1893 Major League Baseball season

January 2025 1893 1893 MLB season National League (NL) Baseball April 27 – September 30, 1893 132 12 Pennant winner NL Boston Beaneaters Pittsburgh Pirates List of Major League Baseball seasons MLB 1892 Major League Baseball season 1892 1894 Major League Baseball season 1894 The 1893 major league baseball season began on April 27, 1893. The regular season ended on September 30, with the Boston Beaneaters as the pennant winner of the National League and therefore winner of the final Dauvray Cup. The 1893 season saw no postseason championship series, unlike the split-season 1892 World's Championship Series. This would not last, as the following season would see the Temple Cup, which would be a championship series between the NL pennant winner and the runner-up. Schedule Major League Baseball schedule The 1893 schedule consisted of 132 games for the twelve teams of the National League. Each team was scheduled to play 12 games against the other eleven teams in the league. This replaced the 154-game, 14-games-each format put in place in the previous season and would be used until 1898. Opening Day took place on April 27 featuring eight teams. The final day of the season was on September 30, featuring six teams.1893 Major Leagues Schedule https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1893-schedule.shtml 2025-01-27 Baseball Reference en Rule changes The 1893 season saw the following rule changes: In place of a pitcher's box, a pitcher's plate at a size of 12 inches by 4 inches was instituted.MLB Rule Changes https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rulechng.shtml 2025-01-28 Baseball Almanac Per new Rule 27, prior to throwing a pitch, a pitcher must keep their rear foot on the plate through coming set and the windup.Bauer John 1892 Winter Meetings: The Price of Monopoly and the Start of the Modern Game https://sabr.org/journal/article/1892-winter-meetings-the-price-of-monopoly-and-the-start-of-the-modern-game/ 2025-03-26 Society for American Baseball Research The pitcher's plate was moved back from 50 feet from home plate to 60 feet 6 inches. Changes were made to baseball bats, as described in new Rule 13, stating: "the bat must be made round and of hardwood and may have twine on the handle or granulated substance applied not to exceed 18 inches from the end. No bat shall exceed 42 inches in length." This rescinded the 1885 rule allowing flat bats, reinstating the 1857 rule requiring round bats.Bratkovich Steven The Bats … They Keep Changing! https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-bats-they-keep-changing/ 2025-01-28 Society for American Baseball Research Softwoods, like pine, and bats that were sawed off at the end were banned. The balk rule was clarified to state that motions to deceive a baserunner would be declared a balk, but "when the pitcher feigns to throw the ball to a base" he must resume his former position before delivering the ball to the plate. On-field mingling between opposing players was prohibited. A sacrifice hit would no longer result in hitters being charged with an at bat, though the question on whether this counted for outfield fly balls was an open question (the "sacrifice hit" was not a formal rule until the following season). Teams An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManager1893 Major League Managers https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1893-managers.shtml 2025-02-05 Baseball ReferenceNational League National League (baseball) National LeagueBaltimore OriolesBaltimore, MarylandUnion Park6,500Ned Hanlon baseballBoston BeaneatersBoston, MassachusettsSouth End Grounds8,500Frank SeleeBrooklyn GroomsBrooklyn, New YorkA 1 1Eastern Park12,000Dave FoutzChicago ColtsChicago, IllinoisSouth Side Park*6,450*Cap AnsonWest Side Park13,000Cincinnati RedsCincinnati, OhioLeague Park (Cincinnati)3,000Charles ComiskeyCleveland SpidersCleveland, OhioLeague Park (Cleveland)9,000Patsy TebeauLouisville ColonelsLouisville, KentuckyEclipse Park (I)*5,860*Billy BarnieEclipse Park (II)6,400New York GiantsNew York, New YorkPolo Grounds16,000John Montgomery WardPhiladelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia Base Ball Grounds12,500Harry WrightPittsburgh PiratesAllegheny, PennsylvaniaB 1 1Exposition Park6,500Al BuckenbergerSt. