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

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Below are the rosters for the 1894 MLB All-Star Game. The Home Run Challenge was won by Philadelphia Athletics RF Ollie Smith, who beat Phillies CF Charlie Duffee (the 1891 winner) 12-10 in the final round. The A’s are the first franchise to have multiple derby winners, as the first ten champs came from ten different squads.



The game was at the Red Sox’s Huntington Avenue Grounds. After repeat National League wins, the American League took the 1894 encounter 3-1. All three runs for the AL came in the second inning, two from Heinie Peitz’s homer. That earned MVP honors for the Orioles catcher. The AL is 9-2 all-time in the event.

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Milwaukee went on a 19-4 tear since the all-star game, including an 11-game winning streak. This pushed the Brewers to the best record in the American League at 67-40. Despite a good July for Kansas City, they’re now 9.5 games back on Milwaukee in the AL West at 58-50.

Washington built up a four game lead in the AL East, mostly due to New York’s awful 9-15 run since the break. The Nationals sit first at 64-44 followed by the 60-48 Yankees. After their lousy first half, defending World Series champ Baltimore went 17-7 since the break. The Orioles are now above .500 at 56-52, eight games back and not completely out of the fight. Cleveland is also above .500 at 55-53.

AL Batter of the Month was Minnesota 1B Fred Tenney with a .337 average, 7 home runs, 20 RBI, and 20 runs. Brewers righty Ed Stein was Pitcher of the Month on a 1.68 ERA over 53.2 innings, 6-0 record, and 33 strikeouts. Cleveland CF Fielder Jones was Rookie of the Month on a .344 average, 33 hits, 4 homers, and 15 RBI.

Philadelphia didn’t slow down in July with a 17-7 run since the break, putting the Phillies at 76-32. They’re now 17 games ahead of 59-49 Buffalo in the NL East. Indianapolis surrendered the NL West lead with a 9-15 struggle since the break. Cincinnati is back in first at 61-47, 1.5 games up on the Clowns (59-48) and three ahead of St. Louis (58-50).

Phillies CF Charlie Duffee was NL Batter of the Month in July with a .302 average, 10 homers, 22 RBI, and 26 runs. Philadelphia also had the Pitcher of the Month Bill Daley with a 1.21 ERA in 44.2 innings, 5-0 record, and 32 Ks. #1 pick Bobby Wallace was Rookie of the Month for Louisville with a 2.53 ERA in 42.2 innings, 3-2 record, and 30 strikeouts.



The first no-hitter of the 1894 season came on July 20 by Kansas City’s Chick Fraser. The 20-year old rookie walked four and struck out one over 101 pitches in a 6-0 win over Cleveland. That was a record for the fewest strikeouts in a no-hitter. In hitting streaks, New Orleans’ 2B Frank Grant had a 21-game streak.

The one major trade of before the deadline saw defending Pitcher of the Year Lee Viau on the move after just over seven seasons in Detroit. With the Tigers struggling, Viau was traded to Milwaukee for three minor league prospects; although none of them have potential grades above 40. It was essentially the surrender flag for the struggling Tigers, who had been the three-time reigning AL West champ.

Viau had been his usual solid self with a 2.65 ERA over 200.2 innings, 118 Ks, 11-8 record, and 4.2 WAR for Detroit. They had just signed the 28-year old ace to a seven-year, $239,400 extension the prior winter, but were apparently having buyer’s remorse. The Brewers were happy to add him to the rotation as they make their own pennant push.

In milestones, St. Louis LF Buster Hoover was the seventh to reach 2000 career hits. Indianapolis’ Frank Gilmore was the third pitcher with 2000 strikeouts. Detroit’s Duke Farrell became the fourth to 300 home runs. Reaching 1000 RBI was KC’s Ed Crane and Philadelphia’s Bug Holliday. The Phillies’ Ed Crane and St. Louis’s Denny Lyons reached 1000 runs scored.

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Milwaukee maintained the American League’s best record at 82-53 through August and grew their AL West lead to 11 games over 71-64 Chicago. The battle is now for the top seed with Washington one back on that at 81-55. The Nationals are now eight games ahead of New York (73-63) in the AL East after going 17-11 in August. Baltimore and Cleveland both lost ground falling to 68-68.

Two-time defending MVP Willie Keeler enters September with a .416 batting average, which would beat the single-season record of .413 set in 1885 by Dan Brouthers. The Brewers RF was August’s Batter of the Month in the AL with a .470 average, 4 homers, 19 RBI, and 23 runs. Chicago’s Harley Parker was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 21 strikeouts, and 2.19 ERA in 49.1 innings. Kansas City’s Chick Fraser was Rookie of the Month with a 2.42 ERA in 44.2 innings with 28 Ks and a 2-2 record.

Philadelphia’s all-time season continues entering September at 94-42. The Phillies could still conceivably catch the record 114-48 run by the Boston Braves in 1889. Despite a respectable 73-63 record, defending NL champ Buffalo is 21 games back in the NL East.

St. Louis made big gains in the NL West with an 18-10 August, putting them at 76-60. The Cardinals are one game behind Cincinnati (77-59) in the only competitive division race. Indianapolis, the division leader at the all-star break, is now seven back at 70-66. Since the break, the Clowns have struggled to 20-33.

Reds RF Kip Selbach was NL Batter of the Month with a .347 average, 6 homers, 18 RBI, and 23 runs. Philadelphia’s Bill Daley was Pitcher of the Month with a 2.81 ERA, 51.1 innings, and 35 Ks. Daley is the MLB leader in wins (24-3) and ERA (2.33) entering September. #1 pick Bobby Wallace from Louisville was again Rookie of the Month with a 4-1 record and 44 Ks over 50.2 innings.

In milestones, Washington LF George Tebeau and Cincinnati CF Jim Fogarty reached 1000 runs scored. Fogarty also became only the second to 700 career stolen bases, while teammate Billy Hamilton and St. Louis’s Denny Lyons both reached 600 swipes. Braves 1B Alex McKinnon reached 1000 RBI.

