1897 in baseball

Champions

 * Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles over Boston Beaneaters (4–1)
 * National League: Boston Beaneaters

National League statistical leaders

 * Batting average: Willie Keeler – .424
 * Home runs: Hugh Duffy – 11
 * Runs batted in: George Davis – 135
 * Wins: Kid Nichols – 31
 * Earned run average: Amos Rusie – 2.54
 * Strikeouts: Doc McJames and Cy Seymour – 156

Notable seasons

 * Baltimore Orioles right fielder Willie Keeler led the NL in batting average (.424) and hits (239). He was second in the NL in total bases (304), slugging percentage (.539), adjusted OPS+ (164), and runs scored (145). He was third in the NL in on-base percentage (.464).
 * Boston Beaneaters pitcher Kid Nichols had a win–loss record of 31–11 and led the NL in innings pitched (368), wins (31), and adjusted ERA+ (168). He was second in the NL in earned run average (2.64). He was fifth in the NL in strikeouts (127).

Events

 * February 28 - The St. Louis Browns acquired Duke Esper off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
 * May 22 - The New York Giants released Jake Beckley.
 * June 1 - The Philadelphia Phillies traded Kid Carsey and Mike Grady to the St. Louis Browns for Ed McFarland.
 * June 3 - The Washington Senators purchased the contract of Tommy Tucker from Boston.
 * June 11 - Chippy McGarr is released by the Cleveland Spiders.
 * June 24 – Dick Harley of the St. Louis Browns collects six hits in one game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
 * June 29 – The Chicago Colts defeat the Louisville Colonels 36-7 - still the record for the most runs by one team in a game.
 * July 18 – Cap Anson of the Chicago Colts collects his 3,000th career hit with a single off of Baltimore Orioles pitcher George Blackburn.
 * September 18 – Cy Young pitches the first no-hitter of his career as the Cleveland Spiders defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-0, in the first game of a doubleheader.

January

 * January 1 – Monty Swartz
 * January 3 – Pete Turgeon
 * January 5 – Art Delaney
 * January 6 – Buck Crouse
 * January 6 – By Speece
 * January 7 – Topper Rigney
 * January 9 – Dave Keefe
 * January 15 – Joe Genewich
 * January 24 – George Ellison
 * January 29 – Pat Patterson

February

 * February 9 – Adrian Lynch
 * February 11 – Red Miller
 * February 11 – Joe Shannon
 * February 11 – Red Shannon
 * February 14 – Earl Smith
 * February 15 – Art Johnson
 * February 15 – Chuck Wolfe
 * February 16 – Paul Castner
 * February 16 – Alex Ferguson
 * February 17 – Ike Boone
 * February 18 – Huck Betts
 * February 25 – Bob Vines

March

 * March 1 – Howie Jones
 * March 4 – Neal Brady
 * March 4 – Lefty O'Doul
 * March 5 – Virgil Barnes
 * March 5 – Lu Blue
 * March 6 – Cliff Brady
 * March 9 – Joe Dawson
 * March 10 – Russ Ennis
 * March 13 – Lew Malone
 * March 14 – Bruce Hitt
 * March 19 – Elmer Bowman
 * March 21 – Gus Ketchum
 * March 21 – Bill Lamar
 * March 27 – Joe Lucey
 * March 27 – Effa Manley
 * March 30 – Ed Sicking

April

 * April 4 – Ray Miner
 * April 8 – Dick Attreau
 * April 10 – Joe Price
 * April 10 – Ross Youngs
 * April 15 – Walt Lynch
 * April 20 – Lou Vedder
 * April 26 – Epp Sell
 * April 30 – Walt Walsh

May

 * May 3 – Ray Shepardson
 * May 12 – Joe Dugan
 * May 13 – Hugh Canavan
 * May 17 – Harry Riconda
 * May 20 – Wilcy Moore
 * May 30 – Wally Kimmick

June

 * June 6 – Ray Pierce
 * June 12 – Guy Lacy
 * June 13 – George Foss
 * June 15 – Cy Twombly
 * June 17 – Bill Hubbell
 * June 22 – Bill Mizeur
 * June 25 – Camp Skinner
 * June 29 – Grady Adkins

July

 * July 3 – Chet Nichols Sr.
 * July 3 – Heinie Sand
 * July 5 – Tom Miller
 * July 9 – Glenn Myatt
 * July 12 – Hod Fenner
 * July 16 – Hi Bell
 * July 18 – Hank Hulvey
 * July 18 – Pat Murray
 * July 18 – Ed Sherling
 * July 22 – Ed Gerner
 * July 23 – Hod Ford
 * July 23 – Cy Fried
 * July 26 – Chick Bowen
 * July 27 – Biz Mackey
 * July 29 – Jim Hamby

August

 * August 8 – Charlie Eckert
 * August 8 – Ken Holloway
 * August 10 – Frank Welch
 * August 16 – Bob Fothergill
 * August 17 – Joe Bradshaw
 * August 17 – Ed Lennon
 * August 18 – Mandy Brooks
 * August 22 – Bob Clark
 * August 24 – Al Bool
 * August 24 – Frank Pratt
 * August 29 – John Quinn
 * August 31 – William Bell

September

 * September 13 – Eddie Rommel
 * September 17 – Joe Green
 * September 17 – Earl Webb
 * September 19 – Astyanax Douglass
 * September 23 – Walt Irwin
 * September 25 – Walter Anderson
 * September 27 – Chick Gagnon
 * September 30 – Eddie Kenna
 * September 30 – Mike Kircher

October

 * October 7 – Bill Jackman
 * October 9 – Harry Biemiller
 * October 13 – Elliot Bigelow
 * October 14 – Vance McIlree
 * October 15 – Dinty Gearin
 * October 15 – Sam Gray
 * October 16 – Garland Buckeye
 * October 18 – Sumpter Clarke
 * October 19 – Tom Lovelace
 * October 20 – Tom Connelly
 * October 20 – Jigger Statz
 * October 22 – Myles Thomas
 * October 26 – Skipper Friday
 * October 26 – George Winn
 * October 29 – Ty Pickup
 * October 30 – Kettle Wirts
 * October 31 – Tony Rego

November

 * November 4 – Ted Menze
 * November 4 – Dolly Stark
 * November 5 – Jack Ogden
 * November 9 – Johnny Gooch
 * November 9 – Harvey Hendrick
 * November 17 – Davey Claire
 * November 17 – Rube Lutzke
 * November 20 – Larry Benton
 * November 21 – Andy High
 * November 23 – Bubber Jonnard
 * November 23 – Claude Jonnard
 * November 23 – Freddy Leach
 * November 23 – Beans Reardon
 * November 26 – Bill Warwick
 * November 30 – Win Ballou
 * November 30 – Dud Branom

December

 * December 10 – Jocko Conlon
 * December 10 – Tim Griesenbeck
 * December 11 – Slim Harriss
 * December 14 – Syl Simon
 * December 16 – Fred Wigington
 * December 18 – Lance Richbourg
 * December 19 – Mike Herrera
 * December 20 – Snooks Dowd
 * December 21 – Hal Haid
 * December 21 – Pete Scott
 * December 22 – Harvey Freeman
 * December 23 – Nemo Gaines
 * December 25 – Allen Elliott
 * December 27 – Jackie Tavener

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.