1897 in baseball



Champions

Notable seasons

  • Baltimore Orioles right fielder Willie Keeler led the NL in batting average and hits. He was second in the NL in total bases, slugging percentage, adjusted OPS+, and runs scored. He was third in the NL in on-base percentage.
  • Boston Beaneaters pitcher Kid Nichols had a win–loss record of 31–11 and led the NL in innings pitched, wins, and adjusted ERA+. He was second in the NL in earned run average. He was fifth in the NL in strikeouts.

Events

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

  • February 5 – Old Hoss Radbourn, 42, Hall of Fame pitcher who won over 300 games including a record 60 for the 1884 Providence Grays, leading the National League in wins, strikeouts, winning percentage and games twice each and in shutouts, innings and ERA once each; completing 489 out of 503 starts, pitching three shutouts in the 1884 World Championship Series, while holding single-season records for games pitched with 76 in 1883, going 27–12 for the 1890 Players' League champions.
  • February 8 – Fleury Sullivan, 35, pitcher.
  • March 5 – Dave Foutz, 40, first baseman/outfielder/pitcher who played from 1884 through 1896 for the St. Louis Browns and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms, a three-time.300 hitter and manager for the Brooklyn teams between 1893 and 1896 for a.690 career winning percentage, while pitching 41 wins for the 1886 champion Browns.
  • March 10 – Wes Blogg, 42, catcher.
  • March 21 – Andy Allison, 49, first baseman.
  • March 22 – Dave Anderson, 28, pitcher.
  • March 25 – Bill Quarles, 28, pitcher.
  • April 13 – Charlie Yingling, 31, shortstop.
  • July 10 – Kid Baldwin, 32, catcher.
  • August 1 – Jake Seymour, 43, who played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys of the American Association in the 1882 season.
  • August 4 – John Gilroy, 27, pitcher.
  • August 9 – Jack Scheible, 31, pitcher.
  • August 19 – Jim McKeever, 36, catcher.
  • August 22 – Tricky Nichols, 47, pitcher who posted a 28–73 record and a 3.06 ERA in 106 games for six different teams between 1875 and 1882.
  • August 27 – Sam Moran, 26, pitcher.
  • October 9 – Milo Lockwood, 39, outfielder and pitcher.
  • October 19 – O. P. Caylor, 47, one of the founders of the American Association.
  • November 2 – Joe Sullivan, 27, shortstop.
  • November 15 – Charlie Smith, 56, infielder who appeared in 14 games for the 1871 New York Mutuals.
  • November 19 – Frank McGinn, 28, infielder.
  • December 20 – William Brown, 31, catcher.