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

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

Reminds me a lot of your other dynasties! Will be following. Curious to see how your league evolves

Appreciate the kind words!

---
Below are the starters for the 1885 All-Star Game. Indianapolis’ Ed Crane won the Home Run Challenge, beating New York’s Dan Brouthers in the final round 14-11. The American League defeated the National League 9-3 in the game. Cleveland SS Jack Glasscock was the MVP going 3-4 with a homer, double, three RBI, and two runs.





Brooklyn closed July on a six-game winning streak to take the lead in the National League East at 57-48. They’re two games ahead of Philadelphia, three up on New York, and five up on Boston. Elsewhere in MLB, Indianapolis, the Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox maintain their sizeable divisional leads.

Boston RF Sam Thompson was again AL Batter of the Month, going .357 in July with 6 homers, 24 RBI, and 24 runs. White Sox ace John Clarkson was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 2.59 ERA, and 58 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. Brooklyn’s Bob Caruthers was the NL’s best bat with a .418 average, 7 homers, 23 RBI, and 23 runs. Cincinnati’s Al Atkinson was the top arm with a 1.72 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 47 innings. #1 draft pick Denny Lyons was again the AL’s Rookie of the Month with a .381 average and 13 RBI in July. St. Louis pitcher Frank Gilmore got the honor in the NL with 45 strikeouts over 45.2 innings.



At the trade deadline, Detroit sent all-star C/RF Billy Taylor to New Orleans for three prospects.

Elsewhere in the world: Professional sports are gaining more prominence worldwide as on July 20, The Football Association officially recognized pros in England.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The one competitive division remains the National League East entering September. Brooklyn holds the lead at 74-60, three games ahead of New York and five ahead of Philadelphia. Boston, who was five back entering the month, has dropped out of the hunt as they’re now 11 back. Indianapolis remains the NL’s best team at 80-54 and has a 10-game lead on St. Louis in the West.

Yet again, Giants 1B Dan Brouthers was NL Batter of the Month, this time with a .378 average, 37 hits, 6 home runs, 34 RBI, and 29 runs in August. Chicago’s Tim Keefe was the Pitcher of the Month with a 5-0 record, 1.99 ERA, and 36 strikeouts over 54.1 innings. The top rookie was Louisville RF Jimmy Ryan with a .333 average, 10 homers, and 18 RBI.

In bad news for the Dodgers, star 1B/SP Bob Caruthers is expected to miss most of September to a rotator cuff strain. Meanwhile, Giants SP Jocko Flynn, their first round rookie pick, suffered a torn UCL. Doctors say his best case scenario is a return in the fall of 1886.

Boston remains the top team in all of MLB at 87-47 and leads the American League East by 13 games over Philadelphia. Defending World Series champ Chicago leads the AL West by nine games over Minnesota and is the only team in the division with a winning record.

The AL’s top batter and top rookie in August was Baltimore 1B Tommy Rucker with a .374 average, 8 homers, 31 RBI, and 18 runs. Red Sox ace Charlie Ferguson was the top pitcher with a 6-0 record, 53.2 innings, 1.17 ERA, and 49 Ks.

Elsewhere in the world: On August 29, Gottlieb Daimler was granted a German patent for the Daimler Reitwagen. This is considered to be the first motorcycle.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Boston and Chicago both held onto their divisional leads in September to repeat as the American League’s champs. The Red Sox had the best record in all of Major League Baseball at 101-61 atop the AL East. Philadelphia (90-72), New York (89-73), Baltimore (86-76), and Cleveland (84-78) all had winning campaigns, but couldn’t keep up. Washington, who tied for second last year, was a distant last place at 69-93.

The reigning World Series champ White Sox held on in the West despite a lackluster September. Chicago at 88-74 was ahead of 82-80 Minnesota, while the remaining teams all had losing seasons. Kansas City was second in 1884, but tied for last with St. Louis in 1885 at 69-93.

AL Batter of the Month and Rookie of the Month was #1 pick Denny Lyons. The Milwaukee first baseman had a .376 average, 8 homers, 29 RBI, and 28 runs. Cleveland’s Fred Tenney was the top pitcher for September with a 4-0 record with 26 strikeouts in 50 innings. Boston had the best run differential at +177. Milwaukee had the most runs (903) and Chicago allowed the fewest (718).



Lyons is an MVP candidate as a rookie, finishing with the league lead in batting average (.367), and WAR (10.1). Red Sox RF Sam Thompson was the top slugger with the lead in home runs (45), RBI (137) and OPS (1.081). Defending MVP Charlie Ferguson with Boston has a shot again as a two-way guy. On the mound, he had 7.3 WAR over 271.2 innings with a 3.25 ERA, 19-11 record, and 208 strikeouts. He had a 3.3 WAR and .784 OPS offensively playing the outfield.

