Baseball – 1881

Baseball in 1881

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January

January 9Brooklyn is selected by the AA as a new franchise. Syracuse‚ Rochester‚ and Toledo were selected earlier. However‚ the Brooklyn team will be transferred to Baltimore before the end of the season.
January 16Samuel Gompers‚ president of the American Federation of Labor‚ and three other labor leaders pledge support for the PL at a league meeting in Philadelphia.
January 25M. P. Betts‚ secretary of the National League of Great Britain‚ asks for the addresses of American players living in Great Britain who might be interested in playing in the new league. Few respond.
January 28In the first of many lawsuits filed against PL players by their former teams‚ the judge refuses to grant an injunction against John Ward‚ president of the Brotherhood. His decision‚ echoed frequently by other judges‚ states that the “want of fairness and mutuality” in the standard NL contract‚ specifically the clauses relating to the reserve rule‚ “[is] apparent.”

February

February 1The NL Schedule Committee meets in Pittsburgh and decides on a schedule‚ but for security reasons does not release it. Pittsburgh NL president Nimick comments that‚ “if I had my way‚ I would duplicate all the home games of the Brotherhood clubs.” Hence the reason for security.
February 17New York NL officials fail in an effort to woo star player and Brotherhood officer Buck Ewing to rejoin the Giants. Although he has rejected an offer reported at $33‚000 for 3 years‚ Ewing is later accused by some players of spying for the NL.
February 24A syndicate not associated with the PL offers $1 million for all NL property‚ but the NL dismisses the offer as a bluff.

March

March 6The NL releases a schedule with 10 teams‚ including the Brooklyn and Cincinnati franchises formerly in the AA. Since the NL is expected to trim back down to 8 teams‚ the release of this schedule is seen as a ruse to throw off the PL.
March 11The official PL schedule is released. According to a PL official‚ “No attention whatever was paid to the schedule of the NL. . . . “
March 27The application of an all-black club made up of ex-Cuban Giants is rejected by the Inter-State League.

April

April 6Sacramento (California League) beats visiting Stockton‚ 36-1 in just 7 innings‚ taking 2:10 to do it. Sacramento CF Goodenough is 5 for 8 and scores 6 runs. Stockton commits 16 errors.
April 11At Galveston‚ Texas League Galveston beats Fort Worth‚ 26-7. Sand Crabs 2B Ward is 5-for-6 and scores 5 runs. Sand Crab baserunners steal 16 bases.
April 15A Philadelphia judge refuses to grant an injunction against former NL player William Hallman.
April 17A Players League is launched‚ with each club run by an 8-man board of 4 players and 4 backers. Gate receipts will be divided evenly between the home and visiting teams. The first $10‚000 profit will go to the backers‚ the next $10‚000 will be shared by all the players‚ and anything over that will be divided between clubs and players. It all becomes academic; nobody will make anything andmany players will end the season with unpaid salaries owed to them. Criticized by Henry Chadwick‚ editor of the Spalding Guide‚ the PL is supported by The Sporting News and Sporting Life.

The AA‚ crippled by the loss of Cincinnati and Kansas City‚ requiring the addition of minor league cities Syracuse‚ Rochester‚ and Toledo‚ and the jumping of many players to the NL and PL‚ opens what will become a disastrous season financially for all clubs.

A new rule allows two subs to be put into the game at any time. The Players League moves the pitcher’s box back two feet‚ but uses a livelier more tightly wound ball in the early part of the season.

John “Sadie” McMahon‚ 22‚ pitches the Phils (AA) to an 11-8 win over Rochester for the first of his league-leading 36 wins‚ 55 CG in 57 starts‚ 509 IP and 291 strikeouts. The 5’9″ RHP will win 70 games in 2 AA years before becoming a mainstay of the Orioles NL champions.

Spud Johnson opens the season for Columbus (American Association) with a 5-for-5 hit spree against Toledo. In last year’s Opening Day game against Baltimore‚ Spud fried the ball with a 4-for-4 effort. In 1991‚ playing for Cleveland (NL) in the opener‚ Johnson will cool down to 2-for-4.
April 19The NL’s biggest Opening Day crowd‚ 6‚311 at Cincinnati‚ watches 30-year-old righthander Wild Bill Hutchison (aka Hutchinson) beat Cincinnati 5-4‚ in bitterly cold weather. Bug Holliday homers for the home team. This is the first of Hutchison’s 41 wins and 65 complete games out of 66 starts. He’ll work 603 innings and relieve 5 times while sporting a 2.70 ERA. Bill will be even more wild when a win on the 23rd of May is tossed out because the umpire wouldn’t let Philadelphia make a legal substitution in the middle of the game. He’s later given credit for the win.