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Milwaukee and Washington both pulled away in their respective divisions, but were even most of September in the battle for the American League’s top seed. However, the Brewers ended the year with a seven-game winning streak and the Nationals a five-game losing streak. Thus, Milwaukee got the top spot at 98-64 and Washington was 93-69.

The Brewers won their third AL West title and first since their 1888 World Series win. Milwaukee allowed the fewest runs in the AL (629) and had the best run differential (+166). Milwaukee’s 3.36 ERA, 544 earned runs, and 629 runs allowed were each the third-best in AL history. Chicago was second at 87-75, ending a seven-year stretch of losing seasons for the White Sox. Kansas City was third at 82-80. Detroit, the three-time defending division champ, tied their franchise worst at 68-94. The Tigers set AL team worsts for batting average (.231), OBP (.287), hits (1246) and doubles (170); while their 612 runs was third-worst.

Washington won its first-ever division title, leaving only Philadelphia without a title among AL East teams. New York was second at 86-76, followed by Cleveland (84-78) and defending World Series champ Baltimore (83-79). The Orioles underperformed their expected win/loss by ten games and led the AL with 848 runs. Boston was last place at 67-95, back-to-back losing campaigns after being the top team of the 1880s.

Brewers RF Willie Keeler was AL Batter of the Month in September with a .429 average, 6 home runs, 24 RBI, and 21 runs. He improved his season average to .419, setting a new single-season record. Only Dan Brouthers had previously hit above .400 with a .413 in 1885. Keeler did only narrowly breach the 502 plate appearances required as he missed about a month to injury. He became the first player to win three consecutive batting titles and only the second to do it thrice in a career.

Remarkably inn only his third season, Keeler is expected by many to three-peat as AL MVP, as he led in the triple slash (.419/.465/.648), OPS (1.113), and wRC+ (210). His OBP was the third-best qualifying season and OPS ninth-best in MLB history. There were three batters with a higher WAR than Keeler, led by Washington 2B Ed Delahanty’s 10.8. There weren’t any big sluggers in the mix with Philadelphia’s Ollie Smith leading in homers with only 33. It is the first time the league leader in homers for either league didn’t hit 40+.



AL Pitcher of the Month for September was Yankees righty Tom Vickery with a 5-1 record, 1.90 ERA, and 45 Ks over 52 innings. Among his wins was the season’s second no-hitter in a 12-0 blowout of Washington on September 16. Vickery struck out seven and walked one over 112 pitches. Boston’s Otis Stocksdale was Rookie of the Month with a 3.03 ERA over 38.2 innings, 3-1 record, and 19 Ks.

Vickery was the wins leader at 24-7 and third in ERA at 2.69. It is a competitive field for Pitcher of the Year with St. Louis’s Frank Knauss posting the top ERA at 2.42. He’s the first in baseball history to win three ERA titles, having also done it in 1893 and 1889.

Chicago’s Jimmy Bannon had a six-hit game against Baltimore on September 19, which was the only six-hit game of the 1894 season. Browns pitcher Bob Black became the fourth with 2000 career strikeouts. KC’s Yank Robinson was the eighth to 600 stolen bases.

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Philadelphia continued to dominate in September and broke the single-season record for wins at 115-47, besting Boston’s 114-48 from 1889. The Phillies’ +284 was the second-best in MLB history, still well short of the Braves’ +379. Philadelphia’s 590 runs allowed were also the second-fewest ever with only the 1884 Chicago White Sox (538) better. They set new NL records for team ERA (3.07) and earned runs allowed (501). Philly also led the NL with 874 runs scored and their 187 team home runs were the second-most in NL history.

The Phillies earned their first-ever NL East title, while Buffalo and Boston were both tied for a distant second at 84-78. It was the ninth straight winning season for the Braves and fifth for the Bisons. New York notably posted a franchise worst at 57-105, falling off a cliff after a 90-win season the prior year. It was the second-worst record in NL history.

Meanwhile, the lone competitive division race was the NL West. St. Louis and defending champ Cincinnati split their four-game series in mid-September. With 11 games remaining, the Reds had a two game lead over the Cardinals. Cincy’s next series saw them lose two of three at Boston, the defeats in 14 and 21 inning games. The Cardinals meanwhile swept last place New York, tying them up with two divisional series left.

St. Louis lost three of four at Indianapolis, while Cincinnati split four hosting Chicago. The Reds would then lose their first two at Indy, while the Cardinals split with Louisville to even them back up. In their final two games, St. Louis got 7-3 and 4-2 wins hosting the Colonels. Cincinnati won 4-2 over the Clowns in ten innings, but lost the season finale 9-4. With that, St. Louis took the title at 91-71 over the 90-72 Reds.

The Cardinals were an impressive 47-31 after the all-star break; only Philadelphia was better in the NL. It was the third division title for St. Louis, who last did it with their 1887 pennant. Indianapolis was third at 84-78, struggling to 34-45 after the break. New Orleans at 73-89 was notable as their first losing season since 1888.



Phillies RF Bug Holliday was NL Batter of the Month in September with a .412 average, 8 home runs, 23 RBI, and 26 runs. He also became the fifth player to 300 career home runs. Holliday was certainly a winning free agent signing for Philadelphia after leading Baltimore to the prior year’s title. He and teammate Charlie Duffee are the favorites for MVP. Holliday led in runs (130), OPS (1.019), and RBI (130); while Duffee was the only player in MLB with 40+ homers (43).

Louisville #1 draft pick Bobby Wallace was both Pitcher and Rookie of the Month for September with a 0.71 ERA over 51 innings, 48 strikeouts, and 5-1 record. Wallace led all NL pitchers with 8.4 WAR and 296.2 innings. Philadelphia’s Bill Daley is the Pitcher of the Year favorite as the leader in ERA (2.29) and wins (28-4), which likely will matter more than his weak 4.3 WAR. The wins were tied for the second-most in MLB history. The Phillies’ closer Clark Griffith also broke the saves record with 45, smashing the previous best of 37. Philadelphia had 49 as a team, a new MLB record.

