Sydney Mines has been noted for its sports and sports' minded people, particularly in the area of baseball.
In the 1920's a senior baseball league operated in town with three teams: the Ramblers, the Knights and the Braves. The name Ramblers is still used today.
There was great interest in the success of the Ramblers among the miners of Sydney Mines. In August 1936, the Princess Colliery failed to operate when insufficient employees reported for work. Those miners who reported for work had to return home because the missing miners were watching the ball games. This was the third shut down of the summer.
In 1946 the Colliery League became involved in importing players, and all of the five teams had at least one or two on their roster, while others had as many as five and six. The Colliery League at that time consisted of The Sydney Steel Kings, The Glace Bay Miners, The Dominion Hawks, The New Waterford Dodgers and the Sydney Mines Ramblers.
But the League contributed more than just enjoyment to the communities of industrial Cape Breton. Baseball was a source of community cohesion. The League assisted in the definition of community boundaries and served as a sacred community symbol. The Colliery League provided an escape from the day to day problems of life by not only playing exciting baseball but adding to the already strong sense of community found in the League towns.
Sydney Mines Ramblers 1935 baseball team were front row L-R: Chuck MacDonald, Plbie Robertson, Claudie MacLeod, Nelson Devoe, Ray Smith, John Reilly, Harry Baker and the bat boy Chuck Mathews; back row L-R Max Cullen, Mickey Wall, Joey Snow, Witty Boyd, Frank Hidle manager, Jim Guy, Bob Burchill and Harry Snow.