1886 World Series

The 1886 World Series was won by the St. Louis Browns (later the Cardinals) of the American Association over the (later the Cubs) of the National League, four games to two. The series was played on six consecutive days running from October 18 to October 23 in Chicago and St. Louis.

The teams were judged to be approximately equal going into the series, with gamblers betting on the teams at even odds. However, Chicago pitcher Jim McCormick was sidelined by a chronic foot ailment after game 2, and third Chicago pitcher Jocko Flynn had already been lost for the season due to an arm ailment. An effort to use a substitute pitcher was protested by St. Louis, with the board of umpires flipping a coin to decide the matter in favor of the Browns. With his team unable to field a competent second starter, Chicagos ace John Clarkson proved unable to carry the full pitching load, tipping the series to St. Louis.

The series was decided in extra innings of game 6 by Curt Welch's so-called "$15,000 slide" following a passed ball. The decisive run scored by Welch became one of the most famous plays in the history of baseball in that era.

In 1886, the St. Louis Browns won the American Association championship for the second consecutive season with a record of 93–46, while the won the National League championship with a record of 90–34. The victory for the White Stockings, who featured the 6'2" slugger Cap Anson, marked the 6th time in 11 years that the team had garnered the National League pennant.

The two teams agreed to meet each other in a best-of-seven pre-modern-era World Series, with the winner taking all the prize money. It was the second straight year that the Browns and White Stockings met in the World Series. The six games of the series were played on six consecutive days. The first three games were scheduled for Chicago, with the next three games to be held in St. Louis. A decisive seventh game, if necessary, was to be held in a neutral site. The location of the rubber game in the match was to be determined by coin toss, with each franchise owner selecting a city for the game.

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