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

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In notable manager firings, the St. Louis Cardinals canned James McDermott after nine seasons. He won Manager of the Year from 1886-88 with a pennant in 1887, but they had gone pennant-less since in the middle-tier. At age 47, he certainly could get a new job somewhere with his good reputation. Cleveland fired 47-year old Bob Ferguson after five seasons. He had division titles for the Spiders in 1890-91, but their 74-88 run in 1892 got him the boot.

A trade of note saw 1891 AL Rookie of the Year Sam Dungan traded from Baltimore after two seasons. He went to the Yankees for SP Bert Cunningham and a minor league SS Joseph Bammert. Three-time MVP Mike Tiernan used his contract opt-out to sign a new, bigger deal with the Braves. The new contract had a record $302,400 over eight years. Tiernan’s deal does have another opt out option after 1894.

The 1892 amateur draft had enough players to justify 13 rounds of picks. Indianapolis used the #1 pick on LF Fred Clark. Next was C Mike Grady to the New York Giants, followed by SS Jimmy Collins to Kansas City, OF Kip Selbech to Cincinnati, and RF Jimmy Bannon to the Chicago White Sox. Below are the top picks from the draft.



The free agent class didn’t have any mammoth names, but still had some solid players. The biggest was SP Bill Vinton, who just won an ERA title with Buffalo. He signed the largest deal of any player at $162,600 over six seasons to Louisville. The players by highest rating (60) was LF Ed Herr and LF Ed Crane. Herr, formerly with the Cardinals and Clowns, joined the Phillies at $119,000 over seven seasons. Crane ended up taking a small one-year deal with Baltimore. Below are the top free agent signings from the 1892-93 offseason.



Elsewhere in the world: in November 1892, Grover Cleveland defeated incumbent Benjamin Harrison and James Weaver to win the presidency. Cleveland had lost to Harrison in 1888, becoming the first United States president to serve nonconsecutive terms.

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Below are the top-rated batters in professional baseball entering the 1893 season. CF Hugh Duffy with Minnesota has the largest contract with a $48,800 salary for the season and $416,800 over his eight-year deal.



Below are the top-rated pitchers in the game. Two-way man George Van Haltren for Cleveland is the highest paid at $37,800.



It is already a rough start for the career of LF Fred Clarke, the #1 overall draft pick for Indianapolis. In spring training, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon that will knock him out for the entire season. New Orleans all-star LF Jocko Halligan will miss the first two months to a hamstring strain.

The oft-injured two-way man Bob Caruthers with Brooklyn is still expected out another three months from his ruptured UCL the prior April. Pittsburgh SP Matt Kilroy is notably out 2-3 months with shoulder inflammation. The Phillies also lost SP Bill Daley five months to radial nerve decompression surgery.

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After the first month of 1893, Baltimore has the American League’s best record at 18-10. New York is one back at 17-11 in the AL East with Philadelphia (16-12) and Washington (15-13) close behind. Minnesota leads the AL West at 17-11 with Kansas City next at 14-14 and everyone else below .500.

Twins RF Larry Twitchell was AL Batter of the Month for April with a .378 average, 7 home runs, 21 RBI, and 21 runs. Second-round pick Frank Rudderham for the Orioles was both Pitcher and Rookie of the Month. He had a 1.81 ERA, 5-0 record, and 30 strikeouts over 44.2 innings. In other notables, Athletics’ ace Toad Ramsey became the first pitcher with 2000 career strikeouts. Cleveland CF Bob Pettit became the eighth with 500 career stolen bases.

Two-time Pitcher of the Year Ed Daily is out 14 months after suffering a torn UCL in his third season with Boston. The 30-year old righty also missed most of 1891 with a bone spur in his elbow. He had been a huge free agent signing after his 1890 POTY with the Braves, but his one healthy year with the Red Sox was merely decent.

In bad news for Detroit, SP Jim Handiboe is out for the year with a partially torn UCL in his first start of the season. The 26-year old righty won the ERA title back in 1891. It is his second major injury, having missed most of 1889 with a torn flexor tendon. The Tigers also will be without C Jack O’Brien 4-5 months with post-concussion syndrome. The 33-year old won a Silver Slugger last year with the Red Sox and was signed in the offseason by Detroit.

Buffalo has the best record in all of MLB entering May at 19-9 atop the National League East Division. Philadelphia is right behind though in the East at 18-10, while Brooklyn (15-13) and Pittsburgh (14-13) also have winning records. No one is above .500 in the NL West with St. Louis and Indianapolis sharing the top spot at 14-14.

Phillies LF Joe Kelley won NL Batter of the Month in April with a .375 average, 9 home runs, 27 RBI, and 34 runs. Buffalo’s Adonis Terry was Pitcher of the Month on a 1.73 ERA over 52 innings with 44 Ks and a 4-2 record. The Pirates’ Gus McGinnis was Rookie of the Month as the #10 pick had a 2.76 ERA, 4-2 record, and 24 Ks in 49 innings.

Third-year Braves righty George Rettger had the first no-hitter of the season on April 3 against the Phillies. He struck out nine and walked four over 124 pitches on a rainy Monday as Boston won 2-0. Rettger was Reliever of the Year and the saves leader last season, but has fared well in the rotation for 1893.



Braves star LF Mike Tiernan made history three days later as the first in MLB history to reach 400 career home runs. Through April 1893, Tiernan is MLB’s all-time leader in homers (402), WAR (74.07), and both slugging (.698) and OPS (1.120) among those with 1300+ career plate appearances.

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Baltimore have been the standout of the American League two months into the season. The Orioles were 19-9 in May to push their record to 37-19 atop the AL East, a five game lead despite respectable efforts by Philadelphia (32-24), Washington (31-25) and defending World Series champ New York (30-26). Minnesota at 30-26 is the only AL West team with a winning record thus far. Their lead is tenuous with Milwaukee (28-28), Detroit (28-28), St. Louis (27-29), and Kansas City (27-29) all within three games.

