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By TONY SMITH – The Press
Incumbent coach Eddie Kohlhase has been offered another chance to lead the Black Sox back to the world men’s softball championship title.
Kohlhase beat out a bid by recently retired longtime Black Sox pitcher Marty Grant.
The Press understands Kohlhase was offered the position earlier this week. His appointment is set to be officially confirmed next Tuesday at a function in Wellington when Softball New Zealand launches the new National Fastpitch Championship.
Softball New Zealand (SNZ) general manager Dane Dougan was only prepared to say yesterday that “a person has been offered the role. We are just working out the contracting [details] now”.
Kohlhase had hoped to guide the Black Sox to a record fourth consecutive world championship title in Saskatoon, Canada last July after stepping up to the plate as head coach following two successful campaigns as Don Tricker’s assistant in 2000 and 2004.
But the Black Sox lost the Saskatoon final 0-5 to Australia after losing 0-7 to their trans-Tasman rivals in the first round of the playoff series.
The much-vaunted Black Sox batting lineup – obsessed as they were with longball hitting – failed to score a run off ace Australian pitcher Adam Folkard in two games.
The Black Sox’s campaign was reviewed by a committee comprising Kohlhase, team manager Wayne Small, Dougan and SNZ chairman Rex Capil.
Dougan said yesterday SNZ’s board supported the committee’s six key recommendations.
These include more focus on high-performance programmes and better definition of management roles.
Softball New Zealand will work with the International Softball Federation and other national federations to set up a “sanctioned and recognised” international programme.
SNZ will look to develop a national team for “men in between the Junior Black Sox [under-19 squad] and the Black Sox”. “Whether this is an under-23 [team] or a New Zealand A concept is still to be explored,” Dougan said.