Boston backs John Clarkson with 15 runs to beat Brooklyn‚ 15-9. The offense is needed as Clarkson commits 9 errors. Herman Long makes his NL debut with a HR in the 3rd and 8th innings‚ off Bobby Caruthers and Bill Terry.

The newly formed Players League opens the season with Buffalo rolling over Cleveland 23-2‚ then follows with a 15-8‚ 19-7 and 18-15 victories. In the opener Cleveland’s LHP Henry Gruber goes the route‚ giving up 17 hits and a ML-record tying 16 walks. Not discouraged‚ he will finish the season 21-23 for the 7th placers. Despite the auspicious start‚ Buffalo will finish in the cellar‚ 20 games in back of Cleveland. The Players League opens in Boston at the same time (3:30 p.m.) as the Nationals game and draws 10‚000 (according to historian Dixie Tourangeau). Boston wins‚ 3-2‚ on Stovey’s homer.
April 21Louisville RHP Scott Stratton beats St. Louis (AA)‚ 17-4‚ to start a 34-14 season in which he will lead the AA with a 2.36 ERA.
April 22Philadelphia and Syracuse (AA) combine for a ML record 21 stolen bases in a single game. Rookie C Grant Briggs allows a record 19 Athletic stolen bases as Syracuse loses‚ 17-6.
April 24With the score tied 2-2 in the 7th between Boston and New York‚ pitcher Mickey Welch gets into such an argument with umpire McDermott that the ump forfeits the game to host Boston. 2300 cranks go home early. Mike Tiernan‚ who will lead the league in homers with 13‚ hits one for New York.
April 25Buffalo (PL) C Connie Mack throws out 3 would be basestealers in a 10-8 loss to Chicago. He also gets an umpire to change a decision. With 2 outs Buffalo P George Keefe is hit by a pitched ball‚ and then tries to steal 2B before the ballis returned to the pitcher. When he is thrown out‚ the Chicagoes leave the field but Mack persuades the ump that the ball was not yet back in play‚ so the runner could not be called out.
April 26Boston catcher Charlie Ganzel tags out two runners at home to complete a triple play in a 3-1 loss to the NL New Yorkers.
April 27St. Louis (AA) P Jack Stivetts strikes out the first 7 Columbus batters he faces. He ?nishes the game with 12 K’s.
April 29On the island of Malta‚ baseball teams from Atlanta and Boston treat British military officers and their families to an exciting and hotly contested game on the polo grounds. Atlanta wins‚ 20-15.

May

May 1The ML record 577 consecutive-game streak of 3B George Pinckney of Brooklyn (NL) comes to an end when he is spiked in a game in Boston‚ which is later rained out. He has played every inning of the 577 games (almost all of them with Brooklyn‚ AA) since September 21‚ 1885‚ including 2 games as SS and one as 3B-P. The every-inning record will last until surpassed by Cal Ripken‚ Jr. of Baltimore in 1985‚ while Ev Scott will break Pinckney’s consecutive game streak.
May 3In this issue of the New York Clipper‚ covering the 2nd week of the season‚ AA game reports and box scores are omitted‚ indicating the lack of interest in the AA in the wake of the NL-PL war. For the rest of the season AA fans will have to settle for line scores and occasional league summaries.

St. Louis (AA) pitcher Jack Stivetts strikes out 7 batters in a row enroute to a 10-6 win over Louisville.
May 5For the first time in this busy litigation season an injunction is granted against a player‚ John Pickett. The judge rules that Pickett’s acceptance of advance money from his Kansas City club bound him to that club.
May 8Now you know why they’re called the Infants. Cleveland’s Willie McGill hurls a complete-game 14-5 victory over Buffalo (PL) at age 16‚ the youngest ever to perform the feat. The Buffalo lineup includes Connie Mack‚ Dummy Hoy‚ and Deacon White‚ at 42 the oldest player in the ML.

