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

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Baseball League 1921
Third Division Top 20 Batsmen and Pitchers

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Baseball League 1921
Third Division Top Systems

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Baseball League 1921
Third Division Financial Report

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Spring Practice Will Move to Portugal.

As has been expected for some time, the First Division of the Baseball League has taken steps to require a dedication by their players to six weeks of spring practice. The business of League baseball has flourished greatly since the war, but its competition for gate money versus other pursuits, chiefly cricket, tennis and racing, has become such that a truly professional dedication amongst the game's practitioners has become a necessity. The players in the top division of the top league in the kingdom have no excuse but to provide maximum effort, and the League will spare no expense to make it so.

With the stability afforded by the election of the Portuguese Republican Party this January past, and the cooperation between top Portuguese government and business officials with the British businessman who steward the Baseball League, the construction of several facilities around the capital of Lisbon has been quickly undertaken, including that of pitches, room, board, and attendant facilities for the several players, manager, coaches and business personnel of each club. All 22 clubs will decamp among the various villages, towns and cities of the area, among them Amadora; Barreiro; Loures; Setubal; Seixal; Odivelas; Almada; and Lisbon proper.

The decision to practice in Portugal was made for several reasons. To start with, the climate in March and April is far more favourable than in England, as temperatures can exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For another, accommodations can be made cheaply in Portugal such that the expense of travel to and from the country, plus the boarding of players, can be had as cheaply as if practising in England. By concentrating all clubs in the Lisbon area, the opportunity for scheduling practice matches among the several division clubs is made far easier than travelling halfway across country to accomplish the same objective might. The object of increasing tourism in cash starved Portugal can also be met as English baseball supporters can spend holiday time dreaming of summer days at home while watching their clubs practice abroad. And of course, the move to Portugal makes clear to players that their pursuit of professional perfection is not being taken lightly by the employers, and so should not be by them as well. This will be no layabout holiday for coddled players—it is all serious business, and is to be attended to with vigour and purpose.

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The 1922 Baseball Season.

Changes Afoot in Play and Pay.

Baseball will be begun in England and Wales on Monday next, with a full programme of matches in the Baseball League. Since last season the Baseball Association, in its role governing body of the British game, have taken very strong action with the fixed determination of putting down foul play. They issued a statement condemning in very plain terms the infringement of the laws of the game in the final week of the season, which saw no fewer than three matches in which there was engaged what might be called “headhunting”, the deliberate practice of pitching towards the heads of opposing batsmen in such a way as to intimidate and gain unfair advantage. It happened in each of the three divisions, once in Sunderland, again in Notts, and twice in a match betwixt Gillingham and Newport County, all of which led to fisticuffs among all teams involved. There has been a lack of consistent response among the umpires of the games—in only one of the Gillingham-Newport County instances was a pitcher retired for his action, which in return earned the home plate official a sock to the nose.

The heads of batsmen are unprotected during at bats, and the tragedy of the death of Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians in America at the hands of pitcher Carl Mays two years ago is still fresh in the memories of baseballers the world over, thus prompting the League to address the incidents that occurred here in Britain. Umpires have been instructed forthwith to take immediate action in the case of attempts to deliberately injure batsmen in this way, and it is certain they will carry out the resolutions so passed. Umpires are to report the necessity of cautioning a pitcher, as well as their action in sending a man off the field as they see fit. When a pitcher is suspended for such action, his club may be called upon to pay into their benevolent fund the man’s wages during the term of his sentence. A club whose member causes an injury to an opponent may have to pay all the expenses arising out of such injury. This is a practical way of making management of a club responsible for the sporting behaviour of their team. It is a plan urged in some quarters long ago, but only brought into force now as the doings of last September have degraded the game in the eyes of the public.

