# 1885 Major League Baseball season

The 1885 major league baseball season began on April 18, 1885. The regular season ended on October 15, with the Chicago White Stockings and the St. Louis Browns as regular season champions of the National League and American Association, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the second World's Championship Series on October 14 and ended with Game 7 on October 24, in what was a best-of-seven-playoff. The White Stockings and Browns ended the series in a disputed tie in seven games. This dispute was due to the Browns not considering their forfeit in Game 2 as a voided game, and as a result, claimed victory.
Prior to the 1885 season, the unstable single season Union Association disbanded. The St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association joined the National League, in place of the disbanding Cleveland Blues. The twelve-team American Association would contract down to eight teams, with the Columbus Buckeyes, Indianapolis Hoosiers, and Toledo Blue Stockings folding, while the late-entry Richmond Virginians returned to the Minor Leagues.
The National League's New York Gothams renamed as the New York Giants, and the American Association's Brooklyn Atlantics and Louisville Eclipse renamed as the Brooklyn Grays and Louisville Eclipse, respectively.

## Schedule

The 1885 schedule consisted of 112 games for all teams in the American Association and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 16 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place by the National League since the previous season. The American Association, due to downsizing from a twelve-team league to an eight-team league over the off season, took on this format. This would be the final season for this format, as the AA would implement a 140-game format and the NL a 126-game format the following season.
American Association Opening Day took place on April 18 featuring four teams, while National League Opening Day took place on April 30, with a game between the Chicago White Stockings and St. Louis Maroons. The American Association would see its final day of the regular season on October 5 with a game between the Brooklyn Grays and Philadelphia Athletics, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 10, featuring four teams. The 1885 World's Championship Series took place between October 14 and October 24, though was originally supposed to extend to October 31.

## Rule changes

The 1885 season saw the following rule changes:
* A granulated substance may be applied up to 18" from the bottom of the bat.
* Chest protectors worn by catchers and umpires came into use.
* In the National League, home base could be made of marble or whitened rubber. The American Association would make this change in the following year.
* One portion of the bat could be flat (one side).
* In the National League, the batter's box was extended by one foot in width, on either side of home plate, expanding from three feet wide and one foot from home plate to four feet wide and six inches from home plate. The American Association would follow the following year.
* The balk rule was more clearly defined, changing from "A balk is a motion made by the pitcher to deliver the ball to the bat without delivering it," to "when about to deliver the ball to the bat, while standing within the lines of his position, make any one of the series of motions he habitually makes in so delivering the ball to the bat, without delivering it."
* The American Association abolishes the "foul bound catch" rule, which was when a fielder caught a foul ball on its first bounce. The National League did so previously in 1883.
* On June 7, the American Association lifted all restrictions on pitching, enabling pitchers to throw above the shoulder during pitch delivery. The National League lifted restrictions in 1884.

## Teams

An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager |
| American Association | Baltimore Orioles | Oxford, Maryland | Oriole Park | 5,000 | Billy Barnie |
| American Association | Brooklyn Grays | Brooklyn, New York | Washington Park | 3,000 | Charlie Hackett |
| American Association | Brooklyn Grays | Brooklyn, New York | Washington Park | 3,000 | Charlie Byrne |
| American Association | Cincinnati Red Stockings | Cincinnati, Ohio | American Park | 3,000 | Ollie Caylor |
| American Association | Louisville Colonels | Louisville, Kentucky | Eclipse Park | 5,860 | Jim Hart |
| American Association | New York Metropolitans | New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 20,709 | Jim Gifford |
| American Association | Philadelphia Athletics | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Jefferson Street Grounds | 15,000 | Harry Stovey |
| American Association | Pittsburgh Alleghenys | Allegheny, Pennsylvania | Recreation Park (Pittsburgh) | 17,000 | Horace Phillips |
| American Association | St. Louis Browns | St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 6,000 | Charles Comiskey |
| National League | Boston Beaneaters | Boston, Massachusetts | South End Grounds | 3,000 | John Morrill |
| National League | Buffalo Bisons | Buffalo, New York | Olympic Park | 5,000 | Pud Galvin |
| National League | Buffalo Bisons | Buffalo, New York | Olympic Park | 5,000 | Jack Chapman |
| National League | Buffalo Bisons | Elmira, New York | Maple Avenue Driving Park* | Unknown* | Jack Chapman |
| National League | Chicago White Stockings | Chicago, Illinois | West Side Park | 6,000 | Cap Anson |
| National League | Detroit Wolverines | Detroit, Michigan | Recreation Park (Detroit) | Unknown | Charlie Morton |
| National League | Detroit Wolverines | Detroit, Michigan | Recreation Park (Detroit) | Unknown | Bill Watkins |
| National League | New York Giants | New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 20,709 | Jim Mutrie |
| National League | Philadelphia Quakers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Recreation Park | 6,500 | Harry Wright |
| National League | Providence Grays | Providence, Rhode Island | Messer Street Grounds | 6,000 | Frank Bancroft |
| National League | St. Louis Maroons | St. Louis, Missouri | Union Base Ball Park | 10,000 | Fred Dunlap |
| National League | St. Louis Maroons | St. Louis, Missouri | Union Base Ball Park | 10,000 | Alex McKinnon |
* ^ In today's Barclay, Baltimore.

