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. The 1885 World's Championship Series took place between October 14 and October 24, though was originally supposed to extend to October 31.
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. Chest protectors worn by catchers and umpires came into use. In the National League, home base could be made of marble or whitened rubber. The American Association would make this change in the following year. One portion of the bat could be flat (one side). 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. 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." 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 . Minimum player salary under the reserve rule was made $1,000 (). On June 7, the American Association lifted all restrictions on pitching, enabling pitchers to throw above the shoulder during pitch delivery. The National League lifted restrictions in 1884.
Teams LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBaltimore OriolesOxford, MarylandOriole Park5,000Brooklyn GraysBrooklyn, New YorkWashington Park3,000Cincinnati Red StockingsCincinnati, OhioAmerican Park3,000Louisville ColonelsLouisville, KentuckyEclipse Park5,860New York MetropolitansNew York, New YorkPolo Grounds20,709Philadelphia AthleticsPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaJefferson Street Grounds15,000Pittsburgh AlleghenysAllegheny, PennsylvaniaRecreation Park (Pittsburgh)17,000St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriSportsman's Park6,000Boston BeaneatersBoston, MassachusettsSouth End Grounds3,000Buffalo BisonsBuffalo, New YorkOlympic Park5,000Chicago White StockingsChicago, IllinoisWest Side Park6,000Detroit WolverinesDetroit, MichiganRecreation Park (Detroit)UnknownNew York GiantsNew York, New YorkPolo Grounds20,709Philadelphia QuakersPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaRecreation Park6,500Providence GraysProvidence, Rhode IslandMesser Street Grounds6,000St. Louis MaroonsSt. Louis, MissouriUnion Base Ball Park10,000
Neutral site games Three teams hosted games at neutral sites, the Buffalo Bisons, Providence Grays, and St. Louis Maroons. TeamCityBallparkCapacityGames playedBuffalo BisonsElmira, New YorkMaple Avenue Driving ParkUnknown2Milwaukee, WisconsinWright Street Grounds5,3001Providence Grays1St. Louis MaroonsIndianapolis, IndianaSeventh Street ParkUnknown1
Standings
American Association
National League
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.
National League The St. Louis Maroons had three tie games. The Boston Beaneaters, Chicago White Stockings, and Philadelphia Quakers had one tie game each. 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
*Denotes game that St. Louis forfeited to Chicago
Managerial changes Off-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBaltimore MonumentalsBill HendersonTeam foldedBrooklyn GraysGeorge TaylorCharlie HackettBuffalo BisonsJim O'RourkePud GalvinCincinnati Outlaw RedsSam CraneTeam foldedCincinnati Red StockingsPop SnyderOllie CaylorCleveland BluesCharlie HackettTeam foldedColumbus BuckeyesGus SchmelzTeam foldedDetroit WolverinesJack ChapmanCharlie MortonIndianapolis HoosiersBill WatkinsTeam foldedKansas City CowboysTed SullivanTeam foldedLouisville ColonelsMike WalshJim HartMilwaukee BrewersTom LoftusTeam foldedNew York GiantsJohn Montgomery WardJim MutrieNew York MetropolitansJim MutrieJim GiffordPhiladelphia AthleticsLon KnightHarry StoveyRichmond VirginiansFelix MosesTeam foldedSt. Paul SaintsAndrew ThompsonTeam foldedToledo Blue StockingsCharlie MortonTeam foldedWashington Nationals (AA)John BickertonTeam foldedWashington Nationals (UA)Michael ScanlonTeam folded
In-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBrooklyn GraysCharlie HackettCharlie ByrneBuffalo BisonsPud GalvinJack ChapmanDetroit WolverinesCharlie MortonBill WatkinsSt. Louis MaroonsFred DunlapAlex McKinnon
League leaders American Association
+ Hitting leaders 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 Stat Player Total W Bob Caruthers (STL) 40 L Hardie Henderson (BAL) 35 ERA Bob Caruthers (STL) 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
+ Hitting leaders 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 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. George Wood (DET): Wood hit for his first cycle and first in franchise history, on June 13 against the Chicago White Stockings. 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. Mox McQuery (DET): McQuery hit for his first cycle and second in franchise history, on September 28 against the Providence Grays.
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.
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. 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.
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 .
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. 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. The St. Louis Maroons played at Seventh Street Park in Indianapolis, Indiana (the home of the former Indianapolis Hoosiers) on September 15.
See also 1885 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)
References
External links 1885 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference