Baseball in the United Kingdom
| Baseball in the United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Governing body | British Baseball Federation |
| National team(s) | Men's national team Women's national team |
| First played | 1862 |
National competitions | |
| |
Baseball is a growing, minor sport in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 22,500 people playing in 2020.[1]
The sport is governed by the British Baseball Federation, which runs a multi-tier national league. There are also independent regional leagues, and around 20 universities field teams currently in existence. At various times in history professionalism has existed, most notably the 1890 National League of Baseball of Great Britain.
In 1938 the Great Britain national baseball team won the Baseball World Cup, and were runners-up in the 1967 and 2007 European Baseball Championship.[2] As of 2020 Great Britain competed internationally at under 12, under 15, under 18, under 23 and senior levels. The under 23 team placed fifth at the 2019 European Under 23 Baseball Championship.[3]
Despite relatively low numbers of participation today, historically there have been a number of players born in the United Kingdom to have played in Major League Baseball.[4] Of over 90 players who have played in MLB[5] Danny Cox, Lance Painter and Bobby Thomson are most notable. Thomson hit the Shot Heard 'Round the World that took the New York Giants to the World Series in 1951.
Major League Baseball players born in the United Kingdom
Over 90 players born in the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom and pre partition Ireland have played professionally in Major League Baseball. This does not include players born outside the United Kingdom but of British heritage or players who have played in MLB and represented the Great Britain national baseball team, but who were born outside the United Kingdom.
Inductees to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Henry Chadwick, born in Exeter, was a sportswriter, baseball statistician and historian, often referred to as the "Father of Baseball", for his early reporting on and contributions to the development of the game. He edited the first baseball guide that was sold to the public. He is credited with creating box scores, as well as creating the abbreviation "K" that designates a strikeout. He is said to have created the statistics of batting average and earned run average (ERA).
Tom Connolly, born in Manchester, was a umpire in Major League Baseball. He officiated in the National League from 1898 to 1900, followed by 31 years of service in the American League from 1901 to 1931.[6] In over half a century as an American League umpire and supervisor, he established the high standards for which the circuit's arbiters became known, and solidified the reputation for integrity of umpires in the major leagues.
Harry Wright, born in Sheffield, was himself described by fellow Hall of Fame inductee Henry Chadwick as "the father of professional base ball”.[7] Although not born in the United Kingdom, George Wright is another inductee of United Kingdom heritage. George is the brother of Harry, and his parents were born in England.
Cornelius McGillicuddy, better known as Connie Mack, was a catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins (3,731), losses (3,948), and games managed (7,755). Mack was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts, in what is now East Brookfield on December 22, 1862.[8] His mother, Mary McGillicuddy, was an immigrant from Belfast,[9] his father was from pre-partition Ireland.
John McGraw, born in Truxton, New York, was player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. His parents emigrated from pre-partition Ireland, around 1850. Similarly with parents who emigrated from pre-partition Ireland, Roger Bresnahan was nicknamed "the Duke of Tralee" and was a player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washington Senators, Chicago Orphans, Baltimore Orioles, New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs. Bresnahan also managed the Cardinals and Cubs.
Charles Radbourn, nicknamed "Old Hoss", was a pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for Buffalo, Providence, Boston (National League), Boston (Player's League), and Cincinnati. He was born in New York, to parents who had emigrated from Bristol.
Another Hall of Famer who can trace their ancestry back to the United Kingdom is former British national team coach Trevor Hoffman, whose mother was English and whose grandfather was a professional footballer with Southend United.[10]
Major League Baseball players who have represented the United Kingdom
Either through being born in the United Kingdom, via ancestral links to the United Kingdom or qualifying via being born in a Commonwealth member nation, a number of players with MLB experience have represented the United Kingdom internationally, via the Great Britain national baseball team. The most notable recent player is Jazz Chisholm Jr.
History
Origins
.
It is argued that modern "American baseball" can trace its roots to 18th century Britain,[11][12][13] with the earliest known mention and illustration of the game appearing in John Newbery's A Little Pretty Pocket-Book in 1744. The earliest known rules were printed in 1796, in Germany, as "Das Englische Base-ball".
Although early codes of baseball may have originated in the United Kingdom, the American code of baseball, as North Americans would understand it, started to be played in the UK as early as the 1870s and it was fully developed by 1890, when the fully professional 1890 National League of Baseball of Great Britain was established. Since the 1870s many exhibition matches between North American teams have been staged in the United Kingdom,[14] culminating in the MLB London Series in 2019, which sold out 120,000 tickets in less than an hour.[15] As a result, a small number of MLB teams have fan led dedicated fan clubs in the United Kingdom.[16]
American influence in the 19th century
In the 1870s, baseball teams from the United States, including the Boston Red Stockings and Philadelphia Athletics, toured the United Kingdom, in an effort to popularise the sport,[17] but with limited success. At that time, John Wisden and Co. were the most famous supplier of essential baseball equipment, "as used by the baseball clubs now in England in all their matches", which shows that organised clubs did exist in England in some form as early as the 1870s.[18] Wisden remains a prominent name in international cricket today.
