Project COBB books
Nine Aces and a Joker: Defining seasons from British baseball’s standout pitchers
What about the Villa?: Forgotten figures from Britain's pro baseball league of 1890

PUBLICATIONS
Fanzines
Magazines
Newsletters
———
ARTEFACTS
Anthony Taylor collection
League handbooks
Other: pre-WWII
Other: 1940s | Other: 1950s
Other: 1960s | Other: 1970s
Other: 1980s | Other: 1990s
———
MISCELLANEOUS
British Pathé video clips
Cartoons

Content © 2008–2013

PUBLICATIONS

Fanzines

Below are fanzines that have been made available online through Project COBB. If you have any publications that
you would like to be added, please send an email to the address at the top of the page or use the contact
form that can be opened by
clicking here.

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION LINKS
A complete collection of Linedrive!
Linedrive! was a fanzine edited by Phil Ross and illustrated
by "Rex" that primarily covered the renegade National
League Baseball circuit of 1992 to 1994.
Click here
Volume 2 no 1–3 of News Sheet (from 1948)
News Sheet was produced by Harry Cabel – and, later, Geoff Rogers
as well – on behalf of the Southern Counties Baseball Association
Vol 2 no 1
Vol 2 no 2
Vol 2 no 3

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Magazines

Below are magazines that have been made available online through Project COBB. If you have any publications that
you would like to be added, please send an email to the address at the top of the page or use the contact
form that can be opened by
clicking here.

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION LINKS
A collection of baseball articles from Double Play
Double Play was a glossy magazine published by
BaseballSoftballUK between 1999 and 2003.
Click here
Issues of Grand Slam
Grand Slam was an A5 magazine published by
the British Baseball Federation – South in 1987.
No 1 | No 2 | No 3
No 4 | No 5 | No 6
No 7 (mislabelled)
No 8 | No 9
Issues 2–5 of the short-lived Baseball (in Britain) Monthly
The British baseball publication Baseball (in Britain) Monthly
was edited by Ernie Mathews of Benfleet, Essex in 1950. Only
a few issues are believed to have been published, but the
publication's scope covered domestic baseball in great detail.
Issue 2
Issue 3
Issue 4
Issue 5

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Newsletters

Below are some historically important newsletters that have been made available online through Project COBB. If you have any
publications that you would like to be added, please send an email to the address at the top of the page or use the contact
form that can be opened by
clicking here.

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION LINKS
A nearly complete collection of Baseball Mercury
The British baseball publication Baseball Mercury was edited by
baseball historian William Morgan from 1972 until 1989. Fifty-one
issues were produced in all, and the publication's scope covered
both domestic and international baseball, as well as softball.
Click here
A nearly complete collection of Brit-Ball
Brit-Ball, a newsletter described as "The Official Voice of the
British Baseball Federation," was published between 1993 and 1998.
Click here
Some issues from Vol I (1993) and Vol II (1994) of Knuckleball
Knuckleball was edited by Phil Ross (who also produced Linedrive!)
and the publication's subtitle was "the Ups and Downs and Ins an Outs
of National League Baseball," with the circuit referred to being
run independently of the national governing body in the early 1990s.
Vol I no 1Vol I no 6
Vol II no 1Vol II no 3
Vol II no 4Vol II no 5
Vol II no 6Vol II no 7
Vol II no 8
Thirteen issues of Baseball Courier
The newsletter Baseball Courier was William Morgan's
precursor to Baseball Mercury; 24 issues were produced in all.
Issue 1Issue 2
Issue 3Issue 4
Issue 5Issue 6
Issue 7Issue 8
Issue 9Issue 17
Issue 18Issue 22
Issue 24
Volume 1 issue 1 of Baseball News (from 1979)
Baseball News was billed as the Official
Newspaper of the Southern Baseball Association;
a second issue was also produced.
Click here
Volume 1 issue 2 of Baseball (from June 1939)
Baseball was a monthly newsletter published
by the London County Baseball Association.
Click here
Baseball News: A News Sheet of Baseball
Baseball News: A News Sheet of Baseball was published
by the South Eastern Baseball League in the 1950s.
06-06-1953
16-07-1953
21-08-1954
28-05-1955

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ARTEFACTS

The Anthony Taylor collection

Anthony Taylor, a British-based collector, has kindly digitized the programmes from his collection relevant to Project COBB.

