A few “I owe you’s” from Andrew Russell to wife Sarah ultimately landed Williamstown Wolves the recruiting coup of the Baseball Victoria summer league division 1 this season.
Seven months ago, Russell was in spring training for the Atlanta Braves, following a decorated stint in its feeder system in the minor leagues.
Rubbing shoulders with baseball’s elite was a thrill for Russell but not all rosy as he struggled with injury at the start of 2014.
The 30-year-old could have fought one last time to make it to the majors, but in his own words he was “pretty cooked”.
It was time for Russell to repay Sarah for all the years she was by his side in a foreign country. The lure of family and friends back in Melbourne was strong, too.
“I had a few I owe you’s to give back,” he told Star Weekly.
“She was awesome all my time away … I went to college for a couple of years and she went through that as well, so she’s been a trooper.”
Russell had to make a tough decision and turn his back on former local club Waverley due to most of his work as an electrician being in the western suburbs. He lives in Newport and got his start with the Wolves, so it was a natural fit to join the newly promoted club, fresh off back-to-back division 2 premierships.
“What baseball is for me now, it’s fun on the weekends and a good social thing,” Russell said.
“It’s not like it was for me when I was in the gym every day and throwing every day.”
Russell’s career began as a junior at the Wolves. He played football in the winter and baseball in the summer.
The move to Waverley in his early days was vital in securing a scholarship with Texarkana College.
After college, Russell was signed by the Braves, starting out at class A Lynchburg Hillcats, progressing to double-A Mississippi Braves and on to triple-A Gwinnett Braves.
The daily grind took its toll and it was not until Russell donned the cleats for Australia that he felt most fulfilled. Representing his nation at the World Cup and World Baseball Classic were career highlights.
He played in front of 45,000 baseball-obsessed fans in Japan and 30,000 if not louder spectators in Taiwan.
It was not just the exhilaration of packed houses but the camaraderie of his Australian teammates that was the real bonus.
“The World Baseball Classic was something else,” Russell said. “It doesn’t get any better.
“When you play all your minor league games, you’re always away from home; you’re an international guy playing with American blokes then you finally get to play with a bunch of guys who are doing the same thing as you have and representing your country.”
One of Russell’s other highlights was winning multiple summer league crowns with Waverley.
“I enjoyed those just as much as anything because that’s with your mates,” he said.
Russell is looking forward to experiencing the local rivalry with neighbours Newport Rams, who the Wolves play at Newport’s KC White Reserve on Sunday, and at Williamstown’s Greenwich Reserve on Wednesday at 6pm.
Both sides are 2-2 after a month, so it promises to be a cracking start to their three-game season series.
Russell, who will be used in a whole host of roles from starting pitcher to the outfield to being a source of runs, wants to play a part in getting the Wolves to the playoffs in their first season up in division 1.
“It’s not going to be easy and there’s teams that have been in the league longer than us with a bit of experience, but we think we’ve got a pretty good side and, hopefully, we can put it together and play some finals this year,” Russell said.
“That’s the fun part, that’s the stuff you remember, winning finals and winning grand finals.”