Leading the charge for the Orioles was AL Batter of the Month Bug Holliday in his seventh year with the squad. The 26-year old LF had a .352 average, 37 hits, 7 home runs, 29 RBI, and 26 runs in May. He also ended the month on a 23-game hitting streak. May also had a 22-game streak by Baltimore’s Tuck Tucker and a 20-game streak by the Red Sox’s Fred Dunlap.

Athletics righty Jack Stivetts was Pitcher of the Month with a 0.96 ERA in 47 innings with 43 strikeouts and a 5-1 record. Baltimore RHP Frank Rudderham repeated as Rookie of the Month with a 4-0 record, 2.40 ERA, and 30 Ks in 45 innings. In other news, Former #1 overall pick LF/P Scott Stratton with Washington is out 7 weeks to plantar fasciitis. The Yankees also lost RF Sam Dungan 4-5 months to a torn meniscus.

The second no-hitter of 1893 came on May 9 by Nationals lefty Ted Breitenstein against Cleveland. It was the first-ever no-hitter though that wasn’t a shutout, although it was still a win for Breitenstein. He gave up one run and two walks with five strikeouts over 116 pitches. On May 17, New York’s Charlie Petty had a no-hitter and faced the minimum against the Nationals. He gave up one walk in the fifth inning, but picked up a double play. Petty struck out four and tossed 102 pitches in the 7-0 Yankees win.



Defending National League champ Buffalo has the NL’s best record at 36-20 atop the East Division. New York had an impressive 20-8 May to jump to second a 33-23, while Philadelphia lost some ground at 32-24. St. Louis at 32-24 holds a narrow NL West lead over Cincinnati (31-24), while the rest of the division is six or more games below .500. The Reds made big gains by going 19-9 in May.

Bisons CF Mike Griffin was NL Batter of the Month with a .378 average, 5 homers, 23 RBI, and 19 runs in May. Giants veteran Jesse Duryea was Pitcher of the Month in his debut season in New York, posting a 5-1 record, 2.18 ERA, and 27 Ks in 53.2 innings. He signed with NYG after spending the last three years in Louisville. The Giants also had the Rookie of the Month in 17-year old RHP Jack Ely, who had a 2.39 ERA over 52.2 innings, 5-1 record, and 31 Ks.

In bad news for the Braves, all-star 2B Jack Glasscock is out close to two months to a sprained ankle. In milestones, defending MVP Jimmy Ryan reached 1000 career runs, 1000 RBI, and 500 stolen bases all in May. Boston’s Mike Tiernan also reached 1000 runs, as did Kansas City’s Sam Thompson and Baltimore’s Pete Browning. Minnesota’s Hugh Duffy reached 300 homers and Milwaukee’s Dave Orr got to 500 swipes.

Through May 1893, seven players have 1000+ runs, led by Dan Brouthers at 1111. Four have 1000+ RBI with Brouthers again the leader (1153). No one has gotten to 2000 hits yet, but Orr is on the cusp at 1993 with Brouthers at 1939. The 300 homer club is Tiernan (405), Ryan (314), and Duffy (304).

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Baltimore was 21-8 to close out the first half of the 1893 season, giving them Major League Baseball’s best record by a healthy margin at 58-27. The Orioles were 73-89 last year, but are on pace for their second-ever American League East pennant. They hold a nine game lead over defending World Series champ New York (49-36), a 12-game lead on 46-39 Philadelphia, and 13 games on 45-40 Washington. The Orioles’ 539 runs lead the majors with a current pace for a 1000+ run season.

Meanwhile, nobody can gain a foothold in the AL West. Minnesota dropped the lead after a losing June, but five teams are separated by four games. Milwaukee (44-41) has the top spot followed by Detroit (43-42), the Twins (42-43), Kansas City (42-43), and St. Louis (40-45).

Baltimore CF Tuck Turner was AL Batter of the Month and Rookie of the Month for June with a .404 average, 6 home runs, 28 RBI, and 22 runs. Turner leads the majors with 125 hits at the break. Milwaukee’s John Weyhing was Pitcher of the Month on a 1.19 ERA, 5-0 record, and 35 strikeouts in 53 innings.

Buffalo holds the National League’s best record at 52-33 atop the NL East. Philadelphia entered June four games back and stayed there at the all-star break at 48-37. New York lost ground and fell to third at 46-39. Brooklyn (45-40) and Boston (43-42) also have winning records. The Bisons have allowed the fewest runs in MLB at 318. They did get bad news though as perennial all-star catch Fred Carroll is out for the year with a severe hip strain.

The NL West is currently a fairly even fight between Cincinnati (48-36) and St. Louis (48-37). New Orleans was 9-1 in their final ten games before the break, getting above .500 at 43-42. The Reds lead the NL with 459 runs.

Defending NL MVP Jimmy Ryan was NL Batter of the Month in June for Louisville on a .385 average, 10 homers, 31 RBI, and 23 runs. Ryan is the WARlord (5.7) and has the best OPS (1.111) among MLB batters at the break. New Orleans righty Sadie McMahon was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 1.06 ERA, and 42 Ks over 51 innings. Reds RF Kip Selbach was Rookie of the Month on a .347 average, 9 homers, and 21 RBI.



June was notable for milestones throughout the majors. On June 5, New Orleans’ Guy Hecker became the first pitcher to 200 career wins. The next night, Milwaukee’s Dave Orr became the first batter to 2000 hits. Cardinals 1B Roger Connor also joined the 1000 RBI club and Cubs CF Jim Fogarty became the second with 600 stolen bases.

