OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The National Pastime: The United States Baseball Federation rises

KCRoyals15 · 11-23-2024, 01:40 PM

1919

1919 brought the curtain down on the second decade of USBF play and it also brought the curtain down on the best team in the last half-decade. The Brooklyn Dodgers won a franchise-record 108 games, romping to a 26-game margin in the New England League. Kansas City, meanwhile, won the Western League for the third straight season after The Skipper's departure.

Meanwhile, Baltimore won the Eastern League for the second time in three seasons. Over in the Midwest Association, the Milwaukee Blackhawks have suffered four second-place finishes (including the three-way tiebreak in 1914), but finally broke through with their first pennant.

Facing a team 17 games worse than them, Brooklyn got all they could handle in the first round from Baltimore, as the Terrapins pushed the Dodgers for seven games. Kansas City, meanwhile, brushed aside Milwaukee in five games. The Dodgers, though, defeated the Blues in five games, earning Brooklyn their second National Championship in three years.

History was made on the awards front as Buffalo ace Marcos Estrada became the first player in USBF history to earn Pitcher of the Year and MVP honors in the same year. Estrada led the Federation with a 1.23 ERA , going 25-12 and leading the USBF with 337.2 innings, 187 strikeouts, and 33 complete games, while also tossing a no-hitter against Milwaukee on August 22, becoming the first POTY to have a no-hitter in the same season. Estrada had two more exceptional seasons before the injury bug bit. He only posted one healthy season after his 30th birthday, leaving behind a tale of "what if?"

Of note, Newark Eagles second baseman Matt Strawn tied for the USBF lead in home runs with 11. What was notable, though, is that on July 29, he became the first USBF player to crush three home runs in a game, also adding a triple and driving in seven against Milwaukee.

Scott Barnett was a generally nondescript lefty who was generally solid for generally bad teams over a 16-year career. The 26-year-old, though, earned a day in the sun on June 20, spinning the USBF's fourth perfect game, as he shut down the Richmond Rebels, striking out five and needing 96 pitches to complete the gem.

One fascinating career came to a close this season. Already 29 when the USBF formed in 1900, Dudley Burton spent 1900 with the Philadelphia Quakers, then was flipped to Newark before the 1901 season. Over the next 18 years, Burton became the first truly great reliever for the Eagles, winning 136 games with 214 saves (a record), appearing in 970 games total—a figure that wouldn't be topped until 1951. Interestingly enough, Burton ended his career as a starter, making 15 of his 16 career starts for the Boston Beaneaters in 1919 after being released by Newark midway through the previous season. His one career shutout came six days after his 49th birthday. Despite pitching until he was the oldest player in USBF history, Burton posted a 1.92 career ERA, still the lowest of any pitcher with at least 1,500 innings.

---

A new minor league joins the fray as the Great Lakes League is founded, overlapping the current footprints of the River Valley and Colonial Leagues. With this addition, the entire professional baseball landscape under the USBF now stands at 104 teams (32 major league, 72 minor), passing the century mark for the first time.

Great Lakes League
Akron Rubbermen
Allentown Brewers
Canton Bulldogs
Flint Vehicles
Grand Rapids Griffins
Harrisburg Senators
South Bend Silver Sox
Youngstown Steelers

Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: Sacramento Solons, 147-53, defeats San Francisco Seals
Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 96-44, defeats New Orleans
Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 79-47, defeats Albany (2nd straight)
Texas League: Galveston Hurricanes, 77-49, defeats Oklahoma City
River Valley League: Fort Wayne Westerns, 86-54, defeats St. Joseph
Rocky Mountain League: Ogden, 92-34, defeats Salt Lake City
Coastal League: Mobile Marines, 84-56, defeats Miami
Northern League: Duluth Dukes, 79-47, defeats Sioux City
Great Lakes League: Grand Rapids Griffins, 90-50, defeats Flint

The Rocky Mountain League has been essentially a two-team league between Ogden and Salt Lake City for the entire decade, with those two playing each other for the title in five of the last six years. Frustrated by this, the RML elected to try something never done before: a four-team playoff to get two more teams into the postseason field. It didn't work, as Ogden and Salt Lake City squared off again in the finals.

