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

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The defending World Series champion Washington continued to dominate the American League East Division going into the all-star break. The Nationals have MLB’s best record at 58-26, placing them 13.5 games ahead of New York. Washington has excelled in close games with a 21-7 record in one-run contests.

AL West leader Detroit is still in the mix for the top seed at 54-31. The Tigers ended the first half on a five-game winning streak, growing their division lead to seven over Minnesota (47-38). Both Kansas City and St. Louis are nine back at 45-40.

No single team is a huge standout in the National League field. Boston (49-36) and New York (48-37) have the best records as they jockey for the East Division crown. Both went just below .500 in June, so only nine wins separate first from last in the East. Philadelphia is third at 44-41 while Brooklyn, who was more in the mix, fell to 41-44 with a six-game losing streak going into the break.

New Orleans maintains the top spot in the NL West at 47-38, but they didn’t gain any ground on their opposition in June. St. Louis is second at 45-40, followed by Chicago (44-41) and Indianapolis (42-43). The Pelicans notably have a -12 run differential despite their division lead, going 21-6 in one-run games.

Tigers RF Elmer Flick was June’s AL Batter of the Month on a .459 average, 8 home runs, 27 RBI, and 25 runs. Cubs 1B Ginger Beaumont won the NL’s honor with a .340 average, 5 homers, 23 RBI, and 20 runs. Cleveland’s Sam Leever was AL Pitcher of the Month on a 1.75 ERA, 5-1 record, and 35 strikeouts in 45.1 innings. Buffalo’s Luke Lutenberg won it in the NL on a 5-0 record, 1.03 ERA, and 25 Ks in 43.2 innings. Giants reliever Tully Sparks was NL Rookie of the Month with a zero ERA in 8.2 innings.

Kansas City LF Mike Donlin was again AL Rookie of the Month on a .396 average, 36 hits, 11 homers, 24 runs, and 31 RBI. Turkey Mike is dominating the leaderboard with MLB bests for average (.380), slugging (.818), OPS (1.250), homers (35), RBI (87), hits (115), and WAR (6.4). Fans are watching closely to see if Donlin can maintain a Triple Crown season and pass Mike Tiernan’s home run record of 66 from 1890.



Browns veteran Larry McKeon became the second pitcher to 250 career wins and Baltimore’s Lady Baldwin got his 2000 strikeout. Buffalo OF Jimmy Ryan was the fifth batter to 1500 RBI. Cubs CF Mike Griffin and Bisons 1B Skyrocket Smith reached 2000 hits. Cardinals C Doggie Miller reached 1000 runs. Tigers 3B Denny Lyons earned his 900th stolen base, while Pittsburgh OF Mike Tiernan and Brewers SS Bobby Wheelock reached 800 steals. Buffalo P/OF Adonis Terry earned his 700th swipe.

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Below are the rosters for the 1899 Major League Baseball All-Star Game held July 4 at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. White Sox RF Charlie Duffee won the Home Run Challenge, dethroning last year’s winner Danny Green of the Yankees 12-11 in the final round. Duffee joins Jimmy Ryan as the only players to win the challenge twice, as Duffee previously did in 1891 with the Phillies.



Duffee was also named All-Star Game MVP, the first to win MVP and the Home Run Challenge in the same year. The American League defeated the National League 4-1. Duffee had a solo homer and a double in the win.

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Washington ended July on an eight-game winning streak to maintain the best record in the majors at 73-34. Detroit at 70-38 is giving them chase though for the top seed in the American League. Both have large division leads with the Nationals up 13.5 on New York and the Tigers ahead of Minnesota by nine.

The best team since the all-star game was the New York Giants, moving into first place in the National League East at 65-43. They have the NL’s best record overall with Boston three behind at 62-46. Brooklyn (57-51) and Philadelphia (57-52) aren’t out of the divisional picture quite yet.

Shockingly, the worst record in the NL post-break was New Orleans at 7-16, dropping them out of the NL West lead. Indianapolis was the only team in the division above .500 after the break and now lead a lackluster group at 55-53. Both St. Louis and the Pelicans are 54-54 and Chicago is 53-55. Even Cincinnati (46-62) and Louisville (45-63) can’t be completely discounted in the divisional race.

Milwaukee 1B Tom Parrott was AL Batter of the Month in July with a .384 average, 38 hits, 9 home runs, 19 RBI, and 20 runs. Colonels LF Harry Davis got the NL honor on a .347 average, 4 homers, and 26 RBI. Yankees veteran George Davies took AL Pitcher of the Month on a 5-0 record, 1.25 ERA, and 25 strikeouts over 43.1 innings. The NL’s top ace was Braves lefty Rude Waddell with a 2.05 ERA, 6-0 record, and 53 Ks in 52.2 innings. AL Rookie of the Month was Twins pitcher Joe Yeager with a 4-0 record, 2.01 ERA, and 21 Ks in 40.1 innings. Buffalo’s Dummy Taylor earned the NL honor on a 1.77 ERA, 3-3 record, and 56 Ks in 61 innings.

Taylor and Waddell are currently tied for the most strikeouts at 189. If the season ended today, Waddell would have the first pitching Triple Crown with his 17 wins and 1.99 ERA. Kansas City’s Mike Donlin no longer has the batting Triple Crown in the AL as his .347 average dropped below Elmer Flick’s .362. Donlin is still the leader in homers (41) and RBI (105) by a healthy margin.

