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1885 Major League Baseball season

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This article is about the 1885 Major League Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1885 in baseball.
1885 MLB season
LeagueAmerican Association (AA)
National League (NL)
SportBaseball
DurationRegular season:
  • April 18 – October 5, 1885 (AA)
  • April 30 – October 10, 1885 (NL)
World's Championship Series:
  • October 14–24, 1885
Number of games112
Number of teams16 (8 per league)
Pennant winner
AA championsSt. Louis Browns
  AA runners-upCincinnati Red Stockings
NL championsChicago White Stockings
  NL runners-upNew York Giants
World's Championship Series
ChampionsSeries ended in a tie
  Runners-upSt. Louis Browns / Chicago White Stockings
MLB seasons
Locations of teams for the 1885 American Association season
American Association
Locations of teams for the 1885 National League season
National League

The 1885 major league baseball season began on April 18, 1885. The regular season ended on October 15, with the Chicago White Stockings and the St. Louis Browns as regular season champions of the National League and American Association, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the second World's Championship Series on October 14 and ended with Game 7 on October 24, in what was a best-of-seven-playoff. The White Stockings and Browns ended the series in a disputed tie in seven games. This dispute was due to the Browns not considering their forfeit in Game 2 as a voided game, and as a result, claimed victory.

Prior to the 1885 season, the unstable single season Union Association disbanded. The St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association joined the National League, in place of the disbanding Cleveland Blues. The twelve-team American Association would contract down to eight teams, with the Columbus Buckeyes, Indianapolis Hoosiers, and Toledo Blue Stockings folding, while the late-entry Richmond Virginians returned to the Minor Leagues.

The National League's New York Gothams renamed as the New York Giants, and the American Association's Brooklyn Atlantics and Louisville Eclipse renamed as the Brooklyn Grays and Louisville Eclipse, respectively.

Schedule

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See also: Major League Baseball schedule

The 1885 schedule consisted of 112 games for all teams in the American Association and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 16 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the National League since the previous season. The American Association, due to downsizing from a twelve-team league to an eight-team league over the off season, took on this format. This would be the final season for this format, as the AA would implement a 140-game format and the NL a 126-game format the following season.

American Association Opening Day took place on April 18 featuring four teams, while National League Opening Day took place on April 30, with a game between the Chicago White Stockings and St. Louis Maroons. The American Association would see its final day of the regular season on October 5 with a game between the Brooklyn Grays and Philadelphia Athletics, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 10, featuring four teams.[1] The 1885 World's Championship Series took place between October 14 and October 24, though was originally supposed to extend to October 31.[2]

Rule changes

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The 1885 season saw the following rule changes:

  • A granulated substance may be applied up to 18" from the bottom of the bat.[3]
  • Chest protectors worn by catchers and umpires came into use.[3]
  • In the National League, home base could be made of marble or whitened rubber.[3] The American Association would make this change in the following year.[4]
  • One portion of the bat could be flat (one side).[3]
  • In the National League, the batter's box was extended by one foot in width, on either side of home plate, expanding from three feet wide and one foot from home plate to four feet wide and six inches from home plate. The American Association would follow the following year.[5][4]
  • The balk rule was more clearly defined, changing from "A balk is a motion made by the pitcher to deliver the ball to the bat without delivering it," to "when about to deliver the ball to the bat, while standing within the lines of his position, make any one of the series of motions he habitually makes in so delivering the ball to the bat, without delivering it."[5]
  • The American Association abolishes the "foul bound catch" rule, which was when a fielder caught a foul ball on its first bounce. The National League did so previously in 1883.[6]
  • On June 7, the American Association lifted all restrictions on pitching, enabling pitchers to throw above the shoulder during pitch delivery.[7] The National League lifted restrictions in 1884.

Teams

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An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at

League Team City Stadium Capacity Manager[8]
American Association Baltimore Orioles Oxford, Maryland[A] Oriole Park 5,000 Billy Barnie
Brooklyn Grays Brooklyn, New York Washington Park 3,000 Charlie Hackett
Charlie Byrne
Cincinnati Red Stockings Cincinnati, Ohio American Park 3,000 Ollie Caylor
Louisville Colonels Louisville, Kentucky Eclipse Park 5,860 Jim Hart
New York Metropolitans New York, New York Polo Grounds 20,709 Jim Gifford
Philadelphia Athletics Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jefferson Street Grounds 15,000 Harry Stovey
Pittsburgh Alleghenys Allegheny, Pennsylvania Recreation Park (Pittsburgh) 17,000 Horace Phillips
St. Louis Browns St. Louis, Missouri Sportsman's Park 6,000 Charles Comiskey
National League Boston Beaneaters Boston, Massachusetts South End Grounds 3,000 John Morrill
Buffalo Bisons Buffalo, New York
Olympic Park
  		5,000 Pud Galvin
Jack Chapman
Elmira, New York Maple Avenue Driving Park* Unknown*
Chicago White Stockings Chicago, Illinois West Side Park 6,000 Cap Anson
Detroit Wolverines Detroit, Michigan Recreation Park (Detroit) Unknown Charlie Morton
Bill Watkins
New York Giants New York, New York Polo Grounds 20,709 Jim Mutrie
Philadelphia Quakers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Recreation Park 6,500 Harry Wright
Providence Grays Providence, Rhode Island Messer Street Grounds 6,000 Frank Bancroft
St. Louis Maroons St. Louis, Missouri Union Base Ball Park 10,000 Fred Dunlap
Alex McKinnon
  1. ^
    In today's Barclay, Baltimore.