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriNew Sportsman's Park14,500Bill Watkins baseballWashington SenatorsWashington, D.C.Boundary Field6,500Jim O'Rourke baseball A 1 In today's New York, New York. B 1 In today's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standings National League Boston Beaneaters Tie games 12 tie games, which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season. Boston Beaneaters, 2 Brooklyn Grooms, 2 Chicago Colts, 1 Cincinnati Reds, 3 Cleveland Spiders, 1 Louisville Colonels, 1 New York Giants, 4 Philadelphia Phillies, 4 Pittsburgh Pirates, 2 St. Louis Browns, 3 Washington Senators, 1 Managerial changes Off-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBrooklyn GroomsJohn Montgomery WardDave FoutzLouisville ColonelsFred PfefferBilly BarnieNew York GiantsPatrick PowersJohn Montgomery WardPittsburgh PiratesTom BurnsAl BuckenbergerSt. Louis BrownsBob CaruthersBill WatkinsWashington SenatorsDanny RichardsonJim O'Rourke League leaders Any team shown in small text indicates a previous team a player was on during the season. National League start + Hitting leaders1893 National League Batting Leaders https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1893-batting-leaders.shtml 2025-02-05 Baseball Reference en Stat Player Total AVG Billy Hamilton (PHI) .380 OPS Billy Hamilton (PHI) 1.014 HR Ed Delahanty (PHI) 19 RBI Ed Delahanty (PHI) 146 R Herman Long (BSN) 149 H Sam Thompson (PHI) 222 SB Tom Brown (LOU) 66 break + Pitching leaders1893 National League Pitching Leaders https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1893-pitching-leaders.shtml 2025-02-05 Baseball Reference en Stat Player Total W Frank Killen (PIT) 36 L Duke Esper (WAS) 28 ERA Theodore Breitenstein (STL) 3.18 K Amos Rusie (NYG) 208 IP Amos Rusie (NYG) 482.0 SV Mark Baldwin (NYG/PIT)Tom Colcolough (PIT)Frank Donnelly (CHI)Frank Dwyer (CIN)Tony Mullane (BAL/CIN)Cy Young (CLE) 2 WHIP Kid Nichols (BSN) 1.280 end Milestones Batters Harry Staley (BSN): Set a Major League record by a pitcher when he hits for nine RBIs in a single game on June 1.MLB RBI Records https://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_rbi1.shtml 2026-05-07 Baseball Almanac Piggy Ward (CIN/BAL): Set a Major League record by reaching base in 17 consecutive plate appearances between June 16 and 19. He was traded from the Orioles to the Reds mid-streak.Record: 17 Consecutive Plate Appearances Reaching Base http://bleacherreport.com/articles/934773-ranking-the-most-unbreakable-mlb-player-streaks-and-consecutive-game-records/page/22 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130916030249/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/934773-ranking-the-most-unbreakable-mlb-player-streaks-and-consecutive-game-records/page/22 2013-09-16 2012-03-31 Bleacher Report Arlie Latham (CIN): Recorded his 600th career stolen base, becoming the first player to reach this mark. It is unknown what day this stolen base occurred.Arlie Latham Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More — Arlie Latham: Standard Batting (1880-1893) https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lathaar01.shtml#1880-1893-sum:players_standard_batting 2026-06-09 Baseball Reference en Harry Stovey (BRO/BAL): Recorded his 500th career stolen base, becoming the second player to reach this mark. It is unknown what day this stolen base occurred.Harry Stovey Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More — Harry Stovey: Standard Batting (1878-1893) https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stoveha01.shtml#1880-1893-sum:players_standard_batting 2026-06-09 Baseball Reference en John Montgomery Ward (NYG): Recorded his 500th career stolen base, becoming the third player to reach this mark. It is unknown what day this stolen base occurred.John Ward Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More — John Ward: Standard Batting (1878-1893) https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wardjo01.shtml#1878-1893-sum:players_standard_batting 2026-06-09 Baseball Reference en Pitchers No-hitters List of Major League Baseball no-hitters Bill Hawke (BAL/STL): Hawke threw his first career no-hitter and the second no-hitter in franchise history as a part of the Baltimore Orioles, by defeating the Washington Senators 5–0 on August 16. Hawke walked two and