Seasons MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON RECAP 1891 December 31, 1891January 28, 2020 Seasons Season Recap: 1891 League Champion: Boston Beaneaters Sort bySearch Days, Events, Players Title (A - Z)Date (Newest) January 14, 1891 The National League votes to allow the American Association to place a team in Boston January 16, 1891 1891 – A new national agreement is signed by the National League, American Association and the Western Association, creating a three-man panel to settle problems among the leagues. February 5, 1891 Harry Stovey‚ who played with the A’s in 1899‚ and like Lou Bierbauer‚ was not claimed by that club through a clerical error‚ signs with the Boston NL club for 1891. February 6, 1891 The New York Giants’ salary list is leaked to the press February 14, 1891 The Birth of the Pirates: A Legacy Forged in Dispute February 17, 1891 1891 – The American Association withdraws from the National Agreement thus starting a war with the National League. The AA moves its Chicago team to Cincinnati to compete with the National League team in the city. February 18, 1891 American Association owners dismiss league President Allen W. Thurman and replace him with Louis Kramer of Cincinnati February 21, 1891 The National Board of Control declares all AA players fair game for contract raiding March 1, 1891 Pittsburgh Alleghenys and Cleveland Spiders make the heaviest raids against American Association March 4, 1891 Clarence Arthur “Dazzy” Vance is born in Orient, Iowa March 25, 1891 1891 – Albert Spalding retires from active participation in the affairs of the Chicago Colts club and the National League. James A. Hart will assume the club presidency. April 6, 1891 The International League changes its name to the Eastern Association because it no longer has any Canadian clubs. April 20, 1891 Against Baltimore (AA)‚ Washington 2B Fred Dunlap‚ once considered the greatest in the game‚ suffers a career-ending broken left leg. The injury occurs in the 1st inning after Dunlap walks‚ steals‚ 2B‚ and‚ following a single‚ circles 3B and attempts to return to the bag when he sees he can’t get home. As noted by Bob Schaefer‚ it is the 2nd time that Dunlap has broken a leg in a game: the first occurred on July 5‚ 1887 when he collided with Sam Thompson in the 7th inning. April 22, 1891 Exposition Park hosts its first Pirates game May 1, 1891 In front of 10,000 fans, Spider right-hander Cy Young beats the visiting Reds, 12-3, in the first game ever played in Cleveland’s League Park. The National League club will call the Hough neighborhood ballpark home until 1899, when the club goes out of business, losing their best players due to the actions of their unscrupulous owner which results in a disastrous 20-134 season. May 7, 1891 5/7/1891 – The Brooklyn Bridegrooms lineup in its home game against Philadelphia had the pitcher William “Adonis” Terry batting eighth followed by the catcher Tom Kinslow. However, Kinslow made the last out of the first inning batting ahead of Terry. Terry started the second inning with a double and was called out when Philadelphia pointed out the correct batting order. May 22, 1891 Against Cincinnati’s Billy Rhines, New York’s Mickey Welch hits into a game-ending triple play. June 2, 1891 1891 – Charles ‘Old Hoss’ Radbourn of the Cincinnati Reds wins his career 300th game by beating the Boston Beaneaters at South End Grounds, 10 – 8. Radbourn, who will finish 488 of the 502 games he started, will end his 11-year career this season with 309 victories. June 10, 1891 Cleveland Spiders C Chief Zimmer makes 6 errors‚ and the opposing Brooklyns steal 10 bases. The Bridegrooms win by only 9 – 8 though. June 11, 1891 1891 – Herman Long goes 6 for 6 with 4 runs scored as the Boston Beaneaters climb back over .500 with a 14 – 6 rout of the Chicago Colts. June 17, 1891 The Colts (now Cubs) bat out of order twice in same game June 19, 1891 6/19/1891 – Dick Johnston of Cincinnati Kelly’s Killers (AA) was called out in this game against the Louisville Colonels. No further details are known. June 25, 1891 Reds’ right-hander Charley Radbourn earns his 300th victory, beating the Beaneaters at Boston’s South End Grounds, 10-8. ‘Old Hoss,’ who will finish 484 of the 497 games he starts, will end his 11-year career this season with 309 victories. June 30, 1891 In a 4-1 10-inning loss at Brooklyn‚ Boston’s Harry Stovey strikes out 5 times versus George Hemming. No Brave will fan five times in a game until Bob Sadowski matches Stovey on April 20‚ 1964. July 18, 1891 In a North Dakota Red River Valley League contest, the Fargo Red Stockings and Grand Forks Black Stockings each use one pitcher when they play to a 25-inning, 0-0 tie at the State Militia Training Grounds in Devils Lake, a neutral site selected to attract more fans. The umpire abruptly ends the longest scoreless game in history, a four-hour and ten-minute nightcap of a twin bill, after the bottom of the 25th to allow the players to catch a train. July 31, 1891 Amos Rusie hurls a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Grooms August 8, 1891 1891 – Boston edges Chicago, 4 – 3, in 9 innings. The Colts now lead the Giants by 2 games and the Beans by 2 1/2. August 11, 1891 The Boston Reds beat Kelly’s Killers, 9 – 3, for their 7th straight victory. August 21, 1891 George Hemming‚ who fanned Harry Stovey 5 times on June 30th‚ fans Stovey 4 times today as the Bridegrooms beat the Beaneaters‚ 8-1. September 2, 1891 Pittsburgh when they had two players called out for batting out of turn September 10, 1891 9/10/1891 – Bill Dahlen of the Chicago Colts was called out for batting out of turn in the first inning of the game in Philadelphia against the Phillies. No further details are known. September 19, 1891 Billy Hamilton ties a major league record by swiping six bases September 29, 1891 9/29/1891 – According to the Milwaukee Sentinel, John Carney of the American Association Milwaukee Brewers was out in the top of the second for batting out of turn in a 10-5 loss at home against the Louisville Colonels. No further details are known. November 4, 1891 1891 – Charlie Comiskey, having had enough of St. Louis Browns owner Chris Von der Ahe, signs as the manager and team captain of the National League’s Cincinnati Reds. November 11, 1891 Responding to Chicago’s protest that Eastern teams helped Boston capture the circuit’s championship November 12, 1891 Carl Mays is Born in Atterson, KY November 16, 1891 1891 – The Louisville Colonels club is sold at auction to satisfy a $6,359.40 mortgage. The new ownership is headed by Dr. T. Hunt Stuckey. November 26, 1891 1891 – A series for the championship of the Pacific Coast begins between the champions of the California League (the San Jose Dukes) and the Pacific Northwest League pennant winners (the Portland Webfeet). San Jose wins the opener, 8 – 6. The series will last until January 10, 1892, with San Jose winning, 10 games to 9. All the games are in played in San Jose, CA. December 17, 1891 1891 – The American Association passes out of existence after ten years as a settlement is finally reached with the National League. Four AA clubs (St. Louis, Louisville, Washington, and Baltimore) join the National League’s existing eight clubs to form a twelve-club league formally styled “The National League and American Association of Professional Base Ball Clubs.” The other four AA clubs are bought out for about $130,000. The NL will allow Sunday games for the first time but will retain its 50-cent minimum admission price.
