The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward

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Cleveland’s lead in the American League East went up by one game in August to three games over Boston. The Spiders are 74-57 with the Red Sox 71-60, then a nine-game drop to New York. Meanwhile in the West, Milwaukee’s lead has dropped to one game after going .500 in August. St. Louis went 18-10 (including a ten-game win streak) and Detroit was 17-11 to put both right back in the mix. The Brewers are 70-61, followed by the Browns at 69-62 and Tigers at 67-64. Even Minnesota despite a 63-68 record is only seven out.

AL Batter of the Month was Boston veteran 1B Cap Anson, as the 38-year old hit .359 with 7 home runs, 26 RBI, and 26 runs scored. Browns second-year lefty Frank Knauss was Pitcher of the month going 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 44.2 innings. Milwaukee righty Ed Stein was Rookie of the Month with a 1.95 ERA in 55.1 innings with 38 Ks and a 4-2 record.

Boston finally broke away from Buffalo in the National League East race thanks to a strong 18-10 August with an 11-game win streak, compared to a 13-15 run by the Bisons. The Braves at 79-52 have MLB’s best record while Buffalo is five back at 74-57. Louisville remains up one game in the NL West at 75-56, although it is now St. Louis second at 74-57. New Orleans dropped to third at 70-61 after an 11-17 August. Indianapolis at 67-64 sits eight games back.

Defending MVP Mike Tiernan led the charge for Boston and won NL Batter of the Month in August, hitting .344 with 13 home runs, 31 RBI, and 27 runs. Tiernan leads the majors with 53 home runs and 137 RBI, giving him a shot at breaking his own records set the prior year of 62 homers and 174 RBI. Buffalo’s Jack Sharrott was both Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month with a 5-0 record, 2.13 ERA, and 43 Ks in 55 innings. The #6 draft pick leads the NL in wins with a 21-3 mark and is third in ERA.

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When they were 38-45 at the all-star break, no one was expecting the St. Louis Browns to end up with the American League’s best record. They were 52-27 after the break, the best mark in the majors. Milwaukee, who led the AL West at the break at 47-36, ended up 36-43 in the second half. Still, it came down to the final weeks of the season to fully decide things in the West. With ten games to go, they were tied at 82-70 with Detroit also still in the race at 79-73.

The Browns literally played their way in in the truest sense, as they hosted the Brewers and Tigers in the final eight games of the season; earning two sweeps. Milwaukee also got swept in their final four games with Kansas City to fully sink their campaign. St. Louis earned their first-ever division title at 90-72, followed by the Brewers at 83-79 and Tigers at 82-80. Last year’s champ Minnesota was fourth at 78-84.

In the AL East, Cleveland maintained their lead over defending World Series champ Boston. The key series was September 19-22 in Boston, as the Spiders earned a four-game road sweep. Four games was the final margin with Cleveland at 88-74, followed by the 84-78 Red Sox. The other four teams were separated by four wins with Baltimore 81-81, New York 80-82, Philadelphia 79-83, and Washington 78-84.

This was Cleveland’s first-ever division title. While it was Boston’s weakest season so far, the Red Sox are the only AL franchise with only winning seasons in MLB’s first seven years. St. Louis had the best run differential in the AL at +92. The Orioles had the most runs at 887 and the Yankees allowed the fewest at 673, as the AL was ultimately quite competitive overall. In other notes, the Athletics set an MLB record for team home runs with 210.



Leading St. Louis was CF Hugh Duffy, who was September Batter of the Month with a .390 average, 11 home runs, 23 RBI, and 32 runs. He also had a 20-game hitting streak that ended early in the month. The 23-year old Duffy is a strong contender for AL MVP as he led in WAR (9.8), OPS (1.050), hits (207), runs (130), and RBI (134). He was only nine points and one homer short of a Triple Crown season. With 41 homers, Detroit’s Duke Farrell was the AL homer leader for the third consecutive season.

The biggest MVP foe for Duffy is the two-time defending champ George Van Haltren. The Cleveland two-way star on the mound led with 267 strikeouts and had a 20-14 record, 3.57 ERA, 287.1 innings, 127 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. Van Haltren also had 29 homers, .893 OPS, 145 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR playing left field. Also of note in the AL, Milwaukee’s Jim Fogarty broke the stolen bases record with 93. He and Billy Shindle had both previously co-held the record with 92 swipes.

Baltimore’s Jim McCormick was the final Pitcher of the Month in the AL with a 6-0 record, 2.17 ERA, and 33 strikeouts over 54 innings in September. Pitcher of the Year appears to be a tossup race in the AL. The final Rookie of the Month was #1 pick Jesse Burkett from the Athletics. The Philadelphia RF hit .365 with 6 homers, 14 RBI, and 14 runs.



In bad news for the Yankees, four-time all-star pitcher Bert Dorr suffered a career-ending partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his final start of the season. The 28-year old Dorr twice was the AL leader in WAR and finished with a 137-74 record, 2.87 ERA, 1870.2 innings, 1329 strikeouts, 145 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 48.3 WAR. At retirement, he is second in pitching WAR just behind Guy Hecker. Dorr twice finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, ending a brief but impressive career.

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Boston pulled away from Buffalo by going 21-9 to finish the season, repeating as National League East Division champ and top seed at 101-61. The Braves had a +281 run differential, second-best in MLB history behind their mammoth +379 the prior year. They led the entire majors in runs scored (931) and fewest allowed (650). While not as destructive as the 114-win 1889 team, Boston became the first team in MLB history with repeat 100+ win seasons. The Bisons took second at 91-71 with Pittsburgh third at 82-80. New York, second last year, was fourth at 74-88.

