The Global World Series was an international semi-pro baseball tournament organized by the United States National Baseball Congress (NBC) in the mid-1950s. It was the successor to various international series between the U.S. teams and other countries, which were held from 1939 to 1950. The Global World Series was similar to the Amateur World Series, but was not sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation (FIBA), and was not limited to amateur players.
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| Ceased | 1957 |
| Organizing body | National Baseball Congress |
| Continent | International |
| Last champion(s) |  Japan |
| Most titles |  United States (6 titles) |
The first two editions, in 1955 and 1956, were held at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, and the third and final edition was held at Detroit's Briggs Stadium in 1957. The United States team won the first two editions, defeating a team from Hawaii in the finals both years. The third edition saw Japan defeat Canada in the finals. The tournament was discontinued because of high costs and low attendance.
History
editBackground
editThe National Baseball Congress, founded in 1938, organized a semipro baseball tournament, the NBC World Series (related to the World Series of Major League Baseball in name only), that was held annually in Wichita, Kansas. With district, state, regional and a national tournament in place, NBC president Ray Dumont set out to establish a non-professional global tournament. He started in 1939, with a seven-game series between the NBC World Series champion representing the United States, and the Puerto Rico national champion from Guayama.[1] That Puerto Rico team notably included Pedro "Perucho" Cepeda and Pancho Coimbre.[2] Another series in 1940 included Red Barkley on the U.S. team, and Luis Olmo on Puerto Rico.[2] In 1948, a Can-Am Series with Canada was billed as the Sandlot Baseball World Series.[3] 1950 and 1952 matched the NBC World Series champion against Japan in the Inter-Hemisphere Series.
Dumont began discussing an international tournament that would feature multiple semipro teams from across the globe in 1948, supported by J. G. Taylor Spink, publisher of The Sporting News, and Alejandro Aguilar Reyes, founder and then-commissioner of the Mexican League.[4] Despite the Mexican League's recent conflict with Major League Baseball, Dumont also enlisted the support of former MLB Commissioner Happy Chandler, in his role as head of the International Baseball Congress.[5][a] Chandler in particular sought to expand the existing two-nation series (most recently played between the United States and Japan) to a series involving four nations, or perhaps eight, in 1954; despite the success of the two series in Japan, Chandler felt that, in order to increase the number and scope of the teams in the tournament, an American city would have to host.[4]
The IBC was supported in their efforts by the U.S. Department of State, which saw it as a means of promoting American ideals around the world; President Dwight D. Eisenhower personally endorsed the tournament, writing that "friendships derived from sports competition are enduring."[6]
Global Series
editChandler and Dumont initially sought to host the first Global World Series in 1954, but plans fell through and it was instead held in 1955. Brooklyn Dodgers president Walter O'Malley volunteered the use of Ebbets Field for a world tournament, but Chandler instead selected Milwaukee County Stadium, the new home of the Milwaukee Braves. The 1955 Global World Series included representatives of Hawaii, Colombia, Spain, Puerto Rico, Japan, Canada, the United States, and Mexico.[4][7] Some countries were represented by their professional or semi-pro club champions, while other national teams were made up of a collection of all-stars. The Spanish national team classified by virtue of winning the 1955 European Baseball Championship.[8] Daryl Spencer was on the American team, while Luis Olmo was with Puerto Rico.[4] The participation of the European champions was a coup for Chandler and the IBC, as FIBA had not been able to involve those European countries in the Amateur World Series.[9]
The 1956 U.S. selection, a semi-pro team from Fort Wayne, included John Kennedy, a Negro Leaguer who would soon become the first African American to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, and Don Pavletich, a future catcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Canada was represented by the North Battleford Beavers, Japan by the Nippon Oil club from Yokohama, and Hawaii by the Honolulu Red Sox.[4] As in 1955, the national teams from Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico were all-star squads, primarily comprising winter league players, while the 1956 European champion was the Netherlands, including Han Urbanus.[10]
In 1957, the series was moved to Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The United States was represented by an amateur club from Sinton, Texas, which included former big leaguers Paul Schramka, Wilmer Fields, and Clint Hartung.[4] The Japanese selection defeated the Edmonton Eskimos of Canada in the final game by a score of 4–2 to win the title.[11][12] However, the tournament was a financial loss, and efforts to revive it in 1959 were unsuccessful.[4]
Editions
editInternational Series (1939–52)
edit| Year | Host | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 |  San Juan
|
Puerto Rico Brujos de Guayama |
4–3
|
 United StatesDuncan Halliburtons |
[13] | |
| 1940 | San Juan
|
United States Enid Champlins |
4–3
|
Puerto Rico Brujos de Guayama |
[14] | |
| 1948 |  Kitchener
|
Canada London Majors |
4–3
|
United States Fort Wayne General Electrics |
[15] | |
| 1949 | Kitchener
|
United States Fort Wayne Kekiongas |
4–2
|
Canada Kitchener Legionnaires |
[16] | |
| 1950 | Osaka and Tokyo
|
United States Fort Wayne General Electrics |
3–2
|
Japan Osaka Kanebo |
[17] | |
| 1952 | Osaka and Tokyo
|
United States Fort Myer Colonials |
3–2
|
Japan Osaka Kanebo |
[18] |
In 1955, a non-professional Global Series was organized. Teams representing Canada, Columbia, Hawaii (a U.S. Territory until 1959), Holland, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain played in the eight team tournament. The NBC World Series champion represented the United States.[19][20] The Global Series only lasted three seasons.