1893 became the first season to feature four no-hitters with the latest on June 8 by Louisville’s Mike Morrison. Against the Cubs, he struck out seven and walked two over 97 pitches in a 9-0 win. Baltimore LF Bug Holliday had a 28-game hitting streak snapped on June 7, falling one short of Billy Taylor’s record from 1884. On June 13, Cardinals SP Duke Esper had the season’s first cycle against the Giants.

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Below is the rosters for the tenth MLB All-Star Game. Brooklyn C Jack Clements won the Home Run Challenge, winning the final round 11-10 against 1887 winner Jimmy Ryan. Clements leads MLB with 26 homers at the break.



After losing the first eight All-Star Games, the National League has gotten back-to-back wins over the American League. At Washington’s Boundary Park, the NL earned the 3-1 win. St. Louis Cardinals 2B Reddy Mack was the MVP, scoring twice with a triple and a walk in his two plate appearances.

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Baltimore was merely 12-11 since the all-star break, but they still easily have the American League’s best record at 70-38. New York is second in the entire AL, but still ten games away at 60-48. Philadelphia (58-49) and Washington (58-50) are next. Meanwhile at 46-62, Boston appears unlikely to avoid their first-ever losing season.

There are still no standouts in the AL West, but both Detroit and Kansas City went 14-9 to finish July. That vaulted the Tigers to first at 57-51 with the Royals second at 56-52. Minnesota and Milwaukee are both 55-53, so it is still very much up for grabs. St. Louis has gone 8-15 since the break, dropping them to nine games back.

Twins CF Hugh Duffy was AL Batter of the Month in July with a .333 average, 31 hits, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, and 21 runs. Athletics ace Toad Ramsey took Pitcher of the Month on a 2.09 ERA over 51.2 innings, 39 strikeouts, and 4-2 record. White Sox RF Jimmy Bannon was Rookie of the Month on a .315 average, 6 home runs, and 18 RBI.

Buffalo remains the top team in the National League at 67-41 with a 15-8 record since the all-star break. New York had the same record to close July, but the Giants are still six back at 61-47. Philadelphia lost ground, now nine back at 58-50. Brooklyn (56-52) and Boston (54-54) are both quickly falling out of the mix.

In the NL West, Cincinnati’s 15-9 run to close July has moved them to 63-45, three games ahead of 60-48 St. Louis. New Orleans struggled since the break to fall 11 games back at 52-56.

Braves LF Mike Tiernan was NL Batter of the Month in July with a .45 average, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 25 runs. Reds righty Pete Conway was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.29 ERA in 51 innings, 4-0 record, and 29 Ks. Cincy CL Frank Griffith was Rookie of the Month with a 2.30 ERA and 10 Ks in 15.2 innings.

On July 16, 1893; the first-ever perfect game was pitched by Cardinals righty Mark Baldwin. The 29-year old in his first year in St. Louis did it in a 4-0 home win over Cincinnati, striking out 11 over 112 pitches. This also set a record for most Ks in a no-no. It was the fifth no-hitter of the season, expanding the MLB record. Baldwin also joined Toad Ramsey as the only pitchers with multiple no-hitters, as he also did it in 1889 with Pittsburgh.



In other notables, Giants 3B Charlie Irwin had a 27-game hitting streak, two short of the record. Yankees 1B Jumbo Schoeneck had a 20-game run as well. Both Roger Connor and Cap Anson reached 1000 career runs, while Denny Lyons and Billy Hamilton both got to 500 stolen bases. Nine have now gotten to 1000 runs and 12 have 500+ swipes. The trade deadline also came and went with no blockbuster deals this time around.

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In the American League East, Baltimore is well on their way to MLB’s best record this season at 89-47. The Orioles are 13 games ahead of defending champ New York despite a solid 76-60 season for the Yankees. Both Philadelphia and Washington are in position to finish with winning records. Meanwhile at 56-80, Boston has essentially guaranteed its first-ever losing season.

Detroit was 17-11 in August, including a nine-game winning streak to end the month. This gave the 74-62 Tigers a five game lead over Milwaukee (69-67) and six game leads over Minnesota (68-68), and Kansas City (68-68). Detroit still has a series left with each foe, starting the month with the Twins and ending with the Brewers and Royals.

Reigning AL MVP Willie Keeler was Batter of the Month in August with a .442 average, 11 home runs, 25 RBI, and 21 runs for the Brewers. Yankees RHP Tom Vickery was Pitcher of the Month on a 1.89 ERA in 52.1 innings with a 5-1 record. Milwaukee CF Tom Parrott was Rookie of the Month on a .389 average, 37 hits, 9 homers, and 18 RBI.

Buffalo’s National League East Division lead remained at six games through August at 80-56. Boston and Philadelphia are both 74-62 and New York is 73-63. The Braves went on a 20-8 tear in August to insert themselves into the fight, as they were 13 games behind to start the month.

Cincinnati at 80-56 is tied for the NL’s best record and leads the NL West. They’re shooting for their first-ever division title, but St. Louis remains in the mix at 76-60. New Orleans rebounded with a 19-9 August to get to 71-65, ending the month with an eight-game winning streak. Louisville at 51-85 holds MLB’s worst record despite reigning MVP Jimmy Ryan leading all hitters in home runs (40), RBI (121), runs (123), and WAR (9.3).

Reds RF Kip Selbach was NL Batter of the Month and the top rookie for August. The #4 pick hit .430 with 9 homers, 27 RBI, and 23 runs. Phillies righty Charlie Sweeney was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.44 ERA, 5-1 record, and 36 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.

In milestones, Giants 1B Dan Brouthers became the second player to 2000 career hits. Milwaukee’s Dave Orr reached 1000 RBI while both Cardinals 2B Reddy Mack and Royals 1B Otto Schomberg got to 1000 runs scored. Brooklyn’s Hub Collins passed 500 stolen bases. New York CF Frank Shugart posted a 24-game hitting streak. Athletics SP/LF Jack Stivetts hit for the cycle on August 3 against Boston.

