About Baseball and Baseball Ireland
Baseball is a bat-and ball game where players aim to hit a ball thrown at them by a pitcher and run around four bases back home without being caught or run out. A run is scored when a player gets back to home base. It is similar to the GAA game of Rounders, but the bases are 90 feet apart rather than 60 and pitching can be overarm. There are 9 Innings for each team in a standard Baseball game (seven in the case of thw Baseball Ireland B-League) and when three players on a team are out that is the end of the innings for the team. A teams innings is not over until three outs are made. It was first played in America, but is thought to have an ancestor in the Irish and British game of Rounders (and also similar games in Germany and Scandinavia such as Branboll). In Ireland it is Coed (Mixed).
Irish Baseball League
Baseball has been played in Ireland since the first visiting American Major League teams in the 1870s, and the first Leagues in Ireland were played by American and Canadian Baseball playersstationed in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. In the 1960s the Youth first teams in Ireland were formed in Dublin and Waterford, and the Irish Baseball Association was formed by these teams. In 1982 the first Dublin Softball League (Softball is a recreational version of Baseball) season was played (the League is still in existence as the Leinster Softball League) 1988 the Donegal Baseball and Softball Association played a Youth Baseball season. In mid-1990s a few Leinster Softball players wanted something more competitive and atarted the first Irish Baseball League in 1997. With funding from the Irish-American owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball team, a puropse-built Baseball Diamond was made in Corkagh Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, including a Little League field, and the League has been in existence since, celebrating its 25th anniverary in 2021.
Irish Baseball League (Overviews)
Irish Baseball League 1997-2005
Baseball Ireland A-League 2006-2020
Baseball Ireland B-League 2006-2020
Irish Baseball & Softball Federation – Irish Baseball League (Seasons):
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Baseball Ireland A-League Seasons:
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Baseball Ireland B-League Seasons:
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Irish Regional Baseball Leagues 1942-1988
From 1942, when US Soldiers, Navy & Airmen stationed in Northern Ireland during World War II played in the Northern Ireland Baseball League, to the Youth Baseball Championships played in Waterford & Dublin in the 1960s (The Irish Baseball Association) and Donegal (The Donegal Baseball & Softball Association) there have been Baseball Leagues in Ireland.
Cadet Leagues
Irish Baseball Association (Overview):
Irish Baseball Association | Championship 1961-1966
Donegal Baseball & Softball Asociation (Seasons): 1988
Irish Baseball Association (Seasons): 1961