YEAR IN REVIEW : 1886 American Association

Off the field...

A bombing at Haymarket Square in Chicago killed seven policemen and injured many others. The attack occurred during a demonstration for an eight-hour workday that was organized by eight alleged anarchists who were later arrested and accused of the crime. Following a speedy trial, three were imprisoned; one committed suicide and four others were hanged. In 1893, Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld pardoned the three survivors after accusations of an unfair trial surfaced.

In the National League...

Pitcher Jim McCormick of the Chicago White Stockings topped the New York Giants 7-3 on July 1st for his sixteenth consecutive win.

"The Bible of Baseball" aka The Sporting News was established in St. Louis Missouri.

In the American Association...

The American Association Champion St. Louis Browns took on the National League Champion Chicago White Stockings and beat them in six games for the Championship title.

Tip O'Neil of the Browns became the first player ever to hit two round-trippers in championship play after knocking two inside-the-park homers en route to a 12-0 massacre over Chicago.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Matt Kilroy posted five-hundred thirteen strikeouts in sixty-eight games, but still finished the season with a 29-34 record and a last-place team.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"Although Mr. Larkin played baseball when the rules of the game were vastly different from those of today, he professed recently not to see much difference." - New York Times Obituary (February 2, 1942)

1886 American Association Player Review

1885 | 1886 Hitting Statistics League Leaders | 1887

Base on Balls George Pinkney Brooklyn 70 Top 25
Ed Swartwood Brooklyn
Batting Average Guy Hecker Louisville .341 Top 25
Doubles Henry Larkin Philadelphia 36 Top 25
Hits Dave Orr New York 193 Top 25
Home Runs Bid McPhee Cincinnati 8 Top 25
On Base Percentage Bob Caruthers St. Louis .448 Top 25
RBI Tip O'Neill St. Louis 107 Top 25
Runs Arlie Latham St. Louis 152 Top 25
Slugging Average Dave Orr New York .527 Top 25
Total Bases Dave Orr New York 301 Top 25
Triples Dave Orr New York 31 Top 25
1886 A.A. History | 1886 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History

1886 American Association Pitcher Review

1885 | 1886 Pitching Statistics League Leaders | 1887

Complete Games Matt Kilroy Baltimore 66 Top 25
Toad Ramsey Louisville
ERA Dave Foutz St. Louis 2.11 Top 25
Games Matt Kilroy Baltimore 68 Top 25
Saves Bones Ely Louisville 1 n/a
Dave Foutz St. Louis
Nat Hudson St. Louis
Ed Morris Pittsburgh
Shutouts Ed Morris Pittsburgh 12 Top 25
Strikeouts Matt Kilroy Baltimore 513 Top 25
Winning Percentage Dave Foutz St. Louis .719 Top 25
Wins Dave Foutz St. Louis 41 Top 25
Ed Morris Pittsburgh
1886 A.A. History | 1886 N.L. History | Year-by-Year History

1886 American Association

Team Standings

St. Louis Browns 93 46 .669 0
Pittsburgh Alleghenys 80 57 .584 12
Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers 76 61 .555 16
Louisville Colonels 66 70 .485 25½
Cincinnati Red Stockings 65 73 .471 27½
Philadelphia Athletics 63 72 .467 28
New York Metropolitans 53 82 .393 38
Baltimore Orioles 48 83 .366 41
1886 American Association Team Standings

1886 American Association Team Review

Hitting Statistics League Leaderboard

Base on Balls Pittsburgh 478
Batting Average St. Louis .273
Doubles St. Louis 206
Hits St. Louis 1,365
Home Runs Cincinnati 45
On Base Percentage St. Louis .333
Runs St. Louis 944
Slugging Average St. Louis .360
Triples Pittsburgh 96

1886 American Association Team Review

Pitching Statistics League Leaderboard

Complete Games Brooklyn 138
ERA St. Louis 2.49
Fewest Hits Allowed St. Louis 1,087
Fewest Home Runs Allowed Pittsburgh 10
Fewest Walks Allowed Pittsburgh 299
Saves Louisville 2
St. Louis
Shutouts Pittsburgh 15
Strikeouts Baltimore 805
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

On August 24, 1886, Matt Kilroy of the Baltimore Orioles struck out sixteen Philadelphia Athletics batters - a single game high for the season where he set the all-time record for strikeouts with five-hundred thirteen.

Did you know that fans who attended games in the New York Metropolitans park on Staten Island were able to watch the Statue of Liberty being built while they enjoyed a game of baseball?

The 1886 American Association batting champion was Guy Hecker (.341) who narrowly defeated Pete Browning (.340). However, Hecker was a pitcher and became the first and only hurler to ever win a batting title from any league in any season in Major League history.