In 1888 the President of St. Louis, on returning to the United States from their European tour, remarked that "England is now educated up to American sports", and encouraged other American baseball club presidents to continue promoting the game in England.[19] Later in 1888, John Barnes, of the Western League St. Paul club, discussed his plans to travel to England to establish a "baseball syndicate" in London, Birmingham and other large cities.[20]
In 1889 the wealthy Albert Goodwill Spalding used his position as a former star player and as a leading sporting goods supplier to arrange yet another tour of the United Kingdom by American baseball stars including the Chicago White Stockings,[21] building on the earlier tours in the past decades. As with previous tours the cricket establishment of England was used to promote baseball, with the Prince of Wales one of the "very large number of spectators" to witness the game at the Oval,[22] and over 8,000 attended a game at Lord's.[23] On arriving at Bristol, Spalding paid tribute to the English cricket star W. G. Grace,[24] "the best known Englishman in the world".
This tour led to a number of new baseball clubs springing up, such as York Baseball Club, formed at Stotts Refreshment Rooms in Parliament Street as early as March 1889.[25] The most notable of these new clubs was formed 1890, in Derby, as Ley's Recreation Club, by Francis Ley, a local man who had experienced the game on a trip to the United States. Following their first ever game (as Ley's Recreation Club) Ley began to appeal for "professionals aged 20 to 25" and "cricketers who can field smartly" to attend Ley's Recreation Centre to form a club, in March 1890[26] and Ley's Recreation Club became Derby Baseball Club. Despite evidence showing clubs such as York were formed slightly earlier than or at the same time as Derby, Ley erroneously claimed "we were really the first club formed in Great Britain" when discussing Derby in 1890.[27]
Ley, who certainly had "introduced baseball amongst his employees"[28] and was instrumental in providing superb facilities at Derby, was not in attendance in October 1889, when noted supporters of a new National League of Baseball of Great Britain met at the Criterion, London, to formally establish the new baseball association, though he was elected as a provisional officer. Representatives of Preston North End, Gloucester County Cricket Club, Essex County Cricket Club, Staffordshire County Cricket Club, Aston Villa and the National Rounders Association all were represented and elected as officers to the association, with Newton Crane elected to the chair.[28]
The new association quickly moved to establish a headquarters at 38 Holborn Viaduct, London, from where it would agree on and promote a set of rules by which the new National League would be played.[29] By July 1890 it was estimated that there were over 90 baseball clubs in England alone, with Derby Baseball Club being widely believed to be the best professional club in England.[30] Yorkshire proved to be a surprising hotbed of baseball by 1890 when it was reported that "there are more baseball clubs in Yorkshire than in any other county in England."[31] It was not totally unexpected when the Secretary of Essex County Cricket Club, Morton Peto Betts, resigned his position to take up the role of Secretary of the newly formed Baseball Association of Great Britain, in July 1890.[32]
Aston Villa, now known exclusively as a football club, won the only professional baseball championship in 1890. The competition was hindered by poor weather and disappointing crowds and made a loss for its investors.[33] Aston Villa's win was not without controversy, however, with both Aston Villa and Preston North End being found guilty of cheating during the season.[34] For much of the season Derby Baseball Club did lead the championship, however, pressure from other teams in the league over the number of American players on the Derby team and low attendances led to Derby being expelled before the end of the season, though at the time the club insisted they had "retired" as champions,[35] despite evidence to the contrary.
In response to the accusations against Derby of employing too many talented American baseball players, Ley wrote letters to editors of newspapers to state "Derby Baseball Club is the only one of the four League clubs to have not imported professional players from America" and went to lengths to point out the lack of support Spalding provided to Derby compared to the other clubs, which he was a major shareholder in.[27] Ironically, given the finger pointing at Ley for employing too many talented Americans, of the various American baseball players sent across to coach and play baseball in England, in the 1890 season, the most prominent was arguably Preston North End captain Leech Maskrey, who had played Major League Baseball. In August 1890 the Preston club organised a presentation for their captain, who was returning to the United States.[36] Meanwhile, Spalding turned his attention to establishing collegiate baseball in the United Kingdom[37] with very little success.
