Central establishes cap tradition

Central Baseball Club is looking to establish a tradition that is a nod to the Australian Cricket team, with numbered caps on offer to acknowledge both the past and present playing cohort.

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, 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, 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 more than 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 Central 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.

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 [email protected]