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The 1894 American League Championship Series was the third trip for top seed Milwaukee, whose lone pennant came with their 1888 World Series win. Washington was making its first ALCS appearance. The Brewers were five wins better than the Nationals, but they played evenly with a 5-4 Milwaukee edge in their head-to-head meetings.

Washington was ahead 5-0 after the fourth inning in game one, but Milwaukee tied it up with two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth. Dave Orr’s three-run homer in the eighth put the tally at 5-5. In the bottom of the tenth, CF Tom Parrott had a leadoff solo home run just over the left field fence to win it 6-5 for the Brewers.



Milwaukee’s offense rattled off 16 hits en route to an 11-5 win in game two, taking the 2-0 series lead as the play shifts to the capital. MVP Willie Keeler was a triple away from the cycle, scoring thrice with four RBI. SS Shorty Fuller was 4-5 with a double and three runs and LF Charlie Frank was 3-4 with three RBI. Nationals DH George Tebeau notably had a three-run homer.



Washington got its first win of the series 5-3 in game three. The big swing was a three-run pinch hit homer in the sixth by Jud Smith.



The Nationals evened the series up after a 4-1 victory at home in game four. Former #1 draft pick Scott Stratton pitched 7.1 innings, giving up one run, one walk, and five hits with five strikeouts. Stratton was also the leadoff man and was 2-3 with a run and two walks.



Washington took the series lead after a 6-1 win in game five, getting five runs across the seventh and eighth innings. Peak-a-Boo Veach pitched seven innings, scattering seven hits with an unearned run and eight strikeouts. Scott Stratton was 3-4 with a triple and two RBI. The series shifts back to Wisconsin with only home wins thus far.



The Nationals offense unloaded in game six for a 14-7 result, clinching the ALCS with the series’ lone road win. Scott Stratton was 4-4 with a homer, three RBI, two walks, and a run. George Tebeau was 4-6 with four runs and three RBI. Stratton was series MVP, going 12-23 with five RBI and a homer at the plate along with a winning start on the mound in game four. It is Washington’s first pennant, marking the seventh different American League champ in as many seasons.

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With their record-breaking 115-47 season, Philadelphia was a heavy favorite making their first National League Championship Series appearance in 1894. St. Louis was making its third appearance, last making it and winning the pennant in 1887. The Phillies dominated everyone including the Cardinals in the regular season, taking the season series 8-1.

Despite the odds, the Cardinals pulled off a shocking 5-2 road win to open the series. Mickey Welch pitched 8.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) and seven hits with eight strikeouts. 1B Roger Connor scored thrice and Reddy Mack reached base five times between two hits and three walks.



Philadelphia rebounded with a 4-0 win in game two off a gem from Silver King. Over 107 pitches, he tossed a two-hit shutout with five strikeouts. 1B Joe Kelley was 2-4 with two RBI and C Tom Kinslow had three hits.



The Phillies took the series lead with a 5-2 win at St. Louis in game three. Jack Jones was the winning pitcher, allowing two runs and three hits over six innings. Joe Kelley doubled twice for two RBI and a run.



Philadelphia grabbed a 3-1 series lead on a 6-0 victory in game four. Alex Ferson tossed a shutout, scattering eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 149 pitches. All five Phillies runs came in the fourth inning.



St. Louis kept the series alive by winning game five at home 7-3. Mickey Welch pitched 7.1 innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and two walks with nine strikeouts. Denny Lyons doubled and tripled, scoring three runs with one RBI and a walk.



Philadelphia left no doubt who the National League’s best team was, clinching the NLCS 12-0 in game six at home. The Phillies exploded with a 10-run fourth inning which had both a grand slam and a two RBI triple from Charlie Duffee. Bid McPhee had five RBI on a double and single. Silver King tossed his second shutout of the series, allowing six hits and one walk with six Ks. King’s two shutouts earned him NLCS MVP, joining Jim Handiboe as the only pitchers to toss multiple shutouts in a postseason run.

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The 11th World Series in 1894 had two teams making their first appearance. Philadelphia was trying to stake a claim as the best team in Major League Baseball history with their 115-47 record. The only prior team with such an explosive record was the 1889 Boston Braves at 114-48. The Phillies hoped to avoid their fate, as the Braves ultimately lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox. Washington certainly wasn’t the betting favorite, but the American League had an 8-2 record over their National League foes in the Fall Classic entering the series.

The Phillies lost starting pitcher Jack Jones to biceps tendinitis after two innings, but three relievers held firm to secure a 4-2 win. All four Philadelphia runs came in the fifth inning with two RBI singles by both Bug Holliday and Ed Williamson. George Tebeau had three hits in defeat for Washington.



The Nationals snagged a huge 9-5 road win to even the series heading to Washington. 1B George Tebeau was 2-4 with a homer, four RBI, and three runs. CF Curt Welch doubled twice for three RBI and Ed Delahanty was 2-2 with three walks, three runs, and a triple.



Washington won 7-3 at home in game three to take the 2-1 series lead. Scott Stratton did it all, pitching 8.2 innings with four hits, three runs (two earned), three walks, and eight strikeouts. He homered and doubled at the plate, scoring twice.



The Nationals went ahead on Curt Welch’s three-run homer in the fourth inning and never looked back in an 8-3 win, taking the 3-1 series lead over the Phillies. Win Mercer pitched seven innings, giving up three hits, two runs, and one walk with four strikeouts.



