Introduction
The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NL) was established in 1876 (147 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.
1896 was Season 21 of play for the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (NL) and took place 127 years ago.
Classification
Season Length
April 16, 1896 to September 26, 1896
Season Champion
Baltimore Orioles
# of Teams
12
Season Standings
Season Playoffs
In 1896, the National League had the top two teams in the standings at the end of the year play a best of seven series for the Temple Cup. The Pirates’ president, William Chase Temple, had an $800 trophy minted and he donated it to the league. Much like the long running Stanley Cup and the Temple Cup’s baseball predecessor, the Dauvray Cup (awarded 1887–1893), there was only one actual Temple Cup to be passed along to each baseball season’s winning team and city.
The 1st placed Baltimore Orioles defeated the 2nd placed Cleveland Spiders 4 games to 0 to win the 3rd Temple Cup.
World Series
There was no World Series Championship, with the last being played the 1891 Season, 132 years ago.
Events in Baseball (Thanks to Wikipedia)
Notable seasons
- Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Ed Delahanty led the NL in home runs (13), slugging percentage (.631), adjusted OPS+ (190), and runs batted in (126). He was second in the NL in total bases (315). He was third in the NL in batting average (.397) and on-base percentage (.472).
- Cleveland Spiders pitcher Cy Young had a win–loss record of 28–15 and led the NL in strikeouts (140) and shutouts (5). He was second in the NL in innings pitched (414.1). He was third in the NL in wins (28). He was fifth in the NL in earned run average (3.24) and adjusted ERA+ (140).
January – December
- April 7 – A broken wrist that refuses to heal compels Louisville first baseman Pete Cassidy to be the first MLB player to try a newfangled medical breakthrough called the “x-ray”.
- May 9 –
- Shortstop Herman Long hits for the cycle to give the Boston Beaneaters a 17–5 victory over the Louisville Colonels.
- The Washington Senators defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 14–9, in a beanball battle. Senators pitcher Win Mercer hits three Pittsburgh batters while Pirate Pink Hawley plunks three Washington batters in a disastrous 11-run seventh inning, tying a mark he set on July 4, 1894. Hawley retires in 1900 after nine seasons of play with a still-standing National League record of 195 hit batters. All told, eight batters are plunked in the contest, a National League-record five by Hawley. The five Washington batters hit by pitches ties the NL mark and won’t be matched until July 2, 1969.
- Hughie Jennings of the Baltimore Orioles knocks down Cincinnati Reds third baseman Charlie Irwin before he can catch Bid McPhee‘s throw. Jennings scores afterward to give the Orioles a controversial 6–5, 10-inning win over Cincinnati. Umpire Bob Emslie is escorted out of the ballpark by Cincinnati police.
- May 30 – Washington Senators third baseman Bill Joyce hits for the cycle in an 8–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- July 13 – Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Ed Delahanty becomes the second Major Leaguer to hit four home runs in a game, two of them being inside-the-park home runs. It wasn’t enough, as the Phillies lose to the Chicago Colts, 9–8. He is the only member of the “four home runs in a game” club to have an inside-the-park home run as part of his feat, and he is the first player to do so in a losing effort.
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