Ryan Rowland-Smith
Encyclopedia
Ryan Benjamin Rowland-Smith (born 26 January 1983, in Sydney, Australia), is an Australia
n Major League Baseball
left-handed pitcher
. He is also an Australian Baseball League
pitcher for the Sydney Blue Sox
. Rowland-Smith pitched for Australia in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
and in the 2004 Summer Olympics
. He was rated the number eight prospect in the Mariners organization in by Baseball America
.
He graduated from Newcastle High School
in December 2000. Rowland-Smith was the first player from Newcastle
to be signed to a professional contract, signing as a non-drafted free agent
on 19 November 2000 by Mariners scout Barry Holland. He was the Newcastle Baseball Player of the Year as a 16 and 18-year-old.
Rowland-Smith has played most of his career in the Mariners' organization but he was selected by the Minnesota Twins
in the Major League
portion of the 2004 Rule 5 draft. He spent most of the spring training
with the Twins before they returned him to Seattle.
. He made 17 relief appearances, allowing just one home run in 33.1 innings pitched. He took part in the Mariners Arizona Instructional League at the end of the season.
He split the season between the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
and the Short-season Everett AquaSox
. He pitched in 12 games, 8 starts, with Wisconsin to begin the season. On 24 June, Rowland-Smith was transferred to Everett. He did not allow an earned run in six consecutive games from 6 to 24 July in 17.1 innings pitched. He finished the month of July 3-0 with 2 saves and a 0.70 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched. During his time with the AquaSox, Rowland-Smith was the third-youngest player on the roster.
Rowland-Smith had a 1.90 ERA and 52 strikeouts combined between the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers. He began the season with Wisconsin appearing in 13 games. He did not allow an earned run 15 innings from 21 April to 13 May. He struck out a season-high six batters in 2 innings. He was named to the Midwest League
All-Star team. Rowland-Smith was promoted to Inland Empire on 19 June and tossed 8 innings in seven games without allowing an earned run from 14 July to 9 August.
In the season played the entire season with the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers, appearing in 29 games. He split the season between the bullpen and starter, going 2-0 with three saves and a 4.15 ERA as a reliever and 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA as a starter. He struck out 119 batters in 99 innings. Rowland-Smith was tied for seventh among all Mariner farmhands in strikeouts. He held opponents to a .276 average, including a .246 clip against left-handers.
in 2004 Summer Olympic games
, making four relief appearances, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA allowing only six hits and five walks while striking out 5. He helped the team to a silver medal. They made it to the championship game before falling to Cuba
, 6-2. It was said that all of Rowland-Smith's teammates were paying close attention to the Olympic baseball gold-medal game.
in the Major League portion of the 2004 Rule 5 draft. He played most of the spring training with the Twins. Rowland-Smith said this about the pick and opportunity to play at the Major League level:
He was returned to Seattle on 25 March. He spent the season with the Double-A San Antonio Missions
, setting a career-high with 122.0 innings pitched. He went 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 relief appearances and 4-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 starts. He allowed three or fewer runs in 12 of 17 starts. He won back-to-back starts 2 and 8 May. Rowland smith struck out a season-high seven batters in 6.0 innings on 24 May. He was placed on the disabled list with tendinitis in right knee from 21 to 28 July. He tossed 12.2 innings in relief without allowing an earned run from 14 August to 4 September.
in the Arizona Fall League
.
for the 2006 World Baseball Classic
. He was also on the national team in 2004 that took home the silver in the Olympics. His time with the team was cut short after he suffered a sore elbow.
at Safeco Field
. He struck out the first batter he faced, Ken Griffey, Jr.
