MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON RECAP 1890

Season Recap: 1890

League Champion: Brooklyn Bridegrooms

1890 – Brooklyn is selected by the American Association as a new franchise. Syracuse, Rochester, and Toledo were selected earlier. However, the Brooklyn team will be transferred to Baltimore before the end of the season.

Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, and three other labor leaders pledge support for the Players League at a league meeting in Philadelphia.

Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, and three other labor leaders pledge support for the Players League at a league meeting in Philadelphia.

Future Hall of Famer Louis Santop is born in Tyler, Texas

Future Hall of Famer Louis Santop is born in Tyler, Texas

1890 – In the first of many lawsuits filed against Players League members by their former teams, a judge refuses to grant an injunction against John Ward, president of the Brotherhood. His decision, echoed frequently by other judges, states that the “want of fairness and mutuality” in the standard National League contract, specifically the clauses relating to the reserve rule, “[is] apparent.”

1890 – New York National League officials fail in an effort to woo star player and Brotherhood officer Buck Ewing to rejoin the Giants. Although he has rejected an offer reported at $33,000 for three years, Ewing is later accused by some players of spying for the NL.

1890 – Sam Rice is born in Morocco, Indiana. A quick outfielder with a great arm, Rice will lead the American League in hits twice, in stolen bases once, and collect at least 200 hits on six occasions, while finishing in the top ten in batting average eight times. Rice will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1963.

1890 – The application of an all-black club made up of former Cuban Giants players is rejected by the Inter-State League.

4/18/1890 – The Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association won 12-9 at home against the Rochester Hop Bitters. According to the boxscore in the Philadelphia Inquirer the next day, Wilbert Robinson of the Athletics batted out of turn, but the story about the game had no additional information.

Bill_Hutchinson

Wild Bill Hutchison wins his first of 41 games

The Brooklyn Bridegrooms, who will later be known as the Dodgers, play their first National League game

The Brooklyn Bridegrooms, who will later be known as the Dodgers, play their first National League game

It is Opening Day in the National League. At West Side Park in Cincinnati, the Chicago Colts spoil the official opening of the new park by beating the Reds, 4 – 3, with two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. This is the first professional game ended in “sudden death,” as the old rules required that the full inning be played out even if the team batting last was already ahead.

Chicago’s 10 – 8‚ 10-inning win at Philadelphia is thrown out by National League directors when umpire Jack McQuaid admits he made an error in not allowing Philadelphia to send OF Bill Gray in as a substitute during the game.

In a 17 – 10 New York victory‚ New York and Pittsburgh combine for a National League-record 20 stolen bases in a single game. New York swipes a record 17 against the batteryof rookie Crazy Schmit and Doggie Miller. Joe Hornung gets 6 of the thefts. Crazy gives up 19 hits and 17 runs.

 Amos Alonzo Stagg‚ later a longtime football coach‚ brings his Yale nine to Princeton and loses a 1 – 0 battle.

5/30/1890 – In the first game of the Memorial Day double header, Henry Gruber of the Cleveland Infants was called out for batting out of order in the Players League game in Brooklyn against the Wonders. No further details are known.

Tim Keefe

Tim Keefe becomes the second pitcher in history to win 300 games 

St. Louis (American Association) P Jack Stivetts hits two homers (and strikes out 10)‚ the second a grand slam in the top of the 9th‚ off Fred Smith‚ with his team down by 3 runs to win‚ 9 – 8‚ over visiting Toledo. He will later duplicate this batting feat twice, hitting a pair of homers on August 6‚ 1891‚ and on June 12‚ 1896‚ making him the first pitcher to achieve this. The only two pitchers to match this achievement are Wes Ferrell (who had 5 such games) and Don Newcombe.

Cumberland Posey is born in Homestead, PA.

Cumberland Posey is born in Homestead, PA.

Silver King pitches the only no-hitter in the history of the Players League in a losing cause. King’s Chicago Pirates lose at home on errors to the Brooklyn Wonders, 1 – 0. Because his team chooses to bat first, he does not pitch the 9th inning.

