# 1896 Chicago Colts season

The 1896 Chicago Colts season was the 25th season of the Chicago Colts franchise, the 21st in the National League and the fourth at West Side Park. The Colts finished fifth in the National League with a record of 71–57.

## Regular season
### Season standings

vteNational League :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| Baltimore Orioles | 90 | 39 | .698 | — | 49‍–‍16 | 41‍–‍23 |
| Cleveland Spiders | 80 | 48 | .625 | 9½ | 43‍–‍19 | 37‍–‍29 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 77 | 50 | .606 | 12 | 51‍–‍15 | 26‍–‍35 |
| Boston Beaneaters | 74 | 57 | .565 | 17 | 42‍–‍24 | 32‍–‍33 |
| Chicago Colts | 71 | 57 | .555 | 18½ | 42‍–‍24 | 29‍–‍33 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 66 | 63 | .512 | 24 | 35‍–‍31 | 31‍–‍32 |
| New York Giants | 64 | 67 | .489 | 27 | 39‍–‍26 | 25‍–‍41 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 62 | 68 | .477 | 28½ | 42‍–‍27 | 20‍–‍41 |
| Washington Senators | 58 | 73 | .443 | 33 | 38‍–‍29 | 20‍–‍44 |
| Brooklyn Bridegrooms | 58 | 73 | .443 | 33 | 35‍–‍28 | 23‍–‍45 |
| St. Louis Browns | 40 | 90 | .308 | 50½ | 27‍–‍34 | 13‍–‍56 |
| Louisville Colonels | 38 | 93 | .290 | 53 | 25‍–‍37 | 13‍–‍56 |

### Record vs. opponents

1896 National League recordvte Sources: :
| Team | BAL | BOS | BR | CHI | CIN | CLE | LOU | NYG | PHI | PIT | STL | WSH |
| Baltimore | — | 5–7 | 6–6 | 7–4–2 | 10–2 | 3–8–1 | 10–2 | 9–3 | 12–0 | 9–2 | 9–3 | 10–2 |
| Boston | 7–5 | — | 10–2 | 3–9 | 5–6 | 5–7–1 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 7–5 |
| Brooklyn | 6–6 | 2–10 | — | 6–6 | 2–10 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 8–4 | 6–5–1 | 7–5 | 4–8–1 |
| Chicago | 4–7–2 | 9–3 | 6–6 | — | 4–6–1 | 2–9–1 | 9–3 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 11–1 | 9–3 | 8–4 |
| Cincinnati | 2–10 | 6–5 | 10–2 | 6–4–1 | — | 6–5 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 12–0 | 7–4 |
| Cleveland | 8–3–1 | 7–5–1 | 5–7 | 9–2–1 | 5–6 | — | 8–3–2 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 4–8–1 | 10–2 | 9–3–1 |
| Louisville | 2–10 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 3–9 | 3–9 | 3–8–2 | — | 4–8–1 | 7–5 | 2–10 | 3–9 | 3–9 |
| New York | 3–9 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 8–4–1 | — | 3–8 | 4–8 | 9–3–1 | 6–6 |
| Philadelphia | 0–12 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 8–3 | — | 6–6 | 8–3 | 8–4 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–9 | 5–7 | 5–6–1 | 1–11 | 7–5 | 8–4–1 | 10–2 | 8–4 | 6–6 | — | 8–3 | 6–6 |
| St. Louis | 3–9 | 4–8 | 5–7 | 3–9 | 0–12 | 2–10 | 9–3 | 3–9–1 | 3–8 | 3–8 | — | 5–7 |
| Washington | 2–10 | 5–7 | 8–4–1 | 4–8 | 4–7 | 3–9–1 | 9–3 | 6–6 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 5–7 | — |

### Roster
## Player stats
### Batting
#### Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
| C | Malachi Kittridge | 65 | 215 | 48 | .223 | 1 | 19 |
| 1B | Cap Anson | 108 | 402 | 133 | .331 | 2 | 90 |
| 2B | Fred Pfeffer | 94 | 360 | 88 | .244 | 2 | 52 |
| SS | Bill Dahlen | 125 | 474 | 167 | .352 | 9 | 74 |
| 3B | Bill Everitt | 132 | 575 | 184 | .320 | 2 | 46 |
| OF | George Decker | 107 | 421 | 118 | .280 | 5 | 61 |
| OF | Jimmy Ryan | 128 | 489 | 149 | .305 | 3 | 86 |
| OF | Bill Lange | 122 | 469 | 153 | .326 | 4 | 92 |

#### Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
| Tim Donahue | 57 | 188 | 41 | .218 | 0 | 20 |
| Barry McCormick | 45 | 168 | 37 | .220 | 1 | 23 |
| Harry Truby | 29 | 109 | 28 | .257 | 2 | 31 |
| George Flynn | 29 | 106 | 27 | .255 | 0 | 4 |
| Josh Reilly | 9 | 42 | 9 | .214 | 0 | 2 |
| Algie McBride | 9 | 29 | 7 | .241 | 1 | 7 |
| Con Daily | 9 | 27 | 2 | .074 | 0 | 1 |
| Walter Thornton | 9 | 22 | 8 | .364 | 0 | 1 |

### Pitching
#### Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Clark Griffith | 36 | 317.2 | 23 | 11 | 3.54 | 81 |
| Danny Friend | 36 | 290.2 | 18 | 14 | 4.74 | 86 |
| Adonis Terry | 30 | 235.2 | 15 | 14 | 4.43 | 75 |
| Buttons Briggs | 26 | 194.0 | 12 | 8 | 4.31 | 84 |
| Doc Parker | 9 | 73.0 | 1 | 5 | 6.16 | 15 |
| Walter Thornton | 5 | 23.2 | 2 | 1 | 5.70 | 10 |

#### Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Monte McFarland | 4 | 25.0 | 0 | 4 | 7.20 | 3 |

#### Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
| Malachi Kittridge | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 0 |