Gavin Fingleson
Encyclopedia
Gavin Fingleson is an Australian switch hitting former professional baseball
player. Primarily a second baseman
, he has also played designated hitter
, third base
and first base
.
Australia Sportsman of the Year three times, as the Australia's top Jewish athlete.
where he played a lot of baseball
Fingleson went into the independent leagues in 1999, where he tied for fifth in the Texas-Louisiana League with a .350 average
for the Bayou Bullfrogs. In the 1999–2000 International Baseball League of Australia
, Gavin hit .386. Had he qualified, he would have led the IBLA in average; he made the All-Star team as the top designated hitter
.
In 2000, Fingleson hit .348 for the Catskill Cougars
, placing him fourth in the Eastern Division of the Northern League. The Cougars were loaded with Australians as teammates included Greg Jelks
, Adam Burton and Brendan Kingman
. In the 2000–01 IBLA, he batted .314 to finish forth in average and third in hits
with 49; only A. J. Zapp, Travis Wilson and Glenn Williams
had better batting averages. He struck out
in only nine of his 156 at bat
s, the lowest rate in the circuit. He again made the league All-Star team at designated hitter.
Fingleson hit .298 for the 2001 St. Paul Saints
of the Northern League. He then went to the Taiwan Major League
to play for the Chiayi-Tainan Luka
, hitting .369 in 26 games. In the 2001 Baseball World Cup
, Fingleson batted .269 as Australia's primary second baseman
. After starting the 2002 or for Chiayi, he was released.
Fingleson went 12 for 29 with five doubles
, three walks
, five runs
and seven RBIs
for the New South Wales Patriots
in the 2004 Claxton Shield
. He tied for the most hits and extra-base hits and made the All-Star team at second base. He then signed with the New Haven County Cutters
and hit .299 in 37 games.
In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team
, that won a Silver Medal
in the baseball tournament
at the Athens Olympics
. He ranked among the Olympic leaders in hits with 13, tied with Brett Roneberg
for fifth and RBIs tied with Rodney van Buizen
and Eriel Sánchez
for third. That year he also played for the New Haven County Cutters
of the Independent Northeast League, and hit .299.
With the Claxton Shield, the Finfleson hit .259. He slumped to .231 as Australia's second basemen in the 2005 Baseball World Cup
. During the Claxton Shield 2006
tournament, he batted .391 with six runs in six games.
In 2006 he was an infielder for the Australian team at the World Baseball Classic
. In the World Baseball Classic, Fingleson went one for five.
He hit .370 with seven walks in eight games for New South Wales in the 2007 Claxton Shield
. In the 2007 Baseball World Cup
, Gavin hit .286 with five runs and five RBIs in five games; he played third base and first base.
In October 2009, he was appointed the fielding coach of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team
.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. Primarily a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, he has also played designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
, third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
and first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
.
Early life
Fingelson is Jewish, and was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He and his family moved to Australia when he was 11 years old. He was named the MaccabiMaccabi
The word Maccabi used to refer to one of the Maccabees, whose story has become synonymous with courage, success and victory. Nowadays, several Israeli and Jewish organisations carry this name:*Maccabi , international sports association...
Australia Sportsman of the Year three times, as the Australia's top Jewish athlete.
Professional career
Fingleson went to Masada CollegeMasada College
Masada College runs from kindergarten to year 12. While Masada accepts students of any faith or background, the student body is predominantly Jewish. Many are from South Africa and as a result, the school is very influenced by South Africans. Although, the school holds a huge Jewish Belief and...
where he played a lot of baseball
Fingleson went into the independent leagues in 1999, where he tied for fifth in the Texas-Louisiana League with a .350 average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
for the Bayou Bullfrogs. In the 1999–2000 International Baseball League of Australia
International Baseball League of Australia
The International Baseball League of Australia was a baseball league which existed from 1999 to 2002.The league was created by David Nilsson after he purchased the rights to the Australian Baseball League in 1999 when it was near financial collapse...
, Gavin hit .386. Had he qualified, he would have led the IBLA in average; he made the All-Star team as the top designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
.
In 2000, Fingleson hit .348 for the Catskill Cougars
Catskill Cougars
The Catskill Cougars were a minor-league baseball team based in the Mountaindale, New York; in Sullivan County's Catskill Mountains. The Cougars played in the North Atlantic League in 1996 and the Northeast League n/k/a the Can-Am League, from 1997-1998 and 2000...
, placing him fourth in the Eastern Division of the Northern League. The Cougars were loaded with Australians as teammates included Greg Jelks
Greg Jelks
Gregory Dion Jelks , is a former American Australian baseballer who played with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, and is most notable playing with the Australia national baseball team and the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball...
, Adam Burton and Brendan Kingman
Brendan Kingman
Brendan Kingman is an Australian baseball player.-Playing career:In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a Silver Medal in the baseball tournament at the Athens Olympics....