11-23-2024, 01:40 PM	#20
KCRoyals15 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: A lot of them Posts: 123	Two Decades Down 1919 1919 brought the curtain down on the second decade of USBF play and it also brought the curtain down on the best team in the last half-decade. The Brooklyn Dodgers won a franchise-record 108 games, romping to a 26-game margin in the New England League. Kansas City, meanwhile, won the Western League for the third straight season after The Skipper's departure. Meanwhile, Baltimore won the Eastern League for the second time in three seasons. Over in the Midwest Association, the Milwaukee Blackhawks have suffered four second-place finishes (including the three-way tiebreak in 1914), but finally broke through with their first pennant. Facing a team 17 games worse than them, Brooklyn got all they could handle in the first round from Baltimore, as the Terrapins pushed the Dodgers for seven games. Kansas City, meanwhile, brushed aside Milwaukee in five games. The Dodgers, though, defeated the Blues in five games, earning Brooklyn their second National Championship in three years. History was made on the awards front as Buffalo ace Marcos Estrada became the first player in USBF history to earn Pitcher of the Year and MVP honors in the same year. Estrada led the Federation with a 1.23 ERA , going 25-12 and leading the USBF with 337.2 innings, 187 strikeouts, and 33 complete games, while also tossing a no-hitter against Milwaukee on August 22, becoming the first POTY to have a no-hitter in the same season. Estrada had two more exceptional seasons before the injury bug bit. He only posted one healthy season after his 30th birthday, leaving behind a tale of "what if?" Of note, Newark Eagles second baseman Matt Strawn tied for the USBF lead in home runs with 11. What was notable, though, is that on July 29, he became the first USBF player to crush three home runs in a game, also adding a triple and driving in seven against Milwaukee. Scott Barnett was a generally nondescript lefty who was generally solid for generally bad teams over a 16-year career. The 26-year-old, though, earned a day in the sun on June 20, spinning the USBF's fourth perfect game, as he shut down the Richmond Rebels, striking out five and needing 96 pitches to complete the gem. One fascinating career came to a close this season. Already 29 when the USBF formed in 1900, Dudley Burton spent 1900 with the Philadelphia Quakers, then was flipped to Newark before the 1901 season. Over the next 18 years, Burton became the first truly great reliever for the Eagles, winning 136 games with 214 saves (a record), appearing in 970 games total—a figure that wouldn't be topped until 1951. Interestingly enough, Burton ended his career as a starter, making 15 of his 16 career starts for the Boston Beaneaters in 1919 after being released by Newark midway through the previous season. His one career shutout came six days after his 49th birthday. Despite pitching until he was the oldest player in USBF history, Burton posted a 1.92 career ERA, still the lowest of any pitcher with at least 1,500 innings. --- A new minor league joins the fray as the *Great Lakes League* is founded, overlapping the current footprints of the River Valley and Colonial Leagues. With this addition, the entire professional baseball landscape under the USBF now stands at 104 teams (32 major league, 72 minor), passing the century mark for the first time. Great Lakes League Akron Rubbermen Allentown Brewers Canton Bulldogs Flint Vehicles Grand Rapids Griffins Harrisburg Senators South Bend Silver Sox Youngstown Steelers Minor League Champions Pacific Coast League: Sacramento Solons, 147-53, defeats San Francisco Seals Southeastern League: Atlanta Crackers, 96-44, defeats New Orleans Colonial League: Worcester Tornadoes, 79-47, defeats Albany (2nd straight) Texas League: Galveston Hurricanes, 77-49, defeats Oklahoma City River Valley League: Fort Wayne Westerns, 86-54, defeats St. Joseph Rocky Mountain League: Ogden, 92-34, defeats Salt Lake City Coastal League: Mobile Marines, 84-56, defeats Miami Northern League: Duluth Dukes, 79-47, defeats Sioux City Great Lakes League: Grand Rapids Griffins, 90-50, defeats Flint The Rocky Mountain League has been essentially a two-team league between Ogden and Salt Lake City for the entire decade, with those two playing each other for the title in five of the last six years. Frustrated by this, the RML elected to try something never done before: a four-team playoff to get two more teams into the postseason field. It didn't work, as Ogden and Salt Lake City squared off again in the finals. Last edited by KCRoyals15; 12-11-2024 at 01:31 AM.