The 1898 major league baseball season began on April 15, 1898. The regular season ended on October 15, with the Boston Beaneaters as the pennant winner of the National League. Due to lack of enthusiasm from both players and fans, the Temple Cup which had taken place in the four previous seasons was not held, nor was there any other form of a postseason.

The Chicago Colts renamed as the Chicago Orphans.

Schedule

The 1898 schedule consisted of 154 games for the twelve teams of the National League. Each team was scheduled to play 14 games against the other eleven teams in the league. This format saw an increase to the previously used format, which had each team play 12 games against each other, and had resulted in a total of 132 games. The 154-game format had previously been used by the National League during in .

Opening Day took place on April 15 featuring six teams. The final day of the season was on October 15, featuring eight teams.

Rule changes The 1898 season saw the following rule changes: Umpires are now allowed to suspend a player for up to three games (including the one which he was ejected) for "kicking." Uniformed players who were not in-game could not sit with spectators.

Teams LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBaltimore OriolesBaltimore, MarylandUnion Park6,500Boston BeaneatersBoston, MassachusettsSouth End Grounds6,600Brooklyn BridegroomsNew York, New YorkWashington Park12,000Chicago OrphansChicago, IllinoisWest Side Park13,000Cincinnati RedsCincinnati, OhioLeague Park (Cincinnati)9,000Cleveland SpidersCleveland, OhioLeague Park (Cleveland)9,000Louisville ColonelsLouisville, KentuckyEclipse Park6,400New York GiantsNew York, New YorkPolo Grounds16,000Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaNational League Park18,000Pittsburgh PiratesAllegheny, PennsylvaniaExposition Park6,500St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriNew Sportsman's Park14,500Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.Boundary Field6,500

Neutral site and Sunday games The Cleveland Spiders played in 15 neutral site games in which they were treated as the home team. Meanwhile, blue laws restricted Sunday activities in several localities, causing several teams to play at ballparks in a different locality. TeamCityBallparkCapacityGames playedTypeBrooklyn BridegroomsWest New York, New JerseyWest New York Field Club GroundsUnknown2SundayCleveland SpidersRochester, New YorkCulver FieldUnknown2Neutral siteCollinwood, OhioEuclid Beach ParkUnknown2SundayPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaNational League Park18,0009Neutral siteCharlotte, New YorkOntario Beach GroundsUnknown1Neutral site & SundaySt. Louis, MissouriNew Sportsman's Park14,5002Neutral siteChicago, IllinoisWest Side Park13,0001Neutral siteNew York GiantsWest New York, New JerseyWest New York Field Club GroundsUnknown1Sunday

Standings National League

Tie games 24 tie games, which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season. Baltimore Orioles, 5 Boston Beaneaters, 3 Brooklyn Bridegrooms, 4 Chicago Orphans, 2 Cincinnati Reds, 5 Cleveland Spiders, 7 Louisville Colonels, 3 New York Giants, 7 Philadelphia Phillies, 1 Pittsburgh Pirates, 4 St. Louis Browns, 4 Washington Senators, 3

Managerial changes Off-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerChicago OrphansCap AnsonTom BurnsPittsburgh PiratesPatsy DonovanBill WatkinsSt. Louis BrownsChris von der AheTim Hurst

In-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBrooklyn BridegroomsBilly BarnieMike GriffinMike GriffinCharles EbbetsNew York GiantsBill JoyceCap AnsonPhiladelphia PhilliesGeorge StallingsBill ShettslineWashington SenatorsTom BrownJack DoyleJack DoyleDeacon McGuireDeacon McGuireArthur Irwin

League leaders National League

+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Willie Keeler (BRO) .385 OPS Billy Hamilton (BSN) .933 HR Jimmy Collins (BSN) 15 RBI Nap Lajoie (PHI) 127 R John McGraw (BAL) 143 H Willie Keeler (BRO) 216 SB Ed Delahanty (PHI) 58

