The 1892 major league baseball season began on April 12, 1892. Unique to National League history, the season was organized into a split season format, with July 14 being the split date between the two half seasons. The regular season ended on October 15, with the Boston Beaneaters as the pennant winner of the National League overall, as well as the first-half champions, with the Cleveland Spiders as second-half champions. The postseason began with Game 1 of the eighth and final World's Championship Series on October 17 and ended with Game 6 on October 24. Aside from a tie game, the Beaneaters swept the Spiders with five wins in the best-of-nine playoff, and therefore winner of the final Dauvray Cup. This was Boston's only pre-modern championship.
The 1892 season saw the return of a postseason championship series (albeit a one-off of this format), following the demise of the American Association. The one-off was the first since the 1890 World's Championship Series. The next championship series would take place in via the Temple Cup.
The demise of the American Association saw four of its teams merged into the National League, including the Baltimore Orioles, Louisville Colonels, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Statesmen (renamed as the Washington Senators). The four other American Association clubs active at the end of the previous season, the Boston Reds, Columbus Solons, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Athletics), saw their owners paid $135,000 () and their players dispersed to the surviving clubs.
Schedule
The 1892 schedule consisted of 154 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 140-game, 20-games-each against seven-teams format previously used by the National League since 1888 and defunct-American Association since 1886. The 140-game format would return in .
Opening Day took place on April 12 featuring all twelve teams. Each half of the season was split by an off day on July 14. The final day of the season was on October 15 and also featured all twelve teams. The 1892 World's Championship Series took place between October 17 and October 24.
Rule changes The 1892 season saw the following rule changes: Players' benches must be at least 25 feet from the baseline. Umpires now have discretion to declare a forfeit if teams engaged in “dilatory practices” to get a game called on account of rain or darkness. Umpire are now stated to be the "absolute judge of the plays" and that only the captain may approach the umpire to seek an interpretation of the playing rules. A batter would be entitled to only two bases if the ball cleared a fence less than 235 feet from home plate. Otherwise, the batter would be credited with a home run. A baserunner would be credited with a stolen base when he advanced more than one base on a single or infield out and when he advanced a base on a fair or foul fly out, "provided there is a possible chance and a palpable effort made to retire him." A batter was to be called out if he attempted to hinder the catcher from catching or throwing the ball "by stepping outside the lines of his position or otherwise obstructing or interfering with that player." Rules modifying hit by pitch were made; a batter was to be allowed first base if "his person or clothing" was hit by a pitched ball "excepting hands or forearms, which makes it a dead ball." A baserunner was now declared out for hindering a fielder, and all runners had to return to the bases last held.
Teams LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBaltimore OriolesBaltimore, MarylandUnion Park6,500Boston BeaneatersBoston, MassachusettsSouth End Grounds6,800Brooklyn GroomsBrooklyn, New YorkEastern Park12,000Chicago ColtsChicago, IllinoisSouth Side Park6,450Cincinnati RedsCincinnati, OhioLeague Park (Cincinnati)3,000Cleveland SpidersCleveland, OhioLeague Park (Cleveland)9,000Louisville ColonelsLouisville, KentuckyEclipse Park5,860New York GiantsNew York, New YorkPolo Grounds16,000Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia Base Ball Grounds12,500Pittsburgh PiratesAllegheny, PennsylvaniaExposition Park6,500St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriSportsman's Park12,000Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.Boundary Field6,500
