The rich history of the Central Baseball Club has been recognised with numbered caps now resembling a ‘badge of honour’ for the more than 500 players to represent the prestigious sporting club.
Club founder Byrom Ascione has been allocated the #1 cap for his efforts in establishing the baseball club back in 1931, another accolade to add to various life memberships collected over the years.
Way back in 1931 many cricketers wanted a way to keep fit in the winter, so a series of baseball practices were arranged at Frew Park.
Prior to this, over some 30-odd years, several exhibition games had been played in Mount Gambier but obviously they had no impression on the locals as to starting a competition locally.
Baseball commenced in Mount Gambier in 1931 with the competition comprised of two teams, simply called Number 1 team and Number 2 team.
The first match was played on July 27, 1931.
The late Clive Braybrook, a state cricketer and the only experienced baseballer in Mount Gambier at the time, acted as catcher and coach for both teams.
On August 15, 1931, one of the teams was named Gambier and the other Centrals.
The games were played at Vansittart Park.
Gambier were premiers in that historic inaugural season, defeating Centrals 15 runs to 12.
It took until 1960 for a second grade to be added to the baseball program and since that time numbers have only increased with this season six grades including juniors being played.
Born from the Australian Cricket Team being handed a numbered cap for their first appearance in the team, a proposal was put to the committee of the Central Baseball Club to inaugurate this idea into the club’s psyche as a way to acclaim a place in the senior grade within the club’s history.
Through research into the club’s history from newspaper clippings, scrap books and league records, it was found that 509 players have appeared in at least one senior (A Grade, Major A, Division 1) game with the Central Baseball Club to this date since 1931, the first year of baseball competition in Mount Gambier.
To earn a cap in the Central Baseball Club will be seen as a badge of honour and the right to wear it will be just reward for effort put into the playing ability of the person who is to receive it.
The number 1 cap would have been proudly presented to Byrom Ascione who was instrumental in starting baseball in Mount Gambier and was association secretary for 10 years before he left for Murray Bridge due to employment reasons.
He became part of the South Australian Baseball Association and was awarded Life Membership in 1960.
He was awarded Life Membership of the Mount Gambier Baseball Association in 1939.
From 1931 over 1450 players have participated in at least one game in the top grade for the Central Baseball Club in what has become the biggest and most successful club in the Mount Gambier and District Baseball League, winning 122 premierships over all grades including 26 Division 1 premierships.
Two players from the club have climbed to the highest level of baseball in the state in playing for the Adelaide Giants in Andrew Hood and Dylan Ridding who both came through the junior program at Centrals and both played Division 1 baseball at an early age.
The cap list reflects the family involvement of players within the club with many grandfathers, sons, grandsons, brothers and sisters including well-known family names such as Aston, Crouch, Chuck, Hosking, Cusack, Kovaleff, Smith, Ruwoldt and Green to name but a few.
At the club’s annual Christmas Family Day, the inaugural presentation of caps was made to 46 current players and ex-players still involved in the club’s activities.
The Central Baseball Club is proud to introduce this incentive into its baseball program and history and hopes that it inspires many more youngsters to achieve the success they deserve.
Any past player who would like to purchase their allotted numbered cap can contact the secretary of the club at centralbaseballclub@hotmail.com.au.
