NL Indianapolis Hoosiers

1887:Nearly a decade after the Indianapolis Blues, lasted just one season, the National League returned to Indiana’s state capital with a team named the Indianapolis Hoosiers in keeping with the state’s traditional nickname. Owned by John T. Brush, the Hoosiers did not fare any better than the St. Louis Maroons as they finished dead last with a record of 37-89 as they went through three managers looking to find the right formula. Jerry Denny was the Hoosiers hitting star, hitting .324 with 11 home runs and 97 RBI, while Henry Boyle was the team’s most reliable pitcher with a record of 13-24 and an ERA of 3.65.

1888:The Indianapolis Hoosiers fared slightly better in their second season, but still were near the bottom of the National League, as they placed seventh among eight teams with a record of 50-85. John Denny was once again the Hoosiers leading hitter with a 12 home runs and a .261 average. Improved pitching helped give a slight boost to the Hoosiers as four pitchers reached double digit wins, with Rookie Bill Burdick showing promise with a 10-10 record and a 2.81 ERA.

1889:Jerry Denny continued to be the biggest star for the Indianapolis Hoosiers, hitting 18 home runs, with 112 RBI, while batting .281. Jack Glasscock also had a strong season with the bat in Indianapolis, batting .352 with seven home runs and 85 RBI. The highlight of Glasscock’s season came on August 8th, when he hit for the Cycle in a 14-4 win over the New York Giants. Wins would continue to hard to find for the Hoosiers as they again finished in seventh place with a record of 59-75. That year saw the debut of Amos Rusie who posted a record of 12-10 with an ERA of 5.32 in the start of a Hall of Fame career becoming one of the top pitchers over the next decade. Rusie’s success would come with the Giants as Owner John T, Brush brought the Giants following the season as the Hoosiers faded into history. Indianapolis would get a Federal League team in 1914, but has never had a major league club since.