The (English) Baseball League (est. 1888): A History

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Baseball League 1908
Second Division League Leaders

Batting Leaders

Pitching Leaders

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Baseball League 1908
Second Division Top Game Performances

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Baseball League 1908
Second Division Top 20 Batsmen and Pitchers

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Baseball League 1908
Second Division Top Systems

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Baseball League 1908
Second Division Financial Report

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The Effect of the American Ball

The baseball programme for nineteen hundred and eight having been concluded, we may now regard the effect of the newly constructed baseball.

You may recall that the old Dukes baseball has been retired, in the interest of standardizing the British game with that of the rest of the baseball world, to place our game on at least equal footing with that of others, particularly America. The key differences incorporated into the new ball, manufactured in Philadelphia, is that it is made of horsehide rather than cow’s leather, and that the “seams” holding together the construction have been raised substantially, allowing the pitcher to gain greater advantage in controlling the flight and trajectory of the missile as he hurls it plateward.

To the naked eye, it was quite easy to see the effect. A casual observer could see the pitched baseball twist and turn in contortions never before seen on these shores, and it made for a more interesting battle between pitcher and batsman. The pitcher no longer need serve the ball “on a silver platter” and implore the opponent to freely hit the ball where he likes as hard as he likes; the batsman must now battle the pitcher’s delivery in a way he had not known to do before. To the keen baseball loyalist, this creates a far more interesting confrontation, akin to a game of chess, pitting the pitcher and batsman in a game of wits as the former attempts to make a fool out of the latter, and the latter attempts to win the battle despite the former’s ability to so exactly control the delivery. When all comes to all, it creates interesting tension between the two sides, and imbues each pitch made with far more import.

In retrospect, the effect on attack and pitching records occurred as predicted. A complete analysis of the record shows that in the First Division, batting average for all players combined went from .286 last season to .262 this; home runs decreased from 509 to 357; strike outs increased from 5,014 to 7,045; and runs per game went from nearly five to exactly four per team. The story is very much the same in the Second Division: batting average dropped from .278 to .260; home runs from 510 to 354; strike outs increased from 4,840 to 6,910; and runs per game are down to less than four, 3.94 to be exact.

Some of the best baseballers in the game did not seem to be as adversely affected by the change as were the lesser of their peers. For example, Pat Hodgson of Port Vale hit sixteen home runs with the Spalding ball this year, whilst division leader Harrison Whittington of Stoke could manage only twelve with the Dukes ball last. Robert Arscott was able to bat .414 in 1908, and although less than last year’s .433, is not as dramatic a decrease as might have been expected. The batting average leader in the lower level, Sheffield Wednesday’s Frank Hodder, batted .355 this year, having dropped only seven points from his .362 in 1907. And despite the dramatic increase in strike outs, no new strike out records for either batsmen or pitchers were set.

Individual examples set aside, it is clear that the total effect of the Spalding baseball was a dramatic one, or a drastic one depending on your point of view, and in our opinion this has made the game better, not worse, and the gate reflects that this is the baseball public’s point of view as well, as each division drew well over four million paying customers each for the first season in the League’s history.

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Baseball Players Union

At the Imperial Hotel in Manchester on 2nd December, Bradley Betts, the splendid centre fielder of the Sunderland club, convened the first meeting of the new players collective, named the British Baseball Players Union, the goal of whom will be to organise all professional British baseballers to plead their case to the various leagues, the Baseball Association, and their clubs, for contractual parity. Among those present were seven Manchester United players, two Manchester City players, plus representatives from Newcastle United, Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Notts County, Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The new union sees as its aim not just what they term to be financial and contractual freedom, but also the creation of a body that would help all professional footballers, no matter their station, to obtain a fair hearing in disputes with their league and its clubs, and restitution in the case of injury and punishment.

