Red Sox sign Austrilian prospect Mitch Dening

[ClayBuchholzIsDaFuture]

Dening Heads for the USA

Seventeen Year old New South Welschman Mitch Dening has signed a professional baseball contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Dening, who stands at 6ft 2in, was scouted by the Australian Olympic Head Coach and International scout for the Red Sox, Jon Deeble. Deeble first saw Dening perform when he coached him at the 2005 Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program (MLBAAP) in July. However, it was not until recently that the deal had been made.

Dening is an exceptional player who bats left handed and throws right handed.

"It has always been my dream to play professional baseball in the States, this is the beginning of a dream come true".

Mitchell's big break came in January 2005 when he represented CBNSW at the U'18's in Geelong. His performance caught the eye of the Head Coach of the NSW Institute of Sport, Andre Desjardin, and it was not long before Dening secured a scholarship to the NSWIS Baseball Program. Under the guidance and training of the Institutes professional coaching staff, Mitch then went on to be selected in the Australian All-Stars Schoolboys team and toured South Africa with NSW U18's Head Coach Shaun Smith.

His successes continued when he earned a scholarship to the MLBAAP and after much hard work, his outstanding performance earnt him a position in the Australian AAA team which toured Taiwan in August 2005.

Andre Desjardin said, "He has loads of ability and has the potential to go a long way in baseball", and Mitch receiving the NSWIS 2005 MVP Award justified it.

Mitch has played baseball since he was 6 years old. Since then, he has represented Central Coast & Country Baseball NSW from U'10's through to U'18's.

As a 'country kid' Dening knows how hard it is to make it in Baseball. If you want to succeed, you need to travel....and travel he did.

HIs travelling journey began with the Hunter Institute of Sport where Mitch spent 2yrs under the experienced coach Ian Hook (Head Coach CBNSW U'18's).

In Summer He trains and plays with Auburn Orioles in Sydney Major League competition gaining further experience from coach Shaun Smith (Head Coach NSW U'18's), midweek and Sundays, and for Lions Baseball Club on the Central Coast on Saturdays.

In Winter He plays for Belmont Baseball Club in Newcastle on Saturdays and Lions Baseball Club Central Coast on Sundays.

His continual hard work and dedication to the game has paid off.

Mitch has a busy year ahead, doing his HSC studies at Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, which enables him to be selected in Schoolboys again, and Jon Deeble’s plan for him to go to spring training and extended spring training in Florida for a month in March then home for awhile, and back up to the MLBAAP on the Gold Coast in July for 7 weeks, and hopefully to be selected in the AAA World Championships in Cuba in September.

March 2007 will be the beginning of his journey and dream to play Major League Baseball at the famous Fenway Park Stadium.

[Redguitar985]

Haha, Fenway Park Stadium. Where'd you get the article?

[Cityofchampions33]

Hard to tell how good the kid is or if he'll be anything at all, mostly because I know little or nothing about Aussie baseball, and how it's competition level is, but hey if a scout liked what he saw why not give him a shot.

[Redguitar985]

It's pretty cool anyway though when more international players besides the ones in Japan or the Carribean start signing with MLB clubs.

[ClayBuchholzIsDaFuture]

more info ...

Mitch's red hot deal is major news

By KATE MURRAY

January 28, 2006

AMERICA'S national pastime is to get a bit of Aussie flair after NSW teenager Mitch Dening signed to play for the Boston Red Sox.

Mitch, 17, will join the Red Sox's minor league ranks in a seven-year deal, which could see him go all the way to the majors.

The outfielder was spotted by Boston scout and Australian Olympic head coach Jon Deeble at the Major League Baseball Australian Academy program in July.

"I was stoked," Mitch, from Blue Bay, on the Central Coast, said.

"I thought if I was signed, it would be with some team I'd never heard of, but to sign with the Red Sox - that's big.

"I've only just started getting really good in the past two years and then all the training came together."

Mitch will head to the US for the Red Sox's spring training camp in March but will return home in April to complete his HSC at Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College.

He will then start his full-time contract, splitting his year between the US and Australia, in March 2007.

Mitch currently plays for the Auburn Orioles, Belmont Baseball Club and the Central Coast Lions and attends the NSW Institute of Sport twice a week.