Overseas Baseball Podcast

Jaz Shergill first contacted me in September 2014 looking to take his career overseas to Australia for the winter, with a goal of getting on with a club in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). At the time, the Eastern New Mexico University grad had already attempted to play Indy ball in the states but struggled to find clubs who will sign him, largely due to the fact that he was Canadian which comes along with visa complications. He went on to play a summer of semi-pro baseball in the InterCounty Baseball League (IBL) in his native land of Canada before he decided that he needed to look overseas to pursue his dream of playing pro ball. With a good sinking fastball hovering between 88-91, I knew that Shergill had the ability to play in the ABL, but to get directly into the ABL especially that close to the beginning of the season, would be a difficult task. Knowing this, I advised Shergill that we should try and get him on with a state league club (second division) by offering to fund his own flight and work

Every year more and more aspiring professional baseball players decide to take their career abroad. Those that are fortunate enough to find a job overseas have not only extended their career, but have enjoyed experiencing a part of the world that they may otherwise not have seen. The majority of these players spend a season, possibly two, overseas and then hang them up. A few, however, take full advantage of this opportunity and ride the overseas baseball wave as far as possible. A few names come to mind when I think of international baseballers who have used baseball as their ticket to see the world. However one name stands out the most in terms of baseball and travel. Owen Reid first signed a professional contract with a baseball club overseas in 2009 and never looked back. His journey has taken him on somewhat of a world tour which includes side trips to nearby countries while abroad for baseball. In November, 2014 I wrote this blog post that summarizes his international baseball experience from 2009-20

Born and raised in the windy city, Chris Michals played shortstop for a community college in Chicago named Oakton. In 2007, his freshman year, he was overridden by a division 1 transfer and often found himself on the bench as a platoon infielder, despite putting up good numbers. He decided at that point to leave the team and focus on school only to return in 2010. Upon finding that the team was lacking in pitching and talent was still deep in the infield, he quickly taught himself how to pitch. To the shock of his coaches and teammates, Michals not only made the starting rotation, he went 7-0 that season and only had one no-decision on route to leading his team to the 2010 Sectional Championship, sending Oakton Community College to it's first final four in school history. Post college Michals took a job as a baseball instructor. While at work, he discovered the opportunity to play baseball in Europe through a fellow instructor who had just returned from a stint playing pro ball in Slovakia. Michals was at fi

Mauro Mazzotti has been a manager in Italian baseball since 1987 since the age of 28 and is the only manager to win championships with three different clubs in the Italian Baseball League. Most recently he won three straight titles in 2011, 2012, and 2013 as the general manager of T&A San Marino, a huge accomplishment in a league where the championship usually changes hands every year. Known for recruiting baseball’s secret weapons the Caribbean and Latin America, this accomplished scout for the Baltimore Orioles sheds a lot of light on the importing of foreign players to the Italian Baseball League. He elaborates on where he finds his players, how many Americans are imported to the IBL, what their backgrounds are, how much they are paid, and his thought process behind importing. I don't let him off the hook easy as I poke and pry to extract as much information as possible on import regulations, visa issues, etc.

As an un-drafted graduate of a small NAIA school, Mark Boyer was not getting a lot of opportunities to continue his playing career until he set his sights on third division Germany. Being a true utility guy, he knew he could help a small club in more way than one, and when combined with some coaching experience at the high school and college level, he could be an asset to a club's youth program as well. Like any aspiring professional player, Boyer desired to play the highest level of baseball possible, but was aware that he may first have to prove himself at a lower level of baseball like the German third division in order to make a name for himself overseas. Boyer got his chance with Ingolstadt Schanzer, a club from Bavaria, Germany, home of Oktoberfest.

After rushing back from Tommy John surgery for his senior year, Noah Shaw was unable to pitch like he once could. He thought his baseball career was over until he discovered the International Baseball Community website.

Rob Herrmann tells his story of being overlooked and underrated within professional baseball in the U.S.A. and how he has built a successful career overseas. He has now played in Australia, Germany and France.

34 year-old Kieran Mattison spent nine years playing baseball professionally in the U.S. reaching as high as AAA within the Cleveland Indians organization. The big 6' 205 lb righty amassed an ERA of 4.12 over the course of his tenure in professional baseball which also saw stints with the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and in independent baseball. In 2013 Mattison decided to go back to school to get his masters degree and set his sights on Schiller International University - Paris to get the international experience. After speaking with his brother who is now a resident of France since coming over to play professional American Football in 2001, Kieran decided to approach the Paris University Baseball Club (PUC) to see if he can get on in a coaching role and perhaps earn a little extra money while studying.

