
October 5, 1889: The Giants win the pennant on the last day
The 1889 New York Giants were loaded with talent and charisma,…

October 18, 1889: Genesis of a rivalry: Brooklyn vs. New York
In 1889, for the first time, both the National League and the…

October 29, 1889: Giants win back-to-back World’s Series
They might have called it the first “Subway Series” if there…

April 18, 1890: Amateur John Lyston wins Atlantic League tuneup against Gorhams
A reconvening of the annual baseball meetings was held on March…

April 19, 1890: Debut of the Players League
The Players League opened the 1890 season with seven of eight…

April 19, 1890: Rochester registers its first win in American Association
“We shall surprise a good many people this summer,” Rochester…

May 1, 1890: Detroit Wolverines top Toronto in ragged season opener
After losing the Syracuse, Rochester, and Toledo franchises to…

May 6-8, 1890: Canton’s Cy Young wins one and loses one in Akron
With an impressive 67-37 record, Canton, Ohio, won the 1889 pennant…

May 12, 1890: The Kid, the Bolt, and Silent Mike
In 1890 the Players League sat on top of the baseball world,…

May 12, 1890: Mike Tiernan’s homer in 13th wins it for Giants
During his 13-year major-league career, Mike Tiernan proved himself…

June 19, 1890: Billy Gumbert’s arm and bat propel Pittsburgh to win in his major-league debut
On their way to an abysmal 23-112-2 (.169) last-place finish…

June 21, 1890: No hits — but no win for Silver King
A hit that wasn’t a hit turned an exciting, but hardly unique,…

July 5, 1890: Toledo’s Bill Van Dyke hits for the cycle but Maumees lose to Syracuse Stars
The Syracuse Stars and Toledo Maumees both spent exactly one…

July 18, 1890: Jumbo Davis hits for the cycle, but Brooklyn falls to Louisville in a walk-off
A crowd of 1,236 turned out to watch the second-place Louisville…

July 21, 1890: Roger Connor becomes only Players’ League batter to hit for the cycle
In 1890 a record seven batters in the major leagues hit for the…

August 1, 1890: Oyster Burns hits for natural cycle as Bridegrooms rout Alleghenys in shortened contest
The Brooklyn Bridegrooms routed the Pittsburgh Alleghenys 20-1…

August 6, 1890: John Reilly becomes first player to hit for the cycle three times in his career
Almost 90 games into the 1890 season, the National League had…

August 6, 1890: Farm boy Cy Young arrives in major leagues
“You ought to have seen it. Mr. Young, formerly of Canton,…

August 12, 1890: Farmer Weaver strokes 6 hits and hits for cycle as Louisville clobbers Syracuse
The 1890 Louisville Colonels – dubbed the “Cyclones” in…

September 23, 1890: Browns teenager George Nicol tosses 7-inning no-hitter in debut
He was such a green recruit that a hometown newspaper did not…

October 6, 1890: The first worst-to-first team
In 1889, the Louisville Colonels of the American Association…

October 12, 1890: Oakland’s Kid Carsey hurls no-hitter in San Francisco
In 1890 professional baseball was illegal on Sundays in many…

April 22, 1891: Beaneaters start championship run in first game in new Polo Grounds
The Atlanta National League team traces its history through two…

April 22, 1891: The storm after the rain: Cubs get best of Pirates on Opening Day
Surely, preparation would not be an issue for Pittsburgh’s…