MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON RECAP 1884

1884 Providence Grays

Season Recap: 1884

League Champion: Providence Grays

Pitcher Larry Corcoran, breaks his contract to re-sign with his old club, the Chicago White Stockings of the National League.

The newly-organized Union League changes its name to the Eastern League to avoid confusion with the new Union Association. The EL continues into the 21st century as the AAA International League.

The first-place Toledo Blue Stockings are declared the league champion for 1883

The first-place Toledo Blue Stockings are declared the league champion for 1883

1884 – In a five-inning game played on ice skates in Brooklyn, Chicago White Stockings ace pitcher Larry Corcoran leads his team of mostly amateurs to a 41 – 12 win over a team composed of mostly professionals. Corcoran’s team was assembled by veteran sportswriter Henry Chadwick. In four days, the pros will beat Corcoran and another group of amateurs, 16 – 8.

1884 – Pitcher Tony Mullane, the first player to violate the National Agreement’s reserve clause by signing with the St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association, signs a contract with the Toledo Blue Stockings, of the American Association.

Cincinnati Outlaw Reds are flooded under 20 feet of water from the Ohio River

billy evans

Billy Evans is born in Chicago, Illinois

Bob Barr Pittsburgh’s first trade

Bob Barr Pittsburgh’s first trade

P/IF Terry Larkin, released from prison after serving several months for beating his wife and shooting a policeman, is rearrested for threatening to shoot his father.

P/IF Terry Larkin, released from prison after serving several months for beating his wife and shooting a policeman, is rearrested for threatening to shoot his father.

1884 – The Altoona Mountain City club is admitted to the Union Association as its seventh club, leaving Lancaster as the only franchise in the Inter-State League.

1884 – National League owners agree to provide two separate team benches to minimize fraternizing among opposing players during games.

High winds tear off the roof of the Polo Grounds' grandstand.

High winds tear off the roof of the Polo Grounds’ grandstand.

1884 – The Union Association admits the Boston Reds club organized by George Wright, bringing the number of teams to eight. The UA also decides to stick with the seven-ball walk rule, and the schedule is expanded to 112 games, with the percentage system adopted for determining the champion team. The regular season opens with three games. Baltimore Monumentals pitcher Bill Sweeney throws a five-hit, 7 – 3 victory over the Washington Nationals. It is the first of what will be a season-high 40 victories for Sweeney, 12 more than his closest rival, Hugh Daily.

1884 – During an exhibition game between the National League Philadelphia Quakers and American Association Philadelphia Athletics, umpire William McLean, reacting to fans’ taunts, hurls a bat into the stands, hitting but not injuring a spectator. McLean is arrested after the game, but the charges are soon dropped.

In American Association action, Toledo Blue Stockings catcher Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black to play in the major leagues during a game against the Louisville Eclipse team.

In a National League contest played at the South End Grounds, Umpire Van Cort infuriates the visiting Detroit Wolverines when he calls their batter out on a third-strike foul tip. Mike Hines, the Beaneaters’ backstop, clearly did not catch the strike three because the ball becomes wedged in his catcher’s mask.

Larry Corcoran limits Cleveland to one single in a 5 – 0 shutout for Chicago. Jim McCormick takes the loss.

 Larry Corcoran limits Cleveland (NL) to one single in a 5-0 shutout for Chicago. Jim McCormick takes the loss at National League Park.

Against Pittsburgh‚ Philadelphia Athletics P Al Atkinson hits the leadoff batter‚ Ed Swartwood‚ who steals second base‚ takes third base on a putout‚ and scores on a passed ball. But Atkinson sets down the next 27 Alleghenies for a near-perfect‚ no-hit, 10 – 1 win.

After 20 consecutive wins St. Louis (UA) finally falls, 8 – 1, to Boston. The Maroons will finish the season with a .832 winning percentage‚ the highest in major league history.

With RF Mike Dorgan committing 5 errors‚ New York loses to Providence‚ 19 – 5‚ at the Polo Grounds. The New York Times reports that the game is so bad that “the Siamese Embassy [staff] occupied the stockholder box and showed their knowledge by leaving in the middle of the game.” Charlie Sweeney (8-1) has 4 hits‚ 3 doubles and scores 4 times.

Boston P Jim Whitney blanks Philadelphia for the second time in 5 days‚ and helps power the Beaneaters to their 13 – 0 win with 4 hits.

Ed Morris (Columbus AA) no-hits Pittsburgh, 5 – 0‚ allowing only one walk.

