A National League Divided: The National Association 1876- - Page 2

Haystacks · 10-12-2025, 07:01 AM

Season of 1885

The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Season Summary

In the Eastern League, it was August that would prove pivotal once again. The Metropolitans entered the month five games ahead of Baltimore, emerging ten games clear with a record of 58–25 come the end of the month. There was no looking back for the reigning champions of the East. At the other end of the standings, their neighbours, New York Union, fell to their worst finish since joining the league.
Out West, the Chicago Packers would take the lead in June but never build a comfortable cushion between themselves and their rivals. Detroit and Louisville maintained the chase through the summer, but the Wolverines failed to seize the opportunities the Packers handed them when their form faltered.

League Standings

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L PCT GB
New York Metropolitans 78 34 .696 –
Baltimore Blue Sox 66 46 .589 12.0
Boston Whalers 64 48 .571 14.0
Washington Senators 50 62 .446 28.0
Brooklyn Atlantics 50 62 .446 28.0
Philadelphia Quakers 48 64 .429 30.0
Philidelphia Olympics 46 66 .411 32.0
New York Union 46 66 .411 32.0

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L PCT GB
Chicago Packers 65 47 .580 –
Detroit Wolverines 63 49 .563 2.0
Louisville Colonels 58 54 .518 7.0
St. Louis Browns 57 55 .509 8.0
Milwaukee Creams 54 58 .482 11.0
Chicago Red Caps 52 60 .464 13.0
Cincinnati Originals 51 61 .455 14.0
Cleveland Lakeshores 48 64 .429 17.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Metropolitans
Western Pennant: Chicago Packers
Result: Packers win the series, 4 to 1.
Series Silver Ball: Henry Bush, P, Chicago Packers.

Batting Leaders – Combined

AVG
1. Levi Ryder – NYM – .363
2. Henry Wharton – NYM – .344
3. Peter White – NYM – .342
4. Johannes Beekhof – LOU – .323
5. James Green – CHP – .320

HR
1. William Taylor – SLB – 31
2. Edward Moore – CHI – 22
3. Joseph Harris – BRK – 15
3. Robert King – SLB – 15
5. Charles Wilson – BAL – 10

RBI
1. Edward Schmidt – CIN – 96
2. James Bauer – CIN – 89
2. William Taylor – SLB – 89
4. Reuben Holmes – LOU – 82
5. Edward Moore – CHI – 81

Pitching Leaders – Combined

Wins
1. Jasper Carson – BAL – 26
1. James Hall – NYM – 26
3. Reinhold Schulz – NYM – 25
4. Robert Clayton – SLB – 24

ERA
1. Reinhold Schulz – NYM – 1.97
2. Henry Astor – BOS – 2.24
3. William Rossi – NYU – 2.38
4. Edward Moore – BRK – 2.41
5. Henry Brown – NYU – 2.44

Strikeouts
1. James Hall – NYM – 288
2. Robert Wilson – WAS – 212
2. James Wright – BOS – 212
4. John Hill – NYM – 204
5. Edward Moore – BRK – 202

Awards & Honors

Most Distinguished Player Medal, Eastern League: Henry Wharton, CF, New York Metropolitans – AVG .344, Hits 157, RBIs 61 (3 in a row, 4 total).
Most Distinguished Player Medal, Western League: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville – AVG .323, Hits 151, RBIs 60 (5 in a row).

Season Notes

The New York Metropolitans become the first organization from either league to win three successive pennants.
New York’s baseball writers declare, “New York is not only the gateway to the Empire, it is the home of a base ball Empire…”
Perhaps realising the error of making the New York club's name longer, "Empire" quickly becomes the norm in print when referring to the organization.

June 3 – Robert King (St. Louis) hits for the cycle against Cleveland.
July 3 – Henry Hall (Chicago Red Caps) throws a no-hitter against Cleveland (3K, 4BB, 9IP).

William Taylor (St. Louis) sets a single-season record with 31 home runs.

Milestones

04/22/1885 – Vincent O'Toole – 1000 Hits, while playing for Detroit
04/23/1885 – Charles Jones – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for St. Louis
04/25/1885 – Henry Hall – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for Chicago
04/29/1885 – Henry Hall – 200 Wins, while playing for Chicago
05/04/1885 – Frederick Brown – 100 Wins, while playing for Milwaukee
05/04/1885 – Charles Wilson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Baltimore
05/14/1885 – George Olson – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Philadelphia
05/18/1885 – Joseph Harris – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Brooklyn
05/20/1885 – Sincere McTizic – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati
05/22/1885 – William Nelson – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Milwaukee
06/06/1885 – Edward Davis – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York
06/27/1885 – Edward Schmidt – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati
07/02/1885 – Johannes Beekhof – 500 Stolen Bases, while playing for Louisville
07/11/1885 – Van Makeever – 150 Wins, while playing for Washington
07/13/1885 – Hector Romero – 150 Wins, while playing for Detroit
07/18/1885 – Henry Wharton – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for New York
07/23/1885 – Vincent O'Toole – 800 Stolen Bases, while playing for Detroit
07/26/1885 – Henry Wharton – 600 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York
07/30/1885 – William Harris – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Detroit
08/03/1885 – Frank Klein – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cleveland
08/05/1885 – George Olson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Philadelphia
08/08/1885 – John Hill – 150 Wins, while playing for New York
08/09/1885 – Joseph Boneparte – 100 Wins, while playing for Philidelphia
08/10/1885 – Clarence Bush – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Detroit
08/19/1885 – Ivan Ibarra – 150 Wins, while playing for Baltimore
08/22/1885 – Edward Klein – 150 Wins, while playing for Cincinnati
08/26/1885 – Henry Rose – 100 Wins, while playing for Baltimore
08/31/1885 – Robert Wilson – 100 Wins, while playing for Washington
09/02/1885 – Edward Schmidt – 600 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cincinnati
09/06/1885 – Frank Brown – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Chicago
09/06/1885 – Isaiah Wilson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Milwaukee
09/10/1885 – Edward Moore – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Brooklyn
09/10/1885 – William Taylor – 100 Home Runs, while playing for St. Louis
09/12/1885 – William Wilson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Milwaukee
09/16/1885 – Elijah Anderson – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Brooklyn
09/28/1885 – Isaiah Hill – 100 Wins, while playing for Cleveland
09/30/1885 – William Taylor – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for St. Louis
10/05/1885 – Charles Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Philadelphia
10/12/1885 – Peter Johnson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for New York
10/14/1885 – Wyatt Green – 1000 Hits, while playing for Boston
10/17/1885 – Vincent O'Toole – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Detroit
10/19/1885 – Robert Olson – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cincinnati
10/19/1885 – Daniel Soden – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati

Haystacks · 10-12-2025, 08:46 AM

Season of 1886
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary

The conclusion of the 1885 season brought the National Association to ten seasons of play. The two leagues were stable, their clubs all reporting financially security. Owners and the executive modestly celebrated the occasion at the Winter Meeting in Chicago, with pats on the back and a raised glass.

Owners approved two new player medals — the Most Distinguished Hurler, allowing the greatest pitchers to gain recognition without competing against the multitude of outfield players, and the Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, celebrating the best newcomer in the league that year. These medals would begin to be awarded at the close of the 1886 season.

Association President and Chicago Red Caps owner William Hulbert announced a desire to expand each league to ten teams by 1896, stating that:

“...having overcome scandal with decisiveness, we have built a stable and respected national competition for our great game. I see no reason why we should not aspire to have leagues of ten western and ten eastern organizations by the twentieth season of play...”

Season Summary

The Boston Whalers burst out of the gates in the Eastern League. By May 1, after ten games of play, they were two games ahead of Baltimore — and no club would be able to catch them. The New York Empire put up a valiant fight, but could not stand the heat of August; the Atlantics never looked like true contenders. Boston finally ended New York’s dominance of the past three years. The Philadelphia Quakers sat at .500 on a few occasions across the year, putting together their highest finish in club history.

In the Western League, the Louisville Colonels returned to form. Early in the season, it was clear the race for the pennant would be between the two Chicago clubs and the Colonels. As the season moved into June the three were inseparable in the standings, but as has become expected, it was the August–September period that proved decisive — by September, Louisville had opened up an eleven-game lead.

League Standings

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB
Boston Whalers           82  30  .732   -
New York Empire          64  48  .571  18.0
Brooklyn Atlantics       58  54  .518  24.0
Philadelphia Quakers     53  59  .473  29.0
Baltimore Blue Sox       52  60  .464  30.0
Philidelphia Olympics    50  62  .446  32.0
New York Union           45  67  .402  37.0
Washington Senators      44  68  .393  38.0

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB
Louisville Colonels      81  31  .723   -
Chicago Red Caps         67  45  .598  14.0
Chicago Packers          58  54  .518  23.0
Detroit Wolverines       53  59  .473  28.0
St. Louis Browns         51  61  .455  30.0
Cleveland Lakeshores     49  63  .438  32.0
Cincinnati Originals     46  66  .411  35.0
Milwaukee Creams         43  69  .384  38.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers
Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels
Result: Louisville win the series, 4 to 3.
Series Silver Ball: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville.

The Whalers’ hunt for the National Championship ended in disaster and heartbreak yet again, after an eight-year absence from the Series.
Game 1 was taken 10–6 by Louisville. Boston then won the next three games, looking certain to finally win it all. Louisville kept the series alive with a spectacular comeback in Game 5, winning 9–8. As the series returned to Boston, the Whalers collapsed, losing 8–3 to force Game 7, where they were decisively beaten 12–2.

Manager Harry Wright and owner Arthur Soden have now reached the National Championship Series three times, tasting defeat each occasion. Only New York Empire have won more Eastern League pennants.

Louisville’s four pennants and three National Championships make them the most successful team in baseball. Their four pennants give them the most of any club, and three National Championships tie them with Cincinnati.

Batting Leaders – Combined

LEAGUE LEADERS AVG

Code:

1. Virgil Denton - CHP     .341
2. Johannes Beekhof - LOU  .339
3. Herman Stovey - PHI     .332
4. Thomas O'Steen - MIL    .331
5. Levi Ryder - NYE        .330

LEAGUE LEADERS HR

Code:

1. Edward Moore - CHI      31
2. William Taylor - SLB    22
3. Joseph Harris - BRK     16
3. William Harris - DET    16
5. Robert King - SLB       13

LEAGUE LEADERS RBI

Code:

1. Sylvester Castro - LOU   96
2. Edward Bell - BOS        94
3. Billy Hulbert - BOS      91
4. Edward Moore - CHI       90
5. James Thomas - WAS       88

Pitching Leaders – Combined

LEAGUE LEADERS W

Code:

1. Henry Astor - BOS        30
2. Joseph Wells - LOU       27
3. Hiram Barnswell - LOU    26
4. James Hall - NYE         25
5. Three tied with          24

LEAGUE LEADERS ERA

Code:

1. Joseph Wells - LOU       2.05
2. James Hall - NYE         2.10
3. Javier Silva - CHI       2.15
4. Edward Moore - BRK       2.36
5. Two tied with            2.43

LEAGUE LEADERS K

Code:

1. James Hall - NYE         325
2. Ivan Ibarra - BAL        234
3. James Wright - BOS       231
4. John Hill - NYE          226
4. Edward Moore - BRK       226

Awards & Honors

Most Distinguished Player Medal, Eastern League: Levi Ryder, CF, New York Empire – AVG .330, Hits 152, RBIs 46.
Most Distinguished Player Medal, Western League: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville – AVG .339, Hits 165, RBIs 67 (6 in a row).
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Eastern League: James Hall, New York Empire – 25–12, 2.10 ERA, 325 Ks, 333.2 IP.
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Western League: Hiram Barnswell, Louisville – 26–9, 2.43 ERA, 207 Ks, 318 IP.
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Eastern League: Juan Castro, LF, New York Empire – AVG .320, Hits 142, RBIs 85.
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Western League: Robert O’Kane, SS, Chicago Red Caps – AVG .287, Hits 128, RBIs 73.

Season Notes

May 28 – Robert Wright, Philadelphia, hits the fourth cycle in Association history against Baltimore, becoming the first player to do so twice in his career.
Edward Moore, Chicago Red Caps, ties the single-season record of 31 home runs.

Milestones

04/25/1886 – Henry Astor – 100 Wins, while playing for Boston
04/25/1886 – Frank Johnson – 150 Wins, while playing for Louisville
04/25/1886 – William Taylor – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for St. Louis
04/29/1886 – Charles Jones – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for St. Louis
05/03/1886 – George Zettlein – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for Brooklyn
05/04/1886 – Joseph Harris – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Brooklyn
05/06/1886 – Peter Johnson – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York
05/13/1886 – James Hall – 200 Wins, while playing for New York
05/14/1886 – Charles Wilson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Baltimore
05/16/1886 – Clayton Clark – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Chicago
05/20/1886 – Samuel O'Brien – 1000 Hits, while playing for Baltimore
05/24/1886 – James Hall – 2000 Strikeouts, while playing for New York
05/25/1886 – Frank Brown – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Chicago
05/28/1886 – Thomas O'Steen – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Milwaukee
06/03/1886 – Ivan Ibarra – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Baltimore
06/03/1886 – Jose Diaz – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Philadelphia
06/06/1886 – William Wilson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Milwaukee
06/08/1886 – Johannes Beekhof – 600 Stolen Bases, while playing for Louisville
06/11/1886 – William Harris – 1000 Hits, while playing for Detroit
06/15/1886 – Henry Wharton – 700 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York
06/17/1886 – Henry Wharton – 700 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York
06/21/1886 – Isaiah Wilson – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Milwaukee
06/22/1886 – Lemuel Thompson – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Baltimore
06/24/1886 – Frank Brown – 1000 Hits, while playing for Chicago
06/24/1886 – Salvador Romero – 150 Wins, while playing for Brooklyn
07/02/1886 – Frank Klein – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cleveland
07/05/1886 – James Varney – 1000 Hits, while playing for Chicago
07/05/1886 – James Varney – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Chicago
07/08/1886 – Isaiah Wilson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Milwaukee
07/13/1886 – Lemuel Thompson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Baltimore
07/15/1886 – Clayton Clark – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Chicago
07/15/1886 – Sincere McTizic – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cincinnati
07/15/1886 – Henry Green – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Louisville
07/16/1886 – Elijah Anderson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Brooklyn
07/16/1886 – Edward Schmidt – 700 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cincinnati
07/16/1886 – James Taylor – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for New York
07/20/1886 – William Rossi – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for New York
07/30/1886 – Joseph Thomas – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Philadelphia
08/06/1886 – Arturo Irias – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Boston
08/14/1886 – Al Ellis – 100 Wins, while playing for Detroit
08/14/1886 – George Zettlein – 200 Wins, while playing for Brooklyn
08/17/1886 – Henry Brown – 200 Wins, while playing for New York
08/19/1886 – Vincent O'Toole – 900 Stolen Bases, while playing for Detroit
08/20/1886 – Edward Moore – 100 Home Runs, while playing for Chicago
08/22/1886 – Joseph Wells – 150 Wins, while playing for Louisville
08/22/1886 – Van Makeever – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Washington
08/26/1886 – Salvador Romero – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Brooklyn
09/02/1886 – William Hall – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Boston
09/03/1886 – James Varney – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Chicago
09/05/1886 – Henry Bush – 150 Wins, while playing for Chicago
09/12/1886 – Charles Wilson – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Baltimore
10/01/1886 – William Hall – 150 Wins, while playing for Boston
10/01/1886 – John Hill – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for New York
10/05/1886 – Frank Johnson – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Louisville
10/05/1886 – Samuel Moore – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Cincinnati
10/07/1886 – James Taylor – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for New York
10/12/1886 – Frank Klein – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cleveland
10/14/1886 – Ezekiel Bell – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cleveland
10/15/1886 – James Wright – 100 Wins, while playing for Boston
10/19/1886 – Arturo Irias – 1000 Hits, while playing for Boston

Haystacks · 10-12-2025, 12:02 PM

Season of 1887

The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Season Summary
In the Eastern League the Empire returned to familiar form, leading the league from June onward. The Whalers could only keep pace for those first few months of the season, then slumped throughout the summer.
The Philadelphia Olympics recorded only their second winning season, their last being in 1882, and their highest finish in the standings. The Quakers also did their part in making Philadelphia proud, finishing with a .500 record for only the second time since the inaugural season, the last time they posted a .500 season was 1880.
The Louisville Colonels once again won back-to-back Western League pennants. The Originals and Red Caps put up a decent fight until June, when they began to slip up and lose ground on the Colonels.
The Milwaukee Creams had their best season since their 2nd place finish of 1880; in Cleveland, concerns begin to rise as crowds start to turn their back on the team, finishing 8th for the third time in four seasons.

League Standings

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team                     W    L    PCT     GB
------------------------------------------------
New York Empire          75   37   .670     -
Philadelphia Olympics    62   50   .554    13
Boston Whalers           56   56   .500    19
Philadelphia Quakers     56   56   .500    19
Baltimore Blue Sox       55   57   .491    20
Brooklyn Atlantics       53   59   .473    22
Washington Senators      53   59   .473    22
New York Union           38   74   .339    37

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team                     W    L    PCT     GB
------------------------------------------------
Louisville Colonels      77   35   .688     -
Cincinnati Originals     67   45   .598    10
Chicago Red Caps         61   51   .545    16
Chicago Packers          56   56   .500    21
Milwaukee Creams         56   56   .500    21
St. Louis Browns         53   59   .473    24
Detroit Wolverines       42   70   .375    35
Cleveland Lakeshores     36   76   .321    41

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Empire
Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels
Result: New York win the series, 4 to 2.
Series Silver Ball: Levi Ryder, SS, New York Empire

New York Empire become the first team in the Eastern League to win 2 National Championship Series.
The Empire took a decisive lead, winning the first three games comfortably; a dramatic game four saw the Colonels win 12–9. Whispers of another series comeback then turned to shouts, as Louisville won game five 9–4.
In game six, New York pitcher Reinhold Schulz put on the performance of a lifetime. He shut out the Louisville nine that contained some of the greatest batsmen the game has seen — four of the five top hitters for average in the Western League were Louisville men. Schulz threw nine innings, allowing only three hits and one walk, striking out four. New York put six on the board to end any hope of another comeback from the Colonels, winning the Championship series.

Batting Leaders – Eastern League

Code:

BATTING AVERAGE
T. Francis (BOS)      .377
C. Taylor (PHO)       .348
R. Price (WAS)        .346
L. Ryder (NYE)        .342
P. Cassidy (PHI)      .341

HOME RUNS
J. Harris (BRK)       25
J. Taylor (NYE)       13
M. Fleetwood (WAS)     9
C. Hall (BAL)          9
H. White (BAL)         9

RUNS BATTED IN
H. Wharton (NYE)      97
J. Harris (BRK)       91
T. Francis (BOS)      87
J. Thomas (WAS)       87
P. White (NYE)        86

Batting Leaders – Western League

Code:

BATTING AVERAGE
J. Beekhof (LOU)      .374
R. Holmes (LOU)       .371
H. Green (LOU)        .358
R. Drezner (DET)      .356
S. Castro (LOU)       .349

HOME RUNS
E. Moore (CHI)        39
W. Harris (DET)       22
S. McTizic (CIN)      17
R. King (SLB)         13
D. Brown (CLE)         8

RUNS BATTED IN
E. Moore (CHI)       128
S. McTizic (CIN)     116
S. Castro (LOU)      108
E. Schmidt (CIN)      94
W. Wilson (MIL)       92

Pitching Leaders – Eastern League

Code:

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
R. Herrera (BRK)     2.32
J. Carson (BAL)      2.73
B. Weyhing (PHI)     2.76
H. Roxburgh (BRK)    2.92
J. Hall (NYE)        3.07

WINS
J. Hall (NYE)        27
E. King (PHO)        22
R. Schulz (NYE)      22
B. Weyhing (PHI)     21
J. Boneparte (PHO)   20

STRIKEOUTS
J. Hall (NYE)       216
J. Wright (BOS)     176
J. Thomas (PHI)     155
E. Moore (BRK)      148
J. Boneparte (PHO)  140

Pitching Leaders – Western League

Code:

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
T. Ruth (CIN)       2.71
F. Johnson (LOU)    2.82
C. Green (MIL)      3.22
W. Rossi (LOU)      3.31
A. Ellis (CHP)      3.32

WINS
F. Johnson (LOU)    28
W. Rossi (LOU)      26
N. Richardson (CIN) 21
T. Ruth (CIN)       20
C. Green (MIL)      19

STRIKEOUTS
I. Ibarra (CHP)    161
H. Hall (CHI)      134
F. Johnson (LOU)   132
W. Rossi (LOU)     131
I. Hill (CLE)      123

Awards & Honors
Most Distinguished Player Medal, Eastern League: Levi Ryder, CF, New York Empire – AVG: .342, Hits: 150, RBIs: 85 (2 in a row)
Most Distinguished Player Medal, Western League: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville – AVG: .374, Hits: 177, RBIs: 83 (7 in a row)
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Eastern League: James Hall, New York Empire – 27–9, 3.07 ERA, 216 Ks, 302 IP (2 in a row)
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Western League: Frank Johnson, Louisville – 28–6, 2.82 ERA, 132 Ks, 322.2 IP
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Eastern League: Robert Plymouth, 2B, New York Union – AVG: .324, Hits: 147, RBIs: 58
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Western League: Cyrus Anderson, 2B, Cincinnati – AVG: .286, Hits: 138, RBIs: 80

Season Notes
• May 4 – David Thomas (Cincinnati) records the first six-hit game since 1876, against the Chicago Packers.
• June 8 – Joseph Bauer (Milwaukee) throws a no-hitter against the Chicago Packers (2K, 0BB, 9IP); two reached on errors.
• August 24 – Thomas Peterson (Baltimore) throws a no-hitter against Washington (5K, 1BB, 9IP).
• Edward Moore sets a new single-season home run record with 39.

Milestones

04/15/1887 – Johannes Beekhof – 1000 Hits (Louisville)
04/18/1887 – Charles Jones – 400 Stolen Bases (St. Louis)
04/22/1887 – William Nelson – 1000 Hits (Milwaukee)
04/23/1887 – James Wright – 1000 Strikeouts (Boston)
04/29/1887 – Isaiah Wilson – 200 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee)
05/01/1887 – Robert Price – 200 Stolen Bases (Washington)
05/06/1887 – George Olson – 300 Stolen Bases (Philadelphia)
05/06/1887 – William Wilson – 500 RBIs (Milwaukee)
05/07/1887 – Thomas O'Steen – 300 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee)
05/09/1887 – Edward Moore – 500 RBIs (Chicago)
05/13/1887 – Daniel Brown – 500 Runs Scored (Cleveland)
05/20/1887 – Lewis Lincoln – 200 Stolen Bases (Cincinnati)
05/22/1887 – Joseph Harris – 200 Stolen Bases (Brooklyn)
05/30/1887 – Joseph Harris – 200 Stolen Bases (Brooklyn)
06/03/1887 – Wyatt Green – 300 Stolen Bases (Boston)
06/03/1887 – Samuel O'Brien – 300 Stolen Bases (Baltimore)
06/04/1887 – William Rossi – 150 Wins (Louisville)
06/04/1887 – William Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee)
06/06/1887 – Levi Ryder – 200 Stolen Bases (New York)
06/07/1887 – Johannes Beekhof – 700 Stolen Bases (Louisville)
06/10/1887 – Lewis Lincoln – 500 Runs Scored (Cincinnati)
06/10/1887 – Joseph Thomas – 150 Wins (Philadelphia)
06/11/1887 – Joseph Harris – 100 Home Runs (Brooklyn)
06/11/1887 – Henry Green – 1000 Hits (Louisville)
06/17/1887 – Henry Wharton – 800 Stolen Bases (New York)
06/24/1887 – Peter Flaherty – 500 Runs Scored (Chicago)
06/24/1887 – Edward Schmidt – 500 RBIs (Cincinnati)
06/25/1887 – Edward Schmidt – 800 Stolen Bases (Cincinnati)
06/28/1887 – Thomas Thompson – 500 Runs Scored (New York)
07/03/1887 – Serban Cretan – 200 Stolen Bases (Detroit)
07/03/1887 – Samuel Moore – 150 Wins (Cincinnati)
07/11/1887 – Robert Clayton – 150 Wins (St. Louis)
07/13/1887 – James Taylor – 1000 Hits (New York)
07/15/1887 – Joseph Boneparte – 1000 Strikeouts (Philadelphia)
07/15/1887 – Lemuel Thompson – 500 RBIs (Baltimore)
07/22/1887 – Henry Green – 200 Stolen Bases (Louisville)
07/22/1887 – Clarence Bush – 500 Runs Scored (Detroit)
07/23/1887 – Edward Denny – 200 Stolen Bases (Washington)
07/29/1887 – Vincent O'Toole – 1000 Stolen Bases (Detroit)
08/03/1887 – Edward King – 500 Runs Scored (Louisville)
08/05/1887 – Henry Hall – 250 Wins (Chicago)
08/05/1887 – John Bullock – 1000 Strikeouts (Philadelphia)
08/06/1887 – Frank Brown – 400 Stolen Bases (Chicago)
08/08/1887 – Edward Moore – 150 Wins (Brooklyn)
08/17/1887 – Hector Romero – 1000 Strikeouts (Detroit)
08/20/1887 – Clarence Bush – 300 Stolen Bases (Detroit)
08/24/1887 – David Thomas – 200 Stolen Bases (Cincinnati)
08/24/1887 – George Olson – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
08/27/1887 – James Thompson – 200 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee)
08/31/1887 – Clayton Clark – 1000 Hits (Chicago)
09/03/1887 – Isaiah Hill – 1000 Strikeouts (Cleveland)
09/03/1887 – James Thomas – 200 Stolen Bases (Washington)
09/16/1887 – Charles Jones – 500 Stolen Bases (St. Louis)
09/20/1887 – Vincent O'Toole – 1000 Runs Scored (Detroit)
09/23/1887 – Joseph Harris – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn)
09/23/1887 – James Harris – 500 Runs Scored (Louisville)
09/30/1887 – Thomas O'Steen – 400 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee)
10/03/1887 – Johannes Beekhof – 800 Stolen Bases (Louisville)
10/07/1887 – Henry Wharton – 1000 Hits (New York)
10/08/1887 – Frederick Taylor – 500 Runs Scored (Philadelphia)
10/11/1887 – Henry Hall – 2000 Strikeouts (Chicago)
10/14/1887 – Frank Johnson – 200 Wins (Louisville)
10/15/1887 – Juan Castro – 200 Stolen Bases (New York)
10/17/1887 – Edward Denny – 300 Stolen Bases (Washington)

Haystacks · 10-12-2025, 08:21 PM

Season of 1888
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
It was another quiet off-season for the league, rules tweaks the majority of the business at the winter meeting. There was something of note for future sabermatricians — rules to distinguish what is an unearned run as opposed to an earned run were created.

In Cleveland, off the back of their worst season ever, something had to be done. Owner Samuel Flagler brought in David Young as his new Field Manager. Young made 13 appearances with the 1879 Detroit Wolverines, most of his playing days were spent in the semi-pro Ohio state circuit. Flagler considered Young an excellent judge of young talent, and tasked him with assembling a young team that could compete and bring back the crowds.

He’d be given a year to scout players and assess the squad, then Flagler would give him an open checkbook to bring in the required talent. Flagler, who in the past had been a very lenient and hands-off owner, confided in friends that if this move didn’t pay off, he’d have to consider selling up or propose moving the team.

Season Summary
The Eastern League was a combative affair between New York Empire and Philadelphia Quakers, with the Whalers not far behind. It wasn’t until September that the Empire were able to open up a 5-game lead, and from then on they would not falter.

The Washington Senators would finish 4th in the standings with their best record since joining the league in 1883. Meanwhile Brooklyn would drop to the bottom of the pile with their worst ever season record — finishing 44 games back, double what they were in 1887.

In the Western League, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Louisville were all neck and neck. The appointment of Young in Cleveland appeared a masterstroke — he’d only signed a couple of new players for the roster, but so far had guided them to a 25-25 record and fourth in the standings in early July.

Louisville and Cincinnati would remain in deadlock as October drew near, until the Originals swept Louisville at home in a 2-game set, which would prove decisive. Louisville finished strong, but simply did not have the time left to catch the Cincinnati club.

Cleveland would tumble down the standings in dramatic fashion, losing 11 games in a row in July. However, the early good form did draw in crowds — helping keep baseball in Cleveland another year. The Creams would put together their best ever record, finishing third, whilst both Chicago clubs had disappointing years.

League Standings

Eastern League Standings

Code:

Team                     W    L    PCT     GB
New York Empire          79   33   .705    -
Philadelphia Quakers     71   41   .634    8.0
Boston Whalers           65   47   .580    14.0
Washington Senators      64   48   .571    15.0
Baltimore Blue Sox       46   66   .411    33.0
Philidelphia Olympics    45   67   .402    34.0
New York Union           43   69   .384    36.0
Brooklyn Atlantics       35   77   .313    44.0

Western League Standings

Code:

Team                     W    L    PCT     GB
Cincinnati Originals      70   42   .625    -
Louisville Colonels       68   44   .607    2.0
Milwaukee Creams          62   50   .554    8.0
Chicago Red Caps          60   52   .536    10.0
St. Louis Browns          50   62   .446    20.0
Chicago Packers           50   62   .446    20.0
Cleveland Lakeshores      46   66   .411    24.0
Detroit Wolverines        42   70   .375    28.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Empire
Western Pennant: Cincinnati Originals
Result: Cincinnati win the series, 4 to 1.
Series Silver Ball: David Dairymple, SS, Cincinnati

There was a great sense of expectation around the National Series — this was Cincinnati’s first pennant since 1880. At that time it seemed they would be a dominant force for the decade, but Louisville knocked them off their perch. For New York, would the “curse of back-to-back pennants” strike again? Writers professed that the weight of pressure to win consecutive Championships made the feat near impossible.

New York romped to a 9-4 win in Game 1, but the next three were heart-stoppers: 5-4 (10), 6-5 (10), and 6-5 — all Cincinnati wins. Nerves wrecked, battered and bloodied, the Empire made the long journey to Cincinnati for Game 5. They were crushed — the Originals scored four in the first inning and didn’t let up, winning 11-2. Jubilant spectators stormed the field to celebrate with their heroes as the Empire fled the back East with their tails between their legs.