In March 1890 Edinburgh Northern Baseball Club began to meet for practice[38] and Spalding's influence was obvious when The Spalding Baseball Club of Aberdeen sprung to life in July 1890, their headquarters being at 59 Princes Street.[39] By August 1890 the financial backing of Spalding resulted in two local rivals emerging in Aberdeen, the Spalding Baseball Club and Aberdeen Baseball Club, who played at The Links. The two competed for the Spalding 50 guinea Challenge Cup[40] and the right to take on the University Baseball Club of Edinburgh, evidence of Spalding's desire to establish collegiate baseball in the United Kingdom. Wales, possibly due to the continued popularity of British or Welsh Baseball, was slower to adopt the American game. In April 1893 The Cardiff Central were formed, and claimed to organise "the first game of American baseball played in South Wales." They were based at Grangetown.[41]
The Golden Age and Postwar Decline
Baseball's peak popularity in Britain was in the years immediately preceding World War II. A resurgence of professional baseball occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during the 1930s and baseball enjoyed its heyday before the Second World War, but the outbreak of war led to a decline. In this era professional baseball teams often shared grounds with football clubs and rugby league clubs, and drew crowds of up to 10,000 spectators per game. In 1933, in response to a challenge from Major League Baseball's National League President, John Haydler, the wealthy British gambling tycoon, Sir John Moores, established the National Baseball Association and continued to fund the establishment of amateur and professional leagues in England.
Once again American and Canadian expatriates swelled the rosters of the semi-profesional clubs, with a number of the Canadian professionals going on to represent the Great Britain national team.[42] With this golden age UK baseball achieved a major milestone, in 1938, with the victory of the Great Britain national baseball team over the United States, in the Baseball World Cup. The series was created by Sir John Moores, with the 1939 Amateur World Series competition initially being named the John Moore's Cup.
With the backing of Sir John Moores a Great Britain team was given financial support to compete in the 1939 series, in Havana, as defending champions. In doing so they would have become the first national representative team to compete outside the United Kingdom[43] but the outbreak of the Second World War interrupted the development of British baseball, the team withdrew and the sport entered into decline. Following the war, in July 1951, Wolsley Athletic (Birmingham) became the first baseball team from the United Kingdom to play in continental Europe, in an official game, in Belgium.[44]
At present
As of the 2021 season, there were 90 teams from 48 baseball clubs actively participating in leagues, and 1,500 adult and Junior (under 18) players competing for clubs based across a wide geographic area, of the island of Great Britain. Despite being a constituent nation of the United Kingdom, domestic baseball in Northern Ireland is affiliated to Baseball Ireland for practical reasons. Northern Ireland's only team, the Belfast Northstars, play in the Irish Adult League. Despite this quirk, Northern Irish born players such as P.J. Conlon are able to qualify to play for both Ireland and the United Kingdom internationally.
The British Baseball Federation (BBF) is the governing body for baseball in the UK and the baseball leagues. The season runs from April until August. Affiliated baseball clubs pay annual affiliation fees to be a member of the BBF and play in the BBF Leagues and Junior Leagues. There are three leagues independent of the British Baseball Federation: the Scottish National League, run by Baseball Scotland; the Northern Baseball League containing mainly teams based in Northern England; and the South West and Wales Baseball League, representing some of the teams in the South West of England, plus one team in Wales. There is also a full Great Britain Baseball Programme which comprises the Great Britain Baseball Academy,[45] junior national teams and Great Britain 'Seniors' Baseball Team.
The BBF league format is divided into the national divisions, consisting of four tiers from the National League, down to the Single-A league. At the end of the season, all divisions compete in post-season tournaments where the top teams from each conference play knockout matches, with the winning teams then progressing to the Championship Series. The Championship Series of the National League is best of three; the AAA, AA and A championships are single games.
The Independent leagues compete against the teams in their own leagues, and in 2017 the first Independent leagues finals weekend was held at Hull, which consisted of semi-finals between the champions of the Independent leagues and a final held the next day. This was followed by an England v Scotland friendly All-Star game.
