The Melbourne Baseball Club, nicknamed the ''Demons'', is a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

based in the inner

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

suburb of Box Hill. The club is part of the MCC and is affiliated as the Baseball Section of the MCC. Having been established as the baseball section of the MCC in 1888, it is one of the oldest baseball clubs in Australia.

History

The club had been involved in baseball since 1857, when a group of cricket enthusiasts played a game held in the

Carlton Gardens The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site located on the northeastern edge of the Central Business District in the suburb of Carlton, in Melbourne, Australia. A popular picnic and barbecue area, the heritage-listed Carlton Gardens are home t ...

. By the 1860s S.P. Lord led several attempts to organise baseball in Melbourne, although the game never progressed beyond games in the Carlton Gardens. The 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition showed that the United States was on the road to become an economic world power and baseball could be a crucial link between the US and the new colony. From then on, American influence became more pronounced. The

Melbourne International Exhibition (1880) The Melbourne International Exhibition is the eighth World's fair officially recognised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and the first official World's Fair in the Southern Hemisphere. Preparations After being granted self-go ...

caught the attention of several foreign observers who realised that Melbourne looked like an "American-style" city. In October 1885, members of the

Melbourne Cricket Club The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sports club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia. The MCC is responsible for management and development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground ...

played the officers of the US Enterprise which were the first ever played at the

Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...

. The American won 23–17 but they could watch the progress of the Australians in the sport. To commemorate the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ...

in 1887, the American Baseball Club established in Melbourne played a team captained by H.F. Boyle of the MCC, being defeated. The MCC committee continued to support the expansion of local interest in baseball. In 1888 they resolved to form a team and arrange exhibition games as a preparation for a visit to the US. The MCC played the MBC who were American expatriated mostly. The game, played in Albert Park, saw MCC to win 35–29. The matches against the resident Americans became a regular practise during those times.Formation of the baseball section
on MBC

References

External links

Official website
{{Baseball Victoria Summer League, state=collapsed Australian baseball clubs Baseball teams in Melbourne 1888 establishments in Australia Baseball teams established in 1888 Sport in the City of Whitehorse

History

See also

References

External links