Ted Peterson
Encyclopedia
Ted Peterson MBE
(6 May 1916 – 19 December 2005) was a baseball (British/Welsh)
player, whose unparalleled achievements in the sport earned him the title ‘Mr Baseball’.
A formidable bowler, his international appearances for Wales
stretched from the 1930s to the 1960s, and when his playing days were over, he devoted his energies to administration.
in 1916, Peterson played for school and church teams before breaking into the Penylan
side in 1934 – a club he would remain with throughout his career. He spent most of that first season with the second team, but on one first-team appearance, against Splott
University Settlement he recorded impressive figures of 8 (men out) for 24 (runs).
, and was also the top Welsh batsman, with scores of 10 and 4, but it was not enough to help Wales avoid an innings defeat.
After missing the 1938 international through injury, he was back in the team for the 1939 trip to Liverpool, and another Welsh defeat. The Second World War saw him on active service with the Royal Engineers
, before returning to civilian life and the Great Western Railway
, where he was employed, mainly in the docks, for 51 years.
The first post-war international was the 1948 game in the grounds of Cardiff Castle
. Peterson captained Wales and opened the bowling in front of a crowd of 10,000. He got four England players out for no runs and steered his team to victory by 11 runs, thus ending England's five-game winning streak.
The following year at New Brighton
, Peterson made his fourth international appearance. As second bowler to Maurice Groves, he finished England's first innings with figures of 4 for 27. He also cemented his reputation as something of an all-rounder: his total of 14 equalled his best international score and took his Wales total to 40 in four games – the average of 10 runs per game being an outstanding figure for a bowler.
Back on home soil for the 1950 international, the game had to be replayed after torrential rain disrupted proceedings at Sophia Gardens
. Peterson bowled superbly to take out 8 Englishmen in the first innings and 7 in the second. He also scored 9 in his only innings with the bat to help Wales to a comfortable win.
He played in the 1951 and '52 international wins and was picked as substitute, but not used, in the 1953 game. He captained a Welsh team against the English at Sophia Gardens
in 1957 in a special representative match – in addition to the annual international – staged to raise money for the Empire Games funds. His final appearance for Wales came in 1960, and he took 4 for 9 in the first England innings, as the Welsh won at Maindy Stadium
, Cardiff.
In 1963, he became chairman of the WNBL, and in 1978 – at the age of 62 – finally hung up his baseball boots. In 1980 he was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh
, who were in Cardiff for its 75th anniversary of achieving city status.
In 1985 he retired after 22 years as secretary of the Penylan club, and became chairman of the new WBU, which at that time administered 72 men's teams, 32 women's teams and 250 junior sides. Stepping down as chairman in 1996, he remained president until his death in 2005. A Wales team selector and member of the International Baseball Board
, there is even a cup competition named in his honour. – the Ted Peterson Cup is contested by Welsh men’s teams each summer.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(6 May 1916 – 19 December 2005) was a baseball (British/Welsh)
British baseball
British baseball, sometimes called Welsh baseball, or in the areas where it is popular simply baseball, is a bat-and-ball game played primarily in Wales and England. It is closely related to the game of rounders, and indeed emerged as a distinct sport when governing bodies in Wales and England...
player, whose unparalleled achievements in the sport earned him the title ‘Mr Baseball’.
A formidable bowler, his international appearances for Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
stretched from the 1930s to the 1960s, and when his playing days were over, he devoted his energies to administration.
Early years
Born in Canton, CardiffCanton, Cardiff
Canton is an inner-city district and community in the west of Cardiff, capital of Wales, lying west of the city's civic centre. One of the most ethnically diverse of Cardiff's suburbs, with a significant Asian population such as Pakistanis and Indians, Canton has a population just in excess of...
in 1916, Peterson played for school and church teams before breaking into the Penylan
Penylan
Penylan is a district in the east of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, known for its Victorian era period houses and spacious tree lined roads and avenues....
side in 1934 – a club he would remain with throughout his career. He spent most of that first season with the second team, but on one first-team appearance, against Splott
Splott
Splott is a district in the south of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, just east of the city centre. It was built up in the late 19th century on the land of two farms of the same name: Upper Splott and Lower Splott Farms. Splott is characterised by its once vast steelworks and rows of tightly...
