After many meetings and letters back and forth, by March the Mersey and Irwell Base Ball League is about ready for it's inaugural season. Six teams have committed to a 40 game schedule, the season will start during the first week of May. Every team will play one another 8 times with a midweek game to be played on Wednesday and a weekend game on Saturdays.
The league is strictly amateur, the only payment allowed to players by clubs is travel expenses and any loss of pay to be released from work on the Wednesdays to play ball.
Cavendish Base Ball Club
Cavendish are believed to be the first base ball club founded in Manchester, named for Cavendish Chapel in the Hulme area of the city. They used to play games and practice in Hulme but with the increased sprawl of housing the now play games on land just off Chorlton Road. Expectations are high for Cavendish who have maintained the best record in the informal Manchester round robins for the past 2 years.
Their star player is the 39 year old Gilligan Moore, Moore is part of the growing Irish community in Manchester and has spent many hours teaching youngsters and newcomers to the game how to hurl a ball with control and wicked pace.
Edge Hill Red Stockings B.B.C.
The first base ball club to be formed in Britain, originally simply known as Red Stockings base ball club the team have added Edge Hill to their name. They play their games on Lodge Lane.
Star player is Dennis Hughes, the 27 year old as the key founder of the base ball club and took the initiative to form the first organised league.
Longsight L&NWR B.B.C.
Longsight London and North Western Railway Base Ball Club were formed by workers at the carriage and locomotive depot in Longsight, Manchester. They play their game on Birch Hall Lane and had the worst record during the 1876 informal round robin games played in Manchester.
Star player is their young pitcher John Abbey.
Moss Lane Base Ball Club
Moss Lane Base Ball Club was formed by Queen's Brewery workers, they named the club for the road the brewery is on and the field in which they have practiced and played. Little is know as to what we can expect from the Moss Lane club, they were formed late in 1876 and have played a limited number of games against other opposition.
Star player is Flynn O'Flynn, another man from Manchester's Irish community, a strong batter of the ball and smart fielder.
Newton Heath LYR Base Ball Club
Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Base Ball Club was formed by railway workers in the same vain as the Longsight club. Both companies actively promoting the growth of the sport and clubs as they believe an exercised worker serves them best.
Players to watch at the Newton heath club are Connor Barclay a pitcher and Ben Smith third baseman, these two dominated games in Manchester during 1876.
Princes Park Base Ball Club
Although not the oldest, Princes Park are the most successful club in Liverpool. Named for the park in which they practice and play. Princes Park have dominated games in Liverpool for 2 years and are surely one of the teams to beat in the inaugural league season.
Star players are James King a pitcher that can manipulate a ball into behaving like nobody has seen before and Brian Binnington a big hitting second base man.