Posted By:
Jay MillerIn response to questions raised in the thread and via email I have done a little research. In 1886 Chicago and Detroit were involved in a heated pennant race. Chicago eventually won with a 90-34 record, edging out the Wolverines who sported a not too shabby 87-36 mark. Most of the league leaders came from these two teams. King Kelly led the league in batting at .388, followed closely by Cap Anson at .371, Dan Brouthers at .370 and Hardy Richardson at .351. Hardy Richardson ended up leading the league in HRs at 11(tied with Brouthers) and in hits at 189. Therefore, it is easy to see why this would have been a popular game.