Louisville had their own 22-9 record to close the season to secure their first NL West title at 97-65. Both St. Louis and New Orleans collapsed with losing records down the stretch even had the Colonels not dominated. The Cardinals took second at 85-77, while the Pelicans and Indianapolis tied for third at 84-78. The Clowns are notably the only NL team yet to post a losing season.

Cincinnati at 55-107 had the worst record in NL history and the second-worst in MLB history, ahead of only Washington’s 54-108 campaign in 1887. The Reds had 781 earned runs allowed and a 4.95 team ERA, both of which were new NL worsts. Attendances skyrocketed across MLB and the Braves set a new record at 675,050 tickets sold. The Red Sox and Brewers in the AL both also cracked 600k at 655,072 and 602,344, respectively.



Braves LF Mike Tiernan was the final NL Batter of the Month with a .363 average, 12 homers, 34 RBI, and 28 runs in September. He broke his own single-season power records set the prior year (62 home runs, 174 RBI) by getting 66 dingers and 175 RBI. Tiernan’s efficiency stats weren’t as bonkers as the prior year, but he’s still widely expected to repeat as MVP. He also became the first in MLB history to reach 300 career home runs; and he’s only 23-years old still. Tiernan also missed the Triple Crown by four points behind Buffalo’s Fred Carroll, who got the batting title at .362.

NL Pitcher of the Month was Louisville’s Jesse Duryea with a 7-0 record, 1.79 ERA, and 26 Ks over 45.1 innings in September. Buffalo’s Jack Sharrott was again Rookie of the Month with a 5-1 record, 30 Ks, and 2.12 ERA in 51 innings. Sharrott led all pitchers with 26 wins, but it is a crowded Pitcher of the Year race. Notably, Boston’s Ed Daily had a 2.09 ERA, one point short of Frank Knauss’s record from the prior season. The Cardinals’ Frank Gilmore notably led in strikeouts for the fourth consecutive season. Pittsburgh’s Adonis Terry was the WARlord for the third time.



Another notable rookie performance was from Cardinals pitcher Duke Esper, who tossed a no-hitter on September 23 against New York. He struck out seven and walked one in the third no-hitter thrown in the 1890 season. In a notable quirk, no pitchers had a game with 15+ strikeouts in 1890.

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The 1890 American League Championship Series was guaranteed to crown a first-time pennant winner. St. Louis and Cleveland were only separated by two wins in the regular season, although the Spiders narrowly won the season series 5-4.

Game one was tied 3-3 entering the seventh inning, but the Browns scored three in the bottom half on three singles and a double. Cleveland’s Henry Moore hit a two-run homer in the eighth, but St. Louis held on for the 6-5 home win. Hugh Duffy was 3-4 with a homer, double, and three RBI.



Cleveland entered the final frame of game two ahead 6-4. St. Louis completed a dramatic comeback thanks to a walkoff grand slam by DH John Reilly, winning 8-6 for the 2-0 series lead. CF Hugh Duffy had another big game, going 4-5 with a triple, three runs, and two RBI.



The Spiders exploded with a seven-run first inning in game three. St. Louis slowly chipped away at the deficit and tied the game at 7-7 in the eighth inning. However, Cleveland earned the walkoff 8-7 win on Germany Smith’s 420 foot solo home run.



Cleveland evened the ALCS at two apiece on a 7-3 home win in game four. The Spiders scored four in the third inning and held the lead from there. Defending MVP George Van Haltren had a monster game, going 4-5 at the plate with two doubles and a RBI. He also tossed a complete game on the mound, scattering five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.



Game five was a pitcher’s duel and had the first road victory of the series. St. Louis’s Frank Knauss tossed a five-hit shutout for the 2-0 Browns win, giving up two walks with five strikeouts. Cleveland’s Harry Staley in the losing effort allowed eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts in his complete game.



Back at Sportsman’s Park for game six, St. Louis clinched the ALCS with a 7-3 win against Cleveland. The Browns had two runs in the first and two in the fifth for the early lead. The Spiders got back within one at 4-3, but Hugh Duffy’s three-run homer in the eighth was the final blow. Duffy was the series MVP with a .458 average, two homers, eight RBI, and six runs.

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Boston was looking to repeat as National League champion and to win their third Championship Series, having also won in 1886. It was the first trip for Louisville, who finished only four games behind the Braves. Notably, Boston swept the Colonels in their six regular season games. The Braves also had the big advantage in run differential with most odds makers favoring them for the repeat.

In game one, Boston battered Louisville 14-3. Everyone in the Braves lineup had a hit and all but one guy scored a run.



The beatdown continued in game two with a 12-3 win for the Braves, making many expect a short series. Reigning MVP Mike Tiernan was 4-5 with a homer, double, five RBI, and two runs.



Boston was up 4-0 early in game three in Kentucky, but Louisville had solo spots to tie it up and force extras. In the bottom of the 11th, the Colonels’ Joe Flynn had a leadoff single. He moved to second on a groundout and then stole third. Pinch hitter Billy Otterson came through with the RBI walkoff single for a 5-4 Louisville victory. Bill Daley struck out 11 over nine innings for the Colonels.



After the rough start to the series, Louisville evened the NLCS up with a 5-2 victory in game four. The Colonels only had four hits, but three of them were homers that knocked in the five runs.



