Tuatara return after 1027 days

When the Auckland Tuatara lost their second home playoff game 6-2 to Melbourne Aces on February 1, 2020, it felt like baseball had finally arrived in New Zealand.

Over 4000 people came to North Harbour Stadium that day and even though the Tuatara didn’t make it to the Australian Baseball League final, over that season, which began with just a couple of hundred people going to games, they demonstrated that there is a market for the sport in this country.

But then Covid-19 hit. The following season the Tuatara pulled out at the last minute, infuriating ABL officials, who threatened to permanently expel them from the league, then the entire competition shut down for the 2021-22 season.

But 1027 days after the Tuatara last played a game in New Zealand, they are back tonight for the first of a fourgame series against the Sydney Blue Sox.

‘‘We’re super excited about playing baseball in Albany again,’’ Tuatara CEO Regan Wood said.

However, Wood acknowledges that going two years and nine months without any professional baseball in New Zealand does mean the fans who previously followed the team won’t automatically come back. ‘‘It’s going to be really tough, because we’re out of mind, out of sight,’’ he said. ‘‘We are back to square one, but we accept that and I’m not surprised by it.’’

What will help get spectators back is winning baseball and manager Steve Mintz are confident that this year’s roster, which includes a couple of players who’ve played at the MLB level, plus some exciting prospects, can be a successful one.

‘‘New Zealand loves a winner,’’ Mintz said.

After away series against Brisbane and Canberra the last two weeks, the Tuatara have four wins and four losses.

The Tuatara came into existence in 2018, but the club has really only had one proper season in the ABL. In their first year, they had to rush to get organised and played in a pop up stadium at McLeod Park in West Auckland.

The second season they were at North Harbour Stadium, followed by two missed seasons. But that campaign at Albany showed what this club is about, including overcoming the tragic death of Ryan Costello, who was found by his team-mates at a hotel where the players were staying,

‘‘We had everything,’’ Mintz said of that season.

‘‘Our goal that season was to have a home playoff game and we got it. The expectations this year are going to be no different.

‘‘We’ve got a new crop of people, but we’re expecting to win, to be in the playoffs and have an opportunity to bring the Claxton Shield across the ditch.’’

‘‘We’ve got a new crop of people, but we’re expecting to win.’’

Tuatara CEO Regan Wood

All Tuatara home games this season will be shown live on Stuff and by Sky Sport.