Pitcher of the Year is a competitive battle, although Chicago’s John Clarkson is the favorite. He led in strikeouts (252), wins (26-8) and was third in ERA (2.86). Minnesota’s Charlie Buffinton won the ERA title at 2.69, with New York’s Bert Dorr close behind at 2.71. Dorr was the WARlord at 8.3.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The National League had new division champs in 1885 with Indianapolis posting the best record at 95-67. The Clowns were nine games ahead of St. Louis in the NL West. Last year’s NL champ Chicago tied for last in the division at 79-83. In the NL East, Brooklyn held onto their lead to take it at 89-73. Philadelphia was five behind at 84-78 and New York was third at 83-79. Last year’s winner Buffalo at 67-95 had the worst record in the majors. Indy had the top run differential (+120) and the fewest runs allowed (729). The Giants scored the most at 883 runs.

Giants 1B Dan Brouthers almost certainly locked up an MVP season, as he was NL Batter of the Month in every month sans April. For September, Big Dan had a .408 average, 6 homers, 27 RBI, and 26 runs. He was the leader in runs (157), hits (237), doubles (53), triples (12), RBI (161), triple slash (.413/.495/.730), OPS (1.225), wRC+ (223), and WAR (11.0). The only major stat he didn’t lead was home runs, as Louisville’s Jimmy Ryan and Boston’s Mike Tiernan both had 45. Tiernan was Rookie of the Month with a .351 average, 34 hits, 10 home runs, and 29 RBI.



Pitcher of the Month in the NL was Pretzels Getzien with a 2.25 ERA in five wins and 28 strikeouts over 44 innings. Many expect New Orleans ace Charlie Geggus to repeat as Pitcher of the Year, as he led in ERA (2.34) and strikeouts (239). MLB’s second-ever no-hitter and the first in the NL happened on September 23. St. Louis’ Ed Daily did it facing Chicago, giving up only two walks with four strikeouts and 87 pitches.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1885 American League Championship Series was a rematch of the prior year, which saw Chicago defeat Boston 4-2 en route to a White Sox World Series win. This time, the Red Sox were the favorites with home field advantage and a 9-6 record over Chicago in their season series.

Boston opened with a 4-1 victory led by pitcher Bill Wise, who tossed 8.2 innings with 12 strikeouts, seven hits allowed, and one run. CF Chicken Wolf was 2-4 with a double and three RBI.



Game two was an all-time classic pitcher’s duel with neither team scoring through 15 innings. Chicago finally broke through in the top of the 16th inning. Ed Beecher got a one-out single and stole second, followed by a Candy Nelson single to put runners at the corners. An error in center field would allow Beecher to score what would be the clincher in a 1-0 win. White Sox ace Tony Mullane was a tank, tossing 15.2 shutout innings allowing seven hits and one walk with nine strikeouts. Boston’s Charlie Ferguson had his own stellar start with 11.2 shutout innings.



As the series shifted to Chicago, the White Sox won 6-4 in game three to take the series lead. They went ahead in the eighth inning on a two-run home run by Dennis Casey. It was his second two-run dinger of the game, as he also did it in the first inning.



The White Sox walked off 3-2 in game four, putting them ahead 3-1 in the series with another game at home ahead. LF Ed Beecher led off the ninth with a solo homer 348 feet down the right field line. Although he struggled in the regular season, it was a trade that was paying off, as Chicago acquired Beecher from Indianapolis in the summer. John Clarkson had the complete game win, allowing six hits and two runs with seven strikeouts.



Chicago secured repeat American League pennants, taking the ALCS in five with a 7-1 victory over Boston in the finale. Tony Mullane tossed a complete game victory in game five with six hits, one run, and two walks allowed with eight strikeouts. RF Dennis Casey was the series MVP, going 8-23 with 4 homers and 8 RBI.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1885 National League Championship Series was the first for both Brooklyn and Indianapolis. The Clowns had home field advantage, although the Dodgers narrowly claimed the season series 8-7. Brooklyn rolled to a 6-0 road win to open the series. SP Mickey Welch tossed a gem in a three-hit shutout with only one walk and six strikeouts.



Brooklyn again got the better of Indianapolis on the road in a 3-1 win for game two. All three Dodger runs came in the second inning.



The trend of road winners continued in game three in Brooklyn, as Indianapolis got on the board on a 2-0 victory. George Knight had a two-hit shutout for the Clowns with two walks and two strikeouts over 100 pitches.



After multiple pitcher’s duels, game four was a shootout with 29 hits between the two teams. Indianapolis got the better of Brooklyn 11-10 on the road to even the series at 2-2. 1B Dick Higham’s solo homer in the top of the ninth was the decisive run.



The bats exploded again in game five with 34 hits over a 12 inning affair. Brooklyn was up 5-1 after the third inning, but Indianapolis had evened the game at 6-6 by the sixth inning. Both scored twice in the eighth inning, sending the game to extras tied at 8 apiece. In the top of the 11th, a Steve Matthias triple knocked in two to give the Clowns the 10-8 lead. But the Dodgers got two doubles and a sacrifice fly in the bottom half to tie it back up at 10-10.

In the 12th, Ed Crane led off with a single for Indianapolis and stole second. An intentional walk set up a double play and a sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third. A fielder’s choice got the first out at home, but the next batter Perry Werden had an RBI single to score Jack Rowe. Brooklyn got a two out hit in the bottom half, but nothing more. The 11-10 win in 12 innings gave Indianapolis the 3-2 lead heading back home, with only road winners in the NLCS thus far.