Batting Leaders Combined

Batting Average

Code:

1. Thomas Francis (BOS)         .343
2. George Hill (BOS)            .324
3. Thomas O'Steen (MIL)         .323
4. Johannes Beekhof (LOU)       .322
5. Thomas Davis (PHO)           .318

Home Runs

Code:

1. Joseph Harris (BRK)          26
2. Robert Wright (PHI)          17
3. William Harris (DET)         14
4. Manny Tuitt (CIN)            13
5. Benjamin Murphy (BAL)        12

Runs Batted In

Code:

1. Reid Hopkins (NYE)           87
2. William Coe (NYE)            86
3. Joseph Florez (CHI)          82
4. James Varney (CHI)           80
5. Joseph Harris (BRK)          79

Pitching Leaders Combined

Wins

Code:

1. James Hall (NYE)             30
2. Abraham Joyce (PHI)          24
3. Willie King (CIN)            23
4. James Brown (NYE)            22
5. Five tied with               22

Earned Run Average

Code:

1. Abraham Joyce (PHI)          1.80
2. James Wright (BOS)           1.87
3. Willie King (CIN)            2.05
4. William Rossi (LOU)          2.10
5. Caleb White (CHI)            2.16

Strikeouts

Code:

1. James Hall (NYE)             351
2. James Wright (BOS)           210
3. William Hall (WAS)           201
4. Ivan Ibarra (CHP)            197
5. Henry Hall (CHI)             194

[HR][/HR]
Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Joseph Harris (BRK) – .248/.321/.499, 419 AB, 26 HR, 27 SB
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Abraham Joyce (PHI) – 24-14, 1.80 ERA, 340.1 IP
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Reid Hopkins (NYE) – .285/.364/.456, 421 AB, 2 HR, 73 SB

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof (LOU) – .322/.379/.430, 460 AB, 2 HR, 121 SB
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Willie King (CIN) – 23-11, 2.05 ERA, 311.1 IP
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: David Hemp (SLB) – .306/.357/.366, 435 AB, 2 HR, 11 SB

[HR][/HR]
Season Notes
[*]07/08/1888 – Reuben Holmes, 6 Hits in 7 AB vs Chicago while playing for Louisville [*]08/30/1888 – James Green, 6 Hits in 6 AB, 2 RBI vs Louisville while playing for Chicago

Milestones

04/22/1888 – James Hall – 2500 Strikeouts, New York
04/25/1888 – Willie King – 100 Wins, Cincinnati
04/25/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 900 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
05/03/1888 – James Hall – 250 Wins, New York
05/06/1888 – Robert Price – 300 Stolen Bases, Washington
05/07/1888 – Henry Wharton – 900 Stolen Bases, New York
05/10/1888 – John Bullock – 150 Wins, Philadelphia
05/13/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 200 Stolen Bases, Brooklyn
05/13/1888 – Peter Jones – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn
05/14/1888 – Frank Klein – 300 Stolen Bases, Cleveland
05/22/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn
05/24/1888 – Charles Jones – 500 Runs Scored, St. Louis
05/25/1888 – Clayton Clark – 300 Stolen Bases, Chicago
05/27/1888 – Levi Ryder – 500 Runs Scored, New York
06/04/1888 – Levi Ryder – 300 Stolen Bases, New York
06/15/1888 – Edward King – 500 RBIs, Louisville
06/17/1888 – Henry Astor – 150 Wins, Boston
06/25/1888 – Arturo Irias – 500 RBIs, Boston
06/25/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
07/01/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Hits, Cincinnati
07/06/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
07/09/1888 – Henry Bush – 1000 Strikeouts, Brooklyn
07/11/1888 – Patrick Herman – 1000 Hits, Brooklyn
07/13/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
07/20/1888 – James Green – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago
07/20/1888 – Edward Denny – 400 Stolen Bases, Washington
07/23/1888 – Edward King – 1000 Hits, Louisville
07/23/1888 – Vincent O'Toole – 1100 Stolen Bases, Detroit
07/30/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 200 Wins, Chicago
08/01/1888 – Henry Green – 500 RBIs, Louisville
08/01/1888 – Andrew Hall – 100 Wins, New York
08/03/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit
08/03/1888 – Charles White – 500 Runs Scored, Boston
08/05/1888 – Isaiah Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
08/08/1888 – Patrick Herman – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn
08/08/1888 – David Thomas – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago
08/09/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit
08/12/1888 – William Nelson – 500 RBIs, Milwaukee
08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 150 Home Runs, Chicago
08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago
08/20/1888 – Hector Romero – 200 Wins, Detroit
08/22/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 500 RBIs, Philadelphia
08/26/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 900 Stolen Bases, Louisville
08/26/1888 – George Olson – 400 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia
08/30/1888 – Andrew Morgan – 200 Stolen Bases, New York
08/31/1888 – Al Ellis – 1000 Strikeouts, Chicago
09/02/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
09/03/1888 – Cyrus Anderson – 200 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
09/03/1888 – Samuel O'Brien – 500 RBIs, Baltimore
09/14/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 1500 Strikeouts, Chicago
09/14/1888 – Edward Moore – 1500 Strikeouts, Brooklyn
09/17/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 500 RBIs, Louisville
09/20/1888 – Frank Rodriguez – 1000 Hits, Cleveland
09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Runs Scored, Milwaukee
09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
09/21/1888 – Juan Castro – 300 Stolen Bases, New York
09/26/1888 – Isaiah Hill – 150 Wins, Cleveland
09/26/1888 – Benjamin Tolliver – 100 Wins, Boston
09/27/1888 – Charles Jones – 600 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
09/27/1888 – Joseph Florez – 200 Stolen Bases, Chicago
09/30/1888 – William Nelson – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
10/03/1888 – Reinhold Schulz – 100 Wins, New York
10/05/1888 – Arturo Irias – 300 Stolen Bases, Boston
10/08/1888 – Lemuel Thompson – 300 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia
10/12/1888 – Frank Brown – 500 Stolen Bases, Chicago
10/14/1888 – Robert Wright – 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia
10/19/1888 – Serban Cretan – 300 Stolen Bases, Detroit

Haystacks · 10-13-2025, 05:59 PM

Season of 1889
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
Amongst the rule changes at the winter meeting, this off-season saw more tinkering to the base-on-balls rule — another adjustment brought the number of balls to 4 for a base-on-balls.

Discussions around further league expansion began, with the possibility of expanding ahead of schedule by 1890. Locations mentioned within these debates focused primarily on Buffalo and Pittsburgh for the Eastern League, whilst the Western League looked at petitions from as far west as Omaha, Minneapolis, and Kentucky. Indianapolis was also in contention, preferred by the Cleveland, Detroit, and Cincinnati organizations as it would not add mileage to the league’s road trips, though its lower population drew concern.

A shortlist was agreed, and the investors or existing organizations behind the petitions were invited to the 1889 Winter Meeting to put forward their cases and a final decision would be made by the Association’s current members.

The National Association’s constitution was amended to limit each league to 10 clubs at most; any change to this rule would require a three-quarters majority.

The Cleveland club signed two highly rated young amateurs — Sidney Powers (2B) and Henry Gilmore (P). Together they were referred to by the Cleveland press as “Cleveland’s new colts.” Within weeks of the new season Cleveland were more commonly called the Cleveland Colts by rooters and writers.

Season Summary
The Eastern League would prove impossible to call right up until the final couple of weeks of the season. First place in the standings would consistently change hands between Washington, Philadelphia Quakers, and Boston. The Whalers would twice sweep the Senators in the final month of the season, knocking them out of the race. The Quakers would finish strong, going 9–1 in their final ten games, but defeats at Baltimore and Washington in September would prove decisive as they were unable to catch the Whalers, who confirmed their fourth pennant with an extra innings 5–4 win at local rivals New York Union.

At the other end of the Eastern League, Baltimorehad their worst season ever — both in record and position — finishing tied with New York Union, who for the fifth season in a row finished in the bottom two.

The Colonels returned to dominant form in the West, leading from June. For a couple of months they were followed closely by the Browns and Originals, but the surprise challenge came from Cleveland. The Colts had their best ever year — best record and highest finish — with David Young’s appointment now appearing a masterstroke. In their final 20 games of the year, the Colts lost only 6, though 4 of those came against the Colonels, which proved decisive as Louisville raised their sixth pennant with a four-game lead in the final standings.

Detroit finished bottom again, this time with an even worse record than in 1888, whilst the Packers recorded their lowest win percentage since 1882.

League Standings

Eastern League Standings

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
Boston Whalers 72 40 .643 -
Philadelphia Quakers 69 43 .616 3.0
Washington Senators 61 51 .545 11.0
New York Empire 59 53 .527 13.0
Brooklyn Atlantics 49 63 .438 23.0
Philidelphia Olympics 48 64 .429 24.0
New York Union 45 67 .402 27.0
Baltimore Blue Sox 45 67 .402 27.0

Western League Standings

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
Louisville Colonels 68 44 .607 -
Cleveland Colts 64 48 .571 4.0
Cincinnati Originals 63 49 .563 5.0
Chicago Red Caps 59 53 .527 9.0
St. Louis Browns 55 57 .491 13.0
Milwaukee Creams 52 60 .464 16.0
Chicago Packers 48 64 .429 20.0
Detroit Wolverines 39 73 .348 29.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers
Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels
Result: Louisville win the series, 4–0.
Series Silver Ball: Jasper Carson, P, Louisville

If the 1886 series, featuring a spectacular Louisville comeback, broke the hearts of Whaler faithful, this 1889 series would rip them out and stamp on them. Louisville swept Boston — the first such instance in National Championship Series history. Game one was a high-scoring back-and-forth affair, but from that point the Boston bats went cold. Only Ernie Morales and Thomas Francis hit over .250 for the Whalers. Superb pitching, particularly from mid-season acquisition Jasper Carson, ensured Louisville’s dominance. Carson became the first pitcher to win the Series Silver Ball.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Code:

AVG

Reuben Holmes - LOU .370

Johannes Beekhof - LOU .357

Thomas Francis - BOS .357

Edward Green - NYU .355

George Peterson - BAL .346

HR

Heinrich White - BOS 19

Moses Fleetwood - WAS 16

Robert Wright - PHI 14

James Varney - CHI 13

2 tied with 12

RBI

Heinrich White - BOS 104

Reid Hopkins - NYE 100

Joseph McGuire - MIL 98

Franz Ewing - CHI 93

James Varney - CHI 93

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Code:

W

Henry Gilmore - CLE 26

Abraham Joyce - PHI 25

Willie King - CIN 23

William Rossi - LOU 23

James Wright - BOS 23

ERA

Abraham Joyce - PHI 2.22

Harris Page - WAS 2.63

Henry Gilmore - CLE 2.77

Willie King - CIN 2.82

Caleb White - CHI 2.82

K

James Hall - NYE 277

James Wright - BOS 226

Henry Hall - CHI 203

Ivan Ibarra - CHP 187

Edward Moore - WAS 185

Awards & Honors

Eastern League
Most Distinguished Player Medal: Heinrich White, Boston – .339/.398/.520, 19 HR, 104 RBI, 3.9 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Abraham Joyce, Philadelphia – 25–11, 2.22 ERA, 324.1 IP, 7.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: George Peterson, Baltimore – .346/.396/.467, 3 HR, 32 SB, 2.5 WAR

Western League
Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof, Louisville – .357/.424/.455, 2 HR, 129 SB, 7.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Henry Gilmore, Cleveland – 26–15, 2.77 ERA, 332 IP, 8.1 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Sidney Powers, Cleveland – .324/.438/.541, 76 SB, 5.9 WAR

Season Notes
09/14/1889 – Edward Moore struck out 16 in 14.0 innings versus Brooklyn while playing for Washington.

Milestones

04/23/1889 – Joseph Wells – 200 Wins (Louisville)
04/29/1889 – Robert Price – 500 Runs Scored (Washington)
05/09/1889 – Edward Denny – 500 Stolen Bases (Washington)
05/10/1889 – Robert Wright – 500 RBI (Philadelphia)
05/13/1889 – Robert Olson – 400 SB (Detroit)
05/14/1889 – Caleb White – 100 Wins (Chicago)
05/14/1889 – Henry Wharton – 1000 SB (New York)
05/16/1889 – Henry Green – 300 SB (Louisville)
05/28/1889 – Patrick Cassidy – 500 RBI (Philadelphia)
05/31/1889 – William Rossi – 200 Wins (Louisville)
05/31/1889 – Patrick Cassidy – 500 Runs (Philadelphia)
06/03/1889 – David Thomas – 1000 Hits (Chicago)
06/03/1889 – David Thomas – 500 RBI (Chicago)
06/07/1889 – David Thomas – 400 SB (Cincinnati)
06/13/1889 – James Thompson – 300 SB (Milwaukee)
06/17/1889 – James Thompson – 300 SB (Milwaukee)
06/18/1889 – Frank Rodriguez – 500 RBI (Cleveland)
06/22/1889 – Frank Rodriguez – 500 Runs (Cleveland)
06/24/1889 – Charles White – 500 RBI (Boston)
06/25/1889 – Levi Ryder – 400 SB (New York)
06/28/1889 – Johannes Beekhof – 1000 Runs (Louisville)
07/02/1889 – James Wright – 150 Wins (Boston)
07/03/1889 – Sincere McTizic – 100 HR (Cincinnati)
07/05/1889 – Henry Wharton – 500 RBI (New York)
07/05/1889 – Heinrich White – 500 Runs (Boston)
07/09/1889 – Vincent O'Toole – 1500 Hits (Detroit)
07/11/1889 – Heinrich White – 1000 Hits (Boston)
07/15/1889 – Heinrich White – 500 RBI (Boston)
07/16/1889 – Johannes Beekhof – 1000 SB (Louisville)
07/18/1889 – Al Ellis – 150 Wins (Chicago)
07/26/1889 – Henry O'Brien – 200 SB (Milwaukee)
07/27/1889 – James Wright – 1500 K (Boston)
07/27/1889 – Thomas O'Steen – 600 SB (Milwaukee)
07/29/1889 – John Robinson – 500 RBI (Philadelphia)
08/01/1889 – Cyrus Anderson – 300 SB (Cincinnati)
08/08/1889 – James Hall – 3000 K (New York)
08/08/1889 – Ezekiel Bell – 500 Runs (Cleveland)
08/09/1889 – Henry Leach – 200 SB (St. Louis)
08/09/1889 – Juan Gallegos – 1000 Hits (Cleveland)
08/20/1889 – Patrick Cassidy – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
08/27/1889 – Clayton Clark – 500 RBI (Chicago)
08/27/1889 – Juan Castro – 400 SB (New York)
08/31/1889 – Ezekiel Bell – 300 SB (Cleveland)
09/06/1889 – Joseph Wells – 1000 K (Louisville)
09/12/1889 – John Robinson – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
09/12/1889 – James Green – 1000 Hits (Chicago)
09/12/1889 – Levi Ryder – 1000 Hits (New York)
09/14/1889 – Edward Denny – 600 SB (Washington)
09/20/1889 – Jack McGeachey – 200 SB (Washington)
09/21/1889 – Frank Brown – 1500 Hits (Chicago)
10/01/1889 – Frank Brown – 1000 Runs (Chicago)
10/07/1889 – William Rossi – 1500 K (Louisville)
10/08/1889 – Charles Jones – 700 SB (St. Louis)
10/11/1889 – Vincent O'Toole – 1200 SB (Detroit)
10/11/1889 – Henry Plymouth – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
10/17/1889 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Runs (Cincinnati)
10/19/1889 – Peter Ellsworth – 200 SB (Chicago)

Haystacks · 10-13-2025, 08:21 PM

FOUR JOIN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Chicago Sun, December 10, 1889

YESTERDAY — The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs announced the four cities that will be granted membership for the season of 1890.

The newcomers to the Eastern League required little debate — Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the two most populous cities in the East still without representation, were each accepted unanimously.

The Western League discussion was rather more spirited. Representatives from the smaller organizations voiced concern over the proposed admission of Kansas City and Minneapolis, arguing that such expansion would extend travel far beyond reasonable limits when a city such as Indianapolis lay neatly within the existing circuit.
Ultimately, the promise of two great and growing markets proved decisive. After lengthy deliberation, Kansas City and Minneapolis were accepted into the Association, their petitions receiving near-unanimous support on the second ballot.

THE NEW CLUBS

National Association Expansion — 1890

EASTERN LEAGUE

Buffalo Bisons

This latest incarnation of the Buffalo Bisons is perhaps the third to bear the name. Backed by a syndicate of local industrialists, the club has been pressing for inclusion in the National Association ever since the collapse of Providence. At that time they fell just short, losing out to Washington D.C., but persistence has at last been rewarded.
Star Player: Walter Stillwater, pitcher — the 22-year-old is part of a talented young core that includes Thomas Flores (first base) and Al Weldon (outfield). Stillwater’s sharp curve and tireless work ethic already have observers tipping him for stardom.
Ballpark: Riverside Park.

Pittsburgh Alleghenys

Base ball has been played in Pittsburgh since before the Civil War, in one form or another, but never with such powerful backers. Owner Thomas Fife has brought serious weight to the venture, with whispers of investment from the titan of industry Andrew Carnegie himself.
Star Player: Charles Goodfellow, third base — a fierce contact hitter with a cannon for an arm. Goodfellow was reportedly courted by nearly every Eastern club before Pittsburgh’s offer proved irresistible.
Ballpark: Exposition Park.

An early photograph of Exposition Park.

WESTERN LEAGUE

Kansas City Cowboys

The most westerly organization admitted to the National Association, the Kansas City Cowboys are the brainchild of former Saint Louis Browns stalwart Edward Davis. Davis appeared in 1,091 games for the Browns, missing only one contest, which came in his final campaign of 1887. Since retiring, he has cultivated the city’s thriving semi-professional scene and secured the investment needed to bring the professional game west.
Star Player: Clarence Blight, pitcher — the 26-year-old boasts remarkable precision and command, though the quality of his opposition thus far leaves some questioning whether he has what it takes.
Ballpark: Association Park.

Minneapolis Millers

Founded in 1884, the Minneapolis Millers have long had their eyes on joining the National Association. The club represents a deceptively large market — one that could swell further should they succeed in drawing support from neighbouring Saint Paul.
Star Player: Benjamin Becannon, first base — though unreliable in the field, his formidable bat ensures he will seldom sit. Yet another menacing hitter for Western League pitchers to contend with.
Ballpark: Nicollet Park.

Haystacks · 10-14-2025, 06:09 AM

COLONELS TO PLAY IN ST. LOUIS

Sportsmans Park Offered After Louisville Cyclone
The St. Louis Herald, April 2, 1890

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — In the wake of the dreadful cyclone that swept through Louisville on the 27th of March, leaving the city in ruin, the fate of that city’s base ball club appeared uncertain. The storm devastated Colonels' Park, the grandstand totally destroyed and the grounds rendered unfit for play.

In a gesture of generosity and sportsmanship, the Saint Louis Browns have extended the use of Sportsmans Park to the Louisville Colonels for the duration of the coming base ball season. The offer was made by Browns proprietor Charles Bishop, who declared that “in times of trial, the game must stand united.”

Photograph of the destruction, downtown Louisville.

Louisville’s management, upon receiving word of the offer, immediately accepted, expressing both gratitude and determination that the club will “represent the city’s spirit until such time as we may again host the game upon our own soil.”

The Colonels will maintain their regular schedule in the Western League, their fixtures will now be played in St. Louis under temporary arrangements.

The League’s executive committee met in Chicago to ratify the temporary relocation and unanimously approved the plan. President William Hulbert remarked that, “the National Association's strength lies not merely in competition, but in its unity; St. Louis and Louisville shall, for a time, share Sportsman's Park.”

The arrangement will make St. Louis a two-club city for the first time, a novelty certain to capture the imagination of the sporting public. The Colonels are expected to don black ribbons in remembrance of those lost to the storm when they take the field on Opening Day.

“Whilst we may have to play in Saint Louis, we always play for Louisville,” said Captain Johannes Beekhof,

Haystacks · 10-14-2025, 07:19 AM

Season of 1890

The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
With the majority of the Winter Meeting’s time dedicated to the work of expanding the National Association, there were no amendments to rules made.
The Buffalo Bisons and Pittsburgh Alleghenys joined the Eastern League, whilst the Western League welcomed the additions of Kansas City Cowboys and Minneapolis Millers.
With the additional teams joining the league, a 126-game schedule was agreed, each team to play one another 14 times.

As the Louisville Colonels arrived in New Orleans for spring training, their home city was devastated by a tornado outbreak. At least 700 buildings were destroyed, with 187 deaths and over 800 injured.
The Saint Louis Browns offered the use of their ballpark to Louisville for the season, until they were able to rebuild.

Season Summary
In the Eastern League, the Whalers took an early lead which they maintained for the duration of the season, their closest rivals being the New York Empire and the surprise package, the Buffalo Bisons — carried beyond expectations by the immaculate pitching of Walter Stillwater and the impressive batting of William Montgomery.

Philadelphia Olympic dropped to the bottom of the standings, their worst season and fewest wins since 1880, when the season was only 84 games. Pittsburgh put together a respectable showing for their first season, whilst Baltimore and Brooklyn continued to struggle.

The Western League was a story all too familiar — the Louisville club led the entire season. Cincinnati put together a strong run to challenge, but could not catch the unstoppable Colonels. The most successful organization in baseball may have been playing in unfamiliar surroundings, but they never looked uncomfortable at the top of the standings.

Chicago Red Caps and Kansas City followed in the standings, never mounting a serious challenge to the established order. The Cowboys had every right to be particularly satisfied with their debut year, boasting a winning record as they looked to establish themselves in professional base ball.
The Millers were simply pleased to be competitive, whilst the Packers recorded their worst ever season.

As the season drew to a close, disturbing rumours came from the Louisville organization — attendance in Saint Louis had increased by 20%, and whispers suggested owner James Johnson was in private discussions with the Association’s executive committee and Browns’ owner Charles Bishop about an agreement to stay, robbing Louisville of their team — the most successful and talented club the Association had ever seen.

League Standings

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L PCT GB
Boston Whalers...............86 40 .683 -
New York Empire..............78 48 .619 8.0
Buffalo Bisons...............73 53 .579 13.0
Washington Senators..........64 62 .508 22.0
Philadelphia Quakers.........63 63 .500 23.0
New York Union...............63 63 .500 23.0
Baltimore Blue Sox...........62 64 .492 24.0
Pittsburgh Alleghenys........61 65 .484 25.0
Brooklyn Atlantics...........41 85 .325 45.0
Philidelphia Olympics........39 87 .310 47.0

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L PCT GB
Louisville Colonels..........86 40 .683 -
Cincinnati Originals.........78 48 .619 8.0
Chicago Red Caps.............68 58 .540 18.0
Kansas City Cowboys..........66 60 .524 20.0
St. Louis Browns.............61 65 .484 25.0
Milwaukee Creams.............61 65 .484 25.0
Cleveland Colts..............59 67 .468 27.0
Minneapolis Millers..........55 71 .437 31.0
Detroit Wolverines...........50 76 .397 36.0
Chicago Packers..............46 80 .365 40.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers
Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels
Result: Louisville win the series, 4–3.
Series Silver Ball: Reuben Holmes (1B), Louisville

The National Championship was a true display of base ball at its best — a series of back-and-forth action, good sportsmanship, and heroics.

With the series tied, Game Three went deep into the 14th inning until the Whalers finally broke the deadlock.
A pitching collapse for both clubs in Game Four saw Louisville take it 8–4 to even the series.
Frank Johnson’s pitching brilliance in Game Five secured a 3–1 victory for the Colonels. Boston’s James Wright replied in Game Six with a masterpiece, freezing the feared Louisville bats to tie the series again, 3–1.

But in Game Seven, the Whalers sank. Louisville romped home, free-scoring as the Whalers’ defense crumbled. The final score — 12–5.
Reporters noted they had never seen the St. Louis park so packed; crowds burst onto the field as the game ended, lifting their adopted heroes onto their shoulders, singing into the night.

Louisville became the first team to win back-to-back National Championships, and Boston the first to lose back-to-back since 1877–78.

Batting Leaders (Combined)
LEAGUE LEADERS – AVG
Charles Goodfellow (PIT)............. .368
William Montgomery (BUF)............. .354
Heinrich White (BOS)................. .354
William Porter (CIN)................. .352
2 tied with.......................... .337

LEAGUE LEADERS – HR
John Meister (NYU)................... 17
James Varney (CHI)................... 15
William Harris (MIL)................. 12
Heinrich White (BOS)................. 12
Charles Wilson (CHI)..................9

LEAGUE LEADERS – RBI
Joseph McGuire (MIL)................. 115
William Coe (NYE).................... 101
Reid Hopkins (NYE)................... 99
Cain Hicks (NYE)..................... 98
Thomas Francis (BOS)................. 95

Pitching Leaders (Combined)
LEAGUE LEADERS – WINS
Walter Stillwater (BUF).............. 33
Jasper Carson (LOU).................. 31
Willie King (CIN).................... 29
James Wright (BOS)................... 29
4 tied with.......................... 27

LEAGUE LEADERS – ERA
Jasper Carson (LOU).................. 1.81
Henry Gilmore (CLE).................. 2.00
Walter Stillwater (BUF).............. 2.18
William Rossi (LOU).................. 2.21
Caleb White (CHI).................... 2.25

LEAGUE LEADERS – STRIKEOUTS
James Hall (NYE)..................... 326
James Wright (BOS)................... 277
Edward Moore (WAS)................... 239
Ivan Ibarra (CHP).................... 216
Noah Richardson (CIN)................ 216

Awards & Honors

Eastern League
• Most Distinguished Player Medal — Charles Goodfellow (PIT) — .368/.441/.517, 530 AB, 2 HR, 114 SB, 136 R, 178 wRC+, 9.1 WAR
• Most Distinguished Hurler Medal — Walter Stillwater (BUF) — 33–11, 2.18 ERA, 395.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 4.7 K/9, 9.9 WAR
• Most Distinguished Freshman Medal — Al Weldon (BUF) — .275/.354/.422, 498 AB, 1 HR, 99 SB, 109 R, 134 wRC+, 8.1 WAR

Western League
• Most Distinguished Player Medal — Sidney Powers (CLE) — .304/.423/.477, 451 AB, 94 SB, 163 wRC+, 9.3 WAR
• Most Distinguished Hurler Medal — Jasper Carson (LOU) — 31–9, 1.81 ERA, 367.0 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 4.8 K/9, 9.6 WAR
• Most Distinguished Freshman Medal — Patrick Peak (LOU) — .275/.375/.416, 473 AB, 6 HR, 39 SB, 141 wRC+, 4.6 WAR

Season Notes
Sidney Powers finally breaks Johannes Beekhof’s nine-year dominance of the Western League’s Most Distinguished Player Medal.
Sincere McTizic, who famously batted in the first run to score in the National Association, has retired. The 39-year-old played 1,339 games for Cincinnati, winning four National Championships, and the Series Silver Ball in 1880.
McTizic recorded 1,423 hits in 5,763 plate appearances, batting in 981 runs and scoring 855 himself, retiring with a .273 career average.

Most Notable Milestones
04/25/1890 – Johannes Beekhof – 1500 Hits (Louisville)
04/28/1890 – Arturo Irias – 1000 Runs Scored (Boston)
05/12/1890 – Charles White – 1000 Hits (Boston)
06/14/1890 – Lemuel Thompson – 1000 Runs Scored (Philadelphia)
06/30/1890 – Henry Hall – 2500 Strikeouts (Chicago)
07/10/1890 – Miller Fryson – 1000 Hits (Chicago)
07/22/1890 – Henry Green – 1500 Hits (Louisville)
07/22/1890 – Cyrus Taylor – 1000 Hits (St. Louis)
07/27/1890 – James Wright – 1500 Strikeouts (Boston)
08/20/1890 – Reinhold Schulz – 1000 Strikeouts (New York)

Haystacks · 10-14-2025, 06:40 PM

The Louisville Colonels entered the 1890 season as the most successful club in professional baseball, having captured six Western League pennants and four National Championships. During spring training, the city of Louisville was struck by a devastating tornado outbreak that destroyed much of the surrounding area, including the city’s ballpark.

In response, the neighbouring St. Louis Browns offered the temporary use of Sportsmans Park to the Colonels while Louisville rebuilt. The arrangement was expected to last only through the 1890 season.

While playing in St. Louis, the Colonels enjoyed a dramatic surge in attendance—estimated at nearly 20% higher than their final year in Louisville. Owner James Johnson, long frustrated by stagnating gate receipts in Kentucky, began to see St. Louis as a more viable long-term home for his dominant franchise. Privately, he struck a deal with Browns owner Charles Bishop, agreeing to share 50% of Sportsman’s Park’s leasing costs for five years in exchange for local support in making the move permanent.

The increased revenue and larger crowds convinced Johnson that Louisville as a market was stagnant, the success he had built should pull large crowds, to him Louisville had run it's course. Despite public assurances that the team would return home once rebuilding was complete, Johnson soon petitioned the National Association’s executive committee to recognize St. Louis as the Colonels’ permanent base of operations.

News of the relocation provoked outrage in Louisville. City officials accused Johnson of betraying the community, referring to the move as an “act of theft.” The Louisville City Council issued a formal protest, declaring that the club “had been robbed.” Demonstrations erupted outside City Hall, and the council swiftly terminated the lease on the Colonels’ former ballpark.

Within the team, several players reportedly shared the public’s anger. Star center fielder Johannes Beekhof, a Kentucky native and the league’s most decorated player, initially led an internal protest against the move. However, Johnson placated much of the roster with post-season bonuses, isolated, Beekhof ultimately acquiesced.

The National Association officially ratified the relocation in December 1890, marking the end of Louisville’s era as a major-league city. The club retained its championship roster but dropped the “Colonels” name the following spring, becoming known as the St. Louis—a decision that symbolized a decisive break from its Kentucky origins.

The club would try to force the press into using the nickname 'Rivermen', wanting to quickly tie themselves to St. Louis, but their yellow caps would eventually give rise to the nickname Canaries, perhaps also a subtle nod to them flying away...The Canaries nickname also had help sticking around this time as the Chicago Red Caps became referred to as Cardinals.

Haystacks · 10-14-2025, 08:49 PM

Season of 1891
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
Baseball showed it was a ruthless business — David Young, who appeared to have a bright future in management and had led Cleveland to their best ever season in 1889, was unceremoniously let go after a poor 1890 campaign. Louisville was abandoned as a market, and the organization acted fast to integrate itself in Saint Louis as a permanent fixture. They erected new flag poles at Sportsman’s Park to fly their pennants high when playing at their new shared home.

Season Summary
In the Eastern League the Quakers got off to an impressive start, leading the standings until July. They went 8–16 that month, sliding down the rankings and allowing the New York Empire to cement a lead they maintained for the remainder of the season.
The Whalers attempted to chase but never posed a serious threat, while the Bisons and Pittsburgh continued to show they possessed rosters worthy of the professional league. Brooklyn and the Olympics continued to struggle, a strong 9–1 finish from Baltimore lifted them to seventh place once again.

In the Western League a new era appeared to dawn. The Milwaukee Creams opened 25–5 — one of the strongest starts ever seen — and effectively led the entire season. At the 30-game mark the Browns were their nearest rival, 6½ games back. At the other end, the Wolverines were in freefall, 4–23 — the worst start to a season in Association history.
The newly named St. Louis Rivermen (formerly the Louisville Colonels) clawed up the table to finish second, nine games back. Firing Young did little to improve Cleveland’s fortunes, while the Packers also struggled.

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
New York Empire 82 44 .651 -
Boston Whalers 75 51 .595 7.0
Buffalo Bisons 69 57 .548 13.0
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 69 57 .548 13.0
New York Union 67 59 .532 15.0
Philadelphia Quakers 61 65 .484 21.0
Baltimore Blue Sox 57 69 .452 25.0
Washington Senators 54 72 .429 28.0
Philidelphia Olympics 48 78 .381 34.0
Brooklyn Atlantics 48 78 .381 34.0

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
Milwaukee Creams 83 43 .659 -
St. Louis Rivermen 74 52 .587 9.0
Cincinnati Originals 72 54 .571 11.0
Kansas City Cowboys 70 56 .556 13.0
Chicago Cardinals 69 57 .548 14.0
Minneapolis Millers 67 59 .532 16.0
St. Louis Browns 64 62 .508 19.0
Cleveland Colts 53 73 .421 30.0
Chicago Packers 47 79 .373 36.0
Detroit Wolverines 31 95 .246 52.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Empire
Western Pennant: Milwaukee Creams
Result: New York win the series, 4 to 3.
Series Silver Ball: Reid Hopkins (LF), New York

The Creams, riding high off their first pennant win, came out flying — taking the first three games with authority. But the Empire refused to be beaten. Behind a roaring home crowd, they clawed back the deficit with three straight wins, forcing a deciding Game 7.
In the finale, New York scored early. Milwaukee’s confidence evaporated, unable to overcome the deficit yet again, the Empire rolled to a decisive 4–2 victory. It marked New York’s fourth National Championship — and one of the most stirring comebacks the Association has ever seen.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Batting Average

William Porter (CIN) – .362
Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .350
Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – .344
Edward Krieg (NYU) – .341
Two tied – .338

Home Runs

Timothy Mitchell (BOS) – 19
John Meister (NYU) – 18
William Harris (MIL) – 14
James Varney (CHI) – 14
Two tied – 11

Runs Batted In

Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – 120
Edward Krieg (NYU) – 107
Joseph McGuire (MIL) – 102
Thomas Francis (BOS) – 101
John Meister (NYU) – 99

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins

Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 31
Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 31
Andrew Meister (NYE) – 29
Clarence Bligh (KC) – 27

Earned Run Average

Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 1.86
Clarence Bligh (KC) – 2.15
Noah Richardson (CIN) – 2.51
William Rossi (SLR) – 2.55
Two tied – 2.57

Strikeouts

James Hall (NYE) – 255
Ivan Ibarra (CHP) – 216
Noah Richardson (CIN) – 212
James Wright (BOS) – 209
Willie Burke (MIN) – 198

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .350 AVG, 104 SB, 169 wRC+, 7.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 31–16, 2.75 ERA, 390 IP, 12.2 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Henry Wainwright (NYU) – .312 AVG, 6 HR, 30 SB, 5.6 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof (SLR) – .298 AVG, 4 HR, 167 SB, 9.1 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 31–8, 1.86 ERA, 14.8 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Samuel Casey (MIN) – .299 AVG, 7 HR, 27 SB, 5.9 WAR

Season Notes

Chicago Red Caps now commonly referred to as the Cardinals.
Johannes Beekhof claims his 10th Most Distinguished Player Medal.

Notable Events
06/20/1891 – Charles Garces records a 28-game hitting streak for Brooklyn.