Game five was a wild affair which saw Boston take an 8-3 lead into the ninth inning. Louisville rallied in the ninth with five hits, two walks, and one error getting five runs to tie the game. They had the bases loaded to end the inning, but the Braves got a ground out to avoid the full collapse. In the top of the 11th, three straight singles led to a Boston run, escaping Kentucky with a 9-8 road win to reclaim the series lead. 2B Reddy Mack had the go-ahead RBI single and was 4-5 on the day with a homer, four RBI, and three runs.



Back in Boston for game six, Louisville’s Bill Daley tossed a gem for a 5-0 Colonels win. He had a three-hitter with five walks and five strikeouts over 124 pitches. Four of Louisville’s five runs came in the fourth inning and they had only four hits in the game. This set up a game seven for the first time in the history of the NLCS.



Louisville stunned the Boston faithful early in game seven, as four runs in the second inning, including a two RBI double by Jimmy Ryan, put the Colonels ahead 5-0. The Braves got four back over the next three innings, but remained behind 5-4 until the eighth inning. There, Boston unloaded with five hits and two walks plating six runs. This put the Braves up 10-5, which held for the final score.



2B Reddy Mack was the series MVP, going 13-28 with one homer, ten runs, and nine RBI. Boston earned their third National League pennant and became the first NL team to earn a repeat.

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The seventh World Series was guaranteed to have a first-time winner. The Boston Braves had hoped to cap off a historic 114-win 1889 campaign with a ring, but fell 4-2 to the crosstown rival Red Sox. The Braves also had lost to the Red Sox 4-3 in 1886. As for the St. Louis Browns, this was their first trip to the Fall Classic.

The Browns pulled off a surprising 8-2 road win to open the series, getting a complete game win from ace Frank Knauss. He allowed four hits and three walks with five strikeouts. St. Louis pulled away with a five-run fourth inning which included a three-run homer from Hugh Duffy.



The Braves evened the series in a 2-1 pitcher’s duel win for game two. Bob Emslie tossed the complete game win, allowing five hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Both Boston runs came in the fifth inning aided by three walks, one hit, and a wild pitch. St. Louis’s Hugh Duffy got a leadoff triple in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch. The Browns got the next batter on with a single, but grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.



The first game of the series in St. Louis ultimately needed extra innings. The Browns went up 3-1 on a two RBI single by Tommy Corcoran in the eighth. Boston’s Mike Tiernan drew a walk in the ninth, followed by an Alex McKinnon double and a Jack Glasscock single to score Tiernan. The next batter flew out and St. Louis was an out away, but an error at shortstop allowed McKinnon to score the tying run.

The 3-3 score held until the top of the 11th inning when McKinnon crushed a solo homer 412 feet. St. Louis got a two out single but nothing more in the bottom half, allowing the Braves to snag the 4-3 road win for the series lead. Jim Devlin pitched all 11 innings for Boston, giving up seven hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.



St. Louis evened the series back up with a 6-2 home win in game four. It was tied entering the eighth, but the Browns scored four in the frame thanks to three singles, a walk, and wild pitch.



Boston took game five 9-2 to take the 3-2 series lead back to Massachusetts. The decisive frame was a six-run sixth that included a bases-clearing double by Bill Van Dyke. Alex McKinnon was 4-5 with a triple and two runs, while Mike Tiernan was 3-4 with a homer and three runs. Gus Krock quietly tossed a complete game win, striking out nine with four hits, three walks, and one earned run allowed.



The Braves made up for their prior World Series defeats by claiming the 1890 title in six games. Boston defeated St. Louis 5-0 in the finale on a three-hit shutout by Bob Emslie, who struck out eight and walked two. 1B Alex McKinnon was named series MVP, as the 34-year old righty was 12-24 with two homers and three RBI. Emslie was certainly deserving as well, giving up one earned run and eight hits over two complete game wins.



Boston’s Reddy Mack set a playoff record for singles with 14. Louisville’s Bill Daley also set a record for H/9 (3.00), opponent’s batting average (.102), and slugging (.170) with 15 innings required. The Braves win was the second by a National League team, joining Indianapolis’ 1885 triumph.

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American League MVP went to St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy for 1890, getting 15 first place votes. The remaining nine went to the two-time defending MVP George Van Haltren. The Cleveland two-way man led all pitchers with 267 strikeouts and had a 20-14 record, 3.57 ERA, and 6.8 WAR over 287.1 innings. Van Haltren also had 5.1 WAR and .893 OPS as an outfielder.

As for Duffy, the soon to be 24-year old from Cranston, Rhode Island led in runs (130), hits (207), RBI (134), total bases (377), slugging (.637), OPS (1.050), wRC+ (179), and WAR (9.8). Duffy also had 30 doubles, 10 triples, 40 home runs, 57 stolen bases, a .350 average, and .413 OBP. He has won a Silver Slugger in CF in all five of his seasons with the Browns. 1891 will be his last year under team control, so it’ll be fascinating to see if St. Louis is able to extend Duffy or if he’ll leave for free agency.

Boston LF Mike Tiernan repeated as unanimous National League MVP, breaking his own single-season records for home runs (66) and RBI (175). He also led in runs (153), hits (212), total bases (450), slugging (.759), OPS (1.185), wRC+ (213), and WAR (10.6). Silent Mike has won Silver Sluggers in all six of his seasons for the Braves and already has 56.5 WAR and 305 home runs in his career. After the season, Boston gave him a new eight-year, $263,200 contract extension, although Tiernan does have an opt-out clause after the 1892 season.

