1897 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 1897 major league baseball season began on April 19, 1897. The regular season ended on October 3, with the Boston Beaneaters as the pennant winner of the National League and the Baltimore Orioles as runner-up. The postseason began with Game 1 of the fourth Temple Cup on October 4 and ended with Game 5 on October 11. The Orioles defeated the Beaneaters, four games to one, capturing their second consecutive Temple Cup.
- April 19 â October 3, 1897
- October 4â11, 1897
| 1897 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 132 |
| Teams | 12 |
| Pennant winner | |
| NL champions | Boston Beaneaters |
| NL runners-up | Baltimore Orioles |
| Temple Cup | |
| Champions | Baltimore Orioles |
| Runners-up | Boston Beaneaters |
Due to lack of enthusiasm from both players and fans, and the perception that the Temple Cup was more of an exhibition contest than a true championship contest, the 1897 Temple Cup would be the final version of the championship series.[1] Aside from the 1900 Chronicle-Telegraph Cup, this would be the last championship series until the birth of the modern World Series in 1903.
Schedule
The 1897 schedule consisted of 132 games for the twelve teams of the National League. Each team was scheduled to play 12 games against the other eleven teams in the league. This continued the format put in place since 1893 and was the last season to use the format, which saw an extension of the schedule to 154 games the following season.
Opening Day took place on April 19 featuring a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Beaneaters. The final day of the season was on October 3, featuring four teams.[2] The Temple Cup took place between October 4 and October 11, with two exhibition games breaking up the series played on October 7â8 between Games 3 and 4.
Rule changes
The 1897 season saw the following rule changes:
- A new rule eliminating on-field coaches when the bases were empty was implemented. If a runner got on, one base coach was permitted. With two or more runners on base, both coaching boxes could be filled.[3]
- Team captains were now prohibited from leaving his position on the field in order to dispute an umpireâs ruling (this included outfielders).[3]
- If a stolen base figured in the scoring of a run, that run would be considered unearned.[3]
- The power to appoint official game scorers was conferred upon the league president, a move designed to eliminate hometown favoritism in base-hit and error rulings.[3]
Teams
- ^
- ^ In today's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Standings
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Beaneaters | 93 | 39 | .705 | â | 54âââ12 | 39âââ27 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 90 | 40 | .692 | 2 | 51âââ15 | 39âââ25 |
| New York Giants | 83 | 48 | .634 | 9½ | 51âââ19 | 32âââ29 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 76 | 56 | .576 | 17 | 49âââ18 | 27âââ38 |
| Cleveland Spiders | 69 | 62 | .527 | 23½ | 49âââ16 | 20âââ46 |
| Washington Senators | 61 | 71 | .462 | 32 | 40âââ26 | 21âââ45 |
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms | 61 | 71 | .462 | 32 | 38âââ29 | 23âââ42 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 60 | 71 | .458 | 32½ | 38âââ27 | 22âââ44 |
| Chicago Colts | 59 | 73 | .447 | 34 | 36âââ30 | 23âââ43 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 55 | 77 | .417 | 38 | 32âââ34 | 23âââ43 |
| Louisville Colonels | 52 | 78 | .400 | 40 | 34âââ31 | 18âââ47 |
| St. Louis Browns | 29 | 102 | .221 | 63½ | 18âââ41 | 11âââ61 |
Tie games
23 tie games, which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season.
- Baltimore Orioles, 6
- Boston Beaneaters, 3
- Brooklyn Bridegrooms, 4
- Chicago Colts, 6
- Cincinnati Reds, 2
- Cleveland Spiders, 1
- Louisville Colonels, 6
- New York Giants, 7
- Philadelphia Phillies, 2
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 4
- St. Louis Browns, 2
- Washington Senators, 3
Postseason
Bracket
| Temple Cup | ||||||||
| NL1 | Boston Beaneaters | 13 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 3 | ||
| NL2 | Baltimore Orioles | 12 | 13 | 87 | 12 | 9 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville Colonels | Jim Rogers | Fred Clarke |
| St. Louis Browns | Tommy Dowd | Hugh Nicol |
| Hugh Nicol | Bill Hallman | |
| Bill Hallman | Chris von der Ahe | |
| Washington Senators | Gus Schmelz | Tom Brown |
League leaders
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Willie Keeler (BAL) | .424 |
| OPS | Willie Keeler (BAL) | 1.003 |
| HR | Hugh Duffy (BSN) | 11 |
| RBI | George Davis (NYG) | 135 |
| R | Billy Hamilton (BSN) | 152 |
| H | Willie Keeler (BAL) | 239 |
| SB | Bill Lange (CHI) | 73 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Kid Nichols (BSN) | 31 |
| L | Red Donahue (STL) | 35 |
| ERA | Amos Rusie (NYG) | 2.54 |
| K | Doc McJames (WAS) Cy Seymour (NYG) |
156 |
| IP | Kid Nichols (BSN) | 368.0 |
| SV | Win Mercer (WAS) Kid Nichols (BSN) |
3 |
| WHIP | Kid Nichols (BSN) | 1.168 |
Milestones
Batters
- Cap Anson (CHI):
- Recorded his 3,000th career hit with a single in the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles on July 18. He is the first player to reach 3,000 hits.[7][8] He became the first player to reach this mark.[9]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Cy Young (CLE):
- Young threw his first career no-hitter and the first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Cincinnati Reds 6â0 in game 1 of a doubleheader on September 18. Young walked none, hit one by pitch, and struck out three, though three batters reached due to fielding errors.[10][11]
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants[12] | 83 | 29.7% | 390,340 | 42.5% | 5,136 |
| Cincinnati Reds[13] | 76 | â1.3% | 336,800 | â9.7% | 4,953 |
| Boston Beaneaters[14] | 93 | 25.7% | 334,800 | 39.5% | 4,997 |
| Chicago Colts[15] | 59 | â16.9% | 327,160 | 3.0% | 4,883 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[16] | 55 | â11.3% | 290,027 | â18.8% | 4,329 |
| Baltimore Orioles[17] | 90 | 0.0% | 273,046 | 9.5% | 3,957 |
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms[18] | 61 | 5.2% | 220,831 | 9.9% | 3,155 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[19] | 60 | â9.1% | 165,950 | â15.8% | 2,553 |
| Washington Senators[20] | 61 | 5.2% | 151,028 | â32.3% | 2,221 |
| Louisville Colonels[21] | 52 | 36.8% | 145,210 | 9.2% | 2,135 |
| St. Louis Browns[22] | 29 | â27.5% | 136,400 | â25.9% | 2,236 |
| Cleveland Spiders[23] | 69 | â13.8% | 115,250 | â24.2% | 1,773 |