Or maybe even training animals on a film set.

As the perfect job reference, the latest movie she worked on, Dark Waters, is about to come out.

They've joined the Cavalry's charge not only as a stepping stone for Hoover's career, but also to get a taste of Australia.

He'll take the ball to start their first game of the season - against the Melbourne Aces at Narrabundah Ballpark on Thursday - with a view to getting noticed.

The Cavalry's links to Japanese club Yokohama Baystars, as well as the Geelong-Korea team playing in the ABL, makes Canberra a step closer to a gig in Asia.

Hoover's run of seven seasons in Major League Baseball - with the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers - came to end this year and he's hoping to reignite his career.

If that means returning to "The Show" then great. But he also has Asia in his sights.

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"Actually my goal is to play in Japan or Korea. Those are my two highest expectations," Hoover said.

"If I can get back to the Major Leagues [great], but right now I would love to see a little bit more of the world and see a different culture of baseball than what's going on in the States.

"This has got to be a better opportunity to potentially get seen, hopefully, by some of their scouts.

"Just coming down to Australia was worth it in and of itself. Even if baseball doesn't progress after the ABL season, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity."

He met Megan-Kate when she was training animals at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Polar bears, elephants, rhinos, rats, cats, dogs, snakes. No animal is too big, small, dangerous or venomous.

She's worked in Thailand and Myanmar, and has already had a scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef.

But she got a call to train animals for a movie a few years ago and hasn't looked back.

"I've worked on a lot of movies that most people probably don't know," Megan-Kate said.

"I do have a big one coming out, Dark Waters, and I think that's being released here in January.

"Then on Netflix there is Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile - the Ted Bundy documentary.

"I've worked with lots of different animals - just got off a movie where we had chickens, goats and angry snakes. Mostly it's dogs and cats, but it's been really fun."

Hoover spent 2019 playing AAA - the level below the Majors - for the Fresno Grizzlies, as part of the Washington Nationals organisation.

He never got the call up to the bigs, which was a double blow as the Nationals went all the way to claim the World Series.

Watching on was bittersweet. While he was over the moon for the guys in the team he knew, he was also disappointed he wasn't in Houston when they won.

"It was definitely a mixed bag of emotions. I was super happy for the guys that I had met and know," Hoover said.

"The roster is full of guys that will fight and I just knew they had that atmosphere already.

"But obviously it was bitter as well because I didn't get a chance to contribute and there's not many times the team that you'll be on is competing in the World Series."

But Hoover felt he did contribute to the Nationals cause by helping their future stars.

Now he hopes to play a similar role for the Cavalry, while also contributing on the mound.

"Hopefully I can bring my A-game and be a stable workhorse for the team and continue to build on my craft," Hoover said.

"But also share some of the experiences I've had in my career. I'm a little bit older than most of the guys playing.

"The fastball is definitely my best pitch and that makes all of my other pitches better. But I feature four pitches - a fastball, curveball, slider and a change-up.

"I'm still trying to get my best fastball back. They're not bad, but it's not what it used to be. I'm working really hard."

ABL ROUND ONE

Thursday: Canberra Cavalry v Melbourne Aces at Narrabundah Ballpark, 7pm. Game two Friday 7pm; game three Saturday 7pm; game four Sunday 1pm. Tickets from canberracavalry.com.au.