Champions National League: Brooklyn Bridegrooms American Association: Louisville Colonels Players' League: Boston Reds World Series: Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3, Louisville Colonels 3, 1 tie Inter-league playoff: Brooklyn (NL) declined challenge by Boston (PL) Inter-league playoff: Louisville (AA) declined challenge by Boston (PL) Major league baseball final standings National League final standings American Association final standings Players' League final standings Statistical leaders National League statistical leaders American Association statistical leaders Players' League statistical leaders Notable seasons Cleveland Infants left fielder Pete Browning led the PL in batting average (.373) and adjusted OPS+ (169). He was second in the PL in on-base percentage (.459). He was fifth in the PL in slugging percentage (.517) and hits (184). Chicago Pirates pitcher Silver King had a win–loss record of 30–22 and led the PL in earned run average (2.69), adjusted ERA+ (162), and shutouts (4). He was second in the PL in innings pitched (461), wins (30), and strikeouts (185). Events January–March January 9 – The Brooklyn Gladiators are admitted to the American Association, joining Toledo, Rochester and Syracuse as new members. January 28 – New York Supreme Court Justice Morgan J. O'Brien rules in favor of John Montgomery Ward's Reserve Clause case, and by extension the Players' League, by ruling baseball contracts lacked mutuality and were therefore unenforceable. This is the first in several rulings that allows the Players' League to proceed as planned. February 1 – The National League finalizes its schedule for 1890, but refuses to release it. Speculation abounds that they are waiting for the Players' League to release their own schedule so that the new circuit may purposely schedule conflicting games in the same cities where both leagues have teams. February 20 – Sam Rice is born in Morocco, Indiana. A quick outfielder with a great arm, Rice will lead the American League in hits twice, in stolen bases once, and collect at least 200 hits on six occasions, while finishing in the top ten in batting average eight times. Rice will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1963. February 24 – An anonymous group allegedly offers $1 million to purchase the entire National League. The National League, believing the offer a hoax, turns it down. Some believe the offer was made by the Players' League, knowing the new circuit would refuse the offer, so they could point to the refusal as proof that the National League was