Baseball in Europe

With the success of The Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, baseball in Europe has begun to receive more attention. But few realize just how far back the sport’s history stretches on the continent. Baseball has been played in Europe since the 1870s, and in several countries the players and devoted followers have included royalty, Hall of Famers from the U.S. major leagues, and captains of industry.
Featuring approximately 80 new interviews and 70 new photos and images, this second edition builds extensively on the previous edition’s country-by-country histories of more than 40 European nations. Also included are two new appendices on European players signed by MLB organizations and European countries’ performance in worldwide rankings.

Josh Chetwynd is an award-winning journalist who has served as a staff reporter for USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter and U.S. News & World Report. A former professional baseball player in the United Sates and Europe, he has broadcast baseball in the United Kingdom on both television for Channel Five and BT Sport and on radio for the BBC. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

Josh Chetwynd
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 389
Bibliographic Info: 112 photos, appendices, glossary, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7912-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3786-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1. The Netherlands 13
2. Italy 33
3. Spain 55
4. Belgium 69
5. Great Britain 80
6. Germany (including West Germany) 103
7. Russia (and the Soviet Union) 121
8. Sweden 139
9. France 152
10. Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) 168
11. Croatia 182
12. The Rest of Europe: A–H 194
13. The Rest of Europe: I–M 210
14. The Rest of Europe: N–Z 228
15. European Baseball Championships 247
Appendices
A—A Brief History of European Baseball’s Governing Body 275
B—Player Participation in Europe 276
C—European Countries in World Rankings 278
D—Medals at the European Baseball Championships 279
E—European Club Competitions 279
F—European Countries in World Events 281
G—­Country-by-Country National Champions and Federations 285
H—­European-Born Major Leaguers 305
I—Europeans Signed by MLB Organizations (1999–2018) 318
J—Major Leaguers in European Domestic Baseball Leagues 324
K—Glossary 338
Chapter Notes 345
Bibliography 363
Index 367

• “Clearly a labor of love for the author… this publication is unique in its focus on the topic…meticulous research was clearly required to put it together…a wealth of factual lists…recommended”—Choice/li>
• “Fascinating and informative…recommended”—Midwest Book Review/li>
• Reviews from the first edition:
• “Impressive…scrupulously and thoroughly documented…an excellent research tool as well an informative and entertaining read…this book will be the definitive work on European baseball for seasons to come”—Booklist
• “Very little else has been written on this subject, so Chetwynd’s excellent overview is welcome indeed. Highly recommended”—Choice
• “A one-of-a-kind book”—Library Journal
• “A well-written, highly informed, carefully researched, and scrupulously documented addition to international baseball scholarship…. [T]his book will be the definitive work on European baseball for seasons to come.”—Nine
• “While the book’s usefulness as a reference resource should not be underestimated, it serves equally as a fine read. In short: buy it, enjoy reading it from cover to cover, and then find it a space on your most easily accessible bookshelf”—BaseballGB
• “Fascinating”—Chicago Tribune
• “Unrivaled in its description of baseball’s presence on the other side of the Atlantic…definitive”—The Guardian
• “A comprehensive, handy reference guide to everything you need to know about America’s Pastime on the Old Continent”—MLB.com
• “Good read…covers the history of baseball in over 40 European countries”—Toronto Sun