At West Side Park‚ Chicago scores 12 runs in the 6th inning and top the Reds 18-9. The big blow in the inning is Howard Earl’s grand slam‚ which lands on Congress Street.
May 9In an era when 320 errors is the fewest made by any ML team‚ and over 10‚000 are charged in the three leagues (with walks‚ WP‚ PB‚ and HPB counted as errors)‚ it’s a rare day when a team commits no errors of any kind. But New York NL does it‚ beating Boston‚ 16-3‚ behind Amos Rusie‘s 6-hitter. Boston commits 8 fielding errors and 11 battery errors.
May 12A scoreless pitching duel between future Hall of Famers Amos Rusie (New York‚ NL) and Charles “Kid” Nichols is broken up by a tape measure solo HR by New York OF Mike Tiernan in the 13th inning. The ball clears the OF fence and high dirt embankment and lands in the middle of a Players League game going on at the adjacent Brotherhood Park. Fans from both parks cheer Tiernan’s homer. Tiernan is in the middle of a 20-game hit streak that will end May 27th. Nichols gives up just 4 hits‚ while Rusie allows only 3.
May 13New York PL first baseman Roger Connor hits 2 homers in a 9-5 win over Boston. The PL will total 311 homers‚ more than the NL or AA‚ but the total is spread over many players. Connor will lead with 13‚ one less than the NL leader Walt Wilmot.
May 17Pittsburgh (NL) wins today at Brooklyn‚ 6-4‚ but it’s all downhill from here. In their next 23 games‚ they will win just one‚ heading to a record 113 losses and .169 PCT‚ the lowest since the NL’s first year when Cincinnati was .138 in a 65-game schedule. The loss record will be claimed by the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.
May 19New York PL SS Danny Richardson gets an assist by foot. With Buffalo P George Haddock on 1B‚ Clark grounds to short. Richardson accidentally kicks the ball to Shannon at 2B who throws to first for the out. A 9-run 3rd for Buffalo wins it 12-11.
May 20Buffalo plays a 4-game series at Brooklyn during which an attendance of 80 is recorded at one game. Today the Brooklyn PL team wins‚ 8-3.

In a Northwest League game‚ Seattle edges Tacoma 6-5 in 22 innings.
May 22Without warning Phils manager Harry Wright is struck blind. On May 31‚ he will be able to at least distinguish between light and dark. He’ll return to the field July 18‚ sitting in his carriage in the centerfield parking area with “smoked glasses” and waving a white handkerchief out the side window every time a Phillie player made a great play. On August 6‚ after missing 55 games‚ he will return as manager. In the interim catcher Jack Clements ran the team while rookie shortstop Bob Allen counted the money and set up team travel. Allen is listed as the manager in today’s encyclopedias. Interestingly‚ Allen’s own career suddenly (effectively) ends in 1897 when a fastball shatters his cheekbone and gave him permanent vision problems. (as noted by Frank Vaccaro).
May 23Chicago’s 10-8‚ 10-inning win at Philadelphia is thrown out by NL directors when umpire McQuaid admits he made an error in not allowing Philadelphia to send OF Billy Grey in as a sub during the game.

In a 17-10 New York victory‚ New York and Pittsburgh (NL) combine for an NL-record 20 stolen bases in a single game. New York swipes a NL record 17 against the battery of rookie Crazy Schmit and Doggie Miller. Joe Hornung gets 6 of the thefts. Crazy gives up 19 hits‚ and 17 runs.
May 24Amos Alonzo Stagg‚ later a longtime football coach‚ brings his Yale nine to Princeton and loses a 1-0 battle. Young pitches a 2-hitter over the Eli before 2‚575.
May 25After a Louisville-Syracuse game played in Three Rivers‚ NY‚ part of the grandstand collapses‚ throwing 50 or more people to the ground. No deaths are reported‚ but many are injured.
May 30In an A.M.-P.M. doubleheader‚ Chicago pitcher Bill Hutchison pitches both games against Brooklyn winning‚ 6-4 and 11-7. Only three of the runs allowed by the former Yale star are earned as he bests Adonis Terry and Bob Caruthers.

Cincinnati’s 3-1 and 1-0 sweep at New York pulls them into a 3-way tie for the NL lead with Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

Philadelphia PL OF Joe Mulvey makes a “simply wonderful” catch with his left (gloved) hand. Even though almost all players wear gloves now‚ a one-handed grab is still cause for celebration. Philadelphia sweeps Chicago‚ 4-2 and 9-3.
May 31In a 23-3 win over Pittsburgh‚ New York PL players George Gore‚ Buck Ewing‚ and Roger Connor hit consecutive HRs in the 8th inning. This feat will not be matched until May 10‚ 1894.

PL secretary Frank Brunell sends a letter to PL umpires notifying them about complaints of “the monotony of games in several cities caused by the apparent apathy of the players.”

June

June 1Professional baseball is born in England as 4 teams-Derby‚ Preston‚ Stoke‚ and Birmingham-form a league. Four Americans are imported to provide instructions for the teams‚ made up mostly of English pro footballers. Derby‚ using 3 pros‚ including an American pitcher‚ clinches the championship without a loss in the first month. The other teams protesting‚ Derby agrees not to use the pitcher in any games except against Birmingham‚ the only team to beat him. But the American pitches against Preston‚ and a formal protest follows‚ resulting in Derby resigning from the league. Birmingham is declared the winner with a 20-9 record.

