Project COBB: Great Britain national team history

1938

WORLD CUP VERSUS USA in GREAT BRITAIN

Initially planned as a Test series between the US Olympic Team and England, the International Baseball Federation later crowned the England squad (since referred to as Great Britain) as the first World Amateur Champions for their commanding four-games-to-one victory in the August matches (played in Halifax, Hull,
Leeds, Liverpool, and Rochdale).

Great Britain, who mainly comprised players competing in the Yorkshire-Lancashire league, dominated the series. They shut out the US team twice, including a 3-0 win in front of 10 000 spectators at Wavertree Stadium in Liverpool.

Team USA, who were preparing for the 1940 Olympics (which were planned for Tokyo but were cancelled because of World War II), featured players picked at the National Amateur Baseball Trials in Lincoln, Nebraska, in July. The US team contained a mixture of college and high-school players and included Mike Schemer, who went on to play for the New York Giants in the Major Leagues, batting .330 in 32 games.

Great Britain's top performer was pitcher ROSS KENDRICK, described in a game programme as a 'pitcher with a very clean style of hooks, speed, and endurance'. He threw both of the team's shut-outs, striking out 16 in the first match-up
and 12 in the second.

Results
USA (W 3-0, W 8-6, L 5-0, W 4-0, W 5-3)

Known roster members
Sid BISSETT; Frank CADORETTE; Sam HANNA; Doc HOLDEN; Ross KENDRICK; Larry MARSH; George 'Chummy' McNEIL; Jack RITCHIE; Ken ROBINSON; Irvine RUVINSKY; Jerry STRONG; Danny WRIGHT

A handshake between the team captains before the match at Leeds

FURTHER THOUGHTS

More baseball glory might have come Great Britain's way the following year when a team was selected to travel to Cuba to play in the second World Cup. But a lack of funds forced Great Britain to stay at home. Any hope for an immediate return to the world baseball stage was, of course, dashed by the outbreak of World War II.

Still, during the war, Americans stationed in the UK often played baseball and there were even some examples of Great Britain teams joining in. For example, in July 1943, there were advertisements placed in the 'Liverpool Echo' publicizing a series of games between the 'American Nite Sticks' and 'Alf Hanson's All-England Nine' team. Nevertheless, the war clearly drew attention away from
re-forming a true national squad.