, and pitched 1 scoreless innings in a 16-1 Mariners loss. He did not allow a run in 10.2 consecutive innings spanning 5 games, from 22 to August31He allowed five hits while walking five and striking out 11 during this stretch. He allowed one hit while striking out five in 2 shut-out innings. He struck out 42 batters in 38 innings, including a career-high 6 batters in a career-high four scoreless innings 22 August against the Minnesota Twins. Rowland-Smith earned first career win 13 September against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He pitched for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League at the end of the season. This is what Rowland-Smith said about pitching in the Venezuelan League:
Rowland-Smith began the season exclusively as a reliever, making 32 relief appearances before making two starts prior to the All-Star break
. He made three more relief appearances before being optioned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
on 20 July to begin conversion to starter. On 1 July he made first Major League start against the Toronto Blue Jays
, tossing 3.2 innings, allowing 3 runs before being removed after 62 pitches, he allowed all 3 runs in the fourth inning. He recorded 8 consecutive quality start
s from 21 August to 27 September the longest streak by a Mariners starter since Joel Piñeiro tossed 8 consecutive quality starts in 2002. The streak was also tied for the 5th-longest in the AL
in 2008. From 21 August until the end of the season, his 2.56 ERA was the best in the American League and tied for 4th-lowest amongst left-handed starters in the Majors behind C.C. Sabathia
(1.72), Johan Santana
, NYM (1.88) and Jorge De La Rosa
, COL (2.34). Rowland-Smith collected his first Major League save 8 April against the Tampa Bay Rays
in Seattle's 6-5 win, tossing 1.2 innings and retiring all five batters he faced, while protecting 1-run lead. As a reliever, had a 1.41 ERA in 17 games and 44 innings pitched when pitching. In Tacoma, he went 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 3 starts with the Rainiers, he held opponents to a .185 batting average.
, coming to the plate twice, and hitting 2 singles. This was his first time batting against a live pitcher since he was 17 years old. He used teammate Jeff Clement's
bat.
At the beginning of the season he started one game before being placed on the disabled list. He was sent to the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers
for rehab starts. After dismal starts he was optioned to Tacoma. On 24 July Rowland-Smith was called up and put in the starting rotation after going 5-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 10 starts.
From that point on Rowland-Smith got much praise for working out the kinks in his pitching. He said this about pitching in the minors:
Rowland-Smith finished the season strong and his 5-4 record not indicative of how well he pitched during the season due to six of his 15 games started ending up no decisions.
35 man roster for the inaugural Australian Baseball League
season. He never played in the 2010-11 season. On 2 Dec 2010 the Mariners decided not to offer a new contract, thus allowing Rowland-Smith to become an unrestricted free agent. On 9 December 2010 the Houston Astros
signed Rowland-Smith to a one year contract.
. He himself is an avid surfer, and spends a lot of his time in the off-season in his native Australia surfing. Rowland-Smith's mother, Julie White, is a retired high school physical education
teacher. His grandfather was Australia's minister for sport and recreation. His parents divorced when he was three and along with his sister they lived with their mother in Newcastle. Growing-up, Rowland-Smith watched baseball on video cassettes because Major League Baseball was not carried on Australian networks back then. He is the first player with a hyphenated last name ever to appear in a major league game. He maintains his own blog
and Twitter
account to keep up with fans.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He is also an Australian Baseball League
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League was a baseball league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.-Formation:Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton Shield, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament...
pitcher for the Sydney Blue Sox
Sydney Blue Sox
The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of six foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League . The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney , one of the two venues for used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was...
. Rowland-Smith pitched for Australia in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
and in the 2004 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
. He was rated the number eight prospect in the Mariners organization in by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
.
He graduated from Newcastle High School
Newcastle High School (Australia)
Newcastle High School is a state run high school located in Newcastle West—a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia–with an enrolment of approximately 1,000 students....
in December 2000. Rowland-Smith was the first player from Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
to be signed to a professional contract, signing as a non-drafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
on 19 November 2000 by Mariners scout Barry Holland. He was the Newcastle Baseball Player of the Year as a 16 and 18-year-old.
Rowland-Smith has played most of his career in the Mariners' organization but he was selected by the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
portion of the 2004 Rule 5 draft. He spent most of the spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Twins before they returned him to Seattle.
2001–2005 seasons
The Mariners signed Rowland-Smith in November, . Rowland-Smith began his pro career in with the Rookie level Peoria Mariners of the Arizona LeagueArizona League
The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the...
. He made 17 relief appearances, allowing just one home run in 33.1 innings pitched. He took part in the Mariners Arizona Instructional League at the end of the season.
