New York Gothams at Philadelphia Athletic

The first game was a display of fielding skills on the part of both teams. The Athletics scoring their first ace in the second inning off was quickly countered by Oates in the 3^rd frame with a 4b strike deep to right center. After holding the Athletic tied for a frame, Scratch also struck a long blow to lf for a 4b of his own. In the 4^th frame the Athletic tied the game with another ace but Gotham responded with 3 aces of their own, Oats with a two ace 3b followed by a 1b Keystone who also later scored on an infield single. Another 3b from Oates in 7^th frame allowed the last ace of the game to tally.

Final score Gotham BBC 6, Athletic 2

After a brief lunch and lemonade the contest resumed with Monk on the mound for the Gotham BBC. The heat of the day building and the ball getting a worse for wear, the second match was a much different affair. Keystone came back to his form and began striking the ball sternly. Gotham posted 4 aces in the first frame on a series of 1b hits followed by the Athletic with 3 runs to counter. Gotham nearly batted through the order again in the 2^nd frame but held the Athletic in the bottom of the 2^nd.

 Gotham scored 13 more aces in the next 3 frames with 3 2b hits from Bugs, Crash and Mike topped with another long strike from Keystone and one more strike by Scratch which was so great that it caused the Athletic lf to fall to his back in admiration of the towering strike off a maple tree in lf. Gotham continued the offensive display with the entire order scoring multiple hits and aces over the remaining innings. The Athletic defensive efforts never surrendered in spirit but a brief but light rain from the ever threatening skies and the heat of the day combined to erode the energy that remained. The Athletic were held scoreless after the 5^th frame and the game ended with the score Gotham BBC 37, Athletic 10.

Gotham Base Ball Club of New York vs Philadelphia Athletics

Tug-o-War Match

Philadelphia, PA   June 11, 2011

 After our Doubleheader, our hosts challenged us to one more game… not a game of bat and ball, but one of rope and might. The Gotham BBC agreed to hold their end of a Tug of War. The two tattered teams gathered their gusto and sections of rope, a 200 foot, 150 lb rope. A small flag in the middle of the two teams was placed between the two lines making up the pitchers mound. The first team to pull the flag across their line would be declared winner. On the Athletics there were a few ballists that seemed more like anchors than base stealers and that worried the Gotham BBC a bit. The man in blue started the countdown from 3 and the tugging began. Those with cleats dug in with their heels and gave it a heave and a grunt. What seemed to last minutes was over in only seconds and the Gotham BBC were once again victorious, a 3-0 day in Philadelphia.