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

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Results

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division North Promoted Club

Hull City Tigers

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division South Promoted Club

Swansea Town Jacks

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Tables

Three non-league sides challenged the two North clubs seeking re-election to Division 3 of the Baseball League. Voting -

33      Wrexham             Re-elected to the League
25	Wigan Borough	    Re-elected to the League
12	Scun-thorpe & Lindsey United	    Not elected to the League
10	Ipswich Town        Not elected to the League
10	Mansfield Town	    Not elected to the League

In the South, Queens Park Rangers and Newport County were re-elected to the Baseball League, unopposed.

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Team Batting and Pitching

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division North Award Winners



Baseballer of the Year: Wil Manning




Batsman of the Year: Willie Scollick




Pitcher of the Year: Eddie Booth




Newcomer of the Year: Fred Copland

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division South Award Winners


Baseballer of the Year: Josiah Shaw




Batsman of the Year: Ephraim Hart




Pitcher of the Year: Billy Siddall




Newcomer of the Year: Ernest Taylor

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division League Leaders

Northern Section

Batting Leaders

Pitching Leaders

Southern Section

Batting Leaders

Pitching Leaders

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Top Game Performances

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Top 20 Batsmen and Pitchers

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Top Systems

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Baseball League 1925
Third Division Financial Report

[Hageneezz]

Although the Eagles are my favourite team, "Cockney rebel" Cyril Chisholm will likely be my favourite player..

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Well, Chisholm does have one of the highest home run ratings in the game with a 39/100, so he's probably a good bet to crack the twenty homer club before he's all done.

[Hageneezz]

Do you use historical modifiers and such?

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I had wanted to allow the League to chart its own course of hitters' and pitchers' eras, because I wanted it to be separate and unique from the US majors' path, but the thing went awry as batting averages started to creep way up. When I staged a sim for the next ten years, the league was hitting in the high 300s and the batting leaders were hitting over .500. That did not pass the smell test. So I went to plan B, which was to modify the era_stats.txt file and pin the League to that.

tl;dr: Yes, I do.

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The Baseball League.

The Opening of the Season.

The new season of the Baseball League will be opened to-morrow, when the 88 clubs forming the four divisions of the League will play their first matches. After five months’ holiday, the professionals returned to their clubs at the beginning of March—the 44 best clubs in Portugal, the remaining 44 in their clubs’ practice grounds here at home—and in the meantime have trained with the thoroughness of the boxer preparing to take part in a 20-round contest. League baseball to-day is only for the man who can provide the full measure of concentration over the course of 126 games, nine innings per game—perhaps more—and can alternately stand still whilst maintaining full attention, and then suddenly move at full speed at a split second’s notice to make the play at hand. League baseball is not at all an activity for the dilettante.

No changes have been made in the laws of the game. The issue of the substitute batsman again came up in the League meeting in London in December, and which again has come to naught as many clubs with proficient all-rounders continue to object, although that list changes with the turnover of squads from year to year. Beyond that, nothing of substantial import has passed that will render the game any less recognizable to even the casual observer as was seen last season.

It has been once again a quiet and uneventful close season. There is still insufficient first-class talent to satisfy demands at the top of the League, and there is the usual quest for men by clubs prepared to pay heavy transfer fees. They have, however, met with little success even in Scotland. Last season as much as £70,000 was paid by English clubs for Scotsmen, but now either the supply has been exhausted or the Scottish baseball clubs have decided that they cannot afford to allow any more of their leading players to depart.

Within the League, the odd player exists in lower divisions who would be a star at any level, but who are bound to their clubs by contract and thus tied to their team’s fortunes. Pavot of Arsenal is one almost tragic case, as the Gunners are among the worst clubs in the League and certain to challenge for inclusion in the Third Division once the season has closed, yet he continues to bat around .400 every season. Other examples off the top of the head include MacAlpine of Clapton Orient; Johnson of Leeds United; Hart of West Ham United; Murray also of Orient; Malise of Merthyr Town; and Brookes of Watford. There are dozens more, all tethered to their clubs’ fortunes, while slots on the squads of even top clubs are manned by players barely fit to draw even the minimum of wages. Offers have been made by top clubs for many of these players, only to be thwarted by the greed of the club on the receiving end demanding the moon and the stars in return. As such, clubs unwilling to squander their money on unreasonable demands must return to the old policy of training young players.