Game six finally had a home winner, as Indianapolis prevailed 10-4 over Brooklyn to claim the National League pennant in six games. Tied 4-4 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Clowns scored thrice in the bottom half and thrice more in the eighth. Ed Crane was 3-5 with two doubles, four RBI, and two runs. SS Frank Fennelly had a two run homer in the seventh. Crane was series MVP going 9-27 with two homers, eight RBI, and six runs.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The second World Series saw the Chicago White Sox hoping to become the first repeat champion. Indianapolis meanwhile was making its first appearance and had home field advantage with the better record. Both teams had allowed the fewest runs in their respective leagues.

The White Sox raced to an early 5-1 lead, holding on for a 6-4 road win to open the series. SS Germany Smith had two solo home runs in the game.



Indianapolis had the counter punch with a 6-1 victory in game two, putting the game away with a four-run eighth inning. Hardie Henderson was the winning pitcher with four hits and one run allowed over 7.2 innings with five strikeouts.



The series shifted to Chicago in game three and the White Sox got the better of Indianapolis 2-1 in a pitcher’s duel. The big swing was Germany Smith’s two-run homer in the fourth inning. Chicago’s John Healy scattered eight hits with nine strikeouts and one run allowed in his complete game win. The Clowns’ Perry Werden allowed only three hits in his complete game, but took the loss.



Indianapolis evened the series back up on a 5-3 road win for game four. The Clowns went ahead with two runs in the ninth inning on two hits and one error.



The Clowns rolled 7-1 over Chicago in game five, putting them up 3-2 with the series finishing in Indianapolis. George Knight had 7.2 innings with one run, three hits, two walks, and nine strikeouts. Indy had three home runs in the game with #9 hitter Charlie Bastian going 2-4 with a homer, double, and three RBI.



Chicago took a dominant 9-2 win at Indianapolis in game six, forcing a decisive game seven for back-to-back World Series. Tony Mullane allowed two runs and six hits with seven strikeouts in his complete game.



Game seven of the 1885 World Series was a partly cloudy, 58 degree Tuesday afternoon in Indianapolis. The Clowns struck first with a Pop Corkhill double, followed by an error in right field to score him. It stayed 1-0 until a huge sixth inning by Chicago with five hits and five runs, including four doubles. This chased starting pitcher Perry Werden from the game, although the bullpen wouldn’t allow any more after him.

Indy got one back in the bottom of the sixth, then had their own five-run seventh inning. It started with a Jimmy Knowles triple, who was knocked in by Pop Corkhill. The bases got loaded up from there and LF Tom York hit an absolute nuke 468 feet to center for a go-ahead grand slam. That put the score at 7-5, which held as the Clowns dethroned the White Sox as World Series champs.



Likely centuries from now, they’ll talk about the grand slam by the 35-year old York as one of the biggest hits in the history of the game. This earned him World Series MVP, going 8-24 overall with six RBI.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

#1 overall draft pick Denny Lyons certainly lived up to the billing, winning American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in his debut for Milwaukee. He had 19 first place votes, while Boston’s Sam Thompson had the remaining five. The 19-year old first baseman led in batting average (.367), on-base percentage (.444), and WAR (10.1). Lyons added 30 home runs, 121 RBI, 216 hits, 126 runs, 44 doubles, and 74 stolen bases. The runner-up Thompson led the AL in homers (45), RBI (137), and runs (131).

Chicago’s John Clarkson was AL Pitcher of the Year with 15 first place votes, while the other nine went to New York’s Bert Dorr. The 24-year old righty Clarkson led in wins (26-8) and strikeouts (252) while posting a 2.86 ERA over 279.2 innings with 6.1 WAR, 162 ERA+, and 75 FIP-. The 23-year old Dorr notably was the WARlord (8.3) and had a 2.71 ERA over 299 innings, 23-11 record, and 228 Ks.

New York Giants 1B Dan Brouthers was unsurprisingly the unanimous National League MVP. He led the entire majors in triple slash (.413/.495/.730), OPS (1.225), WAR (11.0), RBI (161), hits (237), runs (157), doubles (53), triples (12), and total bases (419). New Orleans Charlie Geggus repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (2.34), strikeouts (239), WHIP (1.05), shutouts (4), K/9 (9.8), and FIP- (64). The 23-year old righty had a 17-3 record and 8 saves in 219 innings with 7.4 WAR. Geggus got all but one of the first place votes.

Below are the other major award winners in the 1885 season.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Below are the top selections from the 1885 rookie draft. Buffalo had the #1 pick and took RF Mike Griffin. Notably, #3 pick Jim Handiboe opted not to sign with Washington, nor did #11 pick Gus Weyhing for the Chicago Cubs.



The main free agent of note was RF Paul Hines, who was a two-time all-star with the Philadelphia Athletics. The 31-year old ended up signing with Milwaukee on a four-year, $106,400 deal. His $26,600 salary for the 1886 season is the richest in the majors.



