Brisbane Bandits sponsors Alderley Hire and Ready Towing

The Brisbane Bandits have had a great deal of support from a variety of sponsors, but it’s hard to compete with the contributions from that of Ready Towing and Alderley Hire.

Both are classified as major sponsors, because of their significant financial contributions to the ball club. But beyond the money, both companies offer support in terms of their owners coming out to games and cheering on the team, in addition to providing employment to some of the players, allowing them the time to play baseball in addition to doing their jobs.

Mark Ready and Adrian Lamb are the faces behind Ready Towing and Bruce Mutch is their Alderley Hire counterpart. Ready Towing employs two different players who put on Brisbane Bandits uniforms this year, while Alderley Hire is the workplace of first baseman David Sutherland.

“Ready Towing have been proud sponsors of the Brisbane Bandits for the past two years,” Ready said. “We also have several players – Matthew Roxburgh and Ryan Searle – employed by Ready Towing and we provide them with flexible working hours so they can attend training sessions, games and road trips.”

The contributions of all three Ready employees were significant to the Bandits this season. Roxburgh, in his rookie season, hit .283/.333/.396 with three home runs, three doubles and 16 runs driven in over his 28 games this year. The outfielder’s inaugural season in the Australian Baseball League was significant enough to garner him a spot on the ballot for Rookie of the Year voting.

Searle came back to play for Brisbane partway through the year, after being shut down for the beginning of the season. The Cubs prospect went 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA through five starts. He was consistent and effective on the mound, finishing up the season with 32 innings pitched, allowing just 21 hits and nine walks, striking out 34. The 22-year-old also pitched the league’s fourth complete game of the year, and was one of only six guys to accomplish the feat.

Ready and the Windsor Royals were also kind enough to loan their A-grade pitcher Justin Staatz to Brisbane over their Christmas break, so he could help the Bandits win. That’s exactly what the American right-hander did, starting two games and posting a 0.68 ERA through 13 1/3 innings. He was the recipient of two no-decisions, for lack of run support, but had an eight-inning shutout performance earning him runner-up honours for Player of the Week in Round 8 of the ABL.

During the season, the company allowed its baseball-playing employees to take time for practices, training, road trips and games, though it wasn’t always easy.

“The ABL does impact the business when the guys have to finish early or are away on road trips but we juggle around the rosters, employ extra staff on overtime and cope as best we can,” Ready said.

Mutch’s love for baseball is so great that when he hired Sutherland, he worked the sport into his schedule.

“He has been working for us for about four years,” Mutch said of Sutherland. “When he came on, I said ‘Hey look, I’m a big baseball fan, I support baseball, so whatever time off you need to play for Australia, to play for the Dodgers, to play for the Bandits, you can take’. I give him up to 21 days, up to three weeks a year, at full pay. And he gets his holidays as well.”

With the arrangement that the first baseman has with Alderley Hire, it often leaves a vacant spot at the office or on deliveries needing to be filled. Mutch has found ways to work around it because of his love for the game, though it may be a less-than-ideal situation for the employer. 

“Always,” Mutch said of whether or not there is ever a conflict at work with Sutherland missing time for games. “We employ casual staff, too, to fill in for him. So it’s a double cost I guess if I think of it that way.”

Sutherland had a fantastic season for the Bandits, highlighted by a great last series in Adelaide. For the year he batted .305/.365/.461 with six home runs, eight doubles and 31 RBI, an improvement on what were already impressive numbers from last year. Through his final five games against the Bite he hit .450 (9-for-20) with two homers, a double and five runs driven in, garnering him runner-up honours for the Player of the Week award for Round 11.

His accomplishments stand out especially after learning how dedicated Sutherland is both on and off the field. 

“I work full-time, 45 hours a week and sometimes on Saturday mornings,” Sutherland said. “Having Bruce Mutch as a boss, he is very happy to give me the days off I need throughout the season.

“It is a very tough few months managing work and baseball. I have to be in very good shape and get as much rest as possible because Thursdays and Fridays I have to work all day and then go play a game at night and try to do great. It’s great fun though and you just have to keep powering through to the end of the season.”

Roxburgh shares his teammate’s sentiment about the game and about putting in the time at work beforehand.

“It can be hard sometimes, especially working all day and then having to go straight to the field for a game,” Roxburgh said. “And then you don’t get home until 11 or 12 at night and try and cook some dinner and get to bed just to be back up at seven again for work. It’s a little easier on the road, as you don’t have to work so you can get a bit more sleep in, but with my job I still get phone calls on the road about work and still have to sort out issues.”

The 25-year-old has a great appreciation for the allowances he gets to play ball and to take time away from the workplace for the sport.

“My bosses are fantastic with allowing me time off, as they are both heavily involved with baseball,” Roxburgh said. “And they are sponsors of the Bandits and also have a corporate box, so they are always at the games cheering myself and Searle on.”

Added Searle: “Mark and Adrian have been really supportive of both myself and the team, and they are very flexible. Up until now, I have been working full-time and training. Between work, baseball and training, there isn’t much time for anything else, but at this stage in my life, those things are my only priority. I am very grateful of everything they have done for me.”

The Bandits are also appreciative of what Ready Towing and Alderley Hire have contributed to the organisation and look forward to a continued relationship.