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

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Cincinnati finished with the National League’s best record at 101-61 for their second NL West Division title in three years. Indianapolis ended up second at 88-74 and had a similar run differential to the Reds (+187 to +167). However, the Clowns underperformed their expected win/loss by eight games and were 19-28 in one-run contests. Indy was the top scoring team in the majors at 929 runs. The Clowns set an NL team record for hits (1654) and batting average (.291) and had the second-best OBP (.356) and second-most stolen bases (563).

Louisville (85-77) and New Orleans (82-80) both had respectable seasons. It ended a four-year stretch of losing seasons by the Colonels. The Pelicans posted their sixth winning season in seven years, although they had only one playoff berth to show for it. Chicago (65-97) and St. Louis (60-102) had the worst records in the NL. It was a massive collapse by the Cardinals, last year’s NL West champ. Both posted the worst record in franchise history. The Cubs offense meanwhile set an all-time MLB worst with 1007 strikeouts. Their pitching also allowed an NL-worst 1768 hits and a 10.99 H/9.

The one division with a chance to be competitive in September was the NL East. However, Philadelphia went 14-4 to start the month to put it out of reach for both Brooklyn and Buffalo. The Phillies even ended the season on a five-game losing streak (including getting swept by the Bisons), but they still prevailed at 95-67. The Dodgers took second at 90-72 and Buffalo was 87-75.

It was back-to-back division titles for Philadelphia, who had a +235 run differential. They underperformed their expected win/loss by nine, as that differential was the fourth-best in MLB history. The Phillies allowed the fewest runs in the NL at 637. They also broke the MLB season attendance record at 840,272. Attendance spiked overall as three other NL teams sold 700k tickets (Indianapolis, Buffalo, Cincinnati).

Brooklyn set a franchise wins record and finally broke out of perpetual mediocrity; they had wins in the 70s for the prior nine seasons. Buffalo got its sixth consecutive winning season. Boston notably was last at 70-92, the first losing season for the Braves in a decade.

NL Batter of the Month in September was Philadelphia 1B Joe Kelley with a .414 average, 7 home runs, 23 RBI, and 22 runs. Kelley also had a 20-game hitting streak ended in September, as did New Orleans’ Frank Grant. Brooklyn’s Jim Gardner was Pitcher and Rookie of the Month with an 0.87 ERA over 51.2 innings, 5-0 record, and 47 strikeouts.



Reds RF Kip Selbach absolutely dominated the leaderboard in his third season with the second-ever Triple Crown win, joining Mike Tiernan’s 1889 effort. Selbach led in runs (130), hits (229), doubles (57), homers (40), RBI (154), total bases (420), triple slash (.399/.469/.732), OPS (1.201), wRC+ (224), and WAR (12.8).

He’s a lock for MVP with one of the greatest seasons in MLB history. On the record board, Selbach’s WAR was the 2nd-best by a position player behind only Tiernan’s 13.05. Selbach’s triple slash was 3rd/2nd/5th and his OPS 4th among qualified batters. His hits were also the 7th-most and RBI 6th-most in a season.

Pitcher of the Year is a wide open race in the NL as different players lead in each of the major categories. Philadelphia’s Silver King won his second ERA title at 2.60. Like in the AL, the NL had several standout rookie aces. New York’s Joe Corbett led in strikeouts (268) while Pittsburgh’s Jerry Nops was the WARlord (9.0) and was one of three tied for the most wins at 20. Nops’ WAR was the 5th-best single-season by a pitcher.

In milestones, Philadelphia’s Barney McLaughlin and Bug Holliday both reached 1000 runs scored, as did Boston’s Chicken Wolf. Brooklyn’s Billy Sunday reached 300 home runs and Chicago’s John Reilly got to 1000 RBI. Buffalo’s Adonis Terry reached 2000 strikeouts on the mound.

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Cincinnati finished with the National League’s best record at 101-61 for their second NL West Division title in three years. Indianapolis ended up second at 88-74 and had a similar run differential to the Reds (+187 to +167). However, the Clowns underperformed their expected win/loss by eight games and were 19-28 in one-run contests. Indy was the top scoring team in the majors at 929 runs. The Clowns set an NL team record for hits (1654) and batting average (.291) and had the second-best OBP (.356) and second-most stolen bases (563).

Louisville (85-77) and New Orleans (82-80) both had respectable seasons. It ended a four-year stretch of losing seasons by the Colonels. The Pelicans posted their sixth winning season in seven years, although they had only one playoff berth to show for it. Chicago (65-97) and St. Louis (60-102) had the worst records in the NL. It was a massive collapse by the Cardinals, last year’s NL West champ. Both posted the worst record in franchise history. The Cubs offense meanwhile set an all-time MLB worst with 1007 strikeouts. Their pitching also allowed an NL-worst 1768 hits and a 10.99 H/9.

The one division with a chance to be competitive in September was the NL East. However, Philadelphia went 14-4 to start the month to put it out of reach for both Brooklyn and Buffalo. The Phillies even ended the season on a five-game losing streak (including getting swept by the Bisons), but they still prevailed at 95-67. The Dodgers took second at 90-72 and Buffalo was 87-75.

It was back-to-back division titles for Philadelphia, who had a +235 run differential. They underperformed their expected win/loss by nine, as that differential was the fourth-best in MLB history. The Phillies allowed the fewest runs in the NL at 637. They also broke the MLB season attendance record at 840,272. Attendance spiked overall as three other NL teams sold 700k tickets (Indianapolis, Buffalo, Cincinnati).

Brooklyn set a franchise wins record and finally broke out of perpetual mediocrity; they had wins in the 70s for the prior nine seasons. Buffalo got its sixth consecutive winning season. Boston notably was last at 70-92, the first losing season for the Braves in a decade.

NL Batter of the Month in September was Philadelphia 1B Joe Kelley with a .414 average, 7 home runs, 23 RBI, and 22 runs. Kelley also had a 20-game hitting streak ended in September, as did New Orleans’ Frank Grant. Brooklyn’s Jim Gardner was Pitcher and Rookie of the Month with an 0.87 ERA over 51.2 innings, 5-0 record, and 47 strikeouts.