Below are the top-rated players in professional baseball entering the 1886 season. St. Louis Cardinals 1B Roger Connor has the overall largest contract at $137,600 over eight years. Pittsburgh RF King Kelly, Louisville 3B Ed Williamson, and Philadelphia Phillies CF Harry Stovey all signed extensions for eight years in the winter.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Through April 1886, the Boston Red Sox have the American League’s best record at 16-8. They led the AL East with Washington second at 14-10 and both Cleveland and Philadelphia at 12-12. In the AL West, Milwaukee and Minnesota are tied for first at 14-10. Defending AL champ Chicago is one back at 13-11 and St. Louis is 12-12.

Boston RF Sam Thompson was AL Batter of the Month with a .347 average, 34 hits, 9 home runs, 33 RBI, and 23 runs. Milwaukee’s Lady Baldwin was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-1 record and 1.86 ERA over 53.1 innings with 46 strikeouts. The Brewers also had the Rookie of the Month in SP Elmer Smith, the #7 pick. The 18-year old was 4-0 over 36.2 innings with a 1.72 ERA and 20 Ks.

After a last place in 1885, Buffalo has bounced back with the National League’s top record through the first month. The Bisons at 16-8 lead the NL East with Pittsburgh at 14-10 and Boston at 13-11. Brooklyn, last year’s division champ, is off to a lousy 9-15 start. Reigning World Series champ Indianapolis leads the NL West at 15-8 with New Orleans right behind at 15-9.

NL Batter of the Month should be renamed the Dan Brouthers award at this point, as the New York first baseman already has won it nine times. In April, he had a .363 average, 6 home runs, 20 RBI, and 18 runs. Buffalo’s Tommy Bond was the top pitcher with a 5-1 record, 45 innings, 2.00 ERA, and 26 Ks. Pittsburgh’s Matt Kilroy was the top rookie as the #5 pick had a 1.42 ERA over 38 innings with 31 Ks. Kilroy tossed MLB’s third no-hitter on April 10 with 10 strikeouts and four walks facing Louisville.



St. Louis’s Henry Boyle hit for the cycle on April 15 against New Orleans. On April 17, Boston’s Bill Wise had a 15 strikeout game facing Baltimore. Cincinnati’s John Reilly had a 21-game hitting streak that was snapped on April 15 by Indianapolis. In bad news for Washington, ace pitcher Peek-A-Boo Veach is dealing with shoulder inflammation. The two-time all-star is expected to be out at least four months.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

At the end of May, Milwaukee holds the best record all of Major League Baseball. They lead the American League West Division at 34-18, ending the month going 9-1 in their final ten games. Defending AL champ Chicago sits four games back at 30-22, followed by 28-23 St. Louis and 28-24 Minnesota. Kansas City and Detroit are tied for the worst record in the majors at 17-35. Boston holds a five game lead in the AL East Division at 32-20. Both New York and Cleveland at 27-25 with Washington at 26-26.

Reigning AL MVP Denny Lyons led the way in May for the Brewers and was the league’s Batter of the Month, hitting .404 with 8 home runs, 25 RBI, and 26 runs. Minnesota’s Toad Ramsey was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.40 ERA over 56.1 innings, a 5-0 record, and 51 strikeouts. Browns CF Hugh Duffy was Rookie of the Month as the #2 draft pick hit .313 with 10 homers, 26 RBI, and 21 runs.

The Twins got some very bad news with the loss of last year’s ERA title winner Charlie Buffinton. The 24-year old righty requires surgery to remove bone chips with a 4-5 month recovery time, meaning an absolute best case would be a postseason return if Minnesota made it that far. Elsewhere in the AL, Boston LF Pete Hotaling saw a 20-game hitting streak snapped on May 12 facing New York.

The second no-hitter of the year came on May 16 by Cleveland’s Frank Nash with six strikeouts and three walks facing St. Louis. On May 27, White Sox pitcher John Clarkson had a 15 K game facing Baltimore.



Both National League divisions have a tight race two months into the season. In the NL East, Buffalo went 2-8 to end the month which erased their lead. The Bisons and Pirates are tied for first at 27-25, but Boston (25-27) and Philadelphia (24-27) are right in striking distance. Despite 22-30 and 21-31 marks, both Brooklyn and New York could still jump back into the fight.

Over in the West, St. Louis at 31-21 holds the lead by a half-game over defending champ Indianapolis (30-21) and a full game over New Orleans (30-22). Louisville is fourth at 26-26.

Once more, Giants 1B Dan Brouthers was NL Batter of the Month, hitting .386 in May with 7 homers, 25 RBI, and 20 runs. Clowns ace Perry Werden was Pitcher of the Month with a 7-0 record and 1.78 ERA over 55.2 innings with 28 Ks. At 11-1, Werden leads the majors in wins. Pittsburgh’s Matt Kilroy again was the top rookie, this time with a 3.47 ERA over 46.2 innings with 35 Ks and a 4-2 record.

Elsewhere in the world: In Atlanta, a pharmacist named John Pemberton developed a carbonated beverage that would soon be branded ‘Coca-Cola.’