Taking advantage of a ground rule change which scores balls hit over Chicago’s inviting 180-foot LF fence as home runs (instead of doubles)‚ five players hit round-trippers in the White Stockings’ National League home opener against Detroit‚ winning 15 – 5. Chicago will hit 142 homers – last year they hit 13 – during the 112-game season (more than 90 percent of them at home) to set a record that will last until the 1927 New York Yankees. The rule change appears to be unilaterally made by Cap Anson‚ and the other league owners will squawk to no avail. But the league will set a minimum distance of 210 feet for an outfield fence after the season.

The Mets edge Louisville, 7 – 5, in 11 innings, to tie the Eclipse for first place in the American Association with a 20-8 record.

Chicago White Stockings ace Larry Corcoran switch pitches in a 2 – 0 win over Cleveland. Tony Mullane did it two years ago.

1884 – Dissatisfied with umpire Jack Brennan’s calls, hundreds of fans storm the field at Oriole Park in an American Association game between the Orioles and Louisville Eclipse. One man wielding a large revolver threatens to shoot Brennan if he makes any more bad calls. Police have to be called in to clear the mob, and after the game, which ends in a 4 – 4 tie, Brennan is slugged to the ground by a fan and has to be taken to the Orioles clubhouse, then to OF Jim Clinton’s home for his own protection, before being whisked out of town on the first train.

Due to inflammation in his right index finger, Larry Corcoran of the White Stockings (Cubs) pitches both left-handed and right-handed in a game against the Bisons. The natural right-hander hurlsambidextrously for four innings, alternating throwing arms, before moving to shortstop in Chicago’s 20-9 loss at Buffalo’s Olympic Park.

Bid McPhee hit an inside-the-park home run however he was out on appeal for failing to touch 2B.

Bid McPhee hit an inside-the-park home run however he was out on appeal for failing to touch 2B.

In American Association action, Guy Hecker of the Louisville Eclipse pitches complete games to win both ends of a doubleheader. The Youngsville, Pennsylvania native does not walk a single batter as he beats the Brooklyn Atlantics, 5 – 4 and 8 – 2.

billy sunday pitching

Billy Sunday homered in the eighth inning for the Chicago White Stockings at Detroit

The Buffalo Bisons were in Cleveland playing the Blues when in the bottom of the first the Sam Moffet, led off for Cleveland. He doubled, but he was the number eight hitter on the official lineup card. He was declared out. Under today’s rules, the correct lead off hitter, Bill Phillips, would have been called out.

At Detroit’s Recreation Park, Bison hurler Pud Galvin throws the most lopsided no-hitter in baseball history when the team beats the Wolverines, 18-0. The victory is the second career no-hitter for the 27 year-old Buffalo right-hander, who also held the Worcester Worcesters hitless in 1880.

Harry Stovey's 3 triples and 2 singles contribute to Philadelphia's 20-1 pounding of Baltimore (AA). Two of his triples come in the 8th inning.

Harry Stovey’s 3 triples and 2 singles contribute to Philadelphia’s 20-1 pounding of Baltimore (AA). Two of his triples come in the 8th inning.

Mickey Welch strikes out nine straight Cleveland hitters

Mickey Welch strikes out nine straight Cleveland hitters

Meriden, ahead 5-3 in the top of the ninth inning, wins the Connecticut State League contest when Hartford forfeits because the team refuses to use a new ball, needed to replace the one that was hit foul into a marsh behind home plate, citing the sphere did not come from a box sealed by the league secretary. The suddenly shortened game also featured the only home run hit that season at the Meriden ballpark, a round-tripper stroked by its captain, future Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack.

Jim McCormick picks off 4 Boston Unions in an 8-4 Cincinnati victory‚ one of his 21 UA wins. Earlier in the season he won 19 games for Cleveland (NL). He will lead the UA in winning percentage and in ERA and his combined won-loss record for the year is 40-25 (21-3 in UA)‚ just missing being a 20-game winner for two teams in the same season.

League secretary Nick Young becomes National League president replacing Abe Mills

League secretary Nick Young becomes National League president replacing Abe Mills

Boston Rooters 1897

The National League agrees to allow overhand pitching, but rules that pitchers must keep both feet on the ground throughout their pitching motion in order to reduce the velocity of their pitches. They still must throw the ball at the height requested by the batter. In addition, teams are now required to supply a separate bench for each club at their park to limit inter-team fraternization.

The American Association votes to keep its ban on overhand pitching and to continue to allow fouls caught on one bounce to count as outs

Only five clubs attend the “annual” Union Association meeting, one by proxy

Bid McPhee smacks 4 hits‚ including a HR and a double‚ to support Gus Shallix’s one-hit pitching and give Cincinnati (AA) a 16-1 romp over Washington.

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