Fans were saddened to hear the abrupt retirement of Charlie Ferguson after suffering his second ruptured UCL injury in four years. He was in his first season with Buffalo after 15 years with the Red Sox. Ferguson was a two-time MVP and one-time Pitcher of the Year as a two-way star, a critical player for Boston’s 1880s dynasty.

Ferguson still managed a full career and retires as the MLB WARlord, as his 77.1 as a pitcher and 63.3 as an outfielder give him 140.4 total. On the mound, he had a 232-181 record, 3.50 ERA, 3773.2 innings, 2291 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, and 87 FIP-. At the plate, Ferguson had 2072 hits, 1352 runs, 334 doubles, 163 home runs, 924 RBI, 653 stolen bases, .293/.396/.421 slash, and 133 wRC+. He is fully expected to be one of the first-ever Hall of Fame inductees.



Braves RF Sam Thompson reached 2500 career hits while Cardinals C Doggie Miller, Bisons 2B Fred Dunlap, and Pelicans 2B Frank Grant reached 2000 hits. White Sox 1B Duke Farrell earned his 400th home run in July. Colonels CF Walt Wilmot stole his 700th base. Red Sox P Jouett Meekin earned his 2000th strikeout. The trade deadline also came and went with no real notables.

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Washington and Detroit both continue to battle for home field advantage in the American League Championship Series. The Nationals are 88-47 atop the AL East with the Tigers 87-49 atop the AL West. Both would need spectacular collapses to fall out of first place with Washington up 19.5 on New York and Detroit ahead of Minnesota by 10 with a month to go. Notably, the Tigers will host the Nationals on September 5-7. In bad news for Washington, P Jack Stivetts is out for the year with a torn labrum.

New York and Boston played mostly even in the fight for the National League East Division at the top seed. The Giants maintain the lead at 81-55 with the Braves two back at 79-57. Brooklyn at 72-64 is a long-shot at nine back, while the Phillies fell below .500 with a poor August. The Braves host the Giants for the final time to start the month.

Entering the month, four teams were separated by two games in the NL West. Indianapolis went on a 20-8 tear in August to race ahead to a six-game lead in the division at 75-61. New Orleans is second at 69-67 with Chicago eight back at 67-69 and St. Louis down to 63-73.

AL Batter of the Month went to Detroit RF Elmer Flick with a .429 average, 8 home runs, 32 RBI, and 29 runs. Clowns CF Bill Lange took the NL’s award on a .372 average, 8 homers, 27 RBI, and 24 runs. Spiders righty Sam Leever was AL Pitcher of the Month on a 0.89 ERA over 50.2 innings, 5-0 record, and 23 strikeouts. Pittsburgh’s Jerry Nops earned the NL honor on a 2.74 ERA, 6-0 record, and 43 Ks in 49.1 innings. Kansas City LF Mike Donlin was again AL Rookie of the Month with a .350 average, 11 homers, and 23 RBI. Giants pitcher Tully Sparks won it in the NL on a 4-0 record, 4.32 ERA, and 17 Ks in 331 innings.

Donlin has posted the seventh-season in MLB history topping 50+ homers, entering September with 52. He needs one to have the third-best season, although he needs a strong tear to catch Mike Tiernan’s 66 in 1890 or his 62 in 1889. Braves ace Rude Waddell is still in position for the first pitching Triple Crown, leading in wins (22-4), ERA (1.98), and strikeouts (240) across both leagues. Washington’s Ed Doheny could get the AL Triple Crown, currently leading in wins (20-8) and Ks (225) while second in ERA at 2.48.

Twins CF Hugh Duffy joined Mike Tiernan as the only members of the 500 home run club. Baltimore’s Lady Baldwin joined Mickey Welch and Larry McKeon as the only pitchers to reach 250 wins. Braves teammates Jim McTamany and Reddy Mack both reached 1500 runs scored.



In other milestones, Cincinnati’s Bill Gray had a 24-game hitting streak. Yankees RF Jack O’Connor reached 1000 runs scored. Red Sox 3B Jumbo Davis got his 2000th hit, as did Browns SS Ed McKean. Braves 1B Pete Browning reached 300 homers. Louisville 3B Charley Bassett got to 1000 RBI. Browns P Bert Cunningham got to 2000 strikeouts and Clowns P Hank Gastright reached 200 wins. Red Sox RF Bob Pettit earned his 800th stolen base, Hugh Duffy got his 700th swipe, and Phillies OF Bug Holliday earned his 600th. Braves 2B Reddy Mack became the second to 1500 walks drawn.

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Defending World Series champion Washington went on a 21-6 tear in September to guarantee the American League’s top seed and the best record in AL history at 109-53. The previous AL best was 106-56 by Minnesota in 1895. Two National League teams have posted better records, Philadelphia (115-47) in 1894 and Boston (114-48) in 1889. The Nationals earned their fourth AL East title in six years (1893, 94, 98, 99).

Impressive pitching led the way with a 3.01 team ERA, 557 runs allowed, and 491 earned runs; each second in MLB history behind only the 1884 White Sox. Washington’s 1.103 team WHIP was a new ML record, while their 7.60 H/9, 6.18 K/9, and 43 saves were second in AL history and their 1238 hits allowed were third. The Nationals had a +247 run differential, an AL-best and the fourth-best in MLB history.

New York at 88-74 was the only other team in the AL East above .500. MLB’s worst three records in 1899 were the bottom three in the AL East; Baltimore set a franchise worst (63-99) as did the Red Sox (64-98). The Orioles allowed 1703 hits with a 10.77 H/9; both the second-worst in AL history.

