John Moores and the ‘Professional’ Baseball Leagues in 1930s England

Several attempts had been made to establish baseball in England before the 1930s, but this decade saw, arguably, the most serious attempt. Inspired and financed, largely, by John Moores, baseball was developed in Lancashire, Yorkshire and London, such that ‘professional’ leagues were set up in 1936, and thousands paid to watch matches. Some people from cricketing quarters even considered their game to be under threat. However, despite the strides being made by baseball promoters at this time, the English press, particularly the national press, never really afforded the sport much space or favourable coverage, and the roots established for the game were largely cut off with the advent of the Second World War.