Reds RF Kip Selbach absolutely dominated the leaderboard in his third season with the second-ever Triple Crown win, joining Mike Tiernan’s 1889 effort. Selbach led in runs (130), hits (229), doubles (57), homers (40), RBI (154), total bases (420), triple slash (.399/.469/.732), OPS (1.201), wRC+ (224), and WAR (12.8).

He’s a lock for MVP with one of the greatest seasons in MLB history. On the record board, Selbach’s WAR was the 2nd-best by a position player behind only Tiernan’s 13.05. Selbach’s triple slash was 3rd/2nd/5th and his OPS 4th among qualified batters. His hits were also the 7th-most and RBI 6th-most in a season.

Pitcher of the Year is a wide open race in the NL as different players lead in each of the major categories. Philadelphia’s Silver King won his second ERA title at 2.60. Like in the AL, the NL had several standout rookie aces. New York’s Joe Corbett led in strikeouts (268) while Pittsburgh’s Jerry Nops was the WARlord (9.0) and was one of three tied for the most wins at 20. Nops’ WAR was the 5th-best single-season by a pitcher.

In milestones, Philadelphia’s Barney McLaughlin and Bug Holliday both reached 1000 runs scored, as did Boston’s Chicken Wolf. Brooklyn’s Billy Sunday reached 300 home runs and Chicago’s John Reilly got to 1000 RBI. Buffalo’s Adonis Terry reached 2000 strikeouts on the mound.

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The 1895 American League Championship Series was the second trip for the Twins, who were defeated in 1889. At 106-56, they have the best record in AL history. Washington at 93-69 is the defending World Series champ and upset 98-win Milwaukee the prior year in the ALCS. Minnesota won the regular season series 5-1 against the Nationals.

Minnesota held on 4-3 in a back-and-forth first game. In the ninth inning, Washington got one back and got the tying run in scoring position, but couldn’t even it up. The Twins went ahead with a pair of solo home runs in the fifth inning.



Game two had another tight Twins win with a 7-6 margin. Minnesota pulled ahead with a four-run sixth inning which included a bases-clearing double by Dick Johnston. He was 3-4 with a homer, two doubles, and five RBI. Washington’s Heinie Reitz had his own bases-clearing double in the seventh to make it a one-run game, but that is as close as they got.



The reigning champs Washington won game three at home 3-1 with a stellar performance from Jouett Meekin. He tossed a complete game, allowing five hits, one a solo homer, and striking out nine over 111 pitches.



Minnesota won game four on the road 3-1 to take the 3-1 series lead. Frank Meinke gave up one run over seven innings of work, then Hank O’Day grabbed the save. Solo runs in the eighth and ninth put the Twins ahead.



The Twins secured their first-ever pennant on the road with a 4-0 victory in game five, dethroning the defending champion Washington. Brownie Foreman tossed a four-hit shutout, striking out 11 and walking three. Dick Johnston was 3-5 with three RBI and a solo homer. The 32-year RF was the series MVP, going 10-19 with four homers and 10 RBI.

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Philadelphia was the defending National League Championship Series winner, but they were the underdog in 1895 to 101-win Cincinnati. The Reds were making their second trip, having lost to Buffalo in 1893. They were only separated by six wins in the regular season, but Cincinnati dominated the season series 5-1 over the Phillies.

Cincinnati outlasted Philadelphia in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel to start the series. Likely MVP Kip Selbach had the lone RBI on a single in the third inning. Frank Knauss gave up four hits over seven innings with Bill Hawke getting the save after him. The losing pitcher Jack Jones gave up the lone run in six innings.



Game two was a very different affair with the Phillies taking a 12-9 road win to even the series. The Reds were up 5-1 after the third inning, but it was tied 8-8 after the sixth. Philadelphia pulled away with a four-run eighth inning. Joe Kelley had three hits and two runs, Ed Herr had three runs and two hits, and Fred Pfeffer had two hits and three RBI. Jim Fogarty led Cincinnati with four hits, three runs, and two RBI.



Cincinnati took a 5-4 road win in game three to reclaim the series advantage. The big go-ahead swing was a two-run Frank Knauss homer in the eighth.



Philadelphia evened the series up on a 9-3 home win in game four. Charlie Duffee was 4-5 from the leadoff spot with a homer and three runs. Gus Krock tossed a complete game, giving up five hits, three runs, and two walks with three strikeouts.



The Phillies rolled 7-1 in game five, giving them the 3-2 series lead with the NLCS concluding in Cincinnati. Four pitchers scattered seven hits with one run allowed for Philadelphia as starter Jack Jones got hurt in the sixth inning. The Phillies bats were able to get to Reds ace Frank Knauss with Joe Kelley getting a two run homer. He scored thrice in the game having also drawn two walks.



Cincinnati won 6-1 in game six, forcing a game seven for the third time in NLCS history and the first time since 1891. The Reds lost starting pitcher Amos Rusie to injury in the first inning, but three relievers combined to give up only four hits. John Ryan, who tossed only 36 innings in the regular season, pitched 4.1 innings clean. Cincy’s bats meanwhile got to Phillies ace Silver King.



Game seven was a beautiful clear 61 degree Tuesday afternoon in Cincinnati. They traded runs early on with Philadelphia up 3-2 after the seventh inning. The Phillies then had a three-run eighth inning, including a two RBI double by Bug Holliday. Cincinnati got three hits and two runs back in the bottom of the ninth, but left two stranded as the Phillies held on for the 6-4 road win, repeating as NL champs.



Clark Griffith was the winning pitcher, giving up two runs over eight innings with five hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. Holliday was the series MVP, going 10-30 with two homers and ten RBI. He will play in his third consecutive World Series, having won in 1893 with Baltimore before signing with the Phillies in 1894.

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The 12th World Series had Minnesota at 106-56 trying to become the team with the most wins to win the title. Philadelphia had the wins record the prior year at 115, but lost the Fall Classic to Washington. The Phillies were back for 1895 hoping to avenge that defeat. The Twins were hoping to avoid the same fate as Philly and the 114-win Boston Braves from 1889, who also failed to win it all.

