Overseas Baseball Podcast

In this episode I interview pro baseball player Kris Edwards, the 2012 import pitcher for the Attnang Athletic of Austria. Kris made the most of his European pro debut with the Athletics as he used the opportunity to travel Europe and play the game he loves. Kris’ background Kris played for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and then ran into some arm troubles and had to have Tommy John surgery. After recovering from Tommy John surgery Kris had three strong seasons with the University of St. Thomas and was part of their 2009 national championship team. He was ranked among the NCAA Division III earned-run average leaders in 2010. In the summer 2010 Kris played with the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League. He went on to sign with the St. Paul Saints of the American Association of Independent Baseball in the summer of 2011 before coming to Austria. In this episode you will hear about Kris’ experience on and off the field and how he was able to take his baseball career overseas.

It was my pleasure to interview Chris, a humble big man standing at 6’10″ (2.09 m), former USC Trojan and soon to be veteran of not only European baseball, but of some of the top baseball Europe has to offer. Chris recently signed for the 2013 season with UVV, a club in the The Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the highest level of professional baseball in the Netherlands. Chris played with the Rouen Huskies of the French Elite league in 2012 where he dominated on the mound, effectively using his unorthodox delivery and his giant body to deceive batters. Chris was named the best pitcher of the French elite final series as he lead his club to their 9th french title in 10 years. He also was a major contributor to the club’s success in the 2012 European cup as they made it to the final four, the first time any French club has done so. Chris’s fondest memories were not of the final four but of the Rotterdam round of the Cup that got them there, a round where he got the win in a huge upset over the DOOR Neptunes, one of the t

Interview topics: - Experience playing for the Rouen Huskies in the French Elite League. - The South Australian Baseball League; import opportunities, level of play. - Owen’s jump to the Australian Baseball League’s Adelaide Bite. - Owen’s experience playing for the French national team in Florida at the September 2012 WBC qualifier and pitching in the dramatic game vs. South Africa. -Owen’s experience pitching against a top Dutch team at the Eurocup final four in 2012.

This podcast episode is an interview with Owen Reid, an international baseball player who has made stops in Austria, New Zealand, and Australia since 2009. Owen has held jobs as a player and most recently in management with Australia’s most successful professional baseball club, the Perth Heat.

This interview with Nick goes into detail about how he took his baseball career to Europe and what others wishing to do the same can expect.