Baseball's Wildest Season: Three Leagues, Thirty-Four Teams and the Chaos of 1884

The 1884 baseball season was a chaotic year with the formation of the Union Association, the dissolution of the UA, the AA dropping four teams, and the minor leagues struggling. Despite this, there were historic moments, such as Hoss Radbourn's 59-win season, Fleet Walker breaking the color line, and eight no-hitters. This book tells the story of this momentous yet overshadowed season.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 12 March 2023
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

At the end of the 1883 baseball season, things seemed to be going well. Attendance had increased, and the National League and American Association were at peace. However, a year later, the sport was in disarray. A third major league, the Union Association, had emerged and engaged in a fierce war that shook the baseball world. By the beginning of the 1885 season, the UA had collapsed, the AA had dropped four teams, and the minor leagues were struggling to survive. Despite the chaos, there were some historic moments during the 1884 season. Iron-man pitcher Hoss Radbourn won 59 games and led the Providence Grays to victory over the New York Metropolitans in the first World Series. Fleet Walker broke baseball's first color line. There were a record eight no-hitters, and a cast of fascinating figures, including Radbourn, Hustling Horace Phillips, Dan O'Leary, and Edward (The Only) Nolan. This book tells the story of the momentous yet often overlooked 1884 season.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476691145