MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON RECAP 1888

Season Recap: 1888

League Champion: New York Giants

star second baseman Fred “Sure Shot” Dunlap signs with Pittsburgh of the National League

star second baseman Fred “Sure Shot” Dunlap signs with Pittsburgh of the National League

1888 Chicago White Stockings

1888 Chicago White Stockings

In San Francisco, CA, New York Giants pitcher George Van Haltren tosses a no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns in an exhibition game

In San Francisco, CA, New York Giants pitcher George Van Haltren tosses a no-hitter against the St. Louis Browns in an exhibition game

The Texas League is organized when the following six cities are awarded franchises: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, and San Antonio.

The Kansas City Cowboys franchise is admitted to the American Association to replace the New York Metropolitans

Harry Spence is hired to manage the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the National League.

1888 Brooklyn bridggrooms

Brooklyn Bridegrooms keep five players of the recently purchased New York Metropolitans franchise

1888 – In Chicago, IL, 350 fans brave the weather to watch a baseball game on ice at Lincoln Park. Second baseman Fred Pfeffer of the Chicago White Stockings plays wearing a top hat. After two hours and five innings of play, the game is called. The “Spaldings” defeat the “North-Siders”, 7 – 6.

James "Pud" Galvin signs with Pittsburgh for $3,000, including $1,000 in advance.

James “Pud” Galvin signs with Pittsburgh for $3,000, including $1,000 in advance.

1888 – In a spring training game in New Orleans, LA, Cincinnati Red Stockings catcher Kid Baldwin slugs the umpire during an argument and narrowly escapes arrest.

The Washington Nationals National League club leaves on its southern tour a day earlier than scheduled, due to a superstition against starting a trip on a Friday.

1888 – The National League meets in New York and abolishes all discounts from the 50-cent minimum admission price. Despite the demands of the Brotherhood and the fact that the rule is practically a dead letter, the NL refuses to drop its $2,000 salary limit rule. The schedule committee recommends that the season go to 140 games from the current 126.

The American Association meets in Brooklyn, New York, and votes to make use of turnstiles mandatory at all entrances to its parks.

The American Association meets in Brooklyn, New York, and votes to make use of turnstiles mandatory at all entrances to its parks.

Albert Spalding announces a baseball tour to Australia next winter

Albert Spalding announces a baseball tour to Australia next winter with his Chicago team and a squad of National League All-Stars.

3B/C Deacon White signs with the Detroit Wolverines after a prolonged battle with manager Bill Watkins, under whom White had said he'd never play.

3B/C Deacon White signs with the Detroit Wolverines after a prolonged battle with manager Bill Watkins, under whom White had said he’d never play.

1888 – The St. Louis Browns of the American Association open the training season with an exhibition game versus the St. Louis Whites, a new Western Association team. Among the 10 cities in the W.A., four also host major league clubs

1888 Chicago White Stockings baseball team

1888 Chicago White Stockings baseball team

The champion Wolverines rebound by beating the Hoosiers‚ 1-0‚ on Charlie Getzien’s 4-hitter and Sam Thompson’s HR.

With a twelve-run lead, Louisville Colonels right-handed pitcher Icebox Chamberlain holds the Kansas City Cowboys scoreless pitching left-handed for the last two innings.

Boston_National_League_Team,_South_End_Grounds

South End Grounds between the Boston Nationals and the New York Giants

The poem Casey

The first publication of Ernest L. Thayer’s poem Casey at the Bat appears in the San Francisco Examiner. The work is originally published under the pen name ‘Phin’ because the poet feels embarrassed by what he considers to be bad verse and decides to keep his identity a secret until others come forward to claim the work to be their own.

The Athletics play their first official Sunday home game at Gloucester, NJ‚ or so they think. The American Association secretary will later rule the game illegally rescheduled and throw it out of official records.

At Sportsman’s Park, Kansas City third baseman Jumbo Davis makes five errors in the team’s 10-3 loss to St. Louis. The 26 year-old Cowboys infielder will commit 100 errors in 628 chances, finishing the season with a .841 fielding percentage for the American Association club. His bat kept in him the line up as he did drive in 109 runs and hit 19 triples.