Detroit played .500 ball in September but still had plenty of cushion to claim the AL West at 100-62. It was the fourth division title for the Tigers (1891, 92, 93, 99), who set a new AL attendance record of 829,166. They led the majors with 932 runs scored. Last year’s division champ Minnesota took second at 94-68; their fifth consecutive winning season. Close games made the difference as Detroit went 27-14 in one-run games while the Twins were 18-26. St. Louis (83-79) and Milwaukee (81-81) were next.

The final AL Batter of the Month was Nationals 2B Ed Delahanty with a .398 average, 8 home runs, 22 RBI, and 35 runs in September. Washington’s Zeke Wilson was Pitcher of the Month with a 0.68 ERA over 52.2 innings, 4-0 record, and 30 strikeouts. Rookie of the Month went to Orioles LF Jimmy Barrett with a .359 average, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and 18 runs.

A strained groin kept Royals LF Mike Donlin out most of September so he couldn’t chase the home run record. The rookie still got 54, an AL record and the third-best in MLB history. Turkey Mike also led in OPS (1.173), but Detroit RF Elmer Flick likely passed him for MVP. Flick led in batting average (.382), RBI (150), hits (219), runs (141), and WAR (11.1) in his second season. The runs were the sixth-most in a single-season.

Nationals ace Ed Doheny is a lock to earn his third Pitcher of the Year award as he earned the first pitching Triple Crown in AL history. The 25-year old lefty had a 2.33 ERA, 25-8 record, and 264 Ks while also leading in WAR (8.4) and innings (301.2), among other stats.



In milestones, Detroit 3B Denny Lyons reached 1500 runs scored. Kansas City’s Otto Schomberg got to 2500 hits, while Washington’s Ed Delahanty reached 2000. Delahanty also earned his 800th stolen base. Browns veteran Bob Black became the first pitcher with 3000 career strikeouts.

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New York and Boston split their four-game series to start September, keeping the Giants two games ahead in the National League East Division. Immediately after that series, NYG went on a remarkable 12-2 run while the Braves struggled to 5-9 in the same stretch. While Boston had a good finish after that, the damage was done. The Giants ended up at 100-62 to win their first division title and the NL’s top seed.

New York was the only team yet to win a division title in the NL. This leaves the AL’s Kansas City as the only franchise without a playoff berth. Boston took second at 93-69 despite having the NL’s best run differential at +135 and the fewest runs allowed (609). Close games were critical for the Giants, who went 34-16 in one-run contests and 9-2 in extra innings. Their 46 saves as a team was the third-best in MLB history.

Boston’s 3.17 team ERA was the third-lowest in NL history while their 507 earned runs, 1033 strikeouts, and 6.47 K/9 each ranked as second-best. Brooklyn was third in the NL East at 86-76 with the Phillies at 79-83. Philadelphia’s 374 walks allowed were an NL record and their 2.34 BB/9 was second best. Defending NL champ Pittsburgh notably tied for last with Buffalo at 72-90.

Indianapolis held onto the NL West lead at 90-72, besting New Orleans (84-78), and Chicago (83-79). It was the third title in four years for the Clowns and their fifth overall. The Cubs notably led the NL in runs scored at 802, ending a six-year run of losing seasons. Louisville at 69-93 again finished with the worst record in the majors.

Chicago 1B Ginger Beaumont was the final NL Batter of the Month with a .424 average, 4 home runs, 16 RBI, and 25 runs in September. His teammate Deacon Phillippe was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-1 record, 1.56 ERA, and 27 strikeouts over 52 innings. New York’s Tully Sparks took Rookie of the Month on a 2.43 ERA, 3-1 record, and 19 Ks in 29.2 innings.

Beaumont nearly won the Triple Crown offensively, leading in average (.349) and RBI (126). His 26 home runs fell one short of the 27 by New Orleans’ John Anderson. This was the fewest homers to ever lead a league, as the NL’s power numbers were very low in 1899. Indianapolis CF Bill Lange is possibly the favorite for MVP, leading in OPS (1.001) and WAR (9.0).

Boston ace Rube Waddell could win MVP as a pitcher, as he posted the first-ever pitching Triple Crown for the entire major leagues. He had a 2.01 ERA, 25-7 record, and 290 strikeouts along with 10.26 WAR. The WAR was just behind his record-setting 10.33 from two years prior, while the ERA was the third-best qualifying season in MLB history and the Ks ranked fifth. An unrelated record was matched, Brooklyn’s Jack Leiper had 68 appearances on the mound.



In milestones, Boston 1B Pete Browning became the first member of the 3000 hit club, finishing the season at 3002. Most expected New York 1B Dan Brouthers to be the first, but injuries limited him most of the season. Big Dan finished the year at 2994, losing the #1 spot for that he held for so long. However, he is notably back for the Giants’ playoff run, the first of his storied career.



In other milestones, Buffalo’s Jimmy Ryan reached 1500 runs scored. Getting to 2000 hits was Reds C Podge Weihe, Colonels 1B Charley Bassett, and Clowns 2B Spider Clark. Phillies 2B Yank Robinson and Cardinals C Doggie Miller both got to 700 stolen bases. Bisons pitcher Ed Morris recorded his 2000th strikeout.

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The defending World Series champ Washington Nationals entered the American League Championship Series with the best record in AL history. They were shooting for their third pennant and looking to join the 1884-85 White Sox and 86-87 Red Sox as the only AL teams to repeat. Detroit’s only previous appearances were from 1891-93 with their lone pennant in 1891.

