November 1, 1875
As expected, the Philadelphia Athletics won their third National Association title after having won in the league’s first two seasons. The Athletics’ season ended on October 28, when starter Joe Gotcher defeated the St. Louis Brown stockings for his 38th victory of the year. Gotcher and the rest of the Athletic pitchers held opponents to a league best 5.2 runs per game, and the offense, led by batting champion Jim Shemo, were among the league leaders in runs scored. At 7.5 runs per game, only New York and Washington put opposing pitchers in a bigger bind.
The Brooklyn Atlantics finished in 2nd place, and while for many teams that would have been a reason to be excited, it’s the 3rd consecutive season the Atlantics have finished as bridesmaids. The Hartford Dark Blues may have finished in the middle of the standings, but they did accomplish something of note. They are the second team in league history to win 40 games in a season. No team prior to 1875 had ever won 40 games, and while Hartford played far more games than previous league champions have, only the champion Athletics this year have a higher single season win total.
In Other News
Oct 7: Frank Smyth of the St. Louis Brown Stockings shuts out Chicago on 4 hits.
Oct 15: The Athletics path to the championship wasn’t without bumps in the road, as Art Stokes and the Chicago White Stockings shut them out on 2 hits.
Oct 16: Brigham Young University is founded.
Oct 20: Hartford requires 15 innings to defeat the Brown Stockings. Tom Hedgepeth led off the bottom of the 15th with a triple, then scored on a bases loaded single by Sandy McWhorter. Both St. Louis starter Jack Higgins and Hartford starter Doc Taylor go the distance.
Oct 25: In Boston, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is performed for the first time.
Standings
Code:
W L PCT GB
Philadelphia Athletics 54 23 .701 -
Brooklyn Atlantics 27 17 .614 10.5
Chicago White Stockings 38 31 .551 12.0
Washington Nationals 17 11 .607 12.5
New York Mutuals 36 35 .507 15.0
Hartford Dark Blues 42 44 .488 16.5
Philadelphia White Stockings 34 36 .486 16.5
St. Louis Red Stockings 8 11 .421 17.0
Boston Red Stockings 38 44 .463 18.5
Philadelphia Centennials 4 10 .286 18.5
Keokuk Westerns 3 10 .231 19.0
New Haven Elm Citys 17 30 .362 22.0
St. Louis Brown Stockings 27 43 .386 23.5
League Leaders
Average
.347 Jim Shemo (PHA)
.335 Mike Stanley (ATL)
.333 Bill Devos (CEN)
Total Bases
158 Jim Linhart (HR)
146 Charlie Rossi (BOS)
143 Jim Shemo (PHA)
Stolen Bases
18 John Nero (NY)
17 Bill Heim (PHA)
14 John Macmillan (BOS), Sam Shokes (NY)
ERA
1.59 Frank Reimann (NY)
1.73 Joe Gotcher (PHA)
1.90 Jack Anderson (ATL)
Wins
38 Joe Gotcher (PHA)
24 Fred Ross (BOS)
21 Jack Anderson (BAL)
Strikeouts
31 Fred Ross (BOS)
30 Frank Reimann (NY)
25 Jack Anderson (ATL)