Champions

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

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 s ...

: Chicago White Stockings *

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

;World Series *St. Louis Browns 4, Chicago White Stockings 2

Minor League Baseball

* Eastern League: Newark *

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

: Utica *

New England League The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played intermittently in five of the six New England states (Vermont excepted) between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League B ...

: Portland *

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 We ...

: Duluth * Western League: Denver

College baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

*Inter-Collegiate Association:

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

Major League Baseball final standings

National League final standings

American Association final standings

Statistical leaders

National League statistical leaders

American Association statistical leaders

All-Time Statistical Leaders (Strikeouts)

The 1886 season was memorable as the top two all-time

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

single season strikeout totals were established that year:Strikeouts Single Season Leaders by Baseball Almanac
/ref>

Notable seasons

Guy Hecker Guy Jackson Hecker (April 3, 1856 – December 3, 1938) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Youngsville, Pennsylvania. His debut game took place on May 2, 1882. His final game took place on September 30, 1890. Du ...

of the

Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as ...

not only compiled a 26–23 record with a 2.87 Earned Run Average as the Colonels number 2 pitcher, he also won the

batting crown with a .341 average. Hecker remains the only pitcher to ever win a batting title. *

Matt Kilroy Matthew Aloysius "Matches" Kilroy (June 21, 1866 – March 2, 1940) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. In 1886, he had 513 strikeouts, which remains the MLB single-season record. Early life Kilroy was born in Philadel ...

of the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

throws 4 2-hitters, 3 1-hitters and a no-hitter in his rookie season in 1886. Kilroy also sets the single season major league record with 513 strikeouts. * Jocko Flynn of the Chicago White Stockings goes 23–6 in his rookie season in 1886. Flynn develops arm trouble and never pitches again in the major leagues. His 23 wins are still a record for a pitcher who only pitched in 1 season.

Events

January–March

*January 4 –

owner Chris von der Ahe sells the reserve rights of

Sam Barkley Samuel E. Barkley (May 24, 1858 – April 20, 1912) was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, he played for four teams in six seasons from to . Career Barkley began his career with the Toledo Bl ...

to the

Pittsburgh Alleghenys The following is a history of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Franchise beginnings (1870s-1899) Early baseball in Pittsburgh and the American Association The earliest mention of "base ball" in the region was found in the journal ...

for $1,000. von der Ahe had previously sold the rights to the

on December 24, 1885 but had not received payment from Baltimore. Barkley, in the interim, had already signed a contract with Baltimore. The resulting power struggle within the

to resolve the situation would lead to the ouster of league president, Denny McKnight. *January 16 – The

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

are admitted to the

. *February 5 – The lawsuit brought by Fred Thayer and

George Wright George Wright may refer to: Politics, law and government * George Wright (MP) (died 1557), MP for Bedford and Wallingford * George Wright (governor) (1779–1842), Canadian politician, lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island * George Wright ...

against

Albert Spalding Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...

and his Spalding sporting goods company for infringement upon Thayer's patent rights to the catching mask goes to trial. Spalding will be forced to pay royalties to Thayer and Wright when the case is settled. *February 9 – The

Kansas City Cowboys Several sports team in Kansas City, Missouri have used the name Cowboys: *Kansas City Cowboys (Union Association), a baseball team in the Union Association in 1884 *Kansas City Cowboys (National League), a baseball team in the National League in 18 ...

are admitted to the

for a one-year trial. This brings the NL back to 8 teams for 1886. *February 27 – The

Cincinnati Red Stockings The Cincinnati Red Stockings of were baseball's first all-professional team, with ten salaried players. The Cincinnati Base Ball Club formed in 1866 and fielded competitive teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) 1867� ...

of the

is sold by Aaron Stern to Louis Huack, a wealthy brewer and banker. *March 2 – The

meets, overruling its own president Denny McKnight, and suspends

for signing with the

after he had already signed with the

. *March 2 – The

reduces the number of balls needed for a

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...

to six and adopts the

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

as an official

statistic A statistic (singular) or sample statistic is any quantity computed from values in a sample which is considered for a statistical purpose. Statistical purposes include estimating a population parameter, describing a sample, or evaluating a hypo ...