Minnesota opened with an 8-4 home victory on a workhorse performance by Brownie Foreman. He tossed 140 pitches in a complete game, allowing six hits, three earned runs, two walks, and two homers with six strikeouts. Dick Johnston’s two-run homer in the fifth put the Twins up 4-3. Philly tied it in the top of the seventh, but Minnesota had three in the bottom half.



In game two, the Twins led 4-3 entering the ninth inning. In the top half, Bug Holliday hit a solo home run to tie the game. In the bottom half, Ed Swartwood got a leadoff single on the first pitch he saw and was bunted to second. Pinch hitter Bill Van Dyke then hit the RBI walkoff single in a 5-4 Minnesota win. Dick Johnston was 4-4 on the day with an RBI.



Philadelphia won a pitcher’s duel 2-1 at home in game three. Both starters went seven innings with the Phillies’ Silver King giving up one run and the Twins’ Zeke Wilson allowing two.



Minnesota got the first road win of the series in game four, taking a 3-1 series lead on an 8-6 victory. The Twins went ahead with a four-run sixth inning that included a two-run Billy Alvord homer. Philadelphia’s Tom Kinslow had a three-run homer in the eighth to make it a two run game, but they went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.



The Twins exploded for a five-run second inning including a three-run bomb by Dick Johnston. They held on from there for a 6-4 final, ending the series on the road in five games. Johnston was the series MVP, going 8-21 with 2 homers and 7 RBI. He joined Tony Mullane (White Sox, 1884) and Fred Roat (Yankees, 1892) as players to win World Series MVP and LCS MVP in the same campaign.



The 32-year old Johnston has been with the Twins since 1884 and has been a steady starter, but not an overly dominant bat with a career 109 wRC+. In 10 starts, he had 18 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 6 homers, 17 RBI, .450/.488/1.025 slash, 290 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Johnston’s slugging and 1.513 OPS set new MLB playoff records and he tied the homers record.

Brownie Foreman also notably became the first pitcher to record four wins in a playoff run. The rookie won each of his starts with a 2.48 ERA over 32.2 innings, 28 Ks, and 0.6 WAR.



With their first title, the 1895 Twins stake their claim as an all-time team. Minnesota also notably was 8-2 in the playoffs, which are the fewest losses by a champion in a playoff run yet. It was the fifth consecutive win for the American League, who has won 10 of the first 12 World Series. They’ve done it during a run of overall parity, as there have been eight different champs in as many years. The Phillies join Buffalo (1892-93) as the only teams to lose back-to-back in the World Series.

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Washington 2B Ed Delahanty repeated as American League Most Valuable Player. He earned 20 first place votes, while Minnesota 2B Gene DeMontreville and teammate SP Ed Doheny both had two first place votes apiece. The 27-year old played 137 games and led in runs (108), average (.383), OBP (.456), OPS (1.036), wRC+ (190), and WAR (10.4). Big Ed added 194 hits, 34 doubles, 18 home runs, 78 RBI, and 77 stolen bases. He also won his fifth Silver Slugger in his ninth season. Delahanty enters the final year of his contract in 1896.

His teammate Ed Doheny won both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, having to contend with Minnesota’s Brownie Foreman for both. For POTY, Doheny had 21 first place votes and Foreman had three. Yet for ROTY, Doheny had 22 and Foreman had zero, although he was still second. The other two first place votes for top rookie was Detroit’s Chick Stahl. Although the runner-up, Foreman won the ERA title (2.18) and led in WAR (6.7), wins (26-5), and WHIP (0.98).

Doheny meanwhile was the leader in strikeouts (260), innings (297), shutouts (8), and complete games (27). He matched the win mark with a 26-7 record and had a 2.21 ERA and 5.9 WAR. Doheny was the #15 pick by the Nationals, while Foreman was the #12 pick by the Twins.

With their World Series win and AL-record 106 wins, Minnesota’s Hugh Daily won Manager of the Year. “One Arm” was in his fourth season as the Twins skipper with mid-tier records in the first three years. The 48-year old Irishman had been Brooklyn’s pitching coach prior to taking the Twins job.

In Silver Sluggers, Chicago’s Duke Farrell won his seventh, although it was his first as a first baseman. The previous wins were at third base with Detroit. Teammate SS Bill Dahlen, Baltimore C Heinie Peitz, and St. Louis DH Ducky Holmes each became three-time winners. Although he still had a fine season, Twins CF Hugh Duffy was denied a tenth straight Silver Slugger by Cleveland’s Fielder Jones. Washington’s John Kerins became a seven-time Gold Glove winner as a catcher. Nationals CF Curt Welch and Milwaukee RF Willie Keeler became three-time Gold Glovers.

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Unsurprisingly, Cincinnati RF Kip Selbach was the unanimous National League Most Valuable Player after his historic Triple Crown season. The third-year righty led in almost every stat; runs (130), hits (229), doubles (57), home runs (40), RBI (154), total bases (420), triple slash (.399/.469/.732), OPS (1.201), wRC+ (224), and WAR (12.8).

The Reds also had the Pitcher of the Year Amos Rusie with 15 first place votes. Pittsburgh’s Jerry Nops and Philadelphia’s Silver King had four apiece and Brooklyn’s Jim Gardner had one first place vote. King had the ERA title at 2.60 while Nops led in WAR (9.0) and innings (313).

The winner Rusie was second in ERA at 2.66 and led in quality starts with 26. “The Hoosier Thunderbolt” had a 19-7 record, 267 innings, 225 strikeouts, 156 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 6.6 WAR. It was the seventh year for the 24-year old Rusie, who signed a seven-year, $258,800 extension in December to stay with the Reds long-term.

Despite leading in WAR, Nops was second in Rookie of the Year voting to New Orleans LF John Anderson, who got 21 first place votes. It is always difficult for pitchers to win the award, but Anderson had a fine campaign. The Norwegian lefty had 197 hits, 90 runs, 31 doubles, 30 homers, 118 RBI, 46 steals, .322/.352/.550 slash, 147 wRC+, and 6.3 WAR. He was the #9 pick by the Pelicans.

Cincinnati’s Mike Brannock won his second Manager of the Year award, having also taken it in 1893. He’s in his fifth year commanding the Reds with three straight 90+ win seasons after two losing campaigns at the start. The 44-year old was the hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox dynasty from 1884-90 prior to taking the Cincinnati gig.

