September 9- The Cincinnati Reds purchase Sam Crawford from Grand Rapids of the Western League. Crawford would eventually end up in the hall of fame as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
September 12 – The
Cleveland Spiders lose both games of a doubleheader against the
Philadelphia Phillies. At 19–114, they break the record for most losses by an MLB team in a single season, which had previously been 113.
September 18 - The Cleveland Spiders defeated the Washington Senators in the first game of a double header, 5-4. It would be the last win in franchise history.
October 1 - the Cleveland Spiders play their last game, a 19-3 loss to Cincinnati. In that game, the Spiders recruited local semi-pro
Eddie Kolb to pitch. It would be the 18 year old rookie's only MLB appearance.
October 15 - The
Cleveland Spiders lose both games of their season-ending doubleheader against the
Cincinnati Reds by scores of 16-1 and 19–3. Having lost 40 of their last 41 games, they finish the season in last place with a record of 20–134.
Buck Freeman of the
Washington Senators leads all batters with 25
home runs during the regular season, more than double hit by
Bobby Wallace of the
St. Louis Perfectos, who finished with 12 homers. Although Freeman failed to equal the record of 27 home runs set by
Ned Williamson in the
1884 season, his total is generally regarded as the greater achievement owing to the dimensions of Williamson's home ballpark of
Lakeshore Park – Only two of the 27 homers batted by Williamson for the
Chicago White Stockings were scored away from home. Freeman's tally was not surpassed until
1919, when
Babe Ruth belted 29 home runs for the
Boston Red Sox.
Following the season, the
Baltimore Orioles,
Cleveland Spiders,
Louisville Colonels and
Washington Senators were all dropped by the National League, as a cost-cutting measure, reducing the number of teams to eight for the
1900 season; while Louisville would never sport another major-league level team, the other three cities received charter franchises in the rival
American League in
1901 – after being abandoned by the AL in 1971, the National League would
return to the nation's capital
106 years later. The National League would remain at eight teams until
1962.
March 9 –
Bill McGunnigle, 44, manager who led Brooklyn to the American Association title in 1889, and the National League pennant the following year after the team switched leagues; as collegiate catcher, was possibly the first at that position to wear a glove.