History of the A's

Athletics versus the Niagaras

In 1890, the St. Catharines Athletics played in a C. L. A. section along with the Capitals of Toronto, the Brants of Paris, plus teams from Brantford and Niagara Falls. The club from the Garden City was on the way to a championship pennant in that summer of long ago, but not before a hard-fought battle against their nearby rivals from the Falls. 

A special thanks to the Toronto Globe for this taste of late-19^th century lacrosse, and the rest is history.  

THE ATHLETICS WIN 

A RED-HOT MATCH AT THE FALLS 

The Toronto Globe 

July 30, 1890 

Niagara Falls, Ont., July 29—The great lacrosse match between the Athletics, of St. Catharines, and Niagaras, of this town, in which so much interest has centred in this section of Ontario the past two weeks, was played here this afternoon. This being the first time since the first year of the formation of the C.L.A. that the two clubs have crossed sticks, the match brought out about 1,500 spectators including a large number of American admirers of the game. The St. Catharines team ran an excursion train with 200 of their friends, arriving here at 2 p.m. on the Niagara Central road. The betting was warm. Odds of 3 to 1 were even offered on the St. Catharines, which were readily taken up by the supporters of the Niagaras, and when the two teams lined up as follows, they appeared evenly matched for size:-   

J.D. Bailey, Toronto, referee 

When O’Rourke and Burleigh knelt down to draw the ball the large number of spectators seemed to hold their breath, and the look of determination was printed on the face of the 24 players, and no sooner had the referee said play than O’Rourke had the ball on his stick. He tipped it to Mitchell and Mitchell to J. Doherty who assisted it to his brother, and he with a neat catch and throw from the side sent it through the Athletics flags, time half minute. The crowd almost went wild with this dash of good fortune on the part of the Niagaras. 

No time was lost and the face was called for the second game, this time Burleigh secured the sphere and sent it up on the Niagaras flag. Fralick got the ball and passed it to Lobb, but he lost it to Blount, who sent it to the other end. The Niagaras home field secured and held it well on the visitors’ flags till F. Williams returned it to centre, where it remained but a short time. Rankin secured the ball and threw down the field, where J. Doherty caught the coveted sphere and passed it to Mitchell, who threw low. The ball passed through three of the Athletics. Ward then jumped into the scene, following the ball up and swiped it through the visitors’ flags. Time, five minutes. The excitement ran high on the part of the Niagaras’ friends, and the Athletics stock commenced to fall. After the usual rest the ball was faced for the third game. O’Rourke gained the advantage but lost it to J. Downey, who dropped it down on the Niagaras’ flags, where the over watchful Blount was on hand to return it to the other end. P. Doherty, with a high one-hand catch, tipped the sphere to Mitchell and he to Hughes and Ward who swiped it through the visitors’ flags. Time, one minute. 

When umpire Connors put up his hand, so wild were the spectators they rushed on the field in hundreds to congratulate the apparently victorious Niagaras, and the Athletics stock thermometer dropped as though it ran afoul of an iceberg. Odds were now offered on the Niagaras. The visitors held a council of war, and the fourth game commenced, and it was plainly seen the Athletics were playing as though they intended to die right there. The Niagaras were handling themselves admirably and some very fine lacrosse was played. Up and down went the ball. First the Niagaras and then the Athletics would put in some good combination plays and several were the close calls of game by both sides. Fralick got the ball on his stick close to the Niagaras and sent the ball between the Niagaras flags. Time, 14 minutes. 

The fifth game, if anything, was better lacrosse than its predecessor, outside of Morton’s slugging. The small boy, noticing how P. Doherty and W. Ward were outplaying Morton, began to guy him. He lost his temper and commenced to use his stick unmercifully upon the heads and shoulders of Doherty and Ward. When Doherty bested him in a tussle and delivered the ball, Morton ran up and struck him across the forehead. Doherty struck him back and the referee sent both the players to the stand for the game. This weakened the Niagaras home but the defence stood the attack of the visitors wonderfully for ten minutes, when J. Downey, with a swift ground shot, sent the ball through the Niagaras’ flags. Time, 25 minutes. 

The sixth game was called after the usual rest. Rankin, having hurt his foot, had to drop off, and Burleigh kept him company to even things up. O’Rourke gained the advantage on the draw and threw up well on the visitors’ flags, where Rube Williams made a pretty catch, returned it to the other end of the field. The Athletics quickly got it back, and Notman scored. Time, 2 minutes. 

The seventh game was a warm one, and both teams were beginning to show that the hard work was telling on them. Two claims of game by the Niagaras were disallowed, but the third time Umpire Connors allowed a game for the home team. In the meantime Morton had got into a fight with a spectator who had tripped him with an umbrella, and time was called. The referee ordered the game to proceed, and ten minutes later the Athletics scored in 42 minutes, thus winning by four games to three. 

Between The Flags 

Barrie defaulted to Bradford in the game fixed for yesterday. 

There was great glee among the friends of the Capitals last night over the first report from Niagara Falls, which gave the Niagaras the victory. The correct report was not heard with enthusiasm.

tHE BRIDGE STREET ATHLETIC GROUNDS

NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO (1888)

photograph originally appeared in "The Dominion Illustrated" published in London England Sept. 22, 1888

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