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 Leag ...

* 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 We ...

: 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 The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

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 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 The Troy Trojans are the sports teams of Troy University. They began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. Troy Univer ...

learn that they have been accepted into the

. *February 14 – The

Milwaukee Grays The Milwaukee Grays were a short-lived baseball team that spent one year, 1878, in the National League. The team was part of the League Alliance, loosely affiliated with the National League, in 1877. It won 19 games and lost 13 (including a 10� ...

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 of the newly formed

, in attempting to break up a double play, sprains the neck of star player

Ross Barnes Charles Roscoe Barnes (May 8, 1850 – February 5, 1915) was one of the stars of baseball's National Association (1871–1875) and the early National League (1876–1881), playing second base and shortstop. He played for the dominant Boston R ...

of the Cincinnati Reds. 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 Sept ...

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 Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

cuts his hand in the 8th inning,

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 Charles Wesley Jones (born Benjamin Wesley Rippay on April 30, 1852 – June 6, 1911) was an American left fielder in the National Association and Major League Baseball who hit 56 home runs and batted .298 during his twelve-year career. He wa ...

of the

, who will lead the league in home runs, hits one that is estimated to travel 500 feet in the air. *June 14 – Silver Flint of the Chicago White Stockings hits a ball over the left field fence in the 9th inning against the

. 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 William Edward White (October 1860 – March 29, 1937) was a 19th-century American baseball player. He played as a substitute in one professional baseball game for the Providence Grays of the National League, on June 21, 1879. Work by the Society ...

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 d ...

'' 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

. *June 26 –

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 ...

catcher

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 ...

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 List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. 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.S. ...

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 of the

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

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 ...

plays his final game of the season for the Chicago White Stockings. Anson will travel back home to

Marshalltown Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States, located along the Iowa River. It is the seat and most populous settlement of Marshall County and the 16th largest city in Iowa, with a population of 27,591 at ...

, Iowa to recover from a liver ailment. Silver Flint assumes the manager duties for Chicago. *September 7 –

is released by the

, 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 ...

), 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, t ...

and the

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

7–6 to clinch the

pennant.

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 ...

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 Cincinnati Reds, 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 Cincinnati Reds release all of their players and are unable to pay them their final month's salary. *October 2 – The

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 Cincinnati Reds, 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 m ...

. *October 24 – The Cincinnati Reds formally withdraw from the

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

offer reserved player-manager

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 The Cincinnati Stars were a Major League Baseball team that played in the National League for the 1880 season and were managed by John Clapp. The club finished their only season in 8th place with a record of 21–59. Following the 1880 campai ...

as a new franchise to fill the void left by the defunct Cincinnati Reds. *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 John Reid McIntire (January 11, 1879 – January 9, 1949) was a pitcher for the Brooklyn Superbas (1905–1909), Chicago Cubs (1910–1912) and Cincinnati Reds (1913). He helped the Cubs win the 1910 National League Pennant. McIntire led the ...

*January 12 – Hank Olmsted *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 (190 ...

*February 14 – Tim Jordan *February 18 –

Louis Leroy Louis Leroy (1812 - 1885) was a French 19th-century printmaker, painter, and playwright. Biography He is remembered as the journalist and art critic for the French satirical newspaper ''Le Charivari'', who coined the term "impressionists" to ...

*March 13 –

Mal Eason Malcolm Wayne (Mal) Eason (March 13, 1879 – April 16, 1970) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago Orphans (1900–1902), Boston Beaneaters (1902), Detroit Tigers (1903) and Brooklyn Superbas (1905–1906). Ea ...

*March 25 – John Walsh *March 27 – Miller Huggins *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 Garland "Jake" Stahl (April 13, 1879 – September 18, 1922) was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, and New York Highlanders. Biography A graduate of the University of ...

*April 29 –

Noodles Hahn Frank George "Noodles" Hahn (April 29, 1879 – February 6, 1960) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Highlanders between 1899 and 1906. The left-hander posted a 130–94 win–loss re ...

*May 20 – Jake Thielman *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'' (19 ...

*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 ...

*June 12 –

Red Dooin Charles Sebastian "Red" Dooin (June 12, 1879 – May 12, 1952) was an American professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager. A catcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century, he played 1,219 of h ...

*June 20 –

Jim Delahanty James Christopher Delahanty (June 20, 1879 – October 17, 1953) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played thirteen seasons with eight clubs: the Chicago Orphans (1901), New York Giants (1902), Boston Beaneaters (1904–05), Cinci ...

*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 *September 7 –

Hooks Wiltse George Leroy "Hooks" Wiltse (September 7, 1879 – January 21, 1959) was a professional baseball pitcher. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1904 to 1915. He was the brother of pitcher Snake Wiltse. Biography "Hooks" earned ...

*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 Barton Emory (Bob) Rhoads (October 4, 1879 – February 12, 1967), nicknamed "Dusty", was a major league pitcher for the Chicago Orphans, Cleveland Naps, and St. Louis Cardinals in the early 20th century. His best year was in 1906, when he ...

*October 16 – Art Devlin *October 28 – Frank Smith *November 22 – Bob Hart *December 8 –

Jimmy Austin James Phillip Austin (December 8, 1879 – March 6, 1965) was a Welsh born professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the New York Highlanders and St. Louis Browns from 1909 through 1923, 19 ...

*December 8 –

Jack Thoney John Thoney or John Thoeny 'Bullet Jack''(December 8, 1879 – October 24, 1948) was a reserve outfielder / infielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1902 through 1911 for the Cleveland Bronchos (1902–1903), Baltimore Orioles (1902), ...

*December 12 – Mike Mitchell *December 20 –

Doc Moskiman William Bankhead Moskiman (December 20, 1879 – January 11, 1953) was a first baseman and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox in 1910 Boston Red Sox season, its 1910 season. Listed at , 170 lb. (7 ...

*December 23 – Frank Owen *December 31 – Fred Beebe

Deaths

*June 18 – George Fletcher, 34, played two games for the Brooklyn Eckfords in 1872. *August 4 – Charlie Bierman, 34?, played one game in 1871 with the

Fort Wayne Kekiongas The Fort Wayne Kekiongas were a professional baseball team, notable for winning the first professional league game on May 4, 1871. Though based in Fort Wayne, they were usually listed in game reports as simply "Kekionga" or "the Kekiongas", per the ...

. *October 28 – Jimmy Hallinan, 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 line wit ...

and

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

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