British and Irish Baseball

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Eight: Saturday 11 May 1867

City of London remain one game better off than Angel in the league standings as both earned one-run victories this week. The City Club recovered from falling behind early on against Old Westminsters to open up a 5-2 lead, but then found themselves hanging on to the slimmest of leads after Westminsters found two runs in the ninth.

Angel had been leading 1-0 going into the eighth inning against Kensington Victoria, only to let the advantage slip away. They rallied in the ninth however, ending the game with the decisive run to take it 2-1.

Marylebone must have thought they were finally on their way to a victory when they scored three in the third to open up a lead on Clapham Common. Common turned it around to lead 4-3 though and although the Regents tied the game in the seventh, Common immediately scored two more to set up the win. Marylebone's losing start to the season is now eight games.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 1-2 Angel Islington
Marylebone Regents 4-6 Clapham Common
City of London Club 5-4 Old Westminsters

Standings:
City of London Club 7-1
Angel Islington 6-2
Clapham Common 5-3
Kensington Victoria 3-5
Old Westminsters 3-5
Marylebone Regents 0-8

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Nine: Saturday 18 May 1867

The Metropolitan League standings got a lot closer today as the top two in the league both suffered defeat. City of London Club led in the first inning of their game against Clapham, but Common tied it in the second and then won the game with a single run in the tenth inning.

Second-placed Angel handed the Marylebone Regents their first win of the season at long last. Angel had only themselves to blame for the loss, letting leads of 2-0 and 3-2 slip away and committing numerous errors as the Regents took the win with a run in the twelfth.

Kensington Victoria also let a lead get away from them, having held a 2-0 first inning advantage over the Old Westminsters. The Westminsters tied it with two in the sixth inning and won it in the eighth.

Scores:
Clapham Common 2-1 City of London Club (10 innings)
Angel Islington 3-4 Marylebone Regents(12 innings)
Kensington Victoria 2-3 Old Westminsters

Standings:
City of London Club 7-2
Angel Islington 6-3
Clapham Common 6-3
Old Westminsters 4-5
Kensington Victoria 3-6
Marylebone Regents 1-8

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Ten: Saturday 25 May 1867

It was a low scoring week as the Metropolitan League season reached the one-third stage, with all teams now having played each other twice. The defending champions City of London are on top after ten games as they held on to beat Angel Islington. City Club had taken a 3-1 lead with two third inning runs, but had to withstand a ninth inning comeback as Angel cut the lead and threatened, but ultimately failed, to tie it.

Angel have now dropped out of second place to be replaced by Clapham Common, who stole a win from the hands of the Old Westminsters. Common trailed 1-0 in the ninth inning, but tied the game with a home run and then scored the winning run in the tenth.

Marylebone were not able to build on their first win of the season despite outhitting Kensington Victoria. The Regents could not get a run home while Victoria scored one in the fifth and another in the sixth for the win.

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

Standings:
City of London Club 8-2
Clapham Common 7-3
Angel Islington 6-4
Kensington Victoria 4-6
Old Westminsters 4-6
Marylebone Regents 1-9

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Eleven: Saturday 1 June 1867

The top two teams in the Metropolitan League moved further away from the chasers as both won again today. City of London stay out on their own at the top after they scored two early runs and then held on through a Kensington comeback to win 2-1.

Clapham were well fancied before the season to push the City Club in the standings and so far they are living up to that. Today the Common scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to earn their fifth win in a row, 3-1 over an Angel team who are starting to falter after a good start. Clapham centre fielder Wilson Todd recorded a home run for the second game in succession, becoming the first player in the league to do so.

The Old Westminsters also scored all their runs in the middle innings as they recovered from an early deficit to beat the struggling Marylebone Regents 3-2.

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

Standings:
City of London Club 9-2
Clapham Common 8-3
Angel Islington 6-5
Old Westminsters 5-6
Kensington Victoria 4-7
Marylebone Regents 1-10

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twelve: Saturday 8 June 1867

It was a good day all around for the leading teams in the standings as the top three were all on the winning side. Despite the difference between them in the standings, it was hard work for City of London to get past the Marylebone Regents. The City Club scored two in the sixth to edge ahead only for the Regents to reply with one in the seventh, but the City Club held on.

