View source for 1884 St. Louis Maroons season

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox baseball team season
| name = St. Louis Maroons
| season = 1884
| misc = 1884 Union Association Champions
| league = Union Association
| ballpark = [[Union Base Ball Park]]
| city = [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| owner = [[Henry Lucas (baseball)|Henry Lucas]]
| managers = [[Ted Sullivan (baseball)|Ted Sullivan]], [[Fred Dunlap]]
|}}

The '''1884 [[St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers|St. Louis Maroons]]''' baseball team finished with a 94–19 record and won the championship of the new [[Union Association]] (UA). After the season, the UA folded and the Maroons joined the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]; they were the only UA team to continue past the 1884 season. 

To this day, the Maroons' .832 [[winning percentage]] hasn't been matched by a [[professional baseball]] team.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Record In A Season By A Team In MLB History |url=https://www.statmuse.com/e/m/HRiut3zgP |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=StatMuse |language=en}}</ref> However, a number of factors have often led to the Maroons' season being questioned or disregarded as a true accomplishment, including: the relatively low number of games played; the [[Union Association#Status as a major league|debate]] over the classification of the Union Association as a "major league"; and the fact that the founder and president of the Union Association was also the owner of the Maroons, and deliberately (and anti-competitively) stocked his team with most of the league's best talent. Accordingly, the 1884 St. Louis Maroons are not usually mentioned in the conversation of baseball teams with the best single-season records of all time. 

This team also set the record for the best start to a season in baseball history, going 20–0 before losing 8-1 to the [[1884 Boston Reds season|Boston Reds]] on May 24, in their 21st game of the season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1884 Major League Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Saturday, May 24, 1884 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/1884/05/24/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

The Maroons scored 887 runs while allowing 429, for a [[run differential]] of +458, the best in major-league history,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/which-mlb-team-had-the-best-run-differential-season |title=Highest Run Differential Ever |website=statmuse.com |date=August 10, 2022}}</ref> as records and statistics of the UA are recognized by [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB).

The team was back in the news in 2015, when the [[Golden State Warriors]] started the [[2015–16 Golden State Warriors season|2015–16 season]] with an NBA-record 24 straight wins; this surpassed the Maroons' 20–0 start, which was previously the record for the [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|four major professional sports leagues in the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sabr.org/latest/sherman-1884-st-louis-maroons-were-last-sports-team-start-20-0 |title=Sherman: 1884 St. Louis Maroons were the last sports team to start 20-0 |website=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=2019-07-17 |archive-date=July 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717183808/https://sabr.org/latest/sherman-1884-st-louis-maroons-were-last-sports-team-start-20-0 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Regular season ==
[[File:Fred Dunlap, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, baseball card portrait LCCN2007686931.jpg|thumb|upright|Second baseman [[Fred Dunlap]]]]
[[File:Orator Shafer card.jpg|thumb|upright|Right fielder [[Orator Shafer]]]]
[[File:Charlie Sweeney 1884.jpg|thumb|upright|Pitcher [[Charlie Sweeney]]]]
[[File:HenryBoyle.jpg|thumb|upright|Left fielder [[Henry Boyle (baseball)|Henry Boyle]]]]
[[File:Joe Quin 1888.jpg|thumb|upright|First baseman [[Joe Quinn (second baseman)|Joe Quinn]]]]

=== Season standings ===
{{1884 Union Association standings|highlight=St. Louis Maroons}}

=== Record vs. opponents ===
{{1884 Union Association Record vs. opponents|team=STL}}

=== Roster ===
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: white; color: #800000; text-align: center;" | 1884 St. Louis Maroons
|-
| colspan="10" style="background-color: #800000; color: white; text-align: center;" | '''Roster'''
|-
| valign="top" | '''Pitchers'''
{{MLBplayer||[[John Cattanach]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Charlie Hodnett]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[C. V. Matteson]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[William Sullivan (pitcher)|William Sullivan]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Charlie Sweeney]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Billy Taylor (1880s pitcher)|Billy Taylor]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Perry Werden]]}}
| width="25px" | 
| valign="top" | '''Catchers'''
{{MLBplayer||[[George Baker (baseball)|George Baker]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Jack Brennan (baseball)|Jack Brennan]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Tom Dolan (baseball)|Tom Dolan]]}}
'''Infielders'''
{{MLBplayer||[[Fred Dunlap]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Jack Gleason]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Joe Quinn (second baseman)|Joe Quinn]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Milt Whitehead]]}}
| width="25px" | 
| valign="top" | '''Outfielders'''
{{MLBplayer||[[Henry Boyle (baseball)|Henry Boyle]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Ed Callahan (baseball)|Ed Callahan]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Dan Cronin (baseball)|Dan Cronin]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Buttercup Dickerson]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Fred Lewis (1880s outfielder)|Fred Lewis]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Dave Rowe (baseball)|Dave Rowe]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Tom Ryder (baseball)|Tom Ryder]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Orator Shafer]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Sleeper Sullivan]]}}
| width="25px" | 
| valign="top" | '''Manager'''
{{MLBplayer||[[Fred Dunlap]]}}
{{MLBplayer||[[Ted Sullivan (baseball)|Ted Sullivan]]}}
|}