In Silver Sluggers, Indianapolis CF Bill Lange and Buffalo P Adonis Terry became four-time winners and Giants 3B Charlie Irwin won his third. Mike Tiernan’s bid for an eleventh straight in LF was denied by the Clowns’ Fred Clarke. Bisons C Fred Carroll won his eighth Gold Glove and Braves SP Bill Stemmyer won his sixth. The Giants’ Irwin and Phillies CF Charlie Duffee became three-time winners.

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The New York Yankees fired manager Francis Abercrombie after six seasons following a last place 60-102 collapse in 1895. He led the Yankees to the 1892 World Series and they had always won 80+ games with him, but their dramatic drop off in 1895 was too much for management. Abercrombie is only 45 and still has a good reputation, so we may see him managing again soon.

The St. Louis Cardinals fired Dan O’Leary as his squad also was a terrible 60-102 in 1895. He was in his third year and had seen a playoff berth and back-to-back 90+ win seasons to open his coaching career. O’Leary is only 39 so likewise may return to coaching quickly.

A big offseason trade saw 1894 AL Pitcher of the Year Tom Vickery on the move. The Yankees were sellers and the 28-year old has only one year left under contract. Vickery was traded to Indianapolis for 2B prospect Barry McCormick.

The 1895 amateur draft had 12 rounds worth of players. The big star was IF Nap Lajoie, going first to the Yankees with a grade of 75 overall and 80 potential. The Cardinals took 16-year old SP Noodles Hahn second, whose potential is a 75 grade. Unfortunately for St. Louis, Hahn didn’t sign and will instead attend college. The next three picks were given 65 potential grades with CF Tommy Leach to the Cubs, 2B Bill Keister to the White Sox, and SP Cy Seymour to the Braves. Below are the top 50 picks from the draft.



The top-rated free agent was 1B Otto Schomberg, who ended up re-upping with Kansas City to a six-year, $232,400 deal. Schomberg is the all-time leader in walks drawn at 1501. The Royals also added veteran CF Jim Fogarty at $173,000 over five years.

Former Dodgers SP George Davies got the biggest deal of the cycle at $336,000 over seven seasons with the Yankees. The Dodgers meanwhile re-signed C Jack Clements at $208,000 over four years. Another notable was former MVP RF/P Pat Luby joining NYY on a three-year, $104,400 deal. Below are the top free agents for the 1895-96 offseason.

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The first franchise to make a stadium change was Detroit, leaving Recreation Park. The new Bennett Park has a capacity of 14,000 and is very favorable for doubles and triples with a large outfield, especially in left with 456 feet to left-center. It will also be one of the toughest parks for any player to hit home runs.



Above are the top-rated batters in professional baseball entering the 1896 season. The biggest contract remains LF Mike Tiernan of Pittsburgh with a $70,000 salary for the season.



Above are the top-rated pitchers for 1896.

The highest team payroll for 1896 is the Philadelphia Phillies at $297,690. The New York Yankees ($234,658), St. Louis Cardinals ($212,059), and Washington Nationals ($209,467) are each above $200k. The lowest payroll is the New York Giants at $67,625. Only Detroit ($94,637) is also at five figures.

Below are the all-time leaderboards entering the season and the notable milestones that may be reached.





Cincinnati got horrible news right at the end of spring training. Reigning NL MVP Kip Selbach, fresh off his Triple Crown season, suffered a broken left knee cap. The Reds hope Selbach might make it back in late fall, but he’s expected out 5-6 months.

Bad injury news continued for RF/SP Buck Freeman, the #3 draft pick in 1890 by Brooklyn. He had injury issues immediately and was traded to the Yankees in 1892 after only 31 games for the Dodgers. A torn UCL and other injuries kept Freeman out much of his time with the Yankees with some limited minor league use.

Freeman finally debuted in 1895 for New York with 17 games and they were optimistic that the 24-year old could still reach his potential for 1896. Unfortunately, Freeman ended spring training with a ruptured UCL with another full year of recovery expected.

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Milwaukee had an all-time start to the season, ending April with a 23-5 record atop the American League West Division standings. Kansas City (16-12) and defending World Series champ Minnesota (15-13) also started with winning records. In the AL East, no one has stood out yet. Baltimore and Washington are tied for first at 15-13, followed by 14-14 Cleveland, 13-14 Boston, and 12-15 New York.

AL Batter of the Month in April was Boston’s Tom McCreery with a .430 average, 7 home runs, 31 RBI, and 20 runs. Minnesota’s Brownie Foreman was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 2.47 ERA, and 36 strikeouts over 51 innings. St. Louis SS Jimmy Sheckard was Rookie of the Month as the #6 pick had a .341 average, 30 hits, 8 homers, and 24 RBI.

Indianapolis was the top National League team to start the season, entering May with a 19-9 record atop the West Division. Cincinnati and St. Louis are tied for second at 14-14. Buffalo leads the NL East at 17-11, followed by Brooklyn (16-12), Philadelphia (15-13), and New York (14-14).

Buffalo RF Jimmy Ryan was NL Batter of the Month in April with a .411 average, 8 home runs, 29 RBI, and 22 runs. Ryan also had a 24-game hitting streak. The Bisons also had Pitcher of the Month Adonis Terry with a 6-0 record, 2.32 ERA, and 35 Ks in 50.1 innings. The Braves had Rookie of the Month SP Charlie Gettig as the #27 pick had a 2-2 record, 3.15 ERA, and 13 Ks in 45.2 innings.

Four players had 20+ game hitting streaks ended in April, many carrying over from the prior season. The longest was Milwaukee’s Willie Keeler at 28 games, one short of the current MLB record. Cincinnati’s Frank Knauss went 23 games and Baltimore’s Pete Browning 20. The first cycle of the season came on April 2 by Cubs SS Bill Eagan against the Cardinals.

Twins OF Hugh Duffy joined Mike Tiernan as the only players with 400 career home runs. Tiernan meanwhile is at 495, but had a shockingly weak start to the season for the Pirates with only one homer. Baltimore 1B Dan Brouthers became the first to 100 career triples.

