February 18 - Terry Larkin , recently released from prison after shooting his wife and a police officer in 1883 , is arrested again for threatening to shoot his father. Larkin will be released and play this season for the Richmond Virginians . Larkin will later be institutionalized after challenging his former employer to a duel and will commit suicide by slitting his throat with a razor in 1894 .
March 4 - The National League reduces the number of balls needed for a walk to 6. Team owners agree to provide 2 separate benches for the teams in order to cut down on player fraternizing during games.
March 15 - Henry Chadwick writes in a newspaper column that a ground-keeper in St. Louis has started placing tarpaulins over the bases when it rains in order to keep them dry. Other clubs will follow suit and cover the pitching area and batter areas as well.
March 28 - Umpire William McLean throws a bat into the stands, striking a spectator, in reaction to taunts from the crowd. McLean is arrested but not charged as the fan is not injured.
May 1 - Moses Fleetwood Walker becomes the first black to play in the major leagues. Walker will play in 42 games for the Toledo Blue Stockings , have 152 at-bats and get 40 hits in his only season in major league baseball. Facing racism constantly, even his own teammates refuse to play with him. An injury in mid-July effectively ends Walker's season and he is later released. No other African-American will play in the major leagues until Jackie Robinson in 1947 .
May 1 - The Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association has a section of their stands collapse as fans are leaving the park following their opening day game. There are numerous injuries and one fatality in the collapse.
May 6 - Larry McKeon of the Indianapolis Hoosiers pitches a 6 inning no-hitter. The game is called due to rain with the score tied 0-0. McKeon will go on to lose 41 games in 1884.
May 16 - A foul tip off the bat of a Detroit Wolverines player sticks in the face mask of Boston Beaneaters catcher Mike Hines. Umpire Van Court rules it a catch and calls the batter out. National League secretary Nicholas Young will instruct all NL umpires to not call an out in that scenario again.
May 24 - Al Atkinson of the Philadelphia Athletics retires the final 27 batters in pitching a no-hitter over the Pittsburgh Alleghenys . Atkinson hit the lead off batter, Ed Swartwood , who stole second, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch, then did not allow another base runner in the 10-1 victory.
May 29 - The Chicago White Stockings hit 5 over-the-fence home runs in their home opener against the Detroit Wolverines . The White Stockings new ground rule allows a home run instead of a double for any ball hit in the air over the 180' left field fence or the 215' right field fence. After Chicago increases their home run output from 13 in 1883 to 142 this season, the National League will mandate a minimum fence distance of 210 feet beginning in 1885 .
June 13 - The Baltimore Orioles place a barbed-wire fence around the field after the crowd had swarmed the field and threatened the umpire in the previous day's game.
June 28 - While playing a Sunday game in Toledo , the players are arrested in the 6th inning for violating the city ordinance banning Sunday baseball. Due to the unruly crowd, the police allow the players to complete the game. The Brooklyn Atlantics defeat Toledo 5-3 before players from both teams are taken into custody.
July 7 - Hugh Daily strikes out 19, tying the record set a month earlier while throwing a 1-hitter in the process.
July 10 - Hugh Daily of the Chicago Browns pitches his 2nd consecutive 1-hitter. Daily will pitch 4 1-hitters by season's end, setting a major league record.
July 28 - Charles Radbourn gains a victory in relief for the Providence Grays in the game that provides the point of contention as to whether Radbourn won 59 games or 60 in 1884. The Grays were trailing 4-3 when starting pitcher Cyclone Miller finished pitching the bottom of the 5th inning. Providence scored 4 runs in the top of the 6th to take the lead, then Radbourn came in to pitch starting in the bottom of the 6th. Under the scoring rules of the day, Radbourn was credited with the win. Miller would have gotten the victory under today's scoring rules, hence the discrepancy in total wins for Radbourn.
August 5 - Thomas Lynch, a deaf-mute, makes his major league debut for the Chicago White Stockings in the pitcher's box and is winning until he tires in the 8th. Cap Anson , who had hit 2 homers in the game, relieves him and promptly loses 8-5. Lynch will never appear in another major league game.
August 6 - Cap Anson hits 3 home runs in a 13-4 win, giving him 5 in his last 2 games.
September 15 - Manager Joe Simmons of the Wilmington Quicksteps pulls his team off of the field before a home game against the Kansas City Cowboys when he realizes he will be unable to pay the required $60 gate fee to the visitors because of zero attendance. The visiting Unions are 7-55-2 while the Quicksteps are 2-16 and occupy the cellar in the Union Association standings. The Quicksteps never play another game as the team is disbanded.
October 4 - In his first start since his no-hitter on September 28, Ed Cushman takes another no-hitter into the 9th inning only to give up a bloop single and finish with a 1-hitter.
October 5 - Charlie Sweeney and Henry Boyle of the St. Louis Maroons combine on a 5 inning no-hitter when the game is called on account of rain. Despite the no-hitter, the Maroons lose 1-0 when 2 errors allow the only run of the game.
November 4 - Tony Mullane signs a contract with the Cincinnati Red Stockings for the 1885 season, in direct conflict with his prior oral agreement to play for the St. Louis Browns . The American Association will suspend Mullane for the entire 1885 season because of this and previous contract troubles, but allow him to remain the property of Cincinnati.
November 20 - The National League votes to allow overhand pitching for the 1885 season, although there are restrictions placed on the delivery in order to keep velocity down.
