MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON RECAP 1896

Season Recap: 1896

League Champion: Baltimore Orioles

Philadelphia beats New York‚ 8-5‚ on Sam Thompson’s 3-run homer in the 9th. One player from each team act as umpire.

A portion of the fence surrounding the Polo Grounds blows down in a fierce storm.

A portion of the fence surrounding the Polo Grounds blows down in a fierce storm.

1896 – A Chicago jury acquits Colts outfielder Walt Wilmot of charges of violating the Sabbath law by playing Sunday baseball last year. Charges against other players are subsequently dropped, and the way is cleared for future Sunday ball in Chicago.

John Montgomery Ward, who has not played or managed for the last two seasons, objects to being reserved by the New York Giants

John Montgomery Ward, who has not played or managed for the last two seasons, objects to being reserved by the New York Giants

1896 – The Louisville infield is being rebuilt with baselines of blue clay. In addition, blue semicircles will radiate out from first base and third base, joining at second base to form, along with the bottom half of the diamond, a heart.

New York City Parks Commissioner Samuel McMillan announces a plan to cut a street through the Polo Grounds 

New York City Parks Commissioner Samuel McMillan announces a plan to cut a street through the Polo Grounds 

The National League adopts changes in the National Agreement

1896 – Western League president Ban Johnson asserts that “the Western League has passed the stage where it should be considered a minor league – it is a first-class organization, and should have the consideration that such an organization warrants.” Four years later Johnson will act upon this belief, taking the first steps toward moving the WL – renamed the American League in 1900 – to major league status.

Bill Dahlen

A Chicago, IL sportswriter quoted in the New York Clipper notes that “Bill Dahlen is one of the few now in the National League who came blood new from a punky little league and became a good thing at first jump.” Indeed, Dahlen will eventually accumulate 2,460 hits and a .272 average over a 21-year major league career.

Veteran Cincinnati Reds 2B Bid McPhee opens the season wearing a glove for the first time‚ and survives several weeks of good-natured ribbing by opponents. He is the last to convert.

The Louisville Colonels lose their 11th straight game, to the Cincinnati Reds, 5 – 3.

With an overflow crowd of 17,231 at West Side Grounds, the umpire rules that any ball hit into the crowd is a ground rule triple. The Chicago Colts take advantage and crack nine triples, including three by Bill Dahlen, to crush the St. Louis Browns, 16 – 7.

The St. Louis Browns dismiss manager Harry Diddlebock for intoxication. Player Arlie Latham and owner Chris Von der Ahe manage two games apiece before Von der Ahe settles on Roger Connor.

In the top of the 9th inning, Philadelphia’s Billy Nash starts to argue with the umpire over a called strike. Clark Griffith throws a pitch in the midst of the argument which nicks Nash’s bat, resulting in a double play. Griffith’s quick thinking helps the Chicago Colts take a 5 – 3 victory.

Washington defeats Pittsburgh, 14 – 9, in a beanball battle. Senators pitcher Win Mercer hits three Pittsburgh batters while Pirate Pink Hawley plunks three Washington batters in a disastrous 11-run 7th inning, tying a mark he set on July 4, 1894. Hawley retires in 1900 after only nine seasons with a still-standing National League record of 195 hit batters. All told, eight batters are plunked in the contest, a National League-record five by Hawley. The five Washington batters hit by pitches ties the NL mark and won’t be matched till July 2, 1969.

Baltimore’s Hughie Jennings knocks down Reds 3B Charlie Irwin before he can catch Bid McPhee’s throw. Jennings scores afterward to give the Orioles a controversial 6-5‚ 10-inning win over Cincinnati. Umpire Bob Emslie is escorted out of the ballpark by Cincinnati police.

Cy Young gets Cleveland’s 8th consecutive win with a 4 – 1 decision over Boston. The streak has helped the Spiders to solidify their hold on first place.

Louisville gets a rare victory, riding Mike McDermott’s two-hitter to a 1 – 0 win over Baltimore. This is McDermott’s only good performance of the year. In the remaining 56 innings he will pitch this year, he will allow 85 hits.

The Cleveland Spiders takes advantage of 13 bases on balls and three wild pitches by a severely discontrolled Jouett Meekin, to beat the New York Giants, 11 – 5.

Baltimore leaps past Cincinnati in the National League race with a 4 – 1 defeat of the Reds.

Washington P Charlie “Silver” King makes his first major league appearance since 1893 a success‚ as he wins a six-hitter over Pittsburgh‚ 11 – 6. Bill Joyce helps by hitting for the cycle.

1896 – The Reds’ Red Ehret wins an 11-hit shutout over Brooklyn, 6 – 0.

Ed Delahanty - Phillies

Ed Delahanty of the Phillies slugged four homers and a single in a 9-8 loss to Chicago.

1896 – Paced by Joe Kelley’s 5 runs‚ Baltimore defeats Washington, 21 – 16. Each team hits exactly the same number of singles as its run total‚ with the 37 singles establishing a still-standing major league record for a 9-inning game. Baltimore star John McGraw makes his first appearance of the season when he pinch-hits in the 3rd. McGraw has been sidelined with typhoid fever. The New York Clipper box score for the game credits the Orioles with only 20 singles (plus 3 doubles and a home run)‚ not 21; thus, the record claimed for singles in this game may be suspect.

Cincinnati suffers its first shutout of the season in a 6 – 0 setback to Chicago.

1896 – Napoleon Lajoie‚ who batted .429 in the New England League‚ makes his major league debut for the Philadelphia Phillies. He goes 1-for-5 in a 9 – 0 win over Washington.

New Britain, CT native Tom Lynch becomes the first major league umpire to work in over 1,000 games. The National League arbitrator, who becomes the president of the circuit in 1910, will be behind home plate in 1309 of 1325 of the games he will work.

New Britain, CT native Tom Lynch becomes the first major league umpire to work in over 1,000 games. The National League arbitrator, who becomes the president of the circuit in 1910, will be behind home plate in 1309 of 1325 of the games he will work.

The first-place Orioles (NL) sweep a tripleheader against the cellar-dwelling Colonels, 4-3, 9-8, and 12-1. Baltimore will establish the record for most games won in two consecutive days with five when they take both ends of tomorrow’s twin bill with Louisville.

Baltimore sweeps a twin bill from 12th-place Louisville, beating their National League opponents at Oriole Park, 10-9 and 3-1. The Birds, who won all three games against the Colonels in yesterday’s tripleheader, establish the mark for the most victories in two consecutive days with their five wins.

Connie Mack announces he will leave the Pirates to manage the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League. The light-hitting catcher retires as a full-time player to accept the deal, which includes twenty-five percent of the club, a precursor to his 54-year reign as the owner of the American League A’s.

jesse burkett

Jesse Burkett The future Hall of Famer called ‘Crab’ becomes the first player to hit .400 in consecutive campaigns

oscar charleston

Oscar Charleston, one of the greatest players in Negro leagues history, was born in Indianapolis

1896 – Amos Rusie, a season-long holdout, announces he will settle with the New York Giants and play next season.

The first pitching machine

The first pitching machine, created by Princeton professor Charles E Hinton.

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