Previously I posted about a British Baseball relic, tied to the first years of British Baseball in the 1890s. For those interested, here is another Chapter in British Baseball history, this time the mid 1930s - the “Golden Age”.
Here is a Season’s Pass to the
1937 Season of the National Baseball Association, signed by J.W. Green, General Secretary of the association. Also pictured is a 1936 Season Pass to the London County Baseball Association.
The years 1935-1938 are considered the Golden Age, and height of British Baseball, when professional baseball flourished for a brief period.
Following a long period of low interest in baseball in England,
Sir John Moores, in 1933, formed the
National Baseball Association (N.B.A) in response to a challenge by the President of the National League, John A. Heydler, to spur British Baseball growth. Moores established eighteen amateur baseball teams in two leagues within a few months of Heydler’s dare. Heydler was so impressed that he donated the league trophy – a silver cup.
- In 1935 Moores formed the first of three professional leagues as part of the NBA – the North of England Baseball League.
- In 1936, Moores formed two new professional leagues as part of the NBA – the Yorkshire League, and the London Major Baseball league. The leagues heavily imported American and Canadian players to enhance their squads. Teams such as the West Ham club, the Romford Wasps, the Hackney Royals, the Catford Saints, and White City all could regularly draw between 4,000 to 8,000 fans.
- In 1936, the London League was the best league, and the star player was West Ham’s Roland Gladu - the “Babe Ruth of Canada”. Gladu would go on to play briefly for the Boston Braves in 1944.
- Following the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the West Ham team beat the US Olympic team 5-3 in an exhibition game in London.
- In 1937, 11,000 spectators watched Hull win the National Baseball Association Challenge Cup Final against the Romford Wasps, 5 -1. The Cup Trophy was donated by John A. Heydler.
- In 1938 Britain’s greatest success in the global baseball community occurred when the country won the first-ever World Amateur Baseball Championship, beating the U.S.
- The onset of WWII led to the end of the Golden Age. World War Two intervened and British baseball has never really recovered.
Link to additional images from the National Baseball Association:
https://goo.gl/photos/GgHVjPWstr4JzC8o8
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1937 Hull Team – NBA Cup British National Champions.
Max Wilson struck out 14 Romford Batters. Max "Lefty" Wilson would go on to play briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1940, and the Washington Senators in 1946.
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