The history and evolvement of the Port Kembla "Blacks" Baseball Club
   to the Shellharbour City  Warriors Baseball Club Incorporated.
In April 1939, 15 employees of Metal Manufacturers Limited became interested in the game of baseball and decided to form a club to be known as Metal Manufacturers Limited Baseball Club. Most of the members were either ex-baseball players or cricketers, so the MM Club felt they would be in a position to field a good team which would be entered in the Port Kembla Baseball Competition to be commenced in May of that year.
Earlier that same year - March 1939, a Baseball Club had been formed in Port Kembla which included four Metal Manufacturers Limited players. A Hudson, K McDowell, D West, and R Grayson and also included four or five employees of E R & S (Electrolytic Refining and Smelting) Limited.
In the first competition Port Kembla fielded two teams, Metal Manufacturers and CRM also fielded two teams. In the finals of this competition, MM were defeated by Port Kembla for 1st Grade honours while MM 2nd Grade defeated Port Kembla in the 2nd Grade final. Two Premiership Cups were presented for the competition - the "Marcus Clarke" Cup for 1st Grade and the "A T McDowell" Cup for 2nd Grade. Messrs D West, M Simon, E Moon, and K McDowell were selected in the combined teams for the Country Carnival. The team was outplayed by the more experienced teams, but gathered valuable experience.
The first Annual Meeting of the Port Kembla District Baseball Association was held on Tuesday the 20th February, 1940. The Association was formed the previous year and ran a six team competition.
The first round of the 1940 Baseball Competition was played on Sunday the 4th May, 1940 with the following teams entered -  Lysaghts Port Kembla, Metal Manufacturers, Australian Iron and Steel, Kemblawarra Cubs, Port Kembla and CRM with Port Kembla, Metal Manufacturers and CRM entering second teams. Lysaghts Port Kembla defeated the Kemblawarra Cubs in 1st Grade 6 - 2 in a good even match, while Metal Manufacturers defeated CRM for the 2nd Grade trophy.
In the 1941 season, Lysaghts 1st Grade defeated Metal Manufacturers in the final to win the "Marcus Clarke" Cup 16 - 15.
The Baseball Competition was abandoned during the war years 1942 - 1946. When competition matches resumed, the Port Kembla team which included the following well known cricketers, Ken McDowell, Morgan Simon, Frank Jones, Dud West and Reg Grayson who formed the nucleus of the club until 1952 when the Port Kembla team defeated the Minor Premiers - Cringila Cardinals 4 - 3 at Wenham Park to win the Grand Final.
The team was as follows - J Imisides, M Hanna, M Burns, W Smith, D Nicholson, B Underwood, G Reedy, M Simon, B Walsh and A Paine.
The Club then failed to win a Premiership until 1969 when the side was Keith Hughes, Wal Smith, Morgan Simon, Col Waters, Neil Garrett, Len Brown, Dave Garrett, Ian Brown, Russell Simon and Mal Simon.
The 1971 Premiership team included Keith Hughes, Keith Fleming, Col Waters, Wal Smith, Ian Brown, Len Brown, Neil Garrett, Mal Simon, Russ Simon and a 55 year old veteran Morgan Simon.
Port Kembla's 4th Premiership win in 1973 was a convincing victory by a fine team consisting of Barry Bates, John Sweeny, Keith Hughes, Warren Hughes, Keith Fleming, Wal Smith, Len Brown, Dave Garrett, Russ Simon and Col Waters.
Not to be outdone, Morgan Simon played in his last winning Premiership game in the 2nd Grade side giving Port the only 1st and 2nd Grade Premiership double in its 50 years of baseball.
The team was Len Brown, Kelvin Smith, Carsten Fischer, Ron Fischer, Dave Bousfield, Allan Coombes, Phill Hellmund, Ian Mossman, Archie Tsegrenis, Warren Hodder, Morgan Simon aged XX, Dave Garrett (Coach) and Janet Coombes (Scorer).
1981 saw Port Kembla take out the Minor Premiership and the Major Premiership in 2nd Grade with a hard fought win over the Cardinals. Wal Smith proving age is no barrier, as at the age of 50 he pitched Port Kembla to this thrilling 33 - 32 win over the Cardinals.
Port Kembla's 3rd Grade side took out the 1984 Minor Premiership and the Major Premiership led by Allan Coombes.
Port Kembla's last Premiership came in 1987 when a 3rd Grade side playing for a vacant 4th Grade trophy, overcame a determined Thirroul side before finally running out winners 12 - 6.
Players in that side were Terry Williams, Gary Lister, Carlo Madaschi, Peter Rennex, Brad Newman, Peter Ray, Paul Michell, Simon Smithers, Dave Moulds, Wayne Whiley, Scott Hattenfels, Phil Herring (Coach) and Mark Hattenfels (Coach).
With the demise of the Port Kembla Padres Junior Baseball Club in 1994/1995 the Port Kembla Baseball Club in adherence with the Illawarra Baseball Leagues edict that no senior club could participate in its competition without a junior club to draw players from, withdrew from the Major League Baseball Competition.
An approach was made to the Warilla Warriors Junior Baseball Club, who had no senior backing, with the view to the Port Kembla Baseball Club moving to the Shire of Shellharbour, where the Warriors were based and becoming the senior club to the Warilla Warriors Junior Baseball Club.
This offer was accepted in principle and steps were taken by the Warilla Warriors Junior Baseball club to bring this plan to fruition.
On the 11th of October, 1995, Peter Rogers the President of the Warilla Junior Baseball Club made an application to the Shellharbour Council for access to Council grounds for the purpose of  playing baseball at the senior level.
