1899 in baseball explained
Champions
Brooklyn Superbas
Statistical leaders
Events
- March 28 – The contract of pitcher Cy Young is sold by the Cleveland Spiders to St. Louis.
- March 29 – The contracts of Patsy Tebeau, Harry Blake, Frank Bates, Jimmy Burke, Jesse Burkett, Cupid Childs, Lou Criger, George Cuppy, Cowboy Jones, Emmet Heidrick, Pete McBride, Jack O'Connor, Ed McKean, Jack Powell, Ossee Schrecongost, Bobby Wallace, and Zeke Wilson are all transferred from the Cleveland Spiders to St. Louis. The Spiders are then stocked with cast offs and fringe players and would finish with a 20–134 record, the worst ever in baseball.
- May 15 – Willie Keeler, known as one of the smallest players and best bunters in baseball, drives the ball past startled left fielder Ed Delahanty of the Philadelphia Phillies for an inside-the-park grand slam and an 8–5 victory for the Brooklyn Superbas.
- May 18 – Jack Clements is released by the Cleveland Spiders.
- May 25 – Deacon Phillippe of the Louisville Colonels pitches a 7–0 no-hitter against the New York Giants.
- June 2 – The Cleveland Spiders blow a 10–0 lead, eventually losing 11–10 to the Brooklyn Superbas.
- June 5 – Frank Bates and Osse Schrecongost are traded by St. Louis back to the Cleveland Spiders in exchange for Lave Cross and Willie Sudhoff.
- June 10 – Kid Carsey is released by the Cleveland Spiders.
- June 24 – St. Louis purchases the contract of outfielder Mike Donlin from Santa Cruz of the California League.
- July 1 – The Pittsburgh Pirates purchase the contract of pitcher Jack Chesbro from the Richmond Giants of the Atlantic League.
- July 28 – The All Cubans begins a barnstorming tour of the U.S. with a 12-4 win over a local team at Weehawken, New Jersey
- August 7 – Vic Willis leads the Boston Beaneaters to a 7–1 victory by pitching a no-hitter against the Washington Senators.
- September 9 – The Cincinnati Reds purchase Sam Crawford from Grand Rapids of the Western League. Crawford would eventually end up in the Hall of Fame as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
- September 12 – The Cleveland Spiders lose both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies. At 19–114, they break the record for most losses by an MLB team in a single season, which had previously been 113.
- September 18 - The Cleveland Spiders defeated the Washington Senators in the first game of a double header, 5–4. It would be the last win in franchise history.
- October 1 – The Cleveland Spiders play their last home game, a 19–3 loss to Cincinnati. In that game, the Spiders recruited local semi-pro Eddie Kolb to pitch. It would be the 18 year old rookie's only MLB appearance.
- October 11 – Magnates of the Western League agree to reorganize themselves into the American League.[1]
- October 15 – The Cleveland Spiders lose both games of their season-ending doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds by scores of 16–1 and 19–3. Having lost 40 of their last 41 games, they finish the season in last place with a record of 20–134.
Buck Freeman of the Washington Senators leads all batters with 25 home runs during the regular season, more than double hit by Bobby Wallace of the St. Louis Perfectos, who finished with 12 homers. Although Freeman failed to equal the record of 27 home runs set by Ned Williamson in the season, his total is generally regarded as the greater achievement owing to the dimensions of Williamson's home ballpark of Lakeshore Park – Only two of the 27 homers batted by Williamson for the Chicago White Stockings were scored away from home. Freeman's tally was not surpassed until, when Babe Ruth belted 29 home runs for the Boston Red Sox.
Following the season, the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville Colonels and Washington Senators were all dropped by the National League, as a cost-cutting measure, reducing the number of teams to eight for the season; while Louisville would never sport another major-league level team, the other three cities received charter franchises in the rival American League in – after being abandoned by the AL in 1971, the National League would return to the nation's capital 106 years later. The National League would remain at eight teams until .
Births
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deaths
- January 6 – John Smith, 40, first baseman for the Troy Trojans and Worcester Ruby Legs of the National League in the 1882 season.
- January 13 – Fred Carl, 40, outfielder.
- January 17 – Billy Arnold, 47, outfielder.
- March 6 – Edward Santry, 38, shortstop.
- March 9 – Bill McGunnigle, 44, manager who led Brooklyn to the American Association title in 1889, and the National League pennant the following year after the team switched leagues; as collegiate catcher, was possibly the first at that position to wear a glove.
- March 16 – Egyptian Healy, 32, pitcher.
- April 9 – Mike Moynahan, 43, shortstop.
- April 24 – Pat Luby, 30, pitcher.
- July 14 – Frank Kreeger, [?], outfielder and pitcher.
- July 24 – Jim Korwan, 25, pitcher.
- August 10 – Henry Buker, 40, shortstop.
- September 17 – John Haldeman, 43, journalist and business manager for the Louisville Courier-Journal, who played second base in one game for the 1877 Louisville Grays.
- November 2 – Tim McGinley, 45, catcher.
- December 1 – Ed Gastfield, 34, catcher.
- December 14 – Harry Dooms, 32, outfielder.
- December 16 – Fred Waterman, 54, third baseman, member of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings team that went undefeated.
- December 18 – Fred Truax, 31, outfielder
References
Notes and References
- Web site: Change The Name: Old Western Is Now the New American League . Newspapers.com . 2022-04-17.
