Mattress ensures no sleeping on the job for Cavalry's Morimando

The ingenious Canberra Cavalry starting pitcher put to good use every resource he had in his room, as well as every square inch, to ensure he was in the best possible shape when he finally got out.

That sound you can hear next door in Morimando's room? That's his daily afternoon pitching practice - throwing a ball against his mattress up against the wall.

Considerately, the former Major Leaguer even used a few pillows to help keep the noise down.

Now, he's set to start for the Cavalry in game two of their first series of the ABL season - against the Melbourne Aces at Narrabundah Ballpark, with Frank Gailey starting on Boxing Day before Morimando on Sunday.

The 28-year-old worked hard before his flight Down Under knowing he'd have two weeks locked up in a Sydney hotel.

Then he stuck to a daily routine, starting with a dip in his hot tub - converted from his bath - before he spent the morning stretching and working out. Having put the mattress up against the wall for some extra room.

Then, after lunch, it was time to put the mattress to work, hurling some pitches into his homemade pitching cage.

"I moved the mattress up against the wall and tried to create as much space as I could so then I'd do my workout," Morimando said.

"Then I'd use the mattress as the pad to play catch with and throw into the mattress.

"Trying to get creative, but also utilise the space as best as I could because I knew once we got out of quarantine I didn't want to miss too much of a beat.

"I wanted to make sure it was a quick adjustment from the quarantine to the field."

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Now freedom from the confines of his hotel room is like sweet relief.

Although he has had to contend with the driving on the wrong side of the road for an American.

But apart from that, the laid-back New Yorker, who now lives in Florida, is loving his time in Canberra.

He can't wait to take the mound against the Aces as he looks to get back to the Majors.

Morimando got a taste in 2016 when he played two games for the Cleveland Indians.

And that's the level he's hoping to return to following a stint in orange.

The build up to his Cavalry debut has been in stark contrast to his MLB one.

He's had weeks in a hotel contemplating pitching in the ABL, whereas he had a made rush for his call-up to the MLB - having to return to Cleveland to pick up his passport before heading on to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays.

The past couple of years have been a tough for Morimando.

He had elbow surgery to clean out some bone spurs in 2019 and then the pandemic struck, wiping out his 2020.

"Yeah that's a big part of it [trying to get back to the Majors]," Morimando said.

"My buddy Jack Murphy reached out to me about coming out to pitch here in Australia.

"I'd love the opportunity and experience to come out here and compete, and also show I'm back and I'm healthy.

"I've got a lot to offer. I'm still young and I feel great and that's the biggest thing. If I can show I'm back to where I once was, or even better, that's all I ask for."

Meanwhile, the Cavalry will play a no-holds-barred scrimmage at Narrabundah Ballpark on New Year's Eve.

Their three games against the Sydney Blue Sox this year - at Blacktown on Monday and at Narrabundah on Tuesday and New Year's Eve - have been postponed while it's hoped their three games at Blacktown from January 1-3 can go ahead as planned.

Travel restrictions require anyone who has been in Greater Sydney must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Canberra, although the ACT government was open to allowing exemptions.

There's the potential for games to be played January 25-26 or the ABL season could be extended by a week.

ABL 2020-21 SEASON

Boxing Day: Canberra Cavalry v Melbourne Aces at Narrabundah Ballpark, 7pm. Game two on Sunday at 7pm.