struck out six.Keenan Jimmy August 16, 1893: Bill Hawke’s no-hitter https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-16-1893-bill-hawkes-no-hitter/ 2026-02-02 Society for American Baseball Research1893-08-17 Baltimore 5; Washington 0 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1893-08-17/ed-1/seq-3/ The Sun (New York City) Other pitching accomplishments Pittsburgh Pirates: In the second inning of game 1 of a doubleheader, Charlie Ganzel and Herman Long of the Boston Beaneaters were hit by pitch by pitcher Red Ehret. After being taken out of the game and, relief pitcher Adonis Terry proceeded to hit Bobby Lowe and Tommy Tucker by pitch. The four hit by pitches by Pittsburgh pitchers said a major league record.Terrick Andy August 19, 1893: Unsafe passage for Beaneaters on long road trip https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-19-1893-unsafe-passage-for-beaneaters-on-long-road-trip/ 2026-02-02 Society for American Baseball Research Home field attendance Team nameWins%± Percent changeHome attendance%± Percent changePer game Average home attendance per gamePhiladelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHI/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com72 −17.2%293,019 51.3%4,440New York GiantsSan Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com68 −4.2%290,000122.1%4,085Brooklyn GroomsLos Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LAD/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com65 −31.6%235,000 27.9%3,507Chicago ColtsChicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com56 −20.0%223,500 104.9%3,062St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/STL/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com57 1.8%195,000 1.3%2,708Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com65 −20.7%194,250 −1.1%2,943Boston BeaneatersAtlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ATL/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com86−15.7%193,300 32.0%2,974Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PIT/attend.shtml 2024-03-28 Baseball-Reference.com811.3%184,000 3.8%2,521Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BLO/attend.shtml 2025-01-22 Baseball-Reference.com6030.4%143,00052.8%2,383Cleveland SpidersCleveland Spiders Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLV/attend.shtml 2025-01-22 Baseball-Reference.com73−21.5%130,000−7.1%1,857Washington SenatorsWashington Senators Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WAS/attend.shtml 2025-01-22 Baseball-Reference.com40−31.0%90,000−29.8%1,837Louisville ColonelsLouisville Colonels Attendance, Stadiums, and Park Factors https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/LOU/attend.shtml 2025-01-22 Baseball-Reference.com50−20.6%53,683−59.1%1,013 Venues The St. Louis Browns leave Sportsman's Park (where they played for 11 seasons) and move to New Sportman's Park, where they would go on to play for 28 seasons through part of 1920. The ballpark for the Louisville Colonels, Eclipse Park was largely destroyed in a fire towards the end of the previous season, though the team continued to play in its remains. In the 1893 season, the Colonels played only one home game on May 4 at the still destroyed ballpark. They would move one block south at a new ballpark, also named Eclipse Park, when they returned home for their next home game on May 22.1893 Season – 1-Year Park Factors — Seamheads.com Ballparks Database https://seamheads.com/ballparks/year.php?Year=1893&tab=pf1 2026-02-02 Seamheads When the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago opened in May, the Chicago Colts wanted to break with their no-Sundays tradition and start playing Sunday games to attract Fair visitors, but their South Side Park lease forbade Sunday ball. They sought a new location, which turned out to be West Side Park. After drawing well on their two May Sunday games, the club abandoned their three-season tenure at South Side Park after only eight games (their last being on May 24) and moved to the West Side on a full-time basis from their next home game on Sunday, June 18. See also 1893 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths) References External links 1893 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference Category:Major League Baseball seasons Category:1893 in baseball