The Browns also had Pitcher of the Year Frank Knauss with 19 first place votes, while teammate Bob Black was second in voting and Baltimore’s Jim McCormick was third. It was a repeat win for Knauss in only his second season, leading the AL in wins with a 21-9 record and 5 saves. The #2 overall pick from 1888 had a 3.02 ERA, 262 innings, 204 strikeouts, 156 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 5.3 WAR.

The Braves’ Ed Daily was NL Pitcher of the Year with 22 first place votes, while Buffalo rookie Jack Sharrott had the other two. It was the second POTY for Daily, who also took it in 1887 with the Cardinals. He was traded to Boston as a one-year rental in 1890 and delivered a World Series ring, leading in ERA (2.09) and innings (314). At age 27, Daily had a 22-13 record, 128 strikeouts, 204 ERA+, 95 FIP-, and 5.0 WAR. He’s going to be a highly sought free agent in the winter.

AL Rookie of the Year unanimously went to Detroit RF/SP Pat Luby, who was the #13 draft pick in 1889. He had 144 hits, 80 runs, 17 doubles, 33 home runs, 94 RBI, .270/.341/.503 slash, 123 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. On the mound, Luby had a 3.30 ERA and 19-15 record over 318.2 innings, 132 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 3.8 WAR.

The NL’s top rookie was Chicago 3B George Davis with 20 first place votes. The #3 overall pick for the Cubs had 187 hits, 113 runs, 46 doubles, 29 home runs, 104 RBI, .317/.384/.553 slash, 154 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. Bisons SP Jack Sharrott had the other first place votes and notably led the league in wins at 26-4, posting a 2.48 ERA over 297 innings with 198 Ks, 173 ERA+, 86 FIP-, and 5.9 WAR.

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Below are the other awards winners from the 1890 season. In the American League, St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy won his fifth Silver Slugger. Chicago C Jocko Milligan won his fourth, and earning their third was Browns 2B Fred Dunlap and Detroit 3B Duke Farrell. In the NL, Braves LF Mike Tiernan and Louisville RF Jimmy Ryan both won their sixth Sluggers. New York 1B Dan Brouthers earned his fifth, New Orleans 2B Frank Grant and teammate 3B Oyster Burns earned their fourth, and both Buffalo C Fred Carroll and Pittsburgh SS King Kelly became three-time winners.



For Gold Gloves in the AL, Germany Smith won his seventh straight in his first year with Cleveland, having previously been with Chicago. Yankees 2B Danny Richardson won his fifth and Kansas City 3B Billy Shindle got his fourth. For the NL, Cardinals 1B Roger Connor was a six-time Gold Glover and Buffalo C Fred Carroll got his fifth. Billy O’Brien won his sixth Reliever of the Year and first with the Boston Red Sox, having gotten his other five wins with the Chicago Cubs.

Braves skipper Jon Smith repeated as Manager of the Year in the NL and retired after earning the World Series title. In seven seasons for Boston, he had a 629-505 record with three pennants. The Browns’ Joe Simmons won the AL’s Manager of the Year in his second year leading St. Louis.

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Below are the other awards winners from the 1890 season. In the American League, St. Louis CF Hugh Duffy won his fifth Silver Slugger. Chicago C Jocko Milligan won his fourth, and earning their third was Browns 2B Fred Dunlap and Detroit 3B Duke Farrell. In the NL, Braves LF Mike Tiernan and Louisville RF Jimmy Ryan both won their sixth Sluggers. New York 1B Dan Brouthers earned his fifth, New Orleans 2B Frank Grant and teammate 3B Oyster Burns earned their fourth, and both Buffalo C Fred Carroll and Pittsburgh SS King Kelly became three-time winners.



For Gold Gloves in the AL, Germany Smith won his seventh straight in his first year with Cleveland, having previously been with Chicago. Yankees 2B Danny Richardson won his fifth and Kansas City 3B Billy Shindle got his fourth. For the NL, Cardinals 1B Roger Connor was a six-time Gold Glover and Buffalo C Fred Carroll got his fifth. Billy O’Brien won his sixth Reliever of the Year and first with the Boston Red Sox, having gotten his other five wins with the Chicago Cubs.

Braves skipper Jon Smith repeated as Manager of the Year in the NL and retired after earning the World Series title. In seven seasons for Boston, he had a 629-505 record with three pennants. The Browns’ Joe Simmons won the AL’s Manager of the Year in his second year leading St. Louis.

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It was a quiet amateur draft with only 125 players selected for 1890. Cincinnati had the #1 pick and selected SS John McGraw. McGraw, #2 pick LF Joe Kelley (Phillies) and #4 pick 3B Bill Dahlen (White Sox) each have potential grades of 70+ according to scouts.



The free agency class was the strongest yet heading into the 1891 season. Below are the top signings from the group.



The top prize for hitters was 3B Denny Lyons, a two-time MVP previously with Milwaukee. He was only going to be age 25 for 1891, but he had dealt with injuries in his last two seasons, including a fractured hand in 1890. Lyons jumped to the National League on an eight-year, $299,200 deal with St. Louis. This Cardinals deal was the largest contract thus far in baseball history.

Two-time World Series MVP Cap Anson was back on the market after four seasons with the Red Sox. The soon-to-be 39-year old joined Detroit on a three-year, $73,800 deal. Four-time Silver Slugger SS Oyster Burns left New Orleans, but only signed a one-year, $4,040 deal with Kansas City. LF Ed Crane, a part of the Braves’ title run, only got a one-year deal with the Phillies. He suffered a broken kneecap in the playoffs, thus teams were reluctant to give him a long-term contract.