DATE GAME LINKS
10 October 1917 198th Battalion (Canadian Buffs) versus Epsom Canadian Convalescent Hospital, in Godalming File 1File 2a
File 2bFile 3
File 4
31 July 1935 Yorkshire versus Lancashire, at Headingley cricket ground File 1File 2
9 May 1936 Romford Wasps versus Hackney Royals, at Romford Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
16 May 1936 West Ham versus Catford Saints, at West Ham Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5
23 May 1936 Catford Saints versus Romford Wasps, at Catford Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
1 June 1936 White City versus Harringay, at Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium (opened in 1928, this venue
became the last at which London Major League Baseball was played still to exist in unchanged
form, when Catford Dogs was closed in 2007: White City, West Ham Stadium, Harringay Stadium,
and Romford were all long gone by the end of the 20th Century, as was the old Nunhead FC
ground at which Catford Saints played in 1937 [just an open field at Nunhead Recreation
Ground remained], and Hackney Stadium is now the 2012 Olympics site)
File 1File 2
File 3
13 June 1936 Catford Saints versus White City, at Catford Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5
28 June 1936 White City versus Harringay, at White City Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
30 July 1936 Sheffield Dons versus Wakefield Cubs in the second round of the NBA Cup, at Owlerton Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5
3 August 1936 Hull versus West Ham, at Craven Park. This fixture is not listed in either the Hull or West
Ham programmes of the period. West Ham had played in London on both the Saturday (1 August)
and Sunday (2 August) and so may have made an overnight trip on the milk train to get to
Hull. The programme includes photos and a rare Yorkshire League table.
File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5File 6
4 August 1936 Sheffield Dons versus West Ham, in an exhibition game that attracted over 3000 to the
Owlerton Stadium on a Tuesday afternoon. The pencil notes indicate that Sheffield
were given a 15-run start and that Roland Gladu hit a ball out of the ground.
File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5
8 August 1936 Romford Wasps versus West Ham, at Romford Stadium File 1File 2
8 August 1936 Sheffield Dons versus Greenfield Giants, at Owlerton Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5
9 August 1936 White City versus Ashton Hawks, at White City Stadium File 1File 2
File 3
20 August 1936 West Ham versus the 1936 USA Olympic baseball team, at West Ham Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
22 August 1936 West Ham versus the Catford Saints, at West Ham Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5File 6
5 May 1937 York City Maroons versus Scarborough Sea Gulls, at Bootham Crescent File 1File 2
File 3
15 May 1937 Greenfield Giants (Bradford) versus West Ham, probably in the 1937 national cup, at Greenfield Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5
16 May 1937 Pirates (West Ham) versus Nunhead, at West Ham Stadium File 1File 2
File 3
30 May 1937 West Ham versus Romford Wasps, at West Ham Stadium File 1File 2
June 1937 Sheffield Dons versus York City Maroons, at Owlerton Stadium File 1File 2
File 3
19 June 1937 Hull versus Sheffield in the 1st round of the NBA Cup, played at Craven Park, Hull File 1File 2
27 June 1937 Romford Wasps versus West Ham, at Romford Stadium File 1File 2
27 June 1937 Pirates (West Ham) versus Corinthians (Romford), at West Ham Stadium File 1File 2
File 3
1 July 1937 West Ham versus Catford Saints, at West Ham Stadium (the
programme cover is signed by Pirates shortstop "Slim" Tyson)
File 1File 2
14 August 1937 National Baseball Association Challenge Cup Final, at Craven Park File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5File 6
8 June 1938 Leeds/Sheffield versus Hull/York in the League Cup, at Headingley (the Lancashire–Yorkshire
league held a League Cup competition at the start of the season when players from two clubs
played on a combined side; other pairings in 1938 were Liverpool/Bolton and Rochdale/Oldham)
File 1File 2
6 July 1938 Leeds versus Sheffield, at Headingley (probably the rugby league ground) File 1File 2
19 July 1938 Rochdale/Oldham versus US Navy, at Spotland soccer ground File 1File 2
23 July 1938 Halifax versus Greenfield Giants (Bradford), at the Shay soccer ground File 1File 2
2 August 1938 Bolton Scarlets versus Leeds, at Raikes Park File 1File 2
17 August 1938 Yorkshire versus USA, at Owlerton Stadium File 1File 2
File 3File 4
19 August 1938 England versus USA (5th Test), at Headingley rugby league ground File 1File 2
File 3File 4
5 August 1939 National Baseball Association Challenge Cup Final, at the Shay soccer ground File 1File 2
File 3File 4
File 5File 6
File 7File 8
21 June 1950 Ashton Seagulls versus Burtonwood Bees, at Hurst Cross File 1File 2
File 3
26 July 1952 England versus Canada, at Leatherhead FC soccer ground File 1File 2
7 August 1953 Manston Cats (USAF) versus Snowdown Magpies of the South Eastern
Baseball League, at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Canterbury
File 1File 2

