Abstract

From the period 1936-39, professional baseball existed in the north of England. Games regularly attracted crowds of 5,000 people; in some instances crowds of over 10,000 attended matches. Although these crowds are small by North American standards, for a minority sport in England they were remarkable. Alongside the professional game, amateur baseball was developing all over the north Engalnd: by 1939 there were over 120 teams playing competitive basball throughout the region. However, the popularity of the sport was short-lived, the outbrteak of war in 1939 effectively ending the game throughout the north of England. Using figurational sociology, various issues such as class, locality and the Americanization of British popular culture are examined to explain the development of baseball as a popular sporting form. This article explores the development of baseball in the north of England from 1935 to 1939. In particular it follows the progress of the professional game through the Yorkshire League 1936-37 and the Yorkshire-Lancashire League 1938-39. The amateur game is also featured through local leagues and school leagues. Eaton