| 1882 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Association (AA) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | May 2 – October 1, 1882 (AA) May 1 – October 2, 1882 (NL) |
| Number of games | 80 (AA) 84 (NL) |
| Number of teams | 14 (6 in AA, 8 in NL) |
| Pennant winner | |
| AA champions | Cincinnati Red Stockings |
| AA runners-up | Philadelphia Athletics |
| NL champions | Chicago White Stockings |
| NL runners-up | Providence Grays |
The 1882 Major League baseball season was contested from May 1 through October 2, 1882. It was the inaugural season for the American Association (AA) and seventh season for the National League (NL). The Cincinnati Red Stockings won the AA pennant, while the Chicago White Stockings won the NL pennant. There was no postseason.
The American Association was established as a six-team league in cities not represented by the National League. The AA was established with the expectation that it would have more of a "liberal policy" and better labor relations, threatening the puritanical NL, which itself had formal behavior codes with associated policies and procedures and a blacklist for players who did not comply to said rules. The AA also refused to recognize the NL's reserve lists.
Three of the six teams of the American Association survive to this day as National League teams; the Cincinnati Red Stockings, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, and St. Louis Brown Stockings are today's Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals.
The 1882 season was the last for the Troy Trojans and Worcester Worcesters.