SKY Television’s Chief Executive John Fellet this weekend said his induction into Baseball New Zealand’s Hall of Fame was an ‘incredible honour’ after accepting the recognition at the organisation’s Annual Awards Dinner.
With the incredible growth of the sport in the past four to five years across New Zealand, the awards evening was the second time Baseball New Zealand has celebrated its successes and people on a national and international level. In addition to player, coach and team awards, the newly created New Zealand Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed its second member with Fellet’s induction.
“When I first moved to New Zealand, I thought my baseball days were behind me,” said Fellet, who has been involved with the game in New Zealand for well over 20 years, in both coaching and administration roles.
Fellet has won five national championships as a coach in the men’s premier grade in ten total finals appearances and also led a national U21 team to its best placing in Australia’s top tournament for this age grade. Off the field, no one has pushed the sport further into the public sphere, while consistently helping individual players and coaches reach their goals through a contribution of resources, knowledge and his time, coaching many of this country’s top players along the way from childhood right through to playing professionally and internationally for the New Zealand Diamondblacks.
Fellet also found time to play an influential role on the board of directors for Baseball New Zealand for many years, an achievement in itself given his high profile role at SKY Television, securing not only World Baseball Classic games on New Zealand television screens, but also key Oceania tournaments and this year’s live telecast of play off and final games at the National U13 Ripken Championships at Rosedale Park in Auckland.
Canadian-born Ed Mason was the first inductee last year, having been regarded as the founder of the modern game of baseball in New Zealand.
A new ‘Life Membership’ award was also presented to long-time player and standout domestic coach Mike Rielly, who most recently hails from the Central City Baseball Club in Auckland, but who spent time with other clubs over 28 years, too.
New Life Member Mike Rielly (C) with Wellington Baseball President Regan Wood (L) & Hall of Famer Ed Mason (R)
A true Kiwi trailblazer in the sport of baseball, Rielly has ‘loved the sport of baseball as much as anyone in the nation, and has taken this passion to foreign shores — first as a player and then a coach and while continuing to play in domestic competitions,’ according to Baseball New Zealand.
Rielly has lent his considerable experience to hundreds of young ballplayers at all age grades and at nearly every club in Auckland, giving his time and knowledge to the next generation of New Zealand ballplayers, winning national championships and important regional games, and improving them as young men and women and pushing the sport forward along the way.
The ‘Weekend of Baseball’ also included a full day of strategic sessions with representatives from all 20-plus clubs and regional bodies across New Zealand, said Baseball New Zealand CEO Ryan Flynn, adding “We’ve seen the growth over the last 12 months and I believe that following this weekend’s events, the game will continue to grow at great pace.”
The nation’s top U13 players who represented New Zealand last July at the Ripken World Series in Maryland, USA, beating Australia’s top players for the second year in a row, as well as Team Canada, were recognised as International Team of the Year, while Diamondblacks pitcher Kyle Glogoski and fellow international third base Daniel Lamb-Hunt were named co-winners of the top playing award, the Lincoln Holdzkom International Player of the Year.
List of Award Winners
National Player of the Year
U13 – Nikau Pouaka-Grego (Christchurch Redbirds/Nelson Heat)
U16 – Matthew Fegan (North Shore City)
U19 – Elliott Johnstone (Howick-Pakuranga)
U19 Player of the Year Elliot Johnstone & Lincoln Holdzkom International Player of the Year Co-Winner Kyle Glogoski
U23 – Brad Morris (North Shore City)
Mens – Andrew Marck (Howick-Pakuranga)
Lincoln Holdzkom International Player of the Year
Kyle Glogoski (Howick-Pakuranga) & Daniel Lamb-Hunt (Bonn Capitals, Germany)
Coach of the Year
U13 – Daisuke Watanabe (North Shore City)
U16 – Nathan McDonald (Southern Astros, Christchurch)
U19 – Blair Johnstone (Howick-Pakuranga)
Men’s – Dan Tan (North Shore City)
Team of the Year
Domestic – North Shore City U13
International – Baseball New Zealand Ripken All Star U13 team
Most Improved Club of the Year
Orewa Sharks Baseball Club
Club of the Year
Howick-Pakuranga Baseball Club
Volunteer Recognition
Todd Grego and Nic Pouaka (Christchurch Redbirds)
Lincoln Holdzkom International Player of the Year Co-Winner Daniel Lamb-Hunt
Shane Wooley (Tauranga City Baseball)
Terra and Fritz Groner (Hawkes Bay)
Cary Gleeson (Bayside-Westhaven)
Yas Greenslade (North Shore City)
Cathy Trudeau (Counties Baseball)
Jeff Orchard (Baseball New Zealand)
Jim Kaat (Nelson Baseball)
Scorers Recognition
Entry Level
Megan Israel - Best Beginner (Howick-Pakuranga)
Nico Murray - Best Beginner (Orewa)
Ingrid Nieuwoudt - West City
Celeste van Biljon – West City
Terra Groner – Hawkes Bay
Level One
Chikage Nakao – North Shore
Racehel Knowles – Nelson
Jennifer Duff – Nelson
Megan Fitzgerald – North Shore
Fiona Wansbone – Howick-Pakuranga
KaHana Heeney – Orewa
Level Two
Lynn Torgerson – Canterbury
Cathy Trudeau – Counties
Lisa Nepia - Howick-Pakuranga (+Silver Pointstreak and Service to Scoring)
Keiko Fegan - North Shore City (+Silver Pointstreak and Service to Scoring)
Bronze Pointstreak
Umpire of the Year Joshua Wechsler
Jennyfair Flynn – Orewa
Fiona Wansbone – Howick-Pakuranga
Nico Murray – Orewa
KaHana Heeney – Orewa
Jonathan Hulls – Central City
Elaine Chung – Central City
Special Recognition Awards
Beverley McCabe (Baseball New Zealand)
Gary Wheelock (Baseball New Zealand)
Umpiring Awards
Rookie of the Year – Doug Tsai
Most Improved – Keiji Matsumoto
Balls and Strikes (Consistency) – Glenn Campbell
Umpire of the Year – Joshua Wechsler
Life Membership
Mike Rielly (Central City)
Hall of Fame
John Fellet (Howick-Pakuranga)
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New Zealand
Regional Associations
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International Member Organisations
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