The Twins’ Dick Johnston became the 12th to 2000 hits. Indianapolis SP Lady Baldwin was the seventh to 200 career wins and Boston’s Charlie Ferguson was the eighth to 2000 strikeouts. Cardinals 1B Denny Lyons was the fifth to 700 stolen bases. Jimmy Ryan and Detroit’s Pat Dealy both got their 600th swipe. Browns 2B Ed McKean reached 1000 runs.

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The power in the American League remains concentrated in the West Division. Milwaukee remains the leader at 38-15, but Kansas City (35-21) made gains after going 19-9 in May. Defending champ Minnesota remains eight back at 30-26. Baltimore at 29-26 is the only AL East team with a winning record. However, they’re only 2.5 games up on both New York and Washington with Cleveland three back.

AL Batter of the Month for May was Kansas City 3B Jimmy Collins with a .352 average, 8 home runs, 31 RBI, and 25 runs. Milwaukee’s Lee Viau was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-1 record, 1.70 ERA, and 35 strikeouts over 53 innings. St. Louis SS Jimmy Sheckard repeated as Rookie of the Month with a .376 average, 5 home runs, 12 RBI, and 19 runs.

A 21-7 record in May has pushed Buffalo to the National League’s best record at 38-18; tied for the best in all of MLB. Defending NL champ Philadelphia matched the pace to stay two back on the Bisons in the NL East at 36-20. Brooklyn had a noticeable drop to 26-30 after a 10-18 May. Indianapolis still holds the NL West lead at 36-20, followed by Louisville (32-24) and St. Louis (29-27). The Colonels were 19-9 in May, while defending division champ Cincinnati fell to fourth at 26-30.

Bisons RF Jimmy Ryan repeated as NL Batter of the Month with a .436 average, 8 home runs, 30 RBI, and 26 runs in May. After dealing with injuries in his first two seasons in Buffalo, Ryan is finally living up to the hype after the big trade in November 1893 with Louisville. So far in 1896, he had 5.1 WAR, 1.307 OPS, and 249 wRC+.

Buffalo also had Pitcher of the Month in veteran Charlie Sweeney with a 5-0 record, 1.27 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. #9 pick Jack Powell of the New York Giants took Rookie of the Month with a 3.17 ERA over 48.1 innings, 2-3 record, and 24 strikeouts.



On May 7 against the Giants, Pittsburgh’s Mike Tiernan made history as the first player to 500 career home runs. He rebounded from a weak April with nine homers in May. He also reached 2000 career hits earlier in the month. Elsewhere, Baltimore LF Tuck Turner set the record for longest hitting streak, beating Billy Taylor’s 29 from 1884. Turner got to 31 games before it was snapped on May 24 by the Royals. He also had a 40-game on-base streak.



Turner’s Orioles teammate Jack O’Connor also notably hit for the cycle on May 1 against the Browns. O’Connor became the third player to achieve the cycle twice in a career along with George Van Haltren and Frank Grant. In other milestones, Browns 2B Ed McKean became the first player to 800 career stolen bases. Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton was the sixth to 700 swipes. Baltimore 1B Dan Brouthers became the first to 4000 total bases. Brouthers (2470) and Cleveland’s Dave Orr (2469) are battling to become the first to 2500 career hits.

Joining the 2000 hit club was Red Sox LF Henry Larkin and Braves 1B Cap Anson. Anson is the oldest active player in the game at age 44. Brooklyn 2B Fred Pfeffer, Royals 1B Otto Schomberg, and White Sox 1B Duke Farrell reached 1000 RBI. Scoring their 1000th run in May were Louisville 1B Joe Flynn and Red Sox 1B Tommy Tucker.

In injury news, 40-year old pitcher Guy Hecker suffered a partially torn UCL, ending his season after six starts for the Phillies. It is uncertain if Hecker will continue on considering his age and the severity. He is MLB’s career wins leader at 229-129 and the leader in complete games with 265. Hecker has a career 3.20 ERA over 3166.1 innings, 1709 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 66.3 WAR.

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Milwaukee took the top record in the American League into the all-star break at 54-27. The Brewers took three of four in their final series of June against Kansas City, building their lead to six games in the AL West over the 48-33 Royals. Chicago is a distant third at 42-39, while defending champ Minnesota sits at 40-41. Barring a major shift, the Twins appear unlikely to repeat.

There still aren’t any standouts in the AL East, but New York has jumped into the top spot at 43-38. It is an impressive bounce-back for the Yankees, who were a league-worst 60-102 last year. Boston (41-40), Baltimore (41-40), and Washington (40-41) are all right in the mix. Even Cleveland and Philadelphia aren’t dead yet in a weak field, but both have bigger holes to climb from.

White Sox RF Jimmy Bannon was AL Batter of the Month in June with a .375 average, 11 home runs, 29 RBI, and 27 runs. At the break, Bannon leads the majors with 24 home runs. Boston’s Hank Gastright was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 2.05 ERA, and 28 strikeouts over 52.2 innings. #1 pick Nap Lajoie was Rookie of the Month for New York with a .310 average, 6 homers 23 RBI, and 17 runs. In injury news, all-star LF Jesse Burkett for Philadelphia is out for the year with a severe hip strain.

Buffalo and Indianapolis pulled away from the National League field in June and lead their respective divisions at 55-26. The Bisons gained five games on Philadelphia in the NL East, as the reigning NL champs are seven back at 48-33. The Clowns are now 12 games up on 43-38 Cincinnati and 14 ahead of 41-40 St. Louis. Louisville was a competitive second entering June, but stunk it up at 8-17 to drop to 40-41.

Indianapolis CF Bill Lange was NL Batter of the Month for June with a .402 average, 4 homers, 21 RBI, and 21 runs. New Orleans’ Sadie McMahon was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.12 ERA, 5-1 record, and 27 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. Buffalo closer Art Herman was Rookie of the Month with a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings, 6 strikeouts, and 9 saves.



In milestones, Kansas City’s Jim Fogarty became the second to 800 stolen bases. Pittsburgh’s Mike Tiernan and Chicago’s Curt Welch both got to 600 steals. Welch also reached 1000 runs scored, as did Yankees SS Germany Smith and Braves 2B Jack Glasscock. Brooklyn’s Jack Clements got to 1000 RBI.

