1.
Detroit Wolverines
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The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th-century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887, the team was disbanded following the 1888 season. Founded at the suggestion of Detroit mayor William G. Thompson and their home field was called Recreation Park, and it consisted of a wooden grandstand located between Brady Street and Willis Avenue. This stadium was demolished in 1894, though its location is indicated by a marker in what was once left field. The name of the club derives from Michigan being known as The Wolverine State. The team name Wolverines is now associated with University of Michigan sports. Though they folded after eight seasons, the Wolverines occupy an important place in baseball history. On September 6,1883, they conceded 18 runs in an inning against the Chicago White Stockings. In 1885, new owner Frederick Kimball Stearns began spending heavily in an attempt to create a super-team by buying high-priced players. Most notably, he purchased the entire Buffalo Bisons franchise that August, to secure the services of its stars, Dan Brouthers, Jack Rowe, Hardy Richardson, and Deacon White, the so-called Big Four. This strategy quickly met resistance from his owners, who changed the leagues rules governing the splitting of gate receipts. Detroit was not yet the Motor City, and its population was too small to support a highly paid team, the Wolverines home gate receipts were not sufficient to sustain their payroll, and Stearns was forced to sell his stars to other clubs. The Wolverines most successful season came in 1887, when they were crowned as the champion of the National League with a record of 79 wins and 45 losses. After the season, they defeated the St. Louis Browns, champion of the rival American Association, in a series of exhibition matches and these games were a predecessor to the modern World Series, which did not begin until 1903. Due to heavy losses, the team was disbanded following the 1888 season. Three Detroit players hit for the cycle, George Wood on June 13,1885, Mox McQuery on September 28,1885, and Jack Rowe on August 21,1886. com
2.
National League
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Both leagues currently have 15 teams. The two league champions of 1903 arranged to compete against each other in the inaugural World Series, after the 1904 champions failed to reach a similar agreement, the two leagues formalized the World Series as an arrangement between the leagues. National League teams have won 48 of the 112 World Series contested from 1903 to 2016, the 2016 National League champions are the Chicago Cubs. By 1875, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was dangerously weak, additionally, Hulbert had a problem—five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from the NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a vested interest in creating his own league. After recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky, Boston Red Stockings, the dominant team in the N. A. Hartford Dark Blues from the N. A. Mutual of New York from the N. A. St. Louis Brown Stockings from the N. A, the only strong club from 1875 excluded in 1876 was a second one in Philadelphia, often called the White Stockings or Phillies. The first game in National League history was played on April 22,1876, at Philadelphias Jefferson Street Grounds, 25th & Jefferson, the new leagues authority was tested after the first season. The National League operated with six clubs during 1877 and 1878, over the next several years, various teams joined and left the struggling league. By 1880, six of the eight members had folded. The two remaining original NL franchises, Boston and Chicago, remain in operation today as the Atlanta Braves, in 1883 the New York Gothams and Philadelphia Phillies began National League play. Both teams remain in the NL today, the Phillies in their original city, the NL encountered its first strong rival organization when the American Association began play in 1882. The A. A. played in cities where the NL did not have teams, offered Sunday games and alcoholic beverages in locales where permitted, the National League and the American Association participated in a version of the World Series seven times during their ten-year coexistence. These contests were less organized than the modern Series, lasting as few as three games and as many as fifteen, with two Series ending in disputed ties, the NL won four times and the A. A. only once, in 1886. Starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1887, the National League began to raid the American Association for franchises to replace NL teams that folded and this undercut the stability of the A. A. Other new leagues that rose to compete with the National League were the Union Association, the Union Association was established in 1884 and folded after playing only one season, its league champion St. Louis Maroons joining the NL. The NL suffered many defections of star players to the Players League, the Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York franchises of the NL absorbed their Players League counterparts. The labor strife of 1890 hastened the downfall of the American Association, after the 1891 season, the A. A. disbanded and merged with the NL, which became known legally for the next decade as the National League and American Association
3.