Clapham Common are chasing hard, now having won six in a row and nine of their last ten. They scored two in the first today to take control against Kensington Victoria, going on to win it 4-0.

Angel Islington had lost three in a row and when the Old Westminsters opened up a two run lead it seemed as though another defeat was imminent. Everything changed in the sixth inning though, when three Angel runs turned the game around.

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

Standings:
City of London Club 10-2
Clapham Common 9-3
Angel Islington 7-5
Old Westminsters 5-7
Kensington Victoria 4-8
Marylebone Regents 1-11

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Thirteen: Saturday 15 June 1867

We are not yet half way through the season in the Metropolitan League, but it already looks like a two horse race for the title as the leading contenders won again today. City of London now have four wins in a row after beating the Old Westminsters 5-1, taking the lead in the third inning and never looking back.

Clapham Common have seven wins in a row, a three-run second inning proving crucial as they overcame the last-placed Marylebone Regents 5-2. Common will be able to draw level with the City Club if they can beat the champions next week.

Angel Islington lost more ground in the standings as they were beaten at Kensington. Angel scored first but three in the third and two more in the fourth sealed it for Victoria.

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

Standings:
City of London Club 11-2
Clapham Common 10-3
Angel Islington 7-6
Kensington Victoria 5-8
Old Westminsters 5-8
Marylebone Regents 1-12

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Fourteen: Saturday 22 June 1867

With two and a half years of Metropolitan League baseball to look back on, today may have been the most dramatic day of action we have seen so far as all three games took at least thirteen innings to find a winner.

The longest game was the battle of the top two in the standings, where the City of London Club looked set to open up a bigger lead when they took a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning against Clapham Common. The Common tied the score in the ninth however, before winning it in the fourteenth to extend their winning run to eight games and pull level at the top of the standings.

Marylebone's terrible season goes on as the Regents let an early lead slip at Angel Islington before losing it 2-1 in the thirteenth inning. It also took thirteen at Kensington where Victoria led 2-0 after runs in the first two innings before the Old Westminsters rallied to tie it in the ninth. Again it was the home team who found the winning run in the extra innings.

Scores:
Marylebone Regents 1-2 Angel Islington (13 innings)
City of London Club 1-2 Clapham Common (14 innings)
Old Westminsters 2-3 Kensington Victoria (13 innings)

Standings:
City of London Club 11-3
Clapham Common 11-3
Angel Islington 8-6
Kensington Victoria 6-8
Old Westminsters 5-9
Marylebone Regents 1-13

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Fifteen: Saturday 29 June 1867

The season has now reached its halfway point and the defending champions City of London Club have the smallest of leads in the standings. They rebounded from last week's loss by comfortably overcoming Angel Islington, opening out a 3-0 lead after three innings and adding three more runs in the eighth to win it 6-1.

Clapham Common started the day level at the top but lost ground after their eight game winning run ended at the hands of the Old Westminsters. Common had turned around a 2-0 deficit in the fourth inning, but the Westminsters tied it in the sixth and then scored four in the seventh to take control.

It was a rare day of celebration for the struggling Marylebone Regents, who scored one in the sixth and one in the eighth to overturn a 2-1 deficit and defeat Kensington Victoria. The win is only the second of the season for the Regents, who remain well adrift in the standings.

Scores:
Angel Islington 1-6 City of London Club
Kensington Victoria 2-3 Marylebone Regents
Clapham Common 3-7 Old Westminsters

Standings:
City of London Club 12-3
Clapham Common 11-4
Angel Islington 8-7
Kensington Victoria 6-9
Old Westminsters 6-9
Marylebone Regents 2-13

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Sixteen: Saturday 6 July 1867

Once again there is a tie at the top of the Metropolitan League standings after the sixteenth week of games. Clapham Common drew level again with leaders City of London by comfortably overcoming Angel Islington. Common scored four in the first and two more in the fourth on the way to a big 7-3 win.

The City Club should have maintained their narrow advantage at the top by winning their game against Kensington, as they took a 1-0 lead into the ninth, but Victoria tied the game. After both teams had scored in the tenth, Victoria won it with two runs in the twelfth.

