The game of baseball in the United Kingdom

by Dawn Hodson - 13:55 on 21 May 2007

The introduction of baseball in the United Kingdom has been attributed to Francis Ley, a Derbyshire gentleman, who became aware of the existence of the game during a visit to the United States of America.  In 1890, he devised a way to bring baseball to the UK and, Intentionally, he enlisted the help of Albert Goodwill an American sporting goods businessman who saw in it an opportunity to accrue his business' interest across the pond.

The game's point of greatest development was in 1938 when the first World Cup in baseball was held in England which, naturally, Great Britain won. Appropriately enough this triumph captured the interest of many people and the game reached its highest climax when it was played at a professional level in the Derbyshire area in 1939. Football and baseball shared grounds and the existence and popularity of the two games seemed assured.  However, the Second World War put pay to that thought as a twisted control freak  and brutal thug ignited the tempestuousness of  Mars when he invited the chief spirit of evil and war to these shores, mainland Europe and the rest of the world in 1940 destryoing the intellectual and sporting bindings that had united us in a mutual relationship of togetherness for so long . Indeed, the Second World War effectively spelt an end to world peace and as many people were wiped out  the  future of baseball became clouded with uncertainty; however, the decisiveness of the ally forces were greater than the enemy and the world's resilience to recover quickly from that violent disturbance won the day; nevertheless, the lessons  learned from that conflict and from a whole broad range of issues have  enable people today to work together harmoniously in complete agreement and  without hierarchical boundaries in order to prevent the iniquities of the past. However, a stumbling block is still present, though, and the tendency to look at the differences that make us different as people and not to look at the things that makes us alike need to be put aside. Structures that help make complicated process happen smoothly and simply must be introduced quickly and efficiently. It is time to draw a line or we'll never learn, never change or never grow as one nation one team. Indeed, sometimes we have to reach for something that we are not sure we can get and I am fully aware that many restrictions can suppress freedom of choice but at the same time we have to allow into our world something that we are not sure we want. It has been said that we learn from our mistakes but we have not learnt enough from one another, particularly, when it comes to other people's idiosyncrasy.

Nonetheless, since the end the war many people have been working very hard both on and off the field to bring baseball to the mass, young and old of all sort of levels and backgrounds, and their effort have not been in vain since there are about 50 teams and 1000 and 1 players currently playing the game in the United Kingdom.

The first World Cup in baseball was held in England in 1938 when teams from the USA and United Kingdom played a series of five games. Naturally, Great Britain beat the Americans four times in five games as they became the first baseball team to win the world cup in baseball. What a feast!

Past and Present World Cup Champions

Year Winner

1938 United Kingdom
1939 Cuba
1940 Cuba
1941 Venezuela
1942 Cuba
1943 Cuba
1944 Venezuela
1945 Venezuela
1947 Colombia
1948 Dominican Republic
1950 Cuba
1951 Puerto Rico
1952 Cuba
1953 Cuba
1961 Cuba
1965 Colombia
1969 Cuba
1970 Cuba
1971 Cuba
1972 Cuba
1973 Cuba
1973 United States
1974 United States
1976 Cuba
1978 Cuba
1980 Cuba
1982 Korea
1984 Cuba
1986 Cuba
1988 Cuba
1990 Cuba
1994 Cuba
1998 Cuba
2001 Cuba
2003 Cuba
2005 Cuba
2006 Japan

Pedro Figueras
Head Coach

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