title: 1874 in baseball
text: # 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 ATH | 1.64 |
  | Strikeouts | Bobby Mathews NYU | 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+.
  * 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.
  
  ## 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.
  