+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Kid Nichols (BSN) 31 L Jack Taylor (STL) 29 ERA Clark Griffith (CHI) 1.88 K Cy Seymour (NYG) 239 IP Jack Taylor (STL) 397.1 SV Kid Nichols (BSN) 4 WHIP Kid Nichols (BSN) 1.034

Milestones Batters Bill Duggleby (PHI): Hits a grand slam in his first major league at-bat on April 21, a feat not accomplished again until Jeremy Hermida in . Billy Hamilton (BSN): Recorded his 800th career stolen base against the Baltimore Orioles on May 11. He became the first player to reach this mark. Hugh Duffy (BSN): Recorded his 500th career stolen base against the Louisville Colonels on May 28. He became the seventh player to reach this mark. Billy Hoy (LOU): Recorded his 500th career stolen base against the St. Louis Browns in game two of a doubleheader on June 19. He became the eighth player to reach this mark.

Pitchers No-hitters

Ted Breitenstein (CIN): Breitenstein threw his second career no-hitter and the second no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 11–0 on April 22. Breitenstein walked one and struck out two. Jay Hughes (BAL): Hughes threw his first career no-hitter and the third no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Beaneaters 8–0 on April 22. Hughes walked three and struck out three. Red Donahue (PHI): Donahue threw his first career no-hitter and the second no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Beaneaters 5–0 on July 8. Donahue walked two and struck out one. Walter Thornton (CHI): Thornton threw his first career no-hitter and the fifth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Brooklyn Bridegrooms 2–0 in game 2 of a doubleheader on August 21. Thornton walked three and struck out three.

Other pitching accomplishments Walter Thornton (CHI): Tied a Major League record by becoming the second pitcher to hit three consecutive batters by pitch, the first since , in a game against the St. Louis Browns on May 18.

Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendanceChicago Orphans85 44.1%424,352 29.7%4,768Cincinnati Reds92 21.1%336,378 −0.1%3,780New York Giants77 −7.2%265,414−32.0%3,492Philadelphia Phillies78 41.8%265,414 −8.5%3,277Boston Beaneaters1029.7%229,275 −31.5%2,902St. Louis Browns39 34.5%151,700 11.2%2,298Pittsburgh Pirates7220.0%150,900 −9.1%2,012Louisville Colonels7034.6%128,980−11.2%1,633Baltimore Orioles966.7%123,416−54.8%1,624Brooklyn Bridegrooms54 −11.5%122,514 −44.5%1,656Washington Senators51−16.4%103,250−31.6%1,291Cleveland Spiders8117.4%70,496−38.8%1,237

Venues The Brooklyn Bridegrooms, leave Eastern Park (where they played for seven seasons) and move to Washington Park, where they would go on to play for 15 seasons through .

Regarding games that were rescheduled to Sunday, and existing blue laws: Both the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and New York Giants would play at the West New York Field Club Grounds in West New York, New Jersey. The Bridegrooms played two games, on September 18 and October 10, while the Giants played one game on September 11. The Cleveland Spiders played at two venues for Sunday games. The team played two games at Euclid Beach Park in Collinwood, Ohio (today in Cleveland) on June 12 and 19, and one game at the Ontario Beach Grounds in Charlotte, New York (today in Rochester) on August 28.

The Cleveland Spiders played 15 of 57 home games (about ) outside of the Greater Cleveland area. Excluding the already mentioned Ontario Beach Grounds Sunday game listed above, these neutral site games were played in: Culver Field in Rochester, New York, home of the minor league Eastern League Rochester Bronchos (two games, played on August 27 and 29). National League Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, home of the Philadelphia Phillies (nine games, including four games on July 29 and 30, and five games between August 5 and 11). New Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, Missouri, home of the St. Louis Browns (two games, played on September 28 and 29). West Side Park in Chicago, Illinois, home of the Chicago Orphans (one game, played on October 8).

See also 1898 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)

References

External links 1898 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference