1886 – The New York State League admits clubs from Buffalo, Toronto and Hamilton. The inclusion of the Canadian teams causes the league to change its name to the International League.

ByTom

1886 – The New York State League admits clubs from Buffalo, Toronto and Hamilton. The inclusion of the Canadian teams causes the league to change its name to the International League.

Via a transatlantic telegraph from Paris, France, American Association 40-game winner Bob Caruthers agrees to terms with St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe. Caruthers’ well-publicized holdout will earn him the nickname “Parisian Bob.”

Via a transatlantic telegraph from Paris, France, American Association 40-game winner Bob Caruthers agrees to terms with St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe. Caruthers’ well-publicized holdout will earn him the nickname “Parisian Bob.”

ByThis Day in Baseball

Via a transatlantic telegraph from Paris, France, American Association 40-game winner Bob Caruthers agrees to terms with St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe. Caruthers’ well-publicized holdout will earn him the nickname “Parisian Bob.”

1886 – The National League meets and adopts the stolen base and the four foot by seven foot pitcher’s box. But the NL retains seven balls for a walk and rejects the American Association’s rule giving a batter first base on a hit by pitch.

ByTom

1886 – The National League meets and adopts the stolen base and the four foot by seven foot pitcher’s box. But the NL retains seven balls for a walk and rejects the American Association’s rule giving a batter first base on a hit by pitch.

1886 – The American Association meets and overrules president Denny McKnight (also owner of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys club) and suspends second baseman Sam Barkley for signing with Pittsburgh before the dispute over his sale is settled. The AA adopts new rules. The number of balls needed for a walk is reduced from seven to six; the pitcher’s box is one foot deeper, giving the pitcher seven feet behind the 50-foot front line in which to execute his delivery; stolen bases are adopted as an official statistic, although the definition is rather vague initially.

ByTom

1886 – The American Association meets and overrules president Denny McKnight (also owner of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys club) and suspends second baseman Sam Barkley for signing with Pittsburgh before the dispute over his sale is settled. The AA adopts new rules. The number of balls needed for a walk is reduced from seven to six; the pitcher’s box is one foot deeper, giving the pitcher seven feet behind the 50-foot front line in which to execute his delivery; stolen bases are adopted as an official statistic, although the definition is rather vague initially.

1886 – The Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association are sold by Aaron Stern to Louis Huack, a wealthy brewer and banker.

ByTom

1886 – The Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association are sold by Aaron Stern to Louis Huack, a wealthy brewer and banker.

Washington_Nationals_baseball_team_of_the_National_League_circa_1886-1889

The Washington Nationals are admitted to the National League

ByTom

The Washington Nationals, also to be known as the Statesmen, are admitted to the National League. The new franchise, which will play its home games at the Swampoodle Grounds, will win only 28 games of the 120 games played, finishing 60 games behind the first-place Chicago White Stockings in their first season of the team’s four-year existence in the nation’s capital.

1885 – The American Association champions St. Louis Browns agree to sell the reserve rights of infielder Sam Barkley to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys for $1,000.

ByTom

1885 – The American Association champions St. Louis Browns agree to sell the reserve rights of infielder Sam Barkley to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys for $1,000.