How the 'Mustangs of Malta' started and briefly how Baseball started in Malta.
Baseball first started back in the early 1980’s in Malta. I first remember an American, Dr. Fredricks, who was once teaching some students how to play Softball at Stella Maris College in Gzira. Then Dr.Fredricks moved to Marsa Sports Complex and using equipment borrowed from the Verdala International school continued to teach Maltese children how to play baseball while they were joined with a group of children (mainly Canadian, American other foreigners that were residing in Malta) and Maltese children of returned immigrants. I was one of these Maltese children that played baseball first in the United States. After a visit from representatives of the Italian Baseball Softball Federation baseball /softball were part of 'Centru Sport Eddukativ' which is now 'Skolasport'.
It started with 2 teams – The Mohawks and the Blue Max were the names of these teams until eventually a team started in Mellieha called the Mellieha Tigers. Then the teams consisted of The Marsa Mohawks and the Mellieha Tigers. During 1986 – 1992 Baseball stopped due to lack of human resources keeping things organized since some of the main volunteers had left Malta.
In 1992, a group of Canadian workers in Malta started playing softball on Sunday afternoons which then led to Maltese being welcomed along and eventually joined by some of the baseball players that used to play in the 80’s. Some of these players that used to play were Mario Debono (President of Maltese Baseball Association), Ray Bartolo (coach and founder of Mellieha Baseball) and Patrick Pace (Vice President of Maltese Baseball Association, coach and founder of Mustang club). The first league was then started between Mellieha Northenders, University Baseball team (Coached by Daniel Muscat) and Marsa Slammers. The Marsa Slammers won the first organized league. The Slammers then changed its name to Marsa Mustangs which changed to Gzira Mustangs and is now Mustangs Baseball Club.
The Marsa Slammers won the 1st championship in 93/94 then won another 2 championships as the Mustangs 95/96 and 98/99
Patrick Pace
Mustangs Manager