‘GOODWILL GAMES’ OVER NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY TO BE PLAYED AGAINST HISTORICALLY STRONG TRAVELLING TEAM FROM UNITED STATES

Many of New Zealand’s best age grade baseball players will get an opportunity to test their skills against some high-quality opposition from the United States with the upcoming visit of the U.S. Goodwill team based in baseball hotbed California.

The American team will be made up of players 15 to 18 years of age from across the United States, and they will be playing four games against a selection of New Zealand’s U19 and U15 domestic players, as well as a handful of Kiwi players from overseas, over a period of five days in Auckland ballparks.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for some of our best teen age baseball players to check on the level required as they look to eventually ply their trade in the United States in American universities or professional baseball,” said Baseball New Zealand CEO Ryan Flynn, who added that the organization is attempting to bring more foreign teams to New Zealand in the coming years. “All of these visiting baseball players have been playing the game all of their lives, while many of ours have only been playing for the last six or seven years, some even less.

“The more baseball our young players can play against better competition can only assist our young players as they strive towards a college or professional career and represent our country in the Olympic Qualifiers and World Baseball Classic on our Diamondblacks men’s team in the future,” said Flynn, who pointed to the recent invitation from Baseball Australia for the organization to enter a franchise in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) while simultaneously building a national facility. “I realize many families go away over the New Year’s period, but playing against quality opposition such as this American team is a very important series of games as the sport continues its growth.”

The American team will be co-coached by regular visitor to New Zealand, Gary Wheelock, a former Major League Baseball player and coach with the Seattle Mariners organization for over 25 years who has been involved with this team for a number of years. “I got involved in the tour in early 2000s, as I wanted to travel and be involved in baseball,” Wheelock said. “I was lucky enough to be asked to help coach, and what a great combination, playing baseball and traveling to beautiful places.”

Wheelock says the idea behind the Goodwill program is to build relationships in other countries through the game of baseball, saying, “As well as experiencing other cultures and having fun along the way, at the same time we are building the baseball skills of the players that are lucky enough to make the trip,” he added.

The US team will travel to Adelaide just prior to Christmas and then will move on to Auckland with games on the 31^st of December, followed by three more on the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th of January, before the group heads back to the US on the 5^th.

The first and last games will be played at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga, while the middle games will be at War Memorial Park in Mt Roskill.