# 1896 Pittsburgh Pirates season

The 1896 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 15th season of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise; their tenth in the National League. The Pirates finished sixth in the National League with a record of 66–63.

## 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 | Joe Sugden | 80 | 301 | 89 | .296 | 0 | 36 |
| 1B | Jake Beckley | 59 | 217 | 55 | .253 | 3 | 32 |
| 2B | Dick Padden | 61 | 219 | 53 | .242 | 2 | 24 |
| SS | Bones Ely | 128 | 537 | 153 | .285 | 3 | 77 |
| 3B | Denny Lyons | 118 | 436 | 134 | .307 | 4 | 71 |
| OF | Mike Smith | 122 | 484 | 175 | .362 | 6 | 94 |
| OF | Jake Stenzel | 114 | 479 | 173 | .361 | 2 | 82 |
| OF | Patsy Donovan | 131 | 573 | 183 | .319 | 3 | 59 |

#### 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 |
| Bill Merritt | 77 | 282 | 82 | .291 | 1 | 42 |
| Lou Bierbauer | 59 | 258 | 74 | .287 | 0 | 39 |
| Harry Davis | 44 | 168 | 32 | .190 | 0 | 23 |
| Connie Mack | 33 | 120 | 26 | .217 | 0 | 16 |
| Joe Wright | 15 | 52 | 16 | .308 | 0 | 6 |
| Jud Smith | 10 | 35 | 12 | .343 | 0 | 4 |
| Harry Truby | 8 | 32 | 5 | .156 | 0 | 3 |
| Abel Lizotte | 7 | 29 | 3 | .103 | 0 | 3 |
| Eddie Boyle | 2 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Delahanty | 1 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 0 | 0 |

### 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 |
| Frank Killen | 52 | 432.1 | 30 | 18 | 3.41 | 134 |
| Pink Hawley | 49 | 378.0 | 22 | 21 | 3.57 | 137 |
| Charlie Hastings | 17 | 104.0 | 5 | 10 | 5.88 | 19 |
| Brownie Foreman | 9 | 61.2 | 3 | 3 | 6.57 | 18 |
| Elmer Horton | 2 | 15.0 | 0 | 2 | 9.60 | 3 |

#### 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 |
| Jim Hughey | 25 | 155.0 | 6 | 8 | 4.99 | 48 |

#### Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
| Jot Goar | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16.88 | 3 |