1883 Major League Baseball season

The 1883 schedule consisted of 98 games for all teams in the American Association and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 14 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This format was unique to the 1883 season. Previously, the National League had played an 84-game schedule, with 12 games against each team being played, while a pre-expansion six-team American Association had played an 80-game schedule, with 16 games against each team being played. The following season would see the National League play a 112-game schedule (increase of 14 to 16 games each), while the American Association would expanded again, this time to twelve teams, for a 110-game schedule (of 10 games against each of the other eleven teams).

Opening Day took place on May 1 featuring all sixteen teams. American Association would see its final day of the regular season on September 30 featuring four teams, while the National League would see its final day of the regular season on September 29, featuring all eight teams.

The 1883 season saw the following rule changes:

• Championships were to be decided on a percentage basis.^[1]
• All throws except for overhand throws are legal. The American Association further specified this rule, and considered all overhand throws a balk, which resulted in both any runner on base and batter to be awarded an extra base (balks today do not advance the batter).^[2]
• The National League abolishes the "foul bound catch" rule, which was when a fielder caught a foul ball on its first bounce. The American Association would follow this abolition in 1885.^[3]

An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at

The 1883 season saw the American Association and National League each with two new teams, all playing at new venues:

• American Association:
  • The Columbus Buckeyes played at Recreation Park (Columbus).
  • The New York Metropolitans played at the Polo Grounds.
• National League:
  • The New York Gothams played at the Polo Grounds.
  • The Philadelphia Quakers played at Recreation Park (Philadelphia).

The Polo Grounds, home of the New York Metropolitans and Gothams, featured two baseball fields, at the southeast and southwest of the grounds. The Gothams played entirely at the southeast grounds, while the Metropolitans moved alternated. The played ten games at the southeast diamond to start the season, before moving to the southwest diamond on May 30. The southwest diamond was of worse quality than the southeast diamond, so games at the southwest diamond did not last long. They played only ten games (aside from a one-off at the southeast diamond on June 13) before returning to the southeast diamond in July. They did play three more games at the southwest diamond on August 30, 31, and September 4 due to scheduling conflicts with the Gothams.^[21][22]

Following a fire and a flood of their home at Exposition Park, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys had to move into a newly built venue, a second iteration of Exposition Park, which was built immediately south.^[23] However, after only 17 games, they played their last game there on June 9 and returned to the first Exposition Park on June 12.^[24][25]

The 1883 season saw two teams relocate to new ballparks:

• The Baltimore Orioles leave Newington Park (where they played their inaugural season the previous year) and move to Oriole Park, where they would go on to play for six seasons through 1889.
• The Philadelphia Athletics leave Oakdale Park (where they played their inaugural season the previous year) and move to the Jefferson Street Grounds, where they would go on to play for eight seasons through 1890, where they would fold thereafter.

The 1883 season saw four teams play their final games at respective ballparks, before moving to new ballparks for the 1884 season:

• The Buffalo Bisons would play their final game at Riverside Park on September 8 against the Cleveland Blues, moving to Olympic Park.
• The Cincinnati Red Stockings would play their final game at Bank Street Grounds on September 29 against the New York Metropolitans, moving to American Park.
• The New York Metropolitans would play their final home game of the season at the Polo Grounds southeast diamond on September 6 against the Louisville Eclipse, moving to Metropolitan Park. However, would eventually return to the Polo Grounds by August of the following season.
• The Pittsburgh Alleghenys would play their final game at Exposition Park on September 6 against the Cincinnati Red Stockings, moving to Recreation Park.

• 1883 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)