about central city

central city baseball club is officially affiliated with the auckland baseball association (aba) and baseball new zealand (bnz).  we participate in all regional and national competitions, and our players are eligible to compete for spots on national teams.

central city baseball club is a youth baseball club created specifically in 2007 to bring this growing sport to the central auckland area for the first time.  

youth baseball is an important and popular international sport played by millions of kids that is finally finding a foothold here in new zealand.  we achieved our first overseas win at the 2005 little league world series in hong kong, a history-making moment that was chronicled in the documentary, “kiwiball.”   several players from that team play for central city.

the central city club is dedicated to giving kiwi kids the exposure and the proper training in a sport that offers a great deal of future opportunity both here in nz and around the world.  during our first season, our u12 team, the Rangers, was undefeated and won the Auckland Baseball Association Championship in their division.  Our u14 team, the Angels, made it to the finals in their division. 

the club is being run by seasoned youth baseball club volunteers, all of whom have been heavily involved with helping to develop and grow the sport of baseball in new zealand. 

joel canfield, president of central city, has been involved in baseball since his youth in the usa – in fact, his cousin played professional baseball for the new york mets organization.  since settling in new zealand with his family in 2005, joel has served as vice president of another auckland baseball club, a member of the auckland baseball association, an assistant coach and a scorekeeper, and also taught scorekeeping classes.  he and his wife lisa run their own media company and they produced the first youth baseball documentary in nz, “kiwiball,” which aired in 2006 on sky sport.  he currently serves on the boards of both baseball new zealand and the auckland baseball association.

rob gadbaw, vice president, is another transplant from the usa.  rob played championship baseball in school, before marrying his kiwi exchange student high school sweetheart and following her back to new zealand.  he has been active in new zealand baseball as a youth coach, club committee member and even a player on a senior team.  rob’s u13 team, which included his son nick, won their division championship in auckland in 2006.

simon kelly, treasurer, is a new zealand chartered accountant.  he was previously treasurer for another auckland baseball club, and was also treasurer for new zealand little league’s 2006 and 2007 hong kong teams, of which his son alec was a member. simon and his family have been active in both playing and supporting baseball.

lisa canfield, secretary, spent six years as a “team mom” for sons david and a.j.’s american little league baseball teams.  less than a year after relocating to nz, she organized the first annual autumn classic, a new zealand baseball association event hosting teams from australia and new caledonia.  in december 2006, she organised a friendship tournament with the far north baseball club.   lisa served on the committee of her children’s previous club where she also kept score, worked in the tuck shop and handled advertising and  publicity.      

mike rielly, development officer, is one of the founding pioneer players in new zealand baseball, when the sport first took hold in 1989.  he is celebrating his 20th year of playing competitive baseball as he transitions into dedicating his baseball time to youth coaching.  mike led last season's cc u12 team, the rangers, to an incredible record of no losses, winning the ABA U12  championship.

central city is affiliated with the new zealand baseball federation, the sparc-affiliated national governing body, as well as the auckland baseball association, which oversees youth baseball in the city and the surrounding area.