Ed Doheny bested Ted Lewis in a 4-1 pitcher’s duel to give Washington the first blood. Doheny allowed four hits in his complete game with a playoff-record 14 strikeouts. 3B Jud Smith was 3-3 with a two-run homer.



Detroit entered the ninth inning of game two with a 3-2 lead, but the Nationals rallied. Bill Merritt led off with a solo homer to tie the game. The next three batters got hits with Frank Shannon scoring Jimmy Bannon on the RBI walkoff single. The 4-3 victory puts the Nationals up 2-0 as the series shifts to Michigan.



The Tigers earned their first win of the series at home 5-3. LF Tuck Turner was 2-4 with three RBI, including the two-run go-ahead shot in the sixth inning.



Detroit evened the series on a 3-1 pitcher’s duel win in game four. Veteran Ed Daily pitched seven innings with five hits, one run, and three Ks. Reliever John Taber gave up five baserunners, but no runs in the final two innings to take the save.



The aces were back up in game five and this time Detroit was on the winning side 5-2, giving them the 3-2 series lead after a home sweep. Ted Lewis allowed three hits, two runs, and four walks over his complete game win. Ed Doheny’s complete game defeat had 12 hits, five runs, and three walks allowed with eight strikeouts.



Back in DC, the Nationals took game six by a 5-2 margin. Peek-a-Boo Veach tossed a complete game victory, giving up seven hits, two runs, and two walks with five strikeouts. This marked the third time in four years that the ALCS needed all seven games.

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Game seven of the 1899 ALCS was a cloudy, 59 degree Sunday afternoon in the nation’s capital. Washington took the early lead on a two-RBI double in the second inning by Tom Niland. They never fell behind thanks to a complete game win from Bobby Wallace. The Nationals prevailed 5-2 over Detroit to repeat as American League champ, earning their third pennant (1894, 98, 99).



Wallace gave up four hits, two runs, and three walks over his victory with eight strikeouts. RF Jimmy Bannon was 2-4 with three RBI. 2B Ed Delahanty became the first player to repeat as ALCS MVP. In the series, Big Ed went 7-22 with a solo homer and two runs scored. It was the first time that the ALCS went all seven games with only home victories.

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The 1899 National League Championship Series was the first appearance for New York, who had home field advantage. Indianapolis was looking for its third pennant in four years. The Clowns had never lost in their previous four NLCS trips (1885, 88, 96, 97).

The Giants opened with a 7-0 victory on a five-hit shutout by Joe Corbett, who struck out five with one walk. New York had three home runs, including a three-run shot in the eighth by Heinie Reitz.



Indianapolis countered with a 5-1 road win in game two. Two hits, two walks, and two errors led to a four-run fourth inning by the Clowns. Tom Vickery gave up one run over 7.1 innings, followed by the save from Charlie Buffinton.



Game three was a rollercoaster with Indianapolis up 6-4 entering the final frame. The Giants unloaded with a seven-run ninth inning on six hits. The Clowns got two back, but New York held onto an 11-8 road win. Eight of the Giants’ 14 hits in the game were doubles.



Game four was even at 2-2 after regulation. Charlie Irwin led off the tenth with a double and was knocked in by Heinie Reitz’ single, which was ultimately the clincher in a 3-2 New York road win. Irwin was 4-5 on the day with three doubles, a playoff record. Doc Nance went 3-3 with a solo homer, two runs, and two walks.



Indianapolis took a 5-0 lead into the seventh inning in game five, but New York used six hits to tie the game back up. It stayed 5-5 until Mike Grady’s solo inside-the-park home run in the top of the tenth. The third straight home win for the Giants allowed them to secure their first pennant in five games. Charlie Irwin was NLCS MVP going 10-23 with one homer, three RBI, and six runs.

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The 16th World Series was only the second to feature two teams with 100+ wins, joining the 1889 battle between the Boston squads. Washington at 109-53 was hoping to join the 1886-87 Red Sox and 1896-97 Indianapolis Clowns as the only teams to repeat. The New York Giants were making their first-ever appearance in the Fall Classic. It was the third trip for the Nationals, who also won in 1894.

Joe Corbett out-dueled Ed Doheny in game one for a 5-1 Giants road win. Corbett pitched 8.2 innings, giving up six hits, four walks, and one run with seven strikeouts. Doheny gave up eight hits, five runs, and three walks with eight Ks in his complete game defeat. LF Doc Nance went 2-4 with three RBI, including a two-run home run.



New York earned another road win 8-4, getting seven runs between the sixth and seventh innings. Wiley Piatt pitched a complete game for the Giants with only two earned runs against him, seven hits, and three walks with four strikeouts. DH Wid Conroy went 2-4 with a three-run homer and three runs scored. Veteran NYG star Dan Brouthers did go down with a severe hip strain, ending his series.



Washington got on the board on a 4-1 road win in game three. Peak-A-Boo Veach pitched eight innings, giving up one run and four hits with six Ks. Ed Delahanty doubled twice with two RBI.



New York prevailed 5-3 in game four to take the 3-1 series lead. They fended off a two-run rally in the ninth inning by the Nationals. The Giants had three solo home runs in the win.



Washington’s offense opened up in a 9-4 road win in game five, forcing the series back to DC. General Stafford, Ed Delahanty, and Jimmy Bannon each had three-hit games. Stafford had three runs and three RBI.