Two Pitcher of the Year winners were on the market. Former Twins ace Toad Ramsey, who was traded to the Braves in July, was the top target. The 26-year old lefty joined the Philadelphia Athletics at six years and $207,600. The defending NL POTY Ed Daily stayed in Boston, but switched to the Red Sox on a five-year, $97,000 contract.

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Below are the top-rated batters in the world entering the 1891 season.



Below are the top-rated pitchers in baseball entering 1891.



The big news from spring training was an injury to Ed Daily, the reigning NL Pitcher of the Year who signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent for 1891. He suffered a bone spur in his elbow and is expected out 4-5 months.

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Defending American League champ St. Louis has the AL’s best record through April at 18-11. Kansas City (17-12) and Detroit (16-13) are right behind in the AL West Division. Boston leads the East at 17-12 ahead of Cleveland (16-13), Philadelphia (15-14), and New York (15-14).

Reigning AL MVP Hugh Duffy was AL Batter of the Month in April as the Browns CF hit .400 with 7 home runs, 20 RBI, and 23 runs. In his Cleveland debut, John Healy was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 0.67 ERA, and 45 strikeouts over 54 innings. He joined the Spiders in 1891 after spending the prior year with Kansas City and Chicago before that. #14 pick George Cuppy of Detroit was Rookie of the Month with a 1.70 ERA, 6-0 record, and 29 strikeouts in 58.1 innings.

In the National League, Philadelphia and Louisville are the division leaders both at 17-12. In the East, Boston is next (16-13) followed by Pittsburgh (15-14) and Brooklyn (15-14). Trailing in the West are Chicago (16-13) and New Orleans (15-14).

Two-time defending NL MVP Mike Tiernan was April’s Batter of the Month with the Braves LF hitting .379 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, and 23 runs. Philadelphia’s Silver King was Pitcher of the Month with a 1.33 ERA, 5-1 record, and 26 strikeouts in 54 innings. The Phillies also had Rookie of the Month in LF Joe Kelley, as the #2 pick hit .388 with 40 hits, 7 homers, and 26 RBI.

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Through May, St Louis and Detroit are tied for the best record in the American League atop the West Division at 36-22. Kansas City is next in the division, six away at 30-28. In the East, New York and Cleveland are tied for first at 33-25. Boston is 31-27 and Baltimore sits 29-29. But only seven wins separates first from last in a competitive East.

Baltimore’s Bug Holliday was AL Batter of the Month in May with a .362 average, 8 home runs, 34 RBI, and 26 runs. Philadelphia’s Toad Ramsey was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.05 ERA over 52.2 innings, 53 strikeouts, and 5-1 record. Washington’s Ted Brietenstein was Rookie of the Month as the #7 pick had a 2..31 ERA over 35 innings with 21 Ks and a 3-1 record.

The Tigers have had rough luck with pitching injuries. Rookie George Cuppy had an 1.82 ERA and 8-0 record, but suffered a damaged elbow ligament in early May that will put him out 12 months. Former ERA title winner Lee Viau also suffered shoulder inflammation that kept him out most of the month.

Chicago has the best record in the majors through May at 37-21. The Cubs lead the National League West Division by one over 36-22 New Orleans with an eight game drop to 29-29 Louisville. Buffalo leads the East at 35-23, followed by Philadelphia (33-25), Boston (31-27), and Brooklyn (30-28).

Cubs veteran LF Dave Orr was NL Batter of the Month in May with a .461 average, 4 home runs, 23 RBI, and 29 runs. He pulled off the honor despite missing a week to a sprained ankle. Buffalo’s Jack Sharrott took Pitcher of the Month on a 2.47 ERA, 6-0 record, and 17 Ks in 43.2 innings. His Bisons teammate Dad Clarkson was Rookie of the Month on a 2.09 ERA, 3-0 record, and 24 Ks over 43 innings.

May had the first cycles of the season. The first was May 13 by Cincinnati’s Spider Clark facing St. Louis. Then on May 29, Buffalo’s Mike Griffin did it facing Brooklyn. The Cardinals’ Roger Connor posted a 20-game hitting streak that ended on May 15.

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At the 1891 all-star break, the defending American League champion St. Louis Browns have the AL’s best record at 52-31. They gained three wins on Detroit in June, but the Tigers are still close behind in the AL West at 49-34. There’s a 10 game gap to third place Kansas City 42-41. However, it is worth noting that the Browns last year were sub-.500 at the break, so a lot of season remains. Over in the AL East, Boston climbed into first place at 48-35 after going 17-8 in June. Cleveland is one back at 47-36, followed by New York at 44-39 and Baltimore at 42-41.

AL Batter of the Month in June was Detroit 3B Duke Farrell with a .340 average, 9 home runs, 24 RBI, and 21 runs. Boston’s Charlie Ferguson was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-1 record, 1.17 ERA, and 35 strikeouts over 54 innings. Washington’s Ted Breitenstein was Rookie of the Month on a 5-1 record, 4.10 ERA, and 23 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.

The Red Sox had bad injury news in June. DH Sam Thompson went down with a sprained thumb with a 5-6 week recovery time. Six-time Reliever of the Year Billy O’Brien, who Boston was starting this year, suffered a bone spur in his elbow to end his season. Free agent signing Ed Daily, who had his own bone spur in spring training, had a setback and at best will debut in late August or September. Toad Ramsey, who had been a big free agent success with the Athletics, suffered an elbow strain and is likely done until September.