Baseball in Universities
University baseball in the United Kingdom has also been growing, with 75 teams from 35 universities currently participating in the sports. The university season runs from September to May, the typical off-season for the sport. Between 2013 and 2019, the National Champion was decided by the BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK)-run National University Championship, which was run as a bi-annual event. In 2020, the sport was admitted into the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) system, with a new national championship being held at the Farnham Park National Baseball & Softball Complex.[46] Initally, this was supposed to take place in 2021,[47] but the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the launch of the new National Championship until the 2021-22 season
In 2023, the Univeristy of Central Lancashire made UK Baseball history by offering 2 students, Aflie Hill and Nathan Simmons, scholarships to play baseball. This is the first time (that is currently known of) that this has happened in the UK. [48]
List of National Champions
National University Championships (BSUK)
| Season | Winners | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 (March) | University of East Anglia | |
| 2014 (October) | Univeristy of East Anglia | |
| 2015 (March) | Loughbrough University | |
| 2015 (October) | Loughbrough University | |
| 2016 (March) | Loughbrough University | |
| 2016 (October) | Durham University | |
| 2017 (March) | University College London | |
| 2017 (October) | Loughbrough University | |
| 2018 (March) | Postponed | |
| 2018 (June) | Durham University | |
| 2018 (October) | Loughbrough University | Known as the Autumn Open Univeristy Challenge |
| 2019 (March) | Loughbrough University | |
Sources: [46]
BUCS National Championships
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Loughbrough University | 7-4 | University of East Anglia Blues | [49] |
| 2022-23 | Loughbrough University | 5-3 | University of Central Lancashire | ,[50] Semi-Finals and Finals postponed to 3rd May due to weather |
| 2023-24 | TBD [51] | |||
National Baseball Champions
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | Aston Villa | Preston North End Baseball Club | No playoff | |
| 1892 | Middlesbrough | 25–16 | St. Thomas's | |
| 1893 | Thespian London | 33–6 | Darlington St. Augustine's | |
| 1894 | Thespian London | 38–14 | Stockton-on-Tees | |
| 1895 | Derby Baseball Club | 20–16 | Fullers | |
| 1896 | Wallsend-On-Tyne | 16–10 | Remingtons | |
| 1897 | Derby Baseball Club | 30–7 | Middlesbrough | |
| 1899 | Derby Baseball Club | 14–3 | Nottingham Forest | |
| 1900 | Nottingham Forest | 17–16 | Derby Baseball Club | |
| 1906 | Tottenham Hotspur | 16-5 | Nondescripts | |
| 1907 | Clapton Orient | 8–7 | Fulham | |
| 1908 | Tottenham Hotspur | 6–5 | Leyton | |
| 1909 | Clapton Orient | 6–4 | Leyton | |
| 1910 | Brentford | 20–5 | West Ham United | |
| 1911 | Leyton | 6–5 | Crystal Palace | |
| 1934 | Hatfield | 13–12 | Albion | |
| 1935 | New London | 7–1 | Rochdale Greys | |
| 1936 | White City | 9–5 | Catford Saints | |
| 1937 | Hull | 5–1 | Romford Wasps | |
| 1938 | Rochdale Greys | 1–0 | Oldham Greyhounds | 15 innings |
| 1939 | Halifax | 9–5 | Rochdale Greys | |
| 1948 | Liverpool Robins | 13–0 | Thames Board Mills | |
| 1949 | Hornsey Red Sox | 10–5 | Liverpool Cubs | |
| 1950 | Burtonwood Bees | 23–2 | Hornsey Red Sox | |
| 1951 | Burtonwood Bees | 9–2 | Ruislip Rockets | |
| 1959 | Thames Board Mills | 12–4 | East Hull Aces | |
| 1960 | Thames Board Mills | 6–1 | Liverpool Tigers | |
| 1962 | Liverpool Tigers | 8–3 | East Hull Aces | |
| 1963 | East Hull Aces | 8–3 | Garringtons | |
| 1965 | Kingston Aces | 4–2 | Stretford Saints | |
| 1966 | Stretford Saints | 3–1 | Liverpool Aces | |
| 1967 | Liverpool Yankees | 4–2 | Beckenham Bluejays | |
| 1968 | Hull Aces | 4–1 | Hull Royals | |
| 1969 | Watford-Sun Rockets | 8–7 | Liverpool Trojans | 11 innings |
| 1970 | Hull Royals | 3–1 | Hull Aces | |
| 1971 | Liverpool Tigers | 8–3 | Hull Aces | |
| 1972 | Hull Aces | 6–4 | Hull Royals | |
| 1973 | Burtonwood Yanks | 23–3 | Hull Aces | |
| 1974 | Nottingham Lions | 5–3 | Hull Royals | |
| 1975 | Liverpool Tigers | 5–3 | Nottingham Lions | |
| 1976 | Liverpool Trojans | 5–4 | Spirit Of '76 | |
| 1977 | Golders Green Sox | 9–5 | Hull Aces | |
| 1978 | Liverpool Trojans | 14–12 | Crawley Giants | |
| 1979 | Golders Green Sox | 9–7 | Hull Aces | |
| 1980 | Liverpool Trojans | 12–1 | Hull Aces | |
| 1981 | London Warriors | 23–1 | Hull Aces | |
| 1982 | London Warriors | 16–7 | Liverpool Trojans | |
| 1983 | Cobham Yankees | 10–3 | Hull Mets | |
| 1984 | Croydon Blue Jays | 9–8 | Hull Mets | |
| 1985 | Hull Mets | 10–8 | London Warriors | |
| 1986 | Cobham Yankees | 12–5 | Hull Mets | |
