Cleveland Spiders, 1887–1899

Before one of baseball's most infamous seasons, the Cleveland Spiders were one of the National League's strongest clubs.

How the Spiders Got Their Name

Cleveland's club entered the major leagues in 1887 and spent its first two seasons in the American Association before joining the National League in 1889.

Early versions of the team were known as the Forest Citys and the Blues.

The Spiders nickname emerged after Cleveland joined the National League. The team's black-and-gray uniforms, combined with the long, lean appearance of several players, apparently reminded observers of spiders.

A Team Built to Win

Under player-manager Patsy Tebeau, Cleveland became one of the National League's most consistent teams.

The Spiders recorded seven straight winning seasons from 1892 through 1898 and finished second in the league three times.

Their roster included future Hall of Famers Jesse Burkett, Bobby Wallace and a pitcher whose name became synonymous with winning:

Cy Young.

Young spent nine seasons in Cleveland and became the ace of one of baseball's strongest pitching staffs.

The 1895 Temple Cup

Cleveland never captured a National League pennant, but the Spiders did win one of the era's biggest postseason prizes.

After finishing second in 1895, Cleveland faced the pennant-winning Baltimore Orioles in the Temple Cup, a championship series that predated the modern World Series.

The Spiders defeated Baltimore four games to one.

Then the Owners Bought Another Team

The story changed dramatically before the 1899 season.

Cleveland owners Frank and Stanley Robison purchased the struggling National League franchise in St. Louis.

They then transferred many of Cleveland's best players to their new St. Louis club, including Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace.

What remained in Cleveland was barely recognizable.

20–134

The stripped-down Spiders finished 1899 with a record of 20 wins and 134 losses.

It remains the worst single-season record in major league history.

Cleveland lost 40 of its final 41 games and played most of the season on the road because opponents could draw larger crowds when the Spiders visited their cities.

After the season, the National League contracted from twelve teams to eight, and the Cleveland Spiders disappeared.