NL pioneer manager Harry Wright‚ in his 7th year at Philadelphia‚ is taken ill and temporarily loses his sight. Club owner Al Reach takes over.
June 2Ed Delahanty of Cleveland (PL) goes 6-for-6 with 5 runs as his club crushes Chicago 20-7. Tomorrow in the NL‚ Brooklyn will beat the New York Giants by the same score.
June 3Brooklyn (11) and New York (5) combine for a record (for the 5th) 16 runs as Brooklyn rolls to a 20-7 victory.
June 4Tim Keefe becomes the 2nd pitcher in history to win 300 games as his New York (PL) team whips Boston‚ 9-4. Keefe allows 8 hits‚ strikes out 7 and makes 4 errors. The two teams combine for 14 errors.
June 5Rookie RHP Billy Rhines‚ 21‚ pitches Cincinnati to a 9-1 win over Pittsburgh (NL)‚ starting a 13-game winning streak that moves the Reds to a 33-13 record and 4-game lead over Brooklyn.

At Cleveland (NL)‚ Chicago is batting in the 3rd when a sudden downpour sends the teams to cover. Lightning strikes the grandstand; a shower of fire and splinters forces spectators to flee into the rain.

Rookie Billy Rhines‚ 21‚ pitches Cincinnati to a 9-1 win over Pittsburgh (NL)‚ starting a 13-game win streak that moves the Reds to a 33-13 record and a 4-game lead over Brooklyn. Rhines will be 28-17 and lead in ERA with 1.95.
June 6Harry Wright‚ manager of Philadelphia (NL)‚ is now said to be able to see while wearing colored glasses. A serious illness 5 days earlier had blinded him temporarily‚ making him the only blind manager in ML history.
June 7Rookie John McFetridge‚ 20‚ wins his ML debut‚ a 5-hit 4-1 win over Brooklyn in a game 2 of a doubleheader at Philadelphia (NL). He then disappears until 13 years later when he is 1-11 for the Phils.
June 9Brooklyn beats Syracuse‚ 13-7‚ as the AA club begins playing the rest of its home games at the Polo Grounds‚ except on Sundays when a Long Island park is used.
June 10St. Louis AA P Jack Stivetts hits 2 HRs (and strikes out 10)‚ the 2nd a grand slam in the top of the 9th‚ off Fred Smith‚ with his team down by 3 runs to win‚ 9-8‚ over visiting Toledo. He later duplicates this batting feat on August 6‚ 1891‚ and on June 12‚ 1896‚ making him the first pitcher to achieve this. The only 2 pitchers to match this achievement are Wes Ferrell (who had 5 such games) and Don Newcombe.
June 14Cincinnati’s Long John Reilly strokes 3 triples in a 9-0 win over visiting Cleveland.

Former Brooklyn Atlantic great Dickey Pearce is said to be doing an excellent job as groundskeeper for the Brooklyn PL team. Pearce is an all-too-typical example of a former player dependent on the kindness of fellow sportsmen for employment‚ however menial.
June 15Lefthanded 2B Bill Greenwood plays SS for Rochester versus Syracuse today and becomes the only lefthanded throwing SS to participate in a triple play.
June 16Pittsburgh manager-pitcher-1B Guy Hecker gets one of his 2 wins of the year‚ 4-3‚ over Chicago in the 2nd game of a twinbill. Chicago takes the opener‚ 7-3‚ handing Pittsburgh its 22nd loss in 23 games. Hecker will hang up his manager’s hat at the end of the year.
June 18Pittsburgh’s Kirtley Baker wins his first game of the year‚ 3-0‚ over Cleveland‚ after losing his first 7. Baker will end up at 3-19‚ with 2 shutouts.
June 19The New York Giants score 13 runs in the 2nd inning‚ a ML record for the frame‚ as they beat Cleveland 18-4 in game one. New York takes the second game as well‚ 7-5.
June 21Charles “Silver” King of Chicago (PL) pitches an 8-inning no-hitter‚ but loses to Brooklyn 1-0 on a two-base error by SS Dell Darling. King’s no hitter is preserved by a 9-3 putout at 1B. Chicago bats first and King does not pitch the last of the 9th. This will be the only no-hitter in the PL‚ marking King’s no-hitter as the only one thrown at 51 1/2 foot distance. The PL had moved the distance back 18 inches from the 50 feet used in the other two leagues.

More than 10‚000-the greatest crowd ever seen at a college baseball game-turn out in Cambridge for the Harvard-Yale match. Harvard trails 3-1 after 7 innings‚ but rallies to win‚ 4-3 in the 9th. But Yale wins the season series‚ 3-2.
June 23In field games‚ New York (PL) C Harry “Farmer” Vaughn makes a throw of 402 feet 21?2 inches‚ beating John Hatfield’s 400 foot 71?2 inch record of 1872 and winning a $25 purse.

Rochester and Brooklyn (AA) play an exhibition at Elmira; the players are served with warrants for breaking the Sunday laws. In 3 days Rochester will start a 9-game losing streak that will drop them to 4th place.