In the day's other game, there was yet another defeat for the struggling Marylebone Regents. A two-run fourth inning swung the game in the direction of the Old Westminsters, who eventually won it 4-1.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 4-2 City of London Club (12 innings)
Angel Islington 3-7 Clapham Common
Marylebone Regents 1-4 Old Westminsters

Standings:
City of London Club 12-4
Clapham Common 12-4
Angel Islington 8-8
Kensington Victoria 7-9
Old Westminsters 7-9
Marylebone Regents 2-14

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Seventeen: Saturday 13 July 1867

The top two teams in the league standings are still tied after both were beaten this week. The City of London Club came into today's game with twelve wins this season to Marylebone's two, but it was the Regents who took the honours as they shut down the City Club and scored two runs in the fifth inning to earn the win.

Clapham Common scored first in their game at Kensington, but Victoria tied it in the third inning and jumped ahead with two runs in the fourth, eventually going on to take it 5-3.

Three times the Old Westminsters led by a run at Angel Islington, only for Angel to tie it up each time. The game went to extra innings and in the eleventh, the Westminsters got three runs home to claim the victory.

Scores:
Old Westminsters 6-3 Angel Islington (11 innings)
Clapham Common 3-5 Kensington Victoria
City of London Club 0-2 Marylebone Regents

Standings:
City of London Club 12-5
Clapham Common 12-5
Angel Islington 8-9
Kensington Victoria 8-9
Old Westminsters 8-9
Marylebone Regents 3-14

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League Announcement of New Teams for 1868 Season

After a meeting of the clubs this week, the Metropolitan League has announced the two teams that have been elected to join for the 1868 season. A number of clubs applied and the decision was made by a vote of the current members, each being allowed two votes.

As had been widely expected, the Greenwich Meridian club received the support of all six members and were elected to the league unanimously. The remaining votes were split but the majority went to the team from the Royal Artillery barracks at Woolwich, who were backed by four teams.

The Hackney club, formed by former committee members from City of London, received just one vote after the City Club lobbied to keep them out of the league. The final vote went to a newly formed club in Lambeth, who struggled to gain greater support as many felt that their home field was too small.

The Greenwich and Royal Artillery clubs will officially become members of the league at the annual meeting in January, at which team the league is expected to announce how the league schedule will be constructed for next season. With eight teams playing, there will have to be a change in the number of games if all the clubs are to meet an equal number of times.

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Eighteen: Saturday 20 July 1867

The Marylebone Regents may be having a very poor season, but they are playing a part in the title race nonetheless by taking surprise wins over the leading contenders. After overcoming the City Club last week, today the Regents jumped out to an early lead against Clapham Common and held on to win the game 3-1.

Common are still in a tie at the top of the standings though, as City of London were also beaten. The City Club led the Old Westminsters after seven innings, but Westminsters tied it in the eighth and won it in the ninth to give the City Club a third successive defeat. The two league leaders meet in a very important match-up next week.

In the battle of two teams in the middle of the standings, borh Angel and Kensington let leads slip away as their game was tied 3-3 after five innings. There was no more scoring until the thirteenth inning, when it was Angel who snatched the win.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 3-4 Angel Islington (13 innings)
Marylebone Regents 3-1 Clapham Common
City of London Club 2-3 Old Westminsters

Standings:
City of London Club 12-6
Clapham Common 12-6
Angel Islington 9-9
Old Westminsters 9-9
Kensington Victoria 8-10
Marylebone Regents 4-14

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Nineteen: Saturday 27 July 1867

With the two teams tied in the standings this morning, spectators were expecting a close battle between Clapham Common and the City of London Club but it didn't turn out that way. The City Club moved in front in the first inning before taking control with three more in the third, eventually taking the game 6-0 and moving ahead in the chase for the title.

The Marylebone Regents won just two of their first sixteen games this year, but now they have three wins in a row. Two runs in the second and three in the third decided the game against Angel Islington, the Regents adding another later on for a 6-0 win.

The day's only close game was between Kensington Victoria and the Old Westminsters. Westminsters led it in the first inning, but Victoria tied it in the fifth and then got the winning run home in the ninth.