. *March 4 – The

makes the

an official

as well but keeps the number of balls for a

at seven. *March 5 – In breaking from official league policy, the

allows the St. Louis Maroons and the Philadelphia Quakers to drop their ticket prices to 25¢. The removal of the 50¢ requirement for those teams is due to competing teams from the

in their respective cities. *March 17 – ''

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'', founded by Alfred H. Spink, publishes its first issue. It will quickly become the leading source of baseball information in the country. *March 22 – The

removes Denny McKnight as president due to his handling of the

incident. Wheeler Wikoff is selected as his replacement.

April–June

*April 13 – The

resolves the

case by allowing Barkley to play for the

and sending Milt Scott from Pittsburgh to the

as compensation for losing Barkley. Additionally, the

are allowed to keep the $1,000 they received from Pittsburgh for Barkley's reserve rights. *April 16 – The final exhibition games between various

and

teams are played with the AA holding a 19–16 advantage over the NL in the games played. *April 19 –

Wilbert Robinson Wilbert Robinson (June 29, 1864 – August 8, 1934), nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinal ...

makes his major league debut with the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

of the

. Robinson will remain in the majors as a player, coach or manager through

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

. *April 22 – The

New York Metropolitans The Metropolitan Club (New York Metropolitans or the Mets) was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887. (The ''New York Metropolitan Baseball Club'' was the name chosen in 1961 for the New York ...

open their new 5,000 seat stadium, the St. George Cricket Grounds. The new park boasts illuminated fountains, with an amusement park and restaurants next to it. *April 29 – The

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...

prints woodcuts of live action photographs taken during a game. *April 30 – The first

game is played in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

. The

Cowboys A cowboy is a professional pastoralist or mounted livestock herder, usually from the Americas or Australia. Cowboy(s) or The Cowboy(s) may also refer to: Film and television * ''Cowboy'' (1958 film), starring Glenn Ford * ''Cowboy'' (1966 film), ...

lose to the Chicago White Stockings 6–5 in 13 innings as the game is "broadcast" in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

by using a baseball stadium diagram and player transparencies. *May 1 –

Al Atkinson Allen Edward Atkinson (born July 28, 1943) is a former American football linebacker who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner High School. He playe ...

throws a no-hitter for the

of the

. It is the 2nd no-hitter in Atkinson's career. *May 2 – The game between the

Brooklyn Grays The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californi ...

and the

is called as a 19-19 tie after eight innings due to darkness.. *May 3 – Pat Dealy of the

Boston Beaneaters Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most po ...

sets a

record by allowing 10 passed balls, while pitcher Bill Stemmeyer throws 5 wild pitches in a 12–11 loss. *May 17 – Jim Gifford is fired as manager of the

and is replaced by AA umpire Bob Ferguson. *May 24 – St. Louis Maroons second baseman

Fred Dunlap Frederick C. "Sure Shot" Dunlap (May 21, 1859 – December 1, 1902) was a second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball from 1880 to 1891. He was the highest paid player in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1889. He has also been rated ...

hits for the cycle in an 11–8 loss to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

. *May 31 – The first crowd in major league history of over 20,000 (20,632) watches the

Detroit Wolverines The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th-century Major League Baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant (and winning the pre ...

win 4–1 against the

at the

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

. *June 3 –

teammates

Arlie Latham Walter Arlington Latham (March 15, 1860 – November 29, 1952) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from through for the Buffalo Bisons, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and ...

and

Doc Bushong Albert John Bushong (September 15, 1856 – August 19, 1908), known as Doc Bushong, was an American catcher in Major League Baseball. Bushong also made appearances as an umpire and after his retirement from baseball, he practiced as a dentist. So ...

are each fined $100 for a fist fight between the two during a Brown's game in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. *June 4 –

