The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward

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The 1896 NLCS was the second playoff series in MLB history to have one team win the first three games, then lose the next three. The very first World Series between Chicago squads in 1884 had this. The White Sox ultimately avoided blowing the 3-0 lead by taking game seven against the Cubs. The 1896 ALCS would be historic as well as the first playoff series to feature a game seven that went extra innings.

It was a beautiful sunny 56 degree Thursday afternoon in front of 18399 fans at Indianapolis’s West Washington Street Park. Philadelphia ran into early trouble as starting pitcher Jack Jones suffered an elbow strain to end his day. The Clowns got four runs between innings 4-6 while the Phillies got one. Philadelphia tied it up at 4-4 with a three-run seventh inning. That score held until the tenth inning.

In the bottom half, Indy’s Fred Clarke drew a one-out walk. After stealing second, Philly intentionally walked Bill Lange. Pat Sullivan singled next to load the bases, followed by a fielder’s choice by Dummy Hoy with the force play at home. Pinch hitter Ed Flanagan, who had all of 57 at-bats in the regular season, came through with the RBI single to right field to walk off the game and series with a 5-4 score.



It was the third pennant for Indianapolis (1885, 1888, 1896). Jouett Meekin had a workhouse game seven, pitching all ten innings with only one earned run allowed, eight hits, three walks, and nine strikeouts. CF Bill Lange was series MVP going 12-28 with two homers, five RBI, and nine runs. He was 2-4 with two runs and a walk in the finale.

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The 13th World Series was the second time that Milwaukee and Indianapolis had met in the finale. Back in 1888, the Brewers won 4-3 in their first and lone appearance. The Clowns had won the crown previously in 1885 against the Chicago White Sox, also in seven games. The Brewers had home field advantage having won four more games than Indy.



The series opened with drama as a pitcher’s duel needed 12 innings. In the bottom half, Willie Keeler hit a solo homer to win it at home 3-2 for the Brewers. Keeler had also hit a solo homer back in the fourth inning. Tom Vickery pitched all 11.1 innings in the loss for Indianapolis. Milwaukee had 7.1 innings from Brickyard Kennedy, then 4.2 scoreless innings from Stub Brown in relief.



Indianapolis evened the series on a 5-0 road win with one of the all-time playoff pitching performances by Lady Baldwin. The 37-year old lefty tossed a one-hit shutout, striking out four with one hit batsmen over 88 pitches. RF Biff Sheehan had two solo homers for the Clowns.



In game three, Indianapolis jumped ahead on a four-run third inning with Fred Clarke’s grand slam. Despite getting only three hits for the game, the Clowns survived for the 4-3 home win to take the series lead. Ed Stein pitched seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) and five this with six strikeouts. Bill Blair pitched the final two innings clean for the save.



Indianapolis claimed a 2-1 pitcher’s duel in game four to go ahead 3-1 for the series. Fred Clarke had the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Jouett Meekin pitched seven innings, scaterring eight hits with an unearned run and six Ks. Bill Blair gave up one hit with four Ks in the final two innings in relief. Milwaukee’s Herb Goodall had his own quality start in defeat with two runs allowed in seven innings.



Milwaukee forced the World Series back to their home diamond on a 3-0 road win over Indianapolis in game five. Brickyard Kennedy tossed a five-hit shutout, striking out three with three walks over 122 pitches.



After great pitching was a feature for much of the 1896 World Series, Indianapolis ended things with an offensive explosion in game six. The 11-3 final clinched the series on the road for the Clowns to earn their second title. The run of parity continues with nine different champions in as many years. It was notably only the third title for a National League team.

It was a balanced effort by the offense, although Fred Clarke notably homered and doubled with three runs and two RBI. Lady Baldwin didn’t need to be excellent on the mound, but still tossed a complete game with six hits allowed and three Ks. CF Bill Lange was series MVP going 10-23 with a homer and four RBI. He joins Tony Mullane, Fred Roat, and Dick Johnston as players to win both World Series MVP and LCS MVP in the same postseason run.



Milwaukee’s Willie Keeler notably set a postseason record for total bases (43) and home runs (7). Brewers teammate Tom Parrott set the new playoff high mark of eight doubles.

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New York Yankees DH/OF/P Pat Luby won American League Most Valuable Player for 1896 with 20 first place votes. It was a surprise for many who thought Milwaukee RF Willie Keeler was the favorite. Keeler had the other four first place votes and was the leader in hits (235), average (.401), OBP (.448), OPS (1.073), and wRC+ (196) with 9.3 WAR.

It was Luby’s second MVP, having also won in 1891 with Detroit. He signed with the Yankees for 1896 and smacked 49 home runs, notably the only player with 40+ this year. It was his third season of 40+ dingers and he led with a .652 slugging percentage. The 26-year old lefty bat had 149 hits, 101 runs, 117 RBI, .300/.357/.652 slash, 1.009 OPS, 174 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR. A two-way player, Luby also had 2.4 WAR pitching with a 3.09 ERA over 198.1 innings, 16-5 record, 82 strikeouts, 143 ERA+, and 92 FIP-.

New York’s other big free agent signing was George Davies, who won Pitcher of the Year unanimously in his Yankees debut. The 28-year old righty won the ERA title (2.31) and led in quality starts (27) and shutouts (5). Davies had a 21-11 record, 292.1 innings, 206 strikeouts, 191 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 7.1 WAR. While Luby’s deal only has two more years, Davies is signed through 1902.

