The 1887
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 ...
season was a season in American
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
. The team won the 1887
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 ...
pennant, then defeated the
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 ...
in the
1887 World Series
The 1887 World Series was won by the Detroit Wolverines of the National League, over the St. Louis Browns of the American Association, 10 games to 5. It was played between October 10 and 26, and played in numerous neutral cities, as well as in D ...
. The season was the team's seventh since it entered the National League in 1881. It was the first World Series championship for the Detroit Wolverines and the
City of Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at the ...
.
Offseason
On March 13, after training in
Macon, Georgia‚ the Wolverines began a six-week exhibition tour through the South and Midwest.
The players
Catchers:
Charlie Ganzel
Charles William Ganzel (June 18, 1862 – April 7, 1914) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1897. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, for four major league clubs. His most extensive pl ...
and
Charlie Bennett
Catching duties were divided between
Charlie Ganzel
Charles William Ganzel (June 18, 1862 – April 7, 1914) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1897. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, for four major league clubs. His most extensive pl ...
(51 games at
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
) and
Charlie Bennett (45 games at catcher). Both were good defensive catchers, though neither hit particularly well. Bennett had a better
fielding percentage than Ganzel (.951 to .913), but Ganzel was stronger in
range factor (6.78 to 5.64) and
fielding runs (9 to 2). Bennett's career in baseball ended when he lost both his legs in a train accident. When the
Detroit Tigers opened their new ballpark in 1896, they named it
Bennett Park in his honor. It remained Bennett Park until 1912, when the newly built stadium on the same site was named
Navin Field
Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbu ...
.
Infield: Brouthers, Dunlap,
Rowe
Rowe may refer to:
Places
* Rowe, Massachusetts, U.S.
*Rowe, New Mexico, U.S.
*Rowes Bay, Queensland, a suburb of Townsville Australia
*Rowe, now Rówek, Poland
Other
*Rowe (surname)
*Rowe (musician), solo project of Becky Louise Filip, former me ...
,
Twitchell and
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
First baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
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 ...
was the first of four future
Hall of Famers to play for the 1887 Wolverines. Brouthers won five batting titles and seven slugging titles, and his career
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .342 is the 9th highest in major league history. Brouthers was a key to the Wolverines offensive output in 1887 as he led the
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 ...
in runs (153), doubles (36), extra base hits (68),
on-base percentage (.426), times on base (246), and
OPS (.988). He was also among the league leaders with a .338 batting average (3rd in the NL), .562
slugging percentage (2nd in the NL), 20 triples, 12
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s (5th in the NL), 101
RBIs (4th in the NL), 71
walks (4th in the NL), and an at-bat-to-strikeout ratio of 55.6 (2nd in NL).
The
second baseman duties were split between
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 ...
and
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He ...
. Dunlap played 65 games at second base but missed two months due to an injury. As a result, Richardson played 64 games at second base in addition to 58 games as the
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
. Richardson was a big contributor to the 1887 Wolverines, as he hit for a .327 average with 51 extra base hits, 131 runs scored, 178 hits and 94 RBIs. Richardson was also a good fielder both at second base and in left field.
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), ...
played 124 games at
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
for the 1887 Wolverines. Rowe was part of "The Big Four" (along with
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 ...
,
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White (December 2, 1847 – July 7, 1939) was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era. The outstanding catcher of the 1870s during baseball ...
, and
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He ...
) that Detroit owner
Fred Stearns purchased from 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 ...
for $7,000 before the 1886 season. The purchase of four of the best players in baseball all at one time drew wide attention. Rowe had a big year for the Wolverines, with a .318 batting average, 135 runs scored (2nd in the NL), 171 hits (4th in the NL), 96 RBIs (6th in the NL), 30 extra base hits (7th in the NL), and 239 total bases (9th in the NL). Rowe
hit for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League B ...
for the Wolverines on August 21, 1886. Rowe later suffered a
nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitt ...
and died at age 54.
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White (December 2, 1847 – July 7, 1939) was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era. The outstanding catcher of the 1870s during baseball ...
was also part of "The Big Four" acquired from Buffalo before the 1886 season, and is the second of four future Hall-of-Famers on the team. White won two batting crowns earlier in his career but was 39 years old in 1887. He still hit for a .303 batting average and had 11 triples, 75 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. White was a nonsmoking, Bible-toting, church-going deacon. According to
Lee Allen Lee Allen may refer to:
*Lee Allen (wrestler) (1934–2012), wrestler and coach
* Lee Allen (baseball) (1915–1969), baseball historian
*Lee Allen (musician) (1927–1994), saxophone player
*Lee Allen (artist)
Lee Allen (1910 – May 5, 2006), bor ...
in ''
The National League Story'' (1961), White was one of the last people to believe that the earth is flat.