St. Louis Cardinals
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The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball as a club of the National League Central division. Busch Stadium has been their home ballpark since 2006, with origins as one of the early professional baseball clubs in St. Upon the discontinuation of the AA, St. Louis joined the NL in 1892, at time, they were called the Browns. One of the most successful franchises in history, the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships. Their 19 National League pennants rank third in NL history, in addition, St. Louis has won 13 division titles in the East and Central divisions. While still in the AA, St. Louis won four league championships, the Cardinals have won 105 or more games in four different seasons and won 100 or more a total of nine times. Cardinals players have won 20 league MVPs, four batting Triple Crowns, and three Cy Young Awards. Baseball Hall of Fame inductees include Lou Brock, Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson, Whitey Herzog, Rogers Hornsby, Joe Medwick, Stan Musial, Branch Rickey, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith, and Bruce Sutter. In 2016, Forbes valued the Cardinals at $1.6 billion, making them the 7th-most valuable franchise in MLB, their revenue the year was $300 million. Since their purchase in 1995, owner William DeWitt, Jr. s investment group has seen enormous growth from the $147 million purchase price, John Mozeliak is the general manager and Mike Matheny is the manager. Professional baseball began in St. Louis with the inception of the Brown Stockings in the National Association in 1875, the NA folded following that season, and the next season, St. Louis joined the National League as a charter member, finishing in third place at 45-19. George Bradley hurled the first no-hitter in Major League history, the NL expelled St. Louis from the league after 1877 due to a game-fixing scandal and the team went bankrupt. Without a league, they continued play as a barnstorming team through 1881. For the 1882 season, Chris von der Ahe purchased the team, reorganized it, and made it a member of the American Association. 1882 is generally considered to be the first year existence of the St. Louis Cardinals, the next season, St. Louis shortened their name to the Browns. Soon thereafter they became the dominant team in the AA, as manager Charlie Comiskey guided St. Louis to four pennants in a row from 1885 to 1888. Pitcher and outfielder Bob Caruthers led the league in ERA and wins in 1885 and he also led the AA in OBP and OPS in 1886 and finished fourth in batting average in 1886 and fifth in 1887
4.
World Series
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The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball in North America, contested since 1903 between the American League champion team and the National League champion team. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a playoff. As the series is played in October, during the season in North America. As of 2016, the World Series has been contested 112 times, with the AL winning 64, the 2016 World Series took place between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs. Seven games were played, with the Cubs victorious after game seven, the final score was 8–7, the game went into extra innings after a tied score of 6–6. This was the third World Series won by the Cubs, as well as their first title since 1908, in the National League, the St. As of 2016, no team has won consecutive World Series championships since the New York Yankees in 1998,1999, all championships were awarded to the team with the best record at the end of the season, without a postseason series being played. From 1884 to 1890, the National League and the American Association faced each other in a series of games at the end of the season to determine an overall champion. These series were disorganized in comparison to the modern World Series, the number of games played ranged from as few as three in 1884, to a high of fifteen in 1887. Both the 1885 and 1890 Series ended in ties, each team having won three games with one tie game, the series was promoted and referred to as The Championship of the United States, Worlds Championship Series, or Worlds Series for short. In his book Krakatoa, The Day the World Exploded, August 27,1883, Simon Winchester mentions in passing that the World Series was named for the New York World newspaper, but this view is disputed. Until about 1960, some sources treated the 19th-century Series on a basis with the post-19th-century series. After about 1930, however, many authorities list the start of the World Series in 1903, following the collapse of the American Association after the 1891 season, the National League was again the only major league. The league championship was awarded in 1892 by a playoff between half-season champions and this scheme was abandoned after one season. Beginning in 1893—and continuing until divisional play was introduced in 1969—the pennant was awarded to the club in the standings at the end of the season. For four seasons, 1894–1897, the league played the runners-up in the post season championship series called the Temple Cup. A second attempt at this format was the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup series, in 1901, the American League was formed as a second major league. No championship series were played in 1901 or 1902 as the National and these series were arranged by the participating clubs, as the 1880s Worlds Series matches had been
5.