Tony Mullane Anthony John Mullane (January 30, 1859 – April 25, 1944), nicknamed "Count" and "The Apollo of the Box", was an Irish Major League Baseball player who pitched for seven teams during his 13-season career. He is best known as an ambidextrous pi ...

of the

gives more ammunition to those suspicious of him throwing games when he gives up 12 runs in the last 2 innings after 7 shutout innings in a 12–7 loss to the

. *June 12 –

Charlie Sweeney Charles Joseph Sweeney (April 13, 1863 – April 4, 1902) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher from 1883 through 1887. He played for the Providence Grays, St. Louis Maroons, and Cleveland Blues, and is best known for his performance in ...

of the St. Louis Maroons sets the major league record by allowing 7 home runs in 1 game in a 14–7 loss to the

. *June 18 – ''

The Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, alth ...

'' publishes a letter it has received accusing

of throwing games on the Red Stockings previous road trip. When the writer fails to produce evidence after being challenged, Mullane is exonerated by the team. *June 26 –

George Stovey George Washington Stovey (May 1866 – March 22, 1936) is widely considered the best African-American baseball pitcher of the 19th century, but discrimination barred him from the majors, forcing him to play for various minor league teams througho ...

makes his professional league debut in the Eastern League with the Jersey City Jerseys.

July–September

*July 5 –

Fred Carroll Frederick Herbert Carroll (July 2, 1864 – November 7, 1904) was a catcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1884 through 1891, he played with the Columbus Buckeyes (1884) and for the Pittsburgh teams Alleghenys (1885–89), Burghe ...

of the

sets a major league record with 9 hits in a doubleheader. *July 5 – The

suspend

Pete Browning Louis Rogers "Pete" Browning (June 17, 1861 – September 10, 1905), nicknamed "Gladiator" and "The Louisville Slugger", was an American professional baseball center fielder and left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1882 to ...

for a month due to Browning playing in games while drunk. *July 8 – Jumbo McGinnis of the

, making only his 10th start of the season, shuts out the

10–0. Hours later, McGinnis is sold to the Orioles. *July 9 –

Joe Start Joseph Start (October 14, 1842 – March 27, 1927), nicknamed "Old Reliable", was one of the most durable regulars of baseball's earliest era, and one of the top first basemen of his time. He began his playing career in 1859, before the forma ...

, one of baseball's original stars, plays in the final game of his career. The 43-year-old veteran played in the original season of the National Association in 1871, although his playing days as an amateur started before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. *July 24 –

Adonis Terry William H. "Adonis" Terry (August 7, 1864 – February 24, 1915) was an American Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from his debut with the Brooklyn Atlantics in , to the Chicago Colts in . In his 14 seasons, he compiled a 197-1 ...

of the

pitches a no-hitter against the

. *July 27 – The Brotherhood of Professional Base-Ball Players, led by

John Montgomery Ward John Montgomery Ward (March 3, 1860 – March 4, 1925), known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop, second baseman, third baseman, manager, executive, union organizer, owner and author. Ward, of English descent ...

, publicly announces its existence. The Brotherhood boasts chapters in virtually every major league city. This group will be behind the formation of the

Players' League The Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs, popularly known as the Players' League (PL), was a short-lived but star-studded professional American baseball league of the 19th century. The PL was formed by the Brotherhood of Prof ...

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

. *July 29 – Tom Ramsey of the

throws a 1-hitter against the

, allowing only a supposed single to Pat O'Connell leading off the first inning. Curiously, though ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'' and ''

Louisville Courier Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

'' both report the game as a no-hitter, Ramsey is officially credited with a 1-hitter. *July 31 – Tom Ramsey of the

pitches his 2nd consecutive 1-hitter, striking out 16 in a 2–1 win over the

. It also marks the 3rd time in 4 games that the Colonels have 1-hit the Orioles as Dave Foutz had also thrown a 1-hitter against them on July 28. *August 8 **The St. Louis Maroons sell second baseman

to the

for $4,700, prompting rumors that the Maroons are about to disband. **

outfielder

hits for the cycle in an 11–6 win over the

. *August 14 –

John Clarkson John Gibson Clarkson (July 1, 1861 – February 4, 1909) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Clarkson played for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stocking ...