[FuzzyRussianHat]

At the all-star break in 1886, the top two records in Major League Baseball are both in the American League West Division. Chicago entered June four games behind Milwaukee, but the White Sox raced into first place with a 19-8 month. Chicago also took the final two games before the break over the Brewers, putting the White Sox at 52-31 with Milwaukee 51-32.

Boston gained ground on most of the AL East, but their lead still shrank to only 3.5 games at 49-34. Philadelphia made the charge into second at 45-37 with an 11-game winning streak in mid-June. New York is third at 43-40 while Cleveland dropped below .500 to 41-42.

Pittsburgh built up a solid four game lead in the National League East at 46-37 with Boston (42-41) and Buffalo (41-41) next. The West has Indianapolis (47-34), St. Louis (47-36), and Louisville (46-37) all right together. The Cardinals lost ground going 2-8 in their last ten, while the Colonels were the inverse 8-2. Chicago at 43-40 is still in the hunt. New Orleans meanwhile went from one out of first to ten back, dropping to 38-45 after a putrid 6-22 run in June.

AL Batter of the Month for June was Boston’s Sam Thompson with a .336 average, 36 hits, 12 home runs, 30 RBI, and 23 runs. Meanwhile, St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy was the month’s top rookie with 29 hits, 12 homers, 17 runs, and 27 RBI. Duffy and Thompson are in an intense home run race with 31 for Thompson and 33 for Duffy. Only two others in the majors have 20+ homers. Duffy had a three-homer game on May 31 against Chicago and another on July 17 against New York, becoming the first player to achieve the feat twice in a season.

AL’s Pitcher of the Month with Baltimore’s Guy Hecker with a 5-1 record, 53 innings, and 32 strikeouts with a 2.38 ERA. NL Batter of the Month was New York RF George Wood with a .402 average, 31 RBI, and 25 runs. The top pitcher was Indianapolis’s Perry Werden with a 5-1 record, 53.1 innings, 1.01 ERA, and 22 Ks. The top rookie was Louisville’s Ledell Titcomb on the mound with a 1.93 ERA in 46.2 innings with 41 Ks.



On June 14, White Sox C Dan Sullivan was the fourth player to have a six-hit game and the first of 1886, doing it facing Detroit. Minnesota’s Toad Ramsey had his second 15 strikeout game on June 15 over 13 innings in a marathon with Kansas City. In injury news, Athletics shortstop Mike Moynahan is out for the season with a broken bone in his elbow.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Below are the rosters for the 1886 MLB All-Star Game. The home run challenge had two rookies in the final round with Minnesota C Dick Buckley beating out St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy 11-10. It was the first-ever all-star game to go extra innings with the American League winning 6-5 over the National League in 11. Duffy had a solo walkoff homer in the 11th inning to end it.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Milwaukee reclaimed the lead in the American League West with a seven-game winning streak after the all-star break, but went 3-7 in their last ten games of July. Still, the Brewers at 63-42 now lead 60-45 Chicago by three games. Minnesota ended July on an eight-game winning streak to throw their name into the hat at 57-48, six games back. St. Louis meanwhile had the inverse eight-game losing streak to close the month, falling to 48-56. Boston maintained hold of the AL East at 61-44, although Philadelphia held up a close pace at 58-46. New York at 56-49 is five back and also still right in the hunt.

AL Batter of the Month was Baltimore LF Pete Browning, who hit .368 with nine home runs, 30 RBI, and 24 runs. Browning had a six-hit game on July 22 against Milwaukee becoming the fifth player in MLB history with such a game. Pitcher of the Month was Kansas City’s Jack (DA) Jones with a 2.06 ERA in 48 innings, 4-1 record, and 27 strikeouts.

Despite the Browns’ collapse, CF Hugh Duffy was again Rookie of the Month with a .333 average, seven homers, and 23 RBI. The #2 draft pick Duffy leads Major League Baseball at 40 home runs, making him a likely candidate for MLB’s first 50+ homer season. Duffy had his third three-homer game of the season on July 16 against New York and is the only player to achieve the feat thrice thus far.

Indianapolis and St. Louis continued a fierce battle in the National League West with the Clowns at 62-42 and Cardinals at 62-43. Louisville, who was two back at the break, now sits 7.5 away at 55-50 after a losing month. Boston has moved into the lead in the NL East at 58-47, passing Pittsburgh. The Pirates are two back at 56-49 and Buffalo is 5.5 away at 52-52.

Colonels RF Jimmy Ryan was NL Batter of the Month hitting .376 with nine homers, 23 RBI, and 24 runs. The Cardinals’ Henry Boyle was the top pitcher with a 5-0 record, 1.60 ERA, and 20 strikeouts over 45 innings. The Braves had the Rookie of the Month in SP Jim Devlin, as the #8 draft pick had a 3.19 ERA in 48 innings with 34 Ks.