Bob Caruthers
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Robert Lee Caruthers, nicknamed Parisian Bob, was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Caruthers debuted with a four-hitter for the Browns in late 1884, Caruthers, who stood 57 and weighed 138 pounds, led the team to its first pennant the following year. He led the league in wins, ERA, shutouts and winning percentage in 1885, in 1886 he also played right field when not pitching, batting.334 to place him among the leagues top five hitters, and leading the league in on-base percentage. Brooklyn changed leagues following the 1889 season, joining the National League, in 1890, Caruthers posted a record of 23–11 as Brooklyn won the NL title in their first season in the league, he also saw considerable playing time in left field and batted.265. In 1891 his record slipped to 18–14, and he played occasionally in right field though he hit.281.277 with 69 RBI. He also managed the team for the third of the season. He continued to play in the leagues until 1898. During his career Caruthers threw 298 career complete games among his 310 starts, including 24 shutouts and he also batted.282 lifetime with 29 home runs and 359 RBI. He was the only 19th-century pitcher to lead the league in winning three times. Caruthers is often considered one of the most deserving candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame, the reduction of two losses would increase his career winning percentage to.691, placing him behind only Spud Chandler who compiled a record of.717 over 150 decisions. On August 5,1911, Caruthers died after an illness in Peoria, Illinois. Caruthers was under a minor league baseball umpiring contract with the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League at the time of his death
6.
Charlie Getzein
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Charles H. Getzein was an American professional baseball player from 1883 to 1891. He played all or parts of nine seasons in Major League Baseball with four different National League teams from 1884 to 1891 and he was the first German in MLB history Getzein was known by the nickname Pretzels. Sources conflict as to whether the nickname was derived from his German ethnicity or from the belief that he was able to throw a curve following the curves of a pretzel. During nine major league seasons, Getzein compiled a 145-139 win-loss record and he threw 277 complete games, a total that ranks 58th in major league history. Only three pitchers threw complete games in major league careers shorter than Getzeins nine-year career. Getzein had his most extensive playing time with the Detroit Wolverines, compiling records of 30-11, in the 1887 World Series, Getzein pitched six complete games and compiled a 4-2 record with a 2.48 ERA. He also won 23 games for the Boston Beaneaters in 1890, Getzein was born in 1864, but sources are in conflict as to whether he was born in Chicago or Germany. Getzein began playing baseball as a boy in Chicago and he played as an amateur in the Chicago City League. During his career, Getzeins drew acclaim for his curveball, Getzeins version of the pitch was sometimes referred to as the pretzel curve. Sporting Life described Getzeins unusual delivery as follows, In delivering his pretzels Getz faces third base with one foot in either corner of the end of the box. Bending the left slightly, he draws his right arm well back. Then, straightening up quickly, he slides the left foot forward with a little skip. After a Getzein victory over the Kansas City Cowboys in 1886 and he went into the box to-day and pitched one of his finest, his curves circling around in the form of the delicious pastry from which Getz takes his sobriquet. However, the editor of the Grand Rapids World opined that Getzeins curved ball was a fiction, scientifically, this theory is utterly absurd. The curves are in the imagination of Getzeins admirers, when the ball leaves his hand it is beyond his control, and it moves forward from the impulse last given it as it leaves his hand. It is then controlled by the force of propulsion, the resistance of the atmosphere, the Scientific American magazine responded in July 1886 by publishing an article written by Henry Chadwick explaining the physics behind the curve ball pitch. Getzein was known by the nickname Pretzels, sources conflict as to whether the nickname was derived from his German ethnicity or from the belief that he was able to throw a double curve following the curves of a pretzel. Getzein was listed at 5 feet,10 inches, and 172 pounds, in 1882, Getzein made his professional baseball debut with the Grand Rapids, Michigan, team in the Northwestern League
7.
