1899 Cleveland Spiders season
Encyclopedia
The Cleveland Spiders
season was a season in American baseball. It was their 13th season in the major leagues, their 11th season in the National League
and their last season in existence.
In 1899, the owners of the Spiders, the Robison brothers, Frank
and Stanley
, bought the St. Louis Browns
baseball club from Chris von der Ahe
, renaming it the Perfectos
. However, they continued to retain ownership of the Cleveland club, an obvious conflict of interest that was later outlawed.
Stanley Robison publicly announced his intention to run the Spiders "as a sideshow," and fans apparently took him at his word. Through the first 16 home games, Cleveland's total attendance was 3,179, or an average of 199 people per game. Due to lackluster ticket sales, other NL teams refused to travel to Cleveland's League Park
, as their cut of the ticket revenue didn't even begin to cover their travel and hotel expenses. As a result, the Spiders only played 26 more home games for the rest of the season, including only eight after July 1. In so doing, they set a number of negative records, including one, 101 road losses, that is unbreakable under MLB's current schedule. Sportswriters of the day began referring to the team as the "Exiles" and "Wanderers." Their final record for the season was 20-134 for a winning percentage of .130—the worst in baseball history.
Cy Young
, Jesse Burkett
, and Bobby Wallace
, as well as manager Patsy Tebeau
, to St. Louis. Most of the players Cleveland received were non-entities. Jack Clements (known to history as one of MLB's few left-handed throwing catchers) and Joe Quinn were at the end of successful careers, and player-manager Lave Cross was traded back to St. Louis after the Spiders got off to an 8-30 start.
According to various individual pages at Baseball-Reference
, most of this activity took place on March 29, 1899, just 17 days before the beginning of the new season:
Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
They also started transferring numerous home games to the road—including the original Opening Day
game to St. Louis. As a result, they wouldn't play their first home game until May 1.
Ultimately, the club finished 20-134 (.130) and lost 40 of their last 41 games of the season. By season's end, they trailed the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas
by 84 games. Cleveland was 35 games behind the next-to-last (11th) place Washington Senators
.
The 1899 Spiders were 11-101 (.098) on the road, and 9-33 (.214) at home. The 101 road losses is far and away the most in major-league history, and will likely never be threatened since a team can play no more than 81 road games under current scheduling practices. The team's longest winning streak of the season was two games, which they accomplished once: on May 20 against the Phillies
and May 21 against Louisville
. Spiders opponents scored ten or more runs 49 times in 154 games. Pitchers Jim Hughey (4-30) and Charlie Knepper
(4-22) tied for the team lead in wins. The pitching staff allowed a record 1,252 runs in 154 games. The Spiders batters combined to hit 12 home runs, matching former Spiders star Bobby Wallace, who hit a dozen for St. Louis. Just 6,088 fans paid for Spiders home games in 1899, for an average attendance figure of 145 people per game. (For the sake of comparison, St. Louis drew 373,909 fans for their season, and 15,000 for one game -- their home opener against the Spiders.) In the last 57 games of the season, the Spiders only won three games.
, which opened for business in 1901 as a second major league and included among its charter members a new team, the Cleveland Blues. The Blues still exist today as the Cleveland Indians
.
Cleveland Spiders
The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
season was a season in American baseball. It was their 13th season in the major leagues, their 11th season in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
and their last season in existence.
In 1899, the owners of the Spiders, the Robison brothers, Frank
Frank Robison
Frank DeHass Robison was an American businessman, best known as a baseball executive. He was the organizer of the Cleveland Spiders franchise, and owned or part-owned the club throughout its existence, from its founding in as the Cleveland Blues until...
and Stanley
Stanley Robison
Martin Stanford "Stanley" Robison was an American owner and manager in Major League Baseball. Robison was the owner of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1899 to 1911, along with his brother Frank. He was also part-owner of the Cleveland Spiders for most of their existence, from 1887 to 1899...
, bought the St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
baseball club from Chris von der Ahe
Chris von der Ahe
Christian Friedrich Wilhelm von der Ahe was a German-American entrepreneur, best known as the owner of the St. Louis Brown Stockings of the American Association, now known as the St. Louis Cardinals....
