Softball: Makea's career ends in full circle fairytale

Hawke's Bay's four-time world champion and Softball New Zealand's player of the last decade Thomas Makea left his cleats on the main diamond at Akina Park, Hastings, after the Fun in the Sun tournament final on Sunday.

"This is where I wanted to announce my retirement from international play. Here at Akina Park surrounded by whanau where my career began," Makea explained as a young souvenir hunter scampered on to the diamond and claimed the cleats.

"A couple of blokes in the media said I was finished after the World Series up in North Harbour last month. They didn't check with me ... I wanted to wait until today before saying that was it ... it's time for the younger generation of Black Sox to go ahead," Makea said.

This interview continued at the Makea whanau's Kenilworth Road home in Hastings.

Outside the home is a garage which still has the scars of where Makea, 38, and his younger brothers including Fabian and Campbell, who would also go on to play for the Black Sox, trained.

"I remember the pitching machine we had in the driveway. We would smash balls against the garage and against the house and as we got better the balls would end up all around the neighbourhood," Makea recalled with a grin.

A father of three boys who are all softball-orientated, Makea said while his international playing days are over he will still return from his Wellington base for the annual Fun in the Sun tournament.

"I was a bit disappointed with our second placing today. They kept hitting my outside drop ball," he laughed as he reflected on his Dodgers All Stars team's 4-0 loss to a Fast Pitch side.

Because the rules of the fun tournament state no premier pitchers can pitch, Makea, the world's best centre outfielder for the past 16 years, took on the pitching role. He hasn't pitched regularly since his days at St John's College.

A drainlayer when he isn't playing or coaching softball, Makea said his retirement won't sink in until the next Black Sox team is named and his name won't be there for the first time since 1994. While he has been labelled New Zealand's best all-round player of all time, Makea pointed out it's a tag he isn't comfortable with.

"That might be the case in 10 or 20 years' time if people are still talking about us. To me it was all about winning ... whether it was playing for New Zealand or my club team," Makea said.

Asked which of his four World Series title wins with the Black Sox - Michigan in 1996, East London in 2000, Christchurch in 2004 and North Harbour - were the best, Makea said the first and the last.

"I was so young at the first one and at the last we went out as champions and all the whanau were there," Makea recalled.

One member of his family who played a crucial role in North Harbour was his sister Leanne, who is a masseuse.

"Her work and half a roll of tape each day allowed me to play all but one of the games," Makea said, referring to a knee injury which nagged him during the last couple of seasons and saw him switch from the centre outfield role to the left outfield for the North Harbour tournament.

A two-time national age group winning coach with the Wellington under-15s and a winning National Fastpitch Championship coach with Wellington, Makea said he intends to get into coaching and will this week be interviewed for the Junior Black Sox coaching job.

"I've got a lot to offer and give back to softball. I know all the kids who have been through the age groups and will be eligible for next year's Junior Black Sox."

We couldn't leave Makea without getting him to name his best Black Sox and Hawke's Bay Selections, teams containing the best players he played alongside in both. They are:

Black Sox: Pitcher, Chubb Tangaroa; Catcher, Mark Sorenson; First base, Jarrad Martin; Second base, Dion Nukunuku; Third base, Dean Rice; Short stop, Kere Johanson; Left outfield, Thomas Perenara; Centre outfield, Thomas Makea; Right outfield, Donny Hale. Designated player, Brad Rona.

Hawke's Bay: Pitcher, Chubb Tangaroa; Catcher, Tony Simpson; First base, Rayner Te Wake; Second base, Joachim Paul; Third base, Kevin Gettins; Short stop, Vallance Horne; Left outfield, Vaughan Dellow; Centre outfield, Thomas Makea; Right outfield, Darcy Brown. Designated player, Paul Walford.