Most Notable Milestones

Code:

05/07/1891 Virgil Denton 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia
05/10/1891 Robert King 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia
05/14/1891 Charles King 500 Runs Scored, Washington
05/16/1891 Caleb White 1000 Strikeouts, Chicago
05/24/1891 Joseph Thomas 1500 Strikeouts, Philadelphia
05/31/1891 James Hall 3500 Strikeouts, New York
06/03/1891 Ivan Ibarra 2000 Strikeouts, Chicago
06/18/1891 Clayton Clark 1500 Hits, Pittsburgh
06/24/1891 Jasper Carson 1000 Strikeouts, St. Louis
07/09/1891 Cyrus Anderson 500 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
07/18/1891 James Wright 2000 Strikeouts, Boston
08/11/1891 James Bauer 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
08/15/1891 Charles King 1000 Hits, Washington
08/28/1891 Henry Wharton 1300 Stolen Bases, New York
09/02/1891 William Harris 1500 Hits, Milwaukee
09/04/1891 Ezekiel King 1000 Strikeouts, Cleveland
09/11/1891 Charles Jones 1000 Hits, St. Louis
09/12/1891 Henry Bush 1500 Strikeouts, Brooklyn
09/12/1891 Thomas Thompson 1000 Hits, Kansas City
09/19/1891 Clive Nelson 1000 Hits, Baltimore

Haystacks · 10-15-2025, 04:10 PM

Season of 1892
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
The off-season was quiet. Minor rule adjustments were agreed at the Winter Meeting, and discussions began around organizing competition for reserve rosters. Currently, reserve players appeared only in occasional exhibitions against another club’s reserves or semi-pro teams. Boston owner Arthur Soden and manager Harry Wright proposed a formal structure. The Association’s executive committee was tasked with drafting a report and options for 1893.

We are in the age of the “yellow press” — wild, sensational journalism to sell papers — and that very sensationalism has crept into the world of baseball reporting. After the 1891 championship, the New York Journal declared the Empire “winners of the World’s Series and Champions of the World.” It is the first known instance of the National Championship being called the “World’s Championship,” a phrase that would gain traction through the decade.

Meanwhile, attempts by club ownership to impose the nickname “Rivermen” on the former Louisville organization failed. Baseball writers preferred the nickname Canaries, and by mid-season that moniker had taken firm hold.

Season Summary
The Eastern League was a tightly contested affair between the New York Empire and Buffalo Bisons. From August onward the two traded the top spot back and forth. Two extra-inning losses — one at the Quakers and another in Baltimore — would haunt Buffalo as they finished a single game behind New York.
The New York Union enjoyed their best winning percentage since 1880, their first season in the National Association, finishing fourth for the first time since 1884.

In the Western League, competition was equally fierce. Cincinnati opened hot and soon found themselves locked in a three-way duel with the Creams and Canaries.
At the start of September, the standings showed the Originals in first (63-42), with the Canaries two and a half games back and Milwaukee four back.

In the decisive final stretch: the Originals dropped two of three to the Saint Louis Canaries, and were swept in a three-game set at Milwaukee. The sweep clinched the pennant for the Creams, sending Wisconsin into a baseball frenzy.

At the bottom, Cleveland slumped further, while Detroit’s improvement (26 more wins than 1891) gave cause for optimism. The season also marked the end of an era — the retirement of Detroit hero Vincent “Dusty” O’Toole.

O’Toole appeared in 1,623 games for the Wolverines, collecting 1,774 hits, 762 RBIs, 1,420 stolen bases, and a .269 average. Twice a Most Distinguished Player (1877, 1880), he led the Western League four times in stolen bases and twice each in hits, runs, and triples — a true pioneer of the National Association.

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
New York Empire 79 47 .627 -
Buffalo Bisons 78 48 .619 1.0
Boston Whalers 72 54 .571 7.0
New York Union 69 57 .548 10.0
Philadelphia Quakers 62 64 .492 17.0
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 60 66 .476 19.0
Washington Senators 60 66 .476 19.0
Brooklyn Atlantics 57 69 .452 22.0
Philidelphia Olympics 55 71 .437 24.0
Baltimore Blue Sox 38 88 .302 41.0

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
Milwaukee Creams 75 51 .595 -
St. Louis Canaries 71 55 .563 4.0
Cincinnati Originals 70 56 .556 5.0
Chicago Cardinals 63 63 .500 12.0
Kansas City Cowboys 62 64 .492 13.0
Chicago Packers 61 65 .484 14.0
Minneapolis Millers 58 68 .460 17.0
St. Louis Browns 57 69 .452 18.0
Detroit Wolverines 57 69 .452 18.0
Cleveland Colts 56 70 .444 19.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Empire
Western Pennant: Milwaukee Creams
Result: New York win the series, 4 to 3.
Series Silver Ball: Henry Wharton, 1B, New York

The Creams entered Game 5 trailing 3–1, then staged a brilliant rally — a 6–5 win followed by a 5–1 hammering of the Empire — to force a seventh game. Game 7 began with Milwaukee ahead 3–0 by the fourth inning, but a disastrous sixth-inning collapse doomed them. New York erupted for 10 runs and never looked back, clinching a 10–3 victory before a rapturous New York crowd.

The Empire became the first Eastern League club to win consecutive National Championship Series.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Batting Average

William Montgomery (BUF) – .333
Edward Moses (MIN) – .332
Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .329
Otto Burke (PHI) – .329
David Hemp (SLB) – .329

Home Runs

James Varney (CHI) – 15
Lemuel Thompson (PHI) – 13
Charles Green (PHO) – 11
Timothy Mitchell (BOS) – 11
Sergio Guerrero (BOS) – 10

Runs Batted In

Henrik Calland (MIL) – 116
Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – 98
William Coe (NYE) – 94
Frank Moore (NYU) – 93
Cain Hicks (NYE) – 91

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins

Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 32
Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 32
Henry Astor (BOS) – 27
Andrew Meister (NYE) – 26

Earned Run Average

Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 1.72
Harris Page (WAS) – 2.04
Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 2.18
Louis Sartre (DET) – 2.20
Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 2.40

Strikeouts

James Hall (NYE) – 230
James Wright (BOS) – 213
Willie Burke (MIN) – 204
Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 203
Henry Hall (KC) – 195

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .329 AVG, 112 SB, 134 R, 8.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 32–16, 1.72 ERA, 388 IP, 9.6 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Otto Burke (PHI) – .329 AVG, 3 HR, 153 wRC+, 7.3 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Thomas O’Steen (MIL) – .327 AVG, 4 HR, 120 SB, 6.3 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 32–10, 2.18 ERA, 13.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Henrik Calland (MIL) – .321 AVG, 48 SB, 116 RBI, 5.3 WAR

Notable Events
06/13/1892 – James Varney hits 3 home runs (3-for-4, 8 RBI) versus Cleveland while playing for Chicago.

Most Notable Milestones

Code:

04/16/1892 Al Ellis 1500 Strikeouts, Chicago
04/16/1892 Henry Green 1000 Runs Scored, St. Louis
04/21/1892 Henry Wharton 1500 Hits, New York
04/22/1892 Reuben Holmes 1000 Hits, St. Louis
05/10/1892 Vincent O'Toole 1400 Stolen Bases, Detroit
05/15/1892 Edward Schmidt 1500 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
05/24/1892 Edward King 1500 Hits, St. Louis
06/02/1892 Charles Green 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
06/03/1892 Johannes Beekhof 1400 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
06/03/1892 Peter Ellsworth 1000 Hits, Chicago
06/09/1892 Clayton Clark 1000 Runs Scored, Pittsburgh
07/03/1892 Edward Schmidt 1500 Hits, Cincinnati
07/05/1892 John Bullock 1500 Strikeouts, Philadelphia
07/10/1892 George Hill 1000 Hits, Boston
07/15/1892 Joseph Martin 1000 Hits, Pittsburgh
07/16/1892 Thomas O'Steen 1000 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee
08/01/1892 Benjamin Tolliver 1000 Strikeouts, Boston
08/05/1892 Peter Blanchard 1000 Hits, New York
08/09/1892 Arturo Irias 1500 Hits, Boston
08/18/1892 Clarence Bush 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
08/22/1892 Abraham Joyce 1000 Strikeouts, Philadelphia
08/29/1892 Edward Schmidt 1600 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati
09/01/1892 Noah Richardson 1000 Strikeouts, Cincinnati
09/04/1892 James Varney 100 Home Runs, Chicago
09/09/1892 William Rossi 2000 Strikeouts, St. Louis
09/10/1892 Isaiah Wilson 1000 Runs Scored, Milwaukee
09/15/1892 Levi Ryder 1000 Runs Scored, New York
09/15/1892 Johannes Beekhof 1500 Stolen Bases, St. Louis
09/17/1892 Edward Denny 1000 Stolen Bases, Buffalo

Haystacks · 10-15-2025, 06:24 PM

Season of 1893
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary

The 1892-93 Winter Meetings brought sweeping changes to pitching. The pitcher’s box replaced by a plate, the rear foot now required to stay on it, and the distance from home plate increased to 60 feet 6 inches. Bat construction was also standardized: bats must now be round, softwoods and flat-sided designs banned. These changes would have a dramatic impact on offense. The 1893 season would also see a further increase to schedule length, to 144 games.

The proposed reserve-roster league was declared impractical and not financially viable. As one delegate quipped: “Who would pay to see a Canaries Reserves game when the real Canaries are in town?”
Instead, the Association’s executive committee recommended what they called 'The Reserve Club Proposal':

1. Clubs were to form partnerships with small-market semi-professional teams to host reserve players.
1b️. Failing that, clubs could establish their own teams in such markets.
2 These “reserve clubs” must be based in cities not represented by a current National Association organization, ideally their population should be under 100,000.
3. If enough partnerships were established, the National Association would organize a proper competitive league for them.
4. If successful, formal reserve rosters would be abolished, players instead by allocated to a 'Reserve Roster Club', with the option to call them up to the 'parent club' as/when required.

The motion passed unanimously. Owners saw not only a system for player development but a new profit stream and a bulwark against rival leagues.

Season Summary
For several months the Eastern League pennant was a five-way race. Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York Empire, Pittsburgh, and Boston all traded places atop the standings through early summer. By August, Boston surged ahead, while Brooklyn and Buffalo collapsed in the heat. The Philadelphia Olympics recorded the first 100-loss season in Association history, and the Quakers sank to their lowest position since 1884.

In the Western League, the Minneapolis Millers started hot (11–6 in April, 17–9 in June), but faded badly thereafter. The Canaries, Creams, and Originals would skirmish for top spot until mid-September. By then Milwaukee and Cincinnati were five games back as St. Louis coasted home atop the table. The Browns quietly posted their best record since 1879 after a 9 game win streak to end the year, while both Chicago clubs endured their worst seasons ever.

The changes to pitching saw an offensive explosion, with the ball having to travel a greater distance to the plate, batters saw greater success, the Easter League average increasing from .248 to .280, with the West seeing a similar increase from .243 in 1892 to .278 in 1893.

EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
Boston Whalers 92 52 .639 -
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 84 60 .583 8.0
New York Empire 83 61 .576 9.0
Washington Senators 76 68 .528 16.0
New York Union 74 70 .514 18.0
Brooklyn Atlantics 74 70 .514 18.0
Buffalo Bisons 69 75 .479 23.0
Philadelphia Quakers 64 80 .444 28.0
Baltimore Blue Sox 60 84 .417 32.0
Philidelphia Olympics 44 100 .306 48.0

WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

Code:

Team W L PCT GB
St. Louis Canaries 86 58 .597 -
Milwaukee Creams 80 64 .556 6.0
Kansas City Cowboys 79 65 .549 7.0
Cincinnati Originals 77 67 .535 9.0
St. Louis Browns 76 68 .528 10.0
Detroit Wolverines 74 70 .514 12.0
Minneapolis Millers 69 75 .479 17.0
Cleveland Colts 64 80 .444 22.0
Chicago Cardinals 63 81 .438 23.0
Chicago Packers 52 92 .361 34.0

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers
Western Pennant: St. Louis Canaries
Result: St. Louis win the series, 4 to 1.
Series Silver Ball: Daniel Hall, LF, St. Louis Canaries

The Canaries captured their first National Championship since the move to St. Louis — their organization’s 8th pennant and 6th title overall.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Batting Average

Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – .381
Frank Garret (MIN) – .375
Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .375
Otto Burke (PHI) – .369
Thomas O’Steen (MIL) – .364

Home Runs

Timothy Mitchell (BOS) – 26
Robert Chevalier (BOS) – 18
Manny Tuitt (CIN) – 13
James Varney (CHI) – 13
Isaiah Wilson (MIL) – 13

Runs Batted In

Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – 144
Henrik Calland (MIL) – 137
William Coe (NYE) – 129
Henry Green (SLC) – 128
Herman Stovey (PHI) – 128

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins

Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 35
Ira Mobley (SLB) – 32
Henry Astor (BOS) – 31
William Say (CIN) – 31
Jasper Carson (SLC) – 30

Earned Run Average

Louis Sartre (DET) – 2.60
Willie Burke (MIN) – 2.81
Henry Cushman (NYU) – 3.10
Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 3.11
Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 3.12

Strikeouts

James Hall (NYU) – 185
James Wright (BOS) – 162
Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 145
James Green (BUF) – 123
Noah Richardson (CIN) – 121

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .375 AVG, 130 SB, 166 R, 104 RBI, 8.3 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 28–15, 3.11 ERA, 422.2 IP, 7.3 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Samuel Segars (BAL) – .347 AVG, 5 HR, 111 RBI, 4.8 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Thomas O’Steen (MIL) – .364 AVG, 7 HR, 156 SB, 8.1 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 35–20, 3.12 ERA, 470.1 IP, 16.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Frank Garret (MIN) – .375 AVG, 4 HR, 82 SB, 5.8 WAR

Notable Events & Notes
As the season ended, further icons in this pioneering age of professional baseball announced their retirements:

Samuel O’Brien, 2B, Baltimore; he had been with the organization his entire career, from the beginning in Hartford. O’Brien was the start of 1882 National Championship win, collecting the Series Silver Ball, he also won the 1880 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’. He retires having played in 1523 games, recording 1446 hits, 597 RBIs, 426 SB, and a career average of .251.

Joseph Harris, RF, Brooklyn; Harris spent his entire career in Brooklyn from the inaugural season. In that time the Atlantics greatest success was a 2nd place finish in 1883, in terms of personal success, Harris won the 1888 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’. He featured in 1563 games for Brooklyn, recording 1276 hits 847 RBIs, 306 SB, and a career average of .230. At the time of retirement Harris leads the all time career home run chart with 157, one of only 5 players to pass 100 home runs. Edward Moore, who remains active with Cincinnati, sits in second with 151.

Daniel Soden, CF, Cincinnati; the 43 year old joined the Cincinnati roster in 1877, winning 3 National Championships with the club. His best year by far was 1878 when he led the league in hits with 105, stolen bases with 83 and in batting average with .330. It’s no surprise that is the year he won his ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’. From 1885 Soden was out of favour as a starter, becoming more of a pinch hitter as his ability in defense faded. In total Soden featured in 955 Originals games, starting 638 times. He recorded 792 hits, 345 RBI, 387 SB, and a career average of .274.

Ivan Ibarra, SP, Chicago Packers; the 40 year-old was another member of the Hartford(Baltimore) club in 1876, in his first 4 years he would twice record the most wins in the Eastern League and in 1877 the lowest ERA with 1.91. He would fall out of favour for 3 seasons before becoming a regular starter again in 1883. In 1887 he would be traded to the Chicago Packers, and there he would on 4 occasions lead the Western League in strikeouts.

Hit for the Cycle:
05/01 – André Windmon (PIT)
05/15 – William Coe (NYE)
05/20 – Robert Flaherty (CHI)
06/10 – Enrique López (CLE)
07/11 – Sven Olsson (MIL)
08/24 – William Miller (KC)

Longest Hitting Streak of the Year:
08/31 – George White (KC) – 29 Games

Shortly after the season ended, both New York clubs made what might be one of the most significant trades of this era. Union sent CF John Johnson, 24, to New York Empire, in exchange for veteran pitcher James Hall.

Johnson is considered one of the best young talents in baseball, whilst Hall, now in the twilight of his career at 38, is without question the greatest pitcher of his generation. Hall's win-loss record is 395-225 in his time with Empire, throwing 5569.2 innings, 4106 strikeouts with a 2.77 ERA. Hall has led the Eastern League in strikeouts for every season since 1880.

Most Notable Milestones

Code:

04/13/1893 Henry Hall 3000 Strikeouts, Kansas City
04/16/1893 Thomas O'Steen 1000 Runs Scored, Milwaukee
04/24/1893 James Thomas 1000 Hits, Kansas City
05/08/1893 Edward Moore 2000 Strikeouts, Washington
05/11/1893 Edward Robinson 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
05/12/1893 Billy Hulbert 1000 Hits, Boston
05/22/1893 Levi Ryder 1500 Hits, New York
05/22/1893 James Varney 1000 Runs Batted In, Chicago
05/25/1893 Thomas Francis 1000 Hits, Boston
06/15/1893 Landon Cassidy 1000 Strikeouts, New York
06/16/1893 Thomas Thomas 1000 Hits, St. Louis
06/16/1893 Herman Stovey 1000 Hits, Philadelphia
06/22/1893 Johannes Beekhof 1500 Runs Scored, St. Louis
06/29/1893 Thomas O'Steen 1500 Hits, Milwaukee
07/01/1893 Sylvester Castro 1000 Hits, Minneapolis
07/03/1893 James Hall 4000 Strikeouts, New York
07/17/1893 James Varney 1000 Runs Scored, Chicago
07/19/1893 Patrick Jackson 1000 Hits, Cleveland

Haystacks · 10-16-2025, 07:20 AM

Season of 1894
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
The 1893-94 Winter Meeting saw nearly all clubs report good progress in finding ‘reserve roster clubs’, and commit to the next stage—forming a league for competition. This competition was expected to begin in 1895.
A notable rule change was the implementation of a foul bunt being called a strike.

Season Summary
The 1894 season would see offense continue its upward climb, with clubs in both leagues setting new records for hits, runs scored, and batting averages. Six players topped the .400 mark—the first ever to do so—most notably Jersey City native and New York Union newcomer George Dealy, who in his first professional season recorded 255 hits and a league-record average of .422.

In the Eastern League, early headlines belonged to New York Union, Brooklyn, and Pittsburgh. The New York Empire, meanwhile, stumbled badly out of the gate, starting 8–12 in their first 20 games.
By August, Buffalo sat atop the standings at 60–40, trailed closely by Pittsburgh and New York Union.
A tense September race saw Pittsburgh capture the Eastern Pennant, aided by two critical victories in Buffalo late in the month.

In the Western League, Kansas City, Detroit, and St. Louis battled fiercely for control. All three clubs faltered in September, allowing Milwaukee a late surge—but it was the St. Louis Browns who steadied themselves to claim their second Western pennant.
Detroit continued its steady rise from the depths of 1891, while the Canaries endured their worst campaign since joining the league in 1880.

League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

Team                     W   L   PCT   GB
--------------------------------------------------
Pittsburgh Alleghenys    86  58  .597   -
Buffalo Bisons           84  60  .583   2.0
New York Union           82  62  .569   4.0
Washington Senators      78  66  .542   8.0
New York Empire          69  75  .479  17.0
Brooklyn Atlantics       68  76  .472  18.0
Baltimore Blue Sox       68  76  .472  18.0
Boston Whalers           67  77  .465  19.0
Philadelphia Quakers     61  83  .424  25.0
Philadelphia Olympics    57  87  .396  29.0

Western League

Code:

Team                     W   L   PCT   GB
--------------------------------------------------
St. Louis Browns         83  61  .576   -
Detroit Wolverines       82  62  .569   1.0
Milwaukee Creams         81  63  .563   2.0
Kansas City Cowboys      79  65  .549   4.0
Cincinnati Originals     75  69  .521   8.0
Minneapolis Millers      75  69  .521   8.0
Chicago Cardinals        73  71  .507  10.0
St. Louis Canaries       65  79  .451  18.0
Chicago Packers          54  90  .375  29.0
Cleveland Colts          53  91  .368  30.0

National Championship Series

Eastern Pennant: Pittsburgh Alleghenys
Western Pennant: St. Louis Browns
Result: Pittsburgh wins series, 4–3.
Series Silver Ball: Ulysses Windmon, LF, Pittsburgh

To date, the wildest and highest-scoring championship ever seen. Pittsburgh took Game One, 11–4, before the Browns roared back to win the next three (19–12, 17–13, 10–2). The Alleghenys rallied to even the series, setting up a dramatic Game Seven in Pittsburgh.
Tied 10–10 in the tenth inning, Pittsburgh broke through for the walk-off victory in perhaps the most thrilling triumph in association history.

Batting Leaders – Combined

Average
1. George Dealy (NYU) – .422
2. Otto Burke (PHI) – .413
3. Frank Garret (MIN) – .409
4. Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .407
4. Thomas White (PIT) – .407

Home Runs
1. James Varney (CHI) – 37
2. Robert Chevalier (BOS) – 24
3. George Peterson (PHO) – 20
4. Joseph Jackson (BAL) – 19
5. Two tied – 18

Runs Batted In
1. James Logan (KC) – 162
2. Luis Rodriguez (NYE) – 144
3. Reid Hopkins (NYE) – 143
4. Isaiah Boyle (NYU) – 142
5. Joseph McGuire (MIL) – 140

Pitching Leaders – Combined

Wins
1. Willie Burke (MIN) – 35
2. Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 34
3. Henry Gilmore (BUF) – 31
3. Ira Mobley (SLB) – 31
5. Henry Thomas (PIT) – 29

Earned Run Average
1. Ira Mobley (SLB) – 3.23
2. Louis Sartre (DET) – 3.39
3. Willie Burke (MIN) – 3.53
4. Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 3.78
5. George Cary (SLB) – 3.79

Strikeouts
1. Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 170
2. James Hall (NYU) – 166
3. James Wright (BOS) – 142
4. Jasper Carson (SLC) – 134
5. Thomas Sutherland (NYE) – 132

Awards & Honors

Eastern League
Most Distinguished Player Medal – Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .407/.462/.618, 6 HR, 115 SB, 164 R, 132 RBI, 7.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal – Henry Gilmore (BUF) – 31–17, 3.92 ERA, 401.2 IP, 9.0 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal – George Dealy (NYU) – .422/.468/.573, 117 SB, 159 R, 137 RBI, 6.1 WAR

Western League
Most Distinguished Player Medal – William Kuehne (SLB) – .367/.483/.631, 18 HR, 61 SB, 139 R, 128 RBI, 7.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal – Ira Mobley (SLB) – 31–17, 3.23 ERA, 412.1 IP, 11.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal – William Kuehne (SLB) – .367/.483/.631, 18 HR, 61 SB, 7.7 WAR

Notable Events & Milestones

William Nelson, long-time Milwaukee third baseman and the man who recorded the first hit in Association history, announced his retirement at age 42. In 1,677 games he tallied 1,345 hits, 627 RBI, and 576 stolen bases with a career average of .243.

Pitcher Henry Hall also retired after a remarkable 6,205.2 innings pitched since his 1876 debut, posting a 3.15 ERA, 383 wins, and 3,209 strikeouts. He departs as the career leader in innings pitched, though James Hall (NYU) now approaches that mark with no sign he will retire soon.

Boston Whalers manager Harry Wright retires. After 19 seasons, 1982 games and 1144 wins, Wright has announced his retirement from professional baseball. He will forever be remembered fondly by the Boston fanatics for the 6 Eastern League Pennant wins, although he could never shake the 'curse of the whaler', failing to bring a National Championship win to Boston.

Record Performances
• Bert Hecker (CHI) – New record hitting streak: 37 games (07/09/1894)
• Levi Ryder (NY) – 7-for-7 game, 8 RBI (09/01/1894)
• William Coe (NY) – 6-for-7, HR (05/11/1894)

Hit for the Cycle – 1894
Herman Stovey (CIN) – 04/25
Charles Garces (BRO) – 05/01
Robert Chevalier (BOS) – 05/19
Johannes Beekhof (SLB) – 05/25
Frank Brown (CHI) – 08/02
Daniel Hall (SLB) – 08/10

Career Milestones Reached

04/08/1894 – Robert Plymouth – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York
04/12/1894 – Henry Plymouth – 1500 Hits, while playing for Philadelphia
04/16/1894 – Edward Schmidt – 1500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati
04/27/1894 – Henry Leach – 1000 Hits, while playing for St. Louis
04/27/1894 – Robert Wright – 1000 Hits, while playing for Philadelphia
04/29/1894 – Isaiah Wilson – 1000 Runs Batted In, while playing for Milwaukee
05/03/1894 – James Hall – 400 Wins, while playing for New York
05/09/1894 – William Machner – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Philadelphia
05/11/1894 – James Wright – 2500 Strikeouts, while playing for Boston
05/26/1894 – Edward King – 1000 Runs Scored, while playing for St. Louis
05/27/1894 – Moses McColl – 1000 Hits, while playing for Pittsburgh
06/18/1894 – Jimmy Varney – 2000 Hits, while playing for Chicago
07/03/1894 – Edward King – 1000 Runs Batted In, while playing for St. Louis
07/20/1894 – Reid Hopkins – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York
07/21/1894 – Jack Bristol – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cleveland
07/26/1894 – Cyrus Anderson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cincinnati
08/13/1894 – Jasper Carson – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for St. Louis
08/13/1894 – Isaiah Wilson – 2000 Hits, while playing for Milwaukee
08/23/1894 – Henry Wharton – 1500 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York
08/25/1894 – Lemuel Thompson – 1000 Runs Batted In, while playing for Philadelphia
08/26/1894 – Thomas Earcia – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York
08/30/1894 – William Coe – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York
08/31/1894 – Andrew Morgan – 1500 Hits, while playing for New York
09/05/1894 – David Hemp – 1000 Hits, while playing for St. Louis
09/06/1894 – Charles Goodfellow – 1000 Hits, while playing for Pittsburgh
09/13/1894 – Andrew Morgan – 1000 Runs Scored, while playing for New York

Haystacks · 10-16-2025, 07:33 AM

National Association Reserve League

At the Winter Meeting of 1894 the Association confirmed the creation of the National Association Reserve League.

Teams will play a 90 game season, starting April, with a League Championship Series between the winner of each league, wrapping up the season by October.

Eastern Reserve League

Boston Whalers – Providence Islanders
New York Empire – Jersey City Locomotives
New York Union – New Haven Angels
Brooklyn Atlantics – Troy Greeks
Philadelphia Quakers – Scranton Miners
Philidelphia Olympics – Reading Olympics
Baltimore Blue Sox – Wilmington Blues
Washington Senators – Richmond Rifles
Pittsburgh Alleghenys – Harrisburg Steel
Buffalo Bisons – Albany Lumberjacks

Western Reserve League

St. Louis Browns - St. Joseph Outlaws
Detroit Wolverines - Toledo Coots
Milwaukee Creams - Madison Presidents
Kansas City Cowboys - Colombia Cowboys
Cincinnati Originals - Columbus Explorers
Minneapolis Millers - St. Paul Saints
Chicago Cardinals - Fort Wayne Cardinals
St. Louis Canaries - Nashville Smokies
Chciago Packers - Omaha Railraoders
Cleveland Colts - Indianapolis Americans

Haystacks · 10-16-2025, 05:42 PM

Season of 1895
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
The big news from the 1894–95 Winter Meetings was the finalization of plans to form the National Association Reserve League.
This would provide structured competitive play for players assigned to the reserve roster and further solidify the dominance of the National Association — giving it a presence in another twenty cities.

Season Summary
The first few months of the season saw the Philadelphia Quakers leading the Eastern League for much of the campaign, occasionally trading places with New York Union.
They were closely followed by Brooklyn and New York Empire.

By September, Union opened a five-game lead and held out for the pennant.
At the other end, the Philadelphia Olympics set a new record for most losses in a season (104). Boston finished with an identical record to 1894, while Baltimore continued to struggle.

In the West, the battle for supremacy was fought between the Cardinals, St. Louis Browns, Kansas City Cowboys, and Milwaukee Creams.
The Browns dominated July (23–7), opening a ten-game lead and holding it for the rest of the season.
At the bottom, the Colts repeated their 1894 record, and the Canaries fared even worse.

League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
87  57  .604   -    New York Union
81  63  .563   6.0  New York Empire
80  64  .556   7.0  Brooklyn Atlantics
79  65  .549   8.0  Buffalo Bisons
78  66  .542   9.0  Washington Senators
76  68  .528  11.0  Philadelphia Quakers
75  69  .521  12.0  Pittsburgh Alleghenys
67  77  .465  20.0  Boston Whalers
57  87  .396  30.0  Baltimore Blue Sox
40 104  .278  47.0  Philadelphia Olympics

Western League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
89  55  .618   -    St. Louis Browns
78  66  .542  11.0  Detroit Wolverines
75  69  .521  14.0  Milwaukee Creams
75  69  .521  14.0  Minneapolis Millers
74  70  .514  15.0  Kansas City Cowboys
72  72  .500  17.0  Chicago Cardinals
72  72  .500  17.0  Chicago Packers
69  75  .479  20.0  St. Louis Canaries
63  81  .438  26.0  Cleveland Colts
53  91  .368  36.0

[HR][/HR]
National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Union
Western Pennant: St. Louis Browns
Result: Browns win series, 4–2
Series Silver Ball: Rufus Mulkins, SS, St. Louis Browns

Batting Leaders (Combined)
Average (AVG)

Bert Hecker – CHI – .407
Charles Goodfellow – PIT – .404
George Dealy – NYU – .401
Joseph Swartwood – PIT – .387
Andrew Monroe – CHP – .382

Home Runs (HR)

Andrew Robinson – BRK – 25
Robert Chevalier – PHI – 17
Timothy Mitchell – BOS – 15
Henry Wainwright – NYU – 15
Two others tied with 15

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Isaiah Boyle – NYU – 145
Robert Veach – MIL – 141
Otto Burke – PHI – 139
Clinton Bayman – KC – 137
Robert Lovelady – NYU – 135

[HR][/HR]
Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins (W)

George Cary – SLB – 30
Henry Cushman – NYU – 29
Troy Kentwood – MIL – 29
George Robinson – PHI – 29
Walter Stillwater – BUF – 29

Earned Run Average (ERA)

Louis Sartre – DET – 3.30
Troy Kentwood – MIL – 3.42
Walter Stillwater – BUF – 3.44
Shaw Johnson – DET – 3.45
George Robinson – PHI – 3.52

Strikeouts (K)

Troy Kentwood – MIL – 177
Henry Gilmore – BUF – 171
James Hall – NYU – 159
George Robinson – PHI – 154
Shaw Johnson – DET – 153

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: George Dealy (NYU) – .401/.436/.518, 5 HR, 117 RBI, 7.2 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 29–16, 3.52 ERA, 10.4 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Joseph Leach (BOS) – .346/.438/.468, 3.2 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Bert Hecker (CHI) – .407/.456/.549, 169 wRC+, 6.6 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 29–22, 3.42 ERA, 15.1 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .342/.421/.569, 137 RBI, 6.6 WAR

Notable Events & Notes

Johannes Beekhof sets a new stolen base record with 203.
Canaries trade 35 year-old Beekhof to the Chicago Canaries at the close of the season. In return the receive a slate of prospects, Rodolfo Jasso, Joseph Shields and David Ruth.
Beekhof started 1817 games for the Canaries since 1880, recording 2491 hits, 935 RBI, 2072 SB, and an average of .318. Whilst winning 10 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’s, 6 National Championship Series, and 1 Series Silver Ball.
Chicago trades veteran Jimmy Varney to the Minneapolis Millers.
Varney made his debut at just 17 years-old for the Cardinals in the 1876 season. He has gone on to start in 2060 games for the Chicago club, recording 2216 hits, 160 HR, 1286 RBI, with an average of .272.
In return, Chicago receives prospects Jack Donaldson and James Kappel.
Retirement of Henry Wharton, New York Empire legend.
Wharton joined the professional ranks quite late, making his debut at 29 years-old in 1881. He went on to start 1537 games for Empire, recording 1898 hits, 842 RBI, 1503 SB, chalking up a career average of .300. He would win 4 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’s, 4 National Championship Series and 2 Series Silver Balls.