There has been one disturbing factor during the past two or three months. Agents of American clubs have been in this country and their mission has been to try to persuade players to go to Boston, Chicago, Brooklyn and other cities which host clubs who have fared poorly in their own leagues. Even the vaunted New York Yankees, who uncharacteristically finished seventh out of eight clubs last season, have been in pursuit of baseballers here in the kingdom. In some cases the terms have been tempting, as much as £20 a week having been offered.

Altogether about a dozen men have been engaged for American baseball, but for the most part they were drawn from those who had failed to come to terms with their own clubs and they were not of high standing in the game. But one exception shows how serious the poaching of British players might become. Gabriel Johnson, the top pitcher for Doncaster Rovers, winner of twenty-one last season and aged just 27 years, has signed a contract worth the equivalent of £16 per week with the Newark Bears of the International League, a minor league with close ties to the major leagues. A Yeovilian by birth, he is an accomplished player whose value in transfer or trade is not less than £3,000. Doncaster could probably have obtained this value for him at any time last season. His departure for America, however, meant that the club got nothing.

The new season promises well as, as far as one can foresee, there is not likely to be much difference in the playing status of the clubs. Crewe Alexandra, first time champions last season but a perennial power for some years, appear to be sufficiently equipped to win the honours for a second time. It is hoped that Delamarre, the Walsallian obtained in trade from Coventry City immediately after the EOI Cup victory, will solve the centre field problem, which was often troublesome. The wonderful run of success by the Cheshire club has been largely due to their fighting spirit. Other teams are as clever as they, but do not possess the same capacity to struggle against the odds, especially from the mound. This is seen in close-scoring matches, during which the Railwaymen are specially dangerous. The fortunes of Port Vale were rebuilt by the same downright methods. There was seldom anything exceptional about their baseball. But by persistent effort, aided by the well placed home run, the scoring was made and the victories obtained. Apart from a few young players, the Valiants have not added to their squad. One in whom they have high hopes is the Bramald, the promising young catcher secured from Walsall just before spring practice commenced.

The Second Division is likely to be led by Leicester City, who have made a strong move upwards in each of the past three seasons and look to continue unabated into the First Division when the season expires. Despite their flailing about last season, Notts County have put themselves in good position to return to the senior competition for the first time since 1907. Other top clubs appear to be Brighton Hove Albion, and also Accrington Stanley, who will bid to return immediately. In the Third Division, the class of the Northern Section appear to be Barnsley, Darlington, and the recently exiled Stockport County. In the south, West Ham United and Birmingham should be the favourites.

Beyond West Ham, London enthusiasts may have some trouble actually being enthused about the chances for promotion, let alone championship. The top flight’s lone capital club, Fulham, would do well to land in the middle of the table. Of the four clubs in the next level, Clapton Orient may have the best chance to rise to the top, although if so may be balanced by the drop of the terrible Arsenal club to the Third Division’s south division from which, apart from West Ham, no London clubs are expected to seriously compete for promotion.

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Baseball League 1926: Clubs

<<<<< Most uniforms courtesy of forum member
No Pepper >>>>>

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Baseball League 1926: Club Locations


First Division




Second Division




Third Division North




Third Division South (Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic not shown)

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Rude Welcome to Top Flight for Fulham.

Fulham had spent a mere nine games in their first foray back into the First Division since the 1920 season, and had been doing quite well, winning six of those matches and being “in the mix” towards the top of the table in the early going. Manchester United, having resided in the top flight going on thirty one years, had scuffled along and won only four of their own first nine.

But none of that mattered as Red Devils administered what could only be referred to as a good old-fashioned caning to Fulham, even after the Cottagers had taken quick advantage of a threebee and a single for a run after their first two batsmen of the game. For United went on to score four in their first innings, then six in their second, one in their third, five in their fourth, and two more in their fifth, and once Fulham’s heads had stopped spinning, they looked up towards the board to see a deficit of eighteen runs to one had accrued against them. And as though that were not enough, United socked the Cottagers with another six runs in the eighth innings, which completed a 24 runs to one victory before nearly nine thousand delighted supporters at Old Trafford.

Five Fulham pitchers, including last season’s Second Division Pitcher of the Year, Willie Wrenn, could do nothing to contain an attack that was relentless, and which included an astounding 27 base hits and an additional nine base runners courtesy of balls. Among the hits were seven two basers, including three by first base man MacIntyre, and a home run by Sturgess. On the other side of the ledger, United pitcher Bentley threw eight solid innings and although allowing twelve base runners himself, conceded only the single tally by the Cottagers.

This episode should serve to remind Fulham of the far increased difficulty of the game of baseball at its highest level, and it is doubtful they will allow themselves to be caught so unawares as they were on Thursday.