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Chadwick Sports Newsletter
November 1876
Base Ball Year in Review
The first year of the new National League brought stability to professional baseball, as eight teams played a schedule of similar length. However, this season was not without controversy, as the Athletic and Mutual clubs refused to complete a late season western swing on the grounds that it would be unprofitable. This did not sit well with league president William Hulbert of Chicago, and he banned the two clubs from the league, thus severing two of the last remaining ties to the amateur era. For 1877, only six teams – Boston, Hartford, St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville – would battle for the national baseball championship.
For 1876, Hartford jumped out to an early lead, then spent most of the summer with Boston, Louisville and St. Louis nipping at their heels. Finally, with a good run Boston took the lead for good and won the first-ever National League pennant:
Boston 46-24
Louisville 41-25
Hartford 40-28
St. Louis 37-27
Mutual 25-31
Cincinnati 28-37
Chicago 23-43
Athletic 17-42
Through six seasons, Cal McVey, the Boston catcher, was the all-time hit leader with 537, ahead of teammates George Wright (523) and Ross Barnes (475). Lip Pike of St. Louis was the leader in home runs with 24, and Boston’s Al Spalding led the way with 154 wins as a pitcher, despite the fact that he had an injury that kept him out for the entire season and that threatened his further career on the mound.
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