6+ Hit Games

05/31/1895 – David Dalrymple – 7 Hits in 7 AB vs Minneapolis (Cincinnati)
09/17/1895 – John White – 6 Hits in 8 AB, 5 RBI vs Cincinnati (Minneapolis)

Hit for the Cycle

06/21/1895 – Guy Blackwell – 4-for-6, HR, 3 RBI (Cincinnati)
06/27/1895 – Rufus Mulkins – 4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (St. Louis)
07/19/1895 – Fred Boston – 5-for-5, HR, 4 RBI (Pittsburgh)
09/07/1895 – Thomas Flores – 5-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Buffalo)
10/05/1895 – Rufus Mulkins – 5-for-7, HR, 2 RBI (St. Louis)

No-Hitters

08/15/1895 – Lewis Wheelock – 4 K, 0 BB, 9 IP vs Buffalo (Washington)

Notable Hit Streaks

07/23/1895 – Charles Goodfellow – 35 Games (Pittsburgh)

Most Notable Milestones

04/15/1895 – Patrick Cassidy – 1000 Runs Scored (Washington)
04/27/1895 – Henry Astor – 1500 Strikeouts (Boston)
04/30/1895 – John Robinson – 1500 Hits (Philadelphia)
05/13/1895 – Boone Fairweather – 1000 Hits (St. Louis)
05/26/1895 – William Hall – 150 Wins (Chicago)
05/28/1895 – Franz Miller – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
05/29/1895 – Joseph Robinson – 1000 Hits (Milwaukee)
05/29/1895 – Joseph McGuire – 1000 Hits (Milwaukee)
06/01/1895 – George Peterson – 1000 Hits (Baltimore)
06/05/1895 – Lemuel Thompson – 2000 Hits (Philadelphia)
06/19/1895 – Joseph Swartwood – 1000 Hits (Pittsburgh)
07/02/1895 – David Thomas – 1000 Stolen Bases (Chicago)
07/08/1895 – William Porter – 1000 Hits (Cincinnati)
07/22/1895 – Sidney Powers – 1000 Hits (Cleveland)
07/23/1895 – Joseph Wells – 1500 Strikeouts (Minneapolis)
07/27/1895 – Henry Gilmore – 1000 Strikeouts (Buffalo)
07/31/1895 – Johannes Beekhof – 2000 Stolen Bases (St. Louis)
07/31/1895 – Robert Cusick – 1000 Hits (Kansas City)
08/02/1895 – George Hill – 1500 Hits (Boston)
08/21/1895 – Edward King – 2000 Hits (St. Louis)
08/23/1895 – Edward Krieg – 1000 Hits (New York)
08/23/1895 – Billy Hulbert – 1000 Runs Scored (Boston)
08/31/1895 – George Hill – 1000 Runs Scored (Boston)
09/08/1895 – Herman Stovey – 1000 Runs Scored (Cincinnati)
09/10/1895 – Charles White – 1000 Runs Batted In (Boston)
09/11/1895 – Timothy Mitchell – 1000 Hits (Boston)
09/11/1895 – Caleb White – 1500 Strikeouts (New York)
09/23/1895 – Lewis Wheelock – 150 Wins (Washington)
09/23/1895 – Edward Graise – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
09/25/1895 – William Calles – 1000 Hits (Detroit)
09/28/1895 – Al Weldon – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)

Haystacks · 10-16-2025, 07:29 PM

Season of 1896
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
The Winter Meeting saw a ruling that umpires must "give corners of the plate" to the pitcher — meaning that if a ball passed over any part of the plate within the zone between shoulders and knees, it must be called a strike.
Otherwise, it was an uneventful off-season.

Season Summary
The Philadelphia Quakers effectively ran away with the Eastern League; by the end of May they were seven games ahead of second-place Baltimore, and nobody ever truly got close. They would set a new Association record for most wins in a season, with 99 victories.

Baltimore enjoyed their best campaign since 1885, while the Boston Whalers continued to struggle under new management following the Harry Wright era.

The Western League proved far more competitive — Kansas City, the Packers, Browns, and Detroit all trading places atop the standings. In the final weeks, Kansas City’s three wins in a pivotal four-game series at home against the Packers proved decisive.

Despite disappointment, Chicago Packers fans were buoyed by their best finish since their championship of 1885. At the bottom, the Canaries sank further, ending in 10th place.

League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
99  45  .688   -    Philadelphia Quakers
86  58  .597  13.0  Baltimore Blue Sox
80  64  .556  19.0  Washington Senators
75  69  .521  24.0  Buffalo Bisons
74  70  .514  25.0  New York Empire
68  76  .472  31.0  New York Union
67  77  .465  32.0  Pittsburgh Alleghenys
61  83  .424  38.0  Philadelphia Olympics
57  87  .396  42.0  Brooklyn Atlantics
53  91  .368  46.0  Boston Whalers

Western League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
86  58  .597   -    Kansas City Cowboys
83  61  .576   3.0  Chicago Packers
79  65  .549   7.0  St. Louis Browns
79  65  .549   7.0  Detroit Wolverines
73  71  .507  13.0  Milwaukee Creams
73  71  .507  13.0  Chicago Cardinals
71  73  .493  15.0  Minneapolis Millers
64  80  .444  22.0  Cincinnati Originals
58  86  .403  28.0  Cleveland Colts
54  90  .375  32.0  St. Louis Canaries

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Philadelphia Quakers
Western Pennant: Kansas City Cowboys
Result: Kansas City win series, 4–3
Series Silver Ball: George White, C, Kansas City

The 1896 National Championship Series proved to be one of the tightest in the history of the contest — five of the seven games were decided by a single run.
Philadelphia took the first two games, but the Cowboys fought back to even the series with wins in Games 3 and 4. The Quakers edged Game 5 to retake the lead, only for Kansas City to rally once more — winning Games 6 and 7 by narrow margins to capture their first national championship title.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Average (AVG)

John Pyle – BAL – .384
Charles Goodfellow – PIT – .378
John Allen – WAS – .375
Clinton Bayman – KC – .371
Allan Forrest – BRK – .371

Home Runs (HR)

Robert Chevalier – PHI – 22
Timothy Mitchell – BOS – 22
Andrew Robinson – BRK – 15
Jimmy Varney – MIN – 14

Runs Batted In (RBI)

James Logan – KC – 127
Charles Goodfellow – PIT – 126
Joseph Gruber – CLE – 124
Boone McLaughlin – BOS – 123
Two tied with – 119

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins (W)

George Robinson – PHI – 33
Willie Burke – MIN – 31
Art Philpot – SLB – 29
Lars Sommers – PHI – 29
Six tied with – 28

Earned Run Average (ERA)

George Robinson – PHI – 2.52
Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.74
Julius Mitchell – CHP – 2.87
Charles Clay – SLB – 2.89
Art Philpot – SLB – 2.99

Strikeouts (K)

Thomas Sutherland – NYE – 173
Art Philpot – SLB – 167
James Green – — – 163
Troy Kentwood – MIL – 152
Robert Sykes – CHI – 151

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Robert Chevalier (PHI) – .325/.429/.576, 22 HR, 111 RBI, 6.8 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 33–16, 2.52 ERA, 406.2 IP, 10.1 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: John Pyle (BAL) – .384/.479/.634, 7.1 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .371/.437/.608, 122 R, 116 RBI, 8.2 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Shaw Johnson (DET) – 24–20, 2.74 ERA, 410 IP, 10.6 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Elmer Guthrie (KC) – .325/.374/.400, 116 SB, 3.6 WAR

Notable Events & Notes

Johannes Beekhof sets another stolen base record, with 208 steals in a single season.

6+ Hit Games

06/04/1896 – Clayton Prince – 6-for-6, 5 RBI vs Philadelphia (Philadelphia)
06/06/1896 – Joseph Hall – 6-for-7, HR, 4 RBI vs Minneapolis (Chicago)
07/04/1896 – George Dealy – 6-for-6, 2 RBI vs Philadelphia (New York)

Hit for the Cycle

07/09/1896 – William King – 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI vs Boston (Buffalo)
08/05/1896 – Frederick Hall – 4-for-5, HR, RBI vs Chicago (Cleveland)

Most Notable Milestones

04/11/1896 – William Montgomery – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)
04/11/1896 – Thomas White – 1000 Hits (Pittsburgh)
04/14/1896 – Willie Burke – 150 Wins (Minneapolis)
04/21/1896 – Johannes Beekhof – 2500 Hits (Chicago)
04/21/1896 – Thomas Hill – 150 Wins (Pittsburgh)
04/25/1896 – Charles Garces – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn)
04/25/1896 – Edward Moses – 1000 Hits (Minneapolis)
05/03/1896 – Johannes Beekhof – 2100 Stolen Bases (Chicago)
05/09/1896 – Reid Hopkins – 1000 Runs Scored (New York)
05/14/1896 – Rashad Eggerson – 1000 Hits (Detroit)
05/23/1896 – Billy Hulbert – 1500 Hits (Detroit)
05/23/1896 – Herman Stovey – 1500 Hits (Cincinnati)
05/30/1896 – Lewis Clay – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn)
06/06/1896 – Frank Brown – 1000 RBI (Chicago)
06/09/1896 – Lemuel Thompson – 1500 Runs Scored (Philadelphia)
06/11/1896 – Thomas Flores – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)
06/13/1896 – Willie Burke – 1000 Strikeouts (Minneapolis)
06/19/1896 – Levi Ryder – 2000 Hits (New York)
06/29/1896 – James Hall – 4500 Strikeouts (New York)
07/08/1896 – Frank Brown – 1500 Runs Scored (Chicago)
07/12/1896 – Cyrus Anderson – 1000 Stolen Bases (New York)
07/18/1896 – Christopher Moore – 1000 Hits (Chicago)
07/22/1896 – Otto Burke – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia)
07/27/1896 – William Gunning – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)
08/07/1896 – Johannes Beekhof – 2000 Runs Scored (Chicago)
08/08/1896 – Charles Goodfellow – 1000 Runs Scored (Pittsburgh)
08/10/1896 – Cesar Lopez – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)
08/15/1896 – William Rheubottom – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn)
08/15/1896 – Charles King – 1500 Hits (Minneapolis)
08/15/1896 – William King – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)
08/16/1896 – Charles Sims – 1000 Hits (New York)
08/21/1896 – Henry Chaves – 1000 Hits (St. Louis)
08/22/1896 – Henry Wainwright – 1000 Hits (New York)
08/24/1896 – Lewis Wheelock – 1000 Strikeouts (Washington)
08/25/1896 – George Flaherty – 1000 Hits (Chicago)
09/03/1896 – Patrick Peak – 1000 Hits (St. Louis)
09/20/1896 – Charles Goodfellow – 1500 Hits (Pittsburgh)
09/26/1896 – Henry Green – 2500 Hits (Detroit)

Haystacks · 10-17-2025, 08:26 AM

Season of 1897
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Off-Season Summary
A notable rule change this off-season saw official Association-appointed scorers introduced for all games, ending the long-criticized practice of home clubs assigning their own scorekeepers — a move designed to combat home-field bias in scorekeeping.

Season Summary
The Eastern League saw both Philadelphia clubs start strongest, the Quakers and the Olympics racing ahead through spring.
By midsummer, the New York Union emerged to challenge the Quakers, the two clubs trading places through August as their rivals fell away.

Union swept Pittsburgh in the final series of the season, while the Quakers dropped two crucial games at home to the Olympics — sealing the Eastern Pennant for New York Union.
At the opposite end, Pittsburgh endured their worst campaign, finishing last only three years removed from their championship winning season. Brooklyn languished in ninth once more, and Boston showed modest improvement. The Olympics, despite their form collapsing, claimed their best finish since 1889.

In the West, the St. Louis Browns — now often dubbed the “Beavers” by local papers — started fast, chased by the Colts, Wolverines, and Packers.
Late-June was a struggle for the Beavers, including being swept at the Colts and losses to the Wolverines, saw Detroit rise to the top of the table.

They entered September with a four-game lead and never looked back, clinching their first Western Pennant.

The Colts collapsed to eighth after a promising first half, the Millers suffered their worst year to date, and the Canaries again occupied bottom spot.

League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
87  57  .604   -    New York Union
86  58  .597   1.0  Philadelphia Quakers
75  69  .521  12.0  Baltimore Blue Sox
74  70  .514  13.0  Buffalo Bisons
74  70  .514  13.0  Washington Senators
72  72  .500  15.0  New York Empire
68  76  .472  19.0  Philadelphia Olympics
63  81  .438  24.0  Boston Whalers
62  82  .431  25.0  Brooklyn Atlantics
59  85  .410  28.0  Pittsburgh Alleghenys

Western League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
91  53  .632   -    Detroit Wolverines
87  57  .604   4.0  St. Louis Beavers
76  68  .528  15.0  Chicago Packers
73  71  .507  18.0  Kansas City Cowboys
72  72  .500  19.0  Chicago Cardinals
70  74  .486  21.0  Cincinnati Originals
68  76  .472  23.0  Milwaukee Creams
67  77  .465  24.0  Cleveland Colts
65  79  .451  26.0  Minneapolis Millers
51  93  .354  40.0  St. Louis Canaries

[HR][/HR]
National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: New York Union
Western Pennant: Detroit Wolverines
Result: Detroit win series, 4–3
Series Silver Ball: Silas Reading, CF, Detroit

It was a familiar heartbreak for the Union, falling short once more at the final hurdle, while Detroit claimed the National Championship Series on their first appearance.

The series swung back and forth through six tightly contested games, Game 7 saw the Wolverines storm out with five early runs. Despite a sixth inning rally by the Union, ace Shaw Johnson shut the door with a masterful performance on the mound, sealing Detroit’s maiden title.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Average (AVG)

Clinton Bayman – KC – .389
Allan Forrest – BRK – .386
Isaiah Boyle – NYU – .373
Bert Hecker – CHI – .365
Milton Grisham – DET – .365

Home Runs (HR)

Robert Chevalier – PHI – 18
Timothy Mitchell – BOS – 17
Jimmy Varney – MIN – 17
Charles Garces – BRK – 14
Andrew Robinson – BRK – 10

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Milton Grisham – DET – 131
Joseph Rowry – WAS – 131
John Hill – PIT – 129
John Pyle – BAL – 124

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins (W)

Javon Ephron – DET – 33
Art Philpot – SLB – 33
Joseph Nelson – CHI – 30
Three tied with – 29

Earned Run Average (ERA)

Art Philpot – SLB – 2.58
Julius Mitchell – CHP – 2.72
Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.72
Charles Clay – SLB – 2.81
Javon Ephron – DET – 2.98

Strikeouts (K)

Art Philpot – SLB – 205
Shaw Johnson – DET – 192
Elias Preciado – NYE – 184
George Conway – PHO – 168
Two tied with – 144

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Isaiah Boyle (NYU) – .373/.466/.544, 117 RBI, 8.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 28–20, 3.28 ERA, 414 IP, 8.3 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Rudolph Hackenberry (BUF) – .347/.408/.445, 112 RBI, 3.9 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .389/.464/.618, 121 RBI, 9.2 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Art Philpot (SLB) – 33–16, 2.58 ERA, 439 IP, 13.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Homer Glines (CLE) – .360/.400/.492, 93 SB, 109 RBI, 6.1 WAR

[HR][/HR]
Notable Events & Notes

Two heroes of the old Colonels/Canaries dynasty retire:
– Edward King (2B): Debuted 1881, 1,855 games, 2,062 hits, 1,132 RBI, .293 AVG, 6 Championships.
– Jasper Carson (P): Joined 1889 from Baltimore, 252–240, 507 GS, 4,257 IP, 1,756 K, 3.39 ERA, 1 Hurler Medal (1890), 1 Silver Ball (1889), 3 Championships.
James Hall — regarded as the greatest pitcher of his generation — also retires.
Debuted in 1878 with New York Empire, winning four championships and the first two Distinguished Hurler Medals awarded in the East(1886–87). Later joined cross-town rivals New York Union, contributing to their first pennants.
Hall led the league 5 times in wins, 3 in ERA, 2 in innings pitched, and dominated strikeouts every year from 1880–94.
Career totals: 485–308, 868 games, 7090.1 IP, 4,692 K, 3.19 ERA.

6+ Hit Games

05/15/1897 – Andrew Monroe – 7-for-7, RBI vs Kansas City (Chicago)

Hit for the Cycle

06/02/1897 – Hiram Lovett – 4-for-6, HR, 6 RBI vs St. Louis (Detroit)
07/24/1897 – George Hill – 4-for-4, HR, 3 RBI vs Brooklyn (Boston)

Triple Crown Winner

1897 – Art Philpot (SLB): 33–16, 2.58 ERA, 439.0 IP, 205 K – first Triple Crown since 1883.

Haystacks · 10-17-2025, 02:42 PM

Season of 1898
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Season Summary
The Eastern League opened with the Philadelphia Quakers and Washington Senators sparring for the top spot, closely followed by Pittsburgh and New York Empire.

By June, the Quakers had a 28–17 record, with Washington just one game behind. Red-hot form in June saw the Quakers lose only four games all month, opening a seven-game lead that they would never relinquish. From then on Philadelphia’s dominance went unchallenged as their lead grew through the summer.

Last season’s champions, New York Union, slumped badly to 8th place, while Buffalo recorded their worst finish in franchise history.

The Western League was a different story — a wide-open race early on as both Chicago clubs, Kansas City, Detroit, and Milwaukee jostled for first.

An impressive July run saw Kansas City go 17–6, seizing the lead for the first time all season. They never gave it up, though Detroit remained close behind until the final week.

At the foot of the standings, the Canaries finished bottom for a third straight year, while the Beavers slumped to their poorest campaign since 1892. Both Chicago clubs faltered badly in the second half, each finishing under .500, but Cleveland celebrated their best season since finishing second in 1889.

League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
93  51  .646   -    Philadelphia Quakers
77  67  .535  16.0  New York Empire
74  70  .514  19.0  Washington Senators
73  71  .507  20.0  Philadelphia Olympics
71  73  .493  22.0  Pittsburgh Alleghenys
68  76  .472  25.0  Baltimore Blue Sox
68  76  .472  25.0  Boston Whalers
67  77  .465  26.0  New York Union
65  79  .451  28.0  Buffalo Bisons
64  80  .444  29.0  Brooklyn Atlantics

Western League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
84  60  .583   -    Kansas City Cowboys
81  63  .563   3.0  Detroit Wolverines
76  68  .528   8.0  Milwaukee Creams
75  69  .521   9.0  Minneapolis Millers
70  74  .486  14.0  Cleveland Colts
70  74  .486  14.0  Chicago Cardinals
69  75  .479  15.0  Chicago Packers
67  77  .465  17.0  St. Louis Beavers
65  79  .451  19.0  Cincinnati Originals
63  81  .438  21.0  St. Louis Canaries

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Philadelphia Quakers
Western Pennant: Kansas City Cowboys
Result: Kansas City win series, 4–3
Series Silver Ball: Eugene Kline, 1B, Kansas City

It was another back-and-forth, seven-game National Championship Series.

Game 7, played in Philadelphia, began tightly before the Cowboys struck twice in the second inning. The score held close until the seventh, when Quakers pitching unravelled and Kansas City erupted for seven more runs.

The home crowd watched in disbelief as the Quakers’ offense managed just five hits in a 10–0 drubbing — a humiliating defeat on their own turf.
The Cowboys, behind dominant hitting and relentless pressure, claimed their second National Championship.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Average (AVG)

Allan Forrest – BRK – .350
Eugene Kline – KC – .348
Edward Moses – MIN – .348
Isaiah Boyle – NYU – .345
Virgil Buck – WAS – .341

Home Runs (HR)

Robert Chevalier – PHI – 18
John Barber – SLB – 11
George Peterson – PHO – 10
Patrick Clem – CHI – 9
Two others tied with – 9

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Robert Chevalier – PHI – 114
William Thompson – MIL – 108
Henrik Calland – MIL – 104
Otto Burke – PHI – 102
Gustav Cropper – WAS – 102

Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins (W)

Lars Sommers – PHI – 36
James Dufour – PHI – 30
Louis Sartre – DET – 30
William McGlone – SLC – 28
Two tied with – 27

Earned Run Average (ERA)

Lars Sommers – PHI – 1.91
Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.27
Caleb Mathews – WAS – 2.29
Art Philpot – SLB – 2.49
William Moodey – KC – 2.50

Strikeouts (K)

Shaw Johnson – DET – 174
Art Philpot – SLB – 169
George Conway – PHO – 156
Thomas Hall – WAS – 152
Two tied with – 150

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Robert Chevalier (PHI) – .296/.404/.469, 18 HR, 114 RBI, 7.7 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Lars Sommers (PHI) – 36–9, 1.91 ERA, 418.2 IP, 8.9 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Charles Greenwood (WAS) – .328/.386/.435, 111 R, 2.3 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .336/.405/.501, 107 R, 101 RBI, 8.0 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Shaw Johnson (DET) – 26–18, 2.27 ERA, 385 IP, 10.8 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Franz Wagner (SLC) – .332/.411/.460, 4 HR, 157 wRC+, 4.6 WAR

Notable Events & Notes

Kansas City’s victory marks their second title in three years - this is the longest stretch on consecutive National Championship wins for Eastern clubs since 1876-81.
Lars Sommers’ sub-2.00 ERA is the first since Walter Stillwater posted 1.72 in 1892.

[HR][/HR]
Hit for the Cycle

06/04/1898 – Hiram Lovett – 5-for-6, HR, 2 RBI vs Kansas City (Detroit)

Haystacks · 10-18-2025, 09:06 AM

Season of 1899
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

Season Summary
As the Eastern League got underway, it was the four clubs still seeking their first pennant — Washington, Buffalo, Philadelphia Olympics, and Brooklyn — who came out the gates strongest.

The Senators surged ahead in June with a blistering 21–8 month, opening a comfortable lead they would hold for the rest of the campaign.

Baltimore dropped to 10th for the first time since 1892, while New York Empire endured a historically poor season — their lowest finish and worst winning percentage since 1877.

The Western League delivered one of the tightest pennant races in recent memory.
Cincinnati’s remarkable July (18–3) propelled them into first place, they appeared unstoppable, but a disastrous August slump blew the race for the Pennant wide open. As September began, Cincinnati led at 69–55, with Detroit half a game back and St. Louis one game behind.

The Originals collapsed down the stretch, losing 14 of their final 21 games. The Beavers capitalized, overtaking both rivals in the final week to clinch the pennant — their first since 1893.

At the bottom, the Millers posted their worst-ever record, while the Canaries and Packers again occupied the lower rungs of the table.

League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
86  58  .597   -    Washington Senators
77  67  .535   9.0  Buffalo Bisons
77  67  .535   9.0  Philadelphia Olympics
75  69  .521  11.0  Brooklyn Atlantics
72  72  .500  14.0  New York Union
70  74  .486  16.0  Philadelphia Quakers
68  76  .472  18.0  Boston Whalers
67  77  .465  19.0  Pittsburgh Alleghenys
65  79  .451  21.0  New York Empire
63  81  .438  23.0  Baltimore Blue Sox

Western League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
82  62  .569   -    St. Louis Beavers
81  63  .563   1.0  Detroit Wolverines
76  68  .528   6.0  Cincinnati Originals
76  68  .528   6.0  Chicago Cardinals
75  69  .521   7.0  Milwaukee Creams
74  70  .514   8.0  Kansas City Cowboys
71  73  .493  11.0  Cleveland Colts
70  74  .486  12.0  Chicago Packers
64  80  .444  18.0  St. Louis Canaries
51  93  .354  31.0  Minneapolis Millers

National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Washington Senators
Western Pennant: St. Louis Beavers
Result: Beavers win series, 4–2
Series Silver Ball: John Barber, CF, St. Louis Beavers

The Beavers took Game 1 in a back and forth, offensive dual finishing 8–6, before the Senators struck back to win Games 2 and 3 by identical 3–1 margins.
But the experienced St. Louis side regrouped, taking the next three contests in succession to seal their third National Championship.

Batting Leaders (Combined)

Average (AVG)

Allan Forrest – BRK – .383
Isaiah Boyle – NYU – .373
Charles Greenwood – WAS – .369
Joseph Pound – PIT – .363
John Pyle – BAL – .360

Home Runs (HR)

Robert Chevalier – PHI – 25
Charles Garces – BRK – 19
George Peterson – PHO – 15
Joseph Jackson – NYE – 12
William Kuehne – SLB – 12

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Lars Baker – WAS – 128
Eugene Kline – KC – 118
Andrew Weyhing – BOS – 112
Edward Bauer – NYU – 110
Joseph Rowry – WAS – 106

[HR][/HR]
Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins (W)

Art Philpot – SLB – 30
Leonard Hale – BUF – 29
James Farris – PHO – 28
Caleb Mathews – WAS – 28
George Robinson – PHI – 28

Earned Run Average (ERA)

Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.34
Leonard Hale – BUF – 2.40
George Harris – SLB – 2.59
George Robinson – PHI – 2.69
Art Philpot – SLB – 2.92

Strikeouts (K)

Shaw Johnson – DET – 183
Robert Veach – CIN – 161
Art Philpot – SLB – 160
Julian Bradley – CIN – 137
George Harris – SLB – 133

Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: John Pyle (BAL) – .360/.464/.524, 3 HR, 38 SB, 120 R, 8.6 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 28–20, 2.69 ERA, 418.2 IP, 8.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: John Dealy (PIT) – .303/.364/.440, 131 R, 7.1 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: William Kuehne (SLB) – .338/.417/.503, 12 HR, 53 SB, 116 R, 5.2 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Shaw Johnson (DET) – 27–16, 2.34 ERA, 403.1 IP, 12.1 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Edward Jackson (CLE) – .333/.377/.466, 21 SB, 5.4 WAR

Notable Events & Notes

St. Louis Beavers claim their third National Championship, overcoming an early series deficit.
Washington capture their first Eastern Pennant in franchise history.
Shaw Johnson cements his reputation as the Association’s most dominant pitcher with another ERA and strikeout crown.

6-Hit Games

08/14/1899 – William Martin – 6-for-8, 0 RBI vs St. Louis (Chicago)
09/07/1899 – Lewis McEwen – 6-for-6, HR, 3 RBI vs Minneapolis (St. Louis)

Hit for the Cycle

05/13/1899 – Charles Wright – 5-for-6, HR, 6 RBI vs Minneapolis (Cincinnati)
05/25/1899 – Isaiah Boyle – 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI vs Boston (New York)

Haystacks · 10-20-2025, 12:18 PM

Season of 1900
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs

[HR][/HR]
Season Summary
1900 marked the final baseball season of the 19th century and the 25th campaign of the National Association.

The Eastern League pennant race remained tightly contested through early summer, with the Senators, Quakers, Whalers, Olympics, and Blue Sox all trading places at the top.
By August, the Boston Whalers had pulled clear, opening a five-game lead over the Quakers. A dominant 21–9 August run stretched their advantage to eight games, and although September proved their weakest month (9–9), Philadelphia failed to close the gap.

Boston mathematically secured the pennant with a decisive 10–2 win over the Quakers at Eastern League Park — their first Pennant since 1893.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh (now commonly referred to as the Allies) finished bottom for the second time in three years, and the Empire club’s struggles continued, finishing 9th for a second successive season.

Out West, the Cincinnati Originals, Cleveland Colts, and Kansas City Cowboys fought a fierce race for the top spot.
Cincinnati established a comfortable lead through June and July, and despite a sluggish August, entered September six games up on the Colts.
They clinched the pennant on the road in Minneapolis before seeming to lose focus, dropping two of three to the Canaries in the final week.

The Canaries, meanwhile, endured another dismal season — their sixth consecutive year finishing in the bottom two — a far cry from the powerhouse that had once dominated Western baseball.

[HR][/HR]
League Standings

Eastern League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
91  53  .632   -    Boston Whalers
83  61  .576   8.0  Philadelphia Quakers
79  65  .549  12.0  Washington Senators
76  68  .528  15.0  Philadelphia Olympics
73  71  .507  18.0  Baltimore Blue Sox
65  79  .451  26.0  Brooklyn Atlantics
65  79  .451  26.0  New York Union
65  79  .451  26.0  Buffalo Bisons
62  82  .431  29.0  New York Empire
61  83  .424  30.0  Pittsburgh Allies

Western League

Code:

W   L   PCT   GB   Team
86  58  .597   -    Cincinnati Originals
80  64  .556   6.0  Cleveland Colts
77  67  .535   9.0  St. Louis Beavers
75  69  .521  11.0  Kansas City Cowboys
75  69  .521  11.0  Chicago Cardinals
74  70  .514  12.0  Detroit Wolverines
69  75  .479  17.0  Milwaukee Creams
68  76  .472  18.0  Minneapolis Millers
60  84  .417  26.0  St. Louis Canaries
56  88  .389  30.0  Chicago Packers

[HR][/HR]
National Championship Series
Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers
Western Pennant: Cincinnati Originals
Result: Boston win series, 4–2
Series Silver Ball: James Thomas, LF, Boston

The Whalers returned to the Championship stage for the first time since 1893 — and for the first time without legendary manager Harry Wright, who retired in 1894 after six pennants but no titles.
The Originals, by contrast, were appearing in their 5th National Championship Series, their last coming in 1888, although the wait to return had been long, they went into this series without the burden of failure, they had won every Championship Series they had appeared in.

Boston stormed out to a 3–0 series lead before Cincinnati fought back with wins in Games 4 and 5, stirring memories of past Boston collapses.

They took game six straight to the Originals, putting up 9 runs in the first three innings, the Cincinnati boys would battle back, putting up 3 in the seventh, again Boston responded with another 4 runs over the 7th and 8th inning. Boston pitcher Chumley would appear to have lost it in the 9th, as the Originals rallied for a further 5 runs, back-up pitcher Charles Pinkney was called upon, he stemmed the incoming tied and through some deft pitching secured a 14 to 9 win for the Whalers, and their first National Championship win!

“WHALERS FINALLY HARPOON CHAMPIONSHIP” – Boston Mail, October 4, 1900

[HR][/HR]
Batting Leaders (Combined)

Average (AVG)

John Richards – SLC – .386
Joseph Harris – CIN – .355
Cyrus Holbert – PHO – .351
Andrew Weyhing – BOS – .348
William Miller – KC – .347

Home Runs (HR)

Robert Chevalier – PHI – 19
Ernst Vaive – CIN – 17
Charles Garces – BRK – 16
George Peterson – PHO – 9
Mo Stremy – MIN – 9

Runs Batted In (RBI)

Joseph Rowry – WAS – 111
Andrew Weyhing – BOS – 111
Clinton Bayman – KC – 106
Elijah Kilroy – CIN – 105

[HR][/HR]
Pitching Leaders (Combined)

Wins (W)

Julian Bradley – CIN – 32
Frederick Clay – BOS – 32
Leroy Chumley – BOS – 29
George Robinson – PHI – 29

Earned Run Average (ERA)

Joseph Nelson – CHI – 2.63
George Harris – SLB – 2.67
John Darrisaw – CLE – 2.72
Otto Teer – MIL – 2.73
Andrew O’Brien – WAS – 2.73

Strikeouts (K)

Art Philpot – SLB – 194
Robert Veach – CIN – 184
George Harris – SLB – 170
Shaw Johnson – DET – 166
Samuel Jowers – BRK – 148

[HR][/HR]
Awards & Honors

Eastern League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: John Pyle (BAL) – .336/.437/.515, 2 HR, 49 SB, 8.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Leroy Chumley (BOS) – 29–17, 2.74 ERA, 411.1 IP, 9.5 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: James Thomas (BOS) – .331/.402/.420, 161 SB, 148 R, 5.9 WAR

Western League

Most Distinguished Player Medal: Joseph Harris (CIN) – .355/.428/.490, 8 HR, 115 SB, 128 R, 6.6 WAR
Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Julian Bradley (CIN) – 32–10, 2.99 ERA, 403.1 IP, 10.4 WAR
Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Joseph Harris (CIN) – .355/.428/.490, 8 HR, 6.6 WAR

[HR][/HR]
Notable Events & Notes

Boston Whalers claim their first National Championship on their 7th attempt, ending a 25-year wait for glory.
Cincinnati’s perfect record in previous Championship appearances finally broken.
The Canaries finish in the bottom two for a sixth straight season.