of the Chicago White Stockings beats the St. Louis Maroons for the 17th consecutive game, a record which still stands. *August 15 –

of the

pitches a 4-hitter in a 22–5 win over the

. More impressively, Hecker gets 6 hits and scores 7 runs in the game which sets a major league record. 3 of Heckers hits are inside the park home runs, another major league record that will be tied in 1897. In addition, it gives Hecker 17 hits in his last 4 games, another major league record that has since been tied. Hecker's 15 total bases for the game also set a record that will be broken in 1894. *August 16 – 1 day after pitcher

's hitting exhibition, St. Louis Brown hurler

Bob Caruthers Robert Lee Caruthers (January 5, 1864 – August 5, 1911), nicknamed "Parisian Bob", was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. The star p ...

provides his own offensive fireworks by becoming the first pitcher to have 4 extra-base hits in one game by smacking a double, triple and 2 home runs in a game he loses 11–9 after allowing 10 runs in the 8th inning. Caruthers will not only go on to win 30 games in 1886, he will also lead the

in slugging percentage and on-base percentage. *August 20 –

of the

defeats

Cyclone Miller Joseph H. "Cyclone" Miller (September 24, 1859 – October 13, 1916) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He played just two seasons in the majors, but did play with four teams in three leagues. He ...

of the

1–0 in a game in which both pitchers had a 1-hitter. *August 21 –

Jack Rowe John Charles "Jack" Rowe (December 8, 1856 – April 25, 1911) was an American professional baseball player, manager and team owner from 1877 to 1898. He played 12 years in Major League Baseball, as a shortstop (657 games), catcher (298 games), ...

of the

hits for the cycle in an 8–6 win over the

. *September 10 –

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 ...

smacks 3 home runs to go along with a single and double and ties the record for 15 total bases in 1 game. Despite Brouthers' heroics, his 2nd place

lose to the league leading Chicago White Stockings 14–8. *September 11 –

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

makes his major league debut with the

. *September 15 – The

clinch their 2nd consecutive pennant in the

with a 4–3 victory over the

. *September 23 ** Pud Galvin walks all 3 batters he faces in one inning in a game against the

. Galvin escapes the potential jam by picking all 3 runners off of first base in succession. **Third baseman

Chippy McGarr James B. "Chippy" McGarr (May 10, 1863 – June 6, 1904) was an American professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1884 to 1896. He played for the Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies, Philadelphia Athletics, St. ...

of the

hits for the cycle in a 15–6 win over the

. *September 24 – Looking to possibly jump from the

to the

, the

play an exhibition game against the Chicago White Stockings and defeat them 10–3. *September 25 –

owner Chris von der Ahe challenges

and his Chicago White Stockings to a post-season series. *September 30 – The Chicago White Stockings accept the challenge issued by the

to play a World Championship Series. The teams agree on a best-of-7 game format with the winner taking the entire gate money from the series.

October–December

*October 6 –

of the

pitches a no-hitter against the

. *October 8 – Lady Baldwin of the

wins his 42nd game of the season, a

record which still stands for a left-handed pitcher. *October 9 – The Chicago White Stockings clinch the

pennant by beating the

12–3. *October 18 – The Chicago White Stockings win game 1 of the World Championship Series with a 6–0 win over the

. *October 19 – The

even the series with a 12–0 romp over the Chicago White Stockings.

pitches a 1-hitter in the win and

Tip O'Neill Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr. (December 9, 1912 – January 5, 1994) was an American politician who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, representing northern Boston, Massachusetts, as ...

becomes the first player to hit 2 home runs in a post-season game. *October 20 – The White Stockings beat the Browns 11–4 to take a 2–1 advantage in the series. *October 21 – The Browns tie the series at 2–2 with an 8–5 win over the White Stockings. *October 22 – With Jim McCormick and Jocko Flynn hurt and

tired, the White Stockings are forced to use position players to pitch and the Browns take full advantage, winning easily 10–3 to take a 3–2 lead in the series. *October 23 – The

win the World Championship Series with a 4–3 win over the Chicago White Stockings. Chicago pitcher