He split the season between the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a minor league baseball team of the Midwest League, and the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, and are named for timber rattlesnakes. The team plays its home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium...
and the Short-season Everett AquaSox
Everett AquaSox
The Everett AquaSox are a minor league baseball team in Everett, Washington, USA. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League, of which they are the current defending champions...
. He pitched in 12 games, 8 starts, with Wisconsin to begin the season. On 24 June, Rowland-Smith was transferred to Everett. He did not allow an earned run in six consecutive games from 6 to 24 July in 17.1 innings pitched. He finished the month of July 3-0 with 2 saves and a 0.70 ERA in 25.2 innings pitched. During his time with the AquaSox, Rowland-Smith was the third-youngest player on the roster.
Rowland-Smith had a 1.90 ERA and 52 strikeouts combined between the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers. He began the season with Wisconsin appearing in 13 games. He did not allow an earned run 15 innings from 21 April to 13 May. He struck out a season-high six batters in 2 innings. He was named to the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
All-Star team. Rowland-Smith was promoted to Inland Empire on 19 June and tossed 8 innings in seven games without allowing an earned run from 14 July to 9 August.
In the season played the entire season with the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers, appearing in 29 games. He split the season between the bullpen and starter, going 2-0 with three saves and a 4.15 ERA as a reliever and 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA as a starter. He struck out 119 batters in 99 innings. Rowland-Smith was tied for seventh among all Mariner farmhands in strikeouts. He held opponents to a .276 average, including a .246 clip against left-handers.
Athens Summer Games
He played for AustraliaAustralia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
in 2004 Summer Olympic games
Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
, making four relief appearances, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA allowing only six hits and five walks while striking out 5. He helped the team to a silver medal. They made it to the championship game before falling to Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
, 6-2. It was said that all of Rowland-Smith's teammates were paying close attention to the Olympic baseball gold-medal game.
2005 season
Rowland-Smith was acquired by the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
in the Major League portion of the 2004 Rule 5 draft. He played most of the spring training with the Twins. Rowland-Smith said this about the pick and opportunity to play at the Major League level:
He was returned to Seattle on 25 March. He spent the season with the Double-A San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
, setting a career-high with 122.0 innings pitched. He went 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 16 relief appearances and 4-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 starts. He allowed three or fewer runs in 12 of 17 starts. He won back-to-back starts 2 and 8 May. Rowland smith struck out a season-high seven batters in 6.0 innings on 24 May. He was placed on the disabled list with tendinitis in right knee from 21 to 28 July. He tossed 12.2 innings in relief without allowing an earned run from 14 August to 4 September.
2006 season
At the start of the season Rowland-Smith started on the disabled list with a left elbow strain. He was reinstated on 2 June. He did not allow an earned run in five of his seven appearances with the Class-A Inland Empire 66ers. He was called- to the Double-A San Antonio Missions on 21 June. He struck out a season-high 7 batters in 4.1 innings on 25 August. He went a season-high 11.1 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run from 20 August to 2 September. Rowland-Smith limited opponents to a .241 batting average, including a .188 clip against left-handers. He was 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA and a save while striking out 23 batters in nine games in August. He played with the Peoria JavelinasPeoria Javelinas
The Peoria Javelinas, established in 1992, are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. The Javelinas play their home games in the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona, which is a spring training site for both the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners.For...
in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
.
World Baseball Classic
At the start of the 2006 season Rowland-Smith was added to the Australia national baseball teamAustralia national baseball team
The Australian national baseball team represents Australia in international baseball tournaments and competitions. They are ranked as the top team in Oceania, and are the Oceanian Champions, having been awarded the title in 2007 when New Zealand withdrew from the Oceania Baseball Championship. They...
for the 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
. He was also on the national team in 2004 that took home the silver in the Olympics. His time with the team was cut short after he suffered a sore elbow.
2007 season
He began season with Tacoma, making 25 relief appearances. Rowland-Smith made his major league debut for the Mariners on 22 June, , against the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
at Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
. He struck out the first batter he faced, Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
, and pitched 1 scoreless innings in a 16-1 Mariners loss. He did not allow a run in 10.2 consecutive innings spanning 5 games, from 22 to August31He allowed five hits while walking five and striking out 11 during this stretch. He allowed one hit while striking out five in 2 shut-out innings. He struck out 42 batters in 38 innings, including a career-high 6 batters in a career-high four scoreless innings 22 August against the Minnesota Twins. Rowland-Smith earned first career win 13 September against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He pitched for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League at the end of the season. This is what Rowland-Smith said about pitching in the Venezuelan League:
2008 season
2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on...