[HR][/HR]
6-Hit Games

04/20/1900 – Joseph Robinson – 6-for-7, RBI vs Buffalo (New York)
04/24/1900 – Edward Bauer – 6-for-7, 4 RBI vs Pittsburgh (New York)
06/21/1900 – Joseph Rowry – 6-for-6, 4 RBI vs Pittsburgh (Washington)
07/26/1900 – Daniel O’Day – 6-for-8, 4 RBI vs Milwaukee (St. Louis)

Hit for the Cycle

07/19/1900 – James Vickers – 4-for-5, HR, 4 RBI vs Cincinnati (Cleveland)
07/20/1900 – Samuel Casey – 5-for-6, HR, 3 RBI vs St. Louis (Minneapolis)
07/30/1900 – Clarence Werrick – 4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI vs Buffalo (New York)

Notable Hitting Streaks

James Logan – 29 games (Kansas City)

10-12-2025, 07:01 AM	#21
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1885 Season Summary Season of 1885 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Season Summary In the Eastern League, it was August that would prove pivotal once again. The Metropolitans entered the month five games ahead of Baltimore, emerging ten games clear with a record of 58–25 come the end of the month. There was no looking back for the reigning champions of the East. At the other end of the standings, their neighbours, New York Union, fell to their worst finish since joining the league. Out West, the Chicago Packers would take the lead in June but never build a comfortable cushion between themselves and their rivals. Detroit and Louisville maintained the chase through the summer, but the Wolverines failed to seize the opportunities the Packers handed them when their form faltered. League Standings EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS W L PCT GB New York Metropolitans 78 34 .696 – Baltimore Blue Sox 66 46 .589 12.0 Boston Whalers 64 48 .571 14.0 Washington Senators 50 62 .446 28.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 50 62 .446 28.0 Philadelphia Quakers 48 64 .429 30.0 Philidelphia Olympics 46 66 .411 32.0 New York Union 46 66 .411 32.0 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS W L PCT GB Chicago Packers 65 47 .580 – Detroit Wolverines 63 49 .563 2.0 Louisville Colonels 58 54 .518 7.0 St. Louis Browns 57 55 .509 8.0 Milwaukee Creams 54 58 .482 11.0 Chicago Red Caps 52 60 .464 13.0 Cincinnati Originals 51 61 .455 14.0 Cleveland Lakeshores 48 64 .429 17.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Metropolitans Western Pennant: Chicago Packers Result: Packers win the series, 4 to 1. Series Silver Ball: Henry Bush, P, Chicago Packers. Batting Leaders – Combined AVG 1. Levi Ryder – NYM – .363 2. Henry Wharton – NYM – .344 3. Peter White – NYM – .342 4. Johannes Beekhof – LOU – .323 5. James Green – CHP – .320 HR 1. William Taylor – SLB – 31 2. Edward Moore – CHI – 22 3. Joseph Harris – BRK – 15 3. Robert King – SLB – 15 5. Charles Wilson – BAL – 10 RBI 1. Edward Schmidt – CIN – 96 2. James Bauer – CIN – 89 2. William Taylor – SLB – 89 4. Reuben Holmes – LOU – 82 5. Edward Moore – CHI – 81 Pitching Leaders – Combined Wins 1. Jasper Carson – BAL – 26 1. James Hall – NYM – 26 3. Reinhold Schulz – NYM – 25 4. Robert Clayton – SLB – 24 ERA 1. Reinhold Schulz – NYM – 1.97 2. Henry Astor – BOS – 2.24 3. William Rossi – NYU – 2.38 4. Edward Moore – BRK – 2.41 5. Henry Brown – NYU – 2.44 Strikeouts 1. James Hall – NYM – 288 2. Robert Wilson – WAS – 212 2. James Wright – BOS – 212 4. John Hill – NYM – 204 5. Edward Moore – BRK – 202 Awards & Honors Most Distinguished Player Medal, Eastern League: Henry Wharton, CF, New York Metropolitans – AVG .344, Hits 157, RBIs 61 (3 in a row, 4 total). Most Distinguished Player Medal, Western League: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville – AVG .323, Hits 151, RBIs 60 (5 in a row). Season Notes The New York Metropolitans become the first organization from either league to win three successive pennants. New York’s baseball writers declare, “New York is not only the gateway to the Empire, it is the home of a base ball Empire…” Perhaps realising the error of making the New York club's name longer, "Empire" quickly becomes the norm in print when referring to the organization. June 3 – Robert King (St. Louis) hits for the cycle against Cleveland. July 3 – Henry Hall (Chicago Red Caps) throws a no-hitter against Cleveland (3K, 4BB, 9IP). William Taylor (St. Louis) sets a single-season record with 31 home runs. Milestones 04/22/1885 – Vincent O'Toole – 1000 Hits, while playing for Detroit 04/23/1885 – Charles Jones – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for St. Louis 04/25/1885 – Henry Hall – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for Chicago 04/29/1885 – Henry Hall – 200 Wins, while playing for Chicago 05/04/1885 – Frederick Brown – 100 Wins, while playing for Milwaukee 05/04/1885 – Charles Wilson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Baltimore 05/14/1885 – George Olson – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Philadelphia 05/18/1885 – Joseph Harris – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Brooklyn 05/20/1885 – Sincere McTizic – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati 05/22/1885 – William Nelson – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Milwaukee 06/06/1885 – Edward Davis – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York 06/27/1885 – Edward Schmidt – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati 07/02/1885 – Johannes Beekhof – 500 Stolen Bases, while playing for Louisville 07/11/1885 – Van Makeever – 150 Wins, while playing for Washington 07/13/1885 – Hector Romero – 150 Wins, while playing for Detroit 07/18/1885 – Henry Wharton – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for New York 07/23/1885 – Vincent O'Toole – 800 Stolen Bases, while playing for Detroit 07/26/1885 – Henry Wharton – 600 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York 07/30/1885 – William Harris – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Detroit 08/03/1885 – Frank Klein – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cleveland 08/05/1885 – George Olson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Philadelphia 08/08/1885 – John Hill – 150 Wins, while playing for New York 08/09/1885 – Joseph Boneparte – 100 Wins, while playing for Philidelphia 08/10/1885 – Clarence Bush – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Detroit 08/19/1885 – Ivan Ibarra – 150 Wins, while playing for Baltimore 08/22/1885 – Edward Klein – 150 Wins, while playing for Cincinnati 08/26/1885 – Henry Rose – 100 Wins, while playing for Baltimore 08/31/1885 – Robert Wilson – 100 Wins, while playing for Washington 09/02/1885 – Edward Schmidt – 600 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cincinnati 09/06/1885 – Frank Brown – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Chicago 09/06/1885 – Isaiah Wilson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Milwaukee 09/10/1885 – Edward Moore – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Brooklyn 09/10/1885 – William Taylor – 100 Home Runs, while playing for St. Louis 09/12/1885 – William Wilson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Milwaukee 09/16/1885 – Elijah Anderson – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Brooklyn 09/28/1885 – Isaiah Hill – 100 Wins, while playing for Cleveland 09/30/1885 – William Taylor – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for St. Louis 10/05/1885 – Charles Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Philadelphia 10/12/1885 – Peter Johnson – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for New York 10/14/1885 – Wyatt Green – 1000 Hits, while playing for Boston 10/17/1885 – Vincent O'Toole – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Detroit 10/19/1885 – Robert Olson – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cincinnati 10/19/1885 – Daniel Soden – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati Last edited by Haystacks; 10-12-2025 at 07:05 AM.

10-12-2025, 08:46 AM	#22
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1886 Season Summary Season of 1886 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary The conclusion of the 1885 season brought the National Association to ten seasons of play. The two leagues were stable, their clubs all reporting financially security. Owners and the executive modestly celebrated the occasion at the Winter Meeting in Chicago, with pats on the back and a raised glass. Owners approved two new player medals — the Most Distinguished Hurler, allowing the greatest pitchers to gain recognition without competing against the multitude of outfield players, and the Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, celebrating the best newcomer in the league that year. These medals would begin to be awarded at the close of the 1886 season. Association President and Chicago Red Caps owner William Hulbert announced a desire to expand each league to ten teams by 1896, stating that: “...having overcome scandal with decisiveness, we have built a stable and respected national competition for our great game. I see no reason why we should not aspire to have leagues of ten western and ten eastern organizations by the twentieth season of play...” Season Summary The Boston Whalers burst out of the gates in the Eastern League. By May 1, after ten games of play, they were two games ahead of Baltimore — and no club would be able to catch them. The New York Empire put up a valiant fight, but could not stand the heat of August; the Atlantics never looked like true contenders. Boston finally ended New York’s dominance of the past three years. The Philadelphia Quakers sat at .500 on a few occasions across the year, putting together their highest finish in club history. In the Western League, the Louisville Colonels returned to form. Early in the season, it was clear the race for the pennant would be between the two Chicago clubs and the Colonels. As the season moved into June the three were inseparable in the standings, but as has become expected, it was the August–September period that proved decisive — by September, Louisville had opened up an eleven-game lead. League Standings EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: W L PCT GB Boston Whalers 82 30 .732 - New York Empire 64 48 .571 18.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 58 54 .518 24.0 Philadelphia Quakers 53 59 .473 29.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 52 60 .464 30.0 Philidelphia Olympics 50 62 .446 32.0 New York Union 45 67 .402 37.0 Washington Senators 44 68 .393 38.0 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: W L PCT GB Louisville Colonels 81 31 .723 - Chicago Red Caps 67 45 .598 14.0 Chicago Packers 58 54 .518 23.0 Detroit Wolverines 53 59 .473 28.0 St. Louis Browns 51 61 .455 30.0 Cleveland Lakeshores 49 63 .438 32.0 Cincinnati Originals 46 66 .411 35.0 Milwaukee Creams 43 69 .384 38.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels Result: Louisville win the series, 4 to 3. Series Silver Ball: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville. The Whalers’ hunt for the National Championship ended in disaster and heartbreak yet again, after an eight-year absence from the Series. Game 1 was taken 10–6 by Louisville. Boston then won the next three games, looking certain to finally win it all. Louisville kept the series alive with a spectacular comeback in Game 5, winning 9–8. As the series returned to Boston, the Whalers collapsed, losing 8–3 to force Game 7, where they were decisively beaten 12–2. Manager Harry Wright and owner Arthur Soden have now reached the National Championship Series three times, tasting defeat each occasion. Only New York Empire have won more Eastern League pennants. Louisville’s four pennants and three National Championships make them the most successful team in baseball. Their four pennants give them the most of any club, and three National Championships tie them with Cincinnati. Batting Leaders – Combined LEAGUE LEADERS AVG Code: 1. Virgil Denton - CHP .341 2. Johannes Beekhof - LOU .339 3. Herman Stovey - PHI .332 4. Thomas O'Steen - MIL .331 5. Levi Ryder - NYE .330 LEAGUE LEADERS HR Code: 1. Edward Moore - CHI 31 2. William Taylor - SLB 22 3. Joseph Harris - BRK 16 3. William Harris - DET 16 5. Robert King - SLB 13 LEAGUE LEADERS RBI Code: 1. Sylvester Castro - LOU 96 2. Edward Bell - BOS 94 3. Billy Hulbert - BOS 91 4. Edward Moore - CHI 90 5. James Thomas - WAS 88 Pitching Leaders – Combined LEAGUE LEADERS W Code: 1. Henry Astor - BOS 30 2. Joseph Wells - LOU 27 3. Hiram Barnswell - LOU 26 4. James Hall - NYE 25 5. Three tied with 24 LEAGUE LEADERS ERA Code: 1. Joseph Wells - LOU 2.05 2. James Hall - NYE 2.10 3. Javier Silva - CHI 2.15 4. Edward Moore - BRK 2.36 5. Two tied with 2.43 LEAGUE LEADERS K Code: 1. James Hall - NYE 325 2. Ivan Ibarra - BAL 234 3. James Wright - BOS 231 4. John Hill - NYE 226 4. Edward Moore - BRK 226 Awards & Honors Most Distinguished Player Medal, Eastern League: Levi Ryder, CF, New York Empire – AVG .330, Hits 152, RBIs 46. Most Distinguished Player Medal, Western League: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville – AVG .339, Hits 165, RBIs 67 (6 in a row). Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Eastern League: James Hall, New York Empire – 25–12, 2.10 ERA, 325 Ks, 333.2 IP. Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Western League: Hiram Barnswell, Louisville – 26–9, 2.43 ERA, 207 Ks, 318 IP. Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Eastern League: Juan Castro, LF, New York Empire – AVG .320, Hits 142, RBIs 85. Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Western League: Robert O’Kane, SS, Chicago Red Caps – AVG .287, Hits 128, RBIs 73. Season Notes May 28 – Robert Wright, Philadelphia, hits the fourth cycle in Association history against Baltimore, becoming the first player to do so twice in his career. Edward Moore, Chicago Red Caps, ties the single-season record of 31 home runs. Milestones 04/25/1886 – Henry Astor – 100 Wins, while playing for Boston 04/25/1886 – Frank Johnson – 150 Wins, while playing for Louisville 04/25/1886 – William Taylor – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for St. Louis 04/29/1886 – Charles Jones – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for St. Louis 05/03/1886 – George Zettlein – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for Brooklyn 05/04/1886 – Joseph Harris – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Brooklyn 05/06/1886 – Peter Johnson – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York 05/13/1886 – James Hall – 200 Wins, while playing for New York 05/14/1886 – Charles Wilson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Baltimore 05/16/1886 – Clayton Clark – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Chicago 05/20/1886 – Samuel O'Brien – 1000 Hits, while playing for Baltimore 05/24/1886 – James Hall – 2000 Strikeouts, while playing for New York 05/25/1886 – Frank Brown – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Chicago 05/28/1886 – Thomas O'Steen – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Milwaukee 06/03/1886 – Ivan Ibarra – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Baltimore 06/03/1886 – Jose Diaz – 300 Stolen Bases, while playing for Philadelphia 06/06/1886 – William Wilson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Milwaukee 06/08/1886 – Johannes Beekhof – 600 Stolen Bases, while playing for Louisville 06/11/1886 – William Harris – 1000 Hits, while playing for Detroit 06/15/1886 – Henry Wharton – 700 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York 06/17/1886 – Henry Wharton – 700 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York 06/21/1886 – Isaiah Wilson – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Milwaukee 06/22/1886 – Lemuel Thompson – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Baltimore 06/24/1886 – Frank Brown – 1000 Hits, while playing for Chicago 06/24/1886 – Salvador Romero – 150 Wins, while playing for Brooklyn 07/02/1886 – Frank Klein – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cleveland 07/05/1886 – James Varney – 1000 Hits, while playing for Chicago 07/05/1886 – James Varney – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Chicago 07/08/1886 – Isaiah Wilson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Milwaukee 07/13/1886 – Lemuel Thompson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Baltimore 07/15/1886 – Clayton Clark – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Chicago 07/15/1886 – Sincere McTizic – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cincinnati 07/15/1886 – Henry Green – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Louisville 07/16/1886 – Elijah Anderson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Brooklyn 07/16/1886 – Edward Schmidt – 700 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cincinnati 07/16/1886 – James Taylor – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for New York 07/20/1886 – William Rossi – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for New York 07/30/1886 – Joseph Thomas – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Philadelphia 08/06/1886 – Arturo Irias – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Boston 08/14/1886 – Al Ellis – 100 Wins, while playing for Detroit 08/14/1886 – George Zettlein – 200 Wins, while playing for Brooklyn 08/17/1886 – Henry Brown – 200 Wins, while playing for New York 08/19/1886 – Vincent O'Toole – 900 Stolen Bases, while playing for Detroit 08/20/1886 – Edward Moore – 100 Home Runs, while playing for Chicago 08/22/1886 – Joseph Wells – 150 Wins, while playing for Louisville 08/22/1886 – Van Makeever – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Washington 08/26/1886 – Salvador Romero – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Brooklyn 09/02/1886 – William Hall – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Boston 09/03/1886 – James Varney – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Chicago 09/05/1886 – Henry Bush – 150 Wins, while playing for Chicago 09/12/1886 – Charles Wilson – 500 Runs Batted In, while playing for Baltimore 10/01/1886 – William Hall – 150 Wins, while playing for Boston 10/01/1886 – John Hill – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for New York 10/05/1886 – Frank Johnson – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Louisville 10/05/1886 – Samuel Moore – 1000 Strikeouts, while playing for Cincinnati 10/07/1886 – James Taylor – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for New York 10/12/1886 – Frank Klein – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cleveland 10/14/1886 – Ezekiel Bell – 200 Stolen Bases, while playing for Cleveland 10/15/1886 – James Wright – 100 Wins, while playing for Boston 10/19/1886 – Arturo Irias – 1000 Hits, while playing for Boston

10-12-2025, 12:02 PM	#23
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1887 Season Summary Season of 1887 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Season Summary In the Eastern League the Empire returned to familiar form, leading the league from June onward. The Whalers could only keep pace for those first few months of the season, then slumped throughout the summer. The Philadelphia Olympics recorded only their second winning season, their last being in 1882, and their highest finish in the standings. The Quakers also did their part in making Philadelphia proud, finishing with a .500 record for only the second time since the inaugural season, the last time they posted a .500 season was 1880. The Louisville Colonels once again won back-to-back Western League pennants. The Originals and Red Caps put up a decent fight until June, when they began to slip up and lose ground on the Colonels. The Milwaukee Creams had their best season since their 2nd place finish of 1880; in Cleveland, concerns begin to rise as crowds start to turn their back on the team, finishing 8th for the third time in four seasons. League Standings EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB ------------------------------------------------ New York Empire 75 37 .670 - Philadelphia Olympics 62 50 .554 13 Boston Whalers 56 56 .500 19 Philadelphia Quakers 56 56 .500 19 Baltimore Blue Sox 55 57 .491 20 Brooklyn Atlantics 53 59 .473 22 Washington Senators 53 59 .473 22 New York Union 38 74 .339 37 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB ------------------------------------------------ Louisville Colonels 77 35 .688 - Cincinnati Originals 67 45 .598 10 Chicago Red Caps 61 51 .545 16 Chicago Packers 56 56 .500 21 Milwaukee Creams 56 56 .500 21 St. Louis Browns 53 59 .473 24 Detroit Wolverines 42 70 .375 35 Cleveland Lakeshores 36 76 .321 41 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Empire Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels Result: New York win the series, 4 to 2. Series Silver Ball: Levi Ryder, SS, New York Empire New York Empire become the first team in the Eastern League to win 2 National Championship Series. The Empire took a decisive lead, winning the first three games comfortably; a dramatic game four saw the Colonels win 12–9. Whispers of another series comeback then turned to shouts, as Louisville won game five 9–4. In game six, New York pitcher Reinhold Schulz put on the performance of a lifetime. He shut out the Louisville nine that contained some of the greatest batsmen the game has seen — four of the five top hitters for average in the Western League were Louisville men. Schulz threw nine innings, allowing only three hits and one walk, striking out four. New York put six on the board to end any hope of another comeback from the Colonels, winning the Championship series. Batting Leaders – Eastern League Code: BATTING AVERAGE T. Francis (BOS) .377 C. Taylor (PHO) .348 R. Price (WAS) .346 L. Ryder (NYE) .342 P. Cassidy (PHI) .341 HOME RUNS J. Harris (BRK) 25 J. Taylor (NYE) 13 M. Fleetwood (WAS) 9 C. Hall (BAL) 9 H. White (BAL) 9 RUNS BATTED IN H. Wharton (NYE) 97 J. Harris (BRK) 91 T. Francis (BOS) 87 J. Thomas (WAS) 87 P. White (NYE) 86 Batting Leaders – Western League Code: BATTING AVERAGE J. Beekhof (LOU) .374 R. Holmes (LOU) .371 H. Green (LOU) .358 R. Drezner (DET) .356 S. Castro (LOU) .349 HOME RUNS E. Moore (CHI) 39 W. Harris (DET) 22 S. McTizic (CIN) 17 R. King (SLB) 13 D. Brown (CLE) 8 RUNS BATTED IN E. Moore (CHI) 128 S. McTizic (CIN) 116 S. Castro (LOU) 108 E. Schmidt (CIN) 94 W. Wilson (MIL) 92 Pitching Leaders – Eastern League Code: EARNED RUN AVERAGE R. Herrera (BRK) 2.32 J. Carson (BAL) 2.73 B. Weyhing (PHI) 2.76 H. Roxburgh (BRK) 2.92 J. Hall (NYE) 3.07 WINS J. Hall (NYE) 27 E. King (PHO) 22 R. Schulz (NYE) 22 B. Weyhing (PHI) 21 J. Boneparte (PHO) 20 STRIKEOUTS J. Hall (NYE) 216 J. Wright (BOS) 176 J. Thomas (PHI) 155 E. Moore (BRK) 148 J. Boneparte (PHO) 140 Pitching Leaders – Western League Code: EARNED RUN AVERAGE T. Ruth (CIN) 2.71 F. Johnson (LOU) 2.82 C. Green (MIL) 3.22 W. Rossi (LOU) 3.31 A. Ellis (CHP) 3.32 WINS F. Johnson (LOU) 28 W. Rossi (LOU) 26 N. Richardson (CIN) 21 T. Ruth (CIN) 20 C. Green (MIL) 19 STRIKEOUTS I. Ibarra (CHP) 161 H. Hall (CHI) 134 F. Johnson (LOU) 132 W. Rossi (LOU) 131 I. Hill (CLE) 123 Awards & Honors Most Distinguished Player Medal, Eastern League: Levi Ryder, CF, New York Empire – AVG: .342, Hits: 150, RBIs: 85 (2 in a row) Most Distinguished Player Medal, Western League: Johannes Beekhof, CF, Louisville – AVG: .374, Hits: 177, RBIs: 83 (7 in a row) Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Eastern League: James Hall, New York Empire – 27–9, 3.07 ERA, 216 Ks, 302 IP (2 in a row) Most Distinguished Hurler Medal, Western League: Frank Johnson, Louisville – 28–6, 2.82 ERA, 132 Ks, 322.2 IP Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Eastern League: Robert Plymouth, 2B, New York Union – AVG: .324, Hits: 147, RBIs: 58 Most Distinguished Freshman Medal, Western League: Cyrus Anderson, 2B, Cincinnati – AVG: .286, Hits: 138, RBIs: 80 Season Notes • May 4 – David Thomas (Cincinnati) records the first six-hit game since 1876, against the Chicago Packers. • June 8 – Joseph Bauer (Milwaukee) throws a no-hitter against the Chicago Packers (2K, 0BB, 9IP); two reached on errors. • August 24 – Thomas Peterson (Baltimore) throws a no-hitter against Washington (5K, 1BB, 9IP). • Edward Moore sets a new single-season home run record with 39. Milestones 04/15/1887 – Johannes Beekhof – 1000 Hits (Louisville) 04/18/1887 – Charles Jones – 400 Stolen Bases (St. Louis) 04/22/1887 – William Nelson – 1000 Hits (Milwaukee) 04/23/1887 – James Wright – 1000 Strikeouts (Boston) 04/29/1887 – Isaiah Wilson – 200 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee) 05/01/1887 – Robert Price – 200 Stolen Bases (Washington) 05/06/1887 – George Olson – 300 Stolen Bases (Philadelphia) 05/06/1887 – William Wilson – 500 RBIs (Milwaukee) 05/07/1887 – Thomas O'Steen – 300 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee) 05/09/1887 – Edward Moore – 500 RBIs (Chicago) 05/13/1887 – Daniel Brown – 500 Runs Scored (Cleveland) 05/20/1887 – Lewis Lincoln – 200 Stolen Bases (Cincinnati) 05/22/1887 – Joseph Harris – 200 Stolen Bases (Brooklyn) 05/30/1887 – Joseph Harris – 200 Stolen Bases (Brooklyn) 06/03/1887 – Wyatt Green – 300 Stolen Bases (Boston) 06/03/1887 – Samuel O'Brien – 300 Stolen Bases (Baltimore) 06/04/1887 – William Rossi – 150 Wins (Louisville) 06/04/1887 – William Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee) 06/06/1887 – Levi Ryder – 200 Stolen Bases (New York) 06/07/1887 – Johannes Beekhof – 700 Stolen Bases (Louisville) 06/10/1887 – Lewis Lincoln – 500 Runs Scored (Cincinnati) 06/10/1887 – Joseph Thomas – 150 Wins (Philadelphia) 06/11/1887 – Joseph Harris – 100 Home Runs (Brooklyn) 06/11/1887 – Henry Green – 1000 Hits (Louisville) 06/17/1887 – Henry Wharton – 800 Stolen Bases (New York) 06/24/1887 – Peter Flaherty – 500 Runs Scored (Chicago) 06/24/1887 – Edward Schmidt – 500 RBIs (Cincinnati) 06/25/1887 – Edward Schmidt – 800 Stolen Bases (Cincinnati) 06/28/1887 – Thomas Thompson – 500 Runs Scored (New York) 07/03/1887 – Serban Cretan – 200 Stolen Bases (Detroit) 07/03/1887 – Samuel Moore – 150 Wins (Cincinnati) 07/11/1887 – Robert Clayton – 150 Wins (St. Louis) 07/13/1887 – James Taylor – 1000 Hits (New York) 07/15/1887 – Joseph Boneparte – 1000 Strikeouts (Philadelphia) 07/15/1887 – Lemuel Thompson – 500 RBIs (Baltimore) 07/22/1887 – Henry Green – 200 Stolen Bases (Louisville) 07/22/1887 – Clarence Bush – 500 Runs Scored (Detroit) 07/23/1887 – Edward Denny – 200 Stolen Bases (Washington) 07/29/1887 – Vincent O'Toole – 1000 Stolen Bases (Detroit) 08/03/1887 – Edward King – 500 Runs Scored (Louisville) 08/05/1887 – Henry Hall – 250 Wins (Chicago) 08/05/1887 – John Bullock – 1000 Strikeouts (Philadelphia) 08/06/1887 – Frank Brown – 400 Stolen Bases (Chicago) 08/08/1887 – Edward Moore – 150 Wins (Brooklyn) 08/17/1887 – Hector Romero – 1000 Strikeouts (Detroit) 08/20/1887 – Clarence Bush – 300 Stolen Bases (Detroit) 08/24/1887 – David Thomas – 200 Stolen Bases (Cincinnati) 08/24/1887 – George Olson – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 08/27/1887 – James Thompson – 200 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee) 08/31/1887 – Clayton Clark – 1000 Hits (Chicago) 09/03/1887 – Isaiah Hill – 1000 Strikeouts (Cleveland) 09/03/1887 – James Thomas – 200 Stolen Bases (Washington) 09/16/1887 – Charles Jones – 500 Stolen Bases (St. Louis) 09/20/1887 – Vincent O'Toole – 1000 Runs Scored (Detroit) 09/23/1887 – Joseph Harris – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn) 09/23/1887 – James Harris – 500 Runs Scored (Louisville) 09/30/1887 – Thomas O'Steen – 400 Stolen Bases (Milwaukee) 10/03/1887 – Johannes Beekhof – 800 Stolen Bases (Louisville) 10/07/1887 – Henry Wharton – 1000 Hits (New York) 10/08/1887 – Frederick Taylor – 500 Runs Scored (Philadelphia) 10/11/1887 – Henry Hall – 2000 Strikeouts (Chicago) 10/14/1887 – Frank Johnson – 200 Wins (Louisville) 10/15/1887 – Juan Castro – 200 Stolen Bases (New York) 10/17/1887 – Edward Denny – 300 Stolen Bases (Washington) Last edited by Haystacks; 10-13-2025 at 12:50 PM.

10-12-2025, 08:21 PM	#24
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1888 Season Summary Season of 1888 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary It was another quiet off-season for the league, rules tweaks the majority of the business at the winter meeting. There was something of note for future sabermatricians — rules to distinguish what is an unearned run as opposed to an earned run were created. In Cleveland, off the back of their worst season ever, something had to be done. Owner Samuel Flagler brought in David Young as his new Field Manager. Young made 13 appearances with the 1879 Detroit Wolverines, most of his playing days were spent in the semi-pro Ohio state circuit. Flagler considered Young an excellent judge of young talent, and tasked him with assembling a young team that could compete and bring back the crowds. He’d be given a year to scout players and assess the squad, then Flagler would give him an open checkbook to bring in the required talent. Flagler, who in the past had been a very lenient and hands-off owner, confided in friends that if this move didn’t pay off, he’d have to consider selling up or propose moving the team. Season Summary The Eastern League was a combative affair between New York Empire and Philadelphia Quakers, with the Whalers not far behind. It wasn’t until September that the Empire were able to open up a 5-game lead, and from then on they would not falter. The Washington Senators would finish 4th in the standings with their best record since joining the league in 1883. Meanwhile Brooklyn would drop to the bottom of the pile with their worst ever season record — finishing 44 games back, double what they were in 1887. In the Western League, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Louisville were all neck and neck. The appointment of Young in Cleveland appeared a masterstroke — he’d only signed a couple of new players for the roster, but so far had guided them to a 25-25 record and fourth in the standings in early July. Louisville and Cincinnati would remain in deadlock as October drew near, until the Originals swept Louisville at home in a 2-game set, which would prove decisive. Louisville finished strong, but simply did not have the time left to catch the Cincinnati club. Cleveland would tumble down the standings in dramatic fashion, losing 11 games in a row in July. However, the early good form did draw in crowds — helping keep baseball in Cleveland another year. The Creams would put together their best ever record, finishing third, whilst both Chicago clubs had disappointing years. League Standings Eastern League Standings Code: Team W L PCT GB New York Empire 79 33 .705 - Philadelphia Quakers 71 41 .634 8.0 Boston Whalers 65 47 .580 14.0 Washington Senators 64 48 .571 15.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 46 66 .411 33.0 Philidelphia Olympics 45 67 .402 34.0 New York Union 43 69 .384 36.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 35 77 .313 44.0 Western League Standings Code: Team W L PCT GB Cincinnati Originals 70 42 .625 - Louisville Colonels 68 44 .607 2.0 Milwaukee Creams 62 50 .554 8.0 Chicago Red Caps 60 52 .536 10.0 St. Louis Browns 50 62 .446 20.0 Chicago Packers 50 62 .446 20.0 Cleveland Lakeshores 46 66 .411 24.0 Detroit Wolverines 42 70 .375 28.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Empire Western Pennant: Cincinnati Originals Result: Cincinnati win the series, 4 to 1. Series Silver Ball: David Dairymple, SS, Cincinnati There was a great sense of expectation around the National Series — this was Cincinnati’s first pennant since 1880. At that time it seemed they would be a dominant force for the decade, but Louisville knocked them off their perch. For New York, would the “curse of back-to-back pennants” strike again? Writers professed that the weight of pressure to win consecutive Championships made the feat near impossible. New York romped to a 9-4 win in Game 1, but the next three were heart-stoppers: 5-4 (10), 6-5 (10), and 6-5 — all Cincinnati wins. Nerves wrecked, battered and bloodied, the Empire made the long journey to Cincinnati for Game 5. They were crushed — the Originals scored four in the first inning and didn’t let up, winning 11-2. Jubilant spectators stormed the field to celebrate with their heroes as the Empire fled the back East with their tails between their legs. Batting Leaders Combined Batting Average Code: 1. Thomas Francis (BOS) .343 2. George Hill (BOS) .324 3. Thomas O'Steen (MIL) .323 4. Johannes Beekhof (LOU) .322 5. Thomas Davis (PHO) .318 Home Runs Code: 1. Joseph Harris (BRK) 26 2. Robert Wright (PHI) 17 3. William Harris (DET) 14 4. Manny Tuitt (CIN) 13 5. Benjamin Murphy (BAL) 12 Runs Batted In Code: 1. Reid Hopkins (NYE) 87 2. William Coe (NYE) 86 3. Joseph Florez (CHI) 82 4. James Varney (CHI) 80 5. Joseph Harris (BRK) 79 Pitching Leaders Combined Wins Code: 1. James Hall (NYE) 30 2. Abraham Joyce (PHI) 24 3. Willie King (CIN) 23 4. James Brown (NYE) 22 5. Five tied with 22 Earned Run Average Code: 1. Abraham Joyce (PHI) 1.80 2. James Wright (BOS) 1.87 3. Willie King (CIN) 2.05 4. William Rossi (LOU) 2.10 5. Caleb White (CHI) 2.16 Strikeouts Code: 1. James Hall (NYE) 351 2. James Wright (BOS) 210 3. William Hall (WAS) 201 4. Ivan Ibarra (CHP) 197 5. Henry Hall (CHI) 194 [HR][/HR] Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Joseph Harris (BRK) – .248/.321/.499, 419 AB, 26 HR, 27 SB Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Abraham Joyce (PHI) – 24-14, 1.80 ERA, 340.1 IP Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Reid Hopkins (NYE) – .285/.364/.456, 421 AB, 2 HR, 73 SB Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof (LOU) – .322/.379/.430, 460 AB, 2 HR, 121 SB Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Willie King (CIN) – 23-11, 2.05 ERA, 311.1 IP Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: David Hemp (SLB) – .306/.357/.366, 435 AB, 2 HR, 11 SB [HR][/HR] Season Notes []07/08/1888 – Reuben Holmes, 6 Hits in 7 AB vs Chicago while playing for Louisville []08/30/1888 – James Green, 6 Hits in 6 AB, 2 RBI vs Louisville while playing for Chicago Milestones 04/22/1888 – James Hall – 2500 Strikeouts, New York 04/25/1888 – Willie King – 100 Wins, Cincinnati 04/25/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 900 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 05/03/1888 – James Hall – 250 Wins, New York 05/06/1888 – Robert Price – 300 Stolen Bases, Washington 05/07/1888 – Henry Wharton – 900 Stolen Bases, New York 05/10/1888 – John Bullock – 150 Wins, Philadelphia 05/13/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 200 Stolen Bases, Brooklyn 05/13/1888 – Peter Jones – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn 05/14/1888 – Frank Klein – 300 Stolen Bases, Cleveland 05/22/1888 – Henry Plymouth – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn 05/24/1888 – Charles Jones – 500 Runs Scored, St. Louis 05/25/1888 – Clayton Clark – 300 Stolen Bases, Chicago 05/27/1888 – Levi Ryder – 500 Runs Scored, New York 06/04/1888 – Levi Ryder – 300 Stolen Bases, New York 06/15/1888 – Edward King – 500 RBIs, Louisville 06/17/1888 – Henry Astor – 150 Wins, Boston 06/25/1888 – Arturo Irias – 500 RBIs, Boston 06/25/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 07/01/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Hits, Cincinnati 07/06/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 07/09/1888 – Henry Bush – 1000 Strikeouts, Brooklyn 07/11/1888 – Patrick Herman – 1000 Hits, Brooklyn 07/13/1888 – Robert King – 200 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 07/20/1888 – James Green – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago 07/20/1888 – Edward Denny – 400 Stolen Bases, Washington 07/23/1888 – Edward King – 1000 Hits, Louisville 07/23/1888 – Vincent O'Toole – 1100 Stolen Bases, Detroit 07/30/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 200 Wins, Chicago 08/01/1888 – Henry Green – 500 RBIs, Louisville 08/01/1888 – Andrew Hall – 100 Wins, New York 08/03/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit 08/03/1888 – Charles White – 500 Runs Scored, Boston 08/05/1888 – Isaiah Wilson – 300 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 08/08/1888 – Patrick Herman – 500 Runs Scored, Brooklyn 08/08/1888 – David Thomas – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago 08/09/1888 – John Taylor – 200 Stolen Bases, Detroit 08/12/1888 – William Nelson – 500 RBIs, Milwaukee 08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 150 Home Runs, Chicago 08/19/1888 – Edward Moore – 500 Runs Scored, Chicago 08/20/1888 – Hector Romero – 200 Wins, Detroit 08/22/1888 – Frederick Taylor – 500 RBIs, Philadelphia 08/26/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 900 Stolen Bases, Louisville 08/26/1888 – George Olson – 400 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia 08/30/1888 – Andrew Morgan – 200 Stolen Bases, New York 08/31/1888 – Al Ellis – 1000 Strikeouts, Chicago 09/02/1888 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 09/03/1888 – Cyrus Anderson – 200 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 09/03/1888 – Samuel O'Brien – 500 RBIs, Baltimore 09/14/1888 – Ivan Ibarra – 1500 Strikeouts, Chicago 09/14/1888 – Edward Moore – 1500 Strikeouts, Brooklyn 09/17/1888 – Johannes Beekhof – 500 RBIs, Louisville 09/20/1888 – Frank Rodriguez – 1000 Hits, Cleveland 09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Runs Scored, Milwaukee 09/20/1888 – Thomas O'Steen – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 09/21/1888 – Juan Castro – 300 Stolen Bases, New York 09/26/1888 – Isaiah Hill – 150 Wins, Cleveland 09/26/1888 – Benjamin Tolliver – 100 Wins, Boston 09/27/1888 – Charles Jones – 600 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 09/27/1888 – Joseph Florez – 200 Stolen Bases, Chicago 09/30/1888 – William Nelson – 500 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 10/03/1888 – Reinhold Schulz – 100 Wins, New York 10/05/1888 – Arturo Irias – 300 Stolen Bases, Boston 10/08/1888 – Lemuel Thompson – 300 Stolen Bases, Philadelphia 10/12/1888 – Frank Brown – 500 Stolen Bases, Chicago 10/14/1888 – Robert Wright – 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia 10/19/1888 – Serban Cretan – 300 Stolen Bases, Detroit Last edited by Haystacks; 10-13-2025 at 12:51 PM.