New Orleans at 54-29 has the best record in the National League and the majors overall. The Pelicans went 18-7 in June, but Chicago at 52-31 remains right behind them in the NL West. In the East, Boston and Philadelphia are tied for first at 49-34. The defending World Series champ Braves had a big June going 18-7. Buffalo meanwhile was a lackluster 10-15, dropping them to third place at 45-38. Indianapolis has the NL’s worst record at 30-53. Barring a massive shift, the Clowns run as the only NL team to only have winning seasons will end.

Buffalo CF Mike Griffin was NL Batter of the Month with a .398 average, 33 hits, 2 homers, 25 RBI, and 21 runs. Chicago’s Hank Gastright was Pitcher of the Month on a 1.50 ERA, 6-0 record, and 42 Ks in 54 innings. Gastright is 17-1 on the season with 4.4 WAR, both leading all MLB pitchers. #1 draft pick John McGraw was Rookie of the Month for Cincinnati with a .386 average, 9 doubles, 3 homers, 16 runs, and 15 RBI.



Defending MVP LF Mike Tiernan suffered a fractured hand while running the bases on June 10. While the Braves are sad to lose him, fortunately he’s only out six weeks and will return in the summer. Even with the injury, MLB’s home run king is the leader at the break with 29 and leads all qualifiers with a 1.211 OPS. Tiernan is in a competitive NL MVP race with New Orleans’ Frank Grant and Chicago’s George Davis. In the AL, the Browns’ Hugh Duffy is favored to repeat as MVP, although he out for a few weeks to a fractured foot. In milestones, Browns 2B Ed McKean became the first player to reach 500 career stolen bases.

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Below are the rosters for the 1891 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In the Home Run Challenge, Phillies CF Charlie Duffee was the winner, defeating Baltimore’s Bug Holliday 7-6 in the final round.



The 1891 game was the second to go extra innings, joining the 1886 contest. The American League won for the eighth consecutive season over the National League, this time by a 7-5 margin. The go-ahead swing in the top of the tenth was a two-run homer by Baltimore LF Pete Browning. Detroit’s George Tebeau scored on that homer and was the game’s MVP, going 3-3 with 3 runs and a double.

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St. Louis and Detroit were dead-even in July as they continued their battle for the American League West Division. The defending AL champ Browns have the league’s best record at 67-43 with the Tigers three behind at 64-46. Kansas City gained two games on them both, but still is eight games away at 59-51. At 35-75, the Chicago White Sox have MLB’s worst record.

In the AL East, Boston surrendered its lead after a 10-17 July, dropping all the way to fourth place as three competitors fared well Cleveland holds first at 64-46, four games ahead of 60-50 New York, five better than 59-51 Baltimore, and six ahead of the 58-52 Red Sox. The Yankees notably ended July on a seven-game winning streak.

Second-year Tigers slugger Pat Luby was AL Batter of the Month in July with a .343 average, 9 home runs, 19 RBI, and 21 runs. Detroit also had Pitcher of the Month with Lee Viau, who was 5-0 with a 1.79 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 50.1 innings. Despite the White Sox struggles, they had Rookie of the Month Bill Dahlen. The #4 pick hit .324 with 33 hits, 3 homers, and 15 RBI. In bad news for Buffalo, SP Dad Clarkson, their first round draft pick, is out 11 months with a torn rotator cuff.



Baltimore veteran Jim McCormick had the first no-hitter of 1891 on July 12 facing Philadelphia. McCormick over 96 pitches allowed three walks and struck out five. It was a 1-0 pitcher’s duel with the losing pitcher Jack Stivetts giving up only two hits in his own complete game effort. Detroit’s Duke Farrell had a 27-game hitting streak ended on July 18, which is teid for the third-longest in MLB history. The first six-hit game of the 1891 season came from Minnesota 3B Charley Bassett on 7/14 against Kansas City.

Chicago went on a 20-7 tear in July, the best of any team, pushing them to MLB’s best record at 72-38. Simultaneously, New Orleans struggled going 11-16, dropping them to seven games behind the Cubs in the National League West at 65-45. In the penultimate series of July, Chicago earned a four-game home sweep over the Pelicans. The Cubs also had a 12-game winning streak that carried over from the end of June.

In the NL East, Philadelphia and Boston were both 18-9 in July, keeping them tied for first place at 67-43. Buffalo went 17-10, placing them third at 62-48 with a five-game deficit. Brooklyn was only eight back at the all-star break, but the Dodgers were a putrid 9-18 in July. Brooklyn and Pittsburgh are now even in fourth at 50-60, 17 games away and almost certainly doomed.

Louisville RF Jimmy Ryan earned NL Batter of the Month, hitting .407 in July with 9 homers, 28 RBI, and 27 runs. Despite his efforts, the defending NL West champ Colonels are only 54-56. Chicago’s Hank Gastright was Pitcher of the Month with a 7-0 record, .183 opponent’s average, and 40 Ks over 54 innings. He holds a 24-1 record and leads the NL in strikeouts (163) and WAR (5.7) through July. #1 draft pick John McGraw was Rookie of the Month again for Cincinnati with a .330 average, 35 hits, 4 homers, 20 runs, and 22 RBI.

In other notables, Giants 1B Dan Brouthers became the first player to reach 1000 career RBI. Braves two-way man Pete Conway hit for the cycle on 7/10 facing the Reds.