## Standings
### American Association

vteAmerican Association :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| St. Louis Browns | 79 | 33 | .705 | — | 44‍–‍11 | 35‍–‍22 |
| Cincinnati Red Stockings | 63 | 49 | .562 | 16 | 35‍–‍21 | 28‍–‍28 |
| Pittsburgh Alleghenys | 56 | 55 | .505 | 22½ | 37‍–‍19 | 19‍–‍36 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 55 | 57 | .491 | 24 | 33‍–‍23 | 22‍–‍34 |
| Brooklyn Grays | 53 | 59 | .473 | 26 | 35‍–‍22 | 18‍–‍37 |
| Louisville Colonels | 53 | 59 | .473 | 26 | 37‍–‍19 | 16‍–‍40 |
| New York Metropolitans | 44 | 64 | .407 | 33 | 28‍–‍24 | 16‍–‍40 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 41 | 68 | .376 | 36½ | 29‍–‍26 | 12‍–‍42 |

### National League

vteNational League :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| Chicago White Stockings | 87 | 25 | .777 | — | 42‍–‍14 | 45‍–‍11 |
| New York Giants | 85 | 27 | .759 | 2 | 51‍–‍10 | 34‍–‍17 |
| Philadelphia Quakers | 56 | 54 | .509 | 30 | 29‍–‍26 | 27‍–‍28 |
| Providence Grays | 53 | 57 | .482 | 33 | 31‍–‍20 | 22‍–‍37 |
| Boston Beaneaters | 46 | 66 | .411 | 41 | 24‍–‍34 | 22‍–‍32 |
| Detroit Wolverines | 41 | 67 | .380 | 44 | 29‍–‍23 | 12‍–‍44 |
| Buffalo Bisons | 38 | 74 | .339 | 49 | 19‍–‍34 | 19‍–‍40 |
| St. Louis Maroons | 36 | 72 | .333 | 49 | 23‍–‍33 | 13‍–‍39 |

## Postseason
### Bracket

| World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series | World's Championship Series |
| AA | St. Louis Browns | 5$^8$ | 4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13$^8$ |
| NL | Chicago White Stockings | 5$^8$ | 5$^6$* | 4 | 2 | 9$^7$ | 9 | 4 |
*Denotes game that St. Louis forfeited to Chicago

## Managerial changes
### Off-season

| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
| Baltimore Monumentals | Bill Henderson | Team folded |
| Brooklyn Grays | George Taylor | Charlie Hackett |
| Buffalo Bisons | Jim O'Rourke | Pud Galvin |
| Cincinnati Outlaw Reds | Sam Crane | Team folded |
| Cincinnati Red Stockings | Pop Snyder | Ollie Caylor |
| Cleveland Blues | Charlie Hackett | Team folded |
| Columbus Buckeyes | Gus Schmelz | Team folded |
| Detroit Wolverines | Jack Chapman | Charlie Morton |
| Indianapolis Hoosiers | Bill Watkins | Team folded |
| Kansas City Cowboys | Ted Sullivan | Team folded |
| Louisville Colonels | Mike Walsh | Jim Hart |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Tom Loftus | Team folded |
| New York Giants | John Ward | Jim Mutrie |
| New York Metropolitans | Jim Mutrie | Jim Gifford |
| Philadelphia Athletics | Lon Knight | Harry Stovey |
| Richmond Virginians | Felix Moses | Team folded |
| St. Paul Saints | Andrew Thompson | Team folded |
| Toledo Blue Stockings | Charlie Morton | Team folded |
| Washington Nationals (AA) | John Bickerton | Team folded |
| Washington Nationals (UA) | Michael Scanlon | Team folded |

### In-season

| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
| Brooklyn Grays | Charlie Hackett | Charlie Byrne |
| Buffalo Bisons | Pud Galvin | Jack Chapman |
| Detroit Wolverines | Charlie Morton | Bill Watkins |
| St. Louis Maroons | Fred Dunlap | Alex McKinnon |

## League leaders
### American Association

Hitting leaders :
| Stat | Player | Total |
| AVG | Pete Browning (LOU) | .362 |
| OPS | Pete Browning (LOU) | .923 |
| HR | Harry Stovey (PHA) | 13 |
| RBI | Frank Fennelly (CIN) | 89 |
| R | Harry Stovey (PHA) | 130 |
| H | Pete Browning (LOU) | 174 |
Pitching leaders :
| Stat | Player | Total |
| W | Bob Caruthers (SLB) | 40 |
| L | Hardie Henderson (BAL) | 35 |
| ERA | Bob Caruthers (SLB) | 2.07 |
| K | Ed Morris (PIT) | 298 |
| IP | Ed Morris (PIT) | 581.0 |
| SV | Thomas Burns (BAL) | 3 |
| WHIP | Ed Morris (PIT) | 0.964 |

### National League

Hitting leaders :
| Stat | Player | Total |
| AVG | Roger Connor (NYG) | .371 |
| OPS | Dan Brouthers (BUF) | .951 |
| HR | Abner Dalrymple (CHI) | 11 |
| RBI | Cap Anson (CHI) | 108 |
| R | King Kelly (CHI) | 124 |
| H | Roger Connor (NYG) | 169 |
Pitching leaders :
| Stat | Player | Total |
| W | John Clarkson (CHI) | 53 |
| L | Jim Whitney (BOS) | 32 |
| ERA | Tim Keefe (NYG) | 1.58 |
| K | John Clarkson (CHI) | 308 |
| IP | John Clarkson (CHI) | 623.0 |
| SV | Fred Pfeffer (CHI) Ed Williamson (CHI) | 2 |
| WHIP | Lady Baldwin (DET) | 0.920 |