Global Series (1955–57)
edit| Year | Host | Champions | Runners-up | 3rd place | 4th place | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 details |
Milwaukee Sep. 23 – Sep. 28 |
United States Wichita Boeing Bombers |
 HawaiiHonolulu Red Sox |
Canada Saskatoon Gems |
 Colombia
|
[21][22] | |
| 1956 details |
Milwaukee Sep. 7 – Sep. 13 |
United States Fort Wayne Allen Dairymen |
Hawaii Honolulu Red Sox |
Japan Yokohama Nippon Oil |
 Mexico
|
[23] | |
| 1957 details |
Detroit Sep. 13 – Sep. 13 |
Japan Kumagai Gumi Constructors |
 CanadaEdmonton Eskimos |
 Venezuela
|
United States Sinton Plymouth Oilers |
[24][25] |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Not to be confused with the International Baseball Federation, or FIBA
References
edit- ^ Martin, Whitney (September 1, 1939). "Duncan Champions Gape Gasp At Big City Then Sail Away". The Daily Oklahoman. p. 31.
- ^ a b Van Hyning, Tom (19 May 2024). "Enid, Oklahoma's Baseball Links: Late Nineteenth Century to the 21st Centruy, Part II". Beisbol 101. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "North American Final". Western Canada Baseball. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Buege, 2012
- ^ "Baseball Interest Growing in Free World". USIS Features. US Department of State. 1952. p. 159.
- ^ Raubacher, George (June 22, 1955). "Hash". Janesville Daily Gazette.
- ^ "MILWAUKEE'S WORLD SERIES". Sports Illustrated. 10 October 1955. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Julio Pernas López (2011). Strike Two: El Béisbol en la españa de la posguerra 1939-1960 y otras curiosidades del deporte español (PDF) (in Spanish). World Baseball Softball Confederation. pp. 224–26. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
- ^ Riccardo Schiroli (2019). The Game We Love (PDF). World Baseball Softball Confederation. p. 68.
- ^ Josh Chetwynd (2008). Baseball in Europe: A Country by Country History. pp. 22–23. ISBN 9780786437245.
- ^ "JAPAN TAKES GLOBAL WORLD SERIES". Newsreels.net. Hearst Metronome. 27 September 1955. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Global World Series". Western Canada Baseball.
- ^ "DUNCAN IS TWICE DEFEATED SUNDAY BY PUERTO RICO". The Wichita Eagle. September 18, 1939. p. 8.
- ^ "Enid Defeats Puerto Rico". The Wichita Eagle. October 2, 1940. p. 10.
- ^ "London Majors Rip Voltmen". The Wichita Eagle. September 30, 1948. p. 12.
- ^ "Fort Wayne Wins Baseball Crown". The Sault Star. May 13, 1950. p. 12.
- ^ Lightner, Pete (September 22, 1950). "Capeharts Praise Japanese Fans". The Wichita Eagle. p. 8.
- ^ "Calderone Stars As Myer Wins 9–1". Daily Press. September 18, 1952. p. 8.
- ^ "Milwaukee Host to Global Series". The Capital Times. September 7, 1955. p. 19.
- ^ "Global Series Opens Friday". The Wichita Eagle. September 2, 1956. p. 23.
- ^ "Wichita Bombers Win Global World Series". Racine Journal Times. Associated Press. 30 September 1955. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ Lightner, Pete (September 30, 1955). "Boeing Whips Hawaii in 11th for Global Title". The Wichita Eagle. p. 13.
- ^ "GLOBAL CHAMPIONS AND SPOILS". The Wichita Eagle. September 15, 1956. p. 20.
- ^ Fleming, Don (September 19, 1957). "Japan's Tiny Terror Osawa Rips Ball Crown Hopes Away From Esks". Edmonton Journal. p. 12.
- ^ "Japan Nine Here For Games Sunday". The Honolulu Advertiser. September 26, 1957. p. 47.
Bibliography
edit- Buege, Bob (Spring 2012). "Global World Series: 1955-57". SABR. Society for American Baseball Research.