The biggest trade at the deadline occurred between NL West rivals. The Cubs acquired SP Frank Gilmore from the Cardinals and minor league SP Kid Carsey. In return, St. Louis received three prospects. Gilmore was the NL’s strikeout leader from 1887-90. He missed all of May to a herniated disc, but had a 2.27 ERA over 123 innings this year for the Cardinals. Gilmore isn’t due free agency until 1892, so Chicago has him for more than a year.

The other notable trade was in the AL West with Detroit getting veteran SP Charlie Buffinton from Minnesota. The Twins received prospects OF Dan Long and LHP Frank O’Connor. The 30-year old Buffinton was the ERA champ in 1885, although he had a lackluster 4.89 ERA through 169.1 innings in 1891.

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St. Louis and Detroit remained in a dead heat for the American League West Division with the Tigers gaining one game in August. The Browns have the AL’s best record at 82-56 with Detroit two behind at 80-58. Cleveland at 80-58 maintained its four-game AL East lead over 76-62 New York. Boston at 74-64 is still in the mix, while a rough month dropped Baltimore to 70-68.

Browns CF and reigning MVP Hugh Duffy was AL Batter of the Month for August with a .356 average, 8 homers, 23 RBI, and 24 runs. Duffy leads the AL in batting average (.358), homers (38), OPS (1.119), and WAR (7.7). Boston’s Bill Stemmyer was Pitcher of the Month on a 2.67 ERA, 42 strikeouts, and 6-0 record over 54 innings. Baltimore RF Sam Dungan was Rookie of the Month with a .333 average, 27 runs, 15 RBI, and 1 homer. In other notables, Milwaukee’s Jim Fogarty became the second man to 500 career stolen bases.

Chicago clobbered the competition in August at 18-10, giving the Cubs the best record in the majors by a healthy margin at 90-48. New Orleans also had a losing month, effectively ending the NL West race with the 74-64 Pelicans now 16 games back. A big reason for NO’s struggles in August was MVP candidate Frank Grant missing four weeks to a hamstring strain.

The NL East remains a tight three-horse battle with Boston leading at 81-57, followed by 80-58 Philadelphia and 77-61 Buffalo. The Bisons and Phillies meet in the final four-game series of the season, while both face the Braves earlier in the month.

Defending NL MVP Mike Tiernan was NL Batter of the Month with the Braves star posting a .337 average, 10 homers, 28 RBI, and 30 runs in August. Chicago’s Hank Gastright was Pitcher of the Month on a 2.11 ERA, 4-1 record, and 30 Ks in 42.2 innings. Gastright has tied the single-season wins record at 28-2 through August with a shot at being the first 30+ win pitcher. Philadelphia LF Joe Kelley was Rookie of the Month with a .288 average, 5 homers, and 21 RBI.

New York SP Jocko Flynn suffered a torn UCL at the end of the month with an expected 12 month recovery time. It is the third UCL tear for the Giants star, who had it in August 1885 and August 1889.

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The battle for the American League West Division remained intense to the end between defending champ St. Louis and Detroit. The Tigers were an impressive 12-4 to start September while the Browns went 8-8 in the same stretch. St. Louis swept Milwaukee in their penultimate series while Detroit took three of four against Minnesota. Entering the final four game series hosted in St. Louis, the Tigers had a two-game lead. However, a big issue for the Browns was a strained groin for defending MVP Hugh Duffy from the Brewers series, knocking him out for the remainder of the year.

The Tigers locked up the division by winning the first two games by 6-5 and 8-1 margins, making the Browns wins in the final two games irrelevant. Detroit finished 97-65 for their first-ever playoff trip and the AL’s top seed, while St. Louis was 96-66. The Browns missed the cut despite the AL’s best run differential (+153) and most runs scored (836). The Tigers outperformed their expected win/loss by seven games.

Kansas City was a distant third at 83-79, while Chicago had MLB’s worst record at 59-103. Milwaukee was 64-98, a sharp drop considering they were World Series champs only three years prior. The Brewers only scored 581 runs with 85 homers, both of which was all-time worsts for an AL team.

Cleveland entered September with a four-game AL East lead on New York and maintained it, splitting their four game series with the Yankees. The Spiders repeated as division champs at 95-67, while New York’s 91-71 was a franchise best despite being second place. Boston was third at 89-73 and is the only MLB team to avoid a losing season in all eight years of MLB to date. Cleveland’s 666 runs allowed led the AL.

The final AL Batter of the Month was Royals C Podge Weihe with a .403 average, 29 hits, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, and 19 runs. Boston’s Larry McKeon was Pitcher of the Month with a 0.95 ERA, 5-0 record, and 28 strikeouts in 47.1 innings. Minnesota reliever Fritz Clausen was Rookie of the Month with nine scoreless innings and seven strikeouts. In milestones, Red Sox DH Sam Thomson became the second player to 1000 career RBI.



Many expect Browns CF Hugh Duffy to repeat as MVP, leading in average (.353), homers (42), OPS (1.082), and WAR (8.6). Cleveland two-way star George Van Haltren may challenge him again with 10.2 combined WAR. He led in strikeouts again with 241, posting a 3.62 ERA and 5.7 WAR over 271.1 innings. At the plate, Van Halten had 4.5 WAR and a .862 OPS. Another notable was KC’s Bill Joyce shattering the single-season stolen bases record with 116. The previous best was 93 by Jim Fogarty the prior year.