Mike Griffin (Philadelphia PL) reaches base 4 times by errors for a ML record. Philadelphia tops Pittsburgh‚ 6-3.
June 24The Brooklyn Bridegrooms (PL) drop to 3 games behind the leaders when they are upended 22-3 by Chicago. Chicago plates 13 runs in the 4th inning. They will match that mark on August 16.
June 25St. Louis (AA) beats Louisville‚ 10-7‚ starting a run of 11 victories in 12 games that lifts them into 3rd‚ where they’ll finish. They buy out the releases of Count Campau‚ Jake Virtue‚ SS Bobby Wheelock‚ Bill Higgins‚ and C Jake Wells from Detroit. Campau is named captain‚ replacing Chief Roseman. Two days later‚ Campau hits a HR to beat Louisville‚ 8-6‚ for the 3rd straight time. Virtue can’t be bought‚ and neither can Wheelock‚ neither of whom play for St. Louis.
June 26No way to treat a lady. Philadelphia (PL) scores ML-record 14 runs in the 6th inning against Buffalo on the way to a 30-12 win. The 28 hits in the game come against 1887 world series hero Lady Baldwin‚ but only 6 of the runs are earned. Lady’s teammates manhandle 10 chances for errors.

In an AA game‚ Syracuse beats Brooklyn‚ 4-3‚ when Tim O’Rourke drives in the tying run and then scores the winner by stealing home.
June 28Against first place (NL) Cincinnati‚ New York’s Mike Tiernan cycles for the 2nd time in his career. He did on August 25‚ 1888. It’s not enough as the Giants fall‚ 12-3. Bid McPhee has 3 triples for the Reds.

July

July 2Home runs frowned upon? Phillie (NL) OF Billy Hamilton‚ the team’s leading hitter at .325‚ hits one of his 2 homers of the year in a 7-5 win at Chicago. The Spalding Guide comments: “This (only 2) is to be said to his credit as it shows he is working hard for his club; his idea being to get on first base and thus increase the chances for runs rather than fatten his own record for long hits.” Hamilton will hit 40 homers in 13 years‚ topping .300 in all but his last year. He’ll be elected to the Hall of fame in 1961.

At Toronto (IL)‚ Detroit wins a 16-inning 2-1 battle‚ considered the finest contest ever seen in Canada. Toronto outhits the winners‚ 12-8‚ but 2 of Detroit’s hits produce the winning run.
July 4After taking 2 from Columbus‚ 4-1 and 9-7‚ the Philadelphia Athletics lead the AA with a 40-20 record. But they will fade fast going 6-15‚ while Louisville is 16-4 to take the lead.
July 7Brooklyn begins a 15-3 run that brings them closer to PL-leading Boston as Gus Weyhing beats Chicago 4-0 for one of his 30 wins. Boston is never caught and ?nishes 61?2 games in front. Boston will also lead the PL at the gate with a reported 197‚346. But it has become apparent that the daily expense of just over $1‚000 will not be met by any team on the 50-cent admission.
July 11Chicago’s Cap Anson is awarded an intentional walk‚ one of the earliest ever recorded (as noted by historian Dixie Torengeau)‚ by Jouett Meekin of the Giants. With the score tied in the 11th‚ Bill Dahlen doubles‚ and a wild pitch sends him to 3B. Lange is semi-intentionally walked on 4 pitches‚ and Meekin allows him to steal 2B. Then he pitches four wide ones to Wilson (NY catcher)‚ who stands ten feet to one side of the plate. He permitted Lange to steal second without opposition‚ and then pitched four wide ones to Wilson (NY catcher)‚ who stood ten feet to one side of the plate. “Capt. Anson (the batter) was aggravated at this deprivation of a chance to win the game by making a hit‚ and sought to reach one of the curves that Meekin was putting so far away from him.” Chicago Tribune. The spectators laughed at Anson’s impotent rage and the Captain was forced to walk to first‚ filling the bases.” Meekin then retires Ryan‚ who had doubled in a run in the 4th‚ Decker‚ and Pfeffer to preserve the 2-2 tie. Chicago’s other run was a leadoff homer by Everitt‚ the leadoff hitter. Meekin loses the game in the 12th when Donohue hits a leadoff double and botched sac bunt leaves Friend safe at first. Meekin winds up and fakes a throw to 1B without stepping out of the box. Anson gets a balk call from ump Bob Emslie and wins 3-2.

