After falling one game shy of drinking from the Centennial Cup in '98, the Fall River Marksmen proceeded to tear apart the NABU for the first half of the 1899 season, going into the break with a 12-game winning streak and a 62-18 record and a whopping 18 game lead in the Northeast. The Empire Division is tight, with Buffalo looking to take their first pennant with a one-game lead over Eckford. Elizabeth is on top in the Atlantic, while Pittsburgh's "other" team, the Crawfords lead the Keystone Division. The Cup-holders from Cleveland are in a battle with Dayton and Columbus in the Midwest, and Rockford is three games back of Minneapolis.
At the All-Star Game in Louisville, Emil Gross won the MVP Award with a single and a triple as the East beat the West, 6-4.