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Baltimore played around .500 ball in September, but it was plenty to finish with the best record in Major League Baseball at 101-61. The Orioles won their second American League East title (1888) and set a franchise record for wins. It was the fourth 100+ win season in AL history, one win short of Chicago’s record 102-60 in 1884. Baltimore led MLB with 931 runs scored and was tied for the best run differential at +162.

Defending World Series champ New York and Philadelphia tied for second at 90-72. The A’s have now had four 90+ win seasons, but have yet to earn a playoff berth. Washington was fourth at 88-74, a franchise record for wins. Cleveland and Boston struggled to 65-97 and 62-100, respectively. It was a sharp drop for the Red Sox, whose first-ever losing season put them at the bottom of the AL.

Detroit maintained its five-game AL West lead to win the division for the third consecutive season. The Tigers finished 91-71 with only Milwaukee (86-76) also posting a winning record. Minnesota (80-82) and Kansas City (79-83) were next. The Brewers had the fewest runs allowed in the AL at 655.



The AL Batter of the Month and Rookie of the Month in September both went to St. Louis LF Ducky Holmes. The #15 pick in the 1892 draft, Holmes hit .424 with 11 home runs, 30 RBI, and 26 runs. AL MVP is an open race, although Twins CF Hugh Duffy is likely the favorite by leading in WAR (9.7), homers (46), and RBI (133). Defending MVP Willie Keeler with the Brewers notably led again in batting average (.389) and OPS (1.096). Tigers two-way man Pat Luby also had 8.6 WAR combined and is always an option.

Detroit’s Lee Viau was Pitcher of the Month with a 1.61 ERA, 5-1 record, and 47 strikeouts in 56 innings. Viau was the AL leader for pitching WAR (7.4) and innings (307.1). The Browns’ Frank Knauss won his second ERA title (2.75) and was the Ks leader for the first time at 254, making him the top contender for Pitcher of the Year.

In statistical notables, A’s 2B Tom Cahill hit for the cycle on September 11 against Baltimore. Browns rookie Ducky Holmes ended the season on a 20-game hitting streak. St. Louis’s Ed McKean also became the first player to reach 700 career stolen bases.

In team records, Baltimore’s 663,645 season attendance was a new AL best. Washington’s pitchers had 991 strikeouts and Philadelphia’s 978; the second/third best in the AL. The Yankees’ 1283 hits allowed were third best. Cleveland had 42 saves and Detroit 41, which were the first/second best in all of MLB history. The Spiders set a bad offensive record with only 170 doubles, the fewest by any MLB team.

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Buffalo was fortunate to have a six-game National League East Division lead entering September. Philadelphia made a charge going 17-8 in the month, but the Bisons held onto first place at 94-68 ahead of the 92-70 Phillies. The repeat made Buffalo four-time division champs (1884, 87, 92, 93). They were tied for MLB’s best run differential at +162 and allowed the fewest runs at 635.

Philadelphia’s 92 wins was a franchise best, as was New York’s 90-72, but both are still yet to win a division title. Boston was also respectable at 88-74, the eighth straight winning season for the Braves. The Giants led the NL in scoring with 889 runs. The Dodgers were in that mix at the all-star break, but finished 77-85 after a lackluster second half.

St. Louis swept Cincinnati in mid-September, getting the Cardinals within a game of the Reds in the NL West. With six games left, they were tied at 87-69. The Reds split their final two games with New Orleans, then won three of four hosting Chicago. The Cardinals meanwhile split their last two with Louisville and last four at Indianapolis, including a ten-inning, 2-1 loss in the finale. Thus, Cincy held on at 91-71 while St. Louis was 90-72.

This was the first division title for the Reds and tied their franchise record. They hadn’t won more than 70 games in the past five seasons, so it was an impressive turnaround in Cincinnati. The Pelicans ended up third at 86-76, unable to overcome their near .500 start.

The NL West became the first division in MLB where each team in the division has won the title at least once. The Cubs, the two-time defending champs, struggled to 71-91. Chicago notably was an abysmal 29-55 at the all-star break and played winning baseball after that. Louisville at 60-102 had the worst record in MLB and in franchise history.



Braves LF Mike Tiernan was NL Batter of the Month in September with a .409 average, .485 OBP, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 23 runs. He’s an MVP candidate as always in a crowded field. Reigning MVP Jimmy Ryan led in homers (46), RBI (136), runs (138), and WAR (10.8), but his Colonels had the worst record in MLB. Batting champ Bill Lange with the struggling clowns, plus Giants 3B Charlie Irwin and Dodgers C Jack Clements are also in the conversation. One other statistical notable, the only six-hit game in the 1893 season came from Giants CF Frank Shugart, going 6-6 against the Cardinals on September 7.

Pitcher of the Month was the Cubs’ Ballplayer Rogers, who was 5-0 over 39.2 innings with a 1.59 ERA and 23 Ks. Chicago also had Rookie of the Month RF Jack McCarthy, who hit .368 with 5 doubles, 16 runs, and 20 RBI. Philadelphia’s Silver King is the Pitcher of the Year favorite as the leader in ERA (2.25) and wins (23-7). The Reds’ Amos Rusie led in Ks (257) for the second time and the Dodgers’ George Davies was the WARlord for the third time (8.6).

In team records, New Orleans’ pitchers allowed 375 walks with a 2.33 BB/9; both NL bests. Buffalo’s 1241 hits allowed and 1.153 WHIP were the third-best in NL history and their 7.64 H/9 second best. Indianapolis’s 526 stolen bases were second best in the NL. In bad pitching, Louisville’s 5.33 ERA, 1015 runs allowed, and 859 earned runs were each second-worst in the NL. The Clowns had a 5.15 ERA, 960 runs, and 822 earned runs allowed; each third-worst. Indy’s 1.589 team WHIP was a new NL worst.

