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AMERICAN DEMOLISHES NEWARK; BURKE THE STAR
4x CHAMPS SCORE 24 RUNS OVER MIDDLE INNINGS; BURKE & BUSBY BOTH DRIVE IN SIX RUNS

NEWARK, N.J. (June 11, 1878) - Newark was expected to struggle but still be competitive in their maiden A.P.B.L. season. However, that hasn’t been the case through the first six weeks of the season, and the beginning of Week Seven proved to be the low point for the A.P.B.L. newcomers:

This was a competitive game after the first three innings, with American ahead 4-1 and looking by no means assured of a victory. Then, over the next three innings they did the following:

• 4TH INN: 14 R, 9 H (1 2B), 6 E, 3 BB, 1 SAC BUNT, 19 BATTERS
• 5TH INN: 1 R, 2 H, 2 E, 6 BATTERS
• 6TH INN: 9 R, 6 H (3 2B), 3 E, 2 BB, 13 BATTERS
• 4-6 TOTAL: 24 R, 17 H (3 2B), 11 E, 5 BB, 1 SAC BUNT, 38 BATTERS

By the middle of the sixth inning, what had been a 4-1 game was now 28-1 in American’s favor – a three-inning deluge the team hadn’t pulled off even at the peak of their title-winning powers. Newark would score a consolation run in B9, and the visitors had earned themselves a 26-run victory.

There were a number of great performances by American on the afternoon:

• AME LF George Kassabian: 2/4 (both 1B), 2 R, 4 RBI
• AME 1B William Busby: 3/6 (2 2B), 3 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
• AME SS William Carrigan: 3/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
• AME C Norman Kennemore: 4/7 (2B), 4 R, 4 RBI, 1/2 RTO
• AME P Jimmy Everhart: 2/7 (2B), 2 R, 2 RBI; CG (7-8, 3.02), 3 HA, 0 ER, 2 K

Still, none of those red-letter days were as spectacular as the one produced by American talisman James Burke:

• AME CF James Burke: 5/8 (all 1B), 4 R, 6 RBI, 2 SB, 98 GMSC

The five-hit day by Burke raised his Batting Average to an eye-watering .420 (.972 OPS) through 31 games, with 14 Extra-base Hits (11 2B, 3 3B), 36 Runs Batted In (104/90 G), 31 Stolen Bases (87/90 G), 3.0 WPA (8.7/90 G), & 2.1 WAR (6.2/90 G). American might not be the all-conquering powerhouse it was, but so far in 1878 Burke is on pace for his single best campaign yet, one which would earn him Batsman of the Year number five over the past six seasons.

American is 18-13, in third place and five games behind Metropolitan leaders Knickerbocker. Newark is now 8-23, which gives them both last place in the Colonial Conference (13 GB) and the worst record in the A.P.B.L.