In October 2013, Jeff Barto decided to get an early start contacting clubs in Europe for the 2014 season. The NCAA division one grad from the Utah Valley University had a number of opportunities quickly pop up soon after creating a profile on the International Baseball Community website. After exchanging a few emails with about 8 different clubs, his inbox dried up and all leads fizzled up. Just before the new year and right around the time when Barto starting wonder if he was going to get another opportunity, a club from second Division Austria made him an offer and he jumped on it. Second division Austria was not the ideal level of competition, but Jeff knew it was a chance for him to harness his coaching skills and get his foot into professional baseball overseas. Upon arriving in Austria, Barto was whisked off to Florence, Italy, where the team spent a long weekend for spring training. When the season finally rolled around, Barto and his young squad found themselves at the top of the standings early on.

Late May 2014, Eric Brenk wrapped up his senior year at Wofford College, an NCAA I school from the Southern Conference, and had hit a very respectable .268 on the season and started every game in this final season. One era had come to an end and another was just about to begin, a journey that Eric was about to embark on would take him on an unforeseen path of playing on a national baseball team that does not dawn the red, white and blue that Eric had grown up routing for.

Two players from two different NCAA Division 1 backgrounds tell their stories of their summer in Germany playing for the same team. This is part 1 of a 2 part series due to an extraordinary twist that this experience has taken for one player. After suffering shoulder problems and receiving surgery, University of Michigan pitcher Matt Broder found himself on the sidelines after being passed up by a number of independent clubs. Not willing to give up on his dream to play baseball, Matt decided to turn his focus towards clubs overseas. Within days of creating a profile on the International Baseball Community website, Matt had his first offer and he jumped on it. Within a week he was on his way to play in Germany. A month into Broder's stint in Germany, Eric Brenk wrapped up his college career at the NCAA D1 school of Wofford College in South Carolina. Brenk knew early in his senior year that he probably wasn't going to get drafted but wanted to continue his baseball career post college. He did his research ea

This episode is a goldmine for pro baseball players as it offers detail on a Japanese independent pro baseball showcase and an opportunity to win a free Mine Wood Baseball Bat. This episode introduces the first IBC podcast giveaway. Mine Wood Bats has stepped up to the plate for this giveaway by giving away one of their bats to a listener that answers six international baseball trivia questions correctly over the next six episodes. Those with 6 correct answers will have their name entered into a draw for the bat and have the bat shipped directly to their house. Each trivia question is injected randomly in a podcast episode so listeners will have to listen to me yak at least for a little bit.

In addition to numerous opportunities to see the world while playing professional baseball, there are opportunities to see the world and lend a helping hand to the less fortunate baseball markets around the globe. Organizations like the Kosovo Baseball Initiative and Baseball Without Borders do just that, provide lesser known baseball markets with the opportunity to learn the game and use the equipment that they otherwise do not have access to. Through these non-profit organizations, baseball players and coaches from around the world have the opportunity to travel to Kosovo, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Israel, Ecuador to share their knowledge of the game. It's time to sacrifice playing baseball at a higher level for the sake of helping the game grow in markets that need our help the most while also having the experience of a lifetime. On the International Baseball Community website, there are nearly 100 member in the "walk-on" group, a group created for players and coaches who are willing to pay their fl

Kevin Bosson spent the winter of 2013-2014 in Perth Australia with the South Perth Cubs living the dream and playing against the likes of IBC podcast episode 27 guest Jon Rodriguez and the Rockingham Rams. Right off the bat Kevin reaffirms what Jon said in episode 27, that the baseball in the Western Australian State League is quite high and more than one might expect. He also shares a comparison between the baseball in Western Australia to the ball in other parts of Australia where close friends of his have played. This can shed some light on those who seeking to play the strongest level of baseball possible in the land down under. Kevin provides info on compensation as pro player, visas, the baseball schedule and the unreal lifestyle off the field.

