US pitcher Gunnar Kines making Adelaide Giants mark after time as an Esports gamer, fantasy sports analyst and baseball field curator
He has been a professional gamer, a fantasy sports analyst and maintained baseball fields. Now Adelaide Giants’ US pitcher Gunnar Kines hopes his unlikely path can help him make a mark Down Under.
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Gunnar Kines has been a professional gamer, a fantasy sports analyst and maintained baseball fields for Spring training camps.
Now Adelaide Giants’ US pitcher hopes his unlikely path can help him make a mark in his debut Australian Baseball League campaign.
The South Carolina native arrived in SA last month, the latest stop on an adventure which has taken him from a range of sports-related jobs to two Major League clubs.
He said the opportunity to explore a new country, while continuing to develop his craft on the mound, will open up more options for his future, on and off the field.
“If you can educate yourself in as much as possible, then you have a lot of outlets to explore in life,” Kines, 26, said.
“I love travelling, so being able to come to Australia to play the sport I love is the best thing I could ask for.
“The competition is definitely a lot harder than I’m used to, because you have older guys, who have played at higher levels.
“But I’m always up for a challenge – it’s what keeps every baseball player going.”
Kines was introduced to baseball aged three by his father, Brian, who has been rising at 3am to watch live streams of Giants matches since his son moved Down Under.
The left-hander was drafted by Miami Marlins in 2015, after shining in college ball while studying sports management at the University of Mount Olive.
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But not before two years repairing pitcher’s mounds at the Ripken Baseball Experience, a nine-field complex in his hometown, Myrtle Beach, which hosts tournaments and team camps.
Kines also worked for the fantasy sports website, Fantasy Alarm, creating performance reports on NFL, NBA and MLB players.
He even found time to earn a professional Esports contract, devoting up to 30 hours a week playing the ice hockey game NHL 13.
But he opted to concentrate on his sporting career, despite his friend Greyson ‘Goldenglue’ Gilmer recently signing a six-figure annual deal with Golden State Warriors’ Esports team.
“Once I got to college, I focused all my effort on school and baseball,” said Kines, who has spent the past four years playing independent ball for Schaumburg Boomers.
“But everything I’ve done, I try to use to my advantage because it all kind of relates to my interest in working front office one day with a sporting team.
“Something where I’m able to work with the players, along with the numbers side of things and advertising, would be great.”
The 190cm, 95kg athlete was yet to allow an earned run from 13.1 impressive innings pitched across his first three Giants matches.
Kines hopes to extend Adelaide’s promising 7-5 start to the season, when it hosts Southwest conference leader Melbourne Aces (8-4) in a four-game series starting Friday at West Beach.
“The way we played here against (four-time reigning champion) Brisbane, if we play like that we’ll never lose games,” said Kines, who also previously had a stint with New York Mets.
“We just have to strive to be better, each and every day.”