Daniel Lamb-Hunt, New Zealander, infielder, German batting champ

It’s never too late.

Taking up a brand new sport at 18 years old would seem a daunting task for most. And then to make an attempt at climbing the ranks into professional leagues would appear to be near impossible.

Evidently not for Daniel Lamb-Hunt. Though he got a late start at the game of baseball, the infielder from New Zealand made his way up to the Brisbane Bandits roster in the Australian Baseball League for the first time last year, before getting another chance to play Bandits baseball this season. The now 24-year-old is still working on getting into the starting lineup on a regular basis, but has a different background in the sport than most.

“Baseball was never an option for me,” Lamb-Hunt said. “I was a fast pitch softballer doing my thing in NZ when, while I was playing in a tournament in early 2005, I was approached by Atlanta Braves scouts Neil Burke and Phil Dale. They said they were interested in signing me, without having ever thrown a baseball.

“They took me down to the back field in between games and put me through a few tests, like a 60-yard sprint, throwing across the diamond, fielding ground balls and they let me hit some batting practice. It was my first time doing all of that. They said that they were very interested and would send the info through to the States and get back to me in a week or two. The next week they got back to me with a contract and I made the switch [to baseball].”

After being signed, Lamb-Hunt went straight to the Australian MLB Academy before spending time playing club ball in Australia and going to extended spring training with the Braves twice. With two extended springs under his belt, the infielder was released, despite not having even participated in a season. Since his switch to baseball, Lamb-Hunt played in Claxton Shield competition before the ABL came back around.

For the last two off-seasons, Lamb-Hunt found great success playing European baseball for the Pulheim Gophers of the Northern League in Germany. He won two consecutive batting titles, hitting .411/.500/.710 with seven home runs, 22 RBI and five stolen bases in 2010 and .440/.542/.736 with seven long balls, 30 runs driven in and six swiped bags through the 28-game schedule in 2011. During the most recent season, he beat out Melbourne Aces star Elliot Biddle for the hitting award.

Though the Gophers folded, Lamb-Hunt will be heading back to Germany for a third season this winter. He will be playing for the Bonn Capitals and looks to three-peat and win the batting title once again. He’s thoroughly enjoyed his time in Europe though he didn’t know what to expect when he first went over to play.

“I had no knowledge of the culture or the quality of baseball,” he said. “But when I got there the people were super nice and very giving. They took care of me and made sure I was comfortable. I had a good season, taking out the batting award, and again when I returned last season.

“The team, on the other hand, didn’t have such a good season so the first year we narrowly escaped relegation after missing the playoffs by one game. The second year was a disaster and led to the undoing of the Gophers in the top league.”

Before making his way back to Germany, Lamb-Hunt did get a chance to keep working this summer, with his club ball team and the Bandits. For Brisbane he played in six games, and on the second-last day of the season he launched his first ABL home run, a straightaway shot over the centre field wall in Adelaide.

Now that the ABL season is done, Lamb-Hunt can reflect on the goals he had set for himself and also start to look forward to what’s next. 

“My goals for this season were kept simple,” the New Zealander said. “I knew with the players we had I would be a replacement/fringe guy so I just wanted to have a better season and maybe push my way into a starting spot, but that was always going to be tough.

“At this point, I want to come back next season and do it again but six months in Germany and a possible chance to represent New Zealand in the upcoming [World Baseball Classic] qualifiers might change that, so we’ll have to see.”

In September, Lamb-Hunt will be hoping to represent his home country as they try to earn a spot in the WBC. Though he still considers New Zealand home, he spends almost half of each year in Australia, trying to learn and grow as a baseball player.

“Baseball in Australia is no-frills baseball,” Lamb-Hunt said. “Baseball is played the right way down here and it’s played hard.”