Code:
National League Standings
W L PCT GB
Cleveland Spiders 91 57 .615 -
Philadelphia Phillies 92 61 .601 1.5
Cincinnati Reds 87 63 .580 5.0
Louisville Colonels 85 67 .559 8.0
Brooklyn Bridegrooms 85 69 .552 9.0
Boston Beaneaters 79 71 .527 13.0
St. Louis Browns 74 76 .493 18.0
Chicago Colts 65 80 .448 24.5
New York Giants 66 84 .440 26.0
Washington Senators 61 89 .407 31.0
Pittsburgh Pirates 60 89 .403 31.5
Baltimore Orioles 54 93 .367 36.5
RECAP
The 1892 season saw the emergence of the National League as a monopoly. Having buried the Players League in 1891, the National League earned the moniker of the "Big League" by absorbing the American Association and then promptly ditching four of the AA teams to leave a twelve-team monolith which would remain unchallenged for the balance of the 19th Century.
In an attempt to generate a little extra excitement the Big League decided to go with a split-season format. The first-half winners would take on the second-half winners for the World's Championship in a best-of-nine series in October. The first-half went to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms who raced through the early going, posting a 50-27 record in the first-half to earn the first berth in the postseason series. The second-half was interesting as several teams competed for that final berth, while Brooklyn struggled with mediocrity. Cleveland (46-29) and Philadelphia (46-31) fought hard but it was the Cincinnati Reds with a 49-26 second-half which won the right to play for the title.
In the Championship Series, the Bridegrooms rediscovered their winning ways and defeated Cincinnati in six games. Several of the victories featured late-inning heroics by the Bridegrooms who were declared Champions despite finishing with the fifth-best overall record in the League at 85-69. Good seasons by Cleveland (91-57), Philadelphia (92-61) and Louisville (85-67) were all wasted by the strange split-season format, which would be discarded for 1893.
There was no shortage of big news in the 1892 season either, as several pitchers notched their 300th victory, while one - the game's winningest pitcher, Thomas Goss - pushed his total to 417. That the "Winter Goose" could accomplish this at age 32 is simply amazing. One of the game's greats, Jim Durr, decided to retire following the season. Durr's final season, a disappointing 14-27 for Pittsburgh, left him with a lifetime 359-257 record, an earned run average of 3.13 and 1895 strikeouts in 5514 innings. The hitters were not to be left out either as the great Hick Rogers of New York became the first batsman to pass 2000 hits.
In other leagues, the Eastern League, considered the top of the so-called "minor" circuits, struggled in 1892 with fully four clubs not making it to the finish line. Syracuse, Elmira, New Haven and Philadelphia all shut down in the middle of the season, with several of their players quickly finding new employment in the National League. League officials have promised that the 1893 Eastern League will be a stable and profitable league.
LEADERS
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.360 Ron Hulett (SLN)
.345 Jeffrey McMillen (WSN)
.336 George Christian (BRO)
.336 Charlie Shanafelt (BRO)
.334 Cornbread Collins (CHN)
TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
8 Harry Ransom (BSN)
7 Paul Bruner (BRO)
7 Jasper Hines (SLN)
7 Joe Wright (BLN)
6 Four Players
TOP 5 in RBI :
116 George Wade (CIN)
100 Jasper Hines (SLN)
94 Victor Hines (NY1)
93 Travis Krupp (CL4)
91 Joe Wright (BLN)
TOP 5 in ERA :
1.79 Paul Trail (BRO)
2.10 George Tharp (BRO)
2.12 Jim Campbell (SLN)
2.13 Joe Philpott (CL4)
2.14 George Hughes (BSN)
TOP 5 in WINS :
32 Thomas Goss (CIN)
32 Roger Mason (LS3)
31 Joe Philpott (CL4)
30 Dave Necaise (PHI)
30 Randy Sergent (PHI)