1874 in baseball

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 New York Mutuals.