1888 Major League Transactions

Transactions listed are from November 1 of previous year to April 1 of the following year.

• November 5, 1887

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Fred Dunlap from the Detroit Wolverines for $4000 or $5000. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• November 21, 1887

  The Brooklyn Grays purchased Doc Bushong from the St. Louis Browns for $4,500.

  The Philadelphia Athletics traded Fred Mann, Chippy McGarr, John Milligan and $3,000 to the St. Louis Browns for Bill Gleason and Curt Welch.

• November 26, 1887

  The Brooklyn Grays purchased Bob Caruthers from the St. Louis Browns for $8,250.

• November 29, 1887

  The Brooklyn Grays purchased Dave Foutz from the St. Louis Browns for $5,500.

• Before 1888 Season

  The Kansas City Cowboys signed Charley Jones as a free agent.

  Tommy McCarthy sent from Oshkosh (Northwestern) to the St. Louis Browns in an unknown transaction.

  The Philadelphia Quakers released Tom Gunning.

  The Philadelphia Athletics signed Tom Gunning as a free agent.

• January 3, 1888

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Al Maul from the Philadelphia Quakers for $1,000.

• January 15, 1888

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Billy Sunday from the Chicago White Stockings for $2,000. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• January 22, 1888

  The Kansas City Cowboys purchased Bill Fagan, Ed Greer, Frank Hankinson, Jim McTamany, Bill Phillips, Henry Porter, Ed Swartwood, Steve Toole and Jim Donahue from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for $7,000.

• February, 1888

  The Baltimore Orioles purchased Bert Cunningham and John Harkins from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• February 6, 1888

  The Boston Beaneaters signed Tom Brown as a free agent.

• February 13, 1888

  The Kansas City Cowboys purchased Jumbo Davis from the Baltimore Orioles for $700.

• April 3, 1888

  The Boston Beaneaters purchased John Clarkson from the Chicago White Stockings for $10,000.

• April 15, 1888

  The Indianapolis Hoosiers purchased Con Daily from the Boston Beaneaters. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• April 25, 1888

  The Kansas City Cowboys purchased Sam Barkley from the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• May, 1888

  The Chicago White Stockings purchased Dad Clarke from Omaha (Western Association).

• May 1, 1888

  The Kansas City Cowboys purchased Law Daniels from the Baltimore Orioles. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

  The Kansas City Cowboys purchased Henry Easterday from the Louisville Colonels for $1,200. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

  The Philadelphia Quakers traded Cupid Childs and cash to the Washington Nationals for Gid Gardner. Cupid Childs refused to report to his new team on May 6, 1888. Gid Gardner returned to original team on May 6, 1888. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• May 15, 1888

  The Detroit Wolverines released Barney Gilligan.

• May 21, 1888

  The Philadelphia Quakers purchased Ed Delahanty from Wheeling (Tri-State).

• June, 1888

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Harry Staley and Jake Beckley from St. Louis (Western Association) for $4,500.

  The Boston Beaneaters released Jack Burdock.

• June 16, 1888

  The New York Giants traded Elmer Cleveland to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys for Art Whitney.

• June 20, 1888

  The Cleveland Blues purchased Cinders O'Brien from Lima (Tri-State) for $2,000.

• June 24, 1888

  The Louisville Colonels purchased John Ewing and Farmer Vaughn from Memphis (Southern).

• June 28, 1888

  The Boston Beaneaters released Ezra Sutton.

• June 30, 1888

  The Philadelphia Quakers released Deacon McGuire.

  Irv Ray sent from Salem (New England) to the Boston Beaneaters in an unknown transaction.

• July 2, 1888

  The Detroit Wolverines signed Deacon McGuire as a free agent.

  The Louisville Colonels released Bill White.

• July 12, 1888

  Buffalo (International Association) purchased Ed Silch from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.

• July 24, 1888

  The Brooklyn Bridegrooms signed Jack Burdock as a free agent.

• July 31, 1888

  The Kansas City Cowboys purchased Billy Hamilton from Worcester (New England).

• August 1, 1888

  The Detroit Wolverines released Deacon McGuire.

• August 3, 1888

  The Detroit Wolverines purchased Ted Scheffler from Manchester (New England).

• August 9, 1888

  The Boston Beaneaters released Billy Klusman.

  The Boston Beaneaters released Tom O'Rourke.

• August 10, 1888

  The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Thomas Burns from the Baltimore Orioles for $3500 or $4000.

