British and Irish Baseball

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Eighteen: Saturday 22 July 1865

The eighteenth round of games saw some low scoring affairs but some dramatic finishes. League leaders Marylebone Regents earned another win after a first inning run gave them a 1-0 success against Kensington Victoria, pitcher Michael Savage falling just one out away from a complete game.

City of London Club kept pace with a dramatic victory over Clapham Common. They trailed 2-0 after one inning and 2-1 after eight, but two runs in the ninth grabbed the narrowest of wins.

In the battle of the bottom two, Angel Islington and Old Westminsters were scoreless after eight innings but Angel seemed to have earned the win with two runs in the ninth. Westminsters hit back with two of their own though, and the game went on to become the longest in the league all year. It finally ended when an seventeenth inning error handed Westminsters the win as the light faded.

Scores:
Clapham Common 2-3 City of London Club
Marylebone Regents 1-0 Kensington Victoria
Angel Islington 2-3 Old Westminsters (17 innings)

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 13-5
City of London Club 11-7
Clapham Common 9-9
Kensington Victoria 9-9
Angel Islington 6-11
Old Westminsters 5-12

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Nineteen: Saturday 29 July 1865

The highlight of the nineteenth week of the season was the battle of the top two, and it was Marylebone who took a large step towards a possible championship by edging out City of London Club. Although they trailed after two innings, the Regents tied the game in the fourth and then broke the tie in the tenth inning, holding on for the 2-1 win. Marylebone are now three games better off in the standings than the City Club with eleven to play.

Elsewhere, a single run in the ninth inning was enough for Kensington to beat Angel Islington, while Clapham Common scored four runs in the sixth inning to overturn a 2-0 deficit before holding on the beat the Old Westminsters 4-3.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 1-0 Angel Islington
Marylebone Regents 2-1 City of London Club (10 innings)
Old Westminsters 3-4 Clapham Common

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 14-5
City of London Club 11-8
Clapham Common 10-9
Kensington Victoria 10-9
Angel Islington 6-12
Old Westminsters 5-13

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty: Saturday 5 August 1865

The league has now reached the two-thirds point of the season and did so with another round of tight, low scoring games. League leaders Marylebone took another step closer to championship success with a narrow win over Angel Islington, two runs in the seventh inning proving to be enough despite Angel scoring one of their own in the eighth.

City of London Club scored twice in the first inning of their game at Old Westminsters, they could not add to the lead but it didn't matter as the Westminsters were unable to trouble the scorers.

Single runs in the seventh and ninth innings earned Clapham Common a win at Kensington, holding on for the victory despite a run for Victoria in the ninth.

Scores:
Clapham Common 2-1 Kensington Victoria
Angel Islington 1-2 Marylebone Regents
City of London Club 2-0 Old Westminsters

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 15-5
City of London Club 12-8
Clapham Common 11-9
Kensington Victoria 10-10
Angel Islington 6-13
Old Westminsters 5-14

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-One: Saturday 12 August 1865

The final third of the season got underway with the teams meeting for the fifth time, and the final time on these grounds. Marylebone took another step towards championship glory with a fifth consecutive win, scoring twice in the fourth inning and shutting out opponents Clapham Common.

The City of London Club overcame a first inning deficit with two runs in the third inning and two more in the sixth against Angel Islington, completing a 4-1 victory to cling on to their hopes of catching the Regents in the standings.

In the day's other game, three second inning runs set Kensington Victoria on the way to a 4-0 success over an Old Westminsters team who remain at the foot of the standings.

Scores:
City of London Club 4-1 Angel Islington
Old Westminsters 0-4 Kensington Victoria
Clapham Common 0-2 Marylebone Regents

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 16-5
City of London Club 13-8
Clapham Common 11-10
Kensington Victoria 11-10
Angel Islington 6-14
Old Westminsters 5-15

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Two: Saturday 19 August 1865

The Marylebone Regents are closing in on the inaugural Metropolitan League championship as they won their sixth consecutive game and further extended their lead in the standings. The Regents opened up an early lead over the Old Westminsters and held on for a 3-1 victory.

Their lead is extended as City of London Club were beaten 2-1 by Kensington Victoria, the vital run crossing home plate in the eighth inning and leaving the City Club four games worse off than Marylebone with just eight more to play.

Angel Islington appeared to be set to snap their losing streak when they took a one run lead into the ninth inning against Clapham Common, only for the Common to score twice and grab the victory.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 2-1 City of London Club
Angel Islington 1-2 Clapham Common
Marylebone Regents 3-1 Old Westminsters

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 17-5
City of London Club 13-9
Clapham Common 12-10
Kensington Victoria 12-10
Angel Islington 6-15
Old Westminsters 5-16

[darkcloud4579]

Good job so far!

