1957 European Baseball Championship
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. Germany finished in second place, its best-ever finish at the event.
The Netherlands were led by pitchers Hans Urbanus,, and. 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. 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.
The U.S. Army sponsored the championship, though few Germans attended the event. Players slept in military barracks.