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

Standings:
City of London Club 13-6
Clapham Common 12-7
Angel Islington 9-10
Kensington Victoria 9-10
Old Westminsters 9-10
Marylebone Regents 5-14

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty: Saturday 3 August 1867

It was a marathon day in two of the Metropolitan League games today, but as the season reaches the two-thirds mark the top two teams are still separated by just one win after both lost out.

The City of London Club allowed the game to get away three times at Angel Islington. Leading 5-1 in the eighth inning, the City Club gave up four runs to tie the game. Leading 6-5 in the ninth, they again allowed Angel to tie it. Then, after eight scoreless innings, City Club edged ahead again in the eighteenth only for Angel to reply with two to win it. Of note in the game was the achievement of Jonas Myers, first baseman for the City Club, who achieved six base hits in the game, the first player to do so in a Metropolitan League game of any length.

Clapham Common could not take advantage of the City Club's loss as they went down to defeat against the Old Westminsters. Common had tied the game at 2-2 in the eighth and the game went through to the fifteenth inning, where the Westminsters put up four runs. Amazingly Common replied with three but could force the tying run home. Common have now lost four in a row.

It was all much more straight forward at Kensington, where the Marylebone Regents continued to turn around their season with a fourth win in succession. Two runs in the second inning were enough for the victory, as Victoria could only get one in return.

Scores:
City of London Club 7-8 Angel Islington (18 innings)
Old Westminsters 6-5 Clapham Common (15 innings)
Marylebone Regents 2-1 Kensington Victoria

Standings:
City of London Club 13-7
Clapham Common 12-8
Angel Islington 10-10
Old Westminsters 10-10
Kensington Victoria 9-11
Marylebone Regents 6-14

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-One: Saturday 10 August 1867

As we move into the final ten games of this season, the City of London Club and Clapham Common continue to battle hard for the title. The City Club picked up a 3-0 win at Kensington Victoria today, scoring two runs in the sixth to take command and another in the eighth to clinch victory.

Clapham are still just one win worse off in the standings as they came from behind to defeat Angel Islington. Angel had been on top from the first inning, only for Common to score two in the eighth to turn the game around.

The Marylebone Regents have been in fine form of late, but today came up short in a game which is now tied as the highest scoring we have ever seen in the league. The visiting Old Westminsters led 6-0 and 9-4, but were left holding on as the Regents scored four in the ninth to lose the game by just one run out of a total of seventeen.

Scores:
Clapham Common 2-1 Angel Islington
City of London Club 3-0 Kensington Victoria
Old Westminsters 9-8 Marylebone Regents

Standings:
City of London Club 14-7
Clapham Common 13-8
Old Westminsters 11-10
Angel Islington 10-11
Kensington Victoria 9-12
Marylebone Regents 6-15

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Two: Saturday 17 August 1867

Today may turn out to be the day that the City of London Club took a very large step towards retaining the championship of the Metropolitan League. The leaders in the standings enjoyed a very comfortable win over the Marylebone Regents, scoring four runs in the second and four more in the fifth on their way to a 9-0 lead. The Regents ended the shut-out in the ninth, but the game was long lost.

Clapham Common lost ground on the City Club as they suffered a heavy defeat to Kensington Victoria. Victoria scored four in the first and three in the fifth, while pitcher Lyn Duncalf got through the whole game allowing Common just four hits and no runs.

The two teams in the middle of the standings played out a long game which was won in the end by Angel Islington. The Old Westminsters had led 2-0, only for Angel to tie the game just in time in the ninth and then win it in the fourteenth inning.

Scores:
Marylebone Regents 1-9 City of London Club
Kensington Victoria 7-0 Clapham Common
Angel Islington 4-2 Old Westminsters (14 innings)

Standings:
City of London Club 15-7
Clapham Common 13-9
Angel Islington 11-11
Old Westminsters 11-11
Kensington Victoria 10-12
Marylebone Regents 6-16

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Three: Saturday 24 August 1867

The City of London Club are getting closer to retaining their championship after a dramatic victory over the Old Westminsters today. The City Club led 2-1 after seven innings, before the Westminsters scored two in the eighth to take the lead. The City Club responded just in time though, replying with two in the ninth to win it 4-3.