| 1987 | Cobham Yankees | 6–0 | Southglade Hornets | |
| 1988 | Cobham Yankees | 16–1 | Burtonwood Braves | |
| 1989 | Enfield Spartans | 15–9 | Sutton Braves | |
| 1990 | Enfield Spartans | 22–3 | Hull Mets | |
| 1991 | Enfield Spartans | 9–7, 2–4, 4–1 | London Athletics | Spartans won 2 games to 1 |
| 1992 BBF | Leeds City Royals | Humberside Mets | Awarded championship by walkover | |
| 1992 NL | London Warriors | 23–0, 5–4 | Enfield Spartans | Warriors won 2 games to 0 |
| 1993 BBF | Humberside Mets and Chicksands Indians | Title decider not played | ||
| 1993 NL | London Warriors | 2–1 | Enfield Spartans | |
| 1994 BBF | Humberside Mets | 2–3, 10–0, 8–0 | Essex Arrows | Mets won 2 games to 1 |
| 1994 NL | Enfield Spartans | 8–5 | Waltham Forest Angels | |
| 1995 | Menwith Hill Pirates | 3–2, 7–6 | London Warriors | Pirates won 2 games to 0 |
| 1996 | Menwith Hill Pirates | 14–9, 11–23, 18–12 | London Warriors | Pirates won 2 games to 1 |
| 1997 | London Warriors | 11–5, 31–12 | Kingston-upon-Hull Cobras | Warriors won 2 games to 0 |
| 1998 | Menwith Hill Patriots | 13–5, 17–15 | London Warriors | Patriots won 2 games to 0 |
| 1999 | Brighton Buccaneers | 16–4 | Windsor Bears | |
| 2000 | London Warriors | 11–7 | Brighton Buccaneers | |
| 2001 | Brighton Buccaneers | 8–5 | Windsor Bears | |
| 2002 | Brighton Buccaneers | 5–1 | Windsor Bears | |
| 2003 | Windsor Bears | 9–4 | Brighton Buccaneers | |
| 2004 | Croydon Pirates | 12–10 | Windsor Bears | |
| 2005 | Croydon Pirates | 11–4, 10–9 | Brighton Buccaneers | Pirates won 2 games to 0 |
| 2006 | Richmond Flames | 7–11, 8–5, 9–0 | Croydon Pirates | Flames won 2 games to 1 |
| 2007 | London Mets | 7–2, 11–1 | Croydon Pirates | Mets won 2 games to 0 |
| 2008 | London Mets | 11–4 | Richmond Flames | |
| 2009 | Bracknell Blazers | 16–4 | Richmond Flames | |
| 2010 | Richmond Flames | 10–1 | Bracknell Blazers | |
| 2011 | Harlow Nationals | 13–3 | Lakenheath Diamondbacks | |
| 2012 | Harlow Nationals | 6–3 | Herts Falcons | |
| 2013 | Southern Nationals | 12–7 | Southampton Mustangs | |
| 2014 | Essex Arrows | 5–1, 5–4 | London Mets | Arrows won 2 games to 0 |
| 2015 | London Mets | 6–2, 11–2 | Southampton Mustangs | Mets won 2 games to 0 |
| 2016 | Southampton Mustangs | 0–1, 7–3, 9–4 | London Mets | Mustangs won 2 games to 1 |
| 2017 | London Mets | 15–14, 6–0 | Southampton Mustangs | Mets won 2 games to 0 |
| 2018 | London Mets | 16–1, 11–1 | Herts Falcons | Mets won 2 games to 0[52] |
| 2019 | London Mets | 14–4 | London Capitals | |
| 2020 | London Mets | 9–1 | London Capitals | |
| 2021 | London Mets | 8-5 | London Capitals | |
| 2022 | London Mets | 9–4 | London Capitals | [53] |
| 2023 | London Mets | 3-5, 5-0, 14-0 | London Capitals | Mets won 2 games to 1 |
| 2024 |
Championships by Region
| Region | Number of championships |
Towns/Cities |
|---|---|---|
| London | 36 | London (36) |
| North West | 16 | Liverpool (9), Warrington (3), Preston (1), Rochdale (1), Stretford (1) |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14 | Hull (9), Harrogate (3), Halifax (1), Leeds (1) |
| South East | 10 | Cobham (4), Brighton (3), Bracknell (1), Southampton (1), Windsor (1) |
| East of England | 7 | Harlow (2), Purfleet (2), Bedford (1), Waltham Abbey (1), Watford (1) |
| East Midlands | 5 | Derby (3), Nottingham (2) |
| North East | 2 | Middlesbrough (1), Newcastle (1) |
| West Midlands | 1 | Birmingham (1) |
| Scotland | – | |
| South West | – | |
| Wales | – |
Current League System
Due to the large turnover of teams (from baseball currently not being a professional sport in the United Kingdom), the league structure changes every season. For 2023, the format is the following:
|
Level |
League(s)/Division(s) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBF and Affiliated Leagues | ||||||||
| 1 | BBF National Baseball League
6 teams from 5 clubs | |||||||
| 2 | BBL Higher Division 5 teams from 3 clubs |
BBF Triple-A Division | ||||||
| 3 |
BBF Double-A - Central & East |
BBF Double-A - South 6 teams from 4 clubs |
BBF Double-A - South & South West 5 teams from 5 clubs |
BBF Double-A - South East 5 teams from 5 clubs | ||||
| 4 | North East Baseball League 5 teams from 4 clubs |
BBL Lower Division |
East of England Baseball League |
BBF Single-A - South Central A
6 teams from 3 clubs |
BBF Single-A - South Central B5 teams from 3 clubs | BBF Single A – Wessex Division 4 teams from 4 clubs |
BBF Single A – Severn Division 5 teams from 4 clubs |
BBF Single-A - South East
5 teams from 5 clubs |
| Unaffiliated Leagues | ||||||||
| 1 | Scottish National League - AAA 6 teams from 4 clubs |
West Midlands Baseball League |
Westcountry Baseball League 6 teams from 6 clubs |
|||||
| 2 | Scottish National League - A 4 teams from 3 clubs |
|||||||
2024 Clubs
Note: This list does not contain clubs who failed to opt in to the 2024 league system and are officially listed as inactive. Youth teams are also not included.
