Season Spotlight: 1982 Illowa APBA League

IAL Champion: Chicago Champions

1982 saw the arrival of Rob Taylor managing the Chicago Stockyards taking over for (now sadly departed) Dale Smith. Dennis Jennings grabbed first placed for the second time in three years but it was the second place Chicago Champions behind Tedd Mallasch who won the IAL championship in 1982.  They had the homerun leader in IAL MVP Mike Schmidt (41) and the batting champ in Mike Hargrove (.318).  In addtion, Jim Rice (28 HR, 109 rbi) lent a hand. Cardinal hurler Steve Carlton won the Cy Young and for good reason.  He hit the trifecta leading the IAL in wins (24), ERA (1.69), and strikeouts (266).  Carlton’s 1.69 ERA remains the second lowest all-time to this day. Record performances in 1982 (and rank all-time):

My Steve McCatty Story After my Geneseo Athletics placed last in 1981, the league, in its infinite wisdom, passed a rule, which allowed a team that placed last two years in a row to pick any player in the MLB in lieu of any player on their team.  We called it the “Loser’s Pick”. This was a retroactive rule and my team qualified for this new rule.  I could have ANY player not already on an IAL team.  The field was open!  I could pick any superstar, any proven player, anyone with lots of potential.  A franchise player to build a team around.  So who did I pick? Steve McCatty. Granted, he was an A starter that year.  I had Bob Knepper already.  He was also an A and I was so focused on what it would be like to have a one-two punch like that. One can’t fault my fellow managers in the IAL.  One by one they tried to convince me that maybe “Cat” wasn’t the pick for me.  Maybe a middle infielder or a proven big bopper who would be around for years to come.  But I wouldn’t listen and Steve McCatty became an Athletic. What happened?  Well, McCatty actually had a great year for me in 1982.  He went 16-8 with a 2.11 ERA.  His 2.11 ERA remains 9th all-time on the single season list.  We didn’t make the playoffs though finishing 6th with a 77-84 record.  But I betcha we had the best dang ERA in the league (actually 3.50 ranked 5th). McCatty declined after his initial season.  He was a CZ the next season and a DW the one after that.  I think that was all the IAL could take of the “Cat”.

Tom