the catcher and he would make sure no pitches got past him.
Bassett, Wight, Kennelly and Campbell should be able to send down some fastballs. Judging from some of the kicks that Peverill produces, the knuckleball would be something he could perfect.
Carroll gets the closer job in the bullpen, mainly because his facial hair is something that a lot of closers in MLB have. Mark Johnson, as the setup pitcher in the latter innings, would probably not be averse to pitching it up and in on the batters. J Selwood was great at coming off the bench for Geelong in 2007, he could come off the bench as a pitcher here. Petterd and R Murphy are skilled athletes who could also take to the mound with success.
The scores are tied in the later innings, and the baseball team manager wants a pinch runner who can be a menace on the base-paths, a role that would fit Krakouer. Nathan Jones would be someone to bring on to get a vital hit, in baseball he might be someone who is hard to strike out as he does not give up when playing his real sport. Hislop is a strong, smaller player suited to becoming a catcher. Davenport can cover a lot of ground on the wing in football and would be a good outfielder. Pettifer and Lockyer would be useful with the bat and solid with their gloves in the field.
2 2B - Andrew Raines
3 RF - Jesse Smith
4 DH - Jason Porplyzia
5 1B - Stuart Dew
6 3B - Josh Drummond
7 LF - Sean Dempster
8 C - Luke Ablett
9 SS - Chris Judd
SP - Nathan Bassett
Bench
Pinch Runner - Nathan Krakouer
Pinch Hitter - Nathan Jones
Utility Infielder - Kayne Pettifer
Utility Infielder - Tarkyn Lockyer
Backup Catcher - Tom Hislop
Utility Outfielder - Jason Davenport
Long Reliever - Ryan Murphy
Middle Reliever - Joel Selwood
Middle Reliever - Ricky Petterd
Setup Reliever - Mark Johnson
Starting Pitcher - Cameron Wight
Starting Pitcher - Tadgh Kennelly
Starting Pitcher - Robert Campbell
Starting Pitcher (Knuckleballer) - Damien Peverill
Here is a baseball team, made up of AFL players who were chosen due to how they play their sport and how that could translate to a different sport.
Outfielders need to be quick and to cover plenty of space and Cotchin, Smith and Dempster should be up to the task. Cotchin, as the lead-off batter, would also be using his speed to steal bases.
The third baseman has to have a good arm for the long throw, Mr Drummond is an expert at the long kick so he gets that position. The first baseman doesn't need to be very mobile, Dew could play there and also hit plenty of home runs. Raines and Judd would not allow many ground balls to get past them, and would provide some speed for steals too.
Porplyzia seems to fit as a designated hitter, a strong player who could send the ball out of the park. Luke Ablett doesn't like it when his opponents get away from him, in a baseball team he could be the catcher and he would make sure no pitches got past him.
Bassett, Wight, Kennelly and Campbell should be able to send down some fastballs. Judging from some of the kicks that Peverill produces, the knuckleball would be something he could perfect.
Carroll gets the closer job in the bullpen, mainly because his facial hair is something that a lot of closers in MLB have. Mark Johnson, as the setup pitcher in the latter innings, would probably not be averse to pitching it up and in on the batters. J Selwood was great at coming off the bench for Geelong in 2007, he could come off the bench as a pitcher here. Petterd and R Murphy are skilled athletes who could also take to the mound with success.
The scores are tied in the later innings, and the baseball team manager wants a pinch runner who can be a menace on the base-paths, a role that would fit Krakouer. Nathan Jones would be someone to bring on to get a vital hit, in baseball he might be someone who is hard to strike out as he does not give up when playing his real sport. Hislop is a strong, smaller player suited to becoming a catcher. Davenport can cover a lot of ground on the wing in football and would be a good outfielder. Pettifer and Lockyer would be useful with the bat and solid with their gloves in the field.
Baseball
