1885 Major League Baseball season

The 1885 schedule consisted of 112 games for all teams in the American Association and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 16 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the National League since the previous season. The American Association, due to downsizing from a twelve-team league to an eight-team league over the off season, took on this format. This would be the final season for this format, as the AA would implement a 140-game format and the NL a 126-game format the following season.

American Association Opening Day took place on April 18 featuring four teams, while National League Opening Day took place on April 30, with a game between the Chicago White Stockings and St. Louis Maroons. The American Association would see its final day of the regular season on October 5 with a game between the Brooklyn Grays and Philadelphia Athletics, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 10, featuring four teams.^[1] The 1885 World's Championship Series took place between October 14 and October 24, though was originally supposed to extend to October 31.^[2]

The 1885 season saw the following rule changes:

• A granulated substance may be applied up to 18" from the bottom of the bat.^[3]
• Chest protectors worn by catchers and umpires came into use.^[3]
• In the National League, home base could be made of marble or whitened rubber.^[3] The American Association would make this change in the following year.^[4]
• One portion of the bat could be flat (one side).^[3]
• In the National League, the batter's box was extended by one foot in width, on either side of home plate, expanding from three feet wide and one foot from home plate to four feet wide and six inches from home plate. The American Association would follow the following year.^[5][4]
• The balk rule was more clearly defined, changing from "A balk is a motion made by the pitcher to deliver the ball to the bat without delivering it," to "when about to deliver the ball to the bat, while standing within the lines of his position, make any one of the series of motions he habitually makes in so delivering the ball to the bat, without delivering it."^[5]
• The American Association abolishes the "foul bound catch" rule, which was when a fielder caught a foul ball on its first bounce. The National League did so previously in 1883.^[6]
• Minimum player salary under the reserve rule was made $1,000 (equivalent to $35,833 in 2025).^[5]
• On June 7, the American Association lifted all restrictions on pitching, enabling pitchers to throw above the shoulder during pitch delivery.^[7] The National League lifted restrictions in 1884.

The Chicago White Stockings leave Lakefront Park (where they played for seven seasons) and move to West Side Park, where they would go on to play for seven seasons, partway through 1891.

For various reasons, three teams would play home games at neutral sites:

• The Buffalo Bisons played a doubleheader on their last day of the season, at Maple Avenue Driving Park in Elmira, New York on October 10.^[21]
• The home of the formerly major league Milwaukee Brewers, Wright Street Grounds in Milwaukee, Wisconsin would be the site of two games, both against the nearby Chicago White Stockings. The Buffalo Bisons hosted on September 4, while the Providence Grays hosted on September 25.^[22]
• The St. Louis Maroons played at Seventh Street Park in Indianapolis, Indiana (the home of the former Indianapolis Hoosiers) on September 15.^[23]

• 1885 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)