The Yankees also had the runner up for Rookie of the Year Nap Lajoie, who got nine first place votes and posted a .892 OPS and 4.9 WAR over 121 games. He lost out to St. Louis SS Jimmy Sheckard, who got 14 first place votes. The #6 pick by the Browns, Sheckard had 3.9 WAR, .922 OPS, 151 wRC+, 148 hits, 29 doubles, 32 home runs, and 103 RBI. He also won a Silver Slugger.

Manager of the Year was a rare win by someone whose team missed the playoffs. Kansas City was second in the AL West at 92-70, but it was a franchise record for the Royals. Cal McVey was the skipper in his fourth year at the helm and has a 337-311 record thus far leading KC.

Minnesota CF Hugh Duffy joined Mike Tiernan as the only ten-time Silver Slugger winners in MLB history. Chicago 1B Duke Farrell won his eighth, Washington 2B Ed Delahanty got his sixth, and Milwaukee RF Willie Keeler earned his fourth. Both Detroit C Tom Daly and Kansas City CF Jim Fogarty became four-time Gold Glove winners. Nationals P Scott Stratton and Tigers 3B Billy Clingman both won their third.

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RF Jimmy Ryan won his second National League Most Valuable Player award (1892) and first since getting traded by Louisville to Buffalo for 1894. Injuries had plagued him his first two years with the Bisons, but Ryan looked like his old self in a healthy 1896. He had 15 first place votes while Indianapolis LF Fred Clarke had the other nine. Clarke was the league leader for hits (213) and total bases (354) with 7.7 WAR.

For the 33-year old Ryan, he led in doubles (51), RBI (128), triple slash (.367/.445/.644), OPS (1.089), wRC+ (192), and WAR (9.5). He added 199 hits, 114 runs, 27 home runs, and 73 stolen bases. Ryan also won his ninth Silver Slugger in RF and is signed through 1898 for Buffalo.

Ryan through 12 seasons has 2009 hits, 1291 runs, 421 doubles, 399 home runs, 1317 RBI, .335/.418/.626 slash, 181 wRC+, and 95.2 WAR. He is second in WAR among position players behind Mike Tiernan’s 99.09. Two-way man Charlie Ferguson is the overall WARlord with 68.7 pitching and 55.2 batting for 123.9 total. George Van Haltren also has 105.7 as a two-way player.

Second-year lefty Jerry Nops of Pittsburgh won Pitcher of the Year with 19 first place votes. Louisville’s Bobby Wallace had three first place votes, while New York’s Joe Corbett and St. Louis’s Mickey Welch had one each. Nops was the leader for ERA (2.51), WAR (8.8), and FIP- (68). He got the nod even with an 11-12 record, the first to win POTY with a losing record. Nops had 280 innings with 203 strikeouts and 151 ERA+.

Boston’s Cy Seymour was the unanimous Rookie of the Year as his 297 strikeouts were the third-most in a single-season by any pitcher. The #5 pick also had the most walks in the NL at 139. Seymour tossed 287.1 innings for a 3.41 ERA, 12-20 record, 121 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 6.8 WAR.

World Series winner Jake Goodman won Manager of the Year in his fifth season with Indianapolis. The 43-year old took over a team that was 63-99 in 1891 and stayed in last place his first two years. The Clowns were patient during the rebuild, as they got back above .500 for 1894-95. They were rewarded with the top trophy in 1896.

Buffalo two-way man Adonis Terry won his fifth Silver Slugger as a pitcher while Indianapolis CF Bill Lange also got his fifth and New York 3B Charlie Irwin earned his fourth. Irwin also grabbed his fourth Gold Glove, as did Philadelphia’s Charlie Duffee. Winning their third Gold Gloves was Phillies SS Herman Long, Bisons 1B Skyrocket Smith, and Braves RF Chicken Wolf.

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The big manager firing was the Philadelphia Phillies booting Ross Barnes to the shock of many. In six seasons, he had an impressive 575-397 record, including the historic 115-47 mark in 1894. The Phillies won the NL pennant in 1894-95 and were a playoff team again in 1896. However, their failures in the World Series with lofty expectations led to his dismissal despite an outstanding reputation for Barnes.

Replacing Barnes would be a known commodity in 48-year old Al Pratt, who had been the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1884-88 and the Chicago Cubs manager from 1889-94. The Cubs won division titles in 1891-92, but failed to win the NL pennant. Phillies management though seemed convinced that Pratt could get them across the line where Barnes couldn’t.

The big offseason trade saw former Pitcher of the Year Amos Rusie on the move after eight years with Cincinnati. The Reds had signed him to a seven-year, $258,800 extension after the 1895 season. But the relationship soured in 1896, thus he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for five prospects; none of which have a potential rating above 45. Rusie was still strong last year and will only be 26, making it a potential big score for Chicago.

Another notable saw former all-star 2B Heinie Reitz on the move after five seasons with Washington. He was sent to the New York Giants for three prospects. One of which was IF Tom Delahanty, which unites him on the Nationals with his brother Ed. In other news, Phillies ace Silver King inked a six-year, $271,600 extension.

The 1896 amateur draft had 14 rounds worth of players. Detroit had the #1 pick and selected Honus Wagner. He and #2 pick SP Rube Waddell to the Boston Braves both have 80-grade potential ratings along with #6 pick SS Jimmy Williams to New Orleans. Notably refusing to sign was #8 pick OF Danny Green with the Athletics. Below are the top 50 picks from the draft.



