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Baseball Australia CEO Cam Vale has accused Auckland Tuatara of mismanagement in a scathing response to the franchise’s exit next season to protect its long-term future.
Vale, who issued a statement minutes after Tuatara president Noel Davies confirmed that they would not take their place in the shortened Australian Baseball League (ABL) 2020-21 season, said the Tuataras are now in breach of their agreement. ABL license.
Vale said the ABL recognized the strategic importance of having a New Zealand-based team in the league, but claimed that Auckland’s ability to compete in future seasons was now in serious doubt.
The Tuatara will now have 28 days to address the violation, Vale said.
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A spokesperson for the club said Things Vale’s comments came as a shock to the club, but they would let the dust settle on an emotional day instead of responding to Vale through the media.
The Tuatara board announced Thursday that it had made the “regrettable decision” to opt out of the upcoming season, in part to protect the franchise’s financial sustainability and due to the logistical challenges of being based in Australia during a pandemic. global health.
SMP Images / Baseball Australia / Supplied
Auckland Tuatara’s plans for the 2020-21 season have been crossed out.
The club had exhausted all potential angles to be a part of the season, but its hands were tied due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting travel restrictions, Davies said.
However, Vale has claimed that Baseball Australia was first informed of Auckland’s intention to withdraw on Monday, November 9.
“They were strongly advised to reconsider their position and have chosen not to reverse this decision,” Vale said.
Auckland accepted the International Conference model in August, and no significant circumstances have changed to create its retirement. If anything, there was an improvement in his position to play this season with the support of the New Zealand Government.
“The reason for this withdrawal can best be summed up as Auckland’s mismanagement.”
Interestingly, Baseball Australia announced earlier on Thursday that Geelong-Korea would also be out of next season due to “insurmountable” quarantine and logistical challenges with Vale’s blessing.
“We, and the Geelong-Korea group of owners, have given our best to compete this season, but in the end the challenges were too great.”
The ABLs are part of the group owned by the Geelong-Korea franchise.
Vale acknowledged that the global Covid-19 pandemic was proving extremely challenging, but said all ABL teams had committed to the season on four separate occasions, including as recently as November 2.
“Teams have been given multiple opportunities to change their position, of which Auckland has not given up on this model until this week.
“Therefore, the issues Auckland cited, such as quarantine and flight costs, while challenging, should have been better managed and addressed weeks, if not months ago.”
If the Tuataras were to compete, the team would have had to spend the entire season in Australia due to Covid-induced travel restrictions. And there was no broadcast agreement to shore up the ABL.
“Travel restrictions, additional costs associated with travel, quarantine costs, player availability, lack of commercial sponsorship in times of Covid, and continued risk of committing to costs that cannot be recovered if we go ahead formed the basis of the board’s decision, “Davies said.
“We are absolutely devastated. We have put our hearts and souls into trying to move on with a season. “
Being the only team based outside of Australia made the situation more difficult.
The club had worked with the ABL, their rival teams, the New Zealand Government and Sport New Zelaand. But ultimately, the logistical challenges, including quarantine issues for United Staes players, have proven to be too much.
“The board felt we had to draw a line in the sand and, with time running fast and travel restrictions still in place, we had to assume that our season would continue in the current environment. There was also the possibility that any new Covid outbreak on both sides of Tasman could shorten the season beyond the league’s control, ”Davies said.
“That was too great a risk for our ongoing survival. We want to be in the league for a long time and risking moving forward would put it in serious danger. “