Outfield:
Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
*Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province
Canada
* ...
,
Hanlon Hanlon is a surname often associated with, but not necessarily tied to, the O'Hanlon Sept. The name may denote:
* Alf Hanlon (1866–1944), New Zealand lawyer
* Darren Hanlon, Australian folk musician
* George Hanlon, Australian horse trainer ...
,
Richardson and
Twitchell
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
, known as "Big Sam," was the third future Hall of Famer on the 1887 Detroit team. Thompson was in his prime in 1887 and had a tremendous year. He was the National League batting champion with a .372 average, and he also led the league in slugging percentage (.571), hits (203), total bases (311), triples (23), RBIs (166), and
runs created Runs created (RC) is a baseball statistic invented by Bill James to estimate the number of runs a hitter contributes to their team.
Purpose
James explains in his book, ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'', why he believes runs created is ...
(127). His 1887 total of 166 RBIs stood as a major league record for 40 years until
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...
broke it in 1927. He was No. 2 on the all-time home run list at the time of his retirement.
Center fielder Ned Hanlon was the fourth future Hall of Famer on the 1887 Detroit team. Though inducted into the Hall of Fame based on his later performance as a manager, Hanlon was a good fielding center fielder who had tremendous speed and range. In 1887, he stole 69 bases for the Wolverines. He also hit .291 with seven stolen bases and 4 RBIs in the 1887 World Series.
The
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
duties were split between second baseman/outfielder
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He ...
, and pitcher/outfielder
Larry Twitchell
Lawrence Grant Twitchell (February 18, 1864 – April 23, 1930) was a professional baseball player from 1886 to 1896. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder but occasionally as a pitcher, with seven different ...
. In addition to pitching 15 games for the Wolverines, Twitchell played 44 games in left field and 9 games in center field. Twitchell had a .333 batting average and collected 51 RBIs in just 264 at bats. In his 15 games as a pitcher, Twitchell had a record of 11–1.
Pitching: Getzien, Baldwin, Weidman, Conway and Twitchell
The Wolverines' #1 pitcher in 1887 was
Charlie Getzien. Getzien had a record of 29–13 for the 1887 team. Getzien started 42 games, pitched 41
complete games, and had an ERA of 3.73. He was among the league leaders in wins, win percentage (.690), inning pitched (366.2), and strikeouts (135). He was also first in the league with 24 home runs allowed. In the 1887 World Series, Getzien had a record of 4–2 with a 2.48 ERA.
Detroit's #2 starter was
Charles B. "Lady" Baldwin. Baldwin played four seasons with the Wolverines. In 1886, Baldwin had a record of 42–13 (the most wins ever by a Detroit pitcher) with a 2.24
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
in 487 innings pitched, striking out 323 of 1936 batters faced. Baldwin also completed 55 of 56 games, seven of which were shutouts. In 1887, Baldwin's appearances were reduced from 56 games to 24, and from 487 innings to 211. He won only 13 games in the regular season for the 1887 Wolverines, but in World Series play, Baldwin pitched 5 complete games for a 4–1 record and a 1.50 ERA.
The Wolverines' #3 pitcher was
George Edward "Stump" Weidman. Weidman led the National League with a 1.80 ERA for Detroit in 1881. In 1887, Weidman returned to the Wolverines, where he went 13–7. By late July, Weidman fell out of favor with manager
William Watkins who considered Weidman to be a malcontent. The Wolverines sold Weidman to 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 ...
on August 5, 1887.
The Wolverines #4 pitcher was
Pete Conway. Despite his 8–9 record in 1887, Conway had the lowest ERA (2.90) among the Detroit starters.
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Roster
Season summary
The 1887 Wolverines finished the season with a record of 79–45. They outscored their opponents by more than 250 runs—969 to 714. They also led the
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 ...
in team
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, runs scored and
slugging
Slugging, also known as casual carpooling, is the practice of forming ad hoc, informal carpools for purposes of commuting, essentially a variation of ride-share commuting and hitchhiking. A driver picks up these non-paying passengers (known as ...
. Wolverines batters dominated the National League leader board:
*
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 ...
,
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), ...
, and
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He ...
were first, second and third in runs scored, with
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
fifth.
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
,
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 ...
and
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He ...
were first, second and third in total bases. The same three were Nos. 1, 3, and 6 in batting average.
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
and
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 ...
were first and second in
slugging percentage and
OPS.
Season highlights
* May 4: Detroit defeated
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
in 11 innings. Pittsburgh scored 4 runs in the first inning off
Stump Weidman, but the Wolverines came back.