, renaming it the Perfectos
1899 St. Louis Perfectos season
The St. Louis Perfectos season was the team's 18th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 8th season in the National League. The Perfectos went 84-67 during the season and finished 5th in the National League....
. However, they continued to retain ownership of the Cleveland club, an obvious conflict of interest that was later outlawed.
Stanley Robison publicly announced his intention to run the Spiders "as a sideshow," and fans apparently took him at his word. Through the first 16 home games, Cleveland's total attendance was 3,179, or an average of 199 people per game. Due to lackluster ticket sales, other NL teams refused to travel to Cleveland's League Park
League Park
League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 66th Street in the Hough neighborhood. It was home to the National League Cleveland Spiders, the American League Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland...
, as their cut of the ticket revenue didn't even begin to cover their travel and hotel expenses. As a result, the Spiders only played 26 more home games for the rest of the season, including only eight after July 1. In so doing, they set a number of negative records, including one, 101 road losses, that is unbreakable under MLB's current schedule. Sportswriters of the day began referring to the team as the "Exiles" and "Wanderers." Their final record for the season was 20-134 for a winning percentage of .130—the worst in baseball history.
Offseason
The Robisons decided that a good team in St. Louis would draw more fans, so they proceeded to transfer most of the Cleveland stars, including future Hall of FamersNational Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Cy Young
Cy Young
Denton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
, Jesse Burkett
Jesse Burkett
Jesse Cail Burkett , nicknamed "The Crab", was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century...
, and Bobby Wallace
Bobby Wallace (baseball)
Rhoderick John "Bobby" Wallace was a Major League Baseball pitcher, infielder, manager, umpire and scout....
, as well as manager Patsy Tebeau
Patsy Tebeau
Oliver Wendell Tebeau was an American first and third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. Tebeau batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri....
, to St. Louis. Most of the players Cleveland received were non-entities. Jack Clements (known to history as one of MLB's few left-handed throwing catchers) and Joe Quinn were at the end of successful careers, and player-manager Lave Cross was traded back to St. Louis after the Spiders got off to an 8-30 start.
According to various individual pages at Baseball-Reference
Baseball-Reference
Baseball-Reference.com is a website providing statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. The site is often used by major media organizations and baseball broadcasters as a source for statistics.-History:...
, most of this activity took place on March 29, 1899, just 17 days before the beginning of the new season:
Pitchers
- Frank BatesFrank BatesCreed Napoleon "Frank" Bates was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1899. He played for the Cleveland Spiders and St. Louis Perfectos. Bates was tall and weighed .-Early career:...
, Nig CuppyNig CuppyGeorge Joseph "Nig" Cuppy was an American baseball pitcher during the 1890s. He spent nine years of his 10-year major league career as the number two starter behind Cy Young....
, Cowboy JonesCowboy JonesAlbert Edward "Cowboy" Jones was a professional baseball pitcher. He pitched one full season and parts of three others in Major League Baseball from 1898 until 1901 for the Cleveland Spiders and St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals.- Early life :...
, Pete McBridePete McBridePeter William McBride was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in one game for the Cleveland Spiders in 1898 and then was transferred to the St. Louis Perfectos before the 1899 season along with most of the Spiders' better players. He pitched in 11 games for the Perfectos, ending his...
, Jack Powell, Zeke WilsonZeke WilsonFrank Ealton "Zeke" Wilson was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1895 to 1899. He played for the Boston Beaneaters, Cleveland Spiders, and St. Louis Perfectos.-External links:...
, Cy YoungCy YoungDenton True "Cy" Young was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. During his 22-year baseball career , he pitched for five different teams. Young was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937...
to St. Louis - Kid CarseyKid CarseyWilfred "Kid" Carsey , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1891-1901. He played for the Washington Statesmen, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Senators, New York Giants and Brooklyn Superbas.-External links:...
, Jim HugheyJim HugheyJames Ulysses Hughey , born in Wakeshma, Michigan, was a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers , Chicago Colts , Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Browns/St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Spiders .He led the National League in losses in 1899...
, Harry MaupinHarry MaupinHarry Carr Maupin was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He pitched in two games for the St. Louis Browns during the 1898 St. Louis Browns season and five games for the Cleveland Spiders during the 1899 Cleveland Spiders season...
