1908
Another year, another Kansas City Blues league title. The eighth straight Western League crown is far and away the most impressive. The Skipper guided a pitching staff that set USBF records with a 1.79 ERA and allowed just 366 runs (2.35 per game), both of which still stand. He also had the highest-scoring offense (643 runs and a +283 run differential). The end result was a record 110 wins, finishing 31 games clear of second-place Louisville and St. Paul.
Jersey City won an even 100 games in taking the Eastern League by eight games, while Indianapolis claimed the Midwest Association flag by 14 games. In the New England League, Buffalo needed a tiebreaker, but won Game 157 against Rochester to earn a league title.
Also of note, the end of team nickname conclusion has arrived at the big league level. Maybe people didn't confuse Newark, New Jersey and Denver, Colorado (being a 36-hour train ride apart, after all), but both teams were named the Bears until Newark elected to adopt a new moniker, becoming the
Newark Eagles.
Year nine of the USBF saw maybe the biggest playoff upset to date. After needing an extra game to squeeze into the playoff field, the Buffalo Bisons
stun Kansas City in a seven-round semifinal shocker. Indianapolis also wipes out a 100-win team, sweeping Jersey City. In the finals, the Bisons dispatch the Hoosiers in six games, as Indy winds up runner-up for the second straight season.
Offense was at it's lowest level ever, as the entire Federation posted a collective 2.45 ERA and hit just .237 as a whole. Sure enough, MVP
Chris Fordham posted a great season (.322, 73 RBI, 112 steals), finishing second in batting and steals. He also led the USBF in hits with 192, a rather low total for a leader.
On the mound, KC took notice of a 27-year-old who had run absolutely roughshod through the Pacific Coast League the last three seasons and purchased his contract before the 1908 season. Taking a chance on
Derek Anderson paid off handsomely, as the lefty went 28-9 with a 1.47 ERA, leading the USBF with 209 strikeouts and setting a still-standing USBF record with 12 shutouts.
After a considerable amount of controversy about PCL veteran Scott Haveman earning Rookie of the Year a season ago, Anderson was not tabbed ROTY, instead Buffalo shortstop
Le-Song Si earned the nod.
Of note, on August 18, St. Paul right-hander
Steve Law set history by spinning the first perfect game in USBF history, blanking New Haven with six strikeouts.
Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: San Francisco Missions, 133-67 (2nd straight)
Southeastern League: New Orleans Pelicans, 99-41 (3rd straight)
Colonial League: Scranton-Wilkes Barre Steamers, 87-39, defeats Binghamton (3rd straight)
Texas League: Houston Buffaloes, 78-48, defeats Fort Worth
River Valley League: Fort Wayne Westerns, 109-31, defeats Peoria
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden Railroaders, 79-47, defeats Pueblo
Fort Wayne set a RVL record for wins and winning percentage (.779) that still stand. In the Rockies, Ogden's title kicked off a staggering two-decade run of dominance.