Washington not only completed the upset of Philadelphia, but blew up the Phillies’ league-best pitching staff in the finale. The Nationals took game five 15-3 at clinch the series and their first title in front of the DC faithful. Washington had 21 hits with everyone in the lineup contributing. Scott Stratton scored five times on four hits; George Tebeau was 4-5 with four RBI, Heinie Reitz was 3-5 with four runs and three RBI; and Ed Delahanty was 2-6 with four RBI and two runs. Ted Breitenstein gave up three runs and nine hits over eight innings.



Tebeau was series MVP, going 10-16 with a homer and nine RBI. It was the seventh different champ in as many years, although six of those seven were AL teams. Like the 114-win Braves, the 115-win Phillies have to live with defeat on the biggest stage. Ed Delahanty set new postseason records with 17 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. Tebeau had 18 RBI, one short of Bug Holliday’s record from the prior year with Baltimore. Philadelphia’s Bill Daley set a bad record with 18 walks allowed.

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Washington 2B Ed Delahanty was the unanimous American League Most Valuable Player in 1894 as he led the Nationals to the World Series. He dethroned two-time defending MVP Willie Keeler of Milwaukee despite Keeler’s record-setting .419 batting average. Fellow National Scott Stratton was third in the voting. Both Stratton and Delahanty were former #1 overall picks with Washington now reaping the benefits.

At age 26, Delahanty led in doubles (45), triples (9), RBI (108), and WAR (10.8). He had 201 hits, 102 runs, 18 home runs, 74 walks, 70 stolen bases, a .375/.448/.593 slash, 1.041 OPS, and 194 wRC+. Delahanty also won a Gold Glove at second base and his fourth Silver Slugger. He has completed eight seasons and has two more years left on his deal with the Nationals.

New York’s Tom Vickery won Pitcher of the Year with 19 first place votes. Milwaukee/Detroit’s Lee Viau had three, while both Frank Knauss (St. Louis) and Jouett Meekin (Washington) had one apiece. Knauss notably won the ERA title and Meekin had the most strikeouts.

In his sixth year with the Yankees, “Vinegar Tom” led in wins (24-7) and shutouts (6). Vickery had a 2.69 ERA, 297.1 innings, 195 strikeouts, 158 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 6.1 WAR. He also had a no-hitter on September 16 with seven Ks and one walk over eventual champ Washington. The 27-year old righty was the 11th pick in the 1888 draft and is under contract with New York through 1896.

Cleveland CF Fielder Jones was an impressive unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. The #3 pick had 188 hits, 91 runs, 24 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 79 RBI, 75 walks, 35 steals, a.338/.415/.451 slash, 153 wRC+, and 8.3 WAR. He also lived up to his name and won a Gold Glove.

Washington’s Jack Chapman won Manager of the Year thanks to his World Series win. The 51-year old started his coaching career as Cincinnati’s pitching coach from 1884-86. He took the Nationals job in 1888 just after their historically bad 54-108 season in 1887. Chapman slowly built them up over seven years with their first playoff berth and the title in 1894.

Minnesota CF Hugh Duffy won his AL-record seventh Silver Slugger. Pete Browning won his seventh, but first playing third base as the previous wins were in left field. Cleveland’s George Van Haltren won his fourth in LF and Milwaukee’s Willie Keeler his third in RF. For Gold Gloves, St. Louis C Tom Daly and Brewers SS Shorty Fuller both became three-time winners.

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The big free agent signing for the 1894 season was RF Bug Holliday, who had won 1893 World Series MVP with Baltimore. He earned unanimous National League MVP in his debut for Philadelphia. The 27-year old led in runs (130), RBI (130), total bases (348), slugging (.613), OPS (1.019), and wRC+ (186). Holliday also had 201 hits, 30 doubles, 35 home runs, 73 stolen bases, a .354 average, .406 OBP, and career-best 9.5 WAR. He won his sixth Silver Slugger and is signed through 1901 for the Phillies.

Philadelphia also had the Pitcher of the Year in Bill Daley. He had all but one first place vote, which went to Cincinnati’s Amos Rusie, the strikeouts leader at 270, Daley had started with Louisville with above average results, then was traded to the Phillies November 1891. He missed most of 1893 to radial nerve compression, but bounced back with a career year at age 25.

Daley was the leader in wins (28-4), ERA (2.29), and quality starts (26). He was also the leader in walks (136), leading to only 4.3 WAR, the lowest for a POTY winner. Daley tossed 279 innings with 215 strikeouts, 169 ERA+, 95 FIP-, and 4.3 WAR. He stepped up big in a contract year and will be one of the most sought-after free agents on the market.

#1 overall draft pick Bobby Wallace lived up to the selection as unanimous NL Rookie of the Year. In his Louisville debut, he led in pitching WAR (8.4) and innings (296.2). Wallace also had a 19-11 record, 2.43 ERA, 238 strikeouts, 164 ERA+, and 73 FIP-. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting and scouts think he could still develop into a two-way guy, although he was exclusively a pitcher in 1894. It is notable that Cincinnati’s Bill Kissinger won Reliever of the Year as a rookie with 33 saves and a 2.18 ERA.

Although Philadelphia failed to win the World Series, the record-breaking 115-47 mark made Ross Barnes the obvious Manager of the Year. The 44-year old retired after the 1889 season as a player and got the Phillies gig in 1891, immediately turning them from a 67-win team the prior year into a 90-game winner. They were competitive the next two years, finally breaking through in 1894 for the first playoff berth and pennant win.

Boston LF Mike Tiernan became the first player to win ten Silver Sluggers. Buffalo C Fred Carroll and Braves 2B Jack Glasscock both won their fifth. Chicago’s Jake Beckley got his fourth Slugger at 1B and Indianapolis CF Bill Lange his third in CF. Carroll also won his seventh Gold Glove and Tiernan his third. Boston SP Bill Stemmyer won his fifth Gold Glove and becoming three-timers was Braves SS Bob Allen and Reds CF Jim Fogarty. The Braves notably had four of the nine Gold Glove winners in the NL for 1894.

