By JESSICA RYAN
Courier-Post Staff

There's no place like home for Brad Strauss.

Midway through his ninth season in professional baseball, the 1989 Haddon Township High School graduate has enjoyed playing his first season close to his hometown for the Camden Riversharks.

``It's always great to be near your hometown,'' Strauss said. ``And for me it's real good because last year I was home, but the three years before that I was in Taiwan.''

Last season was the closest Strauss was to the area after spending two years in Zanesville, Ohio, and Minot, N. D., and three years in Kao-Ping, Taiwan.

``I started with Atlantic City Surf (Atlantic Professional Baseball League) and I got traded to the Long Island Ducks,'' he said of last season.

The 30-year-old outfielder and third baseman for the Riversharks says that there are many benefits to being home.

``It's nice to be home and have my family able to come out,'' Strauss said. ``It's exciting for me.

``It's also great to know your way around. That helps, too. During the day, you don't have to sit around because you really don't know where to go.''

Despite all the attention Strauss has gotten since his return home, he's not performing up to his own high standards.

``I was doing well for a while and I've hit a rut in the last week or two," he said. "I'm starting to come out of it a little bit.''

For the first half of the season, Strauss batted .271 with 12 doubles and 17 RBIs.

``I'm starting to swing the bat better and I feel better at the plate, so that's a start,'' he said.

But with his numbers improving throughout the season, Strauss still refers back to his homecoming as the highlight of the season.

Although playing the majority of his games (37) in the outfield, Strauss has played eight on the infield - six at third base and one each at first base and second base.

``I love to play, so anytime I can go out there, it's fun for me,'' he said. ``Hopefully, the second half will take care of the rest, but for right now, the highlight is just being close to home.''

•Shortstop Mike Moriarty hit a grand slam Thursday night in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 5-5 tie, as the Edmonton Trappers hung on for a 9-7 victory over the Calgary Cannons at TELUS Field.

The grand slam was the Bishop Eustace graduate's second of the season and fifth for the club.

Moriarty, looking to finish his third full season with the Minnesota Twins' Triple-A club, has 10 home runs and 40 RBIs.

•Three singles and an RBI by Billy McCarthy of Washington Township weren't enough to help the Jamestown Jammers last Sunday when they fell 8-5 to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in a New York-Penn League game.

The Jammers are 10-11 and 4“ games behind the Batavia Phillies for first place.

•Jose Nieves of the Salt Lake Stingers led off the eighth inning with a home run to left field off Audubon graduate and Omaha Golden Spikes pitcher Brett Laxton.

The home run not only broke a 1-1 tie, it snapped a streak of 12 scoreless innings that Laxton (2-3) had worked in five appearances against Salt Lake.

Omaha is 40-52 with last Sunday's loss its third in succession to the Stingers.

•Carolina Mudcats (Rockies) Double-A pitcher Cameron Esslinger is leading his team with 15 saves.

The Millville graduate picked up his team-leading 15th save June 27, when Carolina won its sixth straight game, defeating Orlando 4-1.

Esslinger has an overall record of 1-1, striking out 44 to add to his 15 saves.

fessional baseball who's been omitted from the chart?

Contact Jessica Ryan at cpsports@courierpostonline.com.