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Baltimore was the favorite for the 1893 American League Championship Series in their second appearance, having lost to Milwaukee in 1888. It was the third straight trip for Detroit, who won the 1891 World Series and lost the 1892 ALCS to New York. The Orioles finished ten games better than the Tigers and won the regular season series 9-6.

In game one, four solo runs powered Baltimore to a 4-2 win. Veteran pitcher Jim McCormick gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings with three walks and six strikeouts. CF Tuck Turner had two hits and two runs.



Detroit earned a 5-2 road win to even the series as it shifted to Michigan for the next three games. Lee Viau tossed a quality start over seven innings, allowing eight hits and two runs with five Ks. LF Lou Hardie went 3-4 with a solo homer and two runs.



Baltimore reclaimed the series lead with a 5-4 road rally in game three. In the top of the ninth, three walks and two singles led to two runs to go ahead. RF Bug Holliday had the two RBI go-ahead single and had three RBI for the day.



Detroit evened the series back up on a 5-0 win in game four. Roscoe Coughlin, who spent most of the season in minor league Toledo, stepped up with a shutout, scattering seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts.



Another late rally gave Baltimore a road win, this time by a 4-3 margin in game five to take the 3-2 series lead back to Maryland. Bug Holiday led off the ninth with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. The Tigers got the tying run to second on an error but couldn’t score in the bottom half.



Detroit won game six 5-3, setting up a game seven showdown in Baltimore the next night. Lee Viau had a workhorse complete game win, tossing 148 pitches and giving up 12 hits and two walks, but only three runs. Bert Cunningham had a complete game on the other side, but allowed five runs.



Baltimore claimed its first pennant as the offense unloaded to win game seven by a 13-7 margin over Detroit. The Orioles had 22 hits and eight players had multiple hits. Rookie Joe Sullivan was 4-5 with a homer, double, four runs, and three RBI. 3B Pete Browning also had four hits with three RBI. Browning was the ALCS MVP, going 13-31 with four RBI, .471 OBP, and seven runs from the leadoff spot.

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The 1893 National League Championship Series saw the reigning champ Buffalo looking to repeat. It was their fourth appearance, having been defeated in 1884 and 1887. Cincinnati was making its first NLCS appearance. Although they were only separated by three wins in the regular season, the Bisons dominated the Reds 8-1 in the regular season.

Buffalo claimed the opener 4-1, getting all of their runs on the sixth inning with homers by Adonis Terry and Orator Shafer. Jack Sharrott gave up only an unearned run and three hits over seven innings, while Bob Gilks pitched the final two innings clean for the save.



The Bisons took game two by a 7-3 margin, getting three solo homers in the win. Adonis Terry was the winning pitcher, tossing 7.2 innings with three runs, six hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.



Game three was 1-1 after the fourth inning and stayed there into extras. Buffalo broke the deadlock in the top of the 12th inning on Billy Taylor’s RBI double. However in the bottom half, RF Kip Selbach had a two RBI walkoff double to win 3-2 for the Reds. The mistake for the Bisons was trying to get the lead runner on a sacrifice bunt, but he was safe to put two men on for Selbach.



Buffalo earned the first road win of the series 6-3 in game four, taking a 3-1 series lead. SS Jumbo Davis tripled and singled with three RBI. Red Ehret allowed three runs (two earned) over 7.1 innings of work.



Cincinnati forced the series back to New York with an 8-2 blowout win in game five. The Reds were up 5-0 by the end of the second inning. Amos Rusie tossed a complete game with ten strikeouts while also going 2-5 with a double and run.



Buffalo grabbed game six 7-2 over Cincinnati to secure repeat National League pennants. 1B Skyrocket Smith was 2-4 with five RBI, three coming on a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning. Adonis Terry pitched 7.2 innings, giving up four hits and two runs. Terry repeated as the NLCS MVP with his two-way effort. He won his two pitching starts with a 2.93 ERA and 11 Ks in 15.1 innings, while going 6-21 at the plate with a homer and RBI.

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The tenth World Series was guaranteed to crown the eighth different first-time MLB champion. Buffalo was back after losing 4-2 to the New York Yankees the prior season, while Baltimore was making its first-ever appearance. The Orioles were MLB’s top-scoring team at 931 runs, while the Bisons allowed the fewest at 635. Both had the same +162 run differential, although Baltimore was seven wins better and had home field advantage.

Buffalo took a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning. In the bottom half, the first two Orioles walked and the next two singled. Sam Barkley’s two RBI single tied the game at 5-5. After a groundout and intentional walk to set up a force at any base, King Kelly drew a full count walkoff walk to win it 6-5 for Baltimore.



The Orioles took the 2-0 series lead on a 4-2 win in game two. LF Bug Holiday knocked in all four Baltimore runs, three of them coming via a fourth inning homer. Three pitchers combined to scatter eight hits.



Buffalo won game three at home 11-6 getting a balanced offensive effort throughout the lineup. Jumbo Davis homered and singled with three RBI. George Gore tripled, singled, and walked to score thrice. In defeat, Baltimore’s Bug Holiday was a triple away from the cycle, scoring twice and knocking in two.



Game four will go down as one of the great statistical oddities in World Series history with the football-like 23-6 win for Baltimore. 3B Pete Browning set a record unlikely to ever be broken, scoring seven runs off five hits and a walk. The single-game runs record in any game was five previously. CF Tuck Turner tied the playoff RBI record with seven, going 4-5 with five runs and missing the cycle by a triple. Bug Holliday posted the first-ever six-hit playoff game and scored four runs with five RBI.



