1898 in baseball
Champions
Events
- April 3 – Jack Clements, now with St. Louis, is the first southpaw to catch in 1,000 MLB games.
- April 21 – Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies] pitcher Bill Duggleby hits a grand slam in his first major league at-bat. No one else will accomplish that feat until Jeremy Hermida in.
- April 22 – This day in baseball would see two no-hitters. First, Ted Breitenstein would throw the second no-hitter of his career, as the Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds] would defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates], 11–0. Meanwhile, Jay Hughes would toss a no-hitter for the Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles] in a 5–0 win over the 1898 [Boston Beaneaters season|Boston Beaneaters]. This is the first time in Major League history that two no-hitters would be thrown on the same day. It would not happen again until Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela turned the trick on June 29,.
- May 10 – The Washington Senators released catcher Roger Bresnahan.
- July 5 – Lizzie Arlington becomes the first woman to play in organized baseball as she pitches for the Reading Coal Heavers of the Atlantic League. She hurled the final inning of that game and gave up two hits and a walk but did not allow a run. Some claim she also pitched in exhibition games after being hired by Ed Barrow, the league's president.
- July 8 – Red Donahue tosses a no-hitter in a 5–0 Philadelphia Phillies victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
- August 21 – In the second game of a doubleheader, Walter Thornton of the Chicago Orphans season|Chicago Orphans] pitches a 2–0 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Bridegrooms season|Brooklyn Bridegrooms].
- December 1 – New York Giants season|New York Giants] president Andrew Freedman renews his team lease on the Polo Grounds for the next 10 years.
Births
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deaths
- January 4 – Charlie Byrne, 54, co-founder of the franchise that became the Brooklyn Dodgers, manager of the "Brooklyns" from June 15, 1885 through 1887, and co-owner until his death.
- January 28 – Ned Connor, 48, utility player for the 1871 New York Haymakers.
- February 25 – Tom Power, first baseman.
- March 29 – Tony Hellman, 36, catcher.
- April 13 – Charlie McCullough, 32, pitcher.
- April 14 – Jiggs Parrott, 26, infielder.
- April 17 – Bobby Mathews, 46, pitcher who won 297 games, 131 of them in the National Association, in a career that ran from 1871 to 1887, including the first professional league game victory in 1871, and consecutive 30-win seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1883 to 1885.
- June 4 – Harry Smith, 42, infielder.
- June 23 – William Rexter, 48, outfielder.
- August 2 – Val Robinson, 50, outfielder.
- September 21 – Bill Tierney, 40, first baseman and outfielder.
- October 5 – John Richmond, 43, shortstop and center fielder for seven teams during his eight seasons from 1875 to 1885.
- October 20 – Curry Foley, 42, Irish outfielder/first baseman/pitcher who played from 1879 through 1883 for the Boston Red Caps and Buffalo Bisons National League teams, and the first major league player ever to hit for the cycle.
- November 21 – Bill Hague, 46, third baseman from 1875 to 1879.
- November 23 – Mother Watson, 33, pitcher.
- December 27 – John Sneed, 37, outfielder.
- December 30 – Bill Stearns, 45, pitcher for several National Association teams from 1871 to 1875.
- December 31 – Martin Duke, 31, pitcher.