Kirkcolm Town Baseball Club is a baseball club based in Kirkcolm, Albaland. They were the most northerly team of 16 who helped form the inaugural Albaland Baseball League that began play during the 1910 baseball season.
The team was officially founded by a group of local fishermen in 1904, but had regular meet-ups as early as 1901, as a way to pass the time during the winter months when fishing was less profitable. The team played its first game on a makeshift field near the shore of the town’s harbor before moving to Union Terrace in 1907. The founding members of the team had been introduced to baseball by American sailors who had come to port in Kirkcolm.
As their interest in the game grew, the fishermen began to organize more formal games and tournaments. They would invite other teams from nearby towns and villages to come and play, often using boats to travel up and down the coast. These early games were often played on makeshift fields, with the players using rocks or sticks to mark out the bases. Despite their lack of experience and resources, Kirkcolm Town quickly gained a reputation for being fierce competitors. They soon began to attract a following of loyal fans, who would come out to watch the games no matter what the weather was like.
In 1906, the team received a boost when local businessman Adam MacDonald, impressed by their commitment and enthusiasm, donated a plot of land on the outskirts of town to build a proper baseball field. With the help of other donations from businesses and individuals, the team was able to construct a grandstand, dugouts, and a scoreboard. The new field gave the team a sense of legitimacy and helped to attract even more fans. Crowds would come from all over the region to watch the games, often braving the harsh Alban winter weather to do so.
The 1907 Alba Shield saw the clubs first official game, where they smashed Newtonairds 10-3 which included a grand slam in 8th inning to rapturous applause by the fans which caused the game to be delayed for several minutes. The Second Round saw the team beat Bridgebank 9-5, before they lost their Third Round match-up against Drumoak Import Export.
The following year brought the team back down to earth as they were humbled 4-0 at home to Southerness Wasps in the First Round, yet they played their first official away game in the First Round of 1909 Alba Shield, crushing Torthorwald 11-2 before losing the following fixture 6-5 to Newtongrange.
The feverish support of the club caught the attention of Tadd Steward, the founder of the Albaland Baseball League. He approached the team following their 11-2 win over Torthorwald and offered them a place in the league to start the following year which was accepted the following day.
A quirky stadium, Union Terrace is basically a Hitters dream, with short foul poles increasing home run rates across the board. A deep center field, sandwiched between two bullpens which are located underneath the stands reduces doubles and triples, but by forcing the center fielder to sit a little deeper, batting averages tend to go up. A trip to the ground isn’t complete without a batch of “Crunchy Cod Fritters”. These battered and deep-fried cod balls are made with flaky white fish that is mixed with a savory blend of herbs and spices. They are then coated in a light batter and fried until crispy and golden brown. The fritters are served with a zesty tartar sauce on the side, perfect for dipping.