Great Britain national baseball team
Encyclopedia
The Great Britain national baseball team is the national baseball
team of Great Britain
. It is governed by the British Baseball Federation
, which is a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball
.
by four games to one in an international series hosted in England. This series was subsequently declared the first world championship of amateur baseball by the International Baseball Federation
(IBAF) and so Great Britain became the first World Amateur Champions. However, it was over 70 years before the team qualified for another world championship event, reaching the 2009 Baseball World Cup
by virtue of its second-place finish at the 2007 European Baseball Championship
.
In , the Great Britain team won the silver medal at the European Baseball Championship
(EC), finishing top of Group B and only losing two games in the entire tournament. It ultimately finished second overall to the Netherlands
. This marked Britain's highest placing in the tournament since its first entry into the event in , when it also finished second.
Prior to 2007 the team's showing in the EC was generally limited to finishing in the lower half of the standings which sometimes meant relegation to the secondary tournament known as the European Baseball Championship Qualifier (sometimes referred to as the 'B-Pool'). In 1988 and 1996 Great Britain hosted and won the Qualifier thereby returning to the main European Championship event the following year (sometimes referred to as the 'A-Pool').
By winning the silver medal in 2007 Great Britain qualified both for the 2009 Baseball World Cup and for the Final Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan
for the 2008 Summer Olympics
. However, a lack of funding including the refusal by UK Sport
to provide any backing, meant it was forced to withdraw from the Final Qualifying Tournament and was replaced by Germany
. This was the Great Britain team's last chance to qualify for an Olympic baseball competition
due to the earlier decision by the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) to remove baseball from the Games after 2008. That decision - announced one day after London had been awarded the 2012 Olympics
on July 6, 2005 - also meant that the Great Britain baseball team would not have the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd in the 2012 Olympics and promote the sport in the UK. It also meant that the team ceased to receive elite funding from bodies such as UK Sport.
At the 2009 World Cup - held simultaneously in various countries around Europe - Britain qualified out of the first group stage before eventually finishing 15th overall. Staff, players and followers of the team were left proud of the competitive manner in which Great Britain engaged baseball nations which are much more established at this level, better-resourced and full of professional-calibre players. Following the World Cup, in October 2009 the IBAF announced a new set of world rankings in which Britain rose to 21st.
European Baseball Championship
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It is governed by the British Baseball Federation
British Baseball Federation
The British Baseball Federation is the national governing body of baseball within the United Kingdom, founded in .BBF is a federated member of both the Confederation of European Baseball and the International Baseball Federation...
, which is a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball
Confederation of European Baseball
The Confederation of European Baseball , is the governing body of baseball within Europe. The CEB was founded in 1953 with 5 members, which were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. As of today, there are 38 members, excluding Armenia...
.
History
Great Britain is credited with winning the inaugural Baseball World Cup (BWC) in , beating the United StatesUnited States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
by four games to one in an international series hosted in England. This series was subsequently declared the first world championship of amateur baseball by the International Baseball Federation
International Baseball Federation
The International Baseball Federation is the worldwide governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee as overseeing, deciding and executing the policy of the bat-and-ball sport of baseball at the international level...
(IBAF) and so Great Britain became the first World Amateur Champions. However, it was over 70 years before the team qualified for another world championship event, reaching the 2009 Baseball World Cup
2009 Baseball World Cup
The 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country...
by virtue of its second-place finish at the 2007 European Baseball Championship
2007 European Baseball Championship
The 2007 European Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament held from September 7 to 16, between national baseball teams of the Confederation of European Baseball. The tournament was held in Barcelona, Spain and served as the qualifying competition for the 2008 Summer Olympic...
.
In , the Great Britain team won the silver medal at the European Baseball Championship
European Baseball Championship
The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball . Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in , and the competition has since been dominated by the Italian team and the...
(EC), finishing top of Group B and only losing two games in the entire tournament. It ultimately finished second overall to the Netherlands
Netherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Netherlands. They are currently the top team in Europe and currently the sixth ranked men's baseball team in the IBAF World Rankings....
. This marked Britain's highest placing in the tournament since its first entry into the event in , when it also finished second.
Prior to 2007 the team's showing in the EC was generally limited to finishing in the lower half of the standings which sometimes meant relegation to the secondary tournament known as the European Baseball Championship Qualifier (sometimes referred to as the 'B-Pool'). In 1988 and 1996 Great Britain hosted and won the Qualifier thereby returning to the main European Championship event the following year (sometimes referred to as the 'A-Pool').
By winning the silver medal in 2007 Great Britain qualified both for the 2009 Baseball World Cup and for the Final Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. However, a lack of funding including the refusal by UK Sport
UK Sport
UK Sport is the UK Government's organisation for directing the development of sport within the home countries.-History:The Sports Council previously had been formed in 1972, and had the motto Sport for All. There was also the Central Council of Physical Recreation. In July 1994 it was decided to...
to provide any backing, meant it was forced to withdraw from the Final Qualifying Tournament and was replaced by Germany
Germany national baseball team
The Germany national baseball team is the national baseball team for Germany. They are a contender for the European Baseball Championship and have competed in the Baseball World Cup.-Placings:Baseball World Cup* 1972 : 16th* 1973 : 11th* 2007 : 14th...
. This was the Great Britain team's last chance to qualify for an Olympic baseball competition
Baseball at the Summer Olympics
Baseball at the Summer Olympics had its unofficial debut at the 1904 Summer Games and its official sport at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Baseball has a long history as an exhibition/demonstration sport in the Olympics. However, for 1992 Barcelona the International Olympic Committee granted the sport...
due to the earlier decision by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) to remove baseball from the Games after 2008. That decision - announced one day after London had been awarded the 2012 Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
on July 6, 2005 - also meant that the Great Britain baseball team would not have the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd in the 2012 Olympics and promote the sport in the UK. It also meant that the team ceased to receive elite funding from bodies such as UK Sport.
At the 2009 World Cup - held simultaneously in various countries around Europe - Britain qualified out of the first group stage before eventually finishing 15th overall. Staff, players and followers of the team were left proud of the competitive manner in which Great Britain engaged baseball nations which are much more established at this level, better-resourced and full of professional-calibre players. Following the World Cup, in October 2009 the IBAF announced a new set of world rankings in which Britain rose to 21st.
Placings
Baseball World Cup- 1938 :
1st - 20092009 Baseball World CupThe 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country...
: 15th
European Baseball Championship
European Baseball Championship
The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Europe, governed by the Confederation of European Baseball . Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in , and the competition has since been dominated by the Italian team and the...
|
2007 European Baseball Championship The 2007 European Baseball Championship was an international baseball tournament held from September 7 to 16, between national baseball teams of the Confederation of European Baseball. The tournament was held in Barcelona, Spain and served as the qualifying competition for the 2008 Summer Olympic... :  2nd |
External links
- Team Great Britain (Great Britain National Baseball Team) official website
- Official archive for GB senior team
- Official archive for GB junior team
- British Baseball Federation (BBF)
- BaseballSoftball UK - dual sports development agency