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Several prominent managers got the boot after lackluster 1894 campaigns, including two World Series winners. 47-year old John Hatfield was canned by Detroit after 11 seasons. The Tigers won the 1891 World Series and had division titles in 1892-93, but fell off a cliff hard in 1894 at 68-94. Detroit struggled in his earlier seasons, finishing with an 888-901 record.

The Red Sox fired Gat Stires after six seasons. He took over in 1889 and won a World Series in his first year, the team’s third title in four seasons. They spent the next three seasons in the middle tier before back-to-back last place seasons with the 45-year old at the helm.

Perhaps the most surprising firing was Buffalo’s Ned Cuthbert. The 49-year old took over in 1890 and had four straight 90+ win seasons and two NL pennants. The Bisons fell off in 1894 but weren’t outright bad at 84-78. Buffalo had also been hurt by multiple injuries to former MVP Jimmy Ryan, who was their big trade acquisition for the season.

Also gone was Chicago’s Al Pratt, who won division titles in 1891-82 for the Cubs. “Uncle Al” lasted six seasons, but back-to-back losing campaigns cooked his goose. Another former division winner fired was Joe Simmons, who was with the St. Louis Browns from 1889-94. After their 1890 berth, they missed but were second in the next two years. Back-to-back losing seasons after that sent the 49-year old packing.

The Phillies gave a hefty extension to pitcher Silver King, the 1894 NLCS MVP. The 27-year old ace opted out of his previous deal to sign a new six-year, $230,600 deal, becoming the richest true pitcher as of signing in November. Detroit continued its fire sale by trading six-time Silver Slugger 3B Duke Farrell to the White Sox for three prospects. The 28-year old Farrell will be in the last year of his current contract.

There was a cross-city trade in Philadelphia. Former Pitcher of the Year Toad Ramsey was sent away from the Athletics to the Phillies along with minor league 2B Art Ball. The A’s meanwhile got pitching prospect George Cummings. Ramsey had a down year by his standards in 1894 with 3.5 WAR and a 3.26 ERA over 290 innings. He has two years left on the six-year, $207,600 deal he signed earlier with the Athletics.

The 1894 draft had a notably large influx of players, justifying 16 rounds worth of picks. This made the talent pool large enough throughout pro baseball to allow for an expansion of the minor league system. Triple A began in 1887 and for 1895, the Double A level begins, giving each franchise two affiliated squads.



Above are the top picks from the 1894 draft. The New York Giants took SP Joe Corbett with the #1 pick. He and #6 pick SP Jerry Nops (Pittsburgh) both have 75 potential grades. #2 pick SP Doc McJames (Boston Red Sox) and #4 pick SP Arlie Pond (Louisville) both have 70-grade potential. The one notable player who didn’t sign with their squad was #10 pick RF Bunk Congalton with the Philadelphia Athletics.

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Free agency was loaded with big names, none bigger than four-time MVP Mike Tiernan. MLB’s career leader in WAR, homers, RBI, and OPS had signed an eight-year extension with Boston after the 1892 season, but used his opt out following the 1894 campaign. He won Silver Sluggers in all ten seasons with the Braves and amazingly was only going to be 28 years old. 1894 has been his worst statistical season as he missed 40+ homers for the first time, but he was still a star with 6.1 WAR and .907 OPS.

It was obvious that Tiernan would fetch a record-breaking contract. Braves fans were disappointed he stayed in the division, but it was a surprise to most that Pittsburgh landed him. The Pirates were coming off four straight losing seasons, but made a big splash on an eight-year, $494,000 deal with Tiernan. His $70,000 salary for 1895 is $16,000 more than the next-highest (Hugh Duffy). Tiernan does notably have a player-opt option after two seasons, so Silent Mike could be back on the market soon if the Pirates run doesn’t pan out.

Two other signings ended up with salaries just below Duffy. Three-time Pitcher of the Year Frank Knauss left the St. Louis Browns after six seasons. The 26-year old lefty became the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history on a seven-year, $371,000 deal with Cincinnati. Knauss will have a $53,000 salary for 1895. Unlike Tiernan, Knauss doesn’t have an opt-out in his deal.

The career hits leader Dan Brouthers was on the market after 11 seasons with the New York Giants. Unlike the other two, Big Dan is soon to be 37 and is no longer at an award-winning level, although he was still good for 4.3 WAR in 1894. Brouthers joined Baltimore on a three-year, $145,000 deal.

1891 NL Pitcher of the Year Hank Gastright left the Chicago Cubs after six seasons and joined the Boston Red Sox on a five-year, $154,600 deal. The reigning POTY Bill Daley stayed in Philadelphia, but switched from the Phillies to the Athletics. He joined the A’s at $122,400 over six years.



Another former POTY Perry Werden joined the Cubs with a five-year, $62,800 deal. The all-time wins leader Guy Hecker signed a two-year, $10,800 deal with the Red Sox. He will turn 39 in April and missed almost all of 1894 with radial nerve decompression surgery.

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Above are the top batters in professional baseball entering the 1895 season.



Above are the top pitchers in baseball entering 1895.

Here are the all-time leaderboards entering the season and some of the notable milestones that may be reached this year.

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Through April, defending World Series champion Washington has the American League’s best record at 18-10. Philadelphia and Boston are tied for second in the AL East at 14-14. Detroit at 16-12 leads the AL West with Chicago one back at 15-13. The other four teams are each at .500.

Brewers LF Willie Keeler was AL Batter of the Month in August with a .495 average, 51 hits, 9 home runs, 28 RBI, and 25 runs. He also had a 20-game hitting streak carrying over from last season. St. Louis righty Frank Miller was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record for the Browns, 2.08 ERA, and 23 strikeouts over 52 innings. Minnesota’s Brownie Foreman was Rookie of the Month as the #12 pick tossed 51 innings with a 1.94 ERA, 34 Ks, and a 5-1 record.