Free agency didn’t have many huge names for position players, but did have a number of solid veteran pitchers. The top deal by far went to three-time Silver Slugger SS Bill Dahlen, formerly with the White Sox. Injuries had limited Dahlen, but Brooklyn was convinced he could be a massive star. The Dodgers gave Bad Bill an eight-year, $472,000 deal with a player opt-out after his second year. This is the second-largest deal in baseball behind Mike Tiernan’s $494,000 contract with Pittsburgh.

Three-time Silver Slugger and Gold Glove CF Mike Griffin was also available. He was famously the trade piece from Buffalo to Louisville in the Jimmy Ryan deal. The 32-year old joined the Chicago Cubs at $285,800 over five years. The Cubs also picked up former World Series MVP Fred Roat at 2B to a five-year deal.

The top pitchers saw George Cuppy on a five-year, $183,400 deal to the White Sox and Jim Delvin at $163,600 over five years to the Cardinals. Former two-time Pitcher of the Year Toad Ramsey joined Pittsburgh on a four-year, $44,000 deal. MLB’s all-time strikeout leader missed much of 1896 with a torn elbow ligament from the prior fall. Below are the other top free agent signings.



In other news of the time, the 1896 presidential election was guaranteed a new American leader, as the incumbent Democrat Grover Cleveland didn’t seek re-election. Republican William McKinley, the former governor of Ohio, won the Electoral College 271-176 against the Democrats’ William Jennings Bryan, who was a house representative from Nebraska.

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Above are the top hitters entering the 1897 season.



Above are the top pitchers entering the year.

Below is the all-time leaderboard entering the season and important milestones that may be met.

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Through April 1897, Kansas City had the American League’s best record at 17-11. Defending champ Milwaukee (16-12), and St. Louis (15-12) were close behind in the AL West. In the AL East, Philadelphia and Boston were tied for first at 16-12 and New York was 15-13.

AL Batter of the Month was Brewers RF Willie Keeler with a .407 average, 4 home runs, 18 RBI, and 22 runs. KC’s Walter Thornton was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.43 ERA, 6-1 record, and 45 strikeouts over 55.2 innings. Yankees RF Danny Green was Rookie of the Month with a .313 average, 5 homers, 19 RBI, and 16 runs. Green was the #8 pick by the Athletics in the draft, but didn’t sign and was granted free agency, getting picked up by New York. In AL injury news, Washington 2B Ed Delahanty is out six weeks with a fractured hand and Browns 2B Ed McKean is out 7-8 weeks with back spasms.

Cincinnati led the majors at 18-10 atop the National League West Division through the first month of the 1897 season. Louisville (15-13) and St. Louis (14-14) were next in the West while reigning World Series champ Indianapolis was off to a weak 11-17 start. Boston led the NL East at 17-11 while Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Brooklyn were each 15-13 and Buffalo was 14-14.

NL Batter of the Month for April was Reds RF Kip Selbach with a .393 average, 4 home runs, 22 RBI, and 20 runs. Toad Ramsey was Pitcher of the Month in his debut with Pittsburgh, posting a 2.36 ERA over 49.2 innings, 6-0 record, and 25 Ks. Rookie of the Month was Cincinnati’s #17 pick Cowboy Jones, tossing 49.2 innings with a 2.72 ERA, 42 Ks, and 5-1 record.



The first no-hitter of the season came from Louisville’s Elmer Smith against Indianapolis on April 3. He struck out 12 and walked three over 128 pitches. On April 27, New Orleans’ Ted Breitenstein threw the second no-no against Chicago, striking out seven with five walks over 122 pitches. Breitenstein joined Toad Ramsey and Mark Baldwin as the pitchers with multiple no-hitters for their career. Milwaukee had two players with 21-game hit streaks carrying over from last season; General Stafford and Willie Keeler.

In milestones, Buffalo’s Jimmy Ryan became the third member of the 400 home run club. Cleveland’s Henry Moore and Baltimore’s Pete Browning became the third and fourth to 2500 hits. Pittsburgh’s Mike Tiernan became the first to 1500 RBI. Athletics CF Jim McTamany became the third to 800 stolen bases.

Milwaukee’s Lee Viau reached 2000 strikeouts and Kansas City’s Bid McPhee got to 2000 hits. Washington’s Ed Delahanty reached 600 stolen bases. The Cubs’ Mike Griffin and Athletics’ Jack Rowe both got to 1000 RBI. KC’s Podge Weihe reached 300 home runs. In other sporting news, April 19 marked the first-ever Boston Marathon.

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Milwaukee has the American League’s top record after May at 34-22, going 8-2 to end the month. Kansas City is a close second in the AL West at 32-24, followed by Minnesota (29-27) and St. Louis (28-27). Philadelphia leads the AL East at 33-25 with Boston (31-25), Baltimore (28-28), and New York (27-29) next. Washington is surprisingly in last at 21-35.

Brewers RF Willie Keeler repeated as AL Batter of the Month after a .420 average, 5 homers, 27 RBI, and 20 runs in May. Minnesota lefty Fritz Clausen was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-0 record, 1.12 ERA, and 32 strikeouts over 48.1 innings. New York RF Danny Green was Rookie of the Month again with a .337 average, 34 hits, 9 home runs, and 24 RBI. Green also had a 21-game hitting streak that ended on May 4.

Cincinnati holds the top spot in the National League at 34-22. Louisville at 31-25 is three behind in the NL West. After a terrible April, defending World Series champ Indianapolis went 18-10 in May to improve to 29-27. Boston sits atop the NL East at 32-24. Philadelphia is 29-27, then Pittsburgh, New York, and Buffalo are 28-28 and Brooklyn is 27-29.