Brooklyn moves into the NL lead by beating the Reds 9-2 for its 9th win in a row. The team ?nishes 6 games in front as the Reds fall to 4th. Monte Ward continues his hit streak he started on June 26th and will continue through July 26th‚ a string of 28 games.
July 12A local boy named Lewis‚ whose first name is unknown‚ shows up at the Brooklyn (PL) ball grounds and is given a tryout by Buffalo‚ which is suffering from injuries to George Andrews and Dave Orr. He works 3 innings‚ is battered for 13 hits‚ walks 7‚ and retires to LF trailing 20-5. Lou Bierbauer hits 2 homers in the 3rd off Lewis. Ed Beecher relieves. Buffalo rallies but loses 28-16. Lewis leaves a 60.00 career ERA in the ML record books.
July 15New York (NL) owner John B. Day tells other NL owners he must have $80‚000 or sell out to the PL. Spalding‚ Anson‚ Brush‚ and others come to the rescue to prevent New York’s withdrawal from the league.
July 19New York sweeps a pair from Cleveland‚ winning 18-4 and 7-5. In game one‚ the Giants score a ML high for the 2nd inning when they tally 13 off Jack Wadsworth. With a 16-1 lead after two innings‚ pitcher Mickey Welch goes to right field for the rest of the game‚ and right fielder Jesse Burkett finishes up. Burkett will go 3-10 in 21 games this year‚ but hit .309 as an outfielder.
July 20After Rochester beats Columbus in a Sunday game 8-3 at Windsor Beach‚ both teams are arrested. A week later the police are there to prevent a game against Louisville but a higher authority intervenes and the game is rained out.
July 22Today’s edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle mentions a night game to be played tomorrow in Hartford against visiting Baltimore. The article states that the local electric company is going to put six large arc lights on the field in an attempt to get patronage from those fans who could not attend day games because of work. The article mentions the need to use a dead ball because the ball will be lost in the shadows of the lights on high flies.
July 23Harry Stovey‚ the leading slugger of the Boston Players’ League club‚ hits his 100th career home run. He is the first ML player to attain this milestone. Boston rolls over Chicago‚ 22-5.

1B Jake Raatz of Cleveland (PL) moves to Buffalo to replace SS Jack Rowe as captain. Rowe was one of the original owners of the franchise.

In a 13-8 loss to Columbus (AA)‚ Mike Morrison of Syracuse uncorks 7 wild pitches (as noted by Ernie Lanigan‚ 1923).
July 26Philadelphia (NL) beats Cleveland‚ 5-2‚ running their win streak to 16 games‚ tying a club record set in 1887.

At West Side Park‚ Brooklyn bombs Chicago rookie Pat Luby‚ beating him 9-3. Luby’s record is 3-9 but he will not lose a game the rest of the year‚ winning 17 in a row.
July 27Brooklyn (AA) leads Columbus 13-8 in the 8th at the Long Island Grounds in a Sunday game when they run out of baseballs and are forced to forfeit the game.
July 28At Chicago‚ Philadelphia (NL) loses‚ 12-4‚ ending their club record win streak at 16 games.

Mickey Welch becomes the second pitcher this season to win 300 career games‚ as the New York Giants beats Pittsburgh‚ 4-2. Welch‚ 31‚ will win just 7 more. Welch makes 3 errors while striking out 3. There are just 147 fans on hand in Pittsburgh for the match (according to author Rich Westcott).

After losing 6-2 at Brooklyn‚ Columbus (AA) fires non-playing manager Al Buckenberger and brings in Gus Schmelz‚ who sports a big bushy beard which he uses to give signals by pointing with it. Schmelz has recently been fired by Cleveland NL. Buckenberger will be the man Connie Mack replaces as manager at Pittsburgh in 1894.

August

August 1Oyster Burns becomes the first Brooklyn player to hit for the cycle when he collects 4 hits in the 2nd game of a twin bill with Pittsburgh. The game is called after 7 1/3 innings with Brooklyn on the front end of 20-1 score.
August 2Chicago PL 2B Arlie Latham is sold by his former team‚ St Louis AA‚ to the Cincinnati Reds for $2‚500. When Arlie is given $500 of it‚ he leaves the Brotherhood and joins the Reds.
August 3When Rochester tries to entertain St. Louis at Buffalo for an AA game‚ both police and the rain show up again. Meahwhile‚ Syracuse takes Louisville to the Iron Pier Grounds outside the city limits‚ where polic appear. This time Louisville forfeits the game.
August 6Long John Reilly‚ hitting for the cycle for the 3rd time in his career‚ leads Cincinnati (NL) to a 16-3 romp over Pittsburgh. This cycle record would later be equaled by Bob Meusel and Babe Herman.

Cleveland’s Cy Young makes his ML debut‚ beating Chicago‚ 8-1‚ on a 3-hitter.

Phils manager Harry Wright returns to active managing after being struck blind (possibly by diabetes) on May 22. Te 2nd place Phillies lose to New York‚ 9-5.
August 8Chicago (Players League) romps over Cleveland‚ 18-4‚ with Jimmie Ryan leading the way. Ryan swipes 4 bases and hits a home run to pace the winners.
August 12William “Farmer” Weaver of Louisville (AA) hits for the cycle‚ collecting 2 singles‚ a double‚ 2 triples off Ezra Lincoln and Ed Mars of Syracuse. Weaver will go 4-for-5 tomorrow against Titcomb of Syracuse.