• August 17, 1888

  The Cincinnati Red Stockings released Billy Serad.

• August 28, 1888

  The Cleveland Blues signed Deacon McGuire as a free agent.

  The Boston Beaneaters purchased Joe Quinn from Des Moines (Western).

• August 30, 1888

  The Louisville Colonels released Wally Andrews.

• September 1, 1888

  The St. Louis Browns purchased Ice Box Chamberlain from the Louisville Colonels for $4000 or $5000.

• September 5, 1888

  The Chicago White Stockings released Willard Mains.

• September 6, 1888

  The Chicago White Stockings released George Borchers.

• September 15, 1888

  The Cleveland Blues purchased Bill McClellan from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.

• September 16, 1888

  The Brooklyn Bridegrooms released Bill Holbert.

• September 23, 1888

  The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased John Corkhill from the Cincinnati Red Stockings for $3,500.

• September 24, 1888

  The Philadelphia Athletics purchased Frank Fennelly from the Cincinnati Red Stockings for $1,000.

  The Philadelphia Athletics purchased Blondie Purcell from the Baltimore Orioles.

• September 30, 1888

  The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Hub Collins from the Louisville Colonels for $4,500.

• October, 1888

  The Brooklyn Bridegrooms purchased Joe Visner from Hamilton (International Association) for $1,200.

  The Louisville Colonels released Reddy Mack.

• October 5, 1888

  The Philadelphia Athletics purchased Phenomenal Smith from the Baltimore Orioles for $1000 or $1500.

• October 14, 1888

  The Philadelphia Athletics purchased Lave Cross from the Louisville Colonels for $2500 to $3500. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• October 16, 1888

  The Boston Beaneaters purchased Dan Brouthers, Charlie Ganzel, Hardy Richardson, Deacon White and Charlie Bennett from the Detroit Wolverines for $30000 (estimate).

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Pete Conway and Jack Rowe from the Detroit Wolverines.

  The Philadelphia Quakers purchased Sam Thompson from the Detroit Wolverines for $5,000.

• November 19, 1888

  The Philadelphia Athletics signed Jack Brennan as a free agent.

• November 21, 1888

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Ned Hanlon from the Detroit Wolverines for $2,500.

• December, 1888

  The Cleveland Spiders purchased Ed Beatin, Henry Gruber, Elmer Sutcliffe and Larry Twitchell from the Detroit Wolverines. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• December 14, 1888

  The Columbus Solons purchased Henry Kappel, John Weyhing and Ned Bligh from the Cincinnati Red Stockings for $1,500.

• December 20, 1888

  The St. Louis Browns purchased Shorty Fuller from the Washington Nationals for $800. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• December 23, 1888

  The Columbus Solons purchased Dave Orr and Al Mays from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for $3,000.

• Before 1889 Season

  The Indianapolis Hoosiers signed Amos Rusie as a free agent.

  The Cleveland Spiders purchased Paul Radford from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms.

  The Boston Beaneaters released Joe Hornung.

  The Boston Beaneaters released Edward Tate.

  Deacon McGuire sent from the Cleveland Spiders to ??? in an unknown transaction.

• January 1, 1889

  The Columbus Solons purchased Bill Greenwood from the Baltimore Orioles for $600 to $1000. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

• January 6, 1889

  The Columbus Solons purchased Jim McTamany from the Kansas City Cowboys for $1,000.

• January 11, 1889

  The Columbus Solons purchased Wild Bill Widner and Ed Daily from the Washington Nationals for $600.

• March, 1889

  Omaha (Western Association) purchased George Proeser from the Cleveland Spiders for $500. (Date given is approximate. Exact date is uncertain.)

  The St. Louis Browns released Harry Lyons.

  The Baltimore Orioles released George Walker.

• March 5, 1889

  The Indianapolis Hoosiers purchased Pretzels Getzien from the Detroit Wolverines.

  The Boston Beaneaters returned Deacon White to the Detroit Wolverines following previous purchase.

  The Pittsburgh Alleghenys purchased Deacon White from the Detroit Wolverines.

• March 8, 1889

  The Louisville Colonels purchased Red Ehret from the Kansas City Cowboys for $500.

• March 18, 1889

  The Philadelphia Athletics signed Ed Knouff as a free agent.

• March 26, 1889

  The Chicago White Stockings purchased Andy Sommers from the Boston Beaneaters for $500.

• March 29, 1889

  The Indianapolis Hoosiers traded Egyptian Healy to the Washington Nationals for Jim Whitney.