* May 7, 1887:
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
became the first major league player to hit two bases-loaded triples in one game as the Wolverines (8–1) beat the
Indianapolis Hoosiers Indianapolis Hoosiers was the name of three major league and at least three minor league baseball clubs based in Indianapolis.
* Indianapolis Hoosiers (American Association), which played in 1884
* Indianapolis Hoosiers (National League), which pla ...
‚ 18–2.
* May 13, 1887:
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 ...
had his second six-hit game in a week (walks were counted as hits in 1887) to help Detroit beat
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
‚ 17–7. Sam Thompson had three triples.
* May 17, 1887: Detroit's
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 ...
hit a bases-loaded triple and a bases-loaded home run as the Wolverines defeated the
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
, 19–10.
* May 21, 1887: Sam Thompson hit a three-run home run to lead the Wolverines to a 4–2 victory over
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.
* June 9, 1887: Detroit batters drew 13 walks from Hoosiers pitcher
John Kirby.
* June 11, 1887: Detroit's Fred Dunlap established a National League record by starting four
double plays at second base. He participated in five double plays in all to tie the existing major league mark and helps the Wolverines edge the Hoosiers‚ 7–6.
* July 1, 1887: The Quakers and Wolverines set an all-time record by scoring in 15 of the 18 half-innings played.
* July 5, 1887: Second baseman Fred Dunlap suffered a serious leg injury that kept him out of the lineup for two months. Detroit beat
Boston
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- mo ...
‚ 16–8‚ to push the Beaneaters into third place.
* July 18, 1887: Paced by
George Wood's two home runs‚ the Quakers beat the Wolverines 12–2‚ as Detroit suffered its first three-game sweep.
* July 21, 1887: Detroit manager
William Watkins fined his third string battery of
Fatty Briody
Charles F. "Fatty" Briody (August 13, 1858 – June 22, 1903), nicknamed "Alderman", was a professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1877 to 1888. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball— for the Troy Trojans (MLB team ...
and Stump Weidman. Dissension was rife throughout the team‚ but Watkins did not fine the more prominent malcontents.
* August 5, 1887: The Wolverines sold third string pitcher Stump Weidman to 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 ...
.
* August 13, 1887: The White Stockings beat the Wolverines‚ 8–2‚ with
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 ...
pitching and hitting a home run. Detroit's lead narrowed to games.
* August 15, 1887: John Clarkson of the Chicago White Stockings beat Detroit again‚ 6–4. The National League also threw out a protested game previously awarded to the Wolverines‚ leaving Chicago and Detroit tied for first place.
* August 16, 1887: Detroit beat John Clarkson and Chicago 5–3 with five runs in the fourth inning to regain sole possession of first place.
* September 1, 1887: After the Wolverines beat the Boston Beaneaters in three straight games, Boston removed
King Kelly
Michael Joseph "King" Kelly (December 31, 1857 – November 8, 1894), also commonly known as "$10,000 Kelly", was an American outfielder, catcher, and manager in various professional American baseball leagues including the National League, Inter ...
as captain and gave the job to
John Morrill.
* September 5, 1887: Chicago won the opening game of their final series against league-leading Detroit 11–7. John Clarkson picked up his ninth victory over the Wolverines‚ the most ever by a pitcher over a pennant-winning team.
* September 7, 1887: Detroit defeated John Clarkson and the White Stockings‚ beating them twice‚ 8–2 and 8–4‚ with 34 hits in the two games. The defeat pushed second-place Chicago seven games behind.
* October 8, 1887: Detroit lost its last regular season game to Indianapolis, 11–9.
Player stats
Batting
= Starters by position
=
''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''
= Other batters
=
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''
''Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included''
Pitching
= Starting pitchers
=
''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
= Relief pitchers
=
''Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
1887 World Series
World Series summary
The Detroit Wolverines defeated the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series, 10 games to 5.
After the Wolverines won the National League pennant, owner
Fred Stearns challenged the
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 ...
champion
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 ...
. The Wolverines and the Browns would play "a series of contests for supremacy" of the baseball world. This early "world series" consisted of fifteen games – played in Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Boston,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, Baltimore and Chicago, as well as Detroit and St. Louis. The Wolverines claimed their eighth victory – and thus the championship – in the eleventh game.
* October 9: The Browns ended their season with a 95–40 record‚ a win total that was not exceeded until the adoption of the 154-game schedule.
* October 10: The World Series opened in St. Louis with the Browns beating Detroit 6–1. St. Louis pitcher
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 ...
held the Wolverines to five hits and had three hits himself.
* October 11: In Game 2, the Wolverines scored five unearned runs to defeat the Browns, 5–3.
