Softball: Triumphant Black Sox have big plans

By CHRIS RATTUE

New Zealand Softball aims to build on the world champion status of the Black Sox by playing matches around New Zealand next year and bidding to host the next World Series.

About half the squad who won the world title in South Africa returned home yesterday - the rest have either joined clubs in the United States or are taking holidays overseas.

They were met at Auckland Airport by a couple of hundred fans, including a group from St Peters College, the old school of squad member Nathan Nukunuku and assistant coach Eddie Kohlhase.

While the players and administrators were basking in the success of a side which operated on a shoestring budget, they were also looking ahead for ways to raise the sport's profile.

New Zealand hosted the 1976 championships at Lower Hutt, but bids to host the series again have failed.

The latest disappointment came when softball joined the clamour by many sports to host world events in South Africa.

But after the Mark Sorenson-led Black Sox won this country's third men's world title, it would seem highly unlikely that they will be refused again by the International Softball Federation.

"Softball is not immune to the sort of lobbying that goes on in world sport," coach Don Tricker said at Auckland Airport yesterday.

"But New Zealand are more than ready to host the World Series, and it is very important for the game here that we do so.

"It is very important also that we play in New Zealand next year - I don't really care who it is against.

"We must give the New Zealand audience the chance to see these players who have done so well.

"And we've got to get our sport on television somehow. Television coverage is where it's all at these days.

"There are American baseball players who are now better known in this country than our own softballers - and other New Zealand sportspeople for that matter.

"We must give the New Zealand public the opportunity to see their own sports heroes who make the country proud.

"I suppose what we really need is a sugar daddy to support us, but I've got every faith in softball's administration here at the moment - they are trying to do all the right things."

Tricker described the players' employers, who had given them the time off for the World Series, as "the unsung heroes of the campaign."

He revealed that many of the other sides at the championships in East London rejected their designated accommodation, but the Black Sox decided to use the dormitory conditions to help to inspire their campaign.

"The accommodation was graded one, two and three, and we were only in the third-graded area," Tricker said.

"Once we got in, we watched teams come and go. The Netherlands took one look and didn't even get off the bus.

"The Aussies lasted two days, but once they went it was better for us because we got more blankets.

"The United States, Canada and Japan all moved out.

"But we didn't let something like where we were sleeping affect our motivation.

"We had a team that was very close. We managed to find a TV, stereo and even a pool table.

"I am a very proud coach to have been associated with this team.

"We are grateful to our sponsors [New Zealand Sports Foundation, Health Sponsorship Council, Team Sport and Rawlings, and the New Zealand Army] but even without them we would have still got there because we are resourceful Kiwis."

Captain Mark Sorenson said: "It was passion, pride, unity, skill and a can-do attitude. We dared to dream and had a lot of fun.

"We created pride ... at the end of the day we weren't going to be happy unless it was something to do with winning."

NZS chief executive Hadyn Smith said he was disappointed that the world champion side had gone to South Africa with a lack of money and with little coverage from the news media.

He said the side represented all that was good in New Zealand sport.

"They've endured every hardship and put it behind them in the true spirit of champions."

Manager Grant McCarroll added: "I'm obviously very proud of them.

"They're a bunch of guys who have worked together to achieve their goals and, ultimately, the title."