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Haystacks · 10-12-2025, 08:21 PM

Season of 1888
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
It was another quiet off-season for the league, rules tweaks the majority of the business at the winter meeting. There was something of note for future sabermatricians — rules to distinguish what is an unearned run as opposed to an earned run were created.

In Cleveland, off the back of their worst season ever, something had to be done. Owner Samuel Flagler brought in David Young as his new Field Manager. Young made 13 appearances with the 1879 Detroit Wolverines, most of his playing days were spent in the semi-pro Ohio state circuit. Flagler considered Young an excellent judge of young talent, and tasked him with assembling a young team that could compete and bring back the crowds.

He’d be given a year to scout players and assess the squad, then Flagler would give him an open checkbook to bring in the required talent. Flagler, who in the past had been a very lenient and hands-off owner, confided in friends that if this move didn’t pay off, he’d have to consider selling up or propose moving the team.

Season Summary
The Eastern League was a combative affair between New York Empire and Philadelphia Quakers, with the Whalers not far behind. It wasn’t until September that the Empire were able to open up a 5-game lead, and from then on they would not falter.

The Washington Senators would finish 4th in the standings with their best record since joining the league in 1883. Meanwhile Brooklyn would drop to the bottom of the pile with their worst ever season record — finishing 44 games back, double what they were in 1887.

In the Western League, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Louisville were all neck and neck. The appointment of Young in Cleveland appeared a masterstroke — he’d only signed a couple of new players for the roster, but so far had guided them to a 25-25 record and fourth in the standings in early July.

Louisville and Cincinnati would remain in deadlock as October drew near, until the Originals swept Louisville at home in a 2-game set, which would prove decisive. Louisville finished strong, but simply did not have the time left to catch the Cincinnati club.

Cleveland would tumble down the standings in dramatic fashion, losing 11 games in a row in July. However, the early good form did draw in crowds — helping keep baseball in Cleveland another year. The Creams would put together their best ever record, finishing third, whilst both Chicago clubs had disappointing years.

League Standings

Eastern League Standings

Code:

Team                     W    L    PCT     GB
New York Empire          79   33   .705    -
Philadelphia Quakers     71   41   .634    8.0
Boston Whalers           65   47   .580    14.0
Washington Senators      64   48   .571    15.0
Baltimore Blue Sox       46   66   .411    33.0
Philidelphia Olympics    45   67   .402    34.0
New York Union           43   69   .384    36.0
Brooklyn Atlantics       35   77   .313    44.0

Western League Standings

Code:

Team                     W    L    PCT     GB
Cincinnati Originals      70   42   .625    -
Louisville Colonels       68   44   .607    2.0
Milwaukee Creams          62   50   .554    8.0
Chicago Red Caps          60   52   .536    10.0
St. Louis Browns          50   62   .446    20.0
Chicago Packers           50   62   .446    20.0
Cleveland Lakeshores      46   66   .411    24.0
Detroit Wolverines        42   70   .375    28.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Empire
Western Pennant: Cincinnati Originals
Result: Cincinnati win the series, 4 to 1.
Series Silver Ball: David Dairymple, SS, Cincinnati

There was a great sense of expectation around the National Series — this was Cincinnati’s first pennant since 1880. At that time it seemed they would be a dominant force for the decade, but Louisville knocked them off their perch. For New York, would the “curse of back-to-back pennants” strike again? Writers professed that the weight of pressure to win consecutive Championships made the feat near impossible.

New York romped to a 9-4 win in Game 1, but the next three were heart-stoppers: 5-4 (10), 6-5 (10), and 6-5 — all Cincinnati wins. Nerves wrecked, battered and bloodied, the Empire made the long journey to Cincinnati for Game 5. They were crushed — the Originals scored four in the first inning and didn’t let up, winning 11-2. Jubilant spectators stormed the field to celebrate with their heroes as the Empire fled the back East with their tails between their legs.

