Black Sox captain Nathan Nukunuku heads to his seventh world championships in June, when he can win a remarkable fifth crown.
It's been nearly three decades since the NZ Herald first interviewed and photographed Nukunuku as a 10-year-old prodigy already planning on making the national under-19 side and building an international softball career beyond that.
At the time, his family had only just shifted from Hawkes Bay to south Auckland. Since then, the brilliant infielder and classy left-handed batter has more than delivered on that early promise.
The 38-year-old — an account manager for Placemakers — looks back on his career, the state of softball, his hero John Kirwan, New Zealand's chances of retaining its crown in the Czech Republic, laundry pitfalls and more.
Who are the contenders in Prague? A lot...Japan just beat us here while the old firm of Canada and Australia have been our nemesis since 2009. Argentina keep churning out amazing pitchers — I don't know how they do it. Venezuela beat us at the last world championships, and I believe that the USA have finally turned a corner with guys out of college baseball coming to Fastpitch softball.
Prague is a new world championship venue - what do you know of the set-up? A Black Sox team went to the Intercontinental Cup there last year and found a few things to overcome.
One of the two fields is an hour and a half away from the accommodation.
The other issue is washing — they don't have laundromats in Prague and there was only one washing machine in the hotel. The organisers have come back and said there will be a commercial service, but we've had tournament volunteers doing things like that before and the complete sets of shirts don't always come back.
What are your favourite world series memories? Obviously after six world series and four gold medals a lot of things stick out...probably the memory of playing my first game alongside (brother) Dion in 2000. I think we were playing Lesotho.
Then in 2004, with our family there, in Christchurch. It felt like everyone in New Zealand softball was at that series. Winning that title with Dion was cool.
You can become the first softballer to win five world titles - is that driving you on? I know that is there, but a fifth title isn't driving me. It's the title itself.
Every time we go away the Black Sox legacy is carried on our shoulders. If there are individual accolades at the end of my career then awesome. I'll be able to brag about that when I've got no teeth left.
Your run was almost broken for the North Harbour world championships in 2013... I wasn't originally named (by coach Eddie Kohlhase) but brought back when captain Rhys Casley had an injury.
It was the first time I didn't jump up and down when we won the title. I just dropped to my knees, smiled, and thought 'man, eight weeks ago I wasn't even in this team'.
Who is the toughest pitcher you have faced in a world championship? For our team, (Australian) Adam Folkard at the 2009 world championships...but I never struggled with Adam.
Personally, the pitcher who freaked me out a little bit was Todd Martin from Canada. He threw the hell out of it, but he also had probably the best change up pitch in the world.
The mixture of those two for a hitter is really tough to combat. You are talking a difference in speed of 30 kph. He could make you look foolish at times.
Your wife Katrina (nee Stockford) has captained the New Zealand women's team...has that softball factor helped your longevity in the game? Not really...whatever relationship you are in has to involve some understanding.
But it does mean she understands my mentality when I'm on tour or in a tournament. I'm not the sort who rings at the end of the day. I've got things to get done in the team and she understands that I'm focussed on that.
What factors have helped you thrive for so long? A rugby background meant I was really physically fit at the start of my career so I didn't sustain a lot of injuries. I'm player-coach for Ramblers and Auckland which is a challenge that keeps it exciting.
I enjoy competing. Recently, in my 24th year in premier grade, I wanted to give some of the young fellas in Auckland a battle and put up some batting numbers. I pushed myself which really freshened me up.
The two main guys were Cole Evans and Ben Enoka. Cole pipped me at the end by one hit, godammit. Ben was injured at the start of the season, but he came flying through as he always does.
You are an Auckland sporting icon, but actually hailed from provincial Flaxmere... It took me along time to call myself an Aucklander. I loved the Bay. It was so natural there.
My favourite person in the world was my cousin Daniel — I remember leaving at the age of seven, and I was bawling and crying in the car, and he was bawling and crying.
I guess it was sport which got me into being part of Auckland. I was amazed at all the talent, especially the Pacific Island talent. We didn't really have that in Hawkes Bay.
Did you have a sporting hero as a kid? (All Black wing) John Kirwan. He was amazing, awesome.
The try he scored against Italy in the 1987 World Cup — as a kid, that's what I tried to do, run through the whole team. I thought he was the best player in the game, and that's what I wanted to be whether in softball or rugby.
My softball role model was my brother Dion....that was easy, he was in the house.
Nathan Nukunuku...how the Herald captured the budding softball star as a 10-year-old. PHOTO / Herald Staff Photographer Softball Neg 5:631/2 - 12 December 1990
What is the major change to the game during your long career? There is more power. A lot of that has to do with the equipment - the bats are a composite alloy and stronger these days, with more pop. But it is not just about bats.
I've just watched a 1988 game between New Zealand and (American club) Penn Corp and in my opinion — others may disagree — the pitchers weren't much different to those today.
But the batting styles back then were pretty bad. Fundamentally, most players did not have good swings, technique wasn't great, stances didn't account for a lot. It was an eye opener.
You still won't win a world title without great defence. But the philosophy now is to bash teams...score a whole lot of runs, and stop a few. Anyone can run into a pitch these days, because you have a bat which is going to help you out.
Social media is a big issue in sports...how do the Black Sox deal with it? We have a few things in place. It's definitely a new generation thing, the boys love it.
Obviously with very visible social media comes greater responsibility, not only to yourself and families but also your sport. Our families know we private message them, and only post things that realy promote our sport.
And when we are at the table for breakfast, lunch or dinner, the team policy is our phones stay in the rooms. Some people can get really caught up with their phones these days — we like traditional comms. Talk to your team mates.
What is the best advice you received? My dad (Walter) always taught me softball and rugby, and when I got to the stage where parents need to hand over to another coach, he said I had to listen to everyone, but don't have to do what everyone says. Understand the pros and cons, then take the bits that will work. At first I didn't really understand, but I came to over the years.
What change would make softball better? More umpires. Too many are having to umpire too many games. The top umpires would do 350 to 400 games in a season.
In playing and coaching, we are there already. If we can keep umpires fresh, they will keep calling consistently. Then players will focus on playing rather than moaning because someone who has just umpired their eighth game of the day has called a strike instead of a ball.