. He made three more relief appearances before being optioned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
on 20 July to begin conversion to starter. On 1 July he made first Major League start against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, tossing 3.2 innings, allowing 3 runs before being removed after 62 pitches, he allowed all 3 runs in the fourth inning. He recorded 8 consecutive quality start
Quality start
In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs....
s from 21 August to 27 September the longest streak by a Mariners starter since Joel Piñeiro tossed 8 consecutive quality starts in 2002. The streak was also tied for the 5th-longest in the AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in 2008. From 21 August until the end of the season, his 2.56 ERA was the best in the American League and tied for 4th-lowest amongst left-handed starters in the Majors behind C.C. Sabathia
C.C. Sabathia
Carsten Charles "CC" Sabathia is an American professional baseball pitcher with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball...
(1.72), Johan Santana
Johan Santana
Johan Alexander Santana Araque is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher who is currently playing for the New York Mets. He is a native of Venezuela....
, NYM (1.88) and Jorge De La Rosa
Jorge de la Rosa
Jorge Alberto de la Rosa Gonzalez is a starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies.-Minor leagues:...
, COL (2.34). Rowland-Smith collected his first Major League save 8 April against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in Seattle's 6-5 win, tossing 1.2 innings and retiring all five batters he faced, while protecting 1-run lead. As a reliever, had a 1.41 ERA in 17 games and 44 innings pitched when pitching. In Tacoma, he went 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 3 starts with the Rainiers, he held opponents to a .185 batting average.
2009 season
Rowland-Smith started a spring training game against the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, coming to the plate twice, and hitting 2 singles. This was his first time batting against a live pitcher since he was 17 years old. He used teammate Jeff Clement's
Jeff Clement
Jeffrey Burton Clement is a Major League Baseball first baseman who is currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization. Clement was the Seattle Mariners' first round draft pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.-Amateur career:Clement was born and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa...
bat.
At the beginning of the season he started one game before being placed on the disabled list. He was sent to the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
for rehab starts. After dismal starts he was optioned to Tacoma. On 24 July Rowland-Smith was called up and put in the starting rotation after going 5-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 10 starts.
From that point on Rowland-Smith got much praise for working out the kinks in his pitching. He said this about pitching in the minors:
Rowland-Smith finished the season strong and his 5-4 record not indicative of how well he pitched during the season due to six of his 15 games started ending up no decisions.
2010 season
Despite an increase of ERA to 3.74 from last season, the left-handed pitcher was widely recognized as a vital part to the Mariners season and was labelled as the likely number three pitcher in the Mariners' rotation. In November 2010, Ryan was named on the Sydney Blue SoxSydney Blue Sox
The Sydney Blue Sox are a professional baseball team, and one of six foundation teams in the re-formed Australian Baseball League . The team plays their home games at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney , one of the two venues for used for baseball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when it was...
35 man roster for the inaugural Australian Baseball League
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League was a baseball league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.-Formation:Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton Shield, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament...
season. He never played in the 2010-11 season. On 2 Dec 2010 the Mariners decided not to offer a new contract, thus allowing Rowland-Smith to become an unrestricted free agent. On 9 December 2010 the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
signed Rowland-Smith to a one year contract.
Personal life
Rowland-Smith is the son of Australian celebrity trainer Rob Rowland-Smith, known as "The Sandhill Warrior." Rowland-Smith's older sister, Rhiannon, is a professional surferSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
. He himself is an avid surfer, and spends a lot of his time in the off-season in his native Australia surfing. Rowland-Smith's mother, Julie White, is a retired high school physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
teacher. His grandfather was Australia's minister for sport and recreation. His parents divorced when he was three and along with his sister they lived with their mother in Newcastle. Growing-up, Rowland-Smith watched baseball on video cassettes because Major League Baseball was not carried on Australian networks back then. He is the first player with a hyphenated last name ever to appear in a major league game. He maintains his own blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account to keep up with fans.