Batting Leaders Combined

Batting Average

Code:

1. Thomas Francis (BOS)         .343
2. George Hill (BOS)            .324
3. Thomas O'Steen (MIL)         .323
4. Johannes Beekhof (LOU)       .322
5. Thomas Davis (PHO)           .318

Home Runs

Code:

1. Joseph Harris (BRK)          26
2. Robert Wright (PHI)          17
3. William Harris (DET)         14
4. Manny Tuitt (CIN)            13
5. Benjamin Murphy (BAL)        12

Runs Batted In

Code:

1. Reid Hopkins (NYE)           87
2. William Coe (NYE)            86
3. Joseph Florez (CHI)          82
4. James Varney (CHI)           80
5. Joseph Harris (BRK)          79

Pitching Leaders Combined

Wins

Code:

1. James Hall (NYE)             30
2. Abraham Joyce (PHI)          24
3. Willie King (CIN)            23
4. James Brown (NYE)            22
5. Five tied with               22

Earned Run Average

Code:

1. Abraham Joyce (PHI)          1.80
2. James Wright (BOS)           1.87
3. Willie King (CIN)            2.05
4. William Rossi (LOU)          2.10
5. Caleb White (CHI)            2.16

Strikeouts

Code:

1. James Hall (NYE)             351
2. James Wright (BOS)           210
3. William Hall (WAS)           201
4. Ivan Ibarra (CHP)            197
5. Henry Hall (CHI)             194

[HR][/HR]
Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Joseph Harris (BRK) – .248/.321/.499, 419 AB, 26 HR, 27 SB
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Abraham Joyce (PHI) – 24-14, 1.80 ERA, 340.1 IP
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Reid Hopkins (NYE) – .285/.364/.456, 421 AB, 2 HR, 73 SB

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof (LOU) – .322/.379/.430, 460 AB, 2 HR, 121 SB
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Willie King (CIN) – 23-11, 2.05 ERA, 311.1 IP
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: David Hemp (SLB) – .306/.357/.366, 435 AB, 2 HR, 11 SB

[HR][/HR]
Season Notes
[*]07/08/1888 – Reuben Holmes, 6 Hits in 7 AB vs Chicago while playing for Louisville [*]08/30/1888 – James Green, 6 Hits in 6 AB, 2 RBI vs Louisville while playing for Chicago