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Union Secretary Selected

Chesterfield Town third baseman Joe Michel, recently retired from the game, has been offered the position of full-time secretary of the British Baseball Players’ Union (BBPU), at a salary of £150 per annum through the year 1911. As its first order of business, the union will take up the case of George Parsonage, a Fulham player suspended from baseball for life during the winter for requesting more than the regulatory £10 signing-on fee, a case that has galvanised his fellow baseball professionals to join. The union has started a petition on Parsonage’s behalf that has drawn more than 1,300 signatures. The union and their minions are adamant that they will prevail in this dispute, although the Baseball League has the advantage of establishment of precedent regarding prior business practice.

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Baseball League to Begin 1909 Programme

There appears to be no falling off of interest in British baseball in general and the Baseball League in particular, and big crowds are expected to see the opening matches at various centres up and down the country. Folk are as keen as ever, as one is pleased to note that the differences between the Players’ Union and the Baseball Association are so far stilled so that the games for opening week will surely be played.

It is too early yet to talk seriously about form, but that’s what this article will do nevertheless. As current Cup holders, the strong side in Liverpool are expected to challenge most boldly for the top of the First Division yet again, especially as pitching has become ascendant in the League once more. This is not to serve short shrift to the Port Vale club, however, whose pitching may lack the same proficiency but whose attack looks more than enough to make up the difference. Sunderland, Blackburn and Burnley are also sides expected to be reckoned with during the season. The shocking fall of Newcastle United, still anchored by the greatest pitcher of our era in Jesse Morgan, is not such that they are ready to book their ticket to-day for the Second Division of 1910 quite yet, but they must play with urgency and vigilance to prevent such a disaster from occurring.

The next level down shows the side in Everton to be surprisingly strong and perhaps even ready to contend for First Division glory, after years of execrable performance, three of those recently in complete exile from the League. Chelsea, the perpetual bridesmaids who fell on hard times in 1908, look to return to form to seek once again to raise themselves up a level next year as well. Look for strong showings from Bury, Birmingham, Bolton and the surprising Bradford Park Avenue in a division that to all appearances will be more competitive than in many recent years.

It is also reported that Central League baseball is much faster and keener than formerly. It is a good sign.

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Baseball League 1909: Clubs

<<<<< All updated uniforms courtesy of forum member No Pepper >>>>>

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Baseball League 1909: Club Locations


First Division




Second Division

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A Wild and Thrilling Match

Unlike association football, in which a single goal can put away an entire match early in the proceedings, no amount of runs can make a club comfortable with its lead, and we saw that yet again at Old Trafford.

Crewe Alexandra furnished the opposition on the occasion of 21st of August under wet and windy skies and in front of twenty five hundred or so Red Devil partisans otherwise unengaged for the afternoon. United took a three runs to none lead in the third innings, after which the Railwaymen came roaring back with ten runs in the top of the fourth innings, and an extra tally in the top of the seventh. A lead of eight runs with three frames remaining is considered so safe as to be a sure thing, and only the tedious retirement of the remaining United batsmen awaited.

But baseball is not football, and United roared back with their own rally, scoring three in the seventh, one in the eighth and four more in the bottom of the ninth, to draw the match at eleven all and send the game into the rainy tenth, which was delayed by half an hour for a passing rain shower, and in which the clubs traded single runs to perpetuate the game.

Crewe finally took the measure of Manchester United with four in the top of the twelfth innings and a shutting out of the Red Devils in the bottom of the twelfth innings. Thus, United was denied victory resulting from their heroic riposte. It was, nevertheless, a thrilling conclusion to what had been a dull and dreary beating for the first hour and a half.

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Results

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Baseball League 1909
Emperor of India Cup Series

Liverpool defeated Port Vale
Four Matches to One

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Baseball League 1909
Emperor of India Cup Winners




Liverpool Reds

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Champions and Emperor of India Cup Runners Up

Port Vale Valiants

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Final Table

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Team Batting and Pitching

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Award Winners

Baseballer of the Year: Harold Hind




Batsman of the Year: William Taylor




Pitcher of the Year: Joe Wilson




Newcomer of the Year: Henry McIlveen

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Baseball League 1909
First Division League Leaders

Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders