The 1899 major league baseball season was contested from April 14 through October 15, 1899, and saw the Brooklyn Superbas as the pennant winner of the National League. There was no postseason.

The 1899 was the final season of a stable 12-team, eight-season run which saw no expansion or contraction of teams. Following the end of the season, the National League contracted from 12 to 8 teams, eliminating the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Spiders, Louisville Colonels, and Washington Senators. The elimination of major-league baseball from these cities prompted the minor league Western League to position themselves as a major league in , by beginning a transition from a Midwest-focused league to the nationwide focused American League.

The 1899 season is famous for the Cleveland Spiders finishing with the worst single-season record of all time (minimum 120 games), finishing at a dismal (), largely due to the fact that the Spiders-owning Robison family bought the St. Louis Perfectos prior to the 1899 season, then proceeded to move all Cleveland talent to St. Louis, leaving the Spiders a talent-depleted team. The only other major-league team of the 19th century with a worse record was the 1884 Wilmington Quicksteps, who entered the unstable single-season Union Association as a late-season replacement for the Philadelphia Keystones and played only 18 games, with a record of ().

The Brooklyn Bridegrooms and St. Louis Browns renamed as the Brooklyn Superbas and St. Louis Perfectos, respectively.

Schedule

The 1899 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 had previously been used by the National League in and the previous season. This would be the final season which saw this format, due to the reduction of teams the following season.

Opening Day took place on April 14 featuring four teams. The final day of the season on October 15, featuring five teams play in four games (Chicago hosted Louisville and St. Louis hosted Chicago, while Cincinnati hosted Cleveland in a doubleheader).

Rule changes The 1899 season saw the following rule changes: Home plate is required to be a square, positioned such that opposite corners point towards the pitcher and catcher. As a result of catcher's interference, a batter is now awarded first base. Catchers must remain within the catcher's box until a pitch was released from the pitcher's hand (Rule 17). A player in a uniform different from his teammates will not be allowed on the field (Rule 19). A foul tip caught by a catcher in the catcher's box is a strike (Rule 43). Restrictions on coaches in the coaching boxes were implemented, forbidding them from bench jockeying, arguing umpire calls, and interacting with spectators (Rule 52). The number of players that each team could place its reserved list to was reduced to 18.

Teams LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBaltimore OriolesBaltimore, MarylandUnion Park11,000Boston BeaneatersBoston, MassachusettsSouth End Grounds6,600Brooklyn SuperbasNew 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 PerfectosSt. Louis, MissouriLeague Park (St. Louis)14,500Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.Boundary Field6,500

Sunday games Blue laws restricted Sunday activities in several localities, causing several teams to play at ballparks in a different locality.

TeamCityBallparkCapacityGames playedCleveland SpidersSt. Louis, MissouriLeague Park (St. Louis)14,5001New York GiantsWest New York, New JerseyWest New York Field Club GroundsUnknown4

Standings National League

Tie games 20 tie games, which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season. Baltimore Orioles, 4 Boston Beaneaters, 1 Brooklyn Superbas, 2 Chicago Orphans, 4 Cincinnati Reds, 7 Louisville Colonels, 4 New York Giants, 3 Pittsburgh Pirates, 6 St. Louis Perfectos, 4 Washington Senators, 3

Managerial changes Off-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBaltimore OriolesNed HanlonJohn McGrawBrooklyn SuperbasCharles EbbetsNed HanlonCleveland SpidersPatsy TebeauLave CrossNew York GiantsCap AnsonJohn DaySt. Louis PerfectosTim HurstPatsy Tebeau

In-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerCleveland SpidersLave CrossJoe QuinnNew York GiantsJohn DayFred HoeyPittsburgh PiratesBill WatkinsPatsy Donovan

League leaders National League

+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Ed Delahanty (PHI) .410 OPS Ed Delahanty (PHI) 1.046 HR Buck Freeman (WAS) 25 RBI Ed Delahanty (PHI) 137 R Willie Keeler (BRO)John McGraw (BAL) 140 H Ed Delahanty (PHI) 238 SB Jimmy Sheckard (BAL) 77

+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Jay Hughes (BRO)Joe McGinnity (BAL) 28 L Jim Hughey (CLE) 30 ERA Vic Willis (BSN) 2.50 K Noodles Hahn (CIN) 145 IP Sam Leever (PIT) 379.0 SV Sam Leever (PIT) 3 WHIP Cy Young (STL) 1.116

Milestones Pitchers No-hitters

Deacon Phillippe (LOU): Phillippe threw his first career no-hitter and the fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the New York Giants 7–0 on May 25. Phillippe walked three struck out one. Vic Willis (BSN): Willis threw his first career no-hitter and the second no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Washington Senators 7–1 on August 7. Willis walked three, hit two by pitch, and struck out five.

Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendancePhiladelphia Phillies94 20.5%388,933 46.5%4,686St. Louis Perfectos84 115.4%373,909 146.5%4,298Chicago Orphans75 −11.8%352,130 −17.0%4,143Brooklyn Superbas101 87.0%269,641 120.1%3,457Cincinnati Reds83 −9.8%259,536 −22.8%2,949Pittsburgh Pirates765.6%251,834 66.9%2,963Boston Beaneaters95−6.9%200,384 −12.6%2,505Baltimore Orioles86−1.2%121,935−2.5%1,584New York Giants60 −22.1%121,384−54.3%1,597Louisville Colonels75−15.2%109,3196.2%1,735Washington Senators54−16.3%86,392−15.3%1,094Cleveland Spiders20−91.4%6,088−88.3%145

Venues The home of the St. Louis Perfectos, New Sportsman's Park, is renamed League Park.

The home of the Louisville Colonels, Eclipse Park, was destroyed in a fire on August 12, while the team was on a road trip. Following their return home, they would have a 12-game homestand from August 22 through September 2 in a partially rebuilt park, before spending the rest of the season on the road.

Regarding games that were rescheduled to Sunday, and existing blue laws: The Cleveland Spiders host the Louisville Colonels at the home of the St. Louis Perfectos at League Park on Sunday September 24, as part of Louisville's game 2 of their split doubleheader (both against St. Louis and Cleveland). Both Cleveland and St. Louis were owned by Frank and Stanley Robison. The New York Giants played four home games at the West New York Field Club Grounds in West New York, New Jersey on June 4, July 16, August 13, September 17.

See also 1899 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)

References

External links 1899 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference