With the 1888 season

1888 in baseball

-Champions:*World Series: New York Giants 6, St. Louis Browns 4*National League: New York Giants*American Association: St. Louis Browns-National League final standings:-American Association final standings:-National League statistical leaders:...

, the team underwent a name change to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

, a nickname that resulted from several team members getting married around the same time. Also, owner Charles Byrne decided to withdraw from managing the team's on field activities and turned the reigns over to more experienced baseball manager Bill McGunnigle

Bill McGunnigle

William Henry McGunnigle was an American baseball manager for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Pittsburgh Pirates and Louisville Colonels...

. That, along with the Dodgers purchase of several top players from the defunct New York Metropolitans

New York Metropolitans

The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...

, led to a dramatic on field improvement as the team finished in second place in the American Association

American Association (19th century)

The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...

.

Offseason

• October 20, 1887: Jim Donahue
  Jim Donahue
  James Augustus "Jim" Donahue was an American Major League Baseball player from Lockport, Illinois who played his entire career in the American Association from through .-Career:...
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the New York Metropolitans
  New York Metropolitans
  The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887...
  
   for $25,000.
• October 20, 1887: Bill Fagan
  Bill Fagan
  -External links:...
  
  , Frank Hankinson
  Frank Hankinson
  Frank Edward Hankinson was an American third baseman in the early years of Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Stockings , Cleveland Blues , Troy Trojans , New York Gothams , New York Metropolitans , and Kansas City Cowboys...
  
  , Bill Holbert, Al Mays
  Al Mays
  Albert C. Mays was a 19th century Major League Baseball pitcher from 1885-1890 in the American Association.Mays died in an accidental drowning in Parkersburg, West Virginia.-External links:**...
  
  , Darby O'Brien
  Darby O'Brien
  William D. "Darby" O'Brien was a Major League Baseball player in the late 19th century. He played outfield for the New York Metropolitans in 1887 and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms from 1888–1892. O'Brien developed lung problems during his playing career and continued to play, despite his ill...
  
   and Paul Radford
  Paul Radford
  Paul Revere Radford was a Major League Baseball player in the late 19th century. Paul, nicknamed "Shorty", played with many teams over his 12-season career, but his best performance was with the Cleveland Infants, when he batted .292. His career batting average was .242. Radford died in Boston,...
  
   were purchased by the Bridegrooms from the New York Metropolitans.
• November 21, 1887: Doc Bushong
  Doc Bushong
  Albert John "Doc" Bushong was a catcher in Major League Baseball.Bushong bounced around various professional leagues from 1875 to 1891. His greatest success came with the 1885-1886 St...
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the St. Louis Browns
  St. Louis Cardinals
  The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
  
  .
• November 26, 1887: Bob Caruthers
  Bob Caruthers
  Robert Lee Caruthers , nicknamed "Parisian Bob," was an American right-handed pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Bridegrooms...
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the St. Louis Browns.
• November 29, 1887: Dave Foutz
  Dave Foutz
  David Luther Foutz was a pitcher for the Saint Louis Browns of the American Association and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the National League from to , compiling a 147-66 career record. He also played first base and the outfield...
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the St. Louis Browns.
• January 15, 1888, Jim Donahue, Bill Fagan, Frank Hankinson, Bill Phillips
  Bill Phillips (first baseman)
  William B. "Bill" Phillips , also known as Silver Bill, was a Canadian professional baseball first baseman from the mid-1870s until the late 1880s...
  
  , Henry Porter
  Henry Porter (baseball)
  Walter Henry Porter was an American Major League Baseball player born in Vergennes, Vermont who pitched for three different teams during his six year career.-Career:...
  
   and Steve Toole
  Steve Toole
  Stephen John Toole was a 19th century Major League Baseball player who pitched from 1886–1890 in the American Association.-External links:**...
  
   were purchased from the Bridegrooms by the Kansas City Cowboys
  Kansas City Cowboys (National League)
  The Kansas City Cowboys were a National League that played one season, . They played at Association Park and finished with a 30-91 record. They finished in seventh place, ahead of another new team, the Washington Nationals. They were not connected to the Union Association Cowboys.The Cowboys were...
  