Beaneaters release vets Ezra Sutton and Jack Burdock

Beaneaters release vets Ezra Sutton and Jack Burdock

Ben Taylot

Future Hall of Fame first baseman Ben Taylor is born in Anderson, SC

Hardie Richardson‚ Fred Dunlap's replacement‚ breaks his ankle and is lost for the season.

Hardie Richardson‚ Fred Dunlap’s replacement‚ breaks his ankle and is lost for the season.

1888 – St. Louis’s Charles “Silver” King posts his 30th win of the season‚ besting the Athletics with a 2 – 0 two-hitter. The game is marred by the collapse of an elevated walkway at Sportsman’s Park‚ but there are no serious injuries.

Tim Keefe’s nineteen game winning streak ends when Gus Krock and the White Stockings defeat the Giants at the Polo Grounds, 4-2. The future Hall of Fame right-hander, who will amass 342 career victories, will finish the season with a 35-12 record.

1888 – St. Louis slugger Tip O’Neill hits a home run over the fence in the 8th inning and lays down a game-winning bunt single in the 10th inning to beat Athletics ace Ed Seward, 3 – 2. O’Neill will win the American Association batting title with a .335 average.

1888 – The National League Indianapolis Hoosiers club tries its second experimental night game (the first was on August 22nd), but the natural gas illumination is inadequate, and the idea is dropped.

future Hall of Fame pitcher Urban “Red” Faber was born in Cascade, Iowa

At Swampoodle Grounds in Washington, D.C., James Francis Galvin of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys becomes baseball’s first pitcher to record his 300th victory when he defeats the hometown Senators, 5-1. The 31 year-old ‘Pud,’ a workhorse who will win 20 games 10 of the 14 seasons he plays in the big leagues, will end his career with 361 victories.

1888 – In Detroit, MI, a club is organized to compete in the International Association next season to take the place of the disbanded Detroit Wolverines, fifth-place finishers this past season in the National League. The Wolverines sell off their stars, including Big Sam Thompson going to the Philadelphia Quakers, and the so-called “Big Four” Dan Brouthers and Hardy Richardson to the Boston Beaneaters and Jack Rowe and Deacon White to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

1888 – In Los Angeles, the All-Americans of Al Spalding beat Chicago, 7 – 4, in the final game on American soil of Chicago’s world tour. Spalding’s group now sets sail for Australia.

The Joint Rules Committee reduces the number of balls for a walk from five to four, establishing the four balls/three strikes count that remains in effect to this day

1888 – The Cleveland Spiders are formally admitted to the National League, creating a vacancy in the American Association. Cleveland will replace the Detroit Wolverines.

The National League adopts a salary classification plan that puts all players into five categories with a standard salary for each ranging from $1,500 to $2,500. The scheme is vehemently opposed by the Brotherhood.

1888 – The New York Giants announce the sale of John Ward to the Washington Nationals for a record price of $12,000. But Ward, who is on tour, will eventually cancel the deal by refusing to play for Washington.

1888 – Columbus is admitted to the American Association to replace Cleveland, which is moving to the National League.

1888 – The American Association votes against adopting the National League’s salary classification system‚ to the surprise of the press and the delight of the Brotherhood.

The Tourists play in Auckland, New Zealand, during a brief stopover.

The Tourists play in Auckland, New Zealand, during a brief stopover.

1888 – The Tourists, the world-traveling team of major leaguers put together by Al Spalding, play their first game in Australia, drawing a crowd of 5,500 in Sydney.

1888 – Former Detroit players Deacon White and Jack Rowe purchase a controlling interest in the minor league Buffalo club. Though their reserve rights have been sold to Pittsburgh, both men announce plans to play in Buffalo next year.

1888 – At the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society, on the Pennsylvania State Fair Buildings and Grounds located at Broad Street & Lehigh Avenue in Philadelphia, the Downtowners beat the Uptowners in the first sanctioned indoor baseball game ever played, 6 – 1, before a crowd of 2,000.

The Cuban Giants, the top colored team in the nation, announces its plans for 1889 to play games at Elysian Field  & Long Island Grounds

The Cuban Giants, the top colored team in the nation, announces its plans for 1889 to play games at Elysian Field  & Long Island Grounds

Kirk Gibson walks out of spring training

Kirk Gibson walks out of spring training

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