Much has been made about the attempt of clubs and the League to force its players to submit to a reduction in wages, which failed in spectacular fashion as the public rallied behind the players to force the clubs to back down. Admission prices and attendance to matches have been steadily rising since the return to play after the war, and the public was well aware that if the players were not sharing in the increased bounty, all additional revenues will accrue to the pockets of the chairmen and their boards, and it was made clear through letters to newspapers that this was roundly seen as quite unfair. Wages will remain as they have in prior years, and in fact, with the requirement of dedicated spring practice, the extension of season pay by six weeks for First Division players has also been effected immediately.

On the pitch itself, so much has been said about the prospects of clubs since practice games began some weeks ago that, as usual, it would seem that every team will have a prosperous season. In this respect, it is most satisfactory to find that most of the leading clubs will be represented by almost all their old players, and that recruits will have to work their way into the sides on their merits in the reserve teams as vacancies occur. Walsall is particularly fortunate in not only having had to make very few changes, but that they are widely regarded as having the finest corps of young reserves waiting in the wings as well. They surprised all by falling short of the Cup series in 1921, but Swifts have once again returned to the role of heavy favourites for the Championship, and for the Cup. Current champions and Cup holder Manchester United seem weakened versus last year, as observed during spring games, and Crewe Alexandra fared no better in Portugal. Keep eyes on other clubs, then, to provide the challenge to Walsall: Luton Town, Oldham Athletic, Nottingham Forest, Blackburn Rovers, Chesterfield, and Bolton Wanderers among them. Blackburn is especially fortunate to have stripped starter Connie Broadhurst from Hull City in exchange for several adolescent reserves this past winter, while Luton won the bid to secure the services of non-League star pitcher Freddy Atkinson.

The fight for promotion in Second Division should be strongest amongst these clubs: Blackpool; West Bromwich Albion; Coventry City; Burnley; Clapton Orient; Exeter City. The Third Division is still far too new and its clubs unknown to accurately handicap their chances for a rise up, but the strongest clubs are adjudged to be Accrington Stanley; Wolverhampton Wanderers; Darlington; Nelson; Swansea Town; Watford; Aberdare; Gillingham; Brentford; and Birmingham.

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Baseball League 1922: Clubs

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

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Baseball League 1922: Club Locations


First Division




Second Division (Fulham [London] Not Shown)




Third Division North




Third Division South (Queen's Park Rangers Not Labelled)

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Results

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The Most Thrilling and Dangerous EOI Cup Match Ever Played.

Dozens of Injuries Among Spectators Reported.

Of the thirteen EOI Cup ties played, Tuesday's saw the most exciting close to a series ever produced. Over 27,000 supporters witnessed on a cold and rainy afternoon at Hillary Street Ground in Walsall a match that went back, then forth, then back again, only to end with a pair of improbable circumstances and a violent aftermath that will haunt the Manchester United players, and the Baseball League itself, during the long and cold close season.

United took command early in the deciding match of the first to four series, scoring three runs in the first two innings, stirred by a tremendously long home run, nearly 450 feet long, by the third base man William Russell as the second batsman in the game. Swifts came back strongly, plating six runs in the third through fifth innings—one on three singles in the third; two on three twos in the fourth, and three more by way of a single, a three and a home run in the fifth. The crowning blow was the two run home run by first base man Rupert Price, a powerful young newcomer for whom this was, nevertheless, his first home run of his League career.

A lead of three is not quite as safe in baseball as it would be in football, however, and United immediately mitigated the Walsall advantage first with a single run on an error by short stop Bestwick in the sixth innings, and two more in the top of the eighth innings on a single and a two, and then a sacrifice fly out by pinch batsman Laurie to drew both teams level at six runs each.

After Walsall was dispatched in quiet fashion in the bottom of the eighth, United bid for the lead in the ninth innings as erstwhile best baseballer, the Canadian pitcher Hand, started with a single and advanced to second base due to an outfield error. Alas, the top of his batting order could not bring him in and a ground out to short stop, then a pop out to third base, kept Hand planted at the midpoint. Despite a base on balls to Parsons, Morley could follow up only with a weakly hit ground ball to third which resulted in the third out at second and give Walsall a chance to win the Cup in the bottom of the inning. A swift “one two three” in the bottom of the frame brought a tenth innings to the game.