, Willie SudhoffWillie SudhoffJohn William Sudhoff was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in the National League for the St. Louis Browns , Cleveland Spiders , St. Louis Perfectos and St. Louis Cardinals , and with the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators of the American League...
to Cleveland
Catchers
- Lou CrigerLou CrigerLouis Criger was a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Spiders , St. Louis Cardinals , Boston Americans/Red Sox , St. Louis Browns , and the New York Highlanders .Criger became the first Opening Day catcher in Boston American League franchise's history...
, Jack O'ConnorJack O'Connor (catcher)John Joseph O'Connor , also known as Peach Pie, was a utilityman in Major League Baseball in the American Association, the National League, and the American League, primarily used as an outfielder. He began his career as a left fielder and catcher for the Cincinnati Red Stockings, and he soon moved...
to St. Louis - Jack ClementsJack ClementsJohn J. "Jack" Clements was a baseball player who played for 17 seasons in the Major Leagues. A catcher for nearly his entire career, despite being left-handed, Clements caught 1,073 games, almost four times as many as any other left-handed player in major league history and was the last...
, Joe SugdenJoe Sugden (baseball)Joseph Sugden , was a professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox, St...
to Cleveland
Infielders
- Jimmy BurkeJimmy Burke (baseball)James Timothy Burke was a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Stockings, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals....
, Cupid ChildsCupid ChildsClarence Algernon "Cupid" Childs was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball with a 13-season career from 1888, 1890–1901, playing for the Philadelphia Quakers, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos and Chicago Orphans of the National League and the Syracuse Stars of the American...
, Ed McKean, Ossee SchreckengostOssee SchreckengostOssee Freeman Schreckengost was a Major League Baseball catcher and first baseman...
, Bobby WallaceBobby Wallace (baseball)Rhoderick John "Bobby" Wallace was a Major League Baseball pitcher, infielder, manager, umpire and scout....
to St. Louis - Patsy TebeauPatsy TebeauOliver Wendell Tebeau was an American first and third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. Tebeau batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri....
to St. Louis (to be manager) - Joe Quinn, Suter SullivanSuter SullivanSuter Grant Sullivan was an infielder in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1899. He played for the St. Louis Browns and Cleveland Spiders.-External links:...
, Tommy TuckerTommy Tucker (baseball)Thomas Joseph Tucker was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played with six different teams between 1887 and 1899. Listed at 5' 11", 165 lb., Tucker was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed....
to Cleveland - Lave CrossLave CrossLafayette Napoleon Cross was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who played most of his 21-year career with Philadelphia-based teams in four different leagues...
to Cleveland (to be player-manager)
Outfielders
- Harry BlakeHarry BlakeHarry Cooper Blake was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played in the late 19th century....
, Jesse BurkettJesse BurkettJesse Cail Burkett , nicknamed "The Crab", was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century...
, Emmet HeidrickEmmet HeidrickR. Emmet "Snags" Heidrick was an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1898 to 1908. He played for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Cardinals, and St. Louis Browns.-External links:...
to St. Louis - Tommy DowdTommy Dowd (baseball)Thomas Jefferson Dowd , nicknamed "Buttermilk Tommy", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and second baseman from Holyoke, Massachusetts who played for six teams during his ten-season career.-College:...
, Dick HarleyDick HarleyRichard Joseph Harley was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 until 1903....
to Cleveland
They also started transferring numerous home games to the road—including the original Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
game to St. Louis. As a result, they wouldn't play their first home game until May 1.
Regular season
With a decimated roster, it was apparent almost from the start that the Spiders would make a wretched showing. Their first game was a harbinger. They were shredded by the Perfectos 10-1. The next day, The Plain Dealer had a remarkably prescient headline on its front page: "THE FARCE HAS BEGUN."Ultimately, the club finished 20-134 (.130) and lost 40 of their last 41 games of the season. By season's end, they trailed the pennant-winning Brooklyn Superbas
1899 Brooklyn Superbas season
The 1899 Brooklyn Superbas season was a season in American baseball. The team won the National League pennant with a record of 101-47, 8 games ahead of the Boston Beaneaters, after finishing tenth in 1898.- Offseason :...
by 84 games. Cleveland was 35 games behind the next-to-last (11th) place Washington Senators
1899 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators baseball team finished the season with a 54-98 record, eleventh place in the National League. When the NL contracted after the season, the Senators were disbanded. Owner J. Earl Wagner received $39,000 for his interest in the team....
