Baseball club mourn life member with heart of gold
SURFERS Paradise Baseball Club is mourning the loss of life member Col Carruthers, who died last week, and who had an association with the club spanning decades.
The Army veteran adopted the club shortly after its formation in 1987, having moved to the Coast from Newcastle.
Club president Tony McPhail remembered a gruff, grizzled exterior that couldn’t hide “a heart of gold” and deep affection for the Under-15s and Under-16s he coached for more than a decade.
“With his military background he was very much a sergeant-major with respect to how he dealt with kids and people and life,” McPhail said.
“He asked for the respect of everyone and he got it.
“Behind all that gruff and direct approach he had a really big heart of gold that he didn’t like people to see.”
Carruthers was a popular figure around the club and became known for an arsenal of witty one-liners.
Among the classics was a stern reminder to young players that a baseball didn’t have a bell in it, you had to look for it with your eyes.
“He’d give the boys a hard time – they thought – but he really wasn’t,” McPhail said.
“The families got behind him and supported him.”
An electrician by trade, Carruthers was always quick to volunteer his services free-ofcharge when the club needed electrical work done.
He used his Army background when required as well.
At one Christmas party the club organised a helicopter to deliver Santa Claus onto the club’s main diamond.
Carruthers swung into action, clearing the field of kids and waving the helicopter down with military precision.
“He was just old school,” McPhail said.
“He turned a lot of young people into great sportsmen.”