Indianapolis’s Hardie Henderson tossed MLB’s fifth no-hitter on July 10, striking out four with two walks facing Cincinnati. New Orleans rookie Frank Grant hit for the cycle against Indianapolis on July 9, the seventh player to do so.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The American League West Division race continued to be intense with the top two records in Major League Baseball between Milwaukee and Chicago. They were tied much of the month with the Brewers holding first at the end of August at 82-51, one game better than the White Sox. Both were 8-2 in their final ten games of August. Their final four-game series is in Chicago from September 5-8.

Boston gained ground in the AL East after Philadelphia played around .500 ball for the month. The Red Sox are first at 80-53 with New York second at 75-58 and the Athletics down to third at 73-60. Boston was 9-1 in their last ten games, while the Yankees were 8-2 and Athletics 3-7.

Brewers 1B Denny Lyons was August’s Batter of the Month in the AL with a .431 average, 8 home runs, 31 RBI, and 29 runs. Lyons also had a 23-game hitting streak, the second-longest in MLB so far. Minnesota’s Toad Ramsey was the Pitcher of the Month with a 2.58 ERA in 59.1 innings. Ramsey tied the single-game strikeout record (which he hit before) with 16 Ks on August 5 against Boston. Like the previous one, it took extras as he did it in 13.1 innings.

St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy again was Rookie of the Month with a .283 average, 8 homers, and 16 RBI. Duffy leads the majors with 48 home runs, passing the previous record of 45 set by three players last year. Duffy also had a six-hit game against Cleveland on August 5.

The National League West had a fascinating shakeup in August as the defending World Series Champ Indianapolis went 8-20, including a 1-11 stretch. New Orleans has also climbed from the abyss with a 21-7 August, putting the Pelicans right back in it after being ten back at the all-star break. St. Louis was steady to hold the lead at 76-57, three ahead of the 73-60 Pelicans, six better than the 70-63 Clowns, and nine ahead of 67-66 Chicago. Louisville, who was nine above .500 at the break are now down at 64-69.

Boston maintained its NL East lead, but it remains a very tight three-way battle. The Braves are first at 74-59 with Buffalo at 72-61 and Pittsburgh at 71-62. Boston notably plays their final four games at Buffalo and has three games with the Bisons to start September.

Braves LF Mike Tiernan was NL Batter of the Month with a .382 average, 14 home runs, 26 RBI, and 26 runs. Chicago’s Frank Buttery was the top pitcher with a 5-1 record, 2.03 ERA, and 31 strikeouts over 44.1 innings. Boston SP Jim Devlin was the top rookie with a 2.25 ERA over 48 innings with 28 Ks.

Two players hit for the cycle in August, both facing Cincinnati. St. Louis’s Gid Gardner did it on August 21 and New York’s Charlie Bastian did it August 30. Minnesota’s Thomas Gorman had a 21-game hitting streak.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Chicago and Milwaukee continued their intense battle for the American League West Division title. In their four game series from September 5-8, the Brewers won three of four on the road to take a two game lead in the division. Also of note, this finished their season series at a dead-even 11-11. The White Sox won their next three series, while Milwaukee dropped two against Boston and had a split with struggling Kansas City. Entering the final week, the Brewers were 94-60 and the White Sox were 93-61.

Both had their penultimate series against the bottom teams in the division. Milwaukee frustratingly lost three of four at Detroit, while Chicago won three of four at Kansas City. The White Sox ended hosting St. Louis and won their first two games over the Browns both in extra innings. The Brewers split their first two with Minnesota, putting them down two games with two to go. Both split their final two games, giving Chicago first place at 99-63 and Milwaukee second at 97-65. The Twins were third in the West at 85-77.

Meanwhile in the NL East, Boston finished 19-10 to pull away and take the top spot at 99-63. Philadelphia was 91-71 with New York at 88-74. Thus, the Red Sox and White Sox will meet for the third consecutive season in the American League Championship Series. The Athletics and Yankees have been above .500 all three seasons thus far, but haven’t been able to dethrone Boston.

Boston’s 1014 runs scored set a new record, although the Brewers were close behind at 991. The Red Sox also led the majors with a +220 run differential. Chicago’s 672 runs allowed led the AL, which gave them the tiebreaker for home field advantage in the ALCS, as they split their six regular season games. Boston’s team .293/.355/.466 slash, 1690 hits, and 376 doubles were each new MLB team bests.

White Sox CF Ed Beecher was the AL Batter of the Month in September with a .378 average, 42 hits, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, and 24 runs. Baltimore’s Guy Hecker was Pitcher of the Month with a 1.36 ERA over 53 innings, 30 strikeouts, and 5-1 record. Rookie of the Month was Philadelphia reliever Lev Shreve who had a 1.17 ERA in 7.2 innings, which led to a 4-0 record.



Browns CF Hugh Duffy in his rookie year became the first player to hit 50+ home runs in a season, ending with 52. His teammate Ed McKean also set a new single-season record with 87 stolen bases, although he was also caught a record 39 times. Boston’s Sam Thompson had 161 RBI to tie the single-season record. Still, Milwaukee 1B Denny Lyons is likely the favorite for Most Valuable Player, leading in batting average (.372), on-base percentage (.445), OPS (1.075), WAR (10.0), and runs (147).