The first six-hit game of the season came on April 13 from New York’s Jumbo Schoeneck against Washington. The 33-year old 1B also achieved the feat back in 1888 with Milwaukee, becoming the first major leaguer to have multiple six-hit games. Schoeneck also reached 1000 runs scored and 500 stolen bases in April.

Defending National League champ Philadelphia holds the top record in the majors at 19-9 through April. Brooklyn is second in the NL East at 15-13 with New York third at 14-14. Cincinnati sits atop the NL West at 18-10 followed by 16-12 New Orleans and 14-14 Indianapolis.

Reds RF Kip Selbach earned NL Batter of the Month in April with a .426 average, 7 homers, 33 RBI, and 25 runs. #1 overall pick Joe Corbett was both Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month with the Giants. The 19-year old righty tossed 52.1 innings with a 4-2 record, 1.55 ERA, and 41 Ks.

The record-breaking contract signed in the offseason was LF Mike Tiernan to Pittsburgh. In bad news for the Pirates, Tiernan suffered biceps tendinitis at the end of the month, expected to keep him out two months. The bad luck continues for former MVP Jimmy Ryan since getting traded to Buffalo from Louisville. He played only 55 games in 1894 for the Bisons with various injuries. Now aged 32, Ryan suffered a torn meniscus in his fifth game of 1895 and is out 2-3 months.

In other news for Buffalo, they gave SP Adonis Terry a six-year, $176,400 extension. Cincinnati has had success despite a fractured thumb to top acquisition Frank Knauss, knocking him out a month. The three-time Pitcher of the Year with the Browns inked a seven-year deal with the Reds in the offseason.

In milestones, two Braves players joined the 2000 hit club; Alex McKinnon and Chicken Wolf. Entering May 1895, nine players have achieved the feat. Cardinals pitcher Mickey Welch became the fifth to reach 2000 career strikeouts. Reds veteran Cap Anson became the 14th with 1000 RBI.

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Minnesota went on a 21-6 tear in May, giving them the American League’s best record at 35-20 after two months. They pulled away from their AL West foes, now seven games ahead of 28-27 St. Louis and 7.5 up on 28-28 Kansas City. Detroit, who led after the first month, struggled to 10-17 in May. Washington lost its AL East lead with an 11-16 record in May. It was Boston going 18-10 that vaulted the Red Sox to first place at 32-24. Cleveland is second at 30-26 and the Nationals are third at 29-26.

Spiders two-way man George Van Haltren was AL Batter of the Month in May with a .418 average, 9 home runs, 22 RBI, and 26 runs. He also pitched 47.2 innings with a 2.27 ERA, 3-2 record, and 30 strikeouts. It was Washington’s Ed Doheny as Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month. The #15 pick had a 1.83 ERA over 54 innings, 43 Ks, and 5-1 record. Doheny also had the season’s first no-hitter on May 5 against Philadelphia, striking out nine over 119 pitches with one walk and one hit batsmen.



Cincinnati holds the best overall record in the majors at 36-20 atop the National League West Division. Indianapolis had a strong 18-8 May, putting the Clowns two games away at 34-22. New Orleans is also right there at 32-24 and Louisville is 29-27. The entire NL East had a weaker month with Philadelphia maintaining a five-game lead at 33-23 thanks to their strong April. Brooklyn and Buffalo are tied for second at 28-28.

Former #1 pick Fred Clarke led the way for Indy as NL Batter of the Month with a .356 average, 5 homers, 30 RBI, and 18 runs. Brooklyn’s George Davies was pitcher of the Month on a 1.88 ERA, 52.2 innings, 50 strikeouts, and 5-0 record. #9 pick CF John Anderson for New Orleans was Rookie of the Month with a .337 average, 6 homers, and 25 RBI.

1B Duke Farrell won six Silver Sluggers with Detroit, but was traded in the offseason to Chicago. The White Sox have been happy with the 28-year old switch hitter, giving him a five-year, $115,000 extension. Cincinnati’s Jim Fogarty had a 21-game hitting streak ended on May 27.

In milestones, Philadelphia’s Charlie Duffee became the 6th to 300 career home runs. Five reached 1000 runs scored in May; King Kelly, Dick Johnston, Frank Olin, Alex McKinnon, and Yank Robinson. Johnston and Henry Larkin both also reached 1000 RBI. Bob Petitt earned his 600th stolen base.

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Minnesota holds the American League’s best record at the all-star break at 49-32 atop the West Division. Their lead shrunk to only 2.5 games after an impressive 19-7 run in June by Kansas City, who sits at 47-35. They went into the break on a five-game winning streak, while reigning AL West champ Milwaukee had the inverse to fall to third at 42-41.

Boston made slight gains on their AL East lead in June, growing it to 4.5 games with a 47-36 record. Defending World Series champ Washington is second at 42-40 and the only other team above .500. However, three other teams are within eight games of first place. Cleveland had a particularly rotten 9-18 record in June to fall to fifth place.

Detroit LF Chick Stahl was both AL Batter of the Month and Rookie of the Month in June as the #3 pick had a .408 average, 42 hits, 7 homers, 23 RBI, and 20 runs. Kansas City’s Mike Sullivan was Pitcher of the Month with a 6-0 record, 3.86 ERA, and 32 strikeouts in 49 innings.

Cincinnati took the best record in Major League Baseball into the break at 53-30 and was 8-2 in their final ten games. Still, the Reds have tough competition in the NL West with Indianapolis (49-34), Louisville (48-35), and New Orleans (45-38) each live concerns. The Pelicans and Clowns lost some ground in June, while the Colonels made up ground. New Orleans had to deal with a six week strained hamstring to star 2B Frank Grant. Chicago (30-53) and St. Louis (29-54) are battling for MLB’s worst record thus far. It is a huge collapse for the Cardinals, a division champ the prior year.

Philadelphia’s NL East lead was at five games through June at 48-35. Brooklyn stayed even with them at 43-40. Buffalo (40-43), Pittsburgh (39-44), and New York (39-44) each could still make a push despite weak first halves.

