Trent Durrington

In 1993, Trent Durrington joined a growing number of Australians that were signed by major league baseball teams when he was inked as an international free agent by the California Angels. Durrington had played in tournaments and exhibitions over the previous two years and had caught the eye of Angels scouts with his batting eye and speed.

The right-handed hitting infielder began his professional career with the Angels entry in the Arizona rookie league in 1994 and steadily moved up, spending five-plus years in the minors, showing a penchant for drawing walks and stealing bases (174 steals from 1996-99). He made his big-league debut with the newly-named Anaheim Angels in August 1999 and made an immediate impression, hitting safely in seven of hit first eight games, going 10-for-27 (.370). Durrington cooled off after that and finished the season with a batting line of .180/.237/.197 across 136 plate appearances.

He missed most of 2000 with a knee injury and was released after the season. He signed with the other Los Angeles team (Dodgers) but only played 22 games for them at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2001 before being released again. The Angels re-signed him during the season but he didn't get back to the majors until 2003, when he spent six weeks with Anaheim at the end of the season, playing in just 12 games, making 17 plate appearances. 'Durro' was released by the Angels and was signed by the Brewers just before Thanksgiving 2003.

Durrington split time between Triple-A and the Brewers in 2004 and 2005, playing in 81 games overall for Milwaukee, hitting .229/.267/.385, hitting his only two big-league home runs (both of the pinch-hit variety) in 2004, as well as legging out three triples in just 82 ABs. Durrington was released after the 2005 campaign and never returned to the bigs, spending time at Triple-A the next two years for Boston and Cleveland. He retired after the 2007 season.

• Wife Alison was a professional water skier and performed at Sea World Australia
• Durrington played for Australia in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
• While in Single-A Boise in 1996, Durrington had a stuffed, mounted kangaroo head above his locker