Charlie Bennett homers in the 12th inning off Philadelphia’s Phenomenal Smith to give Boston a 1-0 victory.
August 16It’s a bad day for Pittsburgh’s Bill Phillips as he becomes the first pitcher in ML history to give up 2 grand slams in one inning. Tommy Burns and Malachi Kittredge each hit one as Chicago scores 13 runs in the 5th inning en route a an 18-5 victory at Chicago’s West Side Park. Chan Ho Park will tee up two slams to Fernando Tatis in 1999 to match Phillips. It is the second time this season that Chicago has scored 13 runs in an inning.

Visiting Philadelphia (Players L) loses to Brooklyn‚ 4-1‚ when rookie Bill Joyce hits a 2-on 2-out 9th inning drive to CF for a three-run homer. Umpire Gaffley decides all 3 runs can score even though only one is needed to win. The ump will be overruled and the homer will be disallowed. The score will revert to 2-1.
August 18In one of the earliest pinch hitting appearances noted‚ Pittsburgh’s Silver King hits for Pud Galvin‚ fouling out in Pittsburgh’s 89-3 loss to Chicago (The Sporting Life‚ as noted by Cliff Blau‚ with additional information from David Ball and John Lewis). King finishes the year with a .169 average‚ up a point from last year.
August 20Bert Cunningham‚ pitching for last-place Buffalo (Players League) tosses 2 complete-game victories over Chicago‚ winning 6-2 and 7-0.
August 21Pittsburgh loses to Brooklyn‚ 4-1‚ and doesn’t look like it is going to get much help from rookie Mike Jordan‚ who debuts today. Jordan will go 12-for-125 with no homers. His .096 batting average is the lowest ever for a player at bat more than 100 times.
August 25Brooklyn (AA)‚ losers of 17 of its last 18 games‚ disbands; the team (26-73) moves to Baltimore where it finishes the season.

The Baltimore club of the Atlantic Association ?nishes the season in first place.
August 26Plans are made to organize a league of women’s baseball clubs.
August 28Sid Farrar of Philadelphia (PL) hits 3 triples and knocks in 6 runs in a 15-2 stampede of Buffalo.
August 29Boston (AA) mauls Pittsburgh 18-0 as Hoss Radbourn picks up the easy win over Al Maul.

September

September 1Brooklyn wins 3 games in one day‚ feasting on Pittsburgh 10-9‚ 3-2‚ and 8-4. In the first game the losers are down 10-0 with 2 out in the 9th‚ then score 9 runs. The game ends as Doggie Miller hits a bases loaded triple and is out trying to make it a game-tying homer. The 3 losses extend Pittsburgh’s losing streak to 22; it will reach 24 before they win again.
September 2In the 4th at Brooklyn‚ Dave Foutz hits a grounder to Pittsburgh 1B Guy Hecker and then stops halfway down the line. Hecker waits for him‚ not tagging the bag‚ then appeals to umpire Strief. The ump calls Foutz out for not running‚ apparently unaware that the rule requiring the batsman to run to first after a fair hit was repealed in 1888. Hecker then throws the ball back to the pitcher and Foutz runs the first. An argument follows but Strief ignores the rules and calls an out. Brooklyn wins‚ 5-4.
September 5Chicago rookie Pat Luby continues his winning streak‚ winning ugly over the Reds‚ 12-8. Luby hits three batters in the 5th in the victory‚ which will reach a record 17 straight games by the end of the campaign.
September 6Toledo plays at Baltimore (AA) and one player from each side is picked to umpire. With the score 2-2 after 7‚ the Toledo ump calls the game because of darkness‚ whereupon the Baltimore ump forfeits the game to the Orioles.
September 12OF Billy Sunday is 3-for-4 for Philadelphia in a 12-6 win over Boston. After playing for Pittsburgh most of the year‚ Sunday plays the last 31 games at Philley‚ then retires to become a fulltime evangelist‚ leaving a .248 batting average‚
September 14When Buffalo (PL) captain Jay Faatz and VP Frank disagree‚ Connie Mack is appointed captain for the rest of the season‚ unofficially marking the start of his managing career. At season’s end he will be one of the players who is unpaid‚ and one of the backers who loses his $500 investment.
September 15Lefthander Ledell “Cannonball” Titcomb‚ 24‚ pitches a no-hitter for Rochester over Syracuse (AA) 7-0. It’s his only shutout of the year in his last ML season.