Standings

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American Association

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American Association
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
St. Louis Browns 79 33 .705 — 44‍–‍11 35‍–‍22
Cincinnati Red Stockings 63 49 .562 16 35‍–‍21 28‍–‍28
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 56 55 .505 22½ 37‍–‍19 19‍–‍36
Philadelphia Athletics 55 57 .491 24 33‍–‍23 22‍–‍34
Brooklyn Grays 53 59 .473 26 35‍–‍22 18‍–‍37
Louisville Colonels 53 59 .473 26 37‍–‍19 16‍–‍40
New York Metropolitans 44 64 .407 33 28‍–‍24 16‍–‍40
Baltimore Orioles 41 68 .376 36½ 29‍–‍26 12‍–‍42

National League

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National League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Chicago White Stockings 87 25 .777 — 42‍–‍14 45‍–‍11
New York Giants 85 27 .759 2 51‍–‍10 34‍–‍17
Philadelphia Quakers 56 54 .509 30 29‍–‍26 27‍–‍28
Providence Grays 53 57 .482 33 31‍–‍20 22‍–‍37
Boston Beaneaters 46 66 .411 41 24‍–‍34 22‍–‍32
Detroit Wolverines 41 67 .380 44 29‍–‍23 12‍–‍44
Buffalo Bisons 38 74 .339 49 19‍–‍34 19‍–‍40
St. Louis Maroons 36 72 .333 49 23‍–‍33 13‍–‍39

Postseason

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Bracket

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World's Championship Series
         
AA St. Louis Browns 58 4 7 3 2 2 138
NL Chicago White Stockings 58 56* 4 2 97 9 4

*Denotes game that St. Louis forfeited to Chicago

Managerial changes

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Off-season

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Team Former Manager New Manager
Baltimore Monumentals Bill Henderson Team folded
Brooklyn Grays George Taylor Charlie Hackett
Buffalo Bisons Jim O'Rourke Pud Galvin
Cincinnati Outlaw Reds Sam Crane Team folded
Cincinnati Red Stockings Pop Snyder Ollie Caylor
Cleveland Blues Charlie Hackett Team folded
Columbus Buckeyes Gus Schmelz Team folded
Detroit Wolverines Jack Chapman Charlie Morton
Indianapolis Hoosiers Bill Watkins Team folded
Kansas City Cowboys Ted Sullivan Team folded
Louisville Colonels Mike Walsh Jim Hart
Milwaukee Brewers Tom Loftus Team folded
New York Giants John Ward Jim Mutrie
New York Metropolitans Jim Mutrie Jim Gifford
Philadelphia Athletics Lon Knight Harry Stovey
Richmond Virginians Felix Moses Team folded
St. Paul Saints Andrew Thompson Team folded
Toledo Blue Stockings Charlie Morton Team folded
Washington Nationals (AA) John Bickerton Team folded
Washington Nationals (UA) Michael Scanlon Team folded

In-season

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Team Former Manager New Manager
Brooklyn Grays Charlie Hackett Charlie Byrne
Buffalo Bisons Pud Galvin Jack Chapman
Detroit Wolverines Charlie Morton Bill Watkins
St. Louis Maroons Fred Dunlap Alex McKinnon

League leaders

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American Association

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Hitting leaders[9]
Stat Player Total
AVG Pete Browning (LOU) .362
OPS Pete Browning (LOU) .923
HR Harry Stovey (PHA) 13
RBI Frank Fennelly (CIN) 89
R Harry Stovey (PHA) 130
H Pete Browning (LOU) 174
Pitching leaders[10]
Stat Player Total
W Bob Caruthers (SLB) 40
L Hardie Henderson (BAL) 35
ERA Bob Caruthers (SLB) 2.07
K Ed Morris (PIT) 298
IP Ed Morris (PIT) 581.0
SV Thomas Burns (BAL) 3
WHIP Ed Morris (PIT) 0.964

National League

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Hitting leaders[11]
Stat Player Total
AVG Roger Connor (NYG) .371
OPS Dan Brouthers (BUF) .951
HR Abner Dalrymple (CHI) 11
RBI Cap Anson (CHI) 108
R King Kelly (CHI) 124
H Roger Connor (NYG) 169
Pitching leaders[12]
Stat Player Total
W John Clarkson (CHI) 53
L Jim Whitney (BOS) 32
ERA Tim Keefe (NYG) 1.58
K John Clarkson (CHI) 308
IP John Clarkson (CHI) 623.0
SV Fred Pfeffer (CHI)
Ed Williamson (CHI) 		2
WHIP Lady Baldwin (DET) 0.920

References

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  1. ^ "1885 Major Leagues Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "The Chicago Champions and St. Louis Browns Play a Tie Game of Ball". Chicago Tribune. Internet Archive. October 15, 1885. Retrieved February 8, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ a b c d "MLB Rule Changes | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Field: Evolution of the Batter's Area". www.19cbaseball.com. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Pestana, Mark. "1884 Winter Meetings: Collapse of the Union, Return of the Prodigals – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  6. ^ Hershberger, Richard. "The Dropped Third Strike: The Life and Times of a Rule – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  7. ^ "Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Field: The Pitcher's Area". www.19cbaseball.com. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
  8. ^ "1885 Major League Baseball Managers". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  9. ^ "1885 American Association Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  10. ^ "1885 American Association Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  11. ^ "1885 National League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  12. ^ "1885 National League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
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