Game six went into extra innings tied at 4-4. In the tenth, Doc Nance got a one-out double for the Giants. After two walks and a strikeout, George Flynn smacked a two RBI single to put New York ahead 6-4. That held for the final score, denying Washington’s repeat bid and giving the Giants their first World Series title.



Wid Conroy went 3-5 with two doubles, two runs, and two RBI. LF Doc Nance was series MVP, going 9-23 with three homers and eight RBI. The National League has taken three of the last four finales, although the American League still leads overall 10-6. This is also only the second title for an NL East team, joining the 1890 Braves.

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It has been two seasons and two American League Most Valuable Player Awards for Detroit RF Elmer Flick. He took the honor in 1899 with 21 first place votes, while Kansas City rookie Mike Donlin had the other three. Flick was the leader in runs (141), hits (219), RBI (150), total bases (386), average (.382), OBP (.456), and WAR (11.1). He added 43 doubles, 36 home runs, 1.129 OPS, and 202 wRC+.

Donlin meanwhile was unsurprisingly the unanimous Rookie of the Year. The #2 pick by the Royals, “Turkey Mike” led in homers (54), slugging (.763), OPS (1.173), and wRC+ (218). He had 180 hits, 110 runs, 35 doubles, 135 RBI, .359 average, and 9.3 WAR. Donlin was the MVP favorite for much of the season, but did miss the final few weeks of the season to injury.

Washington’s Ed Doheny repeated as Pitcher of the Year, a unanimous winner, and became a three-time winner, having also won in 1895. He joins Frank Knauss as the only pitchers to win the honor thrice. Doheny and his National League counterpart Rube Waddell became the first pitchers to post a Triple Crown season.

For the 25-year old Doheny, he did it with a 25-8 record, 2.33 ERA, and 264 strikeouts. He also led the AL in WAR (8.4), innings (301.2), complete games (24), shutouts (5), WHIP (0.99), and FIP- (67). Doheny has led the AL in strikeouts in all five of his seasons thus far. He has three more years left on his current deal with the Nationals.

Washington 2B Ed Delahanty won his eighth Silver Slugger. Twins 1B Fred Tenney and White Sox C Heinie Peitz both won their fourth and Browns SS Jimmy Sheckard got his third. Royals C Tom Daly won his seventh Gold Glove. Tenney and his Minnesota teammate SS Grant Johnson became four-time Gold Glovers. Royals 3B Jimmy Collins and White Sox P George Cuppy each won their third.

Detroit’s George Strief repeated as Manager of the Year. The 43-year old won the AL West title at 100-62 with the Tigers in his fifth year at the helm. Strief is in his fifth season with a 415-395 record.

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Indianapolis CF Bill Lange won his second National League Most Valuable Player award in three years. He received 20 first place votes, while Boston two-way player Cy Seymour had three and his Braves teammate and Pitcher of the Year Rube Waddell one.

“Little Eva” was the leader in OBP (.412), slugging (.589), OPS (1.001), wRC+ (170), and WAR (9.0). It was Lange’s fourth season as the WARlord. In 135 games, he added 168 hits, 98 runs, 38 doubles, 23 home runs, 88 RBI, 70 stolen bases, and a .345 average. Lange has won a Silver Slugger in all eight of his seasons for the Clowns. He’s under contract another four seasons for Indy.

Waddell won Pitcher of the Year unanimously with the first-ever pitching Triple Crown across the entire major leagues. In his third year for the Braves, Waddell led in wins (25-7), ERA (2.01), innings (300), quality starts (28), strikeouts (290), complete games (21), shutouts (8), WHIP (0.98), K/9 (8.7), FIP- (64), and WAR (10.3). His first three seasons rank #1, #2, and #5 for WAR by a pitcher.

Buffalo’s Dummy Taylor was the Pitcher of the Year runner-up, which easily earned him Rookie of the Year unanimously. The #4 pick, he matched Waddell with 28 quality starts. Taylor had a 13-17 record, 2.85 ERA, 290.1 innings, 250 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 8.2 WAR.

Phillies RF Bug Holliday won his seventh Silver Slugger and is a free agent this winter. Dodgers SS Bill Dahlen won his sixth Slugger and Cubs 3B George Davis got his third. Louisville 2B Tommy Corcoran won his fifth Gold Glove while Cardinals 1B Harry Taylor snagged his fourth.

New York’s Charlie Householder won Manager of the Year as he led the Giants to a World Series ring and a 100-62 record. The 43-year old took over the gig in 1895 after two years managing minor league Toledo. The Giants were subpar in his first four tries, but the patience paid off for the ultimate prize.

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Above are notable retirements following the 1899 season. A notable manager firing saw Mario Berkowitz let go after a decade with Milwaukee. The tenure was solid overall, including three division titles and an NL pennant in 1896. The Brewers dropped to .500 in 1899 which marked the end for the 63-year old. Berkowitz had a 868-752 career record for a .536 win percentage.

Washington manager Jack Chapman became the third to reach 1000 career wins. He has a 1019-925 record since joining the Nationals in 1888. The two guys ahead of him are Justin Kinnaird (1221-1209) and Sam Field (1149-1119). Kinnaird led Baltimore from 1884-98. Field is in his fourth year with the Yankees and had spent 1884-93 in Pittsburgh.

The 1899 First-Year Player Draft had enough players to justify 18 rounds of picks. In last year’s draft, CF Sam Crawford and SP Christy Mathewson were both huge prospects with 80-grade potentials. Crawford was the #1 pick to Louisville and Mathewson #3 to the Red Sox, but both refused to sign. Both teams earned compensation picks as a result for 1899 with Boston picking #3 and #4, while the Colonels had the #2 and #6 picks.