University Settlement he recorded impressive figures of 8 (men out) for 24 (runs).
International appearances
In 1935, he became a Penylan first team regular and two years later was called into the Wales national team. He took 6 for 33 in two spells against England in 1937 at Stanley Greyhound Stadium, LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and was also the top Welsh batsman, with scores of 10 and 4, but it was not enough to help Wales avoid an innings defeat.
After missing the 1938 international through injury, he was back in the team for the 1939 trip to Liverpool, and another Welsh defeat. The Second World War saw him on active service with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, before returning to civilian life and the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, where he was employed, mainly in the docks, for 51 years.
The first post-war international was the 1948 game in the grounds of Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
. Peterson captained Wales and opened the bowling in front of a crowd of 10,000. He got four England players out for no runs and steered his team to victory by 11 runs, thus ending England's five-game winning streak.
The following year at New Brighton
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
, Peterson made his fourth international appearance. As second bowler to Maurice Groves, he finished England's first innings with figures of 4 for 27. He also cemented his reputation as something of an all-rounder: his total of 14 equalled his best international score and took his Wales total to 40 in four games – the average of 10 runs per game being an outstanding figure for a bowler.
Back on home soil for the 1950 international, the game had to be replayed after torrential rain disrupted proceedings at Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens , currently known as SWALEC Stadium under a naming rights deal, is a cricket stadium on the west bank of the River Taff in Cardiff, 1.6 kilometres north of Cardiff Arms Park. It was named after Lady Sophia Rawdon-Hastings...
. Peterson bowled superbly to take out 8 Englishmen in the first innings and 7 in the second. He also scored 9 in his only innings with the bat to help Wales to a comfortable win.
He played in the 1951 and '52 international wins and was picked as substitute, but not used, in the 1953 game. He captained a Welsh team against the English at Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens
Sophia Gardens , currently known as SWALEC Stadium under a naming rights deal, is a cricket stadium on the west bank of the River Taff in Cardiff, 1.6 kilometres north of Cardiff Arms Park. It was named after Lady Sophia Rawdon-Hastings...
in 1957 in a special representative match – in addition to the annual international – staged to raise money for the Empire Games funds. His final appearance for Wales came in 1960, and he took 4 for 9 in the first England innings, as the Welsh won at Maindy Stadium
Maindy Stadium
Maindy Centre , which was formerly known as Maindy Stadium, now also known as Maindy Pool and Cycle Track, includes a cycle track and indoor swimming pool facility in the Maindy area of Cardiff, Wales...
, Cardiff.
Club competitions
In club competition, Peterson's Penylan scored the league and cup double in 1952, beating Splott US in the Welsh Baseball Union (WBU) Cup Final by 79 runs, and there were further successes in both premier competitions through the late 1950s and into the '60s. Indeed, in 1961, '62 and '63 Penylan won the treble of league title, WBU Cup and Welsh National Baseball League (WNBL) Cup.Awards and distinctions
He was named ‘unsung hero of sport’ by the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame, and in 1996, at the age of 80, he received the UK national Help the Aged Golden Award for contribution to sport. He died in December 2005, aged 89, still holding the post of President of the WBU.In 1963, he became chairman of the WNBL, and in 1978 – at the age of 62 – finally hung up his baseball boots. In 1980 he was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
, who were in Cardiff for its 75th anniversary of achieving city status.
In 1985 he retired after 22 years as secretary of the Penylan club, and became chairman of the new WBU, which at that time administered 72 men's teams, 32 women's teams and 250 junior sides. Stepping down as chairman in 1996, he remained president until his death in 2005. A Wales team selector and member of the International Baseball Board
International Baseball Board
The International Baseball Board was founded in 1927 and is the international governing body for British baseball.It has two member organisations, the English Baseball Association and the Welsh Baseball Union...
, there is even a cup competition named in his honour. – the Ted Peterson Cup is contested by Welsh men’s teams each summer.
External links
- Welsh Baseball
- Ted Peterson obituary in South Wales Echo
- Emotional victory at Ascot