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Below are the rosters for the 1896 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held at Borchert Field in Milwaukee. Buffalo’s Jimmy Ryan won the Home Run Challenge, beating Minnesota’s Dick Johnston 8-6 in the final round. Ryan is the first player to win the event twice, also doing it back in 1887 with Louisville. He leads the majors at the break in OPS (1.240), RBI (81), and WAR (6.2).



The All-Star Game was a close back-and-forth affair for the most part with the National League going up 6-5 in the top of the eighth. The NL then exploded for an eight-run ninth inning for a lopsided 14-5 final score. The NL has won the game only thrice in history, last doing it in 1892-93. Indianapolis 2B Spider Clark was named MVP, going 2-4 with a solo homer, two runs, two RBI, and walk. Pittsburgh C Billy Earle notably hit a grand slam in the ninth inning.

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Milwaukee continued their dominance in the American League throughout July. The Brewers had the best month of any team in the majors at 21-6, giving them the best overall record at 75-33. They’re now 15 games ahead of Kansas City (60-48) in the AL West after a losing month for the Royals. KC ended the month on a seven-game losing streak. Minnesota had an 18-9 month, but they’re still 17 games away at 58-50.

In the AL East, New York had a strong 19-7 to finally build some distance. The Yankees are 62-45 with Baltimore 6.5 back at 56-52. Cleveland had a strong month to move to a distant third at 51-57, 11.5 games away. Both Washington and Boston had abysmal months to fall double-digits behind. The Red Sox in particular went 5-22, the worst July of any team in MLB. Part of their collapse came down to a ruptured UCL for former MVP Charlie Ferguson.

Cleveland LF/P George Van Haltren was AL Batter of the Month in July with a .383 average, 36 hits, 8 home runs, 29 RBI, and 25 runs. Brewers righty Brickyard Kennedy was Pitcher of the Month with a 4-0 record, 0.68 ERA, 52.2 innings, and 29 strikeouts. The Spiders also had Rookie of the Month SP Buttons Briggs as the #10 pick had a 3.31 ERA, 37 Ks, and 4-1 record in 51.2 innings.

Buffalo was 17-10 in July to take the National League’s best record outright at 72-36. The Bisons swept Philadelphia in four games to end the month, putting the Phillies 12 games back in the NL East at 60-48. Indianapolis was middling in July but still hold a hefty 11 game lead in the NL West at 69-39. St. Louis is second at 58-50, 11 games back. Cincinnati struggled to 9-18 in the month, falling to third at 52-56.

Indianapolis CF Bill Lange was NL Batter of the Month on a .419 average, 6 home runs, 22 RBI, and 19 runs. St. Louis veteran righty Mickey Welch was Pitcher of the Month on a 5-2 record, 2.21 ERA, and 28 Ks in 61 innings. New Orleans reliever David Willis was Rookie of the Month with a 1.80 ERA over 10 innings with 6 Ks and an active 3-1 record.

In contract news, the Phillies extended CF Charlie Duffee with a six-year, $200,000 extension. In his debut season for Cincinnati, veteran SS Frank Fennelly suffered a broken bone in his elbow to end his season.

It was a relatively quiet trade deadline with the most notable being SP Jouett Meekin on the move from Washington. He was the strikeout leader two years ago, but struggled to a 5.03 ERA in 1896. In the final year of his deal, the Nationals sent him to Indianapolis for two minor leaguers. Eight-time all-star SP Ed Morris was also moved by Washington after one year, as they were clearly sellers. They sent him to Minnesota with both teams also getting a minor leaguer.

In milestones, Baltimore’s Dan Brouthers became the first player to 2500 career hits on July 5. Cleveland’s Dave Orr joined him in the club on July 15. Brouthers (590) is close to the 600 double club, which no one has reached yet. St. Louis’s Roger Connor is poised to beat him there with 598 doubles through July. Brouthers and Connor in July became the first players to 2000 career games played.

The Spiders’ King Kelly also became the 16th to 2000 hits. Buffalo’s Charlie Sweeney became the eighth pitcher with 200 wins. The 300 home run club grew to 10 members with Louisville’s Joe Flynn and Cleveland’s Bob Pettit joining. In other milestones, Buffalo’s Fred Carroll reached 1000 RBI. His teammate Skyrocket Smith and Louisville’s Mike Griffin got to 1000 runs scored. Dick Johnston and Tommy Tucker both earned their 600th stolen base in July.

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Milwaukee remained the top team in Major League Baseball at 90-46 through August 1896. Kansas City did make up some ground in the American League West, but are still 11 games away at 79-56. New York slightly grew its AL East lead over Baltimore. The Yankees are 80-55, 7.5 ahead of the 73-63 Orioles. The rest of the division sits far below .500.

Twins CF Hugh Duffy was AL Batter of the Month with a .379 average, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, and 29 runs. Boston’s Doc McJames was Pitcher of the Month with a 1.50 ERA, 5-0 record, and 37 strikeouts over 48 innings. Philadelphia 1B Dan McGann was Rookie of the Month as the 19th pick hit .333 with 6 homers and 24 RBI. Also notable, Brewers star Willie Keeler has a .416 batting average entering September. He set the single-season record in 1894 at .419.

The National League East had a shocking reversal of fortune in August. Buffalo entered the month with a 12-game lead on Philadelphia, but they ended the month tied at 82-54. The Phillies were 22-6 in August while the Bisons were 10-18. Philadelphia ended the month taking three of four at home over Buffalo. They will close the regular season against each other.

Indianapolis is tied with both for the NL’s top seed at 82-54. Their NL West lead shrank from 11 to seven games with St. Louis making up round at 75-61. Cincinnati is a very distant third at 69-67 but the NL East in August proved that such a lead isn’t a guarantee.

Leading Philadelphia’s rally was RF Bug Holliday, who won NL Batter of the Month with a .359 average, 9 homers, 28 RBI, and 23 runs. The Phillies also saw Pitcher of the Month with Silver King posting a 1.37 ERA, 5-0 record, and 21 Ks in 52.2 innings. Rookie of the Month was Pittsburgh reliever Walt Woods with a 2.70 ERA over 10 innings and 5 Ks.



