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.
Season Recap: 1884 League Champion: Providence Grays
1884 – Only five clubs attend the “annual” Union Association meeting, one by proxy. The UA will die early in 1885.
1884 – 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. It does abolish the tradition of team captains flipping for the honor of batting first. Now the home team will automatically bat first.
1884 – 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.
League secretary Nick Young becomes National League president replacing Abe Mills, who had resigned from the post. The likable executive will stay in the position until he returns to his position with the U.S. Treasury Department in 1902.
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.
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.
New York Gotham pitcher Mickey Welch strikes out the first nine Cleveland Blues hitters to come to the plate, establishing a major league record. The mark will last until 1970, when Mets right-hander Tom Seaver strikes out the last ten San Diego he faces in a Shea Stadium contest.
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.