Australian Baseball League: Geelong-Korea and Auckland Tuatara opt out of 2020-21 season
UPDATE: AUSTRALIAN Baseball League to unveil revised six-team format next week as chief executive Cam Vale doubles down on Auckland Tuatara blindside.
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A MODIFIED six-team Australian Baseball League season will be unveiled next week.
It comes after the shock and “disappointing” Auckland Tuatara cop out on Thursday, along with Geelong-Korea‘s expected withdrawal.
The remaining International Conference teams, Brisbane Bandits and Adelaide Giants, will join the Australian Conference next week.
News Australia has established the new fixture will include hubs in Brisbane and Adelaide where 12 games – all double-headers – will be played inside six days.
ABL chief executive Cam Vale on Friday commended the remaining six teams‘ readiness and willingness to deliver a competition for the fans.
“I give all the credit to the teams and how hard they’re working,” Vale said.
“The purpose of playing this season is to deliver a competition for the fans and to try and fast-track as much change and growth for the next 18 months.”
But Vale doubled down on the league‘s anger about Tuatara’s late exit.
“While you are rivals on the field, in most ways you are a business partners off the field and unfortunately Auckland Tuatara let down six other business partners in their decision yesterday,” Vale said.
“We don’t need to keep dwelling on it but our statement yesterday had to be clear and it was deliberately harsh … mainly on the impact it has on other teams.
“Fair to say other Australian-based teams have had as much, if not greater challenges, and will find a way to get through this season and set themselves up for next year.
“We found a solution we‘ll be able to announce next week.”
Unlike Geelong-Korea, who as early as April told the ABL it’s participation this season was highly unlikely, the Auckland blindside followed confirmations in April, August and October.
Baseball Australia on Thursday served Auckland a 28-day deadline to explain its position and future viability.
“It’d be fair to say I think all the ABL teams want to see Auckland and Geelong-Korea back.” Vale said.
“But in Auckland’s case they do need to address some processes and management issues that do need to be resolved so this sort of thing won’t happen again in the future.
“Taking a season off is not the right way to explain the process.”
On Thursday, News Australia reported the “insurmountable” costs involved in the travel and quarantine of 40 players and staff was behind Geelong-Korea’s decision.
The ABL‘s Australian Conference will go ahead on December 18, with Sydney Blue Sox to host Melbourne Aces at Blacktown.
Perth Heat is scheduled to host Canberra Cavalry on the same day but WA border restrictions could result in a further change.
The ABL must now work through a contingency to suit committed International Conference teams Adelaide Giants and Brisbane Bandits in a revised six-team competition.
Vale confirmed the withdrawal on Thursday.
“The logistics and quarantine complexities are insurmountable,” Vale said.
“We, and Geelong-Korea’s ownership group, have given our all to have them compete this season but in the end the challenges were too great.
“It’s an unfortunate outcome but a short-term one only and Geelong-Korea will be back in the Australian Baseball League next season.”
The ABL and Geelong-Korea faced back-to-back 14-day quarantines in Sydney and Brisbane, where the team had hoped to hub, after failing to secure government approvals to fly direct to Queensland.
“There have been plenty of obstacles ahead of this season but getting 40-plus players and staff from Korea into Australia was always going to be a challenge,” Vale said.
Geelong-Korea‘s absence will be felt off the field also, with the team, made up of top-rated Korean Baseball Organisation players, attracting 19 million viewers last season on broadcast platforms.
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Originally published as Australian Baseball League: Geelong-Korea and Auckland Tuatara opt out of 2020-21 season
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