Pirates LF Mike Tiernan won NL Batter of the Month on a .404 average, 40 hits, 7 homers, 18 RBI, and 19 runs. Tiernan also became the first position player with 100+ career WAR. Clowns righty Sadie McMahon was Pitcher of the Month on a 2.36 ERA, 5-0 record, and 24 Ks in 42 innings. Braves #2 pick Rube Waddell was Rookie of the Month on a 2.06 ERA, 4-1 record, and 48 Ks in 52.1 innings. In bad news for the Cubs, CF Mike Griffin is out three months from torn ankle ligaments.

Kansas City’s Jim Fogarty went 6-6 against Baltimore on May 23, which was the first six-hit game since September 1895. Minnesota’s Brownie Foreman tied the single-game strikeout record with 16 against Milwaukee on May 3. Five pitchers have had 16 K games, although Foreman was the second to do it without extra innings. Boston’s Sport McAllister and Louisville’s John Tener both hit for the cycle in May.

In milestones, Baltimore’s Dan Brouthers became the first to 1500 runs scored. Browns SP Bob Black became the second with 2500 career strikeouts. Joining the 2000 hit club was Cubs CF Curt Welch, Braves 2B Jack Glasscock, Twins CF Hugh Duffy, and Nationals 1B George Tebeau. Buffalo’s Adonis Terry and Pittsburgh’s Toad Ramsey were the 10th and 11th to 200 wins on the mound. Terry also reached 600 stolen bases along with Cardinals 2B Barney McLauhglin. Phillies CF Charlie Duffee and Giants CF Billy Sunday both breached 1000 runs scored.

Elsewhere in the world, May 14 had the first performance of The Stars and Stripes Forever by composer John Philip Sousa. This march would eventually be named as the National March of the United States of America.

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Defending American League champ Milwaukee remained the AL’s top squad entering the 1897 all-star break at 50-31. Minnesota moved up to second place in the AL West at 46-35 after a 17-8 run in June. Kansas City struggled in June, falling to eight games back at 42-39. Boston jumped into the AL East lead at 47-34 after a 16-9 June. Philadelphia went 12-13 and lost the lead, two back now at 45-36. The rest of the division is below .500.

For the third consecutive month, Brewers RF Willie Keeler was AL Batter of the Month. He had a .489 average, 5 home runs, 18 RBI, and 26 runs in June. At the break, Keeler leads the majors in batting average (.436), OPS (1.132), WAR (6.2), hits (134), and runs (68). Milwaukee also had Pitcher of the Month Herb Goodall with a 1.04 ERA, 5-0 record, and 21 strikeouts over 52 innings. Detroit had the Rookie of the Month George Stultz, a third round pick from 1893. Stultz posted a 3.04 ERA in 50.1 innings, 23 Ks, and 5-1 record.

Cincinnati has MLB’s best record atop the National League West Division at 51-30, going 8-2 in their final ten games. Indianapolis is a distant second, nine back at 42-39. The NL East is still completely up for grabs with all six teams separated by only four games. Boston leads at 44-37, but Brooklyn (43-38), Philadelphia (42-39), Buffalo (41-40), Pittsburgh (41-40), and New York (40-41) are all right there.

Giants 2B Heinie Reitz was NL Batter of the Month with a .386 average, 4 homers, 21 RBI, and 16 runs. Cincinnati’s Cowboy Jones was Pitcher and Rookie of the Month in June with a 2.32 ERA, 4-2 record, and 47 Ks over 50.1 innings. In bad news for the Cubs, 2B Fred Roat is out of the season with a concussion.



Athletics SP Jack Stivetts hit for the cycle on June 19 against Baltimore. He became the fourth player to hit for the cycle twice in a career. Orioles 1B Dan Brouthers became the second to 1500 career RBI. Phillies SP Jack Jones earned his 200th win.

Reaching 1000 RBI was White Sox 1B Harry Stovey, Cleveland’s George Van Haltren, and Cardinals 3B Denny Lyons. Lyons and Brooklyn’s Buster Hoover both crossed 800 stolen bases. Boston’s Charlie Ferguson and Pittsburgh’s Parson Nicholson both earned their 600th swipe. Louisville C Joe Flynn and teammate Germany Smith reached 2000 hits. Detroit’s Ed Swartwood reached 1000 runs scored and Minnesota’s Dick Johnston reached 300 home runs.

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The 1897 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held at Buffalo’s Olympic Park. Above are the rosters for the event. The Home Run Challenge was won by Washington 3B Jud Smith, who edged Detroit rookie Honus Wagner 7-6 in the final round.

The National League won 9-3 over the American League. The NL has won back-to-back, but still trail 10-4 in the overall series. Phillies OF Joe Kelley was named MVP, scoring twice with a two-run home run and a walk.

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Through July 1897, Milwaukee still has the best record in the American League at 65-43. However, their AL West Division lead shrank to two games with Minnesota at 63-45. The Twins went 9-1 to finish the month with a six-game winning streak. Kansas City has fallen to a distant third place at 54-54. Boston remains atop the AL East at 60-48 with Philadelphia second at 57-51. Both had losing records in July, while New York went on a 19-8 tear. The Yankees are now six games back at 54-54. Cleveland is eight away at 52-56.

