Talk:1887 in baseball

integration and segregation
For the 1880s and much of the 1890s, at least, year in baseball articles should cover racial integration and segregation in the United States. Quoting from the 'years in sports' series, 1887 : Baseball : (but the linked IL article says little about this IL) --P64 22:43, 3 September 2006 (UTC)
 * The National Colored Base Ball League plays for a few weeks before folding.
 * Five black men play in the International League, the highest minor league, the high-water mark in racial integration of professional baseball.

Temporary Change in Scoring Rules -- Effect
"May 7 - Tip O'Neill of the St. Louis Browns hits for the cycle for the 2nd time in 5 games. " I presume that O'Neill actually collected four legitimate hits of all types, and didn't qualify due to a walk counting as a single. (The peculiar rule in force for this season only.) Or does the four-ball "hit" become a fifth type of hit, allowing for a five-sectored "cycle." How many cyclers also had a walk in their game? WHPratt (talk) 13:30, 20 May 2010 (UTC)

base on balls counted as hits
In its April 26, 1887 edition, the Boston Globe announced that they, along with 5 other Boston newspapers, would not count base on balls as hits in their "scores" (box scores) for the coming season. They called the new rule absurd and illogical and said "our base ball constituents have deluged us with protests against the new method."

On October 10, 1887, the Globe published finals stats for the National League. They included 3 batting averages: "League average" included base on balls as hits, "Actual average" did not, and "Total average" was what would come to be called "Slugging Percentage." And their totals for "Base hits" and "Times at bat" did not include base on balls, which were listed separately.

They called base on balls "phantom hits" and official averages using the new rule "ghostly averages." Their actions were of course unofficial, but shows there was considerable opposition to the new method, which they reported was repealed at a meeting in Pittsburgh on November 14, not 16 as is stated in this chronology. 108.20.114.62 (talk) 16:11, 21 May 2019 (UTC)