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Boss Moanaroa has a connection
with Boston already - he and senior Red Sox executive
and former Major Leaguer Craig Shipley, both played for
Auburn in the Sydney league as teenagers.
Boss Moanaroa has an interesting name.
People sometimes initially stumble over his surname and
his first name may well indicate something of his
sporting personality in relation to pitchers.
He presents as a quiet smiling teenager, popular with
his peers and adults alike, who has a bubbling
personality once you get to know him.
There's a twinkle in his eye that suggests he knows more
than he lets on. His demeanour may be
cultural, he
holds true to his grass roots and is traditionally from
the Tainui tribe in New Zealand and Aitutaki in the Cook
Islands.
Outside Newcastle,
where he lives, he was not a well known baseball name
although he had achieved some fame [no fortune] in the
BMX world, becoming a State, National and World Champion
plate holder in his early teens.
The Yr11 student at
Hunter Sports High School started playing T ball for the
Toronto Tigers Club because as he says "I was pretty
young but I was getting bored just watching my brother
play."
By his early teens he
was considering his various sporting options but with
the encouragement of his brother Moko, and Auburn and
State coach Shaun Smith, he decided to stay with
baseball. He soon justified that choice by
rising through Newcastle representative teams to
selection in NSW Country teams in 2005 [U14] including
the Championship winning NSW Country U16 team in 2007.
He was still flying
under the radar however, and it was only this year that
he received a coveted scholarship to the NSW Institute
of Sport. Head Coach at the Institute, Andre
Desjardin had admired his hitting potential and felt
that with advanced coaching and a gym program he could
become a successful left handed hitter.
His coach Shaun Smith
was beginning to tell all who would listen that this
player had genuine power at the plate. One who did
listen was National Coach and Red Sox scout Jon Deeble.
He saw Boss in action at the National Schoolboys in
Lismore two weeks ago and liked what he saw.
Three things
immediately happened in Lismore. Boss was
selected in the All Star team, was added to the Academy
set to commence on the Gold Coast at the end of the
month and Jon decided to fly to Sydney to give Boss a
solid workout and film him for review by the Boston
hierarchy. The Red Sox had seen enough and
commenced negotiations almost immediately.
"Boston liked his pure power from the left side,"
said his agent Trevor Jarrett, "and saw him as
another player in the mould of David Ortiz."
Its a long way from
the Toronto Tigers and Wyong Roos to Fenway Park but
that's the journey Boss is now about to embark upon.
He's expected to be flown over to Florida in the next
few days and then he will be off to the MLB Academy on
the Gold Coast. He has to return to school next
year to finish his HSC but will be sent again to the
Academy, or as it is known to MLB, the Australian Winter
League. Education is important to Boss and his
family so his 6 figure bonus package includes a
scholarship component.
Said a somewhat stunned Boss, "It
is certainly a dream come true, without the help of so
many people I would not have been given this chance. I
know the real hard work starts now. I am really grateful
to all those who have contributed towards me getting
this opportunity.”
They may well be chanting Moanaroa! Moanaroa! at Fenway
Park sooner than they realise.
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