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League handbooks

Past league handbooks provide details of fixtures, competition structures, team personnel, and club details that are often
otherwise unavailable. If you have a handbook that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

YEAR LEAGUE LINK
1937 North of England National Baseball League Click here
1939 Metropolitan Baseball League Click here
1949 London East Baseball League Click here
1951 Merseyside Baseball League Click here
1955 South Eastern Baseball League Click here
1958 Southern Baseball Association Click here
1960 Southern Baseball Association Click here
1961 Southern Baseball Association Click here
1962 Southern Baseball Association Click here
1963 Southern Baseball Association Click here
1964 Southern Baseball Association Click here
1966 Southern Senior Divisions Click here
1966 National Baseball League Click here
1967 National Baseball League Click here
1968 National Baseball League Click here
1987 British Baseball Federation South Click here
1988 British Baseball Federation South Click here
1989 British Baseball Federation South Click here
1990 British Baseball Federation South Click here

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Other: pre-World War II

Below are other digitized artefacts from pre-World War II British baseball history that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1908 Scorecard from a game between Clapton Orient and Crystal Palace reserves Click here
1908 Scorecard from a game between Clapton Orient and Tottenham Hotspur Click here
1908 Scorecard from a game between Clapton Orient and Brentford, including fixtures and early-season results Click here
1936 Programme cover from a game between the US Olympic Team and White City Click here
1936 Programme cover from the north of England league cup final,
between the Oldham Greyhounds and Manchester Blue Sox
Click here
1936 Programme from a game in the London Cup between West Ham and the Romford Wasps Click here
1937 Programme, with linescore, for a London Major League game between West Ham and the Pirates Click here
1937 Programme cover for Nunhead baseball club in the London Major Baseball League Click here
1937 Programme cover for West Ham baseball club in the London Major Baseball League Click here
1938 Programme from an International Professional Baseball League game between
the Hull Giants and a combined Newcastle–Middlesbrough team
Click here
1938 Front cover from the first issue of the Metropolitan Baseball League monthly magazine Click here
1938 Programme from an exhibition game between Pritchett & Gold and Thames Board Mills Click here
1939 Programme cover from a game between Halifax and Fords Click here

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Other: 1940s

Below are other digitized artefacts from British baseball history in the 1940s that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1944 Programme (partially damaged) from a game between Everton and Napiers Sabres Click here
1945 Programme from a game between the Caledonians and Napiers Sabres Click here
1947 Programme, with linescore, for the Southern Counties Baseball Association
Cup Final between the West London Pioneers and Thames Board Mills
Click here
1948 Programme for a game between the Rochdale Greys and the Stretford Saints Click here
1949 Programme cover for a game between the American Air Force and Manchester and District League Click here
1949 Programme for a game between the West London Pioneers and the Mitcham Royals Click here
1949 Programme for a game between the West London Pioneers and "The Rest" Click here
1949 Programme, with linescore, for the national final between the Hornsey Red Sox and the Liverpool Cubs Click here

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Other: 1950s

Below are other digitized artefacts from British baseball history in the 1950s that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1950 Programme and ticket from the Grand Challenge match between the Ashton Seagulls
and the Rest of the League (featuring Cardinals, Greyhounds, Red Sox, and Swinton players)
Click here (programme)