Milestones

04/22/1888 – James Hall – 2500 Strikeouts, New York
04/25/1888 – Willie King – 100 Wins, Cincinnati
04/25/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 900 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
05/03/1888 – James Hall – 250 Wins, New York
05/06/1888 – Robert Price – 300 Stolen Bases, Washington
05/07/1888 – Henry Wharton – 900 Stolen Bases, New York
05/10/1888 – John Bullock – 150 Wins, Philadelphia
05/13/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 200 Stolen Bases, Brooklyn
05/13/1888 – Peter Jones – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn
05/14/1888 – Frank Klein – 300 Stolen Bases, Cleveland
05/22/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn
05/24/1888 – Charles Jones – 500 Runs Scored, St. Louis
05/25/1888 – Clayton Clark – 300 Stolen Bases, Chicago
05/27/1888 – Levi Ryder – 500 Runs Scored, New York
06/04/1888 – Levi Ryder – 300 Stolen Bases, New York
06/15/1888 – Edward King – 500 RBIs, Louisville
06/17/1888 – Henry Astor – 150 Wins, Boston
06/25/1888 – Arturo Irias – 500 RBIs, Boston
06/25/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
07/01/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Hits, Cincinnati
07/06/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
07/09/1888 – Henry Bush – 1000 Strikeouts, Brooklyn
07/11/1888 – Patrick Herman – 1000 Hits, Brooklyn
07/13/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
07/20/1888 – James Green – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago
07/20/1888 – Edward Denny – 400 Stolen Bases, Washington
07/23/1888 – Edward King – 1000 Hits, Louisville
07/23/1888 – Vincent O'Toole – 1100 Stolen Bases, Detroit
07/30/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 200 Wins, Chicago
08/01/1888 – Henry Green – 500 RBIs, Louisville
08/01/1888 – Andrew Hall – 100 Wins, New York
08/03/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit
08/03/1888 – Charles White – 500 Runs Scored, Boston
08/05/1888 – Isaiah Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
08/08/1888 – Patrick Herman – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn
08/08/1888 – David Thomas – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago
08/09/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit
08/12/1888 – William Nelson – 500 RBIs, Milwaukee
08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 150 Home Runs, Chicago
08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago
08/20/1888 – Hector Romero – 200 Wins, Detroit
08/22/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 500 RBIs, Philadelphia
08/26/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 900 Stolen Bases, Louisville
08/26/1888 – George Olson – 400 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia
08/30/1888 – Andrew Morgan – 200 Stolen Bases, New York
08/31/1888 – Al Ellis – 1000 Strikeouts, Chicago
09/02/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
09/03/1888 – Cyrus Anderson – 200 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
09/03/1888 – Samuel O'Brien – 500 RBIs, Baltimore
09/14/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 1500 Strikeouts, Chicago
09/14/1888 – Edward Moore – 1500 Strikeouts, Brooklyn
09/17/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 500 RBIs, Louisville
09/20/1888 – Frank Rodriguez – 1000 Hits, Cleveland
09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Runs Scored, Milwaukee
09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
09/21/1888 – Juan Castro – 300 Stolen Bases, New York
09/26/1888 – Isaiah Hill – 150 Wins, Cleveland
09/26/1888 – Benjamin Tolliver – 100 Wins, Boston
09/27/1888 – Charles Jones – 600 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
09/27/1888 – Joseph Florez – 200 Stolen Bases, Chicago
09/30/1888 – William Nelson – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
10/03/1888 – Reinhold Schulz – 100 Wins, New York
10/05/1888 – Arturo Irias – 300 Stolen Bases, Boston
10/08/1888 – Lemuel Thompson – 300 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia
10/12/1888 – Frank Brown – 500 Stolen Bases, Chicago
10/14/1888 – Robert Wright – 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia
10/19/1888 – Serban Cretan – 300 Stolen Bases, Detroit

