with them new challenges for the Maple Leafs. In 1875, London, England-born entrepreneur and oil refiner Jacob L. Englehart purchased the London Tecumsehs, and their subsequent acquisition of star pitcher and future Chicago White Stocking Fred Goldsmith, along with catcher Phil Powers and fielder Joe Hornung, challenged Guelph's status as the foremost Canadian baseball club. On May 24, 1876, in front of 6,000 fans in London, the London Tecumsehs finally succeeded in defeating the Maple Leafs 8-7 in ten innings for the Canadian championship, largely owing to Fred Goldsmith's "scientific pitching", which made use of his innovative "skew ball". Later that year, both teams became charter entrants in the Canadian Association of Base Ball, which was co-organized by George Sleeman, and played for only a few months before closing. The Maple Leafs' exit from the Canadian Association of Base Ball left them without a formal league to play in, and this, coupled with the necessity of holding membership in one in order to field a competitive professional or semi-professional team in the post-National Association of Professional Base Ball Players era caused them to begin searching aggressively. During this period, in late 1876, the St. Louis Brown Stockings – a successful team in the upstart National League, and the antecedents of the modern-day St. Louis Cardinals – travelled to Guelph to play an exhibition match, and were defeated resoundingly. The club's lack of a competitive league to play in was resolved in 1877, when they, along with the London Tecumsehs, both joined the semi-professional International Association for Professional Base Ball Players, which featured both American and Canadian teams, and positioned itself as a rival to the increasingly dominant National League. The Maple Leafs' first season of play, however, was less than successful, as they went 4-12, second lowest in the league only to the subsequently disbanded Lynn Live Oaks, and at cessation withdrew from it. The London Tecumsehs played on for the following season, but closed their doors at its conclusion in 1878, citing a shortage of funds. In the 1880s, the Maple Leafs continued to play at a high level locally, but increased player salaries, coupled with the club's lack of a strong league affiliation, meant baseball in Guelph had begun to flounder. Worsening matters was the team's releasing of key prospect Bud Fowler – a marquee pitcher, and the first ever African-American to play professionally – to the Petrolia