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1879 Cincinnati Reds season

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Major League Baseball team season
1879 Cincinnati Reds
LeagueNational League
BallparkAvenue Grounds
CityCincinnati
ManagersCal McVey, Deacon White
← 1878 Seasons 1880 →

The 1879 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the National League with a record of 43–37, 14 games behind the Providence Grays.

Regular season

The Reds were hoping to build off a great 1878 season, in which the team finished in second place in the National League with a 37–23 record. In the off-season, the Reds announced that catcher Deacon White would become the player-manager. Cincinnati signed Ross Barnes to play shortstop. Barnes had missed most of the 1877 season and all of the 1878 season after falling ill. In his last full season in 1876, Barnes played with the Chicago White Stockings, and led the NL with a .429 batting average, 138 hits, 126 runs, 38 doubles, and fourteen triples.

King Kelly had a very solid season, hitting .348 with two home runs and 47 RBI, while another youngster, twenty-year-old Buttercup Dickerson, hit .291 with two home runs and a team high 57 RBI. Deacon White rebounded from a poor 1878 season by his standards, as he hit .330 with a homer and 52 RBI. On the mound, Will White led the NL with 75 starts, as he had a 43–31 record with a 1.99 ERA in his league high 680 innings pitched.

Season summary

Cincinnati started off hot, as they opened the season with a five-game winning streak. However, the club lost seven of their next eight games to fall under .500. Cincinnati had a mediocre 9–9 record after eighteen games, and player-manager Deacon White turned over his managerial duties to Cal McVey, who had been the Reds' player-manager in 1878. Cincinnati lost the first five games under McVey, however, the team began to play better, and ended the season with a 43–37 record, fifth in the league, and fourteen games behind the first-place Grays.

Season standings

National League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Providence Grays 59 25 .702 — 34‍–‍8 25‍–‍17
Boston Red Caps 54 30 .643 5 29‍–‍13 25‍–‍17
Buffalo Bisons 46 32 .590 10 23‍–‍16 23‍–‍16
Chicago White Stockings 46 33 .582 10½ 29‍–‍13 17‍–‍20
Cincinnati Reds 43 37 .537 14 21‍–‍16 22‍–‍21
Cleveland Blues 27 55 .329 31 15‍–‍27 12‍–‍28
Syracuse Stars 22 48 .314 30 11‍–‍22 11‍–‍26
Troy Trojans 19 56 .253 35½ 12‍–‍27 7‍–‍29

Record vs. opponents

1879 National League record
Sources:
Team BOS BUF CHI CIN CLE PRV SYR TRO
Boston — 9–3 4–8 7–5 10–2 4–8 9–3 11–1
Buffalo 3–9 — 6–6–1 7–3 8–4 6–6 5–3 11–1
Chicago 8–4 6–6–1 — 3–8 8–4 5–7–1 8–1 8–3–2
Cincinnati 5–7 3–7 8–3 — 8–4 2–10 8–4–1 9–2
Cleveland 2–10 4–8 4–8 4–8 — 4–8 4–7 5–6
Providence 8–4 6–6 7–5–1 10–2 8–4 — 10–2 10–2
Syracuse 3–9 3–5 1–8 4–8–1 7–4 2–10 — 2–4
Troy 1–11 1–11 3–8–2 2–9 6–5 2–10 4–2 —