.
The 1899 Spiders were 11-101 (.098) on the road, and 9-33 (.214) at home. The 101 road losses is far and away the most in major-league history, and will likely never be threatened since a team can play no more than 81 road games under current scheduling practices. The team's longest winning streak of the season was two games, which they accomplished once: on May 20 against the Phillies
1899 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
and May 21 against Louisville
1899 Louisville Colonels season
The Louisville Colonels baseball team finished with a 75-77 record and ninth place in the National League. Following the season, owner Barney Dreyfuss bought the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and folded his Louisville team...
. Spiders opponents scored ten or more runs 49 times in 154 games. Pitchers Jim Hughey (4-30) and Charlie Knepper
Charlie Knepper
Charles Knepper , was a Major League Baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who batted from the right side....
(4-22) tied for the team lead in wins. The pitching staff allowed a record 1,252 runs in 154 games. The Spiders batters combined to hit 12 home runs, matching former Spiders star Bobby Wallace, who hit a dozen for St. Louis. Just 6,088 fans paid for Spiders home games in 1899, for an average attendance figure of 145 people per game. (For the sake of comparison, St. Louis drew 373,909 fans for their season, and 15,000 for one game -- their home opener against the Spiders.) In the last 57 games of the season, the Spiders only won three games.
Aftermath
The dismal 1899 season was the end for the Spiders and for National League baseball in Cleveland. The Spiders were disbanded, along with franchises in Baltimore, Louisville, and Washington, as the National League contracted from 12 teams to eight. The departure of baseball from Cleveland left an opening for the upstart American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, which opened for business in 1901 as a second major league and included among its charter members a new team, the Cleveland Blues. The Blues still exist today as the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
Notable transactions
- June 5, 1899: At this point, some of the activity on March 29 was undone. Willie Sudhoff and Lave Cross were sent by the Spiders back to the Perfectos, with Frank Bates and Ossee Schreckengost coming back to Cleveland.
Roster
| 1899 Cleveland Spiders | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager | ||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 76 | 250 | 69 | .276 | 0 | 14 | |
| 1B | 127 | 456 | 110 | .241 | 0 | 40 | |
| 2B | 147 | 615 | 176 | .286 | 0 | 72 | |
| 3B | 127 | 473 | 116 | .245 | 0 | 55 | |
| SS | 148 | 541 | 129 | .238 | 1 | 43 | |
| OF | 147 | 605 | 168 | .278 | 2 | 35 | |
| OF | 142 | 567 | 142 | .250 | 1 | 50 | |
| OF | 113 | 418 | 99 | .237 | 1 | 31 |
Other batters
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 202 | 56 | .277 | 2 | 23 | |
| 38 | 154 | 44 | .286 | 1 | 20 | |
| 43 | 150 | 47 | .313 | 0 | 10 | |
| 31 | 105 | 24 | .229 | 2 | 9 | |
| 20 | 73 | 25 | .342 | 2 | 14 | |
| 13 | 44 | 10 | .227 | 0 | 2 | |
| 18 | 39 | 8 | .205 | 0 | 2 | |
| 7 | 22 | 6 | .273 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | 12 | 3 | .250 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 8 | 1 | .125 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | 8 | 2 | .250 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 283 | 4 | 30 | 5.41 | 54 | |
| 27 | 219.2 | 4 | 22 | 5.78 | 43 | |
| 20 | 153 | 1 | 18 | 7.24 | 13 | |
| 20 | 138.1 | 2 | 17 | 5.86 | 24 | |
| 14 | 98 | 1 | 11 | 8.17 | 8 | |
| 11 | 72.1 | 3 | 6 | 6.97 | 26 | |
| 11 | 86.1 | 3 | 8 | 6.98 | 10 | |
| 10 | 77.2 | 1 | 8 | 5.68 | 11 | |
| 5 | 37 | 1 | 4 | 3.89 | 14 | |
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9.00 | 1 | |
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 10.13 | 1 |
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 25 | 0 | 3 | 12.60 |