A History of South African Baseball

Abstract

For most casual baseball fans, sight of a South African team at 2006 World Baseball Classic must have been befuddling. But after team--made up almost exclusively of amateur players--took an 8-7 lead into ninth inning against established baseball nation of Canada, any onlooker should have clearly recognized that sport did not emerge overnight in African nation. In fact, South Africa has a long history of baseball. game was first played on its shores in 1895 when a group of Americans, who had migrated to South Africa during gold boom just before Boer War, settled in Transvaal Province. Americans were true missionaries for sport, bringing equipment, creating a baseball diamond, and setting up games. Thanks to their persistence and local interest in baseball, an official league was set up in 1899, and, in September 1904, Transvaal's first official provincial baseball body was formed. In league's inaugural season, circuit was dominated by hitters. Washington Post reported on December 25, 1904, that the players of different teams can hit ball, even if they have not yet attained accuracy and agility in fielding that their American cousins have reached. Of thirty-seven players who were listed in 1899 official records, twenty-three hit over .300, and top batter registered a .535 batting average. Four years later, game was still developing, and some South Africans were even boasting about quality of their facilities. In a letter to former New York Yankees president Joe Gordon, L. A. Servatius, who was involved with sport in city of Johannesburg, crowed that fields they were playing on were as fast and level as a billiard table. Still, sport at that point was experiencing growing pains. According to an article in April 19, 1908, edition of Washington Post, South African League had just four teams, and they had to pay for use of their fine fields at a location (Wanderers Athletic Association) where top teams from other sports were allowed to play for free. Nevertheless, Servatius was sanguine about sport's future, which at time featured games drawing from one hundred to seven hundred spectators. The growing Africaner is taking to game, and there is a possibility of a school league being formed in addition to our little organization, he wrote to Gordon. (1) By 1930 sport had spread, thanks to a provincial player from Transvaal who moved to Natal Province and brought baseball with him. A year later, on July 5, Natal and Transvaal played their first interprovincial contest in Durban. Along with birth of baseball in Natal, sport also spread to Western Province at start of 1930s, again because of players from Transvaal. During this period, baseball was enjoying sustained growth in Transvaal, as junior membership exceeded one hundred for first time in 1932. Baseball continued to migrate during this era with games being played in Cape and in Eastern Province, where an association was formed in Port Elizabeth in 1934. Baseball entered a quiet period between 1940 and 1946 because of World War II. But game survived in Transvaal, and unofficial leagues were contested elsewhere by servicemen on leave. Following war, provincial play returned, and popularity of game was such that baseball in Transvaal was split as a new Northern Transvaal association was founded. In 1951 an Eastern Transvaal association was also created. With growth of game in 1950s, first large National Tournament was held in 1952 in Cape Town and Johannesburg. South Africa stepped onto international stage in 1955 when an American team of All Stars toured SA. U.S. players were not superstars but a solid combination of amateur and college players. Coached by Terry Bartron, a high school skipper from Rosemead, California, and managed by Ray Hanson, director of athletics at Western Illinois State College in Macomb, Illinois, squad was selected by United States Amateur Baseball Federation, based on nominations from federation's affiliates throughout United States. …