Cincinnati RF Kip Selbach was NL Batter of the Month as the third-year star had a .441 average, 8 homers, 35 RBI, and 22 runs. At the break, Selbach leads the majors in WAR (6.3), RBI (82), OPS (1.176), hits (116), and total bases (201). #4 pick Arlie Pond was Pitcher and Rookie of the Month for Louisville with a 1.55 ERA in 52.1 innings, 5-0 record, and 43 Ks.



In injury news, two-time Pitcher of the Year Ed Daily suffered a torn flexor tendon to end his season. Injuries have derailed the 32-year old since joining the Boston Red Sox in 1891. He missed most of 1893 to a torn UCL and had already missed part of 1895 to a fractured ulna.

The first cycle of the season came on June 25 by Baltimore OF Jack O’Connor against Boston. In milestones, Red Sox star Charlie Ferguson became the third pitcher with 200 career wins and Brooklyn’s Billy Sunday became the 17th with 1000 career RBI.

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Below are the rosters or the 1895 Major League Baseball All-Star Game played at Exposition Park in Pittsburgh. The Home Run Challenge was won by Cleveland’s George Van Haltren, defeating Milwaukee’s Tom Parrott 7-6 in the final round.



The American League won the game 7-5 over the National League, making the AL 10-2 all-time in the event. White Sox 1B Duke Farrell was the MVP, scoring twice with a solo homer and a walk. Boston’s Tom Gettinger notably had a three RBI double in the sixth inning. Farrell becomes the first player to win All-Star Game MVP twice, having done it in 1889 with Detroit.

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Minnesota had an impressive 18-8 record in July to give them the best record in Major League Baseball at 67-40. Kansas City was still solid at 15-10, but that dropped them to five back in the American League West at 62-45. Defending division champ Milwaukee is now below .500 in third at 53-55, ending the month on a six-game losing streak. Brewers star OF Willie Keeler is also out for a month with a strained hamstring.

Defending World Series champ Washington went on an 18-8 tear in July to vault into first place at 60-48. Boston’s lead cratered with an abysmal 9-16 month, dropping the Red Sox to second at 56-52. Baltimore (54-53) got back above .500 and sit 5.5 back. Cleveland at 52-56 is eight back and needing to pick up the pace to stay alive.

Leading the Nationals rally was reigning MVP Ed Delahanty, who won AL Batter of the Month in July with a .396 average, 3 homers, 19 RBI, and 20 runs. #12 pick Brownie Foreman was Pitcher and Rookie of the Month for the Twins on a 5-0 record, 1.51 ERA, and 38 strikeouts over 53.2 innings. Foreman is second in the AL in both ERA (2.02) and wins (17) behind only Washington’s Ed Doheny. If the season ended today, Doheny would have the Triple Crown with a 1.98 ERA, 18 wins, and 172 Ks.

The National League West contenders stayed roughly even throughout July. Cincinnati remains the division leader at 67-41, the NL’s best record. Indianapolis is four back at 63-45 with Louisville six away at 61-47. New Orleans dropped further back to 56-52.

Defending NL champ Philadelphia was the league’s best ream in July at 17-8, moving to 65-43 to extend their NL East lead to nine games. Buffalo climbed back above .500 with a 16-9 month and sits second at 56-52. Brooklyn struggled to 11-14, falling to a distant third place at 54-54. In bad news for the Bisons, CF Dick Burns is out for the year on a torn UCL.

New York 3B Charlie Irwin was NL Batter of the Moth with a .393 average, 33 hits, 6 homers, 12 RBI, and 17 runs. He leads the NL in homers at 26, but Cincinnati’s Kip Selbach is a close second at 24. Selbach is chasing the Triple Crown as he leads in batting average (.395), and RBI (100). Pittsburgh’s #6 pick Jerry Nops was Pitcher and Rookie of the Month on a 6-0 record, 1.19 ERA, and 40 Ks in 53 innings. Nops leads all MLB pitchers with 6.4 WAR on the season.

Giants pitcher Joe Corbett had the first 15 strikeout game of the season on July 22 against the Phillies, although he needed 12 innings to do it. It was an overall quiet July with no major trades at the deadline. The Browns’ Larry McKeon and Spiders’ Ed Morris both reached 200 career wins on the mound, a mark met by five aces. Cleveland’s George Van Haltren was the sixth pitcher to 2000 career strikeouts.

In offensive milestones, Minnesota’s Hugh Duffy and Cleveland’s Henry Moore both reached 1000 runs scored. Washington’s George Tebeau and the Boston Braves’ Chicken Wolf got to 1000 RBI. The Cardinals’ Buster Hoover became the third to 700 stolen bases, while Milwaukee’s Dave Orr and Louisville’s Mike Griffin both earned their 600th swipe.

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With a 21-8 record in August, Minnesota built up a likely insurmountable 14 game lead in the AL West and an eight game lead for the American League’s top seed. The Twins are now 88-48, well on their way to their second-ever playoff trip and a franchise record for wins. Detroit is a distant second at74-62 with the Tigers posting an impressive 36-18 record since the all-star break. Kansas City dropped to third at 73-63 after a losing month, including five losses to Minnesota in four days.

Defending World Series champ Washington likewise had an excellent August at 20-8, putting them at 80-56 atop the AL East. They’re now ten games ahead of 70-66 Boston and 12 up on 68-68 Baltimore. Since the break, the Red Sox have gone 23-30, although they were .500 in the penultimate month.

Chicago RF Jimmy Bannon was the AL Batter of the Month in August with a .435 average, 6 home runs, 24 RBI, and 19 runs. Minnesota’s Fritz Clausen was Pitcher of the Month with a 5-1 record, 1.24 ERA, and 37 strikeouts over 50.2 innings.