New York 2B Nap Lajoie was AL Batter of the Month for July with a .451 average, 9 home runs, 23 RBI, and 26 runs. Minnesota lefty Brownie Foreman was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.01 ERA over 49.1 innings, 5-1 record, and 37 strikeouts. Yankees RF Danny Green was yet again Rookie of the Month with a .354 average, 10 homers, and 31 RBI.

Cincinnati has the top record in the majors at 67-41 through July. However, they dropped three of four to Indianapolis to end the month. The Clowns were 18-9 in July and gained two games on the Reds, sitting seven back in the NL West at 60-48.

The NL East remains wide open with Philadelphia (17-10) and Pittsburgh (16-11) having the best month, although the Phillies went 3-7 in their last ten. Boston, who led at the break, fell to last place after an 8-19 month. The Braves are still only seven games out of first place despite their 52-56 record. Philadelphia leads (59-49) with the Pirates two back, Brooklyn and Buffalo four back, and New York five away.

NL Batter of the Month for July was Clowns LF Fred Clarke with a .422 average, 38 hits, 4 homers, 28 RBI, and 16 runs. Indy also had Pitcher of the Month Tom Vickery with a 0.68 ERA, 5-1 record, and 33 Ks in 53 innings. Cincinnati’s Cowboy Jones was Rookie of the Month with a 2.56 ERA, 5-1 record, and 31 Ks in 52.2 innings.

The Braves lost last year’s Rookie of the Year Cy Seymour to a ruptured UCL. To fill his void in the rotation, they acquired veteran RHP Charley “Old Hoss” Radbourn in a trade with Buffalo for RF Chicken Wolf. The deadline was relatively uneventful for big names.

In pitching milestones, the Browns’ Bob Black reached 200 career wins and the Braves’ Bill Stemmyer reached 2000 strikeouts. In batting milestones, Cardinals 1B Roger Connor reached 2500 hits. Athletics CF Jim McTamany got to 2000 hits. Reaching 1000 RBI were Reds 2B Frank Fennelly and RF Dennis Casey, plus Browns C Jocko Milligan. Detroit 3B Ed Williamson and Kansas City C Podge Weihe got to 1000 runs scored. Yankees CF Marty Sullivan reached 300 homers and teammate Bill Joyce reached 600 stolen bases.

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Milwaukee and Minnesota remain nearly deadlocked for both the American League’s best record and the AL West title. Through August 1897, the Brewers remain the leader at 81-55, but the Twins are now one back at 80-56. Minnesota briefly had the division lead before going 1-5 to end the month. Their final four game series starts off September hosted by the Twins.

Both Boston and Philadelphia had lackluster runs in August, turning the AL East into a four-team battle. The Athletics and Red Sox are tied for first at 71-65, but Cleveland (70-66) is now one back and New York (67-69) is four back. The Spiders went 18-10 in August to insert themselves into the mix after entering the month eight games back.

Detroit SS Honus Wagner was both AL Batter and Rookie of the Month with a .367 average, 7 home runs, 29 RBI, and 25 runs. Cleveland’s John Dolan is Pitcher of the Month for August with a 1.67 ERA over 54 innings, 23 strikeouts, and 6-0 record.

Cincinnati struggled to 12-16 in August, causing their lead for both the National League’s top record and the NL West title to shrink. The Reds still hold both at 79-57, but the division lead is down to two games for defending World Series champ Indianapolis at 77-59. Cincinnati notably saw former MVP Kip Selbach out 2-3 weeks to a strained hip muscle. St. Louis at 70-66 is a long shot, but not completely dead at nine back. Notably in the West, New Orleans holds the worst record in MLB by a healthy margin at 51-85.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both finally gained some separation in the NL East. The Phillies are first at 75-61 with the Pirates two behind at 73-63. In bad news for Philadelphia, star RF Bug Holliday is out for the year with shoulder inflammation. Brooklyn (69-67) and Buffalo (68-68) are both still in the fight at six and seven games back, respectively. The Dodgers ended the month on a five-game win streak. Boston (64-72) and New York (63-73) are both likely out of the mix barring a huge shift.

Clowns RF Jack Rothfuss was both NL Batter and Rookie of the Month in August as the second rounder hit .442 with 8 homers, 35 RBI, and 21 runs. Louisville’s Arlie Pond earned Pitcher of the Month on a 1.04 ERA over 52 innings, 49 Ks, and 4-1 record.

Brooklyn 1B Jake Beckley set a new MLB hitting streak record with a 33-game run still active through the end of August. The previous record was Tuck Turner’s 31 from the prior year. August also had the end of a 26-game streak for Indianapolis CF Bill Lange and a 20-game run for Minnesota’s Hugh Duffy. Cardinals CF Charlie Hickman notably hit for the cycle on August 18 facing Cincinnati.

In batting milestones, Athletics C Jack Rowe, Royals CF Jim Fogarty, and Brewers 3B Arlie Latham reached 2000 hits. Milwaukee’s Ed Beecher, Phillies RF Bob Petitt, and Braves 2B Jack Glasscock got to 1000 RBI. Petitt also reached 700 stolen bases along with Cubs OF Mike Griffin. Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton earned his 800th swipe.

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Defending American League champ Milwaukee opened September by winning three of four at Minnesota to build up some cushion in the AL West race. The Brewers rattled off a 12-game winning streak mid-month and was 21-5 for the month, taking the division title and top seed at 102-60. It is the fifth AL West crown for Milwaukee and their third in four years.