Bert Cunningham of Buffalo (Player’s League) uncorks a ML record 5 wild pitches in the first inning of the second game of a double header. The unfortunate catcher is Owen “Spider” Clark‚ who played the outfield in game 1 when Connie Mack caught. Cunningham throws no more wild pitches in the 7-5 loss to Chicago‚ called after 6 innings. Chicago wins the opener as well.
September 17Out of money‚ the AA Athletics disband‚ releasing or selling all players and finishing out the schedule with a pick-up team that loses its remaining 21 games. Among players sold are OF Curt Welch‚ P Sadie McMahon‚ and C Wilbert Robinson to Baltimore.
September 23Against Philadelphia‚ St. Louis (AA) Browns 1B Jumbo Cartwright becomes the first major league player to drive in 7 runs in an inning when he hits a 3-run homer and a grand slam in the 3rd in support of Ed Nicol’s no hitter. Both homers come against rookie Ed Green. St. Louis scores 11 runs in the inning and is leading‚ 21-2‚ after 7 innings when darkness ends the game. Nicols (spelled Nichols in Lanigan’s Cyclopedia) walks 9 in the no-hitter. He’ll end his ML career at 5-7.

At Pittsburgh‚ the Giants sweep a pair from the Alleghenies‚ winning 7-5 and 8-6. Jesse Burkett walks 13 in game 2‚ but allows just 4 hits. The Alleghenies are now 21-109 and are 62 1/2 games out of first place.
September 27Jack Glasscock of the New York Giants collects 6 hits‚ all singles‚ off the Reds Tony Mullane.
September 30In Chicago’s 6-4 win over Boston at West Side Park‚ Walt Wilmot of Chicago‚ is called out twice while running the bases when he is hit with batted balls. Rookie Pat Luby wins his 16th straight‚ beating Boston ace John Clarkson.

October

October 1At Buffalo‚ Boston’s Matt Kilroy picks off a baserunner at first by running from the pitcher’s box over to first and tagging him out. Kilroy wins‚ 12-5‚ as Buffalo (PL) sags to a 35-95 record.
October 2Chicago (PL) P Mark “Fido” Baldwin beats New York 4-0 for his 34th win versus 24 losses. For the 2nd straight year he pitches 54 complete games and over 500 innings. Baldwin will pitch until 1896‚ then study medicine and become a professor at Johns Hopkins.
October 3Chicago’s rookie Pat Luby (NL) wins his club-record 17th consecutive game of the season‚ a 3-2 victory over Amos Rusie and the Giants‚ to finish the season at 20-9. He’ll lose in his first game next year.
October 9Cincinnati (NL) owner Aaron Stern sells his club to PL owners for $40‚000. Committees from the 3 leagues meet to begin negotiations toward a settlement of the war. PL owners from Cleveland‚ Brooklyn‚ and New York seek consolidation with the NL. A truce‚ during which all contracts will be respected‚ is agreed upon. It is left to owners in each city to arrange their own deals.
October 12Henry Gastright (Columbus‚ AA) hurls an 8-inning no-hitter against Toledo‚ winning 6-0.

Led by Hank Simon’s 4-for-4 with a homer and 2 steals‚ Syracuse (AA) trims the Philadelphia Athletics‚ 12-2. This is Simon’s last ML game; he has 12 hits in his final 3 games to finish with a .270 batting average.
October 17The AA and NL refuse to permit the PL champion to take part in a World Series. Interest in the post-season meeting of league champions is lukewarm as Brooklyn wins a 9-0 opener over Louisville behind Adonis Terry (26-16). After breaking even in 7 games‚ with one tie‚ the teams abandon the series.
October 20Upset over PL backers seeking deals without consulting them‚ the Brotherhood meets and votes to add a players’ committee to the 3 league committees for the next meeting. John M. Ward‚ Ned Hanlon‚ and Arthur Irwin are elected. Ward makes a long‚ spirited plea for the players’ participation. Al Spalding‚ eager to split the PL backers and players‚ argues against them. The original 3 league committees vote 2-1 against the players’ involvement. Each PL backer is now out to make his own deal and the PL is dead.

November

November 22At the AA annual meeting in Louisville‚ the Athletics are expelled for violating the constitution. A new team in Philadelphia is admitted‚ plus entries from Boston‚ Washington‚ and Chicago‚ replacing Syracuse‚ Toledo‚ and Rochester.

December

December 3St. Louis (AA) pitcher Jack Stivetts strikes out 7 batters in a row enroute to a 10-6 win over Louisville.
December 29After the New York and Pittsburgh PL clubs combine with their NL rivals‚ Spalding buys out Chicago’s PL backer Addison for $18‚000‚ some of which goes to pay off unpaid salaries and reimburse players half of their investments. Spalding gets the club’s grandstand‚ equipment‚ and player contracts. PL secretary Frank Brunell lays part of the blame for the PL failure on 3 business mistakes: clubs should have raised $50‚000 eachinstead of $20‚000 to start; each should have had a non-playing business manager; The NL fought harder to get back players who returned to it. Ten years later NL president Nick Young will say the fight cost the NL $1.5 million.