The American Association of Base Ball Clubs (AA) was a professional baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from 1882 to 1891. Together with the National League (NL), founded in 1876, the AA participated in an early version of the World Series seven times versus the champion of the NL in an interleague championship playoff tournament. At the end of its run, several AA franchises joined the NL. After 1891, the NL existed alone, with each season's champions being awarded the Temple Cup (1894–1897).
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Dunham Street and Lexington Avenue in the Hough neighborhood. It was built in 1891 as a wood structure and rebuilt using concrete and steel in 1910. The park was home to a number of professional sports teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. League Park was first home to the Cleveland Spiders of the National League from 1891 to 1899 and of the Cleveland Lake Shores of the Western League, the minor league predecessor to the Indians, in 1900. From 1914 to 1915, League Park also hosted the Cleveland Spiders of the minor league American Association. In the 1940s, the park was also the home field of the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League.
Amos Wilson Rusie, nicknamed "the Hoosier Thunderbolt", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century. He had a 10-season career in the National League (NL), which consisted of one season with the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1889, eight with the New York Giants from 1890 to 1898, and one with the Cincinnati Reds in 1901.
The Worcester Worcesters were a 19th-century Major League Baseball team from 1880 to 1882 in the National League. The team is referred to, at times, as the Brown Stockings or the Ruby Legs; however, no contemporary sources from the time exist that support the use of either name. The team played their home games at the Worcester Driving Park Grounds in the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds, located south of Highland Street between Sever Street and Russell Street in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Héctor Headley López Swainson was a Panamanian professional baseball left fielder and third baseman who played in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees from 1955 to 1966. He won two World Series with Yankees in 1961 and 1962. He later became the first black manager at the Triple-A baseball level.
John Elmer Stivetts was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning from 1889 to 1899. He played in the American Association (AA) with the St. Louis Browns, and in the National League (NL) with the Boston Beaneaters and Cleveland Spiders. "Happy Jack" was born to German immigrants and raised in Ashland, Pennsylvania. He initially followed his father into the coal mining industry before playing professional baseball. After playing 2+1⁄2 seasons in minor league baseball, he was signed by the Browns. Over the next few seasons, he was regarded as one of the best pitchers in baseball.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1888 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1887 throughout the world.
George F. Gore, nicknamed "Piano Legs", was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for 14 seasons, eight for the Chicago White Stockings, five for the New York Giants, one for the St. Louis Browns (1892) of the National League (NL), and the New York Giants of the Players' League (1890).
William B. Phillips, also known as "Silver Bill", was a Canadian professional baseball first baseman from the mid-1870s until the late 1880s. From 1879 to 1888, he played for three major league teams; the Cleveland Blues of the National League (NL) from 1879 to 1884, the Brooklyn Grays of the American Association (AA) from 1885 to 1887, and the Kansas City Cowboys of the AA in 1888. A native of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, he has the distinction of being the first Canadian to play in the major leagues.
James Ralph "Spud" Johnson was a 19th-century Major League Baseball player for three seasons, two for the Columbus Solons of the American Association and one season for the Cleveland Spiders of the National League. Johnson played mainly in the outfield during his career, but played the third base position in his rookie season of 1889.
Lawrence Grant Twitchell was an American professional baseball player from 1886 to 1896. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder but occasionally as a pitcher, with seven different major league clubs. His best seasons were spent with the Detroit Wolverines from 1886 to 1888, the Cleveland Spiders in 1889, and the Louisville Colonels from 1893 to 1894.
The Baltimore Marylands were a short-lived professional baseball team that existed in the 1873 National Association season. Their existence consisted of a six games from April 14 to July 11, and finished with a win–loss record of 0–6. In those six games, two of which were against the Washington Blue Legs and four versus the Baltimore Canaries, the team allowed 152 runs to score, while scoring 26 for themselves. The team was managed by Bill Smith, who also played in the outfield and at catcher. They played their one and only home game on April 14, at Madison Avenue Grounds, and officially folded after the July 11, 1873 game.
James Augustus Donahue was an American Major League Baseball player from Lockport, Illinois, who played his entire career in the American Association from 1886 through 1891.
Parke B. Swartzel was a professional baseball pitcher who played one season in Major League Baseball for the American Association's Kansas City Cowboys in 1889. In addition to his one major league season, he played six seasons of professional baseball at the minor league level.
James Henry Manning was an American professional baseball player, manager, executive and team owner. He played five seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder, but also as a second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman. He played four years in the National League with the Boston Beaneaters (1884–85) and the Detroit Wolverines (1885–87). He also played professional baseball in Kansas City, Missouri, primarily as a second baseman, from 1887 to 1892 and 1894 to 1897, including one year in the American Association with the Kansas City Cowboys.
The Providence Grays were a Major League Baseball franchise based in Providence, Rhode Island from 1878 to 1885. During the team's eight seasons in the National League (NL), which then comprised eight teams, they finished third place or higher in the final standings seven times, and won the league championship in both 1879 and 1884. Providence played their home games at the Messer Street Grounds, which was located in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. The Grays were officially organized on January 16, 1878 by Benjamin Douglas, who became the team's general manager. Henry Root was hired as the team president‚ and Tom Carey was initially hired to be the on-field captain, whose duties were similar to the modern-day manager. On January 21, 1878, Providence applied for membership in the NL, and was officially approved on February 6. On April 10, Root took over ownership of the team, fired Douglas for incompetence and insubordination, and hired Tom York to replace Carey as captain.
The Kansas City Cowboys were a professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri that played in the American Association for two seasons from 1888 to 1889. The franchise initially used Association Park as their home field in 1888, then moved to Exposition Park for the 1889 season.
The Kansas City Blues was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams based in Kansas City, Missouri between 1885 and 1901. The Kansas City minor league teams played as members of the Class A level Western League in 1885 and 1887, the Western Association in 1888, 1890 and 1891, Western League in 1892, Western Association in 1893 and Western League from 1894 to 1899. The Blues transitioned to the American League in 1900, a year before the league became a major league, before returning to the Western League in 1901. The American League Blues evolved into today's Minnesota Twins. The minor league team played under the "Cowboys" moniker in 1885, 1887 and 1894. The Kansas City Blues/Cowboys played home games at Exposition Park.