10-13-2025, 05:59 PM	#25
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1889 Season Summary Season of 1889 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary Amongst the rule changes at the winter meeting, this off-season saw more tinkering to the base-on-balls rule — another adjustment brought the number of balls to 4 for a base-on-balls. Discussions around further league expansion began, with the possibility of expanding ahead of schedule by 1890. Locations mentioned within these debates focused primarily on Buffalo and Pittsburgh for the Eastern League, whilst the Western League looked at petitions from as far west as Omaha, Minneapolis, and Kentucky. Indianapolis was also in contention, preferred by the Cleveland, Detroit, and Cincinnati organizations as it would not add mileage to the league’s road trips, though its lower population drew concern. A shortlist was agreed, and the investors or existing organizations behind the petitions were invited to the 1889 Winter Meeting to put forward their cases and a final decision would be made by the Association’s current members. The National Association’s constitution was amended to limit each league to 10 clubs at most; any change to this rule would require a three-quarters majority. The Cleveland club signed two highly rated young amateurs — Sidney Powers (2B) and Henry Gilmore (P). Together they were referred to by the Cleveland press as “Cleveland’s new colts.” Within weeks of the new season Cleveland were more commonly called the Cleveland Colts by rooters and writers. Season Summary The Eastern League would prove impossible to call right up until the final couple of weeks of the season. First place in the standings would consistently change hands between Washington, Philadelphia Quakers, and Boston. The Whalers would twice sweep the Senators in the final month of the season, knocking them out of the race. The Quakers would finish strong, going 9–1 in their final ten games, but defeats at Baltimore and Washington in September would prove decisive as they were unable to catch the Whalers, who confirmed their fourth pennant with an extra innings 5–4 win at local rivals New York Union. At the other end of the Eastern League, Baltimorehad their worst season ever — both in record and position — finishing tied with New York Union, who for the fifth season in a row finished in the bottom two. The Colonels returned to dominant form in the West, leading from June. For a couple of months they were followed closely by the Browns and Originals, but the surprise challenge came from Cleveland. The Colts had their best ever year — best record and highest finish — with David Young’s appointment now appearing a masterstroke. In their final 20 games of the year, the Colts lost only 6, though 4 of those came against the Colonels, which proved decisive as Louisville raised their sixth pennant with a four-game lead in the final standings. Detroit finished bottom again, this time with an even worse record than in 1888, whilst the Packers recorded their lowest win percentage since 1882. League Standings Eastern League Standings Code: Team W L PCT GB Boston Whalers 72 40 .643 - Philadelphia Quakers 69 43 .616 3.0 Washington Senators 61 51 .545 11.0 New York Empire 59 53 .527 13.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 49 63 .438 23.0 Philidelphia Olympics 48 64 .429 24.0 New York Union 45 67 .402 27.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 45 67 .402 27.0 Western League Standings Code: Team W L PCT GB Louisville Colonels 68 44 .607 - Cleveland Colts 64 48 .571 4.0 Cincinnati Originals 63 49 .563 5.0 Chicago Red Caps 59 53 .527 9.0 St. Louis Browns 55 57 .491 13.0 Milwaukee Creams 52 60 .464 16.0 Chicago Packers 48 64 .429 20.0 Detroit Wolverines 39 73 .348 29.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels Result: Louisville win the series, 4–0. Series Silver Ball: Jasper Carson, P, Louisville If the 1886 series, featuring a spectacular Louisville comeback, broke the hearts of Whaler faithful, this 1889 series would rip them out and stamp on them. Louisville swept Boston — the first such instance in National Championship Series history. Game one was a high-scoring back-and-forth affair, but from that point the Boston bats went cold. Only Ernie Morales and Thomas Francis hit over .250 for the Whalers. Superb pitching, particularly from mid-season acquisition Jasper Carson, ensured Louisville’s dominance. Carson became the first pitcher to win the Series Silver Ball. Batting Leaders (Combined) Code: AVG Reuben Holmes - LOU .370 Johannes Beekhof - LOU .357 Thomas Francis - BOS .357 Edward Green - NYU .355 George Peterson - BAL .346 HR Heinrich White - BOS 19 Moses Fleetwood - WAS 16 Robert Wright - PHI 14 James Varney - CHI 13 2 tied with 12 RBI Heinrich White - BOS 104 Reid Hopkins - NYE 100 Joseph McGuire - MIL 98 Franz Ewing - CHI 93 James Varney - CHI 93 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Code: W Henry Gilmore - CLE 26 Abraham Joyce - PHI 25 Willie King - CIN 23 William Rossi - LOU 23 James Wright - BOS 23 ERA Abraham Joyce - PHI 2.22 Harris Page - WAS 2.63 Henry Gilmore - CLE 2.77 Willie King - CIN 2.82 Caleb White - CHI 2.82 K James Hall - NYE 277 James Wright - BOS 226 Henry Hall - CHI 203 Ivan Ibarra - CHP 187 Edward Moore - WAS 185 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Heinrich White, Boston – .339/.398/.520, 19 HR, 104 RBI, 3.9 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Abraham Joyce, Philadelphia – 25–11, 2.22 ERA, 324.1 IP, 7.7 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: George Peterson, Baltimore – .346/.396/.467, 3 HR, 32 SB, 2.5 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof, Louisville – .357/.424/.455, 2 HR, 129 SB, 7.7 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Henry Gilmore, Cleveland – 26–15, 2.77 ERA, 332 IP, 8.1 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Sidney Powers, Cleveland – .324/.438/.541, 76 SB, 5.9 WAR Season Notes 09/14/1889 – Edward Moore struck out 16 in 14.0 innings versus Brooklyn while playing for Washington. Milestones 04/23/1889 – Joseph Wells – 200 Wins (Louisville) 04/29/1889 – Robert Price – 500 Runs Scored (Washington) 05/09/1889 – Edward Denny – 500 Stolen Bases (Washington) 05/10/1889 – Robert Wright – 500 RBI (Philadelphia) 05/13/1889 – Robert Olson – 400 SB (Detroit) 05/14/1889 – Caleb White – 100 Wins (Chicago) 05/14/1889 – Henry Wharton – 1000 SB (New York) 05/16/1889 – Henry Green – 300 SB (Louisville) 05/28/1889 – Patrick Cassidy – 500 RBI (Philadelphia) 05/31/1889 – William Rossi – 200 Wins (Louisville) 05/31/1889 – Patrick Cassidy – 500 Runs (Philadelphia) 06/03/1889 – David Thomas – 1000 Hits (Chicago) 06/03/1889 – David Thomas – 500 RBI (Chicago) 06/07/1889 – David Thomas – 400 SB (Cincinnati) 06/13/1889 – James Thompson – 300 SB (Milwaukee) 06/17/1889 – James Thompson – 300 SB (Milwaukee) 06/18/1889 – Frank Rodriguez – 500 RBI (Cleveland) 06/22/1889 – Frank Rodriguez – 500 Runs (Cleveland) 06/24/1889 – Charles White – 500 RBI (Boston) 06/25/1889 – Levi Ryder – 400 SB (New York) 06/28/1889 – Johannes Beekhof – 1000 Runs (Louisville) 07/02/1889 – James Wright – 150 Wins (Boston) 07/03/1889 – Sincere McTizic – 100 HR (Cincinnati) 07/05/1889 – Henry Wharton – 500 RBI (New York) 07/05/1889 – Heinrich White – 500 Runs (Boston) 07/09/1889 – Vincent O'Toole – 1500 Hits (Detroit) 07/11/1889 – Heinrich White – 1000 Hits (Boston) 07/15/1889 – Heinrich White – 500 RBI (Boston) 07/16/1889 – Johannes Beekhof – 1000 SB (Louisville) 07/18/1889 – Al Ellis – 150 Wins (Chicago) 07/26/1889 – Henry O'Brien – 200 SB (Milwaukee) 07/27/1889 – James Wright – 1500 K (Boston) 07/27/1889 – Thomas O'Steen – 600 SB (Milwaukee) 07/29/1889 – John Robinson – 500 RBI (Philadelphia) 08/01/1889 – Cyrus Anderson – 300 SB (Cincinnati) 08/08/1889 – James Hall – 3000 K (New York) 08/08/1889 – Ezekiel Bell – 500 Runs (Cleveland) 08/09/1889 – Henry Leach – 200 SB (St. Louis) 08/09/1889 – Juan Gallegos – 1000 Hits (Cleveland) 08/20/1889 – Patrick Cassidy – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 08/27/1889 – Clayton Clark – 500 RBI (Chicago) 08/27/1889 – Juan Castro – 400 SB (New York) 08/31/1889 – Ezekiel Bell – 300 SB (Cleveland) 09/06/1889 – Joseph Wells – 1000 K (Louisville) 09/12/1889 – John Robinson – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 09/12/1889 – James Green – 1000 Hits (Chicago) 09/12/1889 – Levi Ryder – 1000 Hits (New York) 09/14/1889 – Edward Denny – 600 SB (Washington) 09/20/1889 – Jack McGeachey – 200 SB (Washington) 09/21/1889 – Frank Brown – 1500 Hits (Chicago) 10/01/1889 – Frank Brown – 1000 Runs (Chicago) 10/07/1889 – William Rossi – 1500 K (Louisville) 10/08/1889 – Charles Jones – 700 SB (St. Louis) 10/11/1889 – Vincent O'Toole – 1200 SB (Detroit) 10/11/1889 – Henry Plymouth – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 10/17/1889 – Edward Schmidt – 1000 Runs (Cincinnati) 10/19/1889 – Peter Ellsworth – 200 SB (Chicago)

10-13-2025, 08:21 PM	#26
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1890 Expansion FOUR JOIN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Chicago Sun, December 10, 1889 YESTERDAY — The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs announced the four cities that will be granted membership for the season of 1890. The newcomers to the Eastern League required little debate — Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the two most populous cities in the East still without representation, were each accepted unanimously. The Western League discussion was rather more spirited. Representatives from the smaller organizations voiced concern over the proposed admission of Kansas City and Minneapolis, arguing that such expansion would extend travel far beyond reasonable limits when a city such as Indianapolis lay neatly within the existing circuit. Ultimately, the promise of two great and growing markets proved decisive. After lengthy deliberation, Kansas City and Minneapolis were accepted into the Association, their petitions receiving near-unanimous support on the second ballot. THE NEW CLUBS National Association Expansion — 1890 EASTERN LEAGUE Buffalo Bisons This latest incarnation of the Buffalo Bisons is perhaps the third to bear the name. Backed by a syndicate of local industrialists, the club has been pressing for inclusion in the National Association ever since the collapse of Providence. At that time they fell just short, losing out to Washington D.C., but persistence has at last been rewarded. Star Player: Walter Stillwater, pitcher — the 22-year-old is part of a talented young core that includes Thomas Flores (first base) and Al Weldon (outfield). Stillwater’s sharp curve and tireless work ethic already have observers tipping him for stardom. Ballpark: Riverside Park. Pittsburgh Alleghenys Base ball has been played in Pittsburgh since before the Civil War, in one form or another, but never with such powerful backers. Owner Thomas Fife has brought serious weight to the venture, with whispers of investment from the titan of industry Andrew Carnegie himself. Star Player: Charles Goodfellow, third base — a fierce contact hitter with a cannon for an arm. Goodfellow was reportedly courted by nearly every Eastern club before Pittsburgh’s offer proved irresistible. Ballpark: Exposition Park. An early photograph of Exposition Park. WESTERN LEAGUE Kansas City Cowboys The most westerly organization admitted to the National Association, the Kansas City Cowboys are the brainchild of former Saint Louis Browns stalwart Edward Davis. Davis appeared in 1,091 games for the Browns, missing only one contest, which came in his final campaign of 1887. Since retiring, he has cultivated the city’s thriving semi-professional scene and secured the investment needed to bring the professional game west. Star Player: Clarence Blight, pitcher — the 26-year-old boasts remarkable precision and command, though the quality of his opposition thus far leaves some questioning whether he has what it takes. Ballpark: Association Park. Minneapolis Millers Founded in 1884, the Minneapolis Millers have long had their eyes on joining the National Association. The club represents a deceptively large market — one that could swell further should they succeed in drawing support from neighbouring Saint Paul. Star Player: Benjamin Becannon, first base — though unreliable in the field, his formidable bat ensures he will seldom sit. Yet another menacing hitter for Western League pitchers to contend with. Ballpark: Nicollet Park.

10-14-2025, 06:09 AM	#27
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	Louisville Tornado Outbreak COLONELS TO PLAY IN ST. LOUIS Sportsmans Park Offered After Louisville Cyclone The St. Louis Herald, April 2, 1890 ST. LOUIS, Mo. — In the wake of the dreadful cyclone that swept through Louisville on the 27th of March, leaving the city in ruin, the fate of that city’s base ball club appeared uncertain. The storm devastated Colonels' Park, the grandstand totally destroyed and the grounds rendered unfit for play. In a gesture of generosity and sportsmanship, the Saint Louis Browns have extended the use of Sportsmans Park to the Louisville Colonels for the duration of the coming base ball season. The offer was made by Browns proprietor Charles Bishop, who declared that “in times of trial, the game must stand united.” Photograph of the destruction, downtown Louisville. Louisville’s management, upon receiving word of the offer, immediately accepted, expressing both gratitude and determination that the club will “represent the city’s spirit until such time as we may again host the game upon our own soil.” The Colonels will maintain their regular schedule in the Western League, their fixtures will now be played in St. Louis under temporary arrangements. The League’s executive committee met in Chicago to ratify the temporary relocation and unanimously approved the plan. President William Hulbert remarked that, “the National Association's strength lies not merely in competition, but in its unity; St. Louis and Louisville shall, for a time, share Sportsman's Park.” The arrangement will make St. Louis a two-club city for the first time, a novelty certain to capture the imagination of the sporting public. The Colonels are expected to don black ribbons in remembrance of those lost to the storm when they take the field on Opening Day. “Whilst we may have to play in Saint Louis, we always play for Louisville,” said Captain Johannes Beekhof, Last edited by Haystacks; 10-14-2025 at 06:10 AM.

10-14-2025, 07:19 AM	#28
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1890 Season Summary Season of 1890 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary With the majority of the Winter Meeting’s time dedicated to the work of expanding the National Association, there were no amendments to rules made. The Buffalo Bisons and Pittsburgh Alleghenys joined the Eastern League, whilst the Western League welcomed the additions of Kansas City Cowboys and Minneapolis Millers. With the additional teams joining the league, a 126-game schedule was agreed, each team to play one another 14 times. As the Louisville Colonels arrived in New Orleans for spring training, their home city was devastated by a tornado outbreak. At least 700 buildings were destroyed, with 187 deaths and over 800 injured. The Saint Louis Browns offered the use of their ballpark to Louisville for the season, until they were able to rebuild. Season Summary In the Eastern League, the Whalers took an early lead which they maintained for the duration of the season, their closest rivals being the New York Empire and the surprise package, the Buffalo Bisons — carried beyond expectations by the immaculate pitching of Walter Stillwater and the impressive batting of William Montgomery. Philadelphia Olympic dropped to the bottom of the standings, their worst season and fewest wins since 1880, when the season was only 84 games. Pittsburgh put together a respectable showing for their first season, whilst Baltimore and Brooklyn continued to struggle. The Western League was a story all too familiar — the Louisville club led the entire season. Cincinnati put together a strong run to challenge, but could not catch the unstoppable Colonels. The most successful organization in baseball may have been playing in unfamiliar surroundings, but they never looked uncomfortable at the top of the standings. Chicago Red Caps and Kansas City followed in the standings, never mounting a serious challenge to the established order. The Cowboys had every right to be particularly satisfied with their debut year, boasting a winning record as they looked to establish themselves in professional base ball. The Millers were simply pleased to be competitive, whilst the Packers recorded their worst ever season. As the season drew to a close, disturbing rumours came from the Louisville organization — attendance in Saint Louis had increased by 20%, and whispers suggested owner James Johnson was in private discussions with the Association’s executive committee and Browns’ owner Charles Bishop about an agreement to stay, robbing Louisville of their team — the most successful and talented club the Association had ever seen. League Standings EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS W L PCT GB Boston Whalers...............86 40 .683 - New York Empire..............78 48 .619 8.0 Buffalo Bisons...............73 53 .579 13.0 Washington Senators..........64 62 .508 22.0 Philadelphia Quakers.........63 63 .500 23.0 New York Union...............63 63 .500 23.0 Baltimore Blue Sox...........62 64 .492 24.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys........61 65 .484 25.0 Brooklyn Atlantics...........41 85 .325 45.0 Philidelphia Olympics........39 87 .310 47.0 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS W L PCT GB Louisville Colonels..........86 40 .683 - Cincinnati Originals.........78 48 .619 8.0 Chicago Red Caps.............68 58 .540 18.0 Kansas City Cowboys..........66 60 .524 20.0 St. Louis Browns.............61 65 .484 25.0 Milwaukee Creams.............61 65 .484 25.0 Cleveland Colts..............59 67 .468 27.0 Minneapolis Millers..........55 71 .437 31.0 Detroit Wolverines...........50 76 .397 36.0 Chicago Packers..............46 80 .365 40.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers Western Pennant: Louisville Colonels Result: Louisville win the series, 4–3. Series Silver Ball: Reuben Holmes (1B), Louisville The National Championship was a true display of base ball at its best — a series of back-and-forth action, good sportsmanship, and heroics. With the series tied, Game Three went deep into the 14th inning until the Whalers finally broke the deadlock. A pitching collapse for both clubs in Game Four saw Louisville take it 8–4 to even the series. Frank Johnson’s pitching brilliance in Game Five secured a 3–1 victory for the Colonels. Boston’s James Wright replied in Game Six with a masterpiece, freezing the feared Louisville bats to tie the series again, 3–1. But in Game Seven, the Whalers sank. Louisville romped home, free-scoring as the Whalers’ defense crumbled. The final score — 12–5. Reporters noted they had never seen the St. Louis park so packed; crowds burst onto the field as the game ended, lifting their adopted heroes onto their shoulders, singing into the night. Louisville became the first team to win back-to-back National Championships, and Boston the first to lose back-to-back since 1877–78. Batting Leaders (Combined) LEAGUE LEADERS – AVG Charles Goodfellow (PIT)............. .368 William Montgomery (BUF)............. .354 Heinrich White (BOS)................. .354 William Porter (CIN)................. .352 2 tied with.......................... .337 LEAGUE LEADERS – HR John Meister (NYU)................... 17 James Varney (CHI)................... 15 William Harris (MIL)................. 12 Heinrich White (BOS)................. 12 Charles Wilson (CHI)..................9 LEAGUE LEADERS – RBI Joseph McGuire (MIL)................. 115 William Coe (NYE).................... 101 Reid Hopkins (NYE)................... 99 Cain Hicks (NYE)..................... 98 Thomas Francis (BOS)................. 95 Pitching Leaders (Combined) LEAGUE LEADERS – WINS Walter Stillwater (BUF).............. 33 Jasper Carson (LOU).................. 31 Willie King (CIN).................... 29 James Wright (BOS)................... 29 4 tied with.......................... 27 LEAGUE LEADERS – ERA Jasper Carson (LOU).................. 1.81 Henry Gilmore (CLE).................. 2.00 Walter Stillwater (BUF).............. 2.18 William Rossi (LOU).................. 2.21 Caleb White (CHI).................... 2.25 LEAGUE LEADERS – STRIKEOUTS James Hall (NYE)..................... 326 James Wright (BOS)................... 277 Edward Moore (WAS)................... 239 Ivan Ibarra (CHP).................... 216 Noah Richardson (CIN)................ 216 Awards & Honors Eastern League • Most Distinguished Player Medal — Charles Goodfellow (PIT) — .368/.441/.517, 530 AB, 2 HR, 114 SB, 136 R, 178 wRC+, 9.1 WAR • Most Distinguished Hurler Medal — Walter Stillwater (BUF) — 33–11, 2.18 ERA, 395.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 4.7 K/9, 9.9 WAR • Most Distinguished Freshman Medal — Al Weldon (BUF) — .275/.354/.422, 498 AB, 1 HR, 99 SB, 109 R, 134 wRC+, 8.1 WAR Western League • Most Distinguished Player Medal — Sidney Powers (CLE) — .304/.423/.477, 451 AB, 94 SB, 163 wRC+, 9.3 WAR • Most Distinguished Hurler Medal — Jasper Carson (LOU) — 31–9, 1.81 ERA, 367.0 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 4.8 K/9, 9.6 WAR • Most Distinguished Freshman Medal — Patrick Peak (LOU) — .275/.375/.416, 473 AB, 6 HR, 39 SB, 141 wRC+, 4.6 WAR Season Notes Sidney Powers finally breaks Johannes Beekhof’s nine-year dominance of the Western League’s Most Distinguished Player Medal. Sincere McTizic, who famously batted in the first run to score in the National Association, has retired. The 39-year-old played 1,339 games for Cincinnati, winning four National Championships, and the Series Silver Ball in 1880. McTizic recorded 1,423 hits in 5,763 plate appearances, batting in 981 runs and scoring 855 himself, retiring with a .273 career average. Most Notable Milestones 04/25/1890 – Johannes Beekhof – 1500 Hits (Louisville) 04/28/1890 – Arturo Irias – 1000 Runs Scored (Boston) 05/12/1890 – Charles White – 1000 Hits (Boston) 06/14/1890 – Lemuel Thompson – 1000 Runs Scored (Philadelphia) 06/30/1890 – Henry Hall – 2500 Strikeouts (Chicago) 07/10/1890 – Miller Fryson – 1000 Hits (Chicago) 07/22/1890 – Henry Green – 1500 Hits (Louisville) 07/22/1890 – Cyrus Taylor – 1000 Hits (St. Louis) 07/27/1890 – James Wright – 1500 Strikeouts (Boston) 08/20/1890 – Reinhold Schulz – 1000 Strikeouts (New York)

10-14-2025, 06:40 PM	#29
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	The Betrayal of Louisville The Louisville Colonels entered the 1890 season as the most successful club in professional baseball, having captured six Western League pennants and four National Championships. During spring training, the city of Louisville was struck by a devastating tornado outbreak that destroyed much of the surrounding area, including the city’s ballpark. In response, the neighbouring St. Louis Browns offered the temporary use of Sportsmans Park to the Colonels while Louisville rebuilt. The arrangement was expected to last only through the 1890 season. While playing in St. Louis, the Colonels enjoyed a dramatic surge in attendance—estimated at nearly 20% higher than their final year in Louisville. Owner James Johnson, long frustrated by stagnating gate receipts in Kentucky, began to see St. Louis as a more viable long-term home for his dominant franchise. Privately, he struck a deal with Browns owner Charles Bishop, agreeing to share 50% of Sportsman’s Park’s leasing costs for five years in exchange for local support in making the move permanent. The increased revenue and larger crowds convinced Johnson that Louisville as a market was stagnant, the success he had built should pull large crowds, to him Louisville had run it's course. Despite public assurances that the team would return home once rebuilding was complete, Johnson soon petitioned the National Association’s executive committee to recognize St. Louis as the Colonels’ permanent base of operations. News of the relocation provoked outrage in Louisville. City officials accused Johnson of betraying the community, referring to the move as an “act of theft.” The Louisville City Council issued a formal protest, declaring that the club “had been robbed.” Demonstrations erupted outside City Hall, and the council swiftly terminated the lease on the Colonels’ former ballpark. Within the team, several players reportedly shared the public’s anger. Star center fielder Johannes Beekhof, a Kentucky native and the league’s most decorated player, initially led an internal protest against the move. However, Johnson placated much of the roster with post-season bonuses, isolated, Beekhof ultimately acquiesced. The National Association officially ratified the relocation in December 1890, marking the end of Louisville’s era as a major-league city. The club retained its championship roster but dropped the “Colonels” name the following spring, becoming known as the St. Louis—a decision that symbolized a decisive break from its Kentucky origins. The club would try to force the press into using the nickname 'Rivermen', wanting to quickly tie themselves to St. Louis, but their yellow caps would eventually give rise to the nickname Canaries, perhaps also a subtle nod to them flying away...The Canaries nickname also had help sticking around this time as the Chicago Red Caps became referred to as Cardinals. Last edited by Haystacks; 10-14-2025 at 06:41 PM.

10-14-2025, 08:49 PM	#30
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1891 Season Summary Season of 1891 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary Baseball showed it was a ruthless business — David Young, who appeared to have a bright future in management and had led Cleveland to their best ever season in 1889, was unceremoniously let go after a poor 1890 campaign. Louisville was abandoned as a market, and the organization acted fast to integrate itself in Saint Louis as a permanent fixture. They erected new flag poles at Sportsman’s Park to fly their pennants high when playing at their new shared home. Season Summary In the Eastern League the Quakers got off to an impressive start, leading the standings until July. They went 8–16 that month, sliding down the rankings and allowing the New York Empire to cement a lead they maintained for the remainder of the season. The Whalers attempted to chase but never posed a serious threat, while the Bisons and Pittsburgh continued to show they possessed rosters worthy of the professional league. Brooklyn and the Olympics continued to struggle, a strong 9–1 finish from Baltimore lifted them to seventh place once again. In the Western League a new era appeared to dawn. The Milwaukee Creams opened 25–5 — one of the strongest starts ever seen — and effectively led the entire season. At the 30-game mark the Browns were their nearest rival, 6½ games back. At the other end, the Wolverines were in freefall, 4–23 — the worst start to a season in Association history. The newly named St. Louis Rivermen (formerly the Louisville Colonels) clawed up the table to finish second, nine games back. Firing Young did little to improve Cleveland’s fortunes, while the Packers also struggled. EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB New York Empire 82 44 .651 - Boston Whalers 75 51 .595 7.0 Buffalo Bisons 69 57 .548 13.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 69 57 .548 13.0 New York Union 67 59 .532 15.0 Philadelphia Quakers 61 65 .484 21.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 57 69 .452 25.0 Washington Senators 54 72 .429 28.0 Philidelphia Olympics 48 78 .381 34.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 48 78 .381 34.0 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB Milwaukee Creams 83 43 .659 - St. Louis Rivermen 74 52 .587 9.0 Cincinnati Originals 72 54 .571 11.0 Kansas City Cowboys 70 56 .556 13.0 Chicago Cardinals 69 57 .548 14.0 Minneapolis Millers 67 59 .532 16.0 St. Louis Browns 64 62 .508 19.0 Cleveland Colts 53 73 .421 30.0 Chicago Packers 47 79 .373 36.0 Detroit Wolverines 31 95 .246 52.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Empire Western Pennant: Milwaukee Creams Result: New York win the series, 4 to 3. Series Silver Ball: Reid Hopkins (LF), New York The Creams, riding high off their first pennant win, came out flying — taking the first three games with authority. But the Empire refused to be beaten. Behind a roaring home crowd, they clawed back the deficit with three straight wins, forcing a deciding Game 7. In the finale, New York scored early. Milwaukee’s confidence evaporated, unable to overcome the deficit yet again, the Empire rolled to a decisive 4–2 victory. It marked New York’s fourth National Championship — and one of the most stirring comebacks the Association has ever seen. Batting Leaders (Combined) Batting Average William Porter (CIN) – .362 Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .350 Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – .344 Edward Krieg (NYU) – .341 Two tied – .338 Home Runs Timothy Mitchell (BOS) – 19 John Meister (NYU) – 18 William Harris (MIL) – 14 James Varney (CHI) – 14 Two tied – 11 Runs Batted In Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – 120 Edward Krieg (NYU) – 107 Joseph McGuire (MIL) – 102 Thomas Francis (BOS) – 101 John Meister (NYU) – 99 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 31 Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 31 Andrew Meister (NYE) – 29 Clarence Bligh (KC) – 27 Earned Run Average Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 1.86 Clarence Bligh (KC) – 2.15 Noah Richardson (CIN) – 2.51 William Rossi (SLR) – 2.55 Two tied – 2.57 Strikeouts James Hall (NYE) – 255 Ivan Ibarra (CHP) – 216 Noah Richardson (CIN) – 212 James Wright (BOS) – 209 Willie Burke (MIN) – 198 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .350 AVG, 104 SB, 169 wRC+, 7.7 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 31–16, 2.75 ERA, 390 IP, 12.2 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Henry Wainwright (NYU) – .312 AVG, 6 HR, 30 SB, 5.6 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Johannes Beekhof (SLR) – .298 AVG, 4 HR, 167 SB, 9.1 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 31–8, 1.86 ERA, 14.8 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Samuel Casey (MIN) – .299 AVG, 7 HR, 27 SB, 5.9 WAR Season Notes Chicago Red Caps now commonly referred to as the Cardinals. Johannes Beekhof claims his 10th Most Distinguished Player Medal. Notable Events 06/20/1891 – Charles Garces records a 28-game hitting streak for Brooklyn. Most Notable Milestones Code: 05/07/1891 Virgil Denton 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia 05/10/1891 Robert King 500 Runs Scored, Philadelphia 05/14/1891 Charles King 500 Runs Scored, Washington 05/16/1891 Caleb White 1000 Strikeouts, Chicago 05/24/1891 Joseph Thomas 1500 Strikeouts, Philadelphia 05/31/1891 James Hall 3500 Strikeouts, New York 06/03/1891 Ivan Ibarra 2000 Strikeouts, Chicago 06/18/1891 Clayton Clark 1500 Hits, Pittsburgh 06/24/1891 Jasper Carson 1000 Strikeouts, St. Louis 07/09/1891 Cyrus Anderson 500 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 07/18/1891 James Wright 2000 Strikeouts, Boston 08/11/1891 James Bauer 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 08/15/1891 Charles King 1000 Hits, Washington 08/28/1891 Henry Wharton 1300 Stolen Bases, New York 09/02/1891 William Harris 1500 Hits, Milwaukee 09/04/1891 Ezekiel King 1000 Strikeouts, Cleveland 09/11/1891 Charles Jones 1000 Hits, St. Louis 09/12/1891 Henry Bush 1500 Strikeouts, Brooklyn 09/12/1891 Thomas Thompson 1000 Hits, Kansas City 09/19/1891 Clive Nelson 1000 Hits, Baltimore Last edited by Haystacks; 10-14-2025 at 08:51 PM.