10-12-2025, 08:21 PM	#24
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1888 Season Summary Season of 1888 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary It was another quiet off-season for the league, rules tweaks the majority of the business at the winter meeting. There was something of note for future sabermatricians — rules to distinguish what is an unearned run as opposed to an earned run were created. In Cleveland, off the back of their worst season ever, something had to be done. Owner Samuel Flagler brought in David Young as his new Field Manager. Young made 13 appearances with the 1879 Detroit Wolverines, most of his playing days were spent in the semi-pro Ohio state circuit. Flagler considered Young an excellent judge of young talent, and tasked him with assembling a young team that could compete and bring back the crowds. He’d be given a year to scout players and assess the squad, then Flagler would give him an open checkbook to bring in the required talent. Flagler, who in the past had been a very lenient and hands-off owner, confided in friends that if this move didn’t pay off, he’d have to consider selling up or propose moving the team. Season Summary The Eastern League was a combative affair between New York Empire and Philadelphia Quakers, with the Whalers not far behind. It wasn’t until September that the Empire were able to open up a 5-game lead, and from then on they would not falter. The Washington Senators would finish 4th in the standings with their best record since joining the league in 1883. Meanwhile Brooklyn would drop to the bottom of the pile with their worst ever season record — finishing 44 games back, double what they were in 1887. In the Western League, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Louisville were all neck and neck. The appointment of Young in Cleveland appeared a masterstroke — he’d only signed a couple of new players for the roster, but so far had guided them to a 25-25 record and fourth in the standings in early July. Louisville and Cincinnati would remain in deadlock as October drew near, until the Originals swept Louisville at home in a 2-game set, which would prove decisive. Louisville finished strong, but simply did not have the time left to catch the Cincinnati club. Cleveland would tumble down the standings in dramatic fashion, losing 11 games in a row in July. However, the early good form did draw in crowds — helping keep baseball in Cleveland another year. The Creams would put together their best ever record, finishing third, whilst both Chicago clubs had disappointing years. League Standings Eastern League Standings Code: Team W L PCT GB New York Empire 79 33 .705 - Philadelphia Quakers 71 41 .634 8.0 Boston Whalers 65 47 .580 14.0 Washington Senators 64 48 .571 15.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 46 66 .411 33.0 Philidelphia Olympics 45 67 .402 34.0 New York Union 43 69 .384 36.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 35 77 .313 44.0 Western League Standings Code: Team W L PCT GB Cincinnati Originals 70 42 .625 - Louisville Colonels 68 44 .607 2.0 Milwaukee Creams 62 50 .554 8.0 Chicago Red Caps 60 52 .536 10.0 St. Louis Browns 50 62 .446 20.0 Chicago Packers 50 62 .446 20.0 Cleveland Lakeshores 46 66 .411 24.0 Detroit Wolverines 42 70 .375 28.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Empire Western Pennant: Cincinnati Originals Result: Cincinnati win the series, 4 to 1. Series Silver Ball: David Dairymple, SS, Cincinnati There was a great sense of expectation around the National Series — this was Cincinnati’s first pennant since 1880. At that time it seemed they would be a dominant force for the decade, but Louisville knocked them off their perch. For New York, would the “curse of back-to-back pennants” strike again? Writers professed that the weight of pressure to win consecutive Championships made the feat near impossible. New York romped to a 9-4 win in Game 1, but the next three were heart-stoppers: 5-4 (10), 6-5 (10), and 6-5 — all Cincinnati wins. Nerves wrecked, battered and bloodied, the Empire made the long journey to Cincinnati for Game 5. They were crushed — the Originals scored four in the first inning and didn’t let up, winning 11-2. Jubilant spectators stormed the field to celebrate with their heroes as the Empire fled the back East with their tails between their legs. Batting Leaders Combined Batting Average Code: 1. Thomas Francis (BOS) .343 2. George Hill (BOS) .324 3. Thomas O'Steen (MIL) .323 4. Johannes Beekhof (LOU) .322 5. Thomas Davis (PHO) .318 Home Runs Code: 1. Joseph Harris (BRK) 26 2. Robert Wright (PHI) 17 3. William Harris (DET) 14 4. Manny Tuitt (CIN) 13 5. Benjamin Murphy (BAL) 12 Runs Batted In Code: 1. Reid Hopkins (NYE) 87 2. William Coe (NYE) 86 3. Joseph Florez (CHI) 82 4. James Varney (CHI) 80 5. Joseph Harris (BRK) 79 Pitching Leaders Combined Wins Code: 1. James Hall (NYE) 30 2. Abraham Joyce (PHI) 24 3. Willie King (CIN) 23 4. James Brown (NYE) 22 5. Five tied with 22 Earned Run Average Code: 1. Abraham Joyce (PHI) 1.80 2. James Wright (BOS) 1.87 3. Willie King (CIN) 2.05 4. William Rossi (LOU) 2.10 5. Caleb White (CHI) 2.16 Strikeouts Code: 1. James Hall (NYE) 