Champions

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

Providence Grays The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball team based in Providence, Rhode Island who played in the National League from until . The Grays played at the Messer Street Grounds in the Olneyville neighborhood. The team won the National Lea ...

* National Association: Albany Blue Stockings *

Northwestern League The Northwestern League was a sports league that operated in the Central United States during the early years of professional baseball for five seasons: 1879, 1883–1884, and 1886–1887. After the 1887 season, the league was replaced by the ...

: Dubuque Rabbits Inter-league playoff: Providence Grays (NL) def. Albany Blues (NA), 2 games to 0.

National League final standings

Statistical leaders

Notable seasons

Tommy Bond Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods on ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...

of the Boston Red Caps finishes 2nd in the

with 43 wins. It is the 3rd consecutive season that Bond has won 40 games, a feat that has never been matched in major league history. Bond also wins his second ERA title, finishing at 1.96, and leads the league for the third straight season in shutouts with 11. *

Will White William Henry "Whoop-La" White (October 11, 1854 – August 31, 1911) was an American baseball pitcher and manager from 1875 to 1889. He played all or parts of 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds in the National ...

of the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

starts 75 games as a pitcher and finishes all 75 games, compiling a record of 43-31, with a 1.99 ERA and 680 innings pitched. The 75 games started is still a single season record.

Events

January–March

*January 26 – The Troy Trojans learn that they have been accepted into the

. *February 14 – The Milwaukee Grays remaining assets are sold to satisfy their bankruptcy judgement. *February 18 – The International League changes its name to the National Association after losing its Canadian teams. *March 25 – The

votes to keep admission at 50¢.

April–June

*April 1 – The Northwest League is formed and refuses to affiliate with

or the National Association (formerly International League). The league consists of 4 teams; Davenport, Omaha, Dubuque and Rockford. *April 4 – The

announce the creation of a "bull pen", to be located in center field, where fans may purchase tickets for 15¢ beginning in the 5th inning. The team also installed the first backstop behind home plate, to protect fans in what had become known as the "slaughter pen" from injuries due to foul balls and wild pitches.J.G. Hylton,
A Foul Ball in the Courtroom: The Baseball Spectator Injury as a Case of First Impression
, 38 Tulsa L. Rev. 485, 487–88 (2013). Retrieved March 18, 2019 *May 2 – Rookie

Mike Mansell Michael R. Mansell (January 15, 1858 in Auburn, New York – December 4, 1902 in Auburn, New York), was a professional baseball outfielder in the Major Leagues from 1879 to 1884. He played for the Syracuse Stars, Cincinnati Stars, Pittsburgh All ...

of the newly formed Troy Trojans, in attempting to break up a double play, sprains the neck of star player Ross Barnes of the

. As this is not yet an accepted style of play, Mansell is censured for his actions. *May 17 – With no available regular catchers, the

Cleveland Blues (NL) The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sep ...

give Fred Gunkle a try. Midway through the game, after 3 errors and 7 passed balls, Gunkle is mercifully moved to right field. It is the only game he will ever play in the majors. *May 20 – After catcher Pop Snyder cuts his hand in the 8th inning, Boston Red Caps pitcher

is forced to ease up on his pitching. The Chicago White Stockings take advantage of the slower speed and score 4 in the 9th to beat the Red Caps 9–5. *June 6 – Charley Jones of the Boston Red Caps, who will lead the league in home runs, hits one that is estimated to travel 500 feet in the air. *June 14 –

Silver Flint Frank Sylvester "Silver" Flint (August 3, 1855 – January 14, 1892) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played 13 seasons of major league baseball for the St. Louis Red Stockings, Indianapolis Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Biogr ...

of the Chicago White Stockings hits a ball over the left field fence in the 9th inning against the Troy Trojans. Flint chooses to stop at third base for a triple so that the catcher will have to play closer to the batter, thus giving him a better hitting opportunity. Flint does score, but the White Stockings lose 10–9. *June 20 – Oscar Walker, of the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

, becomes the first major league player to strike out 5 times in a 9-inning game. *June 21 – William Edward White plays first base for the

in their 5–3 win over the Cleveland Blues. White is believed by some to have been the first black player to play in the major leagues. *June 22 – ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' reports on the death of a player named Alexander Taylor. The article states that Taylor, while catching, set up too close to the batter as he swung and was hit in the head by the bat, smashing his skull. *June 23 –

