Tip O'Neill and the St. Louis Browns of 1887

by Dennis Thiessen

Overview

In 1887, Tip O'Neill, left fielder for the St. Louis Browns, won the American Association batting championship with a .492 average--the highest ever for a single season in the Major Leagues.

Yet his record was set during a season when a base on balls counted as a hit and a time at bat. Over the next 130 years, the debate about O'Neill's "correct" average diverted attention from the other batting feats of his record-breaking season, including numerous multi-hit games, streaks and long hits, as well as two cycles and the triple crown.

The Browns entered 1887 as the champions of St. Louis, the American Association and the world. Following the lead set by their manager, Charles Comiskey, the Browns did "anything to win," combining skill with an aggressive style of play that included noisy coaching, incessant kicking, trickery and rough play. O'Neill did "everything to win" at the plate, leaving the no-holds-barred tactics to his rowdier teammates.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476636672
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	06/12/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	251
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dennis Thiessen is a professor emeritus of education at the University of Toronto. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Dennis Thiessen is a professor emeritus of education at the University of Toronto. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Mark ­O’Neill
Preface
 1.  October 18 to October 23, 1886: Champions of the World
 2. From Pitcher to Left Fielder
 3. Core Players: St. Louis Browns
 4. “Anything to Win”
 5. October 24, 1886, to April 15, 1887: ­Off-Season
 6. April 16 to May 24: Batting for Average
 7. Two Cycles
 8. May 25 to July 11: Injury and Struggle
 9. Featured Games: Batting and Fielding
10. July 12 to August 10: A Slow Return to Form
11. Long Hits
12. August 12 to September 8: Batting for Power
13. Batting Streaks
14. September 9 to October 9: American Association Champions
15. October 10 to October 26: St. Louis Loses to Detroit in the World Championship
16. A Season of Firsts
Epilogue
Appendix A: Resolution of Discrepancies in ­Game-Based Statistics
Appendix B: Tip ­O’Neill—Single-Season Batting Records and Feats in 1887
Appendix C: Tip ­O’Neill—Career Statistics
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index