| Club | Team Name | City/Area | Ballpark | League/Divsision | Club Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Oilers | Aberdeen, Aberdeen | George W. Chalmers Field | SNL - AAA | 2013 | |
| Belles Baseball | Slough, Berkshire | Farnham Park | BBF - Women's South | 2021 | |
| Birmingham Metalheads | Birmingham, West Midlands | Marston Green Recreational Ground | WMBL | 2021 | |
Birmingham Bats 
|
WMBL | ||||
| Bournemouth Bears | Ferndown, Dorset | Ferndown Leisure Centre | NBL | 2018 | |
| Bournemouth Bears (A) | BBF - A - SEV | ||||
| Bracknell Inferno | Bracknell, Berkshire | Westmorland Park | BBF - AAA - SW | 1992 | |
| Brighton Brewers | Brighton and Hove, East Sussex | Pavilion Field | BBF - AA - SE | 2016 | |
| Brighton Jets | BBF - A - SE | ||||
| Bristol Badgers | Keynsham, Somerset | Somerdale Pavilion | BBF - AAA - SW | 2008 | |
| Bristol Bats | BBF - AA - S&SW | ||||
| Bristol Brunels | BBF - A - SEV | ||||
| Bristol Buccaneers | BBF - A - WES | ||||
| Bristol Bobcats | BBF - Women's South | ||||
| Cambridge Lancers | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire | Coldhams Recreation Ground | BBF - AAA - SW | 2011 | |
| Cambridge Monarchs | EEBL | ||||
| Cambridge Royals | EEBL | ||||
| Croydon Pirates | Sutton, London | Roundshaw Grounds | BBF - AAA - A | 1981 | |
| Croydon Pirates (AA) | BBF - AA - SE | ||||
| Cardiff Merlins I | Cardiff, Cardiff | Pontcanna Fields | BBF - A - SEV | 2018 | |
| Cardiff Merlins II | BBF - A - SEV | ||||
| Cornish ClayCutters | St. Austell, Cornwall | St Mewan School Field | BBF - A - WES | 2017 | |
| County Durham Spartans | Staindrop, County Durham | Staindrop Academy | NEBL | 2017 | |
| East London Latin Boys | Waltham Forest, London | Salisbury Hall Playing Field | 2011 | ||
| East London Latin Boys (AA) | BBF - AA - S | ||||
| Edinburgh Rays | Edinburgh, Scotland,UK | Morgan Playing Fields, Edinburgh | NEBL | 2023 | |
| Edinburgh Diamond Devils | Edinburgh, Edinburgh | Bobby Thompson Field | SNL - AAA | 1985 | |
| Edinburgh Cannons | SNL - AAA | ||||
| Edinburgh Knights | SNL - A | ||||
| Essex Arrows | Waltham Abbey, Essex | Townmead Leisure Park | BBF - NBL | 1983 | |
| Essex Archers | BBF - AA - S&E | ||||
| Formosa Islanders
|
Old Oak Common, London | Wormwood Scrubs | BBF - AA - S | 2023 | |
| Glasgow Comets | Glasgow, Glasgow | Tolcross Field | SNL - AAA | 1997 | |
| Glasgow Galaxy | SNL - AAA | ||||
| Glasgow Comets (A) | SNL - A | ||||
| Glasgow Galaxy (A) | SNL - A | ||||
| Guildford Mavericks | Guildford, Surrey | Christ's College | BBF - AA - S&SW | 1992 | |
| Guildford Gold Cats | BBF - A - SCA | ||||
| Guildford Millers | BBF - A - SCA | ||||
| Harwich Town Bay Area Blues | Harwich, Essex | Low Road Field | EEBL | 2021 | |
| Herts Cardinals | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire | Grovehill Ballpark | BBF - AAA - A | 1996 | |
| Herts Hawks | BBF - AA - S&E | ||||
| Herts Ducks | BBF - AA - S | ||||
| Herts Eagles | BBF - A - SCB | ||||
| Herts Raptors | BBF - A - SCB | ||||
| Herts Ravens | BBF - A - SCB | ||||
| Hull Scorpions | Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire | Eastmount Recreation Centre | BBL - Lower | – | |
| East London Latino Hurricanes
|
Hadlow, Kent | Williams Field | BBF - AA - SE | 2023 | |
| Hurricanes Baseball | BBF - A - SE | ||||
| Kent Buccaneers | Hadlow, Kent | Williams Field | BBF - AAA | 2018 | |
| Kent Mariners | Rochester, Kent | Fair Winds Field | BBF - AA - SE | - | |
| Kent Mariners (A) | BBF - A - SE | ||||
| Leeds Locos | Otley, West Yorkshire | Wharfemeadows Park | BBL - Lower | 2020 | |
| Leicester Blue Sox | Leicester, Leicestershire | Western Park | WMBL | 2006 | |
| Leicester Diamonds | Leicester, Leicestershire | Western Park | BBF - Women's North | 2021 | |
| Liverpool Trojans Army | Sefton, Merseyside | Bootle Stadium | BBL - Higher | 1946 | |
| Halton Trojans | Runcorn, Cheshire | John Mills Ballpark | BBL - Lower | ||
| London Mets | Haringey, London | Finsbury Park | BBF - NBL | 1988 | |
| London Capitals | BBF - NBL | ||||
| London Metros | BBF - AAA | ||||
| London Meteors | BBF - AA - S | ||||
