Baseball: Steve Mintz to return as Auckland Tuatara coach in Australian Baseball League

Steve Mintz will lead the Auckland Tuatara in their 2019-20 ABL campaign. Photo: SMP Images / Photosport

The Auckland Tuatara will have a familiar face at the helm for their Australian Baseball League campaign later this year, with Steve Mintz returning as manager.

Mintz, a former MLB pitcher who now coaches in the Texas Rangers organisation in the United States, will return on a one-year deal after a mixed season in the team's first campaign.

The 50-year-old led the team to a 14-26 record in the 2018-19 season, and said he was already working on recruiting for next season.

"We did a lot of good things in our first season but we had some opportunities that slipped away from us this year. We will look to build from the things we have learned in year one," Mintz said from spring training in the United States.

"I know there is a lot of potential with our core group and I have high hopes for what we can achieve with a year of experience under our belts.

"I always wanted to have more than one season in Auckland and was keen to put pen to paper as soon as the franchise was ready."

Mintz's reappointment continues the strong working relationship between the Auckland franchise and the Texas Rangers. Mintz and star outfielder Eric Jenkins came to New Zealand last summer from the Texas ball club and the two organisations will continue to work together to explore more opportunities that can be beneficial for both operations.

With Mintz putting pen to paper, Tuatara general manager Regan Wood will now travel to the United States in a couple of weeks to get the signatures of additional coaches and assess various players.