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GOTHAM & KNICKERBOCKER DUKE IT OUT AT RED HOUSE
NEW YORK CITY TITANS PLAY AT GOTHAM’S GROUND WITH FIRST PLACE ON THE LINE

NEW YORK CITY (July 7-11, 1869) – The eyes of sports fans in the New York metropolitan area were focused on the St. George Cricket Grounds this week, as the top two teams in the New York City Championship – Gotham & Knickerbocker – played five games to determine whether Gotham would take a commanding lead in the NYCC, stay in first place, or give up the lead to 2x cup winners Knickerbocker.

The NYC standings ahead of the series:

• Gotham 32-13 (.711)
• Knickerbocker 31-14 (.689), 1 GB
• Mutual 24-21 (.533), 8 GB

The two teams prepared for the games at Gotham’s highly-regarded Red House facilities at the St. George Cricket Grounds knowing that this series would determine the favorite to finish the season as the New York City champion. This was a high-pressure week for both teams, and the atmosphere at St. George reflected that.

The results:

• Game 1: KNI 6-10 GOT – Babe Johnson (1B, GOT) 2/3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
• Game 2: KNI 10-1 GOT – Jerald Peterson (3B, KNI) 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
• Game 3: KNI 6-4 GOT – Luc Billon (LF, KNI) 2/4, 2 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI
• Game 4: KNI 10-7 GOT – James Heilman (RF, KNI) 2/4, 4 R, 1 RBI, 4 SB
• Game 5: KNI 13-7 GOT – Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) 2/4, 3B, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB

Game 1 was an easy Gotham win that put them two games in front of Knickerbocker, but from there on Knickerbocker controlled the series. Gotham was actually ahead 1-0 going into the 8th inning of Game 2, but Knickerbocker scored five runs in both the 8th & 9th to flip the game upside down and win by nine. Game 3 was another comeback win for Knick – down 4-3 going into the 9th they scored three times thanks to hits by substitutes Thomas Johnson and Lorik van Unen to draw level with Gotham for the NYC lead. Easy wins in Game 4 & 5 – Knickerbocker was ahead 10-4 going into the bottom of the 9th of Game 4, gave the team a 4-1 series win and put them clear atop the New York City standings.

Here is how the New York City Championship looks after the 4-1 series win by Knickerbocker:

• Knickerbocker 35-15 (.700), +97 RD
• Gotham 33-17 (.660), 2 GB, +107 RD
• Mutual 26-24 (.520), 9 GB, +12 RD

The schedules for both Knickerbocker & Gotham are roughly equal in difficulty over the final four weeks of the season, so by virtue of their two-game lead Knickerbocker are the favorites to win the NYCC, which would be their fourth New York City pennant in five years.

Still, anything can happen and a fight to the very end of the season between the two oldest clubs in the NBBO can be expected.