1885 Major League Baseball season
| 1885 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Association (AA) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 112 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| Pennant winner | |
| AA champions | St. Louis Browns |
| AA runners-up | Cincinnati Red Stockings |
| NL champions | Chicago White Stockings |
| NL runners-up | New York Giants |
| World's Championship Series | |
| Champions | Series ended in a tie |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Browns / Chicago White Stockings |
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 Colonels, respectively.
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
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]
- Minimum player salary under the reserve rule was made $1,000 (equivalent to $35,833 in 2025).[5]
- 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
Neutral site games
Three teams hosted games at neutral sites, the Buffalo Bisons, Providence Grays, and St. Louis Maroons.[9]
| Team | City | Ballpark | Capacity | Games played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bisons | Elmira, New York | Maple Avenue Driving Park | Unknown | 2 |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Wright Street Grounds | 5,300 | 1 | |
| Providence Grays | 1 | |||
| St. Louis Maroons | Indianapolis, Indiana | Seventh Street Park | Unknown | 1 |
- ^
- ^
- ^ In today's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Standings
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
| 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 |
Tie games
4 tie games (1 in AA, 3 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American Association
The Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Athletics had one tie game each.
- August 11, Baltimore Orioles vs. Philadelphia Athletics, tied at 4.[10]
National League
The St. Louis Maroons had three tie games. The Boston Beaneaters, Chicago White Stockings, and Philadelphia Quakers had one tie game each.[11]
- August 1, Boston Beaneaters vs. St. Louis Maroons, scoreless.
- September 8, St. Louis Maroons vs. Chicago White Stockings, tied at one.
- October 2, St. Louis Maroons vs. Philadelphia Quakers, tied at 3.
Postseason
Bracket
| 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
Off-season
| 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 Montgomery 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
| 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
American Association
| 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 |
National League
| 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 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | John Clarkson (CHI) | 53 |
| L | Jim Whitney (BSN) | 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 |
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Dave Orr (NYM):
- Orr hit for his first cycle and first in franchise history, on June 12 against the St. Louis Browns.[16]
- George Wood (DET):
- Wood hit for his first cycle and first in franchise history, on June 13 against the Chicago White Stockings.[16]
- Henry Larkin (PHA):
- Larkin hit for his first cycle and second in franchise history, and the first reverse cycle in major league history on June 16 against Pittsburgh Alleghenys.[16][17]
- Mox McQuery (DET):
- McQuery hit for his first cycle and second in franchise history, on September 28 against the Providence Grays.[16]
Other batting accomplishments
- George Strief (PHA):
- Set a Major League record by hitting four triples in a single game, on June 25 against the Brooklyn Grays.[18]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- John Clarkson (CHI):
- Clarkson threw his first career no-hitter and fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Providence Grays 4–0 on July 27.[19]
- Charlie Ferguson (PHI):
- Ferguson threw his first career no-hitter and first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Providence Grays 1–0 on August 29. Ferguson walked two and struck out eight.[20]
Venues
The Chicago White Stockings leave Lakefront Park (where they played for seven seasons) and move to West Side Park, where they would go on to play for seven seasons, partway through 1891.
For various reasons, three teams would play home games at neutral sites:
- The Buffalo Bisons played a doubleheader on their last day of the season, at Maple Avenue Driving Park in Elmira, New York on October 10.[21]
- The home of the formerly major league Milwaukee Brewers, Wright Street Grounds in Milwaukee, Wisconsin would be the site of two games, both against the nearby Chicago White Stockings. The Buffalo Bisons hosted on September 4, while the Providence Grays hosted on September 25.[22]
- The St. Louis Maroons played at Seventh Street Park in Indianapolis, Indiana (the home of the former Indianapolis Hoosiers) on September 15.[23]
See also
References
- ^ "1885 Major Leagues Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "The Chicago Champions and St. Louis Browns Play a Tie Game of Ball". Chicago Tribune. October 15, 1885. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "MLB Rule Changes | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Field: Evolution of the Batter's Area". www.19cbaseball.com. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c Pestana, Mark. "1884 Winter Meetings: Collapse of the Union, Return of the Prodigals – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ Hershberger, Richard. "The Dropped Third Strike: The Life and Times of a Rule – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Field: The Pitcher's Area". www.19cbaseball.com. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ "1885 Major League Managers". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1885 Season – 1-Year Park Factors — Seamheads.com Ballparks Database". www.seamheads.com. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ "1885 Philadelphia Athletics Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "1885 St. Louis Maroons Schedule". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "1885 American Association Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1885 American Association Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1885 National League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1885 National League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Cycles". Retrosheet.org. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
- ^ Huber, Mike. "May 7, 2008: Minnesota's Carlos Gomez hits for reverse natural cycle". SABR. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ "MLB Triples Records | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ Wilbert, Warren; Hageman, William (1997). Chicago Cubs: Seasons at the Summit, the 50 Greatest Individual Seasons. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 6. ISBN 1571671102.
- ^ "Pulling Up To Chicago". The Sun (New York). August 30, 1885.
- ^ "1885 Log For Maple Avenue Driving Park in Elmira, NY". Retrosheet. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ "1885 Log For Wright Street Grounds in Milwaukee, WI". Retrosheet. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
- ^ "1885 Log For Seventh Street Park I in Indianapolis, IN". Retrosheet. Retrieved March 11, 2026.