The first no-hitter of the season came from a somewhat unlikely candidate in Frank Miller, who has a lackluster 5.13 ERA and -0.3 WAR on the season for the Yankees. He was dealing in a 6-0 win on August 5 against the Red Sox, giving up only one walk over 102 pitches with five strikeouts. In contract news, two-time defending AL MVP Ed Delahanty signed an eight-year, $328,200 extension with the Nationals. Brooklyn’s Fred Pfeffer hit for the cycle on August 16 against Pittsburgh.

In milestones, Cardinals 1B Roger Connor became the first to 600 career doubles, shortly followed by Baltimore’s Dan Brouthers. Pittsburgh’s Jim McCormick was the ninth pitcher to 200 wins and the Braves’ Jim Devlin was the ninth to 2000 strikeouts. Cleveland’s George Van Haltren joined the 300 home run club. Fred Carroll reached 1000 runs and Fred Dunlap got to 1000 RBI. Henry Moore stole his 800th base.

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Milwaukee finished with the best record in Major League Baseball at 103-59, earning their fourth American League West Division title (1887, 88, 94, 96). The Brewers allowed the fewest runs in the AL at 654 and had the best run differential at +133. Their record was the second-best in AL history behind Minnesota’s 106-56 the prior year. Kansas City was second in the AL West at 92-70, which was a franchise record. However, the Royals are one of three franchises yet to make a playoff berth.

After winning it all in 1895, the Twins were third at 88-74. Minnesota was the best in the division after the all-star break at 41-28, but couldn’t overcome a middling start. Chicago rebounded from a last place finish to finish above .500 at 83-79. Detroit was a winner last year, but had the worst record in MLB at 62-100. The Tigers were an abysmal 22-47 after the break. Their .236 team batting average was the second-worst in AL history.

New York won the AL East title at 96-66, their second division title (1892). It completed an impressive turnaround for the Yankees, who went 60-102 the prior year and got the #1 draft pick. NY also set a new AL attendance record at 778,761. Baltimore was the only other team in the division above .500 at 84-78. It was the fourth straight winning season for the Orioles, who led MLB with 887 runs scored. Despite ending on a seven-game win streak, two-time defending division champ Washington fell just short of a winning season at 80-82.



Kansas City 3B Jimmy Collins was the final AL Batter of the Month with a .415 average, 39 hits, 6 home runs, 22 RBI, and 18 runs in September. Washington veteran Peek-A-Boo Veach was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-0 record, 1.89 ERA, and 35 strikeouts in 52.1 innings. Twins C Klondike Douglass was Rookie of the Month on a .397 average, 4 home runs, 17 RBI, and 15 runs.

Milwaukee RF Willie Keeler is the likely favorite for AL MVP, becoming the first player to win four batting titles and the third to lead in OPS four times. Keeler hit .401, giving him two .400+ seasons. He was a narrow second in WAR (9.3) to Chicago RF Jimmy Bannon (9.4). New York’s Pat Luby led in homers (49) for the third time in his career. Luby also had a 3.09 ERA and 2.4 WAR pitching.

In his Yankees debut, George Davies won an ERA title at 2.31 and finished second in wins (21-11) and WAR (7.1), making him the favorite for Pitcher of the Year. St. Louis’s Bob Black led in WAR (7.9) and tied for the most strikeouts (230) with Washington’s Ed Doheny. Black’s 4.14 ERA means he has no shot at POTY. He’s had an interesting career with 76.5 WAR over 13 seasons (the most of any pitcher), but a 3.91 ERA and 189-187 record for the Browns. Milwaukee’s Lee Viau is a contender with the most wins (24-7) and the second-best ERA (2.74).

In other milestones, Milwaukee’s Arlie Latham, Chicago’s Duke Farrell, and Detroit’s Harry Stovey reached 1000 runs scored. 1896 was also notable for not having a single six-hit game by a batter in MLB, nor a 15+ K game by a pitcher.

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Philadelphia and Buffalo were still tied atop the National League East Division at 89-59 in mid-September. The Bisons had a brutal 1-10 run mid-month that tanked their odds despite winning three out of four over the Phillies in the season finale. Philadelphia won a third straight division title at 97-65 while Buffalo was second at 95-67.

It was the sixth straight winning season for the Phillies and the seventh for the Bisons. Philly allowed the fewest runs in MLB at 651. Philadelphia notably had the best record in baseball after the all-star break at 45-24. Buffalo meanwhile was 33-36 after the break to blow a double-digit lead. The rest of the division was below .500 with Brooklyn a distant third at 80-82.

Indianapolis ended up as the top seed at 99-63, winning their third NL West title (1885, 88, 96). The Clowns had the best run differential at +133, one better than the Phillies. Indy led with 877 runs scored and set a new NL team record with 592 stolen bases. They also set the MLB attendance record at 916,032; an impressive accomplishment especially as Indianapolis is one of the smallest markets in the game. St. Louis faded down the stretch but still took second at 86-76, an impressive rebound from their last place 60-102 from 1895. Last year’s division winner Cincinnati was third at 84-78.



New York 3B Charlie Irwin was the NL Batter of the Month for September with a .387 average, 4 home runs, 23 RBI, and 16 runs. Boston’s Jim Devlin was Pitcher of the Month on a 4-0 record, 2.29 ERA, and 45 strikeouts in 51 innings. The last place Braves also had Rookie of the Month Cy Seymour with a 3-2 record, 3.31 ERA, and 53 Ks in 49 innings.

Seymour finished the season with 297 Ks, the third-best single-season in MLB history. Him and ERA champ Jerry Nops of Pittsburgh (2.51) are both in the Pitcher of the Year mix, but losing records for both probably sinks them. Nops was also the WARlord at 8.8. St. Louis’s Mickey Welch led in wins at 22-9. Louisville’s Bobby Wallace, Cincinnati’s Amos Rusie, and New York’s Joe Corbett are all in a competitive mix.

