Chris Andrew Oxspring (born 13 May 1977) is a former Australian professional baseball
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...
who played for a number of teams around the world.
Career
Oxspring joined the
Hanshin Tigers
The Hanshin Tigers (Japanese: 阪神タイガース ''Hanshin Taigāsu'') are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and is owned by Hanshin Electric Railway ...
in
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formatio ...
(NPB) for the 2006 season. On 15 December 2006, Oxspring signed a minor league contract with the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...
. On 10 July 2007, his contract with the Brewers was sold to the
LG Twins
LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...
of the
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...
just one day before serving as the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Bas ...
's
starting pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pitc ...
in the 2007
Triple-A All-Star Game
The Triple-A All-Star Game was an annual baseball game held from 1988 to 2019 between professional players from the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball. These leagues were the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League ...
.
Internationally, Oxspring was a star for Australia in the 2004 Olympics, pitching 2–0 with wins both against Japan, earning him a silver medal.
Oxspring had the honor of throwing out the first official pitch of the
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League (ABL) is a professional baseball league in Australia. The league is governed by the Australian Baseball Federation (ABF). It uses the same name as a now-defunct competition held during the 1990s, and though it ...
to catcher
Andrew Graham when the Blue Sox played the
Canberra Cavalry on 6 November 2010. Oxspring threw six shutout innings in a game Sydney won 1–0.
On 8 December 2010, while playing with the Sydney Oxspring signed a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring training with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
. At the end of the
2010–11 Australian Baseball League regular season
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, he led the league in innings pitched (68.2), game started (11) and strikeouts (71).
ABL League Pitching Leaders
– Australian Baseball League
In June 2011, Detroit released Oxspring after struggling for their AAA affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played ...
conceding a 6.53 ERA over 20.2 innings. He shortly after signed with independent team the Somerset Patriots
The Somerset Patriots are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, an ...
for the remainder of 2011.
In 2013 and 2014, Oxspring played with the Lotte Giants
The Lotte Giants ( ko, 롯데 자이언츠) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Busan. They are a member of the KBO League. The Lotte Giants are owned by Lotte Corporation, which also owns the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Pr ...
of the Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...
. In 2015, he played with the KT Wiz
KT Wiz ( ko, KT 위즈) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They are a member of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Suwon Baseball Stadium in Suwon.
History
On 11 January 2013, the Korea Baseball Organization of ...
of the Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...
. From 2016 to 2018, he had served as a pitching coach for the Lotte Giants
The Lotte Giants ( ko, 롯데 자이언츠) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Busan. They are a member of the KBO League. The Lotte Giants are owned by Lotte Corporation, which also owns the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Pr ...
. On 3 December 2018 Oxspring announced that he will no longer coach the Giants and return to Australia to reunite with his family.
Oxspring returned to the Blue Sox for the 2022–23 Australian Baseball League season as the oldest player to play in the league’s history. He overtook 44 year old Brendan Kingman
Brendan Kingman (born 22 May 1973) is an Australian baseball player and coach for the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League.
Playing career
Kingman was one of the most respected and prolific power hitters in Australia in the 90s ...
who pitched one inning in the 2017–18 Australian Baseball League season.
References
External links
*
Career statistics and player information
from Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxspring, Chris
1977 births
Living people
Australian expatriate baseball players in Japan
Australian expatriate baseball players in South Korea
Australian expatriate baseball players in the United States
Baseball coaches
Baseball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Cook County Cheetahs players
Fort Wayne Wizards players
Hanshin Tigers players
KBO League pitchers
KT Wiz players
Lake Elsinore Storm players
LG Twins players
Lotte Giants players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from Australia
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Mobile BayBears players
Nashville Sounds players
Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Olympic baseball players of Australia
Olympic medalists in baseball
Olympic silver medalists for Australia
Peoria Javelinas players
Portland Beavers players
San Diego Padres players
Somerset Patriots players
Sydney Blue Sox players
Toledo Mud Hens players
2009 World Baseball Classic players
2013 World Baseball Classic players
2017 World Baseball Classic players