Nod for softball venue

Press, 9 December 1982, Page 40

Nod for softball venue

Porritt Park, the initial venue for the men’s mini world softball series early next year, was given the thumbs up yesterday by two visiting New Zealand Softball Association councillors. Messrs Kevin Baldwin (Hutt Valley) and Don Freeman (North Shore) checked out the facilities at Porritt Park with Canterbury Softball Association officials yesterday. “I’m rapt out of my tiny little brain,” said the tournament organiser, Mr Baldwin, who also ran the 1976 men’s world series in Lower Hutt. All-weather batting boxes and pitcher’s mounds were planned for the diamond which will be placed immediately in front of the stand at Porritt Park and completely fenced-in. “You’ll have as good a facility as anywhere,” said Mr Baldwin. Mr Baldwin said that the batting boxes could be reinstated after every game and the all-weather mounds would eliminate the need for pitching mounds which were foreign to North Americans. The series has attracted three overseas teams — the United States, Canada and Japan — and two New Zealand teams would also compete. Play in Christchurch will last from January 28 to 30 with the finals at North Park in the Hutt Valley from February 4 to 6. The United States will be represented by A.D.M. from Wisconsin and Canada by the Automatic A’s from Saskatoon and both are allowed five “pick-up” players. “They’ll be as tough as any team in the world.” Mr Baldwin stressed that the North Americans always sent club teams to all world championships and the sides in New Zealand would be using the series as a build-up for their 1983 national championships which they have to win for automatic selection for the 1984 world series in Michigan.