Chicago’s John Clarkson is probably the Pitcher of the Year favorite, winning the ERA title at 2.50 and leading in WAR (9.4) and strikeouts (287). His seven shutouts set a new record, as did he and Hecker’s 31 complete games. The Brewers’ Lady Baldwin also has a shot as his 28-4 record set a new record for pitching wins and winning percentage (.875).

[FuzzyRussianHat]

St. Louis went 9-5 in their first games of September, while New Orleans was 7-7, allowing the Cardinals to grow to a five game lead on the Pelicans in the National League West Division. Indianapolis was 11-3 in the same stretch, putting them within four games of first place. The Clowns and Cardinals were both 6-5 in the next three series while the Pelicans were 5-6, allowing St. Louis to maintain their healthy lead.

The Cardinals ended with four games at Indianapolis and just needed to avoid getting swept. Although they lost three of four, they won game two 8-7 with a five-run ninth inning rally. St. Louis took the West at 92-70 with the defending world champ Clowns at 90-72 and New Orleans at 87-75. The Cardinals allowed the NL’s fewest runs at 649 and had the best run differential of +121, two ahead of Indy.

Boston entered September with a two game lead in the NL East and went 17-12 to close the season. Their two top competitors both struggled down the stretch with Buffalo going 13-16 and Pittsburgh ending 9-20. The Braves notably took three of four over the Pirates, while going 4-3 against the Bisons late in the year.

The Braves won the division at 91-71, outperforming their expected win/loss by six games with only a +40 run differential. Boston was 32-21 in one-run games and was 49-30 after the all-star break, tied for the best in the NL. Buffalo took second at 85-77 and Pittsburgh was third at 80-82. The Pirates fell apart in particular with a 34-45 post-break record. New York was fourth at 78-84 and was the NL’s top scoring team with 863 runs. Last year’s division champ Brooklyn tied for last at 74-88 with Philadelphia. While the AL had the same two division champs through MLB’s first three years, it has been a different squad each year in the NL.

The final NL Batter of the Month was Indianapolis SS Frank Fennelly with a .356 average, 6 home runs, 26 RBI, and 24 runs. Philadelphia’s James Burke was the top pitcher with a 5-0 record, 1.80 ERA, and 38 strikeouts in 40 innings. New Orleans 2B Frank Grant was Rookie of the Month with a .351 average, 4 homers, 16 RBI, and 18 runs.



Fennelly ended up as the WARlord at 9.6 and led with 127 runs scored. The MVP race is a tight one though with top performers from non-playoff teams. Reigning MVP Dan Brouthers of the Giants led in RBI (146), and OPS (1.059). Chicago’s Dave Orr won the batting title with a .347 average and 218 hits. Louisville RF Jimmy Ryan socked the most dingers with 46.

Indy’s Perry Werden is the Pitcher of the Year favorite with the best ERA (2.46) and wins (26-6), although he only had 106 strikeouts and 5.6 WAR. Defending POTY winner Charlie Geggus was the Ks leader at 262 and Pittsburgh’s Adonis Terry was the WARlord at 7.9.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1886 American League Championship Series was the third consecutive meeting between Boston and Chicago. The White Sox were shooting for a three-peat and had home field advantage thanks to fewer runs allowed, as both were 99-63 and had split their regular season series 3-3.

Chicago opened the series on a 10-5 home win, getting the final cushion with four runs in the eighth inning. Germany Smith got a grand slam in the first inning to set the tone and had five RBI on the day.



Game two was an intense pitcher’s duel between Boston’s Charlie Ferguson and Chicago’s Tony Mullane. Both allowed only one run in regulation and remained on the mound for the entire game. Mullane allowed only four hits, while Ferguson gave up 12 scattered about. The White Sox finally cashed in on this in the bottom of the 12th inning. Germany Smith got a one out single and was bunted to second. On a full count, 2B Candy Nelson managed a line drive single to left and an error allowed Smith to score for the 2-1 Chicago win.



Game three shifted to the Huntington Avenue Grounds and Boston was able to get a 5-4 win. It was a herculean effort by DH Sam Thompson, going 4-5 with three home runs, three runs, and all five RBI. He also had the walkoff RBI, his lone non-homer with a single that scored Rooney Sweeney. Thompson was the first player to have three homers in a playoff game. The White Sox also got bad news as ERA title winner John Clarkson went down to injury in the seventh inning. The shoulder inflammation had a 3-4 month recovery time, leaving Chicago without their ace moving forward.



Both pitchers in game four allowed six hits over complete games. Boston’s Bill Stemmyer also allowed five walks but struck out 12, while Chicago’s John Healy gave up two walks with two Ks. Sam Thompson cashed in on his hits with two doubles and two RBI, both times knocking in CF Chicken Wolf. The Red Sox prevailed 3-1 to even the series at 2-2. Stemmyer’s 12 Ks set an AL playoff record.