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Three: Saturday 26 August 1865

For the second time this season there were four games played today, as the Old Westminsters and Angel Islington played two to make up their postponed game from earlier in the season. Remarkably, both games took twelve innings to complete and finished with 2-1 scorelines, one to each team.

Angel won the first game to end their six game losing run, tying it in the ninth inning and winning it in the twelfth. In the second game, it was the Old Westminsters who tied the game late on, in the eighth inning, before winning it in twelve just as the sun set. Angel pitcher Joseph Nicholls almost pitched all twenty-four innings, only leaving the second game having given up two hits in the twelfth.

In the other games, league leaders Marylebone won their seventh in a row as they took an early three run lead over Kensington before holding off a Victoria fightback to win 3-2. City of London Club kept alive their fading hopes of catching the Regents in the standings by scoring two in the first inning to beat Clapham Common 2-0.

Scores:
Old Westminsters 1-2 Angel Islington(Game One, 12 innings)
Old Westminsters 2-1 Angel Islington (Game Two, 12 innings)
City of London Club 2-0 Clapham Common
Kensington Victoria 2-3 Marylebone Regents

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 18-5
City of London Club 14-9
Clapham Common 12-11
Kensington Victoria 12-11
Angel Islington 7-16
Old Westminsters 6-17

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Four: Saturday 2 September 1865

With six games to go, it now appears almost certain that the Metropolitan League's first champions will be the Marylebone Regents. They beat second placed City of London 6-3 today, thanks to four runs in the first inning and two more in the third, and are now five games ahead in the standings having won eight in a row.

In the day's other games, Clapham Common scored three runs in each of the third and fifth innings to earn a 6-2 win over the Old Westminsters, while it took eleven innings for Kensington to overcome Angel Islington 2-1.

Scores:
Angel Islington 1-2 Kensington Victoria (11 innings)
City of London Club 3-6 Marylebone Regents
Clapham Common 6-2 Old Westminsters

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 19-5
City of London Club 14-10
Clapham Common 13-11
Kensington Victoria 13-11
Angel Islington 7-17
Old Westminsters 6-18

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Five: Saturday 9 September 1865

Today could have been the day that the Marylebone Regents made certain that they would be the league champions, but they could not figure out how to score against Angel Islington pitcher Joseph Nicholls. He shut them down allowing just three hits in a complete game performance, while Angel's two first inning runs were enough for the win, ending the Regents eight game winning run.

The second placed City of London Club could not close the gap in the standings though, giving up a 2-0 lead as the Old Westminsters scored three in the fourth inning to gain the win.

The City Club are now tied for second place with Kensington Victoria, who overcame Clapham Common 3-1. With five games of the season to go, the only way Marylebone can now be caught is if they lose all their games and either City of London or Kensington win all of theirs to force a tiebreaker.

Scores:
Marylebone Regents 0-2 Angel Islington
Old Westminsters 3-2 City of London Club
Kensington Victoria 3-1 Clapham Common

Standings:
Marylebone Regents 19-6
City of London Club 14-11
Kensington Victoria 14-11
Clapham Common 13-12
Angel Islington 8-17
Old Westminsters 7-18

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Six: Saturday 16 September 1865

The inaugural champions of the Metropolitan League will be the Marylebone Regents. The team went into today's game at Clapham Common knowing that victory would mean they could no longer be caught in the standings, and a single run in the third inning was good enough to earn the victory as Common missed several good chances to score. It's no secret that the Regents' success has been built on winning close games, they have now won nine out of ten when just a single run has separated the teams.

Both Kensington and City of London needed to win to have any chance of staying in the championship race, and although it was all in vain both did indeed earn victory against the league's bottom two clubs. Kensington lost a shutout when the Old Westminsters scored in the ninth inning, but by then Victoria already had eight runs of their own.

City of London led 3-0 early against Angel Islington but saw their lead disappear when Angel scored three in the eighth inning. City Club immediately responded with an eighth inning run of their own to gain a 4-3 victory.

Scores:
Angel Islington 3-4 City of London Club
Marylebone Regents 1-0 Clapham Common
Kensington Victoria 8-1 Old Westminsters

Standings:
Marylebone Regents (C) 20-6
City of London Club 15-11
Kensington Victoria 15-11
Clapham Common 13-13
Angel Islington 8-18
Old Westminsters 7-19

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Seven: Saturday 23 September 1865

Today should have been a celebration for the Marylebone Regents after they clinched the championship last week, but they fell short against the struggling Old Westminsters despite taking the lead in the first inning. Westminsters tied the game in the seventh and then after a long battle, clinched the win by scoring four in the fifteenth inning as darkness began to fall.

