1894
Code:
Team W L % GB
Pittsburgh Pirates 83 57 .593 -
Chicago Colts 80 60 .571 3
Cleveland Spiders 78 62 .557 5
Philadelphia Phillies 73 67 .521 10
Boston Beaneaters 72 68 .514 11
New York Giants 69 71 .493 14
Brooklyn Grooms 67 73 .479 16
Cincinnati Reds 62 78 .443 21
Louisville Colonels 62 78 .443 21
Baltimore Orioles 54 86 .386 29
Pittsburgh Pirates
The NL had a tight race all season. In late June, Cleveland, Chicago and Pittsburgh were tied for 1st. By mid-July the top 6 teams were separated by just 3 games. The Colts were in 1st place for much of the season but that lead went back and forth between them and the Pirates for the final two months. The Pirates went into September with a 4 game lead and wound up losing just one game to the Colts the rest of the way. That gave Pittsburgh the franchise's first pennant since their days in Buffalo back in 1879.
The Pirates had the top offense in the league, scoring a half run more per game than the second best offense in Philly. CF Pete Browning led the NL with a .381 average and chipped in 96 RBI. LF Fred Carroll hit .336 with 73 RBI. 1B Jake "Eagle Eye" Beckley hit .298 with a team best 10 HR and 106 RBI. "Whoa Bill" Phillips led the team with a 2.86 ERA and had a 19-13 record. Jock Menefee led the team with 21 wins. Silver King won 20 games despite a 3.93 ERA thanks to the strong offense.
Chicago Colts
The Colts were well balanced. They were 2nd in pitching. Despite starting just 21 games, rookie Clark Griffith led the team with a 2.55 ERA that helped him to a 12-5 record. Willard Mains (22-14, 3.82 ERA) led the team in wins while Gus Krock (19-16, 3.11) and Laurie Reis (19-15, 3.93) tied for 2nd. After Boston's Joe Borden and his 282 career wins retired in the offseason, Reis moved into 1st place all time with 289 wins by season's end.
Offensively, LF Jimmy Ryan (.339, 72 RBI) was the only regular with an average over .300 although RF Sam Dungan hit .318 in 387 AB. CF Hugh Duffy led the team with 11 HR and 96 RBI. 2B Bob Glenalvin's 68 steals was 2nd in the NL. Catcher Sy Sutcliffe hit .254, the first time in his 7 year career that he hit below .300. His career average dipped to .314.
Cleveland Spiders
Once again, the amazing amrs in Cleveland were the best in the league. George Davies went 22-13 with a 2.79 ERA. Cy Young won just 19 games but led the team with a 2.34 ERA. Lady Baldwin went 18-15 with a 3.07 ERA, and George Derby's 3.35 ERA earned him a disappointing 12-11 record. CF Buttercup Dickerson and SS Ed McKean topped the team with averages of .313 and .312. RF Sam Thompson hit .305 with 10 HR and 89 RBI. Returning to the majors for the first time since 1889, LF Count Campau stole 59 bases at age 30 while hitting .303.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies offense was 2nd best in the majors. RF Dan Brouthers led the team with a .362 average, and he led the league with 107 RBI. CF JOe Knight hit .357 with 77 RBI. LF Billy Hamilton hit .326 with 75 RBI and a league best 71 steals. Catcher Jack Clements hit .325 with 64 RBI. 1B Ed Delahanty hit .314 with 90 RBI and a team high 9 HRs. 3B Lave Cross (.303, 69 RBI) hit above .300 for the first time in his 3-year career. With an offense this talented, it was obviously pitching that did them in. The rotation of Gus Weyhing (24-11, 4.17), Bill Vinton (14-21, 4.29), George Harper (16-16, 4.38) and Cannonball Titcomb (14-7, 2.20) led the 3rd worst pitching staff in the league.
Boston Beaneaters
Kid Nichols had a solid season, going 19-14 with a team best 3.13 ERA. After eight seasons as a reliever, Bill Stemmeyer got a chance to start more regularly and went 16-7 with a 3.15 ERA in 228.2 innings. RF Steve Brodie (.310) was the only regular player to hit over .300. 3B Billy Nash led the team with 77 RBI.
