The Cairns Post
September 1996

Baseballer briefly back on home turf

The high-flying career of Cairns baseballer Brett Roneberg moves into another phase this week when he heads south to rejoin the Brisbane Bandits.
Barely two weeks after touching down on Australian soil after a 53-game stint with the Florida Marlins in the United States, Roneberg will be aiming to eclipse the heights he reached in the 1995-96 Australian Baseball League season that stamped him as one of the brightest prospects on the national scene.

Roneberg, 17, has jst completed the first installment of a seven-year career with the Marlins in the 12-team Gulf Coast League.
Although his side finished second in their division, they failed to make the playoffs after 70 days on intense competition.
The Cairns star played both left and right field as well as first baseman and his batting also improved as the season wore on.

"As expected I struggled a little bit early but I started hitting the ball a lot better and got my first home run and I hit a couple off the fence," said Roneberg during his brief stay at home.
"I enjoyed it very much. I liked playing every day, going to the park and getting paid to do something you love is good.
"My defence was good and it was just a very good year for me".

"Things are a little different, a little better (in the United States) and it's good to live over there but it's also good to get back home. I won't be home much until I finish playing baseball so I'll enjoy my time when I come home."

Roneberg heads off to Brisbane this week and he will not return home until February.

Ten days after that he will be back in Florida to report for spring training with the Marlins again.

"It's the life I want and if you work hard it'll be successful," he said.

But the first order of business will be ensuring the Bandits turn last year's ABL minor premiers into the real thing.
"After how we went during the (1995-96) season, this year we want to win the premiership and I'm looking forward to it a lot," he said.

At 16 years of age, Roneberg last year became the youngest ABL player, the youngest player in an ABL final, and the youngest player to hit a home run in a final.

He is also the reigning The Cairns Post Northern Building Society Junior Sportstar of the Year.