6/28/1890 – Less than a month later, the Brooklyn Wonders batted out of turn against the Cleveland Infants in Cleveland. Although he batted in the proper order in the second inning when Brooklyn scored five runs, and presumably again before the fifth, Paul Cook batted out of order in that inning. No further details are known.

Against first place (NL) Cincinnati‚ New York’s Mike Tiernan cycles for the 2nd time in his career. He did on August 25‚ 1888. It’s not enough as the Giants fall‚ 12-3. Bid McPhee has 3 triples for the Reds.

7/10 – 7/12/1890: The Pittsburgh at Boston Players League games were thrown out because Boston illegally used a player, Gil Hatfield, on loan from the New York team in the league. There were four homers hit in the three games that were removed from the official records: 7/10: Boston’s Hardy Richardson in the second and Dan Brouthers in the eighth. 7/11: Richardson in the eighth. 7/12: Richardson in the thirdRichardson also homered, which counted, in his next two games, so he lost a streak five games.

Appearing in his only major league game, Mr. Lewis (first name unknown) yields 13 hits, walks seven batters, and allows 20 earned runs during the three innings of his major league debut at Brooklyn’s Eastern Park. The rookie’s performance contributes to the last place Buffalo Bisons’ 28-16 loss to the Wonders in the Players’ League contest.

For the first time in baseball history, two 300-game winners are opponents as Tim Keefe faces Jim 'Pud' Galvin

For the first time in baseball history, two 300-game winners are opponents as Tim Keefe faces Jim ‘Pud’ Galvin

Harry Stovey‚ the leading slugger of the Boston Players’ League club‚ hits his 100th career home run. He is the first ML player to attain this milestone. Boston rolls over Chicago‚ 22-5.

1899_Cy_Young

Cy Young strikes out 18 batters en route to tossing a no-hitter in a Tri-State contest against McKeesport (PA)

Hall of Fame pitcher Mickey Welch wins the 300th game of his career

Hall of Fame pitcher Mickey Welch wins the 300th game of his career

John Reilly becomes the first major leaguer to hit for the cycle in different leagues when the Reds, who moved to the National League this season, beat Pittsburgh at League Park, 16-3. The Cincinnati first baseman hit for two cycles in 1883, also a first, when the team played in the American Association and were known as the Red Stockings.

Cy Young wins his major league debut

Cy Young wins his major league debut

1890 – Chicago (Players League) romps over Cleveland‚ 18 – 4‚ with Jimmy Ryan leading the way. Ryan swipes 4 bases and hits a home run to pace the winners.

William “Farmer” Weaver of Louisville (AA) hits for the cycle‚ collecting 2 singles‚ a double‚ and two triples off Ezra Lincoln and Ed Mars of Syracuse. Weaver will go 4-for-5 tomorrow against Cannonball Titcomb of Syracuse.

Charlie Bennett homers in the 12th inning off Philadelphia’s Phenomenal Smith to give Boston a 1 – 0 victory.

Bill Phillips becomes the first pitcher to allow two grand slams in the same inning

1890 – Brooklyn wins three games in one day‚ feasting on Pittsburgh 10 – 9‚ 3 – 2‚ and 8 – 4. In the first game, the losers are down 10 – 0 with 2 out in the 9th‚ then score 9 runs. The game ends as Doggie Miller hits a bases-loaded triple and is out trying to make it a game-tying homer. The three losses extend Pittsburgh’s losing streak to 22; it will reach 24 before they win again.

On Labor Day at Brooklyn’s Washington Park, the Bridegrooms, later to be known as the Dodgers, win all three games against Pittsburgh in the first tripleheader ever played. The home team sweeps the visiting Alleghenys, who will be renamed the Pirates next season, 10-9, 3-2, and 8-4.

Philadelphia Athletics are expelled for violating the league’s constitution

1890 – In the Players League, after the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Burghers clubs combine with their National League rivals, Al Spalding buys out Chicago’s PL backer, John Addison, for $18,000, some of which goes to pay off unpaid salaries and reimburse players half of their investments. Spalding gets the club’s grandstand, equipment, and player contracts.

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