Lady Baldwin
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Lady Baldwin was an American left-handed pitcher. He played six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Wolverines, Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and Buffalo Bisons. Baldwin had his best season in 1886 when he compiled a 42–13 record and a 2.24 earned run average, threw 55 complete games, and led the National League with 323 strikeouts. Baldwins 42 wins in 1886 set the league record for a left-handed pitcher. Baldwin also pitched five games for a 4–1 record and a 1.50 ERA in the 1887 World Series. Arm troubles cut short Baldwins major league career at age 31, Baldwin was born in 1859 in Oramel, Allegany County, New York, approximately 60 miles southeast of Buffalo. His father, Samuel Baldwin, was a farmer, as a boy, he moved with his family to Barry County in western Michigan, first to Johnstown Township and then to Hastings. Baldwin was introduced to baseball in Hastings and began his career for the Hastings team. His battery-mate on the Hastings team was Deacon McGuire, with whom he would play as a member of the Detroit Wolverines. Baldwin began his baseball career in 1883 playing for the Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1884, at age 25, Baldwin played for the Milwaukee Brewers of the Northwestern League and he compiled a 9-10 record in 22 games in the Northwestern League despite having an impressive 1.17 earned run average. The Northwestern Association disbanded during the 1884 season, and the Brewers became part of the Union Association, considered a major league, Baldwin made his major league debut with the Brewers on September 30,1884. He compiled a 1-1 record and 2.65 ERA in two games in the Union Association, in 1885, the Brewers became members of the Western Association. Baldwin pitched impressively for the Brewers in 1885, compiling an 11-4 record, Baldwin was given the nickname Lady because of his quiet ways and his refusal to swear or to come into contact with either tobacco or liquor. During the 1885 season, Baldwin was acquired by the Detroit Wolverines of the National League. He appeared in 21 games for Detroit in 1885 and, despite an impressive 1.86 ERA, managed only an 11-9 record for a team that finished in sixth place with a 41-67 record. Baldwin led the National League in walks plus hits per inning pitched and in strikeouts per nine innings pitched, in 1886, the Wolverines acquired The Big Four from Buffalo and improved to second place and an 87-36 record. Baldwin accounted for half of Detroits victories in 1886
8.
Charlie Ganzel
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Charles William Charlie Ganzel was an American professional baseball player from 1884 to 1897. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a catcher and his most extensive playing time came with the Detroit Wolverines and Boston Beaneaters. He was a member of five teams that won National League pennants, one in Detroit, a right-handed batter and thrower, Ganzel appeared in 786 major league games,579 as a catcher,120 as an infielder and 100 as an outfielder. He compiled a.259 batting average with 774 hits and 412 RBIs and his total of 229 career errors as catcher is the 30th highest in major league history, and his total of 180 passed balls ranks 53rd. Ganzel was born in Waterford, Wisconsin, in 1862 and his parents, Charles Ganzel, Sr. and Elizabeth Ganzel, moved the family to Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1887. Ganzel reportedly played several years of independent baseball in the Midwest before his major career began in 1884. Ganzel began the 1884 season playing for the St. Paul Apostles in the Northwestern League and he appeared in 57 games for the Apostles,41 as a catcher, and compiled a.189 batting average in 212 at bats. Late in the 1884 season, the Apostles joined the short-lived Union Association as a replacement team, were renamed the St. Paul Saints and briefly became a major league team. Ganzel made his league debut on September 27,1884 with the newly renamed Saints and appeared in seven of the teams eight major league games. The Saints compiled a 2-6 major league record, and the Union Association disbanded at the end of the 1884 season, in 1885, Ganzel played with the Philadelphia Quakers managed by Harry Wright. Ganzel appeared in 33 games as catcher, sharing catching duties with Jack Clements who caught 41 games, Ganzel hit poorly for Philadelphia, compiling a.168 batting average that was 73 points below the National League average for 1885. Ganzel began the 1886 season with the Phillies, but the Phillies had acquired Deacon McGuire, accordingly, Ganzel was released after appearing in only one game with the 1886 Quakers. After Ganzels release by the Phillies, he was signed by manager Bill Watkins of the Detroit Wolverines, within days of the signing, Detroits correspondent to the Sporting Life was praising Ganzel and thanking Philadelphia, Philadelphia has earned Detroits sincere thanks. In Ganzel we have secured a first-class catcher and he is a jewel and will prove a splendid substitute for Charley Bennett. Ganzel was put in to catch the first game with Kansas City and he is an artistic catcher, and at once sprang into high favor with the audience. He accepted all his nine chances, threw Paul Rodford out at twice, made a timely hit. Ganzel remained with the Wolverines for three seasons, serving principally in a role to Charlie Bennett. Ganzel appeared in 45 games as catcher for the 1886 Detroit Wolverines team that compiled an 87-36 record, defensively, Ganzel struggled in his first season at Detroit, committing 37 errors in only 45 games as catcher—the fourth highest total among the leagues catchers
