1886 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 1886 major league baseball season began on April 17, 1886. The regular season ended on October 15, with the Chicago White Stockings and the St. Louis Browns as regular season champions of the National League and American Association, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the third World's Championship Series on October 18 and ended with Game 6 on October 23, in what was a best-of-seven-playoff. The Browns defeated the White Stockings, four games to two, capturing their first World's Championship Series.
National League (NL)
- April 17 â October 15, 1886 (AA)
- April 29 â October 11, 1886 (NL)
- October 18â23, 1886
126 (NL)
| 1886 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Association (AA) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 140 (AA) 126 (NL) |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Pennant winner | |
| AA champions | St. Louis Browns |
| AA runners-up | Pittsburgh Alleghenys |
| NL champions | Chicago White Stockings |
| NL runners-up | Detroit Wolverines |
| World's Championship Series | |
| Champions | St. Louis Browns |
| Runners-up | Chicago White Stockings |
Over the offseason, the National League's Buffalo Bisons transfer into the minor league International League and Providence Grays fold. The two open spots are filled by the newly enfranchised Kansas City Cowboys and Washington Nationals.
Schedule
The 1886 schedule consisted of 140 games for all American Association teams and 126 games for all National League, each of which had eight teams. Each AA team was scheduled to play 20 games against the other seven teams, while each NL team was scheduled to play 18 games against the other seven teams. Both the AA's 140-game format and NL's 126-game format were newly-implementation for the 1886 season, each replacing the 112-game, 16 games against the other seven teams format that both leagues had from 1884 and 1885. The NL would adopt the AA's format in 1888, and each league would use this 140-game format until 1892.
American Association Opening Day took place on April 17 featuring six teams, while National League Opening Day took place on April 29, also featuring six teams. The American Association would see its final day of the regular season on October 15 with a doubleheader between the New York Metropolitans and Philadelphia Athletics, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 11 with a game between the Kansas City Cowboys and Washington Nationals.[1] The 1886 World's Championship Series took place between October 18 and October 23.
Rule changes
The 1886 season saw the following rule changes:
- Stolen bases became an official statistic.[2]
- In the American Association, six balls became a base on balls, down from eight, while in the National League, seven balls became a base on balls, up from six.
- The pitcher's box was extended by one foot in the direction of second base, from six to seven feet.[3]
- In the American Association, a one-foot-long by four-foot-wide smooth flat stone was placed in front of the pitcher's box.[4]
- In the American Association 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, copying the change the National League did the previous season.[3][5]
- The American Association allowed home plate to be made out of white stone.[5]
- The reserve rule was expanded to cover 12 players on each team, up from 11 established in 1883.[3]
Teams
Sunday games
Blue laws restricted Sunday activities in several localities, causing the Brooklyn Grays of the American Association (which was informally referred to as the "Beer & Whiskey League" due to its openness on alcohol, compared to the National League) to play at ballparks in a different locality.
| Team | City | Ballpark | Capacity | Games played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Grays[7] | Ridgewood, New York[B] | Ridgewood Park | Unknown | 14 |
- ^
- ^
- ^ In today's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Standings
American Association
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Browns | 93 | 46 | .669 | â | 52âââ18 | 41âââ28 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 80 | 57 | .584 | 12 | 45âââ28 | 35âââ29 |
| Brooklyn Grays | 76 | 61 | .555 | 16 | 44âââ25 | 32âââ36 |
| Louisville Colonels | 66 | 70 | .485 | 25½ | 37âââ30 | 29âââ40 |
| Cincinnati Red Stockings | 65 | 73 | .471 | 27½ | 40âââ31 | 25âââ42 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 63 | 72 | .467 | 28 | 38âââ31 | 25âââ41 |
| New York Metropolitans | 53 | 82 | .393 | 38 | 30âââ33 | 23âââ49 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 48 | 83 | .366 | 41 | 30âââ32 | 18âââ51 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Stockings | 90 | 34 | .726 | â | 52âââ10 | 38âââ24 |
| Detroit Wolverines | 87 | 36 | .707 | 2½ | 49âââ13 | 38âââ23 |
| New York Giants | 75 | 44 | .630 | 12½ | 47âââ12 | 28âââ32 |
| Philadelphia Quakers | 71 | 43 | .623 | 14 | 45âââ14 | 26âââ29 |
| Boston Beaneaters | 56 | 61 | .479 | 30½ | 32âââ26 | 24âââ35 |
| St. Louis Maroons | 43 | 79 | .352 | 46 | 27âââ34 | 16âââ45 |
| Kansas City Cowboys | 30 | 91 | .248 | 58½ | 17âââ40 | 13âââ51 |
| Washington Nationals | 28 | 92 | .233 | 60 | 19âââ43 | 9âââ49 |
Tie games
28 tie games (13 in AA, 15 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season.
American Association
- Baltimore Orioles, 8
- Brooklyn Grays, 4
- Cincinnati Red Stockings, 3
- Louisville Colonels, 2
- New York Metropolitans, 2
- Philadelphia Athletics, 4
- Pittsburgh Alleghenys, 3
National League
- Boston Beaneaters, 1
- Chicago White Stockings, 2
- Detroit Wolverines, 3
- Kansas City Cowboys, 5
- New York Giants, 5
- Philadelphia Quakers, 5
- St. Louis Maroons, 4
- Washington Nationals, 5
Postseason
Bracket
| World's Championship Series | |||||||||
| AA | St. Louis Browns | 0 | 128 | 4 | 87 | 107 | 410* | ||
| NL | Chicago White Stockings | 6 | 0 | 118* | 5 | 3 | 3 | ||
*Denotes walk-off
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bisons | Jack Chapman | Team transferred to minor league International League |
| Philadelphia Athletics | Harry Stovey | Lew Simmons |
| Providence Grays | Frank Bancroft | Team folded |
| St. Louis Maroons | Alex McKinnon | Gus Schmelz |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| New York Metropolitans | Jim Gifford | Bob Ferguson |
| Philadelphia Athletics | Lew Simmons | Bill Sharsig |
| Washington Nationals | Michael Scanlon | John Gaffney |
League leaders
Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season.
American Association
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Guy Hecker (LOU) | .341 |
| OPS | Bob Caruthers (STL) | .974 |
| HR | Bid McPhee (CIN) | 8 |
| RBI | Tip O'Neill (STL) | 107 |
| R | Arlie Latham (STL) | 152 |
| H | Dave Orr (NYM) | 193 |
| SB | Harry Stovey (PHA) | 68 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Dave Foutz (STL) Ed Morris (PIT) |
41 |
| L | Matt Kilroy (BAL) | 34 |
| ERA | Dave Foutz (STL) | 2.11 |
| K | Matt Kilroy1 (BAL) | 513 |
| IP | Toad Ramsey (LOU) | 588.2 |
| SV | Bones Ely (LOU) Dave Foutz (STL) Nat Hudson (STL) Ed Morris (PIT) Joe Strauss (BRO/LOU) |
1 |
| WHIP | Ed Morris (PIT) | 1.032 |
1 All-time single-season strikeouts record
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | King Kelly (CHI) | .388 |
| OPS | Dan Brouthers (DET) | 1.026 |
| HR | Dan Brouthers (DET) Hardy Richardson (DET) |
11 |
| RBI | Cap Anson (CHI) | 147 |
| R | King Kelly (CHI) | 155 |
| H | Hardy Richardson (DET) | 189 |
| SB | Ed Andrews (PHI) | 56 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Lady Baldwin (DET) Tim Keefe (NYG) |
42 |
| L | George Weidman (KC) | 36 |
| ERA | Henry Boyle (SLM) | 1.76 |
| K | Lady Baldwin (DET) | 323 |
| IP | Tim Keefe (NYG) | 535.0 |
| SV | Charlie Ferguson (PHI) | 2 |
| WHIP | Lady Baldwin (DET) | 0.967 |
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Fred Dunlap (DET/SLM):
- Dunlap hit for his first cycle and first in franchise history as a part of the St. Louis Maroons, on May 24 against the New York Gothams.[12]
- Pete Browning (LOU):
- Browning hit for his first cycle and first in franchise history, on August 8 against the New York Metropolitans.[12]
- Jack Rowe (DET):
- Rowe hit for his first cycle and third in franchise history, on August 21 against the Chicago White Stockings.[12]
- Chippy McGarr (PHA):
- McGarr hit for his first cycle and third in franchise history, on September 23 against the St. Louis Browns.[12]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Al Atkinson (PHA):
- Atkinson threw his second career no-hitter and second no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the New York Metropolitans 3â2 on May 1. Atkinson walked three and struck out seven.[13]
- Adonis Terry (BRO):
- Terry threw his first career no-hitter and second no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the St. Louis Browns 1â0 on July 24. Terry walked two and struck out three.[14]
- Matt Kilroy (BAL):
- Kilroy threw his first career no-hitter and first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Pittsburgh Alleghenys 6â0 on October 6. Only three Alleghenys reached base.[15][16]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Matt Kilroy (BAL):
- Set the Major League single-season record for most strikeouts, striking out 513.[17]
- Charlie Sweeney (SLM):
- Sets the Major League single-season record for most allowed home runs in a single game, allowing 7 home runs in a 14â7 loss to the Detroit Wolverines on June 12.
Miscellaneous
- Pat Dealy (BSN):
- Set a National League record by allowing 10 passed balls in a single game on May 3.
- Kansas City Cowboys:
- Set a major league record for most runs scored in the 11th inning, by scoring 10 runs against the Detroit Wolverines on July 21.[18]
Venues
The National League saw two teams join for the 1886 season:
- The Kansas City Cowboys played at League Park in Kansas City, Missouri.
- The Washington Nationals played at Swampoodle Grounds in Washington, D.C.
The 1886 season saw two teams play their final games at their respective ballparks:
- The St. Louis Maroons would play their final game at Union Base Ball Park on September 23 against the Kansas City Cowboys, relocating to Indianapolis, Indiana at Seventh Street Park as the Indianapolis Hooisers for the start of the 1887 season.
- The Philadelphia Quakers would play their final game at Recreation Park in a doubleheader on October 9 against the Detroit Wolverines, moving to Philadelphia Base Ball Grounds for the start of the 1887 season.
The Brooklyn Grays of the American Association begin hosting Sunday games, playing 14 games at Ridgewood Park in Ridgewood, New York on May 2, 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13, 20, July 18, 25, August 1, 22, 29, September 12 and 19.[19]