City of London are now clear in second place after a win at Kensington Victoria. Kensington jumped out in front with two runs in the fifth but the City Club hit back with four in the sixth to go ahead.

In the day's other game Clapham Common scored a single run in four different innings to earn a shutout victory over Angel Islington.

Scores:
Clapham Common 4-0 Angel Islington
City of London Club 4-2 Kensington Victoria
Old Westminsters 5-1 Marylebone Regents (15 innings)

Standings:
Marylebone Regents (C) 20-7
City of London Club 16-11
Kensington Victoria 15-12
Clapham Common 14-13
Angel Islington 8-19
Old Westminsters 8-19

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Eight: Saturday 30 September 1865

It's a good job that the Marylebone Regents have already won this year's championship, as they were beaten for the second time in a row since securing the league. This time it was perhaps the most dramatic game of the season. The Regents led 3-0 in the first inning, but opponents Kensington came back to tie and then scored three in the eighth to take a 6-3 advantage. Marylebone responded with four in the ninth to take the lead 7-6, only for Victoria to hit back with two of their own to snatch the win.

In the day's other games, one run in the eighth earned Clapham Common a 2-1 victory over City of London, while Angel Islington scored two in the fifth to turn the game around and beat Old Westminsters in the battle of the bottom two.

Scores:
Clapham Common 2-1 City of London Club
Marylebone Regents 7-8 Kensington Victoria
Angel Islington 2-1 Old Westminsters

Standings:
Marylebone Regents (C) 20-8
City of London Club 16-12
Kensington Victoria 16-12
Clapham Common 15-13
Angel Islington 9-19
Old Westminsters 8-20

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Nine: Saturday 7 October 1865

The Marylebone Regents have now lost three games in a row since securing the league championship, this time going down 2-1 to the City of London Club, the decisive run coming in the sixth inning.

The day's other games both saw complete game shutouts by starting pitchers, the best effort from Angel's Joseph Nicholls who allow just five hits to Kensington batters in his team's 2-0 success.

The Old Westminsters' Caleb Dean also shut down his opponents, allowing Clapham Common seven hits. Westminsters scored six runs of their own, one of them a third home run of the year for Samuel Baber who now leads the league in that category.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 0-2 Angel Islington
Marylebone Regents 1-2 City of London Club
Old Westminsters 6-0 Clapham Common

Standings:
Marylebone Regents (C) 20-9
City of London Club 17-12
Kensington Victoria 16-13
Clapham Common 15-14
Angel Islington 10-19
Old Westminsters 9-20

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Thirty: Saturday 14 October 1865

The first season of the Metropolitan League came to an end today as champions Marylebone were presented with the Prince of Wales Cup after their game against Angel Islington. The champions had lost their last three games and fell 2-0 down in the first inning today, but recovered to lead 3-2 after two innings and that would be the final score.

Elsewhere the City of London Club, expected by many before the season to be champions, secured second place in the standings by overcoming the Old Westminsters 5-1. The result also ensures that Westminsters finish in last place.

Four runs in the second inning were enough to earn a 4-2 victory for Clapham Common at Kensington, leaving the teams tied for third place. With their six meetings resulting in three wins for each side, there really was nothing to choose between them this year.

Scores:
Clapham Common 4-2 Kensington Victoria
Angel Islington 2-3 Marylebone Regents
City of London Club 5-1 Old Westminsters

Standings:
Marylebone Regents (C) 21-9
City of London Club 18-12
Clapham Common 16-14
Kensington Victoria 16-14
Angel Islington 10-20
Old Westminsters 9-21

[as5680]

1865 Season Review

As the dust settles on the first season of play in the Metropolitan League, it turned out to be a comfortable title success for the Marylebone Regents as they finished three games clear of the chasing pack. The Regents took over at the top of the standings in Week Twelve and were never overtaken, helped by an eight game winning run.

Their success was based on winning a lot of close games, earning victory in ten of the thirteen games which were decided by a single run - with two of the losses coming when the championship was already won. Of note is that Kensington Victoria, who finished tied for third, both scored more runs and allowed fewer than the champions but lost too many close games themselves to make a challenge.

Before the season many people saw the City of London Club as the potential champions, but although they had a good season they fell three games short of the Regents in the standings. Next season they must make more of home advantage, as they lost eight of their fifteen home games this year. Needing to improve all around next season will be Angel Islington and the Old Westminsters, both teams struggling all season and finishing a long way behind the rest of the league.

