By Gabriel Fidler

LONDON, U.K., 17 Dec. 2025 — The British Baseball Hall of Fame (BBHOF) is pleased to announce the Class of 2025, which features an ace pitcher for the national team and a ‘game builders’, inducted for contributions to grassroots sport, development of new players, and sustained commitment to baseball in Britain. The Historic Committee selected Doug Cowling, who founded the Hornsey Red Sox as a teenager, building the team from scratch as a youth club all the way into a multi-year contender for the British championship. The Modern Committee elected Great Britain Baseball’s most dedicated moundsman, Alex Smith, who still holds six career pitching records for the national team despite retiring almost 15 seasons ago. A total of 58 men and women are now enshrined in the BBHOF for their superlative contributions to British baseball.

‘Organised baseball has been played in Britain since 1890, with various periods of growth spurred on by the hard work of grassroots volunteers, with star players drawing in the crowds,‘ noted Gabriel Fidler, Chair of the British Baseball Hall of Fame. ‘The British Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 celebrates two important strands for baseball in our country—those that put in tireless effort to found and nurture new clubs, and those who succeed at the highest level while representing Great Britain. These inductees showcase the rich history of British baseball over more than 70 years, from the efforts of those in local clubs to the country’s most successful pitcher.’

Perhaps no British-born individual did more to keep the sport of baseball going among domestic players during World War II than Doug Cowling. As a 15-year-old in 1935, Cowling started a baseball team in Hornsey, North London, naming it after the Boston Red Sox. Hornsey was originally a junior team, only entering senior leagues in 1939, in the club’s third year. While Cowling began his time in baseball at a booming time for the sport in Britain, the manager was a rare Briton who carried the torch for the game during World War II. As one of the only British teams still playing during the hostilities, Cowling’s Red Sox competed against numerous American and Canadian service teams for charity.

After the war ended, Cowling kept the Red Sox going and his indefatigable spirit paid off. In 1949, in his first year as manager (and, possibly, his only year), Hornsey won the national title before a reported 10,000 spectators at White City Stadium, collecting a league title and two cup trophies along the way. All the while, Cowling continued his significant efforts in youth baseball.

One of the national team’s most tenured (2000–12) and talented pitchers, Alex Smith represented GB in one World Cup, one World Baseball Classic Qualifier, six European Championships, and one European Championship Qualifier. His record reads as one of both longevity and dominance. Overall, in these major events, he logged more than 100 innings, earning a 6-5 record with 3 saves and a 3.59 ERA, setting six national team career records. He becomes the first pitcher chosen for the BBHOF without ever playing in a British domestic league.

Smith’s career highlights include picking up a clutch save against a Russian team that would earn a silver medal at the 2001 Euros; serving as the ace of the staff at the 2005 Euros, where he went 2-0 on the mound with a 1.26 ERA; playing a key role at the 2007 Euros, where GB won the silver medal; and getting the start in the decisive game of the 2011 European Qualifiers against Israel in 2011 and delivering 8⅔ innings of two-run ball to earn the win and secure promotion for Great Britain. Simply put, no GB pitcher has ever been handed the ball as many times as Smith, and with such consistently high expectations.

‘It is a tremendous honor to be selected to be a member of the British Baseball Hall of Fame,‘ remarked Smith. ‘I am thankful to my family, my coaches, the support staff, and my teammates. Representing Great Britain Baseball on the field has always been a highlight of my baseball life and I look forward to continuing to help the organization in any way that I can.’

‘Ongoing research into the more than 300-year history of baseball in the U.K. has revealed inspiring stories, new champions, and details of many other intriguing people and teams,‘ concluded Fidler. ‘Cowling’s life is mostly known from a short-lived magazine preserved in the Project COBB archive of British baseball, while Smith’s career was chronicled by Joe Gray and Josh Chetwynd.

‘All of this important work is accomplished by volunteers, and further enhances the already rich archive of material at Project COBB, which shines an important light on British culture over the past two centuries. I look forward to learning of the discovery of new stories over the coming year as we honour everyone from pioneers and grassroots heroes to local legends and international sporting stars.’

Full candidate biographies and a glance at the Class of 2025 by the numbers are available here. Details of the 2025 British Baseball Hall of Fame induction festivities will be released at a later date. Biographies, statistical highlights, and photos of the previous 16 classes of inductees can be found at bbhof.org.uk, which is currently in the process of being upgraded and updated.

This article has been republished from Extra Innings. BaseballSoftballUK is not responsible for its contents.