Game log

Legend
Reds Win Reds Loss Game Tied/Postponed
1879 Game Log: 43–37 (Home: 21–16; Away: 22–21)
May: 8–7 (Home: 6–6; Away: 2–1)
# Date Opponent Score Stadium Attendance Record Streak
1 May 1 Trojans 7–5 Avenue Grounds N/A 1–0 W1
2 May 2 Trojans 10–1 Avenue Grounds N/A 2–0 W2
3 May 3 Trojans 13–12 Avenue Grounds N/A 3–0 W3
4 May 6 Stars 7–6 Avenue Grounds N/A 4–0 W4
5 May 8 Stars 5–2 Avenue Grounds N/A 5–0 W5
6 May 10 Stars 6–7 Avenue Grounds N/A 5–1 L1
7 May 13 Red Caps 2–3 Avenue Grounds N/A 5–2 L2
8 May 15 Red Caps 2–13 Avenue Grounds N/A 5–3 L3
9 May 17 Red Caps 7–4 Avenue Grounds N/A 6–3 W1
10 May 20 Grays 5–11 Avenue Grounds N/A 6–4 L1
11 May 22 Grays 9–10 Avenue Grounds N/A 6–5 L2
12 May 24 Grays 1–17 Avenue Grounds N/A 6–6 L3
13 May 28 @ Trojans 6–20 Putnam Grounds N/A 6–7 L4
14 May 30 @ Trojans 4–2 Putnam Grounds N/A 7–7 W1
15 May 31 @ Trojans 6–2 Putnam Grounds N/A 8–7 W2
June: 2–10 (Home: 1–1; Away: 1–9)
# Date Opponent Score Stadium Attendance Record Streak
– June 3 @ Stars Postponed (rain); Makeup: June 4
16 June 4 @ Stars 6–5 Newell Park N/A 9–7 W3
17 June 5 @ Stars 1–10 Newell Park N/A 9–8 L1
18 June 7 @ Stars 3–9 Newell Park N/A 9–9 L2
19 June 10 @ Grays 1–6 Messer Street Grounds N/A 9–10 L3
– June 12 @ Grays Postponed (rain); Makeup: June 13
20 June 13 @ Grays 6–19 Messer Street Grounds N/A 9–11 L4
21 June 14 @ Grays 3–4 Messer Street Grounds N/A 9–12 L5
22 June 17 @ Red Caps 6–9 South End Grounds N/A 9–13 L6
23 June 19 @ Red Caps 0–6 South End Grounds N/A 9–14 L7
24 June 21 @ Red Caps 15–13 South End Grounds N/A 10–14 W1
25 June 24 White Stockings 4–1 Avenue Grounds N/A 11–14 W2
26 June 25 White Stockings 3–7 Avenue Grounds N/A 11–15 L1
27 June 28 @ White Stockings 1–5 Lakefront Park N/A 11–16 L2
– June 30 @ White Stockings Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: July 1
July: 11–7 (Home: 7–6; Away: 4–1)
# Date Opponent Score Stadium Attendance Record Streak
28 July 1 @ White Stockings 7–5 Lakefront Park N/A 12–16 W1
29 July 2 @ White Stockings 9–8 Lakefront Park N/A 13–16 W2
30 July 4 Stars 9–1 Avenue Grounds N/A 14–16 W3
31 July 5 Stars 9–5 Avenue Grounds N/A 15–16 W4
32 July 8 Stars 1–6 Avenue Grounds N/A 15–17 L1
– July 10 Red Caps Postponed (rain); Makeup: July 14
33 July 11 Red Caps 2–11 Avenue Grounds N/A 15–18 L2
34 July 12 Red Caps 4–3 Avenue Grounds N/A 16–18 W1
35 July 14 Red Caps 4–8 Avenue Grounds N/A 16–19 L1
36 July 15 Grays 9–0 Avenue Grounds N/A 17–19 W1
37 July 16 Grays 3–5 Avenue Grounds N/A 17–20 L1
38 July 17 Grays 8–4 Avenue Grounds N/A 18–20 W1
39 July 19 Trojans 7–6 Avenue Grounds N/A 19–20 W2
40 July 21 Trojans 10–0 Avenue Grounds N/A 20–20 W3
– July 24 @ White Stockings Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: July 25
41 July 25 @ White Stockings 3–6 Lakefront Park N/A 20–21 L1
42 July 26 @ White Stockings 11–8 Lakefront Park N/A 21–21 W1
43 July 28 @ White Stockings 5–2 Lakefront Park N/A 22–21 W2
44 July 30 Bisons 5–7 Avenue Grounds N/A 22–22 L1
45 July 31 Bisons 3–5 Avenue Grounds N/A 22–23 L2
August: 8–6 (Home: 7–3; Away: 1–3)
# Date Opponent Score Stadium Attendance Record Streak
46 August 2 Bisons 5–9 Avenue Grounds N/A 22–24 L3
– August 5 Blues Postponed (rain); Makeup: August 22
– August 6 Blues Postponed (rain); Makeup: August 29 (site change)
– August 7 Blues Postponed (rain); Makeup: September 30 (site change)
47 August 9 White Stockings 11–6 Avenue Grounds N/A 23–24 W1
48 August 11 White Stockings 5–1 Avenue Grounds N/A 24–24 W2
49 August 12 White Stockings 5–0 Avenue Grounds N/A 25–24 W3
– August 14 @ Bisons Postponed (unknown reason); Makeup: September 22
50 August 15 @ Bisons 9–10 Riverside Park N/A 25–25 L1
51 August 19 Blues 2–1 Avenue Grounds N/A 26–25 W1
52 August 20 Blues 9–5 Avenue Grounds N/A 27–25 W2
53 August 21 Blues 3–7 Avenue Grounds N/A 27–26 L1
54 August 22 Blues 15–1 Avenue Grounds N/A 28–26 W1
– August 23 Bisons Postponed (rain); Makeup: August 27
55 August 26 Bisons 0–4 Avenue Grounds N/A 28–27 L1
56 August 27 Bisons 5–2 Avenue Grounds N/A 29–27 W1
57 August 28 @ Blues 6–7 Kennard Street Park N/A 29–28 L1
58 August 29 @ Blues 9–3 Kennard Street Park N/A 30–28 W1
59 August 30 @ Blues 3–10 Kennard Street Park N/A 30–29 L1
September: 13–8 (Home: 0–0; Away: 13–8)
# Date Opponent Score Stadium Attendance Record Streak
60 September 1 @ Blues 4–2 Kennard Street Park N/A 31–29 W1
61 September 3 @ Stars 2–2 Newell Park N/A 31–29 W1
62 September 4 @ Stars 6–2 Newell Park N/A 32–29 W2
63 September 5 @ Stars 18–2 Newell Park N/A 33–29 W3
64 September 6 @ Stars 6–0 Newell Park N/A 34–29 W4
65 September 8 @ Trojans 11–5 Putnam Grounds N/A 35–29 W5
– September 9 @ Trojans Postponed (rain); Makeup: September 11
66 September 10 @ Trojans 4–9 Putnam Grounds N/A 35–30 L1
67 September 11 @ Trojans 11–5 Putnam Grounds N/A 36–30 W5
68 September 12 @ Red Caps 1–4 South End Grounds N/A 36–31 L1
69 September 13 @ Red Caps 7–5 South End Grounds N/A 37–31 W1
70 September 15 @ Red Caps 5–3 South End Grounds N/A 38–31 W2
71 September 17 @ Grays 2–6 Messer Street Grounds N/A 38–32 L1
72 September 18 @ Grays 4–5 Messer Street Grounds N/A 38–33 L2
73 September 19 @ Grays 5–15 Messer Street Grounds N/A 38–34 L3
74 September 22 @ Bisons 0–3 Riverside Park N/A 38–35 L4
75 September 23 @ Bisons 7–12 Riverside Park N/A 38–36 L5
76 September 24 @ Bisons 8–5 Riverside Park N/A 39–36 W1
77 September 25 @ Bisons 10–2 Riverside Park N/A 40–36 W2
78 September 26 @ Blues 6–2 Kennard Street Park N/A 41–36 W3
79 September 27 @ Blues 15–4 Kennard Street Park N/A 42–36 W4
80 September 29 @ Blues 13–1 Kennard Street Park N/A 43–36 W5
81 September 30 @ Blues 6–9 Kennard Street Park N/A 43–37 L1

