Baseball NZ bid attracts support
JOHN SELKIRK/STUFF A New Zealand baseball team in the Australian league has taken another step closer to becoming a reality.
Baseball Australia chief executive Cam Vale was in the country last week to meet Baseball NZ, check out North Harbour Stadium, where the team will initially be based, and watch some of the New Zealand under-13 national championships.
The Australia Baseball League is looking to expand from six to eight teams next season, taking place over the summer months.
Baseball NZ wants one of those teams be based in Auckland and Vale revealed to Stuff that its bid is compelling.
‘‘I pretty much like it all,’’ Vale said of Baseball NZ’s bid.
‘‘They’re going to shake up the competition in the right manner, by a team coming in on a real position of strength.
‘‘The specifics I really like are that the venue is potentially going to be significant, their real commitment to make it a team representative of New Zealand and particularly, Auckland.
‘‘There is the diversity of the population in Auckland and our push with the ABL is about Aust- ralia and New Zealand, but also our reach into Asia, particularly Japan, Korea and Taiwan.’’
North Harbour Stadium would be reconfigured to accommodate a baseball diamond.
The team would either keep it as a permanent base, or stay until a baseball-specific stadium is built.
Vale says he’s been impressed with the financial model proposed by Baseball NZ.
Currently, Baseball Australia owns all six teams in the league, but it is looking at selling them off to private investors, with the Canberra Cavalry expected to be the first team licensed out.
The New Zealand team would have its own investors, with Ryan Flynn, who has temporarily stood down as Baseball NZ CEO, expected to run the club.
‘‘There’s the professional approach they’re taking to make the franchise sustainable for a long period of time, engage the communities and engage the fans,’’ Vale said.
‘‘In baseball, winning and losing is obviously important, but teams aren’t successful when the business model isn’t right.’’
An announcement as to who the successful expansion bidders are will be made in the next few weeks.