STATS, Inc., selected "retroactive" annual award winners beginning in 1876 for The All-Time Major League Baseball Sourcebook (1998) . "We didn't try to guess what the voting trends might have been in a particular era. We concentrated on individual statistics (offensive and defensive) and team performance."
Notes continue below the table.
Selector STATS, Inc. (1998)
-played for the pennant winner
National League
1876 -Ross Barnes 2B Chi
1877 -Deacon White 1B Bos
1878 Paul Hines CF Pro
1879 -John M. Ward P Pro
1880 -George Gore CF Chi
1881 -Cap Anson 1B Chi
1882 Dan Brouthers 1B Buf
1883 -Jim Whitney P Bos
1884 -Old Hoss Radbourn P Pro
1885 -John Clarkson P Chi
1886 -King Kelly C-U Chi
1887 -Sam Thompson RF Det
1888 Cap Anson 1B Chi
1889 John Clarkson P Bos
1890 -Oyster Burns RF Bro
1891 Billy Hamilton LF Phi
1892 Dan Brouthers 1B Bro
1893 Ed Delahanty LF Phi
1894 Hugh Duffy CF Bos
1895 -Hughie Jennings SS Bal
1896 -Hughie Jennings SS Bal
1897 George Davis SS NY
1898 -Billy Hamilton CF Bos
1899 Ed Delahanty LF Phi
1900 Honus Wagner RF Pit
American Association
1882 Pete Browning 2B Lou
1883 -Harry Stovey 1B Phi
1884 Guy Hecker P Lou
1885 -Bob Caruthers P SL
1886 -Bob Caruthers P SL
1887 -Tip O'Neill LF SL
1888 -Silver King P SL
1889 Tommy Tucker 1B Bal
1890 -Jimmy Wolf RF Lou
1891 -Dan Brouthers 1B Bos
Union Association
1884 -Fred Dunlap 2B SL
Players' League
1890 Roger Connor 1B NY
Position. 19th century pitchers carried heavy workloads and achieved
achieved statistical wonders by modern standards. The STATS selections show
restraint with only 9 winning pitchers for 37 awards.
P C : 1B 2B SS 3B : LF CF RF += sum NL 5 1 5 1 3 0 3 4 3 = 25 other 4 0 4 2 0 0 1 0 1 = 12 total 9 1 9 3 3 0 4 4 4 = 37Deacon White was the best batting catcher of the 1870s, his main position each year except 1877; he wins the STATS Award for that season, his best as a batter. Pete Browning wins as a rookie infielder; he played in the outfield after 1884. King Kelly wins in the only season he did not play at least half of his games at one fielding position; roughly, he played mainly outfield before 1886 and mainly catcher afterward. Billy Hamilton wins one in left field and another in his center, where he was a fixture during his last eight seasons. Ed Delahanty wins two in left field, the first one immediately upon switching positions with Hamilton. George Davis wins one at shortstop in his 8th season and his first of twelve at that position. Honus Wagner wins one, the first of his six, as Pittsburgh's regular right fielder.
First-Place MVPs. Players on pennant-winning teams win 23 of 37 MVPs named by STATS.
Repeat MVPs. Dan Brouthers wins three STATS awards; Cap Anson, Bob Caruthers, John Clarkson, Hugh Jennings, Billy Hamilton, and Ed Delahanty two each. Honus Wagner wins the first of six at the close of the century.
Acknowledgments. STATS, Inc., The All-Time Major League Baseball Sourcebook (1998). Bill Deane, "Awards and Honors", Total Baseball (any edition), covers the history of official MVP awards and names hypothetical winners beginning in 1900.