OTD in Base Ball 10/4/1866: First Championship Match Between Athletics of Philadelphia and Atlantic BBC of Brooklyn Called Due to Unruly Crowd

From the desk: NO ROUNDERS!

Chicago Tribune, Friday, October 5, 1866

On Thursday, October 4, 1866, upwards of 25,000 cranks, the largest crowd of people ever assembled in this country to witness a base ball match, arrive at the Fifteenth Avenue and Columbia Avenue grounds to see the local Athletics of Philadelphia take on the visiting Atlantic Base Ball of Brooklyn in the first match this season for the championship of America.

More than 10,000 fans fill the enclosure a full hour before the game, with seating accommodations for only 4,000 to 5,000 persons.  

Another 4,000 people pass through the gates over the next hour.  Every inch of standing room is packed with people.  There are as many fans in the stands as there are on the grounds.  Meanwhile, the crowd outside the grounds was equally, if not more numerous than the one inside, with a great many arrivals from New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, and other cities present to witness the game.

"The two clubs appeared on the grounds in their full strength, the Athletics dressed in blue pants, white shirts, and caps;  the Atlantics in gray pants, white shirts, and red caps.  Both nines looked remarkably well and were apparently in most excellent trim for fine play." - Chicago Tribune

After a fifteen-minute delay, Brooklyn finally takes the field.  Facing Atlantic pitcher Thomas Pratt, Philadelphia's Dan Kleinfelder is retired by second baseman Fred Crane.  Next up, Dick McBride reaches safely when Charles Smith fails to cleanly handle a liner to third.  Al Reach then singles up the middle putting runners at the corners.  Ike Wilkins grounds to second, corralled by Crane; McBride scores from third on the fielder's choice.  Thomas Pratt then strikes out Nate Berkenstock, but not before Al Reach crosses home on a passed ball for a 2-0 Athletic lead.

Leading off for the Atlantic, Dickey Pearce singles through the left side.  Charlie Smith follows with a bouncer to second; Pearce is forced at second base, Reach to Wilkins.  Joe Start then doubles to deep center field advancing Smith to third base.  With Fred Crane at the bat ...

... a disturbance flares up within the crowd on the eastern side of the field.  With police trying to push back fans, many protested that as long as they paid their admission, they were entitled to see the match and enjoy all the privileges that any other person enjoyed.  

One particularly unruly customer sustained wounds to his head when he misguidingly assaulted police officers.

By that point, fans from all directions infiltrated the field.  A portion of fencing along Columbia Avenue gave way, and hundreds of more cranks entered the field.  Police and grounds committee efforts went for naught.

The clubs deliberated for roughly one half-hour, and the game was ultimately called.

OTD in Brooklyn 9/21/1865: Atlantic Base Ball Club Defeats Eckford Club at Capitoline Grounds

From the desk: NO ROUNDERS!

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 

Friday, September 22, 1865

On Thursday, September 21, 1865, the Atlantic Base Ball Club and Eckford Club met for the first time in nearly two years at the Capitoline Grounds in Bedford, Brooklyn.  A challenge was sent by the former champion Eckfords and was accepted by the reigning champion Atlantics.

Defensive shortcomings nearly compromised the Atlantic's heavy batting.  The battery of pitcher Thomas Pratt and catcher Lipman Pike did not last.  After permitting five passed balls, Pike was moved to shortstop, with Dickey Pearce taking up position behind home.  But while the Atlantics gained better proficiency behind the plate, Lipman Pike fared no better at short.  John Chapman's play in left was also brought into question.  The whereabouts of Charlie Smith were unknown to the Atlantics as well, but in his place, Fred Crane handled third base without flaw.  Sidney Smith also performed admirably in right field.

"The play of the Eckfords was very good.  Their fielding was excellent, their pitching and catching very nice, and their batting strong, though not so heavy as the Atlantics.  The champions have grown a little careless in their play, of late, and it is not at all creditable to them.  Many go and witness these games, not that they anticipate a close thing, but because they want to see the Atlantics play, and to play poorly and carelessly is to do discredit to club and friends." Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Thomas Pratt is opposed by George Zettlein for Eckford.  The Atlantics open the scoring with three runs in the first inning.  Eckford recovers one in the second then surges ahead with eight runs in the third.  Undeterred, the Atlantics retake the lead with seven tallies in the fourth frame.  Eckford manages one in return, but the Atlantics then score ten more runs in the fifth for a 20-10 lead through five.  Not yet done, the Atlantics continue adding to their lead two in the sixth, two in the seventh, and pairs of runs in the eighth and ninth innings.  

Afterwhich, it's a matter of making plays and holding on.  Eckford posts three runs in the sixth then rallies for seven runs in the seventh.  Their ninth-inning rally is cut short at three as the Atlantics close out a tightly contested 28-25 victory over Eckford.

Lipman Pike's performance at the plate was commensurate with his fielding, recording a game-high six outs with just one run.  First baseman Joe Start and John Chapman score a team-high five runs, while Fred Crane and Thomas Pratt follow with four each.

Eckford left fielder Henry Manolt and third baseman George Fox lead with four runs scored, three others score three apiece. 

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 

Friday, September 22, 1865