The Brewers led the majors in run differential (+188) and had the fewest runs allowed in the AL at 677. They also set the AL season attendance record of 802,618. The Twins had the AL’s second-best record at 95-67 but missed the cut with no wild cards. Kansas City (82-80) and St. Louis (81-81) were next, then Chicago (71-91) and Detroit (69-93).

On September 18, Philadelphia and Cleveland were tied for the AL East lead at 80-73 while Boston (76-76) and New York (75-87) were both still alive. The Athletics went on a ten-game winning streak, including a critical four-game home sweep of the Spiders. Three of the wins were walk-offs, allowing Philadelphia to finish strong for their first-ever division title at 88-74.

Boston ended up in second at 82-80, followed by Cleveland at 81-81 and New York at 78-84. Baltimore was last in the division at 69-93 to end a four-year run of winning seasons. The Athletics led MLB with 892 runs scored and their .354 team on-base percentage was the second-best in AL history. The Yankees’ 206 home runs were also the second-best in AL history. This leaves the Royals and New York Giants as the only teams yet to earn a playoff berth through 14 MLB seasons.

Browns LF Jimmy Sheckard was the final AL Batter of the Month with a .333 average, 11 home runs, 26 RBI, and 27 runs. Chicago’s Amos Rusie was Pitcher of the Month on a 0.76 ERA in 35.1 innings, 4-0 record, and 31 strikeouts. Yankees RF Danny Green was Rookie of the Month with a .355 average, 2 doubles, 8 homers, 19 runs, and 18 RBI.



Green finished as the MLB leader in home runs with 42. Brewers RF Willie Keeler is the MVP favorite as the leader in batting average (.395), OBP (.440), WAR (9.5), hits (242), and runs (123). The 242 hits were the second-most in MLB history behind Dave Orr’s 252 from 1884. Keeler won his fifth batting title in six years as has three of the top five qualifying single-season batting averages. Wee Willie remarkably has a career .393 average in six seasons. He also earned his first cycle on September 22 against the Browns.

Cleveland rookie Sam Leever is the Pitcher of the Year favorite in the AL with the ERA title (2.69), along with a second place in WAR (7.2) and third in strikeouts (234). Leever notably had a no-hitter on September 12 against the Yankees, giving up one walk with eight strikeouts over 97 pitches. Washington’s Ed Doheny had the most Ks at 235, followed by Kansas City’s Walter Thornton one behind. Thornton was the WARlord at 8.0.



In milestones, Cleveland’s George Van Haltren reached 1000 runs scored, Milwaukee’s Lee Viau got to 200 career wins, and St. Louis’s Larry McKeon reached 2000 strikeouts.

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On September 11, defending World Series champ Indianapolis finally passed Cincinnati for the National League West Division lead, but the Reds got back ahead on the 18th. On the 22nd, they were tied with six games to go, including a four-game series against each other to close the season. The Clowns ended their penultimate series with two more wins over St. Louis, while the Reds lost both of their games to Chicago. Indy then took three of four at home over Cincinnati to repeat as division champ at 97-65.

Indianapolis earned its fourth division title and led the NL in run differential (+161) and runs scored (887). The Reds finished four back at 93-69, losing what was a nine-game lead on the Clowns at the all-star break. Indy was 55-26 after the break, the best in the majors. Louisville (81-81) and St. Louis (80-82) were next in the division while New Orleans had MLB’s worst record at 62-100.

At the start of September, Pittsburgh earned a four-game road sweep over Philadelphia to take control of the NL East. The Pirates never relinquished the lead after that, although the Phillies never were more than three behind. That was the final margin with Pittsburgh at 89-73 and Philadelphia at 86-76. This ended the Phillies’ three-year reign atop the NL East and was the second-ever division title for the Pirates (1888).

Brooklyn and Buffalo both finished as competitive third placers at 84-78. The Bisons have posted eight consecutive winning seasons, the longest active such streak in MLB. Philadelphia is on a seven-year run of winning campaigns. New York was last at 71-91 and the Giants are the only NL team yet to earn a playoff trip.



New Orleans 3B Jimmy Williams was the final NL Batter and Rookie of the Month with a .418 average, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, and 22 runs. Indianapolis veteran Sadie McMahon was Pitcher of the Month on a 1.61 ERA, 5-0 record, and 31 strikeouts in 44.2 innings.

The record-setting hitting streak for Dodgers 1B Jake Beckley continued until September 6, snapped by Louisville at 38 games. His on-base streak was likewise 38 games. Another batting record that fell was the single-season doubles mark with New York 1B Mike Grady getting 69, blowing by the previous best of 61 by three players.



Even with Cincinnati’s fall, RF Kip Selbach is the most likely candidate for NL MVP as the leader in triple slash (.379/.436/.625), OPS (1.060), hits (210), and runs (113). His 8.1 WAR was just behind Indy CF Bill Lange’s 8.3 for the most among batters. Phillies CF Charlie Duffee led in homers for the third time in four years, but he only needed 31. Last year, Duffee’s 32 homers were the fewest by a league leader.

Louisville’s Arlie Pond had a historic effort on the mound with a 2.00 ERA and 10.8 WAR, both the second-best in MLB history for a pitcher. He’s technically the second to post a sub-two ERA as it was rounded up from 1.998. Pond actually wasn’t the WARlord though as Boston rookie Rube Waddell set the pitching record at 10.96. Waddell’s 299 strikeouts were the third-best single season in MLB history, but his 3.14 ERA likely gives Pond the edge in Pitcher of the Year voting.