351 2. James Wright (BOS) 210 3. William Hall (WAS) 201 4. Ivan Ibarra (CHP) 197 5. Henry Hall (CHI) 194 [HR][/HR] Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Joseph Harris (BRK) – .248/.321/.499, 419 AB, 26 HR, 27 SB Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Abraham Joyce (PHI) – 24-14, 1.80 ERA, 340.1 IP Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Reid Hopkins (NYE) – .285/.364/.456, 421 AB, 2 HR, 73 SB Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof (LOU) – .322/.379/.430, 460 AB, 2 HR, 121 SB Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Willie King (CIN) – 23-11, 2.05 ERA, 311.1 IP Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: David Hemp (SLB) – .306/.357/.366, 435 AB, 2 HR, 11 SB [HR][/HR] Season Notes []07/08/1888 – Reuben Holmes, 6 Hits in 7 AB vs Chicago while playing for Louisville []08/30/1888 – James Green, 6 Hits in 6 AB, 2 RBI vs Louisville while playing for Chicago Milestones 04/22/1888 – James Hall – 2500 Strikeouts, New York 04/25/1888 – Willie King – 100 Wins, Cincinnati 04/25/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 900 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 05/03/1888 – James Hall – 250 Wins, New York 05/06/1888 – Robert Price – 300 Stolen Bases, Washington 05/07/1888 – Henry Wharton – 900 Stolen Bases, New York 05/10/1888 – John Bullock – 150 Wins, Philadelphia 05/13/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 200 Stolen Bases, Brooklyn 05/13/1888 – Peter Jones – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn 05/14/1888 – Frank Klein – 300 Stolen Bases, Cleveland 05/22/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn 05/24/1888 – Charles Jones – 500 Runs Scored, St. Louis 05/25/1888 – Clayton Clark – 300 Stolen Bases, Chicago 05/27/1888 – Levi Ryder – 500 Runs Scored, New York 06/04/1888 – Levi Ryder – 300 Stolen Bases, New York 06/15/1888 – Edward King – 500 RBIs, Louisville 06/17/1888 – Henry Astor – 150 Wins, Boston 06/25/1888 – Arturo Irias – 500 RBIs, Boston 06/25/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 07/01/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Hits, Cincinnati 07/06/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 07/09/1888 – Henry Bush – 1000 Strikeouts, Brooklyn 07/11/1888 – Patrick Herman – 1000 Hits, Brooklyn 07/13/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 07/20/1888 – James Green – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago 07/20/1888 – Edward Denny – 400 Stolen Bases, Washington 07/23/1888 – Edward King – 1000 Hits, Louisville 07/23/1888 – Vincent O'Toole – 1100 Stolen Bases, Detroit 07/30/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 200 Wins, Chicago 08/01/1888 – Henry Green – 500 RBIs, Louisville 08/01/1888 – Andrew Hall – 100 Wins, New York 08/03/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit 08/03/1888 – Charles White – 500 Runs Scored, Boston 08/05/1888 – Isaiah Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 08/08/1888 – Patrick Herman – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn 08/08/1888 – David Thomas – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago 08/09/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit 08/12/1888 – William Nelson – 500 RBIs, Milwaukee 08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 150 Home Runs, Chicago 08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago 08/20/1888 – Hector Romero – 200 Wins, Detroit 08/22/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 500 RBIs, Philadelphia 08/26/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 900 Stolen Bases, Louisville 08/26/1888 – George Olson – 400 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia 08/30/1888 – Andrew Morgan – 200 Stolen Bases, New York 08/31/1888 – Al Ellis – 1000 Strikeouts, Chicago 09/02/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 09/03/1888 – Cyrus Anderson – 200 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 09/03/1888 – Samuel O'Brien – 500 RBIs, Baltimore 09/14/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 1500 Strikeouts, Chicago 09/14/1888 – Edward Moore – 1500 Strikeouts, Brooklyn 09/17/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 500 RBIs, Louisville 09/20/1888 – Frank Rodriguez – 1000 Hits, Cleveland 09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Runs Scored, Milwaukee 09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 09/21/1888 – Juan Castro – 300 Stolen Bases, New York 09/26/1888 – Isaiah Hill – 150 Wins, Cleveland 09/26/1888 – Benjamin Tolliver – 100 Wins, Boston 09/27/1888 – Charles Jones – 600 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 09/27/1888 – Joseph Florez – 200 Stolen Bases, Chicago 09/30/1888 – William Nelson – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 10/03/1888 – Reinhold Schulz – 100 Wins, New York 10/05/1888 – Arturo Irias – 300 Stolen Bases, Boston 10/08/1888 – Lemuel Thompson – 300 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia 10/12/1888 – Frank Brown – 500 Stolen Bases, Chicago 10/14/1888 – Robert Wright – 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia 10/19/1888 – Serban Cretan – 300 Stolen Bases, Detroit Last edited by Haystacks; 10-13-2025 at 12:51 PM.