STATS, Inc., selected "retroactive" annual award winners beginning 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 Charley Jones LF Cin
1877 Terry Larkin P Har
1878 Will White P Cin
1879 John O'Rourke CF Bos
1880 -Larry Corcoran P Chi
1881 Jim Whitney P Bos
1882 Mike Muldoon 3B Cle
1883 -Charlie Buffinton P Bos
1884 Alex McKinnon 1B NY
1885 Ed Daily P Phi
1886 -Jocko Flynn P Chi
1887 Billy O'Brien 1B Was
1888 Dummy Hoy CF Was
1889 Patsy Tebeau 3B Cle
1890 Billy Rhines P Cin
1891 Bill Dahlen 3B Chi
1892 Nig Cuppy P Cle
1893 Heinie Reitz 2B Bal
1894 Jimmy Bannon RF Bos
1895 -Bill Hoffer P Bal
1896 Gene DeMontreville SS Was
1897 -Chick Stahl RF Bos
1898 Elmer Flick RF Phi
1899 Jimmy Williams 3B Pit
1900 Jimmy Barrett CF Cin
American Association
1882 Pete Browning 2B Lou
1883 Steve Brady 1B NY (27 and 22 games played, NAPBBP 1874-1875)
1884 -Dave Orr 1B NY
1885 Norm Baker P Lou
1886 Matt Kilroy P Bal
1887 Mike Griffin CF Bal
1888 Mickey Hughes P Bro
1889 Jesse Duryea P Cin
1890 Cupid Childs 2B Syr
1891 Jim Canavan SS Cin-Mil
Union Association
1884 Harry Moore LF Was
Players' League
1890 Bill Joyce 3B Bro
Position. 19th century pitchers carried heavy workloads and achieved statistical wonders by modern standards. There were dozens of rookie "phenomenals" and the STATS selections recognize several of them.
P C : 1B 2B SS 3B : LF CF RF += sum
NL 10 0 2 1 1 4 1 3 3 = 25
other 4 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 = 12
total 14 0 4 3 2 5 2 4 3 = 37
First-Place Rookies. Players on pennant-winning teams win 6 of 37
Rookie awards.
Teams. Boston wins five of the STATS awards. The Baltimore and Cincinnati clubs that helped establish the American Association in 1882 and later moved to the National League win four each. 1891 winner Jim Caravan played for a competing Cincinnati club that did not finish the season and for the Milwaukee club that replaced it.
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 rookie awards and names hypothetical winners beginning in 1900.