1897

The following are the baseball events of the year 1897 throughout the world.  

This article is currently under construction.

Champions

• National League: Boston Beaneaters

Statistical Leaders

• Batting: Willie Keeler .424
• Home Runs: Hugh Duffy 11
• Wins: Kid Nichols 31
• ERA: Amos Rusie 2.54

National League final standings

Rank	Club	Wins	Losses	Win %	GB
1st	Boston Beaneaters	93	39	.705	--
2nd	Baltimore Orioles	90	40	.692	2.0
3rd	New York Giants	83	48	.634	9.5
4th	Cincinnati Reds	76	56	.576	17.0
5th	Cleveland Spiders	69	62	.527	23.5
6th	Washington Senators	61	71	.462	32.0
6th	Brooklyn Grooms	61	71	.462	32.0
8th	Pittsburgh Pirates	60	71	.458	32.5
9th	Chicago Cubs	59	73	.447	34.0
10th	Philadelphia Phillies	55	77	.417	38.0
11th	Louisville Colonels	52	78	.400	40.0
12th	St. Louis Browns	29	102	.221	63.5

Births

• March 4 - Lefty O'Doul (d.1969)
• March 5 - Lu Blue (d. 1958)
• March 27 - Effa Manley (d. 1981)
• April 10 - Ross Youngs (d. 1927)
• May 12 - Joe Dugan (d. 1982)
• July 27 - Biz Mackey (d. 1965)
• August 31 - William Bell (baseball player) (d. 1969)
• September 9 - Frankie Frisch (d. 1973) auto accident
• September 13 - Eddie Rommel (d. 1970)
• October 20 - Jigger Statz (d. 1988)
• November 21 - Andy High (d. 1981)
• November 23 - Beans Reardon (d. 1984)

Deaths

• February 5 - Charles "Hoss" Radbourn, 42, Hall of Fame pitcher who won over 300 games including a record 60 for the 1884 Providence Grays; led NL in wins, strikeouts, winning percentage and games twice each and in shutouts, innings and ERA once each; completed 489 out of 503 starts, pitched three shutouts in 1884 world championship series; held single-season records for games pitched with 76 in 1883, was 27-12 for 1890 Players League champions. Radbourn was first 300-game winner to die.
• March 5 - Dave Foutz, 40, pitcher for St. Louis and Brooklyn, and manager of Brooklyn since 1893, who compiled .690 career winning percentage, with 41 wins for 1886 champion Browns; also a first baseman and outfielder, batting .300 three times