, pitching his 4th game in 6 days, holds St. Louis hitless for 6 innings as Chicago takes a 3–0 lead. The Browns tie the game with 3 runs in the 8th inning and win it in the bottom of the 10th when

Curt Welch Curtis Benton Welch (February 10, 1862 – August 29, 1896) was a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Toledo Blue Stockings, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Louisville Colonels. Caree ...

scores on a wild pitch in what became known as "the $15,000 slide". The Browns win the entire gate receipts from the series which total $13,920, with each St. Louis player receiving roughly $580 for the championship. *November 12 – The first trade ever of two reserve players takes place as the

send

Hugh Nicol Hugh N. Nicol (January 1, 1858 – June 27, 1921) was a Scottish born professional baseball player. An outfielder, Nicol played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Stockings, St. Louis Browns, Cincinnati Red Stockings, and Cincin ...

and cash to the

for

Jack Boyle John Anthony Boyle (March 22, 1866 – January 7, 1913), nicknamed "Honest Jack", was an American catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball. His younger brother, Eddie Boyle, played in 1896. Baseball career Born in Cincinnati, Boyle be ...

. *November 16 – The joint rules committee between the

and the

announce the new rules for the 1887 season which include 5 balls for a walk, 4 strikes for an out, the batter calling for pitch location being abolished and establishing a strike zone between the knees and shoulders of the batter. The pitcher can now only take 1 forward step in his pitching delivery and by changing the dimensions of the pitcher's box, the pitching distance is now at 55½ feet. *November 18 – The

officially admits the

who jump from the

. The Alleghenys made a reported profit of $160,000 in 1886 and finished 2nd in the AA, making the decision a fairly easy one for the NL. *November 22 – The

admits the Cleveland Blues to take the place of the

, who had jumped to the

. *November 26 –

of the

champion Chicago White Stockings sells his 2nd starter within a week in his attempt to rid the team of players who drink alcohol. *December 15 – The

adopts a rule that allows a club to reserve a player for as long it wishes, rather than for just one year as had previously been the case.

Births

*January 26 –

Hick Cady Forrest Leroy "Hick" Cady (January 26, 1886 – March 3, 1946) was a backup catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (1912–17) and Philadelphia Phillies (1919). Cady batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Bishop ...

*March 6 – Bill Sweeney *March 13 –

Frank Baker John Franklin "Home Run" Baker (March 13, 1886 – June 28, 1963) was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, Baker played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922 for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees. Althoug ...

*April 6 –

Smokey Joe Williams Joseph Williams (April 6, 1886 – February 25, 1951), nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" and "Smokey Joe", was an American right-handed pitcher in Negro league baseball. He is considered one of the greatest pitchers of all-time and was elected to the Natio ...

*April 7 –

Ed Lafitte Edward Francis Lafitte (April 7, 1886April 12, 1971) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Detroit Tigers (1909–12), Brooklyn Tip-Tops (1914–15), and Buffalo Blues (1915). Born in New Orleans, Louisiana at his family's hom ...

*April 23 – Harry Coveleski *May 2 –

Larry Cheney Laurance Russell Cheney (May 2, 1886 – January 6, 1969) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Cubs (1911–15), Brooklyn Robins (1915–19), Boston Braves (1919) and Philadelphia Phillies (1919). Cheney batte ...

*May 13 –

Larry Gardner William Lawrence Gardner (May 13, 1886 – March 11, 1976) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1908 through 1924, Gardner played for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Athletics, and Cleveland Indians. He was a four-time World Series ...

*May 13 –

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...

*May 24 – Hi Jasper *June 10 –

Jack Graney John Gladstone Graney (June 10, 1886 – April 20, 1978) was a Canadian professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for 14 seasons, all with the Cleveland Indians franchise. In his 1402-game career, Graney batted .250 (1 ...