| London Musketeers | BBF - AA - S | ||||
| London Sidewinders | BBF - AA - S | ||||
| London Minotaurs | BBF - A - SCA | ||||
| London Mustangs | BBF - A - SCA | ||||
| London Mayhem | BBF - Women's South | ||||
| Long Eaton Storm | Long Eaton, Derbyshire | West Park Leisure Centre | BBL - Higher | 2014 | |
| Long Eaton Storm (2)
|
WMBL | ||||
| Long Eaton Storm Women's | BBF - Women's North | ||||
| Manchester As | Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester | Wythenshawe Park | BBL - Higher | 1947 | |
| Manchester C's | BBL - Lower | ||||
| Milton Keynes Bucks | Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire | Woughton on the Green | BBF - AA - S&E | 1986 | |
| Milton Keynes Bucks (A) | BBF - A - SCB | ||||
| Nighthawk Talons | Newcastle, Tyne and Wear | Gosforth Sports Association | NEBL | 2017 | |
| Nighthawk Wings | NEBL | ||||
| New Forest Thunder | Eastleigh, Hampshire | Wide Lane Sports Ground | BBF - AAA - SW | 2022 | |
| New Forest Knights | SWWBL | ||||
| Northants Centurions | Northampton, Northamptonshire | St Crispin Community Centre | EEBL | - | |
| Norwich Iceni | Norwich, Norfolk | University of East Anglia | BBF - AA - S&E | 2017 | |
| Norwich Warriors | EEBL | ||||
| Oxford Kings | Oxford, Oxfordshire | Horspath Sports Ground | BBF - AA - S&SW | 1998 | |
| Essex Redbacks | Chelmsford, Essex | Melbourne Park | BBF - AAA | – | |
| Essex Redbacks (A) | BBF - A - SCB | ||||
| Richmond Knights | Richmond upon Thames, London | Flood Field | BBF - AAA | 1992 | |
| Richmond Dragons | BBF - AA - S&SW | ||||
| Richmond Barons | BBF - A - SCA | ||||
| Richmond Dukes | BBF - A - SCA | ||||
| Sheffield Bladerunners I | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | Forge Valley | BBL - Lower | 1985 | |
| Sheffield Bladerunners II | BBL - Lower | ||||
| Sheffield Bruins | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | Thorpe Green Park | BBF - NBL | 2018 | |
| Sheffield Kodiaks | BBL - Higher | ||||
| Sheffield Grizzlies | BBL - Lower | ||||
| Sheffield Bruins Women | BBF - Women's North | ||||
| South Coast Pirates | Hastings, East Sussex | Bexhill Park | BBF - A - SE | 2018 | |
| Stourbridge Titans | Stourbridge, West Midlands | Gibson Field | WMBL | 2011 | |
| Taunton Muskets | Taunton, Somerset | Muskets Field | BBF - A - WES | 2014 | |
| Tayport Breakers | Tayport, Fife | Tom Waddell Memorial Baseball Field | SNL - AAA | 2020 | |
| Tayport Breakers (A) | SNL - A | ||||
| Telford Giants | Telford, Shropshire | Meadow Recreation Ground | WMBL | 2020 | |
| Telford 26ers | BBF - Women's North | ||||
| Tonbridge Wildcats | Tonbridge, Kent | Borley Field | BBF - AA - SE | 1982 | |
| Tonbridge Bobcats | BBF - A - SE | ||||
| Stockton Grizzlies
|
Stockton, Warwickshire | The Den | WMBL | 2022 | |
| Weston Jets | Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset | Hutton Moor | BBF - A - WES | 2018 | |
| Wolverhampton Wolves | Wolverhampton, West Midlands | Colton Hills Community School | WMBL | 2019 | |
| Worcester Sorcerers | Worcester, Worcestershire | Merlin Field | WMBL | 2019 | |
| Wragby Warmhammers | Wragby, Lincolnshire | Hammer Park | BBL - Lower | - |
See also
References
- ^ "Baseball & softball participation England 2016-20". Statista. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ Sulat, Nate (26 July 2013). "Why isn't baseball more popular in the UK?". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Morosi, John Paul (5 March 2020). "Classic, London Series growing game in UK". MLB. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ Katz, Gregory (27 June 2019). "Baseball hasn't taken off in Britain, despite deep roots there". Global News. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ Lynch, Steven (9 April 2013). "Britain's Baseball Stars". ESPN. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ "Tommy Connolly". Retrosheet. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
- ^ "HARRY WRIGHT". Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ Davis, Ted (2000). Connie Mack: A Life in Baseball. San Jose, CA: Writers Club Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-595-12112-0.