. In the 2000–01 IBLA, he batted .314 to finish forth in average and third in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
with 49; only A. J. Zapp, Travis Wilson and Glenn Williams
Glenn Williams
Glenn David Williams is a retired third baseman from Australia, who played in the Minnesota Twins organization. He played in Major League Baseball for the Twins during the season. He was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
had better batting averages. He struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
in only nine of his 156 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, the lowest rate in the circuit. He again made the league All-Star team at designated hitter.
Fingleson hit .298 for the 2001 St. Paul Saints
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a professional baseball team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the United States. The Saints are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Northern League. He then went to the Taiwan Major League
Taiwan Major League
The Taiwan Major League was a professional baseball league in Taiwan that operated from 1996 to 2003. It was established by TV tycoon Chiu Fu-sheng after a row over CPBL broadcasting rights...
to play for the Chiayi-Tainan Luka
Chiayi-Tainan Luka
The Chiayi-Tainan Luka or abbreviated Chianan Luka was a professional baseball team in the Taiwan Major League that existed from 1997 to 2002. Its homes were Chiayi County Baseball Stadium and Tainan Baseball Field...
, hitting .369 in 26 games. In the 2001 Baseball World Cup
2001 Baseball World Cup
The XXXIV Baseball World Cup took place in Taiwan from 6 to 18 November 2001. Participating countries were split in two groups, with the first four of each group qualifying for the finals.-First round:Results for Group A:# # # # # # # #...
, Fingleson batted .269 as Australia's primary second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. After starting the 2002 or for Chiayi, he was released.
Fingleson went 12 for 29 with five doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, three walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, five runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and seven RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
for the New South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots
New South Wales Patriots compete in the Claxton Shield baseball championship in Australia.The Patriots were one of the founding teams of the Claxton Shield in 1934 and competed as New South Wales until 1988 when the Claxtion Shield was awarded to the winner of the Australian Baseball League...
in the 2004 Claxton Shield
Claxton Shield 2004
-Ladder:-23 January 2004 - Semi Final 1 - Western Australia Vs Queensland Rams:-24 January 2004 - Semi Final 2 - South Australia Vs New South Wales Patriots:-24 January 2004 - Grand Final - New South Wales Patriots Vs Queensland Rams:*Box Score...
. He tied for the most hits and extra-base hits and made the All-Star team at second base. He then signed with the New Haven County Cutters
New Haven County Cutters
The New Haven County Cutters were an independent baseball team based in New Haven, Connecticut. From 2004 through 2007, it played in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball , an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or with the Minor League Baseball...
and hit .299 in 37 games.
In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team
Australia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
, that won a Silver Medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the baseball tournament
Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
at the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He ranked among the Olympic leaders in hits with 13, tied with Brett Roneberg
Brett Roneberg
.Brett Roneberg is an Australian baseball player.He spent 11 seasons playing minor league baseball, most recently in 2007 was with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, playing for their Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve.In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved...
for fifth and RBIs tied with Rodney van Buizen
Rodney van Buizen
Rodney van Buizen is an Australian baseballer from Dutch descent.In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a silver medal in the baseball tournament at the Athens Olympics. He was equal third in the competition for runs batted in...
and Eriel Sánchez
Eriel Sánchez
Eriel Sánchez León is an offensive baseball catcher for Sancti Spíritus of the Cuban National Series....
for third. That year he also played for the New Haven County Cutters
New Haven County Cutters
The New Haven County Cutters were an independent baseball team based in New Haven, Connecticut. From 2004 through 2007, it played in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball , an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or with the Minor League Baseball...
of the Independent Northeast League, and hit .299.
With the Claxton Shield, the Finfleson hit .259. He slumped to .231 as Australia's second basemen in the 2005 Baseball World Cup
2005 Baseball World Cup
The XXXVI Baseball World Cup took place in the Netherlands cities of Rotterdam, Haarlem, Almere, Amsterdam and Eindhoven September 2–17, 2005. Countries were split into two groups of nine, with the first four of each group qualifying for the finals....
. During the Claxton Shield 2006
Claxton Shield 2006
-Round 1: Saturday, 21 January 2006:-Round 2: Sunday, 22 January 2006:-Round 3: Monday, 23 January 2006:-Round 4: Tuesday, 24 January 2006:-Round 5: Wednesday, 25 January 2006:-Final standings:-Semi finals:-External links:* *...
tournament, he batted .391 with six runs in six games.
In 2006 he was an infielder for the Australian team at the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
. In the World Baseball Classic, Fingleson went one for five.
He hit .370 with seven walks in eight games for New South Wales in the 2007 Claxton Shield
Claxton Shield 2007
The 2007 Claxton Shield was the 73rd anniversary of the event, it was held between 19 to 28 January 2007, at Baseball Park in Western Australia, the first to be held outside of Blacktown Baseball Stadium in New South Wales since 2002 when it was held at the Melbourne Ballpark...
. In the 2007 Baseball World Cup
2007 Baseball World Cup
The XXXVII International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup was held in the Republic of China from November 6 through November 18, 2007. Four stadiums hosted...
, Gavin hit .286 with five runs and five RBIs in five games; he played third base and first base.
In October 2009, he was appointed the fielding coach of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
.