North American Baseball
The North American Baseball System includes Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, Independent Baseball and the Men’s Amateur Baseball League (a National Tournament for the top Amateur Baseball teams in USA, which has included in its Senior League tournament MSBL the Ulster Buccaneers (also known as Ireland Buccaneers and UK & Ireland Buccaneers)
Clicking on links on this page will bring the reader to the eirball.org Irish Baseball & Softball subsite
Irish Baseball Tours of North America
From 2001 when Ireland’s National Baseball Team made its first Tour to New England, to the Buccaneers competing in the Men’s Senior Baseball League World Series, Irish Baseball teams have been making regular journeys across the Atlantic Ocean.
Ireland Tours of North America
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Baseball Ireland National Team Tours of North America 2001-2017
North American Tours (Years):
Amateur Baseball World Series
Irish teams have been competing in the Men’s Senior Baseball League Amateur World Series in Arizona since the 2010s. Ulster Buccaneers were the first, a team gathered together from Senior players in both Ireland and Britain, they have been competing in the MSBL Amateur World Series featuring teams from all over USA and Canada.
Men’s Senior Baseball League
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Men’s Senior Baseball League Amateur World Series (35+ / 40+ Age Group):
American Baseball In Ireland
Beginning in 1874 when Major League Baseball teams toured Ireland and Britain to the games played by US Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen during World Wars I and II and the Cold War, to Baseball re-enactments there has been a long history of American and Canadian Baseball Teams visiting Ireland
Major League Baseball in Ireland
In 1874, Major League Baseball teams visited Ireland for the earliest recorded Baseball match in Ireland, and, naturally enough, given the links between the countries, Ireland, along with France and Britain got the biggest promotion of Baseball when teams toured Europe during the era leading up to the First World War.
Major League Baseball in Ireland
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Major League Baseball in Ireland (Years):
Major League Baseball in Ireland – Boston Red Stockings v Philadelphia Athletics 1874
Major League Baseball in Ireland – Chicago White Stockings Tour of Ireland 1889
Visiting USA and Canadian Baseball Teams
During the First World War, teams of American and Canadian soldiers and sailors, stationed in Ireland for the duration, or visiting the shores of Ireland, played Baseball matches in aid of War Charities.
USA Teams Visiting Ireland
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US teams Visiting Ireland (Years):
Baseball Internationals in Ireland – America v Canada 1917
International Baseball in Ireland – USS Trippe 7 USS Melville 6 – 1917
Baseball in Ireland WW2
From 1942-1943 US Soldiers, Navy & Airmen stationed in Northern Ireland during World War II played in the Northern Ireland Baseball League and 8th US Air Corps Baseball Championship.
Irish Baseball Leagues 1942-1943
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Northern Ireland Baseball League 1942-1943
8th US Air Corps v NIBL Championship Series (Seasons):
Northern Ireland Baseball League (Seasons):
8th US Air Corps Baseball Championship (Seasons):
Baseball Re-enactments
In addition to the Northern Ireland Baseball League during WWII, there have been exhibition matches played by American and Canadian Soldiers and Sailors stationed in Ireland during WWI or visiting Irish shores. There has also been reenactments of famous Baseball matches, including the Amateur World Series of 1903, which was re-enacted on the 100th anniversary in Drum, Co. Roscommon, featuring relatives of players involved.
Baseball Re-Enactments
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Re-enactments
Baseball Amateur World Series (1903) Re-enactment 2003
International Baseball in Ireland – US Navy Exhibition Match (1917) Re-enactment 2017
World Baseball
The Major Regions of World Baseball are North America (USA and Canada), the Caribbean (Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic) and Asia-Pacific (Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei/Taiwan). European countries such as Italy and Netherlands have made great strides in recent decades.
North American Baseball
The North American Baseball System includes Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, Independent Baseball and the Men’s Amateur Baseball League (a National Tournament for the top Amateur Baseball teams in USA, which has included in its Senior League tournament MSBL the Ulster Buccaneers (also known as Ireland Buccaneers and UK & Ireland Buccaneers)
Major League Baseball
The Daddy of all Professional Sports Leagues, the National Professional Baseball Players Association (more commonly known as the National League) can trace its’ roots to the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first openly all-Professional sports team in the world. The Cincinnati Red Stockings incuded among the “First Boys of Summer” (that first ever Professional Team) an Irishman, Andy Leonard, born in Co. Cavan, who left Ireland as a baby during the famine. In all there have been 48 Irish-born Major League Baseball Players from 1869 to the present day. The American League was formed in 1901 and since 1903 has played for the “World Series” with the National League. The two leagues merged as Major League Baseball in 2001 although kept their National League and American League names and separate identities, with the two Champions still playing for the World Series.
Major League Baseball
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Major League Baseball Irish Players:
Major League Baseball 48 Irish Born MLB Players
P.J. Conlon Irish Born Major League & Minor League Baseball Player 2015-2018
Major League Baseball (seasons):
Rival Major Leagues
Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball has 4 Levels (AAA – “Division 2”, AA – “Division 3”, A – “Division 4” and Rookie – “Division 5”. It is akin to the English Football League (EFL Championship, EFL League One and EFL League Two) and and the National League in English Soccer, in that they are levels below Major League Baseball and the English Premier League. Minor League Baseball is where players hone their skills in the hope of reaching the Majors, recuperate after injury or finish out their careers after the Major Leagues. There have been numerous Irish-born Minor League Baseball players throughout its’ history.
Minor League Baseball
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Minor League Baseball Roll of Honour (Overviews)
International League Baseball Governor’s Cup Results 1933-Present
Pacific Coast League Baseball Champions 1903-Present
Texas League Baseball Champions 1888-Present
AAA Baseball (Seasons):
AAA Baseball International League (Seasons):
Independent League Baseball
Independent League Baseball is a level below Minor League Baseball, consisting of Leagues which were set up to fill in the geographical gaps in the Minor League Baseball System, such as the Big 4 Indies: American Association (which opeartes in the Prairies and Plains), Atlantic League (Long Island and Chesapeake Bay), Frontier League (Illinois and Ohio Valley), Can-Am League (Quebec. Ottawa and New Jersey); Smaller Indies: Pacific Association (Hawai’i and Bay Area California); Pecos League (New Mexico and the Pecos Valley); North American League (Northern League: Hawai’i, Bay Area California and United League: Texas); United States Professional Baseball League (A travel league set in Upstate New York); Empire Professional Baseball League (New York City and Puerto Rico); Thoroughbred League (Kentucky). Recently the North American League dissolved with teams becoming part of the Pacific Association, while the Pecos League also took in refugees from the Minor League’s AA California League (Bakersfield Train Robbers and High Desert Yardbirds).
Independent League Baseball
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Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs
Champions: Roswell Invaders (2011), Alpine Cowboys (2012)