Saints swing for the fences with premiership victory

St Kilda Baseball Club celebrated a successful season by taking home the Victorian Summer Baseball League’s State League premiership in March.

The Saints’ Firsts team triumphed over Ormond-Glen Huntly, winning 2-0 in the best-of-three grand final series.

St Kilda Baseball Club President Matthew Turnbull spoke to Divercity to share what the big win meant for the club and its former players.

“We had a great show of support from some of our life members who came down to cheer on the team,” he said.

“One of the life members burst into tears he was that happy. And these are guys who are in their 70s, 80s and almost 90s who wanted to show their support.”

The Saints enjoyed a strong summer season with multiple teams making the finals in their respective divisions. This consistency was rewarded as St Kilda was named as State League Club Champion, an award that recognises the combined success of all teams competing for the Club.

“At the end of the day it's a reflection on the Club as a whole and what we have achieved. It's the cherry on top after taking out the State League premiership,” Turnbull said.

Founded in 1879, St Kilda Baseball Club has a rich history, including being recognised as Australia’s oldest baseball club. The team was one of the founding clubs of the Victorian Baseball League which formed in 1890.

“The Club was formed initially to play against the American navy when they would arrive by ship and dock in Melbourne,” Turnbull said.

“People would see the Americans playing baseball and join in until our Club was formed to be the main team to play against the navy.”

Turnbull said the Club is proud of its history but also has a keen eye on a promising future.

“We have all of our premiership flags displayed in our clubhouse and they all hang from the walls,” he said.

“We have quite a few flags from the minor divisions but at the end of the day we want that top Premier League flag.

“Baseball may not be the biggest sport, but we’ve got a proud history. It’s an exciting time for the Club and we can’t wait to see where we go.”

St Kilda Baseball Club is based in Albert Park and features men’s, women’s and junior teams welcoming players of all abilities and ages.

The Club is one of many registered sports organisations across Port Phillip. To learn more about the wide variety of sports clubs, community organisations and other services in our City, visit our Community Directory.