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THE 1881 SEASON BEGINS
The Detroit Wolverines have replaced the Cincinnati Reds in the National League this season, giving the league another western club. The league has a distinctive geographical divide at this point, with Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland as the western clubs, Providence, Boston and Worcester in New England and Troy and Buffalo representing upstate New York. The lack of any teams in cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore seems to represent a lack that will be filled in the near future, but for now we soldier on with this alignment.
On the field, Boston still looks like the top team this season. Most of their players from last season are back, and there is simply no reason to think they won't have the ability to win their third consecutive title. Cleveland and Chicago again seem to present the strongest challenges, although the two young New York teams could surprise.
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