  .
• February, 1888: Bert Cunningham
  Bert Cunningham
  Ellsworth Elmer "Bert" Cunningham , is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1887-1901...
  
   and John Harkins
  John Harkins
  John Joseph "Pa" Harkins was a 19th century Major League Baseball player who pitched for three different teams in his five season career that lasted from to .-Playing career:...
  
   were purchased from the Bridegrooms by the Baltimore Orioles
  Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
  The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
  
  .
• February 15, 1888: Jim McTamany
  Jim McTamany
  James Edward McTamany , was an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1885-1891. McTamany played for the Brooklyn Grays, Kansas City Cowboys, Columbus Solons, and the Philadelphia Athletics....
  
   was purchased from the Bridegrooms by the Kansas City Cowboys.

Notable transactions

• August 10, 1888: Oyster Burns
  Oyster Burns
  Thomas P. "Oyster" Burns was a professional baseball player whose career spanned 15 seasons, 11 of which were spent with the Major League Baseball Wilmington Quicksteps , Baltimore Orioles , Brooklyn Bridegrooms , and New York Giants...
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the Baltimore Orioles.
• September 15, 1888: Bill McClellan
  Bill McClellan
  William Henry McClellan was an American Major League Baseball player for eight seasons, and primarily played as a second baseman and shortstop from 1878 to 1888. He died at the age of 73 in his hometown of Chicago, and in interred Rosehill Cemetery.-External links:*...
  
   was purchased from the Bridegrooms by the Cleveland Blues
  Cleveland Spiders
  The Cleveland Spiders were a Major League Baseball team which played between 1887 and 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio. The team played at National League Park from 1889 to 1890 and at League Park from 1891 to 1899.- 1887-1891 :...
  
  .
• September 23, 1888: Pop Corkhill
  Pop Corkhill
  John Stewart "Pop" Corkhill was a baseball player who played for ten seasons in the Major Leagues. He was an outfielder who excelled on defense, winning five fielding titles in his career....
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the Cincinnati Red Stockings
  Cincinnati Reds
  The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
  
  .
• September 30, 1888: Hub Collins
  Hub Collins
  Hubert B. "Hub" Collins was a professional baseball player. He was a left fielder and second baseman over parts of seven seasons with the Louisville Colonels and Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms. He was the National League leader in runs scored in 1890 with Brooklyn...
  
   was purchased by the Bridegrooms from the Louisville Colonels
  Louisville Colonels
  The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
  
  .

Roster

1888 Brooklyn Bridegrooms
Roster
valign="top" | Pitchers Catchers		valign="top" | Infielders		valign="top" | Outfielders		valign="top" | Manager

Starters by position

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

Pos	Player	G	R	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI	SB
C		69	253	23	53	.209	0	16	9
1B		99	394	57	120	.305	1	59	11
2B		70	246	15	30	.122	1	8	9
3B		103	402	47	86	.214	3	61	27
SS		143	575	134	156	.271	4	52	51
OF		136	532	105	149	.280	2	65	55
OF		90	308	48	67	.218	2	29	33
OF		140	563	91	156	.277	3	99	35

Other batters

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

Player	G	R	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI	SB
	94	335	58	77	.230	5	54	23
	74	278	33	57	.205	0	21	13
	52	204	40	58	.284	2	25	21
	45	150	23	36	.240	1	20	11
	32	103	15	20	.194	0	17	10
	19	71	17	27	.380	1	19	3
	15	50	4	6	.120	0	1	0
	14	48	5	13	.271	0	3	4
	12	42	16	13	.310	0	3	9

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Bases on balls; SO = Strikeouts; CG = Complete games

Player	G	GS	IP	W	L	ERA	BB	SO	CG
	44	42	391.7	29	15	2.39	53	140	42
	40	40	363.0	25	13	2.13	98	159	40
	23	23	195.0	13	8	2.03	67	138	20
	23	19	176.0	12	7	2.51	35	73	19
	18	18	160.7	9	9	2.80	32	67	17

External links

• Brooklyn Dodgers reference site
• Dodgers Media Guide History
• Acme Dodgers page
• Retrosheet