Rookie of the Month was Washington’s Ed Doheny with a 5-1 record, 2.21 ERA, and 46 Ks over 53 innings. Remarkably as a rookie, Doheny is in position to earn the first pitching Triple Crown, currently leading the AL narrowly in ERA (2.03), wins (23), and strikeouts (218). The current #2 in ERA is also a rookie in Minnesota’s Brownie Foreman with a 2.17 ERA and 21 wins.

Cincinnati posted a dominant 21-7 August, giving them by far the National League’s best record at 88-48. Indianapolis and Louisville both finally started to fade, now 13 and 14 games back in the NL West, respectively. Philadelphia at 78-58 still leads the NL East lead, but their lead shrank to only five games after going 13-15 for the month.

Brooklyn was 19-9 in August to move to second place, five back at 73-63. Buffalo meanwhile is third at 72-64 with a six game deficit. The Bisons had gotten within striking distance of the Phillies, but got swept in Philadelphia in the final four games of the month. All four games were decided by one run (three by 6-5 margins) and three of the games went extra innings. Buffalo and Philadelphia end the season against each other, while the Bisons and Dodgers open September in Brooklyn.

Reds RF Kip Selbach continues his likely MVP campaign as NL Batter of the Month with a .411 average, 9 homers, 35 RBI, and 29 runs in August. Selbach has a shot at the Triple Crown as he enters September leading the entire majors in batting average (.398), homers (33), and RBI (135).

Cincinnati also had Pitcher of the Month in top signing Frank Knauss, who had a 2.50 ERA, 5-1 record, and 44 Ks over 54 innings. #1 pick Joe Corbett for New York was Rookie of the Month with a 3-2 record, 2.63 ERA, and 50 strikeouts over 51.1 innings. Corbett leads the majors with 223 strikeouts on the season.

In bad news for the Phillies, former Pitcher of the Year Toad Ramsey is expected out for 11 months with a torn elbow ligament. The 30-year old was traded from the Athletics for 1895 and had a 17-8 record, 3.04 ERA, 145 Ks, and 3.3 WAR. Ramsey did notably become the first to pass the 2500 career strikeout mark and sits at 2521 for his career.

In game milestones, Hugh Duffy hit for the cycle on August 16 for the Twins against the Royals. Duffy is the only player in MLB history so far to achieve a cycle, a six-hit game, a three-homer game, and a 20-game hitting streak over a career. The second no-hitter of the season came from the Phillies’ Silver King on August 17 against the Boston Braves. King struck out five and walked two over 100 innings.



In career milestones, Cardinals pitcher Mickey Welch became the sixth to win 200 career games. Athletics CF Jim McTamany became the fourth to 700 career stolen bases. Kansas City’s Podge Weihe reached 1000 RBI and Cleveland’s Bob Pettit got to 1000 runs scored.

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Minnesota finished 1895 with the best record ever by an American League team at 106-56, beating Chicago’s 102-60 mark from 1884. It is the third-best record in MLB history behind the 1894 Philadelphia Phillies (115-47) and 1889 Boston Braves (114-48). They had the best record after the all-star break of any team this year at 57-24. Minnesota also set the new AL season attendance record at 775,366.

The Twins earned their second-ever division title, joining the 1889 season. They had the AL’s best run differential (+171) and fewest runs allowed (626). Minnesota wasn’t quite as overwhelmingly dominant as some of the other 100+ win teams, but went 30-12 in one-run games, setting the AL record for team saves with 43. Their 3.24 team ERA, 626 runs, 521 earned runs, 1256 hits allowed, 7.81 H/9, and 1.181 WHIP were all the third-best in AL history.

Detroit finished a distant second in the AL West at 86-76, rebounding from their awful 68-win campaign the prior year. Last year’s division champ Milwaukee and Kansas City tied for third at 84-78. The White Sox at 68-94 had their seventh losing season in eight years, suggesting their 87 wins the prior year was a fluke.

Defending World Series champ Washington repeated as AL East champ and matched their 93-69 record of the prior year. Despite having 13 fewer wins than the Twins, the Nationals’ run differential was only 23 runs behind Minnesota’s. Boston and Baltimore tied for second at 82-80 and Cleveland was 81-81. The Red Sox were back above .500 after repeat losing seasons. New York had the worst record at 60-102, ending a four-year run of winning seasons by the Yankees. The Orioles led the AL with 850 runs.

The final AL Batter of the Month was Boston LF Tom Gettinger, who hit .370 in September with 6 home runs, 22 RBI, and 19 runs. Athletics closer Ed Cassian was Pitcher of the Month as his 11 appearances saw a 4-0 record and 6 saves, posting a 0.54 ERA over 16.2 innings with 10 strikeouts. Twins lefty Brownie Foreman was Rookie of the Month with a 5-0 record, 2.27 ERA, and 34 Ks over 43.2 innings.

Remarkably, the top two pitchers were both rookies. Foreman won the ERA title at 2.18 and led the AL in WAR at 6.7. Washington’s Ed Doheny meanwhile had a 2.21 ERA and led with 260 strikeouts. Both won 26 games with Doheny going 26-7 and Foreman 26-5. Doheny also set single-season records for H/9 (5.52) and opponent’s batting average (.177).

Defending AL MVP Ed Delahanty is the favorite to repeat, leading in batting average (.383), OPS (1.036), runs (108), and WAR (10.4). The bad news for Washington is Delahanty suffered a strained hamstring back on September 10. He’s still got another 1-2 weeks of recovery time, so his availability for the ALCS and/or the World Series is very questionable.



The second six-hit game of the season came on September 7 by Milwaukee’s Charlie Frank against Baltimore. The third cycle of the season happened September 28 as Philadelphia’s Mox McQuery did it facing New York. Washington’s Scott Stratton had a 23-game hitting streak.

In milestones, Kansas City’s Sam Thompson and Boston’s Frank Olin both joined the 2000 hit club. Yankees SS Germany smith reached 1000 RBI. Baltimore manager Justin Kinnaird became the first manager with 1000+ career wins. He has a 1001-943 record through 12 seasons with the Orioles.