1874 in baseball

Champions

 * National Association: Boston Base Ball Club

National Association final standings


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.

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 1871 New York Mutuals.