"We are pleased to announce that Warilla Warriors Baseball Club is entering teams in the Illawarra Baseball League competition in 1996. The League currently plays on designated Saturdays and Sundays from early April to early September. At present we are in urgent need of a facility which would cater for training and playing needs. To this end we are writing to you to seek your assistance in obtaining a location which could be used by the Club as a home ground. We believe Howard Fowles Sports Oval would be ideally suitable."
It is our intention to enter two (2) senior teams in 1996 and to develop the club in future years to cover all five (5) grades.
Warilla Baseball Club currently consists of junior teams covering players from U/8 to U/16. The addition of senior teams to the club offers a real opportunity to the juniors currently playing to progress to senior level without leaving the Shellharbour District. In the past our district has lost outstanding juniors to other Illawarra clubs due to the lack of senior teams.
The development of senior teams will also offer the Shellharbour District the opportunity to be represented at senior level in this expanding sport.
As a result of this application, on the 19th March, 1996,  the Shellharbour City Council granted the foundling Warilla Warriors Baseball Club the use of Howard Fowles Sporting Oval and its facilities for their use in the upcoming 1996 Illawarra Baseball Leagues Minor League Competition.
(possibly an early press release -  undated and unsigned, definitely after January 1, 1996 when Shellharbour was officially granted "City status"
The City of Shellharbour will be represented in the Illawarra Baseball League Senior competition for the 1996 season starting 14 April, with the formation of the Warriors Baseball Club.
The Warriors will be playing in the Sunday Minor League Competition. They have entered two teams consisting of first and second grade with the possibility of a third team being added to the draw in second grade.
The formation of the Warriors will be a stepping stone for the many juniors currently playing with Warilla Junior Baseball to progress to Senior level without having to leave the area.
Shellharbour Council have been very helpful in allowing the Warriors to play home games on Howard Fowles Oval.
The Warriors invite all who wish to play or be part of their Club to be at Howard Fowles Oval on Sunday 17th March from 2.00pm for Registration. See Advert.
The first Annual General Meeting of the Warilla Warriors Baseball Club was held at the Superb Cricket Centre, Albion Park Rail on Monday the 4th March, 1996 at 7.45pm.
In attendance were P Ray, R Bonham, R McCarthy, T Thomas, R Thomas, W Fulcher, P Michell, D Mills, T Alan and G Gibbons.
Ray Bonham took the chair to seek nominations for the position of President.
Peter Ray was proposed by R Thomas and seconded by P Michell. Peter was elected unopposed. He accepted the position of President and he proceeded to take nominations for the positions of Treasurer and Secretary of the of the club.
Ray Bonham was proposed by W Fulcher and seconded by D Mills for the position of Treasurer. Robin McCarthy was was proposed by R Bonham and seconded by T Thomas for the position of Secretary. Both Ray and Robin were elected unopposed and accepted their respective positions on the executive.
It was raised at the next committee meeting of the club held on the 19th March, 1996, that the Port Kembla Baseball Club the "Blacks" has been dissolved and a new club has been formed under the name of "Warilla Warriors Baseball Club". All previous funds of the now defunct club are to be transferred over to the newly formed club. It was this club, the Port Kembla "Blacks" that formed the nucleus of players and committee for the new club.
The newly formed Warilla Warriors Baseball Club made their debut with a 1st Grade and a 2nd Grade side in the 1996 Illawarra Baseball Leagues Minor League Competition which is played on Sundays from April till September.
The Clubs colours for their new teams were predominately maroon and grey. While a black belt, black and white gaiters and a black undershirt were retained as a  reminder of the Port Kembla Baseball Clubs heritage.
The new club met with immediate success in their new Minor League Format with the 1996 Warriors 2nd Grade side taking out the Major Premiership over the Minor Premiers the Dapto Panthers.
Success for the 1st Grade side was not far behind the 2nd Grade side as the following year in 1997 they emulated their feat and became the Major Premiers by defeating the Minor Premiers the Dapto Panthers.
The 2nd Grade side were Minor Premiers in 1999 and red hot favourites to take out the Major Premiership, only to see a determined Wollongong Wolves steal it from their grasp.
In 2000 the club received an influx of new players from the Albion Park Warriors Mens Softball Club. The Winter competition in which this team were playing in had dissolved and the players were looking for a new home.
After being rejected by another Minor League Baseball Club, they were accepted with open arms into the Warriors Club. Like an echo from the past the Albion Park Warriors club colours, like the Port Kembla Baseball Club's, were black and white. They came to the Warriors with the old clubs colours and the new clubs name.
This increase in players allowed the club the luxury of fielding the full compliment of three teams in the Minor League Competition.  In 2000, the 2nd Grade side were once again Minor Premiers and once again the trophy eluded them as the Kiama Braves upset them to take out the Major Premiership. Although on the losing side, shortstop Ricky Clark was voted as the Umpires Player of the Grand Final. This was the inaugural  year that this award was presented.
2001 saw the club field four teams for the Sunday Competition with the inclusion of an additional 3rd Grade side.
This was the year that the Club achieved its greatest successes on the diamond to date.
1st and 2nd Grades were Minor Premiers, with 2nd Grade going on to complete the double and take the Major Premiership after the unsuccessful attempts to complete the double in 1999 and 2000.
Individual honours in this game went to pitcher Terry Williams who received the Umpires Player of the Grand Final award.
1st Grade were unlucky to lose their game which was played under atrocious weather conditions. The game eventually going to the Wollongong Wolves by 5 runs to 3.
Individual honours went to 2nd baseman Mick Lever  when he won the Batter of the Year Award for Minor League.
2002 sees a new direction for the club as they change their name to the SHELLHARBOUR CITY WARRIORS BASEBALL CLUB INCORPORATED. This change of name is so that the club can encompass the City of Shellharbour as its geographical base and to tap the potential junior players that will associate this name with the area that they live in. This name change was effected on the 15th May 2002.
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