Baseball bid to have NZ franchise in Australia
First it was the Warriors, the Football Kingz and the Breakers; now New Zealand has been offered a franchise in the Australian Baseball League
Baseball Australia has called for expressions of interest as they look to expand their six-team ABL and Baseball New Zealand officials received an official letter asking them to put together a bid to join the league as early as next season.
“We have been in talks for some months now,” BNZ chief executive Ryan Flynn told the Herald. “This is a natural fit we believe and the time is right now to capitalise.”
Although other locations in Australia and Asia have been offered the same opportunity, New Zealand ticks several boxes. It is understood a group of sponsors has already been secured.
“We are still waiting on some of the details of what they expect a minor league season would cost us,” Flynn said. “But I do believe . . . we have domestic support for one franchise in New Zealand to get this over the line.”
The playing roster would have a minimum of 11 locals with the rest imports. In the past, BNZ has worked with major league US clubs Arizona, San Diego and Baltimore and could call on some of their minor league players during their off-season and would tap into the strong Asian leagues as well.
The major stumbling block will be funding a facility capable of housing a professional ball club but Flynn thinks it is realistic.
“We have commitments from the World Baseball Softball Confederation and Major League Baseball and other parties — domestic and international — who have confirmed their support financially to help get this across the line,” he said.
“The RFA [Regional Facilities Auckland] have been very supportive understanding what the sport needs to take the next step forward. I think we are very close to identifying a couple of pieces of land.”
It would take more than 12 months to get a stadium agreed upon, funded and constructed but Flynn thinks being ready for the summer of 2019-20 is realistic.
In the meantime he believes there are ways to join the league this time next year.
“I want to be aggressive but I want to be realistic. I would like to believe we could jump in and that may take a different format or shape than many people would envision.
“It might be that we are a road team for the first year as a transition year. I would really like to believe that within 24 months that this will be very realistic for us.”