Both Crawford and Mathewson were eligible again. Baltimore had the #1 selection and grabbed Crawford, while Louisville took Mathewson #2. The Red Sox then went pitcher back-to-back with Addie Joss and Bob Wicker; both with 75/75 grades expected to immediately contribute. Cleveland took 2B Joe Tinker #5 with a 65 potential grade, although he’s expected to need a few years in the minors.

Boston was burned again by a prospect not signing, as Joss declined, but they did get Wicker. #9 pick Earl Moore with Buffalo also notably chose not to sign with the Bisons. Below are the top 50 picks from the draft.



The big free agent was CF Fielder Jones, graded as an 80 overall. The 28-year old quietly put up 41.8 WAR and 148 wRC+ over six seasons in Cleveland with a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove. Jones secured a mammoth eight-year, $668,000 deal with the New York Yankees; the richest in baseball history to date. He’ll make $91,000 annually in his first two seasons with $81,000 after, although Jones has an opt-out after two years.

3B John McGrew was the other big young name on the market at only age 26, joining the Spiders on an eight-year, $546,000 deal. RF Bug Holliday was notably on the market for the second time in his storied career and joined the St. Louis Browns at $220,000 over five years.

Among the notable veterans included 1B Dan Brouthers at age 41 off the World Series win for the Giants. He inked a three-year deal with the Spiders. Frank Grant also was available after 14 seasons with New Orleans, joining Indianapolis at four years and $80,000. Below are the notable free agent signings of the winter.

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1900 still didn’t have any Hall of Fame inductees, although three players (Billy O’Brien, Tony Mullane, Fred Tenney) did at least get more than 5% to remain on the ballot.



Below are the top-rated batters in professional baseball entering 1900.



Below are the top ranked pitchers heading into the 1900 season.



Below are the current leaderboards and milestones that may be reached.





In spring training news, longtime Browns starting SS Ed McKean suffered a torn labrum and will miss the entire season.

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Baltimore was looking to pull off the worst-to-first transition after an MLB-worst 63-99 in 1899. So far so good in 1900, as the Orioles had the top record through April at 19-9. Boston was a close second in the American League East Division at 18-10. Detroit and St. Louis were tied atop the AL West at 15-13, although only four games separated first from last there.

Chicago led the National League West at 17-10 with Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Louisville each 2.5 back at 15-13. Boston leads the NL East at 17-11 followed by defending World Series champ New York (16-12) and Brooklyn (15-13). Buffalo at 8-20 has the worst record in the majors a month in.

Yankees RF Danny Green took AL Batter of the Month in April on a .354 average, 9 home runs, 30 RBI, and 25 runs. Cubs RF Ginger Beaumont won in the NL on a .406 average, 6 homers, 23 RBI, and 24 runs. Detroit’s Doc Amole earned AL Pitcher of the Month on a 2.13 ERA, 4-0 record, and 33 strikeouts in 50.2 innings. Giants righty Joe Corbett snagged the NL’s honor at a 1.54 ERA, 5-0 record, and 39 Ks in 46.2 innings. #4 pick Bob Wicker of the Red Sox was AL Rookie of the Month on a 3.86 ERA, 56 strikeouts, and 5-2 record in 58.1 innings. Louisville’s Doc Newton was the NL’s best debutant in April on a 4-1 record, 2.54 ERA, and 30 Ks in 49.2 innings.



Now in Cleveland, 1B Dan Brouthers became the second MLB batter to earn 3000 career hits. Through April, he remains MLB’s career leader in runs scored at 1707. Brouthers looks to reclaim the hit king title which Pete Browning usurped late last year. Entering May, Browning has 3026 hits and Brouthers has 3021.

Braves pitcher Cy Seymour struck out 16 against Brooklyn on April 20. He’s the seventh pitcher with a 16+ strikeout game, but the first to do it with only eight innings. Reds C Podge Weihe hit for the cycle on April 23 against Boston. Last season was the first in MLB history where zero players earned the cycle all season. Minnesota’s Hugh Duffy had a 25-game hitting streak, the majority carried over from the prior year.

In other milestones, Brooklyn CF Jim Fogarty became the first player with 1000 career stolen bases. He also reached 1500 runs scored, as did Twins RF Dick Johnston. Giants 1B Roger Connor got his 1500th RBI. Washington’s Ed Delahanty and the Phillies’ Pat Dealy got to 1000 runs scored. Royals pitcher Bert Cunningham grabbed his 200th win.



Veteran slugger Sam Thompson officially had to retire only 12 games into the season with the Athletics due to a torn labrum. The 40-year old was a key part of the Red Sox 1880s dynasty and won five Silver Sluggers as a designated hitter. Big Sam finishes with 2529 hits, 1432 runs, 466 doubles, 339 home runs, 1552 RBI, .305/.367/.504 slash, 139 wRC+, and 47.2 WAR.

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Baltimore remained atop the American League through May 1900 with a 35-21 record. They ended the month on a six-game winning streak, sitting five games ahead of both Boston and New York at 30-26 in the AL East. The Yankees were 8-2 in their last ten, while the Red Sox were an abysmal 1-9. Reigning AL champ Washington is 28-28. St. Louis holds the AL West lead at 32-24 with Detroit next at 30-26. The other four teams are below .500, but seven wins separates first from last.