After the insane scoring of game four, game five saw a 4-0 shutout win for Baltimore to clinch their first-ever World Series title on the road. Jim McCormick tossed a five-hit gem with five strikeouts and two walks allowed. The American League has won eight of the first ten World Series, although there have been six different champs in as many years.



Bug Holiday was series MVP, going 14-23 with two homers, 13 RBI, and seven runs. Especially with the game four explosion, multiple playoff records were set by Orioles players. Pete Browning set the new high for runs scored (17), beating Cap Anson’s 16 from 1887 with Boston.

Holiday (24) and Browning (23) both bested the previous hits record of 21 by Sam Thompson, while Tuck Turner had 20 hits. Holiday’s 39 total bases fell two short of Thompson’s 1886 run with the Red Sox. Holiday also set the RBI record with 19, passing Ezra Sutton’s 16 in 1887. In bad records, Orioles pitcher Levi Hickman allowed seven homers and Bert Cunningham was the third to record three losses in a playoff run.

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Milwaukee RF Willie Keeler repeated as American League Most Valuable Player in his second season, although it was a narrow victory. He earned 11 first place votes and 268 total points, just beating out Detroit two-way man Pat Luby at 10 first place votes and 261 points. Also in the mix was Minnesota OF Hugh Duffy with 195 points and one first place vote, along with Philadelphia P/OF Jack Stivetts with two first place votes and 167 points.

Luby, the 1891 MVP, notably had 4.6 WAR hitting with 42 home runs and a .944 OPS, while posting 4.0 WAR pitching with a 3.51 ERA in 261.2 innings. Stivetts had him beat with 9.3 total WAR, getting 6.3 as a pitcher with a league-best 23-10 record and 3.0 WAR offensively. Duffy was the AL leader for home runs (46), RBI (133), total bases (368), and WAR (9.6).

“Wee Willie” got the top honor though as the batting title winner at .389, also leading in slugging (.658), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (199). Keeler did lose two weeks to an elbow injury. In 144 games, he had 201 hits, 106 runs, 29 doubles, 32 home runs, 91 RBI, 52 stolen bases, and 7.9 WAR. Keeler also repeated as the AL’s Gold Glove winner in right field.

Pitcher of the Year voting was far less competitive, a unanimous win for Tigers righty Lee Viau. The 26-year old from Corinth, Texas was the leader in WAR (7.4), innings (307.1), WHIP (1.01), and FIP- (73). Viau had a 22-11 record, 2.84 ERA, 160 ERA+, and 229 strikeouts. In seven seasons for Detroit, Viau has an impressive 128-75 record, 2.87 ERA, 1893.1 innings, 1420 strikeouts, and 48.2 WAR. A second-round draft pick in 1886, Viau enters a contract year for 1894.

Rookie of the Year was an intense battle with center fielders Tom Parrott of Milwaukee and Tuck Turner of Baltimore splitting the first place votes evenly 12/12. Parrott got slightly more points (92 to 86) to win the award. The runner-up Tucker notably was the AL leader in hits with 215 and had 6.5 WAR. “Tacky Tom” was a two-way guy, posting 4.1 WAR, 27 home runs, and .855 OPS offensively. On the mound, the #6 draft pick had a 3.68 ERA, 205.2 innings, 12-12 record, 106 Ks, and 2.3 WAR. Both guys also earned votes in the MVP race.

The World Series win helped earn Orioles skipper Justin Kinnaird Manager of the Year. He’s been with Baltimore since the inaugural 1884 season, although they had been largely middling prior to the 1893 breakthrough. The patience eventually ended up working out for a World Series win for the 57-year old.

In Silver Slugger notables, Duffy won his eighth straight in CF; the first eight-time winner in AL history and one of three in MLB. Detroit’s Duke Farrell won his sixth at 3B. Bug Holliday won his fifth, although it was his first in left field after getting the other four wins in right. 1B Otto Schomberg (Kansas City) and 2B Ed Delahanty (Washington) became three-time winners.

New York’s Germany Smith became the AL’s first nine-time Gold Glove winner. It was his first as a first baseman, with the previous eight at shortstop. Yankees 2B Danny Richardson won his seventh Gold Glove.

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Boston LF Mike Tiernan became the first-ever four time Most Valuable Player Award winner. It was the first time he didn’t lead in any major stats, but he still got half of the first place votes and 273 points. Buffalo’s Adonis Terry, the Pitcher of the Year winner, had seven first place MVP votes and 222 points. Defending MVP Jimmy Ryan of Louisville had three first place votes and 220 points, while Indianapolis’ Bill Lange had two and 186.

Ryan was the leader in homers (46), RBI (136), runs (138), and WAR (10.7); but his Colonels had MLB’s worst record at 60-102. Lange had a similar issue with the Clowns going 67-95, but he led in batting average (.379) and hits (217). Terry had a combined 11.0 WAR, but most of that was pitching and his merely decent hitting (.766 OPS, 106 wRC+, 2.5 WAR) wasn’t enough to win the honor as a two-way man.

Thus, it defaulted to Tiernan who had another fine season. The 26-year old lefty had 134 runs, 204 hits, 25 doubles, 43 home runs, 124 RBI, 80 stolen bases, a .356/.434/.632 slash, 1.066 OPS, 186 wRC+, and 9.4 WAR. Through nine years, Silent Mike has 1679 hits, 1103 runs, 234 doubles, 442 homers, 1215 RBI, 470 steals, a .353/.425/.696 slash, 200 wRC+, and 83.2 WAR. He’s the current MLB career leader for slugging, OPS (1.121), homers, and WAR. Tiernan is under contract through 1900 with the Braves. He also became the first-ever nine-time Silver Slugger winner in LF and won his second Gold Glove in 1893.

