From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
1885 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1885 MLB season |
| league | American Association (AA) |
| National League (NL) | |
| sport | Baseball |
| duration | Regular season:{{Bulleted list |
| no_of_games | 112 |
| no_of_teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| playoffs | Pennant winner |
| conf1 | AA |
| conf1_champ | [St. Louis Browns](1885-st-louis-browns-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Cincinnati Red Stockings](1885-cincinnati-red-stockings-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [Chicago White Stockings](1885-chicago-white-stockings-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [New York Giants](1885-new-york-giants-season) |
| finals | World's Championship Series |
| finals_link | 1885 World Series |
| finals_champ | Series ended in a tie |
| finals_runner-up | [St. Louis Browns](1885-st-louis-browns-season) / [Chicago White Stockings](1885-chicago-white-stockings-season) |
| seasonslist | List of Major League Baseball seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1884 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1884 |
| nextseason_link | 1886 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1886 |
National League (NL) | April 18 – October 5, 1885 (AA) | April 30 – October 10, 1885 (NL)}}World's Championship Series:{{Bulleted list | October 14–24, 1885}} | conf1_runner-up = Cincinnati Red Stockings | conf2_runner-up = New York Giants | finals_runner-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. 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
An asterisk () denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at*
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | Baltimore Orioles | Brooklyn Grays | Cincinnati Red Stockings | Louisville Colonels | New York Metropolitans | Philadelphia Athletics | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | St. Louis Browns | National League}};" | Boston Beaneaters | Buffalo Bisons | Chicago White Stockings | Detroit Wolverines | New York Giants | Philadelphia Quakers | Providence Grays | St. Louis Maroons | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford, Maryland | Oriole Park | 5,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brooklyn, New York | Washington Park | 3,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | American Park | 3,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville, Kentucky | Eclipse Park | 5,860 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 20,709 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Jefferson Street Grounds | 15,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegheny, Pennsylvania | Recreation Park (Pittsburgh) | 17,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 6,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | South End Grounds | 3,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Buffalo, New York | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elmira, New York | Maple Avenue Driving Park* | Unknown* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | West Side Park | 6,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Recreation Park (Detroit) | *Unknown* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 20,709 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Recreation Park | 6,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Providence, Rhode Island | Messer Street Grounds | 6,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Union Base Ball Park | 10,000 |
Standings
American Association
National League
Postseason
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AA | RD1-team1=St. Louis Browns | RD1-score1-1=58 | RD1-score1-2=4 | RD1-score1-3=7 | RD1-score1-4=3 | RD1-score1-5=2 | RD1-score1-6=2 | RD1-score1-7=138 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=Chicago White Stockings | RD1-score2-1=58 | RD1-score2-2=56* | RD1-score2-3=4 | RD1-score2-4=2 | RD1-score2-5=97 | RD1-score2-6=9 | RD1-score2-7=4
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Baltimore Monumentals | Brooklyn Grays | Buffalo Bisons | Cincinnati Outlaw Reds | Cincinnati Red Stockings | Cleveland Blues | Columbus Buckeyes | Detroit Wolverines | Indianapolis Hoosiers | Kansas City Cowboys | Louisville Colonels | Milwaukee Brewers | New York Giants | New York Metropolitans | Philadelphia Athletics | Richmond Virginians | St. Paul Saints | Toledo Blue Stockings | Washington Nationals (AA) | Washington Nationals (UA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Henderson | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| George Taylor | Charlie Hackett | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim O'Rourke | Pud Galvin | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam Crane | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Pop Snyder | Ollie Caylor | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Charlie Hackett | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gus Schmelz | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Jack Chapman | Charlie Morton | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bill Watkins | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Ted Sullivan | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Mike Walsh | Jim Hart | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Tom Loftus | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| John Ward | Jim Mutrie | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim Mutrie | Jim Gifford | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Lon Knight | Harry Stovey | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Felix Moses | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Andrew Thompson | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Charlie Morton | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| John Bickerton | *Team folded* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Michael Scanlon | *Team folded* |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Brooklyn Grays | Buffalo Bisons | Detroit Wolverines | St. Louis Maroons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Hackett | Charlie Byrne | |||||
| Pud Galvin | Jack Chapman | |||||
| Charlie Morton | Bill Watkins | |||||
| 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 |
| 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
| 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 |
References
References
- "1885 Major Leagues Schedule".
- (1885-10-15). "The Chicago Champions and St. Louis Browns Play a Tie Game of Ball". [[Chicago Tribune]].
- "MLB Rule Changes {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Field: Evolution of the Batter's Area".
- Pestana, Mark. "1884 Winter Meetings: Collapse of the Union, Return of the Prodigals – Society for American Baseball Research".
- Hershberger, Richard. "The Dropped Third Strike: The Life and Times of a Rule – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball: The Field: The Pitcher's Area".
- "1885 Major League Managers".
- "1885 American Association Batting Leaders".
- "1885 American Association Pitching Leaders".
- "1885 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1885 National League Pitching Leaders".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 1885 Major League Baseball season — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report