MLB’s best overall record belongs to the Chicago Cubs at 38-17 entering June 1900. This has given them a 7.5 game lead over 31-25 Indianapolis in the National League West Division. Defending World Series champ New York leads the NL East at 35-21, ahead of Boston (31-25), Pittsburgh (29-26), and Philadelphia (28-28). The Braves ended May on a five-game losing streak, while the Pirates went 8-2 in their last ten games.

#1 pick CF Sam Crawford of the Orioles was both AL Batter and Rookie of the Month in May with a .347 average, 8 home runs, 33 RBI, and 27 runs. Cubs RF Ginger Beaumont repeated as NL Batter of the Month on a .422 average, 46 hits, 5 homers, 27 RBI, and 27 runs. Twins lefty Brownie Foreman took AL Pitcher of the Month on a 1.18 ERA, 5-1 record, and 41 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. Pirates lefty Jerry Nops was the NL’s top arm with a 1.76 ERA, 5-1 record, and 39 Ks in 51 innings. Cubs lefty Ed Siever won NL Rookie of the Month as the #11 pick posted a 2.66 ERA, 5-1 record, and 21 Ks in 47.1 innings.

In injury news, Washington veteran pitcher Peek-A-Boo Veach is out for the season with a torn labrum. Browns 1B Tommy Tucker had the season’s first six-hit game on May 19 facing Milwaukee. Giants 1B Roger Connor became the first to 700 career doubles and also reached 1500 runs scored.

Royals LF Billy Hamilton was the second player to 1000 career stolen bases. Minnesota’s Dick Johnston earned his 800th swipe. Reaching 1500 RBI was Braves 1B Pete Browning. Cubs SS George Davis got his 1000th RBI and 1000th run in May. Phillies LF Joe Kelley also reached 1000 runs scored.

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The top spot in the American League is very much up for grabs at the all-star break with eight teams within six wins of the best record. Baltimore and New York are tied atop the AL East at 48-36 as the Yankees made up ground in June, including taking three of four on the road over the Orioles. Defending AL champ Washington inserted themselves into the picture with a nine-game winning streak going into the break. The Nationals are now three back at 45-39. Boston meanwhile had a lousy 10-18 finish to the first half, dropping to 40-44.

Detroit went 8-2 in their final ten games to maintain the AL West lead at 47-37. Although Minnesota was 3-7 in their last ten, they had a 15-game winning streak to vault into second at 45-39. Both Kansas City and Chicago are five back at 42-42. St. Louis, who led entering June, was an abysmal 7-21 from that point to drop to 39-45.

The Chicago Cubs have the best record in the majors at 56-27. They ended the first half on a nine-game winning streak, giving them a 6.5 game lead in the National League West over 50-34 Indianapolis. Cincinnati also has a winning record but is a distant third at 45-39. In bad news for the Clowns, defending MVP CF Bill Lange is out for a month from a fractured foot.

The NL East saw little movement in the positioning. New York still leads at 50-34, but Boston (45-39), Pittsburgh (44-39), and Philadelphia (44-40) are all right in the mix. Buffalo meanwhile ended the first half on a historic 15-game losing streak. At 21-63, the Bisons are well on pace for the worst record in MLB history. The current low is 54-108 by the 1887 Washington Nationals.



Yankees 2B Nap Lajoie was AL Batter of the Month on a .458 average, 6 home runs, 30 RBI, and 24 runs. Cincinnati RF Kip Selbach won in the NL on a .375 average, 4 homers, 20 RBI, and 20 runs. White Sox righty George Cuppy took AL Pitcher of the Month in June on 60.1 innings, a 2.09 ERA, 5-1 record, and 35 strikeouts. Phillies veteran Silver King led the NL arms on a 5-0 record, 1.55 ERA, and 30 Ks in 52.1 innings.

The top two draft picks were the Rookie of the Month winners in June. Orioles CF Sam Crawford led in the AL on a .340 average, 6 doubles, 7 homers, 19 runs, and 30 RBI. Louisville’s Christy Mathewson won for the NL on a 1.89 ERA, 5-1 record, and 69 Ks in 54.2 innings. Both are showing why they were so highly touted as at the all-star break, Crawford leads the majors with 23 home runs and 94 RBI. Mathewson meanwhile leads all pitchers in strikeouts (156) and WAR (5.2).

June 22 had two notable events. The first was the season’s first no-hitter by Kansas City’s Bert Cunningham in a 13-0 mauling of Chicago. The veteran struck out six over 111 pitches and was denied a perfect game by Ed Bruyette’s error at shortstop in the eighth inning. Meanwhile in St. Louis, the hitting streak for Clowns LF Bill Gray ended at 34 games. This is the second-longest in MLB history so far, behind only Jake Beckley’s 38 with Brooklyn in 1897.



In other notables, Baltimore’s Emmet Heidrick went 6-6 on June 1 facing Cleveland and hit for the cycle in the same game. He’s the first to do both in the same game. Twins CF Hugh Duffy reached 2500 career hits while Athletics LF/P George Van Haltren got to 2000 hits. Braves teammates Shorty Fuller and Reddy Mack both stole their 700th base. On June 24, Christy Mathewson had a 16 strikeout game facing the Cardinals. White Sox pitcher Amos Rusie got his 2500th strikeout and Reds lefty Frank Knauss reached 200 wins.

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Below are the rosters for the 1900 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 3 at West Washington Street Park in Indianapolis. Washington two-way man Jack Stivetts won the Home Run Challenge, defeating Kansas City’s Mike Donlin 14-12 in the final round.



