Matt Payne

Matt Payne

Inducted 2017

Joining Rangers Baseball Club in 1996, Matt has been a passionate and devoted member promoting Rangers as a Club and a Community both on and off the field for over 20 years.

Having missed only the start of one season of baseball since the clubs inception, Matt’s playing career for Rangers has encompassed 42 seasons of Pacific Coast baseball, 5 seasons of Masters, 2 Pan Pacific Games and 1 World Masters games during which time he has amassed an incredible 28 Batting Titles, numerous Most Valuable Player and Players Players awards along with celebrating more than 100 Career Home Runs, an emotional milestone, he achieved in tribute to his late sister in 2016.

It is, however, off the field where Matt’s presence within the club has been most felt. “Matty” has been the both the seen and unseen voice of Rangers volunteering in numerous capacities for the club during the past two decades acting as both a Senior and Junior Coach, Committee Member, Volunteer and Delegate.

As a dedicated MC at countless Rangers presentations, functions and fund raising events Matt’s passion for increasing participation and building a community within the club led him to build the Rangers Website, Facebook and Social Media Sites. Whilst pioneering online player registration Matt also spent years documenting Rangers Baseball Club through the camera lens in addition to writing literally hundreds of articles highlighting not only the players achievements on the field but recognising many of the unseen efforts of others within the club itself, dedicating a countless number of hours in the process.

As a coach, Matt ran senior baseball trainings for numerous teams for well over a decade whilst also assisting as a junior coach volunteering his time at games, trainings and the inaugural try baseball days. Matt continues to play Senior Baseball for Rangers whilst continually giving his time as a committee consultant and volunteer.

A much loved and respected figure within the club, Matt’s passion for Rangers is only possibly outweighed by the respect he has earnt from his peers as a humble and long serving member of the Rangers family.

#25’s enduring commitment to Rangers was recognised with life membership in a unanimous vote in 2017.