10-15-2025, 04:10 PM	#31
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1892 Season Summary Season of 1892 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary The off-season was quiet. Minor rule adjustments were agreed at the Winter Meeting, and discussions began around organizing competition for reserve rosters. Currently, reserve players appeared only in occasional exhibitions against another club’s reserves or semi-pro teams. Boston owner Arthur Soden and manager Harry Wright proposed a formal structure. The Association’s executive committee was tasked with drafting a report and options for 1893. We are in the age of the “yellow press” — wild, sensational journalism to sell papers — and that very sensationalism has crept into the world of baseball reporting. After the 1891 championship, the New York Journal declared the Empire “winners of the World’s Series and Champions of the World.” It is the first known instance of the National Championship being called the “World’s Championship,” a phrase that would gain traction through the decade. Meanwhile, attempts by club ownership to impose the nickname “Rivermen” on the former Louisville organization failed. Baseball writers preferred the nickname Canaries, and by mid-season that moniker had taken firm hold. Season Summary The Eastern League was a tightly contested affair between the New York Empire and Buffalo Bisons. From August onward the two traded the top spot back and forth. Two extra-inning losses — one at the Quakers and another in Baltimore — would haunt Buffalo as they finished a single game behind New York. The New York Union enjoyed their best winning percentage since 1880, their first season in the National Association, finishing fourth for the first time since 1884. In the Western League, competition was equally fierce. Cincinnati opened hot and soon found themselves locked in a three-way duel with the Creams and Canaries. At the start of September, the standings showed the Originals in first (63-42), with the Canaries two and a half games back and Milwaukee four back. In the decisive final stretch: the Originals dropped two of three to the Saint Louis Canaries, and were swept in a three-game set at Milwaukee. The sweep clinched the pennant for the Creams, sending Wisconsin into a baseball frenzy. At the bottom, Cleveland slumped further, while Detroit’s improvement (26 more wins than 1891) gave cause for optimism. The season also marked the end of an era — the retirement of Detroit hero Vincent “Dusty” O’Toole. O’Toole appeared in 1,623 games for the Wolverines, collecting 1,774 hits, 762 RBIs, 1,420 stolen bases, and a .269 average. Twice a Most Distinguished Player (1877, 1880), he led the Western League four times in stolen bases and twice each in hits, runs, and triples — a true pioneer of the National Association. EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB New York Empire 79 47 .627 - Buffalo Bisons 78 48 .619 1.0 Boston Whalers 72 54 .571 7.0 New York Union 69 57 .548 10.0 Philadelphia Quakers 62 64 .492 17.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 60 66 .476 19.0 Washington Senators 60 66 .476 19.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 57 69 .452 22.0 Philidelphia Olympics 55 71 .437 24.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 38 88 .302 41.0 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB Milwaukee Creams 75 51 .595 - St. Louis Canaries 71 55 .563 4.0 Cincinnati Originals 70 56 .556 5.0 Chicago Cardinals 63 63 .500 12.0 Kansas City Cowboys 62 64 .492 13.0 Chicago Packers 61 65 .484 14.0 Minneapolis Millers 58 68 .460 17.0 St. Louis Browns 57 69 .452 18.0 Detroit Wolverines 57 69 .452 18.0 Cleveland Colts 56 70 .444 19.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Empire Western Pennant: Milwaukee Creams Result: New York win the series, 4 to 3. Series Silver Ball: Henry Wharton, 1B, New York The Creams entered Game 5 trailing 3–1, then staged a brilliant rally — a 6–5 win followed by a 5–1 hammering of the Empire — to force a seventh game. Game 7 began with Milwaukee ahead 3–0 by the fourth inning, but a disastrous sixth-inning collapse doomed them. New York erupted for 10 runs and never looked back, clinching a 10–3 victory before a rapturous New York crowd. The Empire became the first Eastern League club to win consecutive National Championship Series. Batting Leaders (Combined) Batting Average William Montgomery (BUF) – .333 Edward Moses (MIN) – .332 Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .329 Otto Burke (PHI) – .329 David Hemp (SLB) – .329 Home Runs James Varney (CHI) – 15 Lemuel Thompson (PHI) – 13 Charles Green (PHO) – 11 Timothy Mitchell (BOS) – 11 Sergio Guerrero (BOS) – 10 Runs Batted In Henrik Calland (MIL) – 116 Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – 98 William Coe (NYE) – 94 Frank Moore (NYU) – 93 Cain Hicks (NYE) – 91 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 32 Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 32 Henry Astor (BOS) – 27 Andrew Meister (NYE) – 26 Earned Run Average Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 1.72 Harris Page (WAS) – 2.04 Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 2.18 Louis Sartre (DET) – 2.20 Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 2.40 Strikeouts James Hall (NYE) – 230 James Wright (BOS) – 213 Willie Burke (MIN) – 204 Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 203 Henry Hall (KC) – 195 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .329 AVG, 112 SB, 134 R, 8.5 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Walter Stillwater (BUF) – 32–16, 1.72 ERA, 388 IP, 9.6 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Otto Burke (PHI) – .329 AVG, 3 HR, 153 wRC+, 7.3 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Thomas O’Steen (MIL) – .327 AVG, 4 HR, 120 SB, 6.3 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 32–10, 2.18 ERA, 13.7 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Henrik Calland (MIL) – .321 AVG, 48 SB, 116 RBI, 5.3 WAR Notable Events 06/13/1892 – James Varney hits 3 home runs (3-for-4, 8 RBI) versus Cleveland while playing for Chicago. Most Notable Milestones Code: 04/16/1892 Al Ellis 1500 Strikeouts, Chicago 04/16/1892 Henry Green 1000 Runs Scored, St. Louis 04/21/1892 Henry Wharton 1500 Hits, New York 04/22/1892 Reuben Holmes 1000 Hits, St. Louis 05/10/1892 Vincent O'Toole 1400 Stolen Bases, Detroit 05/15/1892 Edward Schmidt 1500 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 05/24/1892 Edward King 1500 Hits, St. Louis 06/02/1892 Charles Green 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 06/03/1892 Johannes Beekhof 1400 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 06/03/1892 Peter Ellsworth 1000 Hits, Chicago 06/09/1892 Clayton Clark 1000 Runs Scored, Pittsburgh 07/03/1892 Edward Schmidt 1500 Hits, Cincinnati 07/05/1892 John Bullock 1500 Strikeouts, Philadelphia 07/10/1892 George Hill 1000 Hits, Boston 07/15/1892 Joseph Martin 1000 Hits, Pittsburgh 07/16/1892 Thomas O'Steen 1000 Stolen Bases, Milwaukee 08/01/1892 Benjamin Tolliver 1000 Strikeouts, Boston 08/05/1892 Peter Blanchard 1000 Hits, New York 08/09/1892 Arturo Irias 1500 Hits, Boston 08/18/1892 Clarence Bush 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 08/22/1892 Abraham Joyce 1000 Strikeouts, Philadelphia 08/29/1892 Edward Schmidt 1600 Stolen Bases, Cincinnati 09/01/1892 Noah Richardson 1000 Strikeouts, Cincinnati 09/04/1892 James Varney 100 Home Runs, Chicago 09/09/1892 William Rossi 2000 Strikeouts, St. Louis 09/10/1892 Isaiah Wilson 1000 Runs Scored, Milwaukee 09/15/1892 Levi Ryder 1000 Runs Scored, New York 09/15/1892 Johannes Beekhof 1500 Stolen Bases, St. Louis 09/17/1892 Edward Denny 1000 Stolen Bases, Buffalo Last edited by Haystacks; 10-15-2025 at 04:18 PM.

10-15-2025, 06:24 PM	#32
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1893 Season Summary Season of 1893 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary The 1892-93 Winter Meetings brought sweeping changes to pitching. The pitcher’s box replaced by a plate, the rear foot now required to stay on it, and the distance from home plate increased to 60 feet 6 inches. Bat construction was also standardized: bats must now be round, softwoods and flat-sided designs banned. These changes would have a dramatic impact on offense. The 1893 season would also see a further increase to schedule length, to 144 games. The proposed reserve-roster league was declared impractical and not financially viable. As one delegate quipped: “Who would pay to see a Canaries Reserves game when the real Canaries are in town?” Instead, the Association’s executive committee recommended what they called 'The Reserve Club Proposal': 1. Clubs were to form partnerships with small-market semi-professional teams to host reserve players. 1b️. Failing that, clubs could establish their own teams in such markets. 2 These “reserve clubs” must be based in cities not represented by a current National Association organization, ideally their population should be under 100,000. 3. If enough partnerships were established, the National Association would organize a proper competitive league for them. 4. If successful, formal reserve rosters would be abolished, players instead by allocated to a 'Reserve Roster Club', with the option to call them up to the 'parent club' as/when required. The motion passed unanimously. Owners saw not only a system for player development but a new profit stream and a bulwark against rival leagues. Season Summary For several months the Eastern League pennant was a five-way race. Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York Empire, Pittsburgh, and Boston all traded places atop the standings through early summer. By August, Boston surged ahead, while Brooklyn and Buffalo collapsed in the heat. The Philadelphia Olympics recorded the first 100-loss season in Association history, and the Quakers sank to their lowest position since 1884. In the Western League, the Minneapolis Millers started hot (11–6 in April, 17–9 in June), but faded badly thereafter. The Canaries, Creams, and Originals would skirmish for top spot until mid-September. By then Milwaukee and Cincinnati were five games back as St. Louis coasted home atop the table. The Browns quietly posted their best record since 1879 after a 9 game win streak to end the year, while both Chicago clubs endured their worst seasons ever. The changes to pitching saw an offensive explosion, with the ball having to travel a greater distance to the plate, batters saw greater success, the Easter League average increasing from .248 to .280, with the West seeing a similar increase from .243 in 1892 to .278 in 1893. EASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB Boston Whalers 92 52 .639 - Pittsburgh Alleghenys 84 60 .583 8.0 New York Empire 83 61 .576 9.0 Washington Senators 76 68 .528 16.0 New York Union 74 70 .514 18.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 74 70 .514 18.0 Buffalo Bisons 69 75 .479 23.0 Philadelphia Quakers 64 80 .444 28.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 60 84 .417 32.0 Philidelphia Olympics 44 100 .306 48.0 WESTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code: Team W L PCT GB St. Louis Canaries 86 58 .597 - Milwaukee Creams 80 64 .556 6.0 Kansas City Cowboys 79 65 .549 7.0 Cincinnati Originals 77 67 .535 9.0 St. Louis Browns 76 68 .528 10.0 Detroit Wolverines 74 70 .514 12.0 Minneapolis Millers 69 75 .479 17.0 Cleveland Colts 64 80 .444 22.0 Chicago Cardinals 63 81 .438 23.0 Chicago Packers 52 92 .361 34.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers Western Pennant: St. Louis Canaries Result: St. Louis win the series, 4 to 1. Series Silver Ball: Daniel Hall, LF, St. Louis Canaries The Canaries captured their first National Championship since the move to St. Louis — their organization’s 8th pennant and 6th title overall. Batting Leaders (Combined) Batting Average Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – .381 Frank Garret (MIN) – .375 Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .375 Otto Burke (PHI) – .369 Thomas O’Steen (MIL) – .364 Home Runs Timothy Mitchell (BOS) – 26 Robert Chevalier (BOS) – 18 Manny Tuitt (CIN) – 13 James Varney (CHI) – 13 Isaiah Wilson (MIL) – 13 Runs Batted In Joseph Swartwood (PIT) – 144 Henrik Calland (MIL) – 137 William Coe (NYE) – 129 Henry Green (SLC) – 128 Herman Stovey (PHI) – 128 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 35 Ira Mobley (SLB) – 32 Henry Astor (BOS) – 31 William Say (CIN) – 31 Jasper Carson (SLC) – 30 Earned Run Average Louis Sartre (DET) – 2.60 Willie Burke (MIN) – 2.81 Henry Cushman (NYU) – 3.10 Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 3.11 Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 3.12 Strikeouts James Hall (NYU) – 185 James Wright (BOS) – 162 Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 145 James Green (BUF) – 123 Noah Richardson (CIN) – 121 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .375 AVG, 130 SB, 166 R, 104 RBI, 8.3 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Lewis Wheelock (WAS) – 28–15, 3.11 ERA, 422.2 IP, 7.3 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Samuel Segars (BAL) – .347 AVG, 5 HR, 111 RBI, 4.8 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Thomas O’Steen (MIL) – .364 AVG, 7 HR, 156 SB, 8.1 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 35–20, 3.12 ERA, 470.1 IP, 16.5 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Frank Garret (MIN) – .375 AVG, 4 HR, 82 SB, 5.8 WAR Notable Events & Notes As the season ended, further icons in this pioneering age of professional baseball announced their retirements: Samuel O’Brien, 2B, Baltimore; he had been with the organization his entire career, from the beginning in Hartford. O’Brien was the start of 1882 National Championship win, collecting the Series Silver Ball, he also won the 1880 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’. He retires having played in 1523 games, recording 1446 hits, 597 RBIs, 426 SB, and a career average of .251. Joseph Harris, RF, Brooklyn; Harris spent his entire career in Brooklyn from the inaugural season. In that time the Atlantics greatest success was a 2nd place finish in 1883, in terms of personal success, Harris won the 1888 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’. He featured in 1563 games for Brooklyn, recording 1276 hits 847 RBIs, 306 SB, and a career average of .230. At the time of retirement Harris leads the all time career home run chart with 157, one of only 5 players to pass 100 home runs. Edward Moore, who remains active with Cincinnati, sits in second with 151. Daniel Soden, CF, Cincinnati; the 43 year old joined the Cincinnati roster in 1877, winning 3 National Championships with the club. His best year by far was 1878 when he led the league in hits with 105, stolen bases with 83 and in batting average with .330. It’s no surprise that is the year he won his ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’. From 1885 Soden was out of favour as a starter, becoming more of a pinch hitter as his ability in defense faded. In total Soden featured in 955 Originals games, starting 638 times. He recorded 792 hits, 345 RBI, 387 SB, and a career average of .274. Ivan Ibarra, SP, Chicago Packers; the 40 year-old was another member of the Hartford(Baltimore) club in 1876, in his first 4 years he would twice record the most wins in the Eastern League and in 1877 the lowest ERA with 1.91. He would fall out of favour for 3 seasons before becoming a regular starter again in 1883. In 1887 he would be traded to the Chicago Packers, and there he would on 4 occasions lead the Western League in strikeouts. Hit for the Cycle: 05/01 – André Windmon (PIT) 05/15 – William Coe (NYE) 05/20 – Robert Flaherty (CHI) 06/10 – Enrique López (CLE) 07/11 – Sven Olsson (MIL) 08/24 – William Miller (KC) Longest Hitting Streak of the Year: 08/31 – George White (KC) – 29 Games Shortly after the season ended, both New York clubs made what might be one of the most significant trades of this era. Union sent CF John Johnson, 24, to New York Empire, in exchange for veteran pitcher James Hall. Johnson is considered one of the best young talents in baseball, whilst Hall, now in the twilight of his career at 38, is without question the greatest pitcher of his generation. Hall's win-loss record is 395-225 in his time with Empire, throwing 5569.2 innings, 4106 strikeouts with a 2.77 ERA. Hall has led the Eastern League in strikeouts for every season since 1880. Most Notable Milestones Code: 04/13/1893 Henry Hall 3000 Strikeouts, Kansas City 04/16/1893 Thomas O'Steen 1000 Runs Scored, Milwaukee 04/24/1893 James Thomas 1000 Hits, Kansas City 05/08/1893 Edward Moore 2000 Strikeouts, Washington 05/11/1893 Edward Robinson 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 05/12/1893 Billy Hulbert 1000 Hits, Boston 05/22/1893 Levi Ryder 1500 Hits, New York 05/22/1893 James Varney 1000 Runs Batted In, Chicago 05/25/1893 Thomas Francis 1000 Hits, Boston 06/15/1893 Landon Cassidy 1000 Strikeouts, New York 06/16/1893 Thomas Thomas 1000 Hits, St. Louis 06/16/1893 Herman Stovey 1000 Hits, Philadelphia 06/22/1893 Johannes Beekhof 1500 Runs Scored, St. Louis 06/29/1893 Thomas O'Steen 1500 Hits, Milwaukee 07/01/1893 Sylvester Castro 1000 Hits, Minneapolis 07/03/1893 James Hall 4000 Strikeouts, New York 07/17/1893 James Varney 1000 Runs Scored, Chicago 07/19/1893 Patrick Jackson 1000 Hits, Cleveland Last edited by Haystacks; 10-16-2025 at 07:13 AM.

10-16-2025, 07:20 AM	#33
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1894 Season Summary Season of 1894 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary The 1893-94 Winter Meeting saw nearly all clubs report good progress in finding ‘reserve roster clubs’, and commit to the next stage—forming a league for competition. This competition was expected to begin in 1895. A notable rule change was the implementation of a foul bunt being called a strike. Season Summary The 1894 season would see offense continue its upward climb, with clubs in both leagues setting new records for hits, runs scored, and batting averages. Six players topped the .400 mark—the first ever to do so—most notably Jersey City native and New York Union newcomer George Dealy, who in his first professional season recorded 255 hits and a league-record average of .422. In the Eastern League, early headlines belonged to New York Union, Brooklyn, and Pittsburgh. The New York Empire, meanwhile, stumbled badly out of the gate, starting 8–12 in their first 20 games. By August, Buffalo sat atop the standings at 60–40, trailed closely by Pittsburgh and New York Union. A tense September race saw Pittsburgh capture the Eastern Pennant, aided by two critical victories in Buffalo late in the month. In the Western League, Kansas City, Detroit, and St. Louis battled fiercely for control. All three clubs faltered in September, allowing Milwaukee a late surge—but it was the St. Louis Browns who steadied themselves to claim their second Western pennant. Detroit continued its steady rise from the depths of 1891, while the Canaries endured their worst campaign since joining the league in 1880. League Standings Eastern League Code: Team W L PCT GB -------------------------------------------------- Pittsburgh Alleghenys 86 58 .597 - Buffalo Bisons 84 60 .583 2.0 New York Union 82 62 .569 4.0 Washington Senators 78 66 .542 8.0 New York Empire 69 75 .479 17.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 68 76 .472 18.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 68 76 .472 18.0 Boston Whalers 67 77 .465 19.0 Philadelphia Quakers 61 83 .424 25.0 Philadelphia Olympics 57 87 .396 29.0 Western League Code: Team W L PCT GB -------------------------------------------------- St. Louis Browns 83 61 .576 - Detroit Wolverines 82 62 .569 1.0 Milwaukee Creams 81 63 .563 2.0 Kansas City Cowboys 79 65 .549 4.0 Cincinnati Originals 75 69 .521 8.0 Minneapolis Millers 75 69 .521 8.0 Chicago Cardinals 73 71 .507 10.0 St. Louis Canaries 65 79 .451 18.0 Chicago Packers 54 90 .375 29.0 Cleveland Colts 53 91 .368 30.0 National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Pittsburgh Alleghenys Western Pennant: St. Louis Browns Result: Pittsburgh wins series, 4–3. Series Silver Ball: Ulysses Windmon, LF, Pittsburgh To date, the wildest and highest-scoring championship ever seen. Pittsburgh took Game One, 11–4, before the Browns roared back to win the next three (19–12, 17–13, 10–2). The Alleghenys rallied to even the series, setting up a dramatic Game Seven in Pittsburgh. Tied 10–10 in the tenth inning, Pittsburgh broke through for the walk-off victory in perhaps the most thrilling triumph in association history. Batting Leaders – Combined Average 1. George Dealy (NYU) – .422 2. Otto Burke (PHI) – .413 3. Frank Garret (MIN) – .409 4. Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .407 4. Thomas White (PIT) – .407 Home Runs 1. James Varney (CHI) – 37 2. Robert Chevalier (BOS) – 24 3. George Peterson (PHO) – 20 4. Joseph Jackson (BAL) – 19 5. Two tied – 18 Runs Batted In 1. James Logan (KC) – 162 2. Luis Rodriguez (NYE) – 144 3. Reid Hopkins (NYE) – 143 4. Isaiah Boyle (NYU) – 142 5. Joseph McGuire (MIL) – 140 Pitching Leaders – Combined Wins 1. Willie Burke (MIN) – 35 2. Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 34 3. Henry Gilmore (BUF) – 31 3. Ira Mobley (SLB) – 31 5. Henry Thomas (PIT) – 29 Earned Run Average 1. Ira Mobley (SLB) – 3.23 2. Louis Sartre (DET) – 3.39 3. Willie Burke (MIN) – 3.53 4. Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 3.78 5. George Cary (SLB) – 3.79 Strikeouts 1. Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 170 2. James Hall (NYU) – 166 3. James Wright (BOS) – 142 4. Jasper Carson (SLC) – 134 5. Thomas Sutherland (NYE) – 132 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal – Charles Goodfellow (PIT) – .407/.462/.618, 6 HR, 115 SB, 164 R, 132 RBI, 7.5 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal – Henry Gilmore (BUF) – 31–17, 3.92 ERA, 401.2 IP, 9.0 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal – George Dealy (NYU) – .422/.468/.573, 117 SB, 159 R, 137 RBI, 6.1 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal – William Kuehne (SLB) – .367/.483/.631, 18 HR, 61 SB, 139 R, 128 RBI, 7.7 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal – Ira Mobley (SLB) – 31–17, 3.23 ERA, 412.1 IP, 11.5 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal – William Kuehne (SLB) – .367/.483/.631, 18 HR, 61 SB, 7.7 WAR Notable Events & Milestones William Nelson, long-time Milwaukee third baseman and the man who recorded the first hit in Association history, announced his retirement at age 42. In 1,677 games he tallied 1,345 hits, 627 RBI, and 576 stolen bases with a career average of .243. Pitcher Henry Hall also retired after a remarkable 6,205.2 innings pitched since his 1876 debut, posting a 3.15 ERA, 383 wins, and 3,209 strikeouts. He departs as the career leader in innings pitched, though James Hall (NYU) now approaches that mark with no sign he will retire soon. Boston Whalers manager Harry Wright retires. After 19 seasons, 1982 games and 1144 wins, Wright has announced his retirement from professional baseball. He will forever be remembered fondly by the Boston fanatics for the 6 Eastern League Pennant wins, although he could never shake the 'curse of the whaler', failing to bring a National Championship win to Boston. Record Performances • Bert Hecker (CHI) – New record hitting streak: 37 games (07/09/1894) • Levi Ryder (NY) – 7-for-7 game, 8 RBI (09/01/1894) • William Coe (NY) – 6-for-7, HR (05/11/1894) Hit for the Cycle – 1894 Herman Stovey (CIN) – 04/25 Charles Garces (BRO) – 05/01 Robert Chevalier (BOS) – 05/19 Johannes Beekhof (SLB) – 05/25 Frank Brown (CHI) – 08/02 Daniel Hall (SLB) – 08/10 Career Milestones Reached 04/08/1894 – Robert Plymouth – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York 04/12/1894 – Henry Plymouth – 1500 Hits, while playing for Philadelphia 04/16/1894 – Edward Schmidt – 1500 Runs Scored, while playing for Cincinnati 04/27/1894 – Henry Leach – 1000 Hits, while playing for St. Louis 04/27/1894 – Robert Wright – 1000 Hits, while playing for Philadelphia 04/29/1894 – Isaiah Wilson – 1000 Runs Batted In, while playing for Milwaukee 05/03/1894 – James Hall – 400 Wins, while playing for New York 05/09/1894 – William Machner – 500 Runs Scored, while playing for Philadelphia 05/11/1894 – James Wright – 2500 Strikeouts, while playing for Boston 05/26/1894 – Edward King – 1000 Runs Scored, while playing for St. Louis 05/27/1894 – Moses McColl – 1000 Hits, while playing for Pittsburgh 06/18/1894 – Jimmy Varney – 2000 Hits, while playing for Chicago 07/03/1894 – Edward King – 1000 Runs Batted In, while playing for St. Louis 07/20/1894 – Reid Hopkins – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York 07/21/1894 – Jack Bristol – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cleveland 07/26/1894 – Cyrus Anderson – 1000 Hits, while playing for Cincinnati 08/13/1894 – Jasper Carson – 1500 Strikeouts, while playing for St. Louis 08/13/1894 – Isaiah Wilson – 2000 Hits, while playing for Milwaukee 08/23/1894 – Henry Wharton – 1500 Stolen Bases, while playing for New York 08/25/1894 – Lemuel Thompson – 1000 Runs Batted In, while playing for Philadelphia 08/26/1894 – Thomas Earcia – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York 08/30/1894 – William Coe – 1000 Hits, while playing for New York 08/31/1894 – Andrew Morgan – 1500 Hits, while playing for New York 09/05/1894 – David Hemp – 1000 Hits, while playing for St. Louis 09/06/1894 – Charles Goodfellow – 1000 Hits, while playing for Pittsburgh 09/13/1894 – Andrew Morgan – 1000 Runs Scored, while playing for New York Last edited by Haystacks; 10-16-2025 at 06:48 PM.

10-16-2025, 07:33 AM	#34
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	National Reserve League - The Birth of the Farm National Association Reserve League At the Winter Meeting of 1894 the Association confirmed the creation of the National Association Reserve League. Teams will play a 90 game season, starting April, with a League Championship Series between the winner of each league, wrapping up the season by October. Eastern Reserve League Boston Whalers – Providence Islanders New York Empire – Jersey City Locomotives New York Union – New Haven Angels Brooklyn Atlantics – Troy Greeks Philadelphia Quakers – Scranton Miners Philidelphia Olympics – Reading Olympics Baltimore Blue Sox – Wilmington Blues Washington Senators – Richmond Rifles Pittsburgh Alleghenys – Harrisburg Steel Buffalo Bisons – Albany Lumberjacks Western Reserve League St. Louis Browns - St. Joseph Outlaws Detroit Wolverines - Toledo Coots Milwaukee Creams - Madison Presidents Kansas City Cowboys - Colombia Cowboys Cincinnati Originals - Columbus Explorers Minneapolis Millers - St. Paul Saints Chicago Cardinals - Fort Wayne Cardinals St. Louis Canaries - Nashville Smokies Chciago Packers - Omaha Railraoders Cleveland Colts - Indianapolis Americans Last edited by Haystacks; 10-16-2025 at 06:47 PM.

10-16-2025, 05:42 PM	#35
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1895 Season Summary Season of 1895 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary The big news from the 1894–95 Winter Meetings was the finalization of plans to form the National Association Reserve League. This would provide structured competitive play for players assigned to the reserve roster and further solidify the dominance of the National Association — giving it a presence in another twenty cities. Season Summary The first few months of the season saw the Philadelphia Quakers leading the Eastern League for much of the campaign, occasionally trading places with New York Union. They were closely followed by Brooklyn and New York Empire. By September, Union opened a five-game lead and held out for the pennant. At the other end, the Philadelphia Olympics set a new record for most losses in a season (104). Boston finished with an identical record to 1894, while Baltimore continued to struggle. In the West, the battle for supremacy was fought between the Cardinals, St. Louis Browns, Kansas City Cowboys, and Milwaukee Creams. The Browns dominated July (23–7), opening a ten-game lead and holding it for the rest of the season. At the bottom, the Colts repeated their 1894 record, and the Canaries fared even worse. League Standings Eastern League Code: W L PCT GB Team 87 57 .604 - New York Union 81 63 .563 6.0 New York Empire 80 64 .556 7.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 79 65 .549 8.0 Buffalo Bisons 78 66 .542 9.0 Washington Senators 76 68 .528 11.0 Philadelphia Quakers 75 69 .521 12.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 67 77 .465 20.0 Boston Whalers 57 87 .396 30.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 40 104 .278 47.0 Philadelphia Olympics Western League Code: W L PCT GB Team 89 55 .618 - St. Louis Browns 78 66 .542 11.0 Detroit Wolverines 75 69 .521 14.0 Milwaukee Creams 75 69 .521 14.0 Minneapolis Millers 74 70 .514 15.0 Kansas City Cowboys 72 72 .500 17.0 Chicago Cardinals 72 72 .500 17.0 Chicago Packers 69 75 .479 20.0 St. Louis Canaries 63 81 .438 26.0 Cleveland Colts 53 91 .368 36.0 [HR][/HR] National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Union Western Pennant: St. Louis Browns Result: Browns win series, 4–2 Series Silver Ball: Rufus Mulkins, SS, St. Louis Browns Batting Leaders (Combined) Average (AVG) Bert Hecker – CHI – .407 Charles Goodfellow – PIT – .404 George Dealy – NYU – .401 Joseph Swartwood – PIT – .387 Andrew Monroe – CHP – .382 Home Runs (HR) Andrew Robinson – BRK – 25 Robert Chevalier – PHI – 17 Timothy Mitchell – BOS – 15 Henry Wainwright – NYU – 15 Two others tied with 15 Runs Batted In (RBI) Isaiah Boyle – NYU – 145 Robert Veach – MIL – 141 Otto Burke – PHI – 139 Clinton Bayman – KC – 137 Robert Lovelady – NYU – 135 [HR][/HR] Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins (W) George Cary – SLB – 30 Henry Cushman – NYU – 29 Troy Kentwood – MIL – 29 George Robinson – PHI – 29 Walter Stillwater – BUF – 29 Earned Run Average (ERA) Louis Sartre – DET – 3.30 Troy Kentwood – MIL – 3.42 Walter Stillwater – BUF – 3.44 Shaw Johnson – DET – 3.45 George Robinson – PHI – 3.52 Strikeouts (K) Troy Kentwood – MIL – 177 Henry Gilmore – BUF – 171 James Hall – NYU – 159 George Robinson – PHI – 154 Shaw Johnson – DET – 153 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: George Dealy (NYU) – .401/.436/.518, 5 HR, 117 RBI, 7.2 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 29–16, 3.52 ERA, 10.4 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Joseph Leach (BOS) – .346/.438/.468, 3.2 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Bert Hecker (CHI) – .407/.456/.549, 169 wRC+, 6.6 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Troy Kentwood (MIL) – 29–22, 3.42 ERA, 15.1 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .342/.421/.569, 137 RBI, 6.6 WAR Notable Events & Notes Johannes Beekhof sets a new stolen base record with 203. Canaries trade 35 year-old Beekhof to the Chicago Canaries at the close of the season. In return the receive a slate of prospects, Rodolfo Jasso, Joseph Shields and David Ruth. Beekhof started 1817 games for the Canaries since 1880, recording 2491 hits, 935 RBI, 2072 SB, and an average of .318. Whilst winning 10 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’s, 6 National Championship Series, and 1 Series Silver Ball. Chicago trades veteran Jimmy Varney to the Minneapolis Millers. Varney made his debut at just 17 years-old for the Cardinals in the 1876 season. He has gone on to start in 2060 games for the Chicago club, recording 2216 hits, 160 HR, 1286 RBI, with an average of .272. In return, Chicago receives prospects Jack Donaldson and James Kappel. Retirement of Henry Wharton, New York Empire legend. Wharton joined the professional ranks quite late, making his debut at 29 years-old in 1881. He went on to start 1537 games for Empire, recording 1898 hits, 842 RBI, 1503 SB, chalking up a career average of .300. He would win 4 ‘Most Distinguished Player Medal’s, 4 National Championship Series and 2 Series Silver Balls. 6+ Hit Games 05/31/1895 – David Dalrymple – 7 Hits in 7 AB vs Minneapolis (Cincinnati) 09/17/1895 – John White – 6 Hits in 8 AB, 5 RBI vs Cincinnati (Minneapolis) Hit for the Cycle 06/21/1895 – Guy Blackwell – 4-for-6, HR, 3 RBI (Cincinnati) 06/27/1895 – Rufus Mulkins – 4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (St. Louis) 07/19/1895 – Fred Boston – 5-for-5, HR, 4 RBI (Pittsburgh) 09/07/1895 – Thomas Flores – 5-for-5, HR, 2 RBI (Buffalo) 10/05/1895 – Rufus Mulkins – 5-for-7, HR, 2 RBI (St. Louis) No-Hitters 08/15/1895 – Lewis Wheelock – 4 K, 0 BB, 9 IP vs Buffalo (Washington) Notable Hit Streaks 07/23/1895 – Charles Goodfellow – 35 Games (Pittsburgh) Most Notable Milestones 04/15/1895 – Patrick Cassidy – 1000 Runs Scored (Washington) 04/27/1895 – Henry Astor – 1500 Strikeouts (Boston) 04/30/1895 – John Robinson – 1500 Hits (Philadelphia) 05/13/1895 – Boone Fairweather – 1000 Hits (St. Louis) 05/26/1895 – William Hall – 150 Wins (Chicago) 05/28/1895 – Franz Miller – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 05/29/1895 – Joseph Robinson – 1000 Hits (Milwaukee) 05/29/1895 – Joseph McGuire – 1000 Hits (Milwaukee) 06/01/1895 – George Peterson – 1000 Hits (Baltimore) 06/05/1895 – Lemuel Thompson – 2000 Hits (Philadelphia) 06/19/1895 – Joseph Swartwood – 1000 Hits (Pittsburgh) 07/02/1895 – David Thomas – 1000 Stolen Bases (Chicago) 07/08/1895 – William Porter – 1000 Hits (Cincinnati) 07/22/1895 – Sidney Powers – 1000 Hits (Cleveland) 07/23/1895 – Joseph Wells – 1500 Strikeouts (Minneapolis) 07/27/1895 – Henry Gilmore – 1000 Strikeouts (Buffalo) 07/31/1895 – Johannes Beekhof – 2000 Stolen Bases (St. Louis) 07/31/1895 – Robert Cusick – 1000 Hits (Kansas City) 08/02/1895 – George Hill – 1500 Hits (Boston) 08/21/1895 – Edward King – 2000 Hits (St. Louis) 08/23/1895 – Edward Krieg – 1000 Hits (New York) 08/23/1895 – Billy Hulbert – 1000 Runs Scored (Boston) 08/31/1895 – George Hill – 1000 Runs Scored (Boston) 09/08/1895 – Herman Stovey – 1000 Runs Scored (Cincinnati) 09/10/1895 – Charles White – 1000 Runs Batted In (Boston) 09/11/1895 – Timothy Mitchell – 1000 Hits (Boston) 09/11/1895 – Caleb White – 1500 Strikeouts (New York) 09/23/1895 – Lewis Wheelock – 150 Wins (Washington) 09/23/1895 – Edward Graise – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 09/25/1895 – William Calles – 1000 Hits (Detroit) 09/28/1895 – Al Weldon – 1000 Hits (Buffalo)

