Complete Games : 1890 Players League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"I don't think I stayed for a complete game that first year (in Arizona). But something happened. During the second year, I started watching more intently, listening to the broadcasters talk about strategy. I started getting it. Suddenly, a 162-game season didn't seem ridiculously long anymore." - Richard Ruelas in The Arizona Republic (11-07-2001)
 

1890 Complete Games Leaders

Top 25 in the Players League

Mark Baldwin 54 Chicago Pirates 1
Silver King 48 Chicago Pirates 2
Harry Staley 44 Pittsburgh Burghers 3
Henry Gruber 39 Cleveland Infants 4
Gus Weyhing 38 Brooklyn Wonders 5
Ben Sanders 37 Philadelphia Quakers 6
Old Hoss Radbourn 36 Boston Red Stockings 7
Bert Cunningham 35 Philadelphia Quakers 8
Buffalo Bisons  
Jersey Bakley 32 Cleveland Infants 9
Hank O'Day 32 New York Giants  
George Haddock 31 Buffalo Bisons 11
Phil Knell 30 Philadelphia Quakers 12
Charlie Buffinton 28 Philadelphia Quakers 13
Ed Crane 28 New York Giants  
John Sowders 28 Brooklyn Wonders  
John Ewing 27 New York Giants 16
Ad Gumbert 27 Boston Red Stockings  
Al Maul 26 Pittsburgh Burghers 18
Pud Galvin 23 Pittsburgh Burghers 19
Tim Keefe 23 New York Giants  
George Van Haltren 23 Brooklyn Wonders  
George Keefe 22 Buffalo Bisons 22
Darby O'Brien 22 Cleveland Infants  
Bill Daley 19 Boston Red Stockings 24
Willie McGill 19 Cleveland Infants  



Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.