Standings National League
Tie games 18 tie games, which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again), occurred throughout the season. Values in parentheses show first-half and second-half ties. Baltimore Orioles, 5 (0, 5) Boston Beaneaters, 2 (1, 1) Brooklyn Grooms, 4 (1, 3) Chicago Colts, 1 (1, 0) Cincinnati Reds, 5 (2, 3) Cleveland Spiders, 4 (1, 3) Louisville Colonels, 2 (0, 2) New York Giants, 2 (0, 2) Philadelphia Phillies, 2 (1, 1) Pittsburgh Pirates, 2 (0, 2) St. Louis Browns, 5 (1, 4) Washington Senators, 2 (0, 2)
Postseason Bracket
Managerial changes Off-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBaltimore OriolesBilly BarnieGeorge Van HaltrenBoston RedsArthur IrwinTeam foldedCincinnati RedsTom LoftusCharles ComiskeyColumbus SolonsGus SchmelzTeam foldedMilwaukee BrewersCharlie CushmanTeam foldedNew York GiantsJim MutriePatrick PowersPhiladelphia AthleticsGeorge WoodTeam foldedPittsburgh PiratesBill McGunnigleAl BuckenbergerSt. Louis BrownsCharles ComiskeyJack GlasscockWashington SenatorsSandy GriffinBilly Barnie
In-season TeamFormer ManagerNew ManagerBaltimore OriolesGeorge Van HaltrenJohn WaltzJohn WaltzNed HanlonLouisville ColonelsJack ChapmanFred PfefferPittsburgh PiratesAl BuckenbergerTom BurnsSt. Louis BrownsJack GlasscockCub StrickerCub StrickerJack CrooksJack CrooksGeorge GoreGeorge GoreBob CaruthersWashington SenatorsBilly BarnieArthur IrwinArthur IrwinDanny Richardson
League leaders National League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Dan Brouthers (BRO) .335 OPS Dan Brouthers (BRO) .911 HR Bug Holliday (CIN) 13 RBI Dan Brouthers (BRO) 124 R Cupid Childs (CLE) 136 H Dan Brouthers (BRO) 197 SB John Montgomery Ward (BRO) 88
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Bill Hutchinson (CHI)Cy Young (CLE) 36 L George Cobb (NYG) 37 ERA Cy Young (CLE) 1.93 K Bill Hutchinson (CHI) 314 IP Bill Hutchinson (CHI) 622.0 SV Gus Weyhing (PHI) 3 WHIP Cy Young (CLE) 1.062
Milestones Batters Wilbert Robinson (BAL): Set a Major League record by hitting 11 runs batted in (RBI) in a single game against the St. Louis Browns on June 10, and the first to hit at least 10. Set a Major League record for most hits in a single nine inning game when he hit seven times against the St. Louis Browns on June 10.
Pitchers No-hitters
Jack Stivetts (BSN): Stivetts threw his first career no-hitter and the first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Brooklyn Grooms 11–0 on August 6. Stivetts walked five and struck out six. Ben Sanders (LOU): Sanders threw his first career no-hitter and the third no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Baltimore Orioles 6–2 on August 22. Sanders walked two and struck out none. Bumpus Jones (CIN): The second player to accomplish this feat, Jones threw his first career no-hitter in his first major league appearance. Jones also threw the first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7–1 on October 15. Jones walked four and struck out three.
Other pitching accomplishments John Clarkson (CLE/): Became the fifth member of the 300-win club, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates as a part of the Cleveland Spiderson September 21, winning 3–2.
Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendanceCincinnati Reds82 46.4%196,473 101.5%2,456Philadelphia Phillies87 27.9%193,731 −10.8%2,392St. Louis Browns56 −34.1%192,442 —2,566Brooklyn Grooms95 55.7%183,727 1.2%2,355Pittsburgh Pirates8045.5%177,205 38.4%1,991Boston Beaneaters10217.2%146,421 −20.6%1,927Cleveland Spiders9343.1%139,9286.0%1,771Louisville Colonels6316.7%131,159—1,874New York Giants71 0.0%130,566−38.0%1,653Chicago Colts70 −14.6%109,067 −39.9%1,628Washington Senators5831.8%128,279—1,833Baltimore Orioles46−35.2%93,589—1,215
Venues Having previously split their time in two ballparks for the season, the Chicago Colts permanently leave the site of West Side Park after playing there for seven seasons since in favor of South Side Park.
See also 1892 in baseball (Events, Births, Deaths)
References
External links 1892 Major League Schedule at Baseball Reference