Adonis Terry won Pitcher of the Year nearly unanimously, but ERA title winner Silver King of Philadelphia snagged one first place vote. In his second year with Buffalo, the 28-year old righty led with 305 innings and 21 complete games. Terry had a 22-11 record, 2.74 ERA, 222 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, 74 FIP, and 8.5 WAR. He also won his third Silver Slugger as a pitcher. Terry is under contract through 1895 for Buffalo.

Cincinnati RF Kip Selbach won Rookie of the Year unanimously, helping the Reds to their first-ever division title. The #4 pick had 173 hits, 114 runs, 34 doubles, 36 home runs, 124 RBI, .311/.404/.591 slash, 162 wRC+, and 7.2 WAR. The Reds turnaround earned Manager of the Year for Mike Brannock in his third season at the helm. The 42-year old won three World Series rings as the Red Sox hitting coach from 1884-90 before taking the Cincinnati managing job.

RF Jimmy Ryan won his eighth Silver Slugger. Braves 2B Jack Glasscock won his fourth and Chicago 1B Jack Beckley won his third. St. Louis 1B Roger Connor became the first NL player with nine Gold Gloves. Boston C John Keirns won his sixth, although his other five came in the AL. Braves SP Bill Stenmyer won his fourth Gold Glove and Jimmy Ryan got his third at RF.

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Early in the offseason saw one of the biggest trades in MLB history. Former NL MVP Jimmy Ryan was an eight-time Silver Slugger winner in right field for Louisville and had signed an extension running through 1898. However, the Colonels’ collapse to 60-102 in 1893 somewhat soured the relationship. Thus, Louisville looked to trade the 30-year old superstar and found a buyer in two-time defending National League champ Buffalo.



Many were surprised to see the Bisons part with CF Mike Griffin in the deal, effectively a straight swap although Buffalo also sent a minor league 1B over. While the 28-year old Griffin had never been an MVP candidate, he was extremely popular and also decorated as an eight-time all-star, three-time Silver Slugger winner, and three-time Gold Glover.

Griffin is under contract through 1896 making $19,600 per year, while Ryan’s contract has an annual $29,400 rate, so saving money is part of the calculus. While Buffalo fans were sad to see Griffin go, they were optimistic that Ryan could deliver that first World Series ring. In extensions, Pitcher of the Year Lee Viau signed a seven-year, $239,400 deal to stay in Detroit. Buffalo also extended all-star catcher Fred Carroll at $198,800 over seven years.

The 1893 amateur draft had enough players to justify 13 rounds of selections. Louisville had the #1 pick and selected two-way man Bobby Wallace, whose raw stuff projects him to be an immediate ace. He was the only player given a potential rating of 70 or above. Below are the top picks for the 1893 draft. Notably, #4 pick LF John Anderson opted not to sign with Pittsburgh and he’ll next be eligible in 1896.



The big free agent on the market was 27-year old RF Bug Holliday, who had just won World Series MVP after seven years with Baltimore. He signed quickly to an eight-year, $239,400 deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Former Cubs and Brewers CF Jim Fogarty also had attention, although some were worried about the ruptured foot tendon he suffered to end the 1893 campaign. Cincinnati gave the 30-year old a five-year, $195,200 deal. Fogarty’s $38,800 salary in 1894 will be the fifth-highest in the majors. Below are the top free agent signings from the 1893-84 offseason.

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Below are the top-rated hitters in baseball entering the 1894 season. Minnesota CF Hugh Duffy remains the highest paid with a $51,000 salary as part of his $416,800 contract.



Below are the top-rated pitchers in the game.



Below is the current all-time leaderboard entering the 1894 season along with potentially reachable milestones for the season.

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Through April in the American League, Kansas City had the top record at 19-9 atop the West Division. Milwaukee was second at 16-12 with both St. Louis and Chicago at 14-14. In the AL East, New York and Washington were tied for first at 17-11, followed by Cleveland at 15-13. Defending World Series champ Baltimore notably had the AL’s worst record at 10-18.

AL Batter of the Month was Athletics RF Ollie Smith with a .304 average, 28 hits, 8 home runs, 20 RBI, and 18 runs. Yankees righty Tom Vickery was Pitcher of the Month on a 6-0 record, 0.67 ERA, and 25 strikeouts over 53.1 innings. Cleveland CF Fielder Jones was Rookie of the Month with a .351 average, 12 RBI, and 16 runs.

Philadelphia had the best record in the National League and the majors with a dominant 21-7 run in April. The Phillies were six games ahead of 15-13 Buffalo and seven better than both Pittsburgh and Boston in the NL East. Cincinnati led the NL West at 17-11, trailed by St. Louis (16-12), Indianapolis (15-13), and Chicago (14-14).

Leading the Phillies offense was NL Batter of the Month Charlie Duffee, as the CF hit .349 with 9 home runs, 18 RBI, and 29 runs. Philadelphia ace Silver King was the top pitcher with a 6-0 record, 2.58 ERA, and 28 Ks in 52.1 innings. Pittsburgh had the Rookie of the Month Silver Braun, who had a 2.06 ERA over 39.1 innings with a 3-1 record and 24 Ks.

In milestones, Baltimore’s Pete Browning became the third to reach 2000 hits. His teammate Jim McCormick became the second pitcher to 2000 strikeouts. Reaching 1000 runs scored was Boston’s Charlie Ferguson and Kansas City’s Henry Larkin. Minnesota’s Hugh Duffy and Louisville’s Joe Flynn both reached 1000 RBI. Jim McTamany became the third to 600 stolen bases

Cubs 3B George Davis hit for the cycle against Cincinnati on April 18. Two players had hitting streaks carry over from the prior year ended in April with Indianapolis 1B Bill Hallman getting to 24 games and Browns LF Ducky Holmes to 22 games.

