1957 European Baseball Championship
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| City | Mannheim |
| Dates | 7–13 July |
| Teams | 5 |
| Defending champions | Netherlands |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Netherlands (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Germany |
| Third place | Italy |
| Fourth place | Spain |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 10 |
The 1957 European Baseball Championship was held in Mannheim, Germany. The Netherlands won their second championship in a row by going undefeated, qualifying for the 1957 Global World Series in Detroit.[1][2] Germany finished in second place, its best-ever finish at the event.[3]
The Netherlands were led by pitchers Han Urbanus, Nico Brands, and Jan Smidt.[4] Germany instigated a bench-clearing brawl during its loss to the Netherlands, alleging that a Belgian umpire favored the Dutch team. A German player also claimed the umpire was drunk.[5][6] The Italian team also protested improper scorekeeping during its loss to the Netherlands, requiring the game, which the Dutch reportedly led 3–0, to be restarted.[5]
The U.S. Army sponsored the championship, though few Germans attended the event.[7] Players slept in military barracks.[6]
The championship was a round-robin tournament.[8] The tournament was originally planned to be held in Madrid, Spain, but the Spanish baseball federation announced in August 1956 that it would no longer host the event.[9] The 1960 championship would be held in Barcelona, with Madrid hosting in 1965.[10]
Standings
| Pos. | Team | Record | RS | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 4–0 | 36 | 2 |
| 2 | Germany | 3–1 | 30 | 23 |
| 3 | Italy | 2–2 | 18 | 14 |
| 4 | Spain | 1–3 | 23 | 34 |
| 5 | Belgium | 0–4 | 16 | 50 |
References
- ^ "Holland wins title". The Idaho Statesman. Associated Press. 1957-07-13. p. 8. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
- ^ a b Chetwynd, Josh (2008). Baseball in Europe : a country by country history. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. pp. 237–238. ISBN 978-0-7864-3724-5. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Baseball - European Championships : Medal winners and event presentation". the-sports.org. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
- ^ "HONKBAL Nederland weer Europees kampioen Na grote overwinning op België" [BASEBALL Netherlands European champions again after big victory over Belgium]. Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 1957-07-13. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
- ^ a b "Nederlandse honkballers sleepten Europese titel uit hel van Mannheim Wandelfestijn te Nijmegen vlekkeloos stukje sport" [Dutch baseball players dragged European title from the hell of Mannheim Walking Festival in Nijmegen flawless piece of sport]. Amigoe di Curaçao (in Dutch). 1957-07-27. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
- ^ a b Chetwynd 2008, pp. 121, 122.
- ^ "Germans not interested in baseball". The Bee. Associated Press. 1957-07-10. p. 11. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
- ^ a b "Baseball - European Championships 1957 - Calendar & Results". the-sports.org. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ "Geen Europese titelstrijd 1957 in Madrid". Nieuwsblad van het Zuiden (in Dutch). 1956-08-29. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Chetwynd 2008, pp. 238, 240.
- ^ "Archief Europees kampioenschap" [Archive European Championship]. Honkbalsite Archief (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-01-13.