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July 28, 1884: Old Hoss Radbourn: 59 or 60 victories?
Two remarkable pitchers powered Providence’s drive toward the…
![Pud Galvin](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Galvin-Pud.png)
August 4, 1884: Buffalo’s Pud Galvin pitches his second major-league no-hitter
Pud Galvin stood 5-feet-8 and weighed 190 pounds. Despite that…
![John Clarkson (Public Domain)](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1886-Clarkson-John.jpg)
September 15, 1884: White Stockings outshine Eclipse at Louisville’s ‘lit’ Southern Exposition
The social calendars for many a Louisvillian in the mid-1880s…
![Pretzels Getzien (TRADING CARD DB)](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Getzien-Pretzels-324x400.jpg)
October 1, 1884: Rookie Pretzels Getzien twists opponents in rain-shortened no-hitter
“Detroit’s German battery proved to be a terror to the Philadelphia…
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October 4, 1884: Sam Kimber’s one-of-a-kind no-hitter
There once was a major-league game that served up all of these…
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October 5, 1884: Maroons’ Sweeney, Boyle combine to toss and lose rain-shortened Union Association no-hitter
The first and only season of the Union Association was coming…
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October 23-25, 1884: The first “World Series”
This chapter is not about a single game. Instead, it is about…
![Cannonball Morris (TRADING CARD DB)](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Morris-Cannonball.jpg)
June 8, 1885: Presto Change! Cannonball Morris dominates after overhand pitching is suddenly legalized
Ulysses S. Grant said, “I know of no method to secure the repeal…
![Dave Orr (Trading Card DB)](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1887-Orr-Dave-328x400.jpg)
June 12, 1885: Dave Orr records cycle, 6-hit game in Metropolitans’ win over Browns
About 1,500 spectators turned out to the Polo Grounds for an…
![George Wood](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/1885-Wood-George.jpg)
June 13, 1885: Detroit’s George Wood hits for the cycle but White Stockings wallop Wolverines
The Chicago White Stockings built a dynasty in the first decade…
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June 16, 1885: Henry Larkin becomes first MLB player to hit for reverse natural cycle
In the first game of the season played in Philadelphia between…
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June 25, 1885: Helped by a lively ball, Philadelphia’s George Strief hits four triples
The Patent Plastic Composition Ball manufactured by A.J. Reach…
![John Clarkson (Trading Card DB)](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1887-Clarkson-John.jpg)
July 27, 1885: Chicago’s John Clarkson pitches a no-hitter vs. Providence
Hall of Famer John Clarkson’s only major-league no-hitter came…
![Mox McQuery (Baseball-Reference.com)](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/McQuery-Mox.jpg)
September 28, 1885: Mox McQuery ‘hit for the whole diamond’ as Wolverines set scoring record over Grays
Approximately 400 spectators turned out at Detroit’s Recreation…
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September 29-October 3, 1885: White Stockings cap a pennant chase
The 1885 National League pennant race was a battle between two…
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April 20, 1886: The triumphant return of Tony Mullane
On the afternoon of April 20, 1886, some 3,500 fans gathered…
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April 22, 1886: Visiting Athletics walk off Metropolitans in inaugural game at St. George Grounds
On April 22, 1886, construction wrapped up on New York’s home…
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May 1, 1886: Al Atkinson throws second career no-hitter
From 1875 to 1899 there were 50 complete-game no-hitters thrown…
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May 24, 1886: Fred Dunlap hits for the cycle, records 16 chances at second base
About 3,000 spectators filled the Union Grounds1 in St. Louis…
![Charlie Bennet](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1886-Bennett-Charlie-252x400.png)
June 19, 1886: Chicago White Stockings snap Detroit Wolverines’ 18-game home winning streak
In 1886 Chicago’s population was five times greater than that…
![William Madigan](https://sabrweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1886-Madigan-William.jpg)
July 19, 1886: Washington’s plucky ‘Pony’ Madigan is a phenom at 17, out of the majors at 18
William J. Madigan, nicknamed “Pony” for his youth and…
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July 21, 1886: “A Glorious Victory”: Cuban Giants beat the Red Stockings
Formed by Frank P. Thompson, headwaiter of the Argyle Hotel in…
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July 24, 1886: Adonis Terry throws a no-hitter for Brooklyn … or does he?
On July 24, 1886, Adonis Terry hurled a 1-0 no-hitter for the…
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August 8, 1886: Louisville Slugger Pete Browning has his ‘batting clothes on’ and hits for a natural cycle
One of the rarest occurrences in baseball is the natural cycle.…