1874 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1874 throughout the world.

Champions

• National Association: Boston Base Ball Club

National Association final standings

National Association	W	L	GB	Pct.
Boston Red Stockings	52	18	–	.743
New York Mutuals	42	23	7.5	.646
Philadelphia Athletics	33	22	11.5	.600
Philadelphia White Stockings	29	29	17.0	.500
Chicago White Stockings	28	31	18.5	.474
Brooklyn Atlantics	22	33	22.5	.400
Hartford Dark Blues	16	37	27.5	.302
Baltimore Canaries	9	38	31.5	.191

Statistical leaders

National Association
Type	Name	Stat
AVG	Levi Meyerle CHI	.394
HR	Jim O'Rourke BOS	5
RBI	Cal McVey BOS	71
Wins	Al Spalding BOS	52
ERA	Dick McBride PHI	1.64
Strikeouts	Bobby Mathews NYM	101

Notable seasons

• Boston Red Stockings pitcher Al Spalding has a record of 52–16, leading the NA with 52 wins and 617.1 innings pitched. He has a 1.92 earned run average and a 111 ERA+.^[1][2]
• Chicago White Stockings second baseman Levi Meyerle leads the NA with a .394 batting average, a .889 OPS, and a 183 OPS+. He has 65 runs scored and 45 runs batted in.^[3][4]

Events

January–March

• January 29 – Albert Spalding arrives in England to set up a tour for the Boston and Athletic Clubs to demonstrate American baseball to the English.

April–June

• May 5 – Tommy Bond makes his professional debut, throwing a 4-hitter and defeating Lord Baltimore.
• May 6 – Dick McBride of Athletic throws a 1-hitter in a win against crosstown rival Philadelphia.
• May 13 – The Chicago Club plays the first professional game in Chicago by a Chicago team since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The "White Stockings" win 4–0 over Athletic before 4,000 fans.
• June 18 – Playing without suspended pitcher George Zettlein, the Chicagos are humiliated by Mutual 38-1. The Mutuals collect 33 hits, but are outdone by Chicago defensive miscues as they commit 36 errors in the game.

July–September

• July 10 – Jimmy Wood, player-manager for several teams in the NA, has his right leg amputated above the knee due to infection. Wood would be re-hired by Chicago to replace Fergy Malone and be on the bench managing 5 weeks after the amputation.
• July 16 – The Boston and Athletic Clubs depart from Philadelphia for England for their baseball exhibition tour.
• September 9 – John Radcliff is dismissed from the Philadelphia Club after umpire William McLean testified that Radcliff had offered him $175 to fix a game.
• September 9 – Boston and Athletic return from their England trip, arriving in New York.

October–December

• October 20 – The Boston Base Ball Club win their 3rd consecutive pennant with a 14–7 victory over Athletic of Philadelphia.

Births

• January 14 – Jack Taylor
• January 22 – Jay Hughes
• February 1 – Harry Bemis
• February 22 – Bill Klem
• February 23 – Billy Lauder
• February 24 – Honus Wagner
• March 12 – Charles Weeghman
• March 16 – Bill Duggleby
• March 18 – Nixey Callahan
• March 24 – Roy Thomas
• April 7 – John Ganzel
• April 8 – Bert Myers
• May 8 – Eddie Boyle
• June 5 – Jack Chesbro
• June 5 – Frank Huelsman
• June 20 – Win Mercer
• June 26 – Topsy Hartsel
• July 8 – Jay Parker
• July 9 – Jack Powell
• July 13 – William G. Bramham
• July 14 – Jesse Tannehill
• September 5 – Nap Lajoie
• September 17 – Willie Sudhoff
• September 21 – Grant "Home Run" Johnson
• October 12 – Jimmy Burke
• October 15 – Emil Frisk
• October 19 – Tom McCreery
• October 31 – Harry Smith

Deaths

• April 9 – Charlie Mills, age 29, catcher for the 1871 New York Mutuals.