== Player stats ==

=== Batting ===

==== Starters by position ====
''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="5%" | Pos
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" | Player
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | G
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | AB
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | H
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | Avg.
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | HR
|- align="center"
| C || {{sortname|George|Baker|George Baker (baseball)}} || 80 || 317 || 52 || .164 || 0
|- align="center"
| 1B || {{sortname|Joe|Quinn|Joe Quinn (second baseman)}} || 103 || 429 || 116 || .270 || 0
|- align="center"
| 2B || {{sortname|Fred|Dunlap}} || 101 || 449 || 185 || .412 || 13
|- align="center"
| SS || {{sortname|Milt|Whitehead}} || 99 || 393 || 83 || .211 || 1
|- align="center"
| 3B || {{sortname|Jack|Gleason}} || 92 || 395 || 128 || .324 || 4
|- align="center"
| OF || {{sortname|Orator|Shafer}} || 106 || 467 || 168 || .360 || 2
|- align="center"
| OF || {{sortname|Dave|Rowe|Dave Rowe (baseball)}} || 109 || 485 || 142 || .293 || 4
|- align="center"
| OF || {{sortname|Henry|Boyle|Henry Boyle (baseball)}} || 65 || 262 || 68 || .260 || 4
|}

==== Other batters ====
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" | Player
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | G
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | AB
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | H
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | Avg.
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | HR
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Jack|Brennan|Jack Brennan (baseball)}} || 56 || 231 || 50 || .216 || 0
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Buttercup|Dickerson}} || 46 || 211 || 77 || .365 || 0
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Tom|Dolan|Tom Dolan (baseball)}} || 19 || 69 || 13 || .188 || 0
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Tom|Ryder|Tom Ryder (baseball)}} || 8 || 28 || 7 || .250 || 0
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Sleeper|Sullivan}} || 2 || 9 || 1 || .111 || 0
|- align="center"
|}

=== Pitching ===

==== Starting pitchers ====
''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" | Player
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | G
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | IP
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | W
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | L
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | ERA
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | SO
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Charlie|Sweeney}} || 33 || 271.0 || 24 || 7 || 1.83 || 192
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Billy|Taylor|Billy Taylor (1880s pitcher)}} || 33 || 263.0 || 25 || 4 || 1.68 || 154
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Henry|Boyle|Henry Boyle (baseball)}} || 19 || 150.0 || 15 || 3 || 1.74 || 88
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Perry|Werden}} || 16 || 141.1 || 12 || 1 || 1.97 || 51
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Charlie|Hodnett}} || 14 || 121.0 || 12 || 2 || 2.01 || 41
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|John|Cattanach}} || 2 || 17.0 || 1 || 1 || 2.12 || 13
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Dave|Rowe|Dave Rowe (baseball)}} || 1 || 9.0 || 1 || 0 || 2.00 || 2
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Milt|Whitehead}} || 1 || 8.0 || 0 || 1 || 9.00 || 2
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|C. V.|Matteson}} || 1 || 6.0 || 1 || 0 || 9.00 || 3
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Sleeper|Sullivan}} || 1 || 6.0 || 1 || 0 || 4.50 || 3
|}

==== Relief pitchers ====
''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="16%" | Player
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | G
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | W
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | L
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | SV
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | ERA
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="9%" | SO
|- align="center"
| {{sortname|Fred|Dunlap}} || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 13.50 || 1
|}

==Sources==
* [https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SLM/1884.shtml 1884 St. Louis Maroons team page at Baseball Reference]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indianapolis Hoosiers (National League)}}
{{1884 MLB season by team}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
 | title = [[Union Association|Union Association Championship Season]]
 | years = '''1884'''
 | before = ''League created''
 | after = ''League dissolved''
}}
{{s-end}}

[[Category:1884 in sports in Missouri|St Louis]]
[[Category:1884 Major League Baseball season|St. Louis Maroons season]]
[[Category:St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers seasons]]


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{{Missouri-sport-stub}}