Click here (ticket)
1952 Poster for final of Lancashire Cup, at Mandale Park Click here
1953 Programme from a game between the USAF's Tournament Team and a Merseyside League select squad Click here
1954 Programme from a game between "Possibles" and "Probables" for the West London Pioneers Click here
1958 Programme, with linescore, from a game between Hull and the US Navy Click here
1958 Programme cover from a game between Hull and the Royal Canadian Air Force Click here
1959 Programme, with linescore, from a game between Hull and the Chelveston Cowboys, a US Air Force side Click here
1959 Programme, with linescore, from the national final between the East Hull Aces and Thames Board Mills Click here

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Other: 1960s

Below are other digitized artefacts from British baseball history in the 1960s that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1960 Programme and poster (A2 original size) from a game between the Liverpool Aces and Stretford Saints Click here (programme)

Click here (poster)
1960 Programme and ticket from the national final between the Liverpool Tigers and Thames Board Mills Click here (programme)

Click here (ticket)
1961 Programme from International Baseball Week (Haarlem),
featuring the London All Stars and Alconbury Spartans
Click here
1962 Outside of programme for the Stretford Saints in the Merseyside National Baseball League Click here
1962 Programme, with linescores, from the four-team National Baseball Club Trophy Click here
1963 Programme for the Stretford Saints Click here
1963 Programme from a game between the US Navy and a South of England all-star team Click here
1963 Programme from a game between the Merseyside All Stars and the Alconbury Braves Click here
1963 Scorecard, with completed names, from a game between the Southern League and the National League Click here
1963 Ticket from the National Baseball League's Consolation Cup
(featuring Nottingham, Coventry, and Hull Austin British Legion)
Click here
Circa 1963 Programme, with linescore, from a North versus South all-star game Click here
1964 Programme, with linescore against unidentified opposition, for three of the Hull Aces' home league games Click here
1964 Programme from a game between the US Navy and a South of England all-star team Click here
1964 Programme for the National Baseball Club Trophy (featuring
Ford Sports, Garringtons, Nottingham Athletic, and the Hull Aces)
Click here
1964 Programme for the Orford Trophy (featuring the Stretford
Saints, the Hull Aces, Garringtons, and the US Navy)
Click here
1965 Programme, with linescore, from a game between the Hull Aces and the US Navy Click here
1965 Programme, with a completed scoresheet, from the game in 1965 between Great Britain and the Dutch Click here
1965 Programme from a game between the Hull Aces and the Stretford Saints Click here
1965 Programme from a game between the Hull Aces and Garringtons Click here
1965 Programme for the 1965 European Cup northern section Click here
1966 Programme from a game between the East Hull Aces and Bromsgrove Click here
1966 Annotated programme, with a press cutting, from a game played in 1966
under floodlights between a British all-star team and the Mormon Elders
Click here
1966 Programme from the 1966 all-star game between the North of England and the South of England Click here
1966 Programme for the Orford Trophy (featuring the Stretford
Saints, the Hull Aces, Thames Board Mills, and the Beckenham Blue Jays)
Click here
1967 Programme from the 1967 Brighton Festival, in which England took on a US base side from Wethersfield Click here
1967 Signed poster from the 1967 European Championship A-Pool Click here

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Other: 1970s

Below are other digitized artefacts from British baseball history in the 1970s that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1970 Programme for the Hull Aces
Click here
1971 Fixtures list for Rosehill
Click here
1976 Programme for the London Twilight Baseball League
Click here
1976 Programme from the 1976 national final, which pitted Kensington Spirit of '76 against the Liverpool Trojans Click here
1977 Flyer, with schedule, for London Spirit of '76 (this was produced by the
rugby club, whose ground the team used, and it contains several inaccuracies)
Click here
1977 Programme from the 1977 Yankees' National Baseball League Click here
1979 Programme from the 1979 national final between the Golders Green Sox and the Hull Aces Click here

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Other: 1980s

Below are other digitized artefacts from British baseball history in the 1980s that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1980 Poster (A2 original size) and programme from the 1980
national final between the Liverpool Trojans and the Hull Aces
Click here
(poster)