Game five saw both offenses going back-and-forth with a 7-5 Chicago lead entering the bottom of the ninth inning. There, Charlie Ferguson drew a leadoff walk and two errors helped score him and put runners at first and second with two outs. Doggie Miller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sam Wise got an RBI single to score Thompson, leaving the bases still loaded and the game tied. Jerry Turbidy then smacked an RBI single to score Pete Hotaling for an 8-7 Red Sox win. Boston now had the 3-2 series lead with only home wins to this point, meaning the Red Sox needed to win at least once in Chicago to dethrone the White Sox.



A rainy game six saw Mullane against Ferguson on the mound once more and Mullane got the narrow edge in a 3-2 Chicago win. In the bottom of the eighth, Joe Start drew a two-out walk, then was knocked in by Jocko Milligan’s double for what was the winning run. With that, the home team has won all six games thus far and for the first time in their ALCS wars, a game seven is required.



Game seven of the 1886 American League Championship Series was a cloudy Thursday afternoon which included a 25 minute rain delay in the fifth inning. Boston jumped ahead with a three-run third inning, which started with Lew Brown’s solo homer. Two singles, a walk, and hit batsmen helped bring in two more for a 3-0 Red Sox lead. Chicago got one back in the bottom half.

A pair of doubles in the top of the seventh gave the Red Sox a cushion run that they needed. Dennis Casey picked up an inside the park homer in the seventh for the White Sox and Ed Beecher had a solo bomb 411 feet in the eighth. However, Chicago went 1-2-3 in the ninth and Boston held on for the 4-3 road win, dethroning the White Sox from the AL throne.



Larry McKeon had a complete game win with three hits, three runs, three walks, and seven strikeouts. ALCS MVP went to Sam Thompson, who was 10-29 with four homers and nine RBI.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1886 National League Championship Series was the first for both St. Louis and Boston. The Cardinals were one win better in the regular season at 92-70 to earn home field advantage, although the Braves had won the season series 4-2. Boston opened the series with a 4-2 road win. Daisy Davis was the winning pitcher, scatting nine hits with two runs (one earned), two walks, and five strikeouts.



St. Louis earned a lopsided 8-2 win in game two to even the series. Henry Boyle had the complete game win, giving up five hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Boyle also was the star at the plate with a home run and double for three RBI.



Boston jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the third inning and held on from there in a 6-3 win in game three. Alex McKinnon homered and doubled for three RBI and a run. Jim Devlin had a complete game win with six hits and one walk allowed with five Ks.



Both teams had eight hits in game four, but the Braves made theirs count in an 8-3 win. SS Mortimer Hogan led going 3-3 with two homers, four RBI, and two runs. Boston pitcher Ed Morris had a record 14 strikeouts in his complete game while allowing eight hits, two earned runs, and three walks. With that, the Braves were up 3-1 and had a chance to clinch the next day at home.



Game five had a 3-2 Cardinals lead after the fourth inning. Boston went ahead with three runs in the fifth on a bases-clearing double by Mike Tiernan. The Cardinals evened it back up in the sixth with two runs on four singles. In the bottom half, Tom Poorman lead off the inning on base thanks to an error for the Braves. He stole both second and third, setting up Patrick Larkins RBI single to go ahead 6-5.

Three singles gave Boston another run in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, St. Louis’s Gid Gardner crushed a solo homer 452 feet to put them back within one. However in the ninth, reliever Levi Hickman struck out three straight Cardinals. The Braves held on for the 7-6 win to take the series in five games for their first pennant. Tiernan was the series MVP going 7-19 with two homers and nine RBI.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

For the second time in the brief three-year history of the World Series, both teams were from the same city. The inaugural event in 1884 was in Chicago, but for 1886 it was Boston. It was the first trip for both the Red Sox and Braves with the former having home field advantage for the series. The Red Sox took the series opener 5-1 as Bill Wise was the winning pitcher, giving up six hits with three walks and six strikeouts over a complete game win.



Game two was a high-scoring affair that was tied 6-6 after the fourth inning. The Braves got two more in the sixth and one in the seventh, while the Red Sox only managed two solo spots. The 9-8 Braves win evened the series as play shifted to the South End Grounds.



The Red Sox held on in game three for a 7-4 road victory. Charlie Ferguson’s complete game had six hits allowed with seven strikeouts. Ferguson was also the leadoff man and had a two RBI single.



The Braves evened the series back up with a wild finish to game four. The Red Sox got solo runs in the seventh and ninth innings for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Mike Tiernan crushed a homer 444 feet to even the game and force extras. Lew Brown had a solo homer in the tenth to put the Red Sox back ahead, but the Braves countered with a dramatic three-run walkoff bomb by pitcher Jim Devlin. Delvin tossed all 10 innings with six hits allowed and seven Ks. Tiernan had four hits.



In game five, Ed Morris tossed a five-hit shutout with one walk and seven strikeouts for a 5-0 Braves win. They took the 3-2 series lead with any remaining games back at the Huntington Avenue Grounds.



The Braves led early in game six with solo runs in the first and second innings, but the Red Sox scored five between the fourth and fifth. The 5-2 victory forced a game seven for the third consecutive year. Ferguson had a strong outing giving up five hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in his complete game win.