Dan Brouthers Dennis Joseph "Dan" Brouthers (; May 8, 1858 – August 2, 1932) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball whose career spanned the period from to , with a brief return in . Nicknamed "Big Dan" for his size, he was and weighed , wh ...

makes his debut with the Troy Trojans. *June 26 –

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

catcher Pop Snyder starts a triple play by dropping a third strike with the bases loaded and no outs to help the Red Caps beat the

3–2. The dropped third strike rule will not be implemented until

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

July–September

*July 4 – In a game billed as the championship of the United States, The New York Blue Stockings women's team defeat the lady Philadelphia Red Stockings 36–24 in front of 5,000 fans in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. The carnival-like atmosphere combined with the score cause the crowd to get unruly and the game is called early. *July 19 – The first all-lefty pitching matchup takes place in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

Bobby Mathews Robert T. Mathews (November 21, 1851 – April 17, 1898) was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher who played in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, the National League of Major League Baseball and the ...

of the Cleveland Blues beats

Curry Foley Charles Joseph "Curry" Foley (January 16, 1856 – October 20, 1898) was an Irish born professional baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The g ...

of the Boston Red Caps 8–2. *July 26 – Syracuse Stars pitcher Harry McCormick hits a home run in the first inning against Boston Red Caps pitcher

and then proceeds to shut out the Red Caps 1–0. It is the only time in major league history that a pitcher has hit a first-inning home run to win a 1–0 game. *August 15 –

Cap Anson Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain") and "Pop", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association (NA), he played a record 27 c ...

plays his final game of the season for the Chicago White Stockings. Anson will travel back home to Marshalltown, Iowa to recover from a liver ailment.

assumes the manager duties for Chicago. *September 7 –

is released by the Troy Trojans, despite hitting .274 and ranking 3rd in the

in home runs. Brouthers will play 3 games for Troy in

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

before becoming a star with the

. *September 10 – The Syracuse Stars fold due to impending bankruptcy. *September 23 – Jim Tyng, the first player to wear a catcher's mask (in

1877 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed ''Empress of India'' by the ''Royal Titles Act 1876'', introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sio ...

), is picked up by

Harry Wright William Henry "Harry" Wright (January 10, 1835 – October 3, 1895) was an English-born American professional baseball player, manager, and developer. He assembled, managed, and played center field for baseball's first fully professional team, ...

and the Boston Red Caps as an emergency pitcher. Tyng defeats the first-place

to draw the Red Caps within 2 games of the Grays. It will be the only victory of Tyng's career. *September 26 – The

defeat the Boston Red Caps 7–6 to clinch the

pennant. George Wright scores the winning run for the Grays in the 9th inning to defeat his brother and opposing manager

. *September 30 –

pitches his 75th complete game of the season for the

, and finishes the year having thrown 680 innings. Both statistics are records that will probably never be broken. *September 30 – Word leaks out that the

owners have secretly agreed to reserve 5 players per team that other clubs will not negotiate with. This agreement will be the main factor in player movement for the next 100 years.

October–December

*October 1 – The

release all of their players and are unable to pay them their final month's salary. *October 2 – The Troy Trojans complain that new "reserve system" has already been violated with the Chicago White Stockings signing of Troy pitcher Fred Goldsmith. *October 16 – Mike "King" Kelly, released by the

, sign on with the Chicago White Stockings while touring with them in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. *October 24 – The

formally withdraw from the

. *November 24 – Taking advantage of the new reserve rule, the

offer reserved player-manager George Wright a 15 percent pay cut from his $2,000 salary, after he guided the Grays to the pennant. Wright refuses and, as a named reserve player, will receive no offers from any other

club. *December 3 – At the league meetings, the

accepts the semi-professional Cincinnati Stars as a new franchise to fill the void left by the defunct

. *December 4 – The

reduces the number of balls needed for a walk down to 8. The league also institutes a rule stating that the team batting last in the inning does not need to finish their at-bat or bat at all in the final inning if they are ahead. *December 6–18 – The American College Baseball Association is founded in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Births

*January 11 – Harry McIntire *January 12 –

Hank Olmsted Henry Theodore Olmsted (January 12, 1879 – January 6, 1969) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Americans during the 1905 season. Listed at , 147 lb., Olmsted batted and threw right-handed. A n ...