Click here
(programme)
1981 Programme from the 1981 national final Click here
1982 32-page programme from a game between the UK and US All Stars Click here
1982 Poster (A2 original size) from the 1982 national final between the Liverpool Trojans and the Hull Aces Click here
1983 Leaflet from the All American Sports Day at Stamford Bridge Click here
1983 Programme for the 1983 national final between the Hull Mets and the Cobham Yankees Click here
1985 Programme for the Sutton Braves including an insert for a game against the Rochester City Dodgers Click here
1986 Programme for the Crawley Giants Baseball Club's Annual Invitational Tournament Click here
1986 Programme for the Sutton Braves including an insert for a game against the Cobham Yankees Click here
1986 Programme (in French) from the 1986 European Championship B-Pool Click here
1986 Programme for the 1986 national final between the Hull Mets and the Cobham Yankees Click here
1987 Programme for the Crawley Giants Baseball Club's Annual Invitational Tournament Click here
1987 Programme for the Humberside Baseball Festival Click here
1987 Programme celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Sutton Braves Click here
1987 Poster and programme for the 1987 national final
between the Cobham Yankees and the Southglade Hornets
Click here (poster)

Click here (programme)
1988 Poster for the European Championship B-Pool (note: Finland entered instead of Tunisia, as marked) Click here
1988 Programme cover from the Scottish Amicable National Baseball League Click here
1988 Poster, with fixtures for Richmond Athletic Ground, from the Scottish Amicable National Baseball League Click here
1988 24-page programme for the 1988 national final between
the Cobham Yankees and the Burtoonwood Braves
Click here
1989 Programme cover from the Scottish Amicable National Baseball League Click here
1989 Signed programme for the Major League Alumni versus GB game Click here
1989 Programme cover and selected inside pages from the European Cup B-Pool, hosted in Reading Click here
1989 Insert from the programme for the Scottish Amicable National Baseball
League final between the Southern Tigers and the Humberside County Bears
Click here
1989 Rosters from programme for the 1989 national final between the Enfield Spartans and the Sutton Braves Click here

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Other: 1990s

Below are other digitized artefacts from British baseball history in the 1990s that have been made available online
through Project COBB. If you have materials that you would like to see added, please send an email to the address
at the top of the page or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

National final/play-off
Great Britain team

YEAR DESCRIPTION LINK
1991 Programme for a game between the Cambridge Royals and the Nottingham Pirates Click here
1991 Programme for a game between the Enfield Spartans and the London Athletics Click here
1991 Programme for the 1991 national play-offs, featuring the
London Athletics, the Enfield Spartans, and the Nottingham Hornets
Click here
1992 Programme for a National League Baseball game
between the Cambridge Knights and the London Warriors
Click here
1992 Signed poster for the European Championship B-Pool Click here
1993 Programme for a National League Baseball game
between the Cambridge Knights and the London Warriors
Click here
1993 Programme for the 1993 National League Baseball grand final
between the London Warriors and the Enfield Spartans
Click here
1994 Signed poster for the European Championship A-Pool Click here
1995 Programme for the Enfield Spartans (former major leaguer Jim Bouton is listed
on the roster, but he was never able to make the trip across the Atlantic to play)
Click here
1996 Programme and signed poster for the European Championship B-Pool Click here (programme)

Click here (poster)
1997 Signed poster for the European Championship A-Pool Click here
1997 Programme from the 1997 national final between the Kingston Cobras and the London Warriors Click here
1998 Programme from the 1998 national final between the Menwith Hill Patriots and the London Warriors Click here

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MISCELLANEOUS

British Pathé video clips

Project COBB has set up a workspace on British Pathé's digital news archive to highlight historical video clips of baseball
in Britain. To view the workspace
click here. Most of the clips are of either touring teams or service personnel, but the
first clip in the workspace is on women and men playing domestic baseball in Yorkshire in 1949.

Cartoons

Below are some collections of British baseball-themed humorous cartoons that have been made available online through
Project COBB. If you have materials you would like added, please send an email to the address at the top of the page
or use the contact form that can be opened by
clicking here.

IMAGE MATERIALS LINK
Cartoons by Ken Pyne from Baseball: A Cricketer's Guide
Among a number of baseball titles published for a British audience
around the time of Scottish Amicable's sponsorship deal was 1987's
Baseball: A Cricketer's Guide, which contained a series of cartoons
on British baseball by Ken Pyne. Pyne's work has featured
in Private Eye and The Times.
Click here
Cartoons by "Rex" from Linedrive!
Linedrive! was a fanzine edited by Phil Ross and illustrated
by "Rex" that primarily covered the renegade National
League Baseball circuit of 1992 to 1994.
Click here

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