10-16-2025, 07:29 PM	#36
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1896 Season Summary Season of 1896 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary The Winter Meeting saw a ruling that umpires must "give corners of the plate" to the pitcher — meaning that if a ball passed over any part of the plate within the zone between shoulders and knees, it must be called a strike. Otherwise, it was an uneventful off-season. Season Summary The Philadelphia Quakers effectively ran away with the Eastern League; by the end of May they were seven games ahead of second-place Baltimore, and nobody ever truly got close. They would set a new Association record for most wins in a season, with 99 victories. Baltimore enjoyed their best campaign since 1885, while the Boston Whalers continued to struggle under new management following the Harry Wright era. The Western League proved far more competitive — Kansas City, the Packers, Browns, and Detroit all trading places atop the standings. In the final weeks, Kansas City’s three wins in a pivotal four-game series at home against the Packers proved decisive. Despite disappointment, Chicago Packers fans were buoyed by their best finish since their championship of 1885. At the bottom, the Canaries sank further, ending in 10th place. League Standings Eastern League Code: W L PCT GB Team 99 45 .688 - Philadelphia Quakers 86 58 .597 13.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 80 64 .556 19.0 Washington Senators 75 69 .521 24.0 Buffalo Bisons 74 70 .514 25.0 New York Empire 68 76 .472 31.0 New York Union 67 77 .465 32.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 61 83 .424 38.0 Philadelphia Olympics 57 87 .396 42.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 53 91 .368 46.0 Boston Whalers Western League Code: W L PCT GB Team 86 58 .597 - Kansas City Cowboys 83 61 .576 3.0 Chicago Packers 79 65 .549 7.0 St. Louis Browns 79 65 .549 7.0 Detroit Wolverines 73 71 .507 13.0 Milwaukee Creams 73 71 .507 13.0 Chicago Cardinals 71 73 .493 15.0 Minneapolis Millers 64 80 .444 22.0 Cincinnati Originals 58 86 .403 28.0 Cleveland Colts 54 90 .375 32.0 St. Louis Canaries National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Philadelphia Quakers Western Pennant: Kansas City Cowboys Result: Kansas City win series, 4–3 Series Silver Ball: George White, C, Kansas City The 1896 National Championship Series proved to be one of the tightest in the history of the contest — five of the seven games were decided by a single run. Philadelphia took the first two games, but the Cowboys fought back to even the series with wins in Games 3 and 4. The Quakers edged Game 5 to retake the lead, only for Kansas City to rally once more — winning Games 6 and 7 by narrow margins to capture their first national championship title. Batting Leaders (Combined) Average (AVG) John Pyle – BAL – .384 Charles Goodfellow – PIT – .378 John Allen – WAS – .375 Clinton Bayman – KC – .371 Allan Forrest – BRK – .371 Home Runs (HR) Robert Chevalier – PHI – 22 Timothy Mitchell – BOS – 22 Andrew Robinson – BRK – 15 Jimmy Varney – MIN – 14 Runs Batted In (RBI) James Logan – KC – 127 Charles Goodfellow – PIT – 126 Joseph Gruber – CLE – 124 Boone McLaughlin – BOS – 123 Two tied with – 119 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins (W) George Robinson – PHI – 33 Willie Burke – MIN – 31 Art Philpot – SLB – 29 Lars Sommers – PHI – 29 Six tied with – 28 Earned Run Average (ERA) George Robinson – PHI – 2.52 Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.74 Julius Mitchell – CHP – 2.87 Charles Clay – SLB – 2.89 Art Philpot – SLB – 2.99 Strikeouts (K) Thomas Sutherland – NYE – 173 Art Philpot – SLB – 167 James Green – — – 163 Troy Kentwood – MIL – 152 Robert Sykes – CHI – 151 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Robert Chevalier (PHI) – .325/.429/.576, 22 HR, 111 RBI, 6.8 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 33–16, 2.52 ERA, 406.2 IP, 10.1 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: John Pyle (BAL) – .384/.479/.634, 7.1 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .371/.437/.608, 122 R, 116 RBI, 8.2 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Shaw Johnson (DET) – 24–20, 2.74 ERA, 410 IP, 10.6 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Elmer Guthrie (KC) – .325/.374/.400, 116 SB, 3.6 WAR Notable Events & Notes Johannes Beekhof sets another stolen base record, with 208 steals in a single season. 6+ Hit Games 06/04/1896 – Clayton Prince – 6-for-6, 5 RBI vs Philadelphia (Philadelphia) 06/06/1896 – Joseph Hall – 6-for-7, HR, 4 RBI vs Minneapolis (Chicago) 07/04/1896 – George Dealy – 6-for-6, 2 RBI vs Philadelphia (New York) Hit for the Cycle 07/09/1896 – William King – 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI vs Boston (Buffalo) 08/05/1896 – Frederick Hall – 4-for-5, HR, RBI vs Chicago (Cleveland) Most Notable Milestones 04/11/1896 – William Montgomery – 1000 Hits (Buffalo) 04/11/1896 – Thomas White – 1000 Hits (Pittsburgh) 04/14/1896 – Willie Burke – 150 Wins (Minneapolis) 04/21/1896 – Johannes Beekhof – 2500 Hits (Chicago) 04/21/1896 – Thomas Hill – 150 Wins (Pittsburgh) 04/25/1896 – Charles Garces – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn) 04/25/1896 – Edward Moses – 1000 Hits (Minneapolis) 05/03/1896 – Johannes Beekhof – 2100 Stolen Bases (Chicago) 05/09/1896 – Reid Hopkins – 1000 Runs Scored (New York) 05/14/1896 – Rashad Eggerson – 1000 Hits (Detroit) 05/23/1896 – Billy Hulbert – 1500 Hits (Detroit) 05/23/1896 – Herman Stovey – 1500 Hits (Cincinnati) 05/30/1896 – Lewis Clay – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn) 06/06/1896 – Frank Brown – 1000 RBI (Chicago) 06/09/1896 – Lemuel Thompson – 1500 Runs Scored (Philadelphia) 06/11/1896 – Thomas Flores – 1000 Hits (Buffalo) 06/13/1896 – Willie Burke – 1000 Strikeouts (Minneapolis) 06/19/1896 – Levi Ryder – 2000 Hits (New York) 06/29/1896 – James Hall – 4500 Strikeouts (New York) 07/08/1896 – Frank Brown – 1500 Runs Scored (Chicago) 07/12/1896 – Cyrus Anderson – 1000 Stolen Bases (New York) 07/18/1896 – Christopher Moore – 1000 Hits (Chicago) 07/22/1896 – Otto Burke – 1000 Hits (Philadelphia) 07/27/1896 – William Gunning – 1000 Hits (Buffalo) 08/07/1896 – Johannes Beekhof – 2000 Runs Scored (Chicago) 08/08/1896 – Charles Goodfellow – 1000 Runs Scored (Pittsburgh) 08/10/1896 – Cesar Lopez – 1000 Hits (Buffalo) 08/15/1896 – William Rheubottom – 1000 Hits (Brooklyn) 08/15/1896 – Charles King – 1500 Hits (Minneapolis) 08/15/1896 – William King – 1000 Hits (Buffalo) 08/16/1896 – Charles Sims – 1000 Hits (New York) 08/21/1896 – Henry Chaves – 1000 Hits (St. Louis) 08/22/1896 – Henry Wainwright – 1000 Hits (New York) 08/24/1896 – Lewis Wheelock – 1000 Strikeouts (Washington) 08/25/1896 – George Flaherty – 1000 Hits (Chicago) 09/03/1896 – Patrick Peak – 1000 Hits (St. Louis) 09/20/1896 – Charles Goodfellow – 1500 Hits (Pittsburgh) 09/26/1896 – Henry Green – 2500 Hits (Detroit) Last edited by Haystacks; 10-16-2025 at 08:05 PM.

10-17-2025, 08:26 AM	#37
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1897 Season Summary Season of 1897 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Off-Season Summary A notable rule change this off-season saw official Association-appointed scorers introduced for all games, ending the long-criticized practice of home clubs assigning their own scorekeepers — a move designed to combat home-field bias in scorekeeping. Season Summary The Eastern League saw both Philadelphia clubs start strongest, the Quakers and the Olympics racing ahead through spring. By midsummer, the New York Union emerged to challenge the Quakers, the two clubs trading places through August as their rivals fell away. Union swept Pittsburgh in the final series of the season, while the Quakers dropped two crucial games at home to the Olympics — sealing the Eastern Pennant for New York Union. At the opposite end, Pittsburgh endured their worst campaign, finishing last only three years removed from their championship winning season. Brooklyn languished in ninth once more, and Boston showed modest improvement. The Olympics, despite their form collapsing, claimed their best finish since 1889. In the West, the St. Louis Browns — now often dubbed the “Beavers” by local papers — started fast, chased by the Colts, Wolverines, and Packers. Late-June was a struggle for the Beavers, including being swept at the Colts and losses to the Wolverines, saw Detroit rise to the top of the table. They entered September with a four-game lead and never looked back, clinching their first Western Pennant. The Colts collapsed to eighth after a promising first half, the Millers suffered their worst year to date, and the Canaries again occupied bottom spot. League Standings Eastern League Code: W L PCT GB Team 87 57 .604 - New York Union 86 58 .597 1.0 Philadelphia Quakers 75 69 .521 12.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 74 70 .514 13.0 Buffalo Bisons 74 70 .514 13.0 Washington Senators 72 72 .500 15.0 New York Empire 68 76 .472 19.0 Philadelphia Olympics 63 81 .438 24.0 Boston Whalers 62 82 .431 25.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 59 85 .410 28.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys Western League Code: W L PCT GB Team 91 53 .632 - Detroit Wolverines 87 57 .604 4.0 St. Louis Beavers 76 68 .528 15.0 Chicago Packers 73 71 .507 18.0 Kansas City Cowboys 72 72 .500 19.0 Chicago Cardinals 70 74 .486 21.0 Cincinnati Originals 68 76 .472 23.0 Milwaukee Creams 67 77 .465 24.0 Cleveland Colts 65 79 .451 26.0 Minneapolis Millers 51 93 .354 40.0 St. Louis Canaries [HR][/HR] National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: New York Union Western Pennant: Detroit Wolverines Result: Detroit win series, 4–3 Series Silver Ball: Silas Reading, CF, Detroit It was a familiar heartbreak for the Union, falling short once more at the final hurdle, while Detroit claimed the National Championship Series on their first appearance. The series swung back and forth through six tightly contested games, Game 7 saw the Wolverines storm out with five early runs. Despite a sixth inning rally by the Union, ace Shaw Johnson shut the door with a masterful performance on the mound, sealing Detroit’s maiden title. Batting Leaders (Combined) Average (AVG) Clinton Bayman – KC – .389 Allan Forrest – BRK – .386 Isaiah Boyle – NYU – .373 Bert Hecker – CHI – .365 Milton Grisham – DET – .365 Home Runs (HR) Robert Chevalier – PHI – 18 Timothy Mitchell – BOS – 17 Jimmy Varney – MIN – 17 Charles Garces – BRK – 14 Andrew Robinson – BRK – 10 Runs Batted In (RBI) Milton Grisham – DET – 131 Joseph Rowry – WAS – 131 John Hill – PIT – 129 John Pyle – BAL – 124 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins (W) Javon Ephron – DET – 33 Art Philpot – SLB – 33 Joseph Nelson – CHI – 30 Three tied with – 29 Earned Run Average (ERA) Art Philpot – SLB – 2.58 Julius Mitchell – CHP – 2.72 Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.72 Charles Clay – SLB – 2.81 Javon Ephron – DET – 2.98 Strikeouts (K) Art Philpot – SLB – 205 Shaw Johnson – DET – 192 Elias Preciado – NYE – 184 George Conway – PHO – 168 Two tied with – 144 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Isaiah Boyle (NYU) – .373/.466/.544, 117 RBI, 8.7 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 28–20, 3.28 ERA, 414 IP, 8.3 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Rudolph Hackenberry (BUF) – .347/.408/.445, 112 RBI, 3.9 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .389/.464/.618, 121 RBI, 9.2 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Art Philpot (SLB) – 33–16, 2.58 ERA, 439 IP, 13.7 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Homer Glines (CLE) – .360/.400/.492, 93 SB, 109 RBI, 6.1 WAR [HR][/HR] Notable Events & Notes Two heroes of the old Colonels/Canaries dynasty retire: – Edward King (2B): Debuted 1881, 1,855 games, 2,062 hits, 1,132 RBI, .293 AVG, 6 Championships. – Jasper Carson (P): Joined 1889 from Baltimore, 252–240, 507 GS, 4,257 IP, 1,756 K, 3.39 ERA, 1 Hurler Medal (1890), 1 Silver Ball (1889), 3 Championships. James Hall — regarded as the greatest pitcher of his generation — also retires. Debuted in 1878 with New York Empire, winning four championships and the first two Distinguished Hurler Medals awarded in the East(1886–87). Later joined cross-town rivals New York Union, contributing to their first pennants. Hall led the league 5 times in wins, 3 in ERA, 2 in innings pitched, and dominated strikeouts every year from 1880–94. Career totals: 485–308, 868 games, 7090.1 IP, 4,692 K, 3.19 ERA. 6+ Hit Games 05/15/1897 – Andrew Monroe – 7-for-7, RBI vs Kansas City (Chicago) Hit for the Cycle 06/02/1897 – Hiram Lovett – 4-for-6, HR, 6 RBI vs St. Louis (Detroit) 07/24/1897 – George Hill – 4-for-4, HR, 3 RBI vs Brooklyn (Boston) Triple Crown Winner 1897 – Art Philpot (SLB): 33–16, 2.58 ERA, 439.0 IP, 205 K – first Triple Crown since 1883.

10-17-2025, 02:42 PM	#38
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1898 Season Summary Season of 1898 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Season Summary The Eastern League opened with the Philadelphia Quakers and Washington Senators sparring for the top spot, closely followed by Pittsburgh and New York Empire. By June, the Quakers had a 28–17 record, with Washington just one game behind. Red-hot form in June saw the Quakers lose only four games all month, opening a seven-game lead that they would never relinquish. From then on Philadelphia’s dominance went unchallenged as their lead grew through the summer. Last season’s champions, New York Union, slumped badly to 8th place, while Buffalo recorded their worst finish in franchise history. The Western League was a different story — a wide-open race early on as both Chicago clubs, Kansas City, Detroit, and Milwaukee jostled for first. An impressive July run saw Kansas City go 17–6, seizing the lead for the first time all season. They never gave it up, though Detroit remained close behind until the final week. At the foot of the standings, the Canaries finished bottom for a third straight year, while the Beavers slumped to their poorest campaign since 1892. Both Chicago clubs faltered badly in the second half, each finishing under .500, but Cleveland celebrated their best season since finishing second in 1889. League Standings Eastern League Code: W L PCT GB Team 93 51 .646 - Philadelphia Quakers 77 67 .535 16.0 New York Empire 74 70 .514 19.0 Washington Senators 73 71 .507 20.0 Philadelphia Olympics 71 73 .493 22.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 68 76 .472 25.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 68 76 .472 25.0 Boston Whalers 67 77 .465 26.0 New York Union 65 79 .451 28.0 Buffalo Bisons 64 80 .444 29.0 Brooklyn Atlantics Western League Code: W L PCT GB Team 84 60 .583 - Kansas City Cowboys 81 63 .563 3.0 Detroit Wolverines 76 68 .528 8.0 Milwaukee Creams 75 69 .521 9.0 Minneapolis Millers 70 74 .486 14.0 Cleveland Colts 70 74 .486 14.0 Chicago Cardinals 69 75 .479 15.0 Chicago Packers 67 77 .465 17.0 St. Louis Beavers 65 79 .451 19.0 Cincinnati Originals 63 81 .438 21.0 St. Louis Canaries National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Philadelphia Quakers Western Pennant: Kansas City Cowboys Result: Kansas City win series, 4–3 Series Silver Ball: Eugene Kline, 1B, Kansas City It was another back-and-forth, seven-game National Championship Series. Game 7, played in Philadelphia, began tightly before the Cowboys struck twice in the second inning. The score held close until the seventh, when Quakers pitching unravelled and Kansas City erupted for seven more runs. The home crowd watched in disbelief as the Quakers’ offense managed just five hits in a 10–0 drubbing — a humiliating defeat on their own turf. The Cowboys, behind dominant hitting and relentless pressure, claimed their second National Championship. Batting Leaders (Combined) Average (AVG) Allan Forrest – BRK – .350 Eugene Kline – KC – .348 Edward Moses – MIN – .348 Isaiah Boyle – NYU – .345 Virgil Buck – WAS – .341 Home Runs (HR) Robert Chevalier – PHI – 18 John Barber – SLB – 11 George Peterson – PHO – 10 Patrick Clem – CHI – 9 Two others tied with – 9 Runs Batted In (RBI) Robert Chevalier – PHI – 114 William Thompson – MIL – 108 Henrik Calland – MIL – 104 Otto Burke – PHI – 102 Gustav Cropper – WAS – 102 Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins (W) Lars Sommers – PHI – 36 James Dufour – PHI – 30 Louis Sartre – DET – 30 William McGlone – SLC – 28 Two tied with – 27 Earned Run Average (ERA) Lars Sommers – PHI – 1.91 Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.27 Caleb Mathews – WAS – 2.29 Art Philpot – SLB – 2.49 William Moodey – KC – 2.50 Strikeouts (K) Shaw Johnson – DET – 174 Art Philpot – SLB – 169 George Conway – PHO – 156 Thomas Hall – WAS – 152 Two tied with – 150 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Robert Chevalier (PHI) – .296/.404/.469, 18 HR, 114 RBI, 7.7 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Lars Sommers (PHI) – 36–9, 1.91 ERA, 418.2 IP, 8.9 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Charles Greenwood (WAS) – .328/.386/.435, 111 R, 2.3 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Clinton Bayman (KC) – .336/.405/.501, 107 R, 101 RBI, 8.0 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Shaw Johnson (DET) – 26–18, 2.27 ERA, 385 IP, 10.8 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Franz Wagner (SLC) – .332/.411/.460, 4 HR, 157 wRC+, 4.6 WAR Notable Events & Notes Kansas City’s victory marks their second title in three years - this is the longest stretch on consecutive National Championship wins for Eastern clubs since 1876-81. Lars Sommers’ sub-2.00 ERA is the first since Walter Stillwater posted 1.72 in 1892. [HR][/HR] Hit for the Cycle 06/04/1898 – Hiram Lovett – 5-for-6, HR, 2 RBI vs Kansas City (Detroit)

10-18-2025, 09:06 AM	#39
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1899 Season Summary Season of 1899 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs Season Summary As the Eastern League got underway, it was the four clubs still seeking their first pennant — Washington, Buffalo, Philadelphia Olympics, and Brooklyn — who came out the gates strongest. The Senators surged ahead in June with a blistering 21–8 month, opening a comfortable lead they would hold for the rest of the campaign. Baltimore dropped to 10th for the first time since 1892, while New York Empire endured a historically poor season — their lowest finish and worst winning percentage since 1877. The Western League delivered one of the tightest pennant races in recent memory. Cincinnati’s remarkable July (18–3) propelled them into first place, they appeared unstoppable, but a disastrous August slump blew the race for the Pennant wide open. As September began, Cincinnati led at 69–55, with Detroit half a game back and St. Louis one game behind. The Originals collapsed down the stretch, losing 14 of their final 21 games. The Beavers capitalized, overtaking both rivals in the final week to clinch the pennant — their first since 1893. At the bottom, the Millers posted their worst-ever record, while the Canaries and Packers again occupied the lower rungs of the table. League Standings Eastern League Code: W L PCT GB Team 86 58 .597 - Washington Senators 77 67 .535 9.0 Buffalo Bisons 77 67 .535 9.0 Philadelphia Olympics 75 69 .521 11.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 72 72 .500 14.0 New York Union 70 74 .486 16.0 Philadelphia Quakers 68 76 .472 18.0 Boston Whalers 67 77 .465 19.0 Pittsburgh Alleghenys 65 79 .451 21.0 New York Empire 63 81 .438 23.0 Baltimore Blue Sox Western League Code: W L PCT GB Team 82 62 .569 - St. Louis Beavers 81 63 .563 1.0 Detroit Wolverines 76 68 .528 6.0 Cincinnati Originals 76 68 .528 6.0 Chicago Cardinals 75 69 .521 7.0 Milwaukee Creams 74 70 .514 8.0 Kansas City Cowboys 71 73 .493 11.0 Cleveland Colts 70 74 .486 12.0 Chicago Packers 64 80 .444 18.0 St. Louis Canaries 51 93 .354 31.0 Minneapolis Millers National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Washington Senators Western Pennant: St. Louis Beavers Result: Beavers win series, 4–2 Series Silver Ball: John Barber, CF, St. Louis Beavers The Beavers took Game 1 in a back and forth, offensive dual finishing 8–6, before the Senators struck back to win Games 2 and 3 by identical 3–1 margins. But the experienced St. Louis side regrouped, taking the next three contests in succession to seal their third National Championship. Batting Leaders (Combined) Average (AVG) Allan Forrest – BRK – .383 Isaiah Boyle – NYU – .373 Charles Greenwood – WAS – .369 Joseph Pound – PIT – .363 John Pyle – BAL – .360 Home Runs (HR) Robert Chevalier – PHI – 25 Charles Garces – BRK – 19 George Peterson – PHO – 15 Joseph Jackson – NYE – 12 William Kuehne – SLB – 12 Runs Batted In (RBI) Lars Baker – WAS – 128 Eugene Kline – KC – 118 Andrew Weyhing – BOS – 112 Edward Bauer – NYU – 110 Joseph Rowry – WAS – 106 [HR][/HR] Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins (W) Art Philpot – SLB – 30 Leonard Hale – BUF – 29 James Farris – PHO – 28 Caleb Mathews – WAS – 28 George Robinson – PHI – 28 Earned Run Average (ERA) Shaw Johnson – DET – 2.34 Leonard Hale – BUF – 2.40 George Harris – SLB – 2.59 George Robinson – PHI – 2.69 Art Philpot – SLB – 2.92 Strikeouts (K) Shaw Johnson – DET – 183 Robert Veach – CIN – 161 Art Philpot – SLB – 160 Julian Bradley – CIN – 137 George Harris – SLB – 133 Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: John Pyle (BAL) – .360/.464/.524, 3 HR, 38 SB, 120 R, 8.6 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: George Robinson (PHI) – 28–20, 2.69 ERA, 418.2 IP, 8.5 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: John Dealy (PIT) – .303/.364/.440, 131 R, 7.1 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: William Kuehne (SLB) – .338/.417/.503, 12 HR, 53 SB, 116 R, 5.2 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Shaw Johnson (DET) – 27–16, 2.34 ERA, 403.1 IP, 12.1 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Edward Jackson (CLE) – .333/.377/.466, 21 SB, 5.4 WAR Notable Events & Notes St. Louis Beavers claim their third National Championship, overcoming an early series deficit. Washington capture their first Eastern Pennant in franchise history. Shaw Johnson cements his reputation as the Association’s most dominant pitcher with another ERA and strikeout crown. 6-Hit Games 08/14/1899 – William Martin – 6-for-8, 0 RBI vs St. Louis (Chicago) 09/07/1899 – Lewis McEwen – 6-for-6, HR, 3 RBI vs Minneapolis (St. Louis) Hit for the Cycle 05/13/1899 – Charles Wright – 5-for-6, HR, 6 RBI vs Minneapolis (Cincinnati) 05/25/1899 – Isaiah Boyle – 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI vs Boston (New York)

10-20-2025, 12:18 PM	#40
Haystacks Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 170	1900 Season Summary Season of 1900 The National Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs [HR][/HR] Season Summary 1900 marked the final baseball season of the 19th century and the 25th campaign of the National Association. The Eastern League pennant race remained tightly contested through early summer, with the Senators, Quakers, Whalers, Olympics, and Blue Sox all trading places at the top. By August, the Boston Whalers had pulled clear, opening a five-game lead over the Quakers. A dominant 21–9 August run stretched their advantage to eight games, and although September proved their weakest month (9–9), Philadelphia failed to close the gap. Boston mathematically secured the pennant with a decisive 10–2 win over the Quakers at Eastern League Park — their first Pennant since 1893. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh (now commonly referred to as the Allies) finished bottom for the second time in three years, and the Empire club’s struggles continued, finishing 9th for a second successive season. Out West, the Cincinnati Originals, Cleveland Colts, and Kansas City Cowboys fought a fierce race for the top spot. Cincinnati established a comfortable lead through June and July, and despite a sluggish August, entered September six games up on the Colts. They clinched the pennant on the road in Minneapolis before seeming to lose focus, dropping two of three to the Canaries in the final week. The Canaries, meanwhile, endured another dismal season — their sixth consecutive year finishing in the bottom two — a far cry from the powerhouse that had once dominated Western baseball. [HR][/HR] League Standings Eastern League Code: W L PCT GB Team 91 53 .632 - Boston Whalers 83 61 .576 8.0 Philadelphia Quakers 79 65 .549 12.0 Washington Senators 76 68 .528 15.0 Philadelphia Olympics 73 71 .507 18.0 Baltimore Blue Sox 65 79 .451 26.0 Brooklyn Atlantics 65 79 .451 26.0 New York Union 65 79 .451 26.0 Buffalo Bisons 62 82 .431 29.0 New York Empire 61 83 .424 30.0 Pittsburgh Allies Western League Code: W L PCT GB Team 86 58 .597 - Cincinnati Originals 80 64 .556 6.0 Cleveland Colts 77 67 .535 9.0 St. Louis Beavers 75 69 .521 11.0 Kansas City Cowboys 75 69 .521 11.0 Chicago Cardinals 74 70 .514 12.0 Detroit Wolverines 69 75 .479 17.0 Milwaukee Creams 68 76 .472 18.0 Minneapolis Millers 60 84 .417 26.0 St. Louis Canaries 56 88 .389 30.0 Chicago Packers [HR][/HR] National Championship Series Eastern Pennant: Boston Whalers Western Pennant: Cincinnati Originals Result: Boston win series, 4–2 Series Silver Ball: James Thomas, LF, Boston The Whalers returned to the Championship stage for the first time since 1893 — and for the first time without legendary manager Harry Wright, who retired in 1894 after six pennants but no titles. The Originals, by contrast, were appearing in their 5th National Championship Series, their last coming in 1888, although the wait to return had been long, they went into this series without the burden of failure, they had won every Championship Series they had appeared in. Boston stormed out to a 3–0 series lead before Cincinnati fought back with wins in Games 4 and 5, stirring memories of past Boston collapses. They took game six straight to the Originals, putting up 9 runs in the first three innings, the Cincinnati boys would battle back, putting up 3 in the seventh, again Boston responded with another 4 runs over the 7th and 8th inning. Boston pitcher Chumley would appear to have lost it in the 9th, as the Originals rallied for a further 5 runs, back-up pitcher Charles Pinkney was called upon, he stemmed the incoming tied and through some deft pitching secured a 14 to 9 win for the Whalers, and their first National Championship win! “WHALERS FINALLY HARPOON CHAMPIONSHIP” – Boston Mail, October 4, 1900 [HR][/HR] Batting Leaders (Combined) Average (AVG) John Richards – SLC – .386 Joseph Harris – CIN – .355 Cyrus Holbert – PHO – .351 Andrew Weyhing – BOS – .348 William Miller – KC – .347 Home Runs (HR) Robert Chevalier – PHI – 19 Ernst Vaive – CIN – 17 Charles Garces – BRK – 16 George Peterson – PHO – 9 Mo Stremy – MIN – 9 Runs Batted In (RBI) Joseph Rowry – WAS – 111 Andrew Weyhing – BOS – 111 Clinton Bayman – KC – 106 Elijah Kilroy – CIN – 105 [HR][/HR] Pitching Leaders (Combined) Wins (W) Julian Bradley – CIN – 32 Frederick Clay – BOS – 32 Leroy Chumley – BOS – 29 George Robinson – PHI – 29 Earned Run Average (ERA) Joseph Nelson – CHI – 2.63 George Harris – SLB – 2.67 John Darrisaw – CLE – 2.72 Otto Teer – MIL – 2.73 Andrew O’Brien – WAS – 2.73 Strikeouts (K) Art Philpot – SLB – 194 Robert Veach – CIN – 184 George Harris – SLB – 170 Shaw Johnson – DET – 166 Samuel Jowers – BRK – 148 [HR][/HR] Awards & Honors Eastern League Most Distinguished Player Medal: John Pyle (BAL) – .336/.437/.515, 2 HR, 49 SB, 8.5 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Leroy Chumley (BOS) – 29–17, 2.74 ERA, 411.1 IP, 9.5 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: James Thomas (BOS) – .331/.402/.420, 161 SB, 148 R, 5.9 WAR Western League Most Distinguished Player Medal: Joseph Harris (CIN) – .355/.428/.490, 8 HR, 115 SB, 128 R, 6.6 WAR Most Distinguished Hurler Medal: Julian Bradley (CIN) – 32–10, 2.99 ERA, 403.1 IP, 10.4 WAR Most Distinguished Freshman Medal: Joseph Harris (CIN) – .355/.428/.490, 8 HR, 6.6 WAR [HR][/HR] Notable Events & Notes Boston Whalers claim their first National Championship on their 7th attempt, ending a 25-year wait for glory. Cincinnati’s perfect record in previous Championship appearances finally broken. The Canaries finish in the bottom two for a sixth straight season. [HR][/HR] 6-Hit Games 04/20/1900 – Joseph Robinson – 6-for-7, RBI vs Buffalo (New York) 04/24/1900 – Edward Bauer – 6-for-7, 4 RBI vs Pittsburgh (New York) 06/21/1900 – Joseph Rowry – 6-for-6, 4 RBI vs Pittsburgh (Washington) 07/26/1900 – Daniel O’Day – 6-for-8, 4 RBI vs Milwaukee (St. Louis) Hit for the Cycle 07/19/1900 – James Vickers – 4-for-5, HR, 4 RBI vs Cincinnati (Cleveland) 07/20/1900 – Samuel Casey – 5-for-6, HR, 3 RBI vs St. Louis (Minneapolis) 07/30/1900 – Clarence Werrick – 4-for-5, HR, 2 RBI vs Buffalo (New York) Notable Hitting Streaks James Logan – 29 games (Kansas City)