Buffalo’s Jimmy Ryan is the favorite for MVP after leading in triple slash (.367/.445/.644), OPS (1.089), and WAR (9.5). Indianapolis CF Bill Lange was second with 9.3 WAR and led in runs with 118. Philadelphia’s Charlie Duffee was the homer leader for the third time in his career, although his 32 dingers were the fewest-ever by a league leader.

In NL milestones, Cardinals 3B Denny Lyons and Jimmy Ryan both joined the 2000 hit club. Buffalo’s Charlie Sweeney and Brooklyn’s Mark Baldwin earned their 2000 strikeout on the mound. Charlie Duffee reached 1000 RBI. Brooklyn’s Sam Thompson got to 300 home runs. Chicago’s Perry Werden and Indianapolis’ Bobby Wheelock got to 600 stolen bases.

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The 1896 American League Championship Series was the fourth trip for Milwaukee, who won their lone pennant and World Series in 1888. They had made it two years prior, but lost to Washington. This was New York’s second ALCS, having won it all in 1892. The Yankees had an impressive last-to-first turnaround after an abysmal 1895. The Brewers had home field advantage and had dominated their season series 5-1 over NY.



The Yankees opened with a 9-4 road upset in game one powered by a six-run fourth inning. The inning included a three-run Fred Roat home run and a two-run shot by Pat Luby. Luby was 4-5 on the day with three RBI.



Milwaukee evened the series up on a 5-3 victory in game two. Lee Viau pitched 7.2 innings, giving up three hits, two runs, two walks, with four strikeouts. LF Bill Gray got hurt later in the game, but he was 3-3 with a double, two runs, and three RBI for the Brewers.



A late rally pushed Milwaukee to an 8-5 road win in game three to take the 2-1 series lead. Tied 5-5 entering the ninth, the Brewers scored thrice including a two-run homer by Tom Parrott. RF Willie Keeler homered twice and was 4-5 with three runs and four RBI.



New York won 6-4 on a rainy Sunday in game four to even the ALCS at 2-2. The game was tied 4-4 entering the seventh, where the Yankees got a two-RBI double by Henry Easterday. Bill Bishop got all but the final out for NY, giving up seven hits, two walks, and four runs with four Ks. In the losing effort, Milwaukee C Wilbert Robinson was 3-4 with four RBI, including a three-run homer.



Game five was a classic battle that was 3-2 Brewers after the fourth inning and stayed there until the eighth. The Yankees got one back to ultimately force extras. New York broke through in the bottom of the 12th with three straight singles, the winner by Fred Roat knocking in Jake Stenzel. The Yankees now have the 3-2 series lead with the remainder shifting to Wisconsin. Pitcher George Davies notably tossed 8.1 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs (two earned) with eight strikeouts.



Back at home for game six, Milwaukee grabbed the 5-3 win to force a decisive game seven at Borchert Field. The Brewers rallied to tie it at 3-3 in the seventh, then went ahead on an eighth inning two-run homer by Willie Keeler. He also had a solo homer in the first inning. Stub Brown kept the door closed with the final two innings clean in relief.

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Game seven of the 1896 ALCS was a windy, 53 degree partly cloudy Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee. It was a back-and-forth affair that was tied 4-4 after the fifth inning. The Brewers went ahead on a two-run sixth inning, but New York jumped back ahead on a four-run seventh. The big swing came from #1 draft pick Nap Lajoie’s bases-clearing double for the 7-6 Yankee lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Milwaukee’s Willie Keeler had a leadoff double. Sy Sutcliff crushed a two-run homer 472 feet, followed by a solo shot by Danny Richardson for the 9-7 Brewers lead. NY’s Fred Roat got a one-out double in the ninth, but was stranded and the score held for the final. Milwaukee won its second pennant (1888) which broke up an eight-year run of eight different American League champs.



Keeler had four hits in the finale including a double, getting two RBI and a run. Leadoff man Irv Ray scored thrice with four hits, including a triple. Keeler was named series MVP, going 12-28 with four homers, nine RBI, and eight runs.

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The 1896 National League Championship Series had Indianapolis as the top seed in their third NLCS trip, having won the pennant in both 1885 and 1888. Philadelphia was going for the three-peat, which had only previously been accomplished by the 1889-91 Boston Braves. Two wins separated them in the regular season, although the Phillies won the season series 4-2. You had the NL’s top scoring team (Indianapolis) against the team with the fewest runs allowed (Philadelphia).



The series began with high drama on an Indianapolis comeback. Philadelphia was up 6-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, but the Clowns scored thrice in the eighth and twice in the ninth to force extras. Fred Clark had a two-run homer in the eighth and Charlie Hamburg saw a two-run bomb in the ninth, sending it to extras at 6-6.

Philadelphia went back up on a Tom Kinslow solo homer in the top of the tenth. Indianapolis’ Bill Hallman had a RBI double in the bottom half to tie it up. A walk put runners at first and second with two outs, where Joe Werrick got a single. An error in left field after that allowed Hallman to score the winning run for an 8-7 Clowns victory to open the series. Philly’s Bug Holliday in defeat notably was 4-5 with a homer and two doubles.



Indianapolis took the 2-0 series lead on a 4-0 game two win at home. Ed Stein won a pitcher’s duel with a three-hit shutout, giving up five walks with six strikeouts. Philadelphia’s Silver King had his own complete game, but allowed four runs and five hits.



The Clowns were on the precipice of a sweep after a 7-3 road win in game three. They had four homers in the game, including two solo shots by leadoff man Spider Clark, who scored thrice in the game. LF Fred Clarke was 4-4 with a homer, double, two runs, and three RBI.



Philadelphia avoided the sweep on an 8-6 win in game four. The Phillies went ahead for the first time on a three-run seventh inning, capped off by Ed Herr’s two RBI double.



The Phillies held on 3-2 in game five at home to force the series by to Indianapolis trailing 3-2. Joe Neale had a strong seven-inning outing, allowing just one run and seven hits with six strikeouts.



Philadelphia stunned Indianapolis 7-5 in game six, forcing game seven after initially trailing 3-0. Tied 5-5 entering the ninth, the Phillies had three hits and two runs in the top half to go ahead. Silver King had a complete game, giving up five hits, four earned runs, and three walks with seven strikeouts.