The Federal League: 1882
“The Season of ’82”
If the business of 1882 was rocked by the death of Charles W. Garrison and the birth of the International Association, the game itself marched on. Cranks found plenty to cheer, jeer, and argue about as the season unfolded on both sides of the great Federal–International divide.
Federal League: Chicago Endures, Rochester Surprises
The Chicago Base Ball Club, now firmly under the control of Harry Taylor, weathered the storm of transition and emerged again atop the Federal League standings. Their 50–35 record was not dominant, but it was enough to stay clear of challengers from New York and Rochester.
Chicago thrived on offense. Charlie Vanmeter repeated as batting champion with a .335 mark, Dick Sebastian muscled up with a league-best 15 home runs, and captain Morgan “Cap’n” Cook remained the glue of the lineup with his steady hitting and leadership at first base. On the mound, Doug Crockett (27–13, 2.53) shouldered the ace’s role, while Ben Brownfield (23–21, 2.87) kept the rotation afloat.
In New York, Tom “the Erie Eel” Ewart dazzled cranks with his all-around play. Slender and quick, he hit .300 with 23 doubles, 9 triples, and 9 homers, drove in 68, and scored 60. Even more remarkably, he started 11 games on the slab and went 7–4 with a sparkling 1.93 ERA. The Eel seemed to do everything at once, and Columbia Field buzzed with excitement whenever his name appeared in the box score.
The Rochester Robins, robbed of Dusty Trail by the lure of the International Association, nonetheless showed their mettle with a 46–38 campaign. Charlie Morris (.324) and Larry Buckley (.298, 7 HR, 64 RBI) powered the lineup, while pitchers Tom Bell (23–22, 2.63) and Woody Ross (17–10, 2.67) made the Robins the league’s second stingiest staff.
In Cleveland, disaster struck. The great Mike McCord, only 22, suffered a sore arm and managed just three mound wins before retreating to second base. Even there, he appeared a shadow of himself, hitting only .235 in 33 games. Whispers spread that the wonder boy of 1879 might be finished. Fortunately, “Black Jack” McKinley filled the void: the former Rochester ace snarled and scowled his way to a league-best 32 wins and a stingy 2.01 ERA, carrying the Blue Caps to a respectable but disappointing fourth-place finish.
The rest of the circuit offered little cheer. Louisville hovered at .500, Hartford faded, Providence and Milwaukee sank, leaving Rochester as the lone “small town” club to defy the odds.
Final Federal Standings, 1882
| Team | W | L | WPct | GB | R | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Base Ball Club | 50 | 35 | .588 | — | 459 | 385 |
| New York Columbians | 47 | 37 | .560 | 2½ | 461 | 401 |
| Rochester Robins | 46 | 38 | .548 | 3½ | 442 | 344 |
| Cleveland Blue Caps | 45 | 39 | .536 | 4½ | 386 | 340 |
| Louisville Colts | 42 | 42 | .500 | 7½ | 400 | 360 |
| Hartford Hawks | 39 | 45 | .464 | 10½ | 366 | 376 |
| Providence Planters | 35 | 50 | .412 | 15 | 370 | 490 |
| Milwaukee Creams | 34 | 52 | .395 | 16½ | 398 | 586 |
International Association: Toronto Strikes First
While the Federal League endured its own drama, the International Association completed its debut campaign with a pennant for Toronto. Owner Edmund B. Telford had promised to rub American noses in Canadian glory, and his Provincials obliged with a 44–36 record, a game and a half clear of the St. Louis Pilots.
Toronto rode the bat of 21-year-old Isaac Montgomery, a Boston native who won the batting crown at .330, and the surprising two-way play of Bill Silvers, a defector from Milwaukee. Silvers hit .294, led the club in RBI, and even pitched, going 13–5 with a 2.31 ERA in 18 starts. Fans at Dominion Field wondered why he wasn’t the ace instead of the erratic Henry Clancy.
The league’s brightest star was Albie Scott, a 21-year-old from Washington, D.C., who pitched for Cincinnati. Scott claimed the pitching “triple crown” with 29 wins, a 1.93 ERA, and 215 strikeouts, while piling up 470 innings. If not for weak support from his club, he might have carried the Monarchs to the flag.
Among the jumpers, Paul “Dusty” Trail batted .327 for Pittsburgh but languished on a last-place team, making Rochester fans in the Federal League wonder if he regretted leaving. Baltimore’s John Corbin (ex-Providence) posted a 2.05 ERA, while Montreal’s flashy second baseman John Clark brought style if not victories.
Final International Standings, 1882
| Team | W | L | WPct | GB | R | RA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Provincials | 44 | 36 | .550 | — | 478 | 415 |
| St. Louis Pilots | 42 | 37 | .532 | 1½ | 357 | 337 |
| Baltimore Bannermen | 37 | 37 | .500 | 4 | 319 | 349 |
| Cincinnati Monarchs | 40 | 40 | .500 | 4 | 340 | 323 |
| Montreal Tigers | 38 | 42 | .475 | 6 | 340 | 370 |
| Pittsburgh Vulcans | 33 | 42 | .440 | 8½ | 318 | 358 |
Two Leagues, Two Stories
In its seventh year, the Federal League crowned yet another champion in Chicago, even as the absence of Garrison cast a long shadow. Meanwhile, the International Association proved that it could not only survive but flourish, luring stars, drawing cranks, and crowning Toronto as its first flag-bearer.
Base ball now had two great circuits, and the future promised conflict, competition, and perhaps calamity. For the first time, the game belonged to more than one league.