National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs in 1891

Introduction

The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NL) was established in 1876 (149 years ago) when a number of its teams broke away from the NA. The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NL) was formed in Chicago, Illinois, by businessman and owner of the Chicago Base Ball Club (now known as the Chicago Cubs), William Hulbert, for the purpose of replacing the NA, which he believed to have been corrupt, mismanaged, full of rowdy, drunken ballplayers, and under the influence of the gambling community. One of the new rules put into place by the new league was that all teams had to be located in cities that had a population of 75,000 or more.

1891 was Season 16 of play for the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NL) and took place 134 years ago.


Classification

Major League


Season Length

April 22, 1891 to October 3, 1891


Season Champion

Boston Beaneaters


# of Teams

8


Season Standings


Season Playoffs

There were no championship playoffs as the top team with the most wins at end of season was declared league champion for the season.


World Series


Events in Baseball (Thanks to Wikipedia)

Notable Seasons
  • Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Billy Hamilton leads the NL with 179 hits, 111 stolen bases, 141 runs scored, and a .340 batting average. His .874 OPS and 155 OPS+ both rank second in the league.
  • Chicago Colts pitcher Bill Hutchinson has a record of 44-19 and leads the NL with 561 innings pitched and 44 wins. His 261 strikeouts rank second in the league. He has a 2.81 earned run average and a 123 ERA+.
January–March
  • January 16 – An agreement is signed between the National League, American Association, and Western Association which creates a three man panel to settle any and all disputes between the three leagues. The agreement occurs two days after the National League allowed the American Association to place a team in Boston, a move the NL’s Boston Beaneaters opposed.
  • January 30 – The Boston Reds purchase the contract of second baseman Cupid Childs from the Syracuse Stars for $2,000.
  • February 1 – The New York Giants sell the contract of Jesse Burkett to the Cleveland Spiders
  • February 6 – The New York Giants‘ salary list is leaked to the press. It shows a total player payroll of $54,600 with Buck Ewing‘s $5,500 salary topping the scale.
April–June
July–September
October–December
  • October 4 – On the final day of the American Association season, Ted Breitenstein of the St. Louis Browns throws a no-hitter against the Louisville Colonels, in an 8–0 Browns win. It is Breitenstein’s first major league start. He faced the minimum number of batters, 27, allowing just one base on balls. It was also the last no-hitter thrown in the American Association, as the league folded following the season.
  • November 26 – A series for the championship of the Pacific Coast begins between the champions of the California League (the San Jose Dukes) and the Pacific Northwest League pennant winners (the Portland Webfeet). San Jose wins the opener, 8–6. The series will last until January 10 with San Jose winning 10 games to 9. All the games are played in San Jose, California.

Future Features