For milestones, Brooklyn’s Buster Hoover was the sixth to 2500 hits while teammate Jake Beckley reached 2000 hits. Five NL players reached 1000 runs scored; Emmett Seery, Cliff Carroll, Frank Grant, Billy Hamilton, and Beckley. Buffalo’s Jimmy Ryan reached 700 stolen bases and the Cardinals’ Jim Manning got to 600 swipes.

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Milwaukee was the defending American League champ and was set for a third ALCS appearance in four years. They were the heavy favorite as the defending champ with home field advantage, finishing 14 wins better than Philadelphia. The Athletics were making their first-ever ALCS appearance, while it was the fifth for the Brewers. They had split their six games in the regular season. It was the highest scoring team (Athletics) against the team with the fewest allowed (Brewers). Milwaukee was notably second in runs scored, while the A’s were ninth in runs allowed.



Philadelphia opened with a road upset in game one by a 4-1 margin. The Athletics went ahead on a three-run top of the ninth inning with a two-run home run by Tom Cahill, followed by a solo shot by Jack Rowe. Eddie Herr pitched 7.2 innings with one run and seven hits allowed in the win.



The Athletics continued to stun Milwaukee with a 6-3 win in game two, taking a 2-0 series lead. Philadelphia scored four runs in the third inning with DH Ollie Smith posting three RBI on a double and single. Jack Stivetts pitched eight innings, giving up three runs, four hits, and five walks with five strikeouts.



The trend of road winners continued with Milwaukee taking game three by a 5-4 score. The Brewers rallied with two runs in the eighth and another two in the ninth to go ahead. Chick Fraser was the winning pitcher, allowing four runs and seven hits with four Ks over 8.1 innings.



Philadelphia took a 3-1 series lead on a 6-3 home win in game four. Jack Stivetts had two solo home runs for the Athletics and Jesse Burkett had a three-run bomb. Bill Daley pitched a complete game allowing five hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts.



Milwaukee kept the series alive on a 6-5 road win in game five. The Brewers had a five-run third inning and held onto the lead from there. The Athletics got a two-out double in the ninth, but that man was stranded. Willie Keeler was 2-4 with a double, homer, two runs, and two RBI.



Game six went to extra innings tied at 3-3. Philadelphia scored once in the top of the 11th, but Milwaukee countered with two in the bottom half for the 5-4 win. Danny Richardson had the RBI double to clinch it. With that, the ALCS is headed to game seven for back-to-back years and for the seventh time overall.

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Game seven of the 1897 American League Championship Series was a 54 degree, partly cloudy Friday afternoon at Borchert Field in Milwaukee. Both teams scored a solo run in the first inning. The Athletics then raced ahead with a two-run fourth, three-run fifth, and two-run seventh. The biggest swing was a three-run homer by Jack Stivetts in the fifth. The Brewers got three back, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Philadelphia won the finale 8-4 to dethrone the defending champs and claim their first pennant.



Stivetts homered twice in the finale with five RBI, helping him earn ALCS MVP. At the plate, he was 6-18 for the series with four homers and seven RBI. The 29-year old two-way man also pitched 18 innings with a 3.50 ERA in the series. The remarkable parity continues in the American League; ten different teams have won the last ten pennants; a near impossibility to have no repeats in a 12-team league. To keep the streak going, Kansas City or Cleveland must win next year.

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Indianapolis was the defending World Series champion and looked to win their fourth National League Championship Series, having also done it in 1885 and 1888. Pittsburgh’s only previous trip was a loss to the Clowns in 1888. Indy had home field advantage, although they split their six regular season games with Pittsburgh.



In game one, a four-run eighth inning propelled Indianapolis to a 5-3 home win. Spider Clark a two-run homer and Fred Clarke was 3-4 with a solo homer. Lady Baldwin was the winning pitcher, giving up eight hits and three runs over eight innings with three strikeouts. Pittsburgh starter Toad Ramsey gave up only two runs in seven innings, but closer Bill Reidy got lit up.



The Pirates evened the series with a 6-2 road win in game two. Pittsburgh had a four-run sixth inning which had a two-run double by Frank Shugart and two-run single by Billy Earle. Jerry Nops tossed eight strong innings, giving up two runs, five hits, and two walks with eight strikeouts.



Indianapolis reclaimed the series lead on an 8-3 victory in game three. The Clowns had a huge five-run eighth inning, punctuated by a based-clearing double by Bill Lange. Ed Stein had a quality start, giving up two runs and scattering nine hits in seven innings.



The Clowns earned a 3-1 series lead on a 5-1 road win in game four. Sadie McMahon pitched 7.2 innings, giving up an unearned run, five hits, and one walk with two strikeouts.



Game five went to extras even at 3-3. Three hits led to three runs in the top of the 11th for Indianapolis, who won the game 6-3 and clinched the series 4-1 on the road. The Clowns won their fourth pennant and earned the repeat. While the American League has seen incredible parity, the last ten National League pennants have been split between four franchises with each having a repeat.



SS Bobby Wheelock was the series MVP, going 6-18 with one homer, five RBI, and six runs. The 33-year old was 3-5 in the clincher, including a leadoff triple in the 11th. Indianapolis joins the Boston Braves as the only teams with four pennants through MLB’s first 14 seasons.

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The 14th World Series had the defending champion Indianapolis looking to repeat, a feat only previously accomplished by the Boston Red Sox in 1886-87. The Clowns also hoped to join the Red Sox as the only teams with three titles, with Indy also winning back in 1885. It was the first finals trip for the Philadelphia Athletics. Both teams were the top-scoring offense in their respective league.



The Clowns had home field advantage and won the opener 6-2. Indianapolis drew first blood with a three-run fourth inning, which included an RBI double by rookie Jack Rothfuss. He was 3-3 with a homer, two runs, and three RBI. Ed Stein earned the win on the mound, tossing seven innings with two runs allowed (one earned), five hits, five walks, and one strikeout.



Indianapolis prevailed again at home with an 8-2 final in game two. The Clowns unloaded with a six-run seventh inning as Philadelphia pitcher Bill Daley lost control. He walked a playoff-record 11 batters in the game. Sadie McMahon pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up only two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.



Game three at the Baker Bowl saw an 8-4 home win for Philadelphia. 2B Tom Cahill had a mammoth game, going 3-4 with two homers, a double, five RBI, and three runs. Jack Stivetts allowed four runs and seven hits over 7.1 innings on the mound.



Indianapolis was ahead 8-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but Tom Cahill’s dramatic 382 foot grand slam down the right field line tied the game up for Philadelphia. It stayed 8-8 until the bottom of the tenth when Ollie Smith smacked a leadoff homer 418 feet to right, giving the Athletics the 9-8 walkoff win to tie the series. Cahill was 3-4 with two homers, seven RBI, and two runs; tying the AL playoff record for RBI.



Philadelphia earned a walkoff win for back-to-back nights to take their first series lead at 3-2. Jocko Flynn led off the ninth with a four-pitch walk and was bunted over, then stole third. On a ground ball to short, Flynn charged home and beat the throw for the 4-3 Athletics win. Flynn was 2-3 with two runs and two RBI on the day.



The trend of home winners continued back in Indianapolis for game six as the Clowns prevailed 6-3 to even the series. Starting pitcher Sadie McMahon got hurt in the third inning, but three relievers held the line after him. The first five World Series from 1884-88 needed all seven games, but this is the first time since then that a game seven is required.

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Game seven of the 1897 World Series was a beautiful clear 55 degree Monday afternoon in front of 20,093 fans at Indianapolis’s West Washington Street Park. The game was scoreless until the Clowns plated two in the fifth on two hits, two walks, and an error. Two singles and two walks led to two more runs for Indianapolis in the seventh. Athletics starter Jack Stivetts gave up 10 hits, four runs, five walks, and five strikeouts in 7.2 innings.

Lady Baldwin pitched five scoreless innings for the Clowns with two holds after that. They brought in Sadie McMahon, the game six starter, to wrap it up in the ninth but he struggled. The leadoff man got on via an error, followed by a single and a fielder’s choice. The next three batters got hits, capped off by Ollie Smith’s two-RBI triple to put the score at 4-3. With the tying run at third, Bob Clark struck out, allowing Indianapolis to escape with a 4-3 result in the game and the series. This was the first time that the World Series had only home wins the entire way.



Indianapolis completes the repeat, becoming three-time major league champs. It also breaks up a run of parity for the top spot, as there had been nine different champs in nine years. In the finale, Biff Sheehan went 4-4 with a run, RBI, and walk. LF Fred Clarke won series MVP, going 10-23 with two homers and five RBI.

All of McMahon’s allowed runs in the ninth were unearned. He became the first pitcher in playoff history with a zero ERA with 15+ innings pitched. McMahon had four unearned runs allowed over 18 innings. Philadelphia’s Tom Cahill had 16 RBI for the playoffs (the fourth-best), but notably 13 in the World Series.

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Milwaukee RF Willie Keeler was the unanimous American League Most Valuable Player, becoming a three-time winner (1892, 93, 97). “Wee Willie” led in runs (123), hits (242), average (.395), OBP (.440), wRC+ (184), and WAR (9.5). Keeler added 39 doubles, 24 home runs, 116 RBI, 66 stolen bases, and 1.029 OPS. He’s won five batting titles in his first six seasons and has a career .393 average. Keeler also won his fourth Gold Glove and fifth Silver Slugger. He’s signed through 1902 for the Brewers, but does have an opt-out option at the end of next season.

Pitcher of the Year went unanimously to Cleveland rookie Sam Leever. The #9 pick by the Spiders in the last draft, Leever won the ERA title at 2.69 and led in WHIP (0.99) and shutouts (5). Nicknamed “Deacon,” Leever had an 18-8 record, 294.1 innings, 223 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, 73 FIP, and 7.2 WAR. Despite his POTY win, Leever was third in Rookie of the Year voting and only earned one first place vote. Part of that is due to voters being pitcher-averse for the award, but there was strong competition.

Detroit’s Honus Wagner got Rookie of the Year with 15 first place votes and 102 points, while New York’s Danny Green had eight first place votes and 86 votes. The #1 pick, Wagner led in doubles (49) and had 183 hits, 105 runs, 37 homers, 126 RBI, .311/.371/.593 slash, 157 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR for the Tigers. Green notably was the leader in home runs (42) and had 189 hits, 110 runs, 123 RBI, .329/.378/.577 slash, 163 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR with the Yankees.

Hugh “One Arm” Daily was Manager of the Year for the second time in three seasons with the Twins. It was a somewhat surprising win, since Minnesota took second place in the AL West behind Milwaukee. The Twins still finished 95-67 in Daily’s sixth year at the helm with an overall 531-441 career record and .546 win percentage.

In other award notables, Yankees C Tom Daly and Royals CF Jim Fogarty both won their fifth Gold Gloves. Both men are set for free agency in the winter.