*January 12 – Gary Wilson *January 24 –

Dave Brain David Leonard Brain (January 24, 1879 – May 25, 1959) was an infielder/outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox (1901), St. Louis Cardinals (1903–1905), Pittsburgh Pirates (1905), Boston Beaneaters/Doves (19 ...

*February 14 – Tim Jordan *February 18 – Louis Leroy *March 13 – Mal Eason *March 25 – John Walsh *March 27 –

Miller Huggins Miller James Huggins (March 27, 1878 – September 25, 1929) was an American professional baseball player and manager. Huggins played second base for the Cincinnati Reds (1904–1909) and St. Louis Cardinals (1910–1916). He managed the ...

*April 9 –

Doc White Guy Harris "Doc" White (April 9, 1879 – February 19, 1969) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for two teams, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox, during his career which lasted from 1901 ...

*April 13 – Jake Stahl *April 29 – Noodles Hahn *May 20 –

Jake Thielman John Peter Thielman (May 20, 1879 – January 28, 1928) was a German-American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1905 through 1908 for the St. Louis Cardinals (1905–1906), Cleveland Naps (1907–1908) and Boston Red Sox (1908).

*June 1 –

John Castle John Michael Frederick Castle (born 14 January 1940) is an English actor. He is best known for his film and television work, most notably playing Bill in Michelangelo Antonioni's ''Blowup'' (1966) and Geoffrey in ''The Lion in Winter'' (1968 ...

*June 11 –

Roger Bresnahan Roger Philip Bresnahan (June 11, 1879 – December 4, 1944), nicknamed "The Duke of Tralee", was an American player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Bresnahan competed in MLB for the Washington Senators (1897), Chicago O ...

*June 12 – Red Dooin *June 20 – Jim Delahanty *July 14 – Fred Burchell *July 29 –

Earl Moore Earl Alonzo Moore (July 29, 1879 – November 28, 1961) was an American professional baseball pitcher who had a 14-year career in Major League Baseball. Biography Moore's sidearm throwing style earned him the nickname "Crossfire". His contract ...

*July 31 –

Lee Fyfe Lucius Columbus "Lee" Fyfe (July 31, 1879 – May 30, 1942) was a professional baseball umpire. Fyfe umpired 84 Federal League games in the season. He then returned to the Majors, where he umpired in five National League The National Leagu ...

*September 7 – Hooks Wiltse *September 17 –

Rube Foster Andrew "Rube" Foster (September 17, 1879 – December 9, 1930) was an American baseball player, manager, and executive in the Negro leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. Foster, considered by historians to have been per ...

*October 4 – Bob Rhoads *October 16 – Art Devlin *October 28 – Frank Smith *November 22 – Bob Hart *December 8 – Jimmy Austin *December 8 – Jack Thoney *December 12 – Mike Mitchell *December 20 – Doc Moskiman *December 23 – Frank Owen *December 31 –

Fred Beebe Frederick Leonard Beebe (December 31, 1879 – October 30, 1957) was a professional baseball player. He played for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians. Biography Beebe played basebal ...

Deaths

*June 18 – George Fletcher, 34, played two games for the

Brooklyn Eckfords Eckford of Brooklyn, or simply Eckford, was an American baseball club from 1855 to 1872. When the Union Grounds opened on May 15, 1862 for baseball in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it became the first enclosed baseball grounds in America. Three clubs c ...

in 1872. *August 4 –

Charlie Bierman Charles S. Bierman (1845 – August 4, 1879) was an American professional baseball player who played one game for the Fort Wayne Kekiongas in 1871. He went hitless in two at bats, had one walk, and committed two errors at first base. Bierma ...

, 34?, played one game in 1871 with the Fort Wayne Kekiongas. *October 28 –

Jimmy Hallinan James H. Hallinan (May 27, 1849 – October 28, 1879) was an Irish born professional baseball player. In the first professional league season, he played shortstop in five games for the 1871 Fort Wayne Kekiongas. He returned to professional ...

, 30, shortstop for several teams who batted .321 in 1877 with the

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

References

External links

1879 season at Baseball-Reference.comCharlton's Baseball Chronology at BaseballLibrary.comYear by Year History at Baseball-Almanac.comRetrosheet.org
{{Year in baseball, this year=1879