Detroit’s Jim Handiboe became the first qualifying pitcher in MLB history (162+ innings) with an ERA below two, leading the majors at 1.91. His lower inning count (207.1) came from injuries and doesn’t make him a Pitcher of the Year lock. Defending winner Frank Kanuss had a 2.14 ERA and was also second in WAR (7.4) and strikeouts (204). Knauss previously had the ERA single-season record of 2.08 from 1889.

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No team had a better second half than Chicago at 52-27, cruising to the National League West title at 104-58. This was the second-best record in MLB history behind Boston’s 114-48 from 1889. It was the Cubs’ second division crown, joining their 1884 pennant. They led the majors with 934 runs scored and a +192 run differential. The Cubs .453 team slugging was a new NL team record.

New Orleans ended up second at 91-71, while last year’s division champ Louisville struggled to 76-86. Indianapolis was the worst in the NL at 63-99, the first losing season for the Clowns. Indy set all-time MLB pitching worsts for team ERA (5.75), runs allowed (1043), and earned runs (908). Their hits allowed (1680), H/9 (10.65), and team WHIP (1.588) were NL worsts.

The Braves split their four game series with Buffalo and Philadelphia early in September. The Phillies made gains though on the four-game deficit, twice tying for first with Boston. However, Philadelphia went 2-6 in their final series between New York and Buffalo. The Braves got a four-game sweep of Brooklyn, which was the cushion they needed to hold on even though they lost three of four to finish hosting Pittsburgh.

Boston won a third straight division title and fourth overall by finishing 94-68. The Braves notably outperformed their expected win/loss by nine games, going 32-13 in one-run contests. Both Philadelphia and Buffalo ended second 90-62 despite more than double the run differential of Boston.

It was a franchise best for the Phillies and an impressive turnaround after five straight losing seasons, including only 67 and 62 wins the prior two years. The Dodgers notably had the NL’s worst second half at 29-50. The Phillies allowed the NL’s fewest runs at 731. Pittsburgh at 80-82 notably had a team .360 OBP, 668 walks, and 380 doubles, each new MLB team records.



Defending MVP Mike Tiernan was the final NL Batter of the Month, hitting .384 in September with 12 home runs, 30 RBI, 25 runs, and a .490 OBP. The Braves LF was the home run and OPS leader for the fourth straight year and hit 50+ for the third time (53).

Chicago’s Dave Orr beat him for the batting title (.373) and became the first player with three batting title. It was actually his Cub teammate George Davis who was the WARlord at 10.2. This was the sixth 10+ batting WAR season in MLB history, making for a tight MVP race. Pitcher of the Month was the Braves’ Jim Devlin with a 0.97 ERA, 3-1 record, and 35 Ks in 37 innings. Cincinnati 1B John McGraw was Rookie of the Month with a .375 average, 2 homers, 17 RBI, and 17 runs.

Chicago’s Hank Gastright had a record-setting campaign going 31-3, becoming the first pitcher to reach 30+ wins in a season. His .912 win percentage was also an MLB record and he won the ERA title at 2.23. Gastright was narrowly edged out by Devlin for WARlord (8.0 to 7.6) and was six behind Amos Russie for the most strikeouts (221 to 215).

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The 1891 American League Championship Series was guaranteed to crown a first-time pennant winner. Cleveland made their first-ever trip last year, falling 4-2 to St. Louis. This was Detroit’s first trip and came with home field advantage. Despite that, the Spiders dominated the regular season series 5-1 over the Tigers.

Former AL MVP George Van Haltren led the way in game one as Cleveland earned a 3-0 road win over Detroit. Van Halten tossed a three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and two walks. Tigers ace Lee Viau had a strong outing in defeat, giving up six hits and two earned runs over his complete game defeat.



Detroit evened the series with a 6-4 home win for game two. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Pat Luby’s two-run homer put the Tigers ahead. ERA champ Jim Handiboe tossed a complete game, giving up seven hits, three earned runs, and five walks with six strikeouts.



Game three in Cleveland saw the Spiders reclaim the series lead on a 7-0 victory. Harry Staley tossed an absolute gem, allowing only two hits with five strikeouts in his shutout.



In game four, Detroit was on the good end of a pitching gem as their 8-0 road win evened the series. Benjamin Lotz tossed a three-hitter with two walks and two strikeouts over 104 pitches. Parson Nicholson homered and singled with three RBI and two runs.



Cleveland claimed game five with a 5-3 score, giving them the 3-2 series lead heading back to Detroit for the remaining play. George Van Haltren got his second complete game win over Lee Viau, as the former gave up six hits and one walk with eight Ks in his win. He also was 2-4 as the leadoff man, including the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning.



Game six in Detroit went to the Tigers 3-0, setting up a decisive game seven. Jim Handiboe was excellent in a six-hit shutout with one walk and 10 strikeouts. Cleveland’s Ed Morris had a quality start in defeat, but two of the four hits he allowed were homers that brought in the Tiger runs.



Cleveland had a 3-2 lead after the fourth inning in game seven and held that until the bottom of the eighth. There, John Peltz led off the inning with a double and was knocked in by George Tebeau’s RBI double. Tebeau was caught stealing third, but the next two men got on base with one out. SS Parson Nicholson then smacked a three-run home run putting Detroit ahead 6-3, which held for the final margin. Nicholson had four RBI with an RBI single in the fourth.



Pat Luby tossed a complete game win, giving up nine hits with five strikeouts. He also scored twice and drew three walks offensively. Pitcher Jim Handiboe was series MVP with his complete game victories in games two and six, striking out 16 with a 1.50 ERA.