Tea, Rain & Curveballs: The Curious Case of British Baseball

Episode 7 of the Baseball Europe Podcast opens with an unexpected twist: the guys are not talking about the Bundesliga or sunny Spain, but the drizzle-drenched diamonds of the United Kingdom. Paul (the Brit) and Matthias (the data-loving German) take a trip through time — from Victorian gentlemen swinging bats in Derby to modern-day Londoners chasing foul balls in the shadow of Tottenham Stadium.

And as always, there’s chaos, humor, and just enough historical nerdery to make you go, Wait, Britain won a baseball World Cup?

Rain, Contacts, and Catching Fly Balls

Before heading into the UK baseball deep dive, Matthias announces some breaking personal news: he’s got new contact lenses. “Finally,” Paul jokes, “you can catch fly balls without guessing which one’s the real one.”

It’s a classic Baseball Europe opener — equal parts personal and ridiculous. The two trade jokes about astigmatism, hitting mechanics, and expensive lenses before jumping to Paul’s side of the pond. “I didn’t even know baseball was a thing in Britain until I left,” he admits. “Turns out it’s been there longer than the NHS.”

Britain — The Forgotten Birthplace of Baseball?

When most people think of baseball, they picture Yankee Stadium or Tokyo Dome. But Britain’s got deeper roots in the game than you’d expect. Baseball arrived on UK soil in the late 1800s, right around the Victorian era, when gentlemen wore hats to everything and the industrial North was booming.

Its secret weapon? Rounders — the British schoolyard game that looks suspiciously like baseball’s older cousin. So when American sailors and merchants brought their version across the Atlantic, the locals adapted fast.

By the 1870s and 1880s, organized teams popped up in Liverpool, Birmingham, and Derby — all trading ports that connected Britain to the New World. Wealthy factory owners even imported American players to boost the spectacle. “Imagine a mill owner in Derby hiring Yankees to play for his local club,” Paul laughs. “It’s like the Premier League 100 years early — without the tattoos.”

The 1938 World Champions (Yes, Really)

Here’s the part that makes American listeners spit out their tea: Great Britain once won the Baseball World Cup.
In 1938, the British National Team beat the United States in a best-of-five series — the one and only time Britain has ever been baseball’s world champion.

“Let that sink in,” Paul says. “Somewhere in history, there’s a headline that says Britain Beats America at Baseball — and no one talks about it.”

Of course, the glory didn’t last. Within a year, World War II arrived, stadiums were bombed, players went to war, and baseball quietly faded away. When the dust settled, football (soccer) became Britain’s religion, and baseball became a pub quiz fact.

The Post-War Decline and the Rebirth of a League

After the 1940s, British baseball went quiet — kept alive only on American air bases scattered across England. For decades, the only real diamonds were behind barbed wire fences. But in the 1980s, the game returned.

The newly formed British Baseball Federation (BBF) launched organized leagues, set up divisions (National League, AAA, AA, A), and built links with British Softball Federation. London, Liverpool, and Hertfordshire became the main hubs, with teams like the London Mets and Herts Falcons leading the charge.

Satellite TV in the ’90s brought American sports across the Atlantic — The Simpsons, Baywatch, and yes, Major League Baseball — and suddenly, a generation of Brits grew up knowing who Derek Jeter was.

“OK, maybe not everyone,” Paul admits. “But enough to fill a few dugouts.”

Modern British Baseball — Growing Again

Fast-forward to today, and Britain’s baseball scene is small but buzzing. Around 90 clubs now compete across multiple divisions, from London to Newcastle. Youth participation is rising, and mixed-gender leagues are common for under-12s.

The London Mets dominate the National Baseball League — Britain’s top tier — finishing the 2025 regular season with a record of 22 wins and 2 losses. “They’re the Heidenheim of the UK,” Matthias jokes. “Except with worse weather.”

Below them, the system mirrors European setups: promotion and relegation, licensing requirements (stadium size, youth programs, certified coaches), and local development funding from BaseballSoftballUK, a non-profit that’s quietly professionalizing the sport.

They’ve even built a modern two-field baseball complex in Farnham Park — a far cry from the muddy cricket pitches of yesteryear.

From the London Mets to the MLB London Series

The MLB has noticed the growing buzz, too. Since 2019, London has hosted the MLB London Series — a kind of baseball Eurovision, but with hot dogs instead of ballads. The Yankees vs. Red Sox debut series sold out, and Cubs vs. Cardinals followed in 2023.

The next one? Scheduled for 2026.
“Tickets are a mortgage payment,” Paul complains. “You can fly to Washington, watch the Orioles, and fly home cheaper than seeing a game at Tottenham Stadium.”

Still, the event has done wonders for awareness. For one weekend a year, baseball floods London: MLB merch on every corner, American fans filling pubs, and curious Brits asking, “So, it’s like cricket, but faster?”

British Baseball Today: Heritage Meets Hope

There’s something charmingly stubborn about baseball in Britain. It’s never been mainstream, yet it refuses to die.

Kids in London and Manchester are taking up gloves.
Clubs like the Bristol Badgers, Cardiff Merlins, and Leicester Diamonds play doubleheaders on Sundays.
The GB National Team keeps getting stronger, qualifying for the World Baseball Classic 2023 and 2026 — despite their famously ugly uniforms.

“They looked like they ironed ‘GREAT BRITAIN’ onto navy T-shirts at the airport,” Paul laughs. “But hey, they made it.”

And then there’s Harry Ford — the British-born (technically Atlanta-born) catcher for the Seattle Mariners — representing Great Britain on the world stage. “Nothing says British baseball like an American named Harry Ford,” Matthias teases. “It’s perfect.”

Why This Episode Matters

Episode 7 isn’t just nostalgia — it’s proof that baseball thrives wherever there’s community. Britain’s league may be small, but it’s full of heart. From Derby’s forgotten fields to London’s sold-out stadiums, the game is slowly reclaiming space in a football-obsessed nation.

Paul sums it up perfectly:
“Baseball in Britain is like tea — it’s been around forever, everyone thinks it’s quaint, but it’ll never go out of style.”

Listen to Episode 7: Tea, Rain & Curveballs

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your baseball fix.
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