All-time league games leader and Sydney Blue Sox legend Trent D’Antonio announces retirement
All-time league games leader Trent D’Antonio has made a big call on his historic career for the Sydney Blue Sox. Hear from the man himself and remember some of his best moments in the sport.
Illawarra Star
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SYDNEY Blue Sox legend Trent D’Antonio has called it quits on his illustrious baseball career.
The 37 year old from Wollongong has been a Blue Sox player since the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League in 2010-11.
394 games later, D’Antonio kitted up for his side for the final time this weekend against Canberra Calvary.
Reflecting on the weekend, it was clear for D’Antonio that he was touched by the way he was sent off by his team and his fans.
“It was a lot more than I had in mind,” D’Antonio said.
“Tony [Harris] and the coaches did such a nice job sending me off.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
D’Antonio was born into a baseball family, with his grandfather, uncle and both parents playing either baseball or softball.
This decided the career path for the superstar baseball player, having kitted up for his first game at the age of just three.
D’Antonio lined up as a starter for all three of his final games against Canberra Calvary over Friday and Saturday, with the fourth scheduled game called off due to bad weather on the Sunday.
The Blue Sox went down 8-6 in game one on Friday, and again lost 5-1 in game two on Saturday, before picking up a 4-0 win in game three, which would be the last action in Blue Sox colours for D’Antonio.
“The way the game turned out was special,” D’Antonio said.
“I got a chance to be back behind the plate, I was a catcher when I started.
“I got a hit my first time up … gave everyone a hug on the way back.
“It was a special moment.”
Trent D’Antonio has played more ABL games than any other player in the league’s history.
He is the all time league’s leading triples leader and base on balls leader.
340 hits and 17 home runs over 12 historic years in Sydney’s blue and white.
Unfortunately for D’Antonio, despite his historic career within the league, the Australian Baseball League championship eluded him his entire career.
“I might be a jinx!” D’Antonio said jokingly in his retirement post on social media.
D’Antonio broke the news to his team that he was retiring in a training session last Tuesday.
“I had a talk to Tony the weekend before,” D’Antonio said.
“It had been on my mind for a little bit, sort of trying to decide when I would or when I wouldn’t.
“My body has been speaking to me a lot louder lately though.
“Also trying to cramp life in and do baseball at the same time was becoming more difficult.”
Outside of baseball, D’Antonio is a fitter by trade, working within mining full-time.
He reflected on how much his life has changed since his early years in the game where he was chasing baseball full-time and working when he could, to now where he’s working full time and trying to keep up and stay fit with baseball.
Prior to the inception of the ABL in 2010-11, D’Antonio was still a part of the New South Wales system, playing for the Patriots in the Claxton Shield.
“There were always options for other teams,” D’Antonio said, reflecting on the one-club mentality of his career.
“My Dad always brought me up to be a very loyal person.
“We had a very close knit group and culture within Sydney.
“Obviously we lost some guys over the years, and I fully supported them whenever it happened.
“For me though, I wanted to keep as many people as possible together.
“I wanted to win for me, and I wanted to win for those Sydney boys.”
When asked about some of his fondest memories from his time in the sport, D’Antonio recalled a couple of memorable moments, from his side’s no hitter in a 2011 playoff game, to his return performance after the passing of his mother where he hit a double in his first game back.
The announcement of D’Antonio’s retirement on social media was met with an outpouring of praise and fond memories for the Blue Sox legend, with many describing him as one of the toughest, grittiest and most competitive players to ever grace the league.
D’Antonio is now looking to enjoy his retired life for a little bit, before possibly returning to the sport in a coaching role sometime in the future.
“I’m going to take a summer to myself, see what that actually feels like,” D’Antonio said.
“It’s been year round baseball for over 20 years.
“I’d love to get into coaching, I’ve always talked about it.
“We’ll see where we go.”
Any standout memories of Trent D’Antonio? Let us know in the comment below
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