Clayton Carson had a strong desire to take his career overseas and after being overlooked, he decided to take his fate in his own hands and buy a ticket to Europe with no job prospects on the horizon. Given that the 2014 season in Europe was well under way (late May), one would think his chances were slim to get picked up somewhere, especially given the fact that he has had three back surgeries and his best days of baseball were behind him. Clayton's first goal was to get on with a club as a coach who can play if needed. After visiting with clubs in the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic, he found that there was simply no room for another import with most clubs at this time of the year. He then made his way to my neck of the woods in Austria for our annual invitational tournament Finksonball, a relaxed tournament/party for three days that features clubs from 10-12 different nations every year. Clayton showed up, crashed on the couch, and took advantage of this opportunity. We got him a spot with the

The Pacific Coast Baseball League (PCBL) in New South Wales Australia is not the top level of baseball on the continent (in fact considered third division), however it presents plenty of opportunity for those who have yet to find a home for the winter. PCBL league president Luis Almenara shares in detail what opportunities exist for the professional player seeking to take his career abroad to New South Wales (NSW) and the various leagues within the state. He also dives into the New South Wales State league, the Australian Baseball League, and the Sydney Metro League and the opportunities within them. On top of that, he elaborates on the differences between each league including the summer and winter leagues. Luis also has a vast knowledge of Australian working visas and is more than happy to clarify the options foreign players have. He talks about working visas, student visas and options for those looking to stay longer term. Lastly, Luis walks us through each NSW State League club, their name and where t

From a strong NCAA D2 conference, Melvin played pro ball in Texas which eventually led to a role in the movie Moneyball. After Moneyball, Melvin had numerous independent baseball offers but decided to take his career overseas to experience other parts of the world and ended up in the Netherlands. Now, four years later, Melvin is still playing Dutch baseball and is heavily involved in youth development within the club. Melvin shares a lot of information on the second Dutch division and the opportunities within and is also able to speak on the opportunities in the first division, Hoofdklasse a.k.a Dutch Major League. Unfortunately, Melvin tells the same story as other IBC interviewee's on Dutch baseball, which is that of a steady decline of importing of professional players from the US due to visa restrictions. This has presented an opportunity for Canadian baseball players who play at a high level as Canada has a working holiday visa agreement with the Netherlands. Australia has the same deal with the Dutch a

At 49 years old, married and with teenage children, retired high school and college coach Ron Frazier decided to throw his hat in the coaching ring again but this time his focus was overseas. With the support of his family, Ron created a profile on the International Baseball Community website and began sending out emails to clubs all across Europe. Within a weeks he has a number of responses and soon found himself in the luxurious position of having multiple options. When considering level of baseball, location, and compensation, Ron decided to settle on the Nada Split of Croatia, right on the Adriatic sea. Split plays in the Interleague, which is a league formed with the top clubs in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia. This international aspect is one other reason Ron decided to turn down an offer from a top Czech club for more money. With Split, Ron has the opportunity to see more of Europe and develop baseball in a country that has more room for growth.

David T. Burns (me) interviews David J. Burns on his experience playing baseball in Italy. He explains how he went from the verge of hanging them up after college to using his Italian heritage as a ticket to a professional baseball career in one of Europe's top baseball countries. For those of you who qualify for duo citizenship in Europe, David provides a good tip on speeding up the process. I also pipe in before the interview with some info on the value of players with duo citizenship, and also why Canadian and Australian baseball players are of high value to many leagues around the Europe. Being one of only two professional leagues in Europe, David takes us through the lifestyle on and off the field and what playing professional baseball in Europe has to offer. We then take the interview in a direction on careers off the field and David's current role in professional baseball and how he stood out from all the other professionals seeking jobs within professional baseball. At the end of the interview, Dav

Jon Rodriguez at only 27 had the experience of a lifetime in the winter of 2013-2014 as the head coach of the Rockingham Rams in beautiful Perth, Australia. Fresh off of this experience and back in California for the interview, you can hear the energy in Jon's voice when telling his story. If this interview doesn't get you fired up to take your career overseas, you need to take up badminton or something. Jon explains that Western Australian baseball is so big, that his club and the others in the league are so large, that there are three different levels of men's baseball within each club. State league baseball is the top level next to the Australian Baseball League , and below that is AAA and then AA. The beauty of it, they welcome imports at all levels! The Rams had five imports for this past season but not all were paid the full package, however all were minimally set up with a place to stay and a job. What I love the most about this interview is Jon's ability to paint a story about baseball in Australia