League Leaders (Batting):
Batting Average: Declan Isted (Marylebone) .404
Base Hits: Declan Isted (Marylebone) 46
Doubles: Huw Herivel (Marylebone) 7
Triples: Julius Minet (Marylebone) 3
Home Runs: Samuel Baber (Old Westminsters) 3
Runs Batted In: Felix Kitt (Kensington) 15
Runs Scored: Oliver Gander (City of London) 15
Stolen Bases: Archibald Farleigh (City of London) 18

League Leaders (Pitching):
Earned Run Average: Lawrence Ringer (City of London) 0.45
Wins: Michael Savage (Marylebone) 17
Losses: Caleb Dean (Old Westminsters) 19
Innings Pitched: Caleb Dean (Old Westminsters) 252
Shutouts: Caleb Dean (Old Westminsters)/Joseph Nicholls (Angel) 3
Strikeouts: Gilbert Attwell (City of London) 183

League Champions: Marylebone Regents

[as5680]

1865 Award Winners

The Metropolitan League has announced the following award winners for its inaugural season:

Best Player: Declan Isted (Marylebone)
Best Pitcher: Gilbert Attwell (City of London)
Manager of the Year: Patrick Smith (Marylebone)

Best Hitter by Position:
Pitcher: Lyn Duncalf (Kensington, .317)
Catcher: Jonah Field (City of London, .254)
First Base: Jonas Myers (City of London, .336)
Second Base: Edmond Granahan (City of London, .296)
Third Base: Oliver Gander (City of London, .316)
Shortstop: Wayne Barke (City of London, .273)
Left Field: Nathan Mungavan (City of London, .267)
Centre Field: Declan Isted (Marylebone, .404)
Right Field: Archibald Farleigh (City of London, .328)

Best Defender by Position:
Pitcher: Joseph Nicholls (Angel)
Catcher: John Griffiths (Kensington)
First Base: Max Armstrong (Clapham)
Second Base: Ernest Davis (Angel)
Third Base: Huw Herivel (Marylebone)
Shortstop: Aodhan Stern (Clapham)
Left Field: Ewen Callinan (Angel)
Centre Field: Declan Isted (Marylebone)
Right Field: Archibald Farleigh (City of London)

[DreamTeams]

This is such an easy follow. Enjoyed each post. Great job, as5680.

[as5680]

1866 Season Preview

It's almost time for the second season of the Metropolitan Baseball League to begin, and after an exciting first year the new campaign is eagerly awaited.

Last year the championship went to the Marylebone Regents, but many of the experts do not anticipate a repeat success this time around. Just like last year, the most popular pick to be champions is the City of London Club, but they underachieved last time despite having the best record of any team away from their home ground.

The Regents are widely seen as having overachieved in 1865, and they are predicted to be in the middle of the pack this time alongside Kensington, with Clapham Common raising their game to provide the toughest challenge to the City Club.

Last year's strugglers, Angel Islington and the Old Westminsters, are widely expected to be in the same position this time and many will be surprised if either finish above the bottom two.

[as5680]

Team Logos and Jerseys for 1866

Left to right: Angel Islington, City of London Club, Clapham Common, Kensington Victoria, Marylebone Regents, Old Westminsters

[as5680]

Metropolitan Baseball League
Week One: Saturday 24 March 1866

The Metropolitan League's second season got underway with a match-up between the top two in last year's standings. The defending champion Marylebone Regents began the defence of their title with a narrow victory over the City of London Club. The Regents scored runs in the third and fourth innings, and the City Club could only respond with one of their own in the fifth.

Kensington and Clapham finished level in last season's standings but for their first meeting of this year, it was Victoria who came out on top. Three second inning runs put them in command, and two more in the fifth seemed to make the game safe. They had to withstand a fightback from Common though as they closed the gap to 5-3 in the ninth but couldn't get on level terms.

Angel Islington and Old Westminsters struggled to win games all last season and it was hard work for either of them to win today's opening game. Neither side scored in the regulation nine innings, but in the tenth it was the Westminsters who snatched the elusive run to earn the victory and seal a three-hit complete game shutout for pitcher Caleb Dean.

Scores:
Marylebone Regents 2-1 City of London Club
Kensington Victoria 5-3 Clapham Common
Angel Islington 0-1 Old Westminsters (10 innings)

Standings:
Kensington Victoria 1-0
Marylebone Regents 1-0
Old Westminsters 1-0
Angel Islington 0-1
City of London Club 0-1
Clapham Common 0-1