IL Indianapolis Indians

Success in the Land Down Under

September 3, 2021 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


From the United States to China and Australia, professional baseball is played around the globe. Beau Sulser and Bligh Madris were able to experience first-hand how baseball can take you to new places after the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their respective careers in 2020.

Sulser and Madris - selected by Pittsburgh with just one round separating them in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft -- were teammates for two of their first three years rising through the Pirates minor league ranks. When the minor league baseball season was canceled on June 30, 2020, and neither of them were selected to Pittsburgh's Alternate Training Site in Altoona, Pa., their careers took them in one direction - Down Under.

From 2020 into 2021, the Australia Baseball League's season was held from Dec. 17 to Feb. 7 in the heart of Australia's summer. The ABL features six teams that span across the country and compete throughout the season in hopes of making the postseason and winning the championship. Looking for a way to get back on the field competitively to make up for the season they lost, Sulser signed with the Perth Heat and Madris played with the Brisbane Bandits.

"I think my time is Australia specifically just helped me get ready for this year," Sulser said. "After playing for 25 years straight without taking a year off, having a whole year without competition was weird. There were some things that I needed to work out and I just needed to be back in a game situation. I was lucky enough to work that out in Australia where it wasn't as important for my career compared to here in the United States where it's do or die."

Sulser spent 2019 with Double-A Altoona where he posted an 8-3 record with a 2.72 ERA (29er/96.0ip) and 63 strikeouts en route to being named the Curve's co-Pitcher of the Year. He continued that dominance in Perth to help his team to the postseason, going 2-0 in five starts with a 2.63 ERA (7er/24.0ip) and 23 strikeouts.

That slate of games over Sulser's traditional winter proved to be beneficial. He broke camp with a spot on Indianapolis' Opening Day roster and has effectively been the club's ace. In 21 games (a career-high 19 starts), he is 6-5 with a 4.26 ERA (48er/101.1ip) that ranks ninth among Triple-A East qualified pitchers. Just last night vs. Iowa, he tossed his team-leading fourth quality start of the season, holding the I-Cubs to two hits and two unearned runs over 6.0 innings.

The ABL gave Madris the chance to continue his growth as well by facing live, competitive pitching. During his time with the Bandits, he hit .259 (22-for-85) with three home runs, five doubles and 10 RBI in 26 games, which has led to his success in his first Triple-A season.

After beginning the 2021 campaign with Altoona, the 25-year-old was promoted to Indianapolis on May 19. In 84 games with the Indians, Madris owns a .254 batting average (65-for-256) with eight home runs and 45 RBI. He hit half of his Triple-A home runs during August, leading to a .536 slugging percentage, .913 OPS and Indy's Player of the Month honor.

Madris and Sulser weren't the only ones who looked outside the United States for competitive baseball opportunities, and that made the experience unique. Playing alongside ballplayers from other organizations helped grow their mindset surrounding the game.

"[I] got to meet a lot of different guys from different organizations, so it's cool to talk to them and take different things away from each organization or affiliate," Madris said. "Robbie Glendinning, another kid from the Pirates system was over there and I was also lucky enough to have Dave Nelson, an all-star with the Brewers, as my manager. I also got to play with a lot of guys from Team Australia."

It wasn't only minor leaguers that took to Australia to play, but athletes from all experience levels.

"You had guys who are young and just got drafted last year, and then you play against guys like Delmon Young and Manny Ramirez who both had great major league careers." Sulser said. "It was a wide range of guys."

Now, after the return of minor league baseball in 2021, Madris and Sulser aren't in the hunt for a winter ball experience like the one they had in Australia. They're each on the doorstep of the big leagues, with full, impressive Triple-A campaigns to show for it.

With that being said, the opportunity was something that gave them both worthwhile experiences and memories that don't come around every day and last a lifetime.

"Hopefully I can get to the big leagues and not have to worry about winter ball too much, but I definitely want to continue traveling and let this game take me different places," Madris said. "I want to take every advantage I can so wherever baseball takes me I will go."

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