Roster

1879 Cincinnati Reds
Roster
Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders Outfielders Manager

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
C Deacon White 78 333 110 .330 1 52
1B Cal McVey 81 354 105 .297 0 55
2B Joe Gerhardt 79 313 62 .198 1 39
3B King Kelly 77 345 120 .348 2 47
SS Ross Barnes 77 323 86 .266 1 30
OF Buttercup Dickerson 81 350 102 .291 2 57
OF Pete Hotaling 81 369 103 .279 1 27
OF Will Foley 56 218 46 .211 0 25

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Mike Burke 28 117 26 .222 0 8
Blondie Purcell 12 50 11 .220 0 4
Jack Neagle 3 12 2 .167 0 2
John Magner 1 4 0 .000 0 1
Harry Wheeler 1 3 0 .000 0 0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Will White 76 680.0 43 31 1.99 232
Blondie Purcell 2 18.0 0 2 4.00 3
Jack Neagle 2 13.0 0 1 3.46 4
Harry Wheeler 1 1.0 0 1 81.00 0

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Cal McVey 3 14.0 0 2 8.36 7

References

  1. 1879 Cincinnati Reds season at Baseball Reference
1879 MLB season by team
National League
Cincinnati Reds (1876–1879)
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio
Franchise
Ballparks
Seasons
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