Plystoke United Baseball Club, normally known as Plystoke United, is a professional baseball club based in the suburb of Plystoke in Alnwick, Novainsula. The club was a founding member of the Elite 14 and Novainsula Baseball Federation. They are sometimes referred to by the nicknames, ‘the Citizens‘ or the ‘Green Hornets’.
History
Founded in 1912 by John Gleeson, a dedicated university professor, the club was born out of a desire to uplift Plystoke, one of the most impoverished areas in Alnwick at the time. Gleeson, moved by the struggles faced by the local community, envisioned the baseball club as a beacon of hope and unity for the residents. The team’s logo is an emblematic representation of the Novainsula University main building, located just 10km from Plystoke.
Plystoke United’s inaugural public match took place on the 23rd of August 1912, marking the beginning of its journey in the world of competitive baseball. The match, against the fellow Alnwick-based side Hammersmith United, ended in a close 15-12 loss for Plystoke. From there, the club played regular fixtures against Alnwick Stags, known as the ‘Rich-Poor Derby‘, as well as playing friendly games against teams throughout Alnwick and Didcot.
Gleeson sought to have Plystoke United join the newly-formed Novainsula Baseball Federation. Spearheaded by Johnathan Harrowood, the federation aimed to establish the country’s first professional sporting league, the Elite 14, which began play in 1917. Harrowood, impressed by Gleeson’s commitment to community welfare and the ethos behind Plystoke United, welcomed the club as one of the founding members of the league.
In the early years of the clubs history, including the first few years of the Elite 14, Plystoke United took an innovative approach to building its fanbase and strengthening community ties by regularly giving away free tickets. This initiative not only made baseball accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation, but also helped to solidify the club’s place as a pillar of the community.
Stadium
Brislam Park, commonly referred to as “Brislam,” stands as the home stadium for Plystoke United. Its naming draws from a historical connection to a forest that existed near Alnwick at the time of the club’s establishment in 1916. Since its founding, the surrounding landscape has undergone significant transformations, with the once-secluded forest and the ground itself now enveloped by the urban sprawl. This change has led to Brislam being encircled by residential suburbs.
The design of Brislam incorporates unique features tailored to the dynamics of the game, with outfield walls maintaining a uniform height of 11 feet from pole to pole. A distinctive aspect of the park is its notably shallow left field, a modification necessitated by the presence of a large hill which has since been converted into additional seating. This peculiarity provides a substantial advantage to right-handed pull hitters, who see their home run rates increase by around 15% compared to the league average, illustrating the park’s significant impact on game outcomes and player performance.
Despite its reputation as a batter-friendly park, the advantages offered by Brislam are not uniformly distributed among all players. While right-handed hitters enjoy a considerable boost in their home run statistics, left-handed batters face slightly below-average hitting conditions. This imbalance underscores Brislam as being one of the most unique baseball grounds in Novainsula.