- ^ Macht, pp. 22-23
- ^ Bloom, Barry (22 September 2016). "Hoffman honors British ties as coach". Retrieved 31 July 2020.
- ^ Hooper, Simon. "Did baseball begin in 18th-century England?". CNN. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Major League Baseball told: Your sport is British, not American". 11 September 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "UK - England - Surrey - Baseball's UK heritage confirmed". BBC News. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Lucy Sherriff (19 June 2015). "MLB Players Want To Come And Play Baseball In London. So Why Don't They?". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Waldstein, David (26 June 2019). "Baseball in London? It's a Real Thing, Even When the Yankees Aren't Visiting". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ Matthew Thomas. "About Angels in the UK". Angels in the UK. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "American Baseball Players". The Buckingham Express. 8 August 1874. p. 6.
- ^ "Cricket, Football and Baseball". Sporting Life. 5 September 1874. p. 4.
- ^ "Circular Notes". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. 10 March 1888. p. 6.
- ^ "Sporting Notes". Rugby Advertiser. 10 November 1888. p. 3.
- ^ "America's National Game: Baseball Players on Tour". Sporting Life. 13 February 1889. p. 5.
- ^ "Baseball in London". Eastern Morning News. 13 March 1889. p. 3.
- ^ "Baseball". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 14 March 1889. p. 8.
- ^ "The American Baseball Players". Yorkshire Evening Press. 16 March 1889. p. 4.
- ^ "A Baseball Club for York". York Herald. 30 March 1889. p. 16.
- ^ "Wanted". Derby Daily Telegraph. 26 March 1890. p. 3.
- ^ a b "Sports and Pastimes: Notes and Gossip". Lancashire Evening Post. 13 July 1890. p. 4.
- ^ a b "A Baseball Association Formed". Derby Daily Telegraph. 10 October 1889. p. 3.
- ^ "Baseball in England". Sporting Life. 4 December 1889. p. 7.
- ^ "Baseball". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 2 July 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "Odds and Ends". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 16 July 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "Cricket". 17 July 1890. p. 10.
- ^ Kendrick, Mat. "Aston Villa: The day the claret and blues won the baseball league". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ "The Baseball Championship: Aston Villa the Winners". Sporting Life. 3 September 1890. p. 1.
- ^ "Derby Baseball Grounds: Notice". Derby Daily Telegraph. 4 August 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "The North End Baseball Team". Preston Herald. 27 August 1890. p. 5.
- ^ "Baseball Team to Visit England". Pall Mall Gazette. 28 February 1890. p. 4.
- ^ "Baseball in Edinburgh". Edinburgh Evening News. 5 May 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "The Spalding Baseball Club". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 12 July 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "Baseball in Aberdeen". Aberdeen Press and Journal. 5 August 1890. p. 3.
- ^ "Local Sporting Notions". South Wales Echo. 15 April 1893. p. 2.
- ^ "The 1938 Amateur World Series in Liverpool: How Britain beat America at Baseball". Liverpool Echo. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "England Baseball Team to Tour". Leeds Mercury. 30 July 1938. p. 11.
- ^ "Short Jabs". Sunday Mirror. 22 July 1951. p. 16.
- ^ "MLB - Baseball in Europe is about to take off". Espn.com. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ a b Staff. "Development | Universities". www.baseballsoftballuk.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Historic: baseball and softball become university sports in United Kingdom". World Baseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Staff. "UCLan's Hill, Simmons Make History as first British Baseball Scholar-Athletes". www.baseballsoftballuk.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Staff. "Inaugural BUCS Baseball & Softball National Championships - By the Numbers". www.baseballsoftballuk.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Staff. "Double, Double! Loughborough repeats as BUCS National Baseball Champions". www.baseballsoftballuk.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "British Baseball Federation - BUCS National Championships 2024". stats.britishbaseball.org.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Jones, Rob (9 September 2018). "Falcons fall at the last; Mets take NBL title". Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "NBL 2022". British Baseball Federation.
External links
- BBF (British Baseball Federation) Archived 9 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- Great Britain National Baseball Team Archived 23 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Project Cobb, the Project for the Chronicling of British Baseball.
- Great Britain Baseball Scorers Association, the home of baseball scoring in the UK.
.jpg){kind=small}