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

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Top Game Performances

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Top 20 Batsmen and Pitchers

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Top Systems

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Baseball League 1909
First Division Financial Report

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Former “Big Leaguer” Makes Good For Port Vale

There have been a scant few British baseballers from the American major leagues who have come to our own Baseball League to play, and with mixed results. Some may remember that Marty Hogan of the Hull City club got his start playing for the St. Louis and Cincinnati clubs in 1894 and 1895, then some lower league clubs in 1896, before signing with Stoke in 1897 and fashioning a fine career which is just now winding down. Ed Walker, who pitched quite poorly for Middlesbrough in 1904 after a short stint with the Cleveland ballclub, returned to America and is pitching without distinction for a small ball club in the state of Ohio.

The latest import arrived this spring, a right fielder named Henry McIlveen, a native son of Ulster who goes by the moniker of “Irish”, likely to distinguish him from the native Scotsmen who share his surname. “Irish” spent 1908 playing several games for the Highlanders of New York in the American league, recording a rather anaemic .213 hits average. He returned to New York for four games this year before being released, then immediately took a ship from New York to Southampton to find baseball work with Valiants of the Port Vale Club.

McIlveen appears to find British baseball quite agreeable and he has done no less than help lead Valiants to the First Division championship with a maiden campaign that has earned him Newcomer of the Year for the loop. He has placed among the leading batsmen in hits average, home runs and runs scored, and has displayed tremendous work on the fielding side of the ball as well.

Aged nine and twenty years, McIlveen still has a few good years ahead of him, and Port Valiants and their supporters in Stoke-On-Trent can look forward to several more seasons of similar accomplish from him.

[John C]

I'm still working my way through the past; however, I felt the need to comment at this juncture.

This is the best dynasty I have read on these forums.

As someone who has once run a pro/rel online league, and has written countless stories over the years, I truly appreciate your attention to detail. I am a Derby supporter on the pitch, and have greatly been disappointed with them here (especially when Newcastle has performed so admirably). Reading this has rekindled ideas that hard a hard time making it past that stage, due to time and a seeming inability to create art.

Reading your story has taken up free time whenever possible. Thank you for giving us excellent reading material, as well as an opportunity to show off what the game is capable of.

[chucksabr]

Originally Posted by John C

I'm still working my way through the past; however, I felt the need to comment at this juncture.

This is the best dynasty I have read on these forums.

As someone who has once run a pro/rel online league, and has written countless stories over the years, I truly appreciate your attention to detail. I am a Derby supporter on the pitch, and have greatly been disappointed with them here (especially when Newcastle has performed so admirably). Reading this has rekindled ideas that hard a hard time making it past that stage, due to time and a seeming inability to create art.

Reading your story has taken up free time whenever possible. Thank you for giving us excellent reading material, as well as an opportunity to show off what the game is capable of.

Wow, this is a hell of an endorsement! Your compliment goes beyond my wildest dream for this project. Thank you so much! Stay tuned ...

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Results

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Promoted Club

Bolton Wanderers

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Promoted Club

Everton Blues

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Final Table

Six non-league clubs challenged the three clubs seeking re-election in the vote for League membership. Voting (number of votes):

30      Grimsby Town       Elected to the League
26	Coventry City	   Elected to the League
22	Oldham Athletic	   Elected to the League
17	Woolwich Arsenal   Not re-elected to the League
6	Preston North End  Not re-elected to the League
3	Huddersfield Town  Not re-elected to the League
1	Leeds City	   Not elected to the League
1	Chesterfield Town  Not elected to the League
1	Lincoln City       Not elected to the League

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Team Batting and Pitching

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Award Winners


Batsman of the Year: Ezra Holman




Baseballer of the Year and Pitcher of the Year: Ernest Whittle




Newcomer of the Year: Charlie Christie

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division League Leaders

Batting Leaders

Pitching Leaders

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Top Game Performances

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Top 20 Batsmen and Pitchers

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Top Systems

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Baseball League 1909
Second Division Financial Report

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Floodlit Game Successful Down South

An experiment in modernity is expected to stoke discussion during the winter between the ’09 and ’10 baseball seasons as two Central League stalwarts, Coventry City and Oldham Athletic, played a match at the latter’s ground with temporary floodlights installed. The game launched at half eight in the evening sharp, lasted one hundred and seventeen minutes precisely, and ended up with a three runs to none victory for the Latics before an interested but inevitably sleepy throng of some four thousand, many of whom seemed more interested in the initial spectacle than in the game itself.

The lighting was fairly good especially for the batsmen and the infielders, although there were some pockets of darkness that presented problems for outfield play. In the first innings City batsman Armstrong hit a line drive that travelled directly to Oldham right fielder Dickenson, who simply missed it and let it go by for a three. He may not have seen the ball in the darkness, or perhaps he lost the ball as it sailed into the lights. However, play mostly settled down except for the odd turn here and there, and a missed opportunity to catch a foul ball for the third out in the seventh innings before the Latics scored two tallies. All in all, playing the game under artificial light is most definitely not the same as playing in natural daylight.

Nevertheless, the promise of regularly fixed floodlit games has become a distinct possibility, something the League would quite like to establish in a bid to make the game of baseball available to more people, in order to stoke greater gate receipts. The League will certainly discuss it with some interest at its meetings in December, although it’s not likely to be adopted for some years, let alone 1910.

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Baseball League
First Division
Single Season and Career Records
1888 through 1909