CLUB HISTORY:
* Grange Albion Baseball Club owes it existence to a man called Charlie Minchinton. In 1906, Charlie was a member of the Penarth Road Methodists team. However, as a number of that team left to form a new team (Grange YMCA), Charlie called a meeting of the remaining Methodist players at the Grange Temperence Institute and they accepted his proposal to form a new team called 'Grange Albion'.
* Charlie Minchinton went on to be Secretary of the Baseball Club for many years.
* Grange Albion was formed in 1907 and entered the league that year by taking over the fixtures of the disbanded Penarth Road Methodists team in the 2nd Division of the Welsh Baseball Association League.
* The Club's first ever league match took place on the 14th May 1907. It was played on The Marl against Llandough with the Albion's winning by 8 men to bat. That first team was - Vincent, Minchinton, Watkins, W.Davies, Courtney, Davies, Hornet, J Boalch, S Boalch, Denning and Nurse (see article below).
* In that first season, the team won promotion to the 1st Division but were relagated after their first season in the top division. However, they won promotion again at the first attempt and have been in the top division for virtually every season since (1995 the exception). The Firsts would have been relegated in 1938 but, as the Seconds won the next division, they remained among the elite.
* Both Grange Albion and the St Albans Club of Splott, Cardiff were formed in 1907 making us both the joint oldest clubs still playing in Wales. However, the Albion's are the only club to have competed in every single season that the League has been run (breaking only for the First and Second World Wars).
* In 1919, Mr Tom Williams became President of Grange Albion Baseball Club. He vowed then that he would remain in post until the team went a whole season unbeaten. He had to wait until the invincible season of 1948 when he resigned his presidency and became a life member. The Club were also unbeaten in the 1949 season.
* Article below taken from South Wales Echo, July 1950. It refers to a match between Grange Albion and St Albans that year in which a total of 405 runs were scored. It also mentions a match against English champions, St Margarets. This turned into a regular annual match throughout the fifties and sixties (see programme below).
* Programme for 1950 Challenge match between the Welsh and English champions .........
* and here are the teamsheets (6 internationals in the Albion side whilst every player in the St Margarets was capped) ......
* Grange Albion are the most successful team in Welsh Baseball history having won the premier title (the Dewar Shield) a record 28 times. In addition, the Club has supplied the Welsh national team with more players than any other team - 48 in total.
* The Club's first Welsh caps were Alec Munro and Dai Griffiths both of whom made their international debuts in 1920. Both went on to captain Wales, in 1923 and 1925 respectively. Dai Griffiths went on to win 9 caps and is one of only for Grange Albion players to have hit over 100 runs for Wales (see 'Interesting Facts' page for further details).
* Mark Jones, with 13 caps, has made more appearances for Wales than any other Albion. The nearest to Mark are Dai Griffiths, Harry Buley and Freddie Hayes all with 9 caps. Mark has also hit over 100 runs for Wales, captained his country in 1994 and was WBU 'Player of the Year' in 1987 and 1990. Over many years, Mark also played for, captained and managed Grange Albion AFC before going on to manage Maesteg Park in the Welsh League and both Port Talbot and Carmarthen Town in the League of Wales and in Europe.
* Over the years, Grange Albion have supplied a good number of players that have played for Wales at various age levels. Indeed, we supplied four players for the first ever Wales v England under 16 match which took place in Liverpool in 1994. However, this website would not be complete without a mention of the sterling work and fundraising done by Maria Collins to enable this first under 16 match to take place. The article below, highlighting her work and naming the four youth players, appeared in the South Wales Echo in December 1994. Sadly, Maria passed away a few years later. She is fondly remembered and greatly missed by all at the Club.
* Grange Albion under 16's in 1994