New York Giants
In his rookie season, Wee Willie Keeler hit .325, but his 295 AB were not enough to qualify him for the team lead. That spot went to LF Jesse Burkett who hit .292 after a .361 clip last season. John Clarkson was the team's top pitcher, leading the NL with 25 wins. Bill George went 15-20 despite leading the team with a 3.10 ERA.
Brooklyn Grooms
The Grooms had the 2nd best team ERA in the league and the 3rd fewest runs allowed per game. Charlie Sweeney (22-10, 2.52) and George Keefe (22-12, 2.86) had top seasons. LF Darby O'Brien was easily the team's top hitter with a .341 average. Rookie 1B Candy LaChance led the league with 12 HRs. SS Oyster Burns led the team with 96 RBI despite a .260 average.
Cincinnati Reds
LF Willie Murphy's .330 average led the team. CF Bug Holliday (.294) and 1B Otto Schomberg (.259) tied for the team lead with just 69 RBI. Willie McGill's 3.55 ERA in just 190 innings was the best on the team. Billy Rhines led the team with 18 wins but also had 19 losses. They finished with the 2nd most runs allowed per game in the league.
Louisville Colonels
The Colonels' offense was worst in the league, although CF Charlie Abbey (.301, 64 RBI) had a good season. Pitching was their only saviour on most days. Phil Knell (15-15, 2.84) and Scott Stratton (15-18, 3.26) gave valiant efforts.
Baltimore Orioles
LF Jack McGeachy (.301, 54 RBI) and 3B John McGraw (.292, 10 HR, 62 RBI) were the only hitters worth mentioning. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Bill Hawke managed a winning record (18-16) with a 3.47 ERA on this 86-loss team.
Batting AVG
.381 Pete Browning, PIT
.362 Dan Brouthers, PHI
.357 Joe Knight, PHI
.341 Darby O'Brien, BRO
.339 Jimmy Ryan, CHC
HOMERUNS
12 Candy LaChance, BRO
11 Hugh Duffy, CHC
10 Sam Thompson, CLS
10 Jake Beckley, PIT
10 John McGraw, BLO
RBI
107 Dan Brouthers, PHI
106 Jake Beckley, PIT
96 Oyster Burns, BRO
96 Pete Browning, PIT
96 Hugh Duffy, CHC
90 Ed Delahanty, PHI
OPS
.927 Pete Browning, PIT
.912 Joe Knight, PHI
.899 Dan Brouthers, PHI
.857 Jimmy Ryan, CHC
.847 Darby O'Brien, BRO
STEALS
71 Billy Hamilton, PHI (71-26, 73.20%)
68 Bob Glenalvin, CHC (68-16, 80.95%)
64 Hub Collins, BRO (64-24, 72.73%)
62 Darby O'Brien, BRO (62-23, 72.94%)
61 Mike Tiernan, NYG (61-20, 75.31%)
60 John McGraw, BLO (60-32, 65.22%)
ERA
2.20 Cannonball Titcomb, PHI (14-7)
2.34 Cy Young, CLS (19-14)
2.52 Charlie Sweeney, BRO (22-10)
2.55 Clark Griffith, CHC (12-5)
2.79 George Davies, CLS (22-13)
WINS
25 John Clarkson, NYG (25-10, 3.38)
24 Gus Weyhing, PHI (24-11, 4.17)
22 George Davies, CLS
22 Willard Mains, CHC (22-14, 3.82)
22 George Keefe, BRO (22-12, 2.86)
22 Charlie Sweeney, BRO
STRIKEOUTS
278 Bill Daley, BSN (18-18, 3.63)
197 Bill Hawke, BLO (18-16, 3.47)
188 Lady Baldwin, CLS (18-15, 3.07)
176 Willard Mains, CHC
164 Bill Vinton, PHI (14-21, 4.29)
POY: Charlie Sweeney, BRO, 22-10, 2.52 ERA, 71 BB, 156 K, .243 OAVG, 1.15 WHIP
BOY: CF Pete Browning, PIT, .381, 96 RBI, 22 SB, .927 OPS
ROY: Willard Mains, CHC, 22-14, 3.82 ERA, 63 BB, 176 K, .269 OAVG, 1.25 WHIP