INTERESTING FACTS:

* Cardiff City - On the 25th July 1960, Grange Albion played a Cardiff City Baseball X1 on the Curran Field for charity.  The game was drawn with both sides hitting 68 runs apiece ! 
The Albions team was: Ted Gorin, Doug Lloyd, Mac Purchase, Billy Clifton, Maurice Jones, Des Walsh, Billy Smith, Gerard Pitt, Terry Cleverley, Frank Wallis and Graham Finn. 
The Cardiff City squad was: Frank Rankmore, Bernard Holland, Graham Vearncombe, Colin Baker, Derek Sullivan, Alan Harrington, Ron Stitfall, Danny Malloy, Derek Tapscot, Graham Moore, Mike Hughes and guests, Paddy Hennessey and Bernard Titt of the Splott US Club.

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* Record Home Runs as Last Man - In 1932, Freddie Fish hit six home runs as last man for Grange Albion against Pill Harriers of Newport.  His innings also included three other home runs in a total knock of 44 runs!!  Suffice to say, the Albion won the game. 

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Paddy Hennessey    (in 1963)

* International Record (Bowling) - In 1964, Paddy Hennessey of Grange Albion, bowled England out for6 runs in just 9 minutes!!

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* Most Internationals - With 51 full internationals by 2008, Grange Albion have supplied more players to the full Welsh International side than any other team.

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* International 'Centurians' - Only four players have have scored over 100 runs for Wales whilst playing for Grange Albion.  These are Dai Griffiths (111 from 9 caps), Freddie Hayes (161 from 9 caps), John Roberts (106 from 7 caps) and Mark Jones (131 from 13 caps).
                                                         Mark Jones (in 1989)

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* International Referees - Three ex Albion players have gone on to referee a full international match.  These were Albert Hobbs in 1954 , Alan Patten in 1984 and Maurice Jones in 2000.  In the 1984 game, Alan gave 12 no balls against English bowler, Jeff Linge, and 12 no balls against Welsh bowler, Paul Gardiner, all for foot out of the front of the bowling box.

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* A Team of Internationals - In 1966, Grange Albion fielded a team containing ten full internationals in the final of the Silver Bowl against St Albans at Roath Park.  The only non-international was John Hickey, a Cardiff Rugby Club player.  Suffice to say, the Albions won the final.

************************************************************************ * Big Hitters - On the 28 July 1973, in the WBU cup final, Charlie Kinsey and John Roberts, as the last two men batting for Grange Albion against Alexandra Old Boys of Newport, hit 52 runs to take the Albion's score to 164!!  Alex scored 93 and 69 but lost by an innings.

                                                                    

       Charlie Kinsey (1989)                       John Roberts (1958)

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* Four Albion Internationals in 1974  ...



 Arthur Richards, Mike Smith-Phillips, John Roberts and Charlie Kinsey.
 (all except John Roberts were making their debut). 
 Match played at Guest Keen Ground, Sloper Road, Cardiff.

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* The Medal Collection of Alec Munro (first capped in 1920)

The above medals were awarded to Alec Munro by the Grange Albion Club and the Welsh Baseball Union between 1909 and 1923 for achievements in both batting  and fielding.  Along with Dai Griffiths, Alec was our first ever international, winning their first caps in 1920.  On debut for Wales, Alec was top scorer and was awarded the inscribed bat shown below. These items are proudly held by Alec's son, John, at his home in Gloucester.



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* Bowling Feat: In 1956, Albion bowler, Des Walsh, removed the whole of the Temple Street of Newport side for just 6 runs!!  Of these runs, 5 were extras with only one player (Reg St Clare) hitting a single run.  Des is seen in the photograph with the referee Albert Hobbs (himself an ex Albion and Welsh international) at Sevenoaks Park.

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Grantly Smith (Jnr) in 1946

* International Father and Son - In winning his Welsh cap in 1951, Grantly Smith (Junior) emulated his Dad, Grantly Smith (Senior), who had won caps in 1925 and 1927.  They were the first father and son to achieve this honour and both played for the Albion's.

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David Giles (in Cardiff Boys team 1972)

* WBU Youth Player of the Year- In 1973, David Giles became Grange Albions first WBU Youth Player of the Year. Of course, David gave up baseball to become a successful professional footballer with Cardiff City, Crystal Palace, Swansea and Wrexham as well as representing Wales on many occasions. However, he did return to the diamond after his soccer career playing for the Old Illtydians Club.

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* Premier League Record - Young Grange Albion strike bowler, Mathew Hopkins (age 21), dismissed all eleven St Michaels batsmen for just 6 runs during the 2008 season.  This is a record for a Premier level match as not one of the St Mike's players scored a run, all 6 of them were extras!!

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Freddie Hayes     (in 1948)

* International Record (Batting) - In 1955, Freddie Hayes of Grange Albion, scored 49 runs in a single innings for Wales against England. This record has stood for over 50 years. Will it ever be broken? Also, in 1946, Freddie hit 53 runs against Temple Street YMCA in the WBU Cup Final.

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Des Walsh (in 1958)

* First Welsh Baseball 'Player of the Year' - This award was introduced in 1956 and was sponsored by the Cardiff and South Wales Times.  The first winner of this prestigious award was Des Walsh of Grange Albion.  He was selected by a panel of three comprising of Paddy Fitzpatrick (Chairman of the NBL), Bob Evans (Baseball correspondent) and the Sports Editor of the newspaper.  Des also achieved another major feat in 1956 (see article after next below).