The History of British Baseball - Page 2

Haystacks · 01-22-2023, 01:08 PM

Following the 1880s AGMs of the Lancashire Base Ball League and the Mersey & Irwell League both leagues admitted two new clubs into the amateur competitions.

New Mersey & Irwell Clubs

Stockport Hot Works B.B.C.

Stockport is famous for it's ever growing hat making industry, the town's base ball club was founded by workers of this industry in 1879. The team secure a lease on an area on Edgely Road to set up facilities and a base ball field, this is not far from the future location of Stockport County F.C..

Birkenhead Holt Hill

The Birkenhead club play their games in the Holt Hill area of the town, they were formed in 1877 after the success of the M&I League across the river Mersey caught their attention. Several years earlier the club were rejected on application to the league, to guarantee their place this time they have promised to pay visitors ferry fee if they're travelling from beyond Liverpool.

Lancashire Base Ball League Clubs

Darwen B.B.C.

The Darwen club were formed by members of the football club of the same name. The small town is only a few miles outside of Blackburn and interest in the game rapidly spread after visits to the area by Edge Hill Red Stockings and the formation of Blackburn Olympic B.B.C. They play their games at Anchor Road, with facilities dedicated to their use for base ball next to the association football ground.

Preston Riverside Club

The community and some members of Preston North End had petitioned the club to take up the summer game of base ball as early as 1878. However their was little interest within the structures of the club as they shift focus to association football and found great enjoyment in cricket in the summer months. This led to the formation of Riverside Base Ball club in 1880, they took their name from the area of land they had secured to play base ball and set up some basic facilities for the club. On joining the league the town name was added to the club's title.

1881 changes and a future association

To reduce the concern of travel costs to clubs in the Mersey & Irwell league it is agreed clubs will play a 36 game season. 1 game on Friday afternoons followed by a Saturday double header. This also allows for a reduction in travel as clubs making long journeys could look into finding accommodation for the Friday night. The schedule will involve 6 games against 3 opponents and 3 games against the remaining 6 clubs. The league opens the first weekend of May and ends by late July.

The Lancashire League increases to a 20 game schedule, starting early April, playing double headers every Saturday until early June.

Since the tour of 1874 Dennis Higgins has maintained correspondence with Albert Spalding. Spalding has persistently maintained that Higgins should form a professional league, exalting the protentional to increase interest and spread of the game whilst also making significant financial gains. Spalding has also encouraged Higgins to form a national organisation to act as a governing body for the sport, ensuring rules are maintained and regulated and again to be able to control the growth of the sport. Higgins has had little interest in both of these prospects, however the formation of a governing body for base ball seems on the horizon by 1881. Many look up to Higgins, not just as a ball player, but as an administrator. Upon the Edge HIll clubs spring tour across Lancashire to play practice games he meets with the club executives of the Lancashire League clubs, they want the leagues to merge and suggest creating an association. Higgins is unwilling to commit to any plans without significant thought and the input of the clubs from his own league, so he arranged for an interleague meeting of clubs for the autumn of 1881.

01-22-2023, 01:08 PM	#21
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1881 League Expansions. Following the 1880s AGMs of the Lancashire Base Ball League and the Mersey & Irwell League both leagues admitted two new clubs into the amateur competitions. New Mersey & Irwell Clubs Stockport Hot Works B.B.C. Stockport is famous for it's ever growing hat making industry, the town's base ball club was founded by workers of this industry in 1879. The team secure a lease on an area on Edgely Road to set up facilities and a base ball field, this is not far from the future location of Stockport County F.C.. Birkenhead Holt Hill The Birkenhead club play their games in the Holt Hill area of the town, they were formed in 1877 after the success of the M&I League across the river Mersey caught their attention. Several years earlier the club were rejected on application to the league, to guarantee their place this time they have promised to pay visitors ferry fee if they're travelling from beyond Liverpool. Lancashire Base Ball League Clubs Darwen B.B.C. The Darwen club were formed by members of the football club of the same name. The small town is only a few miles outside of Blackburn and interest in the game rapidly spread after visits to the area by Edge Hill Red Stockings and the formation of Blackburn Olympic B.B.C. They play their games at Anchor Road, with facilities dedicated to their use for base ball next to the association football ground. Preston Riverside Club The community and some members of Preston North End had petitioned the club to take up the summer game of base ball as early as 1878. However their was little interest within the structures of the club as they shift focus to association football and found great enjoyment in cricket in the summer months. This led to the formation of Riverside Base Ball club in 1880, they took their name from the area of land they had secured to play base ball and set up some basic facilities for the club. On joining the league the town name was added to the club's title. 1881 changes and a future association To reduce the concern of travel costs to clubs in the Mersey & Irwell league it is agreed clubs will play a 36 game season. 1 game on Friday afternoons followed by a Saturday double header. This also allows for a reduction in travel as clubs making long journeys could look into finding accommodation for the Friday night. The schedule will involve 6 games against 3 opponents and 3 games against the remaining 6 clubs. The league opens the first weekend of May and ends by late July. The Lancashire League increases to a 20 game schedule, starting early April, playing double headers every Saturday until early June. Since the tour of 1874 Dennis Higgins has maintained correspondence with Albert Spalding. Spalding has persistently maintained that Higgins should form a professional league, exalting the protentional to increase interest and spread of the game whilst also making significant financial gains. Spalding has also encouraged Higgins to form a national organisation to act as a governing body for the sport, ensuring rules are maintained and regulated and again to be able to control the growth of the sport. Higgins has had little interest in both of these prospects, however the formation of a governing body for base ball seems on the horizon by 1881. Many look up to Higgins, not just as a ball player, but as an administrator. Upon the Edge HIll clubs spring tour across Lancashire to play practice games he meets with the club executives of the Lancashire League clubs, they want the leagues to merge and suggest creating an association. Higgins is unwilling to commit to any plans without significant thought and the input of the clubs from his own league, so he arranged for an interleague meeting of clubs for the autumn of 1881.