1882 FINAL
It came down to the wire in the Dominion Association, as Lambeth and Islington continued to battle it out for supremacy. Islington featured a strong offensive attack, led by Nick Plumtree (.302, 2 HR, 53 RBI) and Tobias Purcell (.285, 3 HR, 78 RBI). Richard Dyball (.318, 2 HR, 43 RBI) put up good numbers, but he was hampered by injuries that kept him out of the lineup for five weeks. On the other side of the Thames, Lambeth relied primarily on its Association-leading pitching staff, helmed by Keverne Anstey (32-10, 1.78 ERA) and Albert Munn (23-18, 1.34 ERA). Leeds, behind catcher Sean Shafto (.322, 4 HR, 55 RBI), were hot in June, but cooled off considerably in July and collapsed in September. Glasgow played well after the midsummer break, going 30-20 to finish out the season behind the pitching of Robert Thwaites (26-17, 1.86 ERA). That, however, only erased the ten-game deficit the Gaelics accumulated in the first half, and Glasgow finished in fourth. With two games left in the season, Lambeth and Islington both occupied the top spot in the standings. The Lambeths lost at home in extra innings to Sheffield, while Islington defeated Belfast the next day to go one game ahead. Islington then grabbed the title on the final day of the season by scoring twice in the tenth inning to defeat Belfast.
The Empire League saw Birmingham repulse all challengers to pick up their second-straight pennant. The Blue Stockings played well in the second half, aided by starter Moise Tran (28-20, 1.77 ERA), who went 12-7 after the all-star break. Tran, along with Liam Daly (16-13, 1.80 ERA), formed the nucleus of the League's best pitching staff. Hitting duties were handled by catcher Cataldo Cortesini (.282, 4 HR, 43 RBI) and third baseman Kyle Walkinshaw (.286, 4 HR, 52 RBI). Westminster shadowed Birmingham for much of the second half, led by catcher Henry Henwood (.308, 0 HR, 65 RBI), but the Peers spent most of the final month on the road and dropped their last eight games to fall into third place. Bradford took Westminster's place by winning six of their last eight games. The Badgers featured a balanced attack, with Gwenael Charlot (.310, 0 HR, 51 RBI) and Patrick Skelton (.305, 1 HR, 74 RBI) leading the charge. Rookie Pete Lambert (16-8, 1.93 ERA) pitched well for Newcastle, but it was not enough to compensate for a weak offense. Salford's William Moore (.332, 1 HR, 41 RBI) led all League hitters, but missed seven weeks with a separated shoulder, and Salford, despite a sparkling performance by rookie hurler Richard Grindley (25-17, 2.23 ERA) could not rise any higher than fifth.
1882 CUP FINALS SERIES: BIRMINGHAM v. ISLINGTON
Tran and Carruders, the aces of the two staffs, squared off against each other in game one. The visiting Blue Stockings built up a 5-3 lead but, in the bottom of the seventh, the Owls tied it up with two runs. In the top of the eighth, with runners on the corners and no outs, Islington shortstop Plumtree bobbled a grounder off he bat of pinch hitter Vince Jackson (.289, 0 HR, 37 RBI), allowing one run to score. That proved sufficient, as Birmingham wrapped up a 6-5 victory. Islington struck back hard the next day, pounding out thirteen hits and knocking out Birmingham starter Daly in an 11-1 romp. Henry Case (.295, 1 HR, 46 RBI) and Oliver MacGlashan (.227, 2 HR, 16 RBI) each had three hits for the victors. Carruders prevailed against Tran in game three, holding the home team Blue Stockings to nine hits and six runs while the Owls put across nine runs on fourteen hits. MacGlashan continued his clutch hitting with three singles. Birmingham had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh in game four when they erupted for five runs against Ben "The Human Eyeball" MacDonald (17-13, 1.78 ERA). Paulie Mewze (.294, 2 HR, 30 RBI) finished the scoring with a two-run double that drove MacDonald from the game, and the Blue Stockings went on to an 8-4 win. It was tied two apiece after six innings in game five, as Tran and Carruders engaged in a pitchers' duel. Islington broke the logjam by scoring four times in the top of the seventh, and added another run in the eighth to win 7-2. Case had four hits, including a triple, and Matt Barefoot (.276, 0 HR, 45 RBI) added three hits of his own for the Owls. Islington came home, looking for its first Cup victory in three tries, and the 2,929 spectators gathered at Essex Street Park were not to be disappointed. The home team started the scoring with two runs in the third, and Carruders limited the Blue Stockings to just three hits over nine innings and prevailed in the end by the final score of 4-2. His 3-1 record and 0.75 ERA earned Carruders the series MVP award.
THE MINORS
Dundee repeated as the champions of the Northern Conference, and the Glasgow farmhands proceeded to sweep the Norwich Terriers, Bristol's affiliate, in three games to win the Second Tier Trophy.
It was also a sweep in the Third Tier finals as the Northampton Archers of the Bristol organization defeated Manchester's third stringers, the Derby Lancers.
ALLIANCE LEADERS
Empire League
Hitting
BA: .332 William Moore, Salford
HR: 7 Ted Collingridge, Newcastle
RBI: 80 Lewis McKay, Salford
R: 78 Vic Canning, London
SB: 43 Daniel Eridge, Dublin
Pitching
W: 28 William Hogarth, London; Moise Tran, Birmingham
L: 30 Franklin Trenwith, Liverpool
K: 141 George Templeman, Salford
ERA: 1.38 Eric "Higgler" Esmond
SV: 4 three pitchers
The seven home runs hit by Collingridge and Longstaff equalled the single season mark set by Ambrose Scholes in 1871.
Dominion Association
Hitting
BA: .330 Connor "Plumber" Ayling, Manchester
HR: 7 Cameron Longstaff, Leeds
RBI: 91 Callum "Satchelfoot" Pegg, Lambeth
R: 85 John Leighton, Lambeth; Adam Piddocke, Lambeth
SB: 33 William Blye, Sheffield
Pitching
W: 36 George Carruders, Islington
L: 29 Robert Turnock, Belfast
K: 230 George Carruders, Islington
ERA: 1.34 Albert Munn, Lambeth
SV: 4 Jake Bundy, Leeds; Charles Opie, Manchester
Leighton set the major league mark with 160 hits in a season, and Pegg's 91 RBI shattered the old record of 83, set by Marco Dryden in 1874.