
August 8, 1877: Brown Stockings’ Mike Dorgan wears a catcher’s mask and widespread adoption soon follows
In the first inning of a National League contest on August 8,…

August 20, 1877: Gray outcomes for ‘Louisville Four’
Baseball’s difficulties with gambling have a long if not distinguished…

May 8, 1878: Three in one? Paul Hines’ unassisted triple play
The baseball game played on May 8, 1878, between Providence…

May 8, 1878: Rookie Sam Weaver tosses 1-hitter according to official scorer, but not all his colleagues
In the fall of 1877, membership in the struggling National League…

May 17, 1878: Bud Fowler becomes the first Black player in Organized Baseball
Professional baseball leagues began in 1871 with the founding…

September 14, 1878: Farewell to old-style ball
On September 14, 1878, more than 3,000 screaming supporters shoved…

June 2, 1879: Lee Richmond’s no-hit debut
When the National Association’s last place Worcester club…

June 21, 1879: The cameo of William Edward White
William Edward White's 1879 appearance for Providence made…

May 13, 1880: Cincinnati battery of Will White, John Clapp does it all in one-hit shutout of Cleveland
In 1879 Will White of the National League’s Cincinnati Reds…

June 12, 1880: Baseball perfection by Lee Richmond
“The most wonderful game on record.”1 That’s how contemporary…

June 17, 1880: Perfection revisited by John Ward
Two perfect games within a week defies all odds.1 But that is…

July 10, 1880: Cleveland’s Jim McCormick, Fred Dunlap end Chicago’s 21-game winning streak
The 1880 Chicago White Stockings were unstoppable, winning 67…

August 19, 1880: Larry Corcoran throws first career no-hitter
“The Reds were woefully weak with the willow, not being able…

September 2, 1880: Night baseball at Nantasket Beach
Today many major league baseball games are played under artificial…

September 29, 1880: Metropolitan club opens new Polo Grounds with a win
The first professional baseball game played in Manhattan took…

September 30, 1880: Amateur Charlie Guth wins in only professional appearance for White Stockings
When Charlie Guth took the mound on September 30, 1880, as a…

June 25, 1881: George Gore’s theft spree
The Chicago White Stockings were the most powerful team in the…

June 26, 1881: Mullane vs. Reccius for 18 innings
For sheer head-to-head doggedness, few pitching matchups in baseball…

September 10, 1881: Roger Connor’s ‘ultimate’ grand slam
Nearly half a century before baseball borrowed the expression…

May 2, 1882: The Beer and Whiskey League: Day One
The inaugural American Association season opened on May 2, 1882,…

May 10, 1882: Pittsburgh hosts its first major-league game
The charter Allegheny club of the fledgling American Association…

May 25, 1882: Buffalo’s Curry Foley completes first cycle in major leagues with grand slam
The first cycle — single, double, triple, and home run —…

July 18, 1882: Tony Mullane goes both ways
You have to wonder what kind of mind-altering substance could…

August 17, 1882: Radbourn The Slugger
1882 Providence Grays. Back: Paul Hines, Jerry Denny, Hoss…