St Kilda’s reliable Canadian catcher has been working hard this season as the Saints look to move in a positive direction now that they’re back up to VSBL Division 2.
Robby Lewis is determined to see his team succeed at a higher level after dominating VSBL Division 3 in recent seasons. His loyalty to St Kilda flourished through a chance encounter at a festival in Albert Park five years ago. It was there that he met a Saints player who invited him to come along for training. “I didn’t realise there was such a big baseball community in Melbourne,” Robby said.
He’s been playing ever since, and now he knows just how important baseball is to the St Kilda community, especially as the club returns to VSBL Division 2. “We’ve worked hard the last three or four years to get up here,” Robby said. “Our primary goals are just staying up in Division 2 and also developing our junior program a bit more because we have a core group of juniors at the moment, so we want to hold onto them and get them playing competitive baseball.”
Robby is proud to play at the oldest baseball club in the southern hemisphere, where members look after one another and celebrate their success that spans the centuries. “We try and do things like past players day every year at Tom O’Halloran field,” Robby said. “There’s a lot of history around the club so we try to honour past players as often as we can, whether it’s with a day or naming a dugout after someone.”
Friendship is also key for the Saints, especially as they navigate the challenges of facing tougher competitors together. “Everybody gets along with one another and is willing to help each other out,” Robby said. “It’s a competitive club but we also appreciate the socialness of it as well.”
Robby grew up playing baseball, and his enthusiasm for the sport hasn’t wavered, especially now that he’s found his home at St Kilda. “I love the team atmosphere and meeting people,” Robby added. “It’s a good way to introduce yourself to different people that share like-minded activities. It’s not just Australians that make up the team, but basically people from all over the world. That’s one of the driving forces here so it’s just a fun place to be around.”
Robby is forever grateful that he decided to join St Kilda, and he encourages others to give the sport a try as it opens up so many opportunities for friendship, fun and fitness. “I’d say come down and give it a go, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Robby said. “Somebody will be able to help you out, especially at our club because we prioritize bringing new people in and getting them trained.”
With sweet memories of last season when St Kilda solidified the promotion to Division 2, Robby has nothing but high hopes for the club moving forward. “I think there’s always going to be a lot of hurdles, and it’s a big jump in competition,” Robby said. "I think it’s going to be a bit of an eye-opener for most of the guys on the team, but we’re going to band together, keep training and continue preparing as much as we can for every game. I know if we get a hurdle, we’ll do our best to deal with it.”
St Kilda has one game left against top-side Williamstown before moving on to a series with Port Melbourne.