The MCC Baseball Section have honoured the late Les Arthur and his family, renaming the Club’s home diamond at Surrey Park the Les Arthur Field.
Ahead of Melbourne’s clash with Cheltenham just prior to the Christmas break, Les’ family, including wife Merle and son, Australian representative and Hans Ebeling Award winner, Ross and his family, plus grandsons Tom and James, joined the Demons’ community to unveil the sign of the sign for the newly-named diamond.Les passed in May of last year, following a long battle with cancer.
The Arthur family have been synonymous with Melbourne Baseball since 1974, when Ross was recruited as a 14-year-old. Prior to his arrival, Les had had a very successful career as a Senior coach in the Diamond Valley Association.
In 1982/83, Melbourne formed their first autonomous Junior section, which saw Les become the first Junior Chairman in the Club’s history. The following year, Les coached the under-15s – his first foray into coaching at Junior level – which spring boarded him to become the most successful coach of juniors in the Club’s history.
He would coach premiership sides in four consecutive seasons – 1984/85 (under-15), 1985/86 (under-15), 1986/87 (under-17, also becoming the first junior side in the Club’s history to win the State Championship in any group) and 1987/88 (Senior 2nds, Division 2).
Les joined the Senior committee and was elected Chairman for the 1988/89 season, overseeing a plethora of key events and recruitment of Club sponsors. In 1989, Les along with wife Merle, were made Life Members of the club.
Close family friend and Hans Ebeling Award winner, John Cavanagh said the recognition was deserved for Les and wife, Merle.
“He (Arthur) really valued his MCC connection, and appreciated what it meant as the baseball section as part of the MCC,” Mr Cavanagh said.
“But it really is a nice thing that we can recognise him and the rest of the Arthur family in this way by naming this ground ‘Arthur Field’.”
Son, Ross said his father would be “honoured” at the commemoration.
“We’ve been part of this club for nearly 50 years and the family have all come through (the club),” Mr Arthur said.
“Dad got to watch me and my brother, Gary grow up and play baseball here, and we’ve been able to see it with our kids too.
“From 1973, when we first arrived here we just felt it was a family, homely club. It was a great place to bring up kids and a great place to get to know people.
“Melbourne’s been a wonderful club and given us a hell of a lot of opportunities. That, coupled with the association of the MCC, has just been a memorable time and this is a fitting tribute to it.”
The sense of occasion wasn’t lost on Melbourne’s two senior teams – the Thirds recorded a gritty 2-1 win, before the Firsts recorded their first win of the season, winning 9-5.
The Melbourne teams will all return to action this weekend following the Christmas and New Year break.