After a quick retreat by United at the top, Swifts third base man Bragger doubled to lead off the bottom of the tenth to bring up Jamie Ramsay, the base hits and batting average champion of the Division. Two of the greatest talents faced off against one another, Hand against Ramsay, with the Cup immediately at stake. Hand led off with a fast ball that started outside but then sneaked back into the zone for strike one. Hand then snapped off a curve, not at all a reliable pitch for him, which dropped Ramsay onto his rear but moved through the zone for strike two, at least according to the home plate umpire. Twenty seven thousand Walsallians roared their disapproval as Ramsay barked at the umpire, to no avail as the call stood. Hand then brought his tremendous fast ball up and in to Ramsay who futilely waved at it, striking out like the Mighty Casey of lore, and giving United their first out over Swifts. After an intentional base on balls to Elcock, both he and Bragger tried to force the issue by attempting to steal second and third simultaneously, but the latter was caught as the lead runner for the second out. A weak ground out to short stop by Price ended that innings.

United again went out in order in the top of the eleventh. Curley, the new Swifts pitcher, led off the bottom of the eleventh with a slow roller ground out catcher to first base. Pinch batsman Tom Downie then slapped a sharp line drive single to right field. Next, pinch batsman Brad Knight hit a one ball and two strike offer to second base man Parsons, who dropped the ball and allowed Knight to reach base on the error, Downie to second. A third consecutive pinch batsman, Freddy Paine, hit his own slow roller, but this time catcher Williams’s throw glanced from the glove of the now first base man Russell. It was a bullet throw that the young Russell, who had started the match at third base, should have caught easily—instead it careened towards the new right fielder Daniel, himself out of place in the position but who nevertheless was charging towards the play. With Downie having rounded third Daniel neatly scooped up the ball and hurled it plateward, it arriving there at the same time as Downie, and once the dust had settled, Downie was called safe at home, and the Cup went to Walsall

Manchester United players and coaches charged from their dugout howling protestations towards the umpires, while at the same time the Walsallians poured out of the grandstands to cheer their club’s victory, and the inevitable clashes commenced. There were many violent altercations between baseballers and spectators, the latter group sustaining far more blows than the former, owing to the possession of baseball bats and spiked shoes by the professionals, who were not shy about wielding either as circumstances saw fit. The Red Devils fought their way through the mobbed pitch to their clubhouse whilst police on horseback beat back the crowd as best they could. All told there were about three dozen injuries requiring trips to hospital, few of them very serious, and in the end United club managed to quit the grounds and make their way safely back towards Manchester, whilst the Swifts joined their loving throng in the pubs and bars of Walsall well into the night and on into morning.

This is but another chapter in a rivalry characterized by brute force on the pitch, but also by the spirit and passions of those supporters who claim triumph and suffer vanquishment through their favourite cub’s exploits. This match represented both the best and worst in British professional baseball, and there will surely be much discussion in London about this incident and the steps to be taken to avoid similar episodes in the future.

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Baseball League 1922
EOI Cup Series

Walsall defeated Manchester United
Four Matches to Three

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Champions and EOI Cup Winners




Walsall Swifts

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Baseball League 1922
EOI Cup Runners Up

Manchester United Red Devils

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Table

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Team Batting and Pitching

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Award Winners


Baseballer of the Year and Batsman of the Year: Larry Elcock




Pitcher of the Year: Liam MacCrindell




Newcomer of the Year: Fred Moylan

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Baseball League 1922
First Division League Leaders

Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Top Game Performances

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Top 20 Batsmen and Pitchers

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Top Systems

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Baseball League 1922
First Division Financial Report