Clapham Common fell even further behind as they suffered another loss to the Marylebone Regents. Common had trailed early but tied the game in the seventh. It would have been an important game to win, but Common lost it to a single run in the tenth inning.

The game between Angel Islington and Kensington was scoreless until the eighth inning, but ended up looking uncompetitive as Angel scored five runs in the eighth. Angel pitcher Joseph Nicholls allowed just eight hits in a complete game shut-out.

Scores:
Old Westminsters 3-4 City of London Club
Angel Islington 5-0 Kensington Victoria
Clapham Common 1-2 Marylebone Regents(10 innings)

Standings:
City of London Club 16-7
Clapham Common 13-10
Angel Islington 12-11
Old Westminsters 11-12
Kensington Victoria 10-13
Marylebone Regents 7-16

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Four: Saturday 31 August 1867

Clapham Common's championship hopes may be over for this year. Already three games worse off than the City of London Club, Common could not afford to lose when the two met today but that is exactly what happened. Common had tied the game at 3-3 with two runs in the seventh inning, only for the City Club to score the decider in the eighth.

Of note in the game was that for the first time this year, City of London catcher Jonah Field failed to record a base hit. Field had managed at least one in the first twenty-three games this season, as well as the last two games last year. That run of twenty-five in a row is a league record.

In today's other games, Angel Islington are now tied with Clapham for second in the standings after a win over the Marylebone Regents. Two runs in the fourth put Angel in charge at 3-1 and while the Regents got one back in the seventh, Angel held on to the lead.

Finally, a four-run fourth inning for Kensington Victoria decided their game with the Old Westminsters. Victoria were already leading 2-1 before extending their advantage to a decisive 6-1.

Scores:
Marylebone Regents 2-3 Angel Islington
City of London Club 4-3 Clapham Common
Old Westminsters 1-6 Kensington Victoria

Standings:
City of London Club 17-7
Angel Islington 13-11
Clapham Common 13-11
Kensington Victoria 11-13
Old Westminsters 11-13
Marylebone Regents 7-17

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Five: Saturday 7 September 1867

It is almost over for this year - the City of London Club need only one more win to successfully defend their championship. The City Club have produced the performances when it has mattered most and today won a fifth game in a row by beating Angel Islington 3-0. All the runs came in the first inning, while pitcher Gilbert Attwell got through the whole game allowing only eight hits and no runs.

While the City Club have found form, their former challengers Clapham Common have faltered. They have lost four in a row to drop out of contention, their latest defeat coming at the hands of the Old Westminsters. Westminsters scored four runs in the sixth inning to take control and then held off a comeback to win it by one run.

In today's other game, Kensington trailed Marylebone 2-1 after four innings but scored two in the fifth to turn it around. Victoria added two more in the seventh to seal the win.

Scores:
Angel Islington 0-3 City of London Club
Kensington Victoria 5-2 Marylebone Regents
Clapham Common 3-4 Old Westminsters

Standings:
City of London Club 18-7
Angel Islington 13-12
Clapham Common 13-12
Kensington Victoria 12-13
Old Westminsters 12-13
Marylebone Regents 7-18

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Metropolitan Baseball League
Week Twenty-Six: Saturday 14 September 1867

They have done it again. For the second year in succession, the City of London Club are the champions of the Metropolitan Baseball League. By coincidence, the championship has now been secured in week twenty-six in all three of the league's seasons, but the City Club had to work to clinch it today. They trailed 3-0 after one inning against Kensington Victoria, but battled back and two runs in the seventh put them ahead 4-3, which would be the final score.

The teams tied for second met on Clapham Common, knowing that the championship was probably already beyond them. It was Angel Islington who came out on top, scoring the winning run in the seventh to beat Clapham 2-1. The Common have now lost five in a row and nine of their last ten.

There was an easy win for the Old Westminsters in the day's other game, two runs in the fourth and five more in the eighth beating Marylebone 7-0. Pitcher Caleb Dean went all nine innings for the Westminsters, allowing the Regents only four hits in the game.

Scores:
Kensington Victoria 3-4 City of London Club
Angel Islington 2-1 Clapham Common
Marylebone Regents 0-7 Old Westminsters

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