Ron, who was a founder of the club when it was originally formed as the Daramalan Baseball Club in the 1966/67 season, has spent most of his life involved in the ACT Baseball club. The 85-year-old has been the club president, coach and manager of Eagles Baseball Club, as well as being an umpire and association member in ACT Baseball.

“Ron is very surprised and humbled by the whole thing, but delighted that the ground will be named after him,” Ron’s son Colin Barnes said.

Not only has Ron been involved in baseball himself but his sons Laurie, Colin, Barry and his wife Margaret are all life members of the Eagles Baseball Club. Ron also has life membership to the ACT Baseball and ACT Baseball Umpires Associations.

Their son Barry is currently an umpire in the Australian Baseball League for the Canberra Cavalry, while son Laurie is the president of the Arncliffe Scotts Baseball club in Sydney, which is now 102 years old, and one of the oldest baseball clubs in Australia.

Son Colin has been involved as a member, player, coach and manager of the Eagles for 45 years, with 44 of those years as a player and 42 years as a coach/manager. He retired from the club after the 2015/16 season and now assists Gabe Tait with Ulladulla’s junior baseball program and the Shoalhaven Mariners.