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GAME ONE (Glenwood Field in Philadelphia): NIA 5-6 AME
P.o.t.G: CF James Burke (AME) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 1 R, 3 RBI, GW HIT

It looked like Niagara might actually take the opener, and then…

Niagara scored first when CF Charles Barrett hit a one-run Single in T1. However, American didn’t take long to reverse that by scoring via Error & Ground Out during B2 to go ahead 2-1. It would be 3-1 in B3 when Burke hit a one-run Single.

Niagara put up a four-run rally, the key hit a two-run Triple by RF Reginald Roper, to take a 5-3 lead. After that, there was no more scoring through the end of the 8th and it looked like worst-to-first Niagara just might knock off American to open the series. Then, with one out in B9 and two men on RF Franklin Petty hit a one-run Single to make it a 5-4 game and, of course, Burke followed with a two-run Double to win the game and save American some series-opening embarrassment.

GAME TWO (Glenwood Field in Philadelphia): NIA 4-14 AME
P.o.t.G: 3B William Carrigan (AME) 2/5 (both 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI

Game Two was a pounding by American to take a 2-0 series lead.

The hosts came to bat in B1 and scored three times, twice thanks to a Single by LF George Kassabian and once via Ground Out, and they added five more runs in the 3rd, the main moment a two-run Single by RF Franklin Petty, to take a commanding 8-0 lead that was never in any trouble. Niagara scored four runs over the middle innings to cut the deficit in half, but American sent five across the plate in B7 to go back ahead by nine before adding another run in B8.

GAME THREE (Greater N.Y. Sporting Grounds in Buffalo): AME 13-3 NIA
P.o.t.G: CF James Burke (AME) 3/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Game Three was another American pounding that put the visitors one victory from championship #4.

American scored twice in the 2nd on Singles by LF George Kassabian & C Raynard Steinbach, twice in the 3rd on Singles by Kassabian & 1B William Busby, and two more times in the 4th on a two-run Single by Burke. That put American ahead 6-1, and after Niagara scored twice in the 6th they responded with a seven-run 7th, the big moment a two-run Single by RF Franklin Petty, to make it 13-3 and end the game as a contest. The series was now 3-0 to mighty American.

GAME FOUR (Greater N.Y. Sporting Grounds in Buffalo): AME 8-6 NIA
P.o.t.G: RF Franklin Petty (AME) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB

Of course it was going to be American. It’s always American.

After a two-run Triple by 3B William Carrigan put the visitors ahead 2-1 in T2, a third run scored via Wild Pitch. With the 3rd & 4th going by scoreless, Niagara scored three times in B5, the big hit a two-run Single by 1B Sweeney Martin, to go ahead 4-3. Single runs by American in the 6th & 7th made it 5-4, but Niagara came right back and took the lead 6-5 in B7 on another two-run Single by Martin. Then…

American came to bat in the 9th and, with men on first & third, Petty hit a one-run Single to tie the game 6-6. The next batsman, CF James Burke, hit another run-scoring Single to give American a 7-6 lead. A Wild Pitch then allowed in another run to make it 8-6 to American, and that was all Simeon DiStefano needed as he set the Niagara men down 1-2-3 in B9, and American had taken the series in a sweep.

For American, it was the fourth time in five years they were crowned the best team in the sport of baseball. There was ABSOLUTELY no more questioning the power of this team from Philadelphia, one that had so clearly conquered a league that was supposed to be a party of equals when the split with the N.B.B.O. happened ahead of the 1871 season.

For Niagara, becoming the victim of the Founders’ Cup’s first sweep was an embarrassing way to finish the season, but in the end nothing could take away from the fact that they made it there by going from last place to first in the Colonial, as well as the fact that they took the pennant by fending off St. John’s on the season’s final day.

FOUNDERS’ CUP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
CF James Burke (AME) – .381 (8/21), 8 RBI, 3 R, 1 2B, 4 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.2 WAR, 2x P.o.t.G.

Naturally, in an American sweep of the Founders’ Cup it was James Burke who was their best player. He was the Player of the Game in both the opener and the closer, and while William Carrigan (.389) & Martin Prince (.400) had higher Averages it was Burke who led both teams in Hits, RBI, & Stolen Bases.

As rough as the Founders’ Cup was for Niagara, they did have a few players put in a good word for themselves. Irving Polk (.400), Sweeney Martin (.412), & Arthur Bliss (.429) all hit .400 or better, and Martin had six RBI. The big problem: the rest of the lineup was nonexistent, especially All-Stars Clyde Hudspeth & Reginald Roper, who combined to hit 3/31.

FOUNDERS' CUP SUMMARY