Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Ahead of their third Australian Baseball League season the Auckland Tuatara had to rebuild on and off the diamond.
Two years ago the Tuatara were making history.
The ABL expansion club finally had a home base at North Harbour Stadium, a record number of fans were showing up for the newest professional sports team in the city - and they were winning.
Then the pandemic hit.
One season on the sidelines turned into two - and the club's owners were faced with convincing Baseball Australia they deserved to be allowed back.
The Tuatara exited the ABL in late 2020 in a war of words between the fledgling club and league officials.
The club cited the pandemic as the reason for dropping out of the 2020-21 season. The ABL had a different view, claiming "mismanagement" of the club was the cause.
Tuatara ceo Regan Wood. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Tuatara chief executive Regan Wood said after the "brouhaha" between the club and the ABL everyone had moved on.
"We're probably stronger than we've ever been within the ABL and we're comfortable to pushback on a few things too.
"When they started [the league] we were 'yes, please, thank you, we're so grateful for playing in your competition' now we're saying hang on we understand what we're doing we've managed to earn the respect of the clubs, the league and Baseball Australia."
Wood knew getting baseball back on the New Zealand sports fans' radar would not be easy.
"I don't expect 4000 people to turn up this time, we're back to square one it'll be four people a man with a goat and another guy with a dog, it'll be tough but if we show them a good time, we engage with them and our team competes on the field and the team's relateable and the team thanks people for turning up then we're on our way."
Fans could expect the Tuatara roster to have a point of difference to the other seven teams.
"The people we're lokoing for are the people that are obessed with baseball. They need to have skills as well but then they're prepared to do more than the guy that's just doing it for the money."
Taiwanese superstar and ex-Major League Baseball shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin has signed with the Auckland Tuatara for the Australian Baseball League season. Photo: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire
Three young American players - pitchers Chase Walter and Jason Blanchard as well as infielder Wyatt Hoffman - were on board thanks to the club's relationship with the San Diego Padres.
Four prospects from the Texas Rangers as well as former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Toru Murata and former Boston Red Sox shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin are new comers.
The club has also turned to Asian Major League clubs.
"Where the Australians they like to have Australians or Americans and I think Auckland's different there's great value in the Japanese or Taiwanese player where the Australian teams look at it a bit differently."
Auckland Tuatara manager Steve Mintz. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Former Major League Baseball pitcher Steve Mintz had been the Tuatara's manager since the start and said the latest roster had been years in the making.
"We feel very confident with what we've been able to put together for this year with affiliate players and then with the Kiwi players that we have that got signed by affiliate teams in the States or have been here or coming back from college we feel like on paper this should be our best roster yet," Mintz said.
Mintz believed the other clubs would take the Tuatara seriously this season.
"Nobody's gonna hand it to us I can promise you that the Australian teams they'll be gunning for us. The first year we kind of went under the radar but hte second year when you come through and win the division and make the play-offs people start understanding what we're doing over here in New Zealand. We're not just trying to be a showpiece we're actually here trying to bring that Claxton Shield across the ditch and let it hang in New Zealand for a little while."
The Tuatara open the season on the road against the Brisbane Bandits on 10 November and play at home for the first time against Sydney Blue Sox on 24 November.