The game itself was an 8-1 blowout win for the American League, their third consecutive win against the National League. The AL is a dominant 13-4 all-time in the event. Nationals 2B Ed Delahanty became the first player to win All-Star Game MVP twice, having also done it in 1898. He was the leadoff man in 1900 and went 2-2 with a double, walk, and two runs.

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The American League had remarkably little movement throughout July as no team did better than 14-10 and no team was worse than 10-14 after the break. New York was 8-2 in their last ten games, maintaining the AL East lead and the top record at 62-46. Both Washington and Baltimore are three games back at 59-49. The Orioles notably lost three games on the other two. Detroit is 61-47 atop the AL West. They’re three up on 58-50 Minnesota, who ended July on a five-game winning streak. Kansas City is third at 56-52.

Chicago still has the best record in the majors and the National League at 68-39. However, the Cubs were .500 after the break while Cincinnati went on an impressive 16-8 run. The Reds are still 7.5 back in the NL West at 61-47, but they’re not out of the fight yet. However, Cincy star RF Kip Selbach is out for the season with a torn PCL. Indianapolis took a hit going 9-15 since the break, putting them 9.5 back at 59-49.

The NL East had the big shakeup with defending World Series champ New York going 10-14 post-break. Philadelphia went on a 16-8 run, tying them atop the division at 60-48. Boston is two away at 58-50, but notably ended the month on a five-game losing streak to lose ground. Pittsburgh (55-52) and Brooklyn (54-54) are also right in the fight. The Dodgers went 15-9 for the rest of July to put themselves back in the hunt. Buffalo’s all-time historically bad season didn’t get any better, now at 27-81.

AL Batter of the Month for July was Kansas City LF Mike Donlin with a .371 average, 14 home runs, 35 RBI, and 24 runs. Phillies LF Joe Kelley was the NL’s best with a .416 average, 7 homers, 17 RBI, and 24 runs. Browns lefty Frank Griffith was Pitcher of the Month on a 2.11 ERA, 4-1 record, and 37 strikeouts in 47 innings. Dodgers righty Cy Swaim won in the NL on a 1.74 ERA, 3-1 record, 39 Ks, and 51.2 innings. Baltimore CF Sam Crawford took AL Rookie of the Month on a .320 average, 7 homers, 16 RBI, and 16 runs. Reds pitcher Earl Moore was the NL’s best newcomer with a 2.89 ERA over 37.1 innings, 2-0 record, and 32 Ks.

In milestones, Detroit 3B Denny Lyons reached 2500 career hits. Washington SS Herman Long got to 1000 runs scored and Bisons 1B Skyrocket Smith grabbed his 1000th RBI. Cleveland 1B Dan Brouthers was the second to 700 career doubles. The trade deadline came and went with no major deals worth noting.

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Detroit went 21-7 in August, giving them the American League’s best record at 82-54. The Tigers entered the month with a three game lead in the AL West and left with a ten-game advantage on 72-64 Minnesota. St. Louis is third at 69-67 and Kansas City fell below .500 at 67-69.

New York grew their AL East lead early in the month, but ended August on a seven-game losing streak. Washington had the opposite with a poor start, but an eight-game winning streak to end August. Baltimore was steady and the AL East ended up in roughly the same spot as it was entering the month. The Yankees lead at 77-59, three ahead of 74-62 Washington and four up on the 73-63 Orioles.

Chicago still holds the National League’s best record, but barely now at 82-53 after a .500 August. They maintained a strong 8.5 game lead in the NL West over 74-62 Cincinnati. New York’s 21-7 August put them in striking distance of the top seed at 81-55. This also pushed the Giants to a seven-game NL East lead over both Philadelphia and Boston at 74-62. Pittsburgh and Brooklyn both struggled to fall out of the mix completely.

AL Batter and Rookie of the Month went to Baltimore CF Sam Crawford with a .370 average, 11 home runs, 24 RBI, and 21 runs. The #1 draft pick leads the majors with 41 home runs entering September. The top three sluggers in the majors are in the AL with both Mike Donlin and Charlie Hemphill of Kansas City at 38. Joe Kelley’s 23 homers lead the NL. Chicago RF Ginger Beaumont has a shot at the Triple Crown, well ahead of everyone else with a .381 average. His 19 homers and 95 RBI are both third, but he’s a good week away from first.

New Orleans RF Jocko Halligan was NL Batter of the Month in August with a .348 average, 4 homers, 19 RBI, and 17 runs. Detroit’s Ted Lewis was AL Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 1.70 ERA, and 32 strikeouts over 53 innings. Cincinnati’s Cowboy Jones was the top NL arm on a 1.59 ERA, 4-1 record, and 42 Ks in 51 innings. Louisville’s Doc Newton was NL Rookie of the Month with a 3-1 record, 2.15 ERA, and 46 Ks in 50.1 innings.

In other notables, Minnesota’s Gene DeMontreville had a 30-game hitting streak, which was only the fourth 30+ streak in MLB history. Cleveland’s Frank Connaughton hit for the cycle on August 26 facing Chicago. Brooklyn’s Jake Beckley got to 2500 career hits and Yankees C Jack Clements reached 2000. Browns LF Bug Holliday smacked his 400th home run. Twins CF Hugh Duffy earned his 1500th run scored.

Reaching 1000 runs was Yankees SS Parson Nicholson and Royals SS Bobby Wheelock. Nicholson also stole his 800th base. Orioles 1B Buster Hoover and Browns 1B Buck Ewing got to 1000 RBI. Phillies RHP Silver King and Tigers RHP Hank Gastright reach picked up strikeout #2000.