This June the Wauchope Giants Baseball Club are gearing up to celebrate 40 years since the club started.
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2019 marks 40 years since the club was formed and to celebrate a day of celebrations are being planned.
On June 29 at Blackbutt Park the club will be holding a get together reunion event and are encouraging players from over the years to be part of the celebrations.
Pam Dures from the club said the wauchope Giants have a long and proud history of baseball in the region.
"My husband Ron played for the Sydney club of St George from the age of 18 until we moved to the Hastings in 1971," Mrs Dures said.
"That was the end of his baseball career or so he thought. In 1979 an advertisement appeared in the Port Macquarie News seeking persons interested in starting the sport on the Mid North Coast.
"Of course this was the moment he was waiting for and together we called for anyone interested in forming a Wauchope team to meet at our home in King Creek.
We had a good response and so began the Giants."
She said when the team began most of the players had never played baseball but it was all fun and games.
"Most of the players came from the local rally car club so there was a lot to learn," she said.
"Ron was the team coach, I was the scorer, our two sons were part of the team and our very young daughter was bat-girl, so it was quite a family affair.
"The name "Giants" was decided upon because of the giant eucalypts as well as being the name of the USA San Francisco Giants."
She said the team colours of blue and red were of course were synonymous with Wauchope.
"In the early days we had no uniforms or equipment and not even a scorebook.
"So I drew upon my memory from my days of scoring for St George some 15 years earlier and ruled up a scorebook and I made the first uniforms for the team."
Mrs Dures said baseball soon grew in the area with teams from Port Macquarie, Laurieton and Kempsey.
"Ron enjoyed many years of playing again, before taking on umpiring until he retired in 2003 after 54 years dedicated to baseball.
"Wauchope Giants is still going strong with so many excellent players over the years as well as dedicated supporters.
"The facilities at Blackbutt Park is the only one available now since the field at Tuffins Lane was closed.
"There is also a batting cage which is used as part of training practice.
"All local games are played there with the No1 field named for the Begley Family and the very humble scorers shed named for Rose Willingham who is dedicated to all levels of the sport."
Come along to the reunion for a trip down memory lane and to celebrate the history of the sport.
For more information get in touch with Pam and Ron Dures on 6585 1275.