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New York was 19-9 in May, giving them the American League’s best record at 36-20 atop the East Division. The Yankees gained four games in Washington, who remained second at 32-24. Cleveland at 29-27 was the only other team above .500. After having the AL’s best April, Kansas City was a lousy 10-18 in May, dropping to third in the West at 29-27. Milwaukee jumped to first at 34-28 with Chicago second at 30-26. The Brewers went 18-10 in May.

Leading the way for Milwaukee was two-time defending AL MVP Willie Keeler, who was Batter of the Month with a .468 average, 5 home runs, 20 RBI, and 17 runs. Philadelphia RHP Jack Stivetts was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.12 ERA over 51 innings and 4-1 record. Cleveland CF Fielder Jones repeated as Rookie of the Month with a .330 average, 31 hits, 3 home runs, and 17 RBI.

Philadelphia maintained the National League’s best record at 36-20, playing even with Buffalo for the month in the East. The defending champ Bisons were still six away at 30-26 while the rest of the division had losing records. Indianapolis jumped into the NL West lead at 33-23 ahead of Cincinnati (31-25), Chicago (29-27), and St. Louis (29-27). The Clowns finished 18-10 in May.

Cardinals 1B Roger Connor was NL Batter of the Month with a .333 average, 8 home runs, 30 RBI, and 17 runs. New Orleans RHP Harry Staley was Pitcher of the Month on a 2.31 ERA over 50.2 innings with a 5-1 record and 32 Ks. #1 pick Bobby Wallace for Louisville was Rookie of the Year on a 2.10 ERA, 3-1 record, and 42 strikeouts over 51.1 innings.

A promising career devastated by injuries was finally ended by injury. Brooklyn LF/SP Bob Caruthers had been rated as an 80 overall player, but the 30-year old had only managed full seasons back in 1886-87. Since then, he missed more than half of every season to assorted big injuries. The Dodgers still had some optimism, giving Caruthers a seven-year, $257,600 extension on May 10.



However two days later, he suffered a ruptured UCL that officially forced his immediate retirement. Over ten seasons, he had 572 games at the plate with a .305/.427/.516 slash, 165 wRC+, and 21.7 WAR. Pitching, he tossed 638 innings with a 3.54 ERA, 290 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, and 8.2 WAR. Caruthers had been the #18 overall pick in the inaugural draft, but sadly luck was not kind to him or his potential.

On May 23, Browns righty Bob Black struck out 16 over nine innings against Philadelphia, tying the single-game Ks record. Toad Ramsey had done it twice and Charlie Geggus once, although each of them needed extra innings to hit the mark. In other milestones, Braves RHP Perry Werden became the second pitcher with 200 career wins.

Cleveland’s Henry Moore and New York’s Jumbo Schoeneck became the fourth and fifth to reach 2000 career hits. Athletics SS Frank Fennelly reached 1000 runs scored and Baltimore 3B Pete Browning got to 1000 RBI. Cardinals LF Buster Hoover reached 600 stolen bases.

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Washington had an impressive 19-9 run going into the all-star break, including taking three of four at New York. The Nationals and Yankees ended up tied atop the American League East Division at 51-33. Cleveland at 45-39 was still in the hunt. Defending World Series champ Baltimore was still trying to climb out of their early hole at 39-45.

In the AL West, Milwaukee held the lead at 48-36, maintaining the four game advantage they had entering June. Kansas City was second at 44-40 followed by both Chicago and Minnesota at 42-42. No one was 100% out of it yet, including the defending division champ Detroit in last at 37-47.

Leading the way for the Nationals was AL Batter of the Month Ed Delahanty, who hit .476 with 6 home runs, 18 RBI, 24 runs, and a .545 OBP. The 26-year old 2B leads the majors at the break in triple slash (.429/.494/.666) and WAR (6.7). His teammate Peek-A-Boo Veach was Pitcher of the Month for June on a 1.84 ERA in 49 innings, 5-1 record, and 27 strikeouts. It was an impressive return for Veach, who had been out since spring training with back trouble. Twins 2B Gene DeMontreville was Rookie of the Month on a .375 average, 36 hits, 3 homers, 17 runs, and 23 RBI.

Philadelphia was a dominant 23-5 since the start of June, holding the best record in Major League Baseball and the National League at 59-25. The Phillies had an eight-game winning streak to close the first half and had a separate ten-game win streak earlier in June. Defending NL champ Buffalo is a respectable 46-38, but that puts them 13 games behind Philly in the NL East.

Indianapolis made slight gains and entered the break at 50-33, 3.5 games ahead of 47-37 Cincinnati in the NL West. St. Louis was next at 44-40 with the rest of the division below .500. It was a remarkable turnaround for the Clowns and didn’t seem to be a fluke. Indy had won fewer than 70 games in each of the past three seasons.

NL Batter of the Month was Phillies RF Bug Holliday, who had very much lived up to the big free agent signing. In June, he had a .351 average, 33 hits, 6 homers, 23 RBI, and 21 runs. At the break, Holliday led the majors in RBI (70) and runs (68) and was second in homers with 20. The Phillies also had Pitcher of the Month Bill Daley with a 2.22 ERA, 5-0 record, and 36 Ks in 48.2 innings. Chicago’s Harry Keener was Rookie of the Month over 46.2 innings with a 3.66 ERA, 3-2 record, and 37 Ks.



In milestones, Cardinals 1B Roger Connor reached 2000 career hits and A’s CF Jim McTamany got to 1000 runs scored. Washington’s George Tebeau reached 600 career stolen bases. The Athletics had bad injury news in June with ace Jack Stivetts going down two months to a herniated disc and a season-ended ankle fracture for LF Jesse Burkett. Cardinals 2B Reddy Mack hit for the cycle on June 18 facing Cincinnati.