*July 26 – Roy Witherup *July 31 – Larry Doyle *August 7 – Bill McKechnie *September 9 –

Dots Miller John Barney "Dots" Miller (September 9, 1886 – September 5, 1923) was an American professional baseball first baseman and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1909 through 1921 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Car ...

*September 20 –

Eustaquio Pedroso Eustaquio "Bombín" Pedroso (September 20, 1886 - death date unknown) was a Cuban baseball pitcher in the Cuban League and the Negro leagues. He played from 1907 to 1927 with several ballclubs, including Club Fé, All Cubans, and the Cuban Stars ...

*October 9 –

Rube Marquard Richard William "Rube" Marquard (October 9, 1886 – June 1, 1980) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s and early 1920s. He achieved his greatest success with the New York Giants. He was inducted into the Ba ...

*October 5 – Bill Steele *October 6 - Scotty Barr *October 23 –

Lena Blackburne Russell Aubrey "Lena" Blackburne (October 23, 1886 – February 29, 1968) was an American baseball infielder, manager, coach, and scout in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for the creation of his baseball rubbing mud, used to remove ...

*October 26 – Swede Carlstrom *November 9 –

Nick Maddox Nicholas Maddox (November 9, 1886 – November 27, 1954) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1907 through 1910. Maddox is one of the few pitcher ...

*November 17 –

Fred Beck Frederick Thomas Beck (November 17, 1886 – March 12, 1962) was a baseball player in the major leagues from 1909 to 1911 with the Boston Doves, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies. In 1914 and 1915, he played for the Chicago Whales ...

*December 11 –

Joe Riggert Joseph Aloysius Riggert (December 11, 1886 – December 10, 1973) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Boston Red Sox, Brooklyn Robins, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Braves.

*December 18 –

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

*December 19 – Doc McMahon *December 25 –

Morrie Rath Morris Charles Rath (December 25, 1887 – November 18, 1945) was an American baseball player. He played second base in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps, Chicago White Sox, and Cincinnati Reds. Rath was the ...

Deaths

*January 30 – Jim Hall, age unknown, played 2nd base for the

Brooklyn Atlantics The Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn ("Atlantic" or the "Brooklyn Atlantics") was baseball's first champion and its first dynasty. The team was also the first baseball club to visit the White House in 1865 at the invitation of President And ...

. *February 13 – Fred Warner, 30?, utility man who played for 6 different teams from 1875 to 1884. *March 4 – Tom Lee, 23, pitcher in in both the

and

Union Association The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for just the 1884 season. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season. Seven of the twelve teams who were in the Association at some poi ...

. *May 21 – David Lenz, 35, played 4 games in for the Brooklyn Eckfords. *June 4 – Jim Ward, 31, played in 1 game for the

in , catching and going 2–4 at the plate. *June 27 –

George Creamer George W. Creamer (1855 – June 27, 1886), born George W. Triebel, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He played with four teams in two leagues: the Milwaukee Grays (), the Syracuse Stars (), t ...

, 30?, second baseman for four teams who led league in fielding with

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

in his final season. *July 11 – Denny Driscoll, 30, pitcher for the

in 1882–1883 and led the

with a 1.21 Earned Run Average in . *August 9 – Bill Smith, 26, played in 1 game for the Cleveland Blues in . *August 20 – Dick Blaisdell, 24, pitched three games in for the

in the

. *September 22 – Tom Oran, 39?, outfielder for the short-lived St. Louis Red Stockings in

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

. *October 30 – Bernie Graham, 26?, outfielder for the

Baltimore Monumentals The Baltimore Monumentals were an American baseball team in the short-lived Union Association. In their lone season of 1884, they finished fourth in the UA with a 58–47 record. History The team was managed by Bill Henderson. Their top-hitting ...

of the

in .

References

;General references * ;Inline citations

External links

1886 National League season at Baseball-Reference.com1886 American Association season at Baseball-Reference.comCharlton's Baseball Chronology at BaseballLibrary.comYear by Year History at Baseball-Almanac.comRetrosheet.org
{{Year in baseball, this year=1886