[Rocketdawg2016]

1882

More expansion in the NOBB was announced as the Buffalo Rams and Richmond Whalers were being added to the Atlantic League, starting competition in 1882.

The Colonial League in 1882 was yet again another season of dominance for the Hartford Angels, who in the eyes of some were becoming the new Manchester Eagles of the early 1870's. Hartford cruised to their fourth straight division title, and their fifth in the last six years, finishing the season 88-48 and securing (what many thought) would be another championship appearance. In the wildcard race, it was Newport who cruised to the playoffs behind the strong performances of their starting rotation,. Their three starters won 72 outright games of their 88 total, and had a 2.10 ERA by seasons end. A name we haven't called in a while, the Manchester Eagles, are starting to look competitive again, after multiple down seasons since their seven straight championships to kick off the league. The Eagles finished 6 games back of Newport and largely looked like a team that could start making runs again within just a few years.

In the Atlantic League, New York ran away with the division by June, holding a 25 game lead at one point. They finished the year 98-38, easily setting their franchise record and tying the league record for wins in a single season, set in 1876 by the Providence Fighters. That meant that the wildcard would come down to Baltimore and Brooklyn. While within three games at one point, it was the Red Rings who clinched the final playoff spot and sent the Barons back home for another season. This was Baltimore's first playoff appearance since their pennant winning 1873 season.



Unlike the previous season of dominance by the division winners, in 1882 it was the year of the wildcard teams. Both Newport and Baltimore upset the heavily favored division winners, each in four games, to advance to the National Championship Series. For the Midshipmen, a year after missing the playoffs, they were back competing for the chance at another championship. Baltimore was the biggest wildcard, finishing 22 games behind New York but advancing to the National Championship for the first time in nine years! In Game 1, Baltimore got off to a hot start, scoring the games first 5 runs and eventually winning 6-2 to jump out to a 1-0 series lead, but would be Newport who had the last laugh. The Midshipmen won the final three games, closing out the series with a convincing 5-2 victory that gave them their second National Championship in franchise history.



A year removed from winning Pitcher of the Year, Midshipmen ace Bobby Stoetzel was named the series' Most Valuable Player, as he went 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA. Bobby pitched two compete games and struck out nine batters through those two games. More hardware for the 25 year old who was quickly becoming a NOBB star.

Colonial League pitcher Joey Stringer of the Hartford Angels won 1882's Pitcher of the Year Award, crafting a 33-14 W/L record and a 1.87 ERA. Stringer set the league record for strikeouts, with 319 and also only allowed a .203 batting average against him. Stringer's W/L, innings pitched and strikeouts paced the entire Colonial League, earning him the triple crown. A year after an injury derailed his season, Stringer comes back and captures some solid hardware.

New York Battalion pitcher Bret Weimer won the Atlantic League's Pitcher of the Year Award, finishing 32-10 with a 2.30 ERA. His 230 strikeouts and 394 innings pitched paced the entire Atlantic League.

Shortstop Mike Gomez of the Newport Midshipmen won the Colonial League Most Valuable Player after a great year in the infield. Gomez slashed .308/.346/.452 with 148 hits, 71 RBI's and 5 home runs. In his first year away from Boston, Gomez completely turns a new stone and wins his first MVP Award.

In the Atlantic League, Jake Watkins of the New York Battalion captures this years Most Valuable Player Award. At just 20 years old, not only is Jake the youngest MVP recipient in league history, he also is already a superstar. Watkins slashed .373/.400/.585 with 193 hits, 114 runs, 92 RBI's and 6 home runs. Jake's AVG/OBP/SLG percentages were all rookie records, SMASHING the previous recordholders from the early 1870's. In addition to his MVP hardware, Jake was also crowned Newcomer of the Year in the Atlantic League. While New York's postseason struggles mount, they now have a pair of award winners in 1882, perhaps a sign of better things to come.

The first 15+ strikeout game in NOBB history also happened in 1882. Jayden Terry of Newport pitched a 17 strikeout game against Manchester on May 27th. Terry had just one batted ball in 12 innings of work.

The first no-hitter in four years also happened in 1882, ALSO at the same game on May 27th. The pitcher for Manchester, Andy Cornett, pitched a 12-inning shutout victory with 5 strikeouts.

In the Midwest Baseball Association, in-state rivals Akron and Cleveland matched up in the postseason, being two of three teams from the North Division to get in, the other being Chicago. In the South Division, it was Cincinnati who won it, and Des Moines missed out on a playoff berth, finishing one game behind Cleveland in the wildcard race.



Akron came out on top over their in-state rivals, dispatching Cleveland in four games to advance to the Championship Series, while Chicago defeated South winner Cincinnati 5-4 in Game 5. In the Championship, Akron made quick work of Chicago, downing them in four games to capture their first trophy in franchise history.

In the same tune as last year, Craig Winkleman wins the Midwest Baseball Association Pitcher of the Year trophy. Despite slightly decreased numbers from last season, Binkleman was still the crop ahead of the rest of the pack, finishing 20-18 with a 2.04 ERA, good enough for second across the entire league. His 176 strikeouts and 7.5 WAR paced the entire league in 1882.

The MBA Most Valuable Player Award went to the 19 year old Chad Ortiz of the Cleveland Indians. Ortiz slashed .365/.412/.593 and a highly impressive 1.005 OPS! He finished second in the league in batting average, second in stolen bases (52), and first in batter WAR (10.8), while gathering 147 hits, 35 doubles, 27 triples, 1 home run and 46 RBI's. Ortiz also won his first Golden Glove Award as the league's best defenseman at left field.

Cuban Professional League: Matanzas Blazers defeat the Playa Manguana Jungle Cats 3 games to 1