* October 12: In Game 3, Detroit won at home, 2–1, in 13 innings. St. Louis batters had 13 hits against
Charlie Getzien‚ but scored only once. Bob Caruthers held the Wolverines to six hits, but the Wolverines scored twice.
* October 13: In Game 4, the World Series began its tour of other cities with a game in Pittsburgh. Detroit won, 8–0, behind the two-hit pitching of
Lady Baldwin.
* October 15: In Game 5, the Browns beat the Wolverines in Brooklyn, 5–2.
* October 16: In Game 6, played in New York, Detroit beat St. Louis, 9–0.
Charlie Getzien took a no-hitter (not counting walks) into the ninth inning but settled for a three-hit game.
Charlie Ganzel
Charles William Ganzel (June 18, 1862 – April 7, 1914) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1897. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher, for four major league clubs. His most extensive pl ...
‚ playing first base in place of the injured
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 ...
‚ led Detroit with four hits. Brouthers was out for the series with a
sprained ankle
A sprained ankle, also known as a twisted ankle or rolled ankle, is an injury where sprain occurs on one or more ligaments of the ankle. It is the most common injury to occur in ball sports, such as basketball, volleyball, football, and racquet s ...
.
* October 17: Detroit won Game 7, by a score of 3–1, in Phillies' Park.
*October 18: In Game 8, Detroit beat the Browns, 9–2, at old Dartmouth Street Grounds in Boston, as Big
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
hit two home runs.
* October 19: Detroit won Game 9 by a score of 4–2 at Athletics' Park and extended its lead in the World Series to seven games to two.
* October 21: After a rainout the day before, Detroit and St. Louis played two games in two cities on the same day. In the morning game in Washington, the Browns pull off a triple play in an 11–4 victory over Detroit. In Game 11, played in the afternoon at Baltimore, Detroit clinched the championship with its eighth victory, 13–3.
* October 26: The World Series ended with a final game back in St. Louis. St. Louis won the final game but lost the series‚ 10 games to 5. Sam Thompson led all hitters in the series with a .362 average.
Postseason player stats
Batting
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''
Pitching
''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
Awards and honors
League leaders
*
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 ...
: National League on-base percentage leader (.426)
*
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 ...
: National League runs leader (153)
*
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 ...
: National League doubles leader (36)
*
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 ...
: National League extra base hits leader (68)
*
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 ...
: National League times on base leader (246)
*
Charlie Getzien: National League leader in home runs allowed (24)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League batting champion (.372)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League slugging percentage leader (.571)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League hits leader (203)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League RBI leader (166)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League total bases leader (311)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League at bats leader (545)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: National League triples leader (23)
*
Larry Twitchell
Lawrence Grant Twitchell (February 18, 1864 – April 23, 1930) was a professional baseball player from 1886 to 1896. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder but occasionally as a pitcher, with seven different ...
: National League win percentage leader (.917)
*
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White (December 2, 1847 – July 7, 1939) was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era. The outstanding catcher of the 1870s during baseball ...
: Oldest player in National League (39)
Players ranking among top 100 of all time at position
The following members of the 1887 Detroit Wolverines are among the Top 100 of all time at their positions, as ranked by
The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' is a reference book written by Bill James featuring an overview of professional baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was publi ...
in 2001:
*
Charlie Bennett: 49th best catcher of all time
*
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 ...
: 18th best first baseman of all time
*
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 ...
: 89th best second baseman of all time
*
Hardy Richardson
Abram Harding "Hardy" Richardson (April 21, 1855 – January 14, 1931), also known as "Hardie" and "Old True Blue", was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1875 to 1892 with a brief minor league comeback in 1898. He ...
: 39th best second baseman of all time
*
Deacon White
James Laurie "Deacon" White (December 2, 1847 – July 7, 1939) was an American baseball player who was one of the principal stars during the first two decades of the sport's professional era. The outstanding catcher of the 1870s during baseball ...
: 76th best third baseman of all time
*
Billy Shindle: 95th best third baseman of all time (played only 21 games at third base for the 1887 Wolverines)
*
Sam Thompson
Samuel Luther "Big Sam" Thompson (March 5, 1860 – November 7, 1922) was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1898 and with a brief comeback in 1906. At , the Indiana native was one of the larger players of his day and was known ...
: 37th best right fielder of all time
References
Baseball-Reference.com 1887 Detroit Wolverines Regular Season StatisticsBaseball-Reference.com 1887 World Series StatisticsCharlton's Baseball Chronology 1887
